TTM Success: Dan Pasqua

Perhaps the players who most frequently sign through the mail these days are those who played during the '80s. Card companies had long checklists, and in turn, featured a lot of different players on cardboard. This creates a lot of fodder for TTM requests!

When I was growing up, I knew every Yankees from about 1987 onward. My parents and older brother used to quiz me in front of family and friends, as it was a party trick for a four-year-old to be able to rattle off such names. I also knew most of the Mets, and the big stars of the game at the time, mostly thanks to 1987 Topps.

Dan Pasqua was one such player I remembered. I used to repeatedly play tee ball in my backyard, pretending to be each player in the Yankees lineup. Dan Pasqua was amongst my rotation of players, and every time I hit a home run off the tee, I'd say "This Bud's For You," which the Yankee announcers used to say after Yankee homers.

After the 1987 season, he was traded to the White Sox. I never really understood how trades or free agency worked at that age. I just remember all of a sudden guys like Steve Sax, Jack Clark, Jesse Barfield, and Matt Nokes showed up on the Yankees and they weren't there before.

Pasqua was kind enough to sign a 1986 and 1987 Topps for me in just over a week from his NJ home. The cards look great.

Thanks, Mr. Pasqua!