7 days

Can you believe it? The cards I sent Ron Cey arrived today signed by The Penguin himself! It took just seven days! I sent it last Friday and it arrived this Friday. Is there anything that Mr. Cey does not do well? I think not.

I was a little concerned when I sent off the envelope because the post office worker practically molested the package. He kept feeling it up trying to determine the weight or something, and there was nothing protecting those Cey cards except the letter I sent with the cards.

But the cards arrived intact! I received two other card packages today as well (which I'll feature at some point), and I spotted those first as I took the mail with me in the car on the way to pick up my daughter. I assumed the rest of the envelopes were just bills.

I happily opened the other card packages in the car. Then I went on to the other boring mail and my heart literally leapt when I saw my own handwriting on an envelope looking back at me.

Direct from California, Cey signed the '78 Topps card up top and the '82 Donruss card here:

I already mentioned what a great signature he has. And he apparently adds his Dodgers uniform number (No. 10) to cards of him as a Dodger. I didn't see a uniform number on the Cubs cards Cey signed for Brian from 30-Year-Old Cardboard.

I pushed my luck and sent him a third card, the 1983 Topps. Cey didn't sign that. I guess that's pretty standard for players who sign a lot through the mail -- sign no more than two. I wonder how each player decides which two they're going to sign? I imagine most just pick the first two they see. Although some probably hate certain cards of themselves and won't sign those.

I'm going to say that Cey didn't pick the '83 card because that was the year the Dodgers lost their minds and traded him to the Cubs for (everybody boo all together now) Vance Lovelace. And what a fine career Lovelace had, eh? The Dodgers started Pedro Guerrero at third for the next two years, but except for Adrian Beltre, L.A. hasn't been able to find anyone to play there for more than three years.

I owe Brian a big thank you for helping me get these cards back from my favorite player. Thanks again! I may try the TTM route again, but I would only do it for players who have special meaning for me. There are not a lot of those.

Cey turns 61 a week from Sunday. That is very hard to believe. But even though his career is long over, he's still showing what a class act he is. It makes me proud that he's my favorite player, and that I now have two autographed cards of him!

Thanks!