Where Art Thou Kent Hrbek?

I told myself when I started this, not to get my hopes up. I seriously try. No matter how nonsensical it seems to me to not respond to a piece of mail like what I'm sending out, I still try and realize that everyone has their own prerogative. Some guys just don't like signing through the mail. Some guys simply don't have time to sign through the mail. Most of the guys I'm sending to though, should. And I make it really easy on them. All the tools are in the package I send. Just sign it, and mail it back.

But I need to be happy with the success I've had. I have sent 17 total items (plus two more dropped in the mail today) and received 11 of them back. That's pretty good. Some were complete surprises (Liam Hendriks, Brad Radke), others I was always confident of a return (Tom Kelly, Tom Brunansky). Of the guys I have not heard from, I don't really know what to think. I'm dumbfounded by Gene Larkin, and I understand not hearing from Miguel Sano and Joe Benson. Frank Viola traditionally is very good but takes an awful long time. Rick Aguilera, was a long shot to begin with, boasting a not so great track record of signing through the mail.

I know I should be happy with what I've got, but I can't help but be disappointed in Kent Hrbek.

Research showed Hrbek as a strong supporter of ALS. My wife's aunt is currently battling this and I touched on it in my letter of request to Hrbek. Research also showed that Hrbek is a fantastic through the mail signer if a small donation was made to the Minnesota ALS Foundation he helped start. Since I was sending him a baseball, I sent along a nice check.

Seven days ago I noticed in my bank account that the check was cashed. A scan of it even proves that Hrbek himself endorsed it! Two days later, a thank you card (for tax purposes) came in the mail to me, from the Minnesota ALS Foundation. Seven days ago . . . yet . . . no baseball from Herbie.

I have a hard time believing that the guy would cash my check and NOT sign my baseball and return it, but I'm beginning to worry that that is exactly what happened. 11 of my 17 requests have come back to me without a hitch, so I have a hard time believing it was lost in the process. I hope I hear from him soon, but my doubts are growing with each passing day.

Maybe he was too busy filming Taco Johns commercials.