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Old 06-05-2021, 11:36 AM
MCyganik MCyganik is offline
M@++ Cyganik
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Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Boston
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What about Tony Horton? His signature is out there, but most if not all are vintage era 3x5 index cards and photos.

He holds the record of the most at-bats by an MLB player in the Topps era that doesn't have a single Topps card. So he kinda flies under the radar with modern card collectors.

Story goes his father, a former UCLA star athlete, controlled Tony much of his career and refused to sign a contract with Topps unless he got top money. Then his mental health suffered and he not only disappeared from the game but refused to talk about it too.

From what I've read, Tony found quiet success working in business in SoCal but has spent his entire life refusing to talk to baseball reporters. I believe he still lives with and/or cares for his father who is now in his mid to late 90s and never married or had children.

I found one of his Red Sox jerseys at an estate sale a few years ago and his story fascinates me as I work in the mental health field and sympathetic to his experience, so I've been meaning to try to write him a letter and see if he ever responds. I also picked up a 1964 Red Sox team signed ball with a rookie Tony Horton signature (and rookie Tony Conigliaro, the Two Tony's who competed with each other and went to nightclubs together), so at least I have one thing he signed.
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