Featured autograph - Mike Trout

Mike Trout 1/2 - I was able to get his autograph in-person recently and even though he was on the phone talking with someone, he saw my 2012 Topps Gypsy Queen and said, "that's a nice card, I haven't seen that one before."

Random thoughts - Tim Lincecum

While I can't ever feel like he does stepping onto the mound as a Major League starting pitcher, I guess I can emphathize with Tim Lincecum's struggles in 2012 - I keep thinking no matter how hard he wants to blow the ball past hitters and grind starts out, the pitches he is throwing are misfiring and he's getting smacked around.

Is this the beginning of the end for the two time Cy Young Award winner [?] - as much as Lincecum has been built up as a superstar over the last two or three years, it goes without saying that the reason we remember the name is because of all the work he's done to as a 'freakish' athlete who worked against the odds to be a master of his craft.

2012 Bowman hobby three pack recap

2012 Bowman three pack break [$3.25 each from a card shop] - I was fortunate to pull a Blue parallel of Albert Pujols since he is one of 'my guys.'

Pack one
#160 R.A. Dickey
#175 Starlin Castro
#5 Brennan Boesch
#BCP 68 Jeff Malm - Chrome
#BCP 12 Rafael Ortega - Chrome
#9 Cole Hamels - Gold parallel
#BP 63 Todd McInnis
#BP 1 Justin Nicolino
#164 Max Scherzer
#81 Eric Hosmer

Pack two
#207 Adron Chambers
#102 Clay Buchholz
#BCP 62 Kes Carter - Chrome
#BCP 41 Zach Walters - Chrome
#167 Asdrubal Cabrera - Gold parallel
#49 Albert Pujols - Blue parallel serial #'d 251/500
#BP 81 Taylor Whitenton
#BP 55 Jose Vinicio
#202 Tyler Pastornicky
#3 Jered Weaver

Pack three
#138 Heath Bell
#197 Michael Fiers
#BCP 37 Michael Crouse - Chrome
#35 Aroldis Chapman - Gold parallel
#BB 23 Josh Hamilton - Bowman's Best insert
#BP 98 Greg Bird
#BP 84 Bryan Brickhouse
#BP 50 Jose Valverde
#41 B.J. Upton
#169 Stephen Strasburg

2012 Topps Archives blaster recap

2012 Topps Archives blaster recap [$19.99 each from a Target]

Pack one
#55 Jesus Montero
#106 Alex Gordon
#39 Jackie Robinson
#157 Carlos Gonzalez
#NNO Mickey Mantle - 1968 Topps 3D insert
#188 Vance Worley
#32 Adam Jones
#82 Jose Reyes

Pack two
#89 Lou Gehrig
#142 Ozzie Smith
#189 Babe Ruth

#35 Zack Greinke - Archives Base Gold Rainbow Foilboard parallel; looks peculiarly green when scanned.
#237 Robin Ventura
#134 Chris Carpenter
#183 Dan Uggla
#24 Lance Berkman

Pack three
#45 Carlos Ruiz
#96 Phil Rizzuto
#15 Madison Bumgarner
#193 Lonnie Chisenhall

#77C-GB George Brett - 1977 Topps Cloth insert
#90 Joe Mauer
#126 Rickie Weeks
#176 Eric Hosmer

Pack four
#146 Jarrod Parker
#73 Shaun Marcum
#132 Ben Zobrist
#181 Matt Cain

#337 Joe Morgan - 1967 Topps reprint insert
#9 Brett Gardner
#60 Mariano Rivera
#109 Catfish Hunter

Pack five

#25 Dan Haren
#75 Reggie Jackson
#127 Evan Longoria
#20 Robinson Cano

#77C-EH Eric Hosmer - 1977 Topps Cloth insert
#160 Prince Fielder
#3 Jered Weaver
#91 Ted Lilly

Pack six
#64 Derek Holland
#115 Gio Gonzalez
#166 C.C. Sabathia
#6 Paul Goldschmidt

#28 Brooks Robinson - 1960 Topps reprint insert
#38 Billy Butler
#88 Mike Schmidt
#138 Joe DiMaggio

Pack seven
#40 Nelson Cruz
#57 Josh Beckett
#108 Cliff Lee
#159 David Price

#67S-DJ Derek Jeter - 1967 Topps Stickers insert
#99 Brandon Belt
#149 Dustin Ackley
#196 Andrew Bailey

Pack eight
#177 Shane Victorino
#66 Andrew McCutchen
#117 George Brett
#168 Carlos Santana

#229 Roger McDowell - 1987 Topps reprint card back insert
#103 Ricky Romero
#153 Felix Hernandez
#48 Grady Sizemore
Cal Ripken Jr. 2131 Orioles Topps Pennant info card

Google account disabled due to suspicious activity ...

I tried logging onto Blogger on Monday but couldn't because my Google account was apparently disabled - I balked at giving Google my phone number to send a verification code; but felt like I was being scammed when they wanted credit card information in an e-mail sent to me after I'd already answered some questions like when I first started using Google and some of their services [Docs, Blogger, Picasa, et al].

I started to panic when I realized there might not be a 'quick fix,' I might not ever get my Google account back and my blogging on Card Buzz maybe lost forever - I caved in to send my phone number and within a few minutes, an automated call was made to my phone with a verification code...there was my quick fix...

After entering the verification code with my user name / password, it looks like my account intact - though I don't know what caused the 'suspicious activity,' so I went ahead and changed my password.

Featured autograph - Mark Trumbo

I would have never guessed Mark Trumbo would have better numbers than teammate Albert Pujols at this point of the season - Angels fans love this guy and in just his second full MLB season, he's producing just right at his prime.

2012 Bowman retail three pack blister recap

2012 Bowman three pack blister [$9.49 each at a Target] - the white borders in this year's Bowman base set make the set look a little less claustrophobic.

The metronomic black borders that was a trademark of Bowman had gotten stale and it's nice to change things up this year - even it's just the borders of the base cards.

Purple border pack
#BP 73 Will Swanner
#BP 107 Joe Ross
#BP 1 Justin Nicolino

Pack one
#8 Paul goldschmidt
#113 Yovani Gallardo
#160 R.A. Dickey
#BCP 31 Nick Maronde - Chrome
#BCP 89 Austin Hedges - Chrome
#145 Brandon Phillips - Gold parallel
#BP 79 Josh Bell
#BP 36 Michael Brady
#33 Chris Young
#176 Ichiro

Pack two
#175 Starlin Castro
#5 Brennan Boesch
#BCP 94 Charlie Tilson - Chrome
#BCP 104 Joc Pederson - Chrome
#172 Bud Norris - Gold parallel
#98 Nyjer Morgan - International parallel
#BP 78 Nick Castellanos
#BP 43 Rookie Davis
#23 Colby Rasmus
#28 Mat Latos

Pack three - first pack I actually opened and looking at the last card to start off the pack, it looked like I got a base Yu Darvish.

#106 Pedro Alvarez
#167 Asdrubal Cabrera
#BCP 17 Tyler Austin - Chrome
#BCP 9 Eddie Rosario - Chrome
#71 Hanley Ramirez - Gold parallel
#BP 24 J.R. Graham
#BP 89 Austin Hedges
#121 Neftali Feliz
#133 Gio Gonzalez
#209 Yu Darvish

Ticket stub from Albert Pujols' first home run as an Angel

I wish I could say I was there to watch Albert Pujols' first home run, but I'd tagged along with my buddy to a card show instead of staying to watch the game on Sunday - so I had to go see the moment on TV instead of in-person.

At least I was able to save the ticket stub from the game - unlike 10-12 years ago, game tickets are left intact since it's all about scanning the barcode.

Pujols still is hitting about .200 on the year - but here is hoping he can start to snap out of his season long funk.

Featured autograph - Donn Roach

My friend had a couple more cards [he always has a 'couple more cards' of minor league guys he needs to get signed] from the stash he gets from his card pimp overseas - so when we went to a minor league game in the California League last weekend, I got Roach to sign my friend's cards.

I would have never known this recently traded Angel farmhand [probably going from Inland Empire to Lake Elsinore] played junior college baseball with some guy named Harper in Nevada a couple of years ago - even though it says on the write-up on the back of the card I got signed.

Featured autograph - Ernesto Frieri

I don't know if I could pronounce or spell this guy's last name to save my life - but the Angels traded a couple of prospects [Alexi Amarista and Donn Roach] to get him from the San Diego Padres.

Frieri might only throw in the low 90s but looks like he's done a pretty good job - as he's gotten an extended role in the Padres' bullpen the last couple of years.

Hopefully what it means is he gives the Angels bullpen some depth and breathing room - I can think of only Scott Downs and perhaps LaTroy Hawkins as the Angels' relievers worth handling the ball over.

With respect to the other guys - they are either old, unproven or ineffective.

Jered Weaver - no-no

I was hoping to make out to Angel Stadium for Wednesday night's game, hoping if Jered Weaver pitched well, maybe he'd sign autographs after the game - I think tickets were less than a buck on StubHub through early Wednesday.

I guess I picked the wrong day not to go to an Angels game - with Weaver throwing a no-hitter against the hapless Minnesota Twins and really just reaffirming himself as the Halos ace.

Featured autograph - Wei-Yin Chen

Baltimore Orioles rookie Wei-Yin Chen signed this baseball a couple of weeks ago - I didn't really know much about him, except he's a Taiwanese import who played in Japan to start his professional baseball career.

Who knows how he'll hold up but he's been impressive for the upstart Orioles so far in 2012 - I wanted his autograph on the sweet spot but he signed it on a panel and I realized that maybe the way he has signed baseballs in his life as a ballplayer.

If he decides or is taught to sign with a more traditional Western style autograph - maybe he'll be able to sign on the sweet spot like how collectors of single-signed baseballs likes them.