Card show pick ups - more randomness?

On a card show trip, maybe I was not really enthused about the vibe in the room where there were not as many sellers and things seemed slower - I stumbled upon a random seller with at least several monster boxes of assorted singles individually priced [at least $5 or more].

I tried to dig around and see what may catch my attention, maybe I wonder whether the material is passable or not - the seller said something about making offers to consider, so there was an opportunity to pick something up where this table might be it as far where I was going to spend most of what I had in-hand.

I found these three cards first and offered $10 for them - an old school rookie card of Keith Hernandez, a short print variation of Babe Ruth and a bat card of Tony Oliva.

After trying to go around the room, I came back to the seller's tables where maybe I'd find more cards - I found a little mix of cards I tried offering $20 for, though the seller expected more and I ended up paying $30.

Among the odds and ends included a second-year Gary Carter - I want to follow the mature collectors who have tried to make something about collecting old-school and/or vintage cards, even in bits and pieces.

A rookie year certified autograph of Michael Young - he was a second baseman who last played 10-15 years ago and was underrated as a longtime hitting star.

A certified autograph of Andrew Velasquez - even though the autograph on the sticker hologram looks sloppy, I picked it up for my all-time Angels collection.

While completion isn't realistic - it's cool knowing I have the most random players' autographs that played for my home team.

A Roberto Clemente insert that was too shiny to ignored - I'm not sure if this was numbered, but I like how it pops.

A Mike Trout / Shohei Ohtani insert I thought might have been worth something - but looked too neat to leave behind regardless.

A 1993 Donruss Dominator Greg Maddux - I guess it's not a pack pulled insert set, more like a 'box topper' bonus, but still a cool card.

Though it's a piece of plastic that I would have tossed a long time ago, I really like the branded top loader - which I assume was how the cards were originally shipped in.

Maybe the highlights were the 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson #482 rookie card and the 1982 Topps Cal Ripken Jr. #21 rookie card - on first glance, I had second thoughts about picking the cards up [maybe the sticker price $15 each] because they were more 'well loved' and 'off-condition,' rather than cleaner copies with better eye appeal.

On the other hand, I've never really had these cards in my collection and at the very least, end up as binder material centerpieces to the collection of cards I have for each player - with these rookies in my possession, I'd have some bragging rights if I took a time machine to the junk wax era of the early 1990s.

TTM autographs received: Terry Leach

The former big league reliever signed my cards in about a month - including a 1982 Topps multiplayer Future Stars card I had longtime MLB manager Ron Gardenhire sign in-person.

All I need to finish off my card is Tim Leary, who might have done his share of former LA Dodgers appearances in So. Cal over the past 10-15 years - he's never been someone I've been compelled to be interested in, but now I have to see where someone might do a signing with him.

1982 Topps Chili Davis rookie card #171

I'll always associate Davis with Angels teams of the late 1980s through the mid 1990s and picked this multiplayer card up to group with random Angels cards I may put together - he was a player who wielded a big stick and seemed like the last guy a pitcher wanted to go head-to-head with in a crucial game situation or frankly, in a brawl.

I remember getting his autograph in-person about 20 years ago and to make small talk - I said something like, 'it's too bad you aren't an Angel anymore.'

Davis responded back, saying something like he had no regrets, since he was playing for the New York Yankees - he only played 35 games for the 114 win juggernaut 1998 team, but played in 146 games in his last MLB season in 1999.

Unfortunately after one season, Davis was just fired by the Chicago Cubs as their hitting coach and his status in the major leagues is up in the air - whether a team is willing to offer him a job and if he is looking to continue coaching.

2017 Topps Archives blaster recap 2 of 2

Box two
Bonus pack of Baseball Coins 
#C-22 Clayton Kershaw
#C-24 Max Scherzer

Pack one

#65 Stephen Strasburg
#28 Evan Longoria
#14 Marcell Ozuna
#280 Robin Roberts

#219 Jim Bunning

#183 Anthony Rendon
#130 Robinson Cano
#200 Kris Bryant

Pack two
#87 Dellin Betances
#77 Nomar Mazara

#21 Jose Ramirez

#272 Jose Canseco - I took a look at this card and thought the card pictured Ozzie instead of Jose and go figure, this confirmed my suspicion
#249 Tom Glavine

#RS-7 Yulieski Gurriel - Rookie Stars insert

#116 Curt Schilling
#192 Ryne Sandberg

Pack three
#53 Freddie Freeman

#78 Nolan Arenado
#81 Tyler Glasnow
#277 Yoan Moncada
#210 Mookie Betts

#266 Daniel Murphy
#159 Pedro Martinez
#139 Phil Rizzuto

Pack four
#82 Mike Piazza
#32 Juan Gonzalez
#244 Trevor Story
#253 Jean Segura

#283 Adam Eaton

#DJ-11 Derek Jeter - DJ Retrospective insert / 2003 Topps
#191 Sparky Anderson
#147 Jose Bautista

Pack five
#35 Brooks Robinson

#24 Willie McCovey
#56 Eric Hosmer

#217 Kole Calhoun
#235 Chris Sale
#144 Ken Giles
#145 Hisashi Iwakuma
#120 Dexter Fowler

Pack six
#9 Mark Trumbo

#57 Albert Pujols

#250 Bryce Harper

#221 JaCoby Jones
#218 Aaron Boone
#111 Danny Salazar
#121 Marcus Stroman
#150 Jose Quintana

Pack seven
#3 Earl Weaver 
#84 Carson Fulmer
#227 Manny Machado
#237 Joe Musgrove
#255 Reggie Jackson

59B-17 Sandy Koufax - 1959 Bazooka insert
#169 Starlin Castro
#128 Yasiel Puig

2017 Topps Archives blaster recap 1 of 2

I jumped at a chance to pick up two of these when I saw these on the shelves at a Target - this isn't a product I anticipate coming out each year, but something I take a look at through a blaster box purchase or maybe through some loose packs at the LCS [if available].

Box one

Bonus pack of Baseball Coins - comes in a nice, cutesy, 'micro mini' plastic wrapper that is worthless the moment I tear into it.

#C-10 Justin Verlander
#C-3 Gary Sanchez

Pack one

#92 Masahiro Tanaka - with the horizontal design and how colors kind of pop, the 1960 style is probably my favorite.
#36 Yu Darvish
#245 Johnny Cueto
#270 Mark Melancon
#247 Matt Harvey

#DJ-18 Derek Jeter - DJ Retrospective insert / 2010 Topps

#200 Kris Bryant - I kind of liked the original year 1982 cards with the ‘hockey stick’ design and while the facsimile autograph sort of clutters up the front of the cards, it’s an attractive card design [I guess for 1982 in particular as opposed to 2017].
#116 Curt Schilling

Pack two
#64 Noah Syndergaard
#17 Melky Cabrera
#88 Salvador Perez

#205 Trea Turner - 1992 was the year of Topps cards I had most exposure to and I kind of felt the set was a little generic, especially with 792 cards.
#223 Jose Abreu

#192 Ryne Sandberg - it's probably been done before, but I like seeing a 'what if' Sandberg with a 1982 Topps design.
#159 Pedro Martinez
#139 Phil Rizzuto

Pack three
#73 Bobby Doerr

#75 Ty Cobb
#201 Roberto Clemente
#248 Andre Dawson

#49 Brian Dozier - Light Blue parallel serial #'d 37/75
#191 Sparky Anderson

#147 Jose Bautista
#144 Ken Giles

Pack four
#42 David Cone
#39 Rob Segedin
#275 Alex Bregman

#293 Jose Altuve - I feel like all the vertical images used in the original 1992 issue cards made that set feel a little redundant, but the occasional, original cards with horizontal player images stood out with seemingly a little more personality.
#246 Wil Myers

#59B-14 Corey Seager - Bazooka insert
#145 Hisashi Iwakuma
#120 Dexter Fowler

Pack five

#66 Adrian Beltre
#67 Edwin Diaz
#16 Jay Bruce
#256 Ian Desmond

#290 Kevin Gausman - I find myself playing the game of whether or not I’d find the similar type of image used in the original year cards.

I’d say at the ‘meh’ images [only counting active players] found on at least a handful of this year’s 1992 style Archives cards - would probably be faithful to their junk wax era counterparts.

#98 Jake Lamb - Peach parallel serial #'d 105/199
#111 Danny Salazar
#121 Marcus Stroman

Pack six
#19 Russell Martin
#26 Yoenis Cespedes
#100 Corey Seager
#252 Evan Gattis
#206 John Lackey

#Topps RO-3 Yoenis Cespedes - 2016 Retro Originals; I guess this was a retro inspired design thought up for last year; like how there is actually a card back built up as opposed to a ‘run of the mill’ insert.

#150 Jose Quintana
#103 Alex Reyes

Pack seven
#29 Josh Donaldson
#51 Robert Gsellman
#72 Edgar Martinez

#236 Braden Shipley
#269 Reynaldo Lopez
#153 Frank Thomas
#115 Andy Pettitte
#186 Monte Irvin

Featured autographs - Rod Carew and Ken Forsch

As the case with being an autograph collector, I had another Angels Leaders card that needed Rod Carew's autograph - a 1982 Topps card featuring Carew and Ken Forsch.

After getting him on the 1983 Topps Angels Leaders card in the previous post - I didn't think I'd get an opportunity to get Carew's autograph again and in my last Angels game of the 2011 season on Sept. 27, I nearly didn't.

Apparently it was Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher throwing out the first pitch before the game against the Texas Rangers - I kept thinking it was going to be former Angel Ricky Adams [a utility man for the team in the mid 1980s] making an appearance, but unfortunately his battle with cancer still continues.

The acquaintance that told me it was Carew signing on Sept. 26 said it might be the Hall of Famer appearing again - I didn't quite believe him this time, so I disregarded the information.

Another acquaintance said it was worth the gamble to sneak away during batting practice and try and get a wristband, but I still didn't listen - apparently the usher giving the wristbands out wasn't telling anybody the 'surprise guest,' except to say it wasn't Nolan Ryan.

The biggest speculation about the Angels 50th Anniversary 'first pitch' signers probably revolved around whether Ryan [couldn't make it out to Anaheim due to an illness], Reggie Jackson [who signed] or Dave Winfield [who signed] - would actually throw out the first pitch before the game and sign during the game.

By the time I bothered to try and get a wristband just for the heck of it, there was no more to be passed out - I asked one of the ushers who it was going to be and he said it was Carew.

After getting Mike Trout [8x10 print] and Bobby Abreu [2011 Topps Allen and Ginter] before the game, I wanted to stay away as possible from where Carew was signing - I was bummed out, knowing all the 'autograph regulars' in 2011 were in line to get Carew and I wasn't thinking things through.

During the game I was literally just chilling out when I saw a guy, his son and another guy [I've seen as a regular 'ballhawk' and autograph collector] running past me out by tables near the Carl's Jr. stands on the first base side - I knew they were collectors otherwise and I just grabbed my stuff and tried to follow, hoping they knew something I didn't.

They ran past Gate 5 and towards the Field Level Concourse near the right field corner - I think they lost someone and I sort of held off, thinking they maybe chasing after something else or were completely clueless.

If it was Carew they were after, he'd probably going out the team offices - I asked the usher at Gate 5 if there was re-entry, in case I had to go out and chase after Carew.

He said there was re-entry but, "not at this gate."

From where I stood inside, I saw Carew walking from the offices to the parking lot and decided to take my chances with him outside - I try to get out of the stadium and catch him as he is opening the door of his car.

I try to keep some space between us as I ask him to sign - he agrees and signs my 1982 Topps Angels Leaders card with Ken Forsch.

I asked him how he was and he asked me how I was - a simple greeting back-and-forth and I was relieved I had no real problem getting him, even though an hour before I felt like sulking by myself because I thought I had missed out.

Featured autograph - Mick Kelleher

Mick Kelleher is a former Angel who is currently the first base coach of the New York Yankees - he signed his 1982 Topps card for me after the Angels game last Saturday.

When the Yankees come back to play the Angels in September - Kelleher is scheduled to throw out the first pitch before the middle game of the series on September 10.

Featured card: 1982 Topps Mike Witt #744

Witt was the workhorse ace for the California Angels in the 1980s until all the innings he pitched took a toll - and his arm was burnt out right as he hit 30.

Witt finished his career with the New York Yankees in 1993 after being traded for eventual Hall of Famer Dave Winfield in 1990 - he threw a perfect game in 1984 and was part of a combined no-hitter in 1990 with then Angels' big free agent signee Mark Langston.