TTM autographs received: Jeff Reardon

The former big league closer signed my cards in about three weeks - in the 1990s, I vaguely remember him going for some sort of save record, though in the time since, he has been lapped by other relievers.

Featured autograph - Mark Langston

To be quite honest, sometimes getting the autograph of a former Angels player like Mark Langston have lost a little bit of its allure - because I've seen him enough times at Angels games or perhaps to another Angels related event.

I recently got him to sign a couple of cards I brought - when he showed up the Angels game last Saturday.

However another loose unsigned card or five or six usually finds its way in my hands at some point - it never ends when you are autograph collector or borderline baseball card hoarder.

Langston was a 'junk wax' era guy, so he has his share of cards from the mid 1980s through the 1990s - I still have nearly a page of his cards to get autographed.

Autograph request through the mail received: Jimmy Key

Jimmy Key c/o home address - signed one card in blue Sharpie and returned the other card I enclosed in my request unsigned.

I sent my autograph request to Key late in December 2010 and got it back earlier this week - looking at his stats, he had a long Major League career, though my perception was he was strictly a finesse guy who relied more on guile instead of pure stuff coming out of his left hand.

Pack breaks: 1991 Topps Stadium Club Series I [x2] - I saved these two packs from a 10 pack purchase of 1991 Stadium Club just to put away. I was bored, holed up in my room on a hot afternoon, so I ripped into the two packs impulsively.

Pack One - these packs were about $0.50 each
#18 Bip Roberts
#134 Steve Balboni
#221 Jimmy Key
#41 Tony Phillips
Topps Stadium Club membership filler card
#158 Frank Tanana
#293 Lee Stevens
#186 Cecil Fielder
#120 Rickey Henderson
#256 Bobby Thigpen
#229 Eric Anthony
#264 Ben McDonald
#24 Tom Henke

Pack Two
#15 Mike McFarlane
#281 Mike Simms - local Orange County California guy, who went to my high school [Esperanza High in Anaheim]. He was a bench player for several years in the Major Leagues.

#155 Jose Canseco - likely juiced up, he was still a dominant Major League player at this point of his career.

#2 Wally Joyner - 'Wally World' was on its last legs when this card was printed. Here is about a three minute, highlight reel/endorsement/informercial featuring Joyner and Xocai healthy chocolates. I don't know if he is still pimping the product, but at least he isn't touting the virtues of steroids.
Topps Stadium Club membership filler card
#98 Brian Harvey
#164 Chris Bosio
#79 Bob Welch
#253 Mike Greenwell
#190 Jose Oquendo
#57 Frank Thomas - I didn't scan this card, because I pulled the same card out of the initial break I had with these cards late in 2007. When I think of Thomas and his cards, I can't imagine how much time has passed [18 years] since he was the hot player [think Albert Pujols] to collect. The 1990s have passed on, but when I think back to certain moments or see certain items, still seem like only yesterday in my mind. I guess I am old.
#224 Bo Jackson - I don't know what to say about Bo, except it has been a long time since he has been relevant. He was once was a two-sport star in two professional sports [Major League Baseball and the NFL], one of these mega superstar [maybe not in achievements] athletes whose image was plastered everywhere.
#237 Juan Gonzalez - I wanted this for my collection, since it was one of his key cards, even though it wasn't a true rookie card.