Featured autograph - Garrett Richards

I picked up a first-year autograph card of the ace of the Angels pitching staff back when he pitched a two-hit shutout of the Boston Red Sox back in July - I keep thinking back to when the team was in much better shape and how Richards was going to be the main man in the rotation to keep the Angels in the playoff hunt.

Though the Angels find themselves likely playing out the string, Richards has actually had a respectable season - especially after coming back from a gruesome injury in 2014.

For what it's worth, I only realized I had this other first-year autograph of Richards from this break - maybe after Richard's second or third year with the big league team.

Featured autograph - Tyler Skaggs

Tyler Skaggs is the former Angels first round draft pick [40th overall in 2009] - who was the key minor leaguer sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Dan Haren in 2010.

What you see in-person, read about online or assume based on how a guy 'looks' in the most superficial sense doesn't mean anything - but I think this profile story from spring training encapsulates everything that needs to be said about the way Skaggs handles his business as a young pro.

Featured autograph - Kaleb Cowart

A 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Kaleb Cowart autographed card serial #'d 4/100 [$10.99 plus $2.50 s/h on Ebay] arrived in the box Saturday - I felt compelled to pick it up for my Angels collection because I want to get early cards of future Angels' players.

Cowart was a pitcher / infielder from a high school in Georgia - but looks to be a switch-hitting position player as a professional.

2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition breaks

2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition [$4.99 x 5] - looking for something different than retail and randomly picked up five packs of this draft pick product.

There are 'traditional collectors' who only touch MLB/MLBPA licensed cards and turn their noses at draft pick and/or prospect cards - draft pick and/or prospect cards don't bother me, because it is a nice novelty to be able to pull the most basic [as in non parallel, non-autograph] cards of relative unknown drafted players and see if they develop into a professional who is going to reach the Major Leagues one day.

I'm bummed as anyone else, when I end up holding draft pick / prospect cards of players who don't reach the Major Leagues - but it is fun to see those who reach the Major Leagues and actually establishes themselves, if I have an 'early card' of theirs.

Watching professional players go through the minors and develop in baseball is like watching paint dry - but looking at the backs of these cards, the cards featuring players drafted out of college, should be the ones to look for in the next year or so [either to reach the Major Leagues or to flame out].

Pack one
#39 Jake Marisnick
#30 Garrett Gould
#122 Dan Taylor AU serial #'d 516/650
#23 Everett Williams
#10 Mike Leake

Pack two
#41 Kent Matthes
#33 Brandon Belt
#19 Ben Paulsen - School Colors insert; Clemson
#15 Paulsen
#4 J.R. Murphy

Pack three
#12 Bill Bullock
#22 Jiovanni Mier
#20 Shaver Hansen
#15 Garrett Richards AU - Collegiate Patches insert; serial #'d 103/125
#11 Kelly Dugan
#17 A.J. Pollock

Pack four
#44 Adam Warren
#32 Donnie Joseph
#27 Ryan Jackson
#25 Chad Jenkins
#14 Alex Wilson

Pack five
#45 Dustin Dickerson
#47 Brooks Raley
#131 Kevan Hess - Status die-cut parallel; serial #'d 56/100
#24 Rich Poythress
#13 Shelby Miller