More contemporary Angels pick-ups

At times there is no rhyme or reason for picking up random Angels cards because frankly the idea of being a team collector seems overwhelming - I'm not ever going to be hyper focused trying to keep track of all the releases [past, present and future] and working around [trades, purchases, etc] to see if I can have ownership of a perpetual number of team sets.

As is, I do consider the Angels my team and one of my ideals is to have that one big league team to focus on - where it's fun to have new team related cards to go through, even if they don't go towards team sets other collectors may boast about completing at some point.

The lone Mike Trout is 2019 Bowman Sterling Continuity insert #BS-20 - I like to imagine the card is a harder to find pull, but it's a $2 card at best.

I mentioned picking up the trio of quarter century old Garret Anderson cards last year - they are probably binder material that helps make collection of 'GA' cards pop.

I picked up a couple of random Topps On-Demand issues featuring pitcher Griffin Canning and infielder David Fletcher - while they might not be outright stars, each gives a couple of current 'second tier' Angels players to collect.

There was some uncertainty about the health of Canning's arm during spring training - but the righty seemed good to go for much of the shortened 2020 season and was awarded a Gold Glove at his position.

Fletcher has established himself as this generation's David Eckstein as a runty looking guy - who can play all over the diamond and can be a spark plug at the plate or on the bases.

I picked up a Shohei Ohtani is a 2019 Donruss Action All-Stars insert / Pink Fireworks parallel No. AA4 because it pops nicely without costing much - though it may get confusing describing what these alternate versions of non-base set cards are supposed to be.

Finally I picked up a 2020 Finest Flashback Anthony Rendon #58 - I might only have 2-3 Angels cards of the third baseman and maybe they mean a bit more at the moment.

While the original 1993 Topps Finest was never a thing in my collecting universe - after the fact, it's nice to travel back in time to see a re-imagined version of the first Topps Finest cards, featuring current players.

Some old-school Garret Anderson finds

At a card show in the middle of this past year, I saw a mid 1990s 'GA' insert - I didn’t pick the card up because it might have had a ding, but it was a card I’d never seen before.

All I was sure of was the card was likely from a mid 1990s Pinnacle brand - thinking about that insert [after the fact, maybe a 1996 Score Diamond Aces #27], it surprises me between all this time, I'm just not familiar with many of the UV coated, shiny, Dufexed, foil stamped inserts or parallels that were found in a flood of late 1990s baseball products.

'GA' probably wasn't a fan favorite compared to his peers like Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds or Darin Erstad - expectations were sky high after his hot rookie season, but GA seemed content doing his own quiet thing for a bit.

Maybe he was still a bit too 'sleepy' for Angels fans or made too many outs because he didn't walk a lot - but GA figured out some 'launch angle' skills with his naturally sweet swing and had a solid 4-5 year run in the early 2000s.

I liked GA as a player but probably doesn’t get as much love in my regional collection - why not pick up some nice, forgotten cards of an Angels Hall of Famer who has long since settled into anonymity.

1995 Select Certified Edition Garret Anderson Potential Unlimited #9

1995 Select Can’t Miss Garret Anderson #CM9

1995 Score Rookie Dream Team Garret Anderson #RDT8

Miscellaneous Angels frankenset finds

223 1995 Donruss Jim Edmonds - Press Proof parallel; not individually numbered but apparently among the '1st 2000 Printed.'

#244 2005 Donruss Zenith Rod Carew - Museum Collection parallel; even though it's not a refractor, I liked how this card shimmered, so I figured why not pick it up for a dollar and change.

310 1995 Score Platinum Team Set Garret Anderson - I grabbed the Anderson because I hadn't really seen the card before and I like how it pops.

347 2005 Donruss Champions Darin Erstad - Red Impressions parallel serial #'d to 250

386 2001 Topps Chrome Troy Percival - Retrofractor parallel; the front of the card has a refractor finish while the back of the card has a grayback finish.

433 2015 Topps Heritage Jered Weaver - short print

450 1992 Leaf Chuck Finley - Black Gold parallel; I've had my share of Finley cards from the junk wax era though I went ahead and grabbed this parallel.

460 2010 Topps Bobby Abreu - short print

1996 Select Team Nucleus #23 and 1996 Pinnacle Zenith Mozaics #7

These pick ups aren't for the Angels frankenset, but are a shiny reminders of the trio [Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds and Garret Anderson] - that starred in the Angels outfield 20 years ago.

Salmon was probably my favorite player until three or four years ago when another fishy came onto the scene - regardless, Salmon was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame this year.

Edmonds was the flashy guy in center field who had his breakout year with the Angels in 1995 - he might be the borderline Hall of Famer out of the three [for mainly the numbers he put up after being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals].

Anderson just went about his business in his own way, not always endearing himself to the fans or the media - despite a relatively low on-base percentage [.324], he put together metronomic hitting numbers and along with Salmon, helped the Angels win the 2002 World Series.

Trade with "é rayhahn, rayhahn" - adding depth to my Angels collection

Minnesota Twins fan and card blogger Rhubarb_Runner saw my 2012 Topps Tribute pack break on my blog and wanted the Joe Mauer base card - he wanted to do a bigger deal though I was stumped, wondering what other card I really have for trade?

MAYBE THIS SITUATION ILLUSTRATES HOW I CAN USE MY INSERT DATABASE THAT I'VE WORKED ON - I sorted my database of inserts to look for Twins cards and actually found some trade bait.

I put together a list and was eager to see if there was any interest in the cards I rounded up - apparently there was interest and after thinking about the cards I was actually going to be sending and what I was getting back, I relented to get something done.

I don't want to be too greedy about keeping most cards featuring players - that aren't exactly 'my guys' from 'my team.'

I got jersey / memorabilia cards [of Ervin Santana and Howie Kendrick], a 2008 Topps Heritage Chrome refractor of Mike Napoli and a handful of Angels inserts and serial #'d cards - some nice cards to add to the collective.

2012 Angels Fan Fest - the no performance enhancing acquaintances experience

I wasn't expecting to get every current Angels player autograph, but 2012 Angels Fan Fest seemed like a disappointment because not every current player actually made an appearance to sign autographs - assuming I have something to get signed in the first place, the experience to watch paint dry in line before getting a couple of random autographs wasn't too bad for $5, but even guys Jered Weaver, Torii Hunter, Mark Trumbo didn't sign.

Anyways, there maybe other ways to get current Angels autographs over the course of the season, even Albert Pujols- some opportunities may cost more than $5, most opportunities come by going to a game or waiting hours before [or after] and it is what it is when the Angels put on an event like the Fan Fest for the general public.

My game plan was to try and get a couple of current Angels players, though with the way things are set up, the public isn't told which specific players is going to signing at any particular table - I was hoping to run into a 'decent' Angels player regardless of when I finally got up to the tent / table were players [two at a table] signed.

Maybe two hours and 30 minutes later, I got my first two autographs - I was among the last several people to get an autograph of a couple of Angels relievers.

Jordan Walden (1) - I threw my card out past the lady ahead of me in line [there was literally a few minutes left and it seemed like she wasn't paying attention] and Walden signed my card, though he used his own black Sharpie and the autograph streaked.

I didn't prep the 2011 Topps Chrome Orange parallel card down and took a chance it would be signed cleanly - it wasn't clean, though I'll probably keep it instead of trying to remove the autograph.

Scott Downs (1) - seems like an approachable guy who you can say a little something to and he'd respond back.

I asked security if there was only going to be one session of current Angels signing - the guy said it would be, but then Angels alumni would be signing through the next section.

Got back in a line and maybe having some the retired Angels players sign saved the event from being completely useless - there was Clyde Wright, Mike Witt, Chuck Finley, Jim Abbott and Garret Anderson signing.

I was in the line where Jim Abbott ended up, but jumped over to the line for GA - who was a notorious 'non signer' when he was an active player with the Angels in his prime.

I got several GA cards from a trade a few days ago - he also threw out the first pitch [to the Angels equipment manager who won the Baseball I.Q. game show on MLB Network] before Friday's game.

With the cards I traded for staring me in the face and him being at the stadium recently - maybe it a clue I'd better bring a few of those cards as well as dig out my unsigned 2008 Topps Allen and Ginter 'setter' in case he shows up.

Anderson (1) - had him sign my 2008 Topps Allen and Ginter.

I guess it's not really sad, but it seemed like just several years ago where he was an active player - now GA's hair has some gray and nearly 40 years old, he's trotted out as an Angels retired alumni.

Witt (1) - there was only a couple of minutes left before the alumni were going to be herded from the tables to conclude the signings.

The cute handler standing next to Witt got the word from her boss and was really watching the clock tick down - it came down to the wire, but I was able to get my 1991 Toppps Stadium Club Charter Members dual card completed.

I wanted the card signed since Mark Langston just signed it on Friday [a card another collector helped me get signed] - I figured to get it done now or else I may have to wait a while for the next time Witt makes an appearance.

Dangling in the wind was my 1985 Topps Super card I bought for a quarter at a card shop - like the Anderson cards, it kind of stared back at me the night before as I'm putting my binders / cards together.

I thought it wouldn't hurt to bring it to Angels Fan Fest - just so if Witt showed up, I'd actually get it signed.

I didn't know what I was going to do, but on foot I sort of followed the golf carts transporting the five alumni and maybe some Angels handlers / employees on foot - it looked like they were heading back to the team offices.

When I got towards the offices, I saw Witt was actually leaving - I lumbered towards Witt getting into his SUV.

Witt (1) - he signed my 1985 Topps Super and he casually points out, "aren't you causing that alarm to go off?"

I must have tripped the alarm of the vehicle I bumped against as I'm getting Witt to sign - I thank him as I try to back away and collect my thoughts.

I didn't have a ticket to Sunday's game but was planning on sticking around to see if I can get postgame autographs from the Angels - my friend was going to do the same thing and said he was pooped out to do anything [like go to Lake Elsinore as he had originally planned] but sleep in his car [for at least a couple of hours].

I was hanging out in the back for about an hour after the game - Pujols didn't sign, though Angels manager Mike Scioscia signed a handful through the fence before he had to go. It wasn't worth trying to wade into the clustermuck of people trying to hand stuff through the Angels' parking structure just to get a Scioscia scribble.

Kevin Jepsen (1) - I thought it could have been C.J. Wilson or Downs who relented to stop and sign until I saw an autograph Jepsen signed for a boy.

COMC mail day Part 3 of 4 - adding to the Angels regional collection

2003 Topps Pristine Garret Anderson Gold refractor [$4] - a shiny, numbered card of a former Angels star whose name is listed prominently among the top of the team's all-time offensive categories.

2011 Topps Hope parallel of Torii Hunter #'d to 60 [$4.95] - I'm trying to ramp up my regional collection bit by bit, though I probably won't try and track every Angel card down unless it pictures my 'favorites.'

2011 Topps 60th Anniversary Black Diamond wrapper redemption Torii Hunter and Jered Weaver [about $0.69 each] - I was vaguely aware of the early 2011 Topps Series I promotion, though never bothered to look into it because it was hobby exclusive.

2003 40-Man Darin Erstad Rainbow parallel #'d to 40 [$2] - I figured I'd better just grab the card sooner [rather than never] and not worry whether or not it was worth picking up.

1996 Studio Tim Salmon Hit Parade insert #'d to 5,000 [$1.15] - can I really do any extensive digging through a card shop or a card show [these days] to find a forgotten insert like this?

2006 Upper Deck F/X Tim Salmon Red #'d to 40 [$1] - this parallel is from was printed the same year Salmon finished up his playing career. The card itself has a nice, shiny finish and it's numbered too.

2002 Upper Deck 40-Man Tim Salmon Rainbow parallel #'d to 40 [$5] - I've never been aware of these parallels from Upper Deck's answer to the 'comprehensive' Topps Total sets from the early 2000s.

2004 Leaf Limited Tim Salmon Spotlight parallel #'d [$1] - it is shiny and numbered.

1996 Bowman's Best Preview Tim Salmon Atomic refractor [$1] - not a bad looking parallel of an insert card.

Card shop trip yields modest finds for about $5

My friend and stopped at a card shop I haven't been at in about two years and I spent $4.75 on 24 cards - what does someone think when I spend an hour lingering at their 'card shoppe' and spend just about $5 on random cards?

I'm not a big box breaker or a guy who usually picks up various singles but there is a seemingly a higher premium for both at this shop - so there has never been a real incentive to make an impulsive purchase.

However, there is a good selection of monster boxes [mainly sorted by year / brand] to dig through, including the '5 for $1' boxes featuring rookies / prospects - so maybe I could take home a little 'grab bag' of cards.

I actually started with what looks to be a 3,200 box with a row of common baseball inserts - I want to look for various inserts just for the possibility there maybe some nice, if not particularly valuable keepers.

Inserts

1.) 2008 Bowman Chrome Garret Anderson #125 Gold refractor serial #'d 24/50
2.) 2008 Topps Chrome Torii Hunter #114 Copper parallel serial #'d 115/599

3.) 2005 Topps Updates and Highlights Bobby Cox #UH 172 Gold parallel serial #'d 1513/2005
4.) 2009 Topps Dusty Baker #154 Gold parallel serial #'d 0507/2009

5.) 2007 Bowman Chrome Michael Young #72 refractor parallel
6.) 1998 Upper Deck Rookie Edition Preview Todd Helton #4 of 10

Various rookies / prospects box

1.) 2000 Topps Gold Label Scott Downs RC #99 - I thought this was a nice find since I wouldn't go out of my way to look for any of his cards to be autographed. Even though he maybe the Angels most effective reliever, he may have hurt himself again...
2.) 2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Jake Marisnick #39 - I have this 'draft pick' card already, but Marisnick has enjoyed a breakout year in the minors.
3.) 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects Luis Jimenez #BCP 22 x2 - not a super prospect but someone who has steadily battled up the minor league ranks and may earn a September call-up.
4.) 2009 Bowman Prospects Michael Stutes #BP 62, 2009 Bowman Draft Gold D.J. Le Mahieu #BDPP27 and 2010 Bowman Platinum Trevor Plouffe #77 - random cards of three players who have been 2011 MLB rookies.
5.) 2011 Upper Deck World of Sports Stephen Fife #153 - he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox and this unlicensed card is another I maybe able to get signed, if he gets to the Major Leagues.

6.) 1988 Topps Traded Robin Ventura RC #124T - this card is probably worth a nickel these days, but sometimes the nostalgia of growing up as a baseball fan through the 1990s kicks in and Ventura was one of the better players at the time. About 20 years ago, this card may have been known as an 'XRC' in a Beckett though various trading card designations in a price guide have faded away over time.

7.) 1989 Upper Deck Roberto Alomar #471 - I prefer this second year card of the Hall of Fame second baseman, over his various 'rookie issues' released in 1988, though it is probably worth a nickel like the Ventura card.
8.) 2006 Topps Allen and Ginter Josh Willingham #256, 2006 Topps Allen and Ginter Anderson Hernandez #263 and 2006 Topps Turkey Red Melky Cabrera #627 - random 'setters' I probably didn't have and probably wouldn't have bothered looking for unless I stumbled upon them.

9.) 1996 Fleer Update Tony Batista RC #U70, 1996 Fleer Flair Tony Batista RC #141 and 1996 Fleer Update Chris Singleton RC #209 - an old friend of mine 10-12 years ago used to hoard all sorts of cards and maybe I'd be a little jealous he would dig out these types of cards. I actually remember when these Batista [and his goofy stance] and Singleton [now an 'analyst' for ESPN] had their breakout seasons in the late 1990s-early 2000s and just maybe their rookie cards were something to chase for maybe half a season or so.

10.) 2009 Bowman Prospects Wilin Rosario #BP 58 and 2009 Bowman Chrome Prospects Maikel Cleto #BCP 155 - a couple of prospects working their way through the minors.