Featured autographs - Rick Ankiel

I was finally able to get Ankiel to sign a couple of set cards for me when the Astros came to play the Angels last weekend - I haven't gotten the opportunity to get his autograph in recent years, though I may have gotten once in-person and once TTM over the last 12 years.

Ankiel has bounced around from St. Louis to Kansas City to Atlanta - he played the last couple of years with the Washington Nationals before being released some time in 2012.

Hopefully he sticks with the Astros throughout the year - since I've got at least one more setter to try and get autographed [2010 Topps Allen and Ginter] and maybe a few other cards I've ended up with.

A dozen cards out of the quarter box - my story

Before going to work last Saturday, I stopped at a card shop and looked through the quarter bins - I was looking through the most recent 5,000 card boxes within reach, particularly the row with 2011 Topps.

I picked up the following cards for $3 and change [tax] - I went mostly for cards of younger players instead of interesting cards I can add to my collecting topics collections.

2010 Bowman Draft Chance Ruffin #BDPP 64
2011 Topps Joey Votto #5 - too bad this was regular version...
2011 Topps Rick Ankiel #34 - the image is just great as Ankiel tries to slide headfirst into third base without getting tagged by the third baseman. I could just imagine the Atlanta Braves' third base coach barking at Ankiel to get down. This maybe my most favorite 2011 Topps card.
2011 Topps Chris Sale #65 (x2)

2011 Topps Pedro Alvarez #95 - I believe this is his first Major League card after some USA, Razor and minor league cards issued over the last five years.
2011 Topps Albert Pujols #100
2011 Topps Josh Tomlin #160
2011 Topps Jeremy Hellickson #165
2011 Topps Jay Bruce #191 - probably my second most favorite card out of 2011 Topps; looks like Topps got this notable image from Getty too.
2011 Topps Dillon Gee #203
2011 Topps Yonder Alonso #317

Featured player: Rick Ankiel
2001 Upper Deck Sweet Spot bat card - it goes without saying that nothing Ankiel will do as an outfielder will surpass what he was capable of doing as a stud pitching prospect coming up in the minor leagues a decade ago.

Hopefully the HGH concerns are in the past - far from being a curiosity, but still a project, Ankiel the position player has held his own. Despite seemingly being overmatched at times [57 strikeouts in 257 at-bats], he is providing some pop in the middle of the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup [.504 slugging percentage].

In a 8-7 Cardinals loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday - Ankiel went 2-for-3, hitting two home runs, driving in three and scoring three runs.