Assorted finds from a card shop

A numbered Freese parallel - hopefully Freese has a better season as an Angel this season after being pedestrian in 2014.

I find like finding the odd base card or two from a $50 pack in the quarter box - because they are a little thicker, a little shinier than most cards I'd usually find, these mean a little bit more to a cardboard scavenger I fancy myself as.

A couple of guys who got late season opportunities with the Angels in 2014 - Diaz is now with the Colorado Rockies and O'Malley is with the Seattle Mariners.

Greinke is a little awkward and the guy doesn't like to sign autographs interact unless obligated to do so - but he gets paid to be a starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the last I checked, has enjoyed a fairly successful run as one of the better starters in Major League Baseball.

Gonzalez is a pretty good player who can occasionally turn it up a notch - even though as a guy in his mid 30's now, he's really more steady than spectacular

Zack Greinke - Respek

While he got a broken collarbone and missed part of the season, I thought Greinke got a free pass in his bean brawl incident against Carlos Quentin earlier in the year - however I caught a glimpse of the benching clearing brawl between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night and thought for as distant / goofy / aloof as Greinke is, he did right in plunking Miguel Montero after Diamondbacks starting pitcher Ian Kennedy had gone 'up and in' and beaned Yasiel Puig the inning before.

After having an explosive first week as a Major Leaguer, there was no question Puig was served up a 'welcome to the big leagues kid' message pitch - that reminded me of happened last year with Cole Hamels hitting Bryce Harper.

I'm tempted to say Ian Kennedy was sort of a punk in this whole situation - but I just watch the games and I'm not actually down on the field as a player or coach, so who am I to judge his intent?

2012 Topps Opening Day blaster recap

Pack one
#123 Ryan Roberts
#120 Matt Garza
#FS-3 Adrian Gonzalez - Fantasy Squad insert

#ODS-13 Justin Upton - Opening Day Stars insert; I like the 3D effect, though it's something Topps has revived from the dead and played with in other insert sets.
#172 Dustin Pedroia
#64 Dan Haren
#62 Ervin Santana

Pack two
#179 Zack Greinke
#161 Hunter Pence
#98 Ben Zobrist
#ES-7 Justin Verlander - Elite Skills Player insert
#84 Dan Uggla
#80 Joe Mauer
#69 Tim Lincecum

Pack three
#104 Alexei Ogando
#146 Ian Desmond
#135 Josh Reddick
#SC-17 Adam Jones - Superstar Celebrations insert
#70 Madison Bumgarner
#60 Adam Wainwright
#NNO Carlos Lee - kind of weird, but after Googling info about the card, I find it's a common misprint.

Pack four
#176 Geovany Soto
#110 Scott Rolen
#164 Nyjer Morgan

#M-2 Baltimore Orioles - Mascot insert
#85 Mike Trout
#169 Ian Kinsler
#31 Evan Longoria
2012 Sticker Collection info card

Pack five
#139 Trevor Cahill
#43 Angel Pagan
#49 Melky Cabrera
#FS-4 Robinson Cano - Fantasy Squad insert
#66 Adam Jones
#91 Jayson Werth
#212 Daniel Hudson

Pack six
#180 Ted Lilly
#182 Seth Smith
#42 Mark Reynolds
#SC-15 Miguel Cabrera - Superstar Celebrations insert
#50 Ichiro
#47 Nick Swisher
#215 Colby Lewis

Pack seven
#140 Erick Aybar
#22 Aroldis Chapman
#177 Jhonny Peralta

#M-25 Junction Jack - mascot insert
#128 Lance Berkman
#201 Jose Reyes
#77 Jimmy Rollins

Pack eight
#208 James Loney
#187 David Wright
#29 Mike Napoli
#FS-2 Miguel Cabrera - Fantasy Squad insert
#126 Danny Valencia
#87 Ryan Howard
#76 Gio Gonzalez

Pack nine
#56 Vance Worley
#8 Jordan Zimmermann
#160 Carlos Ruiz
#ES-6 Andrew McCutchen - Elite Skills Player insert
#192 James Shields
#144 Andrew McCutchen
#16 Torii Hunter
2012 Sticker Collection info card

Pack 10
#112 Dee Gordon
#40 Domonic Brown
#138 Russell Martin
#SC-16 Nelson Cruz - Superstar Celebrations insert
#44 Jay Bruce
#54 Asdrubal Cabrera
#145 C.C. Sabathia

Pack 11
#105 Curtis Granderson
#59 Alcides Escobar
#55 Miguel Cabrera
#179 Zack Greinke - blue parallel serial #'d 1920/2012

#M-1 Bernie Brewer - mascot insert
#165 Yovani Gallardo
#39 Michael Cuddyer

Featured autograph - Zack Greinke

I probably got this card signed through the mail years ago and I wish the other guy was in professional baseball somewhere because I'd still like to complete it - the card is going into my all-time Angels autograph box to represent Greinke's time with the Angels in 2012.

Obviously Greinke is the most prized free agent this off-season and I'd love for the Angels to have the means to plug him back into a depleted starting rotation for 2013 - who really knows [I'm not betting on it, btw] if the Angels are going to re-sign Greinke to a long term deal for $120 million or more.

If it happens and Greinke is back with the Halos for the next five-seven years - then the team is going to have to tear up the long term deal ace Jered Weaver signed and make sure the face of the Halos' starting rotation is paid comparably.

American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke

Talent overcomes all other things for the 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke - being a great athlete and having an electric arm didn't always guarantee stardom however as Greinke proved seemingly long ago back in 2006 when he walked out on his Kansas City Royals team during spring training.

It is fun watching Greinke pitch - it is kind of watching someone throw darts at opposing hitters trying figure out how to hit him.

In some respects, watching Greinke be at the top of his game maybe more satisfying for most baseball fans - because Greinke's story is also about redemption and triumph to overcome a personal problem, a mental illness Greinke can only deal with on his own.