2001 Upper Deck Albert Pujols #295

I don't think I actually saw many Pujols rookie cards in his rookie year, so after all these years, I guess I'd like to add at least a couple to my PC - the 2001 Upper Deck and 2001 Bowman [#264] were the most 'widely' available rookie cards from Pujols' rookie year even though all his cards were in demand all season long.

While Pujols rookie card and rookie year issues were pumped out in mid through late season products, but I never had a chance to own but maybe two or three - including a factory set rookie year card from the 2001 Fleer Tradition, maybe an ugly Team Leaders subset card [#435] from 2001 Fleer Platinum RC Edition, a 2001 Topps Traded Pujols / Ichiro subset card [T99] and a 2001 Topps rookie card I bought at a card shop for a quarter maybe in 2002.

I remember finding the Topps Pujols in the particular card shop, when the quarter boxes were color coded with tabs - because the store owner was selling certain rows of cards on consignment.

The Topps rookie had a soft corner and I'd foolishly sent it to Pujols as a TTM autograph request - of course after 17 years, it never came back, even as a failure.

In recent years, the 38-year old Pujols hasn't been as relevant and still has at least 3 years left to go to play out his Angels contract [on the field] - however, Pujols' baseball accomplishments [short of a PED scandal] can't be taken away by what he has done away from St. Louis.

2018 Topps Living Set Albert Pujols #22

Pujols's Topps Living Set card maybe a topical pick-up since he collected his 3,000th hit and join three others with 3,000 hits / 600 home runs - it's not that I've completely warmed up to the Topps Living Set, but it's kind of a no-brainer to spend $5 on a Living Set card of a hot rookie or a guy from 'my team?'

Because it’s an ongoing set, I just don’t know if there will be any sort of completion or closure - but maybe a plan is to pick up Topps Living Set cards of Angels players when they pop up.

2018 Topps Living Set Shohei Ohtani #7

I think heard about this new Topps product in the past couple of weeks and I don't really get how this set is supposed to come together - I think collectors want something that can be tied to a particular set with beginning and a definite ending.

If I was a set collector, team collector or player collector, I would want closure as far as knocking off specific cards from a set checklist in a given year - not something that is going to meander for years to come, without an apparent finish line to cross.

The 1953 Topps inspired design is fine, but why did Topps need to recycle another 'retro' style as opposed to using something original and fresh for something design with a living set in mind [?] - the old-time design was probably decided upon to appeal to collectors' familiarity with Heritage and Archives, though it's been 65 years since the original issue 1953 Topps cards came out.

Go figure, it wasn't too hard of decision to pick up an Ohtani single for about $5 and I see this card as kind of a unique issue - at least something I can't pull out of a pack from a Target or card shop.

Besides his terrible spring outings as a hitter and a pitcher, I believe Ohtani's immense talent will play out - he collected his first big league hit on Opening Day and it would be nice if he does something with the bat in the next couple of games, then showcases his pitching talent on Sunday.

Featured autograph - Jason Vargas

I got new Angel acquisition Jason Vargas to sign two or three cards at the end of the 2012 season when the Seattle Mariners were in Anaheim - while I would have liked to see what Kendrys Morales might have done in his second full season after coming back from his horrific injury in 2010, I guess there was some flexibility to make a move for a No. 4 or No. 5 starter like Vargas.

Vargas isn't great, doesn't throw particularly hard, but hopefully he can throw around 200 innings and in the process - nail down enough quality starts for the Angels without getting banged around [served up 35 home runs this past year] too much.

For the Angels, Mark Trumbo probably starts the 2013 season as primary designated hitter - with Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and maybe Vernon Wells on the short list of Angels players who can also DH if needed.

Considering the Hall candidates - Edgar Martinez

Hall of Fame

I don't have a vote, but just like every other baseball fan - I'd like to think my 'simple man' opinion counts for something and I'd like to go through candidates eligible and worthy of consideration.

Edgar Martinez

Pro - healthy on-base percentage/power numbers, won a couple of batting titles and finished with a .312 lifetime batting average. He also spent his entire professional career with one organization, never gotten in any sort of trouble and was an otherwise model pro athlete.

Con - he shouldn't be knocked by being a designated hitter, but identifying him with the DH makes him seem one-dimensional and hinders perception of his overall career.

Once it became apparent Martinez wasn't going to take the field as a position player - it served to his advantage, all he could focus is on was hitting the ball, getting stronger in the weight room, hitting the ball, studying the mechanics of hitting, getting stronger in the weight room, hitting the ball.

He didn't have to worry about whether or not he was to bulky to play the field - all he had to worry about was watching the game from the bench and waiting for his four or five at-bats in a game.

Besides his inability to take the field, what really hurts him is somehow he found himself floundering in the minors through his mid 20s before getting an extending opportunity to stick with the Seattle Mariners - it hurts his overall numbers, especially when in his hitting prime, he wasn't considered a position player.

Yes/No - I'd lean towards 'no.' 

Martinez was a very good player for a long time and a particularly great hitter - but he falls short this time around.