Angel prospect mailday - Jean Segura

Jean Segura is probably the best position player coming through the Angels system not named Mike Trout - the shortstop wasn't healthy for much of the season in Single-A Inland Empire in 2011 and his ability to stay on the field will probably dictate how far he goes in 2012.

Angel prospect mailday - C.J. Cron

I'm primarily an in-person autograph collector and while I'm so happy to get a certified autograph of the Angels top draft pick in 2011 for the price of a Subway sandwich - it almost ruins the anticipation of trying to meet the player and get his autograph for the first time.

With only 'hits' in Leaf Metal Draft, I don't think I'll touch any Leaf baseball product until the company can produce a set with actual base cards - if I just wanted a certified Cron autograph for my personal collection however, I probably couldn't do any worse than having picked up this shiny card that sort of has an 'insert' feel to it.

Autograph request through the mail received: Danny Tartabull

Danny Tartabull c/o home address - signed my cards in black Sharpie and kept one [1989 Sportsflics] in about a week.

Tartabull was never quite a 'superstar' for the teams he played for but was quite a productive player in his prime years - I haven't really been keeping up with mailing any autograph requests to players since the beginning of the year, but seeing recent Tartabull successes posted on message boards / forums / Web sites piqued my interest.

2011 Rookies of the Year - some random thoughts

So Craig Kimbrel and Jeremy Hellickson were named Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues - I think my autographed in-person Hellickson card is already in a toploader somewhere and I had to go hunt down my autographed in-person Kimbrel card in my '2010 rookies' box.

I have no real problem with Kimbrel being ROY since it seems like he blew everyone away until the end of the season - when he showed some wear and tear.

I think in the American League, Mark Trumbo should have won even though I'd conceded - his .290 on-base percentage was simply too much of a black mark on the 25-year old.

Looking at it objectively, maybe Eric Hosmer was the best rookie position player in the American League and if he'd come up just a bit earlier in the season - would have been the guy going neck-and-neck against Hellickson for the award.

Topps replacement mailday - meh

I sent in two damaged 2011 Topps Update parallels from this break and got a bubble mailer in the mail from Topps this afternoon - the Andy Sonnanstine Topps Update Liquorfractor got replaced, though I was SOL on the Washington Nationals Topps Update Hope parallel serial #'d 03/60.

My replacement for the Nats team card [featuring Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman] was a Ian Desmond Topps Update Hope parallel serial #'d 55/60 - with a form letter saying the replacement for the card I'd sent it was not available and the card I got back was of equal or greater value.

Rambling on about vintage cards - pardon my ignorance

I'm showing of a 1973 Topps Billy Grabarkewitz, a 1964 Topps Charlie Dees and a 1967 Topps Roger Repoz - all three Angels cards included in my trade package from Dayf several days ago.

I may have had some fascination with cards before my time but maybe less superficial interest in recent years - when I'm worrying about trying to hoard the newest cards of guys who haven't even made it to the upper levels of the minors, much less the Major Leagues [so I can eventually get them autographed].

I see collecting random vintage cards as broadening my broaden my interest in the history of the modern baseball card - as well learning about the professional baseball players from the 1950's, 1960's and through the early 1970's.

I wanted look for qualities to associate the old cards with - maybe at a card shop I go to there maybe off-grade cards available for a dollar or so, but the cards feel so dated, so anachronistic compared to the cards I'm collect for.

Maybe I'm trying to convince myself in dabbling in the vintage cards seemingly available to me - there maybe something cool having something in-hand printed at least 30, 40, 50 years ago and I'd like to get some trading card 'relics' into my collection.

I do worry the cards I may pick up are tampered with - even if they aren't in the best condition.

Ultimately, I wouldn't know where to start, but besides cards of particular players, maybe I could add - notable vintage 'funny cards,' cards of 'cult players', cards of 'minor stars' and cards that just stick out like a sore thumb or I can even add an 'old-school' element to my various collecting topics collections.

2011 Topps Update Value Box recap #2

2011 Topps Value box [$14.99 each at a Target]

It probably isn't due to the cards themselves being hard to find but I have not seen any blasters and / or racks of 2011 Bowman Chrome - so far, the Value boxes seem to be my only fix to get anything with 2011 Bowman Chrome in it and while it isn't even worth the trouble, I tried another box.

#BCE-1 Bryce Harper bonus card - I didn't even bother looking at the number of the other Harper bonus card I pulled from my other value box; this card is a red refractor version while the other looks more like silver.

Topps Diamond Giveaway code card - I got stuck with a 1993 Topps John Franco, which wasn't great but there was an immediate trade offer for it [something like three 'early 1980s' commons].

However, the 'trade manager' gave me a couple of error messages and I tried logging off - after about 10-15 minutes, I tried to execute the trade again [two more times], but it didn't go through either time and the offer ended up disappearing.

2011 Bowman Chrome hobby pack
#BCP 215 Eduardo Nunez
#BCP 202 Chris Owings

#BCP 206 Scott Maine - refractor serial #'d 024/500; sported a 10.29 ERA as a rookie in 2011; looks like a LOOGY otherwise.
#183 Desmond Jennings

2011 Topps Update eight-card packs

Pack one
#US-176 Xavier Nady
#US-54 Jerry Sands
#US-164 Hector Noesi
#US-205 D.J. LeMahieu
#US-250 Zack Greinke
#US-TTU-27 Neil Walker - ToppsTown
#US-218 Victor Martinez - Liquorfractor
#US-42 David Ortiz

Pack two
#US-153 Matt Gurrier
#US-266 Jason Isringhausen
#US-194 Jason Kipnis
#US-178 Jason Bourgeois
#TDG-25 Adrian Beltre Diamond Giveaway code card - revealed a 1986 Topps Brad Wellman
#KC-138 Rogers Hornsby - Kimball Champions insert

#US-175 Mike Trout
#US-131 Jeff Keppinger

Pack three
#US-285 David Purcey
#US-300 Carl Crawford
#US-223 Arthur Rhodes
#US-267 Sam Fuld
#US-149 Omar Infante

#US-169 Ezequiel Carrera - Platinum Diamond Anniversary parallel
#US-319 Corey Patterson
#US-58 Tim Lincecum

Pack four
#US-187 Bobby Wilson
#US-311 Drew Butera
#US-239 J.J. Hardy
#US-159 Alex Cobb
#US-298 Yorvit Torrealba - gold parallel serial #'d 0738/2011
#KC-131 Adam Dunn - Kimball Champions insert
#US-172 Jonny Venters
#US-294 Edwin Jackson

Pack five
#US-93 Matt Downs
#US-283 LaTroy Hawkins
#US-281 Mark Melancon
#US-280 Kyle Farnsworth

#US-205 D.J. LeMahieu - Platinum Diamond Anniversary parallel
#US-78 David Ortiz
#US-118 Michael Pineda
#US-309 Paul Konerko

2010 Upper Deck pack break recap x2

2010 Upper Deck [$1.59 x2 each from a Target] - I got these from the 'Power Pack' bin and while these aren't actually bad looking cards, these don't make me exactly nostaglic for the days when Upper Deck actually made cards of Major Leaguers.

Pack one
#40 Madison Bumgarner
#41 Chris Young
#392 Brandon Moss
#371 Trevor Cahill
#101 Hideki Okajima
#412 Everth Cabrera
#52 Doug Davis
#380 Jimmy Rollins
#SB-68 Roy Halladay - Season Biography insert
#CP-9 / #CP-10 Gwyneth Paltrow / Chris Martin - Celebrity Predictors insert
#389 Chad Durbin
#120 Sean Marshall
#214 Emilio Bonifacio
#515 Lyle Overbay
#260 Kendry Morales
#578 Cleveland - Team checklist
#161 Matt LaPorta
#569 Toronto - Ballparks

Pack two
#39 Justin Turner
#322 Jon Rauch
#21 Adam Moore
#269 Ervin Santana
#315 Glen Perkins

#235 Roy Oswalt

#540 Jason Bergmann
#SE-40 Torii Hunter - Portraits insert
#SB-105 Brandon Phillips - Season Biography insert
#462 Skip Schumaker
#243 Mike Aviles
#70 Kenshin Kawakami
#191 Jason Hammel
#499 Taylor Teagarden
#96 Clay Buchholz
#144 Laynce Nix
#567 Tampa Bay - Ballparks
#576 Chicago - Team checklist

Dayf trade post

I've been a fan of this renaissance man of cardboard blogging for the longest time and looked forward to trading when he expressed interest in my 2011 Topps Update Julio Teheran liquorfractor parallel - I ended up shipping out several more Braves inserts in addition to the Teheran in exchange for a 2011 Topps Update Mark Trumbo and Tyler Chatwood parallels, a 2011 Topps Update Gold Hisanori Takahashi and a couple of Topps Heritage minor league Angels [Jean Segura and Garrett Richards].

Dayf also sent a bounty of bonus Angels cards which was an unexpected bonus - though the most interesting one maybe the bunny sketch I'm tempted to say was inspired by Jean Segura's card.

Thanks, Dayf!

Featured autographs - Scott Servais and Yoshinori Tateyama

Though neither one actually are pictured on the card, I got newest Angels assistant general manager Scott Servais and Rangers relief pitcher Yoshinori Tateyama - to sign this 2008 Texas Rangers team card this past year when the Rangers played the Angels in Anaheim.

I got Tateyama as players entered the stadium and Servais when I was bored waiting for players after the game - I have my 'extra cards' for Servais in my Rangers box, but didn't think he'd show up.

When I did see him, I actually bothered chasing after him, to get him to sign what Tateyama signed earlier - he asked me what it was I wanted him to sign and told him it was a "generic [Rangers] team card."

I also told him I had his cards at home and he said, "they must be old ones, huh."

Angels off-season - wishing for Prince and bracing for realistic moves

Under new management, the Angels have to start somewhere, with moves to be made and hoping for better fortunes in 2012 - I'd love to see the organization go out and sign Prince Fielder, since it would like when Vladimir Guerrero fell into their laps back in the 2004 off-season.

Getting an impact bat like Fielder's in the middle of the Angels lineup may not be realistic but a Fielder changes the Angels middle of the lineup immensely - right now the Angels don't really have that intimidating presence and they need more offense.

Other moves the Angels may make maybe to fill holes here and there - the Rangers maybe the class of the American League West, but the Angels maybe able to close a bit of the gap, at least on paper by doing the following:

1.) Signing Aramis Ramirez - if the Angels could sign him, he'd be a legitimate power-hitting third baseman to build on for the next few years. He's getting older and just maybe he has gotten somewhat of a bum rap in Chicago, but Ramirez isn't done.

In reality for the Angels, a stop gap like Casey Blake [even at 38 or 39] could be an answer the team maybe willing to consider - maybe re-sign Alberto Callaspo and splitting duties with 24-year old prospect Luis Jimenez.

2.) Sign Heath Bell - even after making the All-Star team in 2011 and picking up 32 saves, maybe Jordan Walden isn't quite ready to be the late-inning guy for the Angels yet. Having Bell as a mentor for the next couple of seasons allows Walden to step back just a little and not be overused at a relatively young age.

3.) Sign or trade for a catcher that can hit .250 with moderate power - the options aren't great but maybe a Ryan Doumit, Chris Snyder or Kelly Shoppach could be given an opportunity, with the idea you can't afford Jeff Mathis earning playing time behind the plate when he has shown no ability to hit Major League pitching.

Ramon Hernandez maybe a better idea - though he might be past his prime to command the salary he might be asking for.

4.) Sign a No. 4 or No. 5 pitcher - Hiroki Kuroda hasn't been spectacular but he has been serviceable and doesn't have to leave Southern California to continue his MLB career. If the Angels could give Joel Pineiro $16 million for two-years once upon a time, then it should have a problem trying to sign Kuroda to a similar deal.

2011 Topps Update Value Box recap

2011 Topps Value box [$14.99 each at a Target]

I wasn't impressed when it seemed like I went through the break in about five minutes - in these latest value boxes, there is a hobby pack of 2011 Bowman Chrome, five eight-card retail packs of 2011 Topps Update along with a code card and a Bryce Harper bonus card exclusive to these boxes.

The Topps Value boxes earlier this year were put together a little differently - featuring two hobby packs of 2011 Topps Heritage, five 12-card retail packs of 2011 Topps, a Diamond Giveaway code card and a bonus card exclusive to these value boxes.

Bryce Harper bonus card - finding a Harper card out of a Topps product this year hasn't become too hard to find; this is a nice card though I doubt it is going to be worth more than a few bucks and as much as I'd like to pull an autograph of his, the player isn't really too high on my list right now. It seems like Topps is hyping him up as a Major League star when he hasn't had one Major League at-bat yet and maybe it is just a little premature.

Topps Diamond Giveaway code card - revealed a 1967 Topps dual rookie card of Sal Bando which isn't too bad; a rookie card of a star from the Oakland Athletics World Championship teams of the 1970s.

2011 Bowman Chrome hobby pack
#BCP 219 Fernando Abad
#BCP 162 Brody Colvin

#55 B.J. Upton - refractor
#131 Nelson Cruz

2011 Topps Update eight-card packs

Pack one
#US-272 Jorge Cantu
#US-182 Ronny Paulino
#US-183 Carlos Peguero
#US-328 Kevin Gregg
#KC-134 Miguel Cabrera - Kimball Champions insert
#US-22 Randall Delgado
#US-174 Jacob Turner
#US-297 Chase D'Arnaud

Pack two
#US-235 Charlie Morton
#US-298 Yorvit Torrealba
#US-177 Rene Tosoni

#US-152 Julio Teheran - Cognac parallel; the foil on the banner seems a little imperfect.

#T60-129 Ty Cobb - Topps 60 insert
#US-4 Brian McCann
#US-82 Mark Ellis
#US-49 Rickie Weeks

Pack three
#US-139 Rafael Soriano
#US-90 James Russell
#US-39 Eduardo Sanchez
#US-264 Alex White
#US-255 Allen Craig
#TTU-27 Neil Walker - ToppsTown
#207 Angel Pagan - Cognac parallel
#US-304 Hunter Pence

Pack four
#US-11 Jason Pridie
#US-217 Elliot Johnson
#US-39 Eduardo Sanchez
#US-264 Alex White
#US-320 Russell Martin
#US-267 Sam Fuld - Platinum Diamond Anniversary parallel
#US-96 Zach Duke - Cognac parallel
#US-62 Jason Marquis

Pack five
#US-286 Rich Thompson
#US-307 Casey Coleman
#US-317 Craig Counsell
#US-126 Adrian Gonzalez
#US-53 Koji Uehara - gold parallel serial #'d 1341/2011
#T60-143 Lance Berkman
#US-316 Justin Upton
#US-20 Adrian Gonzalez

Featured autograph - Chris Carpenter

At least one more post featuring an in-person autograph from a player from the 2011 World Series champs - I just wish 'shiny cards' would scan cleaner, so the image looks as good as the actual autographed card does in hand.

Featured autograph - Julian Tavarez

I probably got journeyman Julian Tavarez to sign this card [I thought I had him sign two of this particular card but have only one in-hand] back in the early to mid 2000s - does the hiring of former MLB pitcher Jerry DiPoto as the Angels new general manager mean I'm that much closer to completing this dual card?

Featured autograph - David Freese

I probably didn't think much of David Freese when he signed for me back in 2010 - he came over to the railing about 10-15 minutes before a San Diego Padres / St. Louis Cardinals game at Petco Park and must have signed at least three cards for me.

I thought he was pretty accomodating but saw him only as a player who broke into the Major Leagues as an older rookie - who had been busted up with injuries several times over and at one point was also arrested for DUI.

I would have never guessed he'd seize the second chances afforded to him as a Major League player and become a folk hero in St. Louis for his 2011 postseason heroics - particularly in the 2011 World Series where he was named the MVP of a team seemingly panned as probably not being good enough to battle it out against the Rangers for a championship.

2011 Topps Update Walmart blaster recap

2011 Topps Update blaster box [$19.98 each at a Walmart]

Throwback Patch pack
TLMP-JMO Joe Morgan

Pack one
US-234 Brandon Crawford
US-174 Jacob Turner
US-5 Josh Willingham
US-176 Xavier Nady
US-62 Jason Marquis
US-92 Hunter Pence
DD-17 Craig Kimbrell / Julio Teheran - Diamond Duos insert
US-243 Chris Denorfia

Pack two
US-255 Allen Craig
US-85 Roy Halladay
US-329 Dee Gordon
US-120 Bobby Parnell
US-33 Jayson Nix
TDG-21 Mickey Mantle - Diamond Giveaway code card
T60-132 George Sisler - Topps 60 insert
US-131 Jeff Keppinger

Pack three
US-201 Hisanori Takahashi
US-250 Zack Greinke
US-278 Jacoby Ellsbury
US-300 Carl Crawford
US-28 Adam Kennedy
374 Washington Nationals - this maybe a Hope parallel card, serial #'d 03/60 but the surface is peeling though...
US-102 Sean Burnett - Platinum Diamond Anniversary parallel
US-150 Adrian Beltre - looks like someone took a corner and bent it on purpose

Pack four
US-214 Matt Daley
US-262 Javy Guerra
US-315 Carlos Pena
US-140 Clayton Kershaw
US-145 Bartolo Colon
US-32 Matt Stairs - gold parallel serial #'d 1477/2011
KC-145 Eric Hosmer - Kimball Champions insert
US-193 Lonnie Chisenhall - looks like someone took a corner and bent it on purpose.

Pack five
US-115 Kerry Wood
US-223 Arthur Rhodes
US-255 Allen Craig
US-58 Tim Lincecum
US-87 Clayton Mortensen
TTU-48 Ian Desmond - ToppsTown
22 Barry Zito - Cognac parallel
US-33 Jayson Nix

Pack six
US-183 Carlos Peguero
US-11 Jason Pridie
US-251 Justin Turner
US-249 Starlin Castro
US-252 Derek Jeter
US-301 Tom Gorzelanny
US-8 David Robertson - Platinum Diamond Anniversary parallel
US-62 Jason Marquis

Pack seven
US-63 Doug Fister
US-27 Joey Devine
US-198 Kevin Jepsen
US-273 Miguel Montero
US-105 Joel Hanrahan
TDG-30 Prince Fielder - Diamond Giveaway code card
KC-141 Andre Dawson - Kimball Champions insert

US-316 Justin Upton - looks like someone took a corner and bent it on purpose; maybe I can find a few more cards this way but the damaged of cards of Beltre, Chisenhall and Upton are the most pronounced.

Pack eight
US-220 Adam Dunn
US-51 Andruw Jones
US-291 Andrew McCutchen
US-42 David Ortiz
US-271 Eric O'Flaherty

US-191 Andy Sonnanstine - Cognac parallel; the foil on the banner featuring the player's name and position is sort of scratched out.
T60-145 Michael Pineda - Topps 60 insert
US-5 Josh Willingham

Pack nine - Walmart blue parallel pack #1; I didn't really care for the black parallels found in previous Topps Walmart blasters, but they seemed to be a little more unique than slapping a blue border on the Update base cards.

US-89 Sean O'Sullivan
US-97 Cody Eppley
US-328 Kevin Gregg
US-197 Brandon League
TDG-25 Adrian Beltre - Diamond Giveaway code card
T60-146 Freddie Freeman - Topps 60 insert
US-249 Starlin Castro
Us-252 Derek Jeter

Pack 10 - Walmart blue parallel pack #2
US-46 Angel Sanchez
US-157 Reed Johnson
US-161 Connor Jackson
US-288 Eric Thames
US-32 Matt Stairs - Platinum Diamond Anniversary parallel
20 Honus Wagner - Cognac parallel; this is a parallel of a short print variation, though I believe these are made in the same quantities as the other non-SP Cognac parallels.
US-323 Jhonny Peralta
US-310 Scott Rolen

PS - there were three Diamond Giveaway cards in the box and I unlocked a 1980 Topps Francisco Barrios #107, a 1979 Topps Paul Mitchell #233 and a 1984 Topps Jim Clancy #575.

Featured autograph - Chris Cron

Another former Angel autograph to add my collection - Cron is the hitting coach for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League and I was able to get a couple of cards signed in-person before a game several weeks ago.

Featured autographs - Angels instructional league

Jim Gott - from a Pinnacle subset from the early 1990's.

Gary DiSarcina

Nathan Haynes

I took a trip to arizona to catch a week of Arizona Fall League games and to try to get autographs of Major League Baseball's top prospects - a wrinkle was seeing Angels minor leaguers work out at their facility for the instructional league, which consists of young players drafted in the past year and other players in the minor league system looking to get more work in before [I assume] they finally shut it down for the year.

Though I wondered what kind of nuts baseball fans my friend and I were to be hanging around watching mostly obscure minor leaguers taking batting practice and working out otherwise - I guess it all comes down to getting the handful of cards I have for Angels minor leaguers signed, after the unsigned cards have been sitting in a box all year long.

It was my first time trying to get autographs at instructs, so my friend and were not actually quite sure where to go - during the day we planned to see the Angels minor leaguers, we they would be working out at Tempe Diablo Stadium and the main Major League complex.

After not seeing anything the morning we got to Tempe Diablo Stadium and twiddling with our thumbs - some desperate driving around led us to find a neighboring actual minor league complex for the Angels.

My friend was ready to go and get his cards signed, even though he didn't know any of the players' faces and was hoping to get help - I was a little more hesitant in going down to the practice fields where players worked out, seeing we might be stepping on some sort of restricted area.

I think my friend and I spent two mornings at the minor league complex - we saw a handful of coaches and staff from the organization including current Angels manager Mike Scioscia, current Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, minor league coach Jim Gott, minor league coach Nathan Haynes, former Angel Mark Langston, former Angels shortstops Dick Schofield and Gary DiSarcina.

Ryan Bolden - he was the 40th overall pick in the 2010 draft but has struggled in the minors so far.

Chevez Clarke - like Bolden, he was a first round pick in 2010 [30th overall] who looks like he needs more work on becoming a proficient baseball players at the professional level; it seems obvious but he also needs to work on signing a better autograph.

Kaleb Cowart - he was pretty accommodating about signing otherwise.

Randal Grichuk - got my 2009 Tristar Prospects Plus dual card finished with Grichuk's autograph after getting 'Michael Trout's' autograph on the card in 2010.

Wes Hatton - it looks like he is listed as a second baseman in the card I got signed, but he is listed as a pitcher in the roster my friend had found, so I assume he is being converted to be in the mound after spending parts of three seasons in the minors as a position player.

Taylor Lindsey - he had an impressive season in 2011 and he maybe the guy to keep an eye on as far as an offensive-minded second base prospect in the Angels system.

Donnie Roach - I actually got this card signed after the Angels / Chicago Cubs instructional league game at Fitch Park, where the Cubs minor league complex is.

Featured autograph - Terry Clark

Former Angel Terry Clark was the Texas Rangers AAA pitching coach in 2011 and I was able to get his autograph on three cards [one goes to my 'All-Time Angels' collection] when the Rangers played the Angels on Sept. 27 - he spent parts of six seasons as a journeyman pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1988-1997.

Looking at his numbers, it looks like he Clark had a much more respectable career grinding it out through the minors - starting out as an 18-year old in 1979 and pitching through his mid 30s.

Featured autograph - Ivan Nova

I got the autograph of the New York Yankees rookie star pitcher Ivan Nova before the Angels / Yankees game on Sept. 11 - he has really come through big at times for the Yankees in 2011, though I keep remembering he spent spring training with the San Diego Padres in 2009 and didn't stick with that team.

Fast forward to the 2011 American League Division Series and Nova maybe the most reliable starting pitcher - the Yankees have after C.C. Sabathia.