Panini Black Friday pack recaps

Pack one
#15 Albert Pujols - we all are waiting to see where he'll end up, how much he'll be getting paid and for how many years.

#201 Terrelle Pryor - serial #'d 173/199 - this one looks like a card from 2011 Donruss Elite; I'm vaguely aware Pryor as more of a 'project,' considering how his college career at Ohio St. ended and how he profiles more as an athlete than quarterback; needless to say he is now Cam Newton...

Pack two
#18 Matt Kemp - the typical modern day metrosexual baseball player exemplified on a trading card.

I didn't pull anything special in these two-card packs, given as promotional items when I made a Black Friday box purchase at a local card shop - I didn't realize Panini inserted cards of baseball players in these packs, giving baseball cards collectors a sneak peek of what the cards look like out of their non-MLB [but MLBPA] licensed baseball product.

NNO Terrelle Pryor - this one looks like a subset card from Playoff Prestige.

Featured autograph - Greg Halman

Learning about Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman's death, it kind of hits close to home when I learn his brother may have been a suspect - my younger brother and I still live at home with our parents and at times there are petty feelings that sort of linger over the most mundane things.

There have been times over the years when things have escalated into arguments and while we obviously play for the same team - my brother and I haven't been particularly close and it seems like it has quite a while when we've seen each other eye-to-eye.

R.I.P. Greg Halman

2011 Bowman Chrome blaster recap

I was sort of excited to find this 2011 Bowman Chrome blaster [$19.99 each] at the card aisle of a Target in Brea, California - I want to mention this is the first time I've visited a two-story Target with a parking garage like a mall.

However even with an apparent insert or a parallel lurking in each retail pack - there is just something lacking about only having three cards per pack / eight packs per blaster for a total of 24 cards. I was hoping against all odds to pull some 'ink,' though no autographs were pulled from this particular blaster.

I do like the inserts though it's probably better to purchase them individually or a set - rather than looking to pull random ones through loose pack / blaster box purchases.

Pack one
#BCP 155 Chase Whitley
#24 Jacob Turner - Futures die-cut insert
#173 Mark Trumbo

Pack two
#BCP 162 Brody Colvin
#188 Mark Rogers - refractor
#63 Carlos Beltran

Pack three
#118 Mike Minor
#BCP 148 David Rohm - refractor serial #'d 091 / 500
#145 Brian Roberts

Pack four
#218 Ivan De Jesus Jr.
#BCP 219 Fernando Abad
#BBP 65 Jacob Turner - Bowman's Best insert

Pack five
#BCP 216 Andy Dirks
#BCT 13 Anthony Rizzo - Bowman Throwbacks insert
#35 Jon Lester

Pack six
#8 Hanley Ramirez
#BCP 209 Mariekson Gregorius
#22 Mike Montgomery - Futures die-cut insert parallel

Pack seven
#BCP 203 Cameron Garfield
#15 Brandon Phillips - refractor
#116 Clay Buchholz

Pack eight
#107 Jayson Werth
#BCP 153 Miguel Velazquez - Purple refractor parallel serial #'d 794/799
#6 Carlos Santana

Fairfield red jumbo pack recap

Fairfield red jumbo pack of 100 cards [$4.99 each at Target] - these repacks guarantee three 'vintage' cards from the 50's, 60's and 70s, though I'm not holding my breath.

I thought I was over these things but I'm fascinated with just wanting a brick of cards to flip through - I'd probably buy four or five of these at one time if I knew there was a real good mix of cards from over the years.

However, pulling cards from the 'junk wax years' get redundant quickly - how much more 1987 Topps, 1989 Topps and 1990 K-Mart Superstar cards can I really take in without just wanting to hurl the cards against the wall?

I say this tongue firmly planted in cheek - but I just don't think it's fair that a company can prey on the hoarding aspects of this baseball card collector.

Top section
1989 Topps Glossy Rookies Ron Gant #9

1989 Topps Steve Peters #482

1989 Topps Jeff Blauser #83 - my opinion on a 23-year old set may not matter, but these cards have no redeeming quality; the images lacked a certain sharpness, were often dark and drab.
1989 Topps Oddibe McDowell #183
1989 Topps Doyle Alexander #77

1989 Topps Steve Curry #471
1989 Topps Larry Owen #87
1989 Topps Jim Leyland #284
1989 Topps Terry Kennedy #705
1989 Topps Wayne Tolleson #714
1992 Leaf Ramon Martinez #297
1992 Leaf Jose Offerman #322

1996 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Joey Hamilton #701
1996 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Pete Schourek #114
1994 Upper Deck Gregg Jefferies #265
1993 Upper Deck Phil Plantier #774
1996 Upper Deck Felipe Lira #71
1989 Donruss Rick Honeycutt #328
1990 Score Bobby Rose #604
1987 Donruss Mike Moore #70
1992 Donruss Scott Sanderson #227
1991 Donruss Kevin Elster #304
1990 Topps Willie Fraser #477
1991 Upper Deck Greg Blosser #70
1991 Donruss Tim Crews #294
1999 Topps Carl Pavano #264
1990 Donruss Jack Armstrong #544
1989 Fleer Bryn Smith #394
1999 Topps John Jaha #307 x2
1999 Topps Kerry Ligtenberg
2000 Topps Chrome Francisco Cordova #171
1992 Fleer Bobby Bonilla / Will Clark #699
1987 Donruss Jimmy Key #244

1991 Topps Larry Andersen #761
1992 Pinnacle Gregg Olson #61
1991 Topps Juan Agosto #703
1994 Upper Deck Ryan Klesko #64
1990 Donruss Jeff Reardon #119
1992 Upper Deck Kirk McCaskill #128
1987 Donruss Glenn Braggs #337
1989 Topps Terry Blocker #76
1990 Topps Jeff Reed #772
1992 Upper Deck Kurt Stillwell #705
1991 Leaf Pat Borders #23
1990 Fleer Luis De Los Santos #105
1991 Fleer Ultra Jerome Walton #70
1992 Score Jerome Walton #457
1997 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Chris Snopek #77
1988 Topps Benito Santiago #7
1987 Topps All-Stars Wade Boggs #18

Bottom section

2001 Upper Deck David Ortiz #129

1969 Topps Bill Stoneman #67 - this card is the 'vintage one,' though I have it already and I got it signed through the mail.

1977 Topps Carl Morton #24

1977 Topps Jerry Koosman #300
1981 Topps Ron Reed #376
1985 Topps Greg Minton #45
1990 K-Mart Superstars Wade Boggs #19
1990 K-Mart Superstars Mickey Tettleton #24
1990 K-Mart Superstars Dennis Eckersley #29
1990 K-Mart Superstars Tony Gwynn #5
1987 Hygrade Baseball's All-Time Greats Bob Feller NNO

2005 Upper Deck ESPN Mike Piazza #56
1991 Donruss Dave Righetti #275
1991 Donruss Geno Petralli #137
1993 Donruss Jeff Brantley #100

2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic Chris Chambliss #13
2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Ivan Rodriguez #49
2003 Leaf Certified Materials Richard Hidalgo #74
1991 Donruss Ivan Calderon #203
1993 Leaf Jose Mesa #374
1980 Topps Bill Stein #226
1994 Fleer Ultra Randy Myers #462
1993 Topps Daryl Boston #399
1993 Topps Terry Pendleton #650
1995 Donruss Tom Gordon #494

1993 Topps Stadium Club Jeff Bagwell #384
1989 Donruss John Dopson #392
1989 Donruss Rick Aguilera #526
1993 Topps Albert Belle #635
1993 Topps Stadium Club Brian Harper #95
1988 Fleer Bill Long #404
1988 Fleer Shawon Dunston #419
1988 Fleer Mike Campbell #372
1988 Fleer Dan Gladden #12
1988 Fleer Bruce Ruffin #313
1988 Fleer Mike LaCoss #86
1988 Fleer Wally Joyner #493
1988 Fleer Rob Mallicoat #452
1988 Fleer Mario Diaz / Clay Parker #649
1988 Fleer Keith Hernandez #136
1987 Topps Bill Swift #67
1987 Topps Dan Schatzeder #789
1987 Topps Astros Leaders #531
1987 Topps Chuck Tanner #593
1987 Topps Ronn Reynolds #471
1987 Topps Ted Simmons #516
1987 Topps Dave Gumpert #487
1987 Topps Scott Bankhead #508
1987 Topps Scott Sanderson #534
2004 Upper Deck Morgan Ensberg #136

Featured autograph - Brandon Wood

One of the things I do is try and keep up with the off-season Major League Baseball transactions so I can update the collection of cards I try and get autographed in-person - as well as build a 'small set' of about 100 cards reflecting various players moves up through the end of spring training.

After spending parts of last season in-between the minors, Anaheim and Pittsburgh - I guess Brandon Wood is going to spring training next year with the Colorado Rockies.

He's still relatively young and may turn it around in a place like Colorado - but as a professional baseball player, it looks like he's bound to take Mike Hessman detour or the Wily Mo Pena one.

Angel insert mailday - Scott Downs

Card blogger Justin from Justin's World was interested in a 2011 Topps Update Matt Stairs Gold parallel I'd pulled from a break and I ended up mailing the card out in exchange a 2011 Topps Update Gold parallel card of Scott Downs - I think he said he still had to actually to get the Downs card from another trade he was working on and I had to wait about two weeks before I could actually get the card in-hand.

The Downs card arrived safely in the mail a couple of days ago - it is a nice looking card and regardless of the delay, I was glad to have traded for it.

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