TTM autographs received: Alejandro Pena

The longtime big league reliever from the 1980s through mid 1990s signed my cards in about a couple of weeks for $3 per card - unofficially I might start building the 1984 Donruss and 1990 Leaf sets minus the cards I might already have, just so I have cards I can send out for TTM requests and perhaps have a signed / unsigned hybrid in-hand.

I doubt I'll ever pay any sort of premium to get any particular card from the sets signed, but I'd like to see my progress after a couple of years - there is something 'classy' about the sets that appeal to me, even 30-40 years after the fact.

A look into my collecting goals for 2021

Like everyone else it seems, I have a yearly set of collecting goals, but maybe it gets too long winded to fully break down on a blog - I feel like a goof when I don't catch up to any of them and so maybe it is easier to keep them offline.

One thing I'd like to keep up on is picking up a year's worth of random cards [1/1/21] - I don't know if there is a distinction to be made, but while this goal was meant to be for the quirkier, off-the-wall or esoteric, it looks like it is for any number of finds for my various; out of my expected pickups, I expect to count out one card / set per month as highlights.

Maybe a theme is to pick up cards the kid in me would be proud of - I may not be able to live in the past, but see what cards can I pick up that the beginning collector me would just get a kick out or have a laugh at.

Keepers that have me irrationally animated - may not be definitive by any stretch, but certainly YOLO cards, Dime Time buys where my collection feels just a bit more rounded because I have these cards in-hand.

Dumb 'YOLO' cards - something like the Keith Comstock crotch card [have it] or the Billy Ripken FF card [got it] or the Mark Jackson Menendez card [got it]; something infamous [within reason].

Binder material cards - something shiny, something that pops, even though it cards that may not are not particularly valuable or sought after, just more decade stars fodder that catch my eye.

Other people's interests - sometimes picking up cards off someone’s else’s preferences or narrative can be interesting.

Topps Now / Topps on-demand - I got on benders 2 or 3 years where I would purchase Topps Now singles; they may have been ‘too easy’ impulse purchase then, though hardly the definitive cards of a particular player, so I've stayed away.

Holes to fill - traditional rookie cards - why do I feel like I’ve got to get some of these cards when they are from the junk wax era / junk years?

Maybe it’s because it’s a little throwback, tribute, shout out to something I think I was familiar with, even superficially - 1988 Roberto Alomar and Craig Biggio rookies, Canadian versions of junk wax era rookies [Maddux, Bonds], etc.

Personal, curated sets - I would like to have a micro-mini showcase of random cards that are listed as part of my Top 50 fun PC.

For 2021 onward, this might be my Wanted 100 / cheap-azz keepers mash-up - where the plan is to used my Wanted 100 to help build up a personally curated cheap-azz keepers collection of cards.

Maybe the possibilities are endless, but considering the ‘established spots’ in my card collection set-up already - do I really need to make more ‘cutesy’ subsets that are supposed to highlight cards, but end up redundant?

A look back into a 2020 collecting goal

Like everyone else it seems, I have a yearly set of collecting goals, but maybe it gets too long winded to fully break down on a blog - I feel like a goof when I don't catch up to any of them and so maybe it is easier to keep them offline.

Looking at my generic goals I'd written for 2020, stuff that made sense at the beginning of the year - doesn't end up ringing quite as true, like trying to add some high-brow cards for my personal collections, notably old-school / vintage rookie cards of selected Hall of Famers for example.

The ongoing pandemic makes me skittish about throwing money into something that only sounds good on paper - when values have supposedly been artificially pumped up across the board, I find myself priced out in general.

Maybe I've shifted to lower-end interests in my collections, whether talking about strictly baseball cards or anything to do with autographs - one of the listed goals I had for 2020 to see if I can pick up 10-15 autographs of one-time Angels players.

I was able to ramp things up and 82 new autographs for my collection, though I have to officially list them - to make sure they are physically in my collection or otherwise accounted for.

1. 2014 Panini Donruss The Rookies Signatures Series autograph Tommy La Stella #68 [$1.75] - COMC; listed as a ‘Atlanta’ [Braves] card

2. 2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Framed Mini Autographs Julio Teheran #AGA-JT.1 [$3.99] - COMC; listed as a Atlanta Braves card

3. 2014 Bowman Prospect Autographs Chrome Mike Mayers #BCAP-MM.1 [$1.25] - COMC; listed as a St. Louis Cardinals card

4. 2019 Bowman - Chrome Prospect Autographs Jose Suarez #CPA-JS [$3.85] - COMC

5. John Verhoeven - TTM card

6. Al Spangler - TTM card

7. Chris Knapp - TTM card

8. Dave Sells - TTM card

9. 1989 Fleer Update Claudell Washington CAS Certified Sealed auto #U-17 [$5.45] - COMC

10. 2014 Topps Pro Debut Autographs Matt Ramsey #PDA-MR [$1.99] - COMC

11. 2013 Panini Pinnacle Autographs Tony Campana #TC [$1.08] - COMC

12. 2011 Topps Pro Debut Solo Signature Autographs Thomas Field #SSA-TF [$1.14] - COMC

13. Dustin Garneau - IP card

14. Dick Lange - TTM card

15. Steve Kealey - TTM card

16. Don Kirkwood - TTM card

17. Jack Hiatt - TTM card

18. Tom Donohue - TTM card

19. Lloyd Allen - TTM card

20. Tom Egan - TTM card

21. Larry Harlow - TTM card

22. Dave Parker - TTM card / $10

23. Merv Rettenmund - TTM card

24. Roger Repoz - TTM card

25. Jason Castro - IP card from 2012 era

26. Trevor Cahill - IP card from the 2012 era

27. Steve Renko - TTM card

28. Jason Gurka - TTM card

29. Ken Oberkfell - TTM card

30. Rudy Meoli - TTM card

31. Terry Humphrey - TTM card

32. Ed Ott - TTM card

33. Tom Bradley - TTM card

34. Billy Cowan - TTM card

35. Eddie Fisher - TTM card

36. Jim Barr - TTM card

37. Don Robinson - TTM card

38. Jack Lazorko - TTM card

39. Paul Hartzell - TTM card

40. Mike Bielecki - TTM card

41. Jim Hibbs - TTM card

42. Bob Botz - TTM card

43. Ike Hampton - TTM card

44. Balor Moore - TTM card

45. Tom Griffin - TTM card

46. Doug Rau - TTM card

47. Richie Scheinblum - TTM card

48. Frank LaCorte - TTM card

49. Bob Sprout - TTM card

50. Jim Walewander - TTM card

51. Bill Grabarkewitz - TTM card

52. Dave Goltz - TTM card

53. Gary Lucas - TTM card

54. Ron Tingley - TTM card

55. George Hendrick - purchased card (s)

56. Bill Melton - TTM card

57. Steve Lubratich - TTM card

58. Syd O’Brien - TTM card

59. Jarrett Grube - TTM card

60. Ken Berry - TTM card

61. Bill Voss - TTM card

62. Dyar Miller - TTM card

63. Ed Halicki - TTM card

64. Billy Moran - TTM card

65. Rick Burleson - purchased card (s)

66. Bart Miadich - purchased card (s)

67. Rich Rodriguez - purchased card (s)

68. Skip Lockwood - TTM card

69. Leo Burke - TTM card

70. Bob Duliba - TTM card

71. Sherman Corbett - TTM card

72. Tom Murphy - TTM card (s)

73. Vic Davalillo autographed custom card [$4 plus $1 PWE plus $0.99 = $5.99]

74. Jose Lind - purchased card (s)

75. Pete Coachman - purchased card (s)

76. Craig Gerber - purchased card (s)

77. Tim Fortugno - purchased card (s)

78. Lee Thomas - TTM card

79. Ken Tatum - TTM card

80. Dave Lemanczyk - TTM card

81. Chuck Dobson - TTM card

82. Dick Drago - TTM card

Maybe it’s ‘easier’ to have a looser goal where I can cobble things together where I’m not restricted by specifics or standards - being able to add a number of random autograph cards featuring rank-and-file guys that played for a random big league team may make me more like a hoarder, but it’s fun nonetheless to see what I can nerd out on as far whose random autographs I can find and add.

Trading cards are the easiest to store in any sort of quantity so for most of the ‘rank and file’ names, that what the autographs are on - for 2021, the goal to add more one-time Angels player autographs sticks though I need to dig deeper to see if I can add old-school / vintage player content, get the 'here and now' players, while adding different players as I can through TTM requests and purchases.

TTM autographs received: Dan Pasqua

The former big leaguer from the mid 1980s through early 1990s signed a couple of my cards, responded briefly to the what I'd written him and returned my other two cards unsigned - Pasqua played through the junk wax era as more of a rank-and-file player, who didn't put up the sexiest numbers as a hitter, but had some pop in his bat.

Flipping through his early 1990s cards, the bespectacled Pasqua didn’t look like any sort of athlete - while his MLB career petered out after turning 30, to cherry pick a run of years where he was most successful, Pasqua put up a decent slash line [.251 / .337 / .455, including a 118 OPS+] through his 20s.

TTM autographs received: Nancy Faust

The longtime Chicago White Sox organist signed my three cards in ballpoint pen and send back a letter with response to what I'd written her - it doesn't happen much, but once in a while I've sent out 'oddball' non-player requests just to see what response I might get.

I found some actual cards of Faust but may not have had immediate luck in finding a mailing address for her - until someone reported a success [with an actual mailing address listed] in an autograph group I belonged to.

I mailed out [to an Illinois address], hoping for my own success and I got a response within a couple of weeks - in addition to responding to my letter, she also wrote my request was forwarded to Arizona and she would have had some extra photos to send if she was back in Illinois.

TTM autographs received: Adam Haseley

The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder signed my cards in three weeks - Haseley was a first round pick in 2017 and probably getting to the big leagues due to his lofty draft status, may end up as a useful player, who sticks around the big leagues for 10 years.

TTM autograph received: Dick Drago

I got an return to send earlier in the year even as other collectors seemed to report regular successes with the former big league righthander - there are a couple of addresses posted for him in collecting forums I belong to and I guess the one I used in my first request was the wrong one.

I waited a little bit and took another shot, using the other address and finally - got my card signed in about a month or so arriving a couple of days before Christmas.

I only had a 1970 Topps card in my collection, featuring a cleaner cut Drago, who was a dependable starter early in his big league career with the Kansas City Royals - through the late 1970s, he became a reliever who bounced around several MLB teams and had started to grow out some prominent facial hair for for his era.

2020 Topps 34-card jumbo pack recap

I ended up at a Target I don't usually go to and found some baseball cards - some 2020 Topps Update, which may not be great as far as the rookie cards found in the set, but I'll humor myself and grab some baseball card packs to bust.

I wouldn't have known Topps put out these 2-pack blister packs with one exclusive Red parallel card - so out of the loose 'leftover' blisters, I got the one that had the Angel card of reliever Ty Buttrey.

Maybe the blister 'bubble' was loose, peeling off the paper backing - so someone had messed with them at some point.

I got a jumbo pack as well because who knows what I may pull - even if we are talking about retail here.

#U-192 Ian Miller

#U-127 Ryan Weber

#U-5 Starlin Castro

#U-38 Kevin Plawecki

#U-242 Ty France

#U-228 Starling Marte

#U-266 Andrew McCutchen

#U-267 Albert Pujols

#U-104 Grayson Greiner

#U-213 Keury Mella

#U-272 Joey Votto

#U-11 Chris Owings

#U-130 Richie Martin

#U-16 Phillip Diehl

#U-222 Scott Barlow

#TR-3 Ozzie Albies - Turkey Red insert; Green parallel serial #’d 08/10

Albies has flown under the radar, but he's been a solid player for the Atlanta Braves at second base - pulling any low numbered parallel out of the most random pack break is quite the feat for me.

#U-33 Alex Verdugo - Advanced Stats parallel serial #’d 202/300; I'm probably more of an old-school baseball guy who likes the traditional counting numbers, but it's fun to figure out what the advanced numbers mean and what they actually spell out is pretty simple, giving more context to players' performances.

#DB-3 Early Wynn - Decades’ Best insert

#85TB-50 Lewis Brinson - 1985 Topps Baseball insert

#TR-13 Andrew McCutchen - Turkey Red insert

#TR-4 Hunter Pence - Turkey Red insert

#U-142 Albert Pujols

#U-206 Asher Wojciechowski

#U-170 Travis Shaw

#U-120 Stevie Wilkerson

#U-286 Chase Anderson

#U-177 Andy Burns

#U-28 Eduardo Nunez

#U-150 Ken Griffey Jr.

#U-178 Jarrod Dyson

#U-34 Justin Verlander

#U-138 Tommy Pham

#U-263 Miguel Cabrera

#U-106 Meibrys Viloria

#U-145 Ronald Acuña Jr.

#U-12 Aaron Bummer

TTM autographs received: Sherman Corbett

The former big league reliever and one time Angel from the late 1980s through early 1990s signed my cards and added a tract business card in about a month - even for rank-and-file guys like Corbett, who may not get as many requests and can take the time, I really appreciate it when cards I've sent comes back with clean, bold signatures.

TTM autographs received: Ken Tatum

The former big league reliever and one time Angel from the late 1960s through early 1970s signed my card and added a signed postcard in about a month - though only the card will be tallied for my Angels all-time autograph collection, it's nice to get something extra such as personal response or extra item enclosed.

TTM autographs received: Terry Leach

The former big league reliever signed my cards in about a month - including a 1982 Topps multiplayer Future Stars card I had longtime MLB manager Ron Gardenhire sign in-person.

All I need to finish off my card is Tim Leary, who might have done his share of former LA Dodgers appearances in So. Cal over the past 10-15 years - he's never been someone I've been compelled to be interested in, but now I have to see where someone might do a signing with him.

Featured autograph - Vic Davalillo

To add another autograph to my Angels all-time collection, I grabbed this autographed card from Facebook - Davalillo was a Venezuelan outfielder who played 16 years in the big leagues and spent parts of 2 seasons with the Angels back in the 1960s.

The card was descibed as a custom but looks a little fancier with an actual, detailed card back - I'm not sure what the details spell out, but there is a serial #'d notation on the back [36/80] and the cards may have been whipped up by a collector in Venezuela specifically for a card show event.

TTM autographs received: Jim Rice

After holding off since my last success in 2017, I finally sent another request with $20 to Rice and he returned my cards signed in 8 days - the 2013 Topps Allen and Ginter was the only non-insert Ginter I still needed, so that was a priority.

I also sent a 1985 Fleer I found in a Dollar Tree repack - the 'pre-junk wax era' cards through mid 1980s holds some allure, probably because that is where the good rookie cards from that era came from and there is some trickle down interest, even if the cards came out before my time.

The flap on my SASE was loose and I was might have panicked a little- but the cards were still in envelope.

Angels all-time autograph collection adds

I dug around COMC at various points last winter and picked up these miscellaneous certified autographs for my Angels all-time autograph collection - an on-card autograph of Dylan Bundy was probably the most prominent.

After he was traded to the Angels last off-season, I wanted to see if I could snag one at some point - I still remember Bundy coming into the pro ranks as a hyped up prospect and still have some a couple of loose, empty boxes of 2012 Bowman Draft with his picture on them.

Maybe I could have picked up a certified autograph from one of the Bowman releases from the time Bundy was a stud prospect, just to have something with him pictured in a big league uniform - but something more 'generic' and almost without a team affiliation listed, might have been the more ideal card since he was going to be Angel anyway.

One of the things I like is being able to rummage around and see if I can find some of the most random cards to add to my Angels all-time autograph collection - maybe I have to double check if each of the players such as Matt Ramsey, Thomas Field and Tony Campana actually played for the Angels, but I can nerd out a little finding out they did and can squirrel away their 'junk certified autos.'

As the case maybe these cards often picture players from a hodgepodge of teams, from the minors to the major leagues - I'd really like to put a premium on cards that picture players as an Angel, but I'll take what I can get.

I did find an an an autograph of Jose Suarez, who might have been the team's top pitching prospect entering the 2019 season, thought that may be the equivalent of the No. 15 [or lower] ranked prospect in a deeper MLB organization - I don't know if he's gotten a real extensive look the past two seasons but he's still either young and inexperienced or just doesn't know how to get big league hitters out to stick for good.

I grabbed an autograph of Mike Mayers, pictured as a one-time St. Louis Cardinals prospect years ago - he was an an under the radar find that actually had a great year out of the Angels bullpen in 2020.

I grabbed an autograph of Julio Teheran, just so I don't have to worry about digging up the random in-person autograph card I got when he was still a top prospect at the 2010 Futures Game - he was a longtime starter with the Atlanta Braves with mostly positive results, though maybe the writing was on the wall with his peripherals in recent years and the gamble the Angels took on him failed.

Finally I grabbed an autograph of Tommy La Stella, a previously useful if unheralded platoon player with the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs - who had a chance to play on an every day basis with the Angels a couple of years ago and continued to play well for the Angels this past year before being traded to the Oakland Athletics.

La Stella found some pop in his bat and was named to the All-Star team in 2019 - before a broken leg derailed his season.

I might have gotten a couple of La Stella in-person autographs, once in the Arizona Fall League and once in spring training - I think since he signed only one, the cards I'd gotten inked up were for sets I was chasing, so I wanted one outright.

I hope nothing 'funny' was going on when the certified autograph card from 2014 was signed - but it looks more of a complete, 'fancier' autograph, than any other versions of La Stella's I've seen.

Some decade / binder stars updates Pt.2

Andruw Jones - he ends up being a ‘bounce back’ guy in my binders.

While I don’t believe 'Andruw' is a serious candidate to be inducted into the Hall of Fame any time soon - is he gaining support as a guy who actually has a case, notably when evaluating his reputation as one of the best centerfielders in MLB history either through the eye test or advanced stats?

Ernie Banks - I just don't seek out vintage playing days cards of Hall of Famers, but over the years may just have enough retro stragglers to fill out a page.

Garret Anderson

Mo Vaughn - Angels - he was a decent hitter who struck out his fair share while on the Angels.

Mo Vaughn - Boston Red Sox - he probably didn't deserve to be honored the 1995 American League MVP over Albert Belle but as he blossomed into a superstar through the early 1990s, this was the all-world slugger I was hoping the Angels would eventually get as a free agent 21 years ago.

I could care less either way but I'm thinking whether his Angels pages should go with my other Angels - perhaps they can be hidden away with his Red Sox pages.

Jorge Posada - A Core Four guy, I was never able to get his autograph in-person or through the mail but was able to pull a redemption for a certified autograph.

Tyler Skaggs

Kyle Tucker - he may need to up his walk rate but it looks like he has started to put things together as a future star.

Maybe it's just a random thing, but him not wearing batting gloves during his at-bats - makes him more of a 'real' player to me.

Will Smith - I thought I had all these loose cards of him to rein in but came up with less than I'd thought.

Despite a relatively impressive rookie season in 2019, I don't know if I was ever aware of him enough - to predict he was going to blossom into Buster Posey lite this past season.

Christian Yelich - his hitting numbers came down a bit from previous years, though that maybe due to bad luck and not being able to get on a real good roll during the 60-game 2020 season.