Purple Refractor pack
#BPCP 74 Lucas Giolito
#BPCP 85 Trevor Story
#BPCP 11 Mike Zunino
Pack one
Lately, Kazmir has looked like the way he was when he pitched in Tampa Bay - though he took the Angels for a ride and had to sort of rebuild his career, including playing for an independent league team in 2012.
When the Indians signed him in the off-season, I thought this guy wasn't going to make the MLB roster - no matter what he did, I'm always expecting him to fail because of how he sucked so badly with the Angels.
If Kazmir hadn't gone through a hiccup in his career - maybe he's just another good MLB pitcher, but there is something interesting and maybe inspiring when a professional athlete fails and has to find a way back to where he once was.
Maybe I'm warming up to the Scott Kazmir comeback story of 2013 - though I wonder how long he can keep it up and whether he's found new life.
Jimenez will probably be never be better than a No. 4 starter but he has put up more serviceable, if not great numbers this year - it remains to be seen how many 'dud' starts both he and Kazmir have left and how many starts they have left, where the results mimic some of their early MLB successes.
Now, Oakland has put out a better baseball product, Texas still has a decent baseball team and the Mariners will probably end up being better than the Angels at the end of the year - what a disappointment to see how things have fallen apart for the Angels, not knowing the downfall started with the signing of what was one of the dominant talents in the game over the last 10-15 years.
If Pujols had only pop a few more home runs, get a few more hits to raise tha BA or do enough things to get his OBP and slugging up, maybe I'd be more confident in him in 2013 - but he's put up sluggish numbers seemingly all season long, presumably because he had to nurse his bum foot on a game-to-game basis.
Now, with Pujols shelved for what most likely be the rest of the year, I have no rooting interest for the crap team the Angels have put together for 2013 - except for Mike Trout perhaps, who the F cares what the rest of the team does now that Pujols is a goner.
While I don't question Pujols' ability, smarts, desire or 'want it,' not even at these dire times - how is his broken down body going to allow him to become a relevant player again, even if come the start of next year, pronouncing himself healthy and ready to go.
I was naive in thinking Pujols would be the same player when he'd already been decline before he signed with the Angels - what a raw deal for the fans, since I don't think it's going to get better for him.
I wish the Angels had stumbled upon someone like him instead of a guy who plays like a stiff at times in Alberto Callaspo - Donaldson plays some good defense, gives you some pop and has 'clutched up' at times, getting big hits for the front-running Athletics at the most opportune moments over the past couple of seasons.
I think I got Donaldson to sign my card during a past spring training trip either in 2009 or 2010 - his autograph has gotten sloppier over the last several years I've gotten him to sign, though he's been always accommodating about doing it.
Fontana currently has an on-base percentage of over .400 playing in the Cal League - though if he reaches the Major Leagues, he may end up as a utilityman somewhere.
Cole, a pitcher who was traded back to the Washington Nationals from Oakland, made an appearance at the 2013 Futures Game and closed things out for team USA - I got him to sign the card after a Cal League game in Lake Elsinore in 2012, when he was on Stockton [Oakland A's farm team].
Franklin has been 'star rookie' so far with the Seattle Mariners, though so was Dustin Ackley a few years ago - I got Franklin while he was playing in the Arizona Fall League in 2011.
I've probably had Buckner's 2004 Bowman Draft card since it first came out and after holding onto onto it all these years, was able to get it signed this season - Buckner has been given a little opportunity to pitch in the Major Leagues after the Angels signed him as AAA depth.
It doesn't mean he is going to stick around but hopefully he can do something on the mound for the Halos - maybe like a Jerome Williams [despite his recent struggles as a starting pitcher] who has earned some MLB time with the team in parts of the last three seasons.
Since the card featured was for my 2004 BDP set, I had a longtime acquaintance help me get another card signed by Buckner for my all-time Angels collection - even though it's been about 10 years, I'm still trying to complete the 2004 BDP set autographed and probably have a good number cards signed featuring the guys who at least reached the Major Leagues.
I still need a bunch of cards signed featuring players from the set - who ended up like the guys I wrote about in this previous post.
I remember it like it was just yesterday and probably can find the ad where this set was advertised by Fleer in a Beckett - after 15 years I finally decide to unbox the cards since the set is probably worth about $10 to the right person, which means to say it's kind of worthless otherwise.
The actual cards are pretty nice though, even to this day and it doesn't look like there is any damage as far as the cards sticking together - I might be able to find some random cards I can conceivably get autographed by players in this set, who maybe a coach or a manager somewhere.
Just speaking as an in-person autograph collector who chases after random coaches / managers / team personnel / scouts who maybe ex-MLB players with cards - it might not be an idea to occasionally [unless you've been a baseball card hoarder all these years anyway] look for and bust a box [or open a set] of cards from at least 10 or 15 years ago to possibly find cards to be autographed besides just having current year cards for active MLB players.
As I'm slaving away when it's about 90 degrees in a room where most of my baseball cards are, trying to do some sorting, to keep things in order - besides top prospects and players I assume will get an MLB shot, I always find myself looking at some minor leaguer's card, wondering if he could still possibly with the big league team I've sorted his card in.
There are always minor league players I have to Google to see if they've likely been released by a particular MLB team - when I look at a player's profile on MILB.com and find his status as 'released,' there is some closure and I can remove those players' cards from whichever team set I'd organized them into the first place.
Sometimes I might have to go digging around through blog / twitter posts or peruse a posted transactions list on Baseball America] when a cut player's profile was never updated on MILB.com - it's kind of funny when I have cards of players who have been cut a year or so ago.
A baseball card collector gripe I've occasionally heard since Bowman brand was re-introduced 25 years [!] ago - was a collector would likely be stuck with cards of players who ends up not making the Major Leagues instead of cards featuring proven players at the MLB level.
Maybe it's because Topps is too eager to add unproven players to the checklist of various products like Bowman / Topps Pro Debut / Topps Minor League Heritage in search of the next big league star - even if it's really just to fill out the base set.
As an autograph collector, I don't mind pulling cards of players still in the minor leagues - since I'm hoping I can get to see the particular players and get cards I've hoarded signed at some point.
However, for players who end up basically being non prospects, there is a 'here and now' aspect with any draft pick / first-year prospect / USA cards - just because a guy in the minors or a draft pick gets a Bowman card, doesn’t mean he is any sort of prospect at all.
I run into my fair share of cards featuring guys who are basically fillers in Bowman [or any other brands like Panini Elite Extra Edition] products - if I have access to get the cards signed when they first come out, then it's doesn't hurt as much, but it basically sucks to be stuck with cards of 'never has been' types who are at times cut before I see them in-person.
I read about a cheaper, 'retail' version of 2013 Topps Pro Debut and bought this on a whim [online through my phone] on the way home from a field trip three or four weeks ago - I don't think boxes are actually meant to be sold through big box stores but Topps made a cheaper option, presumably to cater for those who want the base cards for themselves.
I didn't do a pack-per-pack recap but on my sixth pack, I pulled a Yasiel Puig - so that probably paid for most of the box at this current time.
Out of the box break I got 192 out of 220 cards with no dupes - these are the 28 cards I didn't end up pulling
5 C.J. Cron
30 Anthony Alford
36 Adalberto Mondesi
37 Courtney Hawkins
55 Matt Magill
56 Bralin Jackson
66 Miguel Sano
73 Christian Bethancourt
81 Justin Nicolino
83 Shawon Dunston Jr.
104 George Springer
121 Kyle Lotzkar
124 Mark Montgomery
125 Javier Baez
129 Dorssys Paulino
151 Chih Fang Pan
153 Kyle Crick
158 Matthew Skole
166 Jorge Bonifacio
168 Chris Stratton
174 Jake Marisnick
179 Mark Bordonaro
183 Julio Rodriguez
186 Bryce Brentz
190 Trevor May
215 Hunter Morris
216 Keury de la Cruz
219 Joe Panik
Cards I actually pulled from some loose [hobby] pack breaks
36 Adalberto Mondesi
37 Courtney Hawkins
81 Justin Nicolino
83 Shawon Dunston Jr.
153 Kyle Crick
158 Matthew Skole
174 Jake Marisnick
179 Mark Bordonaro
190 Trevor May
The 19 cards I'm need to complete the set
5 C.J. Cron
30 Anthony Alford
55 Matt Magill
56 Bralin Jackson
66 Miguel Sano
73 Christian Bethancourt
104 George Springer
121 Kyle Lotzkar
124 Mark Montgomery
125 Javier Baez
129 Dorssys Paulino
151 Chih Fang Pan
166 Jorge Bonifacio
168 Chris Stratton
183 Julio Rodriguez
186 Bryce Brentz
215 Hunter Morris
216 Keury de la Cruz
219 Joe Panik
Besides Puig, I also pulled cards of guys like Byron Buxton, Anthony Rendon, Maikel Franco and others - 2013 Pro Debut retail is a fun, low end break if hunting for cards picturing top prospects, rank-and-file minor leaguers and the top prospects who've graduated to the Major Leagues in 2013.
2011 Panini hockey Dustin Brown #109 - I had to pick this random hockey card up when I saw that 'big hair.'
2013 Topps Archives football J.J. Watt #32
2013 Topps Series II baseball Lance Lynn #507 - I think this is blue Emerald parallel available through in-store promo packs [?]
2013 Panini basketball Brandon Jennings card #23
Seager isn't quite an All-Star caliber performer yet - but Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley, Jesus Montero have been sore disappointments so far and may not fulfill their potential.
As an autograph signer, Seager signs when asked and is fairly accomodating - makes him a decent guy in my book even if he plays for a division opponent of the Angels.
As someone who tries to bring random cards to the ballpark to get autographed - it makes some sense for me to bring extra cards of guys currently at AAA since MLB teams tend to bring up or send down players on a regular basis.
I ended up ended up with a retail jumbo pack for $4.98 of Topps Series II - it seems like card releases have been slow, so I wasn't really paying attention when Topps Series II came out on shelves.
Top section
#423 Miguel Gonzalez
#614 B.J. Upton
#630 Andy Dirks
#602 Anibal Sanchez
#610 Brandon Beachy
#621 Steve Cishek
#654 Brandon Barnes
#359 C.C. Sabathia
#551 Wellington Castillo
#418 Evan Gattis
#382 Jackie Bradley Jr.
#577 Matt Harvey
#609 Scott Baker
#409 Logan Morrison
#539 Phil Coke
#356 Greg Dobbs
#466 Jerome Williams
Bottom section
#559 Travis Snider
#547 Glen Perkins
#600 Mariano Rivera
#587 Matt Cain
#CH-87 Lance Lynn - Chasing History foil insert
#CH-80 Yu Darvish - Chasing History foil insert
#359 C.C. Sabathia - Walmart blue parallel
One of those players in the USA set is Clarkin, who was signed this week along with second round pick, infielder Gosuke Katoh - when the New York Yankees visited the Angels, I told myself to bring the card of Clarkin since he was a Yankees' draft pick from Southern California [San Diego area] and I figured the Yankees would do something like invite him for an informal work out or something.
Both Clarkin and Katoh were waiting to enter the stadium hours before the Friday game at Angel Stadium and I was able to get Clarkin to sign his card - a handful of collectors had spotted both guys, making it easy for me to go where they were.
In five years I'm going to be wondering if I should have gotten Katoh's autograph too - though I was just happy not to get shut out that day.
It must have been really sweet for the two just to graduate high school and jump onto a MLB field to shag balls in the outfield or to take grounders at second base in the vicinity of guys like C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Mo, Robinson Cano, et al - knowing that it was only a matter of time before they signed their first contracts to become professional baseball players.
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?
One featured autograph I can put up is a TTM autograph card of Brad Hawpe I picked up through a forum several years ago - I also remember pulling a 2008 Topps Stadium Club certified autograph of Hawpe, but I'll probably use the TTM auto for my all-time Angels collection.
I realize the situations aren't at all comparable but the Los Angeles Dodgers can call up a stud like Yasiel Puig - while the Angels end up bring up a guy like Hawpe from oblivion.
A late bloomer, Hawpe had some nice seasons with the Colorado Rockies - but for whatever reason his bat ran out of juice and he has bounced around with four different teams before the Angels signed him this season to serve as AAA depth.
I've noticed he kind of holds his bat in a peculiar way and it's kind of funny to watch him hit - he and Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs look sort of the same when they are at the plate.
I'm not counting on any sort of success but hopefully this guy will be of some use to the Angels - even if he is pretty much cooked as a MLB hitter.
I don't mind the thin stock but Topps could have gone all the way and used 'primitive' cardboard stock - like the original Topps cards these are supposed to mimic.
It's like I want to pull something in 2013 - that feels like it came from a pack in 1972, 1982, 1985 or 1990 [maybe not that year].
Pack one
#179 Tommy Milone
#44 Chris Davis
#64 Asdrubal Cabrera
#MT-RD Rob Dibble - Mini Tall Boy insert; it's not any taller than a regular sized card but it looks different because 1/3rd of a regular sized card has been cut off; Dibble is covering Angels games for some media outlet and I just got him to sign three more random cards, so this one should be inked up in-person at some point this MLB season.
#141 Adam Jones
#151 Jason Motte
#28 Mike Schmidt
#65 Paul Konerko
Pack two
#138 David Murphy
#166 Ryan Vogelsong
#5 Allen Craig
#92 Ken Griffey Jr.
#215 Bob Welch - SP
#146 Eddie Murray
#167 Rod Carew
#21 Adrian Beltre
Pack three
#143 Jake Odorizzi
#197 Chris Sale
#12 Jarrod Parker
#DFF-NU Otis Nixon / B.J. Upton - Dual Fan Favorites insert [not quite with Nixon's recent legal problems and Upton's slow start]
#60 Robinson Cano
#127 David Price
#164 Dan Uggla
#17 Hanley Ramirez
Pack four
#68 Matt Harrison
#140 Dylan Bundy
#168 Pablo Sandoval
#29 Angel Pagan
#83-PG Pedro Guerrero - 1983 All-Stars insert
#84 Coco Crisp
#121 Ian Kennedy
#161 Anthony Rizzo
Pack five
#96 Edwin Encarnacion
#106 Tim Lincecum
#165 Stephen Strasburg
#27 Manny Machado
#MT-AB Albert Pujols - Mini Tall Boy insert; these were listed 1:5 but I got two.
#42 Mariano Rivera
#93 Ian Desmond
#122 R.A. Dickey
Pack six
#88 Derek Holland
#102 Matt Moore
#169 Pedro Alvarez
#209 Dwight Evans - SP
#152 Craig Kimbrel
#37 Elvis Andrus
#70 Ozzie Smith
#147 Hiroki Kuroda
Pack seven
#25 Dexter Fowler
#81 Will Middlebrooks
#119 Ian Kinsler
#97 David Wright - Gold parallel serial #'d 186/199
#69S-SKCK Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton and Clayton Kershaw - 1969 4-in-1 sticker insert
#155 Wilin Rosario
#30 Yu Darvish
#51 Carlos Gonzalez
Pack eight
#194 Yadier Molina
#45 Chase Headley
#56 Josh Reddick
#83-LD Leon Durham - 1983 All-Stars insert
#148 Dustin Pedroia
#178 Giancarlo Stanton
#1 Babe Ruth
#69 Eddie Mathews
I can't really say much more about a guy who carved up the Angels this season - Sale struck out 19 and walked three in 16 2/3 innings in two starts against the Halos, allowing only 4 hits and a grand total of 0 runs.
If I feel a little behind on all things related to actual baseball card collecting, I like the idea I can still build up my collecting topics collection - even though right now I'm trying to focus on only cards of players / coaches with facial hair.
This means for an indefinite period of time, I'm basically keeping an eye out for facial hair cards I've added this year - as well as trying to figure out if I have 100 percent of the cards listed in my database in-hand.
Once I figure out how to keep all the facial hair cards I have together - then I'll move into another collecting topic to swim in for a while.
Pack one
#21 A.J. Pierzynski
#153 Carlos Beltran
#BP 12 Collin Wiles
#BP 100 Carlos Correa
#152 Shin-Soo Choo - gold
#BP 69 Anderson Feliz - International
#BCP 80 Alex Meyer - Chrome
#BCP 91 Gabriel Guerrero
#26 Darwin Barney
#68 Zack Cozart
Pack two
#55 Lance Lynn
#184 Johan Santana
#BP 19 Carson Kelly
#BP 27 Cory Vaughn
#197 Delmon Young - gold
#CC-SDP 2 Rymer Liriano - Mini Chrome Refractor
#BCP 54 Chris McFarland - Chrome
#31 Michael Young
#209 Jim Johnson
#36 Alex Rios
Pack three
#51 Evan Longoria
#49 David Price
#150 Bryce Harper
#BP 39 Brett Gerritse
#BP 47 Michael Taylor
#56 Matt Cain - gold
#BDP 63 Andrew McCutchen - Blue Sapphire Continuity Program insert / reprint of 2005 Bowman Draft
#BCP 20 Darwin Rivera - Chrome
#81 Cliff Lee
#39 Dylan Bundy
Pack four
#133 Anthony Gose
#132 Adrian Beltre
#BP 60 Yordano Ventura
#BP 77 Jorge Bonifacio
#BP 88 Dorssys Paulino
#140 Jose Bautista - gold
Bowman Prospect Challenge code card
#BCP 11 Jamie Callahan - Chrome
#BCP 17 Mitch Nay - Chrome
#171 Paco Rodriguez
#217 Brock Holt
Pack five
#142 Matt Kemp
#101 Paul Goldschmidt
#BP 101 Ronny Rodriguez
#BP 110 Sam Selman
#10 Johnny Cueto - gold
#25 Dan Uggla
#BCP 67 Travis Shaw - Chrome
#BCP 81 Gabriel Encinas - Chrome
#43 Ryan Wheeler
#175 Ali Solis
Pack six
#16 Ryan Vogelsong
#62 Raul Ibanez
#149 Yasmani Grandal
#BP 71 Pedro Ruiz
#BP 70 Casey Stevenson
#BP 50 Rafael Montero
#52 Jacoby Ellsbury - gold
#BTP 38 Allen Hanson - Bowman Top 100 insert
#BCP 89 William Oliver - Chrome
#77 Jaime Garcia
#207 Eric Hosmer
Pack seven
#195 Aaron Hill
#188 Howard Kendrick
#BP 36 Jose Peraza
#BP 26 Cory Hall
#91 Clayton Kershaw - gold
#BP 82 Yeicok Calderon - Silver Ice parallel
#BCP 84 Luis Sardinas - Chrome
#BCP 53 Steven Moya - Chrome
#73 Angel Pagan
#72 Ike Davis
Pack eight
#138 Jayson Werth
#181 Dexter Fowler
#BP 16 Tyler Gonzalez
#BP 7 Jesse Hahn
#46 Wei-Yin Chen - gold
#CC-MT 3 Oswaldo Arcia - Mini Chrome Refractor
#BCP 69 Anderson Feliz - Chrome
#113 Mat Latos
#155 Mike Moustakas
#154 Hunter Pence