Bring It!

Opening Day for the Angels!! Angels at Royals.

And with that, my prediction for the AL West:

Angels win it by 5 games over the Athletics, Rangers, and Mariners, in that order.

2011 Angels Opening Day Starters, for starters

In no particular order.

Having a great time, wish you were here.

Picked up this sweet little postcard a while back on ebay. It was advertised as just that, a postcard, but when I received it, there was so much more to it. It turned out to be a folding postcard, the kind you write a nice personal letter to a loved one inside then fold it up for privacy (I'm sure there's an official name for this type of postcard, a something-o-gram I think?).
Nice fancy script for the hotel name, and even Gene's personal emblem. Nice touch.

Gene Autry purchased this hotel in 1963, and renamed it the Gene Autry Hotel. Angels Inn or something like that would have been nice, but I remember as a kid there was an Angels Inn on Harbor Blvd, near Disneyland, and the place was a dump. Gene had a lot of marketing common sense, and knew that naming the hotel after himself would be his best bet.

At the time he purchased the hotel it was known as the Holiday Inn Palm Springs. In the course of working with the bank to secure the finances for the purchase, he met Jackie Autry whom he later courted and married.

The Angels used to hold Spring Training in Palm Springs, but I don't know if this is where his players stayed or not. I can imagine Fregosi, Chance, and the rest of the gang horse-playing around the pool.

I was getting a bit of conflicting facts when researching the hotel. It is still in existance as The Parker Palm Springs , whose website indicates that it was formerly known as the Gene Autry Melody Ranch, and also as the Merv Griffin Resort. Gene, proud of his new digs, strikes the pose, resplendid in his powder blue leisure suit. He's proud to be Gene Autry and proud to have his own hotel.

And he's stoked on his new shoes.

Trade Mail from Rhubarb

Ol' Rhubarb Runner of e rayhahn, rayhahn was kind enough to send me over a fat package of Angels cards pulled from his massive (I imagine) collection of just about everything. He wanted Twin cards, so that I sent him.

We originally intended to make the trade in little chunks of similar cards, but it ended up being a mass dump. I think though that I ended up on the better end of the deal, so I intend to get another stack to him sometime in the future. I added a notation of "I owe" to Rhubs line in my trade log.

I was most interested in the following lot of cards he had to offer, these 1971 Topps. There's even a few high numbers in there, and adding these cards to my collection puts me 1 card shy of the complete Angels team set (Sandy Alomar). Rhubarb made sure to point out that these 71's had been in his family for a long time (since '71?) and are very dear to him, a part of his childhood. I promise to keep them safe and treat them as if they were my own (which they are now). I will love and cherish them.

A nice little stack of '74s and a '77 filled in some additional spots in my team set needs. The cards that made the trade lopsided in my favor are those in this 2002 Topps Angels team set. I only had a couple of these, and he wanted to keep the team intact, so together they came as a family. And as a family they shall stay. Several nice Wally Joyner cards I didn't have were in the mix. I especially like the 1990 SCD Price Guide card with the 1957 Topps theme. An equally nice lot of Tim Salmon cards were sandwiched in the stack. Two more magazine cards and a nifty little 7-eleven disk will now be added to my collection. A multitude of random commons, mini's, stickers, oddballs, and magazine cards which I love, will find a home in one of my Angels binders. And the icing on the trade cake...

An autographed 2010 Kelloggs Pop Tarts Flavor Card.

Angels Want List Starting Lineup Cards

Wanted: Angels Starting Lineup Cards (figures would be cool too, but the cards are what I really want). I have a few other teams figures and cards available for trade as well, some loose, some still on blister card. Please let me know of any Angels that I may have left off the list.

1988
30 Brian Downing  
71 Donnie Moore
120 Devon White
122 Mike Witt


1989
Chili Davis
Jack Howell  
Johnny Ray
Dick Schofield
Devon White
Mike Witt


1990
Jim Abbott (head shot)


1991
done


1992
done 


1994
done 


1995
done 


1996
done 


1997
JT Snow


1998
Jim Edmonds Extended


1999
Mo Vaughn


1999 Freeze Frame One-on-One
Jim Edmonds (with Nomar Garciaparra)


1999 Minors to Majors
Darin Erstad (2 cards - Angels/Storm)


1999 Lake Elsinore Storm
Darin Erstad


2000
Troy Glaus

Todays Mail: ST and Others

Todays Mail is actually The Last Two Weeks Mail, I'm just now getting to the stack.

First off is Joe Garagiola who signed his 1992 Action Packed in 14 days. Joe charges $10 for an autograph but it goes to a good cause. Besides, I needed him for the set. He also was kind enough to include personalized signed chrome-type card. So a two-for-one, I'm pleased. I sent it to his home in Arizona.

Jim Landis signed his '61 and '65 Topps cards in ballpoint in 80 days. Jim lives in beautiful Napa, California. He decided to not answer my questions.

I've sent to only 18 players at Spring Training this year, and so far I've gotten 5 back.

First up is former Angels Manager Terry Collins, the new manager of the Mets. Terry took only 9 days to sign my custom All-Time Angels card and a 1991 Line Drive.

I sent to Luis Gonzalez c/o the Diamondbacks front office, so technically not a Spring Training request. He signed a 2006 Fleer Tradition and a 1991 Upper Deck, both are autographed sets I'm working. Gonzo signed in 19 days.


Starting Angels rookie center fielder Peter Bourjos signed 2 cards sent to the Angels ST site in Tempe. Bourjos turned these around in 11 days.


Another Angels ST addressee was Chris Pettit who signed his 2010 Topps rookie card in 18 days.


Another 2006 Fleer Tradition card I needed was sure-signer Paul Maholm. This card was sent to the Pirates ST site in Florida. Fortunately the card came back after 27 days. Unfortunately it came back with a crease and a smudge.

Signed Forehead: Terry Kennedy

Terry Kennedy 1983 Topps #742


Kennedy decided to not only eliminate his forehead but to wipe out both eyes, the left nostril, and most the rest of his face. He missed his double chin all-together.

Debut #95 Marcelino Lopez

Marcelino Pons Lopez
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right, Throws: Left
Height: 6' 3", Weight: 195 lb.
Born: September 23, 1943 in Havana, Cuba
MLB Debut: April 14, 1963 Philadelphia Phillies
Final MLB Game: September 24, 1972 Cleveland Indians
Died: November 29, 2001 in Hialeah, FL
Years with the Angels: 1965 - 1967

ANGELS TRANSACTIONS:
October 24, 1964: the Philadelphia Phillies sent Marcelino Lopez to the California Angels to complete an earlier deal made on September 9, 1964. September 9, 1964: The Philadelphia Phillies sent a player to be named later to the California Angels. The Los Angeles Angels sent Vic Power to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Philadelphia Phillies sent cash to the Los Angeles Angels.
June 15, 1967: Traded by the California Angels with Tom Arruda (minors) to the Baltimore Orioles for Woodie Held.



ANGELS DEBUT:
Lopez was the starting pitcher in the game and the first batter he faced, Tom Tresh, flied out to center. He ended the day going 8 innings and giving up 4 runs on 5 hits while striking out 3 in a 4-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday, April 15, 1965 (N) at Chavez Ravine.

ANGELS RECORD:
1965-1967
21-29, 3.53 ERA, 67 starts, 423.1 innings, 14 complete games, 3 shutouts.

Best Angels Performance:
Threw a complete-game 3-hit shutout, striking out 12 Baltimore Orioles on Friday, September 23, 1966 (N) at Anaheim Stadium.

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS:
- Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1959.
- Named 1965 AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News (14-13 2.93, 8CG, 122K)
- Led league in hit batters with 9 in 1966.
- Also played for the Phillies (63), Orioles (67-70), Brewers (71), and Indians (72).
- Loved to face Bobby Murcer - 0 for 15, 8K.
- Hated to face Joe Azcue - 11 for 24, .458

Trade Mail from Manu...Scatches

Eric of Manupatches and Chrome Scratches sent me a sweet stack of Angels cards for my collection, and all I had to give up was a sweet stack of Skybox, Royals, and Broncos. Basketball and football cards are taking up valuable space in my collection, so I was happy to see them go, to be filled with ANGELS!


I see that Scott Kazmir is contemplating something. Could it be paying the Angels BACK his salary? He is a gamer though. I can tell becuse he's wearing the pastic Angels giveaway watch handed out to the first 10,000 kids under 13.


Eric included these nice Tim Salmons that I didn't already have in my Tim Salmon collection.


A nice Vladdy relic. I miss you Vladdy.


And a sweet Bobby Wilson certified. I like Bobby Wilson and hope to see him get more playing time now that Mike Napoli is here in Texas. Of course I would rather have had Wilson backing up Napoli in Anaheim though. I still don't know what they see in Jeff Mathis.

Trade Mail from SCNs justgreg

Traded autographs with justgreg on sportscollectors.net. Greg sent me these nice Angels autographs for an equal amount of former Mariners he needed for his All-Time Mariners set.


Greg has an incredibly high feedback rating on SCN, indicative of the kind of trader he is - trustworthy. Thanks Greg!

Trade Mail from Lifetime Topps

Made a great trade with Charlie from Lifetime Topps Project earlier this month. I sent him a bunch of cards from his wantlists, and he sent me a bunch from mine. He also included many numbered and parallel cards, all Angels of course.


I liked these two numbered 2000 Upper Deck SP cards.


And I especially liked these two send-away insert cards from 1988 Topps wax packs. I have a strange affecton for these type of cards.


Thanks Charlie!

1988 Score Desk Drawer Box

Who needs '88 Score!?

Picked up a wax box of 1988 Score cheap, and I mean $6 cheap. I know that I can get a complete set for $5 but that's not as fun. So I threw it in my desk drawer at work and ripped a pack here and there over a couple weeks.

It's not a set I'm collecting so anyone needing fillers for their complete or team sets, let me know, I can always use Angels cards. The only cards I pulled out for myself were of Angels, about 12 total. Those brought me to within 3 cards of the team set, so if anyone wants to trade I need #44 Brian Downing, #274 Dick Schofield, and #463 Darrell Miller.

I love the cropping on those batter cards, and the bright colored borders.

The box was pretty beat up but I cut the bottom panel off anyhow. It goes on the trade stack as well for those panel collectors or Jays/Phillies/Astros/Red Sox collectors.

I also salvaged this side panel for any Royals/George Brett collectors.


Oh, and don't forget about the Magic Motion Trivia cards!

Completed Team Set 1987 Topps

I knew that I had the three cards I needed to complete this team set, but I wanted proof, I wanted to find them and reunite them with their binderbound teammates.

I recalled that Ron Romanick was (is?) a coach on the Athletics, so I went to my "other" teams box to see.

I get a lot of IP autographs at Rangers games, so I have a box of team lots that I pull from depending on who's in town. That's another project in the works - cleaning that box up.

I found Romanick there, George Hendrick in with the Rays, and Mark McLemore in with the Rangers to complete the set.






A few have autographs: TR Bryden, Chuck Finley, Ruppert Jones, Gene Mauch, Darrel Miller, Gary Pettis, Vern Ruhle, and Devon White.

BTW does anybody know how to get rid of the light/dark streaking on my scans? Or is it just my cheap scanner?