Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Smed, Trout, and Trumbo

As a part of a very nice selection of Angels cards sent gratis from Smed, I found these two cards. Sweet.


Trouts in my Trout Collection:
2010 Topps Pro Debut #181 (signed)
2010 Bowman Platinum PP5
2011 Obak #16 Mini Green 09/25
2011 Topps Heritage Minors #44 (signed)
2011 Topps Pro Debut #263
2011 Topps Update US175
2011 Tristar Pursuit #1 (signed)
2011 Bowmans Best Prospects BBP9
2011 Bowman #101
2011 Bowman #101 Blue 413/499
2011 Bowman Chrome #101
2011 Bowman Chrome #101 Refractor
2011 Bowman Chrome #101 Refractor Purple
2011 Cedar Rapids Pocket Schedule


Trumbos in my Trumbo Collection:
2005 Just Minors Justifiable #81 Orem Owlz
2006 Bowman #B14
2006 Bowman #B14 Gold
2006 Bowman Chrome #BC14
2006 Bowman Chrome #BC14 Refractor 102/500
2006 Bowman Originals #BO16
2006 Bowman Sterling Prospect #BSP-MT
2007 Kernals Team Set #22
2011 Bowman #193
2011 Bowman #193 Gold
2011 Bowman #193 Blue 021/500
2011 Bowman Topps of the Class #TC10
2011 Bowman Brightest #BBR3
2011 Bowman Platinum #21
2011 Bowman Platinum #21 Gold
2011 Bowman Platinum #21 Emerald
2011 Bowman Platinum #21 Ruby
2011 Topps #57
2011 Topps #57 Diamond Anniversary
2011 Topps #57 Gold 0086/2011
2011 Topps Update #57 Cognac Diamond Anniversary
2011 Topps Update Next 60 Certified Autograph #N60A-MT
2011 Topps Chrome #178
2011 Topps Chrome #178 Autograph
2011 Topps Chrome #178 Refractor
2011 Topps Chrome #178 Refractor Orange
2011 Topps Chrome #178 Xfractor
2011 Topps Chrome #178 Atomic Refractor 045/225
2011 Topps Chrome #178 Sepia 54/99
2011 Topps Chrome #157 Refractor Purple 083/499
2011 Topps Chrome #157 Refractor Blue 96/99
2011 Topps Chrome Heritage #C122 1458/1962
2011 Topps Allen & Ginters #263
2011 Topps Heritage #404
Custom All-Time Angels Team Set

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Can You Guess The Airplane?

Went to a local Air Museum on Saturday and took a bunch a photos of aircraft in the static park and restoration area.

Below are a bunch of close-ups of some of the airplanes. Can you guess what aircraft they are?

Score a point for manufacturer, one for number designation, and one for aircraft name. So Northrop (1), B-2 (2), Spirit (3), would net you three points.

You are only allowed one response for your answers.

I might award a prize...we'll see.


1)



2)



3)



4)



5)



6)



7)



8)



9)



10)

Bible Card Sunday - Jeff King


Jeff King was the first overall pick of the 1986 amateur draft and was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He made his debut on June 2, 1989 and went on to play 11 seasons for the Pirates and Royals, and was a key member of the Pirates Division Championship teams in 1990, 1991, and 1992.  He's also #69 on the Royals Top 100.

Plagued by back injuries most of his career he still had fielding percentages above the league average at first, second, and third bases and a range factor above average at both infield corners.  He abruptly retired 21 games into the 1999 season citing a lack of love for the game that he once had.


Jeff's favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:28
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

I got this signed Jeff King card through a trade on sportscollectors.net.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

I Needed An Albert Pujols Relic

Since he's an Angel now, I wanted to add a relic to my collection. And until now I never had one.


I went for the 2008 Goudey because I think it's a sweet design, and I dig the colors. Plus, Albert just plain looks so cool.

Can't wait to see what kind of Angels relics he comes out with.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Cliff Chambers 1922 - 2012

Cliff Chambers passed away last week, he was 90.

Aside from his 6 year Major League career from 1948-1953, and a no-hitter for the Pirates in 1951, he was originally signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1942 out of Washington State University.  The Cubs assigned him to their AA minor league affiliate Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League.

Chambers played for the PCL Angels in 1942 and then again in 1946 and 47.  The gap in years being because he enlisted in the military during WWII.  Returning to the Angels in 1946 Chambers went 18-15 with a 3.02 ERA and then 24-9 with a 3.40 ERA for the Angels in 1947.  In 1948 he finally got the call from the Cubs.

That 1947 PCL Angels team went 106-81winning their first league championship since 1934. The Angels and San Francisco finished tied, so there was a one-game playoff in Los Angeles that the Angels won 5-0.  They then went on to beat the Portland Beavers 4 games to 1 in the first round, and defeated the Oakland Oaks by the same margin for the Championship.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Can You Spell BOX?

Any serious 1997 Skybox football collectors out there that want these cards for their set?


(Or anyone that wants them at all?  But a set collector gets first dibs.)  Sorry I don't have the first 3 that spell S K Y.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Stacks Upon the Stacks

You remember that my wife gave me for Christmas 3 books on my Christmas list: Always and Angel; Once They Were Angels; Odd Man Out.  Well, she also gave to me in my stocking a gift card for Amazon.com.  A FIFTY DOLLAR GIFT CARD!  She really loves me.

I really love her, and I also love baseball books.  So I went gangbusters.  The last book arrived just today.

With a fifty dollar gift card you can get a TON of books on Amazon since you can almost always get a used, library, softcopy for 5 cents (plus 3.99 shipping)  The books I like however, are hardback, with a relatively intact dust jacket, and if I can, a first edition.  But with that criteria I still usually try to keep it to under seven bucks a book. 

Even with those parameters I was able to snag 8 books, plus a ninth that I'll get to later.

Let's dig in.

Birdie by Birdie Tebbetts with James Morrison

This one actually is a library book, but more of a never-even-seen-a-shelf library book.  It's like new, but it does have the old-school library sign-out card and pocket inside.


Now that I can dig.  Some little fifth grader helping out in the library's handwriting.  Note that It's never been signed out.


Hardball The Education of a Baseball Commissioner by Bowie Kuhn

This is a pretty fat book, I guess Bowie has a lot to say.  I was looking over his shoulder trying to see what books are on his bookshelf.  Don't think I have a few of those.


Kiss It Good-Bye by Shelby Whitfield

Ex-library but again, in great shape and the dust jacket is practically perfect except for the sticker on the dust jacket spine with the Dewey number.

I kinda stumbled upon this one searching out baseball books.  Its about the Washington Senators becoming the Texas Rangers and all the politics involved.  Should be interesting especially after recently finishing The Dodgers Move West.


Lou Boudreau, Covering All The Bases by Lou Boudreau with Russell Schneider

You just can't go wrong with a book about Lou Boudreau.


The Wrong Stuff by Bill Lee with Dick Lally

Fits right in my wacky section with The Umpire Strikes Back and Ball Four, among others.  I believe that this is Lee's first book.  If it goes well I'll search out his others.


Out Of My League by George Plympton

I resisted this book for a long time.  I'm not really sure why I did.  But I couldn't pass up this beautiful first edition with nice dust jacket.  When I got the book in my hands it's like a light turned on.  I'm glad to have it and looking forward to reading it now.



Jocko by Jocko Conlan and Robert Creamer

I already have most of Creamers other books.  He's one of my favorite baseball authors.  I was very happy to find this first edition copy as well, and under six bucks.  The dust jacket is a bit tattered but I don't mind in this case.  I'm curious to find out what kind of character Jocko Conlan was.

I know that Creamer was one of the first hired on the staff of Sports Illustrated in 1954 and that he served as a senior editor from inception to 1984.  But I wonder if this might be his first book?  It was published in 1967.


Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat by Red Barber and Robert Creamer

See?  Another Creamer.  This was the last book I had enough money left on the gift card to purchase.  This one however is the dreaded softcopy.  I had originally selected and purchased a hard copy with a dust jacket (of course) but when I opened up the package I was aghast to find this, this, dufflebag!  I quickly jumped on Amazon and contacted the seller to let them know (very nicely) that they had sent the wrong book.  The seller apologised, said to keep it, and refunded my moolah.  Keep it?  Cool!

So with enough money now to pick out another book, I snagged this one:

Righteous!

Big Hair and Plastic Grass by Dan Epstein

Brand-spanking new.  Seriously can't wait to check this bad boy out.

Comments on what to expect from any of these books are welcome.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Quick and Easy Trade for Rookie Cups

Made a quick and easy trade with Thorzul after I saw his post (and watched the video) about a Topps Rookie Cup box break. I inquired about the Angels he pulled from the box, and before long we agreed to a trade.

I pulled a bunch of minis and other cards from his wantlists, he threw in a couple extra Angels, we agreed on a relic swap, and away went went.


There were a couple more Angels Rookie Cups in the package than I expected (guess I didn't pay close enogh attention to the video). Close to a team set in fact. Thankfully I'm only short the Devon White and the Adam Kennedy.  Most of the cards above are the base-colored cards.  The green Garret Anderson however is numbered 129/199.

I had started collecting the Tim Salmon rainbow a while back, and only need the tougher cards to complete the Salmon set: /50 Blue, /5 Silver, and 1/1 Gold. Toughies I know.  The parallels are numbered and colored as such:

Gold Parallel (160) - Hobby Exclusive. Each is a 1 of 1!
Silver Parallel (160) - seq #'d to 5
Blue Parallel (160) - seq #'d to50
Green Parallel (160) - seq #'d to 199
Yellow Parallel (160) - seq #'d to 299
Orange Parallel (160) - seq #'d to 399
Red Parallel (160) - seq #'d to 499


I'll have to check on the rookie cup reprint cards, like the last two in the picture above. Is there a rookie cup reprint card for each player in the Rookie Cup set?


Also included in the package was this 2011 Bowman Platinum Dan Haren Refractor 487/999.


2008 Topps Kendry Morales Gold 0265/2008.


And the relic: 2011 Topps Lineage Vernon Wells 1975 Mini Jersey 75R-VW.
I really dig the grey jersey as opposed to the white. White is so boring.

Thanks Thorzul. Very pleased.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Bible Card Sunday - Gary Carter


We all know who Gary Carter is, a great guy and super athlete elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.

I will point out that his health has been rapidly deteriorating of late.  He has been falling a lot and a recent MRI revealed a torn rotator cuff.  A subsequent MRI on his brain revealed several new tumors.   He was diagnosed last May with a malignant brain tumor.

His daughter keeps an online journal here.


Gary's favorite verse is John 14:6
"I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except by me."

I recieved this card through the mail sometime before February 2004, that's when I started tracking my requests on sportscollectors.net. I imagine that Gary included this card along with the card that I had sent him to sign.

This may have been the card that got me hooked on this particular style of Bible card - the colored frame with the players name in white on the bottom.

If you're of the praying type, put Gary and his family on your paryer list.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Trout Files


CARDS I HAVE:
2010 Topps Pro Debut #181 (signed)
2010 Bowman Platinum PP5
2011 Obak #16 Mini Green 09/25
2011 Topps Heritage Minors #44 (signed)
2011 Topps Pro Debut #263
2011 Topps Update US175
2011 Tristar Pursuit #1 (signed)
2011 Bowmans Best Prospects BBP9
2011 Bowman #101
2011 Bowman #101 Blue 413/499
2011 Bowman Chrome #101
2011 Bowman Chrome #101 Refractor
2011 Cedar Rapids Pocket Schedule

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Angels Debut #108 Jackie Warner


John Joseph Warner
Position: Rightfielder
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 0", Weight: 180 lb.
Born: August 1, 1943 in Monrovia, CA
MLB Debut: April 12, 1966 California Angels
Final MLB Game: July 27, 1966 California Angels
Years with the Angels: 1966

ANGELS TRANSACTIONS:
Before 1962 Season: Signed by the Los Angeles Angels as an amateur free agent.
June 15, 1967: Traded by the California Angels with Jack Sanford to the Kansas City Athletics for Roger Repoz.


ANGELS DEBUT:
(First of 5 Angels to debut in this game)
Started the game in right field, but had no chances in the first.  With 1 out and a man on in the second inning, off Tommy John, he flew out to right fielder Floyd Robinson.  He ended the day 2 for 6 with 3 strikeouts in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, April 12, 1966 (D) at Comiskey Park I.

ANGELS RECORD:
In 123 ABs over 45 games hit .211 with 7 HR, 4 doubles and a triple, 16 RBI and .431 SLG.

Best Angels Performance:
Went 2 for 4 with a HR, 2 RBI and 3 R in a 13-2 win against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, May 4, 1966 (N) at Anaheim Stadium.


OTHER INTERESTING FACTS:
 - First year in the minor leagues (1962), set a California League record for home runs (21).
 - Hit 75 HR in his first 3 minor league seasons.
 - His first 3 Major League HRs were game winners.
 - Injured his shoulder crashing into OF wall making a catch.
 - Hated to face Al Downing - 4K in 5AB, .000 BA.