Monday, March 18, 2024

Unboxing The Angels

I had been enjoying following Padrographs 21 days of unboxing blasters he had received for Christmas (every card collectors dream) when near the end I received a message from Rod asking for my address, he had some Angels to send me. I was excited to say the least and looking forward to a PWE coming in the mail. Well, more than a PWE came, and out of the fat Priority Mail envelope came four 9-pocket pages full of cards.

Thats not nine cards per page there, more like 27-36 cards per page! I'm assuming he sent me just about all the Angels he had pulled in the 21 days. So nice, and most of which I needed. I selected some of my favorites to show.

2023 Bowman Scouts Top 100 #BTP-89
Looking forward to this young guy this season.

2023 Bowman Platinum base and Ice Foil parallel.
And my new favorite second only to Trout.

2023 Topps Chrome Pink Refractor.
I love the pink refractors.

2023 Topps Flagship Collection Companion to Oversize Cards CTCSP-1
That's a mouthful, but a very awesome card.

2024 Topps Holiday Parallel
Took me a while to figure out what this was, but again, a really cool card.

2023 Topps Update All Aces

2020 Topps Holiday Garland Variation HW123
You have to look close to see that garland.

2021 Topps 1952 Topps Redux Chrome TC52-43
Chrome cards have come a long way from when they used to be dark and hard to see.

Rod posted a picture of a Topps Update Target Big Box that included what looked like an oversized foil wrapper for the oversized card included in the box. I asked if the wrapper was available, and he sent it. Only it turned out to be a photo of a foil pack, on thin cardstock. Very cool either way, and still a sweet Trout collectible.

Blessed and thankful Rod.


Sunday, March 17, 2024

One Page Of Ransom Jackson

This series highlights "one page" at a time from my binder of correspondence and autographs from former players and personnel.

   Ransom "Randy" Jackson

Chicago Cubs (1950–1955)
Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers (1956–1958)
Cleveland Indians (1958–1959)
Chicago Cubs (1959)

Angels Connection: PCL Los Angeles Angels (1949)

Custom card I made from a signed IC.

2× All-Star (1954, 1955)

Correspondence received circa 2004.

Jackson passed away on March 20, 2019, at the age of 93.


Thursday, March 14, 2024

Completed Set - 1987 Topps Traded

I recently finished this set by adding the last two cards I needed through a TCDB trade with jsteved.

From back when it was still called "Traded" and they still had XRCs (do they do XRC any more?)


Nice 132-card set, no notable cards really, there are a few minor stars rookie cards like Matt Williams and Ellis Burks. Below is a selection of some of the cards I like in the set.

In his 16th season, this veteran deserved to take a knee for the photo shoot.

Only a coincidence that it's another A's player, Jackson returned to the A's for the '87 season and here he is revisiting Anaheim where he spent the previous five seasons.

How can you NOT like a Fred McGriff Blue Jays card.

Fringe "Someday PC" guy.

Always makes me laugh when he's not.











Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Junk Mall Junk Wax Wednesday

Ripping a random pack of junk wax from the local junk mall.

Pack of 17 cards with no inserts.



Garvey has been in the political news lately.


And Jay Howell gets the gum stain (and a pretty nice one at that).





Saturday, March 9, 2024

One Page of Ralph Hodgin

 This series highlights "one page" at a time from my binder of correspondence and autographs from former players and personnel.


   Ralph Hodgin
1939 Boston Bees
1943-1948 Chicago White Sox
Spent the 1945 season in the military.

"When I was with the White Sox we were playing the Red Sox one afternoon. I was playing third base and Joe Haynes was pitching the bases were loaded no outs. Jim Tabor hit a low liner down the line, I dove and caught it and stepped on third and threw to first base for triple play. My first and only triple play I ever saw."

That 5-5-3 triple play occurred on August 10, 1944.
Hodgin was also a part of the biggest inning in White Sox history, when they scored 13 runs in the fourth in 1943. He had a triple and double knocking in two runs and scoring twice.

Correspondence received in February 2003.

Hodgin passed away on October 4, 2011 at the age of 96.


Thursday, March 7, 2024

Never Too Old For Baseball Cards

My 60th birthday was yesterday, and I got some cards! Thankfully, my family knows that I still like to get packs for my birthday. Around Thanksgiving I start dropping the reminders that it's coming up, typically something like this, "Hey! I don't know who did it, but......my birthdays coming up!" Fun times in the Tessier house.


First up is the 2023 Update blaster which I actually bought for myself a few days before my birthday. Didn't wait to open it though.
Here's the highlights.
Already had all the Angels in the box.


Blue Foil 665/999

Got four in this blaster when I think three is typical.

The Arozarena is a Chrome.


The Marichal is the Blue version with a Print Run of 600.


One of my daughters gave me the two fat packs.

Pack 1 highlights:
Wow, an Ohtani. Rarely pulled him before. Glad he showed up as an Angel still.


Pack 2


Daughter picked out a great pack!










Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Junk Mall Junk Wax Wednesday

Ripping a random pack of junk wax from the local junk mall.

Pack of 12 cards with a chance to pull a Platinum Collectibles insert.

Not a fan of the design. I prefer names on the front, and the Platinum logo looks like a silver blob.


Pulled a Fleury, pretty cool.
And I got 13 cards in a 12-card pack because that Tom Barrasso is a Platinum Collectible insert.

Too bad the only difference between this insert and the regular cards is the numbering.

Damn bricking.
I also would like to see statistics on the back.