I HEÅRT HÅLOS!

The Woe of the Halo

2010-05-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

It's not often that you win 2 out of 3 games from a division opponent and you leave the weekend with sadness, but that's how I find myself today. I was seated out in left field for Saturday's Mariners-Angels tilt. A game that should have been known by Halo fans as the Kendry walk-off grand slam game, but will instead be known by all of baseball as the Day the Walk-off Celebration Died.

I'd like to tell you that I was there for the dramatics, but unfortunately over 7 innings of blistering sun, I was broken down by the whinings of wife and child and we headed for the parking lot and a chance to return to home with a refreshing pool and a few cousins to play with. I would have loved to have been there for the excitement of Kendry circling the bases and high fives with strangers, but watching your best player carted off the field just minutes later would have made it all for naught. Oh yeah, did I mention that Kendry Morales is clearly the best player on the Angels team now. It's not even close. I couldn't come up with an offensive player right now who is even close to his level. Saturday the Angels ran out a team with only two players hitting over .255. One, Torii Hunter was injured by a pitch hitting his hand early in the game, the other is now not likely to play until September at the earliest.

It's been a rough season for the Halo faithful. Year after year we are pounded in the offseason by sabermetricians and their ilk who tell us how bad our team is and how this is the year the Mariners or A's or Rangers will overtake us and leave us forever in the dust. Year after year we quietly fume and then yell out, "What now?!" on September as our squad flies another division championship flag. Of course the what now is quickly followed by "Ugh" as we're taken out by one of the big boys from the AL East. So when the Angels got off to a rough start eerily reminiscent of last year, I quietly observed and knew the boys would turn it around. What has seemed like a team with one foot in the grave for the last two months, now may be laying down with dirt shoveled on top of them. The one saving grace, the boys play in the AL West, a division that at the moment does not host a dominant presence. In fact, as of today, the Halos only find themselves 2 and a half games out of first.

2.5 games is nothing...until you realize that we may be treated to two months of Robb Quinlan seeing significant time at first base. Never a good sign when a player who you let walk is unable to get a sniff from another team and then ends up playing a significant role for your team. Maybe Quinlan will recapture the magic of 2006. Or not.

Oh and did I mention the Angels hit another walk-off home run today? Yup, I'm sure you saw it. In what may the most closely watched non-celebration of all-time, Howie Kendrick crossed home to a placid group of teammates all trying their best to avoid any physical contact with him.

So 2 days, 2 walk-off homers against a division opponent, 2.5 games back of first place Texas and I have a knot in my stomach.

Hmmm, I need to look for some positives.
1. Chone Figgins is hitting under .200. Sure, his replacement Brandon Wood has been horrible this season, but at least we're not paying him 8.5 million to suck.
2. John Lackey has an ERA approaching 5 and the worst WHIP of his career.
3. I've attended three baseball games this year. Two in Anaheim, one in San Diego and all 3 of them have been decided by walk-off hits by the home team. That has to be some sort of record. Put your money down on the Angels July 4th, when they'll almost certainly beat the Royals via walk-off.
4. My sun burn from yesterday's game has already started to morph into a sweet tan.
5. The AL West stinks. Every single hitter in our lineup is currently underachieving and outside of Weaver and Santana, the starting pitching hasn't been much better. If even a few players can start turning things around, we may be able to hang in there.
6. Most importantly, after all of the heartache of the weekend, my 4 year-old daughter informed me today that "All the other teams are stupid. That's why I like the Angels". I couldn't have said it better myself.

Go Halos!

Your Mom Threw It Out, My Mom Got It Back

2010-02-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

The blogosphere has been inundated by Million Card Giveaway posts, but one more won't hurt. After posting my 14 card haul on the first day of card unlocking mania, I came across one last code card. As I read post after post I noticed a common phrase showing up time and again.

"Everyone and their mom is doing it."

Well, that got my gears spinning and I wondered just how many moms were actually participating in this madness. In what may go down in card blogging history as a first, I had my mom actually redeem a card for me. So now when you read that everyone and their mom is doing it, you can know that at least one mom is doing it and with pretty good results.

Unlocking this card was my mom's shot at redemption. Although she'll never admit to it, she's one of those mothers that Topps is warning us all about. A mom that at one time threw cards out. Sure, she'll tell you that I misplaced the boxes or that she hasn't gone near that crap in years, but I know the truth. My retirement fund aka "that box of junk commons from the 80's" currently resides in a landfill somewhere in Southern California.

So just what did my mom unlock? Was she able to reverse karma and nail down the '52 Mantle? Not quite, but I did get a rookie card of a Rookie of the Year winner. You can keep your '52 Mantle, that bum never won the ROY.

Read 'em and weep.

1965 Orioles Rookie Stars featuring John Miller and 1965 AL Rookie of the Year Curt Blefary.

Not too bad for a reformed card thrower outer. A special thank you to the woman who raised me for participating in this highly unnecessary, but productive event.

Go Halos!

Million Card Giveaway Results

2010-02-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

Not since the great Billy Ripken F#@* Face fiasco of 1989 has there been this much buzz about obtaining commons. Not that I'm scoffing. I was right there with the rest of the obsessives reloading the Topps site over and over waiting for my chance to complete a 1987 Topps set merely through these redemptions.

So what were my results? We'll count down in reverse chronological order. For those of you tired of looking at commons from the last 20 years, scroll down a bit.

14. 2008 Jamie Moyer

13. 2005 Cleveland Indians Team Card

12. 2005 Oscar Viarreal

11. 1999 Andy Pettite

10. 1993 Cris Colon

9. 1987 Ozzie Smith

8. 1987 Rod Scurry

7. 1987 Joe Hesketh

6. 1985 Dave Von Ohlen

5. 1985 Gary Redus

4. 1975 Dave LaRoche

3. 1971 Steve Hargan

2. 1960 Bob Oldis

1. 1956 "Bud" Podbielan

Not the most amazing haul and certainly no huge scores, but I was pretty excited to see a couple of cards from the 70s show up, so then seeing a 1960 and a 1956 were just awesome. 1956 Topps is easily on of my favorite baseball card sets ever, so getting a card, even of a very marginal player, is pretty sweet.

Go Halos!

The Best Thing About 2010 Topps

2010-01-31T20:55:00.000-08:00

Photos are decent. The design works pretty well for me, I'm a sucker for team logos incorporated into the design. The inserts are far too numerous, but I like a few of them. Pictures on the front and back, but to top it off, the pictures are different. A definite plus. Add it all up, and we've got a pretty good base set to chase after.

All of this is nice, but I didn't discover the best part of 2010 Topps until I started sorting my cards tonight and flipped them over. Believe it or not, you can actually read the numbers of each card on the back. And I'm not talking by having every light in your home on, bifocals in place and straining your eyes. All you have to do is glance at the number and you instantly know what it is. A big white number, surrounded by a black background. Thank you Topps. This is quickly becoming one of the few sorting experiences I've truly enjoyed.

Hopefully you're enjoying your 2010 Topps experience as well. As you come across those Angels inserts, gold cards, black cards, etc. just remember your buddy over at I Heart Halos. He'd be happy to send you whatever he can in return. You see he has made the stupid decision to chase after an Angels master set, short of any 1/1s.

Go Halos!

The Frustrations of Technology

2010-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Finally, after a week of watching everyone east of California open packs of 2010 Topps found at their local Target, yesterday I was able to get a handful of packs for myself. I ripped them open with glee, happy to have my hands on a new product and a new set to pursue. New Angel cards to look at with happiness, really like the look of the Howie Kendrick and Kendry Morales cards, and also a few to look at with disgust, f'n Lackey.

After going through my stack a few times, I was excited to scan a few cards, put my thoughts down on the ol' I Heart Halos blog and entertain the world with my thoughts. I hooked up the scanner to my old laptop (the only one that's compatible with the scanner) and set off to work. Then...nothing.

All the excitement was quickly drained from my body as I stared at error message after error message, telling me my scanner was unable to connect to the computer. All my fantastic insights and clever musings would have to remain in my head and never be shared with the world. Truly a tragic day and this is a problem that must be remedied. The quests for a new scanner shall begin shortly and if I'm able to obtain one before too long, you just may be privy to my delightful musings.

Go Halos!

A Depressing Off-season Continues

2010-01-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

First Figgy heads off to our rivals in the greater Northwest. You kinda knew he was going, but it still stings a little. Seeing him play against us will be painful, especially since we probably won't have the same luck in throwing him out while stealing that every other team seems to have.

Then, Lackey bolts for Boston and goes from adored winner of Game 7, to hated turncoat. Nice to know being in ace in Anaheim wasn't nearly as important as being a #3 in Beantown. Whatever.

Finally, the last of the big 3 is headed out of town and of course going to another division rival, this time Texas. I know that statistically Matsui should be an upgrade, but it just doesn't feel right. Vlad was fun to cheer for and of course incredibly frustrating at times as well. You can only watch him swing at pitches 2 feet out of the strike zone so many times before you start to question his hitting IQ.

The bigger problem with Vlad was that he was the face of the franchise. Sure, he had no business hitting cleanup for the last half of the season, but would it have been so hard to just move him down in the order and reap the benefits of a hitter in the 6th or 7th hole who had some pop?

One less smiling face to adorn Angel cards in 2010.

As far as baseball decisions, I can understand letting Figgy and Vladdy leave, I can even make the case that Lackey wasn't worth nearly that much money, especially over 5 years, but the problem is I'm a fan. And so is my daughter. Every time she sees me watching football she asks when the Angels will be back on. I try to explain the calendar how there is a season, but that has little effect. So as she scampers away she chirps about seeing Figgy and Vlad. Not sure that explaining the free market and the dynamics of free agency is going to go over well.

We're gonna miss you Vlad and Figgy. Hope you choke on your chowder Big John.

Go Halos!

FML

2009-12-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, this is a dark time in the I Heart Halos home.

Ugh

2009-12-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

Reason #283 it's rough to live and die with your team.

3 On Card Autos: Baseball Outside of Anaheim

2009-11-18T11:45:00.000-08:00

It started over at Dinged Corners and has since spread like wildfire through the card blogging world. The question they posed, "What are your 3 favorite on card autographs?". I was intrigued immediately, but realized right away, I'd never be able to narrow to just 3. So, being the rule breaker that I am, I decided to break mine into categories. My 4 categories: Angels autos, Baseball outside of Anaheim, Football and non-sports.

Today: Baseball Outside of Anaheim

I know it's hard to believe, but they do play baseball outside of Anaheim and over the years I've liked and respected a number of players who never donned the Halo.

1. Kirby Puckett

This card is one of my favorites for a number of reasons. The 1985 Topps Puckett was one of the first big rookie cards I ever got my hands on in my early days of collecting. It's almost impossible for a young kid to not be won over by a chubby guy named Kirby and when he ends up being an extremely exciting player at bat and in the field, you've got a perfect combination. This actual card is of course a reprint from the 2001 Topps Archives release and features a huge autograph from Kirby. This autograph couldn't be a better match to the man. Large, bold and rounded.

2. Bip Roberts

Readers of this gutty, little blog are well aware of my infatuation with Leon "Bip" Roberts. This card was sent to me by Rob of Padrographs and instantly became one of my favorites. Before Rod, I was Bipless in the autograph department, but thanks to his generosity I now have 2. Bold signature - Check. Hat placed lazily atop head - Check. The grin of a young man who knows he's destined for greatness - Check. What's not to love?

3. Ken Griffey Jr.

This card will get a more proper treatment in the near future, but I couldn't just ignore this card when it comes to favorite on card autographs. As you might be able to tell by the monolithic encasement, this card is my holy grail. At the age of 12 my father took me to my first baseball card show in Anaheim and the headliners doing the signing were Ken Griffey Jr. and his father. I had no interest in Sr., sorry to the old-timers, but he wasn't even on my radar. For me it was all about The Kid. This card went from Ken's hand, to mine and within minutes into this monstrosity of a case. Ever since that moment I've been paralyzed by fear every time I've even considered removing it. Because of the case, the scan is horrible, but trust me, this card is as good as it gets.

And so ends my on card autograph journey. Thanks to the ladies of Dinged Corners for making this all a reality with their fabulous idea.

Go Halos!

3 On Card Autos: The Angel Autos

2009-11-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

It started over at Dinged Corners and has since spread like wildfire through the card blogging world. The question they posed, "What are your 3 favorite on card autographs?". I was intrigued immediately, but realized right away, I'd never be able to narrow to just 3. So, being the rule breaker that I am, I decided to break mine into categories. My 4 categories: Angels autos, Baseball outside of Anaheim, Football and non-sports.

Today: The Angel Autos

Choosing just 3 Angel on card autographs proved to be too difficult for me, so I went with 3 and an honorable mention. Even so, I could have filled up this page with another dozen. Restraint isn't exactly one the traits that come to mind when speaking of me.

We'll start with the honorable mention, Wally Joyner.

The scan doesn't do this card justice, but since it's still encased in the plastic tomb provided by Topps, this was the best I could do. In person, this card just looks so clean and the signature pops out. Speaking of the signature, would you expect anything less elegant from the Mormon slugger?

Now onto the main event. In no particular order.
1. Jim Abbott

Unfortunately, this is another card in which the scan does it no justice. For whatever reason, chrome and scanners never quite work correctly. Had I been a bit less lazy, I'd have used the camera, but oh well, this is what you get with me. Love the signature, love the uniform, love the pose. There was something about watching Abbott as he transitioned from pitcher to fielder that just left you in awe. I still can't figure out how a guy with one hand makes the decision to become a pitcher and then not only does so, but becomes a successful major leaguer.

2. Garret Anderson

I've already espoused my love for Garret Anderson, but this card is cool for more than just the player featured. The card is a commemoration of perhaps the greatest moment for us Halo fans, the 2002 World Series. If you're an Angel fan you already know why Garret is labeled as "World Series Hero" on this card, if you're not an Angel fan, well, you should be.

3. Luis Polonia

Was there really any doubt that this card and this player would end up on my list? This card was the first ever entry in my series of "Cards that Define Me". A series that never really took off and I really need to get back to. Luis signed the card for me at a fan appreciation day and instantly became a centerpiece of my collection. I could go on, but there's no need. Spend more than two minutes on my site and you'll become fully aware of my love for the man with the jheri curl mullet.

There you have it, 4 Angel on card autos for the price of 3. How could you go wrong?

Go Halos!

3 On Card Autos: The Football Edition

2009-11-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

It started over at Dinged Corners and has since spread like wildfire through the card blogging world. The question they posed, "What are your 3 favorite on card autographs?". I was intrigued immediately, but realized right away, I'd never be able to narrow to just 3. So, being the rule breaker that I am, I decided to break mine into categories. My 4 categories: Angels autos, Baseball outside of Anaheim, Football and non-sports.

Today: The Football Autos

I don't dabble in the collecting of football cards too much. I just don't have the funds or desire to chase it all down. That being said, I have added a few autographs over the years and a couple of them standout.

1. Marshall Faulk.

My love for Marshall Faulk has nothing to do with the uniform he's wearing on this card, but rather the uniform he wore for three years prior to entering the NFl. The scarlet and black of San Diego State University. As an Aztec alum, we don't have the opportunity to cheer for our football team all that often. But what we do have is Marshall Faulk. One of the greatest running backs in NCAA and NFL history. I could throw stats at you, but there's no need. Marshall Faulk is simply a beast.

2. Henry Ellard

You can have your Jerry Rice and John Taylor, your Mark Clayton and Mark Duper or any other combo you choose. For me, it was all about Henry Ellard and Willie "Flipper" Anderson. A dynamic duo of epic proportions. Hell, these two made Jim Everett into a Pro Bowler. It was a sad day in Anaheim when the Rams left town, but thank God they did. I don't how many more years of multi-purpose stadium baseball I could have made it through.

3. Christian Okoye

For those of us who grew up playing Tecmo Super Bowl on the Nintendo, Bo Jackson was easily the most dominant video game figure in our lives. The problem was that when you played against your friends, Bo wasn't exactly a secret and you'd inevitably get into a tussle over who got to play with the Raiders and who was left with a lesser team. The "Nigerian Nightmare" was a more than adequate backup plan for me. Oh yeah, and he wasn't exactly boring to watch on the real field as well.

3 on card beauties of 3 fantastic players. An Aztec legend, one of the great receivers of my childhood and maybe the second best Tecmo player ever.

3 On Card Autos: The Non-Sports Edition

2009-11-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

It started over at Dinged Corners and has since spread like wildfire through the card blogging world. The question they posed, "What are your 3 favorite on card autographs?". I was intrigued immediately, but realized right away, I'd never be able to narrow to just 3. So, being the rule breaker that I am, I decided to break mine into categories. My 4 categories: Angels autos, Baseball outside of Anaheim, Football and non-sports.

Today: Non-sports autographs.

1. In today's collecting world, it's almost impossible to talk non-sports autographs and not turn immediately to Allen and Ginter. So where better to start than with this little slice of genius.

First, I love Jeopardy! and can remember spending numerous nights laying on the floor in my family's living room as my parents battled it out over an episode. The show already had a place in my heart, but then Ken Jennings arrived and suddenly Jeopardy! was the biggest part of my television viewing. The wife and I would sit stunned as Ken just obliterated the competition. 74 straight wins, over 3 million in earnings. Truly hall of fame numbers.

2. Sticking with the Allen and Ginter theme, we have a man who I wouldn't even know exists without this card set.

The man is a world champion in the world of beard growing. Did you even know this country had a Beard Team USA before this card was released. As a man who is a fan of the pogonological arts, this man is my hero.

3.Finally, a break from the Allen and Ginter, but that in no way diminishes the sweetness of this autograph.

Adam Carolla can best be described as a comedy God. OK, that may be a bit excessive, but I love the guy's humor. Whether it was as a co-host on Loveline or The Man Show, or his time as a morning radio host, I can't get enough of the guy. Combine that with this card immortalizing his turn as Death of Family Guy and you've got a winner. I was raised on the Simpsons, but I was swept up in Family Guy almost immediately. Now if i could just find a card of the first voice of Death, Norm Macdonald.

There they are, my first of 4 installments of my 3 favorite on-card autographs.

Don't leave me Lackey!

2009-11-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

I can't quite understand the feeling deep in my gut. It's sort of a mixture of dread, anger and disappointment. John Lackey's a free agent and from all of the various reports, it doesn't look good for the little team out in Anaheim. For some reason the Angels weren't aggressive in an attempt to re-sign Big John and despite a season of injuries, Lackey finished strong and was absolutely amazing in the postseason. So why exactly are the Angels not the front runner to sign him and keep him as an Angel forever?

Dear God, the man won game 7 of the World Series as a rookie. There should be no question as to his worth. I understand that the Yankees overpaid AJ Burnett and that's now causing to John to look for even more cash, so do it. DO IT!

What's most frustrating is the names that are being thrown around as suitors for Lackey. I get that the Yankees can bid on anyone and instantly become frontrunners, but the Mariners? The Rangers? The Brewers? Are you kidding me? Back up the truck and sign this guy! If I have to watch John Lackey pitch for the Seattle stinkin' Mariners, I'm gonna throw up in my mouth a little bit.

So this is my plea to Arte, sing your ace!!! If we're ever going to overtake the Yankees or the Red Sox, we have to have an ace, a number 1 guy to lead us in the playoffs. That man is Big John Lackey, winner of Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.

Go Halos!

Welcome Back Bob

2009-11-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

If you watched the playoffs at all and caught an Angels game, you've probably heard ad nauseum that Bobby Abreu was the sole reason for the Angels offensive turn-around and sudden acceptance of the idea of taking a pitch. He did have an impact on the team this year, but I would have appreciated it a bit more if I didn't have Joe Buck telling me everytime Bob stepped to the plate.

Well, he's back for two more years, although the financial details haven't come out quite yet. Abreu was a great bargain signing last season, hopefully this new deal won't turn into a situation where we're overpaying an aging player on his way out. I'll hold out hope that Bobby will continue to produce and we can all look forward to Joe Buck letting us know just how patience Bobby is and how that has revolutionized the game of baseball.

Go Halos!

Sigh Congrats to the champs

2009-11-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

So the Yankees have won another World Series. Whoopty Doo!
I should be happy for their fans, but I'm having trouble mustering the fake enthusiasm. I realize you had to "suffer" through a few years in the 80's without a championship, but that doesn't exactly impress me. Let's face it, it's easy to be a Yankee fan. Your team spends ridiculous amounts of money and if you have an off year, you can be guaranteed that your team will throw more money at the issue. This off-season alone, we all know that either Jason Bay or Matt Holliday will likely end up playing left field for you. Oh and that high priced Cuban defector, why do I feel he'll end up at Yankee Stadium next April. And I don't even want to think about the possibility of Lackey or Figgins heading to the Bronx.

But it's time for me to put aside my Yankee negativity and look at one of the few bright spots in Yankee history, at least from this Halos fan's perspective. A little guy who goes by the name of Luis Polonia.

So while I find most everything about the Yankees to be vile, I will celebrate one of the great players of our day, Luis Polonia. Sure, he probably wouldn't fit in with the current crop of multi-millionaires, but he'd at least make them a little more likable.

As for my own team, it was a roller coaster year, but I one I enjoyed immensely. It started with the tragedy of Nick Adenhart, but the season ended with a number of triumphs. Although losing to the Yankees was tough, the sweep of the Red Sox was a really sweet moment. Perhaps my favorite moment of the season was Vladdy's single up the middle against Papelbon, that brought about the comeback victory. All the more satisfying thanks to Boston trotting out Dave Henderson to throw out the first pitch, a slap in the face to all Angel fans.

So for the most part, the season was a success, unfortunately with a number of free agents likely headed out of town, it could be a rough off-season. Oh well, we'll keep the faith and light up the halo again in 2010.

Go Halos!

Exhale.

2009-10-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

This has been way too stressful. It doesn't help that our closer is Fuentesaurus Rex and there closer is the greatest of all-time. Was it really necessary for A-Rod to turn into Reggie Jackson this post-season for the first time in his career?

Go Halos!

Bye Bye Boston!

2009-10-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

Man, that was sweet.

The wife and I went to game 1 in Anaheim and had the time of our lives. Today's ninth inning though, was almost as sweet, even from 3,000 miles away. Love those Halos! More to come when I can breathe again.

Go Halos!

Another Reason to Love Baseball

2009-10-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

For myself and I think most baseball card collectors, the thing that hooked us in wasn't the cardboard as much as it was the sport. We begin as baseball fans and eventually our fanaticism leads us to begin devouring everything baseball related. As a kid it began for me with baseball cards, but then it became collecting mini-helmets and authentic hats, and playing strat-o-matic baseball. As I got older, I gave up on some of my collections and turned to fantasy baseball. And after all these years, i find myself going back to the baseball cards and being excited when I can get ice cream at the stadium, knowing it means a mini Angels helmet.

I love baseball for more reasons than I could possibly begin to count right now, but one of them reared its head this week...rookie hazing. Whereas in other sports, hazing seems to take a financial toll (rookies picking up insane dinner bills for their teammates) or an emotional toll (forcing a guy to buy donuts, etc. every morning while carrying the bags of half the teams), baseball seems to do it the right way. In baseball, hazing is about one thing and one thing only, embarrassment.

I give you, the 2009 Angels rookies in all their glory. What makes this even more special this year was that players had to wear their unique outfits in front of a sold out stadium for the Angels playoff rally.

Chris Pettit in pretty pink dress.

30 year old rookie Matt Palmer, appropriately sports the big baby outfit.

Sean O'Sullivan and Trevol Bell make their way off the field to the bus. Torii Hunter's face is priceless and fits well with a few of his past Allen and Ginter cards.

Trevor Bell is Reno 911 gear is perhaps the best. Very cool to see him embracing the light-hearted fun and not sulking through it.

In a season that spans up to 8 months at times, having some fun and releasing the tension is definitely needed.

Go Halos!

Celebration

2009-09-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

There's a better quality video on mlb.com, but I couldn't figure out how to embed it, so I went the youtube route. Just a cool moment for an Angels fan.

(Of course, I have mixed feelings about guys running out with beers in hand to a memorial for a young man who was killed by a drunk driver, but the sentiment far outweighs that.)

AL West Champs

2009-09-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's enough to make me wanna come out of retirement.

Light up the Halo!

Go Halos!

Figgy an All-Star

2009-07-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

After being passed up multiple times in the last few days, Chone Figgins is now an All-Star thanks to an infection in Evan Longoria's finger. Congrats to Chone, hopefully he actually gets to play in the game.

Seven Days of Salmon: Day 7

2009-07-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I've decided to treat you, the loyal readers of I Heart Halos! to seven glorious days of Tim Salmon cards. I do this to not only honor the greatest of all Halos, but to honor you.

SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON

Day 7: Rookie/Rookie-ish Cards, Along With My Favorite Tim Salmon Card of All-Time

1993 Donruss #176 Rated Rookie

For a collector who grew up in the the 80s, there's nothing quite like coming across a Rated Rookie in your pack. Even today it gives this card a little something extra. The card design is nothing special and the image itself lacks any excitement. It almost looks as if Tim hit a sharp liner to the second baseman and is looking on in a bit of disappointment as the catch is made. One cool part of this card is that Tim is wearing a uniform from the 1992 season, a season he only played 23 games for the Angels. In 1993 the Angels switched logos to an interlocking CA and overhauled their entire look. I miss this look.

1993 Fleer Ultra #523

Here we see a 1993 rookie card that features the 1993 uniform rather than the 1992 uniform seen on the Donruss issue. In 1993 Ultra was a "premium" set, so I rarely got my hands on these cards, outside of a few packs in 1991 and 1992. The 93 design was essentially a slightly different colored variation of the 92 design, but not of that's important now. There's nothing that amazing about this card, but I do like the small rookie ribbon in the top corner, always caught your eyes back in the day.

1994 Topps Rookie Cup #397

Although this isn't a rookie card of Salmon, it does carry the infamous Rookie Cup in the corner, which was always a bonus to me as a young collector. I remember being about as excited for these Rookie Cup cards as I was for any other cards when I was young. Sometimes you were left scratching your head as to how certain players made it onto the list. Here's a look at the other memebers of the 1993 Topps All-Rookie Team:
* Mike Piazza, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
* J.T. Snow, 1B, California Angels
* Carlos García, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates
* Mike Lansing, 3B, Montreal Expos
* Wil Cordero, SS, Montreal Expos
* Jeff Conine, OF, Florida Marlins
* Wayne Kirby, OF, Cleveland Indians
* Tim Salmon, OF, California Angels
* Greg McMichael, RHP, Atlanta Braves
* Steve Cooke, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Two Halos, always a bonus. Not exactly the future stars of Major League Baseball, outside of Piazza and Salmon, although Conine was a very solid player for a number of years.

1993 Upper Deck Star Rookie Checklist #1

This is by far, my favorite Tim Salmon card in the history of all cards featuring Tim Salmon. How can any right minded person not love this card? The majestic orange sky, the big A with halo over Tim's head, the shot making Tim look larger than life and the old school 1992 uniform. Just a perfect image and a great looking card. I desperately need to get my hands on this card in better condition, as this one has some chipping along the black border. I'm not one for hyperbole, but this may be the most perfect baseball card ever made.

Today's Tim Salmon Factoids:
Tim hit 2 home runs in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series. His second home run put the Angels ahead for good in an 11-10 slugfest against the Giants.

Enjoy #2.
Down 3 games to 2, the Angels had to win their final two games at home to clinch their first World Series victory. Salmon had a great series, hitting .346 with an OPS of 1.067. At the time, he was the active player with the most number of games played without reaching the postseason.
Tim Salmon is and forever will be, Mr. Angel.

So ends Day 7, the final day of the Seven Days of Salmon. I hope these actually posted and if they did, I hope you enjoyed them.

Go Halos!

Seven Days of Salmon: Day 6

2009-07-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I've decided to treat you, the loyal readers of I Heart Halos! to seven glorious days of Tim Salmon cards. I do this to not only honor the greatest of all Halos, but to honor you.

SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON

Day 6: Cards I REALLY Like (Creative, I know.)

1993 Flair #177

I love the minimalism of the design on this card. The classy Flair font adorns the brand name as well as Tim's last name on the card. The full bleed design is nice and I like the main image of Tim which shows Salmon admiring his shot to the opposite field gap. What takes this card to whole other level is the disembodied Salmon that appears to be looking down at himself in some sort of out of body baseball experience. Perhaps this is the secret to Tim's success, a sort of Angels in the Outfield approach to baseball.

1999 Topps Gold Label #29

I recently posted the Darin Erstad card from this set and remarked then on how much I like the design for 1999 Topps Gold Label. It just feels like a premium card, heavy card stock, a non-distracting rainbow shine, dual images of Tim that don't compete with each other, and the Angel logo in the background. Despite this being probably my least favorite Angel logo of all-time, it always looks good being slightly covered up by the player images. I need to get myself on eBay and purchase this set.

1996 Upper Deck V.J. Lovero Showcase #VJ16

Maybe one of the coolest cards made for a mid 90s Halo fan. The image of Garret Anderson, Jim Edmonds and Tim Salmon, the outfield that was supposed to bring championships and respectability to the Angels for years to become. They all did get their championships, although only the corner outfielders got theirs with the Angels. Besides bringing together the three biggest Angels stars of the mid 90s, the picture itself is cool, playing off the Angel theme, with each player bringing his hand and glove together in a prayer-like scene, looking off in deep contemplation. Just plain cool.

Today's Tim Salmon Factoids:
As a young man, Salmon's favorite players were Ryne Sandberg, Dale Murphy and Steve Garvey.
In Cal Ripken's record setting 2,131st straight game, Salmon went 3-4, with a home run and a double.
Tim hit a walk off Grand Slam in the bottom of the 11th against the Indians in April of 1997.
Tim made the most money in a single season of his career in 2005. He earned over 10 million dollars that season and played in zero games. In 2006, he made 400,000 dollars and played in 76 games.
Won the Silver Slugger Award in 1995.
Tim's favorite sports announcer is Vin Scully.
Quote from Tim: "Be a dreamer, that's where you'll find your passion for the game."

So ends Day 6 of the Seven Days of Salmon.

Go Halos!

Seven Days of Salmon: Day 5

2009-07-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I've decided to treat you, the loyal readers of I Heart Halos! to seven glorious days of Tim Salmon cards. I do this to not only honor the greatest of all Halos, but to honor you.

SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON

Day 5: Cards That I Like for Some Odd Reason (As opposed to yesterday's cards which were just plain odd)

Circa '96 #22

This card is definitely a cluster f*@$ of a design, there is just way too much going on in the background, with the text, etc. The back is a definite improvement, as it's much more sedated, but we're not focusing on that. So what's the odd reason I liek it? The quote from Tim in the upper corner, "I don't want to over-analyze things. I just want to react." It says it all about Salmon and his approach to the game and it's exactly how I like my hitters. No analysis, just see pitch, hit pitch. I admire the Tony Gwynns of the world and their study habits and constant breaking down of pitchers, but to me baseball is so much more pure when played like Salmon.

1999 Fleer Ultra #168

This card is on the surface a very boring shot, but I feel like every star player needs at least one of these cards in their catalog. The card that says, "Yeah, he's a star, but he's not so big time that he doesn't have time for the fans". That's just what we get here, Tim giving back to his loyal fans, signing autographs alongside the wall at the Big A.

1994 Upper Deck #111

The decision to reproduce the main image in the bottom corner of the card, distorting it into something uncomfortable, was ill-advised at best. But that's not what I like about this card. I just like the image of Salmon the hustler who goes all out. After sliding into the base, Tim kneels on a single knee and contemplates what has just taken place. The dirt on his pants is a nice touch, but it's his knees that really interest me. Not only are the pants torn at the knee, this doesn't appear to be the first time, as they seem to have previously been stitched back together. The essence of Salmon.

Today's Tim Salmon Factoids:
In 2000, Bill James described Tim as an "old-fashioned hard-hat kind of player, good arm, not too much speed, works hard and rarely goes into a slump."
Salmon's career bests: Average - .330, Home runs - 34 (twice), RBIs - 129, OBP - .429, Slugging - .594, OPS - 1.024, Runs - 111, Doubles - 37, Triples - 4 (twice), Hits - 177, Total Bases - 319.
Full name: Timothy James Salmon

So ends Day 5 of the Seven Days of Salmon.

Go Halos!

Seven Days of Salmon: Day 4

2009-07-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I've decided to treat you, the loyal readers of I Heart Halos! to seven glorious days of Tim Salmon cards. I do this to not only honor the greatest of all Halos, but to honor you.

SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON

Day 4: Cards That Are Odd

1998 Pacific Revolution #5

I'm not sure I own another card with this much sparkle, rainbowy goodness and weird tribal background design. There's a part of me that wants to hate this card, yet I'm oddly drawn to it. I wouldn't want to open a pack of this stuff or own more than 1 card from the set, but this one as a stand alone is pretty sweet. I even like the raised lettering of Tim's name down the side, with even more sparkly fantasticalness.

1993 Upper Deck Stars of Tomorrow #7

This card is just plain ugly. The fading purple sky, a sprinkling of stars, the generic stadium with spotlights shooting at Mr. Salmon's nether regions, the constellation made by the outline of Tim and lastly, Tim coming up on a ground ball, while in mid air, wearing a spring training jersey. It's an awful card. But here's the thing, I wasn't doing a lot of collecting in 1993, but I did still open the occasional pack and for me, getting a Tim Salmon card during his rookie season was a boon. At the time, I cared little for design or asthetics, as evidenced by complete set of 1991 Fleer. It's Tim Salmon being celebrated for his future stardom. Count me in.

1995 Studio #13

Admittedly, this is a pretty stupid idea for a baseball card. Apparently the Studio design had become so stale that they decided to go with the idea of baseball card as credit card. There's one redeeming thing about these cards. They didn't half ass it, instead they went all the way with the theme. How did they go about this? Well, American Leahue logo serves them well as credit card like background logo. The stats are effective as a credit card number and I really like the "MLB Member Since" and "Birth Date" taking the place of an expiration date. The holographic Angels logo adds to the overall look and "authenticity". They didn't quit when it comes to the back. By raising the writing on the front, you get the indentations on the back. The authorized Tim Salmon signature also graces the back along with a brief bio and stat line that replaces the legalese. Well done, Studio.

Today's Tim Salmon Factoids:
In 1992, Tim was awarded the Minor League Player of the Year Award by Baseball America.
Tim Salmon's debut consisted of two strikeouts, a pop-up and a walk. Day 2 brought Tim's first hit, a single. Day 3 brought Tim's first home run, a 3 run shot.
Tim was a unanimous Rookie of the Year winner in 1993, posting a 283/.382/.536 line, with 31 homers and 95 RBIs.
In 2002, Tim was awarded the Hutch Award, given to an active player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire to win.

So ends Day 4 of the Seven Days of Salmon.

Go Halos!

Seven Days of Salmon: Day 3

2009-07-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I've decided to treat you, the loyal readers of I Heart Halos! to seven glorious days of Tim Salmon cards. I do this to not only honor the greatest of all Halos, but to honor you.

SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON

Day 3: Cards That Are Just Plain Cool...Kinda

1993 Studio #114

Okay, I know what you may be thinking, "Studio isn't cool, sorry Halo fan". And you wouldn't be wrong in thinking that. However, I really like this card. I like the cheesy backgrounds of the past have been replaced by the team logo. But rather than just a giant logo, they used the uniform patch with all its stitching. Salmon is pictured in uniform, instead of some cheesy mock turtleneck with poorly styled hair. Finally, the addition of faux signature done in a holographic, color changing way is pleasing to the eye.

1994 Topps Stadium Club Dugout Dirt #8 of 12 (card back)

Illustrator Daniel Guidera is responsible for this card back. For the life of me, I can't really figure out how he came up with this design, but I love it. The obvious play on "Salmon", but notice the look of fright on each of the defensive fisheys. True terror, while Tim looks extremely pleased with himself as he floats in the water...or is he up in heaven? Don't know, don't care, just like.

1994 Topps Stadium Club #36

This one is all about the photo. Salmon, an instant after making contact and most likely driving the pitch of some stinkin' Yankee into the middle of a bunch of monuments. Catcher is still poised in hopes of the ball getting past the bat of Salmon, with the umpire also making a guest appearance. Beautiful.

Today's Tim Salmon Factoids:
Tim made approximately $70,677,500 in his career as a Halo.
While playing for the Angels his entire career, Tim was a California Angel, an Anaheim Angel and a Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim.
Despite many people thinking Tim's career was over after he missed the entire 2005 season, Tim made the team as a non-roster invitee to spring training in 2006. In 2006 he would go on to hit .265, had on OBP of .361, and slugged .450.
Tim had the most home runs of any player to never make an All-Star game, while playing his entire career after the All-Star game came about.

So ends Day 3 of the Seven Days of Salmon.

Go Halos!

Seven Days of Salmon: Day 2

2009-07-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I've decided to treat you, the loyal readers of I Heart Halos! to seven glorious days of Tim Salmon cards. I do this to not only honor the greatest of all Halos, but to honor you.

SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON
Day 2: Cards of the 3D Variety

1996 Sportflix #106

Staring at this card in an attempt to appreciate the eye-popping 3D effects, left me with a headache after 8.5 seconds. While Salmon does pop out to some extent, the out of focus crowd is just a mish mash of mind-bending ridiculousness. I find it odd that they would choose to have Tim's image so far to the left, leaving a giant void of anything in focus.

1995 Sportflix #14

While this card does less damage to my frontal lobe, it's also quite boring. The only part of the card that is 3D, is the vortex of grass and baseballs flying from the horizon. Salmon appears to be standing in front of a red hot baseball of flame, which would explain the need for sunglasses. Complete design fail here.

1995 Sportflix Cyclone Squad #CS 18

Here's a bright idea for a 3D themed set, let's put an image of the player in front of two gold, hypnotic spheres. Simply moving this card a fraction of an inch causes the "cyclones" to spin and for my eyes to be annoyed. I'm shocked these cards were being produced in the mid-90s after their failure in the 80s. Even as a kid I realized how ridiculous these cards were, but that didn't stop me from buying a few packs in the middle of Nebraska while on a family road trip. Perhaps Upper Deck can revive the Sportflix legacy in the same way that they've brought back O-Pee-Chee. Or not.

Today's Tim Salmon factoids:
Considered by many, including myself to be the greatest player to never play in an All-Star game. This still amazes me.
In his lone post-season, Salmon had an OPS of .908. His OPS in the World Series was 1.067.
Tim was drafted in the 18th round of the 1986 draft by the Atlanta Braves, but chose not to sign and instead attended Grand Canyon University. Chad Curtis was also drafted by the Angels out of Grand Canyon University in the same year as Salmon.

So ends Day 2 of the Seven Days of Salmon.

Go Halos!

Seven Days of Salmon: Day 1

2009-07-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I've decided to treat you, the loyal readers of I Heart Halos! to seven glorious days of Tim Salmon cards. I do this to not only honor the greatest of all Halos, but to honor you.

SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON
DAY 1: Cards that great in person, but scan quite crappily.

1994 Bowman's Best #25

In person, this card looks great. It's shiny, it's colorful, it's got fake granite. What's not to love. Also, lest you be unaware who is on the card, you get Tim's last name and uniform number front and center.

2000 Bowman #85

A mix of the vintage and the modern. The old TV set design from days of yore and the shiny chromeyness of today. Yup, in this first day of Salmon, I have used the words chromeyness and crappily. Webster, look out.

1996 Topps Finest Sterling Card 97 Theme S20

For whatever reason I never come across one of these cards without the protective coating, despite Topps clearly printing on the coating to "Peel and Remove". It's almost like they were hoping that everyone outside of a few oddballs would remove the coating and these would one day become scarce and desirable cards. I guess that plan backfired. Bonus points however for Salmon's bunny-like expression in this action shot.

Today's Tim Salmon factoids:
Nickname: King Fish
Salmon was a third round draft pick. In his first season of low-A ball, he hit a rather poor .245 and was hit in the nose with a fastball. The next season, he was again hit in the face with a pitch and spent 7 weeks with his jaw wired shut.

So ends Day 1 of the Seven Days of Salmon.

Go Halos!

Coming Soon to I HEÅRT HÅLOS!

2009-07-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Family vacation is upon us. The entire Halo loving clan will be heading out for a week of frivolity on the sand, hoping to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

I already know what you're thinking, "But what ever will I do without your semi-regular postings? How will I get my Halo fix?" I fully anticipated your worries and decided I needed to take care of you fine people, so I began to contemplate my options.

Option #1: Leave for a week, post nothing and have you forget this site even exists.
Pros - I'm lazy and this would require no work.
Cons - It would be unfortunate to return and have no one aware of my existence.

Option #2: Hire a ghost writer to come in and take my place.
Pros - You would still get to read about the Angels on my little blog.
Cons - There's a possibility that the ghost writer would be a vast improvement on me, which wouldn't be a problem in the short term, however upon my return you would become disappointed with the dip in quality and begin to reject me, rather than simply being complacent with my mediocrity.

Option #3: Announce a special and amazing contest that would be taking place sometime in the next 7 days. Give examples of amazing prizes that could be had and let it be known that the person to win will be the first one to see the post and comment on it.
Pros - This could possibly lead to people checking my blog quite often over the 7 day period and maybe stumbling upon something interesting and becoming a fan of the site. It would also keep me in the forefront of your minds.
Cons - I got no prizes and when the eventual contest post never materialized, you would all become filled with e-rage and shun me from the blogging community. I would become a myth, a spook story that bloggers tell their kids at night. "Act like RWH and Keyser Soze will get you."

Option #4: Attempt to create 7 posts, one for each day that I will be gone and schedule them to arrive once a day. Perhaps give these posts a theme that will drive the week and leave readers wanting more and anticipating just what is to come the next day.
Pros - If all goes well, I have a post a day that at the least may keep me in your consciousness.
Cons - If I promise 7 posts and then blogger chooses not to deliver for me, I look like a jerk and receive a nasty comment from "Anonymous" that points out my inabilities to schedule posts and my lack of interweb knowledge.

All of these options are tempting and I struggled to come up with the correct answer. After much deliberation, I decided on ambition over laziness. This is an upset of Buster Douglas/Mike Tyson proportions.

So just what can you expect over the next week?
SEVEN DAYS OF SALMON!!!

Yup, that's Seven Days of Salmon with three exclamation points. You can thank me with your kind comments and frequent readership.

You're welcome.

Go Halos!

Halos From the Cheap Seats

2009-07-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Dan from Cheap Seat Saints recently contacted me about trading Halos for Indians and I'm glad I accepted. Dan sent along a number of Angels that now have a very loving home here in Southern California. Here's a small sampling of the goodies. Thanks again Dan.

The only non-Halo in the bunch, Johnny Mize.

I've already mentioned multiple times how much I like this subset from 2009 Topps, so it's nice to add another legend to the group.

A chromey Torii. I like the sorta candid feel of this card. Definitely suits the laid-back and enjoyable nature of Torii.

Dan sent along a few 2008 Topps Chrome refractors which are really nice cards in person. I didn't have any chrome from last year, so these additions were welcome. I chose the Figgins to show off because I like the uniqueness of the photo. Leaves you wondering if he made the reach or if the ball ended up 8 rows back.

The Weav. Another card from a set I never collect. This is easily the best part of the blog trading circuit. So many people collect so many different sets that you come across cards you'd never get otherwise.

What a putrid design. Percy near the end of his Halo days. A moment of sadness.

Another design I don't quite understand. "The Nationals" is plastered across the card, for what reason I don't quite know. The positive, it's Timmy Salmon.

This may be my favorite set out there. I wasn't collecting in 1999 and only recently came across the set, but i think the cards are absolutely beautiful. I really need to find a set of these somewhere. Dan sent along three Halos from the 1999 Topps Gold Label set and each one is perfection.

I bought very little 2008 Heritage and continually saw this card staring at me on eBay. Nice to actually bring it into the collection.

Topps Finest, the home of middle reliever autographs. On the bright side, Rich's wife is a blogger, Everyday Life.

Thanks again to Dan for all of the Halos, they are much appreciated. Hopefully you'll enjoy the Indians I've sent your way.

Go Halos!

The Night Owl Strikes

2009-07-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

While some would say that Night Owl's best quality is his writing skill, which can be seen over and over through his entertaining posts, others would argue that his generosity takes the top spot. I, on the other hand, find something else to admire about the man. His penchant for pulling Halos! The man is an Angel magnet, which while unfortunate for a Dodger fan, means a windfall for this Angel fan. Greg, thank you for making me your dumping ground. I truly appreciate it.

So what exactly did Greg send along, a heaping of Halos. Here's a small sample.

A number of 1985 Fleer cards were sent along, that I can only hope were part of some Dollar Store finds.

I love everything about this Bobby Grich card. The giant mustache, the flowing mane, the bat awkwardly staged in his lap. Beauty.

1989 Donruss is one of my favorite sets. I remember open a ton of packs as a kid and I always enjoyed the borders and their fading in and out of colors. Combine that with the boyish charm of Wally World and the ostentatious use of MVP on the card and you have a winner.

Garret the Brave, still pictured as a Halo. As Garret's career winds down, it's tough seeing him with another team. When Angel fans would criticize Garret it was okay, because he was one of our own and we all still had the memories of his bases clearing double in game 7 of the 2002 World Series. It's a lot tougher to hear Braves fan railing against GA, knowing that their only memory of him will be as an aging outfielder, struggling to keep up.

Words can't describe how I feel about this. On the day after Thanksgiving, we will be putting up our Christmas tree as we do every year. The first ornament going on the tree will be Mr. Glaus.

I have no idea how this game works or what the point of it was, but I enjoy its oddball appeal.

This is my first and only 2009 Topps Finest card and getting hold of it made me really appreciate the set this year. I normally try to open at least one box of Finest each year, but budget hasn't allowed for that this year. I was okay with that, until I got this beauty.

A second shiny Saunders from the Night Owl. If Joe could just avoid ever pitching in Texas again, we might have a chance this year.

It's especially odd to see a 2008 card that still features Bart as an Angel, but Timelines had more than a few of these. I pulled a Randy Johnson "Mariners" version of this relic. I'm fine with the flashback, but then why not just put Angels on the card?

I can't imagine how disappointing it must have been for Night Owl to open a blaster of Timelines and pull Bart the Angel and a blaster of UD and pull a K-Mo relic. Sorry about your luck Greg...wait, no I'm not. I thoroughly enjoy your rotten luck.

Greg also sent a long a number of other Angels, which have found a very warm home out here. Thanks again Greg for your generosity and best of luck with your Halo radar in the future.

Go Halos!

Halos From a Friar

2009-06-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

With only a couple of days to go until I head off for a family vacation, I’ve got to kick the lazy habit for at least a few days and get some writing done. What better to inspire me than the kindness of other bloggers. Over the last few days I have been the very fortunate recipient of some great cards.

Today’s cards come from Rod of Padrographs. This is the second package that Rod has sent me and as always the card choices are well thought out. Rod is extremely generous and his packages are always filled with fun. This one included a postcard that scared the crap out of my daughter and a book survey/questionnaire/autograph holder that I completely misread and thus flubbed. My students would be thrilled. So here’s a small sampling of what the man sent along.

First up from the faithful Friar fan, a few 2009 Upper Deck cards. I chose these two to show off, because they both deserve a little love.

Mike Napoli

Naps is having a great offensive season, splitting time as the DH and catcher. You gotta love Napoli because he rarely has his jersey buttoned above the first three buttons and just looks like an 80s power hitter. Love his offense, wish some of it would rub off on Jeff Mathis, he of the better defense, but toothpick bat.

Kendry Morales

Much of the Haloverse was up in arms when Mark Teixeira bolted for the cash. I had a feeling from day one that he would be headed to the highest bidder, so even last August I was thinking about our future replacements. I’m a big Kendry Morales fan. Kendry hasn’t hit for a great average this year, although he’s hovering around .280. What’s been nice is that his power is definitely coming around and he’s on pace to hit somewhere in the high 20s. Not bad for a guy getting his first real run in the majors. And while few if any first baggers pick it like Tex, he’s been pretty steady in the field.

Next up, a current Halo, making his way back from injury.
Vladdy.

Vlad’s struggles the last couple of years can be frustrating, but when he’s on, there’s very few players that are easier to root for. When Vlad finally busted out of a slump last week, hitting his second home run of the season, he entered the dugout to no fanfare. Instead, every player and coach was sitting quietly on the bench. Vlad proceeded to head right down the aisle towards the clubhouse, cracking all of his teammates up as they chased after him. He returned to smiles, backslaps and camaraderie. Gotta love baseball.

From the current right field sensation, to the old right field sensation.
Timmy Salmon.

I never get tired of receiving Salmon cards in trades, etc. Salmon became the biggest of Angel stars during a time when I had quit collecting, so I’m seriously deficient in the cardboard of Mr. Salmon. For Angel fans, Salmon could do no wrong and it’s just enjoyable to have a player in your team’s history who never played for anyone else and never brought any kind of shame or shadiness to the team.

Going back a little further, just an 18-time all-star, no biggie.
Rod Carew.

1. This photo is just perfect for the card.
2. All of Rod’s career stats are on the back. Love it.

Now, it’s not a package from Rod if it doesn’t include some Padres, but they do serve a purpose.

Mike Scioscia

When looking at Scioscia’s career, it’s easy to remember his days as a gritty catcher with the Dodgers, or as the World Series winning manager of the Angels, but it’s about time Mike gets some love for his time with the Pads. Well, maybe not. The photo on this card is one of the few featuring Mike during his Padre days, as he tore his rotator cuff in spring training and never played with the Pads.

And of course, the highlight of any Rod package for me are the Bips!

Shiny Bip.

What’s shinier than this card? Only the infamous Bip smile. You gotta love this guy.

Tiny Bip.

On the right, regular sized Bip. On the left, tiny 1991 Cracker Jack Bip. This card is ridiculously small and is without a doubt in my top 5 favorite Bip cards of all-time.

Autographed Bip.

Just freaking sweet. Any cardboard featuring Bip is awesome, but a piece signed and touched by the man himself…LOVE IT!

Thanks a ton Rod. This package came out of nowhere and I’m thrilled to add all the cards to my collection. While I’m somewhat hard on the Pads, I do appreciate their shutting down the Rangers twice this weekend and helping my Halos get back into first. I guess the Pads do have a few redeeming aspects.

Go Halos!

Meandering Thoughts from a Man of Leisure

2009-06-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

Combine a scanner that's schizophrenic, with a man who is well in to summer and all of its lazy charms, with a budget that has left him with very few baseball cards coming in and you would have the portrait of me. The inattentive blogger and man of leisure.

So what you get instead of daily posts and musings about various Angels cards and players, is a guy who's enjoying the physical vacation as well as the mental vacation that is upon him. Rather than actually organizing my thoughts and giving you a coherent post, I will instead just put down my thoughts as they come to me.

I remember when the College World Series took a week to complete, not the month it seems to be now. Everything seems so drawn out, but even so, I would loooove to go to Omaha within the next couple of years and experience it first hand. Just give me 2 days on the first weekend and I'd be a happy man. Go Horns, by the way.

For Father's Day I got a box of Goudey...it was cheap. The ugly of the set has been well discussed and I don't disagree one bit. My "hits" were pretty atrocious up until the final pack. Within the first 3 packs I got my autograph, a backup catcher, and my jersey was the Giambino with full mustache. That was pretty disheartening, but then in the final pack I got an autograph of Jim Palmer. Not terribly valuable, but pretty cool to get an autograph of a Hall of Famer.

The Angels are finally back in the first place mix with the Rangers in the AL West. Injuries to the pitching staff have been troublesome as has the bullpen's reliability. I think the most intriguing part of this season going forward and into the off-season, is what the Angels are going to do with Vlad. He's been hampered by injuries and his pitch selection has gone from terrible to atrocious. I'm really interested to see in the Angels make a move to replace him near the trade deadline and then let him walk after the season. It's hard to picture the current Halos without Vlad, but it seems like a very real possibility.

Completely off the topic and in no way baseball related, I'm currently reading Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child. It's the 13th book in his Jack Reacher series. This is easily one of my favorite series of books that my dad turned me on to a couple of years back. They read so effortlessly, without just being breezy junk. I always have the urge to read them in as few sittings as possible, but have to stop myself so I can enjoy them for a little longer. Just a great series of books about a lone man, always wandering the nation, always kicking ass.

The U.S./Spain soccer match today in the Confederations Cup was one of the most enjoyable soccer games I've seen in a while. I'm still not sure how the Americans pulled it off, but they did. The Spanish offense was relentless, but they just couldn't get anything past Tim Howard. I can't having the gnawing feeling in my stomach that the U.S. would blow it, but they pulled off one hell of a victory for a nation that could care less.

Ok, that's enough of me. I sincerely doubt many if any of you made it to the end, but I commend for sticking with my wandering mind if you did.

Go Halos!

The Battle of the Angels: 1975 Topps BATTLE ROYALE!!!

2009-06-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, the time has finally come. You've waited all of June for this moment to finally arrive, the 1975 Topps Angels Battle Royale. The anticipation has been building as the winners of the preliminary bouts have been talking trash and making their threats. I'd like to believe that as former teammates, these guys would play nice, but this is a battle for 1975 Supremacy and when it comes to '75 Topps, friendships mean nothing.

We're doing this one, WWE Royal Rumble style, one combatant enters the ring every couple of minutes.

Let the mayhem ensue.

As the lights dim here at the HaloDome, you can feel the tension and the buzz in the air. Rumors abound to who may show up at this event. Sources tell us a former Angel may be back to settle a grudge.

As we get underway, our first combatant comes down to the ring, accompanied by the tune of "La Cucaracha"...it's Horacio Pina!

Horacio may not look like much, but he's a scrappy competitor, known for his endurance, witness his 414 innings pitched in 1967 for various teams. It's tough being first up, but Horacio may just be the guy to pull this off.

Following Horacio into the ring as entrant #2, accompanied by the theme to The Bad News Bears, no it's not Engelberg and the crew, it's the 1975 Team Card!

Oh poor Horacio. This hardly seems fair. 35 men in uniform, accompanied by the man in the plaid blazer, all staring down Horacio who is cowering in the corner. His pleadings of "por favor, no!" have left the team a bit puzzled and they seem to be reticent to attack. As the man in the blue blazer makes his way over, Horacio drops to his knees and begs...but what's this? Out of nowhere Horacio with the lowblow and this battle royale is officially on.

The man in the blazer is down, but the entire team is now descending on Horacio, including Horacio's doppelganger, who oddly enough is part of the team card. This is getting ugly. Plaid blazer man is back on his feet and it looks like he'll do the dirty deed, tossing a lifeless Horacio over the top rope, ending his bid for stardom.

As the team celebrates, the music hits and our next entrant is on his way. The sounds of "Livin' La Vida Loca" can only mean one thing, Winston Llenas is slowly making his way to the ring.

Needless to say, Winston is wary about making his way up into the fray. I think I see what he's doing, a masterful stroke of strategy. He's stalling in hopes of the next competitor making his way down to lend help. Sure it's not the most courageous move, but it's smart, and that's what you need to survive this war.

As Winston drops to one knee to tie his shoes, the crowd is becoming restless, but the seconds continue to tick off. It looks like he may just pull this off, despite the pleadings from the referee.

As the clock hits zero, the sounds of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out" start to blare which means Big Bobby Heise and his intense stare are about to hit the ring.

Winston couldn't have hoped for a better fighter to team up with. Bobby is known for that icy stare and that intensity will be needed for this fight. Winston is trying to convince Bobby to hang back and wait with him for reinforcements, but Bobby will have none of that. Both men hit the ring and this promises to get ugly quick.

You gotta love the determination of Bobby Heise, but this isn't going well. Both men are being pummeled in the corner and you can't help but think that barring a miracle, the '75 Team card is going to be unstoppable. Before the two men even have a chance for more help, the are unceremoniously tossed from the ring and we're left waiting for our next competitor.

Ahhh, the soothing sound of the Carpenters "Close to You". If birds are suddenly appearing, that means the goofy innocence of John Doherty can't be far behind.

There he is, kissing babies and shaking hands, John Doherty. The fans love this young man and for good reason, he's always got a smile and loves the game.

There seems to be some sort of disturbance in the crowd...my GOD! someone's hopped the railing...could that be? NO! It's Mark Teixeira!

He has attacked John Doherty from behind. We knew he was a jerk, but this is going a step too far. Mark seems to be screaming something about being the only true Halo first baseman. Obviously he's never heard of Wally Joyner. As Teixeira pummels Doherty the '75 team seems to be getting upset...wait, what's this? The team card is emilinating itself from the battle royale in order to help out Doherty. Gotta love that camaraderie.

The team descends on Tex and in just a few seconds they are walking away. Dear God, is that...is that...Wow! I think Teixeira might be...

All I can say is wow. He certainly deserved this thrashing. Let's go in for a closer look.

Well, I can't say this is a surprise. Apparently, Mark Teixeira doesn't bleed blood like the rest of us, instead money oozes out of this greedy bastard. Needless to say this is now the greatest Battle Royale in Angels history.

John Doherty makes his way over to spit on Tex and then drags his body into the ring. James Brown's "I Feel Good" has hit the speakers and you know that means it's Mickey Rivers time.

Mickey is an early favorite for this fight and with the team card now out of the way, this is anyone's ballgame. Mickey strides into the ring as Doherty attempts to pull himself to his feet. He was battered by the cowardly attack from Teixeira, but he's still got heart. Mickey has yet to pounce, seemingly a show of respect for the beaten Doherty. Mickey instead is choosing to play to the crowd and the fans are loving it.

As "Rock You Like a Hurricane" hits the eardrums, Andy Hassler makes his way down to the battle.

Mickey Rivers appears slightly annoyed by the spotlight being stolen from him and now looks to be all business. Doherty continues to slump in the corner as Hassler and Rivers lock horns. Hassler's southpaw stance seems to have Rivers confused briefly, but Mickey's speed appears to be too much for Hassler. A fake left, followed by a nifty dropkick has Rivers clearly in control. He glances over at Doherty and just smirks. Hassler jumps onto Rivers' back, only to be tossed away like yesterday's trash.

As the theme song to "Underdog" hits the arena, we're about to be joined by Rudy Meoli.

Rudy is going with a stealth approach and sneaks into the ring alongside the still ailing Doherty. Rudy is well aware of his underdog status and appears to want no part of the Hassler/Rivers shenanigans. Rudy and Doherty seem to be plotting some sort of alliance, while Rivers continues to beat on Hassler. It appears Rivers has had his fun and yes, yes he is now tossing Andy Hassler out of the ring and out of this competition.

As Hassler hits the ground, Olivia Newton John can be heard and apparently, she wants to get physical, which means Dave Chalk is on the warpath.

Chalk is darting into the ring and going right after Rivers, while Rudy and Doherty continue to sit out this action. Chalk means business, but Rivers is just too talented. A kick to the gut, a body slam here, a DDT there and Chalk is a beaten man. With much disdain, Mickey lifts the young shortstop and tosses him out, ending his brief run.

Rivers begins to finally turn his attention to the two hiding in the corner when the undeniable music of Bruce Bochte is heard.

Yes, the Doors classic "People Are Strange" accompanies perhaps the oddest of oddballs in this competition. Bruce refuses to conform for any man and that can be seen by his ring attire. Unlike our other combatants, Bruce has decided to make his way down in a tuxedo, far from the clothing one would expect in this venue. As he gets to the ring it's apparent that Bruce has no interest in fighting, instead he makes his way to the microphone.

"I Bruce Anton Bochte, will fight no man. Instead, I have chosen to dedicate myself to one mission. I will save the Mother Earth from humankind's destructive ways. Thank you for your support."

And with that, Bruce has left the building.

While Rivers is distracted by the message of Bochte, Doherty and Rudy attack. They're all elbows and kneecaps, but it seems to be working. Rivers already worn down by the multiple beatings he has given out, seems ready to be tossed. oooh, it looks like they're going to go with the ever popular, one guy kneels down behind the victim while the other guy pushes. Yes, they have pulled it off, and Rivers has tumbled over the top rope and onto the floor. He's furious, but put up a valiant effort.

As Rudy and Doherty exchange an awkward high 5 in the ring, the shrieking of Axl Rose can be heard. It's time to Welcome Frank Tanana to the Jungle!

Rudy and Doherty are coming up with strategy as the Golden Boy makes his way down to the action, carrying his Topps Rookie Cup in hand. The underdogs immediately rush Tanana and this fight is underway. Tanana is taking a quick beating, but he's back on top in moments. He's showing what has made him a star even early on in his career. This back and forth action is getting intense. The buzz around the arena howver is for who hasn't entered the fray yet. These fans know that with only 3 competitors left to enter the ring, Nolan Ryan still looms out there.

Make that two competitors left, as Europe's "Final Countdown" is playing and Morris Nettles is making his way down to this fight.

Morris goes right after Tanana, apparently there's some bad blood stemming from their days back in the minor leagues. Morris is relentlessly attacking Tanana as Rudy and Doherty go into their familiar position of cowering in the corner. Tanana looks like he may be on his way out. Morris lifts him over his head and is about to make the toss when Tanana begins to rake at his eyes. Morris drops Tanana and Frank scrambles for the corner. He reaches outside the ring to grab, yup I should have known it, Tanana is grabbing his rookie cup. As Morris Nettles staggers to his feet, still rubbing his eyes, Tanana smacks him in the back of the head and Morris is out cold.

The audience is stunned, their golden boy has turned on everyone and as Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier" begins to play, Leroy Stanton rushes down to the ring.

The crowd is in a frenzy as they wait for Leroy to hit the ring and exact revenge on Tanana. Leroy makes his way in and stares down Tanana, still clutching his trophy. Morris Nettles is trying to struggle to his feet and now Tanana may just be in trouble. The crowd is at a fever pitch and they want blood. Rudy and Doherty continue their strategy of staying out of the way. Leroy and Tanana are now face to face, the epic showdown is upon us. Wait, why is Tanana smiling? He's handing his rookie cup over to Leroy Stanton. I don't understand...Leroy whirls around and again lays out Morris Nettles. OH MY! Leroy Stanton and Frank Tanana are working together. With a simple toss, Morris Nettles is eliminated and the duo of Tanana and Stanton looks unbeatable.

The fans are in shock as two of their heroes have gone rogue and become cheaters. This just isn't right. Rudy and Doherty continue to cower as the chants of "Nooo-lan! Nooo-lan!" fill the arena.

Finally the music hits, Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade". Nolan Ryan enters the arena and the roof is being blown off of this place.

Ryan hasn't even entered the ring yet and both Rudy and Doherty have jumped over the top rope and eliminated themselves. Apparently wanting no part of the big Texan.

Tanana and Stanton look slightly worried, but they're still clutching the rookie cup, hoping to perhaps intimidate Nolan. As Ryan makes his way into the ring, Stanton slowly begins to back away. His confidence has been shattered by the mere sight of Nolan. As he backs up to the ropes, Morris Nettles comes out of nowhere to pull him out from behind. Sweet revenge for Morris.

Now we're down to two, Tanana with rookie cup and Nolan Ryan. Tanana charges and just like that Ryan has him in a headlock and proceeds to beat Tanana mercilessly. Blood is streaming down Tanana's face and it's evident he wants no more. He drops the rookie cup and with a simple flick of the wrist, Tanana goes sailing from the ring, making Nolan Ryan our 1975 Topps Battle of the Angels Champion!

This was a battle royale we will never forget Halo fans. Another Nolan Ryan victory, the backstabbing combo of Frank Tanana and Leroy Stanton, the scrappy yet cowardly actions of Rudy Meoli and John Doherty, the oddity that is Bruce Bochte and of course, the death of Mark Teixeira where we learned that yes indeed he does bleed money.

This is truly a historic day in Angels history and one that will forever live in infamy.

Go Halos!

Interleague Bonanza

2009-06-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

I remember way back in 1997, when this whole Interleague thing was new and exciting. The Angels gave away commemorative tickets for each of the series and I was lucky enough to attend Halos vs. Giants and see my team get shellacked, behind 2 home runs from Jeff Kent.

The ticket is actually massive. If I wasn't so lazy I'd measure it, but I'd say a good 9 inches by 4 inches.

The real beauty of this Interleague ticket is that it is also topical for today, as the Halos are battling the Giants in San Francisco. It put me back in 2002 to see big John Lackey mowing down Giants hitters. Anything that can remind you of your team's lone championship run, is definitely a positive in my book.

Tonight the Angels will be relying on a pitcher making his major league debut, Sean O'Sullivan, as he takes on Los Gigantes. O'Sullivan began the year at AA and posted an ERA over 5, moved up to AAA and his ERA grew to over 6, now he's headed to the big club. Does this trend disturb anyone else? To say our pitching health is a problem this year would be an understatement.

Oh well, they can never take away 2002.

Go Halos!

The Battle of the Angels: 1975 Topps Pt. 4

2009-06-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

The battle royale looms on the horizon, but first we must complete round 1 of the Battle of the Angels. We've had some spirited competition and today should be no different.

Matchup #1:
Skip Lockwood

vs.

Bobby Heise

The goofy grin of Skip Lockwood stands in stark contrast to the steely eyes of Bobby Heise. Both players spent only 1974 with the Halos and neither was worth a crap as an Angel, so this one is all about the cards. Heise gets the advantage for look of determination and purple/green/pink combo. Skip's sole saving grace is that on the back of his card you learn why he goes by Skip. His real name is Claude Edward Lockwood. Sorry, Claude, it's just not gonna happen. Bobby and his stare take this one.

Matchup #2:
Ed Figueroa

vs.

A battle of two beautiful purple/green/pinkers. Doherty was the 7th pick in the draft back in 1970, but unfortunately only played in '74 and '75 for the Halos and then it was career over. Figueroa was also a Halo for those two seasons only, but he went on to pitch well for the Yankees in the late '70s. While the Figueroa card has no major flaws and does include stats for 12 different years/teams in the minors, his best performances came as a Yankee and we can only tolerate that once per battle (Mickey Rivers). Combine Doherty's doe eyed innocence with his excessively foamed helmet and you've got a winner. Sure, he was a disappointment as a first round pick, but he has redeemed himself with an appearance in round 2.

In our next matchup we have the man himself...

No one was willing to step in against Mr. Ryan so he gets an automatic birth in the battle royale.

Matchup #3:
Rudy Meoli

vs.

Charlie Sands

Do I really have to write much about these? Umm, Charlie was one of about 8 catchers on the Angels in 1975 and he wasn't too good. His card is brown. Rudy on the other hand is pictured hitting a mile high pop up to the catcher, which fits nicely with his career as a lifetime .212 hitter. I'm a sucker for a lovable loser. This may be Rudy's finest moment, congrats little fella.

Matchup #4:
Orlando Pena

vs.

Orlando takes an early lead with his thoughtful look to the heavens, but Winston gets right back in the game with the always popular fake bunting pose. This one's gonna be tough. Orlando gave up 40 home runs one season for the Royals, but zero as an Angel in 11 games. Hmmm, not bad O-Dog. Winston will need to step up in this clutch situation, let's flip to the back of the card. "Winston's first major league Homer came at a crucial time. In pinch-hitting appearance, he walloped a 3-run Homer as Angels defeated White Sox, 3-1, 6-19-73. Good clutch hitter." This is huge for the lifetime Halo. 3 career home runs and one of them is a game winner. It gets no more clutch than that. Winston Enriquillo Llenas (Davilo) you're moving on!

The final first round matchup:
Morris Nettles

vs.

Chuck Dobson

Let's just say the 1970 draft wasn't a shining moment for the Halos. Second round pick Morris Nettles spent just as much time in the majors as first round pick Mr. foam helmet, 2 seasons then out of the league. This one comes down to putting myself into the 1975 young collector mindset. Which would I have preferred, aging pitcher on his way out or young rookie who is described by the Topps copy writer as "One of Angels' fine rookies of 1974"? It's a no-brainer, always go for the young outfielder who shows promise but ultimately flops. Morris, you're moving on. Watch out for Nolan in the battle royale.

So there it is, the first round is complete and the battle royale is upcoming. 14 combatants remain and it's an impressive bunch.

Go Halos!

The Battle of the Angels: 1975 Topps Pt. 3

2009-06-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

< sarcasm >As I can tell from the plethora of comments and praise, this new series of posts is a huge hit, so I'll make today's edition short and sweet.< /sarcasm >

Matchup #1 Bobby Valentine vs. The Angels Team Card

Pros: Bobby V will forever be an icon for his masterful disguise after being ejected from a game. He's rocking the flapless helmet, always a nice look. He appears to be taking this photo at a high school football stadium.

Cons: The green on green border lacks the pop of many of the cards in this set.

Pros: It's a whole lot of Halos. With a magnifying glass, Nolan Ryan can be found. There's a guy wearing a plaid blazer!

Cons: The Angels weren't exactly a powerhouse in the '70s, so a lot of Halos isn't necessarily a good thing.

The Verdict: I thought Bobby V. would take this one, but the hideous blue blazer just barely pulls this one out for the Angels Team card.

Matchup #2: Andy Hassler vs. Ellie Rodriguez

Pros: On the back of the card, we learn this bit of trivia: "The only NLer to hit 2 grand slammers in one game" was Pitcher Tony Cloninger. Andy pitched 9 years for the Halos.

Cons: In those 9 years, Hassler had a 21-46 record.

Pros: Ellie was twice an all-star, not sure how. I appreciate the faux catching stance.

Cons: Ellie only played 2 years for the Angels and according to baseballreference.com his most similar player by age in 1975 was Kirt Manwaring.

The Verdict: Thanks to longevity, Hassler pulls this one out, but his future chances are dim.

Matchup #3: Joe Lahoud vs. Leroy Stanton

The Pros: The green, yellow, red color combo looks really nice on this card. He hit a "grand slammer" in 1973, which was his biggest hit of the season.

The Cons: The "grand slammer" came against the Angels, while he was a Brewer. The guy sucked.

The Pros: He's got the sweat bulky windbreaker look under his uniform. His name is Leroy. He's only wearing one batting glove. His biggest hit wasn't a "grand slammer" against the Angels.

The cons: I'm not a fan of the green on green.

The verdict: Screw you, Joe Lahoud. Leroy takes it in a first round KO.

Matchup #4: Ken Sanders vs. Bruce Bochte

The pros: Windbreaker collar poking out of jersey. Hat appears airbrushed. He once saved 31 games in a season.

The cons: He only pitched in 9 games for the Angels. His back of the card factoid, "Ken once accepted 13 chances". Ummm, ok. Was this on the field, at a bar with sleazy women, what?

The Pros: Began his career as an Angel. His signature looks like that of a young child, especially since he's not one for capitalization. I respect his need for non-conformity.

The cons: He became an all-star for the Mariners. His shaggy hair can't compete with the locks of Mr. Sanders.

The verdict: While I respect Ken Sanders and his choice of undergarment, bruce bochte and his eschewing of capital letters takes today's final matchup in a walk.

4 more battles down and just 5 remain. With a little bit of energy, all 5 will be knocked out tomorrow and we can commence the battle royale! Over the top rope, only one man will survive!

Go Halos!

Random Draft Thoughts

2009-06-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

1. I've never been more annoyed by how someone pronounces words than I am listening to Bud Selig. Sin-sin-nata. Los Angeleez. Go away Bud.
2. Is it necessary to mention the "signability" of players after every choice.
3. This draft is clearly the largest crapshoot of any, why are we pretending that these "experts" can tell us who will succeed. Let's just agree that no one will know until they get to majors and leave it at that.
4. Does anyone get excited about their teams pick? Really? Maybe due to all of the hype surrounding Strasburg, Nationals fans feel excitement, but the rest of us? Haven't we learned our lesson by now?
5. I'm ashamed that I've been watching this for the last hour and a half.
6. Does any of this really matter? Any player worth a crap taken by one of these small market/low revenue teams is just going to end up with the Yankees or Red Sox eventually anyways.
7. I predict the Angels will select a player I've never heard of, I'll read up on him, watch videos and begin to think he's the future. 5 years from now I'll be cursing the Angels for such a dumb pick and wondering why they passed on player X who was drafted 10 picks later.

Go Halos!

The Battle of the Angels: 1975 Topps Pt. 2

2009-06-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's decisive victory by Frank Tanana, we're back with three slightly tougher to judge battles. Let's get right to the action!

First up, we have Dave Chalk, a 170 pound shortstop out of Del Rio, Texas.

Facing off against Dave, we have catcher Tom Egan, straight outta the city of Angels.

These two cards feature players at different points in their careers, as 1975 would be the last season of Tom Egan's career, while Dave Chalk was entering the 3rd year of a 9 year career. 2 all-star appearances as a Halo gives Chalk the early lead in this one.

Egan however is able to counter with some seriously sweet 70's sideburns, made all the more impressive that he was entering his 10th MLB season.

Chalk gets the advantage on card color combination and another added boost by having the stadium in the background.

In the end this one was tight, but Dave Chalk, sans sideburns, is able to pull out a slight victory based on his success as an Angel and relative youth at the time this card was produced.

Next up, we have a battle of right handed hurlers from different countries. Yup, international battle!!

Representing the good ol' U.S. of A. Dick Lange.

And supported by his brothers down Mexico way, we have Horacio Pina.

It's clear from their photos that Dick Lange is ready for the matchup, while Horacio seems a bit confused by it all and perhaps annoyed by the close proximity of his photographer.

Lange played in parts of 4 seasons, all with the Angels and all pretty unimpressive. Pina on the other hand was journeyman, not just coming from Mexico, but playing for 6 different teams, pitching only 11 games for the Halos, all in 1974.

My instincts are telling me to give this one to the lifetime Halo, Lange, but then I flipped the cards over. The factoids at the bottom of the card tell me that Lange had his first complete game victory against the White Sox on 9/10/73...yawn. We learn some fascinating info on the back of Pina's card, however. "Horacio hurled in 3 leagues during 1967 and totalled (Topps spelling) 31 victories, 18 defeats in 414 innings and 67 games." 414 innings! This man was on a mission to play baseball! I can't pass up that tenacity and while Horacio's photo is one of confusion, maybe it's just the look of a man who doesn't have time for photo shoots, he needs to get on a mound ASAP.

Congrats Horacio, you earned it.

Our final matchup should be a doozy.

First up, a man who made his biggest impact as a Yankee, Mickey Rivers.

His opponent, had his greatest season in 1975, Denny Doyle.

2 cards featuring very similar poses and unfortunately 2 guys who had their greatest success outside of the Big A. After being traded to the Yankees in 1976, Mickey finished 3rd in the MVP voting behind Thurman Munson and George Brett. Doyle on the other hand was traded to the Red Sox for cash and a player to be named, and in 1975 finished 23rd in the MVP, not as impressive as Rivers, but still a decent effort.

As for their Halo careers, Rivers played in parts of 6 seasons with the Angels, leading the league in triples both of his final two seasons in Southern California. Doyle, played in just 155, mostly uninspired games for the Halos, with no notable achievements.

Rivers was clearly the superior player and Bill James ranked him as the 59th best center fielder of all-time, not too shabby. Doyle was blessed with the perfect baseball name for a 70's second bagger, but that's about where his legacy dies. Denny does stage a slight comeback with his card back trivia that informs us he has twin brothers playing in the minors, but it's just not enough. Had I been 10 years old in 1975 and pulled both of these cards, Rivers would have been the one getting pinned to my wall, while Doyle would go in the bike spokes. Advantage Rivers, with a TKO in 3rd round.

So there we have it, 3 more winners that are moving on in the Battle of the Angels.
Congratulations to Dave Chalk, Horacio Pina and Mickey Rivers, you'll need to bring your A game in the next round.

Go Halos!

The Battle of the Angels: 1975 Topps

2009-06-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

It is officially summer for me today, as I wake up with the realization that it's Monday and I have no place to be for the next couple of months. So what better way to start the summer than with an ill-conceived, poorly put together and very likely boring to the non-Halo faithful, series of posts.

I've been trying to think of a way to feature more and more of my Angel cards on this site, without simply throwing them up sporadically. With that as a jumping off point, I decided to feature some of my team sets from throughout the years, but I knew I needed more than simply that. I'm a man who loves competition and bloody battles. Thus the birth of "The Battle of the Angels". It's one thing to show off a couple of cards, but I want winners and losers, I want to know definitively what is the best Halo card from a set, and I want to determine this through no specific criteria or sensible judging standards.

How will this all go down? Pairing cards up based on numerical order, each card will battle one another with me as judge. After many fierce skirmishes, a winner will be crowned.

To start off this extravaganza, and really what else could such an epic undertaking be, other than an extravaganza, we will look at 1975 Topps. A set known for its wild color combinations.

But wait, there's more. I upped the ante by creating my very own Battle of the Angels logo. That's right, utilizing my pathetic MS Paint skills, I went all graphic artist on you. My apologies to all of you who have actually skill, like Mr. Punk Rock Paint, whose eyes are most likely burning from the beauty below.

Today we'll start off with one battle, but I promise to expedite these rumbles in the future.

Entering the arena, straight out of Detroit, Michigan. He's a 6'3" southpaw, Card #16 Frank Tanana!!

And his opponent, coming from the City of Angels, weighing in at 200 pounds on the nose, the big righty Bill Singer!!

As the battel gets underway, it becomes quite obvious that Bill Singer is at a severe disadvantage. He can barely keep his eyes off of Frank's very impressive Topps Rookie Cup. Then there's the fact that Bill was a long-time Dodger who spent only 3 years with the Halos.

It's looking like this one could be an early knockout until you realize that Bill somehow pulled off 20 victories for an average Angels squad in 1973, while Frank's highest win total was a mere 19. Also working in Bill's favor is the immacualte green, purple and pink color combo. While not matching up with a single color in his Angels uniform, it is still quite pleasing to the eye. Not to be outdone though, Frank counters with the red and yellow, a combo that actually makes sense with an Angel player.

The pose, however, may just seal this one for Mr. Tanana. While Bill stares into the camera and does his best to appear kind, Frank will have none of that nonsense. Instead, he stares off into the orange groves of Southern California, showing complete disdain for his opponent. Well played Mr. Tanana.

Let's go to the card backs for a bit of trivia.
Thanks to Frank, we learn that Augie Galan never hit into one double play in 1935.
While Bill informs us that Babe Dahlgren took over for Lou Gehrig as first basemen of the Yankees.

I'm tempted to dismiss Frank's quite obscure fact until I look up Augie and discover that he had 748 plate appearances for the Cubs in 1935. Suddenly his lack of grounding into double plays is more impressive.

And with that, Frank Tanana has come out victorious in the first ever "Battle of the Angels: 1975 Topps". Although it appeared to be a mismatch early on, Bill Singer put up a solid fight and should be commended for his efforts. Frank Tanana however will move on to the next round.

As we roll on, I promise to feature more battles per post and most likely less of my inane rantings. You're welcome.

Go Halos!

F@#& It, Let's Pitch

2009-06-06T00:59:00.000-07:00

Just another reason to love Ervin Santana.
Post-game Interview

When asked about his bloody nose, Ervin responds, "I just put this in my nose and I just say, 'F*** it, let's pitch!'"

It's moments like this that build the loyalty you feel towards players on your team. So often we have players that grow on us and become our favorites over time and it's hard to explain why we feel that way. This was one of those nights that just adds to that.
Ervin's bloody nose and gutty performance
+
my daughter making fun of his boogies
+
Ervin's post-game interview
=
My love for Ervin continuing to bloom.

I love baseball.

Go Halos!

Does He Think He's Funny?

2009-06-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

A really important game for the Halos tonight as Ervin Santana actually showed up and pitched a very good game. 8 2/3 innings, 6 hits and 1 run, out-dueling Justin Verlander. Santana still doesn't seem to have recaptured the magic of last year, but still pretty impressive tonight and hopefully a sign of good times ahead for Black Magic.

While the pitching performance should have been the highlight of the night, it was really my daughter's reaction to Ervin that made my night. You see, Ervin was plagued by a nosebleed early on and because of that pitched with tissue in his nose for most of the game. Evidence below.

That led to this exchange between daughter and I:

Hailey: What's that guy doing?
Me: He's pitching for the Angels?
Hailey: Does he think he's funny?
Me: Ummm, I guess so. Why?
Hailey: Cuz he's trying to be funny and has boogies in his nose. That's silly. I like him, he's funny.
Me: (stifling the laughter) That is pretty silly.
Hailey: I need his baseball card now!

Ahhh, the young collector and her whims.

This is now a part of her baseball card binder. The magic of boogies.

Go Halos!

Finally Done

2009-06-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

After 10 months of teaching and grading and listening to the whines of students for hours on end, I'm finally done for summer.

What does this mean? Well for one, I should be able to start posting more often, now that I'll have time to scan and think and breathe, often at the same time.

But more than that, for me it means joy, happiness and just flat out relief.
Enjoy the good times with my Halo friends and I.

Hope you enjoyed the happy. No matter how stressed, exhausted or disillusioned I become during the year, the summer always comes and bring with it a smile and many hours of baseball.

Go Halos!

Ummm...This Could Be A Problem

2009-06-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

I was recently a very lucky collector/blogger and won a contest that Mario from Wax Heaven held in conjunction with Dave & Adam's Card World for $50 in baseball card goodness. I struggled with just what to get, but in the end I was won over by a box of Upper Deck Series 2. I went back and forth on the decision, new vs. old, a base set vs. something with shiny cards, and after some thought I figured Upper Deck was the way to go. I like the basic design, although it doesn't overwhelm me and I was happy to get a good number of cards. Intriguing, but not really a factor in the decision was the mythical hot box.

I had read on many a blog about the possibility of a hot box and I knew that a buyback on top meant no hot box. Sure enough, there was no hot box for me, instead I had a buyback. A minor disappointment until you realize that you wouldn't be all that excited with 6 USA baseball jersey cards and a few lukewarm middle reliever autographs. I decided to hold off on the buyback until the very end, not expecting much to come of it. I've seen some less than sterling pulls come from these buybacks, but I wasn't expecting much.

As I opened it up I was startled at how thin the card was. This was followed by confusion as I noticed that the back of the card was not the back of a typical baseball card. Arggh! Redemption. OK, fine. I was instantly perked up by the set the card was coming from, 2004 SP Legendary Cuts. Having never been the owner of a cut autograph, or even holding one in my hand, I was quite excited to put in the code and do some research on the card.

This is where the plot thickens. I was indeed putting in a code for a cut autograph, but something about the status of the redemption was nagging at me. Take a quick peek:

2004 SP Legendary Cuts Joe Wood.

Smoky Joe Wood

Reading about Joe Wood was pretty fascinating and instantly got me anxious about eventually receiving this card. But let's go back to the redemption status from Upper Deck.

Soon? Ummm, Smoky Joe Wood was apparently a great basketball player, but I'm pretty sure he won't be rising from the dead to sign this card.
Joe Wood October 25, 1889 - July 27, 1985.

Gotta love this hobby.

Go Halos!

Baseball Card Perfection

2009-05-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

I don't really have the time or energy to properly post and do justice to this card, but I'll give it a shot anyhow. Over the last couple of weeks I've gone from just organizing my cards into teams, to actually getting a chance to go through them more closely. One of my favorite players to collect as a kid was Bo Jackson.

It was impossible to escape the superstar known simply as Bo. At a time when there was no internet available for following sports, Bo was everywhere. NFL, MLB, commercials, magazine ad and of course sports cards. I can't even imagine how big a star a guy like Bo Jackson would be in today's world of over-saturated media coverage. Honestly, we're probably lucky that Bo was a part of the 80s/90s and not today. After about a month of Bo in today's world, we all would have turned on him and hated ESPN for the constant coverage of all things Bo.

I was all about Bo as a kid. I had pictures from Sports Illustrated on my binder at school, posters on my walls at home and every baseball and football card I could find. Everyone wanted the Score card featuring Bo with bat and shoulder pads and I was a fan of most of his football cards, but for me it was always more about the baseball cards.

I was fascinated by the 87 Topps Future Star card, I was always in search of cards from the 1986 traded sets, and it seemed to me like every Bo Jackson card was a beauty. Even so, it wasn't until 1990 that I found what has become my favorite of all Bo Jackson cards.

1990 Upper Deck

Bo was the ultimate athlete and this card shows that mix of grace and power with ease. As far as baseball, Bo will most likely always be remembered for his home run in the 1989 All-Star game in Anaheim, breaking bats over his knee and running up the outfield wall. This card features Bo in the field, maximum effort and as always (at least in the eyes of a 12 year old) coming through with the big play.

As time has passed I've begun to appreciate this card for other reasons. While the 1990 Upper Deck design was a bit of a letdown after the pleasing shock of 1989, the design is minimal and pleasing in this instance. In no way does it distract from the photo, which is clearly the star here. I also love the old school baseball feel of this photo. OK, I realize my definition of old school in this instance is only a look back about 20 years ago, but still. Bo's wearing real stirrups. And even better, he's rocking the flip up shades, which have managed to keep Bo's hat from flying off his dome while at full sprint. Just a piece of baseball card art.

Even the back of this card is pleasing to me.

1. You have to love the all blue Royals road unis.
2. The picture is taken at the Big A, always a plus for a Halo fan.
3. The biceps of doom are on full display.
4. Short career=full stats up through 1989.

OK, I'll stop belaboring my point. I love this card. Truly an example of baseball card perfection.

Go Halos!

A Horrible Memory Often Leads to Great Surprises

2009-05-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

A few days before the release of Topps Series 2, I ordered a jumbo box from Blowout Cards, paying a pretty decent price, a price I was even happier with after it jumped up upon release. That order was made about 11 days ago and with the end of the school year upon me, my memory is even less impressive than normal.

As I arrived home today I stopped to grab the mail and was a bit surprised to find a bubble mailer and a heavy box. Bubble mailer was easily explained, I bought Angel cards off eBay. The box was a mystery, especially since the return address just ststed, Fulfillment Center. I knew it was a box of baseball cards, but why oh why?

Fantasies of free boxes sent from the baseball cards danced in my head. Perhaps Topps decided to replace one of my crappy Pirates redemptions for a full box of cards. Yeah, not so much. It was my box from blowout, but the surprise still made the moment an exciting one.

So while the rest of you suckers exercise your brains with puzzles and eat memory foods like broccoli and spinach, I'll just go on eating cheeseburgers and enjoying the simple happiness of a forgotten purchase.

Go Halos!

I Wanna Hate The Guy

2009-05-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, Bart. I wanna hate you. I wanna be pissed about you coming back to Anaheim and shutting down my Halos. I wanna go on an angry diatribe about your eating habits and make jokes about your chins. But I just can't do it.

I saw you put in the effort in Anaheim. Sure, you may have been put in more effort at Hometown Buffet, but you're still the only Halo hurler to win a Cy Young in my lifetime. So despite what my inner fan is telling me to do, I'll ignore the little voice and say, "Congrats Bart, enjoy it now and never do it again".

Now I'll redirect my anger towards a pathetic offense and their lack of any clutch hitting. Oh well, we're still in the hunt and it looks like the West may very well come down to the last few games of the season. I just hope we're a part of that mix at the end.

Go Halos!

2009 Upper Deck: An Outfielder's Dream

2009-05-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

The oh so tempting siren song of he care aisle caught hold of me once again this afternoon and I couldn't resist picking up a blaster of 2009 Upper Deck Series 2. While I find that I prefer the Topps set this year by a decent margin, I still like the UD offering and I'm pretty sure I'll pick up a box of series 2 soon.

As I ripped through the packs I had one eye on the cards and one eye on Hailey as she seemed determined to topple a pile of unsorted Halos off my desk. Even with only one eye trained on the action, a few things stood out.
1. The StarQuest cards are pointless. Hooray, I got a Nick Markakis Emerald Super Rare! Now what the hell does super rare even mean? Consider me a confused collector.
2. I don't really get the reason for the Goodwin Champions preview cards. Losing a baseball card from my pack for your advertisement doesn't inspire me to want to buy this future set. Especially when the subject on the card looks like the old guy who walks around my neighbor every evening.
3. The last thing I noticed, this set is an outfielder's dream. As evidenced below, there were a number of cards featuring outfielders making great diving catches. Don't believe me? Keep scrollin'.

I really appreciate that UD actually featured pictures of defensive plays on their Gold Glove Award Winner cards, at least the 2 I received. I get easily annoyed by cards like these that show the player hitting or high fiving a teammate.

Not as dramatic as teammate McLouth's leaping grab, but pretty decent nonetheless.

I'm thinking it may be time for the Pirates to invest in some ground ball pitchers. These outfielders are having to work way too hard.

Just a base card, but I much prefer this to my Emerald Super Rare StarQuestpalooza card I also pulled.

Perfect mid-action shot. The look on his face is one that is only seen right after the look of "I can do this" and right before the look of "Holy crap I better not blow this".

Probably my favorite of all the outfield play cards. If you're Trevor Crowe, you've gotta pretty stoked to have this as your rookie card. Beats the hell out of posing in front of the batting cage.

So is 2009 Upper Deck superior to Topps? After ripping through some retail I'd have to give that one a big nuh-uhh. But it's a worthy effort, especially if you're a fan of outfield defense.

Go Halos!

CSI Cardboard: The Sketch Card Mystery

2009-05-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Back in February I was pretty excited to pull a redemption for a 1/1 sketch card and after a few months of waiting, it has arrived. On our way to lunch, I swooped by the post office, signed off and received my card. Quickly, I rushed back to my truck and gave the small envelope to my wife for the purpose of extracting the hidden gem inside. The following conversation is how I best remember things going down.

Me (having not seen the card): Well what do you think?
Her: It's pretty cool I guess...
Me: Pretty cool you guess? It's a one of one. Who's on the card?
Her: Some white guy.
Me (calmly): OK, how about you read the name off the card.
Her: There is no name.
Me (still calm): Check the back.
Her: Ummm....ummm...one of the athletes of professional baseball.
Me: WTF?!

Yup, I'm the proud owner of a sketch inspired by the athletes of professional baseball.

I know what you're thinking, how hard could it be? Check the uniform or hat and figure it out. Well, that's where things get a little sticky. The hat? It's from the 2008 MLB All-Star game batting practice line.

Well that narrows things down, a white guy who was part of the American League All-Stars.
White guy AL all-stars:
Joe Mauer
Kevin Youkilis
Dustin Pedroia
Josh Hamilton
Justin Duchscherer
Roy Halladay
Scott Kazmir
Cliff Lee
Joe Nathan
Jonathan Papelbon
Joe Saunders
George Sherrill
Jason Varitek
Justin Morneau
Ian Kinsler
Michael Young
Joe Crede
Evan Longoria
J.D. Drew
Grady Sizemore

After all that, allow me to unveil the 1/1 sketch card of one of the above 20 players.

Hmmm...facial hair, sideburns and sunglasses on the bill. Through my best efforts I'm going to assume/hope that it's Evan Longoria.

Facial hair...check. Sideburns...can't really tell here. Sunglasses on bill of cap...check. White guy...check.

So is this a sketch card of Evan Longoria or just a composite of what a player would look like if an artist were inspired by the professional athletes of professional baseball? You make the call.

Go Halos!

2009 T2: Judgment Day

2009-05-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wife's excellent shopping skills, I was able to rip through some packs of 2009 Topps Series 2 and yesterday I looked mainly at the Halos and Legends. Today, it's everything else. And I figured with Terminator 4 out this weekend, we'd give a little shout out to Arnie and T(opps Series)2. It can't be merely a coincidence that T2 came out in 1991, the year that last saw Topps put out a set that focused on photography so much.

We'll start with the non-base.

Easily the lowlight of the set for me. Not to get all xenophobic on you, but I really just don't want cards of players from the Japanese WBC team or Cuban WBC team or even the USA WBC team. I was over the WBC in February, I certainly don't need to be reminded of it now, especially since they haven't even sent me my WBC redemption from series 1. Isn't it enough that Topps put out a small set of these cards?

There's nothing I can add on to the Turkey Red discussion that hasn't already been bantered about on blogs far and wide. I like 'em, you like 'em, score one for Topps.

8 packs got me 2 gold cards. Schneider and Upton. The Upton being a pretty unique and odd photo, but one that I like.

I'm not sure how I feel about golds. When I open a pack and see the gold border I get a little excited and feel like I've pulled something semi-rare, but that's where the excitement ends. I tend to stick these cards in the back of the binder or send them off in trades. Ehh.

On to the base.

You gotta love cards that have the blur of the pitch coming right at you. The Aceves card gets a bonus for horizontal positioning, while the Street also comes in with a bonus due to the odd hand placement on the follow through.

Could there be a more boring shot of a picture than one where he's covering his face while chatting with the catcher? Well, yeah there probably are many more boring, but this is certainly up there. Perhaps just one of these cards would suffice. Although they are slightly on the boring side, they also convey a little bit of baseball strategy and gamesmanship, which is not lost on me.

Two rather odd cards featuring Jeter. In one he's awkwardly leaping over a Ranger with the base no where in sight. In the other he looks almost photoshopped into the card. Combine the blank stare with his size seeming disproportionate and you've got a winner here.

Next up are two combo cards that seemingly are using the wrong combo of players.

Wouldn't Chase Utley have been a slightly more appropriate choice on a card about Philadelphia bombers? I like Jimmy Rollins, but 11 home runs is not exactly the stuff of a bomber.

Chief Lefties would seem a title appropriate to left handed pitchers that play for the Indians, so Sowers and Laffey both fit the title, but I just get the feeling that maybe Cliff Lee should have been featured here. Sure his 2009 is not following his 2008 too accurately, but the guy did when the Cy Young in '08, maybe Topps could have thrown him a bone here. Even so, the card is entirely too reminiscent on the Ray Guns card from Series 1 featuring David Price and Scott Kazmir.

Normally I loathe getting manager cards in my packs, but this may be one of my favorites. While most manager cards feature a shot similar to the one of Mike Scioscia that I posted yesterday, this card actually has a managerial action shot! Nothing beats the 64 year old manager out hitting ground balls before the game.

Votto seems to be a bit more of an emerging slugger than a guy bunting for base hits, but hey we need some diversity in our collections. Votto collectors will come to appreciate this card after seeing 10 years of photos showing yet another line drive swing.

Juan Pierre does not stand a chance on this play at second, but you've still gotta appreciate the effort and the helmet flying off to reveal the hat underneath. It's like we're back in little league.

Spring training effort, the hallmark of the on the fence youngster.

Being a third baseman all through my baseball career, I'm always a fan of cards that show third basemen making the difficult plays that are only made from that spot on the diamond.

Ryan Howard is definitely a prodigious slugger, but is there any doubt that he missed this pitch by a good two feet?

The Nelson Cruz card is on its way to becoming one of the "iconic" cards of this set. I'm pretty sure when we look back at this set and reminisce like we do about the 1991 set, this card will be the equivalent of the Benito Santiago looking up for the foul ball or the Clemens leaning against the Monster. Unfortunately, this card still leaves me wondering what Nelson Cruz looks like.

Thus ends the look at 8 packs of T2. I was sold after series 1 and series 2 did little to disappoint. Sure the WBC cards are pointless to me and will likely never find their way out of the commons box, but the rest is right on. I love the Legends, both regular and SP, the Turkey Red was well done and of course the photography was a huge step up. Now I'll just have to wait for my Jumbo box to come so I can work on completing the set and of course pick up my autograph of whichever Pirates player they decided to sneak onto the checklist.

Go Halos!

2009 Topps Series 2: The Quest Begins

2009-05-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the efforts of the wife tonight, I was able to rip into some series 2 packs and finally quench the desire for some new cards. Outside of series 1 Topps and UD, I haven't bought packs of any new cards this year. A combination of budget and just dislike for much of what's out there has led to a fairly dry year. Thankfully, the venture into blogging has provided a number of new Angels cards which have more than filled in the gaps.

The wife was able to snag 8 packs at Target, so I figured I'd show off the Halos and Legends cards today and hopefully the rest of the highlights tomorrow.

The HALOS!

Sure, it's just a ToppsTown card, but at least it's a TT card of Vlad wielding imposing wooden stick of doom.

For once all of the unnecessary signage and clutter in dugouts today has paid off by revealing that this picture was taken in Cleveland. OK, so it's not much of a payoff, but I'm always a little bit curious of where the card pictures originated from.

I like the horizontal and feel like it's one of the best parts about this set, but couldn't Topps have found a picture from the regular season for Kendry. I realize cards like this happen for players new to the team like Abreu (below), but K-Mo deserved better.

Outside of Torii Hunter, Abreu has pretty much been the offensive highlight for the Angels this season. With his zero home runs, that should tell you a little something about the Halo offense. Even without the power, this signing has been really important for the Angels this season. Hopefully a healthy Vlad can start driving him in upon his return.

Love the angle that this photo was taken at. Matthews will never be a beloved Angel, but at least he has a card that I will look back on fondly on 55 million dollars later.

Vladdy the Legend. I hadn't looked through any of the checklists for Series 2 or glanced at many blogs lately, so this was a very cool surprise. It's easy to get frustrated watching Vlad swing wildly at balls in the dirt or over his head, but it's also nice to open a pack of cards and see one of the players from your team on a card designated for legends.

Speaking of legends...

Cy Young. Apparently this guy was good enough to have an award named after him.

Mel Ott. 511 home runs for a guy who stood 5'9" and weighed 170 pounds. Obviously it was a different game in Ott's era, but it's fascinating to look back at these accomplishments.

Campy. 10 seasons, 3 MVP awards. Campy was a man of efficiency.

Rogers Hornsby. The Career Best cards are interesting in that they show you the best a player did in each offensive category at some point in their career. The numbers on the back of the Hornsby card are incredible. A season with a .424 average, 250 hits, an OPS of 1.245, 42 homers, 152 RBIs, 47 doubles, 20 triples, 156 runs scored...and it goes on. Incredible.

And finally, the legendary SP

I really enjoy these SPs and wish I had the money to chase after them. While the legends cards in general are a highlight to me in 2009 Topps, these cards are even more interesting in that they just blend in with the set. My eyes did a double take when I realized this was a Jim Palmer card and unlike the Mickey Mantle cards of past years, these cards look natural and like they should be part of the set. This one really has me tempted to go after more.

That does it for part 1 of the 8 pack break. Some nice Halos and some even cooler Legends of the Game. While the photography for '09 has been lauded often, it's the Legends that put this set over the top for me. After opening packs I tend to spend another half hour on the internet looking up information on the players and reading various writeups. These cards make me feel better about baseball and that's always a good thing.

Part 2 tomorrow...hopefully.

Go Halos!

Getting a Card Fix From a Junkie

2009-05-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

I've been in a bit of a funk lately, but nothing pulls you out of a funk quite like some free cards. These were courtesy of Jeffrey over at Card Junkie. First Jeff sent along some Angels cards as a thank you and then followed that up with a couple of cards from off of my 2009 Topps Series 1 Wantlist. These 2 cards put me just 8 away from finally putting to sleep Series 1.

First up, the 2009 Topps cards, both of the horizontal persuasion.

I'm thinking a more creative photo might have been in order for a card celebrating an MVP.

On the other hand, the Furcal cards is just plain sweet. Excellent use of the horizontal.

On to the Halos. Jeff sent a number of cards from various sets, so I'll hit you with a couple of highlights.

My first and maybe only 2009 Goudey card. The reviews have been poor and my budget is tight. Not a good combo for the boys at Upper Deck seeing my dollars. I've been itching to open some packs and Goudey has been at the Target for a couple of weeks, but even so I haven't been able to pull the trigger. Not a good sign.

I'm not the biggest 88 Fleer fan, but I like a lot about this card. The pure 80s spectators are nice, combined with the dirty uniform, real stirrups, the old orange railing that made any Anaheim Stadium background card instantly recognizable and the Schofield batting stance which looks to me like a guy who's a bit scared of the ball being thrown in his direction.

DiSar the prospect.

Polonia the superstar.

The highlight of all the cards. I have no idea what set this came from. It's numbered 537, so apparently there are a number of this set floating around, but outside of that it has no identification. Even the back only has a 3 paragraph write-up about the "Best Hitters in Baseball" and nothing else. Odd and wonderful.

Thanks for the cards Jeff, I really appreciate them.

Go Halos!

Rut

2009-05-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

rut (noun) - a monotonous routine that is hard to escape

Example: I feel as if I have fallen into a rut because I find myself doing the same activities every day.

I'm not sure how to break from this rut, but I need to figure a way out because it's dragging me down. Tomorrow's a new day, hopefully one of inspiration and renewal.

Go Halos!

Whittling Away at Series One

2009-05-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Ed at Roll out the Barrel, I am slowly making my way towards a completed series one Topps set. After reading my post about mistakenly getting Topps Throwback cards, Ed sent me an e-mail, offered up his cards for free and I received them within a couple of days. It doesn't get any better than that.

Ed sent along the above cards: 9, 14, 54, 60, 70, 73, 84, 121, 128, 148, 180, 230, 245, 274, 308 so now I'm only in need of:

7, 41, 63, 66, 105, 108, 137, 179, 200, 266

10 cards to go. It can be done.

Thanks again Ed, I really appreciate the help towards this goal. I'm working on something to send off as a thank you. Hopefully I'll finish this set off before becoming too overwhelmed by series 2.

Go Halos!

Matt Palmer: Halo Hero

2009-05-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

With all of the injuries to the pitching staff to open the season, plus the untimely and unfortunate death of Nick Adenhart, the starting pitching of the Angels appeared to be the dimmest of spots for the team. Anthony Ortega has been pretty bad, Dustin Moseley has pitched like, well Dustin Moseley and Shane Loux hasn't been awful, but not terribly impressive either. On the other hand Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver have both stepped up huge and pitched wonderfully.

The biggest surprise of all has been Matt Palmer. 4 games started, 4 wins.
First start of the season? 7 innings against Detroit, surrendering 4 runs, but picking up the W.
2nd start at new Yankee Stadium against C.C. Sabathia? No problem. 1 ER, and the W.
3rd start against the 1st place Royals? Psssh, 1 ER and another W.

Then came the 4th start Wednesday night against the Red Sox. As a diehard fan I was starting to get excited about this guy and you have to love his story. 30 years old, on his way out of baseball, clears waivers from the Giants, heads to Venezuela for winter ball and suddenly he's in the Angels rotation. If you haven't read about Matt, do so now, I'll wait.

Are we good? Ok, you gotta love that right? "I was in the bullpen before the game in New York," Palmer said, "just moving around, looking around. I told myself, `You know, I love baseball.' It just came to me, and I felt good, calm."

So there he was Wednesday night facing the Sox after another bullpen implosion the previous night. 1st inning? Bad. 2 run home run to J. Bay. 2nd inning? Bad. 2 more runs. The familiar feeling of "Well, it was fun while it lasted" started to creep in. But then, Mike Scioscia showed why he's a managerial genius. After the second, he walked over to Palmer and said, "No more". Apparently that's all Matt needed to hear. The 30 year old rookie has learned to listen during his struggles in the minors because he heeded Scioscia's instructions and went on to let in no more. In fact, he retired the final 19 Red Sox hitters. Complete game Halo victory.

Obviously I want Matt to go on and dominate all season. I want him to flourish and become a front line starter, but if he falls apart after tonight, I'll still always remember Matt Palmer fondly. 2009 has already been a very memorable season for Angel fans, but most of those memories are not of the positive variety. This however will always be one of the highlights of the season.

Every time a new player is suspended for steroids or a new scandal arises people question why we love baseball. Why do we follow this sport so closely? Basically, why do we care? Well, I care because of Matt Palmer. I care because it's fun rooting guys like Matt. In this past week alone I've felt the excitement of a great pitching duel between Greinke and Saunders, felt the elation of Torii Hunter going a couple of feet over the wall to bring back a game tying home run in the 9th and felt the pure goodness of watching Matt Palmer throw his first career complete game against the Sox.

Damn, I love baseball. Thanks for being a part of that Matt.

Go Halos!

The Plight of the Middle Reliever

2009-05-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

I'll readily admit that as a fan, I tend to dwell on the negatives a bit too often and not the positives. This is especially true of middle relievers. No matter how many years of flawless innings they produce, it's the subpar performances that lose game after game that drive me nuts.

I don't know how much more of Scot Shields I can take. At this point, each out her records is a celebration, quickly followed by the dreaded knowledge that he'll have to get another hitter out and that will most likely lead to heartache.

In an effort to change my spirits, I will begin to look at Scoty with fresh eyes. Each inning will be a new beginning and I will have faith in Scot and all of his mates in the bullpen. We'll see how this goes.

Go Halos!

Unexpected Awesomeness

2009-05-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

After a long day of school today, I was really looking forward to getting away from students and coming home to relax. Sure, sitting on the couch watching King of Queens and waiting for the family to get home wouldn't cure all of my ills, but it was a start. I made the very wise decision of checking the mail on my way in and came across a bubble mailer. Happy happy, joy joy.

However, panic quickly sunk in. I haven't been on eBay in weeks, so barring a late night sleep walk purchase, it wasn't a card I bought. I've sent out some cards lately, but hadn't set up any trades, so again I was stymied. Perhaps I had set up a trade and completely forgotten about it. I would need to scour my e-mails and try to figure it out. In the end, a simple inspection of the mailer revealed that these cards were sent from the UK and that means one man. John from The Pursuit of 80's(ness).

What really made this package a bit of Unexpected Awesomeness is that it was completely unsolicited. John and I completed a trade back in February and this one was accompanied by a note telling me that he had accumulated another stack of Halos so he wanted to send them along. I of course, gladly accept.

Now just for you, here's an exclusive peak at the loot.

I love packages like this because I always end up with cards I don't have, but also cards from sets I've never gotten a card from. This Shawn Wooten Opening Day card is an example of that. I'm certain I've never opened a pack of Opening Day, mainly out of complete disinterest, but at the same time I really like getting these cards in trades and lots.

I've never really understood why a magazine gets its name slapped on a card like Sports Illustrated and Fleer did here or why ESPN had cards with Upper Deck. That being said, this is a pretty slick looking card, so I'm cool with it.

What was the obsession that Topps had with gold bordered cards for some time? I like the look of this, but that may be in part because of Percy's patented face clinch.

Seriously, the gold border thing was a little out of control. Awesome action photo of Jimmy Edmonds though.

Nothing brightens a day quite like floating heads.

This card is pure Mo. It combines his two loves, baseball and the shiny rainbow lights of a strip club.

This card is great on many levels. The high leg kick, the image being raised off the cardboard and the fact that I have no idea what Topps "tMB" is.

When did Bengie Molina transition from great defensive catcher who could hit for a decent average and was slower than a senior citizen to the best offensive player on his team?

I really, really, really miss Ersty. Really.

Thanks so much John for the Halos. After a long day, this was definitely a great way to soothe the pain.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Los Angeles Dodgers

2009-05-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

I've written more than a few times about my baseball experiences as a child and how growing up in Texas made me a fan of the Cubs on WGN, and the Angels and Dodgers because we would visit my grandpa every summer and he would take me to games of those two teams. Once we finally moved to California, I lived close to Anaheim and spent many more nights at the Big A watching the Halos than I did at Chavez Ravine watching the Dodgers. Even so, I've still always rooted for the Dodgers.

Most people probably think I'm nuts to root for two teams from the same area, but it's always been natural to me. And as I was growing up, there was no interleague play, so the only chance I had of my teams colliding and my loyalties being tested was a possible World Series showdown. If you watched the Angels in the 90s you'll realize why that was of little concern to me. So while my Halo fandom has continually risen and made me a huge supporter of the Halos, I'm still a Dodger fan deep down as well. So hopefully I'll do the Dodger fans out there some justice with this list spanning the last 25 years or so.

1. Ramon Martinez

1990 was the year my family finally made the move out to California and that just happens to coincide with the year Ramon Martinez pitched like a maniac. 20 wins, an ERA under 3, 12 complete games, over 220 strikeouts, and a 2nd place Cy Young finish. He was a generous 165 pounds and I was enthralled by his every pitch that season. I collected every card I could find with his name and image on it and could not get enough of the skinny phenom from the Dominican Republic. He went on to have some up and down years for the Dodgers, but I'll always remember him as the pitcher from the summer of '90.

2. Lenny Harris

Chalk this one up to the ghosts of 1990 as well, because Lenny Harris won me over that summer as well. I've already chronicled my love for the chubby ballplayers and Harris was certainly that. He always came across as a very likable underdog to me and no matter where he moved on to in his career, I always found myself rooting for him to succeed. Being the career leader in pinch hits is in some ways a dubious record to hold, but somehow it fits Harris perfectly. He was a guy who did whatever the team asked and did so without complaint. I've never been a huge autograph seeker at baseball games, but I still remember Harris being the first Dodger autograph I ever received at the stadium and also my last.

3. Raul Mondesi

During the run of Dodger rookie of the year winners in the '90s, Raul was undoubtedly my guy. I liked the others, but there was something different about Mondesi. As baseball fans it's easy to be attracted to the great power hitters or strikeout pitchers, but sometimes it's a rarely seen skill that captures our attention. If you've ever witnessed Raul Mondesi play the outfield then you probably remember his arm. Mondesi has an absolute canon in right field and I can vividly remember rooting for opposing players to get hits to right field in hopes that it would lead to Raul uncorking one to cut down a runner advancing. Mondesi would go on to get a reputation as a bit of a cranky guy, but I always appreciated the huge turns he would take at first base on every hit and the effort he showed in the outfield.

4. Matt Kemp

It was difficult to not make this a list of solely late '80s, mid '90s players, but I had to include my favorite current Dodger. As a Dodger fan, it's hard not to be giddy about the young core of this team. Talent on the infield, in the outfield and on the mound is abundant, but for me Matt Kemp stands above them all. Matt Kemp just looks like a baseball player, whether it's roaming center field or up to bat, he has a fluid look about himself. It's hard to explain Matt Kemp, you need to watch him on a regular basis to really appreciate him. His triple to deep center a couple of weeks ago against the Giants in the 9th inning almost seemed effortless and just summed up his skills to me. I'm looking forward to how the young guys progress over the years, but more than anything I can't wait to see how Kemp's career unfolds.

Honorable Mentions:

Tommy Lasorda

If you like the Dodgers, you love Tommy. Those of you who don't like the Dodgers probably loathe Tommy. His constant espousing about his love for baseball can probably be tiresome at times, but I can't get enough of the guy.

The young guys (Martin, Ethier, Loney)

As a pure a baseball player as there is in the league. You can't help but like the guy if you watch him.

Of all the young guys, Ethier is probably the best pure hitter.

I was skeptical of Loney at first, but he has won me over in a big way.

Orel Hershiser

1988. Nothing more need be said.

Kirk Gibson

1988. Nothing more need be said.

Mike Piazza

I was stunned when Piazza was traded and although most people today probably think of him as a Met, it never quite seemed right to me.

Eric Karros

EK began the run of Dodgers winning the rookie of the year award. Karros was consistently a really strong run producer for the Dodgers and in some ways became the face of Dodgers especially after the departure of Piazza.

Mike Scioscia

A gritty catcher for the Dodgers. A World Series winning manager for the Angels. The best of both worlds.

Mike Sharperson

Times were lean for the Dodgers in 1992. Need evidence? Sharperson was the lone Dodger representative on the All-Star team.

Manny Ramirez

The suspension has put a damper on my Manny enthusiasm, but his presence last year in LA was huge. I'll never be able to view Manny in the same way and that makes me sad, but not outraged. I've sort of become numb to this stuff.

Vin Scully

He's not a player, but he is far and away my favorite part of Dodgers baseball. I have spent more hours listening to Vin Scully talk in my lifetime than I have my own parents, all my teachers and my daughter. That's saying something since my daughter hasn't stopped talking once over the last 2 years.

There they are, the number 2 team in my heart. It's by no means a perfect list and I know I've left off quite a few, but in the end I think this represents the Dodgers as I've known them over the last couple of decades.

Next up, the team that inspired the blog.

Go Halos!

The Best-laid Plans of Mice and Men

2009-05-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

I hate when good deeds go wrong. Today my wife went out to run some errands and in an act of kindness stopped by the card aisle at Target and grabbed me a blaster of 2009 Topps. I still haven't completed my series 1 set despite a couple of blasters and a jumbo box, so I was happy to rip into these cards and see if I could pull any of the ones I needed.

I retreated to my office and began the pulling. Oh the horror!

As I cradled the cards in my hand I knew something wasn't right. From the tips of my fingers I could feel the difference and one quick glance up into the corner confirmed my suspicions.

Oh cruel Topps, why must you mock me?

It's not that I dislike the parallel all that much or even have a problem with this gimmick, but would have been so difficult to mark the boxes as being different, other than an obscure code that few if any baseball card wives are going to be looking for. I'm sure my wife would readily admit that even if it was written on the box, she'd probably miss it, but still.

So now I sit with a stack of throwback Topps and I'm no closer to finishing of series 1 and moving on with my life.

The good news, my wife still received the hug she deserved for her act of kindness.
The bad news, I am still in need of:

Base; 7, 9, 14, 41, 54, 60, 63, 66, 70, 73, 84, 105, 108, 121, 128, 137, 148, 179, 180, 200, 230, 245, 266, 274, 308,

Legends of the Game: LG3, LG5 LG7, LG9, LG14, LG15, LG17, LG18, LG19, LG22, LG24

Light Up The Halo!!

2009-05-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Double + Sacrifice Bunt + Sacrifice Fly + Hokie Joe's Left Arm + Huge Defensive Play by Figgy = Zack Greinke's First Loss

See how easy that is American League. You just have to send out your stud and have him throw an absolute gem. Then just mix in one well hit ball and a couple of sacrifices. Next thing you know, you put a stop to the newly crowned Best Pitcher in Baseball and give him his first loss since last August. Is that so hard?

Hokie Joe, you sir are a beast!

It's not often that games live up to the hype, but you would have thought this one was Walter Johnson vs. Cy Young the way the Angels announcers were selling it. Thing is, the game and the performances made the superlatives seem tame by the end of this one. In this era of steroids and our love of the long ball, this game was easily my favorite all season. 1-0 Halos. Complete game for Joe Saunders. Greinke's ERA balloons to 0.51.

1/2 game out of first. Slowly, but surely we're creeping back in this thing.

Go Halos!

The Accidental Prospector

2009-05-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

There are a few reasons why I have never gotten into prospecting and they're all very valid, but above all I don't prospect because I hate getting rid of my cards. Sure, I love to send off cards in trades and to collectors who have more need for them than me, but I don't like selling my cards on eBay, no matter how much money is to be made. I've sold a few cards here and there throughout the past couple of years, but for the most part I've only sold cards I had absolutely no interest in or that I had multiple copies of.

Prospecting scares the crap out of me. I barely have enough money to collect the stuff I really want, I sure as hell don't want to spend money on cards that may have absolutely no worth to me in the future. Sure, there are successes out there to be had and my love of baseball may even have given me a chance to be only slightly crappy at it, but in the end I'd hate it. I'm a hoarder, not a profiteer.

So why am I now the accidental prospector? Well, it all began about two years ago when I was searching for Ervin Santana cards. I love collecting anything with a Halo, but Ervin held a special place in my heart and I was really enjoying picking up his autographs on the cheap.

After some time of searching and purchasing, I came across a lot of 4 SPx autographs from 2005. The headliner on the lot was Ervin Santana, with 3 other cards thrown in. I wasn't all that interested in picking up the other cards, but if the price was right I figured a couple of other autographs in my collection wouldn't hurt me. I added the lot to my Watched list and waited for the auction to come to an end. After a few days the lot still sat at .99 and with little time remaining I put in my bid of 4 dollars. That was completely unnecessary. The auction ended at 99 cents and I was the proud owner of an Ervin Santana autograph and 3 other throw ins.

When the bubble mailer arrived I removed the 4 cards from an oversized toploader and quickly placed Ervin in his new home and slid the other three cards into some holders and onto a box of random autographs and relic cards.

So what else was there?

Steve Schmoll, lightly used Dodgers pitcher, out of the league since 2005.

Dan Johnson, former A's first baseman of the future, claimed off waivers by the Rays and now playing for the Yokohama BayStars.

So who was the 4th card that made this lot worth slightly more than the 99 cents I paid? Well, he just recently made the cover of Sports Illustrated where he was proclaimed as "The Best Pitcher in Baseball".

Yup, the man who has set baseball on fire in Kansas City, Zack Greinke.

As this season has progressed and Greinke has continued to put up ungodly numbers, there has been a voice in the back of my head saying, "Don't you have a Greinke auto somewhere?" So after a bit of searching and scouring, I came across the card that has turned me into a psuedo-prospector. I present to you, Zack Greinke, 2005 SPx autograph numbered to 150.

So obviously I threw the card right up on eBay so I can wallow in my profits and feel like a baseball card genius right? Well, not so much. See, it all goes back to that pesky way I collect. I look at the card and suddenly it has a little more meaning to me. It's an autograph of one of the best young pitchers today and it has a story of interest behind it. Sure, I should probably sell it now, pick up 10 or 15 bucks and move on, but I just don't have the stomach for it. Instead, Zack will get packed up a little tighter, he'll be moved to a box of more prominence and I'll sleep well knowing I have an autograph of a bright young star. And if he eventually blows out an elbow or some other ailment brings him down, I'll be just as content with my decision.

So I guess I learned today that collecting really is about the journey for me. I like the stories behind certain cards and the fact that the monetary side of this hobby is of so little importance to me. Now I just hope that Zack doesn't destroy my Halos on Saturday.

Go Halos!

Just Manny Being Alex and Jason and Barry and Jose and...

2009-05-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love baseball. That should be obvious by the fact that I choose to spend almost every day writing about it in some form here, that I'm a grown man with a wife and child who still collects cardboard with baseball players on it, and that I spend every night convincing my wife that American Idol can wait while we watch this important Erick Aybar at bat in the bottom of the sixth of an 8 run game. I love the game and have since as far back as I can remember. And that's why I'm so upset to hear about Manny.

It's not just that I enjoy watching Manny and know that he will now be forever tainted, it's because I love baseball. Everyone I teach with knows I love baseball, all my students know I love baseball and after incidents like this all I hear about is how baseball is ridiculous, everyone's a cheater and it's pointless to follow the sport.

I hate seeing my favorite sport destroyed slowly and ridiculed at every turn. I refuse to believe that baseball players alone have decided to do steroids and that the giant sized football players and others are simply clean athletes doing the right away. It's not even that I want those sports torn down as well, I just wish my sport wasn't taken this hit every few months.

I guess the only solace I can take in this whole thing is that it's very apparent that the team I'm rooting for isn't filled with steroided up freaks. At least I hope they aren't playing this crappy while on the juice. It certainly wouldn't be a very good endorsement for the makers of these substances.

Ehh. Baseball, do me a favor. Stop drug testing, stop naming the cheaters and let me live the life of the ignorant football or basketball fan who gets to gloat about how clean their sport is and how dirty mine is. Why does my sport have to be put above the others? Shawne Merriman is suspended for steroids and he's seen in no different light today than he was before. But Manny, A-Rod, Giambi and the rest will forever be branded as cheaters and ruiners of the game I love.

Go Halos!

1 Win Away

2009-05-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Going into tonight's game, the Halos find themselves one win away from finally reaching .500. Unfortunately, there is a kinda decent pitcher in the way.

Career Numbers
136-67
3.52 ERA
1,851.2 Innings Pitched

Of course the Angels will be countering with...

Not sure who that is? Well that's the Giant Killer, Anthony Ortega.
Career Numbers
0-1
5.56 ERA
11.1 Innings Pitched

Prepare to light up the Halo!
.500 here we come.

Go Halos!

¡Cinco De Halo!

2009-05-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

¡Olé!

¡Vámonos Halos!

Halo Cards Come to Life!

2009-05-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

It started with a challenge from Bo at Baseball Cards Come to Life! and it ended with Bo receiving a mess of Yankees from me and yours truly receiving a gaggle of Halos from Bo, plus a couple of much coveted Yankee cards.

While getting Angel cards is the highlight of most any package I open, this one was slightly different. I loved all of the various Halos, but what I most coveted were Several Yankee cards and an A's card. The horror, I know. But there is a reason for such madness and his name is Luis Polonia.

The lone Oakland card in the bunch, but it's a beauty. They're too large for most holders, they mess up my stacks and organization, but these cards are absolutely irresistible, especially when they are accompanied by the visage of Polonia.

The beginning of the Yankee cards. These card look eerily similar to...

This card. Same uniform with dirt stains, same stadium, same stache, different angle.

The backs of these cards are odd as above the stats, one stat is written out in gold. For Luis, that stat is .696 Stolen Base Pct. Uhhh...is that even good?

I've never liked the shrunken down photo in the corner of these cards. A big step down from 93 UD.

Great photo on front, great stat on back. "Went hitless in consecutive starts only once all season". It seems a bit innocuous at first, but it sums up Luis...relentless!

Bonus Yankee card featuring Halo Luis. Love the cameo card!

Now on to the Halos. It would take me three weeks to show off all of the Halos that Bo sent along, so here is a sampling.

Brian Downing Revco card. One has to wonder if perhaps Revco was supplying my boy Downing with some muscle juice. The man is a beast.

Not exactly the photo you're hoping shows up on your baseball card.

Only 21 games as an Angel, but apparently this guy made an All-Star game with the Jays.

Devo's eyes suggest that he has hit a dribbler about 6 feet in front of the plate.

Never produced in the way Angels fans had hoped he would, but I still have a soft spot for the guy.

See facial expression.

First, I love 88 Score even though it doesn't really have any of the elements I normally love in a card design, but that can be discussed later at more length. Best part of this card is how the swing and photo look so great until you look between Johnny's legs and notice the plume of dirt that is the result of smnashing the ball directly south.

F U Brian Fuentes. I miss you Percy. Sure K-Rod was great, but Percy and the tongue were legendary. The new guy just plain sucks. Of course the whole bullpen is atrocious, so he kinda fits in well.

Thank you Bo, for the Halos of course, but also for the addition of some Yankee cards featuring my homeboy Luis. You sir are a gentleman, even if the team you root for is pure evil. haha I keed, I keed.

Go Halos!

Fun With 95 SP: The Conclusion

2009-05-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

What better place to start the conclusion of "Fun With 95 SP" than with the Cardboard God, Bip Roberts.

Once again, Bip shows off what makes him a legend. SUre, he could have mailed it in with just the million dollar smile, but he took it to another level by pulling off the ball balancing on a bat act.

But did Bip's presence end there? Of course not.

Bip showed up on a regular season card sliding back into first...

And from a spring training game trying to break up the double play. Props to Vinny Castilla on the athleticism.

If you think seeing Vinny Castilla jumping in the air seems a little out of place, this will make your jaw drop

Jim Thome looking like a skinny second baseman levitating in the middle of the Oakland infield. Definitely worth a double take.

Hairstyles also played a prominent role in 95 SP, we've already seen Will Clark and his combover, but we also have the stylings of Sammy.

Apparently Mr. Sosa had swimmer's ear, or maybe a tick that needed to be checked out. Digging the racing stripe down the side.

Mark Portugal showing off the mid 90s mullet.

Not to be outdone by the famous ginger mullet of some guy who seems to have disappeared from baseball all together. You gotta wonder if Will Clark was more interested in getting some juice to prolong his career or some hair styling tips.

Finally, the winner for Best Mullet in a 1995 baseball card set goes to...well let's him come on out and show it off to you.

As Juan prances in from the outfield, he lets us all know the source of his strength. It's nothing from the locker of Mr. Canseco, instead it's all about the locks.

If we're going to give Juan an award for that hair, how about an award for the most awkward card of 95 SP.

Director's chair on baseball field...check.
Pasty white skin accented by sleeveless shirt...check.
Odd expression from Mr. Nevin...check.
Officially awkward.

It's not often that you get a good run down captured on cardboard, however I'm more interested in the fact that the catcher has made his way out to the infield, displaying just how intense of a run down this was.

Random Oddities:

Ray Lankford, #1 Fave 4 Cardinal and aspiring gymnast.

The awful gray hats of the Baltimore Orioles. You will only find evidence of these caps on a few cards out there.

1st oddity, a time when Pedro Martinez needed the J. to help in identifying himself.
2nd oddity, Pedro is taking a vicious hack.

No one loves their fat guys quite like I do, but I really don't think Kirby should have been throwing himself around like this in a spring training game.

Finally, we take a look at the rookies of 95 SP. A chance for me to realize just how old I've become.

Yup, there was a time when Edgardo Alfonzo was a bright young rookie making his way onto the scene and not a washed up hitter barely holding on.

Nomo-mania!

I just figures Grudz began his career as a 6 year veteran.

Seriously, this guy was young once.

Even as a rookie Tony Clark looked like he was 40.

And thus ends our look back at the wackiness that was 95 SP. Feel free to look here, here and here for more of the fun. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Go Halos!

Fun With 95 SP: The Continuation

2009-05-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

It started here and continued here, now the saga continues.

The great thing about 95 SP is that the oddities are at times of the routine variety, example below:

Jose Rijo examining some pictures that I can only pray are of him, but likely they are pictures of Dominican embryos that he plans on signing illegally once he becomes a part of the Nationals front office.

But the oddities aren't always so obvious, occasionally they don't register immediately, example below:

What's so odd about a player making a leaping grab at the wall? Let me count the ways.
1. It's Gary Sheffield. A man not always known for his great effort.
2. This is a spring training game as evidenced by the peculiar wall/fence.
3. That is Gary Sheffield putting out maximum effort in a meaningless spring training game. Cats and dogs living together!

95 SP actually had a couple of nice wall shots outside of the Sheffield miracle.

Rickey Henderson with gold chain flying. Does Rickey ever not look smooth?

Maybe the most expected player to have a wall catch card other than Kenny Lofton in 1995. Finley seemed to make these plays regularly during the mid to late 90s.

Maybe my favorite card of the set is Rod Beck.

What could be better than a card that shows Beck lacing up the gloves? I know when I think of Rod Beck I instantly flash to his off-season workout regimen which by glancing at his physique, you instantly can determine that it is filled with intense sessions. So I return to the original question of what could be better? Well, just check the back.

Yup. Beck has graduated from the lacing up the gloves to absolutely annihilating the heavy bag. You can instantly see why Beck is the finely tuned professional athlete that he is. An absolute cardio beast!

The madness continues with the hairline of Nuschler.

Oh Will. Why oh why did you continually insist on doffing your cap? I certainly understand that the Star Spangled Banner is a justified reason to take off the hat, but it seemed like your hat was always off. Could you have done us all the favor of shaving it off or at least going with a different hairdo than the one you had when you were 6? And shame on the photo editors who decided to torture us with this sight.

Finally, we will round out today's action with a look at one of the best second basemen of our generation, Ralph Macchio, I mean Daniel LaRusso.

The secret to Roberto's great success wasn't natural talent passed down from his father. It wasn't hours spent on little league fields honing his craft. Nope, Roberto's success is due to the teachings of an elderly Asian maintenance man who fled to America in order to escape the wrath of Sato. Early on he took Roberto under his wing and taught him the importance of wax on, wax off. Unfortunately, Roberto spent a brief time under the mesmerizing tutelage of the Cobra Kai who influenced him to spit on an umpire in an act of disrespect that was difficult to live down. Thankfully, he returned to the teachings of Miyagi and lived happily ever after.

Thank you for this reminder 95 SP. Only one more installment is left, I know you're on the edge of your seat.

Go Halos!

Fun With 95 SP

2009-04-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

Recently I opened a cheap box of 95 SP and came across a bit of an odd trend. Apparently around 1995, players suddenly felt quite generous and were often photographed giving back to the fans. The oddities in 95 SP don't stop there though.

A few other cards popped out at me and over the next couple of days I'd like to document the oddities, wakiness and at times awesomeness that is 95 SP.

First up, broken bats.

Billy Ashley

Broken bat, broken dreams for Mr. Ashley. Supposed to be the next in a long line of Dodger rookie standouts, Mr. Ashley instead never lived up to the hype. Perhaps his use of lumber was the problem.

Matt Williams

The balded one with broken bat. Apparently this lack of stable wood was prevalent among the sluggers as well.

Mo Vaughn

Seriously, was it necessary to have three cards featuring broken bats. It's not like I even have a complete set here, there couldn't certainly be more.

Next up for today, the error.
Honestly, how often do you come across a photo and instantly know that the play was botched? It certainly seems like these photos should have been left on the editing floor.

The best part of it, the errors happened to:
Career backups wearing #58 on their jersey,

Catchers who had no business on the infield,

Talented offensive first basemen,

And perhaps the greatest defensive shortstop of all-time.

95 SP, a set of oddities. Coming tomorrow, Rod Beck's two sport career, Will Clark's hairline, and the Karate Kid as interpreted by an umpire spitting second baseman.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Milwaukee Brewers

2009-04-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Finally the day has come, the Brew Crew gets the recognition they have been waiting for all year. The Brewers are an oddity of a franchise. They go from perhaps the greatest logo of all-time, to a procession of average to below average logos. Me personally, I feel nothing but love for the old mb glove.

Befitting Milwaukee, their two greatest players are two of the whitest baseball stars of the past two decades, Paul Molitor and Robin Yount. Yet at the same time, they gave Gary Sheffield his start and now are a team known in large part for their African American stars. I don't know why this fascinates me, but it does. On to the list.

1. James Elmer Gantner

This man is the Milwaukee Brewers to me. Tekulve gets a lot of the love for his glasses, but Gantner deserves a little bit of respect in this regard. Gantner was not exactly the superstar of the franchise, in face he spent 17 seasons playing mostly mediocre baseball, but he had those glasses and that has always been enough for me. Bask in the Gantner.

2. Dale Sveum

From one awkward looking white guy to another. In making this list I realized why I think of Milwaukee as the geeky white guy capital of America and that's because my favorite Brewers are straight out of that mold. Or maybe I like these players because they seem like they're the epitome of Milwaukee. Chicken, egg. I have no idea. All it takes is one look at Dale Sveum's Baseball Reference page to realize it's nuts to like Dale Sveum. His stats are nothing to be proud of, but I like him. It's probably the goofy stache.

3. Dan Plesac

I have a soft spot for lefty closers. Couple that with the goofy white guy factor and the fact that Plesac was dominant for my Strat-o-matic baseball team, and you have a man that is more than worthy of the #3 spot. Somehow Plesac was still in the league in 2003 with Philadelphia. How I wish I could be reborn as a situational lefty. Do you realize the type of money guys are making these days because they're lefthanded and willing to pitch to lefty batters three times a week. It's a good life.

4. B.J. Surhoff

How is it that every player that comes through Milwaukee seems to play for 18 seasons? Surhoff was always a guy who was easy to root for. Surhoff is the perfect guy to be described as "gritty". Catcher, outfielder, one time all-star, goofy white guy from Milwaukee, member of the I Heart Halos Fave 4...the legacy of Surhoff is complete.

Honorable Mentions:
aka Bringing some Flava to Milwaukee

Gary Sheffield

Douche? Yes. However, as a kid during a time when there was only one ESPN network, we weren't inundated with all of the off the field information that we are now. I completely understand why any true Brewer fan would hate this guy, but I spent to many hours staring at his rookie cards not to have a soft spot for him.

I realize the 'roids would have made a career at shortstop a difficulty, but can you imagine this guy as a 500 home run shortstop? Sheff vs. Ernie Banks, quite a comparison.

Anthony Gwynn

I don't think Gwynn is ever going to make the impact with Milwaukee that I hoped he would, but I'm still holding out for him. Anthony was a really good outfielder for San Diego State and although I knew he probably wouldn't amount to much in the majors, I still keep holding my breath, waiting for the breakout. At least he destroyed Hoffman and the Pads a couple of years back.

Greg Vaughn

His best seasons were in Cincinnati and San Diego, but I like my Vaughn as a Brewer. Although his career started out slowly, you just always knew that this guy was going to be a beast whenever he made contact. Never a threat to hit .300 or .260 for that matter, Vaughn was the prototypical 80s power hitter, stuck in the 90s.

Teddy Higuera

Teodoro began his career as the new Fernando. A lefty Mexican pitcher who was absolutley dominating the league. Unfortunately injuries played a cruel joke on us all and kept us from experiencing Teddymania.

Bill Hall

Bill Hall hit 35 home runs in 2006. Look it up. Of course he hasn't approached those numbers again, which always worries you a little bit, but it's not like he morphed from stick figure to Incredible Hulk ala Barry.

Fatty McFatterson

The fattest vegetarian who ever lived.

Rickie Weeks

I keep waiting for this guy to break out and become a star. I don't think it's gonna happen. Almost makes you long for the days of Pat Listach.

Ryan Braun

This guy has the potential for a scary career. He's already off to one of the finest starts I can remember any player having. Normally you don't start thinking about guys hitting 500 home runs after two seasons, but it certainly seems like a strong possibility.

The Legends

Paul and Robin

I don't know how to justify my dislike for these two guys. They are certainly both deserving hall of famers and the greatest players in Milwaukee history, but I'm just not into these two. Making matters worse, I can't even blame it one their dorky whiteboyness, since clearly my list is populated by these fellas. I'm certainly a bitter Ruben Sierra fan as has been previously documented, so that somewhat explains the Yount exclusion, but I don't know what I have against Molitor. Let's just say he took my mom Dorothy Mantooth out for a nice seafood dinner and never called her back!

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Chicago Cubs

2009-04-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Cubbies. If like me, you grew up without a real home team, the Cubs or the Braves most likely became a big part of your life. For me it was the Cubs, Harry Caray and WGN. Every summer I would look forward to going outside while it was still cool, playing wiffle ball and other games, then heading inside around noon for lunch and the Cubs. Wrigley quickly became my home team, despite its location over a 1,000 miles away.

The Cubbies have always been the lovable losers, but some of my first memories of the Cubs were as *cough* Winners *cough*. Yup. 1989, one of the great Cubs seasons I can remember. 1987 was fun thanks to the Hawk and 1988 meant the emergence of Mark Grace and my total fascination with him. But 1989 was special. I was watching a team every day as they made the chase for the pennant. Too bad the damn Giants had to ruin everything.

1. Mark Grace

Grace will forever be one of my favorite baseball players of all-time. He didn't have the star power of guys like Griffey or Canseco, but he was my guy. When he came up as a rookie, I was instantly sold. I was never a fan of Leon Durham, and I wasn't even watching the team in 1984 when he committed his biggest gaffe. Grace was the young golden boy with all the promise. I hoarded his rookie cards and became obsessed with his play. His battle with Will Clark in the 89 NLCS was epic and had me convinced he'd become one of the greats of all-time. I hated to see him leave the Cubs, but at least he went on to win a championship.

2. Ryne Sandberg

Ryno was an amazing second baseman during a time when second baggers didn't do the things he did with a bat, especially when they could flash the leather. His 40 home runs in 1990 were just ungodly to me. I wasalways thrilled to pull a Sandberg card out of any pack and my friends were always willing to trade them to me, so I filled many a binder page with the man's image.

3. Jerome Walton

Jerome Walton might have introduced me to the idea of Rookie of the Year does not necessarily mean future all-star/MVP. I loved watching the rise of Jerome and Dwight Smith during their rookie years and figured these guys were on their way to becoming an amazing duo for years to come. Not so much, but I'll still never forget Jerome and his hat under helmet awesomeness.

4. Hector Villanueva

My favorite fat catcher. There was no better feeling than finding out that Joe Girardi or Rick Wilkins was on the bench and my boy Hector was gonna get some time behind the dish. Added bonus, won the Puerto Rican league triple crown. There's nothing he can't do.

Honorable Mentions:

Andre Dawson

I wish I had known more about the Hawk before he made it to Chicago, but I still enjoyed the hell out of the man while he was a Cub. No one has ever been as menacing with a bat in his hands. And that includes my boy, the much hated, Albert Belle.

Alfonso Soriano

I know that as soon as you call a player underrated, he essentially becomes overrated, but I feel like we are taking for granted how good this guy is. His combination of power is speed is rare in the game today and he is a ton of fun to watch.

Carlos Zambrano

Has there ever been a pitcher that's more fun to watch at the bat than on the mound? And that's saying something since he is a beast on the hill as well.

Doug Dascenzo

He was petite, not an attractive fellow, the definition of an underdog and to top all that he was an outfielder who is pictured on most of his cards pitching.

Greg Maddux

I was heartbroken when he left for the Braves. Ok, heartbroken is a bit strong, but it was upsetting. Just an amazing control pitcher.

Lloyd McClendon

I already talked about him on my Pirates list, but he was a Cub to me first and that's how I still think of him.

Mike Harkey

After a really good rookie season in 1990, Harkey never really put it together again. I got his autograph at a show in Texas when I was young, wearing my Grace jersey. The show was sparsely populated and Harkey spent about 10 minutes talking Cubs with me. Very cool.

Mitch Williams

A heart attack on the mound. He was just so much fun to watch, although you always thought he was about to combust. It still kills me that he became synonymous with the Joe Carter walk-off World Series home run.

Shawon Dunston

Combine the Shawon-o-Meter with the rocket arm and I was won over instantly. Half the fun of watching the Cubs in the field was hoping to get a glimpse of Shawon uncorking one.

The Cubs were certainly the team of my youth thanks to the fine people of WGN. To this day they still hold a small place in my baseball heart. Hopefully they'll win that elusive title someday, but then again half the fun of the Cubs is that they just seemed destined to never pull it off.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Cincinnati Reds

2009-04-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

There's something about the Reds that I just like. I wouldn't consider myself a Reds fan in the traditional sense. I don't live and die with their wins and losses and I don't fret about the moves the club makes, but I just really seem to enjoy the team. For a lot of clubs, I'll have a year or two sprinkled in where I follow them a little bit closer or come across a player that I really enjoy watching, but the Reds are somewhat different.

Since as far back as I can remember, I've enjoyed the Reds a great deal. Maybe it's the cool logo of a ball man with a mustache, the bright Red unis, or just the procession of players that have put on the red leggings. Either way, I'm as close to a Reds fan as one can be without actually being a real fan. If that makes any sense.

1. Barry Larkin

I'll never be able to do justice to Barry Larkin in the way that this man can. But I'll give it a shot. Barry was one of the smoothest shortstops that I ever saw play the game. He was a 30-30 shortstop without the aid of steroids, at a time when that seemed virtually impossible. Look at the man's wrists for god's sake.

Yup, he's got his own face on his sweatbands. It gets no more gangsta than that. In 1990, no one was giving the Reds a chance against the dominant A's in the World Series, but thanks to Barry and some other fellas, the Reds not only won, but swept the World Series.

The man was special. Plus I had a sweet barry Larkin model baseball glove. Take that.

2. Brandon Phillips

Barry larkin is a clear number one for me, but Brandon Phillips is threatening. I love the way this kid plays baseball. His 2007 season was severely underrated, mainly because it was unseen by most of us. He fell of a little last year and this year's start hasn't been too great, but the man has swagger. Hopefully he can step it up and show that my man crush is well-founded. How many other second baseman have won a gold glove with their hats tipped sideways? Get this man some wristbands with his face on them.

3. Eric Davis

If you've ever played wiffle ball then you know the magic of Eric Davis. Everyone of us wiffle ball players has gone into the Eric Davis stance, dipped the bat down and then unleashed fury. Eric Davis was probably the first baseball player I was truly in awe of. The man hit 37 home runs in one season and stole 80 bases in another. He was just a physical freak who unfortunately couldn't stay off the DL. The 1990 World Series in the perfect snapshot of Eric's career, a home run in his first at bat and a lacerated lung diving for a ball.

4. Billy Hatcher

A .750 average in the World Series. .750!! Next highest, Babe freaking Ruth. I first started to like Billy Hatcher when he was with the Astros and he was a fairly unknown player. That's what made his performance in the 1990 World Series so much more special to me. I felt like here was a guy I knew about and no one else did and he was absolutely killing it. The only thing that kept him from an MVP award for the series was a certain pitcher on the honorable mentions list.

Honorable Mentions:

Jose Rijo

In his only World Series, Rijo was flatout dominant against his former team. I was convinced he was the greatest pitcher alive during that series. Even now when I look back at his career statistics I'm always underwhelmed. He was good throughout his career, but never as dominant as he was during that series.

Chris Sabo

If you collected baseball cards during 1988, you were obsessed with Spuds. One of the first real baseball card phenoms from my youth. His career never lived up to the hype, but how could you hate on a guy wearing Rec Specs?

Rob Dibble

of all the Nasty Boys, Dibble was the one who really intrigued me. The man's temper was legendary and I loved that it seemed like he was going to throttle someone every time he gave up a hit.

Aaron Harang

He's a San Diego State Aztec. What more needs to be said. Well, he's a horse. He dominated for my fantasy team a couple of years back and he got absolutely screwed in the NL Cy Young voting in 2006.

Bip Roberts

Bip is my man, that goes without saying. I made the decision to put him on the Padres list, so unfortunately he had to be left off the Reds list. Needless to say, the man is a legend and deserves to be number one on the list of every team he played for.

Baseball needs the Reds to be succesful. I need the Reds to be succesful. There's just something that makes baseball better when the Reds are in contention. Unfortunately, that may be years away.

Go Halos!

Not The Start I Was Hoping For

2009-04-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

+

=

It's Almost Like They Felt Guilty About Something

2009-04-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

I recently opened a box of 1995 SP and while the entire break was fun for me, having never opened a pack of this in my life, a couple of things stood out to me. I'll get some of the other cards later, but the most interesting thing was the number of cards that had shots of players signing autographs.

Hmmm, 1995. I wonder what could possibly have taken place around 1994 or 1995 that might lead players to be a bit more generous with their time and sign autographs for the fans. Maybe it was just an outbreak of kindness amongst these young gents. Maybe they had some time off that caused them to realize the importance of getting into the good graces of the fans. Maybe the roid rage hadn't quite kicked in yet.

I give you, the signers of 95.

Of course the rookies were signing, it's their chance to feel like a big leaguer, until they actually become big leaguers and want nothing to do with us.

Another young fella trying to make good with the people. I hear this guy had a decent career.

Guys who joined new teams wanted to make a mark as well.

Lefty pitchers got in on the act as well.

Imagine the effort it would take to sign your entire name if it was Heathcliff Slocumb. No small task my friends.

One hand? Not a problem. That's dedication.

And it wasn't just the young guys signing.

This guy's a frickin' president...I'm assuming. His nickname is afterall El Presidente. I'm not fluent in espanol, but I'm giving it a shot.

Where are the sluggers you ask?

This guy hit a kinda famous home run.

The Yankee I actually like.

The Hawk is even intense when he signs autographs.

Yup, the man of juice even got in on the act.

They were truly magical times in 1995. Players going out of their way for the fans, signing cards, balls, shirts, whatever you put in front of them. I just can't quite put my finger on why they were so generous and obliging. Must have been something in the juice.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Florida Marlins

2009-04-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

When I wrote about the Padres, one of the problems I had was that they seem to always be a team of transition and outside of Tony Gwynn, it's hard to associate too many players with that franchise exclusively. If that's true of the Padres, it's even more so for the Marlins. A team known for "buying" its championships and then selling off the players that made it happen, the Marlins are the ultimate group of vagabonds.

Even so, I was able to think of a decent number of players that I really liked during their time as a Marlin. I feel like every season I'm hoping that the Marlins will topple the Mets or Braves, but often they seem to fade towards the end. This season they've jumped out to another hot start with a lot of good young talent, but I keep asking myself how it will fall apart this year.

1. Hanley Ramirez

I am thrilled that the Red Sox traded this guy to the Marlins so I can actually root for him. Can you imagine the kind of hype and ridiculous over the top talk we'd hear about this guy if he played in Boston. A Red Sox/Yankees game would cause my TV to explode with praise for Ramirez and Jeter. Instead, I get to flip over on the Extra Innings package and watch this guy play without worrying about all that. I can't think of another player that I'd choose to start a franchise with today other than Hanley Ramirez.

2. Mark Kotsay

When I moved out to California, we would often go down the street to Cal State Fullerton to watch Titans games. This became an event during the mid 90s when Mark Kotsay was college baseball's best player. Sure he could play a good center field and hit with the best of them, but then he'd trot in as the closer as well. As well-rounded a player as you could possibly be. I was certain that Kotsay would continue to star with the Marlins, and while he wasn't amazing, he was a pretty solid player for the Marlins, Padres, A's and more. So while Kotsay should probably be #1 on the Fave 4: Cal State Fullerton Titans, he'll have to settle for #2 with the Marlins.

3. Charles Johnson

CJ was one of the best defensive catchers in the game and I first remember him in a couple of uniforms other than the Marlins teal. Johnson starred for both Team USA, above, and the Miami Hurricanes. He was another guy who I had such high hopes for out of college, after watching him in the CWS, but Charles could just never seem to hit with any consistency. Even so, CJ was a great catcher and caught all but one of the Marlins no-hitters and I was actually in attendance for the one AJ Burnett threw against the Padres. Needless to say I was one of very few in attendance that night. Kotsay, incidentally, was playing center for the Pads that night.

4. Jeff Conine

If there's a Mr. MArlin, I'm pretty sure it has to be Conine. Twice he was an all-star for the Fish and he was just a likable guy. My memories of Conine are few, but I just always felt like he was the face of the Marlins in their early years since he began his career (rookie season, I know he played a handful of games with the Royals) with the Marlins as they were starting out as a franchise. I can still remember that Orestes Destrade was getting all the hyp to begin that season for the Marlins, but Conine was the true star.

Honorable Mentions:

Juan Pierre

Pierre has seen better days as he is currently stuck behind all the young talent in LA and is the butt of many jokes due to his contract, but I really liked Pierre in Florida. He was a huge part of the 2003 championship and I was constantly rooting for him to get on base and cause havoc against the Yanks.

Josh Beckett

Recent head throwing snafu aside, Beckett is one of the dominant pitchers of this era. He has proven to be amazingly clutch in the postseason and his starts seem to almost assure the Sox a win in the playoffs. The Marlins made out extremely well with Beckett, getting a championship out of him in 2003 and then being able to trade him for Hanley Ramirez who stars for them today. Well done.

Mike Lowell

I prefer a Marlin Lowell over a Red Sox Lowell, but even so he's tough to root against. Another guy who seems like a genuinely good person, not to mention a heck of a hitter. I was shocked that he was essentially a throw in as part of the Beckett trade.

Gary Sheffield

Sheff is definitely a man without a home as far as major league teams go, but I remember my best friend having a "Sheff" poster on his wall in which Gary was pictured wagging his bat for the Marlins. He's surly, he's almost certainly a roid-aided player, but he's also a lot of fun to watch up at bat.

The expansion teams are done and were left with only a few more teams to go. The
Brewers, Reds, Cubs, Dodgers and Angels. Let the anticipation ensue.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Arizona Diamondbacks

2009-04-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Diamondbacks have barely existed for a decade and in those 10+ years I haven't found a whole lot to root about in regards to this team. I despise the Yankees which led to me "rooting" for the D-backs in 2001, but even so I didn't really like team. I liked one player on that squad and it was only because he was one of my baseball heroes as a kid.

Really the highlight of the Diamondbacks for me came a couple of years back when I went to Arizona for Spring Training. Before we left for home, we stopped by the Bank One Ballpark and at the T.G.I. Friday's overlooking the field. Of course, it was the off-season and we were only entertained by construction crews working, but I like to think that may have been better than watching the team.

1. Orlando Hudson

I was really surprised when the D-backs decided to let him go, that turned into happiness when I saw the Dodgers were going to sign him, that then turned to giddy excitement watching him hit for the cycle on Monday. The guy seems to always be on base, always talking and always making great plays in the field. Why more teams weren't clamoring for his services I'll never know.

2. Travis Lee

Travis is a San Diego State boy, which automatically puts any player in contention for one of these lists. Combine that with an interesting story about his drafting and he becomes more intriguing. Lee was picked 2nd overall in the 1996 draft by the Twins, who failed to offer him a contract within, I believe, 15 days and he was granted free agency. He then went on to sign with the D-backs for over 10 million dollars. This was before I was really aware of Scott Boras, so it didn't really bother me. Now, it makes my stomach turn a little. Even so, Travis burst on to the scene in '98 and looked to be a legitimate star in the making. Unfortunately, that would not be the case. At least Arizona was able to package him for Curt Schilling.

3. Steve Finley

Defensively, Steve Finley was as good as it gets in center field. I enjoyed watching Finley in San Diego, but it seemed like he got much more attention in Arizona for his exploits. The only stain for me was his time as a Halo. Uggh. He absolutely robbed the Angels of 6 million dollars. Subsequent years Finley was followed by Edgardo Alfonzo and Shea Hillenbrand, so my hatred of Finley has transferred on.

4. Justin Upton

I must admit that much of my interest in Upton is due to baseball cards. In 2006, I pulled a Justin Upton refractor autograph that is probably one of my best pulls ever. Due to monetary reasons I have rooted for Upton ever since. Thanks to that interest I've actually come to appreciate Upton as a pretty solid young player. The D-backs are known for their young nucleus and this guy may end up being the best of all of them. Time will tell.

Honorable Mention:

Mark Grace aka The Man Who Would Be #1

Mark Grace is one of my all-time favorite baseball players, however he can only make one list and this WILL NOT be the one. I was happy to see Gracey get his ring with Arizona, but other than that I wasn't all that fond of his days with the D-backs. I like my Grace as a Cub, no substitutions.

So there's the meager list of Favorite Diamondbacks. I'm sure their fans have plenty more players to root on, but I just can't muster up the enthusiasm. One more expansion team to come, the Marlins. I'm not a Marlin fan either, but I have rooted for a heck of a lot more of their players.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Colorado Rockies

2009-04-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

This will most likely be the least interesting of all the Fave 4 posts and that's mainly because I'm just not that interested in the Colorado Rockies. They've made the playoffs a couple of times and even to the World Series recently where they laid an egg, but spurts of success just don't do it for me. Outside of the wacky 18-15 games that were once a staple of Coors Field, the Rockies just don't do it for me.

In fact, almost none of the expansion teams of the last couple of decades interests me, the one exception being the Rays who seem to have figured out how to bring up young talent and seem able to sustain their threat to topple the Yanks and Sox again this year. The Rockies just can't seem to find an identity. Is it going to be sluggers and rarified air, or speedy outfielders running down flies in a cavernous stadium with humidified balls? Well, whatever they eventually go with, you can be pretty sure I won't be around to watch.

1. Eric Young

If EY has ever played for a team you root for, chances are you're a fan. Outside of a few lame years at the end of his career, Eric Young has always been an exciting guy to watch. During the middle of his career when he played for the Rockies, Dodgers, Cubs and even the Brewers for a season, EY was likely to be on base and running at almost every opportunity. He also seemed to play with a real joy for baseball that I always appreciate in the players I watch.

2. Matt Holliday

The face-first, bloodied up slide he made in game pictured above, is probably the only Rockies moment that stands out in my mind. I'm not exactly a Padre fan and so I was rooting hard for the Rockies to pull this one-game playoff out and put the Padre fans I deal with on a daily basis out of their misery. With this slide he did just that and brought a tiny bit of joy to my life. Now, Matt is playing for the A's and promises to be a thorn in the side of the Angels, until the A's either trade him or let him go via free agency. God forbid if they actually sign him to a long-term contract.

3. Troy Tulowitzki

Troy is one of the players that my daughter has latched onto as a favorite. I think it's just because she likes trying to say "Tulowitzki", but whatever gets her interested is fine by me. Tulo seems to have all the skills to make him a star, but injuries last year really hampered him. Hopefully he will be able to overcome the curse of Clint Barmes and become the star the Rockies desperately need.

4. Todd Helton

I've never really been a Helton fan, but I always respected how he played the game. One of the few Rockies from the late 90s era who seemed like he would succeed no matter what stadium he called home. His gigantic goatee that took root a couple years back only strengthened his resume with me and landed him a top 4 spot.

Honorable Mention:

Larry Walker

The first ever Canadian born MVP, that should count for something right? Well, it did get him the only spot in the Honorable Mention category. Not quite the MVP, but I'm sure Larry would be proud.

I wish I had something inspired to say about the Rockies and this group of players, but I'm at a loss. The Rockies will forever be that purple team who played their first game in Mile High Stadium and turned their pitchers into such headcases that they had to start tampering with the balls to make people sane. One hell of a legacy.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: San Francisco Giants

2009-04-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

To put it bluntly, I don't like the Giants. In fact, watching them get demolished by the Dodgers right is what prompted me to post my list today. At least if I'm going to show any Giants some love, I'll make it on a day when it's not so fun to be a Giant fan.

The Dodgers were always my team in the National League, as they were my grandfather's favorite team and he would listen to Vin Scully every single night on the radio. When we would come out to visit he'd always take me to see either the Angels or Dodgers and he instilled a healthy hatred for the Giants at an early age. On top of that, Barry Bonds is the most unlikable player of my generation and my Halos made a great comeback against the Giants in the World Series to finally win it all. So, my history with the Giants goes back, but very little of it is positive, but I'm able to see through that fog of hatred and at least show love for a few players.

1. Steve Scarsone

The magic of baseball cards is responsible for my love of Steve Scarsone, the only Giant I will truly admit to liking. Scarsone was born in Anaheim, CA and I know this fact because I read it on the back of Steve's baseball card. Why is this important? Well, in the summer of 1995 my best friend and I had tickets at the left field foul pole at Dodger Stadium to see the Giants battle the Dodgers. Our reason for purchasing tickets at the pole was our desire to yell at Barry Bonds every second of the game for 9 innings straight.

We got there early for batting practice and only fans with tickets in the front row were allowed to stand against the wall to try and grab batting practice balls. With great luck I was able to snag not one, but two baseballs. On the second, which I must admit was an amazing grab, Steve Scarsone made his way over to congratulate me on the grab and taunt the Dodger fans by grabbing grounders that came close to the fans and then toss them into the infield. Steve was having a lot of fun with it as were the fans. After talking to Scarsone for a few moments I asked him to sign one of my baseballs and he told me he couldn't sign for a Dodger fan. That's when the magic of baseball cards came into play.

Scarsone wsn't exactly the most well-known player on the field, but I knew a nugget and I went with it. "Come on Scarsone, we're both from Anaheim. (I'm not incidentally) You gotta show some love for a hometown boy." Apparently this impressed the man and he signed my ball, with a ballpoint pen I borrowed from another fan, and continued to talk baseball and mess with the fans for the rest of batting practice. For this reason, Steve Scarsone is not only my favorite Giant, but one of my favorite baseball players ever.

2. Kevin Mitchell

Seriously, is there another player who ever had a Diamond King card that featured his gold tooth prominently? That alone secured Kevin Mitchell this spot on the list. Combine that with a somewhat chunky/muscular frame, his 47 home run MVP season in 1989 and that barehanded catch he made on the run, make Kevin Mitchell a Giant you can kinda root for. His bizarre behavior including leaving to play in Japan in 1995 after a 9th place MVP season and Dwight Gooden's accusations that Kevin once decapitated his girlfriend's cat make Kevin Mitchell even more of a legendary figure.

3. Robby Thompson

During my freshman year of college, my roommate brought his Sega Genesis and we would play World Series Baseball for hours, not like 2 or 3, more like 8 to 10. He was a huge Giants fan and since it was his system, I would play games with the Giants in an attempt to complete the entire 162 game season, playoffs, etc. For whatever reason, I could absolutely rake with Robby Thompson. By the all-star break I had over 60 home runs with Robby. He was an absolute beast. It was as close to Bo Jackson in Super Tecmo Bowl that I've ever seen out of a virtual athlete. I don't recall if I ever saw the real-life Robby Thompson hit a homerun, but his Sega counterpart was amazing.

4. Rod Beck

Big, surly, great stache, one of the first great closers I remember watching as a kid. Rod Beck went on to play for other teams, but to me he's a Giant and while I enjoyed watching him more when he played for teams other than the hated Giants, he was still a pretty amazing reliever during those days. His unfortunate death after his playing days seemed almost destined, as he had many problems with alcohol, etc.

Honorable Mentions:

Chili Davis

The Jamaican Sensation who I only recently discovered was Jamaican, was one of my favorite Angels and I remember him first coming up with the Giants. His name was Chili, what was a chubby kid in Texas supposed to do other than root for this guy?

Jose Uribe

Uribe is one of those guys who I'm not sure why I like them so much, I just know I do.

Tim Lincecum

One of the only bright spots on the Giants these days. His delivery alone makes him a ton of fun to watch on the mound. Couple that with the fact that he has such great stuff and isn't afraid to throw all 9, makes Lincecum one of the really bright young stars.

The "I just don't like this guy" category:
Will Nuschler Clark

His middle name is Nuschler and as evidenced above, he needs another man to apply his eye black. Lame. I don't like you one bit Nuschler!

I finsihed this post as the Dodgers recorded the final out in an 11-1 blowout. Sweet poetry.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: San Diego Padres

2009-04-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

The Padres seem destined to be a team known more for the talent they produced and lost than the talent out on the field. When trying to come up with my favorites for the Pads it became clear that I don't identify that many players as being purely Padres. This is true for almost every team, as free agency has made every team a mish-mash of parts, but the Padres take it to another level. So missing from this list are guys like Roberto Alomar, Fred McGriff, John Kruk, Joe Carter, Tony Fernandez, and Sandy Alomar Jr.

A couple of my first little league teams in Texas were named the Padres, so from an early age, I've always followed the boys from San Diego. In an odd twist of fate or maybe just a coincidence, I ended up attending college in San Diego and still find myself living in the area today. SO the Padres, despite my misgivings, have become a bit of a home team to me. Although I rarely root for them, I do find that I see about as many padre games as I do any team other than the Angels. So this is my look at the guys who've become a part of my favorite Padres, no matter how hard I might have tried to avoid it.

1. Bip Roberts

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you may be aware that I have a bit of an obsession with Mr. Leon Roberts aka Bip. So you would think he would be a no-brainer as my number 1 Padre, but I struggled with just where to put him. In the end, the Padres edged out the Reds because San Diego is where I first witnessed the greatness of Bip and of course there's the card below. That pretty much cemented it.
For more on the genius of Bip, click here, here or here.

2. Tony Gwynn

Mr. Padre. I'm sure that on 99 out of 100 Padres fan's lists he'd be #1, but for this guy he's a run away #2. Gwynn was one of the great singles hitters of all-time and I remember spending many hours reading Tony Gwynn's Total Baseball Player. A serious bonus to Tony for being my alma mater's best baseball player of all-time, one of the best basketball players of all-time and the current head coach of the team.

3. Benito Santiago

If you grew up during Benito's formative years in the majors, you had to be obsessed with the way that Benito would throw out runners from his knees. My friends and I would spend half the afternoon just trying to throw each out by doing this. Inevitably the majority of our throws sailed into center field or bounced in front of the pitching mound, but that only made the arm of Benito even more awesome!

4. Jake Peavy

One of the main reason to watch a Padre game these days is the opportunity to see Peavy on the hill. He is one of the best pitchers today and is certainly not getting the exposure he deserves because he's on the West Coast in San Diego. I was really hoping Peavy would be traded to the Angels this off-season and maybe with any luck it'll still happen as we near the All-Star break. Of course the Pads will need to start losing a few more games.

Honorable Mentions:

Adrian Gonzalez

If Peavy is the reason to watch the Padres on defense, Gonzalez is the reason to watch them on offense. It makes no sense for a team to give him any pitches to hit, but he makes the most of his opportunities and continues to rake, even in Petco.

Carmelo Martinez

From one Latin first basemen to another. I can't even tell you why I'm a Carmelo fan, but I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with the name Carmelo and my love of Caramello candy bars.

Andy Benes

Benes looked huge out on the mound. As the first overall pick in the 1988 draft, Benes was one of the first "prospects" that I was infatuated with as a young kid.

Josh Barfield

I really thought this guy was going to be a solid second baseman for a decade with the Pads. He's never been able to live up to his promise and hype, but I still look back fondly on his rookie campaign.

Quilvio Veras

Another guy that I can't quite put my finger on why I like him so much. He was a key, although minor, part in the 1998 NL championship squad. He always seemed to be diving for a ball up the middle or in the hole, and often making the play.

So after much delay, the Fave 4 Padres have finally made their appearance. I probably should have just traded this list away to another blogger for a few other quality posts, but chances are in true Padres spirit I would have received something promising that I would have bungled or traded away a few weeks from now.

Go Halos!

An Angel Forever

2009-04-09T15:32:00.001-07:00

For many people in the card blogging community, the Nick Adenhart tragedy has led to sentiments of I didn’t really know him too well, but this is truly sad. As a die-hard Angels fan, I knew Nick Adenhart about as well as a fan watching from a far can. For Angel fans, Adenhart has been the future pitching savior for a number of years and we have all followed his progress, looking forward to the day when he would finally arrive in Anaheim and show the baseball world what he had to offer. Sadly, much of the baseball world will never know just what he did have to offer and we’ve all been robbed of seeing his potential baseball brilliance.

When Nick was drafted in 2004, there were questions about his health due to arm troubles, but for Halo fans, he was going to be the savior. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent tracking him on milb.com. Checking box scores, scouring for new, looking for any indications that Adenhart would truly be our next great pitching star. It’s odd, I never had the chance to see Adenhart pitch in person, but I felt like I knew him so well. As an Angel fans we all followed his story and took deep breaths whenever word of arm troubles would arise. In the back of my mind though, I always had the feeling he would become a star.

Today is truly a tragic one for the Adenhart family and can’t even fathom what they must be going through. The news hit me hard this morning. When I returned from the park with my daughter I hopped on the internet as I always do and went straight to HalosHeaven.com, looking for any news about tonight’s game, which was going to be my first of the year and my daughter Hailey’s first Angel game ever. For weeks now, we’ve been hyping this event up to Hailey. In the last year she became interested in all of Daddy’s baseball cards and his favorite team with the bright red hats. Whenever we would drive up from San Diego to visit her grandparents, she would scream out, “DAAAD! That’s where the Angels play!!” as we would pass the Big A. That would always be followed by, “When can I go to an Angel game Daaaad?”. Today was supposed to be that day.

We knew there was a good chance that tonight’s game would be cancelled, but we still drove up this morning to Grammy and Poppa’s house, me with a heavy heart and Hailey with her Angels necklace gripped tightly in her hand. By the time we hit Orange County the news had broken that tonight’s game would be cancelled and both my wife and I looked at each other with dread.

We rode on in silence for about a half hour until we transitioned onto the 57 freeway, the spot where Angel Stadium stands tall. Hailey again yelled out and our hearts filled our throats. By the time we reached her Poppa’s house, we had worked out our plan. After distractions and changes of subject, we finally let Hailey know that the players got sick and there would be no game tonight for us. Her sadness filled the air for a few seconds, she pouted for a moment and then with the spirit of a 3 year old she exclaimed, “I hope they feel better!” and she made her way to the pile of toys in the living room.

Just like that it was over. A day that started with such excitement for our entire family, but turned into a truly heartbreaking day. I want to be sad about our missed experience, but I just can’t muster that emotion for this. I’m so thankful just to have a daughter who can bring such joy into my life. Within minutes she had picked up her Dora the Explorer bat and was asking me to throw her pitches because, “I’m Vladdy, Dad!”.

An event like this makes you realize just how precious this life is and how important it is to savor every moment of it. All of my sadness is reserved for the Adenhart family and none of it will go to my own. We may have a hundred baseball games in our future, but unfortunately for our #34, there will be no more.

I know not everyone out there knew Nick Adenhart or followed his career, but from a fan who did, I know we’ll miss Nick for a long time. These players that we follow almost become like family. We twist and turn based on their every movement and so much of us gets wrapped up in their performance. I spent about ten minutes last night preparing a blog in praise for Nick’s performance last night during the ninth inning, when the A’s rallied from behind and dashed my spirits. I regret that I didn’t take that chance to praise the toughness and determination of that young man who will never be with us out on the mound again.

RIP Nick Adenhart. An Angel forever.

Go Halos!

RIP Nick Adenhart

2009-04-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

RIP

I don't really know what to say. Some things just put baseball into perspective. This season will never be the same.

Stunned.

The I Heart Halos Mini-Hiatus

2009-04-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

A combination of factors is leading to a mini-hiatus for the I Heart Halos mega-site.
1. We're leaving to head up to Anaheim tonight.
2. Hailey will be attending her first baseball game tomorrow night and we're all focused 100% on this.
3. I bought a new laptop last night and while it is awesome, the program I've used while scanning for the last year did not transfer over. So now, when I slap in 9 cards, go to crop and edit, I can no longer do the things I used to do. This has led to much frustration on my part. The 9 Padres cards for today's Fave 4 are just sitting there idly.
4. My frustration level with problem #3 is not good for the health of myself or my loved ones.
5. Combine this frustration with the fact that Dustin Moseley is part of the Angels current rotation and you have one curmudgeon of a Halo fan and blogger.

So in the interest of sanity, I'll be taking a couple of days off. With any luck I'll be able to work something out by Saturday and you can all regale in not only the wondrous Padre Fave 4, but also Hailey's first baseball game.

Go Halos!

Fave 4: Philadelphia Phillies

2009-04-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah they're the World Champions, no one's giving them much of a shot to repeat this year, instead focusing on the Mets, etc., but none of that matters to the Fave 4. I'm not easily won over by championship seasons and the stars that produce them. Instead, the Fave 4 prefers to look back fondly on the players who helped build their legacy over the life of my collecting and baseball watching. So while some may be focused on the snazzy team, in the new stadium with the snazzy uniforms, I recall this:

I'm sorry Phillies fans, but those were some awful logos and uniforms that your team was responsible for in the 80s. I don't remember liking a whole lot about the Phillies during that time, but I think it's my hatred for the logo and look that has led me to think this way. As I started to come up with my list of Favorite Phils, it became apparent that I actually liked a good number of them. All these years I've let my keen eye for fashion deter me from liking this team, when I'm actually a fan of a number of their funky looking players. And trust me, this is a motley crew to say the least. With no further bashing, I give you the Fave 4 Phillies.

1. Kent Tekulve

I realize his best years were with the Pirates, but those weren't my years. So when I think back about the Phillies and my days of collecting them, I think of this man. The immortal, Kent Tekulve. Could there have been a bigger nerd icon on the 80s? He was not an attractive man, he had a bizarre throwing motion and he wore glasses that became dark in the sun. We used to kick the crap out of any kid who dared wore glasses like those, prescription be damned. But Tekulve made it cool. I absolutely love this guy. If I could find a poster of him, I would hang it over my bed with pride and my wife would just have to deal with it. Even better, an oil painting. TEKULVE!

2. Juan Samuel

Really was there any doubt that Juan Samuel would make the list. I'm only pissed I couldn't find his card from Studio in time. The jheri curl, the stash, the general awesomeness, this is what makes Juan Samuel a member of the Fave 4. I could spout out stats and amazing plays, but if you've ever seen Juan Samuel play, then you know that none of that is necessary.

3. John Kruk

Maybe the most mainstream of the Fave 4 members, Kruky has gone on to become just about as recognizable for being on ESPN as he is for his baseball playing exploits. In all honesty, I don't really like him that much on TV. His humor comes out occasionally, but it seems like I always tune in when he's saying something kind about the Yankees and well, that just doesn't fly for me. However, Kruky the player was a ton of fun, pun intended. I love the portly players and Kruk was a favorite from the start in San Diego. Someday I may have to rank my favorite baseball fatties. In fact, I'm now trademarking the Fave Fatties list. Coming soon.

4. Von Hayes

Can you imagine what it must have been like during 1987 when Von Hayes and Kent Tekulve hit the nightspots together. I can. It goes a little something like this:
Von and Kent spot some ladies at the bar and approach.
Tekulve: "Hello ladies, can we buy you a drink?"
Lady #1: "Get lost creep!"
Von: (in polo shirt with collar turned up) "Woah, woah, woah, ladies. Don't you know who we are?"
Lady #2: "A couple of loser accountants out for the night hitting on girls they could never dream of actually nailing?"
Tekulve: (insulted) "Vile whores! I am Kent Tekulve!"
Von: "And I'm Von Hayes!"
Ladies staring at each other cluelessly.
Tekulve: "Of the Philadelphia Phillies..."
Von: "Maybe you've heard of us now?"
Lady #2: "I don't know who you two think you're fooling, but you two are pathetic. Good day!"
As ladies walk away, Tekulve makes one final plea.
Tekulve: "I've seen Mike Schmidt naked. More than once."

Honorable Mentions:
The aforementioned Mike Schmidt. Here seen fully clothed.

Hall of famer, check. One of the greatest 3rd basemen of all-time, check. Memeber of the Fave 4, no chance. Did you see that list above? You gotta be a little bit off to make this list. On a sidenote, is the above 1989 Fleer card perhaps one of the most god-awful cards of all-time. I vote yes.

Mickey Morandini

I can only imagine the bar-hopping if Mickey had been able to make it to the show by 1987. That would have been a dream team. Hayes, Morandini and Tekulve. Sounds like a nice law firm.

Steve Bedrosian

Killer beard bro.

Chase Utley

The rich man's Mickey Morandini

Jimmy Rollins

If this were 1991 he'd probably be one of my favorite players in a Barry Larkin sort of way.

Shane Victorino

Two times a Rule V draftee. I remember being pissed that the Padres let him go after drafting him from the Dodgers. His numbers were pretty poor, but I just remember liking something about him. Apparently I was right. Me-1 Padres -0.

Dickie Thon

Say it out loud. Dickie. Thon. Hee Hee!

Perhaps my favorite list so far. All these years of discriminating based on jersey and logos, who knew all of the kick assness going on Philadelphia. But now I leave you with what you came here for, more Tekulve.

TEKULVE.

Chills.

2009-04-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

It's all gloom and doom around Haloville these days. The pitching staff is in shambles thanks to injury, no bid acquisitions, the offense doesn't look to be improved after the loss of Teix, and the A's are the darling of the AL once again.

You know what, I don't care. It's April and it's time for the Halos. What better way to prepare than spending the night watching Field of Dreams and waking up to watch baseball in Cincinnati. I can't friggin' wait for 6 o'clock and then my attention is focused on Thursday when Hailey May makes her major league debut.

Go Halos!

Your 2009 Halos Opening Day Roster

2009-04-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

I want to be excited about the prospects for this season, but I just have this nagging feeling about the team. Pitching and defense, the things that carried us for years, just aren't there right now. Thank to injuries the starting rotation is sure to create a few groans throughout the month of April.

But forget pessimism. This is my team and I'm looking forward to a World Series Championship!

Although the roster will change, especially the pitching staff, here they are.
YOUR 2009 HALOS OPENING DAY ROSTER

Starting Rotation

Joe Saunders

Dustin Moseley

Nick Adenhart

Jered Weaver

Shane Loux

The Bullpen

Closer Brian Fuentes

Scot Shields

Justin Speier

Jose Arredondo

Kevin Jepsen

Jason Bulger

Darren Oliver

The Infield

1B Kendry Morales

2B Howie Kendrick

SS Erick Aybar

3B Chone Figgins

SS Macier Izturis

1B/3B Robb Quinlan

C Mike Napoli

C Jeff Mathis

The Outfield

RF Vladimir Guerrero

CF Torii Hunter

LF Bobby Abreu

LF/RF/DH Juan Rivera

5th OF Gary Matthews Jr.

Bye Bye Reggie, enjoy Utah.

Manager Mike Scioscia

GO HALOS!!