< 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!
