3 On Card Autos: The Non-Sports Edition

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!

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

Light up the Halo!

Go Halos!

Figgy an All-Star

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.