It's Almost Like They Felt Guilty About Something

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: New York Yankees

The Yankees, reviled team of multi-millionaire mercenaries. It's hard to find anything to like about this team. Their present day team is made of players I really could care less about and their litany of players over the last few decades isn't exactly stacked with players I love.

So as I got closer to making this post I thought about going in a few directions.
Option 1: Angry Tirade about Busts. I could just be spiteful and write about the many busts that they have acquired and spent massive amounts of dough on.
Exhibits A and B

Exhibit C

Exhibit D


While I certainly would have enjoyed Option 1, it also would have been a bit petty and it's not as if my team hasn't made its share of mistakes.


Option 2: Humorous Discussion of Failures. I could make fun of their penchant for spending a crap load of money on players who absolutely love the Roids.
Exhibit A

Exhibit B


Again, enjoyable but filled with spite and well I'm feeling generous today.

Option 3: Disqualified Favorites. I have liked a few Yankees over the years, but unfortunately I liked them a heck of a lot more when they played for other teams.
Exhibit A

Exhibit B


I really wanted to go in this direction, but it would have broken my rule of repeating players and I'm nothing if I'm not a man of integrity.

Option 4: The Swerve. Let's just say there are certain players I could go the rest of my life without hearing about again and I'd be very content.
Exhibit A


So how does the "Swerve" work? It would start with a blustery, tear-filled write-up extolling the virtues of the Captain. Just as you settled in and started to believe that I really loved the Captain, I'd hit you with the venom! Bam! Swerve! The problem? I might have had a heart attack halfway through the post, as my arm spasms I accidentally click "Publish Post" and then the last thing anyone would ever read on I Heart Halos is a tribute to the Captain. (As an aside, when saying "the Captain", please do so in a tone of disdain.) For obvious reasons, I didn't want the legacy of this lil interweb site to be one of Jeter praise.

Option 5: The straightforward strategy. I was left with option 5 and decided to just go for it. I don't like the Yankees, but there was one player I always liked and I figured I could fill in the other 3 with a bit of effort.

Here's my attempt at Option 5. It stings a bit, but it's the classy thing to do. Don't be shocked if my system is unable to allow this post and it quickly devolves into a rant against Teixeira.

1. Don Mattingly

Donnie Baseball. His 1984 Topps card is still one of my favorite cards ever. It was hard to grow up in the 80s and not love Mattingly. It helped that the Yankees were not the evil empire at that point and instead were known more for ineptitude and managerial changes aka The Good Ol' Days.

2. Dave Winfield

A Hall-of-Famer who was partly responsible for Steinbrenner being removed from baseball for a couple of years. What's not to like? He later became a Halo and won Comeback Player of the Year, but was never really what most Angel fans were looking for.

3. Alfonso Soriano

He had a few really good years for the Yankees and I was beginning to dread seeing him come to the plate against the Halos. So shy do I like him so much? He was traded for A-Roid and I like that the Yankees traded a likable player for an absolute *insert your favorite derogatory word here*.

4. Hensley Meulens

I swear this isn't part two of "the Swerve" where I act civil for three players and then take this opportunity to slip in one of the MANY over-hyped, do nothing, quadruple A players like Bam Bam, Kevin Maas, Brien Taylor, Ruben Rivera, Pat Kelly, Drew Henson, Dan Pasqua, Shane Spencer...Oh wait, sorry where was I? Oh yeah, this wasn't part of a ingeniously orchestrated swerve.

Honorable Mentions:
I feel like I have to include Honorable Mentions since I've done it for every team so far.

Robinson Cano

He helped my fantasy team once.

Bernie Williams

I hear he's good with a guitar.

I'm gonna go take a shower now.

Go Halos!

The Woes of a Player Collector

When I re-entered the hobby a couple years back, I quickly found myself overwhelmed by everything that was available. I wasn't sure where to really start and I definitely floundered for some time. When I left the hobby way back in the early 90's, I didn't have the funds to ever buy a full wax box, so that was definitely my first desire. I also spent time on eBay buying cards that I was never able to unearth during my younger days.

Here I was, a couple of clicks away from owning a beauty like this:


Finally, I was collecting cards like a kid, but with an adult's wallet. What could be better than that? Well, having a purpose for one. I liked all the different stuff I was buying and being able to open packs whenever I wanted to, but there was something missing. As a child, I was definitely a player collector. I never had the money to buy a lot of packs and build sets, but I did have a number of friends to trade with and we used to lug our collections to school everyday just for the 15 minutes during lunch when we might be able to make some trades.

I had two early player collections:
Kirby Puckett


Mark Grace


The more I thought about it, the more I knew I needed this type of focus. As an Angel fan, I knew I wanted to collect one of my own, but although the answer seems like an obvious one, I still struggled with it. Should I go with a vet I've enjoyed watching for years or a young guy who could have 10 more years with the team. After some deliberation...ok not really that much, I decided to collect Garret Anderson.


So the title of this post is "The Woes of a Player Collector", but after all that blubbering, you may be wondering what my woe is exactly. Well, my favorite player, a lifelong Angel is on the verge of no longer being a member of my team.

What do you do when your favorite player, the one you collect, is no longer a part of your favorite team? I'll always be a fan of Garret, but part of his appeal has always been that over these past 14 years, he's always had a Halo on his cap. Over the last few months my collection has slowed down considerably and I think some of it is because I could see the writing on the wall. I knew GA's days were numbered and I didn't really want to face what was to come. My collection has become much more diverse over the past year and I've started to spend less and less time on my player collections, but I know that in April, there's a very good chance a part of my collecting life will be gone.

Go Halos!