RBI (186) Rays Magic...

The past few seasons the Tampa Bay Rays have been regular contenders in October and a big part of it has been digging out talent from all parts of the draft. Pitcher Jake McGee is one of those arms they found to be a solid arm coming out of the pen.

McGee was drafted out of the 2004 MLB Draft in the 5th round and debuted in 2010 for the Rays. The lefty has provided solid results for Joe Maddon when he comes out in games appearing in 71 games and recording his first career save this season. He's one of the under the radar guys that has helped the Rays hold on to their magic to push into the post season.

Jake McGee autographed this 2011 Topps Lineage rookie card for me when the Rays were in town to play against the Angels in the 2013 season. I like McGee and especially since the season before he gave me a Orioles commemorative baseball that I saved and ended up getting Adam Jones' autograph on.

RPS (6) 2013 Padres Fanfest

Well readers I decided to make the trek to San Diego to join in on the Padres Fanfest held at Petco Park. I had heard that it was a fun event from my fellow graphers and even though there aren't really the name brand stars you'd associate with most other teams I thought it would be a good time.

I made the drive down to San Diego and was immediately greeted with some familiar faces running into Alex, David, Josh, Keith and other regular graphers in line waiting for entry. When I got into the stadium I immediately got an autograph pass for an upcoming autograph session and then went on to the Yard Sale. One nice thing I noticed on my walk over to the Yard Sale was the awesome fact that the Padres were letting fans onto the field for different activities.

At the Yard Sale I was able to pick up a few things at a nice discount. I picked up a Jeremy Hermida Batting Practice Jersey, Game Used Joe Thatcher Padres cap, a Stand Up to Cancer patch, and a pair of team issue socks. I almost bought a John Baker Game Used batting helmet but I opted out at the register since I didn't have a ticket to his autograph session that day.

After I made my purchases I went to the first autograph signing session of the day that I had a pass for. I had Carlos Quentin autograph this 2012 Topps Heritage card for me.

Quentin's signing partner was Casey Kelly. I had just pulled two of his Topps 2013 rookie cards and wasn't sure if I wanted the parallel signed or the base card. I put them both in front of Casey and asked if he could sign the one he liked the most. He responded "Well why don't I just sign them both." I was really excited since I had been big on him since he was signed by the Red Sox. After Casey Kelly autographed them he asked why one of them was blue and I explained the difference between the two. He asked why Topps did that and the first thing that came to mind popped out of my mouth, "to make us spend more money" he laughed at that and said thanks for coming out.

After getting the Quentin and Kelly autographs I went around the stadium taking a tour of the stadium. Here's the view from center field toward home plate, and if you notice in the above photo there was a temporary fence up where the Padres are pulling the fences in too. I can't imagine being even farther back and hoping to make a home run.

After my tour of the stadium I popped by the player interview session hoping to score Chase Headley on his way away from the stage. When he was walking on the stairs I asked Chase if he could sign please and he turned back holding up the line of security and other players and very sincerely apologized saying he'd love to but he wouldn't be able to sign right then. I said it was no problem and wished him well. I was struck with how genuine Chase appeared to be to me and all his fans, he seems like a great guy and I hope he continues to be the dangerous hitter he has become.

After that I went back onto the field and got a scoop of dirt for my collection, ate a little lunch, and wandered the stadium a bit more before waiting in line for the next batch of autograph session tickets and in line for the next autograph session. The next session was for Brad Boxberger who I didn't have anything for so I had him sign one of the provided Padres autograph cards. I felt semi bad not having anything for him to sign, especially since most of the fans were skipping him and going to the next signer.

The next signer of course was the man of the day Chase Headley. I was pretty excited to get Chase Headley's autograph on a baseball and it was made even nicer when I asked him if he could please put an inscription on the ball. He was kind enough to inscribe "SS & GG 2012" on the sweetspot with his name and number on a ball I had gotten after a game from Joe West.

From there I went to the next signing and got Cameron Maybin's rushed autograph. Apparently he gave me his rushed short signature on this 2012 Allen and Ginter card. I saw his full signature on a few other pieces and he definitely has a very nice one compared to the short one I got here. I know I technically shouldn't complain since I heard he's a tough signer in San Diego and it was a free event, but having seen the other signature it's definitely different and sort of a let down to get the rushed one.

After Maybin signed I had his signing partner Adys Portillo autograph on another one of the Padres autograph cards.

When I finished at the Maybin signing I waited around for Bud Black to finish his interview session to add another card to my 1987 set, but I wasn't able to get his signature. After being shot down I scooted on over to the next autograph signing and was caught with another dilemma of which card to get signed again. I put down a Jedd Gyorko 1st Bowman Chrome card and a Bowman insert card and asked if he could sign the one he liked the most. He didn't say anything just thanks for coming and signed both of the cards. Definitely excited to have these Jedd Gyorko autographs in knocked out because I've got the feeling he's going to be good for a while.

Signing alongside Gyorko was Logan Forsythe who signed his 2013 Topps Series 1 card for me.

I meandered one more time through the Yard Sale where I almost bought a few blank batting helmets to use to get signed but opted out when I realized they wouldn't look the same without the right team logo on the front. I took the tour through the clubhouse and on the way in almost got knocked over by a guy running through the halls. I turned to see who it was and saw "Street" on the back of his shirt and realized Huston Street had popped through the tour running into the clubhouse. I called out to him and he turned to throw a quick smile and wave before heading deeper into the off limits part of the clubhouse.

All in all it was a great day spent in San Diego. I got a few cool pieces of baseball memorabilia, some nice autographs, took a tour of the stadium and club house, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I may not have racked quite as many autographs as some of the other graphers but I got some quality stuff and I'm glad I made the trip down to see the Padres and tip my hat to the whole organization for such a fun day.

RBI (116) Vintage Prospecting...

One thing I definitely enjoy getting signed would be the prospect, rookie, or 1st cards of players. It's nice to note the beginning of a players career with their first card of note. This is especially fun for me to do for players whose cards are vintage at this point since it's more difficult to track them down than current rookies.

Jim Anderson was drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1975 MLB Draft. He cruised through the minors to debut with the Angels in 1978. He was able to play almost every position which helped the .218 hitter play 419 MLB games from '79-81 and '83-'84. He would debut for the Angels as shortstop but appear at 3rd base, second base, catcher, and an outfielder by the end of his career.

Mr. Anderson was kind enough to sign his 1979 Topps prospect card for me as part of the Angels 50th Anniversary celebration. He had his family with him and mentioned to what I believe was his daughter that this is the card he had mentioned earlier. I'm assuming he was explaining to her which card was his rookie card. Dave Frost also appeared as part of the alumni appearances but since I didn't have any idea of how to get Bob Slater I opted to not have Frost sign the prospect card as it'd be a project I started that never finished.

RBI (96) Will the Thrill TTM...

Another nifty 365 TTM return made it's way back to me and I was happy to see when I opened the envelope a 1987 Topps back. Who was nice enough to sign for me? I was thrilled to see Will 'the Thrill' Clark had autographed my card.

Clark was taken by the San Francisco Giants with the 2nd overall pick in the 1985 amateur draft after winning a Silver Medal in the 1984 Olympics. He flew to the Majors and made his debut in April 1986, homering in his first at bat off Nolan Ryan. He would be one of the premier 1st baseman in the National League while he played for the Giants and remains a fan favorite despite leaving for the Rangers, Orioles, and Cardinals.

He retired as a 6-time All Star, Gold Glover, and 2-time Silver Slugger. His career stats after 15 seasons in the MLB are mighty impressive with 2176 hits coming from a career .303 average and .384 OBP. He drove in 1205 RBI while smacking 284 Home Runs which supported a .497 slugging percentage. Clark was put in the College Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, but Cooperstown will not call as he was dropped off the ballot after failing to receive 5% of the vote in 2006.

Mr. Clark signed this 1987 Topps card that I sent to his home address after only 33 days. I was really happy to add Clark to my collection and it's always nice to check another '87 Topps off the list.

RPS (4) 2012 Angel Stadium Opening Weekend

The 2012 baseball season has officially begun at Angel Stadium and the autograph hunting is in full swing. Since it was Opening Day I decided to spend the whole day at the stadium 'graphing. Zack Hample may have his streak of 793 (as of 4/8/12) consecutive games with getting at least 1 ball, but I've got a decent streak of my own going.  If you read my 2011 summary post then you know I went to 74 games last year and got at least one autograph each game of a former or current player, I felt the pressure to continue the streak as Opening Day began.

The closer I got to the stadium, the more pressure I felt until I got out of my car and saw some familiar faces. Needless to say the streak lives on and I had a pretty good weekend. However I'm not sure how long the streak will survive due to what I call the "Pujols Effect" which essentially means an obscene amount of people trying to get autographs every day. It's definitely going to take some serious effort to make sure I keep it alive.

Anyways, on to the summary. Unfortunately I wasn't able to photos of the graphing before and after the game, because I don't keep my Canon Rebel T3 on me while collecting since I don't want it damaged.

Going back to the "Pujols Effect" one of the biggest impacts Albert brings to the Big A, is the big ESPN deciding to cover more games than in years before. On hand to cover Opening Day, was Hall of Famer Barry Larkin who was very nice to the fans and signed during breaks from the broadcast. I was able to get him on this Rawlings Gold Glove Baseball, but he signed it with a black pen from the ESPN table.

On his way into the stadium, I asked if he wouldn't mind helping me work on the 1987 Topps set, and he signed one of those while he was walking. It was pretty cool getting to walk alongside Mr. Larkin with security escorting "us" and the rest of the ESPN crew toward the gate. I felt pretty important. You can see the "B" and "L" are consistent with the ball he signed sitting down, but as a Hall of Famer I wouldn't have minded him just scribbling an "x" let alone a decently consistent signature.

I present to you, your 2012 Kansas City Royals Opening Day roster down the first base line.

I couldn't get as nice a shot, but here is your 2012 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Opening Day roster down the third base line.

It's official, Erick Aybar now has the coolest friend in Anaheim. Oh and his friend Albert Pujols is now officially an Angel who has played in a MLB game.

First up some shots from Opening Day, Alex Gordon led off the night against Jered Weaver.

Howie Kendrick was up second for the Angels and is definitely going to have a big year seeing fastballs batting in front of Pujols.

Between all 3 games, I was able to get a pretty nice collection for my first weekend back into the season.  On Opening Day besides Barry Larkin, I got Rich Thompson to sign this 2011 Topps.

Mark Trumbo autographed this 8x10 of him against the Dodgers.

Angels owner Arte Moreno signed this 8x10 of him speaking at the Pujols press conference.

After the game I was able to get local product Royals 3rd baseman Mike Moustakas to sign his 2011 Topps Rookie Card. I told him how I had gotten a really nice shot of him fielding during the game and he said he'd sign it for me if I brought it.

On Saturday I didn't spend the whole day at the stadium, but I was able to get my first ball of the season from batting practice. Moustakas was nice enough to autograph this 8x10 I took of him on Opening Day.

I forgot to ask him to sign this 8x10 I printed out of the entire Royals team. But I was able to get center fielder Lorenzo Cain, All-Star reliever Aaron Crow, and Opening Day starter Bruce Chen to sign it.

On Sunday I was forgetful and left the team photo at home, but luckily remembered my cards. I had Gold Glover Jeff Francoeur sign my first ball from the day before on the sweet spot and my 2011 Topps.

The last autograph I was able to get for the series was future superstar Eric Hosmer on his 2011 Topps rookie card.

To summarize...awesome. It's nice to be back and have the streak extended.

RBI (50) A dream Weaver...

Or at least it the level of pitching he has on the mound is the thing of dreams. Jered "Weave" Weaver, resident Angel ace has always been a tough cookie both on the mound for hitters and as a signer for collectors.

Weaver was taken in the 1st round of the 2004 draft by the Angels as the 12th pick, having slid due to clubs being wary of the ability to sign him. The Angels took a gamble on the Southern California native and Long Beach State product and it went down to the wire before they were able to sign him. The gamble has undoubtedly paid off for the Angel organization, and he has been a bargain for the level of pitcher they signed.

Despite being in a rotation featuring Dan Haren, CJ Wilson, and Ervin Santana, Weave is the undisputed ace. In six seasons so far with the Angels he has an 82-47 record supported by 977 Strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA. Weaver is already a 2 time All-Star and led the American League in Strikeouts in 2010. He finished 5th in AL Cy Young voting in 2010, and improved to 2nd in 2011, only being topped by a historic performance by Justin Verlander. Having signed a massive extension those impressive statistics and accomplishments will only continue to improve as Weaver remains with the Angels at least through 2016.

What is also impressive is the amount of charity and community work that Weaver is involved with. Weaver has long been a ambassador for the Special Olympics Southern California and makes repeated appearances in support of the organization and youth charities.

As with all players of that elite caliber, getting an autograph can be difficult but I have been able to be successful on occasion. At the press conference where Weaver and the Angels announced his extension I was able to get Weaver to sign this 2006 Topps Rookie Card.

When I was at the CJ Wilson and Albert Pujols press conference, Weaver walked over to the crowd before he spoke to the media and started to sign. Already having the rookie card signed, I opted for something more themed and asked Weave to sign this Topps 2011 All Star card since Weave had the distinction of starting the 2011 All Star game.

I'm definitely proud to have both of these cards in my collection and glad to have Weaver leading the Angel pitching staff for years to come.

RBI (33) A star card...

Okay well maybe it's not really a card of a literal star, but there are a few stars involved. Angel rookie All Star closer Jordan Walden's 2011 rookie star to be precise. There's a new star in Southern California and Anaheim is on the way to becoming "Wally's World 2.0" where the speed limit is 100 MPH.

The Texas native was taken by the Angels in the 12th round of the 2006 draft and is proving to be a bargain steal for the halos. The young closer previously had been working through the Angels' minor league rotations until 2010 when he was converted into a reliever. It was a short jump from the minor league bullpen's into the Major League club's pen at the end of the 2010 season.

2010 was a good beginning for Walden when he flashed promise in 16 games, including his first career save, racking up 23 Strikeouts to post a 2.35 ERA in his appearances. In 2011 he was to be a key part of the bridge leading to Fernando Rodney in the 9th, but Rodney's early struggles led to Walden being the club's closer a week into the season.

It's been a strong season for Walden so far with some analysts even putting him in the Rookie of the Year conversation with Michael Pineada and teammate Mark Trumbo. It's been so strong a season Walden was Mariano Rivera's replacement in the 2011 All Star Game, marking his first of hopefully many appearances in the Mid-Summer Classic.

The Angel's 50th Anniversary has had many celebrations for the franchise's history, the fans, and individual player accomplishment's. This has been a year of celebrating and establishing new milestones for the players and franchise, and on July 21st Walden etched his name into the franchise record books. When he nailed down his 23rd Save against the Rangers at home Walden set the new franchise record for Saves by a rookie.

The 2011 season has seen Wally post a 3-3 record with 26 Saves, 49 Strikeouts, and a 2.74 ERA in 48 games. Batters have only been able to hit .217 against him, and those stats are even more impressive when the controversial call at the plate during the Dodger's series is taken away.

Jordan Walden autographed his 2011 Topps Heritage Rookie Card for me before the game he set the Angel's franchise record for rookie saves. Wally signed the card for me and as I was getting ready to put it away he was in need of a sharpie to sign for some younger fans. I passed him my sharpie back, and he was nice enough to put his number inscribe "ASG '11" on my card after he was finished signing for the kids. It was great to have him add that touch to remember his rookie year, and I really appreciated him taking the time to do that for me.

RBI (30) Gracefully moving on...

Well maybe moving on down to the minors is more like it. That's how Angel rookie catcher Hank Conger took his recent demotion from the big show due to recent struggles at the plate.

When the season began the Angels had Jeff Mathis, Bobby Wilson, and the 25th overall pick from the 2006 draft on the roster. Most were surprised the Angels carried three catchers, but Conger played his way onto the team and complicated the catching situation. With Mathis and Wilson out of options and likely to be stolen by another team before they cleared waivers back to AAA Salt Lake, Conger forced the Angels to carry all three with his strong spring.

When the season began Conger batted a strong .273 in April, but the following months were tough and dragged the promising young catcher's average to .214 on the season. The Angels "Hammering" Hank had been able to crank out 5 Home Runs and 7 doubles in 50 games, but with the Rangers on the hunt the Angels were unable to let the rookie catcher work through his struggles with the big league club anymore. While hitting better than Jeff Mathis, Conger's problem were compounded by nabbing only 8 of 56 base stealers and Mathis being paired with the aces of the staff.

When asked about his demotion, Conger showed poise and the big league polish he picked up when discussing the news. He definitely is a key cog to the new core of the Angels led by Peter Bourjos, Jordan Walden, Mike Trout, and Mark Trumbo. Having seen Hank earn his 2010 Futures Game MVP in person, I'm confident he will be sure to have a promising career under a halo in the future when the catching situation in the organization opens more big league at-bats for him.

Hank Conger signed a few autographs at Angel Stadium before a game he wasn't appearing in. It was pretty nice of him to come out of the dugout for the fans, and he put a great signature on his 2011 Gypsy Queen rookie card.

RBI (28) A halo that shines...

Okay maybe not shining but Angels second baseman Howard "Howie" Kendrick is sparkling like an All-Star right now in Arizona for the 2011 All Star Game. One of the three Angel representatives, Howie is a first time All-Star but from initial reports coming out of Arizona is handling the experience like a pro.

Howie was taken in the 10th round of the 2002 draft by the Angels and has proven to be a steal. Considering the 2002 MLB draft was the focus of the book with an upcoming movie by the same name Moneyball, I guess as much as I love sabermetrics they don't always nail it. Since being drafted by the Angels, Howie has worked his way from fringe prospect to All-Star second baseman rostered only behind 2011 Home Run Derby Champion Robinson Cano. Hopefully the clinic Cano put on in the Derby will have tired him out and let Howie get lots of playing time behind starter Jered Weaver.

Since 2006, Howie has made the best of every opportunity to play and became a stable fixture in the Angel infield playing more games every season especially after Adam Kennedy walked in free agency before the 2007 season. While his power continues to develop Howie has maintained a strong batting average, hitting at least .279 in every season and over .300 in two seasons.

2011 has obviously been of a high caliber and Howie has been a true team player. Due to injuries he has been moving out of his own position at times and has played in left field, at first base, and at second. While his position may not be consistent, his hitting is and at the end of the first half Kendrick has been hitting .302 with 8 Home Runs and 9 Steals. Not only has Howie accumulated 29 RBI but also scored 43 Runs, including a critical run that gave starter Dan Haren a 1-0 victory over Detroit's Justin Verlander to collect his 100th Win. If he keeps up the pace Howie will have the best year of his career so far with plenty more to come.

Howie Kendrick autographed his Topps 2006 Rookie card for me at Angel Stadium the day the All Star rosters were announced. I made a "Congrats 2011 All Stars" sign with Howie and Weaver's numbers (I later added Walden's number after Ron Washington added him) and Howie came over and signed for a few fans. I was hoping to have him autograph the sign but was too excited watching him sign his rookie card to remember to ask. 

You can follow Howie Kendrick on Twitter @HKendrick47

RBI (4) A speedy return from a speedy Petey

Well while the Angels are on the road in Boston I think it's a good time to bring up my first TTM success. On April 19, 2011 I popped a few letters in the mail, but I was most anxious over the one to my favorite Angel on the roster. This is a player with not only more nicknames than the average player, but pretty awesome ones. I'm referring of course to Peter Bourjos aka "Gorgeous Bourjos", "Speedy Petey", "PB n' J", and "Peter Rabbit".

Bourjos was the Angels' 10th round selection in the 2005 draft and has proven to be quite the prize for the Angels scouting department.

When he initially came up with the club in 2010 some were concerned over moving 9-time Gold Glover Torii Hunter to right field, but Bourjos' play is absolutely stellar and he has quieted all those concerned. Baseball America has ranked Bourjos as the Angels "Best Defensive Outfielder" as well as "Fastest Baserunner" and he has already accumulated an impressive highlight reel of would be doubles turned into outs. Despite being known mainly for his speed, Bourjos proved his arm is also an asset and has provided 10 Outfield Assists.

In 2010 Bourjos played in 51 games and had only a .204 avg over 181 at-bats with 40 strikeouts. However he showed signs of making the proper adjustments toward the end of the season and his average began to climb while he used his speed and surprising power to hit 6 Home Runs, 6 Doubles, and 4 Triples with 10 Steals.

Despite the addition of Toronto Blue Jays Gold Glove center fielder Vernon Wells the Angels kept Bourjos with the Major League club as the starting center fielder. I decided that my first batch of TTM attempts would have to include the speedy youngster and I sent a letter as well as two cards to him. Bourjos kept with his fast play and in only 8 Days I was opening my mailbox to find the 2010 Bowman Platinum Rookie Card I sent signed "Pete Bourjos 25".

Building off the 2010 success Bourjos is batting .297 with 2 Home Runs,  5 Doubles, and 4 Triples with 3 Steals in only 29 games. In the April 26, 2011 game against Oakland, Peter tied the Angels franchise record for triples in a game with 2. Despite a few errors initially as he adjusted to being flanked by two Gold Glovers he is learning to field the position well at the Major League level and continues to add to his reputation as one of the best new out fielders in the game. Without a doubt he's going to be a top competitor for the Rawlings Gold Glove in Center Field for years to come. Here's one image of his slick fielding on the second card he signed, his 2011 Topps card.

Peter Bourjos signed these two cards sent to him at Angel Stadium along with a letter asking him a few questions, which wasn't included in the return envelope. I just mailed out my thank you letter to him, sorry Pete, but I wasn't able to pick up stamps quite as fast as I wanted to but I appreciate your autograph.  

You can follow Peter Bourjos @pbourjos on twitter at http://twitter.com/pbourjos

Weekly Rundown 1- Angels April Summary

Well April is officially over and today is the first day of May. Angel fans happily are winding their weekend down with the knowledge that their team starts the month tied for 1st in the American League West while the Red Sox remain in the AL East cellar at 5th.

The Angels went 14-12 with a 6-6 home record and a 8-6 road record. Jered Weaver and Dan Haren led the club with 5 and 4 respective wins, while rookie Jordan Walden took over closing duties from Fernando Rodney and went a perfect 4 for 4 in Save opportunities.

Rodney ended April with the same woes as he began it with taking the Loss against Tampa Bay to drop his record to 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA after opening the month with a Blown Save against Kansas City. Despite picking up an errant Save and 3 Holds, Rodney continues to allow too many base runners with 8 Walks and 6 Hits given up in 11 appearances.

The Angel line up continues to have massive ups and downs with Maicer "Mighty Mouse" Izturis leading the club with a .314 average over 21 games followed by Peter Bourjos at .309 in 27 games. Howie Kendrick is hitting a robust .306 with a club leading 6 Home Runs in 27 games. Kendrick is tied for 2nd in RBI's behind rookie Mark Trumbo's 13, but even more importantly Kendrick is not only hitting homers but also has 11 walks good for 3rd on the club giving him an outstanding .380 OBP.

While the youth movement is helping the club rack up the wins Angel veterans continue to struggle. Torii Hunter is ending the month with some signs of life in the last week but sits on a .214 average going 22/103 for the month with 10 Walks vs 26 Strikeouts. Hunter's problems are only slightly lessened when compared to teammate Vernon Wells who is batting .171 after going 18/105 with only 5 Walks and an alarming 21 K's. With both veterans batting in the 4-6 hole the Angels will need Hunter/Wells to figure out someway to improve their approach at the plate if the Angels are to maintain their success.

Catcher Jeff Mathis is hitting only .180 while rookie Hank Conger continues to provide offense with 2 Home Runs and a .273 average in 14 games apiece. If not for the success of the pitching staff and manager Mike Scioscia's preference for his experience handling them Mathis could feel a serious pinch to his playing time.

Kendrys Morales the slugging first baseman has still yet to see playing time and has seen yet another specialist in his rehab on his journey to return to active playing time. Morales would provide a much needed power threat to the line up, but his return could provide some issues as far as keeping hitters in the line up with rookie Mark Trumbo performing well at first and DH Bobby Abreu leading the team in walks and OBP at a .400 clip.

The Angels travel to Boston and then return home for Cleveland this week and will have a serious test to their position atop the AL West after being swept by the Red Sox at home and the Indians sporting the American League's best record at 19-8. With ace Jered Weaver losing 9 pounds due to a stomach virus and missing his first scheduled start of May, the Angels will need their veterans to provide steady leadership and hope the return of Joel Pinero will provide the boost needed to pull away from their tie with the Rangers.

Big Thanks to Tom from The Angels, In Order for the cards featured in this post.