RPS (3) Dodgers-Angels Exhibition Freeway Series

It's that time folks, time for the 2012 season to start. How'd the Angels prepare for the coming season? Just a little freeway action against the rival Dodgers (Doyers) to start off the week. Game 1 was hosted by the Angels in Anaheim and the following 2 will be played at Dodger Stadium.

I couldn't wait for opening day, so I opted to go spend the day graphing the Dodgers and Angels as they arrived. I split time between the two sides, but missed most of the Angels while on the Dodger side and heard they weren't really in a signing mood. The Dodgers on the other hand were not so bad. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me before the game while outside the stadium but got some nice shots inside.

First up I was able to get from the Angel side back to the Dodgers fast enough to catch pitching coach Rick Honeycutt right as he was finishing up signing and Honeycutt autographed this 1987 Topps for me.

Don Mattingly came into the stadium after Honeycutt, and was nice enough to stay for a long time signing and taking photos with the fans. I liked that he was calling fans out for trying to come back and get multiples when he still hadn't finished with half the crowd. Mattingly signed this 2012 Topps Heritage for me.

A few Dodgers came after and I wasn't able to get all of them. Tony Gwyn Jr. signed for a while, Juan Rivera made a really nice dent in the crowd, James Loney tried to get a good amount done, but someone knocked his Gucci sunglass case and contacts off the ledge and that kind of killed his mood, Todd Coffey said he'd sign after the game, Tim Federowicz did like 3, Javy Guerra signed for most of the kids, Kenley Jansen did like two kids and a few more guys I didn't know came but didn't sign.

I'm sure most of you want to know about the big 3. Kershaw, Kemp and Ethier. Matt Kemp and Dee Gordon shared a car ride to the stadium. The fans stayed back at first and most of us went to form a line at the barrier but some less patient "fans" rushed the car as soon as Dee Gordon got out. He signed for a few people before realizing he was surrounded in a mob and security helped save him. While Gordon was walking through Kemp got out of the car and was also mobbed so he signed the first three literally shoved in his face quickly before darting to safety behind the barriers. Kershaw came as they were being bum rushed and he cut his way through saying he would sign inside the stadium (I didn't see him sign but did see him imitate Kemp making a jump in center field trying to rob a homer).

The last hope was Ethier. It's a good thing he was awesome. He came and started to work his way down the barrier signing for all the fans sweet spotting when asked and making light banter with the fans. I'm not sure if you guys know this, but Andre Ethier is awesome. One guy in a Pujols shirt asked for his autograph and got a ton of flack from the other fans and Ethier himself. It was pretty funny.

Andre Ethier autographed Gold Glove Award ball under the logo, and after he signed it I just had to take the chance and ask him if he would sign a card too so I could find a display case for them together. He nodded and instead of working his way farther down the line stopped to sign around me while I fished out my sharpie and he signed this 2011 Topps Lineage. Anyone who says he isn't good to the fans obviously hasn't met the man.

Now for the other good stuff, the photos.

Pujols taking his first pre-game jog at Angel Stadium as an Angel.

Dan Haren took the mound for the Angels.

Pujols taking his first at-bat in a game at Angel Stadium as an Angel.

Matt Kemp most likely made ESPN tonight doing a crazy double stealing dive and catch while in beast mode. I was too busy freaking out to get a shot of the catch, but you can tell he's pleased with himself.

Oh did I mention Kendrys Morales is back too? Yup he's pleased with himself. Look closely at the bat he's using in the game.

Angels won 12-3. I don't make it out to Dodger Stadium often so it was nice to get some Dodger autographs while at Angel Stadium.

RBI (73) A graded slugger's hit...

This week I've gotten 0 replies in the mail and to be honest with the start of the season coming around it's kind of bummed me out. Lucky for me I needed to pick up a few things and strolled through the card aisle of a chain store that will remain secret seeing as all my awesome retail hits are from there and I'm going to protect my spot like a fisherman hiding his favorite fishing hole.

I picked up a blaster of Gems of the Game and cracked it open when I got home. What could be inside this box filled with repackaged packs? Well just an interesting little gem that goes along with the Hank Aaron relic I opened up the day before. This Barry Bonds 1988 Score and Game Used Jersey graded 10.

Oh Barry. I'm not sure how I feel about you. As a Southern California native and him quite literally being a home town guy I suppose I support him being one of the top sluggers of the game. But there's the asterisk. Once again, literally the asterisk that goes along with his name in the record books, in Cooperstown...and the court documents.

I'm not sure how the Baseball Writers Association of America will respond to his first year of eligibility in the 2013 vote. On one hand he is a 14-time All-Star with 7 NL MVP's earned by 756 home runs. On the other...yeah. There are relics from his career in Cooperstown, but I'm not really sure if this has a permanent place in my collection. Offers will be listened to if anyone is interested.

RBI (72) Another Cooperstown hit....

Well today I decided to prepare for the coming season with a quick trip to my local collectibles' show to stock up on a few supplies. I didn't do anything too crazy, just a few specialty balls that I've got specific players in mind for and some card protectors. But while I was wandering around browsing for a few singles, I unexpectedly saw one of my friends at one of the card dealers. While we chatted I couldn't resist breaking open a box of 2011 Topps Lineage that was just calling my name as the lone box not neatly stacked with the others.

What was in it? Well there was a redemption for a Ian Kinsler autograph, which is pretty cool seeing as I'm never able to get him to sign at the stadium and he's not a reliable TTM'er. What else was in it? Oh just 2011 World Series Champion closer Jason Motte, which I'll probably do a separate post for later.

Those of you who have cracked open a box of Lineage know there are 2 autographs and 1 relic inside. The relic was a Game Used Jersey swatch from Cooperstown resident Hank Aaron. Yup, that's right. Hank Aaron.

The card is currently residing next to my Jason Heyward pull, which will hopefully help him bounce back from last season and fulfill his potential this season. I'm not really sure if I need to do a full player bio for one of the greatest baseball players of all time, so here are a few highlights. He is a 25-time All Star with 755 Home Runs and 3,771 hits. He won a World Series in 1957 with the Braves and was inducted into Cooperstown in 1982 with 97% of the vote.

Awesome. Best impulse box buy ever.

RBI (71) A Cooperstown TTM for the 365...

I'm sure by the title some of you who read the batch summaries I post before I mail out the 365 letters can guess who responded. Hall of Famer and Red Sox legend Bobby Doerr was kind enough to sign TTM for me.

Of all current players for the Red Sox, second baseman Dustin Pedroia is without a doubt my favorite. He's intense, and leaves it all out on the field and in the batters box. He continues a tradition of excellence at second that Bobby Doerr instilled in the position for the franchise after first appearing for the club in 1937. A tradition recognized by the Red Sox who retired his #1 in 1988 for his service as a player and coach.

Doerr was a generational talent who played 14 seasons exclusively for the Red Sox, though it could have been 15 if he had not been called away to serve in WWII. The 9-time All-Star while being one of the top defensive second basemen in the league, was also a dangerous hitter. When he retired in 1951, his career average was .288 and his On Base Percentage stood at .362. He had assembled more than 2,000 hits, 223 home runs, and 1,247 RBI's. Legendary hitter and teammate Ted Williams asserted Doerr was the "silent captain" of the team, a great tip to Doerr considering Williams' fickle nature about speaking to the public.

After retiring reasonably young at 33 due to injury, Doerr remained around the game as a scout and hitting coach. He is credited along with Ted Williams as being a strong influence in Carl Yastrzemski's evolution mid-career into more of a power hitter. After leaving the Sox he was the first hitting coach for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays from 1977-1981.

Doerr was inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame in 1986 by the Veterans Committee. He was inducted along with Willie McCovey who received 81% of the vote and Ernie Lombardi, also another Veterans Committee inductee.

 Mr. Doerr signed this 2001 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts card for me signed "Bob Doerr HOF 86"

It took me a while to find that legendary cuts card and ironically the day after I bought the card at a card shop I swung through the card aisle at Target. What was sitting at the top of the $4 pack of randomly assorted cards in a clear plastic hanger? Yup. This 1989 Topps commemorating the 1988 All Star Game.
Also signed "Bob Doerr HOF 86"


Mr. Doerr was kind enough to sign these two cards for me from his home address in only 14 days.

RBI (70) A controversial 365 TTM from Spring Training...

Well I'm not sure how much actual controversy there is about this, but I did find it interesting to get a pretty awesome reply from Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos.

Latos was taken in the 11th round of the 2006 draft by the Padres after falling significantly due to maturity concerns. He attended college for a year before signing with the Padres days before he would have re-entered the 2007 having been deemed matured. The time paid off as Latos breezed through the minors reaching the MLB in 2009 for the Padres.

His call up resulted in making the rotation in 2010 for a breakout year where he solidified himself as a front of the rotation pitcher with ace potential. 2011 was a slight regression year for him, but there was still excellent top of the league stuff. So much so that the Reds paid a minor fortune for him in Edison Volquez, and top prospect Yonder Alonso among others.

In 3 seasons in the MLB Latos has supplied himself a 27-29 record, 3.37 ERA, and 413 Strikeouts. In both full seasons he appeared in he made a strong 31 starts, marking himself as a reliable workhorse in the rotation.

As many of you know there was a recent blog post on Reds' pitcher Mat Latos' wife's blog regarding the autograph collecting hobby. It's been discussed at length by the autograph community so I won't really get into that. Interestingly enough don't you know I had actually mailed Mat a TTM request just prior to the now infamous post.

It was a success. Not only was it a success, it was a really cool success. Not only did Mat send his autograph, but also took the time to answer the letter I mailed him. Why's this awesome? Because it's the first time a current player responded to my letter, let alone while at Spring Training:

During your 15 game streak of 5 innings and 2 or less runs did you feel added pressure or feel comfortable?
Showing the ice cold blood in his veins that made the Reds pay a king's ransom for the ace he responded, "Comfortable!"

What was it like to get your first Win?
Even though he debuted the week before, the Virginia native was able to top the local Washington Nationals in 2009 for his first win, "Felt good. Was in my hometown."

What did you see to the key to your 1 hitter of the Giants?
Even though he was only in his first full season in the Majors, he was able to display his stuff against the eventual World Series winners with a 1 hitter supported by him "Hitting my spots."

What was it like to play in the 2009 All Star Futures Game?
I'm a big fan of the game as it highlights the prospects coming up and recognizes their hard work pushing themselves through the minors to get to the show. I'm sure many of the guys who make it agree with his sentiment that "It was Great."

I had sent the 2011 Gypsy Queen as the card I'd like signed and included the 2012 Topps mini with a sticky note that said he could keep it. The Gypsy Queen smeared, but Latos didn't keep the 2012 mini and instead autographed it clean and sent it back to me after only 29 days c/o the Reds at Spring Training.

RBI (69) An Angel Hall of Famer...

And I quite literally mean the Angel's franchise Hall of Fame as the franchise has no members in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame. But it doesn't make getting pitcher Chuck Finley's autograph any less awesome. As many of my fellow bloggers have reported Finley recently did a free autograph signing at Living Spaces. I went with my family and was able to get a slew of things signed by the reliable lefty.

The Louisiana native was the Angels' 1st round pick in 1985, taken 4th overall. The highly polished prospect made his debut in 1986 and stayed in the Majors for 17 seasons. His time in the MLB was well regarded across baseball as he was a 5-time All-Star. When he finally retired in 2002, Finley's 3.85 ERA supported a 200-173 record and 2,610 Strikeouts. He did improve that record in my mind to 201 as he was the winning pitcher at Angel Stadium of the 2010 Celebrity Softball All Star Game.

Though he was dropped of the ballot in his first year of candidacy for Cooperstown, Finley was inducted into the Angel Hall of Fame in 2009. He's been on hand for plenty of important Angel events such as the All Star festivities in 2010, and being there to celebrate Jered Weaver's 2011 contract extension.

Finley signed for fans at Living Spaces and was kind enough to sign multiple items for everyone as well as a photo that was provided. And don't worry folks I didn't roll up and hand him a huge stack of cards. My family and I split up the cards so we all got the chance to meet him, but my family was nice enough to give me the autographed cards.

 Finley was nice enough to personalize "To Ryan Good Luck Chuck Finley 31" on the free 8x11 he gave me.

 He signed this 1989 Fleer.

 Signed just perfectly on this awesome '96 Score.

 He inscribed "5x All Star" on my 1987 Topps.

And autographed this 1990 Topps.

It was awesome to meet Finley and see him being so fan friendly. He really didn't have to sign multiples or take photos with fans but he did. When some people even got in line more than once he graciously signed for them and if they wanted another 8x11 he checked the size of the line to make sure he'd have enough for everyone. It was great to prepare for another season of baseball with this signing.

Oh yeah, and this was my 100th post. Wooo

Big League Interview (4) Kenny Powers

That's right folks, the Shelby Sensation took some time to do an interview with us. Those of you who don't know who Kenny Powers is...well you obviously haven't been watching the best show on baseball since baseball and cameras came together Eastbound & Down. It's a pretty hilarious show based on the life of former star closer Kenny Powers and highly highly for mature audiences only. Kid's don't go flipping through for it, because it's on HBO and rated Mature.

Those of you who think Logan Morrison is offensive but funny haven't seen anything yet if you haven't seen Danny McBrides' Kenny Powers twitter. It's like comparing a glass of water thrown on you to someone beating you in the face with a fire hose filled with salt water. Twice.

Anyways on to the interview and once again for Mature audiences only:

1) If you could hit any player in the batters box past or present who would it be?
Cal Ripken Jr.

2) Popping Macworthy's eye out, how many times have you watched it on Youtube?
It replays in my dreams.

3) What city has the best baseball groupies?  
America 

4) Your World Series ring from Atlanta, what'd you do with it?
It didn't double as a **** ring so I pawned that s*** for a new hot tub.

5) What's the first thing you bought with your signing bonus?
Gold bars.  

6) One thing you want to get back to the Majors to do?  
The legal steroids.


Thanks for the time KP, best of luck getting back to the Majors.  You can find Kenny Powers on twitter if you're interested in more.