181-189

I have a new poll up in the corner.  Go ahead and vote for me.

Early on in this blog's history, I decided to create an Angel Frankenset.  But I decided to only use duplicate cards to create the set.  This has led to rather slow progress on the set.  But i completed a page today.

The last card in was 186.  That's an S.S.P.C. card of Andy Hassler.  Have I mentioned that I love S.S.P.C. cards?  I've been picking up lots of them on eBay lately, so I have an extra Hassler for the set.

I think this is a rather well rounded page.  9 different years covered: 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1989, 2004, 2011, 2012, and 2013.  No 1990's, but that's the years I was out of the hobby.  4 different brands, although Gypsey Queen kinda makes a 5th.  3 pitcher, 1 catcher, 2 infielders, and 3 outfielders.  6 action shots, 1 posed shot, and 2 portraits.

There are 2 Bobby Abreus, so I would be willing to swap one of those out if another option came along.

If it ain't broke....

I think Donruss probably realized that 1984 was a good year/set for them.

After all, they spent the next two years using basically the same numbering scheme.

I've said this before, but I've never been the huge fan of 1984 that the rest of the hobby seems to be.

I think Fred Lynn there might just illustrate why.

Ron Jackson isn't so bad there.

Boone is a bit dark.

I bought literally no 1985 or 1986 Donruss back in the day.

I did get some 1984, and seemed different somehow.

DeCinces is like Lynn there.  Dark and contrasty.

In 1985 I ended up with a box of Fleer, and a couple of packs of Topps.

1986 was all about Topps.  Boxes and boxes of the stuff.

Two lefties and a righty there.

Two infielders and a pitcher.

Three U.S. imports.

Who are we kidding?  Reggie was a DH.

That might be the simplest Angel logo ever.

Avg age at retirement: 40

They front loaded with stars I guess.

In 1985 and 1986. Donruss put the Angels on both 545 and 573 as well.

Help

I am a self-professed set collector.  Not a very good one mind you, but a set collector none the less.  I also happen to be a self-professed pack ripper.  I like opening packs of cards.  Well, not really packs anymore.  Rack packs, and hanger boxes i guess.  But you get the idea.

As anybody who would stumble upon this post knows, opening packs is probably the most inefficient way to build a set.  And yet, that's me.

As a result, I've built up a little stack of dupes of 2014 base:

Of course, I haven't actually pulled a sparkle variation and only 2 SABR stat back variations, but that's beside point.  I did pull a Trout Future Stars variation, which is better than all the sparkle variations, but that's beside the point too.

So I need your help, dear reader.  All I need you to do is send me a want list.  That's it.  You can find my email here.  I need to get rid of these before they pile up on me like all my junk wax has.  You can even throw in want lists from junk wax sets.  I'll send you those too.

If you feel like sending a couple 2014s back to me to finish my set you can, but that's not even required.  Just help me make some room.

Set Builders, Team Set Builders, Player Collectors out there, help me out.

WTH?

I recently won an auction on eBay.  A Rod Carew card I didn't have for .49 cents shipped?  sure, what the heck.

It took a week and a half to get here.  Not the end of the world.  But when I opened it

that was my reaction.  What I got was

an empty toploader.  Seriously??

Unrelated

I recently won an eBay auction for what I consider to be a steal

50 cents shipped for my first 1963 Fleer card.  And its of a longtime Angel to boot.  He was basically the catcher of the 60's and he managed the club in the 90's.   And the seller decided to use a couple other cards to protect this one in the package.  One was a 1987 Topps, but the other one was a 1987 Glossy send-in.  Joke is on him, as I like that set, and I didn't have that card (Don Mattingly).

I bought some Series 2 and I pulled

this card.  One of those Future Stars parallels of Series 1 cards.  I like it.  Pretty gimmicky to have 4 parallels of Trout's card, but whatever.  Problem is I put this one in my Trout PC.  I think I might need more for my 2014 set (if I ever get that completed).  And my Topps Angels binder.


These two cards have nothing in common.  Except they're both mine.  And I like them. 

On-field Trade

The Angels reportedly picked up a closer from the San Diego Padres tonight.

This is the classic trade tomorrow for today deal.  Street might just put the bullpen in order after the deals for Jason Grilli and Joe Thatcher.

The Angels gave up

infielder Taylor Lindsey.  He is hitting .247/.323/.400 in AAA Salt Lake this year.

But I think the guy with the upside in the deal is

reliever R.J. Alvarez.  0.33 ERA in AA Arkansas this year.  12.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 and 0 HR in 27 IP.

The Padres also get infielder Jose Rondon and the Angels get a minor leaguer back.

Donruss Card Numbering too

So, what I was getting at in my last post really, was to ponder how Donruss' card numbering affected my Angels.

I think there's been alot written about Topps ripping off its own 1983 design in 1984.  And Topps used the same numbering patterns in the two sets as well.  Donruss did the same things one year earlier.

pitchers

Interestingly, I think in both cases I'm in the minority in that I like the second year's design as much as or more than the first.

more pitchers

Donruss took the numbering reuse to more extreme than Topps even.

big names brought in by Autry

I like the script on 1983 more than the block on 1982.

OF/DH types

Maybe its just sentimentality though.

I never saw 1982 Donruss until a couple of years later.

more pitchers

And I collected 1983 Donruss in 1983.

catchers

Taking a look through the pairs of cards..

corner infielders

there are some coincidences.

pair of Freds

more pitchers

more pitchers

 

shortstops

outfielders

more pitchers

these guys even have the same name

Both had big years for Salt Lake City in 1979

Is that the same photo??

and more pitchers.