#85T - Donnie Moore

What a card: Donnie Moore came to the Angels under the old free agent compensation system. Teams who lost a "Type A" free agent were allowed to pick from a group of unprotected major league players as compensation. Moore was selected by the Angels on Jan. 24, 1985 as compensation for losing Fred Lynn to the Orioles. This was the final year of the compensation system, which lasted just four years.

How'd that go: Fantastic. For both Moore and the Angels. Moore's old team, the Braves, made a mistake leaving Moore unprotected and he set career highs in a bunch of categories in 1985, posting 31 saves and a 1.92 ERA. However, Moore's career would take a fateful turn the following year with the Angels (there have been a lot of references to the 1986 postseason on this blog lately).

Backatya: Moore's save total in 1985 eclipsed his entire career total for the first nine years.

Back-to-back: Moore's Traded card is rather awesome. I don't remember many cards showing the "pitcher-looks-in-for-the-sign" from such close proximity.

Moore's flagship card is No. 699 and was originally blogged on Sept. 5, 2017.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.

#81T - Gene Mauch

What a card: Gene Mauch returned to manage the Angels for the 1985 season, replacing the guy who replaced him, John McNamara. Mauch was let go by the Angels after the 1982 season, despite the franchise reaching the playoffs, and was replaced by McNamara.

My observation on the front: I love super-close portrait shots like this. I wish they'd return to some modern sets. Heritage would be a good fit for them.

More opinion from me: Mauch has quite a few manager cards (Phillies in '60s, Expos and Twins in the '70s, Angels in the '80s). They're all very interesting. And in going through them, I began to grow sad that managers are disappearing from modern card sets.

Something you might know: Mauch was at the helm of two famous doomed squads. He is blamed to this day for the epic late-season collapse of the 1964 Phillies. And he had a front-row seat for the Angels' crushing defeat in the memorable 1986 ALCS.

Something you might not know: Mauch was known to overturn the postgame food table after a difficult loss a time or two. He had such a reputation that on his first day with Angels in 1981 slugger Don Baylor asked, "Will the food be served on the floor?"

My observation on the back: Mauch also managed Smalley's father, Roy Smalley Sr., who played in the big leagues. Mauch's sister, Jolene, was married to Smalley Sr. and is and Roy Smalley III's mother.

The blog wants to speak now: The News tab has been updated.

#65T - Ruppert Jones

What a card: Ruppert Jones joined what would be his sixth and final team when he signed as a free agent with the California Angels on Jan. 30, 1985.

How'd that go: Jones rediscovered his power stroke in 1985, hitting 21 homers for his most in a season since 1979 when he also hit 21, but in 37 more games. But the rest of his offense struggled during three years with the Angels and his career ended after the 1987 season.

Backatya: The Mariners and the Yankees trade constantly -- there was just a deal between the two teams earlier this month -- and the relationship goes back to 1979 when in the first trade between the two teams, the Yankees acquired Jones from Seattle in a deal for four players. The trade backfired on New York as Jones struggled in just one year with the team.

Back-to-back: Two solid cards for Ruppert, although I'd give his flagship card an edge.

The flagship card is No. 126 and originally blogged on Dec. 19, 2012.

The blog wants to speak now: Nope, the blog and I are done tonight. I drove eight hours today. Going to call it a night.

#23T - Pat Clements

What a card: This is the fifth rookie card in the Traded set. Pat Clements appeared in 41 games in relief for the Angels in 1985 and then was traded to the Pirates in August of that year, making his Traded card outdated almost immediately.

My observation on the front: Another wonderful photo taken in old Tiger Stadium.

More opinion from me: There's something cool about this being the only set where you can get a card of Clements as an Angel. The Traded set still felt a little exclusive in 1985.

Something you might know: Clements was a well-traveled relief pitcher who competed for the Angels, Pirates, Yankees, Padres and Orioles during an eight-year span.

Something you might not know: Among the notable players that joined Clements in his many trade travels were George Hendrick, John Candelaria, Al Holland, Rick Rhoden, Doug Drabek, Jack Clark and Lance McCullers.

My observation on the back: That is a very Mets trivia question.

The blog wants to speak now: Working a double shift tomorrow. I'll skip the tab update this time.

#771 - Geoff Zahn

What a card: Geoff Zahn was in the midst of his final season when this card was issued. He encountered shoulder problems in 1985 and it ended his career.

My observation on the front: It's a sunny day in Anaheim ... or, wherever.

More opinion from me: I cannot write about a Geoff Zahn card and not mention his rookie card, from 1975 Topps. It was the second Dodger card I obtained that first year I collected. I cherished it as much as the Steve Yeager card in that set and to view the '75 Zahn now, especially the mini Zahn, still brings back those old memories.

Something you might know: Zahn became the ace for the 1982 California Angels, who won the AL West pennant before losing to the Brewers in the playoffs.

Something you might not know: Lou Piniella described being struck out by Zahn, who was known more for his finesse than power, like "being bitten by a stuffed panda."

My observation on the back: Zahn returned to Michigan to be the head coach for the baseball team during the late 1990s.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

#756 - Rob Picciolo

What a card: Rob Picciolo played his only season with the Angels in 1984, batting just .202. He was released after the season and signed by the A's, the team with which he made his major league debut back in 1977.

My observation on the front: Even though Picciolo was a longtime coach with the Angels and Padres, I associate him only with the Oakland A's.

More opinion from me: Picciolo died just last month. Even though I've done my share of cardboard eulogies on the other blog, it feels weird to write this post so soon after his death.

Something you might know: Picciolo was Oakland's starting shortstop in 1977, the year that the A's sank to last place after gutting their former three-time Series champion team. Picciolo received the unenviable task of replacing Bert Campaneris and hit .200 in 140 games.

Something you might not know: Picciolo is one of the few major leaguers to appear on a card with his toddler son. The card also features his son's vitals on the back (height: 2-4, weight: 23).

My observation on the back: Well, I'll be darned, the fourth-place Phillies, huh? Mike Schmidt was the only real HR hitter on that team and he slugged 36. After that it was Ozzie Virgil with 18, Von Hayes with 16, Juan Samuel with 15, Sixto Lezcano with 14 and Len Matuszek with 12.

The blog wants to speak now: No update this time. Just want to mention that with me finishing the 1971 Topps blog, I will probably update this blog a little more often. It won't be once a day though.

#732 - John McNamara

What a card: John McNamara managed the Angels to an 81-81 mark in his second season with the club in 1984. That was good for a tie for second place in the dismal AL West.

My observation on the front: I remember McNamara as kind of crusty, but he positively beams on many of his baseball cards.

More opinion from me: Out of all of the things McNamara is accused of doing/not doing as manager of the Red Sox during the latter stages of Game 6 of the World Series in 1986, I can say the only thing that bothered me as it was happening was Calvin Schiraldi showing up in the ballgame.

Something you might know: McNamara managed six major league teams but he is far and away most associated with the Red Sox and their ill-fated World Series pursuit in 1986.

Something you might not know: McNamara once was assessed a $25 fine by the Red Sox's kangaroo court leader, Don Baylor, for using Right Guard aerosol deodorant as hairspray.

My observation on the back: There is one retired number there, Rod Carew's 29.

The blog wants to speak now: The Music category is updated.

#682 - Doug Corbett

What a card: A bullpen sensation his first two years with Twins, Doug Corbett enjoyed a comeback season in 1984, appearing in 44 games in relief with a 2.12 ERA.

My observation on the front: You can see Corbett's set-up for his sinkerball in this photo. Corbett featured an interesting delivery in which his arm formed an "L" shape before he released the ball side-armed.

More opinion from me: The Twins featured a great group of rookies in the early '80s with Hrbek, Corbett, Viola, Castino, Ward and Gaetti. We had no idea at the time that most of them would lead to 2 World Series titles in five years, probably because we all thought Tim Laudner was going to be the best of the bunch.

Something you might know: Corbett was part of a wave of sidearming relievers that included Dan Quisenberry and Kent Tekulve. He saved 40 games for the Twins over 1980 and 1981. He's also known for getting the Twins Tom Brunansky in a deal with the Angels.

Something you might not know: When Corbett was granted free agency by the Angels after the 1986 season, the team still featured a pitching Corbett in rookie Sherman Corbett. When Sherman Corbett arrived at spring training camp in 1987, he found a new uniform with his name on it at his locker. Impressed, he tried it on ... and it didn't fit. The 6-foot-4 Sherman Corbett was trying on the old uniform of the 6-1 Doug Corbett.

My observation on the back: One of the Corbett's twin sons, Jason, suffered a collapsed lung a month after birth and nearly died.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

#657 - Jim Slaton

What a card: Jim Slaton had just completed his first season with the Angels after a long tenure with the Brewers (and one year with the Tigers) when this card was issued.

My observation on the front: There's a lot of snow on that card that I never noticed until scanning it.

More opinion from me: He's pitching in front of nobody isn't he?

Something you might know: Slaton is the Brewers' career leader in victories (117). He won Game 4 of the 1982 World Series against the Cardinals.

Something you might not know: Slaton and former Orioles manager Dave Trembley are good buddies. Slaton attended Antelope Valley College and later would spend MLB offseasons working out there. Trembley coached the baseball team at Antelope in the mid-1980s and he was a stickler for rules. Slaton left his glove on the field after one workout and it was discovered by Trembley. He gathered his team, held up Slaton's glove and said "Slate, that's five." Slaton proceeded to run five laps to the delight of the team.

My observation on the back: Names of colleges and towns out west are so much more fun than what we have in the east.

The blog wants to speak now: The Movies category is updated.

#629 - Dick Schofield

What a card: This is Dick Schofield's first base Topps card. He appears in the 1984 Topps Traded set as well as in Donruss' 1984 set.

My observation on the front: No matter how experienced a major league player is, catch him staring through a chain-link fence and he always looks like a kid who wants to get in the game.

More opinion from me: Really one of the best cards in the set.

Something you might know: Schofield was the starting shortstop for the Angels during the mid-to-late 1980s. His home run off of Oil Can Boyd during Game 3 of the 1986 ALCS helped the Angels take a 2-1 lead in that series.

Something you might not know: Scofield's first manager in professional baseball was current Cubs manager Joe Maddon. It was 1981. Maddon was in his first managing job with Rookie League Idaho Falls.

My observation on the back: Schofield is a member of one of five three-generation MLB families. The Nationals' Jayson Werth is his nephew.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.

#604 - Daryl Sconiers

What a card: Daryl Sconiers was admitting he had a "substance problem" during spring training when this card was appearing in packs. It was part of the explanation for his sophomore slump in 1984 after a promising 1983.

My observation on the front: This photo was likely taken during spring training of '84 when Sconiers had a lot to look forward to after his first 100-game season.

More opinion from me: I like Sconiers' 1983 Topps Traded card a lot.

Something you might know: Sconiers put up several Pacific Coast League seasons with high .300 averages and was regarded as one of the top young hitting prospects in the game until injuries and drug and alcohol abuse got in the way. The Angels released him after the 1985 season and he never reached the majors again.

Something you might not know: Sconiers' son, Daryl Jr., was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year after being convicted along with another man in the first-degree killing of a man in Sherman Oaks, Calif., in 2009.

My observation on the back: There are so many baseball abbreviations that mean something else depending on your interests or line of work that it's nice that baseball has "GIDP" all to itself.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.

#579 - Ron Romanick

What a card: Ron Romanick was coming off his rookie season when this card was issued. He won 12 games in 229 innings pitched and finished seventh in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

My observation on the front: Romanick almost looks airbrushed into his Angels jersey and cap. But after comparing it with other Angels cards in the set, I'm leaning toward no airbrushing.

More opinion from me: The Angels logo from this time kind of gets the shaft in this set. Because logos were featured in a circle, Topps was forced to shrink the lean, tall California-shaped symbol.

Something you might know: Romanick won 26 games for the Angels in his first two seasons as the team battled the Royals each year for the title. He then struggled and was retired by 1989.

Something you might not know: Romanick tried a professional golf career after his baseball career ended, beginning on the Golden State Tour in South Africa in the early '90s. He refused to be interviewed, telling reporters to wait until he was on the PGA Tour.

My observation on the back: I don't know where the trivia question gets May 5, 1935. The first night game was May 24, 1935. The Reds' game on May 5 of that year was against the Giants at the Polo Grounds. It ended in a 2-2 tie in the 10th inning, called after a rain delay. ... So the answer to that trivia question is actually "false".

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture tab is updated.

#544 - Bruce Kison

What a card: Bruce Kison was entering the final season of his 15-year major league career when this card was released. He had already signed with the Red Sox by the time most pulled this card out of packs.

My observation on the front: Kison appears lost in thought.

More opinion from me: This should be a party game: One person yells out a baseball player's name, and the other person yells out the first card they think of with that player on it. Oh, I don't know who wins the game, but the first card I think of for Kison is his 1975 Topps card (P.S.: '75 would be my answer for a lot of cards).

Something you might know: Kison pitched in two World Series for the Pirates in 1971 and 1979. He won the first World Series night game in 1971.

Something you might not know: During the same Series night game that Kison won, he also set the World Series record for most hit batters in a Series game when he hit Davey Johnson, Frank Robinson and Andy Etchebarren. (P.S.: Just a phenomenal story about Kison in SI by Pat Jordan the following spring after that Series).

My observation on the back: "Awkward hop" ... a likely story.

The blog wants to speak now: The News category is updated.

#524 - Rob Wilfong

What a card: Rob Wilfong was coming off basically his last productive major league season when this card was issued. He'd hang on for a couple more years thanks to his glove, but he struggled through them on offense.

My observation on the front: I don't hold much nostalgia for the Angels, but I would like the "state" logo to return. I suppose that's not realistic since they're not the "California Angels" anymore. But if the team can take credit for being from both Los Angeles and Anaheim, they can make this work, too.

More opinion from me: Wilfong was one of those "forever mustache" guys. Wilfong wearing a mustache on his baseball card was one of the few guarantees in life in the 1980s.

Something you might know: Wilfong's one-out base hit in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS scored Ruppert Jones with the game-tying run for the Angels against the Red Sox and the two teams went to extra innings tied 6-6. Wilfong's hit came after Dave Henderson's famous 3-run home run in the top of the inning that brought the Red Sox back from trailing 5-2 to leading 6-5 entering the inning. Henderson would later drive in the winning run in the 11th on a sacrifice fly.

Something you might not know: Wilfong, a scout with the Angels, joined team scouting director Ric Wilson in choosing pitcher Jonah Dipoto on the final day of the baseball draft last June. Dipoto is the son of Jerry Dipoto, who was the Angels' general manager at the time. Jerry Dipoto is now GM of the Mariners. Jonah is a freshman at the University of California San Diego.

My observation on the back: Nice of the trivia quiz to have an Angels-centric question on an Angels' player's card. Don't know why that couldn't have happened on the previous card.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.

#497 - Gary Pettis

What a card: This is Gary Pettis' first Topps flagship card, except it isn't. The photo is actually of Pettis' 16-year-old brother, Lynn Pettis, making this card the biggest gaffe in the entire set. 

My observation on the front: I don't know how this got past anybody. That's a high school kid plain as day.

More opinion from me: I'm just noticing a weird green blotchy streak on the card. Bummer.

Something you might know: Topps claimed this was the result of a practical joke put on by Gary and his brother, but Gary said it was just an old photo from an Angels family day, featuring Lynn wearing Gary's uniform, and the picture somehow ended up in the set. (For what it's worth, Topps got the correct Pettis for the 1984 Traded card).

Something you might not know: Pettis was such a good fielder, particularly early in his career, that longtime Angels coach Jimmie Reese once said, "I'd compare him to Joe DiMaggio, Paul Blair and Willie Mays."

My observation on the back: At the time this card was issued, Mike Schmidt had hit 425 of the 548 homers in his career.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated. The Royals are in trouble.

#465 - Bob Grich

What a card: Bobby Grich played in 116 games for the Angels in 1984, playing a lot more third and first base than he had in the past. He was taking on the role as a utility man later in his career.

My observation on the front: Nice dugout shot. Grich looks like he's having a good time.

More opinion from me: Topps listed Grich as "Bob" throughout his career and refused to call him "Bobby." I have no problems doing it though. And neither does virtually everyone else.

Something you might know: Known for his all-around ability, Grich was part of the smooth-fielding Orioles infields of the 1970s. And he hit the ball out of the park, too.

Something you might not know: Grich has visited all 50 states and traveled several times to Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

My observation on the back: Every time I see Grich's abbreviated 1977 season -- his first one with the Angels -- I remember how he threw his back out carrying an air conditioner during the offseason, which messed up his entire season. Grich was 28 at the time, which seems like a little too young to be throwing out your back.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.

#442 - Ken Forsch

What a card: This is the final Topps card of Ken Forsch's career. He did appear in the Fleer set in 1986.

My observation on the front: An excellent final tribute -- the tip of the cap.

More opinion from me: The difference in size of Forsch's wikipedia page compared with the one of his brother and fellow pitcher Bob Forsch is disturbing. Bob had the more successful career, but they were pretty comparable.

Something you might know: When Forsch threw a no-hitter against the Braves on April 7, 1979, the Forsches became the first and only brother duo to register MLB no-hitters. It was also the earliest no-hitter in MLB history. (It is now the earliest no-hitter in NL history).

Something you might not know: Forsch nearly didn't pitch the game in which he no-hit the Braves. A spider bite on his non-pitching elbow made him sick a couple of days before his start.

 My observation on the back: The type is small, but if you click on the image you can see Forsch pitched just two games in 1984. He suffered a partial rotator cuff tear and missed the rest of the season, as well as 1985, too.

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture tab is updated.

#374 - Brian Downing

What a card: Brian Downing enjoyed one of his most power-packed seasons in 1984, hitting 23 home runs and driving in what was then a career-high 91 runs. It marked the first of five straight seasons in which he'd hit at least 20 home runs.

My observation on the front: Downing's on-deck shot is a little unusual, but seems to go with his muscle-man image. As I mentioned on another blog, he was the first player I ever heard of using weights to train.

More opinion from me: To me, Downing will always be the guy cut down at the plate by Dave Parker's throw from right field in the 1979 All-Star Game.

Something you might know: Downing's career took a dramatic change when he was traded from the White Sox to the Angels in late 1977. He hit .326 in 1979 and is considered among the most underrated hitters in baseball.

Something you might not know: Downing appeared in an episode of The Jeffersons in 1985. Both Downing and Reggie Jackson appear shirtless in the Angels' locker room and have extensive speaking parts with "Weezy," who smuggles herself into the locker room in a load of laundry.

My observation on the back: High school references bore me.

The blog wants to speak now: The Music category is updated.

#348 - Bob Boone

What a card: Bob Boone had completed his third season with the Angels, hitting an abysmal .202 in 1984. It was that kind of batting that caused the Phillies to unload him in 1981. But Boone would rebound in 1985.

My observation on the front: Bob Boone played a long time and has a lot of cards. But he's never smiled more broadly for a card than on this one. ... OK, maybe the inset photo on his 1983 Topps card could put up a challenge.

More opinion from me: Boone will always be a Phillie to me. None of this Angel and Royal stuff.

Something you might know: Boone is the middle part to the first three-generation family in baseball. His dad is Ray Boone and his sons are Aaron and Bret Boone.

Something you might not know: Boone endured a dreadful 1981 in which he couldn't hit or field. Normally a fantastic defensive catcher, he was so poor at throwing out runners that year that people started calling him "SBE2".

My observation about the back: OK, I never heard of Matthew Boone, so I had to look him up. It turns out he was drafted by the Tigers and played in the Tigers and Reds organizations between 1997-2003. He never made it above Class A. I'm sure he's done quite well for himself since, but in a less forgiving family of similar success, man I wouldn't want to come home after that.

The blog wants to speak now: The Pop Culture tab is updated.

#309 - Mike Witt

What a card: Mike Witt was rounding into form as the Angels' ace as this card arrived. After spending much of 1983 in the bullpen, Witt won 15 games in 34 starts for California in 1984.

My observation on the front: The whole look of this photo appears suspicious as if Witt was wearing a different uniform when the photo was taken. He is cap-less and the jacket almost looks airbrushed with a nondescript T-shirt underneath. However, Witt had spent his entire career with the Angels up to this point.

More opinion from me: I am also trying to determine if Witt is rocking a perm or if he just had naturally curly hair.

Something you might know: Witt's last performance in a major league game before this card came out was to throw a perfect game on the final day of the 1984 season against the Texas Rangers.

Something you might not know: Witt made a cameo appearance on the sitcom "The Jeffersons" in January 1985. Teammates Reggie Jackson and Brian Downing also appeared in the episode.

My observation on the back: Witt's wife worked in the Angels' marketing department when he met her.

The blog wants to speak now: The Ballgames category is updated.