Jerry DiPoto

Sent: 11/12/11
Received: 11/22/11
Time: 10 Days
Address: c/o Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Item Sent: 1993 Fleer Final Edition, 1998 Collector's Choice, 1999 Topps
Item Received: 1993 Fleer Final Edition, 1998 Collector's Choice, 1999 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Jerry DiPoto's name has been on the short list of baseball GM prospects for a few years, and he finally got his job this off-season.  I'm pretty excited to see what he does with the Angels - a model franchise with a hungry, outgoing owner and tons of resources.  Unfortunately, for the sake of Angels fans, he probably won't be able to travel back in time to void the Mike Napoli for Vernon Wells trade.

Casey Kotchman

Sent: 8/18/11
Received: 10/14/11
Time: 57 Days
Address: c/o Tampa Bay Rays
Item Sent: 2008 Topps Heritage
Item Received: 2008 Topps Heritage, signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Kotchman was one of the great under-reported stories of the 2011 baseball season.  He's a long time removed from being the Angels' first baseman of the future.  Since then he had bounced around from Atlanta to Boston to Seattle before signing a minor league contract with the Rays last off-season.  He took the first base job in mid-April and ran with it.  At the time of my request, he was suprisingly among the top five in the AL batting average race with a mark of around .330.  He did slump a bit down the stretch, but still finished the season with a very respectable .306 average (eighth in the AL) and .378 OBP (10th in the league), all while playing his usual sterling defense.

Bobby Grich

Sent: 5/20/10
Received: 2/10/11
Time: 266 Days
Address: c/o Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Item Sent: 1983 Topps, 1985 Donruss
Item Received: 1983 Topps, 1985 Donruss.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
I was sure this was a goner.  I sent this to Mr. Grich care of the Angels, where he works in the front office.  For months I have watched other collectors report successes with requests sent to his home, but nothing to the Angels.  Nothing to worry about, though.  It's a nice return from one of the finest all-around second basemen of the last half-century.

Stan Holmes

Sent: 6/14/10
Received: 8/14/10
Time: 61 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1983 Fritsch Visalia Oaks, 1986 ProCards Orlando Twins, 1988 CMC Edmonton Trappers
Item Received: 1983 Fritsch Visalia Oaks, 1986 ProCards Orlando Twins, 1988 CMC Edmonton Trappers.  All signed in thin blue Sharpie.

Notes:
It took a bit for a return from Mr. Holmes, but I am thrilled to add the signature of the biggest slugger on the 1983 Visalia Oaks to my team set.  No, not Kirby Puckett.  Stan Holmes hit .302 with 37 homers and 115 RBI, tallying a .983 OPS for the Oaks that season.  He followed that with a 25 homer season at AA Orlando in 1984, but started declining from there and was out of the Twins organization after 1986.  After struggling at the AAA level, he resurfaced with the Angels' AA Midland team in 1987 and hit .309 with 30 homers.  He was out of pro ball two years later.  All told, he slugged 143 home runs over nine minor league seasons, but never did get a chance to flex his muscle in the big leagues.

Sean O'Sullivan

Sent: 7/23/10
Received: 8/4/10
Time: 12 Days
Address: c/o Kansas City Royals
Item Sent: 2009 Topps Heritage
Item Received: 2009 Topps Heritage, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
I haven't liked a lot of the Royals personnel decisions over the last two decades, but I do applaud them for picking up a really nice pitching prospect (O'Sullivan) from the Angels for a mediocre infielder (Alberto Callaspo).  This was also an experiment for me.  I sent to a handful of players who were moved around the MLB trade deadline, care of their brand new teams.  O'Sullivan paid off very quickly.

Orlando Mercado

Sent: 4/14/10
Received: 5/15/10
Time: 31 Days
Address: c/o Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Item Sent: 1989 ProCards Portland Beavers
Item Received: 1989 ProCards Portland Beavers, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Another addition to my 1989 Portland set.  Mercado hit .105 in 19 games for the Twins in 1989.  He has been a coach in the Angels system for over 15 years, including the last several as their bullpen coach.