My new hobby coming soon - basket weaving

Out of the bad things that can happen when out at the ballpark trying to get autographs, I lost my book with my visiting players' cards inside - I guess I’m not cut out to graph in-person and with my up-and-down interest baseball cards, I might be doing something else.

I don't even know where I lost it, all I knew is after a game I realized I didn't have the book - it could have ended up in anybody's hands and I'm kind of bummed out about it.

I probably have enough extras to have something to get signed, though I’ve lost some set cards and other cards that may have been priorities - it’s an eye opener because I tend to be on auto pilot [when it comes to graphing in-person] and when I make a rookie mistake, I’m reminded I’m not so flipping perfect, things aren’t so seamless and I really have to be focused.

I go through a mental checklist since I’ve messed up and lost my autograph book before - though 'it' happens, I try to keep things simple beforehand and alert to make sure I don’t leave things behind.

I try not to run around like an airhead when I’m graphing, so I try to exercise some 'quality control,' even if it seems all kind of random and unorganized - making sure I’m not getting a bunch of imperfect autographs [streaking, beading, etc] by using crappy pens, making sure the autograph is dry on the cards and making sure signed cards are tucked away from cards I’m still trying to get inked up.

It’s kind of ironic, this latest mess up comes at a time, when I’m trying to bring less cards - maybe the good thing is that I had whatever signed cards I had put away in my binder for the home team and in the plastic box I was carrying around in my tote bag.

I have to ‘rebuild’ what I lost, but I think I can basically account for many of the cards - most of the unsigned cards lost are feature players that either are tough or won’t sign; if the players had signed those cards already, maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about lugging those pieces of cardboard I lost.

The Vernon Wells trade - I actually like it

I like the Vernon Wells trade for the Angels despite the doom-and-gloom of worrying about what the team will end up having to pay Wells the next four years - he doesn't seem to be the most vocal guy, but he signs his share of autographs and seems to be a stand up guy otherwise.

The Angels traded catcher Mike Napoli, who maybe the next Mickey Tettleton [he was actually was a productive player, so this is a compliment] - but the Angels milked most of Nap's talents as a one-time 17th round draft pick. Napoli wasn't going to get any better despite establishing himself as a power threat who somehow was perceived as being screwed out of playing time in favor of Jeff Mathis.

The Angels also traded outfielder Juan Rivera, who kind of got a bum rap in 2010 - his stats did lag and maybe there was some 'motivation issues' with him at times, but he may enjoy a bounce back season.

As an Angels' fan, I wanted the team to pick up a star locked up with a franchise in-flux instead of signing Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford or even Adrian Beltre - I maybe crazy, but I was hoping for Justin Upton or Hanley Ramirez.

Wells wasn't the type of star player I was hoping the Angels would get and there are nearly $85 million reasons and four years why that is the case - I wish the Angels could have gotten more money back, but hopefully Wells can stay healthy and avert his trend of having so-so years after relatively productive seasons, including an all-star year in 2010.

I suppose short of Wells turning into Albert Pujols and the Angels winning the World Series the next four years - he'll never live up to his contract. However, it seems like the experts are on Alex Andreopoulos's nuts for getting rid of the Alex Rios a year or so ago and now the Wells contract.

As much as Alex Andreopoulos' sleight of hand skills are praised into duping apparent GM black eyes in Chicago and Anaheim - Andreopoulos' Blue Jays teams will still be playing for third place in American League East.

It doesn't matter how many prospects, draft picks or money he hoards, Andreopoulos is still not going to get what is important in a way that consumes the people who deal with more than just statistical analysis - which is a legitimate chance to compete for a championship.

Maybe it is to circumstance, but for all the pundits and numbers guys who just love the guy right now and since he was hired - a #6 from Dave Cameron maybe the best accolade the Toronto organization might get this year.

The flags fly in Anaheim, not in Toronto.

Card show trip - those who try to sell stuff to vendors

I made a token trip to a card shop and while looking through boxes of cards at a booth, I was seeing random people offering to sell things to the vendor - I'm surprised most vendors still look through people's crap, though the vendors are probably looking for some 'bargain buys' as well, so it kind of pays to give a cursory look when someone approaches with some cards to sell.

It seemed depressing to see someone being turned away - the vendor does have a business and he has the right to be picky. However, am I going to be one of these collectors, expecting something of value, because I'd hoarded all sorts of cards?

It seemed like most of the guys had the wrong cards - the wrong assortment of years and wrong types of cards, which seems depressing, when you hear someone say they can't take their cards because they are low-end, they aren't of desireable players, etc.

The vendor was patient with most of the guys, who mostly had junky cards from the 1980s through 1990s - the vendor at the booth was pretty clear he was only buying collections with at least three or four key cards he can actually [make some profit, any profit on].

"Buy me lunch," one of the guys said, a little desperate just to get rid of what he brought.

"The sheets and binder are worth more," the guy at the booth said. "Than the cards inside."

Some guy even had a bunch of cards and random packs [seriously] he was fishing out of a McDonald's bag like a bunch of clowns coming out a clown car - guy didn't look like he was all there and the cards he was trying to pawn off seemed of dubious quality.

To me, it was just all too sobering - it is better to be a true collector in it for the long haul, than someone who collects because he or she believes cards will be of 'any value.'

Why we care about performance enhancing drugs

I got around to seeing A-Rod's press conference later in the day - apparently there is a 'phantom' cousin who introduced him to some stuff. Only they knew about it and conspired to experiment on their own, for a prolonged period of time [2001-2003].

I don't think anybody missed much if they didn't see A-Rod's press conference on Tuesday - I honestly think he is telling us to read between the lines and make up our own minds. That maybe even more dangerous to the perception of his damaged legacy, but the fact it has come to this point should be something of a revelation. People want him to be implicate others, name substances he took and say he shot himself with all sorts of cringe-worthy stuff.

He has told us what he taken, but we are resigned to the fact he is not going to get himself into more hot water and he can only go so far - he shouldn't be so naive to think, 'I'm young and I was stupid' is going to cut it with those who have an interest as fans of the game or someone who looked at him to endorse a product.

With all this fuss about A-Rod, I've come to the realization baseball may get tedious and boring as far as the day-to-day things going on in a game played in 30 cities, 162 games a year - but it is still the pasttime of guys who can identify with strong, valiant icons of the past.

Baseball fans can rattle off the legends/icons associated with history of the game - whether they saw them play or not.

The game has its faults, but its foundation isn't strife with 'thugs' and 'black eyes' but stoic pioneers [like Jackie Robinson] who played the game right and with integrity - baseball is built upon its history and people are always looking to size up any modern marvel and judge whether an iconic modern player of today passes muster with the likes Babe Ruth or Ted Williams.

If someone like Barry Bonds or A-Rod comes along - there is a self-fulfilling prophecy to tear down and dissect their numbers because it just doesn't add up, when there can be no player as great as Ruth or Williams.

There probably is a sentiment of 'I told ya' running around - in a way the icons of the past are validated for their accomplishments once again as the true torch bearers of the game.

Taking account of it all with some perspective

I live in Orange County, California but was about 90 miles away in El Cajon - to attend one of baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn's public appearances at a car dealership on Nov. 15.

I was pretty much isolated from the fires that burned through parts of Riveride/Los Angeles County and Orange County - the Triangle Complex; Brea, Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, Chino Hills, Corona, Diamond Bar.

I visited a baseball card shop down south to stock up on some 'goodies' from their commons bins - spending the afternoon there with a friend immersed in digging up cards the store was selling for a dime each.

I finally called back my mother, who had called me about five times intermittently during the afternoon - she said a neighborhood park burned down along with a singular house close to ours.

Going back to Orange County, there is a surreal feeling because you know there is supposedly a fire threatening your home - but life is still going on. You realize something is going on that maybe bugging you, but then it isn't affecting others at all. There is supposed to be this fire, but how can it be, that everyone is not stopping in their tracks?

I was kind of stunned on my way to Uncle's house, where it was somewhat safer [though I didn't honestly know how much] - I was seeing glimpses of the fires blazing, blowing for the first time. There were fires at several different areas and I'm thinking this wasn't just some isolated incident. I was sort of scared at the implication of these fires burning.

I tried to keep it as real as possible for me - knowing I was safe and really wasn't exposed to what I consider a tragedy. If I'd stayed the whole day at home, then go through the motions of having to be evaculated 'on the go,' I might have lost my cool.

I was worried about my inanimate, sentimental stuff however like keepsakes and collectibles - I wish my brother didn't patronize and mock me about not being able to save my 'stuff' since I didn't want to be reminded that a fire might wipe out 'stuff' I thought I cared enough about to build up.

What is the stuff I'll take a chance on burning without really crying over it [?] - I may need to have the cavalier attitude for most things, that they can either burn and/or you can replace them one way or the other [no matter how much they cost in the first place].

It doesn't mean certain things may not mean as much, but only serve as distractions - by keeping you from actually saving some one-of-a-kind items or stuff that may actually be crucial. Of course, you don't have a choice at times to even save the truly special stuff.

You amass and accumulate - but find it is a mess to realistically take all your 'stuff' where you know you aren't worrying about one more thing. It becomes a doomsday scenario, where you must decide what to grab, on the run.

What are the must grabs [?] - it really is difficult to think about; maybe my little thumb drive, since it has become sort of your storage area for journals, database information, maybe passwords, et al. You don't do a single thing on the computer, without opening a file on your thumb drive.

I was able to take refuge at my Uncle's home - good thing no one forgot the family dog.