This month I could give you another update on the PCL as I did attend a game between the Salt Lake Buzz and the Sacramento River Cats. Needless to say, it was a great night where I was able to get autographs of up and coming players such as Matt LeCroy, Joe Mays, Jason Ryan (all Twins now) and future A’s contributors Eric Byrnes and Jason Hart.
I was hoping that the Buzz would have won the PCL so I could have taken a few much needed days off and travel to Las Vegas for the Triple A World Series. The Buzz unfortunately lost to Memphis who then lost to Indianapolis in the Series. I was ready to take the trip and cheer on the Buzz to victory…but it was all for naught.
A friend of mine said, “Why don’t you go there anyway? It’s only a five and a half hour drive to Vegas from Salt Lake.” The fact that I even contemplated the notion of driving to Vegas to watch two teams that I had little desire to watch made me rethink my hobby of getting autographing.
I remember when getting an autograph of a player really pumped up the adrenaline. Don’t get me wrong…it’s still fun but I no longer have that burning excitement like the first time I met Gary Payton or Detlef Schrempf. Or the shaking of my hands when Tony Gwynn is willing to sign an autograph for me. Or the time that I finally got Ken Griffey Jr’s autograph after hounding him for 10 years. Still, I enjoy the hobby because when Jason Giambi has a great year, I can say, “I got his autograph before the season began and he’s a stud. He deserves the MVP.”
Seemingly every day there are opportunities to get autographs. Whether it be book signings, celebrity appearances, minor league sports or professional sports, there are plenty of opportunities to add an autograph to the collection. But, by this time next year will that autograph mean anything to me? For instance, I hate hockey but here in Salt Lake the minor league team does a pretty good job of getting out in the community and promoting themselves with signings and public appearances. If there was a drought of autographing opportunities, I could see myself getting driven to the point that I might just find myself waiting in a line at the local grocery store to get an autograph of a hockey player that means little to me.
So, I have rethought how I view my collection. I was tempted to wait outside a hotel this Saturday for Martin Sheen who will be in town for a political function. I was tempted to wait outside of a music venue for The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Orgy, and Everclear. Or, I could send out envelopes upon envelopes to everyone under the sun just because I know they sign through the mail. Then, I started to think about the value those autographs have to me personally.
Frankly, the value of those autographs to me personally is very little.
So, instead of spending valuable time getting autographs that mean little to me, I have decided to concentrate my efforts on celebs that had some intrinsic impact in my life.
So, while others may laugh why I will try to get the 80’s synth popster Howard Jones this upcoming week instead of trying to get Martin Sheen or a hot band like Everclear, I know the real value. Looking at an autograph of Howard Jones will make me remember listening to Ho Jo with my friends driving in my best friend’s Ford Maverick in high school. Years down the road, viewing the autograph of Howard Jones will refresh my memory of what it means to be star struck.
Either that, or it will make me think, “What the hell was I doing being seen in a Maverick?”
‘Til Next Time,
The Autographer
