On Karma(Of All Things)

Karma... whether you believe in it or not, always seems to surface down the road.

Last summer... in July I believe. I spent one of my vacation days doing pre game in Pawtucket, not realizing how weird that day would end up.

I had started to bring my camera to games to try and capture video of guys signing, not to use to sell anything, because I don't do that. Without any true reason to take video, other than to share it on this blog to help others see what to expect from certain players, I quickly stopped on that day.

When Lars Anderson drove into McCoy that day, I prepared my camera. Quickly, I realized his father was with him so I figured he would be nicer than usual. There were only TWO people INCLUDING me there that afternoon, and Lars was his usual mean/rude/etc. self to us. If i remember correctly, the other kid was probably a junior high aged kid and had ONE card out to be signed. Here is how it went down:


When I got home that evening, I posted the video to facebook with the caption, "Typical Lars Being an Ass", or something like that.

I had forgotten that I was friends with former Red Sox player Michael Bowden, and Michael actually commented on it ripping me for "using a hidden camera". First of all, the camera is fairly large, and was around my neck, with a light lit on it, second of all, this is a baseball stadium, hundreds of people can have cameras.

Anyway, Michael kept going on to say how good of a guy Lars was, although I had seen differently dozens of times.

One time, I even saw Lars be rude to a mentally challenged gentleman without realizing it. After the man responded, Lars was really thrown aback.

So back to today. Something like 9 months later, Lars has been traded by the Red Sox, traded to the Indians, traded to the Diamondbacks, DFA'd by the Diamondbacks, claimed by the White Sox, DFA'd by the White Sox, claimed by the Blue Jays, and recently was DFA'd by the Blue Jays.

It seems as if the once Red Sox top prospect, is getting the treatment he deserves by the world of baseball.

This entry was not to attack someone who was rude one time to me for asking for an autograph, it was to show that acting like a big shot when you have played less than a dozen games in the majors(at the time), can really come back to bite you in the rear end.

Enjoy the Video. I realize this isn't that bad, but this was probably one of my BETTER experiences with Lars.

Former First Daughter and Author Caroline Kennedy 3/26/13

This week is my university's spring break, so for months my girlfriend and I had planned to go to New York City for our third book signing there in 2013. This one happened to feature Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of our late President, John F. Kennedy. Caroline was releasing a new book of poetry today, and although I am not a big poetry guy, I thought it would be cool to meet her.

Overall, it was a very mixed day. We got to the 7:00 PM signing just after 4, and were 5th-6th in line. The line never really got big until after 6:00 or so. Had we known  that this wouldn't be as crowded as our other signings at the store, we probably would have went much later.

Anyway, Caroline literally talked about the book for 5 minutes and stopped. We got our books signed super quickly(3 for me, 2 of those were for friends who wanted me to hook them up), and 1 for my girlfriend. Jon Muth, the illustrator of all of the watercolor paintings in the book was with her, so we got him as well.

Sorry for the shaky video, and random close ups, I did not have my normal camera around my neck, I had a digital on my wrist, and just wanted to get some footage.

Here is the video, it's pretty raw footage:

I tried to get Caroline to sign a baseball during the signing, but she robotically replied, " I can't do that right now." I wanted to say something about spending $80 on books that she didn't even write, but obviously I didn't.



After the signing, we went to get some dinner a block away, and we decided to come back after we ate to see if she was still there, because I had seen where her SUV was parked.

We waited about 20 minutes and when she came out I asked again politely for her to sign, and she gave me the EXACT robotic response as during the book signing.

Here is another video of this exchange, please turn your volume up all of the way to hear it. Caroline gave my girlfriend a super dirty look so that is why the camera goes down haha.

Now that I think of it, I'm glad that I didn't waste a $15 baseball on her anyway.

Here are some various photos from the event:

Total Autographs for 2013:109

 Top Autographs for 2013:

 1)Rudy Giuliani 2)Sonia Sotomayor 3)Branford Marsalis 4)Jeff Bridges, 5)Bob Woodward 

Top 10 College Basketball Players I Met This Season

Now that the season is winding down, I wanted to do what I did last year, and have an entry dedicated to sum up my 2nd year of 'graphing college basketball. While this year's names are not as powerful as last year's, I still met some future NBA players, and for the ones I will never see again in person, I wish you all the best,

10) Omar Calhoun, Guard, University of Connecticut

Potential. That is the word you have to use when you are looking at Omar. In his freshman campaign this season, he averaged 11.1 ppg, which is a really nice number. He showed his inexperience at points, but also showed us spurts of unbelievable shooting, which gives Uconn fans some hope for next season, in what will be a new beginning in a new conference.

9) Ryan Boatright, Guard, University of Connecticut

Although Ryan once was considered a great NBA prospect, and a sure first round pick, the interest really isn't there anymore. This is not to say that he won't make a team, but his future isn't as clear now. He still has his senior year to prove us wrong though. In 2012-'13 he averaged 15.4 ppg, and 4.4 apg.

8) Fuquan Edwin, Guard/Forward, Seton Hall University

Fuquan had another great season as the centerpiece of Seton Hall's program, and put up an impressive 16.5 ppg, and  almost 6 rpg. He too, has his senior year left, which buys him time to move up on the scouting boards. He has the potential to be a threat down low in the NBA, and I can imagine his scoring next season will only go up.

7) Aaron Craft, Point Guard, The Ohio State University

If there is the ideal All-American-Kid, it has to be Aaron Craft. On top of averaging just a bit under 10 ppg, 3.6 rpg, and 4.6 apg, he maintains a 3.9 GPA as a pre-med major. He still has his senior year as well, and hey if the whole basketball thing doesn't work out maybe you will have an appointment with Dr. Craft.

6) Bryce "Ice" Cotton, Guard, Providence College

Yet another junior, Bryce Cotton is one of the most prolific shooters in the Big East. He drove Providence to the NIT while averaging almost 20 ppg. He is currently projected as a 2nd round pick in 2014, but who knows, his senior year may impress some teams even more.

5) Shabazz Napier, Guard, University of Connecticut

Another Uconn guard hits the top 10, and this one is the best of all. Although still marked as selfish by some(including me), this guy can score, which is why he averaged over 17 ppg, and should go right near Bryce in the 2014 draft.

4) Brandon Triche, Guard, Syracuse University

Although he started the year on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Triche had his struggles this season. By the end of the season he righted the ship however, averaged almost 14 ppg, and will be another 2nd rounder at some point.

3) C.J. Wilcox, Guard, University of Washington

Again a junior(boy am I saying that a lot), C.J. Wilcox is a pure scorer. While he averages almost 17 ppg, he doesn't have great other numbers, but his scoring will lead him to be a 1st rounder in 2014.

2) Steven Adams, Center, University of Pittsburgh

Only the second freshman to make the list, Adams is quite the prospect. His 7 foot frame helped him get over 6 rpg, and experience is all he needs. He could possibly go first round whenever he decides to declare. 2014 at the earliest, but I don't see why another 2 years would hurt.

and number 1 is................


1) Michael Carter-Williams, Guard, Syracuse University

Although he made a complete bonehead move off the court,   Michael Carter-Williams was lucky to be able to showcase his insane assist and scoring skills on the court. He is the most polished of Syracuse's stars from this year, and is probably the most well rounded. He averaged 12 ppg, and almost 8 apg, and could very well be a lottery pick in this year's draft.

Governor Malloy 3/21/13

Tonight I took the short twenty minute drive to City Hall in Norwich, where Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy was holding a town hall meeting. It was snowing very heavily when I arrived in the city, so I didn't even try for him at all before the event. When I got inside, I scoped out the room and chose the closest seat to the door I thought he would come out of. I got kind of worried because about 30 Norwich police officers were surrounding the stage, but it turned out that they were there to see one of their fellow officers who was injured on duty, be honored by Malloy.

The town hall went for exactly an hour, and when he was about to exit, I stopped him and he was VERY nice. He actually ended up sitting down with me, and had me tell him about myself for a few minutes. I wanted to take a picture with him, but I realized my phone was still turned off from the event, and I had realized while driving, that I had left behind my camera.

Although I don't necessarily agree with things Malloy has done in office, he was a great guy, and I look forward to meeting him again.

This is a news report about the event, you can see me a few times, mostly at 1:47:

Governor Malloy Town Hall

Total Autographs for 2013:103

 Top Autographs for 2013:

 1)Rudy Giuliani 2)Sonia Sotomayor 3)Branford Marsalis 4)Jeff Bridges, 5)Bob Woodward 

Contest #2 Kevin Millwood Signed Card Winner Announced

Former Beloved Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani 3/14/13

It's nights like these that really make being involved in this hobby worth it.

Central Connecticut State University had their distinguished lecture tonight, and brought in Rudy Giuliani for a dinner(the dinner was $125, no thanks), and a lecture which was free!

Before I get into the 'graphing details of the night, I noticed that there were hardly any students there. The place was filled to near capacity, but mostly consisted of older folks. Man, if I were a student there, and they got such a quality guest, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

So I got to CCSU at 5:00, which was EXACTLY when the dinner was to start(that's simply the earliest I could be there). I tried the front entrance with two other guys I know, but after a while we had heard he had gone in through a side door. After some searching, I found a loading dock, with a side door, with an Escalade marked with New York plates. This was so obviously where he went in that I was disappointed that I didn't realize this sooner.

I had no idea when the dinner was going to end, and the only info I had was that the lecture was starting at 7:30. I went inside to warm up for about 15 minutes, and when I went outside there were snow flurries. After about an hour, Mr. Giuliani came out of the door I pinpointed with his entourage, and I called his name. His security told me to stay back, but Rudy came right over and was very nice. I only got one item signed because he was very rushed, and it was below freezing, but I can tell you guys right now that that item will always be one of  my favorites.

I was the only person to get him, NOT at the dinner tonight. I tried to again after the lecture, but he waved and got in his car.

As for the lecture, I really enjoyed it. Obviously he was mayor when I was a kid so I didn't know a TON about his policies, but he talked a great deal about schools, leadership, and even immigration.



P.S. Rudy paid more attention to my interaction which was 15 seconds, than did Bob Woodward Tuesday night in a minute.


I got him on a baseball because he is an ENORMOUS baseball fan, and getting politicians on baseballs is always fun.

-My first choice was his TIME Person of the Year cover from 2001, but I found out about this too late.

Total Autographs for 2013:102

 Top Autographs for 2013:

 1)Rudy Giuliani 2)Sonia Sotomayor 3)Branford Marsalis 4)Jeff Bridges, 5)Bob Woodward 

Journalistic Icon Bob Woodward 3/12/13

Bob Woodward, who played a huge part in uncovering the Watergate scandal, was at my university tonight for a lecture, and to sign books afterwards. Mr. Woodward is considered by many to be one of the top, if not the best journalists of all time.

I found his lecture to be very good, and entertaining. Like Dan Rather, he had some clever anecdotes, and some of his stories about his experiences with colleagues, and politicians were really awesome.

He spoke a great deal about the Nixon files, Obama being anti -war, and his career in general.

With that said, and again, I praise Woodward for what he has done for our country, he was very disinterested in the signing and talking with people at the signing. He barely looked up at all, and I had to ask twice to get a picture out of him. He did sign my three books, but as you can see in the video below, he didn't seem very personable.

My girlfriend got a book signed for herself as well, and I'm not sure if he even talked to her.

Bob's intro:

                                                  

Total Autographs for 2013:101

 Top Autographs for 2013:

 1)Sonia Sotomayor 2)Branford Marsalis 3)Jeff Bridges, 4)Bob Woodward 5)Jim Calhoun

Throwback Thursday #6 2003 NASCAR Champion Matt Kenseth

Date: July 21st, 2004

Place: Thompson Speedway, Thompson,CT

Setting: Concourse, Sit down signing

If you think that the date of this looks familiar, you may be thinking back to my Kasey Kahne entry from a few weeks back. Thompson Speedway did a PHENOMENAL job in 2004 getting both of these guys to visit, especially since Kenseth was the reigning series champion.

To make everyone feel old, Kenseth was the WINSTON Cup Champion. This is 3 series title sponsors ago! Of course since Winston was dropped, the series became Nextel Cup, and then Sprint Cup, as it is called today.

I really love writing up these NASCAR entries because I really grew up with the sport, alongside baseball, and some of my earliest and great successes are from NASCAR.

Kenseth was pretty cool, as was Kahne. It was really cool to meet a series champion. Kenseth was actually the second cup champion I met however(you will see the first next week).

Over the years the photo has gotten a little beaten up, but for almost a decade later, it isn't in bad shape at all.

Giveaway #2 Kevin Millwood Signed Card

Hello readers,

I will be holding another drawing, which will be decided on 3/20/13. In this drawing I will be giving away a signed Kevin Milwood card to the winner!

Kevin Milwood had a very extensive MLB career, and even was a part of 2 no-hitters(His own, and another combined-pitcher one last season with the Mariners).

To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post with an email address, OR email me at garrettberthiaume@sbcglobal.net. AS WELL AS comment on any post I have ever written  saying why it is your favorite one(only a sentence comment is fine).

-gbautographs.com is not responsible for any card that is lost in the mail.
-I will tell the winner the day I mail it to them.
-The photos below represent what his signature looks like, you will get a perfect card, but not necessarily one of the EXACT ones pictured.

Thanks for participating!

Massachusetts Pop Punk Band, A Loss for Words (Featured at Warped Tour 2012) 3/1/13

Today at my university I started off the month of March by seeing two members of the Massachusetts based band, A Loss for Words. Lead singer Matty, and guitarist Marc came down to play an accoustic show, and were very good.

These guys played at all of the Warped Tour 2012 stops, and have released multiple albums.

A Loss for Words-Wikipedia

Overall, I really enjoyed their two sets. They stopped in the middle to take a break, and meet with the fans who were there. I was actually surprised with the crowd, these guys are very good, but with it being at 3:00 P.M. I wasn't expecting many people, but there was a solid crowd watching.

The guys were really cool, and enjoyed that I had a mixture of photos:

Total Autographs for 2013:98

 Top Autographs for 2013:

 1)Sonia Sotomayor 2)Branford Marsalis 3)Jeff Bridges, 4)Jim Calhoun,  5)John Thompson III