I present to you a question of etiquette at the grocery store, specifically Trader Joe's.

Maybe I'm just socially retarded (a strong possibility), but I never know what to do when checkout at Trader Joe's.  Unlike most grocery stores, there is only one person working the register, meaning that person must function as both the cashier and the bagger.  I'm all for streamlining and multi-tasking, but this tends to leave me in an awkward position.  You see, when I buy a whole bunch of groceries, the person at the register has to scan all the items and they just start piling up there on the counter while I sit idly by.

The helpful side of me says that the right thing to do is to help the cashier by starting to bag the groceries myself.  It is just the polite, considerate thing to do.  However, it presents a logistical problem.  Since not all of the items have been pulled out of my cart, I can't really properly stack things in the bag without risking having to rearrange things later or wind up with a heavy item potentially smashing a smaller item, so that make me just want to wait until the cashier is done.  But if I wait until the cashier is done, then they'll just bag the groceries themselves, right?  But if I just stand there with my thumb up my butt and let the cashier do everything, that makes me kind of a dick, I think.  I really don't know what to do.

Well, I could just shop at Gelson's instead.  Yeah, that sounds eaiser.

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Atlanta Braves (25-21) @ Los Angeles Angels Anaheim (22-23)

 Pitching Probables: ATL -- Tim Hudson (4-3, 3.03 ERA) LAA -- Ervin Santana (1-4, 4.85 ERA)

 Game Info: 7:05 PT; TV - Fox Sports West; Radio - KLAA 830 AM

With interleague play upon us we get to see teams that normally don't grace the hallowed ground of Angel Stadium. Or, to put it another way, a chance to lose to a whole new set of teams.

Daily Links for the LA Angels including Kazmir could go out on rehab soon, Kendrick nursing a stiff hamstring, Angels never were really interested in Kevin Millwood and much more...

The Story: Scott Kazmir's official rehab assignment could begin soon.

The Monkey Says: And so the end game begins.  Kaz will have 30 days to return to the majors once his rehab begins or he must be released.  However, Scioscia's comments sure don't sound like he has much confidence in Kazmir's ability or attitude.

The Story: Howie Kendrick is dealing with a stiff hamstring.

The Monkey Says: He appears to have hur himself when he got caught stealing in yesterday's game.  The Halos initial reaction is that it wasn't a major concern, but with the way this offense is going, they can't afford to be without one of their few productive batters.

The Story: The Angels were never interested in Kevin Millwood, despite reports to the contrary.

The Monkey Says: It really doesn't matter because Millwood signed with Boston.  However, it is interesting to see the Angels even be associated with such a rumor.  Whether or not they actually talked to Millwood is immaterial, the point is that the public percetion is that the Halos are searching for some rotation help.

Sorry for the bad grammar, but this past week of Angels baseball has fried most of my brain. The Angels just cannot buy themselves a win right now, probably because they're spending all their money on Vernon Wells (hur hur hur). The Angels need some fresh home cooking and a change of scenery to get back on top. Good thing the Angels are going to be ditching the AL in favor of playing some NL ball. Good thing small ball is the Angels specialty.

Mariners 2 Angels 1

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Los Angeles Angels Anaheim (22-22) @ Seattle Mariners (18-24)

Pitching Probables: LAA – Dan Haren (4-2, 1.93 ERA)  SEA – Doug Fister (2-4, 3.22 ERA)

Game Info: 12:40 PM PT; TV - Fox Sports West; Radio - KLAA 830 AM

Is it money? Women?? Power?!?! Just tell us what it's going to take for you to bring a win home and you'll have it!

Are you like me?  When you get bored do you spend your time just idly surfing through the pages of Baseball-Reference?  Just me?  OK, wow, I'm a bigger dork than I thought.

Anyway, out of all the fun and interesting things on B-R, the section you can really get lost in is the Similarity Scores.  Basically, they take the palyer you are looking at and find the most statistically comparable players in the entire history of baseball.  Pretty nifty, eh?  Well, sometimes those player comps are pretty interesting, but other times... there is some real inadvertent comedy to be had.

Daily Links for the LA Angels including Bedrosian gets Tommy John surgery, Rodney just needs to "keep it simple," Weaver might have "dead arm" and much more...

The Story: Top Angel pitching prospect Cam Bedrosian will undergo Tommy John surgery.

The Monkey Says: TJ surgery is no longer a death sentence, in fact, plenty of guys come back arguably stronger than ever and Bedrosian is still plenty young enough.  It does mean that he really isn't going to be ready again until the middle of next season and still starting in the very low minors.

The Story: Mike Scioscia wants Fernando Rodney to "keep it simple."

The Monkey Says: I think that is a nice way of asking him to focus on fixing his mechanics, which Fraudney himself blames for his issues.  I've been pretty hard on Fernando this season, but the Angel bullpen really does need a righty setup man to setup and Rodney is probably the best man for the job, so hopefully he can get his act together.

The Story: Scott Downs appears to be in line for a promotion to top setup man.

The Monkey Says: As well he should.  He may not be the most dominant arm, but his track record is one of consistency, which is something the Angel pen really needs right now.