Blue Heaven

2012 Jackie Robinson Solid Gold Card has been Pulled

2012-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well, that was quick. As most of you know, the 2012 Topps Baseball set, that was released today, features "1 of 1" 14k solid gold cards of a handful of star players. Obviously, they are not actually included in a pack, but are redeemable with a special code card. Dodgers known to be represented include Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson.

This morning I learned that case breaker and eBay seller BrentandBecca pulled the Jackie Robinson. They shared a photo of the redemption card. See it below.

Check pics of other high-end cards they pulled in their 60 case break of Jumbo boxes. Holy Moly! 60 CASES!!!!

(Pic Link: Twitter BrentandBecca)

BTW, do you want to see what 60 cases of inserts look like? Just inserts. Check out this pic they shared.

(Pic Link: twitter BrentandBecca img.ly)

Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Kareem and a Bunch of Dodgers

2012-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend is filled to the brim with autograph opportunities. First, though, I wanted to note that the Long Beach Coins, Stamps, and Collectibles Expo is this weekend; starting tomorrow to Saturday. Go here for info. Also, This coming Saturday is the start of the Occupy Chavez Ravine: The “Blue Bum” Paintings of Stephen Seemayer at the West Covina Library. It will run to March 29. So, there is plenty of time to check it out. Go here for info.

Now, on to the autograph opportunities. This weekend Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be having two book signings; one in LA and the other in Irvine. He will be signing only copies of "What Color Is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors."
Here are the details:

Saturday, February 4, 2012; 2:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
189 Grove Drive Suite K 30
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-525-0270
Link Here

Sunday, February 5, 2012; 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
Irvine Spectrum Center
81 Fortune Drive Suite 123
Irvine, CA 92618
949-585-0233
Link Here

Once again, Frank & Sons will have a bunch of Dodgers signing at their weekly warehouse show in the City of Industry on Saturday. Go here for more details. Flyers for the event are below.
As always, check out my Calendar of Baseball/Sports related events, here. Also, everything above is subject to change. So, please be sure to call the promoters ahead of time to verify.

Woo Hoo! Let the Baseball Season Begin

2012-02-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

That day is finally here. The 2012 Baseball season has officially become a reality. Why is that, you ask?

Well, today is the official release date for the first Baseball card product of the season. Topps 2012 Baseball is the flagship card set for the hobby, and you can now go to your local hobby store or Target/Walmart to get a pack.

Ohhh... What a wonderful day.

Heck, I was so impatient I decided to head to my local Target last night to see if retail blaster boxes had been put on the shelves. To my joy, they had. So, I dutifully bought a 10 pack box and opened it up like a little boy discovering the game for the first time.

Of note, this will probably be the only packs of this product I'll be opening since I recently joined a two case group break and snagged the Dodgers for myself. Rest assured, I will have plenty of Dodgers soon, and hopefully a nice Koufax autograph to add to my collection. On top of that, since I'll have plenty of the Blue Crew in my hands I'd be happy to send some away to you folks. Just ask.

Anyway, here is my bounty from my first blaster box break of 2012 Topps.

First, I'll start with a special pack (exclusive to retail boxes) that includes a Historical Stitches manufactured patch. This is a limited 25 card set that includes only two Dodgers- Jackie Robinson and Sandy Koufax. Unfortunately, neither one of those cards was hiding in my pack, but the below Don Mattingly was.
Here is the reverse of the card. This card insert is a little bland, but sure feels great when you rub the patch with your fingers. Ewwww.... like velvet!
Below are the only two Dodgers base cards I received. On the left is a great action photo of Dee Gordon completing a double play. On the right is our newest catcher, Tim Federowicz.
This is what the back of the base cards look like. I love the little interesting fact about Dee on the reverse.

"Dee sent the Dodgers PR folks rifling through the record books in 2011. He was just their second player with three hits and a steal in his first MLB start, and their third to swipe three bags in an inning."

Nice.
This year is the "Golden Giveaway" for Topps. You can get 1 code card for every 6 or 7 packs. Load in the code at the Topps website and win something cool. Their website at topps.com/golden is not live yet, but you can check out some of the potential prizes over there. As you can see I received 2 of these cards; including a diving Matt Kemp.
This card had me scratching my head. Topps... What the heck are you doing?

Just when I thought I would never have to think about Andruw Jones as a Dodger again Topps decides to ruin it for me. For whatever reason, Jones is shown on the below NL Active Home Run Leaders card in a Dodger uniform. Yikes!
Worse yet, the back of the card indicates that Jones is with the Dodgers. Noooooooooooo! The guy hit less home runs for us than any other team he has played for. BTW, this card is a Golden Moment parallel card (seeded to 1 for every 4 packs).
Here's some good stuff. Check out the Golden Greats insert card of Jackie Robinson, below.
The back highlights a game winning extra innings home run by Jackie in 1951.
Ruth and Clemente were the other Golden Moments cards I received.
Here is a group of other insert cards in my box break. The Gold Standard cards on the right are really nice looking, and would great with a autograph.
Here are a couple of Timeless Talents inserts; including a Nolan Ryan/ Jared Weaver card.
Mini's are another insert set collectors will go crazy for. It uses a vintage 1987 Topps card design.
Here are some base cards that I thought were notable. On the left, George Kottaras tags out former Dodger catcher Dioner Navarro. I love the enthusiasm shown in the Nyjer Morgan card, at center. How can I not show our former Dodgers catcher Russell Martin preparing to block the plate.
I really have to commend Topps for their photography and cropping this year. These cards look great. Check out Nyger Morgan again. He seems like the most affable person in the world. Pablo Sandoval makes a diving tag with his eyes closed. The celebratory World Series card of Chris Carpenter is just wonderful.

Blog Kiosk: 1/31/2012

2012-01-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

Vin Scully receives his reward from Kings broadcaster Bob Miller for being named the best Radio Play-by Play announcer by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters (SCSB) for the 13th time on Monday. Rick Monday was honored for Radio Color Commentary by the SCSB, as well. Press Release. (Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)

Check out Jon Weisman's new home for Dodger Thoughts at www.dodgerthoughts.com
Jon starts off with a funny post featuring a exclusive interview with master twitterer Old Hoss Radbourn.
Steve Dilbeck reports that former Dodger executive Derrick Hall has been approached by several bidders.
Evan at New Mexico fan was at the SABR Day event at IsotopesPark last weekend.
Ronald Belisario finally shows up to camp a year too late, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.
This card has apparently been highlighted in the news. It is this years big "gimmick" card from 2012 Topps Baseball, and it is already garnering huge bids on eBay as collectors open up early released retail packs. See them here. One is about to closed at over $600. This is crazy! Don't buy the hype on these short prints. Prices could not possible stay at this level.
Beckett has a complete list of all short prints in 2012 Topps- with pics.
UniWatch visits the Little League Museum.
Voice of the Collectors notes a Antique Roadshow episode that features memorabilia from a former player in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. Video is included.
Panini shares some pics from Media Day at the Super Bowl.
Dee Gordon posses with a fan- who happens to root for the Angels. She is forced to hold up a sign that says, "Go Dodgers!"

Video Link:

Here is a first person view from the main event at the motorcross race held at Dodger Stadium a couple of weeks ago.

Video Link:

Happy Birthday, Jackie Robinson

2012-01-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today would mark Jackie Robinson's 93rd Birthday. He was a great leader who helped change the landscape of Baseball and the country. His accomplishments will always be remembered.

Take a peek at some of the Jackie Robinson cards and memorabilia that I have in my collection, here.

(Pic via Tony M., Tumblr On Being Blog)

CSA: 1890's Dave Foutz Newsboy Cabinet

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

"His (Dave Foutz) calm demeanor and take-charge attitude inspired confidence among his teammates. And his strong hitting and good fielding and base running contributed to many victories." - Historian Robert L. Tiemann in Nineteenth Century Stars (1989) (From Baseball Almanac)

Nicknamed "scissors" because of his skinny frame, Dave Foutz would be a early Brooklyn hero. He was well liked by the other players and cheered by the fans. In 13 Major League seasons, he played for Brooklyn the last 9 while pitching, batting and playing the field. Soon, Foutz would even became a player manager for 4 season before retiring from the game in 1896.

He was as versatile as they come. Foutz could play the outfield, 1st base and pitch a great game. He even had Base Ball smarts. At the ripe age of 26, Foutz was the player manager for the Bay City, MI Base Ball team of the Northwestern League. It was there he was first noticed by the powerful St. Louis Browns (Cardinals) who immediately sought his services. Unfortunately, they discovered that would have to buy the team to get him, so they did just that.

In 1884 he premiered with St. Louis at the age of 27 and became a star on the mound. Dave Foutz started 25 games, winning 15 and losing only 6, that year. The next season he won 35, and bested that with a career plateau of 41 wins in 1886. Inexplicably, he and Bob Caruthers (St. Louis' other star pitcher) was soon sold to Brooklyn for a sum of $13,500.00- a huge sum at the time.

And there he stayed. From 1888 to 1896 he proudly roamed the Eastern Park ball fields for the the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Suffering from asthmatic conditions Foutz was forced to retire too soon. Then, his life would be cut short a year later. He died in the place he was born, Waverly, Maryland, at the age of 40 in 1897.

Over his career, Foutz batted .276, while stealing 280 bases, and knocking in 750 runs. As a pitcher he won 147 games against just 66 loses. His career ERA was an impressive 2.84. Foutz lead St. Louis in three straight American Association Championships, and the Dodgers to a AA Championship and National League Championship. As Brooklyn's skipper he had a record of 264-257 in 4 seasons.

I note this former Dodger because of a great vintage 1895 Newsboy Cabinet photo card available at Clean Sweep Auctions. This card measures 4.5" x 6.5" and comprises of a sepia toned photograph mounted on cardboard backing. Newsboy produced over 500 cabinet cards of famous people in the 1890's, and only 14 are known to feature Base Ball players. As the name suggest, these cards would typically be glued or nailed onto a cabinet door for fans to admire. Of note, the clarity of the Dave Foutz photo is amazing. This is a rare opportunity to check out a vintage card of a historic figure in Dodgers history.

(Auction Link)

Some More Topps Previews

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Just a few more days. Just a few more days.

The start of the 2012 Baseball collecting season is upon us. This coming Wednesday is Topps Baseball release day. A whole new crop of cards are about to hit the hobby and I can't wait. In anticipation Topps unveiled some more early snapshots of some of the cards that can be found. Check out Beckett as they share some early pics featuring insert cards from 2012 Topps Baseball due out this Wednesday. Below are the Dodgers. Go here to see them all.

Here is a great 1987 Topps design with Andre Ethier.

Home Run Leaders card! Kemp is the last man standing in the National League.

In addition to the 2012 Topps Baseball photos, they also unveiled the below "1 of 1" Topps Tribute autographed card with Cy Young Award inscription via twitter.

(Pic Link:Twitter @Toppscards)

Blog Kiosk: 1/27/2012

2012-01-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Negro League Baseball Museum Legacy Awards Banquet is this coming Saturday, and as I reported several months ago, both Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw are getting awards. Kemp took home the Oscar Charleston (MVP) and Josh Gibson (Home Run Leader) Awards and Kershaw took the Bullet Rogan "Pitcher of the Year" Award. See a press release from the Negro League Baseball Museum, here.
"Hiroki Kuroda talks about leaving Dodgers, and why he chose Yankees," via Steve Dilbeck of LA Times.
Big League Stew celebrates Steve Sax's 52nd birthday.
Will Manny Ramirez be with the A's, via SFGate.
"Darth Vader, Meet Frank McCourt," via Through the Fence Baseball.
You remember when the Dark One, Darth Vader, has a bit of good inside his evil heart and does The Force a solid by sacrificing himself to save his son, Luke Skywalker. Well, after hearing that Frank McCourt had been trying to bring Fielder to Los Angeles for the past couple months, I feel a little differently about him.
Likely to be one of the more sought after redemptions in 2012 Topps packs, "1 of 1" solid gold cards will be available. There are 16 of them, and Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson are included. Beckett shares a pic of the Lou Gehrig Gold card.
For Baseball historians this is just another place to put on the "must visit one day" list. Cleveland's old League Park is about to get a face-lift, via Cleveland.com.
The old ballpark, once home of the Cleveland Indians and the 1945 Negro League champion Cleveland Buckeyes, and adjacent parkland will undergo $5 million in renovations, said Ken Silliman, chief of staff for Mayor Frank Jackson. Silliman said work will begin late this spring or in early summer and be finished in about a year.
Several LA Kings stars make an appearance on Funny or Die.

The Fame Makers with the Los Angeles Kings from Anze Kopitar

Hat Tip: Steve Dilbeck of LA Times. A trick shot video with Don Mattingly.

Video Link:

Collection: Garvey INKredibles

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

With the Dodger auction sale underway, and with Steve Garvey in the hunt as a potential bidder I thought it would be a good time to share this Garvey autograph in my collection. This is a 1999 Upper Deck Retro INKredible autographed card. These are cards are plentiful and can be purchased on eBay for under $10 a piece, if you are patient enough. Over the past month 3 examples have sold at a range of $4.99 to $7.00.

SABR Day on Saturday

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

I just ran across this, so I thought I would make note of it for everybody. This coming Saturday is the 3rd Annual SABR Day. Regional meetings are being held throughout the country. If you don't know, SABR is the Society for American Baseball Research, and their principal goal is to study the game. Ernie Harwell called it, "the Phi Beta Kappa of baseball, providing scholarship which the sport has long needed. ... An excellent way for all of us to add to our enjoyment of the greatest game."

Anyway, attendance is free for everyone; including non-members. Think of it as an opportunity to see what it is all about. Below is info for a local southland meeting. Go to this link for general information.

Time: 10:15 a.m.
Where: La Habra Library, 221 E. La Habra Blvd., La Habra, CA 90631, (562) 694-0078
Contact: Barry Mednick, bmednick@roadrunner.com
Allan Roth Chapter program: Former Milwaukee Braves All-Star catcher Del Crandall will be joining us for SABR Day at the La Habra Library. High school coach Eddie Alvarez will speak and Eric Dearborn will present photographs of final games at various ballparks. Authors Daryl Grigsby ("Celebrating Ourselves: African-Americans and the Promise of Baseball") and Ron Selter (on .400 hitters) will also speak. As always, beverages will be provided; bring your own lunch. Please advise Barry Mednick (bmednick@adelphia.net) if you wish to make a research presentation.

2012 Topps Tribute Preview Pic- Ethier Auto

2012-01-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

The upcoming Baseball card collecting season is about start. With all of the excitement centered around Topps release of their flagship Baseball card product next week (on Wednesday) they went ahead and released a preview pic, on twitter, of one of their other sets called Topps Tribute. This set should be arriving in stores in just under two weeks. Here is a 1 of 1 Andre Ethier 2012 Topps Tibute card with a nice little inscription.

(pic link: Twitter @Topps)

Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

2012-01-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one who doesn't care that the Dodgers where charging hard to try to sign Prince Fielder?

As reported by Jon Heyman at CBS,

Although they managed to stay under the radar all the while, the Los Angeles Dodgers pushed hard for weeks to try to sign Prince Fielder and thought for a while they might have a legitimate shot at their own secret signing.

Yawn! Sure... it's nice to know the Dodger aren't passively sitting on the sidelines. It was even better imagining a lineup that featured Kemp, Ethier and Fielder. But, based on the numbers released we never really had a chance. From Ken Rosenthal:

As it turned out, the Dodgers recognized that they stood little chance on Fielder nearly a week before he agreed with Detroit. At that point, Boras informed them that were $50 million to $60 million short of an offer that he already had — the offer that turned out to be the Tigers’.

“It didn’t get to the ninth inning. It got to about the sixth inning,” the source said.

You know what? I've changed my mind. After all, I'm a cynic at heart.

This whole thing is starting to sound like a ruse to me. I don't believe that the Dodgers were ever really in the hunt, but were more than willing to throw their name in the ring as a sign that they aren't just sitting on their laurels. On top of that, McCourt could use the positive publicity showing that at least they tried.

Here is what we know. Based on the actions of the team this winter the Dodgers do not have the budgetary flexibility to sign a big name like Fielder.

We know this is true, so why bother imagining that we can. We are better off focusing on the upcoming season with what we have, and the intentions of the future owner once they are selected. Big free agent signings is a luxury we will only experience after McCourt is gone.

Dodgers Squash Giants!

2012-01-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

The rivalry never takes a break. Even as Baseball hibernates over the winter the battle between blue and orange, south and north, right and wrong never pauses.

To prove that point, the MLB Network recently premiered a new game show called Baseball IQ. It is

"a recall-based trivia show featuring two participants, 30 minutes and a chance to win up to $45,000 for charity. Questions will cover all things baseball, from current players and managers to World Series champions, MVPs, Cy Young Award winners, Hall of Famers, milestones and more. Participants include front office personnel, equipment managers, scoreboard operators and museum curators. When possible, participants have been matched up opposite club rivals: think Cardinals-Cubs, Red Sox-Yankees, Dodgers-Giants and more."

In the first round of this bracket-styled tournament they pitted the Dodgers against the Giants, and aired it last night. Dodgers Director of Ticket Operations, Seth Bluman, faced off against Giants Manager of Client Relations, Greg Marinec. And I am happy to report that Seth kicked some major Giants Butt. Look at that score. The Giants never had a chance. Even better is the look of dejection and disappointment from the rival. I've got the biggest smile on my face just thinking about it.Anyway, I'm sure it'll be on replays on the MLB Network so go to your local listings to see it, or you can just watch the final inning of play below. BTW, go here for more info on the show.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Video Link:

Blog Kiosk: 1/25/2012

2012-01-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

Steve Dilbeck should write a horror screenplay. He imagines a scenario where Rams owner, Stan Kroenke, buys the Dodgers, builds a football stadium in Chavez Ravine, and moves the Rams back to LA with McCourt as a part owner. What's scary is that this is a real possibility.
Check out this great little parody song made by Joel-Steve Voicedude using a song from "Oliver!" and the Dodgers bidding process as lyrical inspiration. It is called, "Who Will Bid?"

Who Will Bid? [produced by Voicedude] by Joel-Steven Voicedude

Bob Daly, who was a managing partner when Fox owned the Dodgers, says
"When we were going through the process of selling the team, McCourt seemed like an OK guy. I sat down with him and told him people here were under contract, but they've been like a family and so if he wanted to make changes, do so with respect.
"As everyone knows he didn't, so I told him off. It took five or six more years for a lot of other people to catch up to where I was with him. He did some good things, but inherently he was not a nice guy. He put himself before the Dodgers, and this is a team owned by the fans and the city of Los Angeles."
Via TJ Simers at LA Times.
True Blue LA shares their 2012 Minor League Prospects Countdown. They start it off with #91 to #100.
Save the ThunderBug! (Hat Tip: Puck Daddy)
Ranker has a list of All-Time Ugliest Athletes, and guess which Dodger is on it.
Check out this awesome Star Wars Millennium Falcon guitar, via Musicians Authority.

Weekend Autograph Opportunities

2012-01-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

Just to start, please check out the Autograph/ Events Calendar for a large listing of events.

And I want to make a quick comment. Screw those Yankees.

This coming weekend there will be a big card show in New Jersey. If you are in the area go here for details. The show celebrates the Yankees 1977 World Championship that saw Reggie Jackson belt 3 homers in one game against us. Unsurprisingly, they call the show the "Return to Glory" show. Along with a large number of former Yanks in attendance will be several Dodgers. Those special guest include Steve Yeager (who was behind the plate for all 3 Reggie homers), Burt Hooton (who gave up homer #1), Elias Sosa (who gave up homer #2), and Charlie Hough (who gave up homer #3).

35 years later and the Yankees are still rubbing it in.

Now to a Southland event.
First pointed out by Jesse at LA Inspiration, the LA Convention Center will be hosting the 9th Annual Fit Expo this weekend (Sat & Sun). Along with dumbbells, exercise tapes and all the food supplements you could want there will be numerous celebrities on hand to sign autographs. Go here for a complete list. Here is a short list:

Mike Tyson; Saturday;
11:00 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Intro at the MaxReps Stage
11:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Autos/Photos ($129/$139) Gallery of Legends Booth
Tito Ortiz; Saturday;
Celebrity UFC Fighter
Owner of Punishment Athletics
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake; Sunday;
Heavyweight Champion
10:30-10:45 a.m. Main Stage Q&A
10:45-12:00 p.m. and
1:00-2:30 p.m. American ICON Autographs Booth – Autos/Photos (add charge)
Josh Saunders; Sat & Sun;
Goalkeeper US Soccer League- LA Galaxy
A handful of LA Temptation Lingerie Football players. You read that right!
D’aundre Reed; Sat & Sun;
Minnesota Vikings; NFL Football Player; Autograph/Meet & Greet with product purchase
Chauncey Davis; Sat & Sun;
Chicago Bears; NFL Football Player; Autograph/Meet & Greet with product purchase
Rudy Tomjanovich; sat & Sun;
Former LA Lakers Coach; Current NBA Scout for the LA Lakers

Sat. 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00-1:00 p.m.
Lisa Leslie; Sat & Sun;
Top WNBA Basketball Player

Sat. & Sun. 1:30-3:00 p.m.

And this is just a short list. There are a whole bunch of well-known MMA, UFC, fitness, bodybuilding, wrestlers, chefs and nutritionist slated to appear.

Erskine and the Duke Pitch Gillette

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here is another edition of Dodgers Vintage Spokesmen. Back in the day, most players had second jobs during the off-season. After all, a Major League salary could only take you up so high the economic ladder. If you wanted to survive you needed to be like every other American and work all year round. A fortunate few had the opportunity to supplement their income by pitching their fans all kinds of products.

This time I share a couple of newspaper ads featuring Duke Snider and Carl Erskine selling Gillette razors to the masses. Both of these guys were well liked and popular, so it's not surprising they became pitchmen.

Here, Duke Snider remarks, "there's nothing more refreshing than a Gillette shave!" This ad is from 1954.

(Auction Link)

Also from 1954, Carl Erskine trades in his feats on the field for a chance to earn a little on the side.

"Carl Erskine of the Brooklyn Dodgers won his place among Baseball's immortals on October 3, 1953, in the third game of the World Series. He fanned 14 Yankees including two ninth-inning pinch hitters to set a new strike-out record for the Fall Classic!"

I think the artwork on these kinds of collectibles are overlooked. As time goes on they tend to fade from the memories of fans everywhere.

(Auction Link)

Dodgers Pride Night with the Kings

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Once again the Kings celebrate the upcoming Baseball season by honoring the local team. In a few weeks they will be holding Dodgers Pride Night as they face off against the Phoenix Coyotes on February 16. Go here for more information.

A special Dodgers hockey puck will be given out, but only to those folks who buy tickets through a special discount plan for this specific game. I will note that not everyone in attendance will get a puck. Only those fans who get tickets through their ticket deal for the game get the puck. I believe the promo offer code is "Dodgers."

For a season ticket holder like me, I'll have to look forward to whoever shows up for the Dodgers since I would not be eligible. Last year, Billy Ashley came out to sign autographs as Don Mattingly dropped the opening puck. See my report from last year, here.

UPDATE: Thanks to Enrique Esqueda for providing a pic of last years Dodgers puck.

Collection: Fans of the Game Shalit

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Following up on a post from last week, here is another Donruss 'Fans of the Game' autographed card in my collection. It features 'The Today Show' critic Gene Shalit. He looks awfully goofy with that grandma quilt-style bow tie and giant Afro, but you gotta love that handlebar mustache.

Blog Kiosk: 1/24/2012 - Bidders Edition

2012-01-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the 50th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson being elected to the Hall of Fame. (pic via @Dodgers twitter)

Dodger Bidding News:

Forbes says that the minimum price is set at $1.5Billion.
A person familiar with the bidding says that given the initial offers being reviewed by Blackstone, the team’s investment bank, owner Frank McCourt will be able set a minimum price of $1.5 billion for the next round.
Steve Dilbeck expands further, noting that cable companies are driving up the price. Leo Hinder, founder of the YES Network, is in on the bidding.
Bill Shaikin notes that the Dodgers received more than 10 bids on the opening day of bidding.
The Wall Street Journal puts together a brief report on the Dodger bidders.
Tony Jackson notes that there are only 2 confirmed bidders, so far. He also indicates that various groups may be joining forces.
CBS Sports also discusses bidders merging as one.
True Blue LA lays down the odds- derby style.
Santa Barabara Independent reports on the offer from Tom Barrack.
Part-time Santa Barbaran Tom Barrack, billionaire owner of Michael Jackson’s former Neverland Ranch, is reportedly one of the top bidders for the L.A. Dodgers.
Tucson Citizen does a great review of several Dodger bidders and their qualifications.

Other News:

The Baseball Professor ask, where does Dee Gordon rank amongst SS?
Andre Ethier has some "unfinished business." via ESPN.
Check out some great pics from the Supercross Series race at Dodger Stadium last weekend, via Geico Honda.
High Heat Stats has a list of 50 of the most over-rated hitters in Baseball history. There are some Dodgers on this list, as well as many Hall of Famers.
The collector in me says kudos. Guy collects all 1,850 PlayStation 2 game, leaves them sealed, via Oddity Central.
Check out this 1860 painting of American boxer John Heenan painted right after a 42 round bare-knuckles fight, via The Telegraph.

Grey Flannel Auctions: A Hershiser Beauty

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

I think it's fair to call this Grey Flannel Week. Not only is the premier of their new reality show starting tonight, but they just opened up their Winter Classic Auction. BTW, if you want more info on the tv show check out their page at the Discovery Channel.

There is really only one item that I find worthy of sharing here. It use to belong to the 'Bulldog' himself, and celebrates a great ending to a wonderful year.

Below is Orel Hershiser's "Babe Ruth Award" given to him after his performance in the 1988 World Series. He pitched 2 complete games, striking out 17 while allowing just 2 runs. Heck, he even punished the A's with his bat. In the one Dodger home game he pitched against Oakland he went 3 for 3, with 2 doubles and a RBI. For his accomplishments that postseason he was named the World Series MVP. This is the actual award given to him and was provided directly by the Bulldog himself to Grey Flannel.

If there is any justice, this should garner the same kind of excitement the Kirk Gibson 1988 memorabilia items caused two years ago.

(Auction Link)

Blog Kiosk: 1/23/2012

2012-01-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo from Jon SooHoo's Dodger website featuring several old-time Dodgers at a fantasy camp in the late 80's in Vero Beach. Look real close. Someone doesn't fit.

Tom Seaver, born to be a Dodger? Via Mike Silva's NY Baseball Digest.
“He was born to be a Dodger,” Travers said. “Born and raised in California, went to USC, had season tickets to Dodger games because his uncle has season tickets in Los Angeles, and he would use them every fourth and fifth day to see Koufax and Drysdale.”
The Baseball Professor puts together a player profile on Andre Ethier.
Bill Shaikin has a helpful list of 15 Dodger bidders. As you probably know, bids for the Dodgers are due today.
Sully Baseball puts together the "All-Born After Jamie Moyer Debut" team- the 25 man roster.
The Baseball Diaspora puts together a 2011 Bobblehead All-Americans team.
Foul Bunt was at the Orioles Fan Fest and has a full report.
Only because I'm a super nerd. Here is Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut. This won a Primetime Emmy in 2010 for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media. It was a crowd-source project where the original movie was cut up into 15 second pieces, and fans were asked to film their own interpretation of the segment. Then the editing crew took those fan-made splices and pieced them all together to make one full length version of the movie.

Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

Willard Mullin's First Published Drawings?

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a real treat. In the past I featured school yearbooks from Dodger greats Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson, here and here. Now I have something totally different. I recently ran into a yearbook of a man known more for creating a beloved Dodger icon. Here is a yearbook from noted sports cartoonist Willard Mullin. Better yet, it has several drawings of his within it; possibly his first published works.

Above is his portrait photo with the title "cartoons" underneath. He was on the Senior B Art Staff, and lent his pen to the effort in making a perfect yearbook for his class. Check out several of his drawings below.
Notice the artist signature at the bottom of each drawing. It is very similar to the signature he eventually used as a professional cartoonist.

(Auction Link)

Kershaw's Cy Young Acceptance Speech

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here is Clayton Kershaw's speech during the Baseball Writers Association of America Dinner on Saturday.
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Since this is somewhat Dodgers related. Here is Ryan Braun's acceptance speech. He thanks several other players; including Matt Kemp.
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Don Newcombe also speaks at the awards dinner to introduce Justin Verlander.
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You Too Can Get a Cy Young

2012-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last night Clayton Kershaw received his 2012 Cy Young Award from the Baseball Writers Association of America. Below is a pic of Kershaw at the podium (Pic Link: @Brianteta on twitter).

(Pic Link: Twitter @Brianteta)

Now fans can get their own Cy Young Award. The Dodger just released a pic of the replica award that will be given to fans at the April 11th game against the Pirates. See the promotional schedule here.

(Pic Link: Twitter @Dodgers)

Transforming Dodger Stadium

2012-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Jim Peltz at the LA Times writes about this evenings Monster Energy AMA Supercross series event at Dodgers Stadium. Yesterday, I had shown some twitter pics that were from the stadium showing the track in various stages of completion. See them here. Well, the LA Times article has a time lapse video of its transformation from Baseball field to race track. See it below.

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