Thursday, June 16, 2011

Make Juan Uribe an All-Star-Star-Star

The fine folks at Emo Juan Uribe have sent me a notice that I just had to post. They want all of you to take some time and write in Juan Uribe for the All-Star game. That's right, let's help him turn that frown upside down.

Hey... And while you're doing that, go ahead and vote for Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier as starters of the game, as well.

Go here to vote.

Dee Gordon's eTopps Cards

I'm almost embarrassed to say that I was an early adopter of the eTopps concept way back in 2001. Yhea, it was during the height of online stock trading and the idea of transferring that excitement to cards was very appealing at the time. So, I jumped on the bus and rode it well past the day when the stock market and the eTopps market crashed into a glorious pile of dung. Man... I should have sold out long ago, but I just couldn't pull that trigger. Now, at my advancing age, where I reconcile with the past as an important part of livin' and learnin', I have only a handful of eTopps cards "in hand" in my personal collection and a deep understanding that investing in cards is better left for gamblers. I'm a collector of Baseball, and I should never confuse the two.

Anyway, eTopps, surprisingly, still exist and they just released a card for our newest rookie sensation- Dee Gordon. Check it out below. I really don't want to go too much into the details of how this product works, so just go to their website here. Also, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. I would suggest, though, that you forgo ordering these cards as a "pre-IPO" (so to speak), and wait for them to be available for sale on the eBay marketplace.
Also, apparently eTopps had previously released a Dee Gordon card in 2010 when he was a member of the Great Lake Loons. Check it out below. BTW, these cards can be purchased on eBay for much less than the original "IPO" price.

Daily Conlon: 10 through 18

Here is my second installment of the Daily Conlon. It features card number 10 to 18. I think my favorite one is of Hughie Jennings. He was a former Brooklyn Superbas player during their league championship pennants in 1899 and 1900. Jennings also well known for his hilarious theatrics as a third base coach for Detroit. From Wikipedia:
During his years as Detroit’s manager, Jennings became famous for his antics, mostly in the third base coaching box, which variously included shouts of “Ee-Yah,” and other whoops, whistles, horns, gyrations, jigs, and grass-plucking. The "Ee-Yah" whoop became his trademark and was accompanied with waves of both arms over his head and a sharp raising of his right knee. In 1907, he was suspended for taunting opponents with a tin whistle. The "Ee-Yah" shouts continued and became such a trademark that Jennings became known as Hughie "Ee-Yah" Jennings, and Detroit fans would shout "Ee-Yah" when Jennings would appear on the field.
At the very bottom is a pic of Jennings showing his distinctive hop. As always, click on any pic to enlarge.
(Pic Link: WikiCommons)

eBay: Play Ball with the Dodgers Ad

Here is a great 1963 advertising poster proclaiming to the masses an opportunity for fans to hang out and play ball with 4 Dodgers (Ron Fairly, Johnny Podres, Johnny Roseboro and Moose Skowron) at Roy Campanella Park in Compton. The park still exist today. It was promoted by Bell Brand Potato Chips, noted for making Dodger Baseball cards in the early 60's. The eBay seller wants quite a bit for it, so I imagine it will go unsold. Still, it's a nice relic from the distant past.

Autograph Notice: Tony Gwynn Jr.

This is a very busy weekend for Dodger autographs. I count 8 different Dodger signings all over the Southland this weekend. So, if you're aching to fill your collection this weekend is the time. For the purpose of this post is a notice from metroPCS about a free autograph signing with Tony Gwynn Jr. Check out the about pic for details.

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Since I'm on the subject, I thought I would point to a new feature I've added to this blog. It's called the Blue Heaven Calender and it can be accessed either at the bottom on the far right of this blog or on the top center page tab title Calender. This is a calendar listing of autograph opportunities and key events for fans in the Southern California area. I will endeavor to keep this up to date and will add all opportunities available, but don't blame me if I miss some- I'm not Superman, ya now. I will be sticking primarily to Sports related signings, and your tips would be greatly appreciated. Send me an email here. Some are free while others require a fee. Always check with the site (autograph location) or promoter for details. As always all listings are subject to change. Below is what it looks like.



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Another more minor change to the blog is the inclusion of a new pic at the header of the blog, on the top right. It is a mishmash of mostly Dodger related cards and memorabilia. Below is a larger pic.