Friday, May 25, 2012

Blog Kiosk: 5/25/2012

For those near Albuquerque be sure to check out a game this coming Sunday or Monday.  Both Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera are slated to play there on their rehab assignments.  More info can be found at this Isotopes link, here.
  • Filed under "It's About Time."  The MLB Network will feature former Dodger and the only active MLB'er to be a Vietnam War Veteran Roy Gleason over Memorial Weekend.  
This Memorial Day weekend, MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian will tell the story of Roy Gleason, the only active Major League Baseball player to serve in the Vietnam War.  Featuring exclusive interviews with Gleason, his sons Kaile Gleason and Troy Gleason, and Lost In the Sun: Roy Gleason's Odyssey from the Outfield to the Battlefield author Wallace Wasinack, as well as photos and items from Gleason’s personal archive, including his Purple Heart Medal and the Dodgers game jersey that he wore for his only MLB at-bat, Vasgersian narrates Gleason’s journey from a Dodgers’ prospect to a soldier in the U.S. Army.  The feature will premiere on MLB Tonight this Sunday, May 27, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.
Gleason on being wounded in action:
It was just a big explosion.  The shrapnel had torn through my left wrist and my left calf.  I was actually going into shock and didn’t realize that I was shivering in Vietnam.  It’s pretty hard to shiver in 110 and 115-degree heat, but I was because I was going into shock from the loss of blood.
Gleason on being wounded in action:
It was just a big explosion.  The shrapnel had torn through my left wrist and my left calf.  I was actually going into shock and didn’t realize that I was shivering in Vietnam.  It’s pretty hard to shiver in 110 and 115-degree heat, but I was because I was going into shock from the loss of blood.
  • Eric Stephen at True Blue LA writes about the "Dodgers Making History at Home."
  • Check out this incredible tribute to Sandy Koufax's 1965 perfect game by Neil Scherer.  (Hat Tip: Sports Collectors Daily)  It includes autographs of every player to appear in the game (Dodgers and Cubs), wire photos of the event, a ticket stub, a record of Vin Scully calling the game, team memorabilia pins, a game program, and an actual scorecard.  A video of Scherer talking about this piece and other items can be seen here.  His website can be found here.
  • Bark in the Park at Dodger Stadium will be on Saturday, and is sold out.  Demand was so high for this annual event the Dodger will do it again later this season.  It will be on September 1st.  Go here for details
  • Beckett has some background on a new Topps product slated to some out in September.  It is called Topps Heritage Minor League and will borrow the old 1963 Topps design in the base set.  Also of note, one lucky collector will win a REAL one-day players contract to play Minor League Baseball for the Corpus Cristi Hooks- a AA affiliate of the Astros, and get you own card in a future set release.  This is probably the coolest prize EVER!!!  To have your name immortalized in the record books for eternity would be boss.
  • I love Hunter S. Thompson.  He is one great writer.  Check out today's Letters of Note as they share Hunter's last news release he wrote for an Air Force base newspaper.  It's classic Thompson.
An apparently uncontrollable iconoclast, Thompson was discharged today after one of the most hectic and unusual Air Force careers in recent history. According to Captain Munnington Thurd, who was relieved of his duties as base classification officer yesterday and admitted to the neuropsychological section of the base hospital, Thompson was "totally unclassifiable" and "one of the most savage and unnatural airmen I've ever come up against."
  • There is so much awesome in this video.  From the description: "This is not a trailer for a real film. Bill Murray was kind enough to grant us our wish of walking down the hallway in slow motion - simple. This is better than autograph."  (Hat Tip: Reddit)

Video Link:

Some of My Pics from Kings Playoff Games

As many of you know, I am a fanatic Kings fan.  My love of the team and sport started early in life.  In fact, it was shortly after my Dodger fandom started that I began following the game.  I recall watching games scrambled when they were shown on ON TV (that's how crazy I was) and then listening to Bob Miller on the radio on most other nights.  Anyway, this recent playoff run has been an absolute dream.  Heck, I'm still worried that I'll wake up from this slumber and realize it's only March. Fortunately, I think that feeling will come to pass once the initial puck is dropped to start the Stanley Cup Finals next week.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a handful of photos I've taken so far at games.  (I don't usually take photos at sporting events, so consider it rare that I have these to share)  I have season tickets up in the rafters of the Staples Center and have yet to miss a home game in these playoffs.  If you happen to be up in Section 316 come on by and say hello.  I sit in Row 9 and happen to be seated next to the infamous Surly of the Surly & Scribe Kings blog.  You can't miss him.  He is easily the loudest person in our section, and "God Bless Him" he makes every evening an exciting one.

So, without further adieu here are some pics. 

I have no idea what game this is from, but I do know it is from before the National Anthem.  It sure looks loud as hell in there.

These next three photos are from Game 4 against the Phoenix Coyotes.  Below is the sand sculpture at LA Live.

This is also at LA Live.  Funniest poster I have ever seen.

Both Marty McSorley and Ian Laperriere (affectionately known as Lappy to Kings fans) were signing for fans, but the lines were unspeakably long.  Fortunately, there were numerous former Kings just walking around.  Below, I cornered Tony Granato for a photo.

Press Photo Collection: Erskine and the Enemy

Over the years I've been an avid collector of vintage press photos.  They are relatively inexpensive and oftentimes feature rarely seen and often very candid photographs of a player on your favorite team.  My own collection isn't particularly large, but I do have a few that I have yet to share on this blog.  Over the coming weeks and months I will scan and put most of them up to share with all of you.  Most of them are Dodgers related, but I do have some great photos from the Negro Leagues and Muhammad Ali, as well.  So, stay tuned.

This press photo is dated from June 22, 1952, which is just a few days after Carl Erskine threw a no-hitter against the Cubs.  Check out the written copy below (which is attached to the reverse of the photo) that describes the circumstances surrounding the photo.  Erskine is getting some make-up help from Giants outfielder Monte Irvine before their guest appearance on a Olympic Fund TV Marathon.  See, even bitter rivals can get together for a good cause.  Also, note that the photo was taken by Herb Scharfman.  He was a very well known and highly regarded Sports Illustrated photographer.

Click on any pic to embiggen.

2012 Topps Archives- Dodgers Base Cards

The newest Topps set officially came out earlier this week.  It is called Topps Archives, and if you guessed that it features players in vintage card designs then you would be right.  The Archives brand is an old one for Topps, and was a favorite for collectors.  So, when Topps announced its return much of the hobby rejoiced.  On top of that, the hobby went into a frenzy when Topps followed up that announcement by mentioning that the "Fan Favorites" autograph subset would also be coming back.  I'll feature the Dodger cards from that subset in a later post.  Below, check out the Dodgers base cards from the set.  There are 7 Dodgers represented with the last two cards being short printed.  Note that Brett Butler is included as a former "Fan Favorite." 

Using the vintage 1954 design, here are Matt Kemp and new version of Jackie Robinson.

#1      Matt Kemp

#39    Jackie Robinson






This is a 1971 Topps design, and below that are Gordon and Kershaw on 1980 Topps card designs.

#91    Ted Lilly




102  Dee Gordon


150  Clayton Kershaw


High Number Short Printed Cards:

Sandy Koufax is on a 1966 Topps card as they decided to change the photo from its original release.  They did the same thing with the 1992 Brett Butler below.

210  Sandy Koufax

215 Brett Butler