Friday, August 01, 2014

2014 Bowman Platinum Baseball - The Dodger Base Cards

With all of the hoopla surrounding the MLB trade deadline and the opening of the National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland it's easy for something like the release of a new Baseball card set to slip by.

A couple of days ago, Topps released their 2014 Bowman Platinum Baseball card product, and I have photos of all the Dodger base cards to look at. 

As you know, the Bowman brand is heavily packed with prospects, so you'll find top-end Dodger farmhands like Pederson, Seager and Urias all over the set.  The base set is broken up into two seperate parts.  The main base set features regular MLB stars and some rookies.  Then, there is a prospect base set filled with some of the best minor league stars in the game.  Check out all of the Dodger base cards below.

#12 Clayton Kershaw                                   #37 Yasiel Puig


#45 Hanley Ramirez                                 #57 Zack Greinke

#100 Alex Guerrero

Prospects Set

#BPP19 Joc Pederson                         #BPP22 Corey Seager

#BPP31 Zach Lee                               #BPP46 Julio Urias


#BPP84 Chris Anderson

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* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Cubs Series Starts Tonight - Scheduled Autograph Signings, Game Give Aways and Other Stuff!


The next homestand starts this evening against the Chicago Cubs, and several old-tyme Dodgers will be in the house to sign free autographs for fans.  Below are the scheduled autograph opportunities and other odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.

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Friday, August 1st at 7:10 PM
RHP Kyle Hendricks vs. RHP Dan Haren

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.  It is Friday Night Fireworks, so fans will be able to go down onto the field after the game.  The theme for the evening will be a Vin Scully Tribute - Through the Decades. 

Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges, producer and star of the upcoming motion picture “The Giver,” will throw the ceremonial first pitch. “The Giver” co-star Brenton Thwaites will officially start the game with “It’s time for Dodger baseball!”  Actress and singer Ana Gasteyer will perform the national anthem. Gasteyer has performed on “Saturday Night Live,” in “Wicked” and is working on an upcoming album.

Former Dodgers Lee Lacy (in right-field pavilion plaza) and Tim Leary (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  Both will sign autographs in the Stadium club from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM. 
  • The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Lisa Lakin. Witnessing the attack on the USS Cole and 9/11 prompted Lakin. She currently serves as Independent Duty Corpsman with the 1st Medical Battalion at Camp Pendleton where she is responsible for diagnosing and treating service members by responding to sick calls and acute illnesses and injuries. She has served with Navy Operations Support Center in Worcester, MA and with Fighter Squadron VFC 13 in Fallon, NV. Lakin just returned home from deployment having served at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. Her accolades include the NATO Medal and Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will hold a silent auction on the Club level by the Vin Scully Press Box. The auction ends at 8:45 p.m. with more than 25 items up for bid, including a Clayton Kershaw autographed baseball, Yasiel Puig autographed photo and Dee Gordon autographed game-used #42 LA Dodgers jersey from Jackie Robinson Day. The LADF will feature two autographed game-used #42 LA Dodger player or coach jerseys from Jackie Robinson Day at each silent auction for the remainder of the season. All proceeds will benefit LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness which help children and families throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

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Saturday, August 2nd at 6:10 PM
LHP Tsuyoshi Wada vs. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu

Tonight's game starts at 6:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 3:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 4:00 PM.  The first 40,000 fans will receive a Dodgers Reusable Tote Bag.  See it on the right.  According to the Dodgers this game is already sold out.

Also,The first 40,000 fans will receive a Leonardo Mask, courtesy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Their new movie comes out on August 8th.  See it on the left.

Actors Rob Riggle and Jake Johnson will throw the ceremonial first pitch. They will also announce the Dodgers’ starting lineup. International Recording Artist and star of the upcoming MTV film “The Dorm” Cassie Steele will perform the national anthem.

Former Dodgers Al Downing (in right-field pavilion plaza) and Al Ferrera (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  Both will sign autographs in the Stadium club from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
  • The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Gabriel Mirelez. He has served 8 years of active duty service and two years as a Department of Defense Civilian Contractor. During his active duty service his role was an Aviation Warfare Technician. As a civilian contractor, Mirelez converted commercial planes into Improvised Explosive Device finders. He is currently in school studying to become an electrical engineer. Mirelez’s accolades include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

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Sunday, August 3rd at 1:10 PM
RHP Edwin Jackson vs. RHP Josh Beckett

Sunday's game starts at 1:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 10:30 AM, and stadium gates open at 11:00 AM.  The first 15,000 ticketed kids 14 years of age or younger will receive an Kids' Back to School Backpack.  Check it out on the right.

Actor, comedy legend and star of the new FX comedy “Partners” premiering August 4 Martin Lawrence will throw the ceremonial first pitch along with comedy legend and star of the new FX comedy “Partners” Kelsey Grammer. Grammer will announce the Dodgers’ starting lineup. Mother, daughter, sister, actress, dedicated philanthropist, NY Times best-selling author and five-time GRAMMY award winning artist Wynonna Judd will perform the national anthem. 

Former Dodgers Dennis Powell (in right-field pavilion plaza) and Billy Ashley (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Both will sign autographs in the Stadium club from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM.

Viva Los Dodgers begins in the Dodger parking lot at 11:00 AM.  Kenny Landreaux will be there to sign autographs for fans from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Landreaux will then sign autographs in the Stadium Club from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM.
  • The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Army Sergeant Nathan Wong. He serves with Charlie Company 2/3 Aviation Medevac Regiment based Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA. Wong’s role is Crew Chief/Team Leader on the UH-60 Blackhawk Medevac Unit, also known as “Dust Off,” which is a military term for emergency patient evacuation of causalities from a combat zone. He has two deployments to Afghanistan and recently completed the Warrior Leader Course and the Air Assault Course. Wong’s accolades include the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal and Army Goof Conduct Medal.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will hold a silent auction on the Club level by the Vin Scully Press Box. The auction ends at 2:45 p.m. with more than 25 items up for bid, including a Zack Greinke autographed baseball, Adrian Gonzalez autographed photo and Andre Ethier autographed game-used #42 LA Dodgers jersey from Jackie Robinson Day. The LADF will feature two autographed game-used #42 LA Dodger player or coach jerseys from Jackie Robinson Day at each silent auction for the remainder of the season. All proceeds will benefit LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness which help children and families throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 8/1/2014 - Dodger Links - Colletti Explains Why They Didn't Trade


Wow!  What else can you say about Clayton Kershaw?  He has been an absolute beast.  Just check out this short list of otherworldly things he's done in his career so far, as compiled by Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider.  Last Night he went all the way to pitch a complete game.  He struck out 9 and barely missed out on a shut out.  The Dodgers now find themselves with a 3.5 game lead over the Giants, and they appear to be running on all cylinders.  The pic above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.
  • Topps newest online direct sale Baseball card creation is called MLB Illustration and it includes a dandy cartoon-like drawing of Jackie Robinson.  It borrows a vintage Topps design from 1961 called "Magic Rub-Offs."  See it on the right.  A 11" x 17" sized print is available and only 99 numbered copies will be created.  Go here to check it out at Topps
  • Via Graham Womack at Baseball Past and Present shares a recent interview with former Dodger Jimmy Wynn.
  • Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Why the Dodgers stood pat."
"If we didn't think that Joc or Corey or Urias had a chance to be impact players here, they'd be out of here," Colletti said. "You can't always stay in the same place where it's a team built on trades and free agency. This franchise's greatest years were really around teams that came through the system (emphasis mine)." 
  • The August 2014 issue of Dodger Insider Magazine features Hyu-Jin Ryu on the cover.  See it on the left.  It features a sit-down interview with Don Mattingly to discuss the Dodgers’ down-and-up first half, the latest on efforts to reduce Tommy John surgery, an exploration of the distinctive deliveries of such pitchers as Clayton Kershaw and J.P. Howell, analysis of the Dodgers’ ability to hit with runners in scoring position, a progress report on Dodger prospects and much more.
  • Andre Ethier's Carne Asada Night will be on Sunday, August 17th.  Go here for information.  It is $50.00 and all proceeds benefit the Union Rescue Mission. 
  • So, are you still hopeful that you'll see the Dodgers on your TV if you're not a TWC customer?  Well, don't be.  Via Joe Flint of the LA Times on twitter:



* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *