2014 Topps High Tek Baseball - The Dodger Autograph and Insert Cards

Here's a final look at what is turning out to be a very popular set.  No doubt player collectors are starting to go crazy.  Heck, some of the base cards with rare variations are selling for big bucks.  A Nolan Ryan base card sold for $91.00 and a Omar Vizquel sold for $149.95.  BTW, Vizquel cards are selling for huge dollars.  Apparently, there must be some serious monied Omar collectors out there.  It's almost ridiculous.

Anyway, below are all of the Dodger autograph and insert cards that can be found in 2014 Topps High Tek.  Directly below are the on-card autograph cards.  Here is a listing of parallel cards available: Disco Diffractor #'d, Clouds Diffractor #'d, Black & White Image #/15, Red Storm Diffractor #/10, Blue Dots Diffractor #/5, Charcoal Galactic Diffractor 1/1, Printing Proofs 1/1

Autographs Set

#HT-AG Alex Guerrero                     #HT-AGO Adrian Gonzalez

2014 Topps High Tek Baseball - The Dodger Base Cards

Are you ready for some plastic Baseball cards?

Earlier this week Topps officially released their 2014 Topps High Tek set and it's an 100% all-plastic/acetate Baseball card set.  There's no cardboard to be found.  Go here for a complete checklist.  As you may know, this is a rebirth of an old product line that existed in the 90's.

There are 100 cards in the base set, and there are potentially 12 different design variations available.  These variations are in addition to the typical parallel cards that can be found.  A complete listing of the design variations can be found here. UPDATE:  From what I understand, there are 6 design variations for AL players and 6 for NL players.  Therefore, each player has 6 different variations available.

Below are the Dodger base cards.  As you can see, I've only included a photo of just one variation for each player; with exception of Yasiel Puig. 

Base Set

#HT-AG Alex Guerrero                     #HT-AGO Adrian Gonzalez

#HT-CK Clayton Kershaw                  #HT-FV Fernando Valenzuela

#HT-HR Hanley Ramirez                          #HT-SK Sandy Koufax

#HT-YP Yasiel Puig

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Blog Kiosk: 12/2/2014 - Dodger Links - Siesta Please, Arbitration and Donnie had a Baby

Sometimes you just need a break. A break from the hard work you've put in to prepare for a long season.  A break from drudgery of everyday life.  Heck, I know I need a break from the incessant 'hot stove' filled with inane rumors and speculation.  Will someone please put a stop to it all!  Why do we have to go through all of this year after year?

But I digress.  Featured above is a ACME press photo I ran into on eBay recently that I just needed to share.  Check out that auction here.  It is dated 2/26/1951 and was taken on the practice fields of Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida.  Below is what is written in the caption attached to the reverse:

SHUT-EYE DREAM OF SHUT OUTS 

Vero Beach, Fla.: After a tough morning's workout and a hearty lunch, there's nothing like a little snooze.  And taking full advantage of a two-hour rest period, Brooklyn Dodgers' hurler Dan Bankhead covers his eyes with his cap and starts his siesta in the "pepper pot", a contraption used by pitchers during practice.  The Dodgers are going through spring training at Vero Beach, Fla.

At first I thought Dankhead was resting on a futon-type bed, but now I read that it's a tool used by pitchers called a "pepper pot."  What the heck is that?  How in the world could that thing help a pitcher?  I need to know.  Can anyone out there help me?

In the meantime, below are some links to check out:

• Via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times, "Arbitration deadline to force Dodgers' decision on A.J. Ellis' return."  Don't worry.  I absolutely expect the Dodgers to keep AJ Ellis.  I also expect that Dee Gordon, Kenley Jansen, Juan Nicasio and Justin Turner will be tendered contracts by this evening.  I believe that Darwin Barney and Drew Butera are on the cusp.
• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "The Dodgers’ biggest December deals of the 2000s."
• Don Mattingly has just had a baby, via @Dodgers on twitter.  Congrats, Donnie!

Congrats to Don and Lori Mattingly on the birth of son Louis Riley Mattingly, who now shares Vin Scully’s November 29 birthday.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 1, 2014

• On Wednesday Topps will be releasing their Tek Baseball card set and Chris Olds at Beckett has a bunch of preview pics.  Check out the Sandy Koufax and Yasiel Puig autographed cards below.

• Via John Thorn at Our Game writes, "Baseball’s Wright Brothers and the Cincinnati Red Stockings."  Thorn is the official MLB historian. 

More than thirty years before a pair of brothers named Wright made aviation history, another Wright duo was instrumental in changing baseball from a social-club pastime to a professional game. Baseball’s Wright brothers were George and Harry, cricket players who saw the future in the American game.

• Panini America shared a bunch of preview pics of their upcoming 2014 USA Baseball box set.  Check that out here. 

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Blog Kiosk: 5/3/2014 - Dodger Links - Dodgers Odds and Ends

Adrian Gonzalez says to nominate your All-Star Teacher.  Go here for details. 

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Extra day of rest moves Kershaw return to Tuesday."

"I feel the timetable was about right," he said. "I had a little reservation about another rehab game [Wednesday], but that's done with."

• Via Dustin Nosler at Dodgers Digest, "Scott Van Slyke: Extra-base hit machine."

In 43 plate appearances, Van Slyke is hitting .309/.419/.722(!) with three home runs, four doubles, one triple and a .381 isolated power mark (league-average is .145). Eight of his 11 hits have gone for extra bases, and 15 of his 31 hits in 2013 were of the extra-base variety. When he gets a hit, he makes it count.

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "New Dodger Stadium offerings impress food bloggers."
• Via Chris Olds at Beckett, he shares some preview images of 2014 Topps Tek; including the Kershaw card on the right.
• Via Teddy Cahill at MLB.com, "Pederson, Lively named Pipeline Prospects of Month."

April was a good month for Pederson. In addition to his dizzying start to the season -- he ranks near the top of the Minor League leaderboard in a wide array of statistics -- Pederson celebrated his 22nd birthday on April 21. That makes him one of the youngest players in the Pacific Coast League, even if he hasn't played like it.

• Greg Zakwin at Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle shares some autographs he attained of some key Dodger prospects at a Rancho Cucamonga ballgame.
• David Brown at Big League Stew tells us about a rare 1919 World Series footage that has recently been unearthed and put on youtube.
• This is funny.  The El Blog for High Rank Websites shares their Kings vs. Sharks office bet for all to see.  The losers faced some public shaming.

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