Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Tim Leary, Charles White and Andrew Heaney

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Current Angels pitcher and one of the shortest tenured Dodgers of all-time, Andrew Heaney, is signing autographs this coming Saturday, August 8th from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the OC Dugout in Anaheim.  Go here for information.

The OC Dugout
1238 S. Beach Blvd. Ste. K
Anaheim, California 92804

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Both Charles White, a former Ram, and former Dodger pitcher Tim Leary will be signing autographs for fans at Iguana's in Pico Rivera on Sunday, August 9th.  Go here for more information.

Charles White will sign from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Autograph Pricing: $10 cards, $20 any other item
Includes FREE Photo-Op, Inscriptions $10 each

Tim Leary will sign from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. 

Autograph Pricing: $5 cards, $10 any other item
Includes FREE Photo-Op, Inscriptions $5 each

Iguana's Bar
8528 Rosemead Blvd
Pico Rivera, California 90660

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: 3/19/2015 - Happy Birthday Clayton Kershaw

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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(Camelback Ranch, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

MARCH MADNESS: The Dodgers, who have the Cactus League’s best winning percentage at .727,  take on the Angels in the first of five meetings between the clubs during the exhibition season. Los Angeles won the season series between the clubs last year, 3-1, and the clubs will meet six times during the regular season in 2015, July 31-Aug. 2 at Dodger Stadium and Sept. 7-9 at Angel Stadium.

• The Freeway Series begins exactly two weeks from today, Thursday, April 2 in Anaheim. The Dodgers and Angels will play two 7:05 p.m. games at Angel Stadium before the series shifs to Los Angeles for a 6:10 p.m. game on Saturday, April 4. In anticipation of the Freeway Series, the clubs partnered on a billboard in Hollywood to celebrate the 2014 Most Valuable Player Awards of Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout, with the script “Is Your MVP Red Or Blue.” Fans are encouraged to show their support by utilizing the hashtags #MVPKersh and #MVPTrout.
• Today’s Angels starter Andrew Heaney was briefly a Dodger when the club acquired the left-hander from the Marlins on Dec. 10 as part of a seven-player deal and subsequently traded him to their I-5 rivals in exchange for Howie Kendrick. Kendrick played the first nine seasons of his career with the Angels from 2006-14 and ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders (min. 3000 PA) in games played (1,081, 9th), runs (534, 9th), hits (1,204, 6th), batting average (.292, 4th), doubles (249, 5th) and triples (30, T-7th) and is the club’s all-time leader in hits by a second baseman. Kendrick is not expected to play today, but is batting .400 (10-for-25) with a homer and six RBI in 10 games this spring.

(Rain, Rain, Go Away!  At Camelback Ranch, pic via Kevin Baxter on twitter)

ROSTER UPDATE: Following yesterday’s game, the Dodgers optioned OF Scott Schebler and reassigned IF Buck Britton, IF/OF Darnell Sweeney, C Shawn Zarraga, IF Corey Seager and C Chris O’Brien to minor league camp.  Including Brandon Beachy and Chris Withrow, who are on the 60-day disabled list, the Dodgers have 44 players remaining in big league camp.

DOWNER: The Dodgers had their six-game unbeaten streak come to an end yesterday, falling, 7-5 to the Cubs. Two Dodger hitters posted multi-hit games to raise their batting averages to .400, as Joc Pederson went 3-for-3 with a three-run homer to push his average to .429 and Howie Kendrick added two singles to reach the .400 mark on the spring. Brandon McCarthy took the loss in his third start of the spring, allowing six runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings.

• Los Angeles had 12 hits yesterday to increase the club’s batting average to .271 on the spring.

TEXAS TWO-STEP: Big League Weekend, with the Dodgers taking on the Rangers Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome in San Antonio, is almost here! The traveling party, which includes starters  Erik Bedard and Zack Greinke along with Yasmani Grandal, Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, and Joc Pederson, departs Camelback Ranch this evening for the brief two-day trip to Texas.

ON THE MOUND: Left-hander Brett Anderson will make his third Cactus League start today, last pitching 3.0 scoreless innings in a win over the Indians Saturday. He has allowed only three hits in 5.0 scoreless innings this spring.

• RHP Chris Hatcher is expected to make his fifth appearance of the spring today, last pitching on Monday against the A’s.
• RHP Yimi Garcia is also expected to see action today, last pitching on Monday against the A’s. Garcia has allowed only one hit and struck out three in 4.0 scoreless innings this spring.
• RHP Joel Peralta will make his third Cactus League appearance today, last pitching a scoreless inning on Monday against the A’s.

(Clayton Kershaw, screengrab from MLB video Ping Pong)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!: The Dodgers would like to wish a very happy 27th birthday to Clayton Kershaw today! Kershaw became the first-ever player to win three Cy Young Awards before the age of 27 when he was honored with both the Cy Young and MVP awards this past November.

Happy Birthday @ClaytonKersh22!!!! We all chipped in and got you a years supply of these. pic.twitter.com/jpZyd183uF
— Brett Anderson (@BrettAnderson35) March 19, 2015

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Welcome to the Blue, Howie Kendrick!

Just when I was marveling at the Dodger acquisition of Baseball's 2nd best left-handed starting pitching prospect, Andrew Heaney, the Dodgers go ahead and flip him to the Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick.  And, I couldn't be happier about it.

Howie Kendrick has been an absolute wizard, so having him wear a real Los Angeles uniform just warms my heart.  Per a Dodger press release:

Kendrick, 31, batted .293 in 157 games with the Angels last year and established career-best marks in hits (181), RBI (75, also: 2010), walks (48) and on-base percentage (.347, also: 2007). He ranked ninth in the American League (min. 100 AB) with a .326 batting average with runners in scoring position (56-for-172) and also posted a .385 mark with the bases loaded (5-for-13).

Kendrick has a .292 career batting average with 249 doubles, 78 home runs and 501 RBI in 1,081 games in nine MLB seasons, all with the Angels. The 2011 All-Star has a .986 career fielding percentage, appearing primarily at second base, and has hit well in the clutch during the course of his career, posting a .292 batting average with runners in scoring position and a .295 mark with runners on base. The Florida native was originally selected by the Angels in the 10th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.

Paired up with soon-to-be shortstop Jimmy Rollins should be a wonder to behold.  This will be one of the better infields the Dodger have had in quite some time.

As for Kendrick's contract, he has just one year remaining at $9.5Mil - a bargain if he comes anywhere close to his numbers from last season.  I might usually bark at the idea of trading a top-flight prospect like Heaney for a one-year rental in Kendrick, but as I'm slowly coming around to understand this deal (like the others) is about roster flexibility.  We get a great bat and solid defensive middle infielder for one season; which allows us to stretch our wings out a bit when next winter rolls around.  Besides, if we are unable to extend him beyond 2015 you can be certain that the Dodger make a Qualifying Offer.  And as you know, that extra draft pick has significant value.

Now, here's an interesting story about how he was scouted, via an excerpt from Sports Illustrated on Wikipedia:

"The Angels found him, if only by chance. On a whim Kotchman went to see Kendrick play in Tampa in early 2002 after hearing about him from Ernie Rossean, the coach at Brevard Community College outside Orlando. After watching a few minutes of BP, Kotchman ran to his car to get his video camera. "My goodness, the kid hit the ball," he recalls. "I couldn't believe there weren't other scouts there. And other JCs cut this guy? What were they thinking?" For the remainder of the season, Kotchman wouldn't even approach Kendrick at games, lest his secret get out. In '02 Anaheim took Kendrick in the 10th round of the draft. As for why he went undiscovered for so long, both Kendrick and Kotchman are somewhat flummoxed, though each ends up blaming geography. "His school was way out in the sticks, and he didn't play summer ball," says Kotchman, whose son, Casey, played alongside Kendrick on the Angels. "Hey, I'm just glad we were the ones that found him."

In celebration of Kendrick's arrival to the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photograph grabbed from a photo from Zimbio (Rob Tringali/Getty Images North America) and the 1962 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are the career stats for Howie Kendrick, via Baseball-Reference:

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WTF! My Head is Spinning! Dodgers Trade for Howie Kendrick?!

I'm still in shock about this afternoon's happenings.  It's like a whirlwind came over 'Dodger Nation' and decided to wreak havoc.  Let's just toss everything around and see if we can jumble the club into a super-powered statistically driven behemoth unseen in the game.

What we are witnessing is what happens when you pair some of the smartest folks in the game with the financial muscle of a Wall Street bank.  We get extremely bold moves. 

As you know, the Dodgers traded Dee Gordon, Dan Haren and Miguel Rojas to the Miami Marlins for Andrew Heaney, Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes and Kike Hernandez.  Then, just as the dust was starting to settle, the Dodgers have reportedly moved Andrew Heaney to the Angels for Howie Kendrick - straight up.

CORRECTION: Andrew Heaney to Angels for Howie Kendrick, not Austin Barnes.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) December 11, 2014

Wha...?  I just can't keep up.

So as it stands, we have the makings of a creative three-way trade.  The Dodgers get Howie Kendrick, Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes and Kike Hernandez.  The Miami Marlins get Dee Gordon, Dan Haren, Miguel Rojas and potentially a bunch of cash.  The Angels get Andrew Heaney. 

Whew!  What a crazy day it's been.

Hilariously, Andrew Heaney responded to being a Dodger for all of a few hours on twitter:

Well, @Dodgers we had a good run! Great to be a part of such a storied franchise. #thanksforthememories
— Andrew Heaney (@Heandog8) December 11, 2014

BTW, the Dodgers might not be done.  There are reports that they are close to signing free agent starter Brandon McCarthy.

UPDATE:  BTW, I had already made a Dodger fantasy Baseball card for Andrew Heaney and feel compelled to share - just because I don't want to feel like I wasted my time.  Check it out below.

UPDATE II:  Just to let you know what we might be missing when it comes to Andrew Heaney here is a listing of various scouting reports on him:

• Frank Neville scouting report at the Sporting News."

The talented lefthander doesn’t have a dominant pitch, but he has three above-average offerings and a smooth, repeatable delivery.  Heaney’s stuff plays up because he has some deception and he is effective at locating to both sides of the plate.

• Via Michael Beller at Sports Illustrated, "Fantasy baseball Pitcher Scouting Report: Andrew Heaney."

The 23-year-old lefty features a fastball that sits at about 91 mph, a changeup that typically clocks in about 10 mph slower, and a slider that registers in the high-70s.

• Via Chris Blessing at RotoScouting, "Andrew Heaney Scouting Report (2014)."

Listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Heaney has physical projection left. Long and lean, the young lefty looks stoic in the windup. With a three-quarters arm slot and easy arm action, his velocity is a product of consistency and power generated from his base. Heaney’s core is in near-perfect symmetry. Everything is laid back and easy.

• Via John Sickels at Minor League Ball, "Prospect of the Day: Andrew Heaney, LHP, Miami Marlins."

Born June 5, 1991, Heaney makes dominance look easy, throwing a 90-95 MPH fastball (sometimes as high as 97) with a low-effort delivery. He locates the fastball with precision, made all the more effective due to the contrast with a wicked slider (likely his best overall pitch) and a very good changeup.

• Via Clark Spencer at the Miami Herald, "Miami Marlins prospect Andrew Heaney being held in high regard."

“Pitchability-wise, he’s got the plus fastball,” (Wayne) Rosenthal (the Marlins’ minor-league pitching coordinator) said. “He’s got an out-pitch slider, and he’s got a changeup. So you’re looking at three plus pitches.”

UPDATE III:  It is now officeial.  Here is the Dodger official press release.

 The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the acquisitions of infielder Howie Kendrick from the Angels and prospects infielder/outfielder Kike Hernandez, catcher Austin Barnes and right-handed reliever Chris Hatcher from the Marlins. The acquisitions were made through two separate trades, a seven-player deal with Miami - with Los Angeles acquiring Hernandez, Barnes, Hatcher and left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney in exchange for infielder Dee Gordon, right-handed pitcher Dan Haren, infielder Miguel Rojas and a player to be named later or cash considerations - and a subsequent trade that sent Heaney to the Angels in exchange for Kendrick.

Pic at the very top via Wikimeadia Commons, Shishike.

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Dodgers Make Another Big Trade - Dee Gordon and Dan Haren go to Marlins

Holy moly!  What a day for the Dodgers.

After lulling its audience into believing they would do nothing the Dodgers go ahead and splurge all at once.  Following on the heels of the trade that brings Jimmy Rollins to play shortstop we find out that a blockbuster trade has been completed with the Miami Marlins.  Keep in mind, though, that this deal has yet to be confirmed by the clubs involved, but has received widespread confirmations throughout the peanut gallery.

The Dodgers will send fan favorite Dee Gordon and starting pitcher Dan Haren to Miami for top rated left-handed starting pitching prospect Andrew Heaney, right-handed reliever Chris Hatcher, infield prospect Austin Barnes and infield prospect Kike Hernandez.

Wow!  What a bevy of players.

From what I understand, Andrew Heaney is one of Miami's top starting pitching prospects, so he'll slot in nicely into Haren's spot.  Also, Chris Hatcher had been fairly effective in a relief role this past season in Miami.  As for the remaining two players, they have potential, but are hardly key pieces to the deal.

Something of note, Heaney would likely rank as the Dodgers 2nd or 3rd best prospect in our system, so we got quite a prize for Dee Gordon and Dan Haren.  The Dodgers front office definitely sold high on Dee.

I'll have more details later on; including my own card creations for the new Dodgers, so stay tuned.

UPDATE:  If you can't tell, I'm kinda excited about this trade.  It's the kind of deal I expected to see from our new front office and I'm glad that my expectations are being met.  On the flip side, I really like Dee Gordon... Like, I considered him to be the most 'True-Blue' Dodger on the entire roster kind of like for him.  If I were a younger lad I might be in tears at the thought of him playing elsewhere.

UPDATE II:  This is cold!  Via Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the Dodgers are paying all of Dan Haren's $10Mil salary for 2015 should he not retire, or they will pay nothing if he does retire (as he has already threatened to do).  UPDATE: Reports now indicate that the Marlins can keep the $10Mil even if Haren decides to retire.  Wow!

Hearing that #dodgers, as part of trade with #Marlins, agreed to pay Haren's $10 million. So Haren is a "free pitcher" for #Marlins.
— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) December 11, 2014

UPDATE III: It is now being reported that Dodger infielder Miguel Rojas was also a part of the trade.  He goes to the Marlins, via Joe Fisaro at MLB.com:

I've heard INF Miguel Rojas is also headed to #Marlins from #Dodgers and Miami will receive financial compensation if Haren retires
— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) December 11, 2014

UPDATE IV:  Here's the official Dodger press release on all the details of this crazy blockbuster trade:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the acquisitions of infielder Howie Kendrick from the Angels and prospects infielder/outfielder Kike Hernandez, catcher Austin Barnes and right-handed reliever Chris Hatcher from the Marlins. The acquisitions were made through two separate trades, a seven-player deal with Miami - with Los Angeles acquiring Hernandez, Barnes, Hatcher and left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney in exchange for infielder Dee Gordon, right-handed pitcher Dan Haren, infielder Miguel Rojas and a player to be named later or cash considerations - and a subsequent trade that sent Heaney to the Angels in exchange for Kendrick.

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