Blog Kiosk: 12/17/2019 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

Here's a play we are likely to never see again.

Charley Neal of the Dodgers retires Cubs' Dale Long at second base in the sixth inning. Long's barrel roll slows relay of ball (arrow) enough to avoid double play on Bobby Thomson's grounder to Pee Ree Reese.

BTW, Long's slide allowed a run to score on the play -- to make it 4-2 Dodgers (dated August 6, 1958) (eBay auction link). Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1999, in what would be his final Major League season, the Dodgers signed free agent hurler and legendary pitcher Orel Hershiser to a one-year $2 million contract. He would not last the year, and be released on June 27th after going 1-5 with an 13.14 ERA. Overall, Hershiser would compile a 135-107 record in 13 years as a Dodger, with an 3.12 ERA, 24 shutouts, 65 complete games, 1456 strikeouts, an 116 ERA+, a 3.28 FIP and an 39.8 WAR. In 2004 Adrián Beltré leaves the Dodgers, after spending the first seven years of his career with the club, to sign a five-year $64 million free agent contract with the Mariners.
• Happy Birthday, Josh Sborz, Bob Ojeda & Chase Utley!

Blog Kiosk: 8/26/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

There's obviously room for improvement as the Dodgers lose the Yankees series. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

“They definitely mirror our club,” said manager Dave Roberts. “It’s a fun team to compete against and they got the best of us this series. I think we match up well.”
...
“I don’t think this series changed my thought that these are two very good ballclubs,” said Roberts, "but we both have a lot of work to do if there is a potential [World Series] matchup.”

This was a great match-up, and I wouldn't be surprised if we face each other again.

Photo above via Juan Ocampo/Los Angeles Dodgers 2019 at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers Baseball: In 1939 a Major League game is broadcast for the first time on television, and it features a game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets Field. It is telecast on W2XBS and it includes a doubleheader -- which the teams split (Game 1 - Lost 5-2; Game 2 - Won 6-1). Additionally, a special ceremony is held between games to honor Alexander Cartwright with a Hawaiian-themed celebration to mark the centennial anniversary of baseball. In 1947 righty Dan Bankhead became the first African-American to pitch in Major League Baseball, and it did not go well (boxscore). He pitched 3.1 innings in relief -- yielding ten hits and eight runs. On the flip side, Dan did hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat. Notably, Bankhead also threw an inside fastball that hit Pirate outfielder Wally Westlake that some in the stadium feared would lead to a riot -- it didn't. Westlake said the following about that (per Baseball Happenings):

“It was like the fans held their breath waiting for the reaction,” the now 94-year-old Westlake wrote in a 2008 letter. “He was just another dude trying to get me out and I was trying to whack his butt.” 

...
“I think I disappointed the rednecks,” he said. 

• Happy Birthday, Frank Allen, Jesse Barnes, Elmer Klumpp, Gene Moore, Alex Trevino, Chad Kreuter & Daniel Corcino!

A Dodgers-Mets Connection at Lelands Auction

I thought this would be fun to share -- even if it's not entirely about the Dodgers.

The New York Mets played their first season of Major League ball in 1962, and in order to create excitement and interest within the community management reached out to several former Brooklyn players. They signed up former Brooklynites Charlie Neal, Don Zimmer, Roger Craig, Billy Loes and the great Gil Hodges. Then they had Casey Stengel skipper the troupe.

As an homage to both the ol' Brooklyn team and the new New York club noted Daily News sports cartoonist Bill Gallo created the above image, and as you can see it also includes an outline of another old Brooklyn friend -- the Dodgers Bum originally created by Willard Mullin. (Auction Link) BTW, the jovial looking man in the background is Mets GM George Weiss.

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Blog Kiosk: 5/15/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

This is what I call, "leap frog".

Above is a International News press photo, dated May 23, 1957, featuring a funny looking leap by Brooklyn Dodger infielder Charlie Neal. (eBay auction link) Per the descriptor on the reverse:

"ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO----Brooklyn, New York... Elston Howard of the Yanks is shown as he was forced out at second base by Neal in the 4th inn. of tonight'd annual Mayors Trophy game between thr Dodgers and the Yanks. Neal flipped to Hodges at first to get Martin for the DP.  Yanks came out on top 10-7". 

So, what is the Mayors Trophy game and why are the Dodgers playing the American League Yankees during the middle of the season? Well... the Mayors Trophy was an exhibition match between two of the three NY clubs (Yankees, Giants and Dodgers) in benefit of sandlot baseball in New York City -- with proceeds going to the city's Amateur Baseball Federation. In 1957 there was a home run derby before the game in front of 30,000 fans. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1956 the Dodgers purchase starting pitcher Sal "the Barber" Maglie from the Indians. In 1998 the Dodgers trade beloved cathcer Mike Piazza (along with Todd Zeile) to the Marlins for Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Charles Johnson, and Jim Eisenreich.
• Happy Birthday, Jack Corcoran, Jimmy Wasdell, Al McBean, Bill North & Josh Beckett!
  

Blog Kiosk: 6/10/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Four Dodger rookies stare out into the stands at Ebbets Field in the vintage United Press photo shown above.  Dated April 16, 1956, it reads on the reserve:

"ROOKIES AT EBBETS FIELD.  New York: Gathered for the last day of Dodger workouts, April 16th, before the official opening game of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 17th are four rookies a good look at Ebbets Field.  They are, left to right: Charlie Thompson; Don Drysdale; Gino Cimoli; and Charlie Neal.  Neal has earned himself a starting position as second baseman in the opener."

Photo via an eBay auction (Auction Link Here).  BTW, the 2016 Draft continues today, and the Dodgers have eight picks to announce.  Below are more links to check:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1988 John Shelby's hitting streak is stopped at 24 games.  He batted .360 (32-for-89) with two home runs and 12 RBI during the streak that lasted from May 14-June 9.  His endeavors propelled the Dodgers into first place - where they stayed the remainder of the season.  In 2012 Dodgers outfielder Bobby Abreu surpassed Mickey Mantle on the all time hit list at 2,416. 
• It is with great sadness that I report that the great Gordie Howe has passed away.  Mr. Hockey was 88.  Here's a great video on Howe's career (link here).

Check Out Some Vintage Vero Beach Pics on eBay

I recently ran into some fantastic vintage 1950's press photos on eBay and knew I had to share some of them here.  They were all taken by veteran New York Post photographer William N. Jacobellis, and they feature several Dodger players at Vero Beach, Florida in the 1950's.  Unfortunately, an exact date is not provided.  Also, all the photos are actually "contact prints" -- prints made by placing the original negative directly on the photographic paper.  So, the prints are only as large as the negative itself (4" x 5"in this case).  Click on any pic to embiggen.

The photograph at the very top features longtime Dodgers executive Al Campanis as a young coach (auction link here).  He is running calisthenic drills on the field.  Below is a fantastic posed shot of Jim Gentile, Jasper Spears and Dick Gray (auction link here).

On the bottom left is another posed photograph -- this time of Joe Pignatano and a Michael Napoli (auction link here).  BTW, Napoli was a Dodgers catcher within the teams minor league system throughout most of his eight-year professional career.  Unfortunately, he never got a cup of coffee.  I am uncertain if he is of any relation to the former Angels catcher of the same name.  On the bottom right is an action photograph of Don Demeter swingin' 'n missin' (auction link here).

The notable thing about the action photos herein is that they were clearly taken at another ballfield, other than Holman Stadium, at Dodgertown.  It's possible they were from one of the backfields in Vero Beach.  Considering the wire fencing and some of the landmarks in the backgrounds this is likely the case.  In fact, in the photograph on the bottom left of Johnny Roseboro you can clearly see the stadium lights of Holman Stadium in the distance (auction link here).  On the bottom right is Charley Neal at the plate (auction link here).

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Blog Kiosk: 12/3/2015 - Dodger Links - McGwire, Rizzo and AJ Ellis the Hunk

Talk 'bout breakin' up the play.

Check out this fantastic vintage "United Press" press photo, dated August 28, 1956, of Cubs outfielder Pete Whisenant with an aggressive slide against Dodger second baseman Charlie Neal.  To use hockey parlance, it looks like Whisenant hip-checked Neal off the base.  Fortunately, the missed opportunity to get the extra out didn't lead to a run, but the Dodgers did lose the game, 4-3.  Photo above via an eBay auction.

Below are more links to check out:

• I'm a huge AJ Ellis fan, so this is welcomed news. Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Catcher A.J. Ellis will return to Dodgers in 2016."

They retained one of the most popular players in the clubhouse, agreeing to a $4.5 million, one-year contract with catcher A.J. Ellis on Wednesday.

• BTW, AJ Ellis isn't just a catcher and positive clubhouse presence.  He is also a reality tv actor.  Via Robin Reed at Yahoo TV, "Dodger A.J. Ellis Makes House Call to Lisa Vanderpump on ‘RHOBH’"  There's a video to gawk at, and plenty of material to make you smile.  The best line of all was:

"The LA Dodgers have sent over this gorgeous hunk.  AJ Ellis who, ya know, let me play with his balls... or practice, at least."

• Via Bernie Wilson at Yahoo Sports, "Padres manager Andy Green names McGwire bench coach."

''As a player I pretty much went through anything a player could ever wish upon as far as success, and all the failures,'' he said. ''You learn how to be a man through adversity and failure. The game is built on failure. I know how to bust through that. ... I'm ecstatic about this new role. It's a great challenge for me, moving up in the game.''

• Wow!  According to Erika Owen at Travel + Leisure, Dodger Stadium is the 5th most Instagrammed place in the world.
• SportsNet LA/Dodgers Broadcaster Alanna Rizzo is the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) “HOPE Rising” honoree at their 26th annual awards dinner tonight.  Adrian Gonzalez is expected to introduce her to the masses.  Go here for more information about this event.  Per a Dodger press release:

“I am truly honored to be receiving the HOPE Rising Award,” said Rizzo. “When an organization like HOPE, that for 26 years has been working to advance and amplify the voice of Latinas, notices your work and the impact it has on others, it only elevates my commitment to continue to work harder to open the doors for young Latinas that follow in my footsteps.”

• This is a head-scratcher.  Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Dodgers part ways with Juan Nicasio."

Nicasio led all Dodger relievers in 2015 in innings pitched, finishing the year with a 3.86 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings. He had a 2.92 ERA through August 30, before allowing nine runs in his final nine innings and ending up off the Dodgers’ playoff roster.

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Dodgers reportedly hire Neil Rampe, Nate Lucero as new athletic trainers."

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Blog Kiosk: 12/3/2014 - Dodger Links - Ellis Valued by New Front Office and a AAA Change Coming Soon

Now that's how you break up a double play.  Unfortunately, Dodger infielder Charlie Neal (referred to as Chuck in the caption) was the recipient of a near-perfect slide into second base by Pete Whisenant.  This is a United Press photo I grabbed off of eBay.  Check it out here.

As you can see, Whisenant appears to have done everything right.  He came in sliding hard and propped his rear-end up to impede a swift moving Neal.  In the process, he forced Neal to take a ride on his backside forcing him to fumble the ball.

On a side note, ain't this a fantastic photo?  It's filed with action while noting a part of the game that is often overlooked - and rarely ever seen in todays game.  BTW, this photo is from a 1956 game against the Cubs.  Below is what was written in the caption:

CHICAGO: Dodgers' Chuck Neal takes ride on back of Cubs Pete Whisenant, who broke up double play in 4th inning of second game of double header here 8/28.  Whisenant was forced at second on Harry Chiti's grounder to Pee Wee Reese.  Play went from Reese to Neal.  Cubs lost first game, 6-4 and won second game, 4-3."

Below are some links to check out:

• This should come as no surprise.  The Dodgers chose to retain the rights of all their arbitration eligible players; including signing a new 1-year contract with Darwin Barney.  Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Dodgers sign Barney, retain rights to other arbitration-eligible players."  Per Dylan Hernandez of the the LA Times on twitter, Barney will make $2.525Mil in 2015.  On a side note, we have quite a stockpile of middle infielders/utility players on the team.  Something has to give pretty soon. 
• All of the hand-wringing over AJ Ellis is all for naught.  He will likely remain a Dodger.  WooHoo!  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, he speaks with Dodger GM Farhan Zaidi about AJ.

“The fact that (Ellis) has good relationships with the staff, that’s not an intangible,” Zaidi said. “That’s a tangible effect on his performance in the field.”

Though Ellis slumped to a .191 batting average in 2014, he was injured most of the year — yet still gave quality at-bats with a walk-strikeout ratio of almost exactly 1:1, something that Zaidi didn’t think “should be undersold.”

• At Dodger Insider they shared a recent article printed in the October issue of Dodger Insider magazine by Cary Osborne about Dodger closer Kenley Jansen, entitled "Kenley Jansen: The Quiet Storm."  Check it out here.
• Stay tuned.  Some changes are afoot with our new AAA affiliate.  Via a tweet from Eric Stephen:

New AAA affiliate @okcredhawks to make "significant announcement regarding team's identity" (aka name change) during tomorrow's "Dodger Day"
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) December 2, 2014

• Chris Olds at Beckett proves and early glimpse at Topps 2015 Finest Baseball card set.  It is slated to come out in June 2015.  Check out the Joc Pederson card on the right.
• Via a Dodger press release, "Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Andre Ethier and wife Maggie will dedicate Maggie and Andre Ethier Learning Center at Union Rescue Mission Thursday."  

"I've enjoyed volunteering at URM since I became a Dodger," said Ethier. "Knowing that the Learning Center will serve the mission for years to come makes this project very special to me."

• Via Joshua Kusnick at Baseball Prospectus, "An Agent's Take: Advice For The Teenaged Rumors Reporters."  

Among the professional journalism crowd, and I suppose all baseball circles to some degree, these “kids” are a constant topic of discussion. I have seen only one of these reporters break through to the mainstream, meaning he is likely the exception, not the rule. And he didn’t get to this point by being lazy. He got his foot in the door, took advice, learned rapidly and now has a bright future. Sadly, this is not the case for many of what I call “Transaction Monkeys,” the kids who frantically tweet every minor move that can easily be found on milb.com or any transaction website. Repetitiveness is not a skill, nor should it be rewarded.

• Via Travis Waldron at Think Progress, "Why Congress Shouldn’t Get Involved In Pro Sports’ Domestic Violence Problems."

Congress doesn’t have to set domestic violence aside. Neither does it need to ignore sports. But pushing leagues to rush into implementation and improvement of disciplinary policies, as we’ve seen before, often only leads to sloppy practices that don’t serve anyone well (except, perhaps, the leagues’ PR efforts), all while lending the leagues a moral authority on the issues they don’t deserve.

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The Charlie Neal 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet

Here is another post featuring the 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet set.  Go here to see my past post showcasing this set; including complete scans of both the Vin Scully/Jerry Doggett and Sandy Koufax booklets.  This time I share the Charlie Neal Booklet.

Charlie Neal started out playing ball in high school for a amateur traveling ballclub organized by his father out of Longview, Texas.  He was able to showcase his skills while there, and was subsequently drafted by the Dodgers in 1950.  After 6 years of Minor League ball, Neal made his debut in Dodger Blue in 1956.  He immediately impressed the club with his speed and his defensive prowess at 2nd base and short stop. 

His finest year came in 1959.  Charlie Neal won the Gold Glove at 2nd base, was an All-Star and lead the league in triples with 11.  The best was yet to come, though.  During the 1959 World Series match up against the Chicago White Sox, he belted two home runs in Game 2 of the series to help them win the game 4 to 3.  Overall, he batted .370, OPS'd 1.037, had 6 RBI's, 2 home runs and 2 doubles.

Via Sportswriter Roy Terrell in Sports Illustrated (from Baseball-Almanac):

"Charlie Neal doesn't look like a man who would hit two home runs in a year, much less one game. He weighs only 156 pounds and his wrists are thin. Yet he has hit 41 home runs in the last two seasons. He has played with the Dodgers for four years and is regarded as one of the best second basemen in the National League. In the dressing room as reporters questioned him, Neal looked embarrassed. What pitches did he hit? He didn't know, he said, and when the reporters looked puzzled, he said he was sorry. A photographer asked him to make a muscle, and he looked embarrassed again as laughing teammates compared it to a bee sting. But their kidding was gentle; it was that bee sting which had tied the Series at a game apiece."

Below are complete scans of every page from Charlie Neal's 1961 Union Oil Dodger Family Booklet.  Click any pic to embiggen. 

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