Blog Kiosk: 7/25/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

I never thought we'd see this day. Last night, after 15 1/2 innings of grueling play, the Dodgers were left with only one option on the mound. Kiké Hernández would have to pitch.

The event was both glorious and sad. Kiké had often talked about this day coming, but I don't think he ever thought it would.

Clearly, he should have known better because he was woefully unprepared for the spotlight. Kiké looked like a deer staring down the largest damn lion he'd ever seen. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"Has anybody else gone 0-for-7 and given up a walk-off home run?" asked Hernandez, who had always hoped to add pitching to his laundry list of assignments, but never imagined it would turn out like this.
...
"I was thinking about my AB [popped out in the 16th] on the mound," he said. "Thinking we had another game in 11 hours and how I was 0-for-7. And this was my time to redeem myself and I didn't."

He got rocked by a walk-off three-run homer to take the loss, 7-4. Photo above of Kiké Hernández via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2018 at Dodger Insider. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1956 Brooklyn outfielder Carl Furillo becomes the first Dodger to hit a home run at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City -- a onetime home field for 15 games from 1956 to 1967. Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost this game to Cincinnati, 2-1. In 2006 the Dodgers received starting pitcher Elmer Dessens from the Royals for Odalis Perez and a couple minor leaguers. 
• Happy Birthday, Doc Reisling, Marv Rackley, Larry Sherry, Dave Patterson, Garey Ingram & Guillermo Mota!

Happy Pi Day - In the Face!

Today is an epic once-in-a-century kind of day for the mathematically inclined.  It is Pi Day (π) and folks are celebrating in all kinds of different ways.  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has created a math challenge that boggles the mind.  Check that out here.  The World Science Festival has their own quiz to check out (here).  The South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas gave away free mini-pies to attendees.  And here's a fun Pi Day anthem to dance too.

As for this blog, I thought I would celebrate the occasion by creating some fantasy Baseball cards of some Dodger players getting a pie in the face.

Enjoy!

At the very top, Scott Van Slyke took a shaving cream pie in the face for hitting a game winning 3-run home run in a late May 2012 game against the Cardinals.  (Photo grabbed from a video capture seen at Think Blue LA).

AJ Ellis got a pie for his walk-off walk on May 18, 2012 (pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2012).  Justin Sellers received a celebratory pie after hitting his first career home run in August 2011 against Jordan Lyles of the Astros (pic taken by Stephen Dunn of Getty via Sons of Steve Garvey). 

The Dee Gordon's pie was courtesy of Matt Kemp (via @Dodgers on twitter) after a walk-off hit in extra innings.  Nate Eovaldi earned his pie for winning his very first Major League game against the Diamondbacks on August 6, 2011 (Getty Images photo).

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Mailbag: Nate Eovaldi Bowman Sterling Autographed card

I just had to do it. 

After watching Nate Eovaldi's last start against the Dodgers, where he pitched 7 solid innings with a flying fastball clocked in the mid-90's, I figured I should add his 2011 Bowman Sterling autographed card to my collection. 

I know he lost that game, but I was impressed.  He looked like a different pitcher out there.  Maybe the opportunity to show off to his old club provided extra motivation, or maybe he was feeling especially great that day. 

I dunno.

All I know is that I suspect we haven't heard the last of him.  I'm not saying that he'll be an ace making the kind of money Zack and Clayton do.  What I am saying is that I figure Eovaldi will have a long career as an end-of-the-rotation starter, at the very least.

And you know what?  That ain't too bad. 

Besides, it was super cheap, so why not?

Check out a pic of the card above and below.  Click the photo to embiggen.

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Welcome to the Blue, Hanley!!!

WooHoo!  I love this trade.

Sure, I liked Nathan Eovaldi and saw him as a potential bottom of the rotation starter in the future, but to get a bat like Hanley Ramirez makes losing him worth it.  Although Hanley has had a poor 2012 season, I think he is bound to come back to his mashing ways. (fingers crossed)

Welcome to the Blue, Hanley! 

Below are his lifetime stats, via Baseball Reference:


From the Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired three-time All-Star infielder Hanley Ramirez and left-handed reliever Randy Choate from the Miami Marlins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga right-hander Scott McGough. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

"The addition of a hitter the caliber of Hanley Ramirez improves our lineup from top to bottom, inserting a proven run producer to go along with Matt and Andre," said Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti. "We're excited for Hanley to begin a new chapter in Los Angeles."

Now, let's not forget the about other player coming over to the Dodgers.  Randy Choate is a veteran left handed reliever who should provide from needed help in the bullpen. 

Choate has a 2.49 ERA in 44 relief appearances with the Marlins in his 12th Major League season. The 36-year-old has limited opposing hitters to a .178 batting average this season, including a .150 mark by left-handed hitters. Choate has allowed just three extra-base hits while striking out 27 in 25.1 innings this season.

"Randy Choate is a veteran pitcher that provides depth to our bullpen and gives Don Mattingly another left-handed relief option," said Colletti.

Here are his career stats, via Baseball Reference:

2012 Topps Tier One- Some of the Dodgers Cards

When gambling and Baseball cards combine you get Tier One.

One box is really just one pack of three cards.  It will run you anywhere between $80 to $100 for that pack.  So, the gambling analogy above is very apt.  Even more so when you consider that there is no base cards in the product.  There is no set to complete.  It is a product consisting of only "hits."  Given that, I figured I'd feature some of the cards pulled so far to show here since I doubt I'll be adding any of these cards to my collection any time soon.  It's like this post is my version of online window shopping.

BTW, if I see any of the rarer "1 of 1" cards going forward I'll be sure to post about them in the future.  These cards here are some of the more common hits you might find. The big Dodgers stars you would expect are in here.  You can pull autographs of Matt Kemp and Sandy Koufax.  Unfortunately, you won't be able to see any of them for awhile.  Only redemption cards are inserted in packs for them. 

Below is a Crowd Please Autograph of Andre Ethier and a "silver ink" parallel below that card.

CPA-AE Andre Ethier

This is a Top Shelf Autograph Relic of Dee Gordon.  Considering the price of the pack I would be mighty disappointed in pulling a Gordon card. 

TSAR-DG Dee Gordon

The next three cards are called On The Rise Autographed cards.

OR-CKE Clayton Kershaw /50

OR-DG Dee Gordon /75

OR-NE Nathan Eovaldi /395

Here is a Top Shelf Relic of Andre Ethier; including a base jersey card and a parallel triple jersey relic card.

TSR-AE Andre Ethier

2012 Topps Series 2- Dodgers Base Cards

Following up on my post from last week, here are the 10 Dodgers within the base set from the 2012 Topps Series 2 set.  Note that Kershaw has 2 different base cards.

There are 10 Dodgers included.  See them all below.  Here's an unfortunate note, A. J. Ellis still does not have a regular 2012 Topps base card.  What's up with that Topps?

357  Aaron Harang

383  Andre Ethier

401  Kenley Jansen

405  Nathan Eovaldi

406  Juan Rivera

438  Juan Uribe

482  Chris Capuano

486  Jerry Sands

588  Mark Ellis

600  Clayton Kershaw

As I briefly mentioned above, Kershaw has two different base cards in the set.  I had highlighted this and a Matt Kemp variation insert card last week, in a separate post.  On the left is the short printed variation, and on the right is the normal base card for Clayton.

Lilly Placed on DL

Amid all of the speculation it has now been confirmed that Ted Lilly is hurt with a bum shoulder.  From the Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today placed left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to May 24) with left shoulder inflammation and recalled left-handed pitcher Michael Antonini from Triple-A Albuquerque. 

Michael Antonini makes another return to the Dodgers.  He came up for 2 days in late April (24-25), but didn't get into a game.  So, he has yet to make an official Major League appearance. 


Hopefully, Lilly's shoulder problems doesn't grow to something larger.  He's been very good this year, and has confidently taken over the #2 pitcher spot.  Having him go down leaves a giant hole in our rotation.  As has been reported elsewhere, Nate Eovaldi will be taking over Lilly's starts for the time being.

Blog Kiosk/Dodgers Links: 5/27/2012

Panini provides more preview pics of a new card product made just for kids.  It is called 2012 Triple Play Baseball, and it features many MLB stars in animated glory.  It will be affordable (at just 99 cents a pack), and will include inserts like stickers and usable eye black.  Watch out for it in July.  Check more pics at Panini's blog, here.  Of note, I think the Kemp card below more looks like Kobe Bryant than "Bison."

• I know I'm late on this, but it's better late than never.  You gotta send AJ Ellis to the All-Star Game.  He deseres it.  Go here to vote.  There is also a online campaign.  Check out ajellis2kc.com.
• Check out this Isotopes lineup to Sunday's game, via twitter @AbqTopes.
• Eephus Blue came up with a great new Dodgers design and future trending twitter meme- #Gwinning!  Via twitter @EphusBlue.
• That is awesome!

(Twitter Link: @dodgerscribe)

• Could Nathan Eovaldi be Headed Toward Relief Role with Dodgers?  Eric Stephen Via True Blue LA.
• David was at Friday's game and got a bunch of Astro's signatures at the end of the evening.
• Left Field Pavilion makes a great graphic celebrating AJ Ellis.
• Mattingly intends to give Kemp some real rest, via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times.

But from now on, Mattingly said Kemp has to be prepared to sit out an occasional game. No streak means no pressure to play him every day.

“I think it makes it easier to say, 'Matt, we need to give you a day. It’s the right day. We’re going to take care of you,'" Mattingly said. "At that point, I know he’ll fight me, but at that point I’ll probably play my manager card."

• Watch AJ Ellis' get a face full of shaving cream and a hose down.

Video Link:

2012 Gypsy Queen- Dodgers Autographs

Following up on my post from earlier this week, check out the inserted Dodgers autograph cards that can be found in packs of Topps 2012 Gypsy Queen cards.  BTW, if you want to see a complete checklist of the set go here.

Before I get to the cards I wanted to note that there are numerous Matt Kemp autographs in the set, but none of them have been inserted into packs.  Instead, a redemption card is included that would need to be sent to Topps for later delivery.  From all accounts, Kemp has yet to sit down and do a signing for Topps this season, so we will all have to wait until he has that opportunity to do a signing.  Now, on to the cards.

GQA-AET Andre Ethier

GQA-CK Clayton Kershaw

GQA-NE Nathan Eovaldi

GQA-SK Sandy Koufax

Dual Autograph Relic Card

GQDAR-GE Steve Garvey - Andre Ethier 

This card looks a bit weird as Topps used different stickers for the autographs.  There is also a triple autograph relic card that features Kemp, Reggie Jackson and Ken Griffey, Jr. that is available through a redemption card.

Some eBay Winnings: Dodgers Autographed Cards

If you haven't noticed, I've been a little slow with posting lately. I think it has a bit to do with the NHL playoffs starting and the Kings taking a commanding lead in their own series against the Canucks. On the other hand, as any blogger knows, sometimes the desire to post something up is outweighed by a need to take a little break from sitting in front of a computer all day. Anyway, that little funk is near its end and I am starting to feel revitalized. I guess I needed just a little blogging vacation.

Below are a handful of recent eBay wins I had accumulated over the past several weeks. Check them out below.

I really wanted this card. I had searched high and low for an affordable copy and finally found one through eBay's "Buy It Now" service. It is a 2008 Bowman Scouts autographed subset card of the legendary Ralph Avila. Up until a year or so ago, I didn't even know this card existed, but since finding out it has been on the top of my wish list.
Ralph Avila is one of the Dodgers greatest scouts and a trailblazer in his profession. He started out as a Cuban revolutionary who quickly soured on Castro. Soon, Avila headed to Florida where he started a Baseball clinic for Cuban refugee kids to keep them out of trouble. Then, Al Campanis, the Dodgers personnel chief at the time, hired him as a "bird-dog" scout. Soon, he became Campanis' right hand man when it came to Baseball in Latin America. With some prodding from Campanis, he headed up the Dodgers search for talent in the Dominican Republic- before any other team went there. As the reverse of the card shown below indicates, Avila was responsible for the Dodgers originally signing Pedro Martinez. For more background on Ralph Avila go ahead and check these great articles about him: ESPN, MLB.

Here is another eBay win. This is a Donruss "Fans of the Game" autographed card. It is from 2004 and features actor Jonathan Silverman. I can't think of a show he's done in the past decade that I've seen, but I will say that his role in "Weekend at Bernie's" was awesome. It still ranks as one of my favorite comedies.
Here is the back of the card.

Here are a group of 3 2011 Bowman Sterling autographed cards of some Dodgers rookies. I had bought them as a lot at what I though was an affordable $12 bucks. Check out Nathan Eovaldi, Dee Gordon and Jerry Sands.

Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Freeway Series, Game 34

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (18-12-2) at LOS ANGELES DODGERS (15-14-4)

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 – 12:10 p.m., Dodger Stadium

LHP C.J. Wilson vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi

Spring Game 34/Home Game 17

Todays Starting Lineup:

Dodgers: Gwynn LF, Sellers SS, Ethier RF, Rivera 1B, Kennedy 3B, Federowicz C, Cruz 2B, Angle CF, Eovaldi P
Angels: Aybar ss, kendrick 2b, pujols 1b, hunter rf, wells lf, trumbo 3b, iannetta c, bourjos cf, wilson p.

Upcoming Spring Training Schedule:

(Pic Via Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers 2012)

• HEARTS FULL OF SPRING: The Dodgers will play their final exhibition game this afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game Freeway Series with the Angels. Today marks the fifth meeting between the two clubs during the exhibition season (2-1-1) with the Dodgers winning last night, 4-1. The Dodgers and Angels will meet six times during the regular season, beginning June 11 at Dodger Stadium.

  The Dodgers’ victory last night was their first Freeway Series victory since 2009, having dropped both contests in 2010 and 2011 and the game in Anaheim Monday night. This week marked the first three-game Freeway Series since the Angels took two of three from the Dodgers in 2007. That year was also the last time the Fresco Thompson and Lefty Phillips Awards were handed out. These awards honor the MVP and most outstanding pitcher of the Freeway Series, respectively. In 2007, Orlando Cabrera took home the Fresco Thompson Award and Chad Billingsley won the Lefty Phillips Award. Early candidates for the awards are Juan Rivera (5-for-6), Dan Haren (1-0, 1.59 ERA) and Erick Aybar (4-for-8).

  A victory this afternoon would give the Dodgers their first winning Spring Training since going 17-16-1 in 2007. On Saturday, the club clinched its first winning Cactus League campaign since joining the league in 2009 with a 14-13-4 record.

• NATE DOGG: Dodger right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will make his fifth and final start of a memorable Spring Training this afternoon. Eovaldi has appeared in six games and gone 1-1 with a 1.72 ERA (3 ER/15.2 IP) while limiting the opposition to a .233 batting average. On Sunday, the Texas native was named the winner of the 2012 Jim and Dearie Mulvey Award as the top rookie at Spring Training. Eovaldi was selected as the winner in balloting by the club’s coaches and will receive a plaque in recognition of his accomplishments. A full list of past Mulvey Award winners, including last year’s winners Jerry Sands and Rubby De La Rosa, can be found on page 368 of the 2012 Dodgers Guide.

(Our Boys in Blue are back on the field @ Dodger Stadium for the 1st time this Spring., via Twitter @Dodgers)

• ELATION: Yesterday, Dodger infielder Justin Sellers and pitcher Josh Lindblom were told they would make their very first Opening Day roster. Several others were told they would be reassigned, but the moves will not be made official until after the game today, when the Dodgers’ 2012 Opening Day roster will be released. Also joining Sellers and Lindblom in making the Opening Day roster for the first time are Dee Gordon, Javy Guerra and Scott Elbert. Congratulations to all!

• PARTY ROCK: The start of the regular season is tomorrow afternoon with the Dodgers opening the 2012 regular season at PETCO Park against the Padres. Clayton Kershaw will make his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Dodgers against San Diego right-hander Edinson Volquez.

  The Dodgers are inviting fans to Dodger Stadium to watch the team open the season tomorrow and the event, including parking, is free. Non-alcoholic beverages and concessions are $4 or less and an additional discount of 15 percent will be applied to all Dodger merchandise on sale tomorrow. On top of all that, former Dodger and 1981 World Series Co-MVP Ron “The Penguin” Cey will sign autographs for fans on the Field Level concourse behind home plate from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Gates open at 3:00 p.m. and fans can register to attend the event at www.dodgers.com/viewingparty

(Adam Kennedy on the post game show after Dodgers win 4-1, via Twitter @THEREAL_DV)

• FINISH STRONG: The Dodgers beat the Angels, 4-1 last night behind 4.0 scoreless innings from Aaron Harang (2.63 ERA this spring) and solid relief work from Matt Guerrier (1.0), Scott Rice (1.0), Angel Sanchez (2.0) and Shawn Tolleson (1.0). At the plate, Juan Rivera went 3-for-3 to raise his Spring Training average to .344 while Matt Treanor (2 RBI), Justin Sellers and Matt Kemp drove in Dodger runs.

  Due to an agreement between the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball, all three of the games in the Freeway Series will include a bottom of the ninth inning , regardless of which team is winning. Both last night and Monday night, a “fake” bottom of the ninth inning was played.

• HALL CALL: Today, legendary Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodger, one of the Boys of Summer, Gil Hodges, would have turned 88. Despite being a rock in the middle of the order for the great Brooklyn Dodger teams of the 1950s, Hodges has not gained access to Cooperstown. The first baseman made eight All-Star teams, won two Gold Gloves and skippered the 1969 Amazin’ Mets. Hodges hit 370 career homers while hitting over .290 in four different World Series (’53, ’55, ’56, ’59).

• FOLLOW THE LEADERS: Dee Gordon and Andre Ethier have been two of Los Angeles’ hottest hitters this spring as Gordon ranks among the NL leaders in batting average (.379, 6^th), steals (11, 2^nd), runs (16, T-1^st) and on-base percentage (.446, 4^th), while Ethier is tied for third with nine doubles, tied for fourth with 16 RBI and tied for sixth in the league with 44 total bases. Ethier’s .863 slugging percentage leads the club.