Dodgers Correspondence: How a Dodger VP Responded to a Fan Rant

As you know, fans are the worst. We are a demanding bunch of miscreants, often insisting that we know more than any of those idiots in the front office. Heck, if you'd only listen to me the Dodgers would be perennial World Series champions. Instead, we are left to wallow in mediocrity and failure -- always playing second fiddle to this team or that team.

Right?

This is what we, as die-hard fans, all believe... And there's nothing wrong with that. That said, sometimes a little dose of reality is important to keep our heads on our shoulders.

Featured here is a letter written by Dodgers Vice President Fresco Thompson, dated August 19, 1964, to a fan named Frank D'Esposito of Orlando, FL (eBay Auction Link). Unfortunately, we do not know what D'Esposito had written to illicit a response from Thompson, but I think it's fair to assume he was critical of the lack of trades to improve the team that season (much like the complaints we hear today). In the Thompson letter he explains to the Dodger-fanatic that making trades is not an easy endeavor. In fact, it often results in deficiencies elsewhere. Below is an excerpt of Fresco's words:

Blog Kiosk: 10/21/2016 - Dodgers Links - Scully, Blanton, Turner and Kershaw

Once again, we leave the fate and destiny of the Dodger to the man above.  He'll be pitching for the Dodgers in Game 6 this coming Saturday evening.

As you know, the Dodgers lost another big game last night, 8-4.  A culmination of Maeda's inability to go deep, a relief staff that is both overworked and shaky, a defense that has shown some holes and an offense that can't get a timely hit sunk the Dodgers in Game 5.  But have faith, the season isn't over with yet.  We've got our two best starters going in Game 6 and 7 (Kershaw and Hill).  Per Ken Gurnick and Carrie Muskat at MLB.com:

"Obviously, our backs are against the wall, but we feel like we've been there all year, from Day One until the end," said Blanton. "We got down in Washington [in the NL Division Series], and everybody wrote us off then. I'm sure everybody is doing the same now, which is fine. That's maybe where we need to be.

"We lost Game 1 in Chicago and everybody probably wrote us off then, saying we were going to be swept, but we came back and won the next two. We fight. We showed that in the ninth, we put up some runs when we were down a whole bunch. That's the character of this team."

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out a bunch of pics by Jon, Jill Weisleder and Juan Ocampo from yesterdays game.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1968 former Dodgers player and team executive Fresco Thompson dies at the age of 65.  He played in Brooklyn from 1931-32, slashing .264/.350/.324/.674 in 209 plate appearances.  As an executive he was the Dodgers assistant farm director, executive vice president and general manager.  He presided over the 1968 draft, considered one of the best ever, that included Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Ron Cey, Bill Buckner, Bobby Valentine, Joe Ferguson and Doyle Alexander.
• Happy Birthday: Bill Russell, Franklin Stubbs and Zack Greinke!

Blog Kiosk: 10/20/2015 - Dodger Links - Greinke, Kiké and some Brooklyn Superstitions

We've all seen team photos and group photos of ballplayers, but when is the last time you saw something like this?  Featured above is a 1961 LA Dodgers group photo of every manager within the their system; including the folks who are in charge of scouting and the farm system.

From L-R: Fresco Thompson (Farm System Director), Danny Ozark (OMaha, AAA), Rube Walker (Atlanta, AA), Walt Alston, Roy Smalley (Reno, C), Al Ronning (Great Falls, C), Al Campanis (Director of Scouting), Roy Hartsfield (Greenville, A), Spider Jorgenson (Artesia, D), Stan Wasiak (Salem, B), Preston Gomez (Spokane, AAA), George Scherger (Panama City, D) and Ed Serrano (Orlando, D).

The photo above is currently available through RMY Auctions, and is certainly a rarity in the hobby.  Check out the auction here.  Below are more links to check out:

• presidual at True Blue LA takes a look at, "Zack Greinke and the fateful fastball."

At the end of the day, we simply witnessed a Cy Young candidate with impeccable command miss his spot in a crucial situation. A sublime athlete turned human right before our eyes. It's unfortunate that it happened in Game 5, but no more so than the uncovered base or the eight stranded runners were. There's no reason for regret. It's just baseball.

• Kiké Hernandez recently visited the Staples Center to take in a Kings hockey game.  Naturally, the hockey club reached out for an interview.  Check that out here.

LAKings.com: What brought you to the game tonight and have you ever been to a Kings game before?
Hernandez: “No, this is my first game. I’m here for a few weeks until I go home and I saw that there was a Kings game. I live here, downtown, so I was like ‘Why not go to my first hockey game ever?’”

LAKings.com: Can you ice skate?
Hernandez: “I can. I’ve done it a few times. I’m not the best but I can do it.”

• I just love this stuff.  John Thorn at Our Game shares, "Some Superstitions of the Year 1886," and it's fantastic.  There are even a couple of old Brooklyn susperstitions:

Porter, Brooklyn pitcher, had worn a red sleeveless jacket and shirt when pitching for over two years. The outfit did not match the club uniforms but he wore it anyway. When he was slated to pitch in St. Louis one day it was found that the jacket was in a laundry which was closed, it being Sunday. Porter was so affected he cried. Manager Byrne came to the rescue by getting the manager of the laundry to supply the garment in time. The overjoyed Porter won his game.
...

Naturally birds were an omen in Brooklyn. When a black pigeon circled around the ball park Brooklyn always won. But when it flew over in company with two white pigeons the score would be close.

• I am glad to read that there are some good and responsible collectors out there willing to do the right thing.  Via Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily, "Missing 19th Century Red Stockings Card Returned to NYPL."  There have been far too many thefts from public institutions that likely represent millions in dollars of lost cultural artifacts.

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