2019 Topps Dynasty - The Dodgers Cards

Several weeks back Topps released their 2019 Topps Dynasty brand, and I finally have pics of many of the Dodgers available in it. Go here for a complete checklist. This is a high-end product -- costing about $300 for one single encapsulated autographed card per box. So, every pack should have a big hit in it.

For Dodger fans, this set is notable since it includes two former Dodgers in Blue -- Adrian Beltre and Rickey Henderson.

Autographed Patches

#Adrian Beltre
#DAB-ABE4

Blog Kiosk: 7/25/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

No one likes getting beat, but the last two losses to the Angels doesn't have me distressed. They were both great games to watch. Oftentimes games don't turn out the way you'd hoped. But in Baseball, as we all know, it's the ability to persevere and climb above all the failure and disappointment that determines whether you move on towards the playoffs. Last night it was a comedy of errors and bad calls that did us in. Nevertheless, we move on to play another day. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

“Dan’s been around a long time, and [umpires] are busting their tails every night to get it right,” said Roberts. “When you see balls off the plate that can flip counts and can change innings and certainly at-bats, yeah, it gets frustrating at times when you’re the hitter. But those calls didn’t cost us the game. 

“The results speak to those guys played better. They scored more than we did, pitched better, hit better, yeah, they played better.”

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. 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 1978 the Lodi Dodgers, LA's Single-A minor league club, record two triple plays against the Fresno Giants. This is the first time since 1904 that a professional ballclub has recorded two triple plays in one game. In 2006 the Dodgers received starting pitcher Elmer Dessens from the Royals for Odalis Perez and a couple minor leaguers. In 2012 Hanley Ramirez plays his first game as a Dodger, after having beeen traded my the Marlins, and goes 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk, run and RBI (boxscore).
• Happy Birthday, Doc Reisling, Marv Rackley, Larry Sherry, Dave Patterson, Garey Ingram & Guillermo Mota!

Blog Kiosk: 5/16/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

I just can't get enough of these vintage action photos -- even if it doesn't show the most desired result. Featured above is a 1955 United Press pic, dated June 1st, of Jackie Robinson being tagged out at the plate. Per the descriptor on the reverse:

Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers is tagged out at home by Milwaukee Catcher Del Crandall in the second inning of the night game at Ebbets Field June 1st. Robinson tried to score on Junior Gilliam's short fly to second baseman Hank Aaron, who threw to Crandall. Umpire is Dusty Boggess.

I don't think you can be too angry about being beat by a great play from future Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. BTW, this pic is on auction at Memory Lane (link here). Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1970 a fourteen year old fan named Alan Fish was struck by a batted baseball at Dodger Stadium and would unfortunately die four days later. This marked the first fatality of a fan from a batted ball in a Major League game. Tom Hoffarth provides more detail about the terrible incident here. In 2000 was the infamous fight at Wrigley Field that started when Dodgers catcher Chad Kreuter, sitting in the Wrigley exposed bullpen, was hit in the back of the head and had his hat stolen by a unruly fan. Several players and coaches jumped into the stands during the ensuing melee. 
• Happy Birthday, Watty Clark, Rube Walker, Rick Rhoden, Mitch Webster & Eugenio Vélez!

Blog Kiosk: 7/15/2015 - Dodger Links - Pederson, Kershaw and Sandy Koufax

With exception of the National League losing the game, the entire All-Star Game was fantastic.  From pregame to end, it was fun to watch.  My favorite moment was when the "Franchise Four Greatest Living Legends" came onto the field, as evidenced in the photo above tweeted by @SportsCenter.  From L-R: Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays.

The next best moment was Sandy Koufax's first pitch to Johnny Bench.  Watch it below, via a tweet from @MLBGIFs.  As you would expect, he threw it right down the middle.

Below are some links to check out:

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Kershaws’ Ping Pong 4 Purpose set for July 30."
• Jon also shares the Dodgers "Dodgers Franchise Four" here - Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider.
• A must read!  Via Pedro Moura at the OC Register, "Dodgers' Joc Pederson brings pivotal minor-league coach to Home Run Derby stage."

“Show me what you do that is similar,” (Johnny) Washington said he told Pederson. “And we couldn’t find too many similarities. So we combined the three hitters and tried to make him. And he took to it well.”

“I was frustrated, but it was honestly the best move that ever happened to me,” Pederson recalled Monday. “It made me become so much more open and see what I was doing wrong and why I only hit in batting practice and why it didn’t translate into games. I’m still learning a lot about hitting, but it was special.”

• Via Kevin Kaduk at Big League Stew, "Clayton Kershaw says he isn't a fan of the All-Star 'counting' after taking loss."

"It was fun until I started giving up runs," the Los Angeles Dodgers ace said. 

• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Greinke has Eric Gagne-moment in 2015 All-Star Game."
• Via Israel Fehr at Big League Stew, "Here's our first look at 'Ferrell Takes The Field'"
• Via Adam Hughes at Sports Collectors Daily, "10 Underrated Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1980s."  Adam's list includes rookie cards for several former Dodger players.

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Sunday Dodger Videos: Lopes Speaks About Aaron's Home Run

Here are this Sunday's Dodger videos.

Here are highlights from the Dodgers Championship Game 6 against the White Sox in the 1959 World Series.

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From the past homestand, watch the boys fool around in the dugout during Lupe Fiasco's performance before a game. 

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Don Mattingly discusses Zack Greinke's strong performance vs. the D-backs and Adrian Gonzalez's recent hot streak

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Davey Lopes remembers Hank Aaron's 715th homer and discusses rooting for Hank to break the home run record.

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Blog Kiosk: 2/6/2014 - Dodgers Links - Hank Aaron, Yasiel Puig and Signing Justin Turner

"It's almost time for Dodger baseball" - Vin Scully.  Pic above via @SportsNetLA on twitter.

• Mark Langill at Dodger Insider wrote about Hank Aaron's birthday yesterday by recalling the 715th career home run he hit against the Dodgers in 1974.  BTW, A portrait of Hank will hang at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, via Mark Townsend at Big League Stew.  You should see the portrait.  It's an amazingly realistic painting.
• Tim Keown at ESPN The Magazine writes a great piece on Puig, "What's next for Yasiel Puig?"

Puig nodded his head the way he knew he should. But a thick moment passed before he told Colletti, "Where I come from, there is no tomorrow. We embrace today."

• This should be seen as a move to improve infield depth.  Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Justin Turner reportedly signs minor league deal with Dodgers".  BTW, Justin is on twitter: @redturn2.  Follow him here.  Justin is from Long Beach and played college ball at CSU Fullerton.

Excited to officially be a #Dodger!!! I'm looking forward to a great year & the chance to play so close to home. #LA #SoCal @Dodgers #Blue
— Justin Turner (@redturn2) February 5, 2014

• Via Daniel Brim at Dodgers Digest, "PECOTA Loves the Dodgers".  Check out some projections for the 2014 Dodgers.
• Via Josh Tucker at Dodger Insider, "Dodgers nominated for social media award".  You can help the Dodgers win a Shorty!
• Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA writes an, "Dodger Stadium construction update".
• Ryan G at Chaos and Kanji shares his day at the Sapporo Winter Sports Museum in Japan.
• This just might be the greatest thing ever.  Watch a documentary on the punk rock scene in East LA.  It's called Living Off the Wall: East Los. 

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Blog Kiosk: 1/20/2014 - Dodgers Links - Joe Ferguson, MLK Day and You Should Expect Perfect Weather for Outdoor Hockey on Saturday

This past Saturday was the 11th annual “In the Spirit of the Game” fundraiser for the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation.  Check out a pic of Hank Aaron and Tommy Lasorda from that event, photo via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers.  Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider has some details about it, here.

• A new Dodger blog called Dodgers Digest is now live.  Go here to check it out.
• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider shares his, "Dodger tickets through the years".
• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "Meet new Loons manager Bill Haselman".
• Via Matt Snyder at CBS Sports, "VIDEO: Joe Ferguson with perhaps the best World Series throw ever".  He had quite a rifle!
• Current Colorado Major Leaguer Michael Cuddyer has taken some incredible photos of Dodger Stadium.  He shares many of them on his Flickr account, here.  You gotta check them out.  Photography might be his second calling; after he decides to hang them up. (Hat Tip: Reddit: phuckduck)
• Lyle Spencer at MLB.com, "King's enduring messages delivered at Academy (in Compton)".

"I'm trying to teach these kids how to handle adversity and deal with any situation in life," said Landreaux, a World Series champion in 1981 with his hometown Dodgers. "Through baseball and the importance of learning the fundamentals, they can learn the discipline to become educated, to be good, productive citizens. That's what we're striving for here."

• Evan Bladh at Opinion of Kingman's Performance writes about, "Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr." and how interconnected they really were.
• Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA writes about the Cape Code League in Alaska.
• Jon Rosen at Kings Insider updates us on the outdoor ice rink at Dodger Stadium.  Don't fret folks.  The temperature for game time is expected to be perfect for game play. Pic below via Jon Rosen.

 Though we can’t say the same about another arctic blast of air that is about to descend upon the northern United States, the temperatures for Saturday’s Stadium Series game should be ideal. Next Saturday’s high is currently targeted at 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of 47. Those temperatures would nearly replicate today’s weather. The high at Dodger Stadium today was 80 degrees, with an expected low of 47.

Though the game is scheduled for 6:30, the pomp and circumstance surrounding the event will delay the puck drop to 7:15. By that time, the outside air should cool to roughly 61 or 62 degrees, as determined through today’s hourly weather forecast. It is 65 degrees inside Staples Center during Kings games, a temperature that drops closer to the ice.

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Hake's Auction: A 1955 Barnstorming Vintage Photo of the Willie Mays All-Stars

Hake's Auctions has, of late, been a depository of some incredible vintage Baseball artifacts.  Over the past couple of years they have had the honor of selling off numerous pieces from the Baseball collection of Richard Merkin- who was noted for having one of the greatest collections of Negro League related material. 

Featured below is a press photo taken by Tennessee photographer Ernest Withers of the 1955 Willie Mays All-Stars. The salaries for players from MLB clubs was not enough to cover the winter months.  So, during the off-season many players continued playing Baseball on barnstorming teams throughout North America. 

(auction link)

As you can see, these Major Leaguers wore their respective team uniforms when they played across the country with this team.  Dodger hurler Don Newcombe is on the top row, far left; and former Dodger Joe Black is directly on Newcombe's left.  Also, Dodger outfielder Jim Gilliam is on the front row, on the far left. Click on the pic above to embiggen, and go here to see this auction.

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Sunday Dodgers Video: The Civil War Roundtable, Racing Dee Gordon and Dubstep

Here are this weekends Sunday Dodgers videos.

Here is a Civil War Roundtable.  Don Newcombe, Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron lead discussion on race and sports at the Civil Rights Movement Roundtable Discussion in Atlanta.

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A Dodger Stadium security guard races Dee Gordon.

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Dodger Stadium goes dubstep.  At least I think it's dubstep.  Who the heck knows?

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Here is a great video made by Mark Vuncannon that I think is called "Baseball Dream."  His son Collin is the star.

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Blog Kiosk: 3/19/2012

Panini unveiled more preview picks of their upcoming Prime Cuts & Limited Baseball cards on their blog, here. Above is the Clayton Kershaw autographed card.

• Joe Mathews at Zocalo Public Square wonders what happens after Vin Scully and offers up five plans to deal with it.

  3. Digital Vin
  Don’t replace Vin at all. Eternal life is not yet possible, but technology offers an alternative. Contract with one of California’s artificial intelligence companies to create a Vin machine that could announce games. It would be programmed to speak exactly as Vin did in 1988, the year of the Dodgers’ last World Series championship.

• I like this rumor. From Giants Talk:

  Baseball sources expect the Giants’ archrival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to be major free-agent spenders next winter once a new ownership group drops more than $1 billion to purchase the franchise. There would be nothing more painful to Giants fans than seeing Cain, one of their most loyal favorites, in Dodger blue. Such a signing could tilt the balance of power in the NL West, too.

• Baseball Happenings tells about a rare Dr. Mike Marshall signing- the former Dodgers Cy Young reliever. Marshall is probably the toughest autograph of any living player in Baseball. He has previously refused to sign any autographs.

  "Marshall explained that he would willingly sign if the boys could show him that their autograph books also contained the signatures of their teachers and others who 'were really meaningful in their lives.'" Marshall defended his position by stating, "As an athlete, I am no one to be idolized. ... I will not perpetuate that hoax. They say I don't like kids. I think that refusing to sign autographs, I am giving the strongest demonstration that I really do like them. I am looking beyond mere expediency to what is truly valuable in their lives."

• Patrick Soon-Shiong, the richest man in Los Angeles, has joined the Dodgers bid group led by hedge-fund billionaire Steven Cohen, via Bill Shaikin at LA Times. Dodgers blogger Chad Moriyama isn't so enthused due to Cohen's connection with Tony LaRussa.
  
• Bronx Banter takes a look at some pitcher/batter match-ups to find out who "owned" or was "owned." Koufax comparisons is included that shows how well Mays and Hank Aaron hit against him. (Hat Tip: Baseball Musings)
  
• Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy shows some newly released bobbleheads made by Forever Collectibles of Kemp and Kershaw.
  
• An interview with Topps Director of Hobby Sales at Sports Collectors Daily.
  
• From Cardboard Connection, Guide to Using social Media for your Sports Cards and Memorabilia.
  
• Beyond the Boxscore has a nice roundup of the recently concluded SABR conference in Arizona.
• I want a Marauder when the zombies come.

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2012 Topps Heritage - Dodgers Inserts

Following up my post from last week, here are some of the Dodgers inserts cards that can be found in 2012 Topps Heritage packs.

Baseball Flashbacks

Sandy Koufax won both the Cy Young and MVP awars in 1963.

BF-SK Sandy Koufax

Sandy struck out 306 batters in 1963.

BF-SKO Sandy Koufax

In 1963, Topps included little baseball player stickers in packs, so they decided to do the same with this years Heritage set. It is a 46 sticker set and the only Dodger is Matt Kemp.

Stick-Ons

15 Matt Kemp

New Age Performers

NAP-MK Matt Kemp

Then & Now

TN-HA Hank Aaron - Matt Kemp
TN-SK Sandy Koufax - Clayton Kershaw
TN-SK Sandy Koufax - Justin Verlander

Blog Kiosk: 9/8/2011

Topps shared a sneak peek of some 2012 Triple Threads cards that will be released later this month; including this great Sandy Koufax/ Hank Aaron book card above. (Pic Link: Topps twitter)

• Juan Uribe to have surgery, as well. Via Steve Dilbeck of LA Times.
  
• Bob Lemke makes some alternative versions of Sandy Koufax's 1955 rookie card.
  
• Jim Rosenthal of Los Angeles Magazine interviews Don Mattingley.
  
• Koufax's Perfect Game- the Tale of the Data, via Frederick Cohan at LA Times.
  
• Mike Silva's New York Baseball Digest has a couple of Greg Maddux's high school scouting reports.
  
• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts, he shares a link from the Department of the Treasury where Clayton Kershaw and Ted Lilly took a tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
  
• Mark's Ephemera shares a 1914 article he found that compares the stats for drinking and non-drinking ballplayers.
  
• Adrian Beltre- a Hall of Famer? Rob Neyer ponders that a bit at SB Nation.
  
• "The league's view is that the Dodgers needs to be owned by somebody who has the wherewithal to own the team and to properly capitalize it," says Thomas Lauria, partner at White & Case.

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Blog Kiosk: 8/9/2009

Should I be panicking yet? Is a 5.5 game lead large enough?

• Here are some new Dodger blogs- Cat Loves the Dodgers and Duck Dodgers Bats Cleanup. Check them out.
  
• Check out this great old article about Vin Scully at SI Vault. (Hat Tip: DodgersNation)
  
• Sunshine made it in the Dodgers Magazine. Read about it here.
  
• Hank Aaron says that the 2003 list of steroids users should be released.
  
• HalosHeaven has a bunch of new Nick Adenhart memorial photos from Anaheim Stadium.
• You gotta read Bill Simmons ESPN piece about his time at the National Sports Collectors Convention last weekend- complete with a photo essay.

  Here's the micro report card: If you love sports, you have to go. You have to. You just have to. You have to. You will see things you never knew about. You will see things you never imagined. You will see things you barely remembered. You will see things that make you smile and things that make you angry. You will see things that you will want, and you will be surprised by how much you want them. You will be constantly blown away. You will be overstimulated. You will never be bored.

• Here is another ESPN article about the National; complete with a video (below) and more pics.
  

• Check out some Ferris Bueller's Day Off original cards made by Trader Crack's.
• Here is a final look at Comic-Con. Enjoys these pics of the ladies at totallycrap.com.
• This is brilliant. Unfortunately, it's all in Russian so I don't know who this is or what she titles it.

YouTube Link: proshura84:
Hat Tip: Twitter: Alyssa_Milano:

Weekly Blog Kiosk 4/13/2008

Last nights shellacking was well overdue.

• The Vero Beach Curse. Tony Jackson shares a letter from a Vero Beach resident who claims to have laid the foundation for a curse against the Dodgers.

  Believe it, this curse is REAL; The Big Blue Dodger in the Sky has spoken! The Vero Beach Curse will live with the McCourt Dodgers until he is relieved of ownership or he reverses his doomed Arizona plans. There was the Curse of the Bambino, The Billy Goat Curse, and now there is The Vero Beach Curse.

• Joshua of Dodgerama provides some great advice. Don't be a jerk.
  
• Baseball Minutia explains the coaching box rule and its reason for existence. Apparently, it has nothing to do with safety.

  In those days it was common for the “coaches” to spend more time pacing back and forth on the baseline, hurling obscenities at the opposing pitchers, trying their best to throw them off their game, and often succeeding.

• I've added Beantown West to the Dodger blogroll. Even though your name assumes a Bostonian bent I see that you have a large amount of Dodger passion. Like you said,

  "really, it's 100% for each team, adding up to 200%. Please don't question my math."

• Cardboard Junkie shares the "Absolutely" best thing in his collection and I have to admit that I'm envious. How great it would have been to be in Atlanta on that April 8th evening to see Aaron hit number 715- even if it was against the Dodgers. Wow.
• The 1983 Fleer Project snagged another autographed Dodger card. This collector is trying to put together a completely autographed 1983 Fleer Baseball set. There are 420 possible cards to get signed and he is 62% of the way through.

• LA Kings forwards Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan have been selected to represent the United States in the World Championship Tournament in Canada in May.
  
• Ever the clairvoyant ones, Topps Company created a set in 1992 called Topps Kids that had extremely muscular cartoon caricatures of some of Baseballs biggest young stars. MSN's Ben Goldfein rediscovers the set and believes they saw the steroid era coming. Photos of Bonds and Clemens included. Hat Tip: SCD:
  
• Barry's last homerun ball sells for $376,612. Hat Tip: SCD:
  
• Wax Heaven opens up a 1989 Jose Canseco 40/40 Chocolate bar. Yum!

Wax Heaven Video Blog from Mario Alejandro on Vimeo.

Video Link: Wax Heaven:

More Indianapolis Clowns

Last month, I wrote about an eBay auction featuring a rare marketing postcard featuring the Ethiopian Clowns. They were one of the best barnstorming teams in the country. Several years later the Florida team moved to Indianapolis.

I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to purchase these 3 advertising photos featuring the Indianapolis Clowns earlier this year. As you can see, the top photo features owner Syd Pollack with future Hall of Fame Hank Aaron. Many of you may know that Hank Aaron started his professional career with the Indianapolis Clowns. Also featured is the acrobatic workings of "The Flying Nesbitts."
Above is a photo of chief funmaker "Birmingham Sam Brison." Below are photos of other members including Billy "Midget" Vaughn, Fred Battle and Tiny Walke.See my other Negro League memorabilia here: