Blog Kiosk: 3/10/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

Check out the cover of Sports Illustrated's Baseball Preview magazine above, via @MLB on twitter.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1983 longtime Dodger manager Walter Alston is elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee vote. Detroit infielder George Kell was also elected. In 2012 the Dodgers signed 27-year old former NFL defensive back Jarrad Page to a minor league contract after impressing scouts during an open tryout in Arizona. Page played six season in the NFL, but decided to tryout during the Dodgers spring camp when he realized his pro football career was coming to an end. 
• Happy Birthday, Gene DeMontreville, Art Herring & Steve Howe!

Blog Kiosk: 5/11/2016 - Dodgers Links - Maeda, Puig and Trayce Thompson

Exciting!  Thrilling!  The crowd jumped out of their seats and roared.

Locked into a tie, Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson, the youngest son of former Laker star Mychal Thompson, came up to the plate with two out and proceeded to knock a 2-2 pitch into the left field pavilion for a walk-off home run.  (Watch it here)  Via Jack Baer and Anthony DiComo at MLB.com:

"It was a fastball," Thompson said. "Their whole entire bullpen, their whole entire pitching staff has amazing stuff. I just try to keep it simple against them. Just look for a heater, keep it simple and square it up. It was a fastball over the plate that I was able to handle."

Per Doug Padilla at ESPN:

“I don’t know how he did it,” Seager said. “He took two heaters and still battled back and ended up swinging at the first thing that doesn’t bounce. That’s awesome. It’s an awesome moment.

“He’s calm as hell. It’s unbelievable. He didn’t even have any jitters after the game. It was like as if nothing happened right there. It was special. A lot of people, their motors are going fast. His just wasn’t. No heartbeat at all.”

The Dodgers really needed this win.  Best yet, starter Alex Wood put in a great performance.  Wood went 6.1 innings in the no-decision; giving up four hits, two runs (one of which was unearned) and striking out nine.  On Wood, Mets manager Terry Collins said this:

"That's the best I've seen Alex Wood pitch," Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out more pics from Jon from yesterdays game.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1963 Sandy Koufax would throw his second no-hitter of his career against the Giants.  He had a perfect game going into the eight inning when he walked Ed Bailey on a 3-2 pitch.
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Jose De Leon rests with arm soreness for Oklahoma City."
• Via Brad Lefton at the Wall Street Journal, "Sixty Years Ago, the Dodgers Toured Japan and Changed Baseball Forever."

“Up until then, defensively, Japanese baseball was reactionary, not anticipatory,” (Sadaharu) Oh said. “For example, the Dodgers preached to anticipate the bunt and charge in with the pitch. That kind of thing was unheard of in Japan. They taught the infielders how to move in tandem with the pitcher and play a more team-oriented defense. It completely changed the way we defended.”

Blog Kiosk: 10/30/2015 - Dodger Links - Time Warner, Vin Scully and an Charity Sale with Unique Dodger Experiences

I can't wait for Spring.  It's a time for hope and optimism.  All that had happened the season before is like water under the bridge, and you can be sure that something new will emerge.  This coming March we'll have a whole new cast of characters manning the dugout, giving orders and navigating the seas.  And you can be assured that there will be plenty of changes on the bench, as well.  What will transpire over the coming months is sure to be a surprise, so I'll just sit back and watch, pontificate and hope for Spring.

The International News press photo above, dated Feb 27, 1957, is of an early spring training practice session at Dodgertown in Vero Beach.  Walter Alston is seen watching intently from the field behind a protective cage.  I found this pic on eBay.  You can check out the auction here.

Below are more links to check out:

• Did you miss Vin Scully's brief interview on SportsNet LA yesterday?  No worries.  Check it a 4:30 minute snippet here.  With regards to his recent medical procedure he said:

“I guess for the men watching I could just tell them that it had to do with plumbing, and we can let it go at that. But I’m fine. I really am.”

• Check out this fantastic charity sale being put together by AM570 in support of the 2015 Paralyzed Veterans of America Radiothon.  It includes once in a lifetime experiences with the Dodgers.  You can be a Dodger for a day, get a suite, throw out the first pitch, interview Adrian Gonzalez, take batting practice, etc.
• In case you're interested, the Dodgers AA club Tulsa Drillers have finalized their schedule for the 2016 season.  Check it out here.
• Both Zach Greinke and Adrian Gonzalez are finalist for Rawlings Gold Glove Awards this season.  Check out the finalist list here.
• Time Warner, owner of SportsNet LA, released their quarterly earning report yesterday and beat expectations.  Unfortunately, the followup conference call with investors didn't provide much news on the Dodgers channel and the drive to expand its reach.  Instead, they noted that the Dodgers contributed greatly to the increase in cost to the company.  Per a transcript of the call:

Programming and content costs, which increased $135 million, or 10.2% year-over-year, continued to be the biggest drag on adjusted OIBDA. As in Q2, contractual affiliate fee increases of roughly $100 million and a contractual increase of around $30 million in Dodgers' rights fees were the two biggest components of the increase.

So, at least the Dodgers are getting paid.

• Mark Saxon at ESPN writes about another Dodgers managerial candidate - Bob Geren.
• Matt Borelli at Dodger Blue writes about another Dodgers managerial candidate - Dave Martinez.
• Via Matt Miro at Baseball Magazine, "Remembering Eiji Sawamura: A Celebrated Life of Sacrifice."

17-year old Eiji Sawamura was widely considered the best high school ballplayer in Japan’s new and budding baseball culture. When he was asked to take part in the exhibition series it meant being expelled from high school and forfeiting the chance to pitch in college. But Sawamura saw it as a great opportunity to represent his country and gave up a future education for the chance to take on the best players in the world. The young righty hurler took the mound against Earl Whitehill and the two became locked in a pitchers’ duel that is still talked about today. Sawamura would steal the show despite ultimately losing the game. That’s not surprising considering he struck out Charlie Gehringer, Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx in succession, a stunning feat comparable only to Carl Hubbell’s performance in the 1934 All-Star Game and, later, Pedro Martinez in the 1999 All-Star Game.

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Blog Kiosk: 11/1/2014 - Dodger Links - Billingsley Bought Out, Jamie Romak and Gabe Kapler

In news that was entirely expected, the Dodgers announced that they would buyout the $14Mil contract of starting pitcher Chad Billingsley for the 2015 season at $3Mil.  Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Dodgers buy out Billingsley as righty hits free agency."

This doesn't mean he'll never wear Blue again, but it does mean that it's not assured.  Billingsley is just coming off Tommy John surgery and a second surgery during rehab to repair a partially torn flexor tendon, so I'd imagine the club will let him workout with them and maybe even extend a tryout.

Chad has been a Dodger throughout his professional career, and from what I understand he'd like to stay in the franchise.  He was our 1st round pick in 2003 and has been Blue ever since.  In eight Major League seasons in Los Angeles he has gone 81-61 with a 3.65 ERA.  The photo above of Chad is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2010.

Below are some links to check out:

• Bill Chuck at the Daily Gammons shares, "Nine quotes to end a baseball season."  Below is my favorite one:

People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby

• Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider, "Jamie Romak reflects on his friend Oscar Taveras."

“I’ve been with five different organizations now, and he was the best hitter I’ve ever seen,” Romak said. “He was capable of amazing things. He hit everything, every type of pitch and covered the whole plate. I admired his talent. I hit behind him in 2012, and I spent my time in the on-deck circle like a fan would in the stands. That’s the kind of talent he had.”

• Eric Stephen at True Blue LA tells us about the potential Dodger interest in adding Gabe Kapler to the Dodgers front office.  Via Mike Petriello at Dodgers Digest, "Is Gabe Kapler Coming To The Dodgers? (Yes, Please!)"

You better believe it. He’s the perfect guy to bridge old-school and new. I don’t know what capacity this might be in, if at all. I just know that I want it to happen. 

Since I don't know much about Kapler and what he might bring to the table, I don't have anything to say about this latest rumor.

• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "A look back at the 2014 Dominican Summer League Dodgers."

Having a winning record was no small feat as the Dodgers had a team batting average of .226 with only four hitters at or above .275. The success no doubt can be mainly attributed to the pitching staff which compiled an ERA of 2.97 ranking seventh in the league. Near the bottom of the league in strikeouts with 464 the staff was also near the top of the league in fewest hits allowed with 530 in 627 innings pitched.

• Congratulations to the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks for being the 2014 Japan Series champions, via Jason Coskrey at The Japan Times.
• GCRL shares even more Steve Garvey oddball cards.  Check them out here.
• Here's some Halloween banter from Dan Haren on twitter:

Haren Pitching at Coors Field #ScaryStoriesIn5Words
— dan haren (@ithrow88) October 31, 2014

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O'Malley Exhibit at Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Tokyo

If only I could get across the Pacific with ease, I would be here in a New York minute.

This coming Saturday, June 29th at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Tokyo former Dodger owner Peter O'Malley will, along with Nippon Professional Baseball Commissioner Ryozo Kato, have an official ribbon-cutting ceremony to open up a new exhibit featuring numerous memorabilia items from the O'Malley family.

Fourteen artifacts from the Peter O’Malley collection will be featured in a special exhibition called: “Baseball in Japan and the O’Malley Family: A Lasting Friendship”.

(pic via Walter O'Malley.com)

As for the items that will be on display, one of them is the above featured porcelain hand-painted Noritake plate with Mt. Fuji in the background. It had been signed during the Dodgers’ 1956 Goodwill Tour to Japan and includes 40 autographs.

“We are honored and delighted that the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Japan asked us for significant items to display in a unique exhibit about our family’s long-time friendship in Japan,” said Peter O’Malley. “We have enjoyed making many friends through baseball in Japan since our first goodwill trip in 1956. All of our memories are special.”

Other memorabilia items include a collection of eight autographed baseballs representing each of the participating countries from the 1984 Olympic Games exhibition tournament at Dodger Stadium, Hideo Nomo memorabilia, 1988 Dodger World Championship ring, and a jersey worn by Akihiro “Ike” Ikuhara (an assistant to Dodger President O’Malley who was hired in 1965).

The O’Malley family arranged for three Dodger friendship tours to Japan: 1956, 1966 and 1993. During the 1966 trip, Walter O’Malley was presented at the Prime Minister’s office with the Order of the Sacred Treasure Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, a high honor for a non-Japanese, in recognition of fostering United States-Japan friendship through professional baseball. The medal, conferred by Emperor Hirohito, will be part of the exhibit. In addition, three different Happi coats presented to the Dodger traveling party during the 1966 Goodwill Tour will be displayed.  On one colorful coat, the Japanese wording reads, “Welcome, World Peace, Dodgers”.

You can get more information at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Tokyo, Japan website, here.  Walter O'Malley.com also has information about this exhibit, here.

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 11/3/2012 - Tokyo Giants Win Japan Series Title

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mesa Solar Sox members pose during Arizona Fall League Monday October 29, 2012 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona.  I believe they are Eric Eadington, Onelki Garcia, Red Patterson, Chris Reed, Andres Santiago, Gorman Erickson, Rafael Ynoa, Joc Pederson.  Photo by Jon SooHoo/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2012.

• Can you believe it?  The Tokyo Yomiuri Giants just won the 2012 Japan Series Title, via Jason Coskray at the Japan Times.  Both Giants teams in America and Japan win their respective league championships in the same year for the first time.  On top of that, the New York Giants won the Super Bowl earlier this year.  It's been quite a year for Giants fans all around.  Below is a video of the last out of the Japan Series Title game.

Video Link:

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA tells us that Javy Guerra has had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Friday.  He should be ready to go for Spring Training.
• Howard Cole counts himself as one of the righteously indignant.  He is opposed to McGwire joining the Dodgers, and says that no Bash Brother is worthy of wearing Dodger Blue.

These are semi-rhetorical questions, but however you answer them McGwire has gotten more than his fair share of second chances already. He enjoyed a comeback in a city where he’s loved – St. Louis – and he’s got a World Series ring to cherish for the rest of his life, which he no doubt earned. His name is still on the Cooperstown ballot, and he may one day make it.

But his services are not required in L.A. I’m sorry, but they’re just not.

• Ken Burns is coming out with another Baseball documentary in 2015.  It will be focused on Jackie Robinson.  Go to his website at Florentine Films, here.  (Hat Tip: Reddit)  From the description:

It will tell the story of how Robinson, at great risk to the dignity of his race and his own well-being, joined Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers, and in the face of mutiny by his teammates, threats of violence from racist fans, and the aggressive, dangerous play of opponents, remained unprovoked and performed spectacularly, transforming national perceptions of what blacks could achieve. And it will showcase his brilliant and exhilarating play on the field, which delighted millions of fans and helped bring Brooklyn a long-awaited World Series championship in 1955.

• Here is a great video featuring Sue Falsone, head physical therapist/trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, discussing common injuries in the sport of baseball and provides advice for youth athletes.

Video Link:

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 7/10/2012

Panini released more preview pics of their upcoming 2012 Cooperstown Baseball set.  Check out the above Don Sutton signature card above.  Go here to see more preview pics.

• Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers recent signee has officially reported to the Arizona League, via a Dodgers Press Release.

 “We’re thrilled that Yasiel has arrived in Arizona,” said Dodger Assistant General Manager, Scouting Logan White. “He's athletic, intelligent and someone that's ready to work hard and earn a chance to fulfill his dream of playing Major League baseball.”

Of special note, some other Cuban signings were also mentioned:

In the 2012 First-Year Draft held in June, the Dodgers took two Cuban players, pitchers Onelki Garcia and Alfredo Unzue, while signing another as a free agent, catcher Selme Angulo. Overall, the Dodgers are expanding their scouting efforts and player signings in Latin America.

• Christopher Jackson of the Albuquerque Baseball Examiner writes a guest post for MSTI focused on some young Dodger arms.
• Roberto is back in the swing of things.  Via Vin Scully is my Homeboy, Andre Ethier is scheduled to play in Rancho Cucamonga this coming Wednesday and Thursday on a rehab assignment.
• June's Dodger Pride Award Winners.
• AJW has an article out focused on Calbee's Japanese Baseball cards.  (Hat Tip: This Card is Cool)

Tokyo-based snacks maker Calbee Inc. this year celebrates the 40th anniversary of its "Professional Baseball Chips" potato chip line that offers trading cards featuring Nippon Professional Baseball players.

• ESPN writes about an attic vintage Baseball card find of 1910 E98's.  These are small cards the size of tobacco cards from the same time period, but were distributed by a candy/caramel company.  Furthermore, these cards are some of the most pristine (condition-wise) cards the hobby had ever seen.  Check out the PSA graded card of Honus Wagner at a pristine "10" grade above.  You can see it for auction here.  A remarkable 16 (that's right sixteen) Ty Cobbs were found all grading at a "9".  A partial set from this find is on auction and can be found here.  You just don't see this kind of find anymore!
• With 2012 Allen & Ginter Baseball cards now at a local retail shops near you (the official release date is actually tomorrow) I find myself wanting the Kate Upton autographed card below.  I'll have pics of Dodger cards from the set soon.

Japanese Baseball

Have you ever wondered how did Baseball reach the shores of Japan? Was its advent like that of the United States? Was it a children's game that turned into a national obsession? How long have they been playing Baseball?

In a way, Baseball hit Japan in much the same way as America. The difference is that Baseball was an import from a far away land for the Japanese, whereas, Baseball was born and bred in America. As most of you know, Baseball in America was a children's game that evolved from the game of cricket and rounders. In Japan, an American instructor introduced the game in 1873. His name is Horace Wilson.

"It was very important that it began inside a school. It didn't develop from games played by children. The fact that it started on the campus of Japan's most prestigious school, and that it was taught by a teacher, determined the fate of Japanese baseball.

The students of the time tended to stay in the classroom and study or debate constantly. But they didn't play any sports, and they were physically weak. They were unhealthy.

That was a problem. So [Horace Wilson] said, look, if you are going to lead Japan in the future, you have to be strong. You have to study, but you also have to be healthy. And baseball was his way of bringing the students outside and into the sun.

He just happened to know baseball, which he learned in the Civil War. That was very fortuitous for Japan. It could have been any sport. But the students loved baseball. They were fascinated."

Like in America, Japan owes its Baseball obsession to the American Civil War. Baseball spread like wildfire in America after the war. Soldiers would play the game and passed it along to fellow soldiers throughout the country. The Japanese discovered Baseball because a teacher learned the game when he was a soldier during that War.

It's funny how things can be different, yet eerily the same.

Horace Wilson was elected into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Hat Tip: Net54 VBCF: Adam:
Photo Link: Japanese BHOF: