Blog Kiosk: 10/26/2018 - Dodgers Links - Game 3 is Tonight!

Earlier this morning a twitter account dedicated to the history of the Montreal Royals put up the above fantastic 1948 editorial cartoon drawing from the Montreal Gazette (@Royals_46season), and I wanted to share it here. It celebrates the four African-American ballplayers who donned Montreal Blue in the late-40's. BTW, if you love Dodger history I would suggest giving this account a follow.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1950 Walter O'Malley became the ninth president and chief stockholder in the Dodgers franchise. Following the death of team owner John L. Smith (who owned one-quarter of the club) O'Malley navigated a deal where he bought Branch Rickey's share of the club and essentially became a trustee over the Smith family portion to take over majority control.
• Happy Birthday, Doc Newton, Tommy Griffith, Ed Vande Berg, Mark Sweeney& Daniel Coulombe!

Blog Kiosk: 10/3/2016 - Dodgers Links - Urias, Ethier and Vin Scully

Thank you, Vin!

BTW, the LAFD were first to welcome Vin back home after yesterday's game.  They performed their own unique salute at the airport to the retiring Hall of Famer.  Go here to watch a bit of it.  The photo on the right via the LAFD on flickr.

Photo at the very top via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out a bunch of great pics from Vin's last here by Jon.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1951 Bobby Thompson of the NY Giants hit the most infamous home run in Dodgers franchise history.  He whalloped an Ralph Branca pitch in the ninth inning at the Polo Grounds for a walk-off victory, 5-4, during the deciding game of a three-game series to decide who would go to the World Series.  The homer has since been dubbed the "shot heard ’round the world."  In 2005 manager Jim Trace is fired by the Dodgers.
• Happy Birthday, Brock Stewart!

Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 8/8/2012 - Vin Scully's 1st Autographed Insert Baseball Card!!!!

This is the MUST-HAVE card of the century.  Panini America is releasing a Vin Scully autographed card in their 2012 Cooperstown Baseball card set.  Only 100 of these cards will exist.  This is the 1st Scully "on-card" autographed card ever made.  Wowzers!  See more information here.

• Per John Heyman at CBS Sports, the Dodgers where willing to go big for Cliff Lee. 

The Dodgers not only claimed Lee, they made offers of players for him. (Colletti and Kasten wouldn't talk about waivers or Lee, since waivers are allegedly a secret and Lee is still a Phillie, but others confirmed their involvement.) 

• Taylor Nestra at Dodgers Nation writes about "Dodgers History: A Great Example Set Forth by Sandy Koufax."
• Howard Cole writes, "Koufax Bobblehead Nice, Koufax Statue Better."
• Cards that Never Were makes his own version of a Maury Wills 1962 Topps Baseball card, and it's pretty awesome.  Check it out.
• Dodger Dugout reviews a children's book called "Gibby's Homer: The 1988 World Series."
• Don't expect to see the National Sports Collectors Convention back in Anaheim any time soon.  Via a tweet from the National's PR group @natsportsshow.

• Emma at Crzblue's Dodger Blue World relays a great story about a found kitten near the Dodgers parking lot before yesterdays game and the man who saved him.  There is something wonderful about animal rescue stories.  BTW, Michael, the man who went out of his way to save the kitty, has named him Koufax.
• Jim Tracy comments on Vin Scully's call of his expletive filled tirade the other day, via Troy Renck at the Denver Post.
• "Juan Uribe's Days Could be Numbered", writes Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times.

"Whatever happens, there's nothing I can do about it," Uribe said. "I can't control that. If they want to trade me or do something else, that's something I can't control. The decision is for them to make. I'm here to do whatever they want me to do."

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Blog Kiosk: 4/16/2012

Here is a preview pic of a Sandy Koufax 2012 Triple Threads autographed relic cards unveiled by Topps. Checkout this Beckett story for more information and preview photos.

• "Matt Kemp talks PlayStation, Dodgers"- Via Jon Robinson at ESPN.

  "They have my batting stance down perfect. They have my swing. It's me in that game," Kemp tells me with a laugh. "And he's a pretty good looking dude ... at least I would say so."

• The Root takes a look at other African-American ballplayers who were trailblazers in their own right.
  
• Evan at New Mexico fan shares his photos of Opening day in Albuquerque.
  
• Chris at Dodgerfan.net repost his excellent story about Nancy Bea Hefley.
  
• Sons of Steve Garvey brings us the words of Vin Scully from Jackie Robinson Day.
  
• The Risa and Fall of Jim Tracy, via Chris Jaffe at Hardball Times.

  With Tracy, what I find striking is not his personal proclivities and tactical decisions. Those are almost extraordinarily ordinary. There are certain things he does more or less than an average skipper, but nothing especially notable. The most interesting thing about Tracy is his career arc.

• Check out 42 great photos of Jackie Robinson at The Roosevelts. (Hat Tip: LFP)
  
• "Jackie Robinson: Nothing Inevitable About Him," via Kieth Olbermann of the Baseball Nerd. Olbermann couldn't be more right:
  

  One of the few infuriating aspects of Jackie Robinson Day is the blowback from the uninformed. I have read today of how integration in this country was inevitable, and Robinson’s success in 1947 was just a happy coincidence. I have read that the talent of the Negro Leagues was just too great and had Robinson failed, had he hit .197 instead of .297, it was still inevitable that those great athletes would have forced their way into the mainstream of American sports.

  Utter nonsense.

• My absence this past weekend from blogging is due solely to the recent playoff hopes of the LA Kings. I was at the game at Staples last night, and I have to note that I have never heard it so loud. When the Kings went up 1-0 in the third period the noise was deafening. If you don't already know, the Kings are 3-0 in the 7 game series against the Vancouver Canucks. For the first time in their history they lead a series by that margin. Hopefully, this coming Wednesday they can close it out with a series ending victory. Below are game highlights from last night

Video Link:

The Great Pirate Walk-Out

It appears the Pirate faithful have had enough. They have had enough of the losing. They have had enough of the sub-par play. Maybe, they have had enough of Jim Tracy too. Who knows? I guess losing for so long has a way of making your fans a little crazy. Watch for a potential walk-out during Saturday's game.

"The message board on Pirates.com teems with protest talk, and local television stations will be allowed to film the crowd during the game – no one from the organization wants to acknowledge the walkout."

Story Link: Jeff Passan:
Photo Link: Free Dictionary:

Jim Tracy Reflects on His Time with the Dodgers

Tony Jackson ask Jim Tracy his thoughts about returning to the stadium were he got his start as a manager.

"What registers with me now is that it's a part of the past that I will cherish for the rest of my life," Tracy said. "I appreciate the fact that I was given the opportunity to manage in a major market like that. When you walk away from it and realize there were some very special things that you accomplished, you feel pretty good about it."

Overall, given that this was during the Fox ownership, I thought he did a good job as the Dodger skipper. Sure, we didn't go as far as we would have hoped, but there are some great memories from his tenure.

Press Telegram Link: Tracy's Fond Thoughts: