Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Turner, Hershiser and Hough

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Blog Kiosk: 8/17/2016 - Dodgers Links - Utley's Unforgettable Evening in Philly

Last nights game was unreal.

Not only did it begin with an over minute long standing ovation for leadoff hitter Chase Utley, but it would later be eclipsed by an curtain call after a grand slam by the former Phillies hero in the seventh inning.  Via Doug Padilla at ESPN:

"It's completely overwhelming," Utley said in a postgame news conference. "The standing ovation my first at-bat is something I'll never forget. It was truly special. It really shows how passionate and how great the Philadelphia fan base is. It was probably one of the most nervous at-bats I'll ever have at any level. I was glad to get it over with, to be honest with you."

Per Evan Webeck and Todd Zolecki at MLB.com:

"I think it just goes to show you can change the uniform, but he's always going to be a Phillie at heart," (Ryan) Howard said. "He's always going to be a Phillie to everybody here. I thought it was great. I thought it was awesome. For the fans to give him a curtain call again, it shows what he was able to do here and the impact that he had here on the fans."

BTW, to go along with the shellacking of the Phillies, 15-5, the Dodgers leapfrogged over the Giants to take an half game lead. 

(graphic via @Dodgers on twitter)

Photo at the very top via CSN Philly on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodger History:  In 1992 Dodger hurler Kevin Gross no-hits the Giants at Dodger Stadium, 2-0.  You can watch the last out of his no-hitter here.

Blog Kiosk: 6/8/2016 - Dodgers Links - Jansen, Uribe and Trayce Thompson

Walk off magic!

For the second time this season Trayce Thompson came up to the plate in the ninth inning and won the game.  He lined a walk off home run over the left field wall.  Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

“I didn’t know I hit it enough to go out,” Thompson said. “I was running hard out of the box … trying to get into scoring position. I saw the outfielder kind of look up, kind of give up on it, it went out, I never really slowed down, and all of a sudden I was talking to you.”

This guy is a big game player.  Via Jack Baer and Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"I want to be the guy up in that situation," Thompson said. "I feel like the reward for having success far outweighs the disappointment of failure and I'm not afraid of failure, that's the only way to have success in this game. I just want to be that guy the other team fears in that situation and my team has confidence in. Sure, I'll have times I fail, but that's not going to stop me from wanting to be that guy."

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

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1955 Tommy Lasorda was optioned to Montreal in order to make room for Sandy Koufax on the Dodgers roster.  In 1968 Don Drysdale's scoreless innings streak ends at 58 1/3 innings. 
• Happy Birthday, Van Lingle Mungo and Kevin Gross.

Looking at the 1993 Dodgers Unocal Pin Set

Following up on my posts from the past couple of weeks featuring pinbacks from the Dodgers Unocal pin sets, I now share with you the pins from the 1993 set.  This is the very last pin set Unocal made.  Go here to check out my previous post on these sets.

Pin #1 - Rookies of the Year (Jackie Robinson Award) - In 1992, Eric Karros became the 12th Dodgers overall, and 8th LA Dodgers to win the Rookie of the Year Award, a major league record.  Dodger winners include Jackie Robinson, 1947; Don Newcombe, 1949; Joe Black, 1952; Jim Gilliam, 1953; Frank Howard, 1960; Jim Lefebvre, 1965; Ted Sizemore, 1969; Rick Sutcliffe, 1979; Steve Howe, 1980; Fernando Valenzuela, 1981; Steve Sax, 1982; Karros, 1992.

Pin #2 - No-Hitters - Since the Dodgers moves to LA in 1958, no other Major League team's pitchers have hurled more no-hitters (through 1992): Sandy Koufax, 6/30/62; 5/11/63; 6/4/64; 9/9/65 (perfect game); Bill Singer, 7/20/70; Jerry Reuss, 6/27/80; Fernando Valenzuela, 6/29/90; Kevin Gross, 8/17/1992.

Pin #3 - Dodger Stadium Hosts Rockies - This Collector's pin commemorates the Dodgers' first game against the expansion Colorado Rockies on Friday, May 21, 1993, at Dodger Stadium.

Pin #4 - Dodger Stadium Hosts Marlins - This Collector's pin commemorates the Dodgers' first game against the expansion Florida Marlins on Monday, June 7, 1993, at Dodger Stadium.

Pin #5 - 35th Anniversary of Dodgers in LA - The Dodgers played their first game in Los Angeles on April 18,1958.  Since then, the club has won 5 World Championships and 9 National League pennants, both league highs.

Pin #6 - Largest Crowd - A major league record crowd of 93,103 packed the LA Coliseum on May 7, 1959, as the Dodgers mat the Yankees in an exhibition game that featured an emotional salute to Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella.

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 1/7/2012 - Apply for the Baseball Hall of Fame Summer Internship Program

Orel Hershiser, Ramon Martinez, Kevin Gross, Pedro Astacio and Tom Candiotti - March 1994.  Photo by Jon SooHoo/©LA Dodgers.

• Are you a student looking for an internship this summer?  Are you a huge Baseball fan?  Well, if you answered yes to those two questions then I suggest heading over to the Baseball Hall of Fame website to check out their summer internship program.  They are currently taking applications, due no later than January 31st.  Go here to check it out.
• Read up on Day #5 in Zambia for Clayton Kershaw and friends in support of Hope's Home at Kershaw's Challenge.
• Mark Saxon at ESPN interviews Don Mattingly about the Hall of Fame.

Q. Was there ever a time when you felt like you would be a Hall of Famer?
A. When I retired, I was 34. If I had kept playing another five years, I may have ended up with 3,000 hits and reached some other milestones and gotten in. I made the decision for my boys because I wanted to be around. When you do that type of thing, you know what you’re doing, you know you’re not going to make the Hall of Fame. If I was worried about making the Hall of Fame, I wouldn’t have retired. 

• The Dodgers add another player to their minor league roster.  They just signed Alfredo Amezaga, via Zach Links at MLB Trade Rumors.
• Mike Petriello at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness writes of JP Howell's unusual pregame meal.
• Via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times, former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein likes the Adrian Gonzalez trade for the Sox.

“I really like the trade because I’m a big fan of the talent they got back,” he said.

Epstein values the young arms of starters Ruby De La Rosa and Allen Webster, and also appreciated the Red Sox being able to unload salaries over a quarter of a billion dollars in the deal.

“The payroll they freed up was remarkable in its own right,” he said.

• Larry Granillo at Baseball Prospectus takes a look at the career of Mike Piazza.
• Yeah!  The NHL lockout is over!  Check out Luc Robitaille's official statement from the Kings, here.
• So, this is what I miss by not living in snow.  Check out this colored ice igloo that was shared on reddit.  Thread is here.
• The Outside Corner puts together their version of the Team USA Dream Team for the World Baseball Classic, and it includes one Dodger player.

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 8/18/2012

Today is the Civil Rights Game between the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.  Check out Jon SooHoo's photograph of the commemorative hats the Dodgers will be wearing.

• The ninth edition of Dodgers Playbill features Dodger shortstop Hanley Ramirez sporting his familiar “I See You” gesture for the camera. Inside the playbill are features on Ramirez, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Vin Scully, Dodger prospect Yasiel Puig and Star Trek’s William Shatner. Fans receive Dodgers Playbill at all parking gates.  See it at left.
• Check out this funny comic by the Sports Guys at the Webcomic Factory.  It features the Dodgers, and is called "The Ump is Always Right."
• Former Dodger Kenny Landreaux will be signing free at autographs on Tuesday, August 21st in Autograph Alley at Dodger Stadium prior to that evenings game from 5:10 PM to 6:30 PM.  To see other Dodgers scheduled to sign prior to games during the upcoming homestand go to my calendar.

• BTW, Kevin Gross will be honored before Wednesdays game, just a few days after the 20th anniversary of his no-hitter against the Giants on August 17, 1992.
• Here's what the childrens backpack looks like that will be given to youngsters (14 and under) on Sunday, August 26th.  Oh, to be a kid again.  See it at right.
• Via Larry Brown Sports, AJ Burnett Blast Hanley Ramirez for Home Run Celebration.

“If you’re going to hit a homer, act like you’ve hit one before,” Burnett told reporters after the game according to the Associated Press. “The first batter, (James) Loney, hit one, was very professional about it. Ran hard the whole way. I just thought he did a little something at second base. I could be wrong. It was the heat of the moment.”

• Jon Weisman at LA Magazine's CityThink writes that "Kershaw Sneaks into Cy Young Race."
• Deadspin has the scoop, after Kemp's and Mattingly's expletive filled ejection the other day, Mattingly sent an autographed Baseball to the kid who got earmuffed. 

• Check out a little snippet from tonight's episode of My MLB Life that features Matt Kemp below.  It will be on the MLB Network at 6:30 PM EST.

Video Link:

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