Game Used Dodgers Gear at Goldin Auctions - Piazza, Henderson, Seager and Niedenfuer

Along with some fantastic vintage Dodger memorabilia available for sale at Goldin Auctions (link here and here) there are several notable game-used Dodgers pieces to gawk at.

In honor of Mike Piazza's recent ascension to Baseball's hallowed hall I share pics of an game-used bat of his.  (Auction link here)  It is dated to 1996 to 1998, so he was either a Dodger, Marlin or a Met when he swung this piece lumber. 

Below is a full game-used uniform that was once worn by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson - complete with dirt.  Awesome!  (Auction link here)  It also comes with a letter from Rickey providing proof that it's the real thing.  The auctioneer claims that Henderson wore this specific uniform on August 29, 2003 - the day he stole his very last base.  Per the auction description:

On August 29, 2003 Rickey Henderson stood on first base, eyeing that bag ninety feet away. Rockies pitcher Cory Vance knew what he had in mind, as did the 30,000 fans in Dodger Stadium. When Vance fired over to first to pick off Henderson, Rickey exploded towards second and slid in head first under Helton's tag. It would prove to be the last of Henderson's record 1,406 career stolen bases, and this is the very uniform he wore to swipe his last base. The uniform has been matched to stills taken from MLB broadcast of the August 29, 2003 game and one can clearly see the turf marks made on the last steal in evidence on the pants and jersey offered here.

(Auction Link)

Are you wanting to jump on the Corey Seager bandwagon.  Then, the below 2014 Chattanooga Lookouts game-used uniform might be right up your alley.  (Auction link here).

(Auction Link)

I don't care what anyone says, I liked Tom Niedenfuer.

Sure, he could give you heartburn when he got to the mound, but was overall very effective in Blue.  In seven Dodger season he earned 64 saves.  He was also fantastic during the 1981 World Series against the Yankees.  Tom got into two games (1 & 4), pitched five innings, faced 20 batters and gave up zero earned runs.  If not for an errant throw by Ron Cey in Game 4 he would have given up no runs at all.  Of course, folks still shriek in pain when thinking about Ozzie Smith's impossible home run against him during the 1985 NL Championship Series.

Featured below is a collection of game-used caps and a glove once worn by Niedenfuer.  (Auction link here)  All the hat are signed by Tom under the brim; including one that says, “Tom Niedenfuer Last Game Hat Traded to Balt. May 22 1987.”

(Auction Link)

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The 10 Best Dodgers' Cards of 2014

With the 2014 collecting season officially at a close I figured it was time to share my picks for "The 10 Best Dodgers' Cards of 2014." This is the third consecutive year I've put together this list.  Go here to check out my past two "10 Best" list: 2013 & 2012.

There were 50 different card sets to go through, so I had a heck of a time narrowing my picks down to just ten cards.  No doubt I missed some of your favorites.  This time I tried to just focus on only base cards or inexpensive inserts, and I stayed far away from autographs and relic cards (save the "Honorable Mentions" at the very bottom).

Take a look at my choices below, and let me know if you agree.  Better yet, what would be your picks?  Click on any pic to embiggen.

#10

There is no better way to start this list than with Topps 2014 Opening Day set and the "Superstar Celebrations" insert card of Yasiel Puig sliding into home.  This card immortalizes Puig's very first walk-off hit (a home run) in a game against the Cincinnati Reds on July 28, 2013.  The score was 0-0 in the bottom of the 11th inning and right-hander Curtis Partch was on the mound.  On an 0-1 count with the bases empty Puig unloaded, flipped his bat and slid into home to put an exclamation point on his endeavors.  Watch a video of the event here.  Go here to check out all of the other Dodger cards in this set.

2014 Topps Opening Day

#SC-25 Yasiel Puig

#9

Some of you might think I'm crazy for including this card, but I just couldn't help it.  The card is so goofy... So brilliantly ugly... So fantastically stupid... That I couldn't help but think of it as being so bad, it's awesome.  Featured here is Upper Deck's Goodwin Champions card of Ron Cey, "The Penguin" in a tuxedo.  Get it?  Go here to check out the other Dodger cards in this set.

2014 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions

#4 Ron Cey

Blog Kiosk: 9/17/2014 - Dodger Links - Moving AA & AAA to Oklahoma

It was a beautiful Colorado evening last night.  It was cool and partly cloudy with a slight breeze blowing in from left.  Heck, it was so nice the Dodgers decided to take a breather.  Actually, that's not entirely true.  The Dodgers got their hits, they just couldn't drive them home.

Once again, every Dodger position player (including the pitcher) got a hit, but they could only muster four runs.  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

The National League’s No. 1 team with runners in scoring position had three hits but 11 outs, stranding 10 runners and wasting most of their 16 hits, including three by Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig’s first home run since July 31.

Yeah, it was one of those nights.  The Dodger loss and an subsequent Giants win over the Diamondbacks keeps the magic number at none.  The two photos above were taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  Go here to check out more pic by him from yesterday's game.  Below are some links to check out:

• Via Steven Silverman at Beyond the Boxscore, "Zack Greinke, forgotten ace."

As much coverage as a certain Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher has gotten in these pages (and others) in recent weeks, there are other good stories coming out of Chavez Ravine. Zack Greinke, even if he had to resort to hitting a home run to escape Clayton Kershaw's monstrous shadow this week, has been quietly having another solid year.

• It is now official.  Per a Dodger press release, they are moving their AAA operations from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City in 2015.  In fact, they are buying a piece of the team.

The owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that they have reached an agreement with Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC on the purchase of the Oklahoma City RedHawks.  The purchase would be part of a partnership in which Peter Guber will be the Executive Chairman and Managing Director of the team and partners Paul Schaeffer and Larry Freedman will manage the operations of the company.

The Dodgers also announced they will change their triple-A franchise affiliation to Oklahoma City in 2015 and continue to play in the Pacific Coast League, while moving to the American Northern Division. 

As Eric Stephen at True Blue LA notes, the Dodgers are also expected to move their AA club in Chattanooga to Tulsa.

The Dodgers contingent will make their way to Tulsa, 107 miles away, for a 1 p.m. PT press conference for what the Double-A Tulsa Drillers called on Wednesday "a major announcement regarding the franchise."

• Via J.P. Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers, "Dodgers’ third base coach details the perils of elevation on a player’s evolution."  JP speaks with Dodger coach Lorenzo Bundy about the difficulty in evaluating players in Albuquerque.  
• Via a Dodgers press release, Clayton Kershaw has been named the Dodgers' nominee for the 2014 Roberto Clemente Award.
• Via David Brown at Big League Stew, "Jake Peavy on next start: 'I was just in the shower thinking about Dee Gordon'"
• Via Jon Heyman at CBS Sports, "DeJon Watson will be brought back for second interview in Arizona."

Watson, who's been considered instrumental in the development of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, star outfielder Matt Kemp and many other young Dodgers, served as the scouting director and farm director of the Dodgers before rising to become an assistant to Ned Colletti in L.A. The Dodgers appear on their way to a second straight NL West crown.

• GCRL shares the evolution of Dodger first baseman through baseball cards, part II.
• I just love trip reports to amusement parks in foreign lands.  Check Chaos and Kanji at Enakyo Wonderland, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

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Blog Kiosk: 9/13/2014 - Dodger Links - Ryu Hurt as Dodgers Get Blanked

Oh, boy!  That game was embarrassing.

The Dodgers got shellacked by the Giants last night.  Worse yet, Hyun-Jin Ryu left the game early  due to shoulder irritation.  He will be examined by team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache later today.  Ryu didn't look like his normal self on the mound.  He gave up four runs on five hits; including three doubles.  Per Eric Stephen at True Blue LA:

"I felt it during the warmup session before the game. It's something I've felt before," Ryu said after the game through translator Martin Kim, as shown on SportsNey LA. "During the top of the first it got really uncomfortable. I wasn't able to make the pitches I needed to, and the results showed."

David Vassegh on twitter added that the irritation Ryu experienced last night was similar in feeling to what ailed him earlier this season.  As you'll recall, he went on the 15-day DL in late April due to shoulder issues.  The photo above of Ryu stretching things out is via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  Go here for more pics of his from yesterday's game.

With the 9-0 loss the Dodgers lead over the Giants shrinks to a single game.  Now, below are some links to check out:

• The Chattanooga Lookouts got swept in the Championship Series, via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA.

Apparantly, yesterday was write about Puig day:

• Via Jeff Sullivan at Just a Bit Outside, "What's wrong with Yasiel Puig's swing?"
• Via Alec Dopp at the Gammons Daily, "Inside Yasiel Puig’s Production Plunge."
• Via Mike Petriello at Dodgers Digest, "Swinging At The First Pitch Isn’t Yasiel Puig’s Problem."
• Sabermetric-styled analytics goes hockey.  The Toronto Maple Leafs have recently gone in big.  Via James Mirtle at The Globe and Mail, "Tim Leiweke on the Leafs: ‘Analytics make us smarter.’"  For those who don't know, Leiweke was formerly with the Kings (AEG).

“We’ve gone from very little analytical information to we have two guys we just hired that are considered two of the smartest analytical guys in the game of hockey today,” Leiweke said, likely referencing Dubas and Metcalfe, an engineer who built wildly popular analytics hub extraskater.com.

“Including one that owned his own website that every general manager used and we bought the website. When he came, that website came with us and we took it down. We don’t want anyone else seeing it. It’s called a monopoly. It’s good.”

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Blog Kiosk: 9/12/2014 - Dodger Links - Some Odds and Ends

I just love this photo tweeted out by @Dodger_History on twitter of a less-rotund Tommy Lasorda and Steve Garvey playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

BTW, the showdown with the Giants begins tonight in San Francisco.  Hyun-Jin Ryu faces off against Madison Bumgarner at 7:15 tonight.

• What is this all about?  Via AP on FoxSports, "Man charged with allegedly smuggling Dodgers' Puig from Cuba."  I'd be willing to bet that this has been a huge distraction.
• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "Lookouts fall behind 2-0 in Southern League Finals."  The Dodgers AA famclub is on the brink of elimination.
• Via JP Hoornstra at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, "Dodgers’ Dee Gordon embraces change, is stealing bases with his feet."

“It’s about safety and being able to (steal a base) in the long-term, and being called safe more,” he said.

In July 2012, Gordon dislocated his thumb sliding head-first into third base in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. Since then, he’s managed to avoided any serious hand injuries by wearing a protective guard. He tried switching to a foot-first slide multiple times since, but the change never took until recently.

• Ow!  Watch this with caution.  Via David Brown at Big League Stew, "Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton hit in face with pitch and taken to hospital."
• Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA tells us about Roger Kahn's newest book, 'Rickey & Robinson.'
• Via Daniel Brim at Dodger Digest, "Jamey Wright, Lefty Specialist?"
• Sometimes I get emails from other collectors hoping I can help them fill a wantlist. Well, the other day I got an interesting one that I thought I would pass along. A collector named Scott is in the process of collecting tickets from every game that Mike Piazza has played in, and is in need of tickets from his days as a Dodger, from 1992 to 1998.  If you have tickets from this era (preferably a season ticket holder from that time) that you'd be interested in parting with please let me know.  I'll hook you up with Scott.

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Blog Kiosk: 9/9/2014 - Dodger Links - Magic Number is Now 16

It's nice to finally witness some Dodge offense.  They exploded for nine runs yesterday, and even scored four of them before the fifth inning.  Hanley had a four hit game, Crawford had three hits including a homer and Uribe homered as well.  Clayton Kershaw did his part on the mound; going eight innings, giving up one earned run and striking out eight.

Featured above is Magic Johnson with LA Kings mascot Bailey, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  Go here to check out more photos from the evening.  Last night was Kings Night at Dodger Stadium.  Unfortunately, the Stanley Cup did not make an appearance.  On another note, I want Bailey's jersey so bad. 

The Dodgers now have won four games in a row and increased their division lead to 3.5 games over the Giants.  BTW, their MAGIC NUMBER is now 16.  Now, check out some links below:

• If you watched last night's game then you saw a bit of the Bad News Bears during the top of the sixth inning.  On a single play the Dodgers committed three errors that allowed two runs to score.  It was like watching my nephews little league game in action.  Ken Gurnick at MLB.com has a good rundown of the event; including video.
• Dan Haren is now on twitter.  Follow him here: @ithrow88.  Unfortunately, he might not be there for long.  It appears the trolls have come out of the woodwork.  He recently posted that he is already regretting joining, here.
• the 2015 Dodger schedule is now available for viewing.  Go here to check it out.
• Via Bill Chuck at the Daily Gammons, no one has more hitless relief appearances than JP Howell this season.
• Via Mark Langill at Dodger Insider, "Camilli and Gonzalez: Two of a kind at first."

Dolph Camilli and Adrian Gonzalez have more in common than being the only Dodger left-handed hitting first basemen in the last 75 years of the franchise to post consecutive 100-RBI seasons. Camilli and Gonzalez represent key players acquired under new ownership during their respective eras.

• Via Steve Gilbert at MLB.com, Dodgers Assistant GM DeJon Watson and Agent Dave Stewart on list to be new Diamondbacks GM.
• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Frias, Baez could be key cogs in Dodgers' bullpen."
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Don Mattingly likes Dodgers' energy."

“I like the fact guys are talking about the right things, like having good at-bats, and I can feel the energy on the bench,” Mattingly said. “We’ve been more competitive in games we’ve been down. Right now, it’s that time of year. We’re in a pennant race. We know every game is important, every at-bat is important, every play you make on the field is important. Guys know where we’re at.” 

• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "Lookouts advance to Southern League Championship Series."
• Get this T-Shirt!

I've designed a limited edition shirt to raise funds for @sportsspec! Get yours quick: http://t.co/LpO05c739C pic.twitter.com/sDB8FviDkL
— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) September 9, 2014

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Blog Kiosk: 9/1/2014 - Dodger Links - Ryu Returns as Sharp as Ever

Hyun-Jin Ryu made a glorious return from the DL yesterday afternoon.  He went seven strong innings, struck out seven, gave up only four hits and walked none.  At one point he retired 14 straight Padres.  His short stint on the DL may turn out to be fortuitous.  He will likely be depended upon by the Dodger should they go deep into the playoffs, so a well rested Ryu will be important.  The photo above features Ryu preparing for the game with catcher AJ Ellis and translator Martin Kim, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  Go here to check out more pics from Jon.

The Dodgers offense finally woke up against the Padres.  They mashed out twelve hits and scored seven runs.  Both Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp continued their hot-hitting ways.  AGon had four hits and Kemp knocked out two; including the eventual winning run in the fifth inning.  Juan Uribe, who also just returned from the DL, was sharp at the plate, as well. He recorded two hits and drove in two runs.

Of note, Matt Kemp made a fantastic slide at home plate to score a run in the eight inning.  On a wild pitch Kemp raced for home and avoided a tag by the pitcher to score.  As Vin would say, "he looked dead to rights."  But with a little bit of quick thinking and fast reflexes, Kemp found a way to touch the plate before getting tagged.  Watch it below.

Video Link:

The Dodgers maintain a 2.5 game lead over the Giants as they enter Labor Day.  Things are starting to get serious.  Now, check out some more links below.

• ICYMI:  Go here to check out homestand information for tonights game against the Nationals.
• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Haren likely to have next start pushed back."

Dan Haren is still listed as the Dodgers' probable starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals, but there are indications it will instead be rookie right-hander Carlos Frias.

He's likely to start on Friday. Bill Plunket at the LA Register notes that the Dodgers will be going to a six man rotation.  This not only helps keep our big three arms fresh, but also allows us to audition a potential #4 pitcher should one be needed for a playoff run.

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Onelki Garcia begins rehab assignment, back on Dodgers' radar."

"I've heard his name. We're running out of games down there, but he's a lefty," manager Don Mattingly said. "A lefty helps us, and Paco's a little bit away."

• The Dodger rookie ball club has made the playoffs.  Via Brandon Hart at the Ogden Raptors, "Raptors Clinch Playoff Berth with Win."  Their AA club also made the playoffs. Via Vince Lennon at WRCBtv.com, "Lookouts Clinch Playoff Berth."
• Check out who won Chucky.  As you may know, Joc Pederson gave away his 1994 Buick Century to one lucky fan on Fan Appreciation Day.

Congrats to Renee on winning @yungjoc650's1994 Buick Century! #GoTopes pic.twitter.com/lHGBQXvCNw
— Albuquerque Isotopes (@AbqTopes) August 30, 2014

• Puig can dance, but if only he could hit right now things would be great.  Doh!

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