Blog Kiosk: 1/9/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

Check out who made it to a Kings game last night. Rams running back Todd Gurley III is wearing the Kings jersey in the middle. To his left is Gavin Lux, Matt Beaty and Dodger prospect Kody Hoese (on the bottom right). I believe the guys to the right of Gurley are also Rams players, but I'm not all that familiar with the team. Photo via @Dodgers on twitter.

Unfortunately, these guys couldn't help the Kings on the ice. They were defeated by the Dallas Stars, 2-1 -- their third loss in a row.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1918 the Brooklyn Robins trade Casey Stengel and George Cutshaw to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Burleigh Grimes, Al Mamaux and Chuck Ward. In 1927 the Brooklyn Robins then trade Burleigh Grimes to the NY Giants, as part of a three team trade. New York sent Jack Scott and Fresco Thompson to the Philadelphia. The Phillies send George Harper to the Giants, and Butch Henline to the Brooklyn. In 1961 Leo Durocher returns to the Dodgers to become their third base coach in Los Angeles.
• Happy Birthday, Ray French, John Hall, Stan Javier, Harley Payne, George Crable, Ivan de Jesus, Ferrell Anderson & Otis Nixon!

Celebrating the Number 12 on the Day of 12's

Isn't December 12, 2012 (12/12/2012) suppose to be one of those days that denotes the end of the world?  Was it Nostradamus, or was it the Mayans who predicted that?

I dunno.  All I do know is that this rare combination of numbers and dates on the calendar won't be happening again for like a thousand years, so you better enjoy the day.

With that in mind, I thought I would commemorate this fine Wednesday afternoon by going through the various Dodgers that have worn #12.  See that list below

Bobby Abreau 2012
Justin Sellers 2011-2012
Brad Ausmus 2009-2010
Jeff Kent 2005-2008
Steve Finley 2004
Mike Devereaux 1998
Jim Eisenreich 1998
Karim Garcia 1995-1997
Brett Butler 1995
Jeff Treadway 1994-1995
Dave Anderson 1992
Greg Smith 1991
Luis Lopez 1990
Willie Randolph 1989-1990
Danny Heep 1987-1988
Bill Madlock 1986-1987
Mariano Duncan 1985
Jay Johnstone 1985
Dusty Baker 1976-1983
Paul Powell 1975
Von Joshua 1969-1971, 1973-1974
Jim Fairey 1968
Bob Bailey 1967
Tommy Davis 1959-1966
Babe Birrer 1958
Frank Kellert 1955
Erv Palica 1948-1951, 1954
Ralph Branca 1952
Eddie Stanky 1944-1947
Bob Chipman 1942, 1944
Rex Barney 1943
Rube Melton 1943
Babe Dahlgren 1942
Luke Hamlin 1937-1943
Jimmy Jordan 1934-1936
Val Pacinich 1932-1933
Watty Clark 1931

37 different Dodger players have worn this number.  Of those 37, only one player has any chance of making the Hall of Fame.  Jeff "the grumpy one" Kent wore the number during his Dodger days.  Another notable #12 was Steve Finley, who belted a walk-off grand slam to win the pennant in 2004.  Two of the more popular Dodgers to ever wear the number are Dusty Baker and Tommy Davis.  Although they are unlikely to be enshrined in Cooperstown, I think it's fair to say that they are both stars in our eyes.

Strangely, in 1931 Baseball Reference indicates that only one player wore a number that season and that was Watty Clark with #12.  I wonder why that is?  Also, Ralph Branca, Brett Bulter and Dave Anderson were all longtime Dodgers known for wearing other numbers, but for a short time sported #12.

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Best Group Break Haul Ever

Of the handful of group breaks I've participated in, this one has been my favorite. It's not because it's of some new product with a chance at something scarce. No, it's much better than that. This group break, put together by Dave at Indians Baseball Cards, focused on those junk cards from the 80's that I passed by without a second thought. They were ugly, worthless and undesirable back then, but have transformed into cards I've got to add to my collection. Sure, they aren't worth a lick, but they definitely are cool. And at $4.00 bucks for the Dodgers I figured I couldn't lose.

Check out this incredible haul of "Junk" cards below.

Here are some Dodgers from the 1983 Topps Foldouts set. They are about the size of a postcard and were attached like an accordion- to be pulled out with numerous photos of Baseball stars from the era. Pedro Guerrero, Rick Monday and Jerry Reuss are below.
Better yet, on the reverse side were other Major League stars; including Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski and super cheater Pete Rose.
This is a Steve Sax Topps Baseball Button.
Here are a bunch of more Dodger oddball cards. On the top left are 1985 Topps Rubdowns (tattoos) featuring Fernando Valenzuela and Steve Sax. Below that are 5 Dodger cards from the 1986 Fleer Star Sticker set, and to the right of those are Fleer team sticker cards. The best part about the Dodger team sticker cards is what's on the back.
On the reverse of the team sticker cards are these Baseball's Famous Feats cartoons.
Here is something I'm sure many fans passed by when collecting in the 80's. This is a box bottom card of the Dodger insignia.
These next two cards are ho-hum. They are just a couple of cards from the 1989 Bowman set- Mike Davis and a Jackie Robinson reprint filler card.

Hall of Famer Mariano Duncan

Yes! That's right. The Dodger first base coach, Mariano Duncan, is a Hall of Famer. This past weekend he was inducted into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame in Santo Domingo. Congratulations!

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that current first base coach and former infielder Mariano Duncan, was inducted into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place yesterday at San Pablo House Auditorium in Santo Domingo . Duncan becomes the 93^rd player inducted into the Dominican Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1,279 Major League games, Duncan hit .267 with 87 homers, 491 RBI, and 174 stolen bases for the Dodgers, Reds, Phillies, Yankees, and Blue Jays over 12 seasons. While playing seven years for the Tigres de Licey in the Dominican League, the versatile Duncan hit .248 with 31 triples and 17 doubles in 180 games. In the ‘85-86 campaign, he led the Dominican League with eight triples. Duncan was inducted alongside longtime Cleveland Indians’ infielder Felix Fermin and legendary scout Epy Guerrero.

Duncan, 45, just completed his third consecutive season as the Dodgers’ first base coach after one year coaching stints with the Gulf Coast League Dodgers (2003), Double-A Jacksonville Suns (2004) and Triple-A Las Vegas 51s (2005). The native of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic saw action at all four infield positions and in the outfield during his 12-year Major League career and played four seasons with the Dodgers (1985-87, 1989).

This fall, Duncan will serve as the bench coach for Los Toros del Este in La Romana, where several current Dodger prospects are expected to play for him.

Duncan earned National League All-Star honors with the Phillies in 1994 and was a member of the World Champion 1990 Reds. Duncan was also a key member of Dodger Manager Joe Torre’s first World Series winning team, the 1996 Yankees, batting .340 as the regular second baseman that season.

The Dodger Farm

Dodger Thoughts points to a great Daily News article about the Dodgers Director of Player Development Terry Collins. He has been an important cog in the Dodgers recent success with its rookies.

The laid-back, congenial (Logan) White is the man generally credited with building the Dodgers' pool of minor-league talent. (Terry) Collins, who is part drill sergeant and part father figure, is the man who is developing them. Or, as he would prefer to put it, the man who hired the managers and coaches who are developing them.

There is a great story about his influence on Mariano Duncan.

Mariano Duncan was done with baseball. Or so he thought...

"I was so upset that I packed all my stuff," said Duncan, now the Dodgers' first-base coach. "I was going home to the Dominican."

That's when Terry Collins... gave him a typically Collins-esque pep talk.

"I felt he needed to be challenged, and he needed to face that challenge," Collins said. "I told him he was going to continue to battle, that he wasn't quitting and that he needed to get his (rear end) out there and get better until he got back to the big leagues."

The discussion was loud, one-sided and not for the easily offended. But it was effective.

Mariano endedup with a long Major League career.

Check it out.