Blog Kiosk: 7/24/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Weekend Odds and Ends

Sunday was not the best day. First Clayton Kershaw left the game early due to back tightness issues. Then, Kenley Jansen blew his first save of the season when he yielded a three run home run that tied the game. Fortunately, this Dodger team doesn't give up. They fight... And they claw... And they never surrender. So, they eventually rallied in the 10th inning and won the game on a walk-off single by Logan Forsythe. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

“It’s been a good series for us, to battle back from two losses to start,” Forsythe said. “To see the depth of our bench, to see the bullpen come in and do a good job and for us to grind out at-bats and have quality at-bats and get a split in that series I think was good to see.”

On a side note: Unlike many, I am not worried that the season will be lost due to the recent injury to Kershaw. Instead, I see this as just another hill that these Dodgers are eager to climb. There is no barrier too high, no roadblock too perilous, and no injury too great that will sway their belief that this season is theirs.

The above photo of Yasiel Puig dousing Logan Forsythe via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2017. Go here to check out more pics bu Jon from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1931 Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) outfielder Babe Herman hit for the cycle against the the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1939 the Brooklyn Dodgers selected Dixie Walker off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. He would go on to play nine season in Brooklyn; slashing .311/.386/.441/.827 for the Dodgers. In 1967 former Dodgers President Branch Rickey is posthumously inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1986 the Dodgers signed 17-year old amateur free agent infielder José Offerman out of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. In 1993 Mets outfielder Vince Coleman tossed a M-80 firecracker from his car as he was leaving the Dodger Stadium parking area. It is reported that three people are injured; including an 11-year old boy and a two-year old girl. Coleman eventually pleads guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of an explosive device and is sentenced to 200 hours of community service. The incident, along with many others, leads the Mets to announced a month later that he would never play for the team again.
• Happy Birthday, Tommy McCarthy, Joe Wall, Joe Schultz, Preston Ward, Norihiro Nakamura & Scott Van Slyke!

Blog Kiosk: 1/16/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

The 14th Annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation banquet was held this past Saturday at the Beverly Hilton, and among the many award recipients was Rachel Robinson, wife of Jackie, and Dave Roberts.

Rachel Robinson received the "Pioneer Award" ahead of the upcoming 70th anniversary of the breaking of Baseball's color barrier.  It was also announced that the Jackie Robinson Museum will open later this year in New York.  Read more about this and more via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider; "Pioneer Award for Rachel Robinson comes at appropriate — and pivotal — moment."  Dave Roberts was honored with the "Tom Lasorda Managerial Achievement Award", and presenting the award was Tommy himself.  Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

Lasorda first had to whisper something to the recipient when he reached the podium.

"I just got a talking to that I better win a championship," Roberts revealed.

Photo at the very top via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2017.  Go here to check out a bunch of great pics taken by Jon from the banquet.  Below are more links to check out:

• Happy Birthday, Bob Ramazzotti & Rod Miller!
  

2016 Bowman Chrome Baseball - All the Dodgers Insert Cards

Following up on the base cards I shared last week, below are all of the various Dodgers insert cards that are available in packs of 2016 Bowman Chrome.  There are a ton of prospect autograph cards; including Yadier Alvarez, Willie Calhoun and Oneal Cruz.  In fact, these are the first certified autograph cards for both Calhoun and Cruz.

Chrome Rookie Autographs

• #BCAR-JU Julio Urias  - redemption

#BCAR-CS Corey Seager                  #BCAR-FM Frankie Montas

2016 Bowman Chrome Baseball - The Dodgers Base Cards

The newest product to hit the hobby shelves is Topps 2016 Bowman Chrome Baseball card set.  As always, it tends to focus on many of the prospects we have been reading about.  Go here for a complete checklist.

This years set includes the very first Bowman base cards for Oneal Cruz and Yadir Drake.  Hilariously, Yadir Drake is no longer with the Dodgers.  As an 26-year old Cuban signee Drake had to outperform at the lower levels in the minor right away in order to have a real shot at any Major League dreams.  Unfortunately, that did not happen.  Yadir slashed .109/.155/.127/.282 while with the Tulsa Drillers earlier this season, and was subsequently released by the team on May 27th.  Why Topps decided to give him a card?... I dunno.

Oneal Cruz, on the other hand, was sixteen years old when he signed with the Dodgers last year, and performed quite well during his first year of professional play in the Dominican Summer League.  He slashed .294/.367/.444/.811 as a seventeen year old.  BTW, this isn't exactly Oneal's first pro card.  He actually has another Bowman card found in the 2016 Bowman set, but it's an "International Signings" insert card (see that here).

Chrome Base

#25 Kenta Maeda                                      #40 Corey Seager

2016 Bowman Baseball - All the Dodgers Insert Cards

Now that you've seen the base cards, here is everything else.  Shown below are the various Dodgers inserts and autograph cards that are available.  Note that the Kenta Maeda auto'd cards are available only through a redemption card.

Chrome Prospect Autographs

#CPA-JC Jharel Cotton

Dodgers Sign Yadier Alvarez on First Day of International Signing Period

As you may know, the MLB international signing period just opened up today, and as expected the Dodgers are busy rounding up some of the best prospects available.  As reported earlier today, via Jesse Sanchez at MLB.com, they have already signed up four players; including a highly touted right-hander named Yadier Alvarez.

According to industry sources, the Dodgers agreed to terms with Alvarez, 19, ranked No. 2 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list (for $16Mil); outfielder Starling Heredia, ranked No. 5, for $2.6 million; infielder Ronny Brito, ranked No. 21, for $2 million; and shortstop Oneal Cruz for $950,000. The club hasn't confirmed any of the deals.

Sources indicate the Dodgers are also among the teams with serious interest in Cuban outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez, 20, ranked No. 1 on the list. Martinez is expected to command a signing bonus of more than $10 million. Los Angeles was also linked to shortstop Lucius Fox, ranked No. 3, from the Bahamas for several months.

BTW, the Alvarez signing is now official.  Via a pic tweeted by FanGraphs writer Kiley McDaniel and Ben Badler of Baseball America, he signed his Dodger deal today.  Check out the pic below.

In celebration of this recent Dodger signing I made the above fantasy card of Alvarez using a pic from Sports World News (Getty) and the 1971 Topps Baseball card design.   BTW, Alvarez already has a Baseball card on the market, so I'll be sharing a pic of that soon.

UPDATE:  Via a Dodger press release:  They signing nine international ballplayers today.

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the signings of nine international prospects, including four ranked in Fangraphs.com’s scoutboard 2015 International Prospects list: Yadier Alvarez (No. 1), Starling Heredia (No. 12), Ronny Brito (No. 15) and Oneil Cruz (No. 33).

“We’re excited to add nine highly-skilled prospects as we continue to re-stock, inject talent and build depth at all levels of our organization,” said Dodger Vice President, International Scouting Bob Engle. “These signings are a testament to the hard work of our scouts and the international appeal of the Dodger brand.”

The Dodgers signed six players from the Dominican Republic and one player each from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua:

• Yadier Alvarez, 3/7/1996, Cuba, RHP, 6’2”, 172, Bats R/Throws R
• Starling Heredia, 2/6/1999, Santo Domingo Norte, DR, OF, 6’1”, 220, Bats R/Throws R
• Ronny Brito, 3/22/1999, San Francisco de Macoris, DR, SS, 6’0”, 168, Bats R/Throws R
• Oneal Cruz, 10/4/1998, Bani, DR, SS, 6’4”, 174, Bats L/Throws R
• Christopher Arias, 5/1/1999, Santo Domingo Norte, DR, OF, 6’2”, 182, Bats L/Throws L
• Ramon Rosso, 6/9/1996, Santo Domingo, DR, RHP, 6’4”, 215, Bats R/Throws R
• Carlos Rincon, 10/14/1997, Guerra, DR, OF, 6’0”, 175, Bats R/Throws R
• Luis Rodriguez, 3/2/1999, Cumana Sucre, Venezuela, SS, 6’0”, 150, Bats S/Throws R
• Aldo Espinoza, 9/11/1998, Managua, Nicaragua, 2B, 6’0”, 168, Bats R/Throws R

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *