Blog Kiosk: 1/31/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

On Wednesday evening the LA Kings held a special ceremony to honor Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, along with the seven other folks who passed away, prior to start of their home game against the Tampa Bay Lightening. As you can see above, Staples Center decided to black-out all of the Lakers banners and retired numbers, except for the two Kobe Bryant retired numbers. I thought it was a very classy move by the stadium.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1941 the Dodgers signed future Hall of Famer Paul Waner to a free agent contract. In 1972 former Brooklyn Dodger players Rube Marquard (known mostly as a Giant) and Dave Bancroft (also mostly a Giant) were selected by an Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee for enshrinement. In 2001 an article was published in the WSJ related to the most infamous pennant race in National League history. Written by Joshua Prager, he details how the Giants team stole catchers' signs during the 1951 pennant race to help them overcome a Dodgers 13.5 game lead in the National League. You can read the original article here. In 2003 the Dodgers signed free agent pitcher Wilson Alvarez. In 2005 the Dodgers signed pitcher Scott Erickson as a free agent. 
• Happy Birthday, Hank Aguirre, Ted Power, Stuffy Stewart & Jackie Robinson!

Blog Kiosk: 6/29/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

You gotta admit, last nights game was incredible. Sure, the Dodgers ended up on the short end of the stick, but that's okay. Next time we'll be the folks that are laughing. Per Maria Guardado and Joshua Thornton at MLB.com:

"Speed kills. That's the game of a baseball, and that's what happened tonight." -- Revere

"We haven't lost games like that. Unfortunately, things like that are going to happen. The kid, Meyer, competed. Really couldn't put anything together. That's a tough way to lose." -- Roberts

I would say that that was a fun way to lose. Last night was just a case of "Baseball being Baseball". BTW, Pantone 294 once again made their presence known in another stadium. This time they took over Angels Stadium, as evidenced by the photo on the right by Jon SooHoo.

Photos above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2017. Go here to check out more pics by Jon from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1990 Fernando Valenzuela no-hit the Cardinals, 6-0, at Dodger Stadium.  With 119 pitches he struck out seven and walked three.  Also, on this same night, former Dodgers starter Dave Stewart threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays; thereby marking the first time in modern Baseball history that two no-hitters were thrown on the same day.  Via Tommy Lasorda, at the time: 

"And it couldn't have happened to a tougher, more competitive guy," Lasorda said. "You look at Fernando and he has done everything in his career except a no-hitter. And now . . . this."

In 1995 Hideo Nomo struck out thirteen Rockies to give him a then team record of 50 strike outs in four consecutive starts. In 1996 Mike Piazza hit three home runs against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.  He becomes the fifth Dodger to hit three homers in a game. In 2012 the Dodgers signed amateur free agent Yasiel Puig.

• Happy Birthday, Wilbert "Uncle Robbie" Robinson, Farmer Steelman, Bobby Morgan, Rick Honeycutt & Pedro Guerrero!

Blog Kiosk: 4/13/2017 - Dodgers Links - Just Another Dodger Victory

So many good things happened for the Dodgers last night. To start things off, Andrew Toles belted a line-drive home run to right field (with the wind blowing in, mind you) to start the game and to give the Dodgers an immediate 1-0 lead. Per John Jackson at MLB.com:

"He threw it low and I hit it on a line, so the wind was no factor because it was so low," Toles said. "It was a line drive. The wind was definitely a factor [overall], though."

That early head start was buoyed by another fantastic start by oft-injured Brandon McCarthy. He is clearly back. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

“He did a really good job tonight, kept them off-balance, kept attacking them,” Grandal said. “He’s got a great sinker, obviously, it’s known around the league.”

McCarthy threw six scoreless innings, with three walks, four strike outs and just four singles. Lastly, the Dodgers relief staff continued their dominance. Ross Stripling, Luis Avilan and Kenley Jansen shut things down to earn a Dodgers victory, 2-0. BTW, let's not forget about Chase Utley's smarts. He came around to score on an error in the eight inning that was only made possible due to his hustle. The old man continues to show what he brings to the table -- intelligence, leadership and guile.

The above photo via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2017. Go here to check out more pics by Jon from yesterday game in Chicago. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1939 Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig, during a spring game against the Dodgers, hit two homers. It would prove to be the last home runs he would ever hit. In 1954 Walter Alston makes his major league debut as the Dodgers manager. In 2009 second baseman Orlando Hudson hit for the "Cycle" against the Giants during the Dodgers home opener. He is the first Dodger to ever accomplish the feat at Dodger Stadium, and the first Dodger to do it in a nine-inning game since Gil Hodges in 1949. In 2012 Dodger starter Aaron Harang struck out nine consecutive Padre batters -- breaking the Dodgers franchise record of eight held by Johnny Podres. The Major League mark is at ten, and is held by Mets pitcher Tom Seaver in 1970.
• Happy Birthday, Kid Elberfeld, Ben Cantwell & Ed Amelung!
  

Blog Kiosk: 9/17/2016 - Dodgers Links - Anderson, Scully and Kenta Maeda

Kenta Maeda was brilliant enough to help the Dodgers defeat the Diamondbacks, 3-2.  Uncharacteristically wild, he went five arduous innings, recording six strike outs, three walks and one earned run with 94 pitches. It was enough, though, to help him earn his fifteenth victory of the season.  It also dropped the clubs "Magic Number" to just twelve games.  Via Doug Padilla at ESPN:

"He started to get a little better with his command, but he was just on the edges too much and missing with his fastball," manager Dave Roberts said. "With Kenta, you can tell. When he is getting ahead of guys with the fastball and then throwing the slider and is around the zone you know he has good rhythm. And he didn't have it [Friday] until the fourth inning. It was a grind for him."
...
"He still found a way, like he seemingly always does, to give us a chance to win a baseball game," Roberts said. "That's a sign of a great competitor, which Kenta is, and a winning pitcher. I don't know the win-loss, but Kenta, every single time he takes the mound he gives us a chance to win."

Maeda added more, via Ken Gurnick and Jake Rill at MLB.com:

"My command was off in general today and I wasn't able to get into a groove and put a lot of pressure on the other players to pick up the slack," said Maeda. "I felt okay overall, just didn't have my fastball command. Our team scored early in the game and that helped me."

Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1912 Brooklyn outfielder and future Hall of Famer Casey Stengel made his Major League debut.  He collects four hits, drives in two runs and swipes a pair of stolen bases.  In 1979 Dodger catcher Joe Ferguson hit his 20th homer of the season against the Atlanta Braves, which gave the team their fifth player with at least 20 homers on the year for the first time in franchise history.  In 1981 Fernando Valenzuela ties a Major League record for shutouts at eight when he defeated the Atlanta Braves, 2-0.  In 1996 Hideo Nomo threw the Dodgers 20th no-hitter in franchise history.  He defeated the Colorado Rockies, 9-0.  Watch the last out of this game here.

Blog Kiosk: 9/13/2016 - Dodgers Links - Potential Puig Trade Revealed and Dodger Fans Rule Yankee Stadium

What the...?

Never in my life could I ever have expected a crowd of Dodger fans to out-root, out-cheer and simply overcome the hometown crowd at Yankee Stadium.  As you may have heard, a group of over 1,300 loud Dodger fans, a contingent that came along with Dodgers fan group Pantone 294, overwhelmed Yamkee fans in their own home.  Heck, they even performed their own "roll call" of Dodger players on the field (watch the NY commentators discuss it here).  Billy Witz at the NY Times has a good rundown on the spectacle:

The longest-tenured Yankee, left fielder Brett Gardner, who was well within earshot of the Dodgers fans, said in reference to the crowd: “Even the Red Sox, they don’t have maybe as big a following or aren’t as rowdy. It’s a little bit different, but I thought it was a good atmosphere. If we’re going to play well down the stretch and get back into the postseason like we aspire to do, we’re going to have to play well in that atmosphere, whether it’s at the Stadium or on the road.”

Best yet, the folks at Pantone 294 brought some luck to the Blue Crew.  The Dodgers hammered out an impressive 8-2 victory behind an fantastic second career start by Jose De Leon.  Via Doug Padilla at ESPN:

“It was electric and everything I expected,” De Leon said of his Yankee Stadium debut. “I was a little more nervous than I was in L.A. Since I grew up a Red Sox fan, I really wanted to beat the Yankees, so it was a good one."

Photo above via @MLB on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1925 Dodger starter Dazzy Vance ho-hit the Phillies at Ebbets Field, 10-1. Check out the boxscore here.  In 1977 Dodger outfielder Dusty Baker set a franchise record by driving in five runs in one inning.  It was against the Padres at Dodger Stadium. 
• Happy Birthday, Dutch Ruether and Rick Dempsey!