Tomko?

Tony Jackson asks in his article today:

With the Dodgers holding on for dear life in their quest for a playoff berth, how much longer can they afford to keep running the unreliable Tomko to the mound every fifth day?

My answer: Any thought that he can be an effective 5 to 6 inning starter had been vacant from my mind months ago. He is just not getting it done. All I know is I never want to see that guy on the mound again this year.

Also, I have to wonder what Grady is thinking when he said,

"He has good stuff. Sometimes, it amazes me that he gets hit."

What was that again? You've got to be kidding me.

What amazes me is that he still wears Dodger Blue. Unfortunately, with the injuries to Kuo, Schmidt and Wolf we have no choice.

YouTube: Baseball Video From 1898

Below is a short video clip featuring the very first, or at least oldest surviving, video/film of Baseball being played. It was put together by Thomas Edison in 1898 and is called The Ball Game. Two amateur teams from Newark, New Jersey face off against one another.



YouTube Link: baseballguru:
Hat Tip: VBCF:

Allen & Ginter's Fantasy Card- The Dude Abides

As you may recall, I had previously written about a Mother Teresa signed Allen & Ginter card that recently sold on eBay for over $10,000.00. Furthermore, I mentioned that this set includes names not typically found in modern card offerings. In fact, the set includes many non-Baseball and non-sports people. Do you want a Queen Victoria card? How about P. T. Barnum? Is classical reading your fancy, then pick up a Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Well, several Baseball collector blogs have been putting together list of potential submissions for Topps to consider in their future offerings of this widely popular card set. Check out Stale Gum's submission here. Cardboard Junkie has his own list with photo-shopped examples. Then, he updates it and includes the best suggestion of all- a "The Big Lebowski" card. All you have to do is use a photo from that whacked out dream sequence and title it "The Dude Abides."

It's brilliant I tell ya. Brilliant!

ForbesVideo: MLB Authenticators

Ever wonder how MLB goes about the process of authenticating game-used memorabilia. Check out the video below to see.



ForbesVideo Link:
Hat Tip: Sports Collectors Daily:

Lieberthal: SoCal Native, A Philly Staple and a Catching Mentor

Mike Lieberthal has gone full circle. Raised in California and born a Dodger fan, he became a third overall pick during the 1990 draft out of Westlake High School. By 1994 he got his first taste of the big leagues with the Phillies and has never looked back. After two All-Star game appearances, a Gold Glove and over a decade as a front-line starting catcher he now finds himself back home, during the twilight of his career, with the team he grew up watching. The Dodgers are happy to have him on board- if not for his past achievements, but for his ability to show Russell Martin the way.

Lieberthal also contributes in less obvious ways. Perhaps the most important is that he is an experienced mentor and sounding board for Martin.

"We get along pretty well, and we're pretty close off the field," Lieberthal said. "I feel like I can pretty much tell him anything that is going to help him, and he is very receptive, and he has a good understanding. I don't think it's hard with Russ, because there isn't a whole lot you need to say to him."

Its been good to have him on board. Besides, any player who bleeds Blue and decides to come home to play for our team deserve our respect and admiration.

Pic Link: The Baseball Cube:
Story Link: Press Telegram:

Mastro in Trouble with the FBI, Again?

The riptide that surrounds Mastro Auctions continues to turn. The ocean waters are white and foamy as the tide pulls everything in its path out to sea. Controversy continues to follow one of the hobbies premier auction houses.

Mastro Auction has lost a lot of luster in the eyes of many within the hobby. From reports of in-house shill bidding to their connections to a political scandal involving Tom Noe and coingate. Now, The Daily News reports that a purported Michael Jordan UNC warm-up jersey auctioned a couple of weeks ago during the National Convention has the FBI circling again.

The hangover from the event, however, just won't go away. One item, advertised as a Michael Jordan North Carolina warm-up shirt, sold for $11,000 even though questions had been raised about its authenticity well before the auction took place. Collectors cried foul on Game-Used Forum.com, a memorabilia Web site, and began investigating the shirt. Mastro Auctions voided the sale and sent the jersey back to the authentication service that raised the initial doubts for further review.

But the controversy over the "Jordan" shirt appears far from over: It has added new pressure to calls for greater regulation and standards for the dog-eat-dog world of sports memorabilia. The shirt has also attracted the interest of the FBI, which as the Daily News reported last month, has already begun an investigation into business practices at Mastro Auctions, sports memorabilia's largest auction house.

The vintage game-used market has been in shambles due to the unscrupulousness of a handful of people. It makes it impossible to bid on any item that does not have great provenance.

With regards to Mastro's conduct I will say that they did the right thing by pulling the jersey, but they certainly need to be more forthcoming when questions arise regarding any items they have for sale. Playing hide the ball does not benefit Mastro's reputation.

Story Link: The Daily News:
Hat Tip: VBCF: