Mitch Poole Shares his Bobble Collection

This is just another reason to be envious of Dodgers Clubhouse Manager Mitch Poole.  Not only does he appear to have one of the greatest jobs in the world, but he happens to have a bobblehead collection that is awesome.  Check out the video at the very bottom to see what I mean.

Poole has been collecting bobbleheads for more than 20 years and has a collection of 600 to 700 different ones.  In the video he says that his favorite is a Jaime Jarrin bobble from several years back.  That bobble wasn't given away at a game, and according to Mitch only about 50 copies were made.  Unfortunately, they do not provide a close-up of it.

As you may know, Mitch Poole has been with the Dodgers for more than 25 years, and until now was more known for his amazing artwork he creates for Dodgers' players on milestone mementos like Baseballs and bases.  Tom Hoffarth at Further off the Wall wrote a great piece on his work a few years back that is definitely worth a read.  Check that out here.

Video Link:

(Hat Tip: Cut4)

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Blog Kiosk: 5/2/2013

Check out Julianne Hough and Ginny Goodwin with Matt Kemp in the Dodgers dugout.  Pic via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2013.

• The Bleed Blue Crew has some email responses to the recent Dodger fan incident in Arizona where fans sitting in the expensive seats behind home plate were asked to either leave of take off their Dodger Blue.

Kristin sent me another email saving the best stuff for last, “Nat forgot to mention in his email that the AZ marketing team were actually calling our group and asking if we would be back this year knowing we are Dodgers fans. They all knew us and pursued our business knowing we are Dodgers fans. That BS about policy wasn’t true. We felt welcomed last year. The D-backs staff were so cool. It was an on the spot policy because the owner didn’t like what he saw and just came up with that policy. The D-backs comments are damage control BS.”

• Howard Cole at LA Weekly introduces us to the Dodgers twitter guy- Josh Tucker.
• Alex Belth at Bronx Banter passes along an old 1992 article from GQ that features Tommy Lasorda Jr. and his relationship with his father.  (Hat Tip: Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts)  Jon is right about this piece being excellently written and timely; considering the recent James Collins news. 
• Aaron Gleeman at Hardball Talk notes that, "Dodgers may move Dee Gordon to second base."  Makes sense, doesn't it?  With Dee's defense at SS being questionable, it makes sense to give him some experience in another infield position to broaden his appeal.  Besides, with Hanley expected to around for awhile, another option looks warranted if they want to keep him in Dodger Blue.
• Josh Beckett provided a surprisingly blunt assessment of his pitching yesterday, via JP Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers.

“I’ve just got to get back to work, figure something out,” he said. “That’s what this business is all about. They’ve made an adjustment to me. It’s a pretty good one. I can’t just go out and keep pitching like s—.”

• "Guggenheim's Todd Boehly Talks Dodgers Purchase at Milken Conference," via Alex Ben Block at the Hollywood Reporter.

Guggenheim Partners president Todd Boehly told a Beverly Hills audience Wednesday that his company's winning $2.1 billion bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers was a reflection of how the consortium of new owners see the team: As an entertainment property.

• "Juan Uribe, Paragon of Plate Discipline," via Mike Petriello at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness.  Shocking, I know.

And somehow… he hasn’t been awful. I’m not going to say he’s been good, because he’s still hitting just .200, but by the standards of the atrocities he’s provided over the last two seasons, he’s… actually been pretty good. His wRC+ is 119 — 100 is average — and when his solid defense is factored in, he’s been slightly above replacement level this year.

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Pay Homage to a Pioneer! REA has a couple of Harry Wright Cards on Auction

Following up on last weeks post featuring Dodgers memorabilia in REA's current auction, I've decided to focus my next post on a handful of 19th Century cards featuring an important Baseball player who we all should call "PaPa".

Harry Wright is the father of professional Base Ball.  He put together, managed and played for Baseball's very first professional ball team - the Cincinnati Red Stockings.  Wright also was the first person to actually pay someone to play the game.  In fact, the below card is a byproduct of that.  It is recognized within the hobby as one of the earliest known cards to ever exist- if not the first.  It was produced in 1863 and was a promotion card that was sold in order to provide admittance into the Grand Match At Hoboken Benefit.  This was a game between the New York Knickerbockers and the Brooklyn Excelsiors, and is the only example of this card known to exist.

(Auction Link)

Here is another 1863 Grand Match At Hoboken Benefit card, but this time it features Harry Wright and his father Sam Wright, Sr.  Sam was a noted cricket player in his day.  Furthermore, this is also the only example of this card known to exist, and is brand new discovery to the sports memorabilia hobby. 

(Auction Link)

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A Jackie Robinson Game-Used Glove Goes to Auction

This is a wonder to behold.

Steiner Sports just began their most recent auction and it includes the only game-worn fielding glove of Jackie Robinson ever to come to auction.  It is believed to have been used by Jackie during his last 3 seasons in the majors - 1954 to 1956.

From my understanding, it does not come directly from his family.  Instead, it was found by the family of the property owner of a New York City office building where Robinson once had an office.  According to Steiner executive vice president Brett Schissler, it was tucked away in a garage and wrapped in plastic, along with a game-used bat and several caps.  

From the auction description:

The glove shows extensive wear and aging on the leather throughout which attributes to the three years of use. The glove has number "42" written in black felt tip on the intact wrist strap, signifying that the glove belonged to Jackie. Some Restoration has been done to the glove to preserve the historical significance of this iconic relic. This included cleaning, and re-attaching the web. The solid V Anchor web that was attached to the pocket had separated. The glove remains original except for a period correct Rawlings label that was utilized only for the aesthetic viewing of this piece of history. The glove is photo matched and authenticated by Dennis Esken The lead Glove Authenticator, A full letter of Authenticity is included.

Schissler adds, "the Robinson glove is the rarest piece of memorabilia sold at auction by Steiner. It is sure to spark spirited bidding by collectors." 

In fact, it is believed that it may eclipse the $1Mil mark.  In just one day of bidding it is already over $310,000.00.

It goes without saying that the provenance isn't exactly ideal.  Still, it would be great to see in person.  Furthermore, I greatly dislike the Rawlings patch (as seen below).  I would prefer to see it in its original condition, without the ugly patch.  Of course, who cares what I say?  I could never add something like this to my collection, and I'm no expert when it comes to game-used material. 

I wonder if Rachel Robinson can add any more info about this item.

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A Glenn Burke Biopic May Be in the Works

Who's Glenn Burke, you say?

Well, Burke was a former Dodgers draftee who is thought to be the first person involved in the high-five, and regardless of what you've read recently, Burke was also the first professional sports athlete to come out of the closet to both his teammates and management.  Jason Collins, on the other hand, was the first athlete to do that and make it publicly known while still working his trade.

Well, via Mike Fleming Jr at Deadline Hollywood we learn that a biopic on his life may soon be produced, and it's likely that Collins recent admission has a lot to do with that.  Per Fleming's article.

Long before veteran hoops player Jason Collins made a groundbreaking announcement this week that he is a gay athlete, there was former Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A’s 70s phenom outfielder Glenn Burke. Burke, who right up front made his teammates and team management aware he was gay, back when this was really taboo. Post-retirement, he became the first baseball player to come out publicly, during a Today Show interview with Bryant Gumbel in 1982. Jamie Lee Curtis and JUMA Entertainment are hoping the attention being paid to Collins will provide momentum for a story she has been trying for years to tell about Burke, based on Out At Home: The Glenn Burke Story, the autobiography written by Burke with Erik Sherman.

There something remarkable about how the Dodgers seem to always have some involvement in socially significant changes.  Heck, it's something that this Dodger fan has a great appreciation for.

(Hat Tip: Alyssa Rosenberg at Think Progress)

UPDATE:  I thought it would be appropriate to add that Burke's stay with the Dodgers was hardly sunflowers and lemonade.  In fact, you could say that his time with the Dodgers was anything but that.  So, the Dodgers franchise was hardly a hero in the Glenn Burke life story.  I think it's pretty clear that homophobia played a large part in his eventual trade and lack of playing time.  From wikipedia:

Burke's association with the Dodgers was a difficult one. According to his 1995 autobiography Out at Home, Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Al Campanis offered to pay for a lavish honeymoon if Burke agreed to get married. Burke refused to participate in the sham,allegedly responding, "to a woman?" He also angered Dodgers' manager Tommy Lasorda by befriending the manager's estranged gay son, Tommy Lasorda, Jr.  The Dodgers eventually dealt Burke to the Oakland Athletics for Billy North, by some accounts a much less talented player, suggesting homophobia was behind the trade. There, he received little playing time in the 1978 and 1979 seasons. Upon taking the managerial reins in 1980, manager Billy Martin used the word "faggot" in the clubhouse and some teammates avoided showering with him. After he suffered a knee injury before the season began, the A's sent him to the minors in Utah. The A's released him from his contract in 1980.

UPDATE II:  I've just been told that Comcast SportsNet Bay Area made a documentary on the life of Glenn Burke that aired in 2010 called "Out".  Here is a press release for the documentary.  Below is a trailer to the documentary.  If anyone knows where I can watch it please pass that along. 

Video Link:

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Blog Kiosk: 5/1/2013

Jerry Hairston Jr. shows PSY that he has some dance moves, too!  Pic via Jill Weisleder/LA Dodgers.

• Hilarious!  Carson Cistulli at FanGraphs analyzes the pitching of Skip Schumaker.
• Mark Langill at Dodger History tells us that today is the anniversary of the longest tie.

May 1, 1920 – The Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves set a MLB record by playing 26 innings of a game that ended in a 1-1 tie due to darkness at Braves Field. The starting pitchers lasted the entire afternoon – Boston’s Joe Oeschger and Brooklyn’s Leon Cadore.

• Dustin Nosler at Feelin' Kinda Blue tells us that the Dodgers signed another 17 year old.

The Dodgers signed Dominican teenager Osiris Ramirez to a deal that includes a $100,000 signing bonus.

• Don Mattingly isn't happy that Ted Lilly kept quiet about his back pain, via Clay Fowler at Inside the Dodgers.

“He can’t just keep that to himself,” Mattingly said. “Then at least we know going in to the game that we possibly should have a guy that can go four or five innings, instead of having to use the whole group.”

• Via Steve Wulf at ESPN, check out the scouting reports on both Orel Hershiser and Sandy Koufax.  (Hat Tip: JP Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers)
• Gratitude for a .500 team on May 1, via Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts.  I gotta agree with Jon on this one.
•  Jeff Shand-Lubbers at Sporting Charts makes an interesting observation.  MLB team payrolls are shifting towards pitching.

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