Go Blue!

Thanks to: www.CustomSignGenerator.com

After months of clinching my fist and grinding my teeth the Dodgers find themselves in the most coveted seat in Baseball. Playoffs Baby!

Male Restroom Etiquette

This is both the funniest and most informative video I have ever seen. From zsOverman: Male Restroom Etiquette



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A Laugher Turns Into A Shocker And Then Into A Laugher Again

What an insane game. I guess you should expect the unusual and crazy when you play in Colorado. This afternoons game saw the Rockies jump out to a 3-0 lead only to see James Loney take that away with a GrandSlam in the Dodgers next at-bat. Then the Dodgers strike for four more runs to take a somewhat comfortable lead at 8-3. Of course, no lead is truly comfortable in Colorado. The Rockies slam in 7 runs and take a 10 to 8 lead in the 4th inning. To not be outdone, the Dodgers come roaring back and tie the game at 10 each. Then, before the stadium could take a breath the Dodgers score 7 runs of their own to take a commanding 17 to 10 lead. That was all the Blue Crew needed. Rookie Eric Stults closes out the game and the Dodgers head to San Francisco with a 3 game winning streak. The final score is 19 to 11.

BTW, James Loney recorded 9 RBI's that ties a franchise record. This kid is only 22 years old and will be a mainstay on this team for years to come. In fact, don't be surprised if, during the offseason, we pass on Nomar and let this kid bloom at first base.

In The Baseball Card Business

As a child I remember flipping through stacks of Baseball cards while sitting on the couch watching the afternoons game on the television. I would separate out the cards of each team and put together the days line-up in front of me. Then, as each player came up to bat I would study, intently, the statistics of the player and the brief biographical blurb provided on the back of the cards. I guess I was a pretty obsessive fan back then.

My favorite cards were Topps. They had detailed career statistics with a little cartoons on the back. They also had some of the most arcane or ridiculous things to say about the player. I would think to myself, "how do they know that?" They must be making some of this stuff up.

Anyway, I always wondered what it would be like to work at Topps, or any other card manufacturer. Truth be told I considered it a dream job. To wake up each morning knowing I would be spending the day researching sports or doing something sports related seemed like a home run. I figured that I could be a happy man if I worked in that industry.

Of course, these are just the dreams of a fanciful child wondering about the future. Reality is usually something different.

Yesterday, Slate's write David Roth (Van Halen Roth? Naw, can't be) wrote of his days at Topps.

"I was about to enter, as an adult, a place I'd always imagined as a gum-scented, Willy Wonkafied dream palace. Before my first day of work, I pictured packs piled in leaning towers, slides from long-ago Darryl Strawberry photo shoots, game-worn Mickey Tettleton jerseys. When I showed up, I found a standard corporate office: cubicles, recycled air, bad carpeting, worse lighting. "

eBay Buy: 19th Century Baseball Trade Card: Tobin Lithographs

This is one of my favorite buys of the year. It's a 19th Century Baseball themed trade card made by Tobin Lithographs in NY. This particular set is known as H804-23 Tobin "149" Series. It was made circa 1888 and is one of the rarer sets out there. Over the past several years I've only seen a handful of these on eBay, so I'm glad I was able to grab this one. Unfortunately, it has a brown stain through the middle, but it still presents fine.

Trade Cards are one of the more interesting hobbies to crop up in American history. It originally started in the late 1870's and thrived throughout the rest of the century. It became one of America's early fads and collecting crazes. They started out as business/ advertising cards given away to customers. The name of the establishment would be printed on the front with a simple design around the edges. Soon the designs became more ornate and customers started collecting them to put into scrapbooks. This started the age of Victorian scrapbooking in America.

The design and themes of the cards became supreme. Cards where as small as a modern business cards to as large as a piece of notebook paper. They came in every color in the rainbow. Printing companies where marketing special art work and themes to storefronts across the country. Flowers, landscapes, babies, children playing are the most common themes. Less common are politicians, buildings, Black Americana and sporting activities. Sporting activities include roller skating, tennis, curling, ice skating, horse racing and baseball, among others. It really is an early example of card collecting in America.

Today you can still find scrapbooks with hundreds of trade cards glued inside and they are still collected today.

YouTube Videos: Interviews with Nomar and Marlon

I've been out of town and unable to post anything, but don't think I haven't been keeping track of my beloved Dodgers. I write this as the Dodgers lead, by one game, in the National League Wild Cards race. The Dodgers have won 2 in a row and currently in control their playoff destiny. Things are good.

Below is a video and interview of Nomar Garciaparra after his walk off grand slam on Sunday. Brought to you by eastlasportsscene on YouTube:



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Below is an interview with Marlon Anderson.



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