When It Rains, It Pours: Padilla Signed

(pic: Matt A. Brown/MLB.com)

According to MLB Trade Rumors, (via Ken Gurnick's Tweet), the Dodgers have sign Vicente Padilla to be one of our starters to a one year $4Mil salary. Salary is $5.025Mil (including a $1Mil sogning bonus).

Welcome back to the Blue Vicente!

From a recently received press release.

The Los Angeles Dodgers today signed right-handed pitcher Vicente Padilla to a one-year contract. General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

“Vicente did a tremendous job for us down the stretch and his continued success in the postseason proved that he can pitch when there’s a lot at stake,” said Colletti.

The 32-year-old Padilla has won 14 or more games in four of the last eight seasons, joining Andy Pettitte as the only two pitchers to accomplish that feat among a free-agent pitching market that has included John Lackey, Randy Wolf, Joel Pineiro, Brett Myers, Jason Marquis and Jon Garland, among others.

During those eight seasons, Padilla’s only campaigns as a starting pitcher, he has posted a 91-76 mark (.545) and averaged 6.0 innings per start. Last year, he went 12-6 with a 4.46 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) for the Dodgers and Rangers. After being signed by Los Angeles on August 19, Padilla went 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in eight games (seven starts) over the final two months of the season before his continued success in the postseason.

In his first career playoff outing, he pitched 7.0 scoreless innings and allowed just four hits to St. Louis in Game 3 of the NLDS. In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Phillies, he lasted 7.1 innings and allowed just one earned run on four hits but did not earn a decision in the Dodgers’ lone victory of the series. He suffered the defeat in Game 5 to give him a 1-1 record and 3.63 ERA in his three postseason outings.

The Nicaragua native is 98-85 with a 4.33 ERA in 305 career games (221 starts) with Arizona (1999-2000), Philadelphia (2000-05), Texas (2006-09) and Los Angeles (2009).

During his career in the National League, Padilla has posted a 3.92 ERA in 202 career games (118 starts). He was named to the NL All-Star team while with Philadelphia in 2002, when he went 14-11 with a 3.28 ERA in 32 starts.

Padilla led the Rangers’ pitching staff with 14 wins in 2008, and 11 of those victories came on the road away from hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark in Arlington . His 43 wins overall as a Ranger since the start of the 2006 season rank second on the club in that time, one behind Kevin Millwood’s 44.

Padilla was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998.

Blog Kiosk: 1/17/2010

• Check our Chris's excellent story at Dodgerfan.net about the Winter Development Program at Dodger Stadium this past Sunday. He was the only blogger in attendance and he represented us well. The Winter Development Program features some of our best minor league prospects.
  
• GCRL creates some amazing fantasy cards. Here, he makes a Jim Bunning card that never was. As you may know he briefly played for the Dodgers during the tail end of the 1969 season. Below GCRL makes a Bunning in Blue card using the Topps 1970 design.
• Olbermann sets it straight. Koufax did not do steroids. He did, though, use corticosteroids (better known as cortisone shots today) which is commonly used throughout Baseball.
• 1207 Consecutive Games shares his 1971 Dodgers Dell Stamp Book. BTW, this is a great new Dodger collector blog that has a bit of a focus on Steve Garvey.
• Here is a great story of how Mike Pitt caught McGwire's homerun #57, gave it back to the slugger and parlayed it into a college scholarship to pay for med school. Another fascinating part of the story is that the scholarship came from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Jack Kent Cooke, as you may know, was the former owner of the Lakers and LA Kings. He also built the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood. (Hat Tip:Sports Collectors Daily)
  
• Check the Biz of Baseball's MLB Salary Database that includes some player incomes from over 100 years ago, and has inflation adjusted values.
  
• Ken Burns will be updating the wonderfully made Baseball documentary.

  He’ll update the film with “The Tenth Inning,” focusing on the player strike in 1994, the New York Yankees dynasty; the role of the game following Sept. 11, 2001; the revival of the Boston Red Sox; and the emergency of Latin American and Asian players in the major leagues; and the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

  (Hat Tip: Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius)
  
• American hockey player David Backes is on the war path. Since being named to the American Olympic team he has had fights with 3 different Team Canada players. He means business. Thanks to the Common Room for pointing this out. Go USA!
  
• The Wall Street Journal looks at sports cards as an investment and declares that it has done pretty well relative to other traditional investments.

  For 2005 through 2009, the 30 cards that make up the Sports Card Industrial Average, an index put together for The Wall Street Journal by sports-memorabilia company Beckett Media, had an average return on investment of 12.4%. Over that span, the return on the 30 companies that now make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average was an average 7.9%.

  (Hat Tip: Card Collectors Universe)
  
• Is this not the greatest quilt ever, from the Shorpy blog.

  August 17, 1937. "Joseph's coat of many colors had nothing on this unique quilt which is now being completed by Mrs. Ethel Sampson of Evanston, Ill., after six years of collecting. Parts of wearing apparel from President Roosevelt, Mrs. Roosevelt, members of the Cabinet, diplomats and notables from all over. From Hollywood, Bing Crosby sent a tie while Mae West and Shirley Temple contributed parts of dresses. Former Emperor Haile Selassie's neckties and a linen of Windsor are also included on the quilt. Diapers from the Dionne Quintuplets are also prominently displayed."

  
• Wow. Manabu Kurita catches a world record tying largemouth bass at 22 lbs 4 oz.

Vintage Stadium Give Away

Once again eBay uncovers a long forgotten collectible. Of course, since I've never seen it before it may not exactly be as advertised. Nevertheless, it would be a pretty cool item to have on the wall.

As the auction describes, below is a vintage stadium give away (presumably from 1972) to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Dodger Stadium. It is molded plastic and measures 10 5/8" x 9". I do not see any discernible manufacturer markings on the front or back. If anybody has any info on this please pass it along.

eBay Auction Link:

Two Down, Three To Go

(pic link: Ask Francisco)

Via MLB Trade Rumors, the Dodgers have signed Matt Kemp to a two year deal (pending a physical), and avoid arbitration with Billingsley with a $3,850,000.00 one year contract.

On top of that, Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers are seeking two year deals with James Loney, Andre Ethier and Jonathon Broxton.

I wonder, though, why only two year deals? You would think, for pure planning purposes, you would want to stagger the number of years so you don't have to do too much during the winter two years from now. Of course, maybe this is a way to defer these contract issues just past the anticipated time expected for the McCourt divorce to be concluded.

eBay: More Dodger Auctions

Here some more Dodger related eBay goodness.

This is a rather incredible item. Unfortunately, the eBay seller does not provide much background about how it was attained so who knows if it's real. Nevertheless, it's very interesting. Below is a 57.9 troy ounce silver Baseball made by the uncle of Wes Parker and given to Wes by his father as a gift to commemorate his career. It sold for $1,036.00.

eBay Auction Link:

Don't eat this popcorn. It is over 20 years old. Below is a Tommy Lasorda endorsed bag of microwavable popcorn that was purchased for the super low price of $0.99. Wow!

eBay Auction Link:

The day before the first day of the 1949 season the Dodger Knot Hole Club held their annual "Welcome Home Dinner" for the team. It looks like everyone was in attendance; from the coaches to the players. Below is a program cover for the event.

eBay Auction Link:

Music To My Ears

(pic link: Viaspire)

MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Dodgers and Matt Kemp may have a deal.

Interviewed on XM MLB Home Plate radio last night, Stewart (Kemp's Agent) told host Jim Bowden that he and the Dodgers are close to a two-year deal for Kemp. Stewart indicated he believes the Dodgers' ownership situation limited the number of years they could offer.

It's not the greatest of lengths, but at least it's progress.