Vintage Dodger Snapshot: Burt Hooton

Here is a great fan taken vintage Dodger snapshot of long-time Dodger starting pitcher Burt "Happy" Hooton that I ran into on eBay. It looks like it was taken during Spring Training in Vero Beach.

(eBay Auction Link)

Kirk Gibson: The Civilized Ad Man

I really loved these ads. After his amazing year for the Dodgers in 1988, Kirk Gibson signed on to pitch antiperspirant to the masses. They were both hilarious and uncomfortable to watch. Gibby was totally out of his element. Below is a great vintage ad I ran into on eBay that made me search out his old Right Guard commercial on YouTube. Fortunately, it was there for us to watch and enjoy once again.

(eBay Auction Link)

Here is Gibson's television commercial for Right Guard.

YouTube Link:

Day 21 Spring Training Report

Here is this afternoon's lineup for the Dodgers: Furcal-SS: Blake-3rd; Ethier-RF; Kemp-DH Loney-1st; Uribe-2nd; Gibbons-LF; Barajas-C; Gwynn-CF.

Below are Day 21 Spring Training notes from the Dodgers.

• SEATTLE SLEW: The Dodgers will try to make it three-in-a-row when they take on the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch this afternoon. The Mariners will also host the Dodgers in the Cactus League on the night of March 25 in Peoria. On March 30, the two clubs will face off at Dodger Stadium in the final exhibition game prior to the Dodgers’ opening night against the Giants.

• JONNY BOY: Dodger right-hander Jon Garland makes his second start of the spring season this afternoon after allowing one unearned run in his spring debut last Friday. Last year, the Granada Hills native set career bests with a 3.47 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 33 starts with the Padres, tying for the team lead with 14 wins while tossing 200.0 or more innings for the sixth time in his career. Garland will be followed by LHP Hong-Chih Kuo, RHP Ramon Troncoso and RHP Jon Huber. RHP Doug Fister will take the mound for Seattle.

(Pic Link: TwitPic TommyLasorda)

• CHICKS DIG IT: The Dodgers used the long ball as a weapon against the Brewers yesterday, belting four out of Maryvale Baseball Park in a 7-1 victory. Tony Gwynn, Jr., Matt Kemp, Aaron Miles and Andre Ethier all hit their first blasts of the spring, while Kemp and Ethier drove in two runs apiece. On the mound, right-hander John Ely (2-0) fired 3.0 scoreless innings and has now tossed 6.0 shutout innings in Cactus League action.
• THE DAVEY FACTOR: The Dodgers did not steal a base yesterday, snapping a streak of six consecutive Cactus League contests in which the club had swiped at least one bag. Last season, the Dodgers stole a base in five consecutive games three different times, but never six. Dodger outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. leads the Major Leagues with five stolen bases this spring and the Dodgers have stolen 16 overall, which ties them with Pittsburgh for the National League lead. Just two Dodgers have been caught stealing in 12 games this spring after the club stole just 10 bases in 30 Spring Training games last season.

(Pic Link: TwitPic jvervain)

(Dee Gordon)

• THE STATUS KUO: Dodger All-Star left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo will make his 2011 Spring Training debut this afternoon. Kuo has been working with a different throwing program to get him ready for the season. In 2010, Kuo had one of the best seasons ever for a Dodger reliever, posting the best single-season ERA of all time among pitchers with at least 50.0 IP (1.200). The native of Taiwan saved 12 games in 13 chances last season and limited opposing hitters to a .139 batting average, which was tops among big league relievers.
• RUNNING DOWN A DREAM: The Los Angeles Marathon is just 11 days away and this morning fundraising just got a little bit more fun. At 10 a.m. PST, ThinkCure! is launching the “Sprint Challenge” in which the first eight runners in either the Marathon or the LA5K to raise $1,000 on their fundraising page will have the opportunity to take the field with the Dodgers on Saturday, June 25 vs. the Angels. To set up your personal fundraising page, go to crowdrise.com/thinkcuremarathon or thinkcure.org/marathon and get ready to take the field with the Boys in Blue.

(Pic Link: Plixi Los Angeles Dodgers)

(A spring chicken? A live chicken invades Furcal's locker in the Dodgers clubhouse)

• MINOR ARRIVAL: Today is the official reporting day for all Dodger minor leaguers. According to minor league clubhouse stalwart Troy Timney, there are 148 players arriving in camp and 198 lockers in the clubhouse. Minor league games will begin on March 18.

• GETTING IT DONE: Yesterday, Dodger right-hander John Ely continued the Dodgers’ trend of superb starting pitching by tossing 3.0 scoreless innings. Through 12 games, Dodger starters have posted a miniscule 1.09 ERA (4 ER/33.0 IP). The Los Angeles projected rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jon Garland will boast five pitchers who each won 10 or more games last season. Their cumulative 2010 ERA of 3.39 (371 ER/986.0 IP) and .234 opponents’ batting average (857-for-3,663) would have led all Major League starting rotations and their combined 844 strikeouts would have ranked third. Each member of the club’s starting rotation posted an ERA under 3.65, pitched more than 190.0 innings and made 30 or more starts last season.

• THE J &J BOYS: This afternoon’s game will be broadcast live on KABC 790 by the hosts of “Dodgertalk,” Joe Block and Josh Suchon. This season will be Block’s first with KABC and Suchon is entering his fourth year as the co-host of “Dodgertalk.” Following the game, you can call the dynamic duo at 1-800-222-KABC to talk all things Dodgers. The show will air tonight from 6:30-7 p.m. PT.

(Pic Link: TwitPic jvervain)

• HOWL AT THE RANCH: Today is Phoenix Coyotes Day at Camelback Ranch. Former player and current Coyotes’ broadcaster Tyson Nash will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and the Yotes’ mascot Howler will be signing autographs and taking pictures. In addition, two large inflatable hockey players will be on display and an inflatable slap shot game will be set up by the home plate gate. All fans showing a ticket stub from last night’s Coyotes-Canucks game will receive half-price admission to today’s Dodger game vs. Seattle.
  

Writing Jim Murray About Dodger Stadium Bathrooms

A great little letter to LA Times reporter Jim Murray came to my attention just a little while ago. It was written in 1974 by legendary Hollywood director King Vidor. He was 80 years old at the time of this writing. In the letter he spends most of his time complaining about the sad state of affairs with the lower level bathrooms at Dodger Stadium. If he thought they were bad he shouldn't go the the top deck. It was found originally in a blog post at Letter of Note. (A big Hat Tip to Let's Go Dodgers blog) Go to the post to see the letter and full transcript of the letter. Below is an excerpt.

Jim, (and I feel that I deserve that first name calling privilege because we sat next to each other at an awards banquet a few years ago in Oceanside), do me the favor of visiting the men's room about Row 23, Lower Level, between innings, any game, and see if you are not as fired up by this disgrace as I am. Forget the impeachment of President Nixon. Instead, let's try to gain some sense of humanity for the suffering customers at Dodger Stadium.

Day 20 Spring Training Report

Here is the Dodger lineup for the B Game today: Oeltjen CF, Sellers SS, Hoffmann RF, Sands LF, Ellis C, Baez 3B, Galvez DH, Jacobs 1B, Ynoa 2B, Kuroda P.

Lineup for the A Game: Gwynn RF, Navarro C, Ethier DH, Kemp CF, Gibbons LF, DeJesus 2B, Mitchell 1B, Castro SS, Miles 3B, Ely P.

Below are some Spring Training Notes from the Dodgers.

• ROLL OUT THE BARRELS: The Dodgers make the short bus ride over to Maryvale this afternoon to take on former Dodger Takashi Saito and the Brewers. Los Angeles went 4-2 against Milwaukee last season, which included a three-game sweep at Miller Park in August, and will face the Brewers for the first time in 2011 for a two-game set at Dodger Stadium on May 16 and 17.
• THE BOOK ON ELY: Dodger right-hander John Ely makes his second start of the spring season this afternoon and has allowed just one hit with five strikeouts in 3.0 innings over his two Cactus League appearances. At Dodger Stadium last season, Ely limited the Brew Crew to four hits and one run over 6.2 innings on May 6 in his second Major League start. The 24-year-old will be followed by LHP Ron Mahay, RHP Travis Schlichting and RHP Javy Guerra. RHP Takashi Saito will get the start for Milwaukee.
• PLAY “B”ALL: This morning, the Dodgers took on the Mariners in a “B” game on the back fields at Camelback Ranch. Hiroki Kuroda started for Los Angeles with Luis Vasquez coming out of the ‘pen. The top of the Dodger lineup featured the familiar names of Trent Oeltjen, Justin Sellers, Jamie Hoffmann, Jerry Sands and A.J. Ellis with the rest of the squad coming from minor league camp. An update on the game action will be sent out as soon as it’s available.

(Pic Link: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers 2011)

(Los Angeles Dodgers Don Mattingly and Franklin Stubbs smile in the dugout during game against the Cincinnati Reds Thursday, March 3, 2011 at the Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona.)

• LETTING THE STICKS DO THE TALKING: Jerry Sands crushed a three-run home run to break a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning as Los Angeles downed Colorado 7-1 yesterday at Talking Stick. Sands added a triple in the eighth and is now batting .462 (6-for-13) with a 1.077 slugging percentage on the spring. The Dodger hit parade included a solo home run from Xavier Paul in the eighth and a 2-for-2 afternoon from A.J. Ellis, who plated a run with an RBI single in the seventh. The bullpen provided 5.2 scoreless innings in relief of Ted Lilly as Mike MacDougal (0.2 IP), Blake Hawksworth (1.0), Tim Redding (3.0) and Kenley Jansen (1.0) kept the Rockies off the board.
• TAKI-NG THE NEXT STEP: Congratulations to Dodger Assistant General Manager Kim Ng, who has accepted a position as Major League Baseball’s new Senior Vice President for Baseball Operations. The Dodgers would like to thank Kim for her nine years of service and wish her nothing but the best in her new position in New York.
• MAKING HIS BID: Yesterday, RHP Tim Redding fired 3.0 hitless innings of relief to pick up the victory and has yet to allow a run through 8.0 innings pitched this spring. Redding remains tied with Clayton Kershaw for the N.L. Cactus League lead with a 0.00 ERA and Chad Billingsley ranks third among qualifiers with a 1.35 ERA.

(PicLink: TwitPic TommyLasorda)

• FAB FIVE: Ted Lilly made his first official start of Spring Training yesterday and continued the Dodgers’ trend of superb starting pitching, allowing just one run over 3.1 innings. Through 11 games, Dodger starters have posted a miniscule 1.20 ERA (4 ER/30.0 IP). The Los Angeles projected rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jon Garland will boast five pitchers who each won 10 or more games last season. Their cumulative 2010 ERA of 3.39 (371 ER/986.0 IP) and .234 opponents’ batting average (857-for-3,663) would have led all Major League starting rotations and their combined 844 strikeouts would have ranked third. Each member of the club’s starting rotation posted an ERA under 3.65, pitched more than 190.0 innings and made 30 or more starts last season.
• CAN’T TEACH SPEED – Dodger outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. swiped his Major League-leading fifth stolen base yesterday as the Dodgers moved into a tie with Pittsburgh for the National League lead with 16 steals. Eugenio Velez also stole his third base of Spring Training in yesterday’s contest. Only two Dodgers have been caught stealing in 11 games this spring after the club stole just 10 bases in 30 Spring Training games last season.

(PicLink: TwitPic DeadtoFred)

• SIMPLY CLASSIC – On Sunday, Dodger Stadium will host the 2^nd Annual Dodgertown Classic presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The doubleheader of collegiate baseball kicks off at 10:00 a.m. as Saint Mary’s battles the University of Georgia followed by the crosstown rivalry game of USC vs. UCLA at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Dodgers.com/classic with free parking and half-priced concessions for the day of family fun.
• HIGH NUMBERS: 10 Dodger minor leaguers will join the big leaguers in Maryvale this afternoon. Infielder Corey Smith (97) was a 2010 Double-A Southern League All-Star after ranking second in the league with 86 RBI and finishing ninth with a .467 slugging percentage. RHP Steven Ames, RHP Francisco Felix (91), INF Christian Lara (87), INF Jaime Pedroza (90), LHP David Pfeiffer (89), RHP Stuart Pomeranz (98), RHP Javier Solano (95), RHP Merkin Valdez (96) and C Matt Wallach (92) will round out today’s minor league additions.

(Pic Link: TwitPic KellyKelll)

• TOGETHER IN TUCSON: It was announced on Friday that the Dodgers and Diamondbacks will play a Spring Training game on Friday, March 25 at 1:05 p.m. in Tucson with proceeds benefitting the Tucson Together Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to the victims, witnesses and their families for expenses associated with the January 8^th tragedy. The contest will be played at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium (formerly known as TEP) with tickets available at Dodgers.com/Spring.

Blog Kiosk: 3/8/2011

• Per Steve Dilbeck, the Dodgers will be wearing a commemorative patch in honor of Duke Snider this season.
• This is just plain awesome. Dodger pitcher Travis Schlichting has a mullet. Really! Check it out on Big League Stew.

  "I don't want people to know I actually like it," Schlichting said. "Turned out way better than I thought."

• The Design Morgue writes about the Satin Baseball jersey. I did not realize that the Cardinals, Braves and Reds also wore satin. There are a bunch of pics, so go to the link to check them out. (Hat Tip: Joshua at DodgerBobble)
• Check out this new Dodger blog at The Ravine Report.
  
• SOSG tells us about the Duke Snider ad in the LA Times put out by the Dodgers. I had let my subscription run out a couple of years ago. Right now, I'm regretting that. Anyone have a Sunday paper they don't want?
  
• Wrigley Wax does a writeup on the move, "A League Of Their Own."
  
• What good fortune. From the video description:
  

  Flying from Orlando, FL I had the rare opportunity to be able to watch Discovery's final launch as it embarks on STS-133.

YouTube Link: