Last Chance for Cheap Seats!

Just in case you don't already know, the Dodgers are offering cheap $30.00 field level seats for this coming Mondays game against the Brewers, but there is one catch. You have to purchase them now! Offer ends at 10:00 PM tonight. Below is the Dodger press release.

The Dodgers announced today that in celebration of right fielder Andre Ethier’s 30-game hitting streak, the club will offer fans $30 Field level seats during a 30-hour sale that starts today (5/10/2011) at 4 p.m. PST and concludes tomorrow (5/11/2011) at 10 p.m. PST. The $30 Field level seats for the game versus Milwaukee on May 16 at 7:10 p.m., in honor of number 16, are discounted up to 75 percent.

Ethier became the second player in franchise history to have a 30-game hitting streak joining Willie Davis, whose 31-game hitting streak is a franchise record. Ethier batted .397 (46-for-116) during the streak, which began back on April 2. His 26-game hitting streak established a Major League record for the longest hitting streak during the month of April, having passed Joe Torre’s 22-game streak from April 1971.

Fans that partake in the 30-hour sale can choose from options, based on availability, that include in between the bases and behind home plate. The offer is available at dodgers.com/tickets using the promo code STREAK and at the Dodger Stadium box office during normal business hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

(Pic Link: WikiCommons Cbl62)

Blog Kiosk: 5/11/2011

I have to be honest. The McCourt saga and the recent revelation that a BK and/or business structure that might give Frank ownership of Dodger Stadium in the event of a sale of the team has me depressed for the Dodgers and increasingly disinterested in the season. Clearly, this is a very difficult time to be a Dodger fan. Of course, we are only 3.5 games out, and considering the mess that's not too shabby. Maybe the year isn't a loss. Can the Dodgers win in spite of McCourt?

• For your pleasure, check out the National Jukebox at the Library of Congress- It features a massive audio archive including Sony's entire pre-1925 catalog. Just awesome! I didn't find anything Dodger specific (I will continue to look), but I did come across this 1913 recording of a song called "The Baseball Rag." (Hat Tip: TPM)

• Here's a great story from Boston.com about a teenage kid who did something remarkable for some Negro League players. (Hat Tip: SCD)

  Perron, a shaggy-haired 16-year-old with a shortstop’s lanky build, is one of the country’s most prolific researchers into the leagues that gave black ballplayers a professional option when they were banned from the bigs. From his bedroom in Arlington, Perron has created baseball cards for players who never had any, discovered evidence to help former players earn pensions, and reconnected teammates who hadn’t spoken in decades.

• Upper Deck is coming out with a 2001 Marvel Beginnings card set that includes some unusual insert cards called "Ultimate Panel Focus." These cards feature actual cut-out panels from vintage classic comics (very poor condition versions). It's obviously a pretty cool concept and a natural consequence of what's been going on in the card hobby, but I wonder what comic collectors think? Vintage sports memorabilia collectors often cringe at the idea of cutting up a Babe Ruth jersey, do comic collectors feel the same way about a Spiderman #1 being cut up? See Upper Deck's story here, which includes a defense and some pics to gaze at.
• Who says Dodger Stadium is the only place violence happens. One man had his Willie Mays bobblehead stolen at knife point in San Francisco, via Huffington Post.
  
• Here's a great story about a Betty Page collector, via Collectors Weekly.
• Meltdown. (Hat Tip: LGF)

MELTDOWN from Dave Green on Vimeo.

Auto Collection: Steve Garvey Century Notations

Just to prove how obsessive I can get with cards, especially these autographed gems, here are two different 2003 Donruss Legends of the Summer Century Notations cards of Steve Garvey. Notice that they are similar cards with exception of a special notation below Garvey's auto. On the card above, Garvey's uniform number is written in black ink while the below card has "78 AS-MVP" written on it.
Here is what the back of the cards look like.

Dodger Gypsy Queen Mini's

In the group case break I participated in I only got a handful of mini cards, and unfortunately, none of them were really of note. The mini cards are the same size as 19th century tobacco cards and use the exact same pics as the normal sized base cards from the set- with some exceptions. The first 100 cards to the set have short printed versions available, so I decided to search online for the Dodger short prints. Check them out below as I put them side by side their base versions.

Jackie Robinson

Matt Kemp

Pee Wee Reese

Duke Snider

Sandy Koufax

Clayton Kershaw

Auto Collection: Maury Wills Diamond King

Here is a 2005 Donruss Diamond King autograph card of Maury Wills with a burgundy frame numbered to 50.

Hunt Auctions: Some Incredible Dodger Pics

Mixed in with the Earl Weaver and Willie Mosconi collections are a great group of Dodger photographs within the current Hunt Auctions offering. From what I gather, these are modern reproductions taken from original negatives and printed on high quality silver gelatin photo paper. They would look phenomenal framed. Check some of them out below.

There's something majestic about the main tool all ballplayers use. Here is a close up pic of the hand of Jackie Robinson taken by Harold Carter in 1947.

(Auction Link)

This photo of Jackie Robinson from the mid-50's was taken by Robert Riger.

(Auction Link)

Here is another Roger Riger photo of Roy Campanella.

(Auction Link)

Yet another Roger Riger photo of Duke Snider.

(Auction Link)