Here is a 2006 Bowman Originals autographed card of Andy LaRoche. I really hoped Andy would work out as our 3rd baseman of the future. He had the right pedigree, having a brother already in the Majors, and exhibited the kind of power and defensive prowess that might make us forget Adrian Beltre. Unfortunately, it was not to be. 
The second piece shows the Brooklyn Bum with his arm around blanket-wrapped Indian captioned "Braves 0 and 11 with the Dodgers." The Bum is saying "Pals, huh, Patchy ol' buddy. I'd like t'take yez home an' keep yez all season... jus' f'r me-self!"
Without going into much analysis, which I don't generally like to do anyway, I want to announce and welcome to Los Angeles center Mike Richards. The Kings traded one of the leagues top prospects, a grinding right winger and a draft pick for a top line center who was the captain of the Flyers and well regarded as a tough minded leader who can score, hit and play his heart out to get the job done. He plays both ends of the ice and immediately catapults the Kings into one of the top echelon clubs in the Western Conference. This is a huge trade that has put our rivals on notice. The Kings are here to win.
This is not a part of the Sal LaRocca collection I featured earlier today. Here is a beautiful drawing done by Willard Mullin. Unfortunately, it is not dated, but I think it's safe to say it's from the early 50's. It features Dodgers and Giants managers Chuck Dressen and Leo Durocher shaking some team dolls. Written on the bottom are the words: "These kids are pretty good now... but that Casey is still the mix-master." Casey refers to Yankees manager Casey Stengel.
Here are Daily Conlon cards numbered 55 through 63. I'm still waiting for a Dodger to show up in a Dodger uniform. Oh well, I guess Heinie Manush (located on the bottom row, far right) will do.It was a thrill to be in the World Series, but Manush was terribly disappointed in his performance. During the Series, he took it out on the umpires. In Game 3, the Senators had the tying run on second with two out in the sixth inning, when Manush hit a ball past a diving Bill Terry that Howie Critz somehow grabbed and flipped to Hubbell to nip Manush -- that is, according to umpire Charlie Moran. It was an extremely close play, and an enraged Senators outfielder and his infuriated manager hotly debated the call! The home plate umpire finally broke up the fierce confrontation by ordering Cronin and Manush to take their positions in the field. While Cronin reluctantly sauntered out to shortstop, Manush gave Moran one more verbal blast on his way out to right field and was tossed from the game. It took all of Cronin’s strength to restrain his right fielder from attacking Moran. After being dragged off the field, Manush had to be physically restrained from throwing things at the first-base umpire. Washington fans showed their displeasure at the call by heaving hundreds of soda bottles in the umpire’s direction. Manush recalled the play years later. “It actually was more than an argument,” he said. “Moran had every right to chase me when I tell you what I did. I was too smart to lay a hand on Moran when I was arguing the call. But when he bellied up to me and asked me what I wanted to make of it, there was a temptation that was too great. Moran, like the other umps in those days, was wearing a black bow tie, the kind that comes with an elastic band. What I did was grab the tie and let it snap back into Moran’s neck. That’s when he gave it to me.”
