Collection: Pedro Guerrero Post Season Performers Auto

Here is a 2005 Upper Deck Classics Post Season Performers autographed card of Dodger slugger Pedro Guerrero from my collection.

Overall, Pedro only hit a paltry .225 is post season play, but he sure knew how to turn it on when it really counted. In the 1981 World Series, after going 5 for 36 in division play, he earned co-MVP honors with Ron Cey and Steve Yeager by belting 2 home runs while knocking in 7 runs during the 6 game series. From Wikipedia:

In somewhat of a symbol of the insufficient attention he received during his impressive career, he was the only one of the three not to be interviewed during the nationally televised post-game celebration.

Ya know, the above statement is so true. Pedro did have a heck of a career, and it always seems like this is overlooked.

Some Dodgers Inserts in Marquee

Here are just a handful of Dodger inserts from the recently released Topps Marquee set I tracked down on eBay. Check them out.
Here are some really nice Kershaw autos. Amazingly, I still don't have a Clayton Kershaw autograph in my collection. What's up wit dat?

It Just Shouldn't Be

I should be ecstatic that the hockey season is about to begin. Instead, I feel a great level of disgust at a fellow hockey fan. If you haven't heard the news yet, former Kings standout Wayne Simmonds had a banana peel thrown at him during a pre-season scrimmage. That's right a f***'n banana peel.

As you would expect, Wayne brushed it off. Still, I found part of his response a bit disturbing. From the Washington Post.

“When you’re a black man playing in a predominantly white man’s sport, you’ve got to come to expect things like that,” Simmonds said. “Over the past 23 years of my life, I’ve come to expect some things like that. But I’m older and more mature now, I kind of just left things roll off [my back]. I try not to think about stuff like that.”

I absolutely understand where Wayne is coming from. Being a minority requires that you learn to accept and look beyond the subtle (and sometimes overt) forms of racism around you, but it shouldn't be like that. It just shouldn't be.

Read Frozen Royalty Kings reporter Gann Matsuda's excellent write up about this, here. Other Kings bloggers also respond: Surly & Scribe. Battle of California.

(Pic: Harry How/Getty Images)

Some Dodgers Special Announcements

There have been a handful of Dodger related announcements that made it into my inbox that I thought were worth making note of. First, though, I wanted to extend my congratulations to Clayton Kershaw for win #20. (Pic from Dodgers yFrog: Jon SooHoo) Pitching Triple Crown and Cy Young, here we come!Dodgers wives pitching in!

Several Dodger Wives visited St. Anne's, a social service agency in Silverlake that works with at-risk young women, children and families, to donate close to $10,000 in household goods and baby products. Maggie Ethier, Tiffany Billingsley, Cindy Ellis, Aurielle Lindblom and Ellen Kershaw made the donation on behalf of all of this year's Dodger Wives, as they each contributed.

Check more about this here at MLB.com. Tonight, the Dodgers will honor employees with over 25 years of service!

The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor all employees with 25 or more years of service to the organization on the field prior to Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. game against San Francisco. Among those being honored will be Hall of Fame Broadcaster Vin Scully, Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda, Special Advisor to the Chairman Don Newcombe and Hall of Fame Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín.

On top of that 38 other folks, ranging from ticket takers to Ushers to Security Guards, will be honored on the field prior to the game. Check out more about these long-term Dodger faithful employees here.

Matt Kemp wins the 6th Annual Roy Campanella Award.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that All-Star center fielder Matt Kemp was named the winner of the sixth annual Roy Campanella Award, which is given to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher. The award, which was voted upon by Dodger uniform personnel, will be presented to Kemp by Campanella's daughter, Joni Campanella Roan, during pre-game ceremonies tomorrow night.

Read more about this great honor here.

Collection: Raul Mondesi UD SP Auto

Here is a 1993 Upper Deck SP card I picked up a few years ago on eBay. It features an autograph of Raul Mondesi. I believe this was a UDA aftermarket card sold directly by Upper Deck several years after 1993. Notice the UDA sticker on the reverse.

Daily Conlon: 343 through 351

Here are todays Daily Conlon cards numbered 343 through 351, and it celebrates, once again, no-hitters during the deadball era. This time, fortunately, no notable Dodger collapses are included in this lot, but it does feature a duel no-hitter by Ernie Shore (bottom row, far right) and Babe Ruth.

On a June 23rd game in 1917, Babe Ruth, then a star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, started on the mound against the Washington Senators. To the very first batter he faced, Ray Morgan, Ruth gave up a walk. Being unhappy with the call, he argued with the umpire. He screamed, whined and eventually threw a punch. As you would expect, he was thrown out of the game. Ernie Shore subsequently came in to take over for the Future Hall of Famer and proceeded to get 26 straight outs for the Sox after Morgan was thrown out trying to steal 2nd base.