2012 Topps Tribute- The Dodger Auto's

Following up on my post from earlier this week, I wanted to take a little bit of time to show some of the Dodgers autographed inserts in this years Topps Tribute set. These cards look really great, and come already sealed in a plastic case from Topps to protect them from damage. To me, the casing is unnecessary, but I'm sure those condition sensitive collectors out there appreciate the effort.

I count five different Dodgers autographing cards in the set, and found that several of them have photograph variations available. For instance, the Clayton Kershaw has two different autograph card variations available (on top of the parallels that exist). See them below.


Andre Ethier appears to have just one style, but I did run into a "1 of 1" Ethier card with gold ink and "Think Blue" written on it. It's likely every card has a companion "1 of 1" card with a phrase written in by the athlete.

Nathan Eovaldi has three different autographed card variations in Topps Tribute.

Dee Gordon has two different variations.

Sandy Koufax, the "Hit" of the set if you ask me, looks glorious. Check out the "HOF 72" card below.

UPDATE:  Ii've just discovered that Matt Kemp also has some Tribute autographed cards, and there are at least 3 different versions.  See them below.  These were likely all redemptions.

Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Day 22

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (6-2-2) at Cincinnati Reds (5-7-1)

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 – 7:05 p.m., Goodyear Ball Park

LHP Clayton Kershaw vs. RHP Homer Bailey

Spring Game 11/Road Game 7

Todays Starting Lineup:

Dodgers: Gwynn 8, Ellis 4, Kennedy 3, Sands 9, Oeltjen 7, Uribe 5, Wallach DH, Ellis 2, @SellBlock_12 6, Kershaw LHP
Reds: Stubbs 8, Rodriguez 4, Votto 3, Ludwick 7, Bruce 9, Francisco 5, Janish 6, Mesoraco 2, Miller DH, Bailey p

Upcoming Spring Training Schedule:

• IT WAS A VERY GOODYEAR: The Dodgers battle the Cincinnati Reds under the lights tonight in Goodyear, AZ. The club saw its modest three-game winning streak snapped yesterday, losing to Colorado, 5-2. Tonight is the Dodgers only meeting with the Reds this spring and the two clubs will lock horns in the regular season from July 2-4 at Dodger Stadium and Sept. 21-23 at Great American Ballpark.

• MR. L.A.: Dodger left-hander and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw makes his second start of the Cactus League season tonight after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings against Texas in Surprise last Friday. Kershaw, who turns 24 on Monday, looks to continue his momentum from the end of last season after he went 8-0 with a 0.96 ERA (7 ER/65.2 IP) and a .192 opponents’ batting average over his last nine 2011 starts. The eight straight wins represent a career-long winning streak for the left-hander. The Texas native took home a number of awards last season, including a Rawlings Gold Glove and the NL Cy Young Award, but was also honored in his hometown by winning the Texas Professional Baseball Player of the Year Award for the second time in the last three years. Kershaw will be followed to the mound by:

  ● RHP Josh Lindblom, who last pitched on Saturday vs. the White Sox, will be making his third appearance. The 24-year-old right-hander made his Major League debut last season, going 1-0 with a 2.73 ERA in 27 games.

  ● RHP Jamey Wright last pitched on Saturday in Peoria, giving up one run in 2.0 innings of work. The Oklahoma native is entering his 17^th big league season and is looking to make the Dodgers his ninth Major League team (Rockies, Brewers, Cardinals, Royals, Giants, Rangers, Indians and Mariners).

  ● LHP Michael Antonini has allowed one run over 3.0 innings of work this spring and last pitched on Saturday vs. the White Sox, where he earned the victory. The Pennsylvania native came over in a trade with the Mets last offseason and won 10 games in 27 starts for Double-A Chattanooga last year.

  ● RHP Will Savage has fired 2.0 scoreless innings this spring and last pitched on Sunday vs. the Cubs. Savage graduated from El Camino Real High School in the San Fernando Valley.

(Photo credit: Juan Ocampo/ LA Dodgers 2012)

• SIMPLY THE BEST: National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw will be presented with the 2011 Sportsman of the Year award at tomorrow’s seventh annual LA Sports Awards, which are presented annually by the Los Angeles Sports Council to celebrate the greatest moments of the year in sports in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. The Sportsman award is given to the local male athlete whose performance and character best exemplified the ideals of sportsmanship during the calendar year. Kershaw will leave camp to fly back to Los Angeles for the event and will be available to the media at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles at 5:45 p.m.

• ALL PHASES: The Dodgers have the National League’s second-lowest team ERA this spring with a 3.10 mark and rank third on the circuit with a .280 team batting average. Outfielder Cory Sullivan leads the club and is tied for fifth among all National Leaguers with a .412 batting average (7-for-17). Sullivan is tied with Juan Rivera and Justin Sellers for the most RBI on the squad with six.

(Photo credit: Juan Ocampo/ LA Dodgers 2012)

• WAIT...WE LOST?: The Dodgers lost for just the second time all spring yesterday, falling to the Rockies, 5-2. The defeat snapped a seven-game unbeaten streak and left Los Angeles with a record of 6-2-2. On the mound, Fernando Nieve tossed 2.1 scoreless innings while Ramon Troncoso and Stephen Fife each threw a scoreless frame. At the plate, the Dodgers managed six hits, including a double by Tony Gwynn Jr. (.308). and a triple by Scott Van Slyke (.357). Matt Treanor and Luis Cruz drove in the Dodger runs.

• REST IN PEACE: The Dodger family was saddened to learn about the passing of longtime Brooklyn and L.A. Dodger minor league general manager Elten Schiller. Schiller worked for the organization from 1947-71 and in 1961 while working for the Omaha Dodgers, he was named the Minor League Executive of the Year. Thoughts and prayers are with his children, Carol, Jeff and Linda.

Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Marshall Faulk

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.

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This looks to be a very slow weekend for autograph collectors. Other than taking a trip to Arizona to join the hoards of fans and collectors for Spring Training revelry the only other event I know of is at Frank & Sons in the City of Industry.

Recent Hall of Fame inductee, Marshall Faulk, will be signing on Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm. See the flyer below for details.

Collection: Adrian Beltre Autographed Ionix

Adrian Beltre is still the best fielding third baseman I've ever seen wear Blue. He was slick like Grace with a quickness only rivaled by the hands of Copperfield. Seeing him hustle down the line to grab a little dribbler was magical. Beltre would glide as if on Genie's magic carpet then reach down, palm the ball and throw in one motion. It was effortless, and remarkable at the same time. How could he do that and make it look so easy? Man-O-Live, what I wouldn't give to have a defensive specialist like that manning the Dodgers hot corner once again.

Featured here is my 2000 Upper Deck Ionix autographed card of Beltre.

Blog Kiosk: 3/13/2012

The Dodgertown Classic is today at Dodger Stadium. If you're aching for some Baseball head on over to catch the UCI Anteaters play against the Pepperdine Waves at 2:00 PM or USC versus UCLA at 6:30 this evening. More details are available here. $12.00 same day tickets are available.

• Left Field Pavilion shares even more family photos from Jim Brewer.
  
• This story is useless without photos- Tony Jackson at ESPN documents a recent spate of clubhouse jokes played by some Dodgers players.
  
• Chris Jaffe at The Hardball Times put together a great listing of career highlights of Harry Wendelstedt that includes some Dodger moments.

  Aug. 1, 1971: Wendlestedt is the man behind the plate in a game that ends in one of the strangest ways possible, and the circumstances directly involve Wendlestedt. The Reds lose to the Dodgers, 5-4 in 11 innings, with the winning run scoring on a walk-off catcher’s interference call. There’s one you don’t see too often. Manny Mota tried to steal home, and Reds catcher Johnny Bench came out to block the plate, causing Wendlestedt’s call. The Reds, as you can imagine, didn’t like it.

• Evan Bladh at Opinion of Kingman's Performance visited the Dodgers minor club in Ogden, Utah.
  
• The man who caught and returned Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit gets his own Topps Baseball card. Check it out in Beckett. Apparently, they are available in current packs of 2012 Topps Opening Day cards and are very scarce.
• Check out the history of the Nintendo Game Controller at Holy Taco.
  
• Did you love the Brady Bunch? Yhea... admit it... you watched it faithfully, too. Well, All About Cards features the complete 2011 Brady Bunch set for your enjoyment.
• DodgerFilms unveils their season tickets.

Video Link:

Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Day 21

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.

Colorado Rockies (3-6-1) at LOS ANGELES DODGERS (6-1-2)

Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch - Glendale

LHP Chris Capuano vs. LHP Drew Pomeranz

Spring Game 10/Home Game 4

Todays Starting Lineup:

Dodgers: @skinnyswag9 SS, Ellis 2B, @TheRealMattKemp CF, Ethier RF, Rivera DH, @jamesloney_7 1B, Sands LF, Uribe 5, Treanor C
Rockies: Young LF Herrera SS Pacheco 1B Hernandez C Arenado 3B Nelson 2B Blackmon CF Colvin RF Pomeranz

Upcoming Spring Training Schedule:

(Matt Kemp connects with a child, via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2012)

• MOUNTAIN TOPPERS: The Dodgers enter today’s contest with Colorado sporting 6-1-2 record, which is tied with Detroit for the best Spring Training record in the Majors. Los Angeles is undefeated (5-0-2) in its last seven games and the Dodgers have outscored their opponents 14-1 in their last two contests. The Rockies and Dodgers will face off two times in a five-day period with a rematch on Saturday afternoon at Talking Stick after the clubs split their 18 meetings last year.

• ALL PHASES: The Dodgers have the National League’s lowest team ERA this spring with a 3.11 mark and rank third on the circuit with a .290 team batting average. Los Angeles also leads NL clubs with a .377 team on-base percentage and is tied for second with a .490 slugging percentage. In the field, the Dodgers have committed just three errors, tied with Houston for the fewest on the Senior Circuit.

(Dodgers vs. Angels in Tempe, via twitter @sportsologist)

• HE’S GOT MY CAP: LHP Chris Capuano makes his second Cactus League start this afternoon after striking out three and allowing just two hits in 2.0 scoreless innings in Thursday’s win against Oakland. In 11 career games (10 starts) against Colorado, Capuano has posted a 3.68 ERA and a .235 opponents’ batting average despite his 4-5 record. The 33-year-old has been especially tough against left-handers over the course of his career, limiting them to a .229 batting average, a .290 on-base percentage and a .341 slugging percentage. Capuano will be followed to the mound by:

  ● RHP Fernando Nieve, who last pitched on Friday at Texas and allowed just one hit and struck out one in 2.0 scoreless frames. The 29-year-old pitched for the Doosan Bears in Korea last season after opening the season with Houston’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

  ● RHP Stephen Fife, who last pitched on Thursday vs. Oakland and allowed one run on two hits in 2.0 innings of relief. Fife, 25, was acquired with Tim Federowicz and Juan Rodriguez from Boston at the 2011 trade deadline in exchange for Trayvon Robinson. He was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2008 draft out of the Univ. of Utah.

  ● RHP Ramon Troncoso, who gave up two hits in a scoreless inning on Saturday at Seattle in his most recent outing and has allowed one run in 2.0 innings over his two Cactus League appearances this spring.

  ● RHP Ryan Tucker, who threw 2.0 scoreless innings on Friday at Texas against his former teammates after giving up two runs on March 5 against the White Sox in the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener.

(Photo Credit: Juan Ocampo/ LA Dodgers 2012)

• DID I CATCH A NINER?: The Dodgers downed the Angels 9-1 yesterday as former Angel Juan Rivera drove in four runs, including a solo home run in the third inning, and Justin Sellers blasted a three-run homer in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Los Angeles starter Aaron Harang bounced back nicely from a rough first outing on March 7 against Oakland to limit the hot-hitting Angels to just one run in 3.0 innings and the Dodger bullpen of Angel Guzman, Chris Withrow, Wilfredo Ledezma and Scott Rice combined to blank the Halos in the final 6.0 frames.

• JUAN GONE!: Juan Rivera slugged a solo shot off the Angels’ Aaron Taylor in the third inning yesterday for his third home run in as many games and has an .875 slugging percentage this spring with all four of his hits (three homers and one double) going for extra bases. Rivera, who re-signed with the Dodgers as a free agent during the offseason, is tied for second among National Leaguers in home runs and would rank second in slugging percentage if he had enough at-bats to qualify.

• WITH HEAVY HEARTS…: The Dodger family would like to offer its condolences to the family of Dorothy Walton Reese, who passed away on March 7 at the age of 89. Reese was married to Dodger Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese for 57 years before his death on Aug. 14, 1999 and is survived by a daughter, Barbara Reese Dudgeon, and a son, Mark Allen Reese.

  

(Photo Credit: Juan Ocampo/ LA Dodgers 2012)