Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 7/6/2012

Confidence breeds winners.  Kershaw shows off a All-Star game shirt for all to see, via @Dodgers instagram.

• Gordon down, Guerra up.  Via a Dodgers press release.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed infielder Dee Gordon on the 15-day disabled list (right thumb UCL tear) and reinstated right-handed reliever Javy Guerra from the disabled list. Gordon was hitting .229 with 36 runs scored, nine doubles, a homer, 17 RBI and a Major League-leading 30 stolen bases.

Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, Gordon is expected to be out for 6 weeks.  Goodness!

• You really should check out the Baseball Hall of Fame podcast called "Cooperstown Conversations".  Their June and July episodes include a complete recording of the very first Hall of Fame ceremony in 1939. 

• SoCal Sports Media was with Andre Ethier when he recently helped out at the Union Rescue Mission.  See that story here with video.  Then, they receive some advice from Andre on how to grill a dog.  See that story here with video.
• Eye on LA Sports post about his very successful autograph weekend at Dodger Stadium.  He's got tons of pics.
• David Park shares his incredible day at Dodger Stadium on July 4th.  He gets a whole bunch of autographs.
• LA Blue Crew has audio from a Clayton Kershaw interview with Fox Sports Radio.
• Chaos and Kanji, a card blogger turned American teacher in Japan blogger visits a park with monuments and temples.  He also stumbled upon a ballfield.
• Awesome!  The Stanley Cup reaches Slovenia, via LA Kings Insider.

(pic link: twitter @AnzeKopitar: Great view from atop Castle Bled here in Slovenia! )

• The Kings are suddenly the most popular team in the league.  From the NHL Director of Entertainment Publicity.

(Pic link: twitter: @NHLnlm)

(Pic link: twitter: @NHLnlm)

• Steve Fiorindo at Bullpen Banter was at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes game the other day and has a couple of videos on his site featuring Matt Kemp.  Check them out here.  He has complete footage from two different angles of Kemps at-bats.  Below is a pregame video Matt gave to the press.

Video Link:

Collection: 1989 Dodgers Police Set

Following up on my previous post focused on the 1988 Dodgers Police set, I thought I would finish off the week by sharing the 1989 Dodgers Police set from my collection.  (You can see all of the other Police Set I've shared so far by going to this link)  Notice that on the top right of each card is a congratulatory note from the LAPD to the Dodgers for their 1988 World Series Championship.

Below is an example of the reverse of the cards.  There is a short player biography and a "Say No to Drugs" message.

 Here is the remainder of the set.  Be sure to click any pic to embiggen.

Hunt Auctions: All-Star Auction with some Old-Time Dodgers

With the All-Star game around the corner collectors know that Hunt's annual All-Star Game FanFest Auction is coming up.  For the past several years Hunt Auctions has teamed up with the All-Star Game FanFest to organize a live auction of vintage Baseball memorabilia.  This year features collectibles from the personal collection of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, items from the collection of Eddie Onslow (a pre-War Ballplayer), and several awards from Jim Palmer (3 Cy Young's and 2 Gold Gloves).  Check out some of the Dodgers related memorabilia that caught my eye below.  Be sure to click any pic to embiggen.

Here is a 1951 Pee Wee Reese game-used jersey.  It is expected to reach $20k to $30k.

(Auction Link)

Below are items related to Eddie Stanky Day at Ebbets Field in 1946.  There is a Presentation Good Luck Charm and several vintage photos.

(Auction Link)

Here are a couple of great vintage photographs signed by some vintage Dodgers.  Eddie Stanky and Pee Wee Reese is directly below.  This photo was also taken by noted Brooklyn photographer Barney Stein. 

(Auction Link)

Video: Stadium Secrets at Dodger Stadium

I believe this video is a pilot for a TV show called "Stadium Secrets".  I do not know if it has been picked up, but I love the concept.  I would definitely watch it. 

Check out a short 6 minute video on Dodger Stadium below.  They briefly talk about the stadium, walk around its bowels and share a little secret about the Stadium I had never heard before.  Wait til the end as they introduce a plaque on the Top Deck that has a hidden gem.  This video was put together by REP Interactive.


Video Link:

Weekend Autograph Opportunities: A Couple of Angels and a UFC/Las Vegas FanExpo

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.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

There does not appear to be much on the docket this coming weekend.

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POSTPONED

Due to recent changes in the Angels lineup, this planned signing has been postponed for both players!

In the heart of Orange County, Angels pitchers Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards will be signing autographs at THE OC DUGOUT on Saturday, July 7th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Autographs will be just $20 for small items and $25 for large items. Inscriptions are FREE. Go here for more information and to pre-order tickets.

POSTPONED

The OC Dugout 
1238 South Beach Blvd., Ste. J 
Anaheim, California 92804 
(714) 527-6319

BTW, The OC Dugout is also hosting a PRIVATE SIGNING with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.  So, here's your chance to get autographs from these two stars.  Go here to Go here for more information and to pre-order tickets.  Prices for Trout range from $60.00 to $90.00; and for Pujols are $324.99 to $749.99.

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I wasn't planning on featuring this event, but with so little happening in Southern California I thought this event was worth noting.  If you happen to be in Las Vegas (or going there for a weekend jaunt) and the UFC is your poison then be sure to check out the UFC FanExpo.  Go here for more information.

It will be from July 6 to July 7 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The largest collection of UFC fighters ever to appear in one location, exciting special events, interactive Q&A sessions, meet & greets, Training & Development Seminars, the Octagon, and Autograph Sessions will be there.

BTW, this weekend is not the time to pick a fight in Las Vegas.

Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 7/5/2012

Here is Matt Kemp in a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes uniform from Tuesday, July 3rd via twitter @IEPhotoNow.  Below, Kemp signs for fans, via twitter @IEPhotoNow.

• The revolving door leading to the Disabled List continues to haunt the Dodgers. Andre goes down.  At least Mark Ellis came back to the roster.  Via a Dodgers press release:
  

  The Los Angeles Dodgers today placed outfielder Andre Ethier on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique (retroactive to June 28) and reinstated Mark Ellis from the disabled list. Ethier was batting .291 with 23 doubles, 10 homers and 55 RBI in 75 games this season.

• Are you kidding me?  Dee Gordon steals third but dislocates his thumb in the process, via Alex Angert and Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.

But a dislocation is bad enough, because it means ligaments were completely or partially torn, and it is the thumb on his throwing hand. Gordon said the swelling was significant. He's virtually certain to go on the disabled list.

"I stole third and I actually don't know what was caught, but I think it went underneath the base," said Gordon, who swiped his Major League-leading 30th base. "It was a weird play and a weird thing happened. I felt I hit something real hard and got up and looked at my batting glove and it looked big. I looked at my finger and it was not a good sight."

• Here are some photos from redditor canada_dryer of Matt Kemp's first day at rehab with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
• From the Dodgers Insider- "The Voice of the Dodgers" The Vin Scully Series Part 1.

“I always had the dream of taking an untutored kid who showed some promise and of putting him on the air for what he was, a neophyte learning the trade,” said Barber in his autobiography, Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat. “Scully was a perfect choice. He was a green pea, but he was a very appealing young green pea. It was obvious he had something on the ball; you didn’t know precisely what it was, but he had it.”

• I have no idea who writes the Dodgers Insider, but here's another great article featuring Dodgers President Stan Kasten.  It's called "Stan Kasten- The Direction of the Dodgers".  It includes a interview with the man himself.

First of all, as you know, no matter how long you’re in the game, losses really hurt (chuckling) and losing streaks are the worst of all. So yeah, this is a bad week for all of us who are Dodgers fans. I do have to say, to be fair, I was thrilled that we were doing as well as were doing up until two weeks ago, given the unbelievable injuries to the key people that we’ve had. Ya know, we’d love to have Matt back, we’d love to have Mark Ellis back, we’d love to have Ted Lilly back, and yet without guys like that, and other people that we’ve lost along the way, we really held up well. That was a real testament to the fortitude of this team, the resilience of the backup players who had to step up and the managing of Don and the coaching of his coaches. So that’s a real strength I think and that hasn’t gone away, we still have those strengths. But when we get players back, we obviously expect to get better.”

And...

And all I will say to you is this, I think we demonstrated with Andre Ethier that we will be aggressive in retaining the players that we really appreciate. I think that when we get going on these international signings, we will demonstrate there too that we’re going to be aggressive in pursuing international talent. 

And...

And I think going forward, it’s a new day with a little more resources, with a little more aggressive philosophy than they’ve been able to have recently, and I don’t think I need to say more about that. So I hear what you’re saying. There IS a value to a veteran bench. We’ve had many nights this year, where our veteran bench has really come through and, in fact, until two weeks ago, they were doing it regularly all season, so lets give them that credit.

And...

It won’t be a matter of resources as I’ve described to you before. At the trade deadline, the currency that is most valuable is not money, it’s prospects… and there are a number of teams that are deeper in those than we are, frankly. So that’s why you need to build that organization up, not just to build the pipeline and use players yourself, but to use as currency to improve your team in other ways.

• I'll call the Carlos Lee trade to Miami a win for the Dodgers.  In fact, I endorse the below tweet, via @BattingStanceG.

• Chad Moriyama looks at 5 potential Dodgers trade targets.