RIP: Richard McWilliam - co-Founder and Chairman of Upper Deck

The sports card hobby has lost a pioneer.  Upper Deck co-founder and chairman Richard McWilliam passed away this weekend.  He was 59 years old and leaves behind a wife and three children.

Suffice it to say, he was one of the most influential people in the trading card hobby.  In 1988, he along with other partners began an ambitious plan to produce a high quality Baseball card product for a market desperately seeking something different.  At the time, Topps, Donruss and Fleer produced cards, but they lacked the gloss and innovation found today.  Upper Deck soon filled that void.

I remember back in those days as a young teenage entrepreneur and Baseball card dealer seeing specs from Upper Deck officials.  They were a revelation.  Their cards had white stock cardboard that provided brilliant photographic images, and a hologram that gave a strong impression.  I was hooked on the new company, and so were many of my cohorts sitting on the dealer side of the table. 

Much has happened since Upper Deck's intial introduction to the market.  They introduced autographed insert cards, game jersey cards, holograms, and digital trading cards.  There was also a lot of controversy ranging from the loss of major sports licenses to scandals regarding the authenticity of game-used uniforms.  Nevertheless, McWilliam's impact on the hobby cannot be overemphasized.  He ushered in a new era in collecting, and all hobbyist should extend their hand to him as a thank you.

Richard McWilliam was found dead on Saturday from unknown causes.  He had a history of heart problems; including open heart surgery in 2008.  Check out the Sports Collectors Digest story on him here:

“Richard was a thought leader and visionary in the trading card industry. It grew from a hobby for some baseball fans into a multi-billion dollar industry because of the multiple innovations that Upper Deck introduced under his leadership,” Jason Masherah (Upper Deck's new President) said. “He built a company that has weathered difficult times for the entire industry and is well positioned for future success.”

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Vote For Matt Kemp - MLB13 The Show Video Game Cover Voting

With the new season quickly coming upon us, gamers throughout the world wait patiently for MLB13 to arrive in stores.  As a promotion, Sony is running a contest to allow fans to decide who should show up on the cover, and our very own Matt Kemp is in the running.  Go here to make your mark.  Voting officially starts today, January 7th, and ends on Friday, January 11th.

I voted earlier this morning, and according to the website Matt Kemp is currently in 6th place with 137 votes.  As a comparison, McCutchen has 2,222 votes.  Come on people!  Get to voting! Now! 

Check out Matt Kemp asking for your vote below.

Video Link:

A "Vote For Me" video.

Video Link:

Below is the most recent trailer of the game provided by PlayStation.

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Sunday Dodgers Videos: Matt Kemp and Hyun-Jin Ryu

The Hanwa Eagles made a tribute video to their departing pitching ace Hyun-Jin Ryu.  Check it out below.  Can anyone translate it, please?

Video Link:

Now, sit back and enjoy some Hyun-Jin Ryu game highlights to the sounds and groves of our favorite K-Pop star PSY.  And no, this video isn't played to that viral song, instead it's another tune called "Right Now."  This video was put together by a youtube user named Munro Maldonado.

Video Link:

Check out Matt Kemp on the Whistle as he talks a bit about the positive influence his mother has had on him.

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

AJ Ellis Answered Your Questions on Twitter

Dodgers catcher AJ Ellis has proven himself to be an able and entertaining twitterer.  His twitter battle with Clayton Kershaw this past November and his expressed fear of a little nip and tuck earlier that month ranks as some of the more hilarious exchanges he's had this winter.  Now, he entertains the fans by responded to some of their comments.  Check out his responses below.  BTW, he can be found on twitter, here (@AJEllis7).

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Holy Moly! Hockey is Back! Time for the Kings to Defend their Championship!

I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't get excited once news was announced that the NHL lock-out has ended, but I just can't help myself.

WOO HOO!!!  Hockey is back!!!!

This winter has been very depressing without hockey.  After witnessing the glory of a Stanley Cup Championship last season, I had hoped this season would be the Kings chance to defend and prove they are not one-hit wonders.  So, knowing that we'll have a short season to mount a defense has me giddy with excitement.

I know, I know.  I had written on a couple of occasions that the league should just wrap it up and cancel the entire season, but with the reality that we will indeed get some hockey this year has forced me to quickly change my mind.

Yeah, I'm one of those fans the league said would instantly come back, and I ain't proud of myself.

Who cares, though?  I will soon have the opportunity to watch my beloved Kings on the ice.

Via Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy blog, a final deal was reached after 16 hours of talks.

It took 16 hours of talks in New York on Saturday, with concessions from both sides. It took 113 days. A total of 625 regular-season games were sacrificed, or over half the 2012-13 season. It took months of bitter sniping, petty politics, false hope and broken hearts.

But at around 5 a.m. on Jan. 6, the word finally spread around the hockey world: The NHL and the NHLPA had reached a verbal agreement on a tentative framework for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Drop the puck. The NHL will be finally back, with a 10-year CBA solidified between union chief Donald Fehr and Commissioner Gary Bettman. As Fehr said, via Sportsnet: "Any process like this is difficult; it can be long...we have the framework of a deal."

A schedule for a short season has yet to be announced, but it is expected to begin on January 19, or as soon as the 15th.  More news can be found at the Sporting News, and the Hockey News.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

A Sneak Peek Preview of the Dodgers New Scoreboards

As many of you know, the Dodgers are rehabbing many parts of Dodger Stadium; including an expansion of the player clubhouses.  They are also updating the scoreboards (as evidenced by a photo shared recently on facebook by DodgersBeat). 

At the moment, the scoreboards lay empty, but they will soon provide fans with a brand new way to experience the game.  Exact details have yet to be announced, but based upon a promotional video found on youtube, I suspect it will be awesome.  Check out a screen grab above, and the promotional video is below (Dodger Stadium at about the :38 mark).

It appears that ANC Sports will be doing the upgrades.  Their website can be found here. 

I also wanted to extend a hearty Hat Tip to turdwafflespoop on Reddit for this great find.  Yeah, I really did type the OP's full name.

UPDATE: For a complete rundown on the  the improvements officially announced by the Dodgers go this post.

It appears that ANC has taken down the original video.  Oh well!

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *