Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 1/17/2013

Here is an updated photo of the construction work at Dodger Stadium, originally posted on Instagram by Yvonne Carrasco.

• Bob Nightengale at USA Today writes of the good works being done by Clayton Kershaw.
• BTW, check out the MLB Network on Friday evening at 6:00 PM.  Clayton Kershaw will be featured on MLB Network’s “Top 10 Right Now: Starting Pitchers.” MLB Network determined its rankings of the top 10 starting pitchers using “The Shredder,” which uses statistical analysis to measure performance. In addition, renowned author Bill James and MLB Network analyst John Smoltz both give their own personal lists of the top 10 starting pitchers in baseball.

Also, at 7:00 PM, Kenley Jansen will be featured on “Top 10 Right Now: Relief Pitchers.” Again, MLB Network determined its rankings of the top 10 relief pitchers using “The Shredder” and Bill James and John Smoltz also give their own lists of the top 10 relief pitchers

• Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA tells us about the Dodgers ushering in the era of flight to Baseball.
• Emma at Dodger Blue World writes a bio on former Brooklyn Dodger Ray Hathaway.
• Here's a great story by Eric Stephen at True Blue LA about AJ Ellis' first romp through salary arbitration.
• A Big Congrats to Night Owl Cards for being named the Best Collector Blog of the Year for the 2nd straight time.  It's an honor that is well deserved.
• Steve Wulf at ESPN tells us a little bit about newly elected Hall of Famer Deacon White.

White was also honest and principled. When he and teammate Jack Rowe were sold to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1889, they refused to report unless they were paid additional money. Said White at the time: "We ain't worth it. Rowe's arm is gone. I'm over 40 and my fielding ain't so good, though I can still hit some. But I will say this. No man is going to sell my carcass unless I get half."

• Mark Saxon at ESPN shares a great interview with Dodgers scout Bob Engle.  Below is an excerpt.

Q. Few Dodgers fans have any idea what to expect from Ryu. What should they expect to see in April?

A. He has a real good feel and an assortment of pitches and he can reach back when he’s in trouble. He’s a good competitor and it will be interesting and fun to watch. The [Korean Baseball League] is a good league. I don’t know what caliber of league you would compare it to in the States, but it’s solid. You see more power there than you see in Japan. 

• Go here to check out some amazing photographs.  Some are shocking, while others are fascinating.

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A Vintage Brooklyn Dodger Exhibit Card - A 1935 4-in-1

Here is another vintage Exhibit Brooklyn Dodgers card in my collection.  This time it is from 1935, and it features 4 different Dodgers on one card.  Called a Four-in-One Exhibit card, it features Van Lingle Mungo, Vincent (Al) Lopez, Danny Taylor, and Tony Cuccinello.  The reverse is blank.

This is one of the least valuable cards from the set, even as it includes a future Hall of Famer in Al Lopez.  I guess you can say that this card gets no respect, and I have always wondered why.  After all, as I said above it includes a future Hall of Fame catcher in Al Lopez during the early part of his career.  It even includes a colorfully combative Brooklyn player in Van Lingle Mungo.  Heck, he has one of the best names Baseball has ever had.  In fact, I'm humming that great Dave Frishberg song as I write this.  Tony Cuccinello was a very able second baseman, batting .292 in 1935, and Danny Taylor batted .290 while in the outfield.  Hilariously, the photo used for Cuccinello is not actually him.  It is of George Puccinelli, who has never played for the Brooklyn franchise.  Can't the copy editors see that he is wearing a Cardinals uniform?

Since I can't get that damn song out of my head, I though I would pass along an infamous story from his days as a Dodger playing in Cuba in the spring.  For some background, Mungo was known as a bit of a drinker and roughhousing carouser.  He also had a way with the ladies.  Anyway, on one spring evening he was caught red-handed fooling around with a married woman.  The husband confronted him, so Mungo naturally gave him a knuckle sandwich in the eye.  Undeterred, the husband reached for a butcher knife with the intention of exacting capital punishment.  Van fled, and hid out in the teams hotel.  As the story goes, the police where called to arrest him, and Mungo had to escape the country with the help of some teammates and Dodgers executive Babe Hamberger.  They crawled him out a window that was several flights up, and smuggled him in a laundry cart to a waiting seaplane.  Needless to say, his spring that year was over.  I often wonder, though how did he explain his early arrival home to his wife?

Below is the jazz classic by Dave Frishberg called Van Lingle Mungo below.

Video Link:

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Welcome to the Blue, Peter Moylan

As was announced yesterday, the Dodgers have signed former Atlanta Braves set-up man Peter Moylan to a minor league contract, via MLB Trade Rumors.  So, in celebration I decided to make a fantasy Baseball card of him.  I used a 1974 Topps design with a free agent signing bar at the bottom.  I also grabbed a unique photo from the All or Nothing Tattoo and Arts Studio online.  It features him showing off some wicked arm tats, and includes an interesting story on his body art.

Apparently, Moylan was teased about the slipshod tattoos that once graced his arms while a visiting relief pitcher in Philadelphia.  As Moylan said:

"Those guys are brutal in Philly, they do their research," Moylan says with a good-natured laugh. "They knew things about me that I didn't know about me."

So, Atlanta artist Brandon Bond went to work to do some "turd polishing".  As you can see, I think Brandon did an excellent job.  Go to the original link at All or Nothing Tattoo and Arts Studio for more of the story.  At bottom is a video showing the re-work being done.

On a side note, I find it funny how the deals that actually get done never seem to have rumors bandied about predicting it.  Strange, eh?

Video Link:

Here are Peter Moylan's career stats, via Baseball-Reference.

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 1/16/2013

Matt Kemp recently chose to honor his grandparents with a large chest tattoo, and it is awesome.  The artwork was done by Jun Cha.  His website is here, and it includes more pics.  (Hat Tip: Lauren Lloyd of LAist)

• Dustin Nosler at Feelin' Kinda Blue puts together an exhaustive list of his 50 top Dodger prospects.  It's very informative.
• GCRL makes a bunch of 1982 Topps fantasy cards that should have been.  They are postseason championship cards featuring the 1981 Dodgers World Series champs, and they are awesome.
• Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, writes a great biography on the other Dodgers lefty ace- Karl Spooner.
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, both Ronald Belisario and AJ Ellis have filed for salary arbitration.
• This sounds like another BS rumor.  Via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times, we hear that the Dodgers have been thinking about adding Scott Rolen- which is strange since he is believed to be in retirement mode.  The money quotes is this:

 The team has not reached out to Rolen to gauge his interest, the person said.

Sounds like just another baseless rumor that is based upon speculative brainstorming rather than actual discussions with said player. 

• Angels announcer Victor Rojas shares a recent chat he had with Vin Scully.
• Don Mattingly recently spoke with Jay Mohr on AM570, and endorsed Jack Morris for the Hall of Fame.
• Check out a bunch of vintage photographs of Los Angeles here.
• Today is the 43rd Anniversary of Curt Flood's lawsuit challenging Baseball's reserve clause. Check out a video below.

Video Link:

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Meet Former Clipper Olden Polynice

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events 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.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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This appears to be the only sports related autograph signing for this coming weekend.  Former Clippers centerman Olden Polynice will be singing free autographs in Rowland Heights on Saturday, January 19th from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.  More information can be found here.

Optometry Practice of Dr. Alex Liu
19735 E. Colima Road, Suite 4
Rowland Heights, CA 91748

Hat Tip: Edgar at My Autograph Signings

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UPDATE:
This just came in.  If you are heading out to downtown LA on Saturday morning then you might consider this.  Via a tweet from the LA Kings.  Prior to opening game of the season at Staples Center both Marcel Dionne and Darryl Evans will be signing autographs.

(twitter link)

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A Panini Cooperstown Blaster Box Break

You know what's great about getting gift certificates for Christmas?  Being able to use them to buy some Baseball cards.  And this past weekend, I did just that.

I walked down the card collector aisle at my local Target and stumbled upon a blaster box of Panini's Cooperstown Baseball cards.  I knew right then what I wanted to buy.  I've been fascinated with the set ever since I wrote about it back in November (here & here).  Now, I have an opportunity to actually open some packs.  So, check out my booty in the pics above and below.

The best part about the set is the large number of Dodgers within it.  I pulled out a Jackie, a Walter, a Burleigh and a Campy.  Scans of both the front and reverse are shown in this post.  Click any pic to embiggen.

I had initially disliked the design of the base cards, but now that I held some in my hands, I have to say it is growing on me.  Below are some other non-Dodgers I pulled. 

I loved that they included a Hall of Fame umpire in the set, and I think it would be great if current umpires were included in future Baseball card sets - just so I can burn them when they make a bad call against the Dodgers. 

Below are some of the inserts I pulled.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any more Dodger players, but I did get a interesting wooden card of Reggie Jackson (bottom row, far left).

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