Sunday Dodger Videos: Puig, the Dodgers in the 80's and Friday's Comeback

Here are this Sunday's Dodgers Videos.

ESPN's Sport Science Breaks Down the amazing physical traits of Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig.

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Yasiel Puig, the Most Electrifying Player in Baseball, via ESPN.

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This looks like vintage video of the Dodgers in the 1980's.  You can see Tommy Lasorda, Greg Brock, Mike Scioscia and Mike Marshall.

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Watch a compilation of how every Dodger run scored during Friday's big comback.

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A Vintage 1966 "Tour of Japan" Sandy Koufax "Volpe" Tumbler

This item I ran into a couple of weeks ago is just awesome.  In fact, I made a serious run at winning it on eBay.  Unfortunately, it was not to be. Other, more aggressive buyers got into a bidding war.  It closed at $104.49.

Featured here is a 1966 thermal tumbler/cup featuring the artwork of Nicholas Volpe.  Sports collectors may know his work from a series of American made tumblers made from the mid to late 60's and portrait drawings in later years distributed by Union Oil. 

This particular tumbler is totally unique to me.  The featured Sandy Koufax tumbler was created especially for the Dodgers "Tour of Japan" in 1966, and appears to have been given out by Maruzen Oil.  I do not know if other players exist. 

At a selling price of over $100, it sold at quite a premium.  You can get his American 1960's tumblers for about $10 to $20 a piece.  In 1965 a set of 12 Dodgers were produced and sold as premiums at Union Oil.

Nicholas Volpe won the Tiffany Foundation Art Scholarship Award out of college.  He then studied at New York City's Leonardo da Vinci Art School and became Dean of Arts at Jacksonville College in Florida.  Soon, he began painting portraits and this is where he really started to become well known.  He moved to Hollywood and did work on movie sets, and commissioned work for Union Oil doing drawings of various sports teams.  He even won a lifetime commission from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create Oscar portraits.  Volpe passed away in 1992.  His work was often mass produced and is therefore very affordable.

(Auction Link)

Since we are on the topic of the Volpe tumblers, I thought I would mention something about the Dodger tumblers sold by Union Oil in 1965.  I do not have a complete set of my own, but do have a couple sitting in my collection.  One of these days I'll have to seek the rest of them out.

(Auction Link)

The complete Dodger set consist of 12 tumblers.  See them in the photos above and below.  Players include Sandy Koufax, Tommy Davis, Willie Davis, Ron Fairly, John Kennedy, Jim Lefebvre, Ron Perrankoski, Claude Osteen, John Roseboro, Maury Wills, Wes Parker and Don Drysdale. Only the Drysdale is missing in the photos shown here.  You can check out this lot of Dodger tumblers on this eBay auction, right here.

(Auction Link)

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Blog Kiosk: 8/10/2013 - Dodgers Links -

Andre Ethier was at The Grove yesterday to greet 150 inner-city youth scholars.  Pic via twitter @Dodgers.

• I shouldn't be shocked, but I am.  Via Ross Gasmer at Dodger Nation, "Dodgers News: Jack Clark Accuses Former Dodger Shawn Green Of PED Use". 
• Did you know that Kenley Jansen recently recorded 27 straight outs?  Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Kenley Jansen & his perfect game".
• Panini America just release nearly 100 preview photos of their upcoming 2013 Pinnacle Baseball set that will be released next week.  Check out 3 Dodger cards below.

• The Pedro Guerrero bio at the SABR Biography Project is phenomenal.  Read it here.  (Hat Tip: JP Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers)
• The just returned Dodger beat writer Tony Jackson recently spoke with MikedupRadio.  Listen to it here.  BTW, if you didn't already know, Tony Jackson has returned to write about the Dodgers.  Check out his new site here: DodgerScribe.com.  He will be the first independent Dodger writer/blogger to try out a business model consisting of a paywall (that will be implemented next Spring).  It'll be fascinating to see how that works out.  I've seen it done for politically minded blogs, but I'm unsure if there are any sports blogs/websites doing it.  Is there a market for this?  One thing I would suggest is that you would really need to offer both free and exclusive content in order to both establish and grow your market (like, Talking Points Memo)
• "Paco Rodriguez: The most underrated Dodger?"  Via Mark Saxon at ESPN.
• "Wilson perfect in second rehab outing for Dodgers," via Austin Laymance at MLB.com.

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Some Vintage Dodger Snapshots Found on eBay - 1971 Dodgers Photo Day

The best part about eBay is finding unique, one-of-a-kind memorabilia items.  The best of which are often fan-taken photographic snapshots of your favorite team.  Recently, while perusing eBay I came across a set of 10 photos that fit this description.  See the auction here.

Check out some photos that appear to be from a Photo Day at Dodger Stadium.  According to the seller, they are from the 1971 season.

I'm amazed at how sparse the crowd is.  Nowadays, Photo Day is crowded and often mind-numbing experience.  These pics make it seem like a walk in the park.

(Auction Link)

Below is Pete Mikkelsen.  He was a relief pitcher for the Dodgers.

(Auction Link)

Below is Jose Pena.  He also pitched out of the pen.

(Auction Link)

Below is coach Carroll Beringer.  Carroll spent nearly his entire professional career within the Dodger organization.  He played in the minors from 1946 to 1960 (never getting a cup of coffee), then became a batting practice pitcher from 1961 to 1966, and finally a coach for Walter Alston from 1967 to 1972.  In 1973 he moved to the Philadelphia Phillies.

(Auction Link)

Below is Dodgers pitching coach Red Adams.  He served in that capacity from 1969 to 1980.

(Auction Link)

Al Downing is featured below.  He was the Comeback Player of the Year in 1971.

(Auction Link)

Who else could #11 be but Manny Mota.

(Auction Link)

Here is another photo of Pete Mikkelsen.

(Auction Link)

Rookie pitcher Bob O'Brien is below.  This would be the only year he would pitch in the "Bigs".  He would be traded by the Dodgers at the end of the season to the Baltimore Orioles in a deal that brought Frank Robinson to LA.

(Auction Link)

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Collection: A Mike Scioscia Sports Stars Collectors Coin

Adding to the my recent bounty, I also received the featured coin in the lot of Dodger memorabilia that I recently purchased on eBay.  This item was included with the Don Drysdale Club 53 mug, Jackie Robinson comic and Mondesi figurine that I recently wrote about.

I've never pursued an item like this for my own collection.  I guess I'm just not much of a coin collector.  Nevertheless, it's a nice little item that will find a good home in one of my binders.

It is about the size of a half-dollar and is from a 1992 set called Sports Stars Collector Coins that was produced by a San Juan Capistrano, CA company called Diamond Promotion.  There are 50 coins in the set, and 5 Dodgers are represented.  The other Dodgers are Orel Hershiser, Ramon Martinez, Eddie Murray and Darryl Strawberry.  I won't be actively seeking out the rest of the set, but if I stumble across one I wouldn't be disappointed.  Check out a complete checklist here.

BTW, these coins are fairly inexpensive.  They should only cost a few dollars a piece.

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Blog Kiosk: 8/9/2013 - Dodgers Links - RIP, Joshua Jones

The August edition of Dodgers Magazine features Clayton Kershaw wearing his All-Star jersey and the cover story is highlighted by his fellow All-Stars talking about Kershaw’s dominant pitching.

• RIP, Joshua Jones. I have to tell ya, this really pulled at my heartstrings.  I'm thankful that Kemp and the rest of the Dodgers were able to ease his pain and provide to him a lasting joy.  Joshua really seemed like a good kid with a big heart.  I hope all of Dodger nation takes a moment to remember him. 

• Here's a nice story about Hyun-Jin Ryu's interpreter, Martin Kim at Chosun Media.
• Check out photos from Ryu's game last night via Naver.com.
• The 10th issue of Dodgers Playbill features Dodger outfielder Andre Ethier sporting the Dodger Knit Cap giveaway (August 13 vs. NYM).  See it on the right.
• "Gordon repays Mattingly's confidence," via Chad Thornburg at MLB.com.
• BTW, during this coming Sunday's Viva los Dodgers celebration before the game, Ricky Nolasco will be signing free autographs - starting at 3:05 PM for about 1/2 an hour.
• "Dodgers finally fulfilling the formula," via Arash Markazi at ESPN.

"I think we always knew we were capable of doing something big," Mattingly said. "When we left spring training, we talked about 100 wins. That was our goal. I don't even know what our record is right now. I don't know if that's possible." 

• This is really awesome.  Via Open Culture, "The 10-Minute, Never-Released, Experimental Demo of The Beatles’ “Revolution” (1968)"

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