Friday, November 22, 2013

Blog Kiosk: 11/22/2013 - Dodgers Links - Young, Ryu, Puig ands Seager


The Dodgers held their 9th annual turkey giveaway for needy families yesterday afternoon.  Pic above via Jon SooHoo/La Dodgers 2013.
  • Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Michael Young – The Dodgers’ 2013 Invisible Man".
  • Awesome!  Matt Monagan at Cut4 breaks down a video of Hyun-Jin Ryu bloopers from a ramen noodle commercial he recently did.
  • Craig Calcaterra at Hardball Talk breaks down the postseason playoff shares.  Dodger players received $108,037.06 each, 58 players received full shares, 11.5 partial shares and 8 cash awards.
  • Blowout Cards shares some preview images of some Yasiel Puig patch cards that will be in 2013 Panini America's Pastime Baseball card set.  See them below.  Go here to see more preview images.
  • Via Chad Moriyama writes, "Kirk Gibson latest D-Backs figure to join franchise’s faux macho BS press tour against Dodgers".
  • Chad Moriyama also writes, "An interview with prospect Corey Seager during the Arizona Fall League".
  • Via @toppscards on twitter - An early look at 2014 Heritage.  Check out the Kemp card below.


  • This is just creepy.  Mike Oz at Big League Stew tells us about the Shane Victorino and David Ortiz playoff beard hair currently for sale on eBay.
  • BTW, the Dodgers will have a Blue Friday sale at Dodger Stadium after Thanksgiving.



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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Baseball in Australia - Video of Some Baseball Feats from Down Under


As you surely know, AJ Ellis is on a grand Australian tour to promote the upcoming Opening Series games in March.  Yesterday, I posted up some pics of the promotional event.  Go here to check that out.  You can also watch a video of AJ hanging out with Australian cricket legend Allan Border at Sydney's Manly Beach.  Go here to view that.

As Border mentions in the video, he's been a fan of the American game for a long time.  He even says that he played it as a youth - before he started playing cricket, so the sports has a long history on the continent. 

Considering that, it shouldn't be surprising that their players have gained a fair amount of skill.  Maybe even an expertise that has eluded ballplayers in the states.

To see what I mean, check out a couple of videos put together by some ballplayers who play for the Melbourne Aces, below. 

Now, I'm not going to say that these are 100% real (without some computer hijinks thrown in), but I do want to believe this is possible.  And, why not? 

If other sports can have their trick shots, why not Baseball?

Here, blindfolded Melbourne Aces catcher Brad Harman takes on 2 hockey players.

Video Link:

Melbourne Aces player Scott Wearne gets a 7-10 split with baseballs at AMF Watergardens.

Video Link:

Pic at the very top via @Dodgers on twitter.

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Blog Kiosk: 11/21/2013 - Dodgers Links - Kemp Wants to Stay, Dodgers Lose Tolleson and Hershiser


AJ Ellis is making friends in Australia.  Pic via @Dodgers on twitter.
"It's just an honor to be chosen to represent the Dodgers and talk about the upcoming games and be a small part of this once-in-a-lifetime event," said Ellis. "I was fortunate enough to travel with the club to Beijing in 2008, but these games actually count. Sitting next to Patrick (Corbin) and talking about meaningful games with our divisional rival is really getting the competitive juices going."
“Nobody wants to have their name thrown around with all the different teams,” (Dave) Stewart (Kemp's agent) said. “In our conversations, what we’ve come to is that if it does happen, the only thing we can hope for is that he goes to a team with an opportunity to win. That’s first and foremost, if it does happen.
  • The Dodgers lose reliever Shawn Tolleson to the Rangers on a waiver claim, via @MLBRosterMoves on twitter.  He was injured for most of 2013.  Still, the fact that he was left unprotected is a huge surprise.  I had thought he would be an effective arm out of the pen, someday.  The Dodgers must not feel good about how he is healing.
  • Emma at Dodger Blue World notes that former Brooklyn Dodgers Rod Miller passed away earlier this month.  Here is an obituary.  RIP, Rod Miller.
  • Via Steven Choi at Arirang News, "Ryu Hyun-jin Baseball Field to be erected in Incheon".
  • In preparation for the Rule 5 Draft, the Dodgers added 3 players to their 40-man roster, via a tweet from the Dodgers.  This is a major stepping stone for these young players.  It often means that they are likely to be called up to LA at some point soon.



  • For those interested, the Professional Baseball Scout Foundation dinner will be in Los Angeles in January.  Go here for details.
  • Via John Thorn at Our Game, "Some Baseball Tricks: The Unfair Means by Which Some Games Were Won in the 1860s".


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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Yasiel Puig is the Man About Town - He Held a Clinic for Young Ballplayers, Visits Sick Kids and is Named GQ's "Phenom of the Year"


Yasiel Puig has been very busy.  Heck, he's been all over Los Angeles.  He's been spotted everywhere; most notably at the Staples Center watching Lakers basketball.  It's his exploits with kids, though, that should be getting the headlines.

Yesterday, he visited Children's Hospital Los Angeles with Pau Gasol.  Jon SooHoo has a bunch of photos available to look through, here.

Then, on Monday, he lead a group of 50 youngsters in a Baseball clinic at Dodger Stadium.  See Jon SooHoo's pics, here.  Also, there is a great video of the event below.


Video Link:
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Today, we learn that GQ has named him the "Phenom of the Year".  Their newest issue has a nice spread on him; including the photos below.  They also spoke with his roommate and handler, Tim Bravo, and share some great quotes.  Go here to view it.

From a GQ press release:
“The Dodgers told me: Don’t let him get in trouble,” Bravo says. “You would never, never believe what it was like to be involved with Puigmania. We couldn't go anywhere without him getting mobbed.” And when it came to adjusting to life in the US, Bravo shares that there were a few things that took Puigaback: At first, he couldn't believe the big-league Gatorade selection—'Ay, Teacher, muchos colores de Gatorade!' He loved that he could watch The Three Stooges whenever he wanted.”
(Photo Credit: Martin Schoeller / GQ)

 (Photo Credit: Martin Schoeller / GQ)
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AJ's Excellent Australian Adventure



As you know, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks are schedule to open Major League Baseball in late March at the Sydney Cricket Grounds in Australia.  So, with Baseball on its winter break, why not send some folks down south to spread word about the event?   AJ Ellis and Diamondbacks pitcher Patrick Corbin were the lucky guys chosen for the promotional junket, and I'm sure their teammates are super-jealous.  What lucky duckies, eh?

In the land down under, it's the end of Spring with Summer fast approaching.  The sun is out and folks are enjoying the season with all the joy you'd expect.  Heck, even Baseball, Australian style, has begun anew.  It's the perfect environment to get Aussies excited for Major League Baseball.

Both Ellis and Corbin have been meeting fans, young players and the viewing public the past several days.  Check out some photo's I grabbed of their travels from social media.

Here's press conference featuring Ellis and Corbin with former MLB'er Justin Huber (member of Team Australia).  It was announced that both teams will play Australia's national team as a warm-up to the Opening Series match-up. BTW, they also did a Live Blog Chat for FoxSports Australia that you can view here.
(pic via @DBacks on twitter)

AJ met up with Peter Moylan in Sydney.  Moylan is a native Australian and spent most of last season with the Dodgers farm club in Albuquerque.
(pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

(pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

Here they are on Manly Beach.  There's a joke in there, somewhere.
(pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

Check out more pics at MLB's facebook page, here and here.
(pic via @SydneyBlueSox on twitter)

Here are a couple quotes from the the always quotable AJ Ellis.


AJ is right.  Baseball at the Sydney Cricket Ground will be special.  From my understanding the games are already sold out.  Check out a seating chart here.


And, below is a view of, I think, where the back stop will be at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
(pic via @DBacks on twitter)

And, here's a video.

Video Link:

Pic at the very top via @ABLeague on twitter

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Blog Kiosk: 11/20/2013 - Dodgers Links - Vin Scully, Colletti Speaks and Puig Visited CHLA


Yasiel Puig and Pau Gasol of the Lakers visited the Children's Hospital Los Angeles yesterday.  Pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.  See more pics here.
Ruth was hated by McGraw, Pele is dissed by Maradona, and so on throughout history. Lather, rinse, repeat. But Scully is a secular saint, beyond reproach, St. Vinny of Wherever You May Be.

"It's gonna be a lot of fun even for our fans here in Southern California, to have the oppurtunity to go to Dodger Stadium to see a hockey game; let's face it, it's not going to happen too often, not sure if it'll happen again."

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