Blog Kiosk: 12/30/2013 - Dodgers Links -

Take a look at the limited edition Vin Scully 2014 Rose Parade Grand Marshall pin, pic via @Dodgers on twitter.  Now, how do I get one of these?  UPDATE:  Via reader Bruce, he tells us that you can get the pins at sites around the parade and you can order online, here.  Thanks, Bruce!

• Sons of Steve Garvey shares some recent photos from Dodger Stadium; including some construction work that will finally connect the outfield pavilion with the rest of the stadium.
• Via Tom Hoffarth at the LA Daily News, "The Los Angeles Sports Person of the Year: Yasiel Puig is the real deal".  This announcement was the day before his arrest for speeding.  Maybe, he was so excited he just couldn't contain himself.

“I’m happy and proud to hear about this,” Puig said from Miami on Friday night. “I am happy that the fans of L.A. have supported me all the time, and supported the team, and I hope they do the same next year. Thank you to the fans and I will do the best I can for all of them next season.”

• Dodger photographer Jon SooHoo shares a great photograph of Vin Scully from the Dodgers Annual Western BBQ at Dodgertown in 2008.
• Via Bill Plaschke at the LA Times, "As Yasiel Puig speeds down reckless path, Dodgers hold their breath".

"He plays hard, he eats hard, he drives hard, he does everything hard," said Tim Bravo, a high school teacher who was employed by the Dodgers last summer to serve as Puig's full-time companion and mentor.

• Via Bill Shaikin and Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times, "MLB asks Masahiro Tanaka's club for promise of no side deals".  There is some speculation that free agent Tanaka will be giving his former Japanese team a kickback to let him go to MLB.

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Puig, Just Can't Drive 55

I've been as sick as a dog the past few days, so imagine my surprise when I finally decided to get onto the interwebs this morning and saw the most recent Dodger news.  Yasiel Puig has gotten arrested again.

Per Naples News.com,

Los Angeles Dodger all-star Yasiel Puig was arrested around 9:30 a.m. Saturday on a reckless driving charge after he was caught speeding at 110 mph on Alligator Alley section of Interstate 75, according to Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Greg Bueno.

Come on now, really?

I know it's fun to drive fast, but you've got to be kidding me.  This is the 2nd time in the past year he's been captured for speeding.  As you may recall, back in April he was clocked going 97 mph in Chattanooga.  Fortunately for him, those charges were recently dismissed.  Otherwise, who knows what kind of hurt he would be in.  As of now, he has been released on a $500 bond.

The drama surrounding Puig just doesn't want to stop.

This afternoon the Dodgers released the following statement:

“We have spoken to Yasiel and made it clear that we, as an organization, are very disappointed in his recent behavior. This is a very serious issue to us and we will continue to educate him and strive to further develop his growth off the field and as a member of this community.”

BTW, the headline I used was an homage to a Sammy Hagar song, "I Can't Drive 55".  Watch the music video below.

Video Link:

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Blog Kiosk: 12/27/2013 - Dodgers Links -

Above is a pic of the Dodgers Spring Training facility in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1946.  Pic via @Dodgers_History on twitter.

• Eric Stephen at True Blue LA has the "J.P. Howell contract details".

The contract is worth a guaranteed $11.25 million, and could be worth as much as $17.25 million over three years, not counting any incentives.

• Eric also shares, "Juan Uribe contract details".

Uribe will be paid a signing bonus of $2 million, then will receive salaries of $6.5 million in both 2014 and 2015, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. He will also receive $1 million in 2014 as a deferred signing bonus from his previous three-year, $21 million contract with Los Angeles.

• Via Joel Sherman at the NY Post, "Sizing up the Yankees’ 8 biggest Tanaka challengers".  Unsurprisingly, the Dodgers are considered their top challenger to his services.
• Via Ray Guilfoyle at Fake Teams, "Alexander Guerrero: ZIPS optimistic on Dodgers second baseman".
• Joe Posnanski on his blog writes a great piece about Hall of Fame voting and the quagmire PED's has created.  For the most part, I agree with him.  The BBWAA is a poor avenue for deciding who deserves enshrinement, and the HOF needs to show some leadership.  That being said, I believe the best route is to have the BBWAA reject all players tainted (rumored), and the HOF should let the peers (i.e. current HOF'ers) form special committee's to decide who is worthy.  
• The Dodgers are a class organization, via Nick Punto's twitter:

The @dodgers oooz with class!! Xmas gift even though I'm not affiliated anymore. pic.twitter.com/OlAGOOUbf0
— Nick Punto (@Shredderpunto) December 24, 2013

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2013 Bowman Sterling Baseball - the Dodgers Base Cards

Baseball cards just keep on comin'.

Last week, Topps released their newest Baseball set - 2013 Bowman Sterling.  It is a high-end offering that typically focuses on rookies and young rising future stars.  There are numerous Dodger autographed cards available, and I will share those soon.  For today, I show the Dodger base cards to the set.  See them below.

Rookie Cards

#8 Matt Magill                                     #17 Hyun-Jin Ryu

#32 Yasiel Puig

Prospect Cards

#BSP-23 Joc Pederson

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New Fantasy Cards for JP Howell and Juan Uribe to Celebrate their Re-Signing

After weeks of speculation and press confirmation, the Dodgers finally made the re-signing of both JP Howell and Juan Uribe official.  In fact, they made their announcement on Christmas Eve, but it was far too late for me to put up a post at that time. 

In belated celebration, I made a couple of fantasy Dodger cards for them.  See them above.  I used photos taken by Dodgers photgrapher Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.  BTW, only an official team announcement about the re-signing of Brian Wilson remains.  I would expect that will happen at any time. 

Ned Colletti had this to say about JP Howell, via a Dodgers press release:

"J.P. proved to be a very valuable pitcher us," said Colletti. "Not only did he help us achieve success, but his demeanor and competitiveness were real positives in the clubhouse."

And about Juan Uribe, via a Dodgers press release:

"Juan was a major player in our success last season," said Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti. "His play at third base, leadership in the clubhouse and clutch hitting helped the club immensely."

I would say that the Dodgers job is done.  They are bringing back most of the crew from this past season, and I am hopeful this will be enough to send us to the playoffs.  What happens then is anybody's guess.  I just believe that all management can do is put us in the best position possible, and I think it's fair to say that they've done that.  Now, it's time for them to play the games.

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Blog Kiosk: 12/26/2013 - Dodgers Links - Crawford Getting Married, Tanaka to be Posted and the Dodgers Winter is Basically Done

Matt Kemp was sure to wish everybody a Merry Christmas yesterday on instagram.

• Via Doug Miller at MLB.com, "Hollywood Dodgers wrote a heck of a script in '13".

If Hollywood executives in search of the next blockbuster script had only looked to the nearby Los Angeles neighborhood known as Chavez Ravine, maybe they wouldn't have resorted to that one extra remake of a bad TV sitcom.

As it turned out, "The 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers" turned out to be one heck of a flick, replete with a huge budget, an engaging cast of characters, a plot line nobody could predict, and a pulsating soundtrack of stadium cheers.

• The Dodgers winter in pretty much done, via a tweet from Ken Gurnick.

Colletti said he's "pretty much done" for the off-season unless something "presents itself." A utility infielder is a possibility, he said.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) December 24, 2013

• Carl Crawford is getting married, via Ashleigh Binder at Sports As Told by a Girl.

First, we found out she was  carrying his baby and now the couple revealed that they are engaged! The former Mrs. Ochocinco has now moved on to her new man, Dodgers slugger Carl Crawford. 

• I guess it'll be official soon.  Via ESPN, Masahiro Tanaka will be posted and made available to MLB teams.  I suspect the Dodgers would be willing to pay the maximum posting fee ($20Mil), along with several other teams.  Then, the wooing begins.  Tanaka will get to decide which team he goes to.

For 30 days from the time a player is posted, any MLB team can attempt to sign the player. It pays the posting fee only if it signs the player. A player who is not signed may not be posted again until the following Nov. 1.

Tachibana said his team is happy to retain Tanaka if he does not reach an agreement with an MLB team.

The new posting system was negotiated after some MLB teams objected that only the richest clubs could afford to bid on top Japanese players.

Under the previous agreement, which began in 1998 and ran through last offseason, there was no cap on bidding and only the highest bidder could negotiate with the player.

• LA Kings blog Mayor's Manor made a great t-shirt about Tommy Lasorda.   Get it here.  As you may know, Tommy has dropped the opening puck at numerous Kings games over the years, and he has a strange way of doing it.  He walks up to center ice, never acknowledges the opposing player, barely acknowledges the Kings player, drops the puck and immediately walks away.  It's hilarious.  Watch his puck drop from Monday, here.  

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