Blog Kiosk: 1/10/2014 - Dodger Links - Ryu, Kendrick and McCarthy

What a fantastic photo pf Tommy Lasorda, his wife Jo and slugger Darryl Strawberry at a (what I believe is) MTV's "Rock 'N Jock" softball event in January of 1990.  Photo provided via Lasorda on his instagram.

Below are some links to check out:

• Nice find!  Via Orel at Sons of Steve Garvey, "3,311"  Found at the corner of Sunset and Elysian Park - at the main entrance for Dodger Stadium.
• Via Mike Petriello at FanGraphs, "Hyun-Jin Ryu: Quietly Awesome."
• via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Dodgers Winter Development Camp about to get under way – unofficially."
• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Minor-league catcher Pratt Maynard retires."

“I’ve had health issues my whole career,” Maynard said today. “Last year, I had back problems twice. And I felt like it was time to move on. I knew I had the talent to make it, but I knew it was a matter of if I could stay healthy … You have to stay on the field and perform to make it in the big leagues. I just couldn’t stay healthy.”

• Dodger pitcher Brandon McCarthy pens an article for The Players' Tribune, "Hall of Denial."

The question of whether performance enhancing drug (PED) users should be allowed to gain admittance to the Hall of Fame is one that I’ve thought a lot about. Admittedly, it’s a mess. The ramifications extend far and wide, but I believe the answer is to admit those players whose on-field accomplishments merit it and leave history to be the final judge and jury. Ultimately, I believe the greatest injustice would be to leave worthy players—some of whom are objectively among the greatest ever—out of the Hall of Fame, when there very well may be guys already enshrined who have used performance enhancing drugs. 

• Via Jeff Sullivan at Just a Bit Outside, "The Most Quietly-Excellent Aspect of the Quietly Excellent Howie Kendrick."

So Kendrick didn't pop-up once over a full season. Now, he wasn't the only one. Last year, Shin-Soo Choo didn't register a pop-up. Neither did Joe Mauer. Christian Yelich only popped up on the very last day of the season. But, Kendrick batted a lot more often than Choo or Mauer did. And, this isn't just a 2014 phenomenon. It's not just that Kendrick didn't pop up -- it's that Kendrick has always only very seldom popped up. And that's an indicator of the very thing that makes him successful at the plate.

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Garrett Gould, Ross Stripling on road back from Tommy John surgery."

“I just passed nine months, so I’m in the stage where I’m about to really start ramping everything up,” Stripling said Friday. “I took the holidays off — I was in Arizona right before Christmas, and that’s when I started flipping a couple of curveballs and changeups for the first time. Everything went great with that.

• Via Scott Andes at Lasorda's Lair, "Longtime Dodger Scott Elbert Signs With The Padres."

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2014 Panini National Treasures - Some of the Dodger Relic Cards

I am finally getting around to putting up photos of some of the Dodger cards that can be found in boxes of 2014 Panini National Treasures.  The set was released last week and features many current and old-tyme Dodger players.  As always, this Panini product is unlicensed by MLB, so there are no team logos or emblems.  Go here for a complete checklist of this set.  Below are some of the Dodger relic cards that can be found.  Next week I'll have more.

Colossal Jersey

#29 Yasiel Puig                             #36 Dee Gordon

#47 Hyun-Jin Ryu

Blog Kiosk: 1/9/2014 - Dodger Links - Mattingly, Rollins and Pedro Martinez

Let's hope we get to experience one of these later this year - a World Series version.  Featured above is a vintage ACME press photo dated October 4, 1949 that I ran into on eBay.  Go here to check out the auction.  Per the captions attached to the reverse:

"DODGERS' VICTORY PARADE.  Brooklyn, N.Y.:  Motorcade bearing members of the National League Champion Brooklyn Dodgers makes its way down Flatbush Avenue to the cheers of thousands of fans.  The baseball heroes received an official welcome at borough hall on the eve of the World Series."

Below are some links to check out:

• Tommy Lasorda is now on instagram.  Go here to follow him: @tommy2lasorda.
• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Mattingly: LA 'more of a team' after roster turnover."

"I just feel it's more of a team," said Mattingly. "The club last year won 94 games. We were a little crazy, but that's who we were. Nothing wrong with that. But I think the pieces will fit together better [in 2015]."

• Via Matthew Moreno at Dodgers Nation, "Jimmy Rollins Answers Questions From Fans On Twitter."
• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Clubhouse leadership top priority for Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins."

“My first question [to Dodgers manager Don Mattingly] was about leadership; What was the leadership in the clubhouse? Who does what? Who’s quiet? Who speaks out?” Rollins said. “And he gave me the run down and pretty much there letting me know how he wants me to fit in and what my role should be, not on the field but in the clubhouse, and trying to be the glue that holds everything together.”

• Via Ian Browne at MLB.com, "Brotherly bond helped Pedro on path to Cooperstown."

"Well, Ramon was my hero," Pedro Martinez said. "I used to carry Ramon's bag to the different fields where he played before he was a pro. I just wanted to see my brother play. My brother was a super, super player."

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Corey Seager tops 2015 Dodgers top 10 prospects list at Baseball Prospectus."
• Awesome!  Via Mike Oz at Big League Stew, "Yasiel Puig acknowledges he's the Bart Simpson of baseball."

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Blog Kiosk: 1/8/2015 - Dodger Links - Jimmie Rollins and Another Kershaw Award

Yesterday was National Bobblehead Day, so in celebration the Dodgers unveiled their first bobble of the upcoming 2015 season.  It is Clayton Kershaw's Cy Young/MVP bobble that will be given out to fans on Tuesday, May 12th.  Check out a pic of it above.  Graphic via @Dodgers on twitter.

Below are some links to check out:

• Have you always wanted to work for the Dodgers?  Do you have experience in video work.  Check out this job listing by the Dodgers for a Junior Producer/Editor here.
• Clayton Kershaw & Mike Trout were named 2014 Sportsmen of the Year by the Los Angeles Sports Council.  Per a press release:

The Los Angeles Sports Council has named Angels outfielder Mike Trout and Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw as the 2014 Sportsmen of the Year. Each player won the Most Valuable Player Award in their respective league, which is the first time an Angel and a Dodger have been so recognized in the same year.

The pair will be honored during the 10th Annual LA Sports Awards, presented by Coca-Cola, which will be held on Sunday, March 15 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The LA Sports Awards are presented annually by the Sports Council to celebrate the greatest moments of the year in sports in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. 

This is the second time Kershaw has won the award and he is the first two-time winner.  He was named the Sportsmen of the Year in 2011.  You can check out the LA Sports Council website here.

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "The footballiest Dodger games of all time."
• r/clarkbarniner at reddit shared some great photographs featuring Pedro Martinez as a Great Falls Dodger (rookie league).  He was 18 years old at the time.  Check those pics out here.
• Via Chad Thornburg at MLB.com, "Rollins ready to 'be a part of something special' in LA."

"There was only one place I wanted to go if I left Philadelphia and that was Los Angeles -- a place that has history, a place that wants to win, and I wanted to be a part of something special and somehow have an impact on that," Rollins said. "It wasn't happening in Philly at the moment, so I'm not surprised. I'm just glad it happened."

The photo on the right was taken by Dodger photographer Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015. Go here to check out some photos from Jon SooHoo of Rollins' press conference yesterday. 

• Here's a video of the $1Mil appraisal of a 19th Century Baseball collection that aired on the Antique Roadshow earlier this week.  What a fantastic find and a great story.  BTW, the appraisal is likely way too high.  The scorecards (the pics with ornate borders) are not one-of-kind and are poorly trimmed - known as Mort Rogers Scorecards.  The CDV's, on the other hand, are scarce.  Also, the autographed letter is just awesome.

Video Link:

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I'l Play the Wallet Card Game! A Bulldog in My Pocket

A new sensation has hit the sports/card collector blog community, and I can't help but join in on the fun.  Conceived by card blogger named defgav at Baseball Card Breakdown, it is called the 'Wallet Card' game and is really simple to join.  All you need to do is pick a single card from your collection (a dupe or a card you don't mind ruining) and keeping it in your wallet for the entire year.  Preferably, it should be a card that makes you smile.  Then, from time to time, put up a little report on it's condition and whereabouts on your blog (and maybe other social media sites).

Simple enough, right?

Well, it took me far longer than expected to pick which card to carry around.  It wasn't an easy decision, but I think it was the right one.  Check it out above.  It is a 1989 Donruss "59 and Counting" card of Orel Hershiser, #468.  It highlights Orel's fantastic scoreless innings streak during the 1988 season and the highly coordinated skill of juggling (something I could never master).

As for the rejected cards for the 'Wallet Card' game, I figured I would show some of them below.

At first I focused primarily on Dodger players; such as Mike Scioscia and Hiroki Kuroda (two of my faves).  Then I thought, "why not Roger McDowell?"  After all, nearly all of his Dodger cards are hilarious in some way, and the card below of him wearing a 'Lasorda University' shirt is one the best.  Or, how about Bobby Ojeda receiving lessons from Tommy on how to hold a certain pitch while trying not to bust out laughing.  Of course, I couldn't just ignore the the Stanley Cup Champion Kings and their lovable mascot Bailey.

Soon, I started thinking about just humor - like, what cards make me laugh regardless of team.  Below is a sample of some of the cards that came to mind. 

At the end, the Orel Hershiser card won out for obvious reasons.  It represents the Dodgers last truly great moment.  When the mastery of an ace, who had an unbelievable season, lead the boys to the promised land.  And I'll be sure to take the card and it's 'feel-good' memories around with me everywhere.

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Blog Kiosk: 1/7/2015 - Dodger Links - Pedro, Piazza and McCarthy

In honor of his election to the Hall of Fame yesterday, Dodger photographer Jon SooHoo shared a handful of photos from his archive featuring Pedro Martinez; including the above pic of Pedro with his brother Ramon from 1993.  Go here to check out more photos from him.  He even shares some shots of Randy Johnson; who was a student and photographer for the school paper at USC before turning pro. 

Below are some links to check out:

• Check out Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS projections for the 2015 Dodgers at FanGraphs here.
• Via Anthony DiComo at MLB.com, "Piazza gains in voting, still falls short of Hall of Fame."

"I can only say that there's been a lot of great players throughout history that have had to wait their turn," Piazza said last month. "Joe DiMaggio had three ballots. Yogi Berra had three ballots. And that's part of the process.

"For me, it's not really my place, I feel, to start campaigning. I can only say that I'm proud of my work and I'm proud of my career. I'll put my numbers against a lot of players in history, and I feel that's all I can do."

• Via Mark Langill at Dodger Insider, "Pedro Martinez and the Dodgers: What might have been …"
• Via Mike Bauman at MLB.com, "Pedro's lofty accomplishments belied his small stature."

"That was the result of the negativity around me, telling me, 'No, you can't,' when I knew I could," Martinez said Tuesday. "That transformed my mind and my body."

• Brandon McCarthy makes me laugh, via a tweet from yesterday:

@BMcCarthy32 ugh
— Amanda McCarthy (@Mrs_McCarthy32) January 6, 2015

• Heck, the Dodger are like one big happy family.  Check out this exchange on twitter from yesterday:

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