Official Bubbles are coming to Dodger Stadium

Have no fear, folks!  Bubbles are coming back.

And I don't mean the celebratory soapy blobs often found emanating from the dugout last year.  Instead, you will find bubbles floating around Dodger Stadium due to a recent agreement making Gazillion Bubbles the “Official Bubbles of the Los Angeles Dodgers” for the 2015 MLB season.

Yeah, they did that.

From what I understand, Gazillion will activate a "Foam Party" at every Sunday pregame Viva Los Dodgers event this year, and host bubble parties at the kids' zone at Dodger Stadium on select days.  Apparently, a Gazillion Bubble-blowing car and a giant Monsoon bubble machine will be making appearances.  

You read that right, they have a car that blows bubbles!

Anyway, there is no word yet on if there will be a branded Dodger bubble machine available, but one can only hope.

BTW, Gazillion will also host four separate giveaways (April 19th, April 29th, May 2nd & June 5th) this season.  Exact details have yet to be released.  I understand, though, that they'll give stuff away during the Viva Los Dodgers events.

(The Gazillion Bubble-blowing car)

Below is a video Gazillion provided of their Monsoon bubble machine.  That thing is huge.

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Campanella's Contract, Labine's Lifetime MLB Pass and Roger Craig WS Watch at REA

Following up on yesterdays post featuring some Brooklyn Dodger relics from Ebbets Field and the front office, I now share with you some player related memorabilia to gawk at. 

Below is Roger Craig's 1955 Dodgers World Series Championship watch.  For the Dodgers very first championship each player received a ring and a watch.  Unlike the rings, very few of these watches remain.  Check out the auction here.

(Auction Link)

(Auction Link)

How great would it be to be a bearer of one of these? 

All Major League ballplayers with a certain amount of playing time within the league (I'm uncertain what that is today 8 years for players and 25 years from front office executives) receive a Lifetime Pass to enter into any Major League Baseball game, and below is former Dodger Clem Labine's pass.  It was given to him in 1959.

These items are certainly unique and highly desirable to collectors.  It is the size of a credit card and is made of metal.  The one's I've seen at card shows are far more shinier than this one.  As the auction description states, this pass has moderate tarnishing, including surface blemishes.  No doubt it was well used by Labine.

(Auction Link)

Last year, Roy Campanella's player contract for the 1947 season with the Nashua Dodgers came up for sale (you can see my post about it here), available at REA today is his 1946 Nashua Dodgers contract.  Check it out below.  This is his very first contract with a Major League affiliated club.

Per the auction description:

The one-year agreement calls for Campanella to receive a salary of $185 per month for the 1946 season. However, in addition to his monthly salary, a special clause grants Campanella a bonus of $2,400, payable in unequal quarterly installments. That bonus is important, because otherwise his monthly salary would have amounted to just $1,100 for the season, which was $2,000 less than we was making as a member of the Elite Giants in the Negro League the year prior. 

The following year, 1947, he was granted a monthly raise to $250.00.  BTW, the 1947 contract sold for $7,170 through Heritage Auctions last year.

(Auction Link)

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Blog Kiosk: 4/7/2015 - Dodger Links - Rollins Big Opening Day, SportsNet LA and Don Zimmer

Jimmie Rollins received an obligatory liquid bath (watch it here, via StadiumBound) from his teammates after a stellar performance at the plate on opening Day against the Padres.  He has no doubt adorned himself to Dodger fans the world over.  Rollins recorded two hits on the evening; including the eventually game-winning three-run home run (Earl Weaver style) in the 8th inning to put the Dodger on top for good.  The photo above is via @Dodgers on twitter.  BTW, you can check out a whole bunch of fantastic photos of the day from Jon SooHoo here.

Clayton Kershaw was good - just not good enough.  He went six innings in a no-decision, recorded nine strike outs and walked two.  New addition Chris Hatcher recorded the first Dodger save of the season.  BTW, Matt Kemp was his old self for the Padres.  He bested Kershaw by getting two hits against him (including a double) and drive in all three runs against our ace.

On a side note, I've seen photos of the Fried Dodger Dog that is now available at Dodger Stadium and I am not impressed.  You can see it here via a tweet from Arash Markazi of ESPN.  I had figured that it would be breaded (kinda like a corn-dog) and fried, but no.  Instead, it looks like a wrinkled and over-done dog.  I'm a little disappointed with what I've seen.  The Meatball Marinara Cone, on the other hand, looks fantastic.

Below are some links to check out:

• Per CBSLA.com, 60 people were given citations for drinking alcohol in Elysian Park on Opening Day. 
• Howard Cole at Forbes shares his recent interview with a talking head at Time Warner regarding the SportsNet LA blackout.  Check it out here.  Based on the complete lack of response from the spokesman, I think it's fair to say that you should not expect any movement towards a broadcast deal for the 70% of customers any time soon.
• Via Jane Wells at CNBC, "Dodgers CEO on TV shutout: 'It's a difficult blow for us.'"

"For us to still have this many fans unhappy, it's a difficult blow for us," said team President and CEO Stan Kasten in an exclusive interview with CNBC. He called the standoff the most difficult customer relations challenge he's ever faced. "I don't know when the solution will come, but it's not for lack of trying, and until it's fixed, we won't give up." 

• BTW, Sling TV CEO (a part of Dish) publicly stated that they are opposed to the Comcast-TWC merger, via a Bloomberg video. 
• Via Corey Brock at MLB.com, "Cheerful Kemp returns to LA with 'good feelings.'"  As you know, Kemp received a standing ovation prior to his first at-bat (JP Hoornstra shares a video here), then received a chorus of boo's during his second (after knocking in a run against Kershaw).

"Weird," Kemp said. "This is my first time on this [visiting] side, so it's a little different, but I've got good feelings about being here today.

• Kershaw's Challenge has released new t-shirts for the 2015 season.  Go here to check them out.  Clayton is modelling it below.  As you know, proceeds benefit Clayton Kershaw's charity.

• Panini America unveiled a bunch of preview pics of their upcoming 2015 Stars & Stripes USA Baseball card set, and Dodger prospect Corey Seager will be in it.  Check out a couple of Seager's cards below.  Go here to check out the other cards in the set.  I am unsure if there are other Dodger players in the set.  BTW, it releases this coming Friday.

• Awesome!  Via Lane DeGregory at the Tampa Bay Times, "Don Zimmer's wife documented every day of his 66 years in pro baseball (w/video)."  Heck, it goes all the way back to high school - when they first met.

"I started it our senior year, just saving everything," she said. She bought the scrapbook at a dime store, along with some of those cardboard corners people used to use to hold pictures.

After doing her homework and having dinner with her parents, and when she wasn't cheering for Don at a game, she would sit in her room with a stack of newspapers, clipping stories about her boyfriend, underlining each mention of his name.

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Some Brooklyn Dodger Rarities Available at REA

One of the more anticipated sports memorabilia auctions in the hobby just opened up, and there are some fantastic Dodger related collectibles up for sale.  Over the next few days I'll share some of my favorites from the REA Spring Auction.  You can check out the entire REA catalog here.

I thought I start by taking a look at some notable Brooklyn Dodger memorabilia.  Featured below is a circa 1950's Brooklyn Dodgers usher's cap dating from Ebbets Field. According to the consignor, it was found in a secondhand store in Brooklyn in the 1970's.

(Auction Link)

I first spoke about this next item back in January.  Featured below is the Brooklyn Dodgers official ledger (penned by Charles Ebbets) showing the teams day-to-day financial operations from April 1899 to December 1900. That's right.  This tattered book tells us everything about how they funded and operating the franchise during its more formative years.

According to the owner, it was originally retrieved from the trash as works crews began tearing down Ebbets Field after the Dodgers left for Los Angeles for the 1959 season.  I can only imagine what other items might have been discarded at that time.

(Auction Link)

Hidden these pages are player salaries, gate receipts and even the mundane cost of mowing the grass.  Via the auction description:

This book is a treasure trove of financial information. All incoming and outgoing funds of the club are recorded. Included are the exact attendance records for Brooklyn's games, with gate receipts broken down by seat prices. Also recorded are all of the concession sales, including peanuts, refreshments, and scorecards. Included on the expenditure side are both player and employee salaries (team owner Charles Ebbets' salary is also recorded numerous times, including in his own hand), as well as the cost for general repair and maintenance of Washington Park, equipment (balls, bats, uniforms, etc.), team stationery, newspaper advertising, a subscription to the Sporting News, and, of course, peanuts (150 pounds of peanuts cost $7.75 in 1900). Players on this powerhouse team include stars such as Hughie Jennings, Joe Kelley, Joe McGinnity, and Willie Keeler, as well as manager Ned Hanlon (all future Hall of Famers). With that remarkable roster of talent, Brooklyn captured the pennant in both 1899 and 1900. Each of the future Hall of Fame players is listed numerous times in the ledger with regard to salary payments and special compensation. The ledger also records the payment of fines to the National League levied against Kelley, Keeler, and Bill Dahlen in 1899; bonuses to McGraw and Wilbert Robinson in 1900; etc. In short, virtually all financial information relating to the business of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1899 and 1900, this volume was Charles Ebbets' single most important record of the club's finances.

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Kershaw Pitches for Subway - Watch his First Commercial

Back in November it was announced that Clayton Kershaw, along with the Angels slugger Mike Trout, would be pitchmen for the Subway sandwich chain.  As I understand it, Kershaw would frequent Subway before each start for his pregame meal, so the pairing made a lot of sense. 

With Opening Day officially here, the first commercial featuring him has been released.  I first saw it during the Easter Sunday game between the Cubs and Cardinals yesterday afternoon.  If you missed it then you can watch it below.  Per the video description, his go-to sandwich is a Turkey and Cheese on 9-Grain Wheat with Jalapeños, Mustard and a little bit of Vinegar.

Video Link:

In case you are interested, here is the Mike Trout commercial.

Video Link:

Photo at the very top, via via Bill Shaikin on twitter.

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Blog Kiosk: 4/6/2015 - Dodger Links - RIP, Billy DeLury

Longtime Dodger employee and constant fixture around everything Dodgers, Bill DeLury, passed away over the weekend.  He joined the club in 1950, the same year Vin Scully became an broadcaster, and did just about every job imaginable for the club as he rose up the ladder.  For 20 years he was the teams traveling secretary, and in recent years was the assistant to the broadcasters and to the traveling secretary.  No doubt, he will be sorely missed.

Per a Dodger press release:

“Billy's consistent dedication and outstanding character were both an inspiration in our front office as well as a daily reminder of our roots in Brooklyn,” Dodger president and CEO Stan Kasten said. “His presence will be missed by all who knew him.”

“I was privileged to know Bill DeLury for more than 60 years from the time he was an office boy in Brooklyn and rose to become a most valuable member of the organization as our traveling secretary,” said Vin Scully. “A Dodger from head to toe.  A respected baseball man.  And a deeply religious husband and father. Anyone and everyone in baseball who knew Bill will mourn his passing and he will be truly missed.”

Mark Langill, the Dodgers official historian, pens a great piece at Dodger Insider in his honor, here.  Evan Bladh at Think Blue LA also has an excellent piece worth checking out, here.

Photo at the very top is of Billy DeLury being introduced at Dodgertown in 1995, via Jon SooHoo.  Check out more pics from Jon's vault of DeLury here.  Below are some links to check out:

• Via Megan Zahneis at MLB.com, "Proud new father Kershaw set for action."

"You are never bored. You always have something to do. She is starting to have a real personality and loves to smile," Kershaw said with a smile lighting up his face. "It is pretty fun."

• Ryu on the mend.  Via a tweet from Ken Gurnick:

Ryu begins throwing Monday.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) April 4, 2015

• Via Anthony Witrado at ESPN, "Dodgers add another arm in Scott Baker."  Also, via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Dodgers acquire Minor League pitcher (Rudy) Owens from Oakland."  Both of these are minor league deals.  They add additional depth to the Dodgers and both will report to AAA.
• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Mattingly says analytics have yielded new insights."

“As we’re learning more about it, seeing a different set of numbers and ways to evaluate, it’s interesting to see how certain guys kind of fit in, where they’ve been really good and where their deficiencies are,” Mattingly said. “That’s been the most interesting part for me, going over player plans and things like that and seeing how different guys are really good at one thing — that you kind of noticed, but you didn’t really know to paint that picture — it’s been nice doing that.”

• Blue Skinny Fan was a Frank & Sons on Saturday to get Eric Gagne's signature.  Check out his trip report here.
• Via Bill Plaschke at the LA Times, we find out that Dodger organist Nancy Bea Hefley's role during games has been drastically reduced.  Boo!  Boo!  

Missing will be the soothing sound of a ballpark organ, as 28-year veteran Nancy Bea Hefley's workload has been reduced to one song during the actual game. One. She waits for seven innings, plays "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and goes home.

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