Blog Kiosk: 11/18/2015 - Dodger Links - Captain Joe Shoemaker Wins Coolbaugh Award

O Captain!  My Captain!

Accolades from all circles are coming in for longtime Dodger minor league manager, teacher and mentor Joe Shoemaker.  He was named the recipient of the eighth annual Mike Coolbaugh Award - presented annually to those who have shown outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game and skill in mentoring young players on the field.  That pretty much describes Shoemaker to a "T". As you may recall, he was appointed “Captain” of Player Development this past September for his dedication through the course of 39 years with the club, and now dons a "C" on his jersey.

He said the following about winning the award, per a Dodger press release:

“With numerous qualified instructors eligible for this award, I feel extremely fortunate to be the recipient of this year’s Mike Coolbaugh Award,” said Shoemaker, who led the Ogden Raptors to a 43-33 mark in his 22nd season as a manager in the Dodgers organization. “Past, present and future winners of this award have the distinct privilege on honoring the legacy of Mike Coolbaugh, who throughout his career displayed passion, determination and perseverance, all valuable traits for a professional athlete. I am grateful to Pat O’Conner, Minor League Baseball, the entire Los Angeles Dodgers organization and most importantly, the Coolbaugh family for recognizing me with this award.”

Photo at the very top via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Below are more links to check out:

• Kiké Hernandez has begun rehab, via his tweet:

Day 1 of rehab ✔️

— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) November 18, 2015

• Now down to just two candidates?  Via a tweet from Jerry Crasnick:

Indications are #Dodgers manager job will come down to Gabe Kapler and Dave Roberts. Bud Black appears to be out of the mix.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 18, 2015

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Clayton Kershaw extends efforts for underprivileged."

On Thursday, Kershaw and his wife Ellen will host their second annual benefit concert in Dallas to benefit Kershaw’s Challenge, the nonprofit charity they founded to transform at-risk communities and the lives of children worldwide. Country music artist Easton Corbin is the featured performer.

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Kershaw donates to building of UYA in Texas." 

Dodgers pitcher and Dallas native Clayton Kershaw made a personal financial donation toward construction of the Texas Rangers MLB Urban Youth Academy in West Dallas.
...
"Kershaw's Challenge is all about giving kids an opportunity," Kershaw said. "We never expected to have a partnership with the Rangers, but it's awesome. We just wanted to do something here in our hometown … in our backyard. It's an incredible partnership."

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Dodgers reportedly hire Drew Saylor as minor league coach."
• Via Steven Quach on Dodger Nation, "Nomar Garciaparra Appears in Online Golf Series."
• Via Sports Card Info, "MacGyver’s Baseball Card Episode."  I don't remember this episode at all, but now that it's mentioned I am going to have to watch it.
• Great stuff for the uniform geek inside all of us.  Via Paul Lukas at UniWatch, "Squatchee Etymology: A Uni Watch Investigation."

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A Visual Checklist of Sandy Koufax Baseball Cards - 1955 to 1959

With the silly season (i.e. Baseball hotstove) in full swing I thought I would take some time this winter to put together comprehensive checklists of cards for select Dodger players (both retired and current).  In the past I did this for Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw and Vin Scully.  Today, I share with you Part 1 of a checklist for Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax.  This listing include all known cards from the 1950's - 1955 to 1959.  Click on any pic to embiggen.  BTW, if I am missing any card issues please let me know.

UPDATE:  You can view Part II here.  This covers 1960 to 1962.  Part III can be viewed here.  It covers from 1963 to 1964.  Part IV can be viewed here - covers 1965 to 1967.

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All Dodger collectors know this card, and certainly most want it in their collection.  It's a must have for any vintage collector.  The very first card in this Koufax checklist is his 1955 Topps rookie card.  See it directly below. 

Hilariously, the cartoon on the reverse is obviously wrong.  It is a "True of False" quiz that ask where Baseball was first played.  It states incorrectly that Cooperstown is the birthplace of the game.  As we know now, that story was just an elaborate marketing ploy.  The games origins is far more complex than a simple birthplace.  Instead, I think it's fair to say that it grew organically over a period of decades prior to the Civil War.

#123 - 1955 Topps

   

#NNO - 1955 Golden Stamp Book - Blank/Stamp Back

Blog Kiosk: 11/17/2015 - Dodger Links - Genovese, Anderson and Yimi Signing Cards

Yimi Garcia is seen hard at work during the off-season signing cards for Topps in the photo above, as tweeted by Yimi.  I'm not entirely familiar with the design he's signing, but I'd place my bet on those being an insert from the upcoming 2016 Topps flagship set.  I can't wait to find one.

Below are more links to check out:

• Mark Langill at Dodger Insider writes a great piece, "Remembering scout George Genovese (1922-2015)."

“George was one of the greatest scouts there ever was,” said Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, a Dodger scout between 1960 and 1965. “I scouted against George and I scouted with George. He put a lot of guys in the big leagues. He was an exceptional man and one of my best friends. I’m going to miss him.”

...

“Believing in a player you have discovered is really believing in yourself, your judgement, your evaluation and projecting skills,” Genovese said in his 2015 autobiography, “A Scout’s Report: My 70 Years in Baseball,” co-written with Dan Taylor. “It can bring a scout tremendous satisfaction, but he has to be prepared because it can also bring its share of disappointment.”

• Via Josh Jackson at MiLB.com, "Verdugo, Bellinger on the rise for Dodgers." (Hat Tip: Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider)  Gabe Kapler shares his thoughts on a number of different Dodger prospects; including Julio Urias and Corey Seager.  Here's more quotes from Kapler from the same interview.

On Bellinger: "He's got a loose, athletic, flexible, whippy swing that generates bat speed and he identifies he pitches he can drive and attacks them," Kapler said.

On Verdugo: "With Alex, it's cut and dry. He took huge steps forward -- his ability to be a good teammate and control his emotions on the field and to prepare his body and mind every single night on and off the field," Kapler said. "He has a strong arm and the ability to play all three outfield positions.

• Via Rachel Heacock at Beyond the Boxscore, "Assessing the Dodgers' managerial options."

Black has experience, but if the Dodgers were impressed enough by Kapler and Roberts to let them get this far, it stands to reason that one of them would get the job. If the Dodgers were looking for a seasoned manager, they could have kept their old one. Instead, it looks like they'll be charting a new course, and Kapler or Roberts would serve as a good choice to do so. Soon enough, the Dodgers will name their 2016 manager and relieve themselves of the weight of being the last team in Major League Baseball without a skipper.

• Joc Pederson came in 6th place in the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year race, via the BBWAA website.  He received one single third place vote from an Agence France Presses (a French news service?) reporter Marcos Enrique Hernández out of the MIA chapter.  Kris Bryant, of course, took home the prize.
• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider shares some quotes from Brett Anderson that answer why he took the Qualifying Offer.  He just likes it in LA.

“My situation is a little bit unique in the fact that I’m younger than most to have been offered a qualifying offer,” said Anderson, who will be 28 next season. “I liked being in L.A., and I liked my teammates and I liked everything about it, other than the ending to the season. Everything in consideration, the one-year deal fit myself again, and hopefully (with) the stigma of a health record off my back, go into next year and see what happens.”

• Via Tyler Maun at MiLB.com, "Glendale notes: Farmer catches up in AFL."

"It's definitely a learning process," Farmer said. "Especially if you want to make it to the big leagues, you have to know what the pitcher has, what he's going to throw, what his put-out pitch is, what he likes to do behind in the count to a hitter.

"There are so many things, it's like a chess match. Each inning, with a pitcher you don't know how to catch, it's a different chess match, and it's a tougher chess match when you don't know how to catch them. Once you see what they have, everybody's objective is to get the batter out."

• Congrats!  Via Chris Cwik at Big League Stew, "Yogi Berra and Willie Mays to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom."

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2015 Panini Contenders Baseball - The Dodger Insert Cards

Following up on Thursday's blog post featuring the Dodger base cards found in packs of 2015 Panini Contenders Baseball, I now show all of the Dodger insert cards that are available.  Check them out below.  Go here to check out all of my past post on this set.  I hope to have pics of most of the autographed cards in a couple of days.

As you can see, 2015 first round pick Walker Buehler (24th overall) , who has yet to pitch for the club due to Tommy John surgery, is all over the set.

Class Reunion

#12 Walker Buehler

Blog Kiosk: 11/16/2015 - Dodger Links - Cutting Payroll, Kiké's Plea and RIP George Genovese

Following up on Joc Pederson's plea to Zack Grineke on instagram, Kiké Hernandez went onto twitter with his own attempt at swaying the ace pitcher to stay Blue.  He wrote the following while including the above two photographs:

Dear Zack, I have no money to offer you but this is my pitch! PLEASEEEEE stay! 🙏🏼 #21 pic.twitter.com/BwEm0MAghC

— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) November 14, 2015

You'd have to be a monster to say no to Kike.  After all, how can you resist a guy who not only sports your uniform number but also dons that magical hairdo that had fans swooning. 

Below are more links to check out:

• Legendary Scout George Genovese (who worked for Giants, Dodgers, Cardinals and Marlins) passed away last night.  RIP, George Genovese.  Via a tweet by Bob Nightengale:

George Genovese, perhaps the greatest baseball scout who ever lived, passed away last night, his family says. #SFGiants

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 16, 2015

• The managerial field narrows even further.  Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Dodgers' manager search looks to be three-man race after Erstad exits."

Humbled to be asked to interview for Dodgers job but Lincoln is where my heart is. Looked my kids in the eyes & knew we needed to stay.

— Darin Erstad (@Dstad17) November 15, 2015

• I never believed the Dodgers could maintain the payroll they had, so it had to come down to earth eventually.  Via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times, "Money is still an object for Dodgers, who are trying to cut payroll from $300 million."

That happened in 2015, primarily as a strategy to amass organizational depth by subsidizing close to $100 million in salaries of players who played elsewhere. The payroll will drop substantially in 2016, to what Boehly said he believed would be much closer to $200 million than $300 million.

"We're looking toward building something long-term, and sustainable," he said.

Leading the league in payroll every year, he said, is not sustainable.

"I think sustainable is more like the league average," Boehly said, "plus some, or plus a lot."

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Jacob Scavuzzo keeps hitting, Dodgers showing versatility in Arizona Fall League."
• Via Erin Edwards at Dodger Insider, "LADF online Dodgers memorabilia auction begins." 

Now through December 7 , LADF will be hosting an online auction with autographed memorabilia, including items from your favorite current and former Dodger players. Go to dodgers.com/auction to place your bid on autographed baseball and jerseys.

• Via John Thorn at Our Game, "Diamond Visions: Baseball’s Greatest Illustration Art."  Thorn writes about some of the most fantastic 19th century Baseball art available.

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Blog Kiosk: 11/14/2015 - Dodger Links - Cricket, Scully and the Manager Search Narrowing

Here's a look at where the wicket is placed on the pitch at Dodger Stadium.  Pic above tweeted by Nick @njmiller4.  The Cricket All-Stars match is tonight at 6:30 PM and you can go here for ticket information.

Young Ryan hitting @ShaneWarne for 6 during his @MasterCard #pricelesssurprises experience pic.twitter.com/8ASmup9S66

— Cricket All Stars (@T20AllStars) November 13, 2015

Below are more links to check out:

• You should watch this.  Via CBS, "Exclusive Interview: Jim Hill Sits Down With Vin And Sandy Scully."

“What we did Jim, really, in trying to be fair, believe it or not, one of the guidelines for us was ‘The Brady Bunch’ on television,” Scully said. “Not so much for Sandy and me, but for our children, because they would watch ‘The Brady Bunch’, they would relate to that situation of families melding together.”

• The search for a new Dodger manager is narrowing.  Via Jim Bowden at ESPN Insider, "Dodgers narrow managerial search to four candidates."

The Los Angeles Dodgers have interviewed nine candidates for their managerial opening and are going to bring back four of them as finalists next week. The four will come from the following five candidates: Bud Black, Darrin Erstad, Gabe Kapler, Kirk Gibson and Dave Roberts. The rest of the field is no longer in contention, according to sources familiar with the search.

JP Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers has a different take:

One source told me that three candidates, not four, will get second interviews, and that one of the three might not be from the group of five ESPN reported. So we’ll see. The Dodgers aren’t confirming a specific number of second-interview candidates yet. 

• Wow. Via Owen Watson at FanGraphs, "The 2015 Rookie Class Was the Best in 100 Years."
• LOL!  I guess no one loves Chris Denorfia.  Via Steven Luke at NBC San Diego, "600 Padres Bobbleheads Mysteriously Left Near Local Residents' Doorstep." 

“We thought it was from a drug cartel or something,” echoed roommate Jalena Lau. “But when we went through them, they were just regular bobbleheads."

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