Blog Kiosk: 1/27/2016 - Dodger Links - Smokeless Tobacco, New Trainers and Dave Roberts

Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts had quite a busy day yesterday.  As a part of the clubs continuing "Love L.A." Community Tour Roberts visited the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as an honoree.  He was recognized as the Dodgers first minority manager.  Then, he skipped over to Muir High School in Pasadena to preview a screening of portions of Ken Burns’ upcoming “Jackie Robinson” documentary and to speak with students.  Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

“Twenty-eight years ago, I was in your shoes,” Roberts said. “I just want to challenge you all to really have the vision to be great and be leaders. … Find something you love to do, and be great.”

So far, Roberts is hitting all the right buttons.  He's proving to be a leader in the community, and hopefully this translates well into the Dodgers clubhouse.

The photo at the very top via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out more pics from Jon of yesterdays events.  Below are more links to check out:

• It's now official.  Smokeless tobacco, affectionately called "chew," is now banned at Dodger Stadium (for both players and fans).  Via Hector Bacerra at the LA Times, "Smokeless tobacco at Dodger Stadium? You're out of here!"
• The Dodgers officially announced their 2016 training staff yesterday.  Via a press release: 

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced their training staff for the 2016 season, with the additions of Neil Rampe as head athletic trainer and Nathan Lucero and Thomas Albert as assistant athletic trainers. Brandon McDaniel (strength & conditioning coach, fourth season), Steve Smith (physical therapist, fifth season) and Yosuke “Possum” Nakajima (massage therapist, second season) will return to the club in their same roles as 2015.

For the past eight seasons Rampe had been the Diamondbacks manual and performance therapist.  Lucero spent the past seven seasons as the Astros head athletic trainer.  He worked within Houston system the past 23 years.  Albert was the rehab coordinator for the Indians the past four seasons.

• Card Collectors Universe shares a bunch of preview pics from Panini's 2016 Donruss Baseball card set; including the Zacl Greinke card on the right.  Go here to check out more pics.  This set will be coming out in early March.
• Via Hillary Jackson at MyNewsLA, "Will Dodger Stadium street be named after longtime announcer?"

Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo introduced a motion Tuesday to rename a street near Dodger Stadium after longtime Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully.

The motion would begin the process of renaming Elysian Park Avenue between Sunset Boulevard and Stadium Way as “Vin Scully Avenue.”

• Via Evan Bladh at Think Blue LA, "Dodgers sign 17-year-old Nicaraguan shortstop Mike Loaisiga."
• Saturday, February 6th is slated to be National Hockey Card Day, and several southland stores are slated to participate.  As you may know, this is an promotion by Upper Deck and they have made limited edition packs available to local card shops.  Go here for a listing of stores throughout the country. BTW, there are two different sets available (one American and the other Canadian).  Unfortunately, no Kings player is represented.  Boo!!!

The council voted Tuesday morning to approve an ordinance banning the use of smokeless tobacco products at all baseball fields and other sports venues in the city. The L.A. council vote, in sports vernacular, was a blowout: The motion won 14-0. In a statement, the council said the ordinance was passed “both to set the right example for America’s youth and for the health of the players.”

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2015 Leaf Legends of Sport - All the Dodgers Cards

I thought I'd take a moment to put up this brief checklist of the Dodgers cards found in a set I had neglected to mention.  Here are the Dodgers cards found in packs of Leaf's Legends of Sport set.  As with all Leaf products there are no team logos.  Heck, there isn't even a mention of what team anyone played for.  Therefore, I am only listing the obvious Dodgers players below.  I also include the cards for Magic Johnson since he happens to be in the set and is a team owner.  BTW, former Dodgers players I did not include are Pedro Martinez and Rickey Henderson.  Go here for a complete checklist.

Base Autographs

#BA-DS1 Don Sutton                            #BA-MJ1 Magic Johnson

Blog Kiosk: 1/26/2015 - Dodger Links - Spring Non Roster Invitees, Micah Johnson and SportsNet LA

The Dodgers kicked off the first leg of their "Love L.A." Community Tour yesterday with visits to several schools throughout the Southland.  Via former Dodger Al Ferrera in a story by Austin Laymance at MLB.com:

"This is as important as any hit I ever got," Ferrara said after a busy day back in grade school. "There's something about a child and the glint and the smile in their eyes that makes a big guy like me sort of fold a little bit."

Ferrara also fielded a number of baseball-related questions from the kids, mixed in a story about Jackie Robinson, signed autographs and posed for pictures.

"I got a kick out of it," he said. "Sometimes I get more intelligent questions from them than I do from adults. They were very into baseball, which makes it easy for me."

The photo above via @Dodgers on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports passes along an interview with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and briefly addresses the SportsNet LA issue (link here):

The distribution problem in L.A. is the product of a negotiation at a table where we don’t have a seat. You can rest assured that we are continuing to have dialogue with the Dodgers, who desperately want that distribution. And also with distributors that we have relationships with in order to get that resolved.

This is hardly surprising.  The Time Warner/SportsNet LA/Dodgers situation is largely seen as a club issue that needs to be resolved on that level.  As I see it, the only thing that fixes the problem is the closing of Time Warner's merger with Charter.  If that gets done then I think things move swiftly.  Unfortunately, this isn't likely to happen very soon.  The various regulatory agencies (both on the state and federal level) are still in the process of their approvals.

BTW, I forgot to mention that the California Public Utilities Commission is having a public hearing on the proposed merger today.  No action is expected at this time.  This is just an opportunity for groups to officially voice their views on the matter.  The administrative law judge, though, will likely issue a recommendation (deny, grant or modify the proposal).  It appears things are moving along more swiftly than I initially thought a few weeks ago.  On a side note, the New York Public Utilities Commission has already approved the deal.

• Card Collectors Universe has preview pics of Topps 2016 Tribute Baseball set; including the autographed Sandy Koufax card seen on the right.  Go here to see more pics.  This set is slated to hit stores on February 24.
• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Dodgers extend 16 non-roster invites to MLB camp for Spring Training."  Included on that list are top prospects Julio Urias and Jose De Leon.
• Newly acquired second base prospect Micah Johnson is ranked as the seventh best prospect at his position by MLB Pipeline via Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com.

Don't use Johnson's brief trial as the White Sox's regular second baseman as a measure of who he can be in the big leagues. He may never be more than an adequate defender, but he can hit, he can get on base and he can run, as evidenced by his .301 average, .368 OBP and 153 stolen bases in 385 Minor League games. Perhaps the change of scenery in Los Angeles, courtesy of the three-team trade that brought Todd Frazier from the Reds to Chicago, will help.

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2015 Topps Vault Originals - The Dodger Cards

On a fairly slow news day I thought I would pass along some photos of most of the 5" x 7" autographed Dodgers cards found in packs of an Topps online exclusive set called "Vault Originals."  Back in October I mentioned that these were available, and included a checklist of four Dodger players.  Unfortunately, I had initially erred in my original post.  There are cards of Valenzuela, Piazza and Pederson, but not of Eddie Murray.  Instead, according to a Topps checklist the fourth Dodger player is of Frank Robinson.

Which it too cool.  As you may know, the Hall of Famer and current American League President wore Dodger Blue only during the 1972 season; therefore, there are very few cards available on the marketplace showing him in our uniform.  So seeing him on the checklist is a welcome surprise.  Unfortunately, I have not yet seen the card.  As soon as I do I will update this post.

BTW, these packs were first available at $99.99 each, but have now been discounted to $40.00 a piece.  In each pack you get one on-card autograph. 

#VO-FR Frank Robinson

#VO-FV Fernando Valenzuela

Blog Kiosk: 1/25/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Bring back the collar!

As pointed out by Super 70's Sports on twitter, former Dodger catcher Johnny Oates looks fantastic with that giant disco-styled collared Dodger jersey in the photo above.  I wonder if it was issued like that, or if he was so bold as to accessorize on his own.  Either way, I think it'd be a gas if a Dodger came out with an alternate jersey sported something like this.  BTW, from left to right starting with the top row is Johnny Oates, Steve Yeager, Mike Scioscia and Joe Ferguson.

Below are more links to check out:

• Via Anthony Irwin at Dodgers Nation, "Kershaw Attends Youth Field Dedication."
• A part of me really misses Juan Uribe and Hanley Ramirez; especially after reading this story.  Tim Rohan at the NY Times, "Where the Stars Get Their Rides," writes about the extravagant car taste of some of Baseball's biggest stars.

“They did it literally to mess with each other,” Vega said.

Uribe tried ending it by buying a Mercedes limousine van, the one that cost $175,000. He posted an Instagram video of himself sitting in one of the reclining chairs, a cigar in his hand, broadcasting a message for Ramirez in Spanish. The gist of it was simply: top this.

And, Vega added, “Hanley came right away and bought a van.”

• Via Justin Russo at Dodgers Nation, "Players Take To Twitter To Discuss NFL Playoffs."
• Another Dodgers prospect make a list of top-10's.  According to Jim Callis at MLB.com, "2016 Prospect Watch: Top 10 first basemen," Cody Bellinger is 6th best.

The son of former big leaguer Clay Bellinger switched from a line-drive approach and emphasized power last year, resulting in 30 homers and California League-leading totals of 97 runs and 103 RBIs. Bellinger's lanky frame still has room to add a lot of strength, and he's the best athlete and defender on this list.

• This is terrible.  Via Bob D'Angelo at Sports Collectors Daily, "Police Hunt Thieves Who Looted SoCal Man’s Collections."

The last of his seven children was getting married in Las Vegas last weekend. But when Del Mazzio and his wife returned to their Anaheim Hills residence on Monday night, a terrible surprise awaited. Thieves had broken into their 10-room house and looted it, taking cash, credit cards, jewelry, a heavy safe, and a significant amount of graded sports cards and collectibles.

• I really enjoyed this.  Via Tom Shieber at the Baseball Researcher, "Identifying Baseball Cards in a Pair of Non-Baseball Photographs."  It started with an photograph that's over 100-years old.

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Blog Kiosk: 1/22/2016 - Dodgers Links - Verdugo, Urias and Buy your FanFest Autograph Vouchers Today!

Get your Dodgers FanFest autograph voucher tickets today.  Go here for information.  All proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation.  Go here to see my blog post about the sale from last night.

Below are more links to check out:

• FYI, Trade Deadline has been moved to August 1st for only this year, via Tom Singer at MLB.com.
• Via David Hood at True Blue LA, "Dodgers top prospects 2016: No. 8, Alex Verdugo."

Verdugo has some of the best bat speed in the system, though this can be inconsistent. The obvious change from his high school days to 2015 is the fluidity in his swing. Verdugo has quieted his set up, with low hands and a slightly open stance, and employs a toe tap for timing. Verdugo’s swing is extremely short to the ball, and when right, he shows a high finish and extension, spraying line drives gap to gap.

• Via Ken Gurnick and David Venn at MLB.com, "High expectations only make Urias work harder."

"The truth is, I'm proud that they've given me that high praise," Urias said in New York. "It gives me strength to keep working, work harder and achieve the goal I have in my mind."

• Via August Fagerstrom at FanGraphs, "The Worst Clayton Kershaw Pitches of 2015."
• Kershaw also mouthed off a bit on twitter at the mention of that new 9th planet.  Via Mike Bertha at Cut4, "Why Clayton Kershaw really is out of this world." 

U mean 10th right? #neverforgetpluto

— Clayton Kershaw (@ClaytonKersh22) January 21, 2016

• Via Ronald Blum at the AP, "MLB unsure of timing in Chapman, Puig and Reyes probes."

"I would love to have these resolved before we begin play again," Manfred said. "The one thing I've learned about these cases is timing is not mine, right? You have to really rely on the criminal process playing out in order to put yourself in a position that you're comfortable to actually know what the facts are."

• Dan Haren is living the dream, via a tweet:

Just played Legend of Zelda for 2 hours. This is the life I dreamed of 25 years ago. Stay in school, dreams come true kids.

— dan haren (@ithrow88) January 20, 2016

• A Reddit user named r/dallenhill shared a fantastic pic of a sample promo-give away that was proposed one year.  It's a Dodger sombrero.  Check out a pic in the thread here.
• Via Samy's Camera, "Interview: Jon SooHoo – Los Angeles Dodgers Official Team Photographer."

Q: What was the first Dodgers game you photographed?
A: Back in the day, when I was a student at USC in 1981, the Trojans traveled to Dodger Stadium to play an exhibition game against the assembled Dodgers.  One of the pitchers for the Dodgers was a young and upcoming left hander from Mexico. Who, during this exhibition, was just another pitcher among the four Dodgers to pitch that game. It took me about 20 years to go back through my negatives to realize that this was the beginning of Fernandomania.

• Awesome!  Below is a new episode of "The Breaks":

Video Link:

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