Blog Kiosk: 3/27/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Spring Odds and Ends

We are almost there.  The season is a week away and both fans and players alike will soon be heading to ballgames back at their teams home fields.  There are only a few days left before scenes like the one seen above will disappear until next Spring.  So enjoy the festivities if you are still there. 

Photograph above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2017.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 2012 Frank McCourt agrees to sell the Dodgers to a group headed by Stan Kasten, Guggenheim Partners and Magic Johnson for $2 billion.  He also sold the parking lots to the same group for $150 million (while retaining partial ownership).
• Happy Birthday, George Magoon, Bill Collins, Vince Sherlock, Newt Kimball, Wes Covington, Bill Sudakis & Adam Melhuse!

A Sneak Peek at Dodger Promos and Food

There's nothing like spending an afternoon at Dodger Stadium, so when the club was kind enough to invite me to a special luncheon at the Baseline Club on Friday I couldn't say no. They promised everything from new stadium foods to an early peak at this seasons promotional items.  Best yet, they even offered a free tour of the stadium to cap off the day (I'll have more on that in a later post).

Blog Kiosk: 3/25/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Spring Odds and Ends

Now this is the way to do it.

This Dodger couple decided to get some help from the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch for a special announcement.  They were looking for the perfect way to let everyone know about a new addition to the family, and fortunately caught the eye of Justin Turner -- as you can see in the photo above.

Congrats!

Now, you know they've got to name the little tyke Justin.... Or Justine.

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

• Happy Birthday, Jimmy Sebring, Dutch Leonard, Chris Hartje, Brian Barnes, Hyun-Jin Ryu & Erisbel Arruebarrena!

Scorecards from the Dodgers First Year as a Major League Club in 1884

The Dodger franchise didn't start as some expansion team created out of thin dust.  Instead, like most ballplayers, the club rose up the ranks.  The Brooklyn Grays, as they were known back then, had won the Interstate Association (a Triple-A level league) championship in 1883 and decided to move up to a major league called the American Association the following year.  That season they were dubbed the Brooklyn Atlantics in honor of the old National Association Brooklyn Atlantics team, and featured below are a couple of completed vintage scorecards from that season in 1884.

They are both available at BST Auction and I thought it would fun to take a closer look at them.  Click any pic to embiggen.

Blog Kiosk: 3/24/2017 - Dodgers Links - Some Spring Odds and Ends

Corey Seager is on the cover of this seasons ESPN the Magazine MLB Preview issue.  It should be on newsstands soon.

Photo above via ESPN on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1982 Fernando Valenzuela ends his three week holdout and reports to Vero Beach for spring camp.  He earned just $42,500 in 1981, requested a raise to $1 million, then had his Dodger contract unilaterally renewed for a reported $350,000. In 2006 the U.S. Postal Service unveils the "Baseball Sluggers" postage stamps that includes Mickey Mantle, Mel Ott, Hank Greenberg and Roy Campanella.  See it on the right.
• Happy Birthday, Jim McCauley, Mike Mowrey, Jim Bucher, Dick Egan, Wilson Alvarez & Jamie Arnold!

Blog Kiosk: 3/23/2017 - Dodgers Links - USA! USA! USA!

Last nights WBC Final was the first game this year that I've watch from start to finish, and I must say it was fantastic.  What a way to start the Baseball season.

As you know, Team USA defeated Team Puerto Rico to capture its very first WBC Championship.  It was glorious to watch and fun to celebrate an actual championship (albeit not a Dodger one) at our home turf.  Hopefully this is sign of things to come at Dodger Stadium.

Both photos above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2017.  Go here to check out more great pics taken by Jon from the WBC Final game.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1951 the Brooklyn Dodgers sign a 21-year lease with the City of Vero Beach to build their spring training facility at an old abandoned Naval base.  It would be known as Dodgertown.  In 2002 the Dodgers traded Jorge Nunez and Matt Herges to the Expos for Guillermo Mota and Wilkin Ruan.
• Happy Birthday, Barney Koch, Jerry Brooks, Joel Peralta & John Link!