1988 World Series Dodgers Memorabilia at Goldin Auctions

I'm having a World Series fever dream. Everywhere I look I see a Dodgers World Series. For instance, today marks the 63rd anniversary of Game 7 of the 1955 Fall Classic -- the Dodgers first championship ever. It's also the 59th anniversary of the Los Angeles Dodgers very first postseason victory on the west coast -- defeating the White sox, 3-1, in front of 92,234 fans at the Coliseum. Now, as I peruse through the Goldin Auctions catalog, I ran into some memorabilia from the Dodgers historic 1988 run.

As you know, it is the 30 anniversary of the Dodgers last championship in 1988, so these items currently available are very timely. Featured above and below are original lineup cards from the series that are a part of the Tommy Lasorda collection and come directly from Lasorda's agent.

Here are the rosters for the NLDS

We are just a mere six hours, or so, away from the start of the NLDS, and we now get a first look at the rosters for each club. Check out the Dodgers roster above (via @Dodgers on twitter) and the Braves roster below (via @Braves on twitter).

There aren't a lot of surprises here for the Dodgers. Notable players missing include Ross Stripling, Chase Utley, Alex Verdugo, John Axford, Tony Cingrani, JT Chargois, Kyle Farmer, Zac Rosscup, Julio Urias, Andrew Toles. Additionally, it is my understanding that Chase Utley will remain in the Dodger clubhouse/dugout for this series and will travel with them to Atlanta. His poise and experience alone provides untold value to the club, so this bit of news is very welcome.

As for the Braves, they are missing their starting shortstop Dansby Swanson. He had been diagnosed with a "partial ligament tear" a few days ago and will likely miss the entire playoffs. In his place will be the very capable Charlie Culberson, and we all know he's not someone to scoff at. In my mind, he's a wildcard in this series, and I suspect he'll prove to be a tough out.

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Blog Kiosk: 10/4/2018 - Dodgers Links - March to 11 Victories

It'll take 11 wins for the Dodgers to capture a championship, and tonight's starter, Hyun-Jin Ryu, will have an opportunity to get things started right. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

“I’m very happy that the team trusted me, and I would like to say that I’m going to go full throttle from the very first pitch in the very first inning tomorrow, make sure that I get my job done as the starting pitcher and put the team in the position where it can win,” Ryu said.

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

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1955 the day Dodger fans had been waiting for finally happened. On this day the Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series to win a championship for the very first time in its franchise's history. In 1959 the Dodgers won the teams very first playoff game in Los Angeles when they defeated the Chicago White Sox, 3-1.  92,234 fans attended the game at the LA Coliseum, setting a new record for attendance for a World Series game. This win put them up two games to one in the series.  They would win the World Series in the sixth game four days later. In 2006 the worst play in Dodgers playoff history happened (in my opinion) when two runners are thrown out at home plate on the same throw during Game 1 of the NLDS against the Mets. You can relive the horror here.
• Happy Birthday, Rip Ripulski, John Duffie, Mike Sharperson, Dennis Cook, Adam Riggs, Tony Gwynn, Jr. & Stephen Fife!

NLDS Series Against Braves Starts on Thursday -- A Homestand Preview

The National League Division Series match-up between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves begins on Thiursday.  Below are some odds and ends for this series. Here are some important links:

• 2018 Broadcast Schedule
• Parking Information 
• Dodger Stadium Express / LA Metro  
• Dodgers Postseason Information
• Braves Postseason Information

Unfortunately, I haven't received a great amount of information about this playoff series, but I've done my best to include anything I can find. If there is something missing that you know about please pass that information along. Furthermore, I will update this post if new information becomes available.

BTW, tickets for this entire series (as well as the NLCS, should the Dodgers advance) at Dodger Stadium is already sold out.

Below are special food items being made available at Dodger Stadium for the NLDS.

The Hot Link dog will be available for this series against Braves and will be available only at the King’s Hawaiian Grill in the Left Field Plaza. It features a Hot Link with BBQ sauce and vinegar slaw. See it on the right.

Topps Living Set - #88 - Manny Machado in Dodger Blue

The Dodgers sixth card in Topps Living Set features recently acquired slugger Manny Machado. In fact, this is the second card available of him in this set. Earlier this season they made a card for him (#37) as a Baltimore Oriole (see that on the right) that sold 6,516 copies. Now that he moved to the best coast it's only reasonable that a Dodger card be created to commemorate his stay in Los Angeles. After all, I think it's fair to assume that the Dodgers are not likely to make a serious run for his services following this season; especially when you consider that we have Corey Seager waiting in the wings. Go here to check out the Machado card and order.

BTW, it's only appropriate that Manny's be card #88 in this set. He wears #8 as a Dodger.

Blog Kiosk: 10/3/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

The last thing I want to do is distract from the postseason, but there is a bit of news that could potentially be explosive, and it appears to involve the Dodger organization. It's a developing story about a whistle-blower, the FBI and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Cuban ballplayers and potentially organized crime. Per Jon Wertheim at Sports Illustrated:

The dossier given to the FBI suggests the extent to which some MLB personnel are aware of—and brazenly discuss—this unscrupulous culture and the potential for corruption. While both the league office and other teams are mentioned in the files obtained by SI, the Los Angeles Dodgers, a franchise with extensive scouting and development operations in the Caribbean, figure most prominently in the dossier: 

— One particularly remarkable document shows that Dodgers executives in 2015 went so far as to develop a database that measured the perceived “level of egregious behavior” displayed by 15 of their own employees in Latin America. That is, using a scale of 1 to 5—“innocent bystander” to “criminal”—front-office executives assessed their own staff’s level of corruption. Five employees garnered a “criminal” rating. 

Whoa! Remember, former Braves GM John Coppolella was banned from the game last year due to nefarious dealings related to international signings. Now, it appears, folks could go to jail.

Featured above is a 1916 International Film Service press photo of former Dodger outfielder Hi Myers (eBay Link). It has nothing to do with the above story. Rather, I just happen to love those checkerboard styled Dodger uni's. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1947 Yankees hurler Bill Bevins was one out from no-hitting the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series before yielding a walk-off two-run double to pinch-hitter Cookie Lavagetto, 3-2. In 1951 Bobby Thompson of the NY Giants hit the most infamous home run in Dodgers/Baseball history. He walloped a Ralph Branca pitch in the ninth inning at the Polo Grounds for a walk-off victory, 5-4, during the deciding game of a three-game series to decide who would go to the World Series. The homer has since been dubbed the "shot heard ’round the world." You can watch it here, if you must. In 2005 manager Jim Tracy is fired by the Dodgers.
• Happy Birthday, Henry Thielman, Phil Reardon, Chris Haughey, Darrin Fletcher& Brock Stewart!