2019 Topps Heritage - All the Dodger Base Cards

Topps second baseball brand of the upcoming season has just hit store shelves. It is their Heritage cards and this year it pays homage to the 1970 Topps Baseball card set. Go here for a complete checklist.

There are 23 Dodgers' in the 500 card set, and six of them are short-printed -- Kenley Jansen, Walker Buehler, Matt Kemp, Kenta Maeda, Max Muncy and Clayton Kershaw. There are also four fantastic NLCS Dodger cards and one World Series card featuring Max Muncy's walk-off homer in Game 3. So far, only three Dodgers' have variations -- all of them of the French variety -- but I suspect more will be uncovered soon. If any more do appear I will be sure to update this post.

Strangely, there is no Yasiel Puig base card -- only an NLCS card highlighting his three-run homer during Game 7. Heck, he doesn't even appear in a Reds uniform. I suppose they'll just include him in the 'High Number' set that'll come out towards the end of the season.

Now, check out all the Dodgers' below. Click any pic to embiggen.

Base

#5 Alex Wood                 #34 Cody Bellinger

#54 Ross Stripling                  #97 Rich Hill

Blog Kiosk: 2/26/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Here's a look at the Dodgers 2019 Yearbook above. Go here to order.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1952 Dodgers all-star pitcher Don Newcombe is sworn into the Army to serve in the Korean War. The 26-year old would miss the next two seasons, and struggle on the field his first year back in 1954. Then, he would go on to regain his old form over the next two seasons by winning a collective 47 games and leading the Dodgers to its first World Series championship in 1955.
• Happy Birthday, Preacher Roe, Ron Negray & Matt Luke!

Blog Kiosk: 2/25/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

It has begun.

Spring is officially upon us as the first games of the preseason started in earnest this weekend. Before you know it, it'll be Opening Day.

Pic above via Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers 2019. Check out pics by Jon SooHoo and others on Dodger Insider from Friday (here), Saturday (here) and Sunday (here). Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 2002 84-year old broadcaster Ernie Harwell announced that this season would be his last as the Tiger's play-by-play man. As you may know, Harwell is the only announcer to have been traded for a ballplayer. Branch Rickey, in 1948, needed a substitute for an ailing Red Barber, so he traded catcher Cliff Dapper to the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association for his services. Ernie would broadcast in Brooklyn for two years.
• Happy Birthday, Al Hollingsworth, Andy Pafko, Cesar Cedeno & Xavier Paul!

A Don Newcombe Baseball Card/Memorabilia Checklist

With Don Newcombe's recent passing I thought now would be an opportune time to take a closer look at the various Dodger collectibles bearing his name. As you know, he joined the franchise prior to the 1946 season and remained Blue til being traded to Cincinnati in 1958. Following a few more years of play in the Majors and Japan he rejoined the club in the late-70's as the team's Director of Community Affairs -- where he remained until his death this week.

As you can imagine, there are plenty of cards and memorabilia featuring the 6' 4" righty (but not as much as you might think), so sit back and enjoy a more detailed look at some Don Newcombe collectibles. BTW, I decided to include only Dodgers-related items, so you won't see the Reds or Indians anywhere. Furthermore, I wanted to stick to just pre-80's stuff, so you shouldn't expect to find any modern cards in the listing below. On the other hand, I do include the handful of giveaways from Dodger Stadium (and elsewhere). I'll also update this post should any additional items unknown to me be unearthed.

Now, on to the memorabilia.

The very first item I could find that featured Don Newcombe is not a Baseball card. Instead, it's a stamp. Released in 1949 by a chain of Philadelphia gas stations, Eureka Sportstamps features 200 National League ballplayers and a stamp book (measuring 7 ½-by-9 ¼) to put them in. They also include Kodachrome photos on the stamps -- which was rare for collectors at the time. As you know, cards were either in black & white or color paintings. Below is a look at the stamp that has been pasted onto the album.

1949 Eureka Sportstamps 

Blog Kioks: 2/22/2019 - Dodgers Links and News - Some Odds and Ends

So, when does the ping pong tournament start?

Photos above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019. Go here to check out more pics by Jon from yesterday at Dodger Insider, here. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: First, I just want to mention that today in 1980 was the "Miracle on Ice" -- when a ragtag group of American college kids defeated the heavily favored USSR in hockey during the Winter Olympics. In 2009 the Dodgers signed free agent infielder Orlando Hudson to a one-year $3.4 million contract. In 2014 the Dodgers signed Cuban infielder Erisbel Arruebarrena to a five-year $25 million contract.
• Happy Birthday, Rocky Gale, Ed Silch, Clarence Mitchell, Bill Hall, Roy Spencer, Bob Wilson & Steve Colyer!

Dodgers Memorabilia at Hake's, Lelands and Goldin Auctions

With spring baseball in full swing I thought it would fun to take a look at some of the Dodgers-themed memorabilia current available on auction. There isn't a whole lot of stuff that I thought unique, but the items I did see are fantastic.

For instance, check out some folk art at the very top. It is currently available through Lelands (auction link). Featured is a 1987 wooden painted scene created by New York artist Harry Glaubach. It celebrates Ebbets Field and the Brooklyn Dodgers -- complete with ballplayers, a Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs sign, a Palace Theater sign, a Roxy Theater sign, the Three Stooges, Groucho Marx and Charlie Chaplin. It has a current bid of $100.

This next item is entirely new to me. On the right is a circa 1950's era pin featuring Willard Mullin's famed Brooklyn Dodger 'Bum' on a 3.5" pinback from Hake's. In fact, this is the exact image the club used on their 1953 Dodgers Yearbook (see that below). (Auction Link) It currently has a bid of $200, and it is expected to sell for more than twice that amount.