2019 Topps Tribute Baseball - Most of the Dodger Cards

Last week Topps released their Tribute Baseball brand, and I've got pics of many of the Dodgers' found within packs. Unfortunately, I have yet to find any of the autographed Dodger cards that are available, so I'll update this post as they emerge. In the meantime, take a look at the base and relic cards. BTW, a box will cost you about $275 and you'll get six packs consisting of three cards. You are  also guaranteed three autographed and three relic cards per box. Go here to check out a complete checklist.

Base

#3 Duke Snider               #24 Clayton Kershaw

Blog Kiosk: 8/15/2019 - Dodgers Links - Seven Straight Strikeouts

Kershaw was gold last night. He pitched seven shutout innings, allowed just two hits, walked none and recorded ten strikeouts. Best yet, he started the game by fanning seven consecutive Marlin batters. Per Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

“Sometimes you just get in that groove early, and we scored three runs in the top of the first, so I just wanted to make that hold up,” Kershaw told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo. “You don’t really care how you get the outs as long as you’re efficient with it, and tonight I was able to get ahead, did a decent job with fastball command. I thought Russell (Martin) did a great job mixing locations back, going out and in. Both off-speed (pitches) have been better than in the past.”

Photo above via Manny Fernandez/MLB.com at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1914 Brooklyn Fav Jake Daubert set a National League record with four sacrifices in one game (boxscore). In 1926 a daffy play happened to the daffiest of Brooklyn's Daffiness Boys. Outfielder Babe Herman, during the seventh inning with the bases loaded, hit a double off the right field wall and attempted to stretch it to a triple. Unbeknownst to the vacuous hitter, the two runners ahead of him had failed to advance beyond third base (Why? Because they were all daffy). So, he cruised into third while two other Dodgers were standing there. Per the rules, the lead runner is entitled to the base, so Herman and the man who was on first (Chick Fewster) were called out. So, Herman doubled into a double play. In 1951 Willie Mays made an extraordinary catch in centerfield at the Polo Grounds, off the bat of Dodger outfielder Carl Furillo. He then twirled and fired a strike to home plate that nailed thirdbaseman Billy Cox to complete a doubleplay. This play is consider by many to be the event that began the Giants surge from a 11.5 game deficit to steal the National League Pennant from the Dodgers. Dan Fields at SABR writes all about it here. BTW, Furillo said this about the catch:

“Luck. That was the luckiest throw I ever saw in my life. He can try that 50 times and he won’t come close again.”

This was three years before his famed over-the-shoulder catch during the World Series in 1954.

Blog Kiosk: 8/14/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

“It was as good of a night as we’ve had all year,” said manager Dave Roberts.

When you've got the best pitching coach in the game and some of the best youngsters the league can produce, it should come as no surprise that games like last nights happen. Last night we absolutely decimated the lowly Marlins, 15-1, and even witnessed the beauty of Russell Martin as a reliever for the third time this season. BTW, Dustin May is the real deal. He showed us his curve ball and it was very good. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

On Tuesday, May’s sinker-cutter combo stayed as trusted as it has all year, getting a combined seven swinging strikes and 17 called strikes. But he also more frequently incorporated the curveball, throwing it 17 times. 

“The more comfortable I feel with it, the more I’m going to throw it,” said May, who recorded a second straight outing allowing just one run.

Photo above via JC Ruiz/MLB.com at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays blowout game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1919 the Dodgers and Cubs play a doubleheader that last a total of only two hours and seventeen minutes. In the opener, the Cubs blanked Brooklyn 2-0, in one hour and ten minutes, and in the nightcap it takes the Dodgers one hour and seven minutes to shut out Chicago, 1-0. In 1980 the Dodgers signed amateur free agent pitcher Tom Niedenfuer out of Washington State University. In a couple of years he would be a mainstay in the Dodgers bullpen -- recording 64 saves as a Dodger. 
• Happy Birthday, Magic Johnson, Frank McCourt, Mark Loretta, Scott Stewart, McKay Christensen & Juan Pierre!

2019 Topps 150 Years of Baseball - #71 - Sandy Koufax and the 1965 World Series

The seventh Dodgers' 2019 Topps 150 Years of Baseball card is now available and it is the first Sandy Koufax card in the set. It celebrates his October 14, 1965 complete game shutout to win the World Series. It says the following on the reverse:

Sandy Koufax carved through the Minnesota Twins in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series, striking out 10 batters and allowing just three hits in his complete game shutout. The left-hander's performance sealed the World Series title for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Blog Kiosk: 8/13/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Here's a fantastic Associated Press news photograph (with exceptional clarity) featuring the top-end of the 1941 Dodgers rotation, dated June 30th -- found at Hake's Auctions. Per the description on the reverse:

Dodgers' Winning Trio
Three star pitchers of the Brooklyn Dodgers gaze at their record spelled out in baseballs before the start of the Dodgers-Phillies game at Brooklyn, NY, June 30. They are (left to right) Walter Higbe, Hugh Casey and Whit Wyatt. When the game started, Wyatt went into the box and added another one, making it 31 games won.

This trio lead one of the great Dodger teams in franchise history. They ended the season with a pennant winning 100-54 season and faced off against their crosstown rival Yankees. Unfortunately, the Bronx Bombers bested the Bums in five games. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1910 the Dodgers and Pirates play the second game of a double-header to an 8-8 tie. Remarkably, the game included a boxscore where each team had 38 at-bats, 13 hits, 12 assists, 2 errors, 5 strike outs, 3 walks, 1 hit batsman and 1 passed ball. This game was a tie in nearly every respect. In 1951 the Brooklyn Dodgers held Musical Depreciation Night -- where any fan who shows up with an instrument is given free admittance. Approximately 10% of the crowd, or 2,423 fans, participate. In 1982 Steve Sax set a team franchise record for stolen bases by a rookie at 41. In 2007 Nomar Garciaparra, for the first time in his career, is thrown out of a game, and had to be restrained by coach Mariano Duncan. Umpire Tom Hallion tossed him for arguing a called third strike.
• Happy Birthday, Fielder Jones, Kemp Wicker, Wes Flowers, Mudcat Grant, Tom Niedenfuer, Dennis Powell, Tom Prince, Will Ohman & Scott Elbert!

Blog Kiosk: 8/12/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Here's a fun fact: If not for Hyun-Jin Ryu's terrible June 28th start in Colorado, he would currently be sporting an 1.04 ERA. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

“It’s an absolute display of the art of pitching,” Turner said of Ryu’s latest masterpiece. “He can pitch to all four quadrants, his command has been great all year. Vintage Ryu. Changing speeds, keeping guys off-balance. He’s like Houdini when he gets in trouble; he finds a way out of it.”

...
“It’s definitely unbelievable,” Ryu said of his ERA. “Like I’ve said many times, I don’t think this is all because of myself. There are many people around me, especially my teammates, that have helped me reach that number. My goal is to do what I do and finish the season strong.”

Ryu pitched sevens innings of scoreless ball to win the game -- recording four strikeouts, one walk and allowing only five hits.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers 2019 at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1984 both Don Drysdale and Pee Wee Reese are inducted in into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Other inductees include Harmon Killebrew, Rick Ferrell and Luis Aparicio. In 1995 the Dodgers defeated the Pirates, 11-10, due to an obscure baseball rule. In the 11th inning with men on 2nd and 3rd, Dodger pinch-hitter Mitch Webster swings at a pitch in the dirt. Pittsburgh catcher Angelo Encarnacion casually picked up the ball using his mask. This is a violation of the rules. A fielder may not use his mask to touch a thrown ball. Tommy Lasorda appealed to the umpires and they agreed that the runners shall advance two bases -- driving in the walk-off winning run. Encarnacion is given an error.
• Happy Birthday, DJ Houlton & Julio Urias!