Card Of The Week: Don Mossi

This card will make even the most polite people do a double-take. Above is the 1958 Topps card of Indians hurler Don Mossi. On his Baseball-Reference page an anonymous sponsor writes the following:

"He could run ugly, hit ugly, throw ugly, field ugly, and ugly for power. He was ugly to all fields and you never saw a player uglier in the clutch. We love you Don!!"

And I love this card.

Olympic Principles

Photo Credit: David lassman / P-S

American Olympians have already done us proud even before they compete in their respective events. Sudanese immigrant, recent American citizen and 1,500 meter participant, Lopez Lomong, was chosen by the US Team captains to be the flag-bearer during the Opening Ceremony.

Sudanese refugee Lopez Lomong was chosen by his U.S. Olympic teammates Wednesday to be the American delegation's flag-bearer at Friday's Opening Ceremonies, a move that will cast an additional spotlight on the controversy over humanitarian abuses in Sudan's embattled Darfur region as the Beijing Games begin.

The announcement of the vote by U.S. Olympic team captains came just hours after the Chinese government rescinded the visa of 2006 Olympic speedskating gold medalist Joey Cheek, the co-founder of Team Darfur, a group of athletes that aims to raise awareness about the conflict in Sudan and has been pressing China to do more to help end the fighting.

Lomong is an active member of the organization. "This is the most exciting day ever in my life," Lomong, 23, said in a statement. "It's a great honor for me that my teammates chose to vote for me. I'm here as an ambassador of my country, and I will do everything I can to represent my country well."

Photo Credit: Ricardo Mazalan / Associated Press

Hat Tip: AmericaBlog:

Olympic Fever

I love the Olympics. Ever since those days in 1984 when LA played host to the event I've always watched with awe at the spectacle.

In honor of the Olympics the Dodgers PR staff have been kind enough to share some photos of some Olympians at Dodger Stadium. Check them out below.

Photo Credit: Jill Weisleder/LA Dodgers

Dodger Hall of Famer and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda exchanged jerseys with the USA Women’s Softball Team Coach Mike Candrea before the Dodgers’ April 23 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team also unveiled its’ Olympic jersey on the field at Dodger Stadium that day, and Lasorda, who managed the U.S. Baseball team to its first and only gold medal in baseball in the 2000 Olympics, also gave a pep talk to the women’s softball team during the game.

Photo Credit: Jill Weisleder/LA Dodgers

The Women’s Olympic Water Polo team was introduced on the field before the Dodgers’ July 13 game against the Florida Marlins and team captain Brenda Villa threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Photo Credit: Jill Weisleder/LA Dodgers

Blog Kiosk 8/3/2008

Count me in as I jump onto the Manny bandwagon. We have a legitimate shot at the playoffs and with our pitching staff we can go a long way. It's time to get hot now.

• Say hello to a new Dodger blog called Bleeding Dodger Blue.
  
• If your an autograph hound go to Roscoe's Deli in Fullerton on August 8th from 4PM to 6PM to grab Rex Hundler's John Hancock. (Hat Tip: Bad Wax)
  
• Just in case your curious below is Manny Ramirez's Rookie Card. It's a 1992 Bowman.
• The PSA 5 Honus Wagner card sells for $1,620,000 at the Mastro Auction during The National. Go here to see the results from the auction. Here is Yahoo's story.
• Check out Beckett's coverage from The National.
  
• As I wrote previously, Steve Bartman did not show up at the National Sports Collectors Convention. He was offered $25,000.00 for his signature. See the empty display with 250 $100 bills in a briefcase waiting for his arrival. Check out the story here.
• This is where Jar Jar belongs- frozen in carbonite. Photos of the ILM campus.
• Gary Coleman was signed by the Madison Mallards to a one day contract to play Baseball. Check out his signing, first pitch and at-bat below.

Hat Tip: Home Run Derby:

Card Of The Week: Milt Thompson

Below is this weeks card of the week featuring Milt Thompson's 1995 Pinnacle Baseball card. As you can see he is performing the great task of clearing the ballfield from one of those pesky beach balls. Vin would be so proud.

National Rarities

Below are 3 new photos from DMcD of some rare cards and memorabilia found at the National. Go here to see his photoalbum.

These 6 cards belong to the 1894 Alpha Engraving Baltimore Orioles set. They are a part of the collection of Patrick Preece and are on display at the SGC grading booth. This set has 14 cards and only one example of each card is known to exist. Players below include (from the top row, left to right) HOF'er Joe Kelley, soon to be Dodgers coach and HOF'er Wilbert Robinson, HOF'er Ned Hanlon, HOF'er Dan Brouthers, HOF'er John McGraw and HOF'er Hughie Jennings. Willie Keeler is the only other HOF'er not shown here. Needless to say, but with a collection of 7 Hall of Famers on one team you know this group was good. In fact, they were champions that year and are considered by many to be one of the greatest teams to ever take the field.
Below are a couple of Kalamazoo Bats tobacco cards of Jim O'Rourke and Tim Keefe, as well as an Old Judge cabinet card of King Kelly.
This is an extremely rare game used glove from William Wamby. What makes this glove so rare is that it was used during the 1920 World Series when he performed the only triple play ever recorded during the October classic.

Photos Link: DMcD: