Vin Scully the Master Orator

This only affirms what we already know. Vin Scully has been named by the American Sportscaster Association as the top Sportscaster of All-Time. Below is from a press release just made available just a moment ago.

Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully has been selected as the Top Sportscaster of All-Time by the American Sportscasters Association. The announcement was made by ASA President Lou Schwartz. The ASA previously voted Scully as the “Sportscaster of the Century” in 2000.

The 2009 season will be Scully’s 60th with the Dodgers, which is the longest tenure of any sports broadcaster with one team in all of sports. Scully last month was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and has been named California Sportscaster of the Year a record 28 times. In 2005, USA Today ranked the Dodgers’ radio broadcast team as Major League Baseball’s best, based on a technical rating, a fan rating, and an entertainment rating. Scully and his colleagues, Rick Monday and Charley Steiner, earned 28.5 points out of a possible 30.

The New York native was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. In 2001, the press box at Dodger Stadium was named in his honor. Throughout his career, Scully has called 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games.

Scully headlines the ASA’s list of the Top 50 Sportscasters of All-Time, followed in the top 10 by Mel Allen, Red Barber, Curt Gowdy, Howard Cosell, Bob Costas, Jim McKay, Keith Jackson, Al Michaels and Dick Enberg. Lou Schwartz presented Scully with a bronze microphone at Dodger Stadium on September 24, 2000.

Blog Kiosk 1/11/2009

I'm going to Disneyland today. WooHoo!

• The Dead are coming back! I'm grateful I'll be around in 2009. The Dead are coming back! They are playing at the Fabulous Forum in May. Will you be there?
• Does Mike Davis know something we don't. Manny was offered a 3 year deal?
  

  I haven't heard anything in a while but it looks like the only place Manny can land is Los Angeles California. I hope this is a good thing. The Dodgers have offered a three year deal to bring Manny back to LA in the range of 70 to 80 Million... I think that Manny and his agent are just playing the game to see if someone will get desperate and react to the moves the Yankees are making.

• Tommy remembers Rod Dedeaux. Pic Link: Baseball Almanac:
  
• The NY Times writes about the impact of the Great Depression on Baseball. (Hat Tip: Dodger Thoughts)
  
• Scott of the 1983 Fleer Project Blog was spotlighted on Yahoo's! Big League Stew.
  
• The "Freeway Face-Off" rivalry between the LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks reaches new heights. In this past Thursdays game between the two teams at the Staples Center an enterprising fan placed cards of the opposing team in the urinals so you can give them a piece of your mind- uh, urine.
• If you want to read a hobby blog written by a former insider within a card company then check out The Sports Card File.
  
• Arizona sports writer Corky Simpson now regrets not putting Ricky Henderson on his Hall of Fame ballot.
  
• Your right Flywheel. This is the scariest trail around. Where is this?

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Hat Tip: MyDirtReport:

eBay: 1950's Era Fan Photos of a Dodger Spring Training

I thought that this particular eBay auction deserved its' own post. It features some incredible photos taken by a fan in the late 1950's. They are black & white and feature some of the greatest Dodgers to ever put on the uniform. Heck, even our red headed broadcaster is featured.I love these kind of photos. They hardly resemble a professional feel, but instead captures the innocence a fan experiences in the stands. In this case, a fan has taken photos at both Vero Beach, Dodgertown, and Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn.

This has been a growing segment of the hobby. Many collectors have chosen to chase after these gems since they are often one-of-a-kind.

Above are photos of Vin Scully, Pee Wee Reese, Sal Maglie and Johnny Podres. Below are Roy Campanella, Duke Snider and Carl Furillo.I had made several bids to win this item, but I grossly underestimated the demand. The group of 7 pics sold for $58.89.

Thank You Saito!

Warholizer Link:

I'm gonna miss Saito. He was always a joy to watch on the mound as he rocked back and forth before each pitch.

I will always remember his infectious smile. Saito embodied the pure joy this game is all about.

The worse part is that it was the Dodgers who turned their back on him.

"The decision in leaving Los Angeles was not Takashi's," Balelo (Saito's agent) said. "It was the Los Angeles Dodgers'. That needs to be very clear. It was the Dodgers' decision."

It just doesn't sit well with me. Even given his recent arm troubles I still believe he is valuable.

Takashi Saito has signed with the Red Sox.

Foxsports.com reported that the contract was a one-year deal worth between $1.5 million and $2.5 million plus incentives with an option for 2010.

Why couldn't we sign him? I don't get it.

"He will always remember his friends in Los Angeles," Balelo said.

In turn, I will always remember Saito as a friend.

Patriot Broxton to be on WBC Team

There is a little bit of pride in knowing that the Dodgers own Jonathon Broxton will be on the American WBC squad. Go "Big John!" Take home the gold.On an aside, I'm hoping the exclusion of other Dodgers is because of team depth and not apathy.

UPDATE: Also, former Dodger Reggie Smith will be the teams hitting coach.

19th Century Only Auction: Brooklyn Rarities

Below are some Brooklyn related items that I thought would be worth sharing from 19th Century Only's January Auction. Vintage Pre-WWI material is the focus and they do not disappoint.

Issued by Goodwin & Co. from 1887 to 1890 for their brand "Old Judge Cigarettes," it is one of the earliest large Baseball sets ever produced. In fact, it has over 500 different players and consist of over 3,000 variations. Furthermore, new variations are found all the time. It would be surprising if any collector had a complete set in hand. Although, I suspect a certain MSNBC broadcaster may be close. The cards are basically photos on thick cardboard stock, are blank-backed and can be both numbered and unnumbered.

(Update: There is a brand new 500+ page book that just came out that features photos of every known Old Judge card in existence. Go here for more info.)

Hardie Henderson was a 6 year pro who spent 2 of those years with the Brooklyn team. In those years he won 15 games and lost 12. In the card below he is seen making a pitch, but he looks more like he is doing some new-fangled stretching routine. Someone give him a late night infomercial. The most ironic part of Hardie's life is that he died in 1903 when he was hit by a train trolley.

Get it? Played for the Trolley Dodgers and killed by a train trolley.

Auction Link: Old Judge Hardie Henderson:

The aptly named Adonis Terry is considered by some to be a worthy candidate for the Hall of Fame. Adonis was known for a clean lifestyle and physical conditioning in an era of mass consumption- alcohol that is. He originally started with the 1883 Brooklyn Grays and stayed on as the team was admitted into the major leagues the following year. From there he played for the Dodgers until 1891, and had a total career than spanned 14 years in the majors. He was considered the very first Brooklyn Dodger pitcher ever, was a fan favorite and led them to 2 league titles. In his career he pitched 2 no-hitters, won 197 games, pitched 367 complete games and had a lifetime 3.74 ERA. All of his stats rival, or is even better, than some of his peers who are currently in the Hall like Jack Chesbro and Rube Waddell. In fact, considering the constant rule changes during his playing days (like moving the pitching mound by 10 feet) it's surprising that he continued to excel and be successful. check out his Wikipedia page for more details.

Auction Link: Old Judge Adonis Terry:

Below is the 1913 T200 Brooklyn Dodgers team card from Fatima Cigarettes. They are a high gloss photo on very thin stock. This set is widely collected since all 16 teams in the majors were represented. This card features 2 Hall of Famers, Casey Stengel and Zach Wheat. Also, it should be noted, that the below card is the highest graded example that exist in either a PSA or SGC holder.

Auction Link: Fatima Dodgers: