Video: Baseball Dance Off

This past Thursday during a 5 hour rain delay at a college Baseball game between USF and UCONN ballplayers passed the time by competing in a dance off.

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Hat Tip: Huffington Post:

Card of the Week: Bling, Bling

Wow. Look at all that gold. The strangest thing, though, is seeing Pedro in another uniform. I can only mentally picture him in Blue.

The inaugural Upper Deck set in 1989 was earth shattering. It changed everything about the hobby and cards. For the first time quality cardboard with phenomenal photography ruled the day. Clean simple designs with bleach white boarders on sturdy cardboard showed collectors that we should expect more from the manufacturers.

I remember in 1988 when I was a budding teenage entrepreneur I had set up at a card show at the Los Angeles Convention Center. A palpable buzz was in the air. Word had spread that a new player was out and about talking to dealers about a new card company. They were to be called Upper Deck and free sample were made available to dealers.

I remember getting my hands on the design and thinking good things. After all, I had just turned 17 and any notion of the backroom deals that would become commonplace at this new company was the furthest thing from my mind. I just new these cards looked great. Below is what the original design looked like- both front and back. There is another promo card made of Wally Joyner. If I remember right (correct me if I'm wrong), both Buice and Joyner were to be part owners in the new card company, but Baseball had restriction in place about current players being involved in the business like that. Too bad, maybe Upper Deck may not have gone down that slippery slope if they stayed

Blog Kiosk: 5/24/2009

• Check out this YouTube video of a 50's episode of TV's Baseball Hall of Fame as they interview a young Mickey Mantle about the 1952 World Series against the Dodgers and even has some World Series highlights.

• If you missed the sale at Dodger Stadium in 2005 of actual Dodger Stadium seats then have no fear. S&S Seating, who had originally taken out the seats during the stadium renovations, is now going into their warehouse to sell their remaining seats. Go here for more information. (Hat Tip: SCD) Below are the seats I purchased when they originally went on sale in 2005.

  “These seats were professionally removed from Dodger Stadium in Chávez Ravine and have been stored in our warehouse since 2005. The memorabilia seats are in excellent condition and are the perfect gift for any Dodgers fan or baseball memorabilia collector.”

• Zach Hample, the Baseball ballhawk, was at Dodger Stadium on Monday and collected his 4,000th Baseball. I have yet to get one and this schmo has gotten 4,000 of them. Man-O-Live!
• Jo Ann shares some pics from Opening Night.
  
• Home Run Derby ranks the greatest autographed baseball of all-time. Including this ball signed by the entire Red Sox relief staff in appreciation for some nude pics of an ex-wife.
• Jason Schmidt was hit by a batted ball last night in Albuquerque and I Love This Game was there with pics.
• I love this shuttle pic from Boston.com as they head out to repair the Hubble Telescope.
• An Abraham Lincoln card with his autograph and his hair sold last week on eBay for $17,500.00. Wow! (Hat Tip: The Beckett Blog)
• Beatbox, Baby!

YouYube Link:Artist: Julia Dales
Hat Tip: Crooks & Liars:

Freeway Series Starts Tonight

(pic Link: Luscious Liz)

Not much to say other than "Let's Go Blue!"

NL West may have gotten easier

San Diego is headed towards a rebuild.

Jake Peavy, one of the ace pitchers in the NL West, may be heading to the American League. Apparently, the Padres and White Sox have agreed to a trade that involves Peavy moving along in exchange for some prospects. The only thing in the way is approval from Jake to move east.

Peavy has full no-trade power through next season and the trade will be entirely his call. The sides are expecting a fairly quick decision by Peavy. Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod, said that Peavy prefers "Middle America,'' so that should work. However, Peavy is also known to like the National League.

The suspected prospect going to the Friars are top pitching prospects Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard.

Sources say the Padres would receive top White Sox pitching prospect Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard (both left-handers). San Diego may have some choices on additional elements of the deal, but Poreda and Richard are seen as the key pieces. The 22-year-old Poreda is currently 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA for the Double-A Birmingham Barons. Richard (4.33 ERA) started the year in Chicago's bullpen, but recently earned a spot in the rotation. In his last start, Richard pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. The Padres also need a shortstop, but the White Sox won't part with their top overall prospect, SS Gordon Beckham.

Lima Time in Long Beach

(pic link: LB Armada Blog)

It's near the end of May and a brand new season is about to begin for the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League. Tonight is opening night as the Armada face off against the Calgary Vipers. Yes, they have Baseball in Calgary.

What makes this game so special, you ask? Well, starting for the local team is one of my favorites and probably the most animated pitcher since Mark Fidrych, Jose Lima.

Lima Time!

I love this guy. He's loud and a bit obnoxious, but he exudes passion for the game.

The game starts at 6:05 at Blair Field. If I can get out of work in time to make the commute then I'm there otherwise, maybe, I'll tune in to the live broadcast online here.

Here is a video of Lima pitching during training camp.

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Here is the team led by Lima in a song.

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