Blog Kiosk: 7/26/2009

It's Hall of Fame weekend. Congrats to Ricky Henderson, Jim Rice and Joe Gordon.

• Here is an incredible story from Cooperstown of a recent meeting between Pete Rose and Sparky Anderson.

  "You made some mistakes 20 years ago, Pete."

• Here is a great Goose Joak card of Ricky Henderson in a Dodger uniform from GCRL.
• Are you good with photoshop and love Baseball? Well, join Goose Joak as he calls out for some custom made original Allen & Ginter cards.
  
• Storage locker find! (Hat Tip: SCD)
  

• Check out these photos from comic-con 2009 in San Diego. Or go here. Or here. Or here. Or here. But you should really go here.
• KansasCity.com looks back at the Negro Leagues. (Hat Tip: VOTC via @Chi_Sports)

Bobblehead Profits

Sooner than you can say "Granny," all over eBay Manny Ramirez bobbleheads are available to purchase. And they are selling for quite a premium. From the LA Times:

But top bid right now for the giveaway from last night is $102.51, with most fetching somewhere in the $40 to $60 range.

Damn. Do I really have to pay that much for one?

Twittering Manny

Over the past several weeks I have suddenly and unexpectedly become addicted to Twitter. I check it several times throughout the day like a crack addict searching for a new fix. So far, it has been indispensable as I was able to track the recent NHL draft (I'm as big a Kings fanatic as I am a Dodger fan) and found out about the passing of MJ before most. Still, I wonder if it's that important to get split second news or am I better off waiting till later in the day. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine not being on Twitter. You just end up running into some interesting things.

For instance, last nights game that included the pinch hitting heroics of Manny Ramirez caused Dodger fans on twitter to go mad. Check out some of those post below.

First, Alyssa Milano was late to the game, but was just in time to get her bobblehead (see her pic here).

"Sitting in traffic trying to get into the parking lot at Dodger Stadium. Nothing makes me more anxious than to be late to a game. Grrrrr."

She then records the crowd as Manny comes out for his curtain call after his homerun.

Speaking of bobbleheads, Manny's ceramic head was all over the net. Check out Kemp with it in hand here. Roberto of Vin Scully is My Homeboy here. How about a Mannywood shirts and bobblehead here. See more here, here, here, here, here, here and here. There are many more, but I just can't post them all.

Of course, a bunch of folks had to mention what Vin Scully said.

"Manny's HR was the loudest he's heard at Dodger Stadium since Gibsons HR since 1988."

Heck, Doug Mientkiewicz thinks Manny should sit on the bench more often.

"Sorry bout the grand slam Manny has a future in being a pinch hitter!!! Haha."

And, probably the most useless stat of the evening was this:

"Newest baseball stat: Manny is the one and only to hit a grand slam on his own bobblehead night, and I got one!"

Then I get to Plaschke. First he refuses to take a bobblehead, then the 6th inning rolls around and he goes totally Manny crazy.

"omg...manny off bench to pinch hit with bases loaded and one out in sixth...tie game..place is going crazy...a fiesta just broke out"

"Bronson Arroyo looking at dugout like, please, come get me now. Manny gets to the plate and Dusty comes to make a change"

"FIRST PITCH GRAND SLAM!!!OMG!!!!"

"He crushed it over left-field fence. OMG. Dugout going crazy. Fans going nuts. OK, OK, I also got chills. OMG. He's a cheat, but what a bat"

"If Dodgers win World Series, this will be first defining moment of season"

"Place is still buzzing. Fans now just standing in disbelief. I'm with them."

"Dylan Hernandez, our Dodger writer, just walked up to me and said, ''You taking the bobblehead now??''..Sigh...No"

"Just left dodger clubhouse...casey blake was dancing...that's all you need to know..a special night...he's still a cheat but, well, omg.."

Admit it Bill you love Manny and you want to have a million of his babies. It's amazing how one season defining homerun can turn the naysayers into cheerleaders.

Now for your viewing pleasure, check out the video below of a fans perspective of last nights grand slam.

YouTube Link: mooboys:

Manny's Hand OK

Manny went to the hospital for precautionary X-rays on his left hand and, fortunately, everything seems to be fine.

Hat Tip: PE:

Fans in Iraq

As some of you may already be aware, the Iraqi National Baseball team is about to receive some needed equipment to help them on their way towards a future Olympic birth. They are still only a ragtag bunch, but have a passion for the game we Americans can appreciate. They are getting balls, bats, shoes... you name it. They are even getting their own uniforms, donated by a Seattle manufacturer, to wear. No longer do they have to share a single jersey.

To even add more spice to the story, the uniforms will be blue instead of the colors of the national flag.

"I was quite prepared to design something based on the green, red and black that's in the Iraqi flag, but they said no, They wanted a blue jersey," recalled Cohen. "I think it's because someone (there) is a Dodgers fan."

We've got fans all across the world. Read a little about it here.

Hat Tip: Twitter@Maddow:

Dodger Correspondence: Charlie "Greek" George

When you read about older ballplayers talking about the best they've ever seen I always expect to hear names like Ruth, Gehrig, Paige, Robinson, etc. In this vintage letter written by former Brooklyn Dodger Charlie "Greek" George he sings a different tune.

Greek George, as he was commonly known, only had a short stint in the pro's. George played in a total of 118 games in a career that saw him bounce around starting in 1935 from Cleveland, to Brooklyn in 1938, the Chicago Cubs and then the Philadelphia A's in 1945. Unfortunately, he was suspended during his year with the A's after punching an umpire. He would never return again to the big leagues after that.

In the letter below Roy ask the one-time Major Leaguer who was the greatest ballplayer he ever knew or saw. Unexpectedly, he answers with the name of Charlie Jamieson. Who's he, you say? Well, he played for the Cleveland Indians for most of great career. In 18 season he batted a career .303, scored 1062 runs and recorded 1990 hits. In 1923 and 1924 he came in 6th and 3rd place in MVP voting, respectively. The Greek says,

"He could do more things and do them well, than any one I ever knew or played with. Look him up in the Baseball Encyclopedia. He was finishing up when I signed with Cleveland from college.... Charlie was always in good shape and had all the tools of a great outfielder."

I'm really starting to like these old letters.

(click to enlarge)

eBay Auction Link: Charlie George: