eBay: Ginter Manny

Here is another Allen & Ginter rarity currently up for auction on eBay. Below is a "1 of 1" sketch card drawn by famed sports artist Dick Perez of Manny Ramirez. You may know Perez from his artwork that was a regular feature in Donruss Baseball sets in the 80's and a collaborative postcard series created with Frank and Peggy Steele called Perez-Steele postcards. The below card has 3 days left and is already up to $635.99.

eBay Auction Link: Manny Perez Drawing:

This is a Reasonable Trade

(pic Link: joesttmandipautographs)

After all of the ridiculous trade rumors I've heard this one makes much more sense. MLB Trade Rumors suggest (via Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse) that the Dodgers have narrowed their interest towards Orioles reliever George Sherrill.

The O's, in turn, have been looking at LHP prospect Scott Elbert, "but have reservations about him." Elbert missed just about the entire 2007 season with shoulder surgery, but has recovered nicely to strike out 20 batters in 17.1 big league innings.

Card of the Week: Panoramic Views

The 1992 Topps set remains one of my favorite all-time sets. Not because of the design on the front of the card, but because of a nicely added touch on the reverse. Every player (as long as there is enough room) has below their statistics a panoramic view of their teams home stadium. Above is a Dodger Stadium in all its majesty. What's even better is that it shows Dodger Stadium before all of the changes and improvements done to shorten foul territory and add more expensive seats. I had almost forgotten how much acreage existed behind home plate. BTW, if I'm not mistaken, this is Eric Karros's rookie card. I always loved how Topps put complete stats; including minor league information, on the backs.

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: