Blog Kiosk: 9/16/2011

Here's Fernando Valenzuela, this morning, at City Hall being honored during Latino Heritage Month, via Los Angeles Dodgers Twitter Lockerz.

• Longtime Dodger fan Larry King is canceling his season tickets due to McCourt, via Farther Off the Wall.
  
• Dodgers ask whether ownership is affecting season-ticket renewal, via Bill Shaikin of LA Times.
  
• Bob Lemke recalls what happened to some of the relics from Ebbets Field.
  

  The TSN article did have other specifics, though. It was mentioned that $2,300 was realized in the auction. By far the biggest bid was for the cornerstone, purchased for $600 by then-president of the National League, Warren Giles.
  
  The Ebbets Field cornerstone was described as about 3' by 4' by 1', cut from red-brown Connecticut Granite. After considerable effort, the stone was busted open and a copper box extracted.

• Panini enters the Baseball card market. They will be releasing Baseball cards, licensed by MLBPA, later this year.
  
• Jesse at Los Angeles Inspiration was a big winner during the Dodgers #SocialSeptember. Congrats!
  
• In LA Kings news, standout franchise defenseman is now officially a holdout. Damn you Drew! Read the interview with Kings GM about this situation at LA Kings Insider. In my opinion, a 7 year deal at $6.8mil is more than fair- way more than fair!
  
• Nick Diunte puts up Part 5 of his interview with Carl Erskine. And watch the video below.

Video Link:

Daily Conlon: 325 through 333

Here are todays Daily Conlon cards numbered 325 through 333. It features not only Charles Conlon himself (located on the top row, far right) but also Dodger hurler Nap Rucker (bottom row, far right). As you know by now, Charles Conlon is arguably the most famous of all Baseball photographers. He worked the field for nearly 4 decades, and as is credited with capturing the Ty Cobb "sliding into base" photograph that every fan has seen. Strangely, photography started out only as a hobby for Conlon (then in his mid-30's) until a sports editor for The Spalding Base Ball Guide encouraged him to take it on full time. He subsequently dominated the field throughout the 20's and 30's.

The Rucker card celebrates his no-hitter on September 5, 1908 against the Boston Braves. As stated on the reverse:

Nap Rucker, a career .500 pitcher, was struck with a hapless Brooklyn team in 1908 that finished 46 games out of first. But on September 5, the crafty Georgia southpaw was overpowering. He walked no one and fanned 14, striking out the side in the fourth inning. Three Brooklyn errors deprived him of a perfect game.

That figures. The Brooklyn Bums ruined his chance at perfection.

Blog Kiosk: 9/15/2011

Here is a team photo of the entire organization, via Dodgers yFrog.

• Check out the 2012 Dodger schedule right here.
• Who owns the Dodgers. Answer in 2012. Via Steve Dilbeck of LA Times.
  
• Me not like. "If things had been just a little bit different in 1958," via Flip Flop Fly Ball. (Hat Tip: It's Time for Dodger BaseBlog)
  
• Baseball Interactions is now one of my favorite blogs. Check it out as Juan Rosales writes to various different former ballplayers to about their time in the game. Here, he speaks to former Dodger Chuck Essegian about his year playing in Japan in the 60's and his World Series experience. Then he hears from Carl Erskine here and here. (Hat Tip: Baseball by the Letters)
  
• CBS speaks with Jon SooHoo (the Dodgers photographer) about his 26 years with the club. (Hat Tip: LFP)
  
• Ethier undergoes succeddful knee surgery, via MLB.
  
• Kershaw was not a happy camper against Parra, via Opinion of Kingman's Performance.
  
• Chad Moriyama has a rundown on last nights madness.
  
• SCD has an interview with Sal Durante, the man who caught Roger Maris's 61st home run. It was the 50th anniversary a few days ago.
  
• Cartoon Manny! (Hat Tip: Baseball Musings)
  

Video Link:

2011 Topps Marquee- Dodger Base Cards

As I wrote about yesterday, Topps just released their newest product called Topps Marquee. This is the inaugural year for this brand and is geared towards the higher end card market. A box will probably run about $200.00 a piece, and includes only 4 packs with 5 cards within it. So, don't expect to find this at your local Target store. The draw to this set are the inserts- which are plentiful. Each pack is guaranteed to have either a relic or autograph piece.

What I like is that the Dodgers fill up 8 spots in a base set that consist of only 100 cards. I call that dominating the set. Furthermore, the Keshaw and Kemp cards feature them in their vintage baby blue uniforms that were used this season. As always, there are numerous parallels to the base set. Numerous examples of them are below.

Pee Wee Reese, #24

Jackie Robinson, #45

Matt Kemp, #52

Andre Ethier, #56

Sandy Koufax, #64

Clayton Kershaw, #67

Duke Snider, #75
Roy Campanella, #78

Daily Conlon: 316 through 324

Here are todays Daily Conlon cards numbered 316 through 324, and it featured former Brooklyn Dodger Lyn "Broadway" Lary. He was only on the team for a little over 3 months in 1939, having been purchased by the Dodgers from the Indians earlier in the year then selected off of waivers by the Cardinals near the end of the season. In 29 games for Brooklyn he batted a measly .161.

His best years was when he first came up to the big leagues with the New York Yankees. He was purchased from the Oakland Oaks of the PCL, along with Jimmy Reese, to man shortstop. In 1931 he became their starter and batted an impressive .280 while knocking in 107 and scoring 100 times. He was also a bit of a heel when he cost Lou Gehrig the home run title that year by incorrectly gauging a homer as caught and passing by Gehrig on his way back to the base. Gehrig was called out and the home run negated. He would tie for the title with Babe Ruth instead of outright winning it.

Best Topps Koufax Auto So Far- 2011 Marquee

Look at this card. It's radiates awesomeness. This Sandy Koufax autographed card would look beautiful in my collection. Unfortunately, I think the price is far above what I can spend today. It is from the newly and just released (literally today) Topps product called 2011 Marquee. It features a huge game-used uniform relic piece with an accompanying autograph on a shiny sticker. Check it out right here.