Blog Kiosk: 5/18/2012

Listen to internet radio with Ivie League Prod on Blog Talk Radio

I was a guest on a podcast called BBA Baseball Talk with Dave Mitchell Show yesterday, and had a lot of fun.  I have to admit that I'm a bit shy about stuff like that, so I had no experience publicly speaking about Baseball in the past.  Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try.  To start, I was nervous in anticipation and worried about how I would do.  Overall, I had a good time and was happy with the effort.  I had quite a few "ah's" moments and probably overused the word "certainly," so that's something to work on.  Listen to it above.  My portion of the show begins at about the 32 minute mark.  BTW, I didn't feel quite as prepared at the moment as I thought I was, so forgive me if you have any disagreements with what I said.

• Kareem Abdul Jabbar wonders "Is it 'Next Year' for Dodgers fans?" in a piece he wrote for ESPN.
• Josh Suchon, host of DodgerTalk, had a run-in with Orel Hershiser as a 14 year old kid at Game 5 of the 1988 World Series and it is hilarious.  Read about it here.
• Tom Hoffarth at the Daily News speaks with Orel Hershiser about his collection of sports memorabilia he has on auction.
• The Mets traveled to Toronto wearing jerseys of their favorite hockey teams.  Two players wore Kings jerseys, pics via the Mets facebook.

I have no idea who you are,
and that makes me feel bad.

Mike Nickeas

 

• I am more than envious of Mojo Beard's most recent autograph card acquisition- an Alyssa Milano.
• Will Carroll speaks with The Why Files about the biomechanics of pitching.  (Hat Tip: Baseball Musings)

“If you think about how the decisions get made on when and how guys work out, for the most part, it’s folklore,” said Will Carroll, a sportswriter who specializes in injuries from mundane to traumatic. “It’s hand-me-down wisdom that coaches learned from their coaches. It’s not what they’re reading in sports medicine journals.” 

• The Toronto Standard has a great article up focused on the inspiring story of the Tanner Raboin, his rabid LA Kings fanaticism, and the friends and family who continue to honor his life. 

A common sight in LA- Tannerhead- Pic via Mayors Manor

In his infancy, Tanner was diagnosed with Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD), which is a primary immune deficiency. CGD is a rare inherited infliction characterized by recurrent bacterial and fungal infections of the lungs, liver, lymph nodes, bones and skin. Tanner, though, was a warrior.
...
In the fall of 2010, Steven, like so many Kings fans did every preseason, prepared for Los Angeles’ annual Frozen Fury exhibition in Las Vegas. Unfortunately due to illness, Tanner was not able to make the annual trip with his father and uncles. So, Steven promised that he would figure out a way to bring the game to his son. From there, three cut-outs were made of Tanner’s head, one for Steven, and one for each uncle, Scott and Tim. Some glue was added, followed by a Popsicle stick and, lo and behold, the Tannerhead was born. Steven and his brothers dedicated their voyage to Tanner by taking hundreds of photos of them with the Tannerheads throughout the entire trip. Steven’s idea spread like wildfire. Hundreds of friends and fans generously posed in honor of Tanner.

To learn more about the bone marrow “Be the Match” Foundation, please visit www.marrow.org today and see how you can help.

• Here are Game 3 highlights from last night.  BTW, the KINGS WON!!!!  WOOHOOO!!!!

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MHCC Auctions: Jackie and Joe

I don't often feature items from Mile High Card Company Auctions, but this time around I couldn't help myself.  There are a couple of items that really stuck out to me, and I felt I would be remiss if I didn't point them out.

If you haven't seen "The Jackie Robinson Movie" than I gotta ask, "what's stopping ya?"  Heck, you could watch it online for free, so you really have no excuse.  Go to this link to watch it on youtube.  Anyway, following up on that check out the below vintage movie poster for the film.  It is from 1950 and is one of the more sought after sports related movie posters in the hobby.

 (Auction Link)

When I saw this I knew I had to put it up.  Here is a vintage press photo of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (on the right) and Illinois Assistant State Attorney Hartley Reblogle during the "Black Sox" trail in 1921.  It was taken on July 21st- which happens to be my birthday.  What I love about the photograph is that little stare Joe gives.  I'm sure he's wondering what the heck is going on.  This guy to his right is trying to prosecute him, but wants a personalized photo with him?  What's up with that?  It's almost depressing because deep down you know that Joe Jackson was like a poor deer staring straight at a cars headlights. 

 (Auction Link)

Since we are on the topic of Joe Jackson, check out the below press photo taken by legendary Baseball photographer Louis Van Oeyen.  He captures Joe perfectly as he ponders his upcoming at-bat.  This pic is brilliant for its clarity and subject matter.

(Auction Link)

Go Kings Go!!!!

Game tonight, baby!  The Kings and Coyotes go at it again in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.  The Kings are up 2 games to 0, and have absolutely dominated the team from Phoenix.  Will that continue tonight?  I certainly hope so.  Heck, if I were a boasting man I would say that we got this in the bag.  After Tuesday nights game the Coyotes looked downright demoralized.  They came off the ice a downtrodden group of players, and it'll take an effort of monumental proportions for them to eke out a win this evening.  For the Kings, all they have to do is play their game.  As Coach Sutter is wont to say, the Kings just have to get better from game to game, and so far they have done just that throughout this playoffs.

For your enjoyment check out the video below to get your blood boiling and soul properly prepared for Playoff Hockey.

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What is the coolest thing to look out for from tonight's game?  Well, if you're reading twitter be sure to check out @NHL.  This is the leagues official twitter account, and none other than our favorite fan Alyssa Milano will be manning the account throughout the game. She is a rabid Kings fan, so I suspect (I hope) it's filled will Kingscentric tweets.

(Twitter Link)

Here's another great video.

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Collection: Yhency Brazoban SPx Auto

Here is another Dodgers autograph card from the 2005 Upper Deck SPx Collection.  It features once rising relief prospect Yhency Brazoban. 

What happened to this guy?  He came to LA by way of the Yankees as a result of a trade that sent Kevin Brown to New York in exchange to Jeff Weaver and Brazoban in December of 2003.  Yhency was a hard throwing right hander who was fairly new to the art of pitching.  He had only recently been converted from an outfielder to a pitcher by the Yankees in 2003, so he had less than a year of experience on the mound when the Dodgers traded for him.  They must have seen something special in his arm.  And for a while, they were right.  Brazoban could pitch.

He first came up to the big club in August 2004, and immediately impressed the brass.  In fact, over the last two months of that season he would enter into 31 games and record a 2.48 ERA with 27 strike outs in just under 33 innings.  That's a lot of work for an arm just getting use to throwing on the mound.  The following season, Brazoban would continue to be impressive and be a bullpen a workhorse.  He established a Dodgers rookie record that year by appearing in 74 games while saving 21. 

Then, something happened.  Early in the 2006 season he hurt his arm.  Yhency was diagnosed with an elbow injury that lead to Tommy John Surgery.  In 2007 he was back in Dodger Blue, but again went down with an arm injury that cost him the entire season.  In 2008 Brazoban worked himself back onto the Dodgers roster, but was eventually sent back down to the minors where he again found a home on the disabled list with another arm injury.  I think it's fair to say that the workload he experienced early on in his pitching career caused some problems.

Today, Brazoban continues to play professional Baseball.  After bouncing around a little bit from the Mexican League to the minors with several different clubs he was eventually sold to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan last year. 

Weekend Autograph Opportunities: FanFest

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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This is the Dodgers FanFest weekend!  A ticket to the game on Saturday gives you entry to a day of pure Dodger pleasure.  There will be games and activities for fans of all ages.  Below is a list of the expected autograph guest.

12:00-12:30pm Scott Elbert Elian Herrera Adam Kennedy Josh Lindblom Jerry Sands Matt Treanor Scott Van Slyke

12:30-1:00pm Chris Capuano Matt Guerrier Tony Gwynn Jr. Justin Sellers Jamey Wright

1:00pm-1:30pm Ron Cey Steve Garvey Davey Lopes Bill Russell

2:00pm-2:30pm Ronald Belisario Todd Coffey A.J. Ellis Mark Ellis Andre Ethier Javy Guerra Ted Lilly James Loney

2:30pm-3:00pm Bobby Abreu Chad Billingsley Dee Gordon Jerry Hairston Aaron Harang Kenley Jansen

3:30pm-4:00pm Al "The Bull" Ferrara Ken McMullen Dennis Powell Derrel Thomas

4:00pm-4:30pm Billy Ashley Lee Lacy Kenny Landreaux Wes Parker

4:30pm- 5:00pm Jimmy Campanis Tommy Davis Chuck Essigian Sweet Lou Johnson

5:00pm-5:30pm Jaime Jarrin Fernando Valenzuela Pepe Yniguez 5:30pm-6:00pm Tommy Lasorda

Of special note:  Vin Scully will be signing making a appearance, as well!  (I had previously erred by indicating that Scully would be signing.  That is incorrect.  Vin Scully will do what he does best.  He will be speaking to the legions of Dodger fans in attendance.)

(Tweet link: @Dodgers)

Be sure to read the below autograph guidelines.  Please be courteous and patient when getting autographs.  Remember, there will likely be thousands of fans waiting in lines and if you don't get the player you want please don't whine, complain, or push your way through.  There are only so many items a man can sign within the allotted time.  I suspect there will be just a couple of lines with players interchanging midstream throughout the day.  So, you might fall into the Garvey line only to have that player replaced with Billingsley when you finally get to the front of the line. 

Player Autograph Guidelines

• You may bring personal items for autographs. You are welcome to bring a photo, ball, and jersey, baseball bat or sports memorabilia to be autographed. 
• One autograph item per player or coach per station. NO EXCEPTIONS. 
• In order for as many Dodger fans as possible to receive an autograph, no photos with players or coaches will be permitted. Players will not be personalizing autographs. 
• Players may NOT sign a blank piece of paper.
• If you choose to vacate your space in any line at any time during the autograph session or impede the lines' progress voluntarily, you will be removed from the line. This will be strictly enforced. 
• You may not have someone reserve a space in any autograph line. Cutting lines is not permitted and may result in dismissal from the event.

You can find more information about the event at the Dodgers website, here.

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If you can't make the game above, or if you're looking for just an autograph of the Bulldog then Frank & Sons on Saturday should be your destination.  Check out the flyer below, or go to this link.

Blog Kiosk: 5/16/2012

Topps has been slowly unveiling some sneak peek photos of some of the autographs cards seeded into the 2012 Topps Heritage Baseball card boxes, via twitter @ToppsCards.  Above is a Brett Butler insert autographed card.

• Gibson chose not to catch Hershiser's first pitch the other night, via LA Times.  I certainly respect Gibby's reason.

"I'm a Diamondback," Gibson said. "I'm the manager of the team. I respect Orel tremendously. He knows that. It's not disrespect towards him. If I was out of baseball I would have done it, but I'm in baseball and I've got different colors on tonight and tomorrow."

• Here's a great story about former Padres Nate Colbert's brush with Jackie Robinson as a kid, via Corey Brock at MLB.

With Colbert clinging to Robinson's game-used glove in the center fielder bleachers, Jackie Robinson, the man responsible for breaking baseball's color barrier, actually used Colbert's glove during a game against Stan Musial and the Cardinals. 

• Check out Matt Kemp sporting LA Kings Black & Silver, via LA Kings Twitter.  Pic taken by Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers 2012.

• Dee Gordon is getting some extra tutelage, via Ken Gurnick at MLB.

Rather than in the privacy of the indoor batting cage, manager Don Mattingly and hitting coach Dave Hansen had Gordon hitting off a tee in the batting cage on the field before the Dodgers stretched for regular batting practice.

• Juan Uribe had a MRI, with Eric Stephen at True Blue LA.

Manager Don Mattingly said the MRI showed what could be arthritis or wear and tear, but trainer Sue Falsone declined to discuss specifics until Uribe met with the hand specialist.

• Check out the LA Galaxy as they meet the President, via LA Kings Insider.
• Heartbreaking Cards of Staggering Genius has a couple more pics of some incredible murals found near the Negro League Baseball Museum; including a  Kansas City Monarchs mural with Jackie Robinson.
• Go Kings!!!  Am I dreaming?  Can this possible be happening?   The Kings took a 2 games to 0 lead in the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Coyotes.  See game highlights below.

 
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