Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 10/10/2012

Topps is working on their final touches to next seasons 2013 Opening Day Baseball card set.  Check out a pic they revealed above on twitter that shows us what the Matt Kemp will look like.

• MLB Blog Central reveals their latest episode of "Meet the Bloggers" that features Dodgers blogger Emma of Crzblue's Dodger Blue World.  Congrats Emma!
• Andre Ethier is the Dodgers finalist for the Hank Aaron Award.  Go here to vote.

The Hall of Fame panel led by Aaron includes some of the greatest offensive players of all-time –Tony Gwynn, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, and Robin Yount.  These Hall of Famers – who combined for 12,119 hits, 888 home runs and 4,984 RBI – have all been personally selected by Aaron to lend their expertise to select the best offensive performer in each League.  

• You must listen to the Nerdist podcast featuring their talk with Tom Hanks.  It's hilarious.  Before you do, though please check out how they got Tom Hanks to come on as a guest, here.
• Have you ever wondered what the heck is WAR (Wins Above Replacement) anyway?  Well, Baseball Reference provides everything you would ever want to know.
• This Card is Cool shares some Baseball finds he grabbed at a Japanese Flea Market.
• Rich Hammond, the LA Kings resident blogger at LA Kings Insider, has just signed on to work for the OC Register to cover the Trojans.  I hate to see you go.  Your inside track with the Kings made you a daily read.  Good luck!

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You Got a Monkey on Your Back

(twitter link)

Ya know, I wanted to post this up before the season ended, but I just never got around to it.

Wow, Dodgers bench coach Trey Hillman literally has a monkey on his back.  The above photo was tweeted by LA Daily News Dodgers reporter JP Hoornstra.

Anyway, during the last roadtrip in San Diego the Dodgers had the pleasure of meeting the most famous monkey in the world.  Crystal, a capachin monkey, has been in several multi-million blockbuster movies; including The Hangover II and Night at the Museum.  She has also been on Community and Animal Practice. 

For a look at Crystal's day at the ballpark check out the video below.

Video Link:

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2012 Topps Update Baseball Cards- Dodgers All-Star Inserts

The All-Star game seems so long ago.  The National League won this years event for the third straight time, after spending the previous 13 years as losers.  Matt Kemp didn't play in the game due to an injury, but did participate in the Home Run Derby as the National League Captain.  Unfortunately, he hit only one home run.  Clayton Kershaw allowed three batters to get on base, but did not give up a run in his one inning of work

Anyway, in commemoration of the event Topps included numerous insert cards for us to chase after in their recently released Update set. Check out my previous post on the Topps Update Set here (short prints), here (base cards), and here (other inserts).

Below are the All-Star Stitches insert cards of Kershaw and Kemp.

AS-CLK Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers

 AS-MK Matt Kemp - Dodgers

Below are the Dual All-Star Stitches cards featuring Dodgers.

ASD-KK Matt Kemp - Clayton Kershaw

ASD-BK Ryan Braun - Matt Kemp

These are the Triple All-Star Stiches cards. 

AST-KHS Clayton Kershaw - Cole Hamels - CC Sabathia

AST-KHT Matt Kemp - Josh Hamilton - Mike Trout

 AST-BKG Ryan Braun - Matt Kemp - Carlos Gonzalez

The only Dodger in the All-Star Jumbo Patch Autographed set is Clayton Kershaw.  See it below.  There is also a Matt Kemp Jumbo Patch card that is not autographed, but I have yet to see one.

ASPA-CK Clayton Kershaw - Dodgers

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Collection: 1995 LA Dodgers Police Baseball Card Set

Here we go again.  Following up on my series of post focused on Dodgers police sets throughout the years, here are scans of the 1995 LAPD Police set.  To see the other police sets I have featured go here.  There are 30 cards in all, and it has been reported that 40,000 set were given away to fans as a give away during a game.  Below is a look at what the reverse of the cards look like.

These cards were also given out as perforated sheets, but as you can see my cards have been machine cut. It's likely that someone received a bunch of them and had them professional cut up.  BTW, these cards are very inexpensive.  You should be able to get a complete from just about any year for around $5, give or take a few dollars here and there. 

As I look at this set, I realized that this Dodger team was stacked.  We had Piazza, Karros and Mondesi as our power bats.  Chan Ho Park. Nomo and Ramon Martinez lead our starting pitching staff with an effective Todd Worrell anchoring our relievers.  It's no wonder we took the National League West crown that season. 

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 10/9/2012

The above photo was posted up by the @Dodgers on twitter in commemoration of the day they announced that the Dodgers coming to LA- yesterday was the anniversary  If I'm not mistaken, I believe the photo is from in front of an old Los Angeles Baseball stadium called Wrigley Field- former home of the Hollywood Stars and Los Angeles Angels of the PCL.

• Paul Swydan at FanGraphs isn't a big fan of Luis Cruz.

Instead of drawing walks, Cruz made his hay by making contact — only 30 players had a K% less than that of Cruz’s 11.5 K%. But can Cruz maintain such a low strikeout rate? Anecdotal evidence would suggest not.

• The Dodgers are trying to temper expectations for Yasiel Puig, via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times.

Truth be told, however, he played well for the Quakes in Rancho, but his numbers were more of the very-good type, as opposed to the you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me variety.

In 52 at-bats with the Quakes, he hit .327 with one home run and four RBI. He had a .407 on-base percentage and a middling .423 slugging percentage. He did not eat the Cal League.

Puig is understandably green, though he will turn 22 in December. The Dodgers remain sky-rocket high on his potential. Of course, they are sort of invested.

“Plus-plus tools,” Colletti said. “Power and speed. He’s going to need some work around the game, inside the game.”

• Brandon Lennox at True Blue LA puts together a 2012 Arizona Fall League Preview.
• Kimberly Hiss at Oprah.com speaks with Dodgers Trainer Sue Falsone about how to exercise without getting hurt.

"The other day I was working with center fielder Matt Kemp, and people were yelling for him when I heard my name, too," she says. "There was a 12-year-old girl who said, 'I wanna do what you do.' How cool is that?" 

• Matt Kemp speaks with Bill Simmons at Grantland- video included.
• Check out some great photos from the Orioles/Yankees series from L. E. Miller.  The first photo is of the greatest hat I've ever seen.
• Awesome stuff!  Former Dodger Talk host Ken Levine writes about The Cheers 30th reunion party, here.  He adds more photos here.
• Good Guy, Chad Billingsley.

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2012 Topps Update Baseball Cards: Some Dodgers Inserts

Following up on last weeks post featuring Dodgers base cards and short prints from the recently released 2012 Topps Update set, I bring to you some of the Dodgers insert cards available to add to your collection.

Below is the Blockbusters Insert card of the trade that brought Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers.  They should have used a photo of him doing the "I See You" hand gesture.

BB-5 Hanley Ramirez - Dodgers

There is also a Blockbusters Commemorative Hat Logo card of Hanley Ramirez only available in retail packs (like Target or Walmart).  I think this would look great autographed.

BP-5 Hanley Ramirez - Dodgers

Inserted in hobby packs is the below Blockbuster Relic Card of Hanley.  An autographed version of this (numbered to 5) is also randomly inserted into packs.

BBR-HR Hanley Ramirez - Dodgers #/50

Both Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have their own Golden Moments cards.

GM-U16 Andre Ethier - Dodgers

GM-U27 Matt Kemp - Dodgers

Only AJ Ellis has a Golden Moments Autographed card.  See it below.

GMA-AE A.J. Ellis - Dodgers

1987 Topps Minis are back.  See the Jackie Robinson below.  I've never been a big fan of this design, but it is starting to grow on me.

TM-126 Jackie Robinson - Dodgers

How's this for a strange and unusual autographed insert card?  Topps included a insert set focused solely on the men who really shape the teams- General Managers.  There are 14 cards in the General Manager insert set, and Ned Colletti is included.  As I check eBay I find out that Ned's cards have been selling well.  He must be quite popular.

AGM-NC Ned Colletti - Dodgers GM

I have yet to hold one of these kind of cards, but something tells me I would love them.  Below are a couple of Gold HOF Plaque cards of Jackie and Koufax.

HOF-JR Jackie Robinson - Dodgers

HOF-SK Sandy Koufax - Dodgers

These are the Gold Ring Award Winners cards.  Like the two Jackie and Koufax cards above, these cards are super thick and include a manufactured plastic emblem.

GAR-JR Jackie Robinson - Dodgers

GAR-SK Sandy Koufax - Dodgers

Below is a Gold Engravings Reprint Card of a 1955 Topps Duke Snider. 

GER-DS Duke Snider - Dodgers

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