Doodle For Hunger Auction Featuring Steve Garvey

Auctions aren't just for personal gain.  Sometimes, you can bid on something that supports a good cause.

Currently at Heritage is the "Doodle for Hunger" auction featuring famous sports athletes artwork in support of St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters.  Per their mission statement:

St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters is established to alleviate the physical and emotional hunger of the poor and needy in a dignified and supportive manner. The St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters takes a comprehensive approach in providing and supporting services that eradicate not only hunger, but the structural causes of hunger. Working together with the staff and volunteers at various locations to promote emotional and physical well-being through programs sponsored by banks, hospitals, social service providers, and the corporate community, the St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters raises awareness of the needs within the community and forges new relationships.

In addition to feeding the hungry, the St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters works to eliminate hunger and its underlying causes by providing literacy programs, counseling for persons with addictions, support for victims of domestic violence, and training for those who help eradicate the various structural causes of hunger; each location has customized its program according to the needs of the local community.

Go here to see everything for sale.  You can find drawings from the likes of Jerry Cooney, Bob Cousy, Larry Doby, Scott Erickson, Jennie Finch, Bob Gibson, Rosey Grier, Mario Lemieux, Joe Theisman and Jamaal Wilkes (the former Laker).  Below are a couple more that I wanted to share.

Steve Garvey

(Auction Link)

Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray decided to share a great life lesson.  Check out what he had to say below.

"Life is Boxing" and "Boxing is Life"

After a knockdown in boxing, you have "only" 10 seconds! To get up!
A knockdown in life, there's no count,.  But, you must always get back up!  Always!

(Auction Link)

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2013 Topps Update - The Rest of the Dodgers Inserts

Here is my final post featuring Dodger cards within the 2013 Topps Update set.  Go here to check out the other Dodgers' cards I've already shared.

Below are the "Making Their Mark" insert cards, and it features our two top rookies.  There is also a Puig autographed card that are inserted into packs (no redemptions, yeah!), and a Ryu autographed relic card that only comes with a redemption card (boo!).

Making Their Mark

#MM38 Yasiel Puig                               #MM46 Hyun-Jin Ryu

Making Their Mark Autographs

#MMA-YP Yasiel Puig

Sandy Koufax is the only Dodger withint the "Postseason Heroes" insert set.  Autographed cards exist of Davey Lopes (#PHA-DL), Johnny Podres (#PHA-JP) and Duke Snider (#PHAR-DS, a auto'd relic), but I have yet to see any of them.

UPDATE: Below is a pic of the Davey Lopes Postseason Heroes autographed card, via GCRL.

Postseason Heroes

#PH6 Sandy Koufax

An autographed "Franchise Forerunners" autographed card of Koufax and Ryu exist, but is available only via a redemption card.

Franchise Forerunners

#FF1 Ryu & Koufax                       #FF2 Puig & Kemp

These are All-Star Game game-used relic cards, and Clayton Kershaw is the lone Dodgers representative.  An autographed relic card (#ASAR-CK) and a jumbo patch (#ASJP-CK) card exist, but I have to see any photos.

All-Star Stitches

#ASR-CK Clayton Kershaw

All-Star Stitches Duals

#ASD-HK Kershaw & Matt Harvey

All-Star Stitches Triples

#AST-KHH Kershaw, Harvey & Hernandez

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Blog Kiosk: 10/24/2013 - Dodgers Links - Another Kershaw Award, Dodgers Worth $2.1 Billion and Mattingly Staying?

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day the Dodgers officially signed Jackie Robinson in 1945.  Pic above via @Dodgers on twitter.

• "Don Mattingly has a history of speaking up," via Mark Saxon at ESPN.
• Nevertheless, via Ramona Shelburne at ESPN, "Agent: Don Mattingly will honor deal".

Don Mattingly intends to honor the final year of his contract as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, his agent said Wednesday, and there is renewed hope on both sides that he will continue on beyond next season, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

The Dodgers won't have anything to say on the matter until after the World Series, a source said, respecting the long-held tradition of embargoing major news during the sport's most important event.

"He's under contract. He was able to say his piece at the press conference and he's looking forward to continuing his relationship with the Dodgers," Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Wednesday.

• Now we know through Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that, "Don Mattingly to return as Dodgers manager in 2014".

Don Mattingly will manage the Dodgers next season.

“I always thought that,” team President Stan Kasten said. “Absolutely.”

• Via Murray Chass, "MEETING MATTINGLY’S MATURITY".

Don Mattingly has learned a thing or two in the past quarter century or so. In 1987 Mattingly, a 25-year-old first baseman with the New York Yankees, let himself be intimidated by George Steinbrenner. Now the 52-year-old manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mattingly has turned the tables but on the Dodgers.

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Clayton Kershaw named to Sporting News NL All-Star team".
• Via Chris Olds at Beckett, he shares some preview pics for the 2014 Topps Opening Day set; including the Clayton Kershaw card on the right.
• Via Michael Martinez at Fox Sports, "Bloomberg report: Dodgers are worth $2.1 billion".
• The Sons of Steve Garvey has a pic of the advertisement the Dodgers put out in the LA Times.
• Tony Jackson at Dodger Scribe takes a closer look at the Alexander Guerrero contract.  BTW, he issued one small correction to his story, here.
• Adam Lovinus at OC Weekly sits down with Riley Breckenridge of Puig Destroyer for an interview.
• Chris Creamer at Sports Logos.net has a bunch of pics of now irrelevant 2013 Dodgers NLCS Champions and World Series merchandise.  If we had beaten the Cardinals these items would have been for sale.  Check out the ugliest damn cap I've ever seen below.  It almost makes me thankful we lost... Almost.  (Hat Tip:  Jonathan Garza at WCB Sports)

• Following up on recent news that Alex Castellanos was DFA's, we find out that the Dodgers have just traded him to the Red Sox for outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker.  I guess the Dodgers figured he was going to get claimed, so they might as well get something in return.  I've changed my thinking on this.  I think multiple team did make a claim, so Boston reached out for a trade since they are low on the waiver totem pole.  Per a Dodgers press release:

Hazelbaker, 26, spent the 2013 campaign with Triple-A Pawtucket, batting .257 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI in 121 games and ranking fifth in the International League with 37 steals.

The Muncie, Indiana, native has compiled a .258 batting average with 194 steals, 60 home runs and 247 RBI in 530 games in his five professional seasons after being selected by Boston in the fourth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Ball State University.

• Panini unveiled their own Jose Abreu card that will be coming out in early November in their 2013 Prizm Perennial Draft Picks card set.

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"Baseball for All – All Girls Tournament" is This Weekend

If you happen to be free this weekend, especially on Friday, this might be something fun and interesting to watch.  This weekend is the “Baseball for All – All Girls Tournament” at the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy in Compton from Friday, October 25 - Sunday, October 27. This is the only all girls' Baseball tournament in the country.

Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy
El Camino College, Compton Center (west of football field)
901 East Artesia Blvd.
Compton, Calif. 90221
310-763-3479

Participants are in the teens and will play using IBAF Women’s World Cup rules.  I encourage you to attend if you're interested; especially if you have a young daughter.  After all, maybe it's time to come out and lend some support to the ladies of Baseball.  There just might be a diamond in the rough.

To usher in the tournament will be an Opening Ceremony on Friday morning that includes several cast members from the movie "A League of Their Own" and a former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.

Appearing will be Patty Pelton (Marbleann Wilkenson), Tracey Reiner (Betty Horn) and Anne Ramsay (Helen Haley) from the movie.  Maybelle Blair, who played for the Peoria Redwings in 1948, will represent the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and throw out the first pitch.

Friday, October 25

9 a.m. – Practice
11 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies
12:30 – Team 1 vs. Team 2
2:30 p.m. – Team 2 vs. Team 3
4:30 p.m. – Team 3 vs. Team 1

Saturday, October 26

9:30 a.m. – Team 1 vs. Team 3
Noon – Team 2 vs. Team 1
2:30 p.m. Team 3 vs. Team 2

Sunday, October 27

8 a.m. – Semifinals
10:30 a.m. - Championship

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Rudely Inviting Myself to the Blogger Bracket Challenge

I am bored... Like, really bored.

The Dodger season is over, and I deeply despise both clubs in the Fall Classic.  I've got no horse in that race.

Worse yet, Dodger drama is starting to hit its stride, and I can't stand it. We've got the idiots on the left who make up rumor after rumor, and the fools on the right pushing a high school musical drama on us like we should give a crap.

The season's over folks!  And the Dodgers will undoubtedly make some changes, but please don't tell me that we'll trade the farm for David Price or that Don Mattingly's feelings are hurt.  It just reads as mindless babble filled with a load of BS. 

So instead, I'm gonna play a game.  A game I wasn't even invited to, but I'm gonna play nonetheless.  Because, that's how I roll.

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Thanks to Stealing Home at All Trade Bait, All the Time, I came across Nachos Grande's Blogger Bracket Challenge and feel compelled to throw my 2 cents in.  Go here for his rules.  Since I'm not actually in the game, I will play along as I wish.  The topic for the evening is the card below.

And what is this card?

Beats the living heck out of me.

It looks like one of those 'Magic the Gathering' kind of cards.  Ya know, the game geeks play (I should talk!)  Thankfully, Nachos Grande informs us that it's from the 2011 Topps Attax set - a card set that doubles as a card game.  (I had previously previewed the Dodger cards from this set, here)

As for the makeup of the card, there's a bunch of numbers on the face that screams sabermetrics, and I'm sure it confuses just the same. Someone, please find me Nate Silver to explain how this all works.

The featured player is no hit/ good glove outfielder Franklin Gutierrez; who was once a top flight Dodger prospect before he was sent packing for a bag of balls and a lunatic named Milton "board game" Bradley.

That reminds me, what ever happened to Mr. Crazy?

Oh, yeah!  He was recently convicted of physically attacking his wife, but due to appeals has yet to serve any time.  Strangely, his wife died a month ago, and I have to wonder if I might be next if he reads this post.

The card hilariously points out the obvious about Gutierrez.

Easy Out: A batter who hits a single is out

Wow!  Such harsh criticism from a piece of cardboard.  Remind me to never look for a Baseball blogger themed card set.  No doubt it would say something like "fat and failed wannabe sports writer:  Hurts back on any pitch leading to long stint on DL" on my card.

Joking aside, Franklin Gutierrez has stayed in the Majors since he left the Dodger nest.  That's a total of 9 years longer than I'll ever get to experience, and 3 years short of Milton "please don't kill me" Bradley's career.  He doesn't hit much; which limits his playing time to being a spot starter or reserve defensive outfielder.  Gutierrez's value as a ballplayer is in his work on the field.  He is truly a great defender, and if you need a guy off the bench to shore up your outfield during the late innings, then I can't think of anyone better.  After all, you don't get nicknamed "death to flying things" for being a duck hunter.

Franklin Gutierrez is likely to be a free agent this Winter (Seattle holds a $7.5Mil option/$500k buyout for 2014), so if your team is shopping I'd suggest looking Franklin's way.  His glove will probably be a difference maker in tight-hard-fought games.

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Jose Canseco and Robert Horry (UPDATED with a Clipper Free Signing on Saturday)

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events 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.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Former slugger Jose Canseco will be signing autographs at Harry's Dugout in Whittier on Saturday, October 26 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM.  Go here for more information.

Harry's Dugout
10715 Beverly Blvd.
Whittier CA 90601
310-606-1548

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UPDATE:  This is a Free Signing event for Clipper Lamond Murray on Saturday.

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