Puig's Five Star Jersey/Relic Cards Have Something Unusual About Them - Dodger Green

As avid collectors know, Topps just released their newest Baseball card set called Topps Five Star, and I noticed something strange about the Yasiel Puig relic cards.  Check out what I mean above.

At first I thought that it must be a scanner/color issue.  Then, I realized that can't be it.  Puig is wearing Dodger blue in the corresponding photo.  So, technology is not deceiving me and neither are my eyes.  What we have is a Yasiel Puig game-used relic jersey card that actually uses a green Dodger jersey.

Say wha...?  Green?

Ya, you heard me right!  The Dodgers do wear green, but only once per year.

Every Spring Training the Dodgers wear green jerseys in celebration of St. Patrick's Day, and the jersey Topps attained must be the jersey Puig wore this past Spring. Unfortunately, I couldn't track down a photo of Puig in green, so instead I'll show you a bunch of Dodgers in St. Patrick's green from March, taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.  See it below.

(pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013)

How cool is that, eh?

We have a Puig relic card in an exclusive product that features a game-used jersey that we know for certain came from March 17, 2013.  It's a Puig card in Dodger Blue with a splash of green.

I wonder if all the relics use green jerseys, or is the above example unique?

As you can see above, the Puig Jumbo Relic cards of all the different parallels found appear to be all green.  At least, I have yet to see a non-green Puig relic card.  I also ran into another Puig relic card, an Active Player Quad Patch Dodgers Book Card (see it below), that also features a green jersey patch piece.  Awesome!

Normally, I could care less about game-used relic cards, but I find these cards to be really neat. 

BTW, Topps Five Star is a high-end set that will cost you a fortune to purchase.  Unopened boxes cost from $350.00 to $400.00 a piece, and you get only 6 cards in the box.  That's right, just 6 cards for about 4 bills. 

With Yasiel Puig's cards being the big hit from the set and plentiful, to boot, the cost/risk/reward ratio for Dodger fans is fairly good.  Still, it's far too pricey for a collector like me. I guess I'll have to look for bargains on eBay.

Also, I'll have pics of all the Dodgers' cards from this set some time next week. So, stay tuned.

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Mailbag: A Couple of Chris Anderson Autographed Cards Won on eBay

It's been awhile since I've shared a recent Baseball card purchase.  For the most part, I've been on the sidelines as the hobby continues to churn out product, but I just couldn't help myself when it came to one of our newest and brightest prospects. 

Chris Anderson was the Dodgers 2013 first round amateur draft pick, and he has, so far, proved to be a wise choice.  Baseball America recently named him the Dodgers' 5th best prospect in their system after just one year of professional play. 

Below are his stats, via Baseball Reference:


The card on the left is a 2013 Leaf Metal Draft Baseball autographed card, and on the right is a 2013 Leaf Memories Baseball base autographed card.  The Leaf Memories card borrows the vintage 1990 Leaf Baseball card design.  The card I received is a parallel card numbered to 50 copies.

Below are the back of each card.

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A Kershaw Interview is Airing Soon that You Should All Watch

With all of Dodger Blue Nation on the edge of their seats when it comes to the future of Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles, an upcoming interview with the staff ace by Graham Bensinger couldn't be any more timely.

Airing early Saturday morning on ABC (1:00 AM per this listing) and viewable on "Watch on Yahoo! Sports" thereafter, Clayton Kershaw sits with Bensinger at his home to discuss just about everything under the sun. BTW, with the magic of technology you should just set your DVR to record this show.  That way you can watch it first thing Saturday morning.

Per a press release:

From his home in Dallas, Texas, the young left hander shares the emotion of being drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, just missing the 2013 World Series and the possibility of signing a record-setting $300 million contract. A man of strong Christian faith, Kershaw discusses his charity work in Africa where he and his wife, Ellen, help fund and develop an orphanage for the impoverished children of Zambia. Kershaw also shows off his skills in ping pong, dominating in a match against Bensinger. 

Check out a promo video of the interview below.

YouTube Link:

Heck, there are a bunch of other snippets from the interview available at Yahoo Sports right now.  Below are some additional links.

• Link: With Kershaw’s contract ending after the 2014 season, the Dodgers are working to re-sign their star ace.  Bensinger asks: “How about the likelihood that you re-sign with the Dodgers?”  Kershaw responds: “I'm open to anything… I'm going to be in LA and I'm really looking forward to that…after that, I really don't know what's going to happen, we'll see.”  Bensinger continues: “It's been reported that (the) Dodgers offered you a 300-million dollar contract.”  Kershaw: “I can't even--can't even imagine what that would be like…I think a great magnitude of how much wealth you have is how many people you can help with that.”  Link:
• Link: The Dodgers’ loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 National League Championship Series was particularly difficult for Kershaw: “It was pretty tough…any time every season ends, it's no fun…when you’re--I mean, the reason why it ends, it's also not a great feeling.”  Bensinger asks how long it took to get over the loss.  Kershaw replies: “I don't know.  I'll let you know when I get there.”  Link: 
• Link: Bensinger asks Kershaw how satisfying it is to win the Cy Young Award. Kershaw: “You never expect to win anything like that, you know, growing up you always think about trying to make it to the Big Leagues…it's really a huge honor.”  But he admits that winning the award was important to him: “To be associated, be a finalist is pretty cool in itself.  But once you get to that point obviously you want to win…So, you know, I guess there's a little bit of disappointment if you don't win.”  Link:
• Link:  Kershaw recalls his Major League debut with the Dodgers and an embarrassing moment involving teammate Jason Schmidt: “I kind of just reach into the locker and grab what I thought was my Jersey and it happened--it happened to be his…So he told everybody in the clubhouse not to say anything… the national anthem starts…they pull up on my face and they go straight to the back and it says Schmidt 29 on it…I mean, the whole team was just cracking up.” 
• Link:  Bensinger jokes with Kershaw about some of his pre-game rituals including the pop music he listens to before a game: “I asked some of your teammates and I heard it was, you know, in addition to Beyoncé…. Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne.  Those are the--those are the go tunes. Kershaw fesses up: “They're all classics. They really are good songs.  Link: 
• Link:  Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, head up the Kershaw’s Challenge charity, which helps impoverished African children in the country of Zambia. Kershaw recalls his first impression: “You understand that Africa is a third world country, but until you go over there and you see the living conditions of some of these people living in, it is--it touches you.” Ellen immediately formed a special bond with a particular little girl, Hope: “We started sponsoring her.  And, you know, we were--we were able to get her some food and some medication.  She's HIV positive and, you know, she just needed her meds.”  Link:
• Link: And, Kershaw plays Graham in a friendly game of ping pong.  But when it appears that Kershaw is taking it easy on his opponent, he displays the same competitive spirit as when he is on the mound: “I don’t give points away, not even to a fourth grader. They gotta learn the hard way.”  Link:

This appears to be one of the more in-depth interviews Kershaw has ever given, and really provides some insight into what's on his mind.  He strikes me as super-competitive, thoughtful and savvy.  As for the contract negotiations with the Dodgers, something tells me he's in full control of whatever discussions are currently going on, and is playing it perfectly. 

Will he stay in Dodger Blue?  I hope so, and I think it's fair to say he'll favor the Dodgers, but he also knows their are other options out there for him, and he sees no reason for him not to explore them.  Fortunately, I didn't didn't get the impression that he was greedy, but I do believe he'll seek the richest deal possible; if only to have more funds to use for good works.

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Blog Kiosk: 12/6/2013 - Dodgers Links - Mattingly, Belisario Signs with White Sox and Kershaw Happy Wilson is Coming Back

What a great photo.  Check out Vin Scully playing basketball with neighborhood kids in Bogota, New Jersey, 1956.  The photo was tweeted by @VinScullyTweet.  You should really follow them.  They constantly tweet photos, links and quotes related to Vin Scully.  Go here.

• Check this out!  Via True to the Blue, Steve Garvey will be signing free autographs in Irvine at the PGA Tour Superstore on Sunday.  Go here for information.
• Via Mike Petriello at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, "Give Us All Of The Tanaka, Please".  Mike tells us a bit about the soon to be completed posting agreement that may make Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka available.  The Dodgers are rumored to be very interested in him.
• ICYMI, listen to Wednesday's broadcast of Dodger Talk, here.  It includes and interview with skipper Don Mattingly; who appears very happy with his situation.
• Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA writes, "Dominican Summer League Dodgers – Year in Review".
• Via Mark Gonzalez at the Chicago Tribune, the White Sox have just signed a 1-year deal with the recently non-tendered Ronald Belisario.
• I think it's fair to say that Clayton Kershaw is happy Brian Wilson is coming back, via his twitter.

Excited to get @BrianWilson38 back! Much needed ping pong competition in spring training.
— Clayton Kershaw (@ClaytonKersh22) December 5, 2013

• Jaime Jarrin feels good about Juan Uribe staying with the Dodgers, via a tweet he put up yesterday.  Roughly translated, it says "I have a hunch the Dodgers will keep Juan Uribe.  Don't be surprised if they agree to a contract today."  Obviously, that didn't happen, but stay tuned.  It could happen at any time.

Me asalta la corazonada d que Juan Uribe se quedará con Dodgers. Y no se sorprendan si un acuerdo d contrato sea logrado hoy mismo.
— Jaime Jarrín (@JaimeJarrin) December 5, 2013

• Hanley Ramirez is a tough teacher.  Via his instagram account, he shares a video of him teaching his son how to box.  You gotta watch it.  (Hat Tip: Dodgers Nation)

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The Beard Stays Blue - Dodgers Re-Sign Brian Wilson

This is news that I'm sure will make you smile.  Reliever Brian Wilson has agreed to a new free agent contract with the Dodgers, per a report from Tim Brown on twitter.

Brian Wilson and Dodgers have come to contract agreement.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) December 5, 2013

So, in celebration I made a fantasy Baseball card of him that you can see at the very top.  I used the 1987 Topps Baseball card design and a photo from Dodgers photographer Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.

Per a follow-up story by Tim Brown on Yahoo, it is a 1-year deal with an player option for a 2nd year.  He will earn $10Million in 2014 and the option for 2015 is between $9Million to $10Million (based upon game appearance).  If he performs anywhere close to what he did this past season, then I suspect he'll be opting out of the option and seeking a more new deal. As has been mentioned numerous times, Wilson is fine with being the set-up man for Kenley Jansen in 2014.  It's expected that he'll have a physical soon before the deal is finalized. 

Things are starting to shape-up nicely, eh?  All that's left to do is to figure out the 3rd base situation, and maybe another arm for the bullpen.

Below are Wilson's career stats, via Baseball Reference:

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An 1883 Brooklyn Scorecard from Huggins & Scott - Earliest Dodgers Artifact?

A couple of years ago, I featured a scorecard from a 1883 Baseball game that was thought to be the earliest known artifact featuring the Dodgers franchise.  It was being sold by an auction house named Huggins & Scott.  Well, that same auction house now has a Dodgers scorecard that is even older.

Featured in this post is a scorecard for a game between the Brooklyn Polka Dots and Newark's Hamilton ballclub, dated July 4, 1883.  From the auction description:

Combining the Fourth of July, “Ladies Day” and Brooklyn baseball, this thick stock scorecard was issued at Washington Park for the July 4, 1883 Interstate Association battle between the Brooklyn Polka Dots and Newark’s Hamilton club. A brave new world in 1883, Brooklyn fielded its first-ever professional team on May 12, erected the Brooklyn Bridge on May 24 and won the league title that same year. The namesake of the club’s eventual venue, 23-year-old team secretary Charlie Ebbets sold programs – perhaps this one! With pre-printed lineups listing combatants, this stadium heirloom is definitively earlier than an 1883 Polka Dots scorecard unearthed in 2011, as this one lacks the names of five players acquired from the disbanded Camden Merritts on July 20.

As you may know, the Brooklyn franchise became a Major League team in 1884 as a member of the American Association Baseball League.  They were dubbed the Brooklyn Atlantics back then, but were also known as the Grays and Bridegrooms. 

The true birth of the franchise happened a year before, though.  In 1883, real estate developer Charles Byrnes decided he wanted to field his own team.  So, he created a club early in the year, and had them play their first-ever professional game on May 12th.  This was also the year they first moved into Washington Park.

At the time, his Brooklyn team played in the Interstate Baseball Association; which was not considered a Major League.  Also, fans called the team the Polka Dots.  Why, you ask?  Well, for that season the team wore socks with polka dots, and fans took notice.

By 1884, they were admitted into the American Association, and officially became a Major League franchise.  As you might have guessed, the club tossed away the polka dots leggings. 

The scorecard has been scored and shows that the Polka Dots won the game with a blowout score of 37-1.  It should also be noted that the pre-printed lineup card includes 3 players who would go on to play for the franchise the following season: Billy Geer, Adonis Terry and Oscar Walker.  Adonis Terry was the franchise's earliest "most popular" player, and the reason should be obvious.  His real name isn't Adonis.  It's William.  He was nicknamed Adonis because of his dashing good looks, and female fans are said to have fawned over him.

The scorecard itself is one of the more desirable styles available in the hobby.  They were created in the 1880's by publisher John B. Sage.  I have several of these kind of scorecards in my own collection.  I'll have to take some time to scan and put them up.

(Auction Link)

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