Cardinals Series Starts Tonight - Scheduled Autograph Signings, Game Give Aways and Other Stuff!

The next homestand starts this evening against the Colorado Rockies, and several old-time Dodgers will be in the house to sign free autographs for fans.  Below are the scheduled autograph opportunities and other odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.

For this series the Dodgers have created a special St. Louis Dog.  It's an all-beef hot dog topped with braised beef short ribs, BBQ sauce and fried onions.  It is available through Sunday at extreme loaded dog concession stands on the Field, Loge and Reserve levels.

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Thursday, June 26th at 7:10 PM
RHP Adam Wainwright vs. RHP Josh Beckett

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.  It is a bobblehead night!  The first 50,000 fans will receive a Brian Wilson bobblehead.  See it on the right.

Trey Songz, Grammy-nominated and BET Award-winning artist will throw the ceremonial first pitch.  “Back to the Future” star Christopher Lloyd will announce the Dodgers’ starting lineup. “Back to the Future” is Wilson’s favorite movie.

Former Dodgers Kenny Landreaux (in right-field pavilion plaza) and "Sweet" Lou Johnson (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. 

• The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Navy Lieutenant Andres Otero. Otero is the son of Cuban refugees and is based at Port Hueneme, CA where he works in testing and evaluation of weapons systems. Otero has been deployed twice while onboard the USS Nicholas to Iraq and Afghanistan. 

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Friday, June 27th at 7:10 PM
RHP Carlos Martinez vs. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.  It is Friday Night Fireworks, so fans will be able to go down onto the field after the game.

The Dodgers will celebrate Mormon Night for the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. More than 4,000 members of the church from Los Angeles to San Bernardino will be in attendance for this annual event.  Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will throw the honorary first pitch.

Former Dodgers Derrel Thomas (in right-field pavilion plaza) and Billy Ashley (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. 

• The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Angel Peraza of Palmdale. He enlisted in 2000 and serves with the 30th Civil Engineers Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Peraza is responsible for disaster preparedness, hazardous material emergency response training and ensuring the base’s ability to withstand and recover from an attack during wartime and natural disasters.  He has served deployments to Qatar, Japan and Kyrgyzstan. Peraza’s accolades include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Meritorious Unit Award and a Good Conduct Medal.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will hold a silent auction on the Club level by the Vin Scully Press Box. The auction ends at 8:45 p.m. with more than 25 items up for bid, including a Zack Greinke autographed baseball, Yasiel Puig autographed photo and Scott Van Slyke autographed game-used #42 LA Dodgers Jersey from Jackie Robinson Day. The LADF will feature two autographed game-used #42 LA Dodger player or coach jerseys from Jackie Robinson Day at each silent auction for the remainder of the season. All proceeds will benefit LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness which help children and families throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

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Saturday, June 28th at 4:15 PM
TBD vs. RHP Zack Greinke

Tonight's game starts at 4:15 PM.  Auto gates open at 1:45 PM, and stadium gates open at 2:15 PM. BTW, this game will be televised on Fox.

The national anthem will be performed by Dodger fan Tony DeFranco. Melissa McCarthy’s, who is starring and wrote, along with her husband, Director Ben Falcone, “Tammy,” will be on hand for the ceremonial first pitch. McCarthy will also announce the Dodgers’ starting lineup.  The California Youth Spirit Corps (CYSC) will perform their award-winning routines in a special pre-game performance.

I apologize in advance for having incomplete information regarding Dodger autograph signings on this day.  From my understanding, Al Downing will be on on-hand to sign, but I am uncertain if it is in the right or left field pavilion areas.  Also, it is likely that another player will be there as well, but I do not know who that is.  What I do know is that Saturday is Al Downing's birthday, so be sure to wish him a Happy Birthday!  Heck, it would be great if a crowd of Dodger fans serenaded him.  (This is all subject to change since the info I received was confusing, and I have yet to hear back from my follow-up inquiries.)

• The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Army Corporal Cecil Belmares. Belmares volunteered for service in 1942 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served with the 29th Infantry Division, 116th Regiment on board the Queen Mary which had been converted to a war ship to transport troops during World War II.  He served in Central Europe, Germany and in Normandy, France where his regiment took part in the historic attack on Omaha Beach, known as D-Day. Belmares’ accolades include the Presidential Unit Citation for actions of the 116th Infantry on D-Day and the Combat Action Badge.  He is a lifelong Dodger fan and his favorite player is his fellow soldier Jackie Robinson.

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Sunday, June 29th at 1:10 PM
 TBD vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw

Tonight's game starts at 1:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 10:30 AM, and stadium gates open at 11:00 AM.  The first 15,000 ticketed kids 14 years of age or younger will receive an Adrian Gonzalez Replica Jersey.  Check it out on the right.

The national anthem will be performed by Elliot Yamin as part of the Dodgers’ 15th annual Jewish Community Day.  Fans who purchased the special ticket package will receive a Dodgers-in-Hebrew baseball cap.  See it on the left.  This ticket package is already sold out.  Kosher food will be available to all fans in the Left Field Reserve section, including Kosher Dogs, Jalapeno Kosher Dogs and Italian Beef Sausages. 

Viva Los Dodgers will take place at the historic 76 station and begins at 11:00 AM.  Former Dodger Lee Lacy will be signing autographs there.

Former Dodgers Tommy Davis (in right-field pavilion plaza) and "Sweet" Lou Johnson (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Davis, Johnson and Lee Lacy will sign from approximately 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Stadium Club.

• The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Army Command Master Sergeant Larry Montes. Montes enlisted in 1978 and is assigned to the 104th Regiment, 7th Battalion in Bell, CA. He has served deployments in support of Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield and to Balad, Iraq. Montes’ accolades include the Bronze Star and the Army Achievement Medal.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will have a Mystery Bag fundraiser at Viva Los Dodgers at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Tent. For a $40 donation, fans can get an  official Major League baseball signed by one of ten Dodger Alumni featured, including Don Newcombe, Tommy Lasorda, Fernando Valenzuela and current players including Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez. Only 82 Mystery Bags available. All proceeds will benefit LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness which help children and families throughout the greater Los Angeles region.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will hold a silent auction on the Club level by the Vin Scully Press Box. The auction ends at 2:45 p.m. with more than 25 items up for bid, including a Clayton Kershaw autographed baseball, a Kid-Take-The-Field Experience for Wednesday, July 30 vs. the Atlanta Braves and Josh Beckett autographed game-used #42 LA Dodgers Jersey from Jackie Robinson Day. The LADF will feature two autographed game-used #42 LA Dodger player or coach jerseys from Jackie Robinson Day at each silent auction for the remainder of the season. All proceeds will benefit LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness which help children and families throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

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Check Out Some Vintage Dodger Photos at Lelands Auctions - the Story of Len Koeneche

Lelands has just put up their Spring 2014 Auction for collectors to peruse.  As always, there's a bunch of Dodger memorabilia to gawk at.  Take a look at some great vintage Dodger photographs I came across below.

Here is a large panoramic team photograph of the 1935 Brooklyn Dodgers taken in Orlando during Spring Training.  Some notable players include manager Casey Stengel and the infamous Van Lingle Mungo.  Also shown is an little-remembered outfielder by the name of Len Koeneche. 

Koeneche had all the promise of the world.  He was a former railroad fireman who was a hard hitting left-handed batter.  The great John McGraw had paid $75,000 for his services and remarked that he would be a star in the National League.  Unfortunately, that was not to be. 

By his early 30's, Koeneche found himself in Brooklyn as a failed ballplayer with possibly one last chance.  Under Stengel's tutelage he showed the promise of the past, but life has a way of throwing curves.  He was unceremoniously demoted near the end of the '35 season.  The exact reason is not well know, but some say it was due to his constant drinking.  Others say that the disappointment of the season caused management to lash out against him.  Whatever it was, Koeneche and some teammates were sent home mid-season, and boarded a plane in St. Louis for home.  He never made it back.

With whiskey bottle in hand, he and a couple of teammates decided to drink their problems away, and before their stop in Detroit Koeneche had become violently drunk.  He started a fight with another passenger, and had to be restrained.  In Detroit he was taken off and allowed to sleep in the terminal.  Once he woke, the still drunk ballplayer chartered a flight to Buffalo, and that's when events turned for the worse.

Now over the skies of Toronto Len Koeneche had became a madman.  He tried to wrestle control of the small chartered plane.  A fight ensued.  Soon, a fire extinguisher was used against his head; causing a cerebral hemorrhage.  That evening over the peaceful skies of Canada, Len Koeneche was dead.  The pilots emergency landed on a race track, and were immediately charged with manslaughter.  At trail, they were acquitted of any wrongdoing due to a self defense argument.

It is not known if his drunken stupor is to blame for his actions, or if this was a veiled attempt at suicide.  As Gary Joseph Cieradkowski notes in his excellent biography:

All that remained was a grieving widow, a fatherless daughter and one heck of a story that became a classic of baseball lore.

(Auction Link)

This next panoramic photograph is of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.  Fortunately, this team doesn't have the morbid story of the '35 team.  Instead, this Brooklyn club won their very first championship.

(Auction Link)

To finish on an even better note, featured below is Gil Hodges official wedding photo.  It came directly from the Hodges family.  Standing next to Gil is his best man and teammate Ralph Branca. 

(Auction Link)

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Blog Kiosk: 6/26/2014 - Dodger Links - Some Odds and Ends

Check out this great photo of the Brooklyn Dodger broadcast crew in the pressbox at Ebbets Field (1953).  Vin Scully is seen just above the "G", pic via @Dodgers_History on twitter.  I believe Red Barber is to Vin's left and Connie Desmond is on his right.

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Dodgers starters have been in control this season."

On the season Dodgers starters lead baseball in xFIP (3.30), SIERA (3.36) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.83), are second in ERA (3.09) and walk rate (5.6 percent), third in quality starts (50), fifth in strikeout rate (21.6 percent), sixth in FIP (3.60), and eighth in innings per start (6.1).

• Via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times, "Dodgers' Yasiel Puig would 'absolutely welcome' home-run derby shot."

If he chooses me, I absolutely welcome it,” Puig told the Los Angeles Times through an interpreter, “but it doesn’t matter to me whether I play or not.”

• Here's an early look at the 30HR Club Bobblehead (Baker, Cey, Garvey, Smith) the Dodgers are giving out to fans on Thursday, July 31st.
• Mark Langill at Dodger Insider shares a great story from Don Newcombe - from how he got his start in Baseball to his time playing in the Minors in Nashua with Campanella.

“So one day during the season in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Alston gets tossed from a game around the fifth inning and we’re losing 2-1. Campy becomes the manager. Around the seventh inning, Campy says, ‘Roomie, I need you as a pinch-hitter.’ I hit a two-run home run and we won the game, 3-2. Roy was so proud of that game. He talked about that game for the rest of his life. It was a bigger thrill than him winning those three National League MVP awards.”

• You sneaky devils!  Via Josh Tucker at Dodger Insider, they remembered the 5th anniversary of Michael Jackson's passing through their tweets.

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Top Dodger Prospect Joc Pederson's MRI Could have been Worse

Dodger fans with a keen eye towards our most promising youngsters were thrown for a loop when top prospect Joc Pederson came up lame yesterday.  The centerfielder attempted to make an ill-advised diving grab for a bloop single off the bat of Cubs prospect Josh Vitters, and landed hard on his right shoulder (he throws left).  Watch it below:

Video Link:

As you can see, he fell far short of the ball.  Heck, it was almost Puig-like.

Dodger management was optimistic about the injury.  Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com:

"It didn't sound like it was anything major, but it would be hard for [Conte] to really say. I'm assuming he didn't break his arm or tear his shoulder out of the socket," Mattingly said. "I guess you have to watch out when you get a guy like Joc, but it didn't sound like it was a major, major thing."

Earlier today, more succinct information on Pederson's injury was released.  Based on an MRI, we find out that Joc should be ready to go in a couple of weeks.  Via a tweet from Eric Stephen:

Joc Pederson is expected to miss at least 10 days. MRI showed Grade 1 A-C joint separation in his right shoulder
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) June 25, 2014

This is probably the best outcome we could have hoped for. 

A Grade 1 AC Joint Separation, as indicated on Cedars-Sinai's website, is typically just a slight displacement of the joint.  Furthermore the ligament may either be badly stretched or partly torn.  I'll cross my fingers for the former.  Check out this great graphic I saw at injuryfix.com to visualize what's going on.

(graphic via injuryfix.com)

The downside is that an injury like this could push back his development.  He'll likely need more time than a couple of weeks to build up his shoulder strength, since it's probable that he'll have his arm in a sling. 

Either way, considering how awkward he looked in that dive, I think we lucked out.  This injury could have been far worse.

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Welcome to the Blue, Clint Robinson!

The game of musical chairs continues for the Dodgers.  Announced just a moment ago, hot hitting first baseman Clint Robinson is coming up to the Dodgers, and Jamie Romak has been DFA'd.  As Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider noted, if Robinson gets into a game he'll be the 40th Dodger to play a game this season.

Nicknamed the "Alabama Hammer" (I swear I read that somewhere), it appears that Robinson's role will be as a left-handed bat off the bench.  As a first baseman, he may also provide some rest for Adrian Gonzalez.  BTW, we should expect Juan Uribe to be recalled back to Los Angeles at any time, so unless Clint creates some fireworks with the big-club I suspect he'll be with us for only a short time.  Hopefully, he'll have a chance to take an at-bat.  In 2012, Clint Robinson got a "cup of coffee" with the Royals, but did not get a hit in 4 tries.

You can follow Clint Robinson on twitter at @BatHoarder.  As Vin Scully would say, "he is a tall glass of milk."  He stands 6' 5" and weighs 225 lbs.  He originally came by way of Troy University in Alabama, and was a standout on the diamond.  In his senior year (2007) he batted .364 with 1.110 OPS, 17 HR, and a .973 fielding percentage.  Soon thereafter, he was drafted by the Royals in the 25th round and immediately stood out.  Robinson was a Pioneer League MVP, a Texas League All-Star and winner of the Mike Sweeney Award in 2009 (player that best represents the Royals organization both on and off the field).  Left off the Royals 40-man roster in 2012, he was soon traded to Pittsburgh, then claimed off of waivers by the Blue Jays in 2013 before signing as a free agent by the Dodgers this past November.

In celebration of Robinson officially becoming a Dodger today, I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photo originally taken by Jon SooHoo during Spring Training, a portrait from the MLB.com website and used the 1987 Topps Baseball card design.

Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today selected the contract of first baseman Clint Robinson from Triple-A Albuquerque and designated infielder/outfielder Jamie Romak for assignment.

The left-handed Robinson batted .309 with 17 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs (T-6th, Pacific Coast League) and 56 RBI (4th, PCL) in 77 games with the Isotopes, including a .402 on-base percentage (7th, PCL) and a .523 slugging percentage. Robinson has been swinging a hot bat of late, batting .469 (15-for-32) with a double, two homers and 12 RBI in his last nine games since June 16 and hitting .357 (30-for-84) with five doubles, six homers and 21 RBI in 23 June games. Overall, the 29-year-old posted a .355/.466/.639 slashline against right-handed pitchers this season.

Robinson was a non-roster invitee at Dodger Spring Training after signing as a free agent on Nov. 18, 2013 and was originally selected by Kansas City in the 25th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, appearing in four games with the Royals in 2012 (last: June 13, 2012 vs. Milwaukee) in his only Major League action.

Here are his professional stats, via Baseball Reference:


Watch Clint Robinson go big with an opposite field home run just a couple of weeks ago in the video below.

Video Link:

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Jay Johnstone and a Couple of Boxers

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 Dodger and Baseball jester Jay Johnstone will be at Manuel's Original El Tepeyac Cafe in the City of Industry on Saturday, June 28th.  Appearance time not yet released.  Information available here.  Autograph Pricing: $5 Baseball Cards; $10 Any Other Item; $5 per inscription.

Manuel's Original El Tepeyac Cafe #2
13131 Crossroads Pkwy South
City of Industry, CA 91746
(562) 695-2277

Hat Tip: Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy 

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Boxer Rafael and Gabriel Ruelas will be signing autographs at Harry's Dugout in Whittier on Sunday, June 29th from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.  Go here for more information.  

Harry's Dugout
10715 Beverly Blvd
Whittier, CA 90601

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