2019 Topps Now -- #648 -- Russell Martin's Walk-Off

Old man, Russell Martin, was last night's hero.

In the ninth inning he came to the plate with two men on and the Dodgers trailing St. Louis, 1-0, and proceeded to slap a ground ball seeing-eye single through the middle of the infield. Both runners scored and everyone in the stadium celebrated -- except for those wearing red, of course.

To commemorate the Dodgers 10th walk-off of the season Topps has issued a new 2019 Topps Now card for collectors to chase. Go here to check it out and order. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

“A lot of walk-offs have come from young guys,” Martin said after his game-winning hit swept the Cardinals for the Dodgers’ fifth straight victory and 77th win overall this season. “Let the old guys get hot, too, you know?”

...
“This team and how we’ve been playing is contagious,” Martin said. “We just always feel like we’re going to win.”

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Diamondbacks Series Starts Friday - Stadium Giveaways, Pregame Info and Other Stuff!

The next homestand starts on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Below are some odds and ends for this upcoming homestand. I will update this should new information become available. Below are some important links:

• 2019 Broadcast Schedule
• Parking Information 

• Special Events Schedule

• Promotions & Giveaways Schedule

• Silent Auction Schedule 

• Friday Night Fireworks Schedule 

• Dodger Stadium Parking / Transportation 

• Dodger Stadium Express / LA Metro  

Please note that the Dodgers are embarking on a new culinary experience at the stadium. Fans can find the LA Feeds Blue Chef Series located in the right field plaza that will feature a special Chef Series pop-up concession stand. This homestand will feature foods from Park’s BBQ. More information is available at the bottom of this post.

--------------------

Friday, August 9th at 7:10 PM

TV: SportsNet LA, SNLA Spanish

Radio: AM 570 LA Sports, KTNQ 1020

Blog Kiosk: 8/8/2019 - Dodgers Links - 'It's unbelievable'

All we do is win! Per Sarah Wexler at Yahoo Sports:

“It just seems like every day, there’s somebody different that you’re pouring Gatorade on,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s really good to see. It’s great for our ballclub -- a testament to their desire, their will to play 27 outs.” 

“It’s unbelievable to be a part of a club where you know you’re never out of it,” said Dustin May, who kept the Dodgers in it with 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his second Major League start. “It’s a wonderful feeling.”

The Dodgers beat the Cardinals, 2-1 (boxscore), on their 10th walk-off of the season. This time, it was Russell Martin with the game-winning two-run single up the middle to win.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2019 at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1903 Dodger pitcher Henry Schmidt is thrown out of the game when he angrily threw the Baseball out of the park (Trevor Bauer style). He did this because a run scored while his idiot infielders were arguing a close call. In 1954 Gil Hodges came up to bat in the eight inning three times. He started the inning by tripling, then hit a double his second time up, and finally flied out to center for the last out of the inning. Amazingly, 12 of the 13 runs scored that inning happened with two outs. In 1963 Frank Howard and Bill "Moose" Skowron of the Dodgers become only the second duo in baseball history to hit back-to-back pinch-hit home runs. In 2000 Dodger Stadium got a dose of homophobia. After being seen kissing, a female couple is removed from the stadium and told to never come back due to "lewd behavior". The Dodgers quickly realized what century they were in and profusely apologized -- contributing tickets to various LGBT groups and providing sensitivity training to its employees.
• Happy Birthday, Alanna Rizzo, Clise Dudley, Tot Pressnell & Frank Howard!

Weekend Autograph Opportunity: Dave Roberts, Rick Monday and Al Ferrara

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.

---------------------------

2019 National Sports Collectors Convention Promos & Redemptions - The Dodger Cards

Now that the National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC) has concluded I figured it would be a good time to share pics of the handful of Dodgers' promo and redemption cards made available to collectors.

As you know, all the manufacturers provide 'wrapper redemption' packs to collectors who buy their products at the show. Unfortunately, only two of them issued cards that include a Dodger player -- Topps and Panini America. Below is a look at most of those cards -- not including any of the autographs (none of which have turn up yet). Furthermore, Panini America has not provided a complete checklist of both their silver and gold packs, so there may be other cards available that I am not aware of. Should anything new pop up I will be sure to update this post. In the meantime, check out the known cards below.

BTW, no Dodger players were given out as part of the NSCC VIP program. Attendees had an option of joining a VIP club that entitled members to exclusive VIP promotional cards and free autographs at the convention. Since the show was in Chicago a majority of these VIP promos were of Chicago-based athletes.

The first set I'll share is from Topps 'wrapper redemption' set. Go here for a complete checklist. Only sandy Koufax is available.

2019 Topps Bowman Chrome NSCC Wrapper Redemption

Base

#BNR-SK Sandy Koufax

Blog Kiosk: 8/7/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

It was LA Kings Night at Dodger Stadium yesterday, so I thought I'd put up this pic of Tommy Lasorda with Kings winger Tyler Toffoli.

BTW, the Dodgers defeated the Cardinals last night (3-1), so maybe this is an omen for the upcoming Kings season -- or, maybe not.

Photo above via the LA Kings on twitter. Go here to check out a bunch of pics from last nights game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1915 rookie Dodger pitcher Ed Appleton committed a grievous error due to a bit of trickery by Cardinals player/manager Miller Huggins. In the seventh inning of a tied game Huggins, while coaching at third base, called for the ball from Appleton -- 'Let me see that ball'. Appleton obliged and tossed the ball, only to see Huggins step aside to allow the ball to roll on the field. A Cardinal runner then scored a go-ahead run. The Dodgers protested, but time out hadn't been called, so the run counted. In 2003 Eric Gagne tied the single season record for consecutive saves to start the season at 38. It also marked the 46th consecutive regular-season save overall.
• Happy Birthday, Adonis Terry, Tom Drake, Rocky Bridges, José Domínguez& Jose De Leon!