2019 Topps Total - Wave 5 - All the Dodger Cards

The fifth wave of Dodger cards found in packs of 2019 Topps Total are now in collectors hands, and there are three Dodgers available this time around. They are Alex Verdugo, Pedro Baez and Joc Pederson. Go here to check out a complete checklist. A total of 3,981 packs were sold and this translates into an approximate print run of 398 of each card.

Base - Wave 5

#419 Alex Verdugo

Blog Kiosk: 8/16/2019 - Dodgers Links - Youngest to 40

Cody Bellinger launched his 40th homer of the season last night to become the youngest Dodger in franchise history to hit as many home runs -- he is 24-yeas old. Via Christina De Nicola at MLB.com:

Per Andrew Friedman: “Obviously, incredibly talented player who’s had a lot of success, but for him to take that other big step forward has been awesome. Just the maturation that we've seen over the offseason into this year, we think it's a big contributing factor to that.”
...
“He's a special player, when you think about it,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “This guy plays center. He plays first. He's a really good outfielder. He can steal a bag. He has power. The whole thing. It's a different look. He does everything. When you're talking about one of the top guys in the league, they're guys that can do that. It's not just home runs. It's not just average. It's a little bit of everything.”

Photo above via Michael Reaves/Stringer 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 1950 Giants third baseman Hank Thompson hit two inside-the-park home runs off Dodger pitchers Don Bankhead and Carl Erskine at the Polo Grounds. Brooklyn got pummeled 16-7. In 1964 Cardinals great Curt Flood recorded eight consecutive hits against the Dodgers during a doubleheader in Los Angeles; including four hits against Sandy Koufax. Unfortunately, Koufax injured his elbow while on the basepaths and would not pitch again that season. In 1988 the Dodgers traded fan favorite Pedro Guerrero to the Cardinals for starting pitcher John Tudor. This move would prove to be an impactful one. In nine starts Tudor would solidify the rotation by going 4-3 with an 2.41 ERA as the Dodgers head to the World Series.
• Happy Birthday, Hub Northen, Billy Rhiel, Roger Cedeno & Yu Darvish!

2019 Topps Now -- #683 & #684 -- Kershaw's Fantastic Start and Rios' Two Homer Day

I've been reading for weeks about how Clayton Kershaw is on a steep decline. Fortunately, Kershaw doesn't care what the prognosticators say. He's on a mission -- a journey to prove that he's still got it. And I think last nights effort is a clear indication that he's on the right road. Clayton struck out the first seven batters he faced. Per Christina De Nicola at MLB.com:

"That first time through, he was rolling pretty good," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Actually, all the way through. He had eight out of first nine [strikeouts]. Giving a guy like that three early, give him a lead, he kind of slams that door on you."
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"Early on, just spotting the fastball up and going to the curveball early, and then had the shape and the depth that we like to see," Roberts said. "And then the slider. When you have that mix early ... it was really encouraging. You knew something special was brewing."

2019 Topps Tribute Baseball - Most of the Dodger Cards

Last week Topps released their Tribute Baseball brand, and I've got pics of many of the Dodgers' found within packs. Unfortunately, I have yet to find any of the autographed Dodger cards that are available, so I'll update this post as they emerge. In the meantime, take a look at the base and relic cards. BTW, a box will cost you about $275 and you'll get six packs consisting of three cards. You are  also guaranteed three autographed and three relic cards per box. Go here to check out a complete checklist.

Base

#3 Duke Snider               #24 Clayton Kershaw

Blog Kiosk: 8/15/2019 - Dodgers Links - Seven Straight Strikeouts

Kershaw was gold last night. He pitched seven shutout innings, allowed just two hits, walked none and recorded ten strikeouts. Best yet, he started the game by fanning seven consecutive Marlin batters. Per Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider:

“Sometimes you just get in that groove early, and we scored three runs in the top of the first, so I just wanted to make that hold up,” Kershaw told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo. “You don’t really care how you get the outs as long as you’re efficient with it, and tonight I was able to get ahead, did a decent job with fastball command. I thought Russell (Martin) did a great job mixing locations back, going out and in. Both off-speed (pitches) have been better than in the past.”

Photo above via Manny Fernandez/MLB.com 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 1914 Brooklyn Fav Jake Daubert set a National League record with four sacrifices in one game (boxscore). In 1926 a daffy play happened to the daffiest of Brooklyn's Daffiness Boys. Outfielder Babe Herman, during the seventh inning with the bases loaded, hit a double off the right field wall and attempted to stretch it to a triple. Unbeknownst to the vacuous hitter, the two runners ahead of him had failed to advance beyond third base (Why? Because they were all daffy). So, he cruised into third while two other Dodgers were standing there. Per the rules, the lead runner is entitled to the base, so Herman and the man who was on first (Chick Fewster) were called out. So, Herman doubled into a double play. In 1951 Willie Mays made an extraordinary catch in centerfield at the Polo Grounds, off the bat of Dodger outfielder Carl Furillo. He then twirled and fired a strike to home plate that nailed thirdbaseman Billy Cox to complete a doubleplay. This play is consider by many to be the event that began the Giants surge from a 11.5 game deficit to steal the National League Pennant from the Dodgers. Dan Fields at SABR writes all about it here. BTW, Furillo said this about the catch:

“Luck. That was the luckiest throw I ever saw in my life. He can try that 50 times and he won’t come close again.”

This was three years before his famed over-the-shoulder catch during the World Series in 1954.

Blog Kiosk: 8/14/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

“It was as good of a night as we’ve had all year,” said manager Dave Roberts.

When you've got the best pitching coach in the game and some of the best youngsters the league can produce, it should come as no surprise that games like last nights happen. Last night we absolutely decimated the lowly Marlins, 15-1, and even witnessed the beauty of Russell Martin as a reliever for the third time this season. BTW, Dustin May is the real deal. He showed us his curve ball and it was very good. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider:

On Tuesday, May’s sinker-cutter combo stayed as trusted as it has all year, getting a combined seven swinging strikes and 17 called strikes. But he also more frequently incorporated the curveball, throwing it 17 times. 

“The more comfortable I feel with it, the more I’m going to throw it,” said May, who recorded a second straight outing allowing just one run.

Photo above via JC Ruiz/MLB.com at Dodger Insider. Go here to check out more pics from yesterdays blowout game. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1919 the Dodgers and Cubs play a doubleheader that last a total of only two hours and seventeen minutes. In the opener, the Cubs blanked Brooklyn 2-0, in one hour and ten minutes, and in the nightcap it takes the Dodgers one hour and seven minutes to shut out Chicago, 1-0. In 1980 the Dodgers signed amateur free agent pitcher Tom Niedenfuer out of Washington State University. In a couple of years he would be a mainstay in the Dodgers bullpen -- recording 64 saves as a Dodger. 
• Happy Birthday, Magic Johnson, Frank McCourt, Mark Loretta, Scott Stewart, McKay Christensen & Juan Pierre!