2020 Topps Project 2020 -- Jackie Robinson by Efdot -- #114

Today we have the release of the sixth Jackie Robinson card made for the Topps Project 2020 set. It was created by Brooklyn-based artist/muralist Eric Friedensohn -- better known as Efdot. He is noted for illustrations and murals that are often colorful, simple and optomistic. In fact, his website uses the moniker "Art for Optomist" on the front page. Per an interview at Hypebeast:

Lastly, what’s the story behind your “Optimist” slogan? 

About four years ago, my whole apartment in Manhattan burned down and it was the most shocking experience that I’ve had and it made me realize what was important to me. One of the things that survived was a couple of pieces of art and one of them said “Optimist.” It was inside my scanner and half-melted. It was just a big sign for me and it made me remember why I’m doing what I do in the first place

Welcome to the Blue, Landon Knack!

The Dodgers first pick on the second day of the amateur draft, at 60th overall, is East Tennessee State right-handed hurler Landon Knack. From what I understand, he doesn't quite project as a starter in the big leagues. Rather, he is seen as more of a hard-throwing power relief pitcher. Of course, he could surprise and become a part of the rotation. As Dustin Nosler stated in his write-up, Knack "was a money-saving selection" -- who the Dodgers should be able to sign for under slot.

Landon Knack is 22-years old, stands at 6' 2" tall, and bats as a lefty. He had not been drafted previously. Knack is also the best fifth-year-college senior in a long time. Originally, he was a two-way player on the field, but suffered some shoulder injuries that forced him to focus on pitching only. After having done so, he experienced a velocity increase on the mound from between five to ten mph on his fastball.

Blog Kiosk: 6/12/2020 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

2020 Draft is over and we now have six new prospects to watch -- assuming they sign on the dotted line. On Wednesday they picked University of Louisville right-hander Bobby Miller. Then on Thursday they added five more players -- Landon Knack RHP 60th overall, Clayton Beeter RHP 66th overall, Jake Vogel OF 100th overall, Carson Taylor C 130th overall and Gavin Stone RHP 159th overall.

I made a handful of fantasy custom baseball cards for Knack, Beeter and Vogel. I hope to have more to share soon, so stay tuned.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1940 the Dodgers made one of the biggest trades in their history. They received 1937 Triple Crown winner Joe "Ducky" Medwick and pitcher Curt Davis from the Cardinals for outfielder Ernie Koy, pitcher Carl Doyle, two minor leaguers and $125k in cash (a huge sum in those days). The Dodgers would win the pennant the following season for the first time since 1920. In 1955 Don Newcombe, having won his first ten decisions of the season, lost his first game of the year when Brooklyn falls to the Cubs, 9-5. In 2005 first baseman Hee-Seop Choi hit home runs in his first three at-bats this evening against the Twins to propel the Dodgers over Minnesota, 4-3. Watch all three here. 
• Happy Birthday, Jack O'Brein, Roger Bernadina & Damon Hollins! 

Check Out These Bobby Miller Baseball Cards

I thought I would take a little bit of time to see if our recent 1st round pick, Bobby Miller, has a Baseball cad yet, and I am happy to report that he does. In 2016, as a high schooler, he was a part of the Leaf Perfect Game National Showcase set. As you may know, Leaf has put out a bunch of different prep baseball prospect cards over the past several years. Check out both his base and autographed cards.

2016 Leaf Perfect Game

Base

#292 Bobby Miller

Welcome to the Blue, Bobby Miller!

Last night the Dodgers added another arm to their stable of high-end pitching prospects when they drafted University of Louisville right-hander Bobby Miller with the 29th pick. He is 21-years-old, stands a tall 6' 5" and bats as a lefty. Miller had also been previously drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, out of high school (McHenry, IL), in the 38th round in 2017. Per a Dodger press release:

Miller, 21, made four starts for the Cardinals in 2020, going 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA (6 ER/23.1 IP) with 34 strikeouts against nine walks. He tallied three quality starts in four chances, striking out a career-high 12 batters over 6.2 innings on February 22 against Valparaiso University. 

In 2018, the McHenry, IL native earned Freshman All-America honors and was selected All-ACC Third Team and All-ACC Freshman Team after going 6-1 with a 2.97 ERA (22 ER/66.2 IP) and 55 strikeouts over 17 games (nine starts). In three seasons with Louisville, he recorded a 15-2 record with a 3.28 ERA (62 ER/170 IP) with 175 strikeouts in 41 appearances (25 games).

Blog Kiosk: 6/11/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

As you surely know by now, the first round of the amateur draft was last night, and both the Dodgers and Angels chose highly-touted pitchers from the University of Louisville. The Dodgers snagged righty Bobby Miller at 29th and the Angels picked lefty Reid Detmers at 10th.

Photo above via Louisville Baseball on twitter. To the right is a custom fantasy baseball cad I made of Bobby Miller. Stay tuned, I'll have more soon. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1955 the Dodgers won their 6th game in a row, defeating the Cubs 4-3, to increase their lead in the National League by 10 1/2 games. They would not see their double-digit lead shrink below 10 games for the remainder of the season. In 1957 Roy Campanella hit his 237th career home run as a catcher to set a new NL record. In 1969 the Dodgers traded Ron Fairly and Paul Popovich to the Montreal Expos for Maury Wills and Manny Mota. In 1972 both Willie Davis and Manny Mota would both hit inside-the-park home runs in a losing effort against the Pirates, 7-5, at Dodger Stadium. In 2013 the Dodgers and Diamondbacks have a little tussle on the field. It begins with Yasiel Puig getting beaned in the head. Then, Dodgers starter Zack Greinke immediately pelted the first batter he saw to spark hostilities on the field -- but no punches are thrown. Soon thereafter Ian Kennedy of Arizona throws at Greinke's head and a brawl begins. Eight players are suspended and 12 receive fines. Watch highlights here.
• Happy Birthday, Wheezer Dell, Horace Allen, Tom Baker, Yhency Brazobán, Mike Davis and Odalis Perez!