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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Diamondbacks Series Starts Tomorrow - Scheduled Autograph Sessions, Pregame Info and Other Stuff!


The next homestand starts tomorrow against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and several former Dodgers are scheduled for an photograph session with fans.  Yasiel Puig will also meet with fans at Viva Los Dodgers.  Below are the scheduled autograph opportunities and other odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.

The May issue of Dodger Insider magazine will be available at the stadium.  Check it out on the right.  It features Adrian Gonzalez on the cover and a story that places his career in context with the great first basemen in MLB history, finding that Gonzalez is well on track to becoming one of the top 25 first basemen of all-time. A sidebar looks at the rise of veterans Carl Crawford and Jimmy Rollins up baseball’s all-time charts.

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Friday, May 1st at 7:10 PM
RHP Rubby De La Rosa vs. RHP Carlos Frias
SNLA/AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

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 to watch the spectacle. The theme for the evening is Top-40 Hits.  Go here for information about future firework themes.

It is also UCLA Night at Dodger Stadium.  Folks who ordered a special ticket package in the All You Can Eat Right Field Pavilion or Infield Reserve will get an exclusive UCLA Dodger T-shirt with your ticket.  See that on the left.  If not already sold out go here for information.

UCLA and Dodger alumnus Eric Karros will throw the ceremonial first pitch. UCLA alumnus (2012) Joanna Alexis Jones will perform the national anthem. Pregame entertainment will also include a strolling magician in the left-field plaza and DJ Adam in the right-field plaza from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

Tommy Davis will sign autographs in the left-field pavilion from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
  • The Military Hero of the Game is U.S. Army Captain Joel Perez of Los Angeles. Perez was deployed to Iraq twice as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the 975th Movement Control Team (MCT) after earning his B.A. in Computer Science. His third deployment was to Kuwait in 2012 as the transportation Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the 420th Movement Control Battalion (MCB). He is currently in his fourth deployment, stationed in Afghanistan as an advisor to the Afghan Local Police for the NATO Special Operations Component Command.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) conducts silent auctions throughout the season featuring more than 25 signed pieces of memorabilia from Dodger players, coaches and alumni. Auctions will take place behind the Vin Scully Press Box on the club level. The items up for auction on Friday include an Andre Ethier autographed photo, Clayton Kershaw autographed baseball and Joc Pederson autographed Dodger jersey. The auction will end at 8:45 p.m.

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Saturday, May 2nd at 6:10 PM
RHP Jeremy Hellickson vs. RHP Scott Baker
SNLA/AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Saturday's game starts at 6:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 3:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 4:00 PM.  The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a Dodgers Reusable Tote Bag.  See it on the left.

Actress, author, autism advocate and co-founder of HollyRod Foundation Holly Robinson Peete will perform the national anthem.  Actor Nick Kroll will throw the first pitch. Pregame entertainment will also include juggler Josh Horton in the left-field plaza, DJ Adam in the right-field plaza, DJ Lady Sha in the left-field reserve plaza and band The Trip will be in right-field reserve plaza.

Al Ferrara will sign autographs in the left-field pavilion from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
  • The Military Hero of the Game is U.S. Army Sergeant Thomas Hoyt of Fresno. Hoyt served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is currently stationed at Ft. Campbell 101st Airborne in Kentucky.

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Sunday, May 3rd at 1:10 PM
RHP Chase Anderson vs. LHP Brett Anderson
SNLA/AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Sunday'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 old or younger will receive a Yasiel Puig Replica Jersey.  Check it out on the left.

Viva Los Dodgers begins at 11:00 AM. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for a chance to take a photo with Yasiel Puig who will make a 30-minute appearance from approximately 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM.  Additionally, in celebration of Kids’ Yasiel Puig Replica Jersey day, Puig will select a youngster in attendance at Viva Los Dodgers to throw the ceremonial first pitch Sunday. Dodger alumnus Tim Leary will also sign autographs from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Latin Pop/Rock band Sonsoles and Columbia Records recording artist Danny Mercer. Mercer will also perform the national anthem and “God Bless America” Sunday.

Dodger alumnus Billy Ashley will sign autographs from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the left-field pavilion plaza.
  • The Military Hero of the Game is U.S. Army Specialist Andrew Zapata of Colton. Zapata served on a deployment to Kuwait last year. He is currently stationed at Fort Riley Kansas.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) conducts silent auctions throughout the season featuring more than 25 signed pieces of memorabilia from Dodger players, coaches and alumni. Auctions will take place behind the Vin Scully Press Box on the club level. The items up for auction on Sunday include an Alex Guererro autographed photo, Howie Kendrick autographed baseball and Zack Greinke autographed Dodger jersey. The auction will end at 2:45 PM.

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

2015 Bowman Baseball - The Dodger Base Cards

The set prospect collectors love has just been released.  It is Bowman's 2015 flagship set and below are all of the Dodger base cards.  As you know, this set has a strong focus on up-'n-comin' ballplayers, so you'll find Dodger minor leaguers like Urias, Seager, Holmes and De Leon throughout.  Go here for a complete checklist.  Over the next few days I'll have pics of most of the insert, relic and autograph cards.

#1 Clayton Kershaw                             #15 Zack Greinke

Blog Kiosk: 4/30/2015 - Dodger Links - Home Runs, McCarthy and Guerrero Takes the High Road


Kazuhisa Ishii was in the house last night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.  Great to see you Kaz!

And what a great game to witness, eh?  Heck, Ishii might have felt like he was in a different world.  After all, the Dodgers punched the ball out of the park like they were a mile high in Colorado.  He was witness to four Dodger dingers; including three in the first inning alone.

For whatever reason Dodger Stadium has not been the pitchers paradise it is known for.  I haven't spent much time trying to figure out why that is, and it's probably way too early in the season to believe this is the new normal.  Still, you have to wonder.  Reporters even asked Mattingly what he thought about it (certainly in jest), via a tweet from Bill Plunkett:
Yeah, that's as good as any other reason.  Or maybe it's this, via Mark Saxon at ESPN:
"I think it's just taken Mac this long to get through to the guys," Mattingly said.
BTW, Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider had some fun with Dodger home run projections.  Check his post out here.  The above photo was taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015Go here to check out more pics by him from yesterday.  Below are some links to check out:
  • Alex Guerrero is a high-road kind of person.  Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Alex Guerrero says he's unfazed by Madison Bumgarner's yelling."  Clearly, Bumgarner prefers the low-road.
“I think he was still thinking about the home run I hit in San Francisco, but I'm not the kind of person who gets upset at that kind of thing,” Guerrero said in Spanish. “To me, it's nothing.”


  • I really hated the 80's, but the decade definitely had its moments.  Case in point, check out this oldy, but goody.  Here is Steve Sax's parody of the Billy Crystal song "You Look Marvelous;" which features Vin Scully dancing.  Yup!

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *