Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Cesar Izturis!

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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One of the slickest fielding shortstops I've ever seen wear Dodger Blue, Cesar Izturis, will be in Pico Rivera this coming Sunday to sign autographs for fans.  It'll be at Iguana's Bar in Pico Rivera from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  Go here for more information and check out the flyer below.  Prices are indicated in the flyer.  BTW, Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Yancey Thigpen will be there too.
Iguana's Bar
8528 Rosemead Boulevard
Pico Rivera, CA 90660

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Welcome to the Blue, Chase Utley!


News came about swiftly this afternoon that the Dodgers and Phillies were talking a trade that would bring veteran infielder Chase Utley to the Dodgers, per Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki.  Then Ken Rosenthal followed up with some details on twitter:
Now we hear that said proposal has been agreed upon but not yet confirmed or official, via Jon Heyman on twitter.  And with that, I'll assume that the great chase is over.  Utley will be a Dodger, and I imagine the Long Beach native is tickled pink... er, Blue.

BTW, as this post goes live Utley is still in a Phillies uniform in Citizen's Bank Park, via a tweet from Phillies beat writter Ryan Lawrence.  He's on field for pregame practice and I would be willing to bet he'll still be in Phillies Red when the game starts in the next hour or so.  Utley has been such an immense fixture within the franchise, assuming this deal goes through, that the only respectful thing to do is to give him his final curtain call in Philadelphia.

Chase Utley is a six-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and all-around gamer who has been a leader within the Phillies clubhouse for many years.  He brings about experience and a desire to win before the flame goes out in his illustrious career.  Although he has had a tough go of it this season in Philadelphia (batting just .217 and OPS'ing .617) he is sure to provide a needed boost to a club that has found it difficult to score runs.  With Howie Kendrick sitting on the DL he should slot in immediately as the Dodgers everyday second baseman - paired with old friend Jimmy Rollins. This move also allows Kiké Hernandez to sub for Joc Pederson in centerfield more often.

I find this trade to be strangely familiar (kinda).  When the LA Kings were going through their first foray towards a Stanley Cup Championship they too made a series of trades that involved the Philadelphia club.  In fact, many hockey fans started calling the Kings the Flyers West.  Prior to that first championship they traded for a gritty centerman in Mike Richards before the start of the season, then added a offensive juggernaut going through a poor season in Jeff Carter (by way of Columbus - he had been with the Flyers just prior) towards the end of the regular season.  Both players proved to be important cogs during the playoffs.  Hopefully, these moves by the Dodgers does the same thing.

Per Jeff Todd at MLB Trade Rumors:
Utley, 36, has been one of the game’s very best players of the last decade. Over his 6,617 career plate appearances, he has produced at a 124 wRC+ clip. With stellar defense also a key component of his value, Utley has racked up over 60 WAR in 13 seasons.

But that outstanding production slowed somewhat last year and fell off a cliff in 2015 as Utley dealt with nagging ankle issues. He ultimately hit the DL for a stretch as his performance continued to suffer. All told, Utley carries a career-worst .617 OPS on the season.

Things have been trending up, however, since Utley returned from the DL. He’s slashed a robust .484/.485/.742 over 31 plate appearances in the month of August. That’s a small sample, of course, but it does suggest he’s healthy, and Utley obviously has an outstanding and lengthy track record of success.
Check out this great article by Bill Shaikin of the LA Times from 2008 about how he coulda/shoulda been a Dodger, here.  An excerpt is below:
The Dodgers took Utley in the second round in 1997. He said no to the Dodgers, yes to UCLA.

Terry Reynolds, then the Dodgers' scouting director, said Utley had agreed to sign, then took a trip to Mexico. When he returned, Reynolds said, Utley had changed his mind.

Utley said he could not remember the details of his decision to turn down the Dodgers.

"It came down to the opportunity to go to college during college age," he said. "They said I could always go back. I wanted a normal college experience. I figured, if baseball was meant to be, there would still be that opportunity after college."
It is still unknown who the two prospects are, but it is thought that they will be decent players.

In celebration of Utley's arrival to the Dodgers I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photograph grabbed from Operation Sports and the 1972 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are his career stats, via Baseball-Reference:


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2015 Topps Chrome - The Dodger Insert Cards

This set is now officially in stores.  As you may know, boxes leaked over a week before its official release date, so I was able to share photos of the Dodger base cards some time ago (here).  The Topps Chrome brand is smaller in set size and shiny as a brand new sports car.  The insert cards aren't half bad either.  Featured below are several of the Dodger inserts that are available.  Check them out.  I hope to have pics of the majority of autograph cards soon, so stay tuned.   

Gallery of Greats

#GGR-01 Clayton Kershaw                        #GGR-04 Yasiel Puig

Blog Kiosk: 8/19/2015 - Dodger Links - Kershaw's Outburst, Puig Hamstring and the Koufax Bobblehead Error


Sometimes emotions get the better of you. 

After believing he struck out A's batter Danny Valencia to end the inning and subsequently misplaying a dribbler towards the mound, Clayton Kershaw displayed a rare bit of sophomoric emotion on the field.  He huffed and puffed and hucked the Baseball with all his might into the Dodgers dugout.  Hopefully, nobody was in the way of that blistering rocket.  You can watch here at Big League Stew.  Via Mark Saxon at ESPN:
Clayton Kershaw called it a "weird night, just felt kind of different out there."
...
"I think he was just wound up pretty tight tonight," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "He puts a lot into every start. It's almost like Sunday in the NFL when he pitches."
Yeah... So, even the "Great Kershaw" isn't perfect.  Fortunately, he didn't act out by screaming at an opposing player; thereby causing a bench-clearing incident and potential fight.  As it were, he was angry at the umpire, then angry at himself.

Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:
While Mattingly hasn’t entertained the comparison of Greinke and Kershaw, the right-hander addressed the topic after picking up his 13th win of the season. “Not really,” Greinke said when asked if there’s a friendly competition between he and Kershaw.

“It might be there, but it’s not something I think about, and I don’t think he does. In the back of my mind without realizing it, it might be there.” Greinke also deferred to the reigning NL MVP in terms of who the ace of the staff is. “I think Clayton is No. 1. He’s the best in the game and he’s amazing,” he said.
  • Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Don Mattingly says he's not looking over his shoulder after Ron Roenicke hire."
“All I care about is winning. This is a pretty good job to have. I'm sure a lot of guys who would like it,” Mattingly said. “That's always the case. Those things are so far down the road, you just worry about winning games. We're in a pennant race.”
"It sounds like an MRI in the morning," manager Don Mattingly said. "We'll see where it is. I'd just be guessing at this point."
  • It's always a pleasure to read from the horses mouth.  Via AJ Ellis at ESPN, "Guest columnist A.J. Ellis: Bench role tough to adapt to, but it's still important."
  • Nice catch.  Writer Steve Pond tells us on twitter that the recent Sandy Koufax Bobblehead has a glaring error on it.  As you know, it features Koufax's last pitch against Harvey Kuenn during his perfect game against the Cubs on September 9, 1965. The Dodgers won the game 1-0; having scored their lone run in the fifth inning.  Unfortunately, the scoreboard in the background fails to record that single run.



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