Blog Kiosk: 10/16/2019 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Check out Sandy's new ride, via an eBay auction.

Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Sandy Koufax takes possession 10/18/65 of Sport Magazine's Corvette award for his World Series heroics. Koufax won the award in 1963, too. He's the only player to win twice.

This season, like in 1963, Koufax was named the World Series MVP. He started three games, won two of them (both complete game shutouts), struck out 29 batters and allowed only two runners to score (one earned) the entire series.

On another note, please ignore the rumors that claim to link this free agent or that free agent to the Dodgers. It's a load of BS. We hear this kind of crap all year long, and I assure you that it's nothing more than an agent marketing their client or a reporter trying to stir the pot. There's no truth to any of it, and blogs that report it are doing a disservice to Dodger fans. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1949 the Brooklyn Dodgers elect to not renew the contract of Dodger President Branch Rickey. He would soon join the Pirates the following season. In 1985 Jack Clark of the Cardinals created one of my worst memories as a Dodger fan. He belted a come-from-behind two-out, three-run home run in the ninth inning off of Dodger reliever Tom Niedenfuer to take the National League pennant. Watch it here if you must. 
• Happy Birthday, Nick Cullop & Boom-Boom Beck!

Vintage Dodger Photos at Heritage Auctions

Heritage is closing up their vintage Sports Photography Auction this weekend, but before that happens I wanted to point out a couple of unique photos.

Check out those legs.

Featured is a May 5,1938 ACME press photo that doesn't provide the typical perspective we expect when thinking of a sports photo. Instead, what we see are the legs of Brooklyn Dodger first base coach Babe Ruth. (auction link) Best yet, the descriptor on the reverse is worth checking out:

Blog Kiosk: 6/15/2016 - Dodgers Links - Puig, Venable and Kenta Maeda

Oh noes!

In a season filled to the brim with injuries seeing Kenta Maeda crumble on the field after being struck on his right knee was distressing.  My immediate thought was, "what else could go wrong?"

At the start of the sixth inning Paul Goldschmidt lined a comebacker that was recorded at an exit velocity of 95 MPH.  Unable to catch it on the fly, the ball struck Kenta just below the knee.  Obviously in pain, Maeda still had the presence of mind to grab the errant ball and throw out the All-Start first baseman to record the first out of the inning.  Soon thereafter, he fell to the turf and writhed in agony.  Per Doug Padilla at ESPN:

"He's feeling better actually now," Roberts said. "It was something with a nerve that just lit him up."

"What I know for sure is that it didn't hit the bone," Maeda said through a translator. "But I wasn't able to put any strength or flex it at all, so I was a little bit in shock."

Fortunately, x-rays later on were negative and only revealed a very bad bruise.  Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"It's hard to tell at this point, but I will reevaluate [Wednesday]," Maeda said through his interpreter. "My hope is to make the next scheduled start. What I know for sure is it didn't hit the bone, but I wasn't able to put any strength or weight on it and I was kind of shocked. Among all the hits taken in the past, it hurt the most. "

I don't know if this team could have survived another major injury to its starting rotation.  So I think it's fair to say we dodged a bullet.  BTW, the Dodgers were victorious over the Diamondbacks, 7-4.  They slugged four home runs; including a pair by Joc Pederson.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out more pics by Jon from yesterdays game.  Below are more links to check:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1938 Johnny Vander Meer pitched his second consecutive no-hitter, beating the Dodgers at Ebbets Field.  He had no-hit the Braves four days prior.  In 1951 Buzzy Bavasi made his first trade as the Dodgers GM.  He received Andy Pfako, Johnny Schmitz, Wayne Terwilliger, and Rube Walker in exchange for Bruce Edwards, Joe Hatten, Eddie Miksis, and Gene Hermanski. In 1996 the Dodgers turned their first triple play in 47 years.  It was against the Braves in the first inning.
• Happy Birthday, Brett Butler and Dusty Baker!

Blog Kiosk: 5/16/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

This guy showed up at Dodger Stadium on both Saturday and Sunday to the delight of players and fans alike.  We first noticed him when Ziggy Marley shared a pic of him signing this fans uniform (link here) on Saturday.  Then, he appeared again on Sunday (link here) with a whole new set of drawings on his face.

Photo at the top via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out more pics by Jon from yesterdays game here.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: On this day in 1970 a fourteen year old fan named Alan Fish was struck by a Baseball at Dodger Stadium and die four days later.  This marked the first fatality of a fan from a batted ball in a Major League game, and it happened off the bat of Manny Mota.  Tom Hoffarth provides more detail about the incident here.  In 2000 was the infamous fight at Wrigley Field that started when Dodgers catcher Chad Kreuter was hit in the back of the head and had his hat stolen by a unruly fan.  Several players and coached jumped into the stands during the melee.
• Happy Birthday, Rube Walker!

Blog Kiosk: 10/20/2015 - Dodger Links - Greinke, Kiké and some Brooklyn Superstitions

We've all seen team photos and group photos of ballplayers, but when is the last time you saw something like this?  Featured above is a 1961 LA Dodgers group photo of every manager within the their system; including the folks who are in charge of scouting and the farm system.

From L-R: Fresco Thompson (Farm System Director), Danny Ozark (OMaha, AAA), Rube Walker (Atlanta, AA), Walt Alston, Roy Smalley (Reno, C), Al Ronning (Great Falls, C), Al Campanis (Director of Scouting), Roy Hartsfield (Greenville, A), Spider Jorgenson (Artesia, D), Stan Wasiak (Salem, B), Preston Gomez (Spokane, AAA), George Scherger (Panama City, D) and Ed Serrano (Orlando, D).

The photo above is currently available through RMY Auctions, and is certainly a rarity in the hobby.  Check out the auction here.  Below are more links to check out:

• presidual at True Blue LA takes a look at, "Zack Greinke and the fateful fastball."

At the end of the day, we simply witnessed a Cy Young candidate with impeccable command miss his spot in a crucial situation. A sublime athlete turned human right before our eyes. It's unfortunate that it happened in Game 5, but no more so than the uncovered base or the eight stranded runners were. There's no reason for regret. It's just baseball.

• Kiké Hernandez recently visited the Staples Center to take in a Kings hockey game.  Naturally, the hockey club reached out for an interview.  Check that out here.

LAKings.com: What brought you to the game tonight and have you ever been to a Kings game before?
Hernandez: “No, this is my first game. I’m here for a few weeks until I go home and I saw that there was a Kings game. I live here, downtown, so I was like ‘Why not go to my first hockey game ever?’”

LAKings.com: Can you ice skate?
Hernandez: “I can. I’ve done it a few times. I’m not the best but I can do it.”

• I just love this stuff.  John Thorn at Our Game shares, "Some Superstitions of the Year 1886," and it's fantastic.  There are even a couple of old Brooklyn susperstitions:

Porter, Brooklyn pitcher, had worn a red sleeveless jacket and shirt when pitching for over two years. The outfit did not match the club uniforms but he wore it anyway. When he was slated to pitch in St. Louis one day it was found that the jacket was in a laundry which was closed, it being Sunday. Porter was so affected he cried. Manager Byrne came to the rescue by getting the manager of the laundry to supply the garment in time. The overjoyed Porter won his game.
...

Naturally birds were an omen in Brooklyn. When a black pigeon circled around the ball park Brooklyn always won. But when it flew over in company with two white pigeons the score would be close.

• I am glad to read that there are some good and responsible collectors out there willing to do the right thing.  Via Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily, "Missing 19th Century Red Stockings Card Returned to NYPL."  There have been far too many thefts from public institutions that likely represent millions in dollars of lost cultural artifacts.

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