eBay: The Dodgers Love Dressen

Former Dodger skipper, Chuck Dressen, poses with what looks like a heart-shaped bouquet of flowers (the auction description states it's a cake, but I don't see how it could be considering how he's holding it). It is Opening Night at Ebbets Field, April 17, 1951. The bouquet has the number 7 on it, the number Dressen wore throughout his career.

(eBay Auction Link)

2010 Topps "206" Dodger Base Cards

Topps just released their 2010 "206" Baseball card set. Fashioned to resemble the vintage T206 Baseball set from 100 years ago, they feature mostly portrait photos with pastel backgrounds. They also came in mini-versions that are the same size as the original vintage cards from the turn of the century. Notice that all of the base cards have the players without a cap. Below are all of the Dodger base cards in the set.

14 Rafael Furcal

25 Jackie Robinson

40 Hiroki Kuroda

89 Matt Kemp

There are also a group of 50 different short print variations in the full set that show a player wearing a cap. The only Dodger represented is Matt Kemp. See it below.

Short Print Cap Variation

92 Andre Ethier

174 Clayton Kershaw

227 Chad Billingsley

241 Manny Ramirez

244 Russell Martin

265 James Loney

Subway Baseball Designs by Little Leaguers: Orel Hershiser

I'm sorry I didn't run into this auction before it ended. For the second year in a row Subway teamed up with Little League Baseball and Softball for a charity auction on eBay. They had numerous stars and athletes sign a Baseball. Then, they had some little leaguers draw a piece of art around it. All proceeds benefited the Little League Urban Initiative. Below is the ball signed by Orel Hershiser.

(eBay Auction Link)

The San Jose Sharks Mascot, Sharkie, Can't Throw

Several weeks ago on August 12th in San Francisco (following a Giants versus Cubs game) Comcast network held a special Authentic Postgame BBQ. On hand were a couple of Giants players, announcers and a San Jose Sharks winger Joe Pavelski. Also in attendance was San Jose Sharks mascot Sharkie.

The highlight of the event was not the athletes or the food. It must have been this typical carnival game that could only make a Giant fan smile. They had a "Dunk a Dodger" booth. Check out the video below of Sharkie doing his damnedest to throw a strike, but alas, he fails in the end. That shark can't throw. Even funnier, though, is that if you listen closely you can hear the designated Dodger scream, "you throw like a fish!"

YouTube Link:

Vintage Spokesman: Dixie Walker

I always marvel at vintage photographs throughout America showing men of all ages wearing those fancy hats. It makes me wonder why did it stop? Was there something in our history or culture that made everybody change this fashion trend?

Anyway, below, former Brooklyn Dodger Dixie Walker lent his name and image to a manufacturer of those hats- Champ' Hats. It is from 1947 and includes a great little cartoon created by Willard Mullin. Click the pic below to enlarge it.

click the pic to enlarge
(eBay Auction Link)

Fans Speaking Loud and Clear

With the season coming to a close and only 29 games left the Dodgers find themselves 6.5 games back of the wild-card spot. With that, our chances for post season glory appear to diminish at every hour. Expectedly, the fans react by not coming to the stadium. The pic above, found on Twitter, shows how empty the stadium really is this afternoon.

(pic link: tweetphoto: HipHopHead86)