Collection: Don Sutton- "Greats of the Game"

Here is my 2001 Fleer "Greats of the Game" autographed card of Hall of Famer Don Sutton.

I was going to write a short bio on Sutton and his accomplishments on the field, but thought better it. After all, there really isn't anything I could add that hasn't already been said. So, instead I will pull out a quote from Sutton that I found in a old 1982 Sports Illustrated feature.

"The best thing that could have happened to me was to join a team with Drysdale and Koufax [who retired after the 1966 season]," says Sutton. "They were obviously helpful to me as a pitcher. They offered me nothing but encouragement, and Don gave me my first scouting report on Hank Aaron. 'High and inside,' he'd say, 'then the slider.' 'What if you don't have a slider?' I asked him. 'Then,' he said, 'I wouldn't go out there at all.' They were both so unselfish. When I began breaking their Dodger records, they'd never fail to call or wire. I have their records, but I wouldn't ask anyone to compare me with them."

Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Day 14

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (1-2) vs. LOS ANGELES DODGERS (1-0)

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 – 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch – Glendale

LHP Barry Zito vs. LHP Ted Lilly

Spring Game 2/Home Game 1

Todays Starting Lineup:

Dodgers: Dee Gordon SS, Ellis 2B, Matt Kemp CF, Rivera LF, Ethier RF, Sands 1B, Uribe 3B, Treanor C, Hairston DH

Giants: Cabrera CF, Burriss LF, Schierholtz RF, Pill 1B, HSanchez DH, Fontenot 2B, Gillaspie 3B, Crawford SS, Whiteside C

Upcoming Spring Training Schedule:

(Rockin' out with Loney, Sands and Guerra, via twitter @Dodgers)

• CITY BY THE BAY: The Dodgers meet the Giants this afternoon, for the first of three matchups this spring with San Francisco making a return trip to Camelback Ranch – Glendale on St. Patrick’s Day for a 7:05 p.m. start and Los Angeles heading to Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, March 28. During the regular season, the Giants and Dodgers clash 18 times, with the first series coming from May 7-9 at Dodger Stadium. The clubs meet six times in September, including the final three games at Chavez Ravine from Oct. 1-3.

• ONE DOWN, 195 TO GO: The Dodgers opened up their 31-game Cactus League slate yesterday with a 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Right-hander Chad Billingsley fired 2.0 scoreless innings and Angel Guzman (1-0) picked up the win after firing 1.1 scoreless frames. At the plate, Scott Van Slyke homered and drove in two while Josh Fields went 2-for-2 with a double. In the sixth inning, four sons of former Major Leaguers hit for the cycle as Van Slyke’s home run, Ivan De Jesus’ triple, Justin Sellers’ double and Tony Gwynn Jr.’s single completed the feat and made their dads proud. In addition to those four, the Dodgers also have three other sons of former big leaguers in camp this year in Dee Gordon, Matt Wallach and Jerry Hairston Jr.

(Maury Wills with his bobblehead, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2012)

• RIGHT SAID TED: Ted Lilly will make his first start of the spring this afternoon as he gets set to start his 17^th professional season and 14^th as a big leaguer. Since 2007, Lilly has made 99 quality starts, which is tied with Cole Hamels and Bronson Arroyo for third in the National League over that time, trialing just the Giants’ Matt Cain (114) and Tim Lincecum (113). Lilly was very good over the final two months of the season in 2011, winning five of his last six starts and posting a 2.09 ERA (16 ER/69.0 IP) over his last 11 outings from Aug. 3-Sept. 28. Lilly will be followed to the hill today by RHP Jamey Wright, LHP Michael Antonini, RHP Ramon Troncoso and RHP Josh Lindblom. The Giants will counter with left-hander Barry Zito.

• TRAVELING BAND: The first five players in the Dodger batting order remain the same as yesterday, but today will mark the 2012 spring debuts for third baseman Juan Uribe, first baseman Jerry Sands, catcher Matt Treanor and designated hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. Treanor and Hairston will make their Dodger debuts today and both players are fairly well traveled. Treanor was drafted by the Kansas City Royals (1994), traded to Florida (1997), signed by Detroit (2008), moved over to Milwaukee (2009), was dealt to Texas (2010), reacquired by Kansas City (2011) and then skipped back to Texas (2011), before signing with the Dodgers. Hairston was drafted by the Orioles (1997), traded to the Cubs (2005), dealt to the Rangers (2006), signed by the Reds (2008), acquired by the Yankees where he won a World Series (2009) and then signed by the Nationals (2010), before being dealt to the Brewers (2011). If you’re keeping track, that’s 13 teams, eight trades, 10 free-agent signings and 24 seasons.

(Chad Billingsley warming before his start yesterday, via Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers 2012)

• DESERT PENGUIN: The Dodgers would like to welcome Ron Cey to Camelback Ranch – Glendale! Cey will be visiting with Dodger players and team sponsors during his stay in Phoenix this week and will be featured on a bobblehead with the rest of “The Infield” on May 29 against the Brewers. Single-game tickets are on sale now or fans can purchase the Dodger Stadium Greats Bobblehead Series mini plan to ensure seats to all 10 bobblehead nights this season by visiting Dodgers.com/miniplans
• BEST WISHES SWEEN: Yesterday, the Dodgers announced that Special Assistant, Baseball Operations, Mark Sweeney will leave the organization to pursue an opportunity in his hometown of San Diego. Sweeney spent three seasons in the Dodgers’ front office after finishing out his playing career with the club in 2008.

• TROLLEY DODGERS: New for 2012, fans can ride a free trolley from the Westgate City Center to all Dodgers and White Sox games at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. The trolley stop is located on Westgate Boulevard right across from Yard House and drops off outside the ballpark. The trolley runs every 40 minutes starting at 11:00 a.m. with continuous service throughout and after the game.

Blog Kiosk: 3/6/2012

Here is the cover shot of Dodgers Magazine current issue, via twitter @Dodgers.

• This past Sunday was the 100th Anniversary of the groundbreaking of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Check out Chris Jaffe's story about it.

  One hundred years ago today was a big day in the history of the Dodgers. On that day, they took their first step toward getting their first real stadium. On March 4, 1912, they had a groundbreaking ceremony in Brooklyn for Ebbets Field.

• Per Eric Stephens at True Blue LA we find out that Mattingly is extremely high on the future of Nathan Eovaldi. Per his twitter, here and here.
• Dee Gordon took a bad hop on the lips and got stitches, pic via twitter @skinnyswag9.
• Check out a bunch of YouTube Videos of Dodgers signing autographs at Camelback Ranch. Juan Uribe; Matt Kemp; and Davey Lopes.
  
• Jackie Robinson movie will begin filming in Chattanooga in May and will be casting for extras, via Nooga.com. (Hat Tip: Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts twitter)
• Here's Matt Kemp signing autographs last night at the Oakley Store in Scottsdale, via twitter @aaainslie. Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy has a fans story of the evening.

Card Creations: Tommy, A couple of Hall of Fame Announcers and the Cy Young

Man-O-Live! I'm lovin' photoshop.

Check out some recent card creations I put together recently. BTW, Left Field Pavilion sent along some really nice templates over the weekend to assist me on my new addiction. So, I'll be very busy with those for quite a while. Thank You!

Here is a young Tommy Lasorda sporting a Montreal Royals uniform on a 1961 Topps card design. I realize that the card design doesn't correspond with the date of the photo, but who cares? I think the 1961 Topps card perfectly frames this vintage photo.

I have to say that is my favorite. Using the 1972 Topps Dodgers team card I took out the out-of-focus team photo for a couple of Los Angeles based Hall of Fame announcers. Here is Vin Scully with LA Kings play-by-play announcer Bob Miller. The photo is by Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers and was taken over the winter at the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Awards ceremony.

I figured that since the 1972 Topps set highlights some major Baseball awards it would only be proper to make a Clayton Kershaw Cy Young award card. I took out the drab award photo that was originally there and exchanged it with a pic of the Kershaw's Cy Young replica award that will be given out to fans as a stadium give-away on April 11th.

Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Day 13

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.

Todays Spring Training Opening Day Game:

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (0-0) vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX (0-0)

Monday, March 5, 2012 – 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch – Glendale

RHP Chad Billingsley vs. RHP Philip Humber

Spring Game 1/Road Game 1

(Rick Monday chatting with Don Mattingly, via twitter @PONealFSWest)

• IT’S TIME FOR DODGER BASEBALL: The Dodgers open up their 34-game exhibition schedule as the designated visiting team against the White Sox this afternoon at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. The two clubs will meet for the fourth time in five seasons during Interleague Play in 2012 with the White Sox visiting Dodger Stadium from June 15-17. Los Angeles will play 31 Cactus League contests before finishing up the spring slate with three games against the Angels; in Anaheim on April 2 and two at Dodger Stadium on April 3 and 4.

• BILLS ON THE HILL: Chad Billingsley will make his first start of the Cactus League season as he prepares for his seventh big league season after going 11-11 with a 4.21 ERA in 32 starts last year. The 27-year-old is one of only three National League pitchers to have won 10 or more games in each of the past five seasons, joining teammate Ted Lilly and Cole Hamels, and also ranks sixth on the Senior Circuit with 703 strikeouts since the start of the 2008 season. Billingsley will be followed to the mound today by RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Fernando Nieve, LHP Wilfredo Ledezma, RHP Angel Guzman, RHP Ryan Tucker and LHP Scott Rice.

(Clayton Kershaw pitches in an intrasquad game for his first live action of the spring, pic via twitter Jon SooHoo @Dodgers)

• IT ALL STARTS AT THE TOP: With the exception of Adam Kennedy at third base, today’s Dodger starting lineup looks very similar to what Don Mattingly is expected to pencil in on Opening Day one month from today in San Diego. Shortstop Dee Gordon will start things off for the Dodger nine this afternoon and ranked fourth in the Majors last season (min. 200 AB) with a .315 batting average as a leadoff hitter (63-for-200). Last season, the 23-year-old became the first-ever Dodger shortstop to be selected to the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team and was also recognized as the Gillette presents National League Rookie of the Month in September, batting .372 with a league-leading 42 hits in 26 games. Overall, Gordon had the second-highest batting average among Major League rookies (min. 200 AB) with a .304 mark and tied for second among rookies with 24 steals in 56 games with the Dodgers last season.

• BIG MAC: The Dodgers would like to wish right-handed reliever Mike MacDougal a happy 35^th birthday today! MacDougal re-signed with the club as a free agent this past offseason after ranking second on the team with 57.0 innings pitched as a reliever and a career-high 69 appearances in 2011. The 11-year Major League veteran ranked seventh among National League relievers (min. 50.0 IP) with a 2.05 ERA while going 3-1 with one save last season in his first season with Los Angeles.

• MAJORING IN THE MINORS: Dodger minor league pitchers and catchers have their first workout today with all other minor leaguers reporting on Friday. The first full-squad workout takes place on March 11. The farmhands will hope to repeat their success from last season, when six of the Dodgers’ seven minor league affiliates ended the season with winning records and the teams’ cumulative .543 winning percentage (414-349) was the second highest among Major League clubs behind only Texas’ .565 mark (431-332). In addition, four of the seven clubs reached the postseason with the Rookie-level AZL Dodgers winning the Arizona Summer League championship.

• TROLLEY DODGERS: New for 2012, fans can ride a free trolley from the Westgate City Center to all Dodgers and White Sox games at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. The trolley stop is located on Westgate Boulevard right across from Yard House and drops off outside the ballpark. The trolley runs every 40 minutes starting at 11:00 a.m. with continuous service throughout and after the game.

• Upcoming Spring Training Game Schedule

  

Hake's Auctions: Campy in Mexico

Hake's Auctions, well known for selling vintage toys, has also built a strong reputation for quality sports memorabilia. For at least the past couple of years they were the exclusive auctioneer of the collection of Richard Merkin, a noted Negro League collector. In fact, their current auction has several more items from Merkin's collection that I will highlight in a future post. At this time, though, I want to highlight a couple of Dodgers related items that caught my eye.

Below is an original drawing by noted New York Post cartoonist John Pierotti. From 1958 it features a Brooklyn Dodger with sword in hand riding a torn New York Yankees jersey while heading towards Los Angeles. The Dodger has exchanged his Brooklyn cap for an LA cap as their move to the west coast has become a reality.

(Auction Link)

This is a real treat. Here is a Negro League collectible from the collection of Richard Merkin that Dodger fans will enjoy. This is a real photo post card from 1943. It features a Baseball team from Monterey, Mexico that happens to include soon-to-be Major Leaguer and Brooklyn Dodger Roy Campanella. He is seated on the very far left. A close up of Campy is also below.

(Auction Link)