Some Cosplay Rookie Hazing by the Dodgers

(pic via Justin Turner on instagram)

Even on a day when the Dodgers get walloped by the Rockies the sophomoric tradition of dressing up your rookies in the most ridiculous costumes possible continues.

And thank goodness for that!  Life is too short and the season too long to get worked up over a loss at Coors Field.  After all, these professionals have to take each game one at a time, and allowing this afternoons loss to play with your head does nobody any good.

So, I celebrate this evenings rookie hazing event by sharing the handful of photos that have already made their way to social media.  Certainly, more will show up, so when they do I'll be sure to update this post.  In the meantime, check out some of the cosplay hijinks below.

Can you name the players in the group photos directly above and below?

(pic via Dodgers on instagram)

Yasiel Puig had to make sure Captain America had his headdress on right.

(pic via Dodgers on instagram)

Can you guess who was Captain America?  That's right.  It's Joc Pederson.

(pic via David Vassegh on twitter)

So, who's Donatello?

(pic via Dodgers on instagram)

Erisbel Arruebarrena is the sock puppet.

(pic via Dodgers on instagram)

BTW, Dodger veteran reliever Jamey Wright was put incharge of this event.  I think he did a fine job.

(pic via Alanna Rizzo on instagram)

UPDATE:  Watch a video of the Dodger rookies getting hazed.

Video Link:

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Steve Sax

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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Steve Sax will be at Manuel's Original El Tepeyac Cafe in the City of Industry on Sunday, September 21, 2014 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  Hat Tip: Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy. Prices: Autograph + Photo-Op = $25.00.

Come to our City of Industry location to see Steve Sax! Mark your calendars for Sunday, Sept. 21 from 5pm to 7pm! http://t.co/c7nqrzl6td
— Manuel's El Tepeyac (@manuelstepeyac) September 10, 2014

Manuel's Original El Tepeyac Cafe #2
13131 Crossroads Pkwy South
City of Industry, CA 91746

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Blog Kiosk: 9/17/2014 - Dodger Links - Moving AA & AAA to Oklahoma

It was a beautiful Colorado evening last night.  It was cool and partly cloudy with a slight breeze blowing in from left.  Heck, it was so nice the Dodgers decided to take a breather.  Actually, that's not entirely true.  The Dodgers got their hits, they just couldn't drive them home.

Once again, every Dodger position player (including the pitcher) got a hit, but they could only muster four runs.  Per Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider:

The National League’s No. 1 team with runners in scoring position had three hits but 11 outs, stranding 10 runners and wasting most of their 16 hits, including three by Justin Turner and Yasiel Puig’s first home run since July 31.

Yeah, it was one of those nights.  The Dodger loss and an subsequent Giants win over the Diamondbacks keeps the magic number at none.  The two photos above were taken by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  Go here to check out more pic by him from yesterday's game.  Below are some links to check out:

• Via Steven Silverman at Beyond the Boxscore, "Zack Greinke, forgotten ace."

As much coverage as a certain Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher has gotten in these pages (and others) in recent weeks, there are other good stories coming out of Chavez Ravine. Zack Greinke, even if he had to resort to hitting a home run to escape Clayton Kershaw's monstrous shadow this week, has been quietly having another solid year.

• It is now official.  Per a Dodger press release, they are moving their AAA operations from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City in 2015.  In fact, they are buying a piece of the team.

The owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that they have reached an agreement with Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC on the purchase of the Oklahoma City RedHawks.  The purchase would be part of a partnership in which Peter Guber will be the Executive Chairman and Managing Director of the team and partners Paul Schaeffer and Larry Freedman will manage the operations of the company.

The Dodgers also announced they will change their triple-A franchise affiliation to Oklahoma City in 2015 and continue to play in the Pacific Coast League, while moving to the American Northern Division. 

As Eric Stephen at True Blue LA notes, the Dodgers are also expected to move their AA club in Chattanooga to Tulsa.

The Dodgers contingent will make their way to Tulsa, 107 miles away, for a 1 p.m. PT press conference for what the Double-A Tulsa Drillers called on Wednesday "a major announcement regarding the franchise."

• Via J.P. Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers, "Dodgers’ third base coach details the perils of elevation on a player’s evolution."  JP speaks with Dodger coach Lorenzo Bundy about the difficulty in evaluating players in Albuquerque.  
• Via a Dodgers press release, Clayton Kershaw has been named the Dodgers' nominee for the 2014 Roberto Clemente Award.
• Via David Brown at Big League Stew, "Jake Peavy on next start: 'I was just in the shower thinking about Dee Gordon'"
• Via Jon Heyman at CBS Sports, "DeJon Watson will be brought back for second interview in Arizona."

Watson, who's been considered instrumental in the development of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, star outfielder Matt Kemp and many other young Dodgers, served as the scouting director and farm director of the Dodgers before rising to become an assistant to Ned Colletti in L.A. The Dodgers appear on their way to a second straight NL West crown.

• GCRL shares the evolution of Dodger first baseman through baseball cards, part II.
• I just love trip reports to amusement parks in foreign lands.  Check Chaos and Kanji at Enakyo Wonderland, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

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Welcome to the Blue, Daniel Coulombe!

Filed under unexpected, the Dodgers called up Chattanooga Lookouts left-handed reliever Daniel Coulombe to join the bullpen.  He is 24-years old, 5' 10", 185 lbs. and will wear #64.  Also, this is his very first trip to the "Show".  Congrats, kiddo!

Coulombe was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2008 in the 17th Round, but elected to go to college instead.  He pitched at USC, then Texas Tech and had Tommy John Surgery in 2011.  Then in 2012 he was again drafted by the Dodgers in the 25th Round and immediately signed up.  Since then, Coulombe has quickly advanced from rookie ball to AA in less than three season.  Per a Dodger press release:

Coulombe, 24, combined to go 3-0 with six saves and a 2.89 ERA in 49 relief appearances with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Chattanooga this year. He posted a 2.57 ERA (6 ER/21.0 IP) with 31 strikeouts and only 10 walks in 18 regular-season appearances with the Lookouts after his July 17 promotion and also helped key Chattanooga's run to the Southern League championship series with three saves during the postseason. Overall, Coulombe limited opponents to a .214 batting average in the minors with 92 strikeouts and only 27 walks in 65.1 innings, including a .204 mark against left-handed hitters (20-for-98) and a .221 average against righties (31-for-140).

Daniel Coulombe has been very good this year, and could prove to be a sleeper arm in the 'pen.  He joins a left-handed bullpen that includes JP Howell, Scott Elbert, Paco Rodriguez and Paul Maholm.

Love the Daniel Coulombe promotion. Kid has some potential. Definitely a sleeper lefty reliever prospect. Low-90s FB, CB that flashes plus.
— Dustin Nosler (@DustinNosler) September 16, 2014

In celebration of Daniel Coulombe's becoming a Dodger for the first time I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photograph taken by Ron Cervenka of Think Blue LA and the 1987 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are his career statistics, via Baseball Reference:

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2014 Topps Triple Threads Baseball - The Dodger Unity Jumbo Cards

Here is a final look at Topps 2014 Triple Thread Baseball card set.  Go here to check out all of my past post on this set.  Check out all of the Unity Dodger insert cards below.

BTW, according to a checklist there are three different AJ Ellis Unity Single Jumbo Relic cards, but I have only seen two different versions so far.  If you have a photo of the missing third card please pass it along. I also need a better photo of the Josh Beckett card.

Unity Single Jumbo Relics Set

#UJR-AE A.J. Ellis

Celebrating Orel Hershiser's Birthday with his Ten Best Cards

This post is something that I rarely do, but for this man... this great Dodger... I just couldn't help myself.

Today is Orel Hershiser's 56th Birthday, and I figured the best way to celebrate it would be to share my list of his Ten Best Baseball Cards.  Fortunately, there are plenty to choose from, and they run the gamut from the stupendous to the hilarious.  So, check them out below.

If I happen to neglect a card that you believe is worthy please let me know.  BTW, I did not include any cards with him in anything but Dodger Blue, so you shouldn't expect to see him in another team's uniform on this list.  Also, I refuse to accept that he ever played for that team up north.  Now, on to the list:

#10
I figured I would start this list with a World Series highlight set released by Fleer in 1989.  There are two different Hershiser cards in this insert set, and since I couldn't decide which one I like best I've included them both to start this list.