Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Day 11

AJ Ellis takes part in 2012 Read Across America for some local Arizona kids, via twitter @Dodgers.

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

(Clayton Kershaw signing for Fan Fest, via twitter @JessRosales1)

• FUN FEST: The first-ever Camelback Ranch – Glendale Fan Fest was a rousing success today with more than 3,000 fans in attendance for the Dodgers’ and White Sox’s autograph sessions and batting practice. While the autographs were the main takeaway from the day’s event, those who stayed for Dodger batting practice were treated to additional souvenirs as the hitting group of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Juan Rivera deposited well over a dozen baseballs onto the outfield berms. The only unfortunate incident on the sun-filled morning was when shortstop Dee Gordon was hit by a bad-hop grounder in the mouth, which required stitches on his upper lip. Gordon is not expected to miss any practice time due to the injury.

• ALMOST GAMEDAY: At 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, the Dodgers will play a four-inning intrasquad game on the minor league fields featuring pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano, Stephen Fife and Will Savage. Kershaw, who will start on Opening Day in San Diego and the Dodgers’ home-opener on April 10, will make his first “official” start of the Cactus League season on March 9 against the Rangers in Surprise.

(Kemp goofs on Rubby De La Rosa, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)

• START ME UP: The Dodgers held their annual On Sale event at Dodger Stadium this morning with fans enjoying the festivities which included music, trivia and contests, hosted by Vic “the Brick” Jacobs from AM 570 Fox Sports Los Angeles. Opening Day tickets are still available on Dodgers.com and prices on many advanced individual tickets for the 2012 season after Opening Day have been reduced as much as $20 per ticket.

• IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: The Dodgers would like to wish a very happy 36^th birthday to catcher Matt Treanor! Treanor was signed as a free agent this offseason after spending the 2011 campaign with the Royals and American League-champion Texas Rangers. Treanor, who grew up in Garden Grove and attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, is entering his ninth big league season after originally being selected by Kansas City in the fourth round of the 1994 First-Year Player Draft.

(Spring Training Fun during Fan Fest, via Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers)

• HALL OF FAME HAPPENING: On March 3, 1997, Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda received a call in Vero Beach, FL from Teddy Ballgame, Ted Williams, letting him know he was to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Lasorda is now enshrined in 17 Halls of Fame.

• MAJORING IN THE MINOR: Minor league pitchers and catchers reported to Camelback Ranch today two days ahead of their first workout on March 5. All other minor leaguers report on March 9 with the first full-squad workout taking 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.

• A CASE OF THE MONDAYS: The Dodgers open up their Cactus League season as the designated visiting team on Monday against their Camelback Ranch neighbors, the White Sox. Chad Billingsley will get the start for Los Angeles with RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Fernando Nieve, LHP Wilfredo Ledezma, RHP Angel Guzman, RHP Ryan Tucker and LHP Scott Rice in relief and right-hander Philip Humber taking the hill for Chicago. The Dodgers open their home slate on Tuesday with LHP Ted Lilly on the mound against the Giants’ Barry Zito.

A Look Back at the Impact of the Koufax & Drysdale Holdout

When thinking about the large salaries ballplayers receive today it's important to remember the road that lead to it. Last Night, Bob Costas at the MLB Network took a look back at one incident that played an important part of that future- the Sandy Koufax/ Don Drysdale contract holdout in 1966.

Wes Parker on the significance:

I think owners did become more aware of the fact that players were starting to stand up for their rights.

Maury Wills thoughts:

Let me go back to 1962. I was the MVP in the National League that year. [I thought] I got them now. I’ll go in and get me a raise. Maybe I can buy the wife a new car. All I wanted was a Ford station wagon for her. I came out of there in ten minutes happy I was still on the team.

Author Jan Leavy, writer of Sandy Koufax: a Lefty's Legacy:

I can’t think of another instance, before or since, where two stars of this magnitude held out together in unison.

Curt Flood didn’t come for another three years and [Andy] Messersmith and [Dave] McNally was a number of years later, but this was the beginning. This was the revolutionary moment.

See the video below.

Video Link:

Blog Kiosk: 3/3/2012

Dodgers Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jaime Jarrin poses with his grandson, Dodgers Minor Leaguer Stefan Jarrin, via Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers.

• Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy highlights a new Dodgers book coming out called "The Official Visual History of the Dodgers" and it looks glorious.
  
• From Dan Primack at CNN Money: What Private Equity Wants With the Dodgers.
• Matt Kemp has basketball on the mind, via his twitter.
• The Dodgers sign two players from their most recent open tryout, via Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness.
  
• Per Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy, Pedro Guerrero will be managing a Mexican Summer League team in Tiajuana.
• BTW, Kershaw will start both the season opener and the home opener, via Tony Jackson.
• Baseball Mussings is at the Sloan MIT Sports Analystics Conference and has a series of reports here, here, here, here and here.
  
• This is a must see. Back in 1975 Topps held a Bazooka Bubble Blowing Championship that was immortalized in a Kurt Bevacqua card a year later. Well, the Topps Archives has a story about the final resting place of "bubble meter."
  
• From Tom Bartsch at SCD, "Court News: Card Manufacturers Continue Trend of Being Named in Lawsuits."
  
• Are you curious about the legendary T206 Honus Wagner card? Check out Cardboard Connections story behind it.
  
• This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
  

Video Link:

Collection: Ron Cey Fleer Greats Autographed Card

Following up on the Ron Cey autograph card I shared yesterday, here is another one. This is a 2002 Fleer Greats card. The best thing about this card is on the reverse. Check out the little red figure on the top right, below. I like to imagine it's Ron Cey making a diving catch on a liner down the third base line.

Update on Player Signings for Camelback Ranch Fan Fest

As you probably already know, there will be a Fan Fest at Camelback Ranch tomorrow. As I wrote about yesterday, several Dodgers are expected to be in attendance for the Dodgers autograph session from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM, but specific players had yet to be announced. Well, the Dodgers have just released some names and I'm sure the folks that are headed out to Arizona will be pleased.

Among those expected to sign for the Dodgers are Matt Kemp, James Loney, Dee Gordon, Andre Ethier, Javy Guerra and Kenley Jansen. I suspect others will also be there.

Below is a flyer for the event.

BTW, as a reminder Hall of Fame Pitcher Gaylord Perry will also be on-hand to sign. Details on the Perry signing is here.

Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Day 10

Staring down the barrel that is Josh Lindblom, via twitter JonSooHoo @Dodgers.

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

(Javy Guerra behind the scenes on Photo Day, via twitter @Dodgers)

• WINDY CITY: Glendale was full of bluster on Friday as the whipping wind forced Dodger Manager Don Mattingly to cancel his previously scheduled pop-up drills and players left the field a tad earlier than usual. Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Nathan Eovaldi all threw bullpens while Ted Lilly, Fernando Nieve, Angel Guzman, Ryan Tucker, Wilfredo Ledezma and Scott Rice tossed live batting practice.

• NOW IS THE TIME: Tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. PT fans can purchase a limited number of Opening Day tickets as well as single-game regular season tickets at Dodger Stadium and on Dodgers.com. Prices on many advanced individual tickets for the 2012 season after Opening Day have been reduced as much as $20 per ticket. The Dodger Stadium gates will open at 8:00 a.m. and the annual On Sale festivities will include music, trivia and contests, hosted by Vic “the Brick” Jacobs from AM 570 Fox Sports Los Angeles. Fans that purchase at least one ticket at Dodger Stadium at the On Sale event will receive a Dodger gift.

(Sandy Koufax visits with Kershaw and Honeycutt, via Jon SooHoo twitter @Dodgers)

• THE ONE AND ONLY: The Dodgers welcomed Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax to Camelback Ranch – Glendale this morning. Koufax held court with several reporters in the Dodger clubhouse for a few minutes and will be featured on a one-of-a-kind bobblehead at Dodger Stadium this year. The legendary hurler is part of the Dodgers’ 10-game Dodger Stadium Greats Bobblehead series and his big day will be on Tuesday, Aug. 7 vs. Colorado. Information on season tickets and mini-plans (including the 10-game Dodger Stadium Greats Bobblehead Series plan) can be found at dodgers.com/tickets.

• FAN-TASTIC!: Tomorrow, Camelback Ranch – Glendale will host its first-ever Fan Fest starting at 9:00 a.m. The Home Plate Gate will open at 8:30 a.m. for the free event, with the White Sox taking the field first followed by the Dodgers for autographs (11:00 a.m.) and batting practice (11:30 a.m.). The box office and team store will be open with family-friendly activities on the concourse until 1:00 p.m. Among those expected to sign for the Dodgers are Matt Kemp, James Loney, Dee Gordon, Andre Ethier, Javy Guerra and Kenley Jansen.

(Photo by Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers during Photo Day, via twitter @Dodgers)

• CANDID CAMERA: Today was the annual Photo Day at Camelback Ranch – Glendale and taking part in the action in addition to all of the Dodger players in camp were the Associated Press, Getty Images, Dodger radio partner AM 570 Fox Sports Radio L.A., MLB International, US Presswire, MLB Photos, Baseball Magazine Sha, Dodger broadcast partner KCAL 9, Topps and MLB.com. A special shout out to the media team at NHK, who all braved the harsh wind to film their baseball preview at Camelback Ranch.

• CLIPPER TOWN?: Tonight, several Dodgers will be attending the Clippers-Suns game in Phoenix, including NL MVP runner-up Matt Kemp, Adam Kennedy and Dee Gordon. Kemp and Gordon were both excellent high school basketball players, as was Dodger skipper Don Mattingly, who averaged slightly more than 19 points per game at Reitz Memorial (IN) HS during his senior year. Kemp played AAU ball with the New Jersey Nets’ Shelden Williams.
  

• ON THE DIAL: The Spring Training Baseball Show with Kevin Kennedy & David Vassegh on Dodger radio partner AM 570 Fox Sports L.A. rolls on tonight after the duo debuted yesterday. The show will air tonight from 9:00-10:00 p.m. PT, but the hour-long show will normally air six days a week (excluding Sunday) at 7:00 p.m. PT.

• GETTING HISTORIC: On this day in 2005, Dodger Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson was honored posthumously by receiving the Congressional Gold Medal during ceremonies in the rotunda of the United States Capitol building.
  

(Clayton Kershaw showing his grip, via twitter @FoxSportsWest)