Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 8/24/2012

Happy belated Birthday to Kobe Bryant.  He turned 34 yesterday.  Pic via twitter @Dodgers.

• Rob Neyer at SB Nation has an excellent article that is a bit of a rebuttal to Plaschke's idiotic diatribe about wanting to fix Dodger Stadium traffic issues by reducing the number of seats.  Neyer nails my very first thought when I read Plaschke's article.

We might call it "the gentrification of baseball", and we've just seen it happen in New York. Maybe this makes me a radical, but it seems to me that you should build a ballpark big enough to hold the fans who are willing to pay a reasonable price for a ticket. And considering the Dodgers' attendance over the years -- and those 10 sellouts already this season -- it seems that 56,000 is just about right for Dodger Stadium.

As Neyer notes, if you reduce the number of seats you are guaranteeing that the cheap seat will be the ones going away- and I love those cheap seats!  They are the most affordable deal in the Southland.

• Eric Stephen at True Blue LA notes that Andre Ethier is the first Dodger to have 6 straight seasons with 30 or more doubles.
• Blake Hawksworth is done for the season, via Alex Angert at MLB.com.

Hawksworth has been on the DL all season after right elbow surgery, and he had his rehab shut down at the beginning of July after feeling pain in the area of his clavicle. The reliever is expected to miss another year.

• Jerry Hairston Jr. is also done, via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times.

The Dodgers announced after Wednesday’s game that Hairston will have surgery on his left hip sometime in the next two weeks.

• Nomo's Sushi Platter met his namesake, Hideo Nomo!  I am more envious than your can understand.  Wow!  David's Autograph Signings was there, as well.
• Mike Petriello at Rotographs takes a look at Rubby De La Rosa.

Long-term, de la Rosa is likely still looked at as a starter. If he can stay healthy and limit the walks just a little – and let’s not forget, he’s not even 24 until next March, and still has fewer than 300 professional innings under his belt – he can be a star. 

• Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher took in a Dodger game on Wednesday.  Pic via twitter @Dodgers.

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2012 Topps Chrome Baseball- Dodgers Cards

Ho-hum.  This set is rather boring.  Recently released is Topps 2012 Chrome Baseball card set and it includes the exact same cards (photography-wise) that exist in their normal 2012 Baseball card flagship set (see series 1 cards, series 2 cards).  Let me say that again, they use the exact same photos.  The only difference with these cards are that they are the "chrome" version, so they are super shiny.  There is also a snazzy little Topps Chrome logo on the top left.

For the sake of being complete I've included pics of all of the Dodger base cards.  See them below.  BTW, I am told that there is a Matt Kemp variation card to the base, but have yet to see one.  Also, I've included pics of the handful of Dodgers inserts that have been included in the set.  They are at the bottom.

BTW, they still have not made a AJ Ellis card yet, but we've got plenty of Federowicz's to throw around.

#112 Clayton Kershaw

#120 Matt Kemp

#120 Matt Kemp Variation

As I said above, there is a variation to the above Matt Kemp card.  Unfortunately, I have yet to see one.  As soon as one pops up I will be sure to share it. From my understanding, the 20 card variation set are seeded to 1 card every 13,500 retail packs, so they are scarce.

#136 Dee Gordon

#157 Tim Federowicz RC

#209 Andre Ethier

Here is an example of the Clayton Kershaw/ Matt Kemp dual autograph insert card.  There is also a Andre Ethier/Matt Kemp version, as well.  The below pic is a preview photo Topps provided several weeks ago.  I have yet to see an actual card, and I suspect we won't for some time.  Nearly every Kemp autograph card placed in packs this year has come as an redemption.

Below are the Dynamic Die-Cuts insert cards.  Both the front and reverse are shown.  There appears to also be autographed versions of these cards, but they appear to be seeded as redemption cards in packs.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

#DD-CK Clayton Kershaw

#DD-MK Matt Kemp

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Baseball is Spreading Everywhere- Even Uganda

As some of you already know, the Little League World Series is around the corner.  This coming Sunday is the championship.

With that in mind, I wanted to put a spotlight on a ballclub that made it to Williamsport from an unexpected country.  A team from Lugazi, Uganda were the first group of Africans to ever make it to the Little League mecca. 

Check out this great Al Jazerra English report below.

Video Link:

Here is another story on these kids focused on their very first game against Panama.

Video Link:

Unfortunately, the Ugandan team lost their first two games in Williamsport to Panama and Mexico, so they didn't get far in the round robin tournament.  On the other hand, they did defeat a team of American kids from Oregon in their next game (a consolation game), so they can go home happy knowing they are the first African team to ever win a game there.

For more information on the tournament go to the Little League World Series website, here.

Hat Tip: Travis Waldron at Think Progress.

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Adrian Gonzalez, Anyone?

Via MLB Trade Rumors we find out that the Red Sox have placed 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez on Trade Waivers.  They note:

At one point this summer, the Dodgers inquired on the slugger, though its not clear how receptive the Red Sox were to the interest.  Ned Colletti & Co. reportedly offered pieces that could help Boston in the future, though the Dodgers' farm system isn't tremendously deep.

So, do you think the Dodgers make a claim for him?  If they do, will a deal even get done?  Remember, we claimed Cliff Lee earlier this month and that was all for naught. 

Nevertheless, if the Dodgers do make a claim the Red Sox can:

• Remove him from the wire and keep him,
• Let the Dodgers take him for no additional compensation to them (thereby allowing the Dodgers to take over the remaining portion of his contract), or
• Make a deal with the Dodgers, via a trade.

Based on MLB Trade Rumors notes above a trade would have to be the route.  I wonder who the Dodgers would have to give up to get this done.

Would they take Uribe?  I joke, of course.  They wouldn't want him.

I would hope Loney could go over, but he wouldn't be a centerpiece- more like a throw in.  Would you let our top pitching prospect Zach Lee go?  How about two of our top pitching prospects- Allen Webster and Lee?  What if they demanded Joc Pederson, as well?  I think Jerry Sands would look good against the Green Monster.  How much would you be willing to give up? 

Here are Adrian's stats, via Baseball Reference:


Here are his contract details: click pic to embiggen

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 8/22/2012

George Lopez was in the house last night for Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead Night.  Pic via twitter @Dodgers.

• ThinkCure! weekend will be from September 2nd to 3rd.  Go here for details.
• Matt Kemp knows he's in a slump, but he remains confident (via TJ Simers at the LA Times)

"He hasn't lost that little boy in him, that's for sure," says Manager Don Mattingly. "That's part of the growth of Matt Kemp. He's serious enough to know he wants to do well and he's not going to laugh off 0 for 19. But he's no moper; he's someone who is always going to be into the game.

• Via Jeff Weiss at the LA Weekly, What the Dodgers' Musical Taste Says About them.
• Via TJ Simers at the LA Times, Tommy hopes to see one more championship before he dies.

"Maybe it doesn't always sound sincere to some but I want to see another championship banner flying in center field," he says. "And even though I'll still be cheering for them in heaven, they better do it before the big Dodger in the sky calls me. I don't want to go without knowing we have another world championship.

"I've already told my wife that when I do go I want our home schedule attached to my tombstone. I want people who are in the cemetery visiting their loved ones to say, 'Let's go to Lasorda's grave and see if the Dodgers are playing home or away.'

• National League umpire Jim Joyce is a hero, via Scott Miller at CBS Sports.

Joyce administered CPR to a Diamondbacks' game-day employee named Jayne Powers in a tunnel leading to the umpires' dressing room minutes on his way into the ballpark Monday, saving her life in a moment nobody who was in the vicinity at Chase Field will soon forget.

• Here is your daily Stanley Cup Happenings.  The Keeper of the Cup Philip Pritchard shares todays pic of forward Kyle Clifford doing some bench presses.

• Here is a new trailer for a Baseball documentary called "Knuckleball!"  

This classic sports story recounts the 2011 journey of the last professional knuckleball pitchers: Tim Wakefield, a 17-year Red Sox veteran, and Mets up-and-comer R.A. Dickey. Together with just four other living knuckleballers, they shine a light on their remarkable brotherhood and the shared pursuit of honor and craftsmanship.

Video Link:

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Dodgers... Y U No Win!!!

Frustration level getting high.  Ready to burst at the seams.  Please don't make me get on my knees and pray.

I'll refer you to Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts since I think he perfectly encapsulates last nights game.  See his post here.

Left Field Pavilion creates a graphic that is equal in frustration.  I agree with you on Uribe (he's got to go), but I think we are stuck with Banton.

Speaking of Blanton, Mark Saxon at ESPN captures some choice quotes.

"I think the first couple games, maybe I was just trying to do a little too much out of the gate," Blanton said. "I've been a little too fine instead of being aggressive and really pounding the zone like I'm used to."

At this point all I can do is hope to get one back today, but it sure ain't looking good.

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