The Diamond Embedded Kershaw

As many of you remember, Topps made extremely rare cards with a real diamond embedded within them.  There is one available for every base card within the 2011 Topps Baseball flagship set, and from time to time a Dodger shows up on eBay.  In the past, I had ran across the James Loney and Hong-Chih Kuo cards (see those post here and here), but had yet to find a true Dodger superstar.  Well, that search is now over.  Check out the Clayton Kershaw 2011 Topps "1 of 1" Diamond Embedded Baseball card below.  Now, all I have to do is scrap together $500 bucks.  See the auction here.

(Auction Link)

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 10/31/2012

Kenley Jansen and Tim Leary passed out Halloween treats at the Treats-n-Suites Halloween Bash on Monday in the photo above.  Pic via twitter @Dodgers.  Happy Halloween everybody!!!

• BTW, be sure to go to Nick Punto's home for Halloween.  He's giving out the good stuff.  See what I mean via twitter @ShredderPunto.
• Dodgers sign Brandon League to a new 3-year deal.  Via a Dodgers press release:

“We’re excited to bring back a key member of our bullpen, which was a team strength last season,” said Colletti. “"We were very pleased with what Brandon provided us after we acquired him. He pitched in a couple of different roles including the closer role most of the last month where he was very effective.”

“He gives the club someone who has saved more than 50 games the last two seasons and fortifies our bullpen in a number of ways. It's imperative that to compete in the NL West teams need a strong bullpen with power arms, experience and depth.”

Details on the contract have yet to emerge, but Jim Bowden at ESPN tweets it's at about $7.1Mil per year.  He had a great last month of the season, so in order for this deal to make sense he needs to continue pitching like that. 

• Bo at Baseball Cards Come to Life shares a great story about a Tony Gwynn Baseball card worth noting, as told by former Padres pitcher Scott Sanders.  Check out the link to see the card. (Hat Tip: Gaslamp Ball)

"One of my favorite cards is: Tony Gwynn forgot his jersey at the hotel for a spring training game, and had to hit in my jersey-- his 1st at bat. It ended up on one of his baseball cards.

• When no news is news.  No Dodgers win a Gold Glove this year.
• Panini's 2012 Cooperstown Baseball card set has officially been released and they shared some additional photos on their blog. Take a look at a Roy Campanella card on the left.
• Clayton Kershaw was on the Petros & Money show yesterday.  Go here to listen to it.
• A Cooperstown ghost story, via Tom Wiles at Cooperstown Chatter.

Samantha was very interested in a career minor leaguer named Edward Matt, who played from 1909-1913 for seven different minor league teams in the upper Midwest, including Traverse City, Mich., where Samantha and her family now live. But Ed Matt is not a distant relative, so why the interest?

“Edward Matt is a ghost in our house,” Samantha wrote.

• You gotta love social media.  San Francisco police allegedly arrest the man who was photographed busting up a bus front windshield during the Giants riots, via Kevin Kaduk at Big League Stew.
• Star Wars Episode 7 Official Trailer by NMA.

Video Link:

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: DodgersFest 2012!!

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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DodgersFest 2012!  The big, end of the season, Dodgers themed autograph show is coming this Saturday to Frank & Sons in the City of Industry.  18 members of the Dodgers family will be there.  This promises to be a great event.  As always, admission is free.  All times below are subject to change.

Frank & Sons 
19649 San Jose Avenue 
Industry, CA 91748 

I'll start it off by announcing that Magic Johnson will be signing that afternoon starting at 1:00 PM, and ending whenever the demand stops.  You can also get autographs from the great Dodgers infield of the 70's- Garvey, Russell, Lopes and Cey.  There is a Dodgers Infield Super Ticket available, as well.  Details are below, or go here for more information.

Magic Johnson 

1:00pm until completion
small - flat items up to and including 11x14: $99. medium - large flats, baseballs, minis (bats, helmets & mini basketballs) shoes, floor pieces, figurines & equipment: $119. large - bats, helmets, basketballs, jerseys & artwork: $149. inscriptions: $49.

Al "The Bull" Ferrara

9:30am – 11:00am
FREE Autographs

Bill Russell

10:00am – 11:30am
small: $25. medium: $30. large: $35. inscription: $10.

Davey Lopes

10:00am – 11:30am
small: $30. medium: $35. large: $40. inscription: $10.

Ron Cey

10:00am – 11:30am
small: $30. medium: $35. large: $40. inscription: $10.

Steve Garvey

10:00am – 11:30am
small: $35. medium: $40. large: $50. inscription: $10.

****Infield Super Ticket (Super Ticket is one ticket for each member of the Infield) 

balls and small flats up to & including 11x14: $99.
large flats, minis, caps & equipment: $119. 
helmets, bats & jerseys: $139.

Maury Wills

11:00am – 12:30pm
small: $25. medium: $35. large: $45. inscription: $15.

Rick Honeycutt

11:00am – 12:30pm
small: $29. medium: $39. large: $49. inscription: $15.

Burt Hooton

11:30am – 1:00pm
small: $39. medium: $49. large: $59. inscription: $20.

Don Newcombe

11:30am – 1:00pm
small: $39. medium: $49. large: $59. inscription: $20.

Wally Moon

11:30am – 1:00pm
small: $39. medium: $49. large: $59. inscriptions: $20.

Wes Parker

11:30am – 1:00pm
small: $29. medium: $39. large: $49. inscription: $15.

Charlie Hough

1:00pm – 2:30pm
small: $15. medium: $20. large: $25. inscription: $10.

Jaime Jarrin

1:00pm – 2:30pm
small: $49. medium: $59. large: $69. inscription: $20.

Steve Yeager

1:00pm – 2:30pm
small: $20. medium: $25. large: $35. inscription: $10.

Dave Hansen

2:00pm – 3:30pm
small: $20. medium: $25. large: $35. inscription: $10.

Reggie Smith

2:00pm – 3:30pm
small: $29. medium: $39. large: $49. inscription: $15.

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Collection: 2006 SPX Hong-Chih Kuo Rookie Signatures

After 7 Dodgers seasons and 5 elbow surgeries he would sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Mariners for the 2012 season, but was released during Spring Training.  Later on, he would sign a minor league contract with the Cubs in June of that year, but would again be released over a month later.  Since then, Kuo appears to have disappeared.

Oh, Hong-Chih Kuo where have you gone?

Kuo was a warrior on the field for us, and I will never forget what he did for the team.  I know he battled an anxiety disorder along with numerous elbow surgeries, so I hope his body and soul are doing well.

Featured here is a 2006 SPX Rookie Signatures card Hong-Chih Kuo in my collection.

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Collection: Vintage T202 Superbas (Dodgers) - Scanlon, Dahlen, Daubert & Hummel

With winter here, I though it was time to scan and share some more Dodger cards from my collection.

As I was looking through my binders I came across a small grouping of vintage T202 Dodgers cards, and was surprised when I looked that I had yet to share them on this blog.So, here they are.

I love these old vintage tobacco cards.  They have a great look and feel to them.  They harken back to the days when Baseball was played in the afternoon and watching a game from afar meant standing on a street corner as a giant scoreboard displayed the days results.

As Ty Cobb would say, Baseball was a war back then, and the ballplayers were the soldiers. Heck, check out the action B&W photos in center of the two cards above.  Those infielders are covering the bag like they're the catcher.  They are ready to put their shoulder into the runner.

The T202 set was produced in 1912 and are commonly known as Hassan Triple Folders.  The two end cards can fold over the B&W center panel like a little booklet. It measures 5 1/4" wide and 2 1/4" tall.

The top card above features Doc Scanlan and Bill Dahlen on the edges.  While Yankees infielder Roy Hartzell is at the center trying to make a play on the runner - "Hartzell Covering Third".  The bottom card shows Jake Daubert and John Hummel on the edges.  Birdie Cree of the Yankees is in the B&W center photo scoring at home - "Cree Rolls Home".

Below is a look at the reverse of the cards.  As you can see, there are player biographies, as well as, an advertisement for Hassan cork tip cigarettes.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 10/30/2012

Be sure to check out The Cleveland Show this coming Sunday as both Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier make an appearance.  Pic via twitter @Dodgers.

• Tickets are available for Dodgers Night at a Clippers game.  Go here.  At the right is the Dodgers themed t-shirt that will be given away to fans who purchase through this offer.
• Cheech Marin writes in the Huffington Post about his Dodger upbringing.

Years later, I remember one of the most surreal moments I ever had as an adult. At some charity event with a lot of sports figures in attendance, I was at the bar getting a drink. I turned around and there was this huge guy standing in front in me smiling. He stuck out his hand and said "Hi, Cheech. I'm Don Newcombe." I stood there for what seemed like a year with my mouth wide open. I was instantly 10 years old and all I could think of was "Don Newcombe knows my name?" 

• Ken Gurnick at MLB.com speaks with recent Dodgers hiree Gerry Hunsicker.

"In L.A., Stan is obviously excited about what's going on and the direction they're heading, and it was possible they would need a senior level executive to assist him and Ned, be an extra set of eyes and ears," said Hunsicker. "So not only is there my admiration for Stan, but the fact it's the Dodgers. 

• Molly Knight at ESPN writes about the birth of AJ Ellis third child- while on Interstate 43 earlier this month.
• Dodgers looking at bringing back Kuroda? via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.
• Andre Etheir trade, not happening.  via Jon Heyman at CBS.
• Sports Collectors Daily reports on the 2012 World Series artifacts to make it to the Cooperstown.
• Busted Coverage has pics of a bunch of athletes in their Halloween best.

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