Ryu's Other Topps Baseball Cards Are Out

Following up on my post from last week featuring a Hyun-Jin Ryu's Topps autographed insert Baseball card, I now feature the other Ryu cards available in packs of 2013 Bowman.  BTW, I'll have pics of all the other Dodger cards from the set in a day or so.

After a stellar start to the season for the Korean starting pitcher, Hyun-Jin Ryu now has a real rookie card to call his own.  In the 2013 Bowman set he is a part of the normal base set and has two other insert cards.  Below is the base card, and it is number #218.  As always, there are numerous parallels.  In fact, I count 10 different variations (including the normal base card).  Below are examples of 4 of them.

On the top left is the base card, and on the right is the gold border parallel.

On the left below is the Silver Ice parallel, and on the right is the State & Hometown parallel card.

Below is the Top 100 insert card.  A die-cut version exist, as well.  (UPDATE: I've added a pic of the die-cut parallel card)

#BTP-77 Hyun-Jin Ryu                                  Die-Cut version

These next two cards are of the Chrome Refractor 'Cream of the Crop' Mini insert cards, #CC-LAD4.  On the left is the normal card, and on the right is the blue bordered parallel.

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Blog Kiosk: 5/8/2013

Here's a peak at the Jaime Jarrin bobblehead that will be given out on May 25th, pic via twitter @yvonnecarrasco.

• Paul Post at Sports Collectors Digest writes, "Visiting Places of Baseball History Related to Jackie Robinson"

However, one of the most memorable events ever staged there occurred on Oct. 18, 1949, when Jackie Robinson’s All-Stars – including Dodger teammates Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe – squared off against Black Baron All-Stars whose roster included an 18-year-old Mays and many Negro League greats including future Hall of Famer Buck Leonard, first baseman for the Homestead Grays.

• Dayne Perry ar CBS Sports shares a Vin Scully audio of him sharing the greatest catch he's ever seen.
• Jonah Keri at Grantland writes, "The Growing Legend of Clayton Kershaw."

In his 64 years calling Dodgers games, Scully has never been prone to hyperbole. When a truly special moment happens, sure, he'll deliver as stirring a description as you'll ever hear. But he understands context. A random pitch in a random spring training game isn't usually going to make him jump out of his chair. But this was no ordinary pitch. Kershaw's curveball was a masterpiece, falling out of the sky and turning Casey's knees into spaghetti.

• Eno Sarris at FanGraphs writes, "Being AJ Ellis."

Even when he was drafted, Ellis didn’t think like many of his fellow draftees. “I didn’t have major league expectations,” Ellis told me before this past series with the Giants. “I wasn’t being drafted and mapping out a career.” Ellis doesn’t sell himself short — this was more about his skillset and his draft position, and being honest with himself and the people he cared about. The minors were going to be “baseball finishing school” and he was going to finish up and then go coach a college team.

• Eno Sarris at FanGraphs also writes, "The Power Will Not Return for Adrian Gonzalez."
• Dan Cichalski at MLB.com tells us that former Dodger owner Peter O'Malley has been inducted in the Irish-American Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Dustin Nosler at Yahoo writes that, "Yasiel Puig is the most exciting Los Angeles Dodgers Prospect ever."
• I argued with myself about whether I should feature this particular article.  At the end of the day, I just figured it was newsworthy enough - even though I don't like the story.  Brock Keeling at the SFist shares a video of a brawl between Dodgers and Giants fans in San Francisco.  Come on, guys.  Only boxers and hockey players are allowed to fight. 
• Are Don Mattingley's name numbered?  Will be survive as manager?  Both Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts and Mike Petriello at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wonder that aloud.
• The Count at the Wall Street Journal writes, "Splashing Cash Rarely Pays Off."

These clubs should have known better. Since 2004, of the 33 teams to increase their payroll by at least 30%, only five made the playoffs. in that same time frame, of the 110 teams that increased by at least 10%, just 31 made the playoffs, barely more than the number of playoff teams that cut their payroll over that span (28).

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Check Out Yasiel Puig's First Licensed Baseball Card

The excitement surrounding Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig can not be overstated.  He is slugging his way into the hearts and minds of Dodger fans everywhere - even to the point of hearing loud choruses from fans for his immediate promotion to the big club. 

Will he end up in LA before the season is done?  I dunno.

All I do know is that Topps has just released the very first licensed Baseball cards for him in their 2013 Bowman card set and I have pics to prove it.  As you may know, he has already been put on cardboard (2012 Leaf, 2012 Rize Draft, and 2012 Leaf Metal), but those cards were unlicensed and therefore without the desirable Dodgers team logo.  So, beginning this week we finally have some cards with him wearing Dodger Blue.

In this years 2013 Bowman set he has two different cards.  See them below.  The first card is a Top 100 Prospect insert card.  A die-cut refractor card parallel card exist, as well.

#BTP-58 Yasiel Puig

Here is a Chrome Refractor 'Cream of the Crop' Mini insert card.  These cards are a little smaller than your average card. 

#CC-LAD3 Yasiel Puig

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Dodger Days at Frank & Sons

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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It is Dodger Days weekend at Frank & Son, and a bunch of Dodgers will be on hand to help us celebrate.  Go here for more information.  The flyers below provide all the details.

Frank & Son Collectible Show
19649 E. San Jose Ave.
City of Industry, CA 91748

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Matt Kemp Reassured Us All that there is Good in the World

Even as the Dodgers sink into oblivion, Matt Kemp proves that good things do happen.  Originally found by Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy, check out this incredible video featuring Kemp helping out a Dodger fan in San Francisco.

The person who posted up the video is a friend of the gentleman receiving Kemp's jersey, hat, batting gloves and shoes.  He writes in the description that his friend is going through a tough battle and will certainly remember this moment for the rest of his life.

Video Link:

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Matt Kemp also provided a sneak peek preview of his bobblehead that will be given out next Tuesday.  Pic via his instagram account.

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Dodger Hero, Roz Wyman, to Throw Out First Pitch Tonight

Recent 2013 Rose Award winner and former LA City Councilwoman Roz Wyman will throw out the first pitch at tonight's game.  For those who don't already know, we have her to thank for bringing the Dodgers to Los Angeles.  Without her persistence the Dodgers would not be here.  And to think, she was just 22 years old when she did it.  Amazing!

Thank you, Roz Wyman!

If you are interested in a great write up on her role in bringing the Dodgers out west check out Walter O'Malley.com.  It's long, but well worth the read if you are interested in LA Dodger history.  Below is a sample:

“Right now, I’m deep in plans to bring major league baseball to Los Angeles. Everybody wants it and we should have it. Baseball is a big business. We have the climate and Los Angeles is a great sports town. We need big league baseball. It would be great for the kids, too. They are great worshippers of top sports figures and sports-minded kids are never delinquent.”

This quote was delivered in April of 1957, not by the Mayor of Los Angeles, but by a woman.

That’s right, the youngest City Councilperson in the history of Los Angeles, Rosalind Wyman, made that statement, filled with hope that she and a cadre of local officials could woo Walter O’Malley and the Dodgers westward, providing he paid to build the stadium. It was one of the biggest gambles in the City’s history, but one, once achieved, that proved to be the mother lode of risk-taking success.

The pics included in this post is from the 2013 Rose Award banquet that included Vin Scully as presenter.   Pic Credit: Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2013

UPDATE:
Below is a video tribute put together by the Dodgers honoring her.

Video Link:

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