Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Austin Barnes and the Dodger Holiday Sale

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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Dodgers backup catcher/utilityman Austin Barnes will be signing autographs at Sports Authentics in the Puente Hills Mall.  Go here for more information.

Sports Authentics
Puente Hills Mall 
1600 S. Azusa Ave. 
City of Industry, CA 91748

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This coming Saturday will also be the 2016 Dodger Holiday Sales Event at the "Top of the Park" store at Dodger Stadium.  It will include merchandise discounts, player autographs, photo ops and more.  Go here for more information.  Unfortunately, a player signing schedule is not available yet, so stay tuned.  I'll be sure to update this post once it has been announced.  (FYI, last week Mickey Hatcher, Lee Lacy and Kenny Landreaux signed)

UPDATE:  Here is the autograph schedule for this weekend:

Matt Luke: 10:00am-12:00pm
Derrel Thomas: 12:00pm-2:00pm
Lee Lacy: 2:00pm-4:00pm

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Blog Kiosk: 12/7/2016 - Dodgers Links - Haren, Hill, and Roberts on Maeda

Not only did the Dodgers feature the first African-American position player to play in the Majors, but they also introduced the first African-American pitcher to enter a Major League game.  Featured above is a vintage AP Wire Photo, currently available for sale at RMY Auctions (Link Here), that shows a clapping Jackie Robinson (on the right) providing on-field encouragement to trailblazing pitcher Dan Bankhead as he enters a MLB game for the first time.  It is dated to August 26, 1947.

As you may know, his debut did not go exactly as planned.  Bankhead would enter the game in relief of starter Hal Gregg -- who had been shelled for six runs in the one inning he pitched (after not getting an out in the second inning) against the Pirates at Ebbets Field.  So, Pittsburgh bats were hot, and looking to make it a laugher.  Unfortunately for Bankhead that's exactly what they did.  Over the next 3 1/3 innings Dan gave up eight earned runs on ten hits; including hitting batter Wally Westlake with a wicked curve -- an act that some thought might provoke a fight.  On the positive side, Dan Bankhead did hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning in his very first Major League at-bat.  Per Rory Costello at the SABR Biography Project:

After the game, Bankhead told pioneer black sportswriter Sam Lacy, “I think I’ll be okay as soon as this newness wears off. Today it seemed like I was wearing a new glove, new shoes, new hat, everything seemed tight.”

Below are more links to check:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 2013 the Dodgers signed free agent reliever Brian Wilson. 
• Happy Birthday, Tom Lovett, Ryan Theriot & Yasiel Puig!

2016 Panini Pantheon Baseball - The Dodgers Cards

Here is a look at many of the Dodgers cards found in packs of 2016 Panini Pantheon Baseball.  Go here for a complete checklist.  Unfortunately, Panini does not provide an accurate (in terns of card #'s) checklist to work with, so I've done my best to make a Dodgers checklist for collectors.  Keep in mind that most of the card #'s below are inaccurate.

This is a new brand for Panini's Baseball products.  It features a box that consist of eight packs with a single card inside, and you are guaranteed that the one card has either an autograph, relic, or both.  So, this is a set filled only with hits.  As in the past, there are no team or MLB logos since it is only licensed by the players union and not the league.

Base Guilds

500 Home Runs

#21 Gary Sheffield

Blog Kiosk: 12/6/2016 - Dodgers Links - Roberts on Puig, Kershaw, and Logo Creep

Clayton Kershaw made his way to the 2016 Winter Meetings in Maryland yesterday to help usher in a new era in on-field Baseball uniforms.  As you may know, it was announced that Under Armour will be the game’s official uniform outfitter starting in 2020 - taking over for Majestic.  To help introduce the brand to the Baseball public was Kershaw, along with Francisco Lindor on his right and Brian Dozier on his left.

One item of note that I thought worth mentioning (originally noted by Paul Lukas at UniWatch) is the inclusion of a brand makers-mark (logo) on the front upper-right chest area of the new uniforms - a first for the league.  In the past, the Majestic makers-mark was seen on the sleeve.  Now, it'll be front and center.  Slowly but surely logo adverts on uniforms will become the norm.  Ugh....

You should definitely take a look at Paul's post at UniWatch.  He shares some photoshopped pics that shows what the logo-creep will look like.  It's a little unsettling (as the Baseball purest I often am), but I imagine most folks won't think anything of it.

Photograph at the very top via David Vassegh on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1973 the Dodgers traded Claude Osteen to the Astros for Jim Wynn.  In 2006 the Dodgers signed free agent pitcher Jason Schmidt.  In 2007 signed free agent outfielder Andruw Jones.  Wow!  This is a bad day to sign free agents, eh?
• Happy Birthday, Tommy Brown & Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis!

$48 Million Rich'er - Hill Stays Blue

Here is the first major news to come the Dodgers way this winter.  As you likely know by now, the Dodgers have penned starting left-handed side-armer Rich Hill to a three year/$48 million contract.  Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com:

"I told myself I wouldn't do this," Hill said, composing himself after a long pause. "It's been an incredible journey, but I never felt like packing it all in. You fail, you learn. When you fail, you learn. I don't think you really know what failure is -- or I didn't know what failure was until I got older and understood that that was experience. Baseball teaches us to deal with things off the field that are far greater than what you deal with on the field."

Blog Kiosk: 12/5/2016 - Dodgers Links - Honeycutt, Seager and Rich Hill has been Re-Signed

Check out legendary Dodgers scout Mike Brito scamper through the Dodgers "Pop-Up Museum" at Dodger Stadium.  The museum highlights Dodger history through memorabilia/artifacts from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the collection of Gary Cypres and the Dodgers own archives.  Go here for more information. Go here to check out more pics by Jon SooHoo from the museum.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1933 Prohibition ended.  In 1973 the Dodgers traded trade outfielder Willie Davis to the Expos for relief pitcher Mike Marshall.  Dr. Marshall, as he is called now, went on to win the NL Cy Young Award that next season.  He pitched in 106 games, finished 83 of them and recorded a league high 21 saves as a reliever.
• Happy Birthday, Raleigh Aitchison, Billy Shindle & Ray Moss!