The Winter Is For Awards

Already, the 2009 post-season has been very fruitful one for the Blue Crew. So far, we've taken down a couple of Silver Sluggers, Gold Gloves and Minor League Player of the Years. On top of that, two of our outfielders finished in the top 10 in the recently announced NL MVP race. All of this adds credence to how great last season was.

Now, we are given the opportunity to add more trophies to the mantle. The 2009 "This Year In Baseball" Awards are up for voting by the fans and the Dodgers have 3 capable winners in their corner. Apparently, this is the 8th year of these awards. Frankly, I don't remember the past 7. Nevertheless, any time you can celebrate a great year with accolades and gifts during a cold winter the warmer we become.

So, here are your contestants.

• For Closer of the Year, vote for Jonathon Broxton. Go here to vote. We have some strong competition to deal with in this category. Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan and Jonathon Papelbon may block the big mans path.

• Executive of the Year, vote for Ned Colletti. Go here to vote. I don't really want to tell how to vote on this one. After all, everyone seems to have their own opinion on the work of our GM. Nevertheless, he's gotten us to the playoffs several times and has, seemingly, put together a good team of veterans while maintaining the youth parade. In other words, he has built a competitive team without mortgaging our future. For that, I give a big thumbs up. Of course, if Carlos Santana ends up being a superstar I may not be so kind.

• Manager of the Year, vote for Joe Torre. Go vote here.
  

I do have one other request. Check out the candidates for the "Oddity of the Year" awards and vote for Mr. T. "Don't be a fool!"

Legendary Pics: Dodgers Galore

Legendary Auctions appears to be the place to pick up some vintage early 20th Century Baseball photographs. They have original pics from Baseball photographic legends Paul Thompson and Charles Conlon, and examples from well regarded news institutions like UPI and the Detroit News. Fortunately, their impressive collection includes a ton of Dodgers. Go here to check out the entire auction offering. It's filled with the "Who's Who" of deadball era greats.

Below are a couple of nice photos of Baseball and Dodger legend Branch Rickey during his playing days with the Cardinals.

Auction Link: Branch Rickey:

Auction Link: Branch Rickey:

Here is a original Paul Thompson photograph of Hall of Famer and former Dodger Zach Wheat- from the days when the "Boys in Blue" wore pinstripes.

Auction Link: Zach Wheat:

Charles Conlon produced the Nap Rucker photo below. It has to be from 1916 since it was the only year Rucker was on the team when they wore checkered uniforms.

Auction Link: Nap Rucker:

From either 1916 or 1917, below is a Charles Conlon photograph of Chief Meyers. (Most likely from 1916, because of the little "B" on the chest.)

Auction Link: Chief Meyers:

Once again, I can never get enough of Babe Ruth in a Dodger uniform. I think I like this photo the best since it shows Ruth in the 1st base coaches box during a game. This is a UPI Press Photo.

Auction Link: Babe Ruth:

An Old Brooklyn Poem

I came across this poem while doing some brief research on an eBay item I posted about a few days ago. I came across a Jake Pitler photo that had me wondering who he was. I came to find out he was an old Brooklyn manager and was a bit of a father figure to young Dodger players on their way up. Better yet, he was even spoken about in prose in Marianne Moore's poem celebrating the 1955 Brooklyn Dodger World Series win. This is a poem I had never come across before, so I figured it would only be proper to share this with all of you. Apparently, it was very popular back in the day. From SI. BTW, here is a little known fact about Ms. Moore. She was a teacher at the Carlisle Indian School when Olympian Jim Thorpe was a student. Check out another poem of hers called "Baseball and Writing."

Hometown Piece for Messrs. Alston and Reese

"Millennium," yes; "pandemonium"!
Roy Campanella leaps high. Dodgerdom

crowned, had Johnny Podres on the mound.
Buzzie Bavasi and the Press gave ground;

the team slapped, mauled, and asked the Yankees' match,
"How did you feel when Sandy Amoros made the catch?"

"I said to myself"—pitcher for all innings—
"as I walked back to the mound I said, 'Everything's

getting better and better.' " (Zest, they've zest.
" 'Hope springs eternal in the Brooklyn breast.' "

And would the Dodger Band in 8, row 1, relax
if they saw the collector of income tax?

Ready with a tune if that should occur:
"Why Not Take All of Me—All of Me, Sir?")

Another series. Round-tripper Duke at bat,
"Four hundred feet from home-plate"; more like that.

A neat bunt, please; a cloud-breaker, a drive
like Jim Gilliam's great big one. Hope's alive.

Homered, flied out, fouled? Our "stylish stout"
so nimble Campanella will have him out.

A-squat in double-headers four hundred times a day,
he says that in a measure the pleasure is the pay:

catcher to pitcher, a nice easy throw
almost as if he'd just told it to go.

Willy Mays should be a Dodger. He should—
a lad for Roger Craig and Clem Labine to elude;

but you have an omen, pennant-winning Peewee,
on which we are looking superstitiously.

Ralph Branca has Preacher Roe's number; recall?
and there's Don Bessent; he can really fire the ball.

as for Gil Hodges, in custody of first—
"He'll do it by himself." Now a specialist versed

in an extension reach far into the box seats—
he lengthens up, he leans, and gloving the ball defeats

expectation by a whisker. The modest star,
irked by one misplay, is no hero by a hair;

in a strikeout slaughter when what could matter more,
he lines a homer to the signboard and has changed the score.

Then for his nineteenth season, a home run—
with four of six runs batted in—Carl Furillo's the big gun;

almost dehorned the foe—has fans dancing in delight.
Jake Pitler and his Playground "get a Night"—

Jake, that hearty man, made heartier by a harrier
who can bat as well as field—Don Demeter.

Shutting them out for nine innings—a hitter too—
Carl Erskine leaves Cimoli nothing to do.

Take off the goat-horns, Dodgers, that egret
which two very fine base-stealers can offset.

You've got plenty: Jackie Robinson
and Campy and big Newk, and Dodgerdom again
watching everything you do. You won last year.

Come on.

- © Marianne Moore, 1956

Blog Kiosk: 11/22/2008

• Chris at DodgerFan.net wonders if Ben Sheets is in our future.
  
• Here is another great vintage Baseball photo at Shorpy Blog. It features 3 Washington National players- Jacinto Calvo, Germany Schaefer and Merito Acosta.
• Sign the online petition started by the Slanch Report to get the MLB Network to show Doc Ellis's LSD induced no-hitter in 1970.
  
• Check out this great photographic video featuring the last game of the 2009 World Series. There are 12,000 photos in total; including a view of ice melting on dogs at Yankee Stadium. It's majestic. From the NY Times.
• This is probably the greatest autographed baseball I've ever seen. Check out Sports Lockers great post here about a 1980 World Series baseball signed by both Pete Rose and Bob Boone, and inscribed with notes about an important defensive play.
  
• Sports Collectors Daily does a nice writeup on the history of the vintage Sporting Life Baseball cards.

Legendary Auctions: Stuff From Chuck Connors

Before you knew him as The Rifleman he was a Brooklyn Dodger first baseman trying to stick with the big club. Heck, before that he was a forward for the Boston Celtics. Chuck Connors was a man who could do anything. He was athletically gifted and had a flare for acting. His hit show, The Rifleman, ran 1958 to 1963.

Legendary Auctions current offering includes various items bearing his name. Below is his 1948 Montreal Royals (the Dodger AAA Minor League club at the time) Governor's Cup Champions ring. It sold for $2,200.00.

Auction Link: Ring:

This is the neatest item of all. Below is a George Sosnak painted ball featuring Chuck Connors. Now you should know why Sosnak artworks are highly prized within the collector community. This ball is stunning. It sold for $4,000.00.

Auction Link: Chuck Conner Sosnak Ball:

eBay: Dodger Stuff

Here are some great Dodger items I found on eBay recently. Below is a UPI Press Photo of Preacher Roe being congratulated by his Dodger teammates after winning the 2nd game of the 1949 World Series against the Yankees.

eBay Auction: Roe Photo:

In my opinion, the best vintage photos you can get come directly from the fans. Below is a fan created photo of Brooklyn Dodger first base coach Jake Pitler. With the palm trees in the background I would be willing to bet that this is a Spring Training photo. He was a coach for the Brooklyn team from 1947 to 1957 (their last year in the borough). Later on he continued his employment with the Dodgers as a scout.

eBay Auction Link: Pitler Photo:

I have never played or even heard of this vintage Baseball card game. It is called Big League Manager and below is the team set for the 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers. I love the cartoon drawing of the old Brooklyn "Bum."

eBay Auction Link: 1957 Brooklyn Big League Manager Game:

Has anyone ever heard of the Pepsi Dodger Fan Club? Below is a patch celebrating this group in 1972.

eBay Auction Link: Patch: