Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Puig Earns NL Player of Month Honors on his Dodger Birthday


I think the lyrics below found in the Grateful Dead song 'Truckin'" are spot-on when thinking about Yasiel Puig: 
Sometimes, the light's all shinin' on me;
Other times, I can barely see.
Lately, it occurs to me 
What a long, strange trip it's been.

The last 12 months have certainly been a long, strange trip for Puig.  He exploded on the scene exactly 12 months ago today and immediately captivated the Dodger faithful and Baseball fans alike with his heroics at the plate and in the field.  Then, the criticism came fast and furious.  Suddenly, he became a symbol for everything that is wrong with the game.

All the while, Puig just continues to chug along.

On the day that marks his 1-year anniversary as a Dodger, Yasiel Puig has been named the winner of the NL Player of the Month Award for May 2014. This is the second time he has won the award.

Per a Dodger press release:
In 28 May contests, Puig led the Majors with a .398 batting average (43-for-108) and a .492 on-base percentage. His 43 hits paced the N.L. and set a new Los Angeles record for hits in the month of May. The 23-year-old also led the Senior Circuit in RBI (25), slugging percentage (.731), extra-base hits (19) and total bases (79). His eight homers tied Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the league lead while his 20 runs scored were tied for fourth. Puig reached base safely in each of his games played during the month and collected hits in 26 of the 28 contests. The Cuban slugger belted 10 doubles during the month and swiped four bases... The young star etched his name in the Dodger record books yet again after posting eight consecutive games from May 9-17 with at least one extra-base hit and one RBI. The streak eclipsed Pedro Guerrero's previous club record of seven such outings (July 31-August 9, 1985).
Congrats, Yasiel!

In honor of his newest on-field accomplishment, the Dodgers put together a compilation video of his top moments from the past 12 months.  Check it out below.

Video Link:

Graphic above via Dodgers tumblr page:

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Tuesday Night Game Info - Hello Kitty Bobblehead Night

Tonight is the 2nd game of the Dodgers homestand against the Chicago White Sox.  Below are some odds and ends for tonight's game.  Unfortunately, a former Dodger player is not scheduled to sign at the stadium.

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Tuesday, June 3rd at 7:10 PM
RHP Hector Noesi vs. RHP Dan Haren

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.

It is Hello Kitty Mini Bobblehead night.  The first 50,000 fans in attendance receives one.  Hello Kitty will be in the left-field pavilion plaza to meet fans from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  The national anthem will be performed by Rozzi Crane, Hello Kitty will throw the ceremonial first pitch and George Lopez will serve as guest PA announcer.
  • The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Army Sergeant Raymond Muckelroy of Bloomington, CA. Muckelroy enlisted in 2007 and serves with the 558th Military Police Company, 728th MP Battalion, 8th MP Brigade based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  In his role as a Military Police Officer, he serves as a team leader supervising fellow officers and provides law enforcement. Muckelroy has served deployments overseas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His accolades include the Global War on Terrorism Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Star Device and two Army Commendation Medals. 

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By at Tuesday, June 03, 2014 1 comments
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A Corey Seager Autographed Card for the Collection


This Dodger infield prospect is on an absolute tear. He is batting an impressive .342 with 8 home runs, 21 doubles and 37 RBI's in 49 games.  His OPS is hovering at an all-star level of .979.  Even more telling is that he has been consistently good against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers.  Against righties he is slashing .344/.398/.545, and against southpaws he is .333/.385/.708.  Wow!

If Corey Seager can continue to develop like this, then I figure he'll be spending just a little more time in the minors before getting a chance to show his stuff on the big stage.  Maybe he moves up to Double-AA later in the season, then gets a cup of coffee in 2015 as a 21-year old.

His progress has to make the folks in the Dodger front office giddy.  In fact, I know I'm happy as a clam.  So happy in fact, I figured it was about time to pick up a Seager autographed card for my collection before they starting shooting up in value.  Unfortunately, I might be a little too late.  His 2012 Bowman Chrome rookie cards are regularly trading at about $30 to $40 a piece.

So, instead of splurging big on that card I decided to pick up a 2013 Bowman Inception autographed card instead.  Check it out above and below.

As you can see, it came to me in the original card saver direct from Topps. I have yet to decide if I'll crack it out of that packaging.

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By at Tuesday, June 03, 2014 1 comments
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Blog Kiosk: 6/3/2014 - Dodger Links - Kemp, Withrow to have Surgery and Jobu


What a great photo of Clayton Kershaw in the midst of pitching a gem of a game last night, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014.  It's only the top of the 5th inning in the photo and Clayton has made just one mistake on the mound.  Unfortunately, that miscue resulted in a 2-run home run by Cuban rookie Jose Abreu.  No worries though, the Dodgers would come back for 5 big runs in their half of the 6th inning to secure a lead.
The warning cited a number of Dodgers pitchers for their violations of baseball’s “pace of game” regulations. A number of relievers were cited for taking too long to get from the bullpen to the mound when entering the game. Continued violations could result in $5,000 fines though none of the players have been fined to date.
"We're going to take it like a normal day in the past," Abreu said. "It's good to play against friends. (Puig) is a friend of mine. There's another guy there that is an infielder, Erisbel Arruebarrena, who played on the same team in Cuba. I'm looking forward to really saying hello to them."
I have no idea if Kemp will ever regain superstar status and perform to 2011 levels. Maybe not, but it's called a "career year" for a reason. It happens once. Kemp is still the "Bison," he's still a true Dodger, and he really has run into a wall for the organization. He doesn't need artificial ones placed in front of him by his manager. He's earned the benefit of the doubt.

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Monday, June 02, 2014

WooHoo! Kings Advance to the Finals! Go Kings Go!


Holy mackerel!  I was on the verge of a heart attack last night.  For the last 30 minutes of play I could feel my heart beating through my chest.  My mind was numb and my body stiff from all of the stress last night's Game 7 provided.

In the end, it took a seemingly harmless shot from the blueline in overtime to end the series.  It had been slightly tipped by a Kings rookie, then deflected through the armpits of a 'Hawks defenseman.  The puck floated endlessly like a waffle thrown across a table to a hungry patron.  Instead of landing on a plate for the goalie to block, it glided over his head to end the game.  Wow!

In all of my 30 years as a Kings fan - a hockey fan - I have never seen a more exciting playoff series.  It was back-and-forth all series long as two evenly matched clubs fought it out like two rams locking horns for supremacy on the mountain.  Both teams rarely gave an inch, and it was plain to see that they gave it their all on the ice.  Chicago gave us fits throughout, and I have no doubt we did the same to them. 

Even several hours after last night's win, I can't rightfully express how much I love this Kings team.  They are fighters... and battlers... they don't give up... and they play with the kind of grit rarely seen in any sport.

When I first became a season ticket holder 10 years ago, during those bad years, I could never really imagine this club being where it is today.  It just didn't seem possible.  Now, we are on the verge of a 2nd Stanley Cup Final berth in three years, a potential 2nd Cup in that timeframe and a possible hockey dynasty that could last for several years more (considering that much of the foundation is signed up on a long term basis).

Thank you, Kings!  I do believe!

Below are some twitter pics celebrating last nights win; including some photos featuring Kings fans welcoming home our boys at LAX in the early morning.


Don't touch that trophy, Brownie!


Bailey welcome's home an old friend.


The crowd is lining up to welcome the Kings home.




BTW, they just painted the ice at the Staples Center.  Don't that look grand?


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By at Monday, June 02, 2014 2 comments
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Monday Night Game Info - White Sox in Town

The next homestand starts this evening with the Chicago White Sox.  Below are some odds and ends for tonight's game.  Unfortunately, a former Dodger player is not scheduled to sign at the stadium.

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Monday, June 2nd at 7:10 PM
LHP Jose Quintana vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.

For this homestand the Dodgers have created a special Chicago Dog.  It's an all-beef hot dog served with a tomato wedge, pickle spear, sport pepper, relish, diced yellow onions, spicy mustard and celery salt.  It is available through Wednesday at extreme loaded dog concession stands on the Field, Loge and Reserve levels. 
(A Dodger Chicago Dog, pic via BrianKushida of Let's Eat on twitter)

The national anthem will be performed by Colette Lush, a 17-year-old senior at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita.  Olympic Gold Medalist and AVP star Phil Dalhausser will throw the ceremonial first pitch. Dalhausser teamed with Todd Rogers to win the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal in Beach Volleyball.
  • The Veteran of the Game is U.S. Army Captain Jose Macedo of Moreno Valley. Macedo enlisted in 2000 and serves with Delta Troop Forward Support Company based at Fort Bliss, Texas. He is responsible for leading, planning, directing and coordinating logistics services that support units in garrison and combat operations. Macedo has completed two combat tours to Iraq and will be leaving soon to serve at Camp Carroll, Korea. Macedo’s accolades include four Army Commendation Medals, a Combat Action Badge and the Samuel Sharpe Award. 

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By at Monday, June 02, 2014 1 comments
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