Blog Kiosk: 1/30/2015 - Dodger Links - Kershaw Blanket, MLB 15 and Bye Bye Billingsley

Dodger alumni (Kenny Landreaux, Tim Leary, Dennis Powell and Derrel Thomas) visited the LAPD's Harbor Division Station in San Pedro.  The photo above is via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more photos from him of this event.

Below are some more links to check out:

• With the Super Bowl this weekend David Davis at the Classical shares a fantastic interview with legendary sports photographer Neil Leifer, here.
• Here's an early peek at the Dodgers fleece blanket being given away on April 29th, via @Dodgers on twitter, on the right.  It's a Clayton Kershaw themed blanket.
• Here's more news on signing Cuban players Via Neil at Chicago Cubs Online, "Yoan Moncada Update: MLB Sent Memo to Teams Outlining New Regulations."
• Are you a gamer?  Planning on getting MLB15 when it comes out?  Well, Steve Noah at Operation Sports provides the, "MLB15 The Show Fact Sheet."  In case you forgot, Yasiel Puig is this seasons cover boy.  Below are a couple of gameplay pics of Puig.  Click on any pic to embiggen.  BTW, the PlayStation.Blog also mentions a gameplay reveal is scheduled for February 5th, at 2:00 PST, on Twitch.

• Boo!  I really like Billingsley.  At the same time I realize that there just wasn't any room for him in LA.  Via Mark Polishuk at MLB Trade Rumors, "Phillies Sign Chad Billingsley."

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Blog Kiosk: 1/29/2015 - Dodger Links - Some Odds and Ends

Featured above, Kenny Landreaux, Justin Tuner and another volunteer visited the Long Beach Rescue Mission to serve and prepare meals as a part of the Dodgers' Community Caravan yesterday.  Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more photos from Jon from the event.

Below are some more links to check out:

• I had failed to note this down on my calendar until today, so I apologize in advance.  Three Kings players will be signing free autographs later today at the Staples Store in Long Beach from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  They are Anze Kopitar, Jake Muzzin and Martin Jones.  Go here for information.
• Via Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA, "Major League Scouting Bureau has Dodgers linage."
• With the TWC/Dodgers TV deal hanging in the balance, this story by Meg James at the LA Times is important; "Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger is no longer viewed as inevitable."  It has been widely speculated that if they do not merge then the TWC deal falls apart and forces SportsNetLA into bankruptcy.  I am uncertain as to how they chose to structure everything, but you shouldn't be too worried about the team if this is the outcome.
• Via JP Hoornstra at Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, "Dodgers’ Justin Turner aiming for a healthier 2015."

“I think the key to anything is obviously being on the field and staying healthy,” Turner said. “That was my emphasis this offseason, was to focus on that. Get stronger, get leaner, do some running stuff and prevent any breakdowns.”

JP also notes that thirdbase is where Turner is likely to play more:

“I haven’t talked to Donnie. I don’t know how he’s going to approach it, but I think they’d like to keep Uribe healthy throughout the year,” Turner said. “They might have built-in days off for him but I haven’t talked to Donnie or Wallie (bench coach Tim Wallach).”

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Dodgers FanFest this Weekend

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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FanFest, baby!

The event that officially kicks off the new season will be on Saturday, and I plan on being there as early as possible.  Unfortunately, I only received one autograph voucher (Howie Kendrick during Session 2), but I figure that just gives me more time to roam around an enjoy the sights.  This year FanFest will be held within Dodger Stadium, so we have the added bonus of spending the day in our second home.  Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider points to a very helpful guide to Saturday's festivities, here.  Below is the map.

(click to embiggen)

Go here for more information about FanFest.  All autograph vouchers are sold out, but VIP Experiences remain available online (they are pricey).  Go here to check that out.

BTW, parking is FREE and there is no admittance fee.  FanFest starts at 10:00 AM and closes at 4:00 PM.  I am unsure when the parking gates open.

Of course, I'll have plenty of photos to share in my upcoming report on the event, so stay tuned. 
If you have any photos that you'd like to share please pass them along.

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Blog Kiosk: 1/28/2015 - Dodger Links - About Yoan Moncada

The Dodgers continued their community caravan yesterday afternoon at Hollenbeck Middle School in Los Angeles.  Former Dodgers' Al Downing, Lee Lacy, Tim Leary and Dennis Powell visited with 100 students.  The photo above of the entire group is from Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Go here to check out more photos from him of the event.

Below are some more links to check out:

• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider tells us the "New uniform numbers for the 40-man roster."  Joc Pederson will wear a new number; #31.
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Robert Carson, Theo Alexander suspended 50 games for positive drug test."
• ICYMI:  Here's a great story by Jorge Arangure Jr. at Vice Sports about Yoan Moncada and, "The Weirdest Cuban Baseball Defector Story You'll Ever Read."

Hastings won't talk about what role Nicole Banks—a California based agent with previous experience representing Cubans—played in Moncada's travels.

Banks is rumored to be romantically involved with Moncada and to have possibly had his child in September. In early October, a baby registry existed on the website thebump.com that listed Banks' and Moncada's names with a due date of September 2014. That registry has since been changed to show only Banks' name and a September 2015 due date.

• Just more Yoan Moncada news.  Via Ben Badler at Baseball America, "MLB, Not OFAC, Is Why Yoan Moncada Can’t Sign."

The holdup is that MLB won’t let Moncada—or any Cuban player, for that matter—use the general license any more. That wasn’t always the case. Yasiel Puig, for example, signed using the general license. It’s not clear what exactly changed, but at some point in 2012 after Puig signed in June that year, MLB no longer allowed Cuban players to sign using the general license and instead required them to apply for the specific license, which is a written document from OFAC. That goes beyond what the government requires from Cuban players to be able to begin their careers, and with some players waiting six months to receive their licenses, MLB’s policy has added a significant bottleneck for those players.

On the other hand, Jeff Passan at Yahoo writes that the Treasury Department has just announced they will no longer be issuing specific licenses referenced above, so Moncada may be able to sign a contract sooner rather than later.

MLB was drafting a letter to OFAC on Tuesday asking for a meeting in the near future to clarify the new regulations and potentially change league policy, which requires a specific unblocking license. Should a meeting take place soon, one league official estimated Moncada could be free to negotiate with teams within two weeks.

“If OFAC confirms that the process for unblocking Cuban players is no longer to apply for a specific license,” the official said, “MLB will conform to the law.”

• Topps is selling exclusively through their website a Sy Berger 1951 Tribute Collection of cards featuring the 1951 Red/Blue Back set design, and several Dodgers are included.  See them above.  Available are 10" X 14" sized prints of Kershaw, Puig and Jackie Robinson, as well as, postcard-sized cards sold in complete set form.  Go here to check them out at Topps.

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An unusual 1981 WS Dodger Ring and Game Jerseys from Koufax and Campanella at Heritage Auctions

Heritage is running their February 2015 auction right now and it includes several vintage Dodger uniforms and a rather unusual 1981 World Series Championship ring.  Check them out below.

As I indicated above, there is a 1981 Dodgers World Series Championship ring for sale that strikes me as very strange.  It has all the hallmarks of being real; including the original box it came in, but has a name emblazoned on it that I found surprising. 

The ring was given to scarcely used Dodger utility infielder Pepe Frias, and if you recall your history he was released by the Dodgers before the end of the 1981 season.  So, he didn't end the year as a Dodger and never played a playoff game in Blue.  Still, remembering that he stuck with the club until late August, the Dodger awarded him with a championship ring nevertheless.  You can see that ring below.

As noted by the auctioneer:

It would appear that Frias had mixed feelings about the honor, as the ring exhibits no signs of wear whatsoever, and remains housed in its original velvet lined case and cardboard outer box, 100% unchanged from its status upon receipt.

(Auction Link)

This is a rarity.  Featured below is a 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers game-used jersey worn by the great Sandy Koufax, and it is the only one of its kind.  In fact, there are only two Koufax Brooklyn jersey's known to exist.  I suspect the below gamer will sell upwards of a quarter of a million dollars (and may approach half a million dollars).

(Auction Link)

Below is a 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers game used jersey of Roy Campanella. 

(Auction Link)

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Blog Kiosk: 1/27/2015 - Dodger Links - Kemp, AGon and Yoan Moncada

The Dodgers began their 12th Annual Community Caravan yesterday afternoon by visiting students at Garfield High School in East LA.  Adrian Gonzalez, Eric Karros, Tim Leary, Dennis Powell and Derrel Thomas hosted a baseball skills clinic with the junior varsity and varsity baseball and softball players.  This was one of several planned events throughout Los Angeles this week.  Today, several former Dodgers will be visiting Hollenbeck Middle School in Los Angeles and the After-School All-Stars at Cesar Chavez Elementary in Bell Gardens.

In the photo above, via Jon SooHoo of the Dodgers, Eric Karros demonstrates batting techniques with the kids.  Go here to check out more photos of the event from Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.

Below are some more links to check out:

• Watch Matt Kemp's first in-depth interview since becoming a Padre with Larry King Live, here.
• Via Alden Gonzalez at MLB.com, "A-Gon puts faith in Dodgers' new-look lineup."

"People say we lost power, but I think we're just getting power in different areas in our lineup," Gonzalez said Monday afternoon. "We've maintained that. It's just not going to be one hitter; it's going to be six or seven."

• Harold Uhlman at Think Blue LA writes a fantastic piece on longtime minor leaguer and Baseball professional Daniel Mayora.

Mayora is more than an aspiring major league baseball player. He has devoted his life to pursuing his career. He may have simply settled for playing the game he loves as long as he can but I doubt he has settled. He still has his dream and he plays everyday in hot pursuit of it.

• This is interesting, via a tweet from Jeff Passan:

Sources: Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada worked out for the Dodgers this morning. They remain a significant threat because of deep pockets.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 26, 2015

Moncada is a 19-year old infielder who is regarded as the best prospect to leave Cuba since Soler.  We should all celebrate wildly if the Dodgers end up signing him. 

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