Vintage Newsletter - "Line Drives from the Dodgers" - December 1943

Here is another edition of the Brooklyn Dodgers official fan newsletter.  This time we look at the December 1943 issue.  As you will notice, the club changed its name from "Dodger Doings" to "Line Drives from the Dodgers."  Go here to check out past issues of this newsletter I have shared.  Click on any pic to embiggen.  Furthermore, I'd like to extend thanks to fellow Dodger collector Doug for passing this newsletter along.

This edition was sent out to fans during the winter before the start of the 1944 Baseball season.  It briefly introduces a new face to the club, Gil English, and strangely mentions veteran infielder Arky Vaughan as a "new" veteran.  I say strange because he was not a new Dodger.  In fact, he had put up solid numbers in 1942 and 1943 for Brooklyn.  So, what did they mean?

As I understand it, Vaughan and Dodgers skipper Leo Durocher had butted heads during the prior year, and it appears that Leo was hoping the upcoming 1944 campaign would mend any wounds.  As Dodger fans came to find out, though, that was far from the case.  Arky Vaughan, a future Hall of Famer, decided that he would rather retire than play for Durocher.  At the age of 32 Arky would sit out the next three seasons.  Per Ralph Moses at the SABR Bio Project:

2016 Topps Allen & Ginter - The Dodgers Insert Cards

Now that you've seen the Dodgers base cards found in packs of 2016 Allen & Ginter check out some of the various inserts that are available.  Featured below are the Baseball Legends, The Numbers Game and the jumbo sized boxloader card of Clayton Kershaw.  Go here to check out all of my past post on this set.

Baseball Legends

#BL-4 Jackie Robinson                        #BL-6 Duke Snider

Blog Kiosk: 7/26/2016 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

As a departure from the mundane, Bobby Morgan is seen in the vintage press photo (via an eBay listing) above aiming at his target during spring training, 1950.  Per the descriptor on the reverse:

Bobby Morgan, Brooklyn Dodgers rookie infielder from Oklahoma City, Okla., sets his sights on a bat during training at the Dodgers Vero Beach, Fla., spring training camp. March 5.  Morgan was voted the Most Valuable Player in the International League last year while playing with Montreal.  He compiled a batting average last year of .337. 

Bobby did make the club as the teams starting third baseman in 1950, but didn't enjoy the same success he had with the Royals.  He batted just .226 on the year.  Thereafter, he became primarily an utility guy on the diamond for the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodger History:  In 1951 Dodgers outfielder Jim Russell becomes the first player in Major League history to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a single game for the second time in a career.  In 1990 Mike Sharperson became the first player in LA Dodgers history to start at every infield position during a season.
• Happy Birthday, Hoyt Wilhelm!

Rays Series Starts on Tuesday - Stadium Giveaways, Pregame Info and Other Stuff!

The next homestand starts on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.   Below are some odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.

The Cuban Dog will be available for this homestand only against the Rays at the Extreme Loaded Dog concession areas located on the field, loge and reserve levels. It features a quarter-pound, all-beef hot dog topped with smoked ham, pulled roasted pork, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and pickle chips.  Also, a new menu item was also added, the Fielder’s Choice, a fried dough baseball glove coated with cinnamon sugar topped with Spumoni ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, raspberry sauce and whipped cream. It is available at Tommy Lasorda’s Trattoria located in the right-field plaza.

The eighth 2016 issue of the new Dodger Insider magazine, featuring Adrian Gonzalez on the cover, will be available at Dodger Stadium.  (see it on the left).  The Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication (at least 80 pages per issue) with a new edition available each homestand.  They are distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation.  

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Tuesday, June 26th at 7:10 PM
RHP Chris Archer vs. RHP Bud Norris
SNLA / AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Mike Piazza's Minor League Rookie Card

Now that it's the day after Mike Piazza's Hall of Fame Induction I thought I would share a pic of Mike Piazza's true rookie card.  Featured is a 1989 Salem Dodgers Piazza card from my collection.  This is his first professional Baseball card.

As you surely know, Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers in 1988, and played his first season of professional ball with the short-season low Class-A Salem Dodgers in 1989.  That year he slashed .268/.318/.444/.762 and hit just eight home runs.  So, he was still far from being the power hitting catcher we all know today.  In fact, would be a couple years before his power-stroke came shining through. 

BTW, his only teammate with the Salem Dodgers to also make the "Bigs" was fellow catcher Hector Ortiz.  He eventually caught a few games for the Royals and Rangers in the early 00's.  Also, hiding somewhere in my collection is the complete team set, but I cannot recall where I put it.  As soon as I find it I'll put up scans of the entire set.  Although Piazza is the biggest name in the card set, it also includes former Major Leaguer Burt Hooton as a coach and former 1988 Dodgers first round pick Bill Bene.

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2016 Topps Allen & Ginter - All the Dodgers Base Cards

One of the hobbies favorite Baseball card sets is now officially out.  It is the Allen & Ginter brand, and below are pics of all the Dodgers' base and examples of the various parallel cards that are available.  Go here for a complete checklist.

First, though, I thought I would start with the Julio Urias card that has been the talk of the hobby.  As you know, Urias joined the Dodgers rotation for a brief spurt during the first half of the season and showed that he has the tools needed to succeed on the Major League level.  Considering this and the high-ceiling many prognosticators see in him, it is not surprising that Topps would want to include him in the Allen & Ginter brand.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that his promotion to LA provided enough lead-time to include him in the base set.  So, Topps decided to just throw him in the set anyway by giving him a card number belonging to another Dodger rookie (#120 Kenta Maeda) and release the card as some sort of short-print.  You can see this card directly below.  Please note that the Allen & Ginter logo on the front is actually printed in white, and cannot be seen very well in scans.  Also, there is no number on the reverse.

 #120 Julio Urias

Furthermore, a Urias card can be purchased directly from Topps that does look like a finished product (as you can see directly below).  It is available only as a 10" x 14" poster print and limited to only 99 copies.  Go here to check that out.