Go Lakers!

I bleed Dodger blue in one arm and Laker purple in the other. Tonight, Kobe and the boys are in Oklahoma City taking on the Thunder in game 6 of their first round playoff series.

The first quarter just ended. Lakers down 27-26. I'd love to see more of what I saw in Game 5.

I'm gonna do a lot of channel flipping tonight.

Go Lakers!

Travelzoo Ticket Special

TRAVELZOO SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER!


Purchase any full price ticket for the Tuesday, May 4th Fleece Blanket Night @ 7:10 PM vs. the Milwaukee Brewers using the promo code "TZOO4" and receive a FREE Field Box ticket, a $50 value, for the Monday, June 7th game @ 7:10 PM vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

The free ticket for the June 7th game will be received by customers in the mail at a later date. This offer is subject to availability, for a limited time only, and cannot be combined with any other offers.

Right now, I wouldn't recommend putting any more money into Frank McCourt's pockets, but this this sounds like a pretty good deal. Click here to order tickets.

Hat Tip to Hotkohls for the link.

Your Last Place Dodgers

Current NL West Standings.




San Diego 14-8
San Francisco 12-9
Arizona 11-11
Colorado 11-11
LA Dodgers 8-14


Sad.

Carlos Monasterios To Start Saturday

Carlos Monasterios will be making his first career start Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, tweets DodgertownUSA.

Coming out of the bullpen, Monasterios has been invovled in 7 games. He's pitched 10.2 innings and has an era of 1.69.

Joe Torre had other options. Hiroki Kuroda is scheduled to pitch Sunday. Joe Torre said he wouldn't move Kuroda to Saturday because that would only give him three days rest, after starting Tuesday. Charlie Haeger was another option, but he pitched Tuesday as well, and that would mean only three days rest for the knuckleballer.

Carlos Monasterios has really only been in non-pressure situations so far this year. Like John Ely earlier this week, Monasterios will be thrown into the fire. It's time to see what this kid's got.

Around The Dodger Blogosphere: The Ned Colletti/Matt Kemp Situation

This whole Ned Colletti/Matt Kemp situation has got the Dodger Blogosphere talking. I've read some great stuff today. Here's what some bloggers had to say:

When in doubt, blame the players. Chad at Memories of Kevin Malone gives us a Ned Colletti Fault Flow Chart.

Why the Dodgers Are In Last Place. Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness gives 38 reasons why the Dodgers are in last place. Matt Kemp's defense and subpar baserunning are the last things on his list.

Roberto at Vin Scully Is My Homeboy gives his opinion on this situation.

and finally, The Left Field Pavilion shows us what Ned's done.

Winning Cures All

Yes, the Dodgers are a mess right now. There are problems with the offense, defense, and pitching. To blame one person for this mess would be stupid. Yesterday, Ned Colletti made some comments to Peter Tilden on 790 KABC about Matt Kemp. He said Kemp's defense and baserunning were below average and wondered aloud whether Kemp might be too comfortable now that he has a new two-year, $10.95 million contract.

Ned Colletti:

"I told him I didn't single him out, the same thing I told [the media] earlier. We had a five-minute conversation."

Asked if it was a two-way conversation, Colletti said it was. Asked if everything was fine between him and Kemp, Colletti simply said, "It's fine with me."

He's not singling Kemp out? Huh?

Obviously, Ned's got a problem with the way Kemp has been playing. And maybe Ned's right. But that's not the way you go about things when you are the General Manager of a professional baseball team.

Kemp's agent, Dave Stewart said it best:

"What I would suggest for Ned Colletti to do is look at himself in the mirror. No player has called out Colletti for wasting tens of millions of dollars on Jason Schmidt or Andruw Jones, and that players deserved the same level of courtesy from their general manager."

"You have to look at the fact that Matt is a 25-year-old player. He's been very successful, but you cannot forget the fact that he's still learning to play the game. He's only played center field for two years. He's done everything the organization has asked him to do."

Stewart is right. Ned's made plenty of mistakes as GM.

Ned Colletti put this team together. He needs to take responsibility for the problems the Dodgers are having.

The Dodgers are finally coming home after a 2 and 7 road trip. Stringing some wins together at home is exactly what this team needs. In the end winning cures all.

John Ely To Start Wednesday?

The Dodgers, in need of a starting pitcher Wednesday to replace Vicente Padilla, may use John Ely. Although there has been no confirmation yet, Ely's name was taken off the list of probable pitchers for AAA Albuquerque and showed up in the Dodgers clubhouse Tuesday.

If he does start tomorrow, it will be Ely's major-league debut. Ely has appeared in three games for the Albuquerque Isotopes and is 2-1 with an era of 3.00.

Ely along with Jon Link came in a trade that sent Juan Pierre to the Chicago White Sox. Link is currently up with the Dodgers as well, working out of the bullpen.

Some other names that have been brought up to start have been Josh Towers(AAA Albuquerque) Jesus Castillo (1.56 ERA in three starts at AA Chattanooga), Scott Elbert and Josh Lindblom.

I think this is the best option for now. Ely's got some good stuff. Let's see what he can do at the major-league level.

Joe and Yogi

It's like deja-vu, all over again.


Picture courtesy of DodgertownUSA

Mickey Mouse Statuettes

Major League Baseball Properties and Disney Consumer Products unveiled 36 designs of MLB-themed Mickey Mouse collectible statuettes and related apparel and merchandise in celebration of the 2010 MLB All-Star Week festivities taking place July 9-13 in Anaheim.


The statuettes, available now at the MLB.com Shop, are replicas of 7 1/2-foot tall statues that will be placed at key Southern California landmarks leading up to the 81st All-Star Game on July 13. Mickey Mouse, who is five years older than the Midsummer Classic, will have a natural star attraction due to the presence of Disneyland in the immediate vicinity of Angel Stadium.

MLB president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy:

"With the All-Star Game returning to Anaheim, now is the perfect time for these two iconic American brands to team up and celebrate the premier sporting event of the summer. These Mickey Mouse statuettes will allow fans of all 30 clubs to share in the excitement of All-Star Summer even if they can't make it to Anaheim for the festivities."

Here's the Dodgers version:





This is a pretty nice looking statue. I have a 9" Brooklyn Dodgers Statue of Liberty from the 2008 All-Star Game in New York, which looks just as nice. I think I'll pick up a Mickey Mouse for the collection too.

Bobblehead Of The Day: Joe Torre

The Dodgers are on their way to New York, Joe Torre's hometown. The city where he won his four World Series rings. So I thought we'd take a look at Joe Torre's 2008 Dodger Stadium Exclusive Bobblehead.

On Friday, April 25, 2008, the Dodgers gave away Joe Torre Bobbleheads to the first 50,000 fans in attendance. Made by P Squared Promotions, this bobble was the first of 4 given away by the Dodgers that season. The other three were Takashi Saito, Brad Penny and Joe Beimel. It's funny, all three of them play somewhere else now. The Dodgers played the Colorado Rockies that night, and won 8-7 in 13 innings. Chan Ho Park was the winning pitcher, Taylor Buchholz took the loss.



One side of the box gives Torre's managerial record from 1996 to 2007. The other side gives some facts about Joe. It's a decent looking bobblehead in a weak crop of four that were given out during a special year for the Dodgers, their 50th season in Los Angeles.

Wild Bison

Another great pic from DodgertownUSA:

Bizarro World

Is it just me, or do a few things seem a bit strange?

The San Diego Padres won their eighth game in a row today, and are currently in first place in the NL West.

Barry Zito struck out ten St.Louis Cardinals in eight innings today. Zito got the win and moved to 3-0 on the season.

Hundreds of Giants fans chanted "Barry! Barry!" in the eighth after Zito struck out the first two batters of the inning — a far cry from the boos the $126 million left-hander has often heard during his struggles since joining the Giants before the 2007 season.

Friday night Andruw Jones hit two homeruns, including a walk-off dinger, to give the White Sox a 7-6 win over the Mariners. Those were Jones' fifth and sixth homeruns on the season. He only hit 3 as a Dodger. I hate this guy.



Hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

Goin' Back To Cali

After being placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday in order to let his strained right calf heal, Manny Ramirez will return to Los Angeles to recieve treatment for the injury.

Joe Torre:

"I didn't think there was any reason, and Ned [Colletti] felt the same way, to just carry him around, especially going to New York. It'll be a bit of a circus."

This is only Manny's third trip to the DL in his 17-year career.

An Interview With Andre Ethier

Steve Greenberg of Sporting News sat down with Dodgers Outfielder Andre Ethier. They discuss walk off hits, Manny Ramirez, the Lakers and more. You can read the interview here.

First Look: Jonathan Broxton Bobblehead

On Tuesday, June 8th, the Dodgers will be giving away Jonathan Broxton Bobbleheads. Presented by Kaiser Permanente, the bobblehead will be given away to the first 50,000 fans in attendance.

The bobble looks pretty cool. Jonathan is leaning over looking for a sign. He's even got the goatee and sideburns.

From DodgertownUSA:

Some Wednesday Night Baseball Links

Here are some baseball links for this Wednesday evening:

Playstation 3 to stream MLB games live. The Sony Corporation will announce Thursday that it has signed a deal to bring Major League Baseball’s live streaming service to PlayStation3 video game consoles. PlayStation 3 owners will be able to sign up with MLB.TV to watch out-of-market baseball games transmitted over the Internet.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports thinks that MLB should eliminate it's current divisional allignment, and go with two leagues only, American and National. Unalignment. Get rid of divisions. Get rid of unbalanced schedules. Get rid of inequality. He makes some interesting points.

Sporting News gives us a list MLB's 2011 All-free-agent team. Manny Ramirez, Carl Crawford and Victor Martinez are just a few of of 2011's top free agents.

Maury Brown over at The Biz Of Baseball gives us 2010's Opening Day payrolls. As usual, the New York Yankees lead the way with a a $206,333,389 payroll.

2010 All-Star Voting Underway

The 2010 MLB All-Star ballots are out. You can vote here, or by clicking on the All Star logo in the side bar.You may vote a maximum of 25 times. Voting ends at 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, July 1, 2010.The 81st All-Star Game will be held July 13, 2010 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Should Jon Link Go Back To Albuquerque?

Jon Link, who was brought up from Albuquerque Sunday when Russ Ortiz was designated for assignment, had a nice outing today. He pitched two solid, shut-out innings.

Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times asks, "Was Link the wrong Dodgers reliever to send down?" It's a good question. I agree with what Dilbeck says:

"After Tuesday’s frustrating 11-9 loss to the Reds, the Dodgers sent Link back to Albuquerque as a prelude to activating Ronald Belisario. I would have preferred they kept Link around and designated Ramon Ortiz for assignment."

Ramon Ortiz pitched two more innings today, giving up 2 runs, bringing his ERA to a hefty 8.00.

Ramon Ortiz should have been designated for assignment, and Link should have been kept up just until Ronald Belisario came back.

The bullpen will get help from Belisario and Kuo soon. How much longer do the Dodgers stick with Ramon Ortiz?

Hopefully, not much longer.

Chick Hearn Immortilized Forever In Bronze

The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a bronze statue of their late play-by-play announcer Chick Hearn today before Game 2 of their playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 5000 pound, 16 foot tall statue went on display today outside of Staples Center. It joins other statues of Wayne Gretzky, Magic Johnson and Oscar De La Hoya.

Chick's wife, Marge, was there for the unveiling today. Former Lakers Byron Scott, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were there as well as General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

This is something that was long overdue. Chick Hearn may be one of the greatest sports broadcasters of all time. He made watching games a pleasure. Laker fans miss you Chicky Baby.

Notable 2010 (A+) Giveaways and Promotions

We've taken a look at some notable promos and giveaways from AAA, AA, and Single A minor league teams. John Anderson of the Minneapolis Baseball Card Examiner gives us his list of notable A+ minor league promos and giveaways.


Here's the list:

California

BAKERSFIELD BLAZE

HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS

Saturday, May 29 – Team Card Set (1000 Fans: All) *Johermyn Chavez
Saturday, June 26 – Jamie McOwen Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS

Saturday, June 5 – Andre Either Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, June 13 – Manny Ramirez Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, July 24 – James Loney Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, July 31 – Manny Ramirez BP Jersey (1,000 Fans: Kids)

LAKE ELSINORE STORM

Sunday, June 27 – Team Autographed Photo (1,500 Fans: All)
Saturday, July 17 – Team Card Set (1,500 Fans: All) *Allen Dykstra

LANCASTER JETHAWKS

• 13 Bobblehead days, most are TBA

MODESTO NUTS

RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES

Friday, August 13 – Torii Hunter Bobblehead (1,500 Fans: All)

SAN JOSE GIANTS

STOCKTON PORTS

Saturday, May 1 – Andrew Bailey Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, July 30 – Team Card Set (1,000 Fans: All) *Grant Green & Kala Ka’aihue
Saturday, August 7 – Grant Desme Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

VISALIA RAWHIDE

Delaware

WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS

Thursday, June 24 – Zack Greinke Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

Florida

BRADENTON MARAUDERS

BREVARD COUNTY MANATEES

CLEARWATER THRESHERS

DAYTONA CUBS

Saturday, May 8 – Autograph Session
Friday, June 4 – Cubby Bobblehead
Friday, July 16 – Vince Carter Figurine

DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS

FORT MYERS MIRACLE

Thursday, May 20 – Team Card Set *Kyle Gibson & Bobby Lanigan
Thursday, June 24 – Autograph Session

JUPITER HAMMERHEADS

Saturday, July 17 – Team Card Set *Brad Hand & Isaac Galloway

LAKELAND FLYING TIGERS

PALM BEACH CARDINALS

ST. LUCIE METS

Friday, May 14 – Jeff Francoeur Bobblehead (500 Fans: All)
Friday, June 25 – Replica Jersey (500 Fans: Kids)

TAMPA YANKEES

Monday, July 28 – Team Card Set (250 Fans: All) *Andrew Brackman & Bradley Suttle
Monday, July 12 – Team Card Set (250 Fans: All) *Andrew Brackman & Bradley Suttle

Maryland

FREDERICK KEYS

Saturday, July 10 – Team Card Set *LJ Hoes, Billy Rowell & Xavier Avery
Tuesday, July 27 – Bryan Voltaggio Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

POTOMAC NATIONALS

Saturday, July 17 – TBA Bobblehead
Friday, August 20 – Drew Storen Bobblehead

North Carolina

CHARLOTTE STONE CRABS

KINSTON INDIANS

Saturday, May 15 – Team Card Set (1,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, July 24 – Lonnie Chisenhall Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

WINSTON-SALEM DASH

South Carolina

MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS

Sunday, April 11 – Bat (1,000 Fans: 12 & under)

Virginia

LYNCHBURGH HILLCATS

Friday, May 14 – Pedro Alvarez Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Friday, August 13 – Phill Vassar Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

SALEM RED SOX

Saturday, July 17 – Daisuke Matsuzaka Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

Bobblehead Of The Day: Eric Gagne (2004 Cy Young)

Former Dodgers closer Eric Gagne retired today after 10 years in the majors. Gagne will go down as the greatest closer in Dodger history. Gagne won the National League Cy Young Award as the Dodger's closer in 2003, a season in which he converted all 55 of his save opportunities as part of a three-year stretch in which he successfully converted a record 84 consecutive save chances.

When Gagne came in to close a game, the Guns n Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle" was played as he came out of the bullpen. The phrase "Game Over" was used whenever he came in as well. The Dodgers marketed "Game Over" and Gagne's image like crazy.


Of course his name was mentioned in the Mitchell Report, which claimed he used performance enhancing drugs. Gagne tried to make a comeback earlier this year as a non-roster invitee to spring training with the Dodgers.

Click here to purchase

On April 30th, 2004, The Dodgers gave away Eric Gagne bobbleheads to the first 50,000 fans in attendance. The bobblehead commemorates Gagne's winning of the National League Cy Young Award in 2003. The bobblehead depicts Gagne in his famous "fist in the air" pose. He's also wearing those famous goggles of his.



Another one of the bobblehead's features was that white bulid up on Gagne's unwashed hat. Nasty!



I know Eric Gagne was named in the Mitchell Report and his name will always be linked to PED's, but he gave Dodger fans a lot of excitement for three seasons. He also gave Dodger fans a reason to stay until the 9th inning. It was really fun watching him pitch.

Gagne finished his career with a 33-26 record, a 3.47 ERA and 187 saves.

60 Years of Vinny

Today marked the 60th anniversary of Vin Scully's first broadcast with the Dodgers, alongside Red Barber and Connie Desmond. His first game was with the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium.

Here's what Vin had to say:

"That first team, the so-called Boys of Summer, that was my graduating class. I mean, look at the team then. I had Don Newcombe, Gil Hodges, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Billy Cox, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Carl Furillo and Carl Erskine. That was such an amazing collection of players, so I guess that was the team that made the most impression on me."

"I feel only overwhelming gratitude. You feel blessed that you've lived that long, that you've been allowed to do what you love to do for that long, and that my health has held up all those years. It's humbling to think that you've been that fortunate and that God has blessed you with that time."

The Dodgers played a video tribute to him in the top of the eighth inning, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

This could be Vin's last year with the Dodgers. I really hope he decides to come back for another season. I appreciate every game he calls. It really is a blessing to listen to the greatest sports broadcaster of all time.

Bobblehead Of The Day: Chick Hearn

Yeah, I know this blog is called "dodgerbobble", but I also collect other bobbleheads besides Dodgers.

With the LA Lakers taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder today in the first game of their playoff series, it got me thinking about Chick Hearn. As a Dodger fan, I still have the pleasure of listening to Vin Scully call games. I used to feel the same way listening to Chick Hearn call Laker games. When Chick passed away, it was hard to watch those Laker games the same way.

On May 12, 2002, just three months before he passed away, 570 KLAC AM gave away 5,000 Chick Hearn bobbleheads as promotion for their 25th anniversary.



The box gives Chick's broadcasting history on one side and some "Chick-isms" on the other. Some of the Chick-isms include "building a house" and "the mustard's off the hot dog". It also gives us the most famous of all Chick-isms, "The game's in the refrigerator. The doors closed, the lights are out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the jello's jiggling".

A statue of Chick Hearn will be unveiled next week in front of Staples Center prior to Game 2 of the Laker's first-round playoff series.

Notable 2010 (A) Giveaways and Promotions

Last week I listed some notable promos and giveaways from AAA minor leagues teams and AA minor league teams. John Anderson of the Minneapolis Baseball Card Examiner puts out his list of notable promos and giveaways from Single A minor league teams.

Here's the list:

Georgia

AUGUSTA GREENJACKETS

ROME BRAVES

Saturday, July 24 – Tommy Hanson Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

SAVANNAH SAND GNATS

Illinois

BELOIT SNAPPERS

Sunday, July 18 – Aaron Hicks Bobblehead
Sunday, August 1 – Kevin Slowey Bobblehead
Sunday, August 29 – Ben Revere Bobblehead

DAYTON DRAGONS

FORT WAYNE TINCAPS

KANE COUNTY COUGARS

*Autograph Sessions are pregame every Saturday & Sunday

PEORIA CHIEFS

Indiana

SOUTH BEND SILVER HAWKS

Saturday, July 31 – TBA Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

Iowa

BURLINGTON BEES

Saturday, July 17 – Team Card Set (500 Fans: All) *Tyler Sample

CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS

Sunday, June 13 – Kernels Angels Jerseys (5,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, August 8 – Youth Kernels Jersey – (1,000 Fans: 12 & under)

CLINTON LUMBERKINGS

Wednesday, June 9 – Card Strip
Wednesday, June 16 – Card Strip
Wednesday, June 30 – Card Strip
Wednesday, July 7 – Card Strip
Wednesday, July 14 – Card Strip
Wednesday, July 28 – Card Strip
Friday, July 30 – John Danks Bobblehead

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

Saturday, June 26 – Bert Blyleven Bobblehead
Saturday, July 10 – Yadier Molina Bobblehead
Saturday, July 17 – Albert Pujols Bobblehead
Saturday, August 28 – Matt Holliday Bobblehead
Saturday, September 2 – Tony LaRussa Bobblehead

Kentucky

BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS

Wednesday, June 30 – Team Card Set (1,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, July 31 – Farmer Axle Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

LEXINGTON LEGENDS

Maryland

DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS

Sunday, April 18 – Card Strip *Matt Hobgood
Sunday, May 30 – Card Strip *Matt Hobgood
Sunday, June 6 – Card Strip *Matt Hobgood

HAGERSTOWN SUNS

Saturday, May 29 – Brady Anderson Statue
Saturday, June 12 – Michael Young Statue
Saturday, July 17 – Jim Palmer Statue
Saturday, July 24 – Little Heiskell Bobblehead

Michigan

GREAT LAKES LOONS

Thursday, June 3 – Cecil Fielder Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, July 22 – Bill Freehan Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, September 2 – Norm Cash Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

LANSING LUGNUTS

Saturday, May 22 – TBA Bobblehead
Friday, June 25 – TBA Bobblehead
Friday, August 20 – TBA Bobblehead

WEST MICHIGAN WHITECAPS

Friday, May 7 – Brandon Inge Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, May 9 – Replica Jersey (1,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, May 15 – Military Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Friday, June 4 – Jack Morris Appearance & Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Friday, July 23 – Larry Herndon Appearance & Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Friday, August 27 – Frank Howard Appearance & Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

New Jersey

LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS

Thursday, July 22 – Dusty Wathan SAL Championship Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Tuesday, August 17 – Team Card Set (2,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, August 19 – Miles Austin Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, September 2 – Ryan Howard Retirement Jersey (2,000 Fans: All)

North Carolina

ASHEVILLE TOURIST

Saturday, April 24 – Team Card Set (1,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, June 5 – Dale Murphy Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, July 10 – Stan Pamfilis Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, August 21 – Roy Williams Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

HICKORY CRAWDADS

Friday, May 21 – Team Card Set (1,000 Fans: All)

KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS

Ohio

LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS

Saturday, August 28 – Team Card Set
Sunday, August 29 – Team Card Set

South Carolina

CHARLESTON RIVERDOGS

GREENVILLE DRIVE

West Virginia

WEST VIRGINIA POWER

Wisconsin

WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS

Sunday, July 18 – Team Card Set (2,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, September 2 – Fans Choice Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

Mascot Fail

Friday Night Links

Some links on a Friday night:

A New Jersey man is being accused of puking on an 11-year old girl and her father at a Philadelphia Phillies game. The man was arrested, and is being held on $36,000 bail. Check out the mug shot up top. Oh those crazy Phillies fans.

Jay-Z is suing Big Papi for $5 million. Jay-Z and a business partner are suing baseball star David Ortiz, claiming the Boston Red Sox player named his nightclub after the hip hop mogul’s chain of 40/40 nightclubs.

The Sport Science of Ndamukong Suh. ESPN's John Brenkus breaks down the Sport Science of the Nebraska DT's success.


Congress urges baseball to ban smokeless tobacco. It's been part of the game for over 100 years. After taking on steroids, Congress is now turning it's attention to smokeless tobacco.

You Are The Bobblehead

I was looking through the Dodgers Shop online for some new Dodger gear to buy when I came across this Dodgers bobblehead T-shirt. As a collector of bobbleheads, I thought it was kind of cool. Yeah, I'm a bobblehead dork. The bobblehead shirt is $29.99 and made by Majestic Select. They make the bobblehead shirts for all 30 teams.

Jackie Robinson Autographs On Antiques Roadshow

Antiques Roadshow is one of my favorite shows on TV. My wife and I love to see all the different treasures that are displayed and appraised. When people find out they have a valuable item, the look on their face is priceless.

On January 19, 2009 PBS aired a show that had been taped in Palm Springs and featured a collection of black and white pictures of Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. The pictures were autographed by both Brooklyn Dodgers and appraised at $6,000 - $10,000.



Here's the appraisal transcript:

GUEST: That's my father, and he was a baseball umpire and he still umpires at the age of 90.

APPRAISER: 90! When did he start?

GUEST: He started in 1946, when he was, I guess, 31 years old. He did Major League games when the big league teams came to Hawaii.

APPRAISER: And how many teams came over the years?

GUEST: Uh, well, the Yankees came, the Dodgers came, Cardinals...

APPRAISER: So the big names.

GUEST: The big names.

APPRAISER: And you would occasionally go to the games.

GUEST: I would always go to the games.

APPRAISER: You would always go to the games. Which leads us to our second photo. Now, this had to be a special day for you. This is you in the center, right?

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: Jackie Robinson-- by the way, giving you a very weird look here. Were you giving him a pinch?

GUEST: I think he's giving Campy a weird look. Ah, and then Roy Campanella on the other side.

APPRAISER: What's your memory of this day? Well, my father said, "Meet me near the dugout before the game." And so I showed up and he opened the gate, called me in and he said, "I want my boy to sit right here," and it was right next to Jackie Robinson.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: What were you thinking?

GUEST: I remember thinking, "God, does he have big biceps!"

APPRAISER: What was he like? Did he talk to you?

GUEST: He didn't talk to me much, but it must have been a drag for him to have a ten-year-old kid sitting next to him the whole game. But he did give me his bat.

APPRAISER: And that, unfortunately, your parents threw away. I can't believe it. They made a terrible mistake.

GUEST: They made a terrible...

APPRAISER: But they didn't make a mistake here about getting a photo. You and Campy and Robinson, together. And this was 1956?

GUEST: It was '56.

APPRAISER: Well, this is a great personal memory to you, but it's also a spectacular piece of baseball history. Here you have the two trailblazers of integration-- Jackie Robinson, who joined the Dodgers in '47; Campy followed him a year later. You know they were among the first two African-American ballplayers to make the All-Star team in '49, with Don Newcombe and Larry Doby. Campanella went on to win three MVP trophies.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: Robinson won one in '49, and of course, the pinnacle of their careers, they defined the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s and they won the World Series in 1955.

GUEST: Right, beating the Yankees.

APPRAISER: Beating the Yankees, of course. Which leads us really into value. And it's kind of bittersweet here. This is the last trip that Jackie Robinson ever took with the Dodgers.

GUEST: I didn't know that.

APPRAISER: Because, when they returned, the Dodgers, after all he did, traded him to the Giants. The New York Giants. And Jackie Robinson could not live to play for the New York Giants. He retired. So you have one of the last photos of Jackie Robinson in a Dodgers uniform.

GUEST: That I did not realize.

APPRAISER: Now, the second thing, it's rare to ever see them sign a photo together, and it has perfect provenance. We know the day it was taken. I would place a conservative auction estimate of $6,000 to $8,000 on the photo.

GUEST: I can't believe that.

APPRAISER: And if you're going to insure it, I'd insure it for at least $10,000.

GUEST: So even photographs in which I appear have some value?

APPRAISER: Well, their signatures were faked so much by their batboy, Charlie "The Brow" DiGiovanna, that to have something where you can prove that you were there and they signed it for you, it's provenance, it's authenticity.

GUEST: I don't think Charlie made the trip.

APPRAISER: I don't think Charlie made the trip either. But this is not only a fabulous personal piece, memento to you, but it's a great snapshot of history.

GUEST: Wow. Thank you. That's really wonderful, really wonderful.

Notable 2010 AA Giveaways and Promotions

Last week I listed some notable promos and giveaways from AAA minor leagues teams. John Anderson of the Minneapolis Baseball Card Examiner puts out his list of notable AA promos and giveaways.

Here's the list:




Alabama

BIRMINGHAM BARONS

Wednesday, June 2 – Harmon Killebrew Appearance and collectible coin (1,000 Fans: All) *Autograph possibility
Friday, June 18 – Gordon Beckham Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Friday, July 16 – Kids Jersey (1,500: Kids)
Saturday, September 4 – Team Autograph Session

HUNTSVILLE STARS

MOBILE BAYBEARS

Saturday, May 15 – Hank Aaron Bat

MONTGOMERY BISCUITS

Saturday, April 24 – Evan Longoria Bobblehead
Friday, May 14 – Dale Murphy Appearance

Arkansas

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

Saturday, May 1 – Kendry Morales Replica Jersey (2,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, July 22 – 2010 Travelers Team Set (1,000 Fans: Kids) *Jordan Walden
Saturday, July 31 – Hank Conger Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: Adults)

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS NATURALS

Saturday, June 5 – Cody Clark Bobblehead (2,500 Fans: All)

Connecticut

NEW BRITAIN ROCK CATS

Monday, May 24 – Team Card Set *Deolis Guerra, Carlos Gutierrez, Chris Parmelee & Ben Revere
Wednesday, August 4 – Kids Jersey (12 & under)

Florida

JACKSONVILLE SUNS

Saturday, May 29 – Replica Stanton Home Jersey
Friday, July 23 – Team Card Set *Matt Dominguez & Mike Stanton
Saturday, August 14 – Logan Morrison Bobblehead

Maine

PORTLAND SEA DOGS

Tuesday, May 11 – Daisuke Matsuzaka Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Wednesday, June 30 – Junichi Tazawa Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Wednesday, August 4 – Hanley Ramirez Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Wednesday, September 1 – Daniel Bard Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)

Maryland

BOWIE BAYSOX

Sunday, April 25 – Autograph Session
Friday, June 4 – Mick Foley (Wrestling) Autograph Session
Thursday, June 17 – Brad Bergesen Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: 3 & up)
Thursday, July 22 – Nolan Reimold Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: 3 & up)
Sunday, August 22 – Autograph Session

Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI BRAVES

Missouri

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS

Tuesday, April 27 – Player Autographed Picture (2,500 Fans: All)
Saturday, May 29 – Stan Musial Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Monday, July 12 – Stan Musial Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Monday, August 16 – Stan Musial Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)

New Hampshire

NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS

Saturday, April 17 – Ted Williams Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, April 18 – Fisher Cats Kids Jersey (1,000 Fans: Kids)
Friday, May 14 – Jon Lester Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Tuesday, July 20 – Dustin Pedroia Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Tuesday, August 17 – Kevin Youkilis Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, August 22 – Fisher Cats Kids Jersey (1,000 Fans: Kids)
Monday, August 30 – Fisher Cats Batting Helmet (1,000 Fans: Kids)

New Jersey

TRENTON THUNDER

Sunday, April 12 – Robinson Cano Thunder Replica Jersey (1,000 Fans: Ages 5 – 15)
Friday, May 14 – Phil Hughes Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: 6 & over)
Friday, June 11 – Brett Gardner Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: 6 & over)
Friday, June 25 – Team Card Set (1,500 Fans: 6 & over)
Friday, July 2 – Francisco Cervelli Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: 6 & over)
Friday, July 16 – Robinson Cano Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: 6 & over)
Friday, August 6 – David Bobblehead (2,000 Fans: 6 & over)
Thursday, September 2 – Jesus Montero (2,000 Fans: 6 & over)

New York

BIGHAMTON METS

North Carolina

CAROLINA MUDCATS

Oaklahoma

TULSA DRILLERS

Ohio

AKRON AEROS

Pennslyvania

ALTOONA CURVE

June 11, 2010 – Pedro Alverez Jersey Backpack (2,000 Fans: All)

ERIE SEAWOLVES

Sunday, May 30 – Autograph Session (1,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, July 8 – C. Wolf Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, August 12 – Al E. Gator Bobblehead (1,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, August 22 – Autograph Session (1,000 Fans: All)
Thursday, September 2 – 2010 Team Card Set (1,000 Fans: All)

HARRISBURG SENATORS

Saturday, May 1 – Kids Jersey (1,000 Fans: 12 & under)
Saturday, May 8 – Adult Jersey (1,000 Fans: 12 & older)
Saturday, July 17 – Baseball Bat (1,000 Fans: 12 & under)
Saturday, July 31 – Kids Jersey (1,000 Fans: 12 & under)
Sunday, August 8 – Bobblehead TBD (1,000 Fans: All) *Possibly Strasburg?

READING PHILLIES

Friday, April 23 – Jerry Lawler Autograph Session (Wrestling)
Tuesday, August 3 – Ryan Howard Garden Gnome (2,500 Fans: All)
Sunday, August 8 – Navy Blue Replica Jersey (2,000 Fans: Kids)
Wednesday, August 18 – Ryan Howard Bat (2,000 Fans: Kids)
Sunday, August 29 – Team Card Set (2,000 Fans: Kids) *Phillippe Aumont

Tennessee

CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS

Friday, May 14 – Lookouts Batting Helmet (1,000 Fans: 12 & under)

TENNESSEE SMOKIES

Thursday, June 24 – Dale Murphy Appearance

WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX

Friday, April 30 – Team Autograph & Photo Day
Saturday, June 5 – Dale Murphy Appearance
Friday, July 9 – Team Autograph & Photo Day

Texas

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

Saturday, May 1 – Hooks Brick Red Jersey (2,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, May 22 – Hooks Pinstripe Jersey (2,000 Fans: All)
Sunday, June 13 – Sammy Bobble Piggy Bank (1,500 Fans: 12 & under)
Wednesday, June 16 – Hooks Patriotic Jersey (2,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, June 26 – Nolan Ryan Bobblehead (2,500 Fans: All)
Sunday, June 27 – Hooks Kids Retro Jersey (1,500 Fans: All)
Sunday, July 11 – Hooks Team Card Set (2,500 Fans: All)
Saturday, July 31 – Hooks Retro Jersey (2,000 Fans: All)
Saturday, September 4 – Hooks Black Jersey (2,000 Fans: All)

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

Friday, June 11 – Kids Jersey
Friday, July 23 – Team Card Set *Jemile Weeks & Corey Brown
Saturday, August 7 – Adult Jersey

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

Virginia

RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS

Sunday, August 1 – Bat (2,000 Fans: All)
Wednesday, August 11 – Mascot Bobblehead (2,500 Fans: All)
Tuesday, August 24 – Team Card Sheet (3,000 Fans: All) *Nick Noonan

Home Opener Hangover

After being at Dodger Stadium for over six hours yesterday, I've got to admit, I am burnt out. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time. It was an experience I'll never forget.

Yesterday's game was the longest 9 inning home opener in Dodger history at 3 hours and 42 minutes. I was having so much fun, I didn't even notice the game being so long. Time really seemed to fly by yesterday. With all the awards given out, celebrities at the stadium, and all the homeruns being hit, the game really had a playoff feel to it.

I can't wait to do it again next year.

A Day At The Ballpark

What an amazing day. It felt good to be at Dodger Stadium again. I went with my wife, and we met our buddy Albert and his girlfriend there. Driving up to the stadium we saw hundreds of Dodger fans at the parks. This caused bumper to bumper traffic that was worse than usual. It took 40 minutes to get from the Stadium Way exit to Dodger Stadium.

Once we got there, we met our friends and waited for Adriana Urzua, who is the Coordinator of Player Development for the Dodgers. While waiting for her, we saw Larry King and Tommy Lasorda.





Adriana finally arrived. She gave us all a tour of the Dodgers front office. We met a lot of the great people working there. It was great to see what happens behind the scenes at Dodger Stadium. It was a very busy day, and the people there were still very friendly. One of the nicest people I met was Assistant General Manager Kim Ng. I got to see her office and chat with her for a minute. She's got a nice bobblehead collection too that she told me she had just put up for display the day before.



After meeting Kim Ng, we were introduced to Former Dodger and Special Assistant of Player Development Mark Sweeney and Assistant General Manager DeJon Watson.



On our way out we got a couple of great surprises. First we ran into Tommy Lasorda, who was very nice. I was real nervous at that point. I couldn't even ask Tommy for a picture. Luckily, Adriana did it for me.





After meeting Tommy we ran into Ned Colletti. Now, I must say, Ned seemed a bit rushed(I don't understand why).But he did make the time for a picture. Thanks Ned!




After meeting Mr. Colletti, we were on our way to our seats in Loge section 162. Everything was great from the get go. The whole opening ceremony was great. LeAnn Rimes singing of the National Anthem was good. Members of the military brought out a giant American flag to the outfield.



We got to see Steve Finley present Matt Kemp his Golden Glove Award and Eric Karros present Kemp and Andre Ethier their Silver Slugger Awards.

Will i am's ceremonial first pitch to James Loney was next. He made a pretty good toss to the Dodger's first baseman.

The game was amazing. Manny, Kemp, Ethier and Casey Blake all homered today. After Manny's homerun, the fans chanted his name, and a few moments later he climbed the dugout steps and waved to the crowd for a curtain call.

Clayton Kershaw also had a good opening day, going 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven D-Backs, and getting his first win of the season.

I had a great time at Dodger Stadium. It was my first Opening Day and I'll never forget it. I want to thank my buddy Albert and Adriana Urzua for everything they did today.

Home Opener Finally Here

Finally. The Dodgers home opener is today and I couldn't be more excited. Today feels like a holiday. I'm gonna be heading out to the stadium soon for my first home opener. Thinking back on all the years I've been coming to Dodger Stadium, I've never been to a home opener. I can't wait to get there and enjoy the festivities.

Enjoy the game everyone. Hopefully the Dodgers get the win today.

Bobble-Slam Mini Plans

The Dodgers are still offering ticket Mini Plans. One of the 21 game Mini Plans is the "Bobble-Slam" Mini Plan. The Bobble-Slam plan features all four Bobblehead giveaways and is named in honor of Manny's magical moment on his first bobblehead night in a Dodgers uniform. The plan also include two fleece blanket giveaways and some other promotions. Check ot the Bobble-Slam Mini Plan and othe Mini Plans here.

Waiting Patiently For Home Opener

What a terrible opening week of Dodger baseball. The team only manages to win 2 of the six games on the road trip. The bullpen is having problems. And the Giants are in first place. What the heck is going on? I was expecting some happiness in this first week.

The Dodger home opener can't come any sooner. I can't wait for that first trip to Dodger Stadium. That first Dodger Dog. That first $12 beer.

There's gonna be a nice line-up of stars appearing at the home opener on Tuesday. Grammy Award-winning country star LeAnn Rimes is singing the national anthem, Grammy Award-winning frontman and producer of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am, is throwing out the ceremonial first pitch; and CNN talk-show host Larry King is announcing, "It's time for Dodger Baseball!" at the start of the game.




Some Dodgers will be getting there awards from the 2009 season. Former Dodger Steve Finley will be presenting Matt Kemp his Gold Glove Award. Eric Karros will be presenting Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier their Silver Slugger Awards.



I'll be there early taking pictures and taking in all the excitement.

Fans can enter the stadium parking lots as early as 10:10 a.m. PT and the stadium as early as 10:40 a.m. The Dodger Stadium Express will pick up fans at the Patsaouras Bus Plaza adjacent to the east portal of Union Station every 10 minutes prior to the start of the game, starting at approximately 11:00 a.m., and drop them off in the parking lot behind left/center field.