Josh Hamilton Bobblehead Night

Last night I made the 100 mile drive to Bakersfield to catch a Blaze game. The Blaze are the single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in the California League.  I went out there with buddies Mike of Nomo's Sushi Platter fame and Tom. The Blaze were giving away Josh Hamilton bobbleheads to the first 500 fans in attendance. Hamilton played for the team in 2002 when they were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.


This was only the second minor league game I had ever been to, and the first one was a lot of fun, so I couldn't wait to get down there. When we arrived at Sam Lynn Ballpark there were a couple of short lines, nothing too crazy. We only waited about ten minutes before the gates opened. When we got in we opened up the bobblehead boxes right away to see Hamilton. What we saw was a bit shocking. Let's just say it's not the average bobblehead. We'll take a look at that in a sec. As far as the game goes, it was pretty lackluster. The Blaze lost to the Stockton Ports 6-0. Oh, we did run into former major-league pitcher-turned agent Dave Stewart. He was sitting a couple sections from us watching one of his clients play, so of course I had to get his autograph. 

Dave Stewart signing 

Stewart's sig

 Back to the bobblehead. I don't know much about this, like who designed it or where it was made. It's just so...weird. Take a look.

Obviously it looks nothing like Hamilton, but I must admit, it does put a smile on my face so I'm happy to add it to the collection. I had a great time at the Blaze game too and can't wait to get back there for another game!

Player Appearance: Matt Kemp

Dodger Centerfielder Matt Kemp made an appearance today at the Metro PCS Store in Baldwin Hills. He was scheduled to meet with fans and sign autographs from 11:00am to Noon and only for the first 200 people in line.

I had been planning on going to this event for the last few weeks, and I knew I was gonna have to arrive early. Matt made an appearance at Living Spaces a couple of weeks ago, and people began lining up for that at 7pm the night before. I knew people would do the same thing this time around even though it was a Friday. And I was right. I got a call from my buddy Greg, who lives close to the Metro PCS Store, at 9:00 letting me know there was already 30 people in line. It was time to start heading down there. This would be my first time camping out for an autograph.

I drove drove down there with Teresa, and we arrived at around 10:00. We were about 50 people back at the time. That number was going to change as it got closer to meeting Matt Kemp.

We were about 13 hours away from meeting Matt, but the time flew by because a group of us chit-chatted all night. We really entertained ourselves. Out of all of us in the group, I was the only one to get some shut-eye. And I needed it after a long day at work. I don't think I would have been in good shape if I hadn't taken a nap.

Before I fell asleep though, we were all surprised with a little treat, a free midnight snack courtesy of the man himself, Matt Kemp. A group of very smart people at the front of the line were in communication with Matt via Twitter. They let him know we were camping out all night for his autograph, so he treated us to pizza. There were about 80 to 100 of us there at the time, and we all were munching on Papa Johns. Thanks to Matt and everyone who made that happen. After I ate, I passed the hell out.

It was about 6:30 am when I woke up. There were a few hundred people there, and the line was starting to get messy. The Metro PCS staff got there at 9:00 and started handing out wristbands at around 9:30.  Once the wristbands were given, the line straightened up.

Matty signing my poster

Matt arrived on time, and the line started moving as soon as he got there. We were told one signature per person, and no pictures with him. Matt's agent, former Dodger pitcher Dave Stewart, was there too, and signing autographs. I brought my "King of Swing" poster for Matt to sign, and my Clinton Dodgers bobblehead for Dave Stewart to sign.  Both of them were very nice. Matt signed the poster with his name and number in blue Sharpie. Dave signed the bobblehead in silver Sharpie. This is the third time I have met Matt, so I didn't care to chat with him or take a pic, even though other people were getting pics with him. I just wanted the auto after such a long night. I was a bit excited to meet Stewart though, who I hadn't met before. Not only did he sign, he took pics with people too.

The auto turned out crappy

All-in-all, I'd say I had a good time, but I don't think I'll ever camp out like that again. It was just too much for me. To everyone I hung out with last night, I had a great time. It was also very nice meeting Jesse and Clint. Thanks to Matt Kemp, Dave Stewart, and Metro PCS for everything today.

Chad Billingsley Signs A Three-Year Extension

It's being reported that the Dodgers and Chad Billingsley have agreed to a three-year extension. According to the LATimes' Dylan Hernandez, the deal is worth $35-36 million, including an option for a fourth year, which is being negotiated.

From MLBTradeRumors.com:

Billingsley will earn $6.275MM in 2011, his second of three seasons as an arbitration eligible player. The deal would buy out the 26-year-old's final year of arbitration eligibility and his first two free agent seasons.

Billingsley, a Dave Stewart client, has been a steady presence in the Dodgers' rotation since 2006. He posted a 3.57 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 191 2/3 innings last year. His career numbers - 59-41 record, 3.55 ERA, 825 2/3 innings, 8.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 - have led to larger-than-usual rewards through arbitration

Nice to see Dave Stewart and the Dodgers playing nice, despite the drama between the two last year. In August, Stewart criticized some members of the coaching staff of treating his other client, Matt Kemp, unfairly.

It's also nice to see Ned Colletti locking Bills up for the next three to four years. This kid has been an absolute beast over the last four seasons. Now, if he can get Clayton Kershaw locked up as well, I might start thinking better of Old Ned.

My Prediction:
Chad Billingsley will get the sixth and final undecided bobblehead on August 9. He deserves it. He's got the extension, now give him a bobble!

Bobblehead of the Day: Dave Stewart Clinton Dodgers

Here's another bobblehead from the Clinton LumberKings, former Dodger Dave Stewart. Stewart pitched for the LumberKings in 1977. He appeared in 24 games and went 17-4 with a 2.15 ERA. He would go on to pitch for the Dodgers from 1981 to 1983. You can read Stewart's bio here.

This bobblehead was originally given away by the LumberKings on 6/24/2005. I picked this up a few weeks ago on the LumberKings website.

Let's take a look a Dave Stewart:

This is a good looking bobble. The eyes, the mustache even the ears and brow are very detailed. The bobblehead was made by a company called Promotional Adventures, which just happens to be located in Los Angeles.

Dave Stewart currently works as an agent. He started a sports agency called Sports Management Partners, and represents current Dodgers Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley.

Matt Kemp Drama

The Matt Kemp drama continues. In a Bill Plaschke article on Thursday, we heard from Matt Kemp's agent, former Dodger Dave Stewart. "It's almost like it's open season on Matt, and it's not right," Stewart said in a phone interview. "It's a bunch of back-seat crap." Stewart feels his client has been treated unfairly by the Dodgers, particularly by coaches Bob Schaefer and Larry Bowa, both of whom have been critical of Kemp this year.

Then in a Steve Dilbeck article, we find out  both coaches talked to Stewart late Thursday night or early Friday morning. "We had a good talk," Schaefer told reporters in Atlanta. "I’ve got a job to do. My job is to make players better. It’s up to the player to make himself better with our guidance."

I don't know what's gonna happen with Matt Kemp and the Dodgers. He is one of the most talented players in the game. By Matt Kemp standards, 2010 has been a down year though. There is obviously a lot of tension between the coaching staff and Kemp.

Ned Colletti says Kemp isn't going anywhere. So how can things get better between the two parties? Kemp needs to make changes. The coaching staff needs to help him become a better baseball player. That's all they are there to do. They can't change Kemp as a person.