Memorial Day At Dodger Stadium

The Dodgers return home today to play the Arizona Diamondbacks. They'll be wearing special edition Stars and Stripes hats to commemorate Memorial Day. These hats will also be worn on July 4th and September 11th to raise awareness for the Welcome Back Veterans Fund. You can buy one of the hats here. MLB.com will donate $1 to the WBV Fund for each cap sold.

In honor of Memorial Day, approximately 1,000 veterans and active-duty military will attend the game courtesy of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Army member Gigi Theocharides will sing the National Anthem and God Bless America and a representative Color Guard will be presenting Colors from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines before the game. Military members will also accompany former Dodgers on the field for the ceremonial first pitch.

Today is also the first Dodger fan club broadcast. Fan club members will call the game from the Vin Scully press box. Three Women In Blue winners, three Boys in Blue winners and three Viva Azul club winners will each call an inning apiece and the entire game broadcast will be posted on dodgers.com on Tuesday. Fans can then listen and vote for their favorite broadcaster and a winner for each club will be chosen at the end of the season. The grand prize winners will receive Dodger tickets and a guest appearance on Dodger Talk on KABC. Fans can register to be broadcasters and vote for their favorites at www.dodgers.com/broadcaster.

Today is also a giveaway day, Manny Ramirez Kids Batting Practice Jersey. Presented by Cacique, the first 15,000 kids 14 and under will recieve this jersey.

Vin Scully On Memorial Day

Dodger fans love the way Vin Scully calls a game. I love how he'll throw a story into the mix. On a special day like Memorial Day, Vin always reminds us about the soldiers who served our country.

Three years ago, the Chicago Cubs were in town playing the Dodgers on Memorial Day. Vin, who was 14 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked, shares a story:

A little fly ball to shallow left, Soriano comes up and makes the catch. So we have one out here in the third inning.

All of us have our own thoughts about Memorial Day and I'm sure if you talked to the Chicago Cubs' second baseman, whose name is Ryan Theriot, you would then know what's on his mind. Because his great uncle served in the Navy and was a survivor at Pearl Harbor, December the Seventh, 1941. And certainly he's thinking about his great uncle today.

The fastball to Brady Clark is swung on and missed, and the count: 0 and 1.

There are so many John Philip Sousa marches, and of course "America The Beautiful", and the national anthem.

Strike one pitch is punched on the ground to Theriot, and Ryan makes the play. Two down.

But if you really wanted to get, not the spirit, but the mood of Memorial Day, they oughtta play "Taps".

If there was ever a melody that is haunting - the poignant, single sound of a trumpet playing "Taps" - and you hear that song, then you realize what Memorial Day is all about.

Well said Vin.

Big Broxton Bobblehead

Here's another look at the Jonathan Broxton bobblehead that will be given away on June 8th when the Dodgers play the St.Louis Cardinals. Presented by Kaiser Permanente, this bobblehead will be given to the first 50,000 fans in attendance.

From @DodgertownUSA:

Angels Fail

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=69b3aa82-6a6f-4a16-8504-27fba82b05b9" target="_new" title="">MLB on FOX: SEA/LAA Highlights</a>

After hitting a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning of today's game against the Seattle Mariners, Anaheim Angels first baseman Kendry Morales jumped onto home plate awkwardly and broke his leg. He had to be carted off the field. He was placed on the 15 day disabled list and will have surgery on the leg tomorrow.

I hope this changes the way teams celebrate after game-winning hits. Whenever Mr. Walkoff, Andre Ethier, gets one of his game winning hits, I'm always worried Matt Kemp is gonna kill him in the pile afterwards. I know this Kendry Morales situation is a little different, but they still need to think about getting too crazy with the celebrations.

This Is Why You Don't Mess With Bulls

This may be the nastiest sports related injury(if you consider bullfighting a sport) I have ever seen. Spanish Bullfighter Julio Aparicio was gored by an 1,168 pound bull during a bullfight in Madrid on May 21. The bull's horn went through his throat and out of his mouth.

He was recovering from reconstructive surgery on his throat, mouth and palate when an infection forced him back into intensive care.

The hospital says Aparicio is now breathing normally and it describes his condition as "grave" but stable.

Milestones For Manny

Manny Ramirez hit a two-run homerun off of Jeff Francis in the sixth inning of tonight's game in Colorado. It was Manny's first homer since April 18th. It also snapped his 43 at-bat homerless streak at Coors Field, the most he had gone without homering at any stadium that he's played in. After he hit the homerun, the cameras caught a glimpse of Manny rolling an oxygen tank in the dugout. That thin mile-high air is no joke.

That homerun moved Manny passed former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt for 14th place on the all-time homerun list.

The two runs batted in moved him into a tie for 18th place all-time with former Dodger Frank Robinson. Those were rbi number 1,811 and 1,812.

First Look: James Loney Bobblehead

Just got that first pic of the James Loney bobblehead. The Dodgers will be giving away this Loney bobble to the first 50,000 fans in attendance on Tuesday, July 20.

Offhand, I must admit it's a pretty nice looking nodder. I like the stance. The skin tone and facial features seem right, including the beard.

I can't wait for this one.

Dodger Bloggin'

Should we be concerned with all the walks Clayton Kershaw gives up? KempKershaw at Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle takes a look at the numbers.

Evan, the go to guy in Albuquerque, recently had a day out with the Isotopes. Check out New Mexico Fan's story and pics.

Blue Heaven has got another great Dodger ebay find. Here are vintage Steve Sax and Fernando Valenzuela shirts. These shirts bring back some memories.



From Vin Scully Is My Homeboy, a King Kong sighting at Dodger Stadium:

Bison-Man Swings Into Action

From @DodgertownUSA:

Write your own caption



Here's mine:

Dodgers Win, Wrigley Loses Power

The Dodgers played the Cubs on what turned out to be a strange night in Chicago. In the fourth inning Cubs starter Tom Gorzelanny faced Dodgers 2B Blake DeWitt. DeWitt ended up walking. While watching DeWitt take his base, all of a sudden the television went black. Apparently, there was a power outage a few blocks away from Wrigley Field, and the electric company had to shut down the power grid.

The Cubs transferred the primary power service to the secondary service, but there was still an 18 minute delay.

The delay was awful. When the game came back on, there was still no video coverage. For what seemed like an eternity, we only heard Eric Collins call the game. And it sounded like he was calling the game from his cell phone. It was painful. I wanted to watch the game in the worst way.

I never realized how dependant I was on the television. I ended up using MLB Gameday At Bat to keep track of the game, but it wasn't the same.

Eventually the video came back and everything was better, although Wrigley still seemed dark.

Chad Billingsley got his fourth win in a row, as the Dodgers held on for the 8-5 victory . The win was great. The blackout sucked.

So, here's to video on the television set. May you never go black during Dodger games.

Bobblehead Of The Day: Rafael Furcal

Rafael Furcal returned from the disabled list today, going 0 for 4 and committing 2 errors. Ouch. I'm sure he's a bit rusty, and we'll see Furcal in better form tomorrow.

So, with Rafa coming off the DL today, I thought we'd take a look at his 2007 Dodger Stadium giveaway bobblehead.

On Friday, July 6, 2007, the Dodgers gave away Rafael Furcal bobbleheads to the first 50,000 fans in attendance. Presented by Farmer John, this bobble was made by P Squared Promos. This was the second of three bobbleheads given away in 2007. The other two were Nomar Garciaparra(April 26) and Russell Martin(August 2).

The Dodgers played the Florida Marlins that night and lost 6-5. Chad Billingsley was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers, Dontrelle Willis for the Marlins. Brett Tomko took the loss(shocking) after Takashi Saito blew the save. Renyel Pinto won the game for Florida.

Let's take a look at the bobblehead



















This isn't the greatest looking bobblehead the Dodgers have given away. The skin tone is off, and the facial features sort of look like Furcal. I do like the stance Rafael is in though. He looks like he is about to steal a base.

So, now all three 2007 bobbleheads have been covered, Nomar Garciaparra, Russell Martin and now Rafael Furcal. Not a bad crop of nodders for a crappy Dodger season.

Brawlin' At U.S. Cellular Field

I don't condone violence, but this is one of the best brawls I've ever seen at a baseball game between fans. This fight was between Anaheim Angels fans and Chicago White Sox fans at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. The big hits come at the :20 second mark.

Rest In Peace Jose Lima

Dodger owner Frank McCourt made the following statement today regarding the passing of former Dodger pitcher Jose Lima.

"We are shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Jose Lima. Though he was taken from us way too soon, he truly lived his life to the fullest and his personality was simply unforgettable. He had the ability to light up a room and that's exactly what he did every time I saw him. His memorable contributions to the Dodgers in 2004 and throughout baseball will always be remembered. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to his family during this extremely difficult time."

The untimely death of pitcher Jose Lima came as huge shock to everyone. There isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. Rest in peace Jose Lima. You will be missed.

Around The Dodger Blogosphere

Let's take a look at what's going on in the world of Dodger blogs

Roberto over at Vin Scully Is My Homeboy had a contest earlier in the week. He gave away an Andre Ethier bobblehead to the first person to e-mail him a picture of themselves wearing a VSIMH shirt. I thought it was a great idea.

Congrats to Mike Brown from The Left Field Pavilion. His Casey Blake "In Beard We Trust" shirts are real hot right now. Matt Kemp's wearing the shirt, and it was shown by Steve Lyons on Dodgers Live.



Matt Kemp and Jamey Carroll are similar? Really? Chad at Memories of Kevin Malone broke down the two players defensive numbers. It ain't pretty. Both Kemp and Carroll have struggled defensively this year.

Sons of Steve Garvey had some costume ideas for some of the Dodgers on Empire Strikes Back Night at Dodger Stadium. Jamey Carroll as 4-LOM is hilarious. I crack up every time I see their pictures side-by-side.

The Empire Strikes Back Night

Some pics from Dodger Stadium tonight.









Boba Chad

All pictures from DodgertownUSA

Interleague Play Starts Today

Interleague play begins today. The Dodgers will take on the Detroit Tigers tonight.

Last season the Dodgers went 9-9 in interleague play. Things won't be easy for the Dodgers this year. Besides the Tigers, the Dodgers will also face the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and the Anaheim Angels.

Overall, the American League has had a better record in interleague play. Last year, the American League won 137 games and National League 114.



Can the Dodgers beat these American League teams? I think we'll see this hot Dodger squad come out take care of Detroit this weekend. The Angels, who are having a down year, will be tough, but the Dodgers should take care of them as well. I'm a bit worried about the Yanks and Sox. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

OK Go Throw Out First Pitch

Alt Rockers OK Go threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium tonight. These guys make the coolest videos.

Andre Ethier Bobbleheads On Ebay

Did you miss out on last night's Andre Ethier bobblehead giveaway? Check eBay. But bring your credit card. They're selling as high as $75.00 each. You can get a lot of ten for $450. Or, a lot of 24 for $1079.95.

It strange to see those people at Dodger Stadium trying to buy bobbleheads just they so they can put them on ebay.

Andre Ethier Silver Slugger Bobblehead

Yesterday, the @DodgertownUSA twitter contest asked the 1st ten people for their favorite name for #16. The winners got Andre Ethier silver slugger bobbleheads. It's basically the same bobble given away at Dodger Stadium, except with a silver bat. It's pretty nice. I want one.

Hat tip duckdodgersbatscleanup.

2010 Bobblehead Giveaway #1: Andre Ethier

Tonight was the first bobblehead giveaway of the year at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers gave away Andre Ethier bobbleheads to the first 50,000 fans in attendance.

My wife and I had a great time at the game tonight. We had been looking forward to getting this first bobblehead since the promotion schedule was released.

Not only was the Ethier bobblehead awesome, but the Dodgers won their ninth game in a row tonight, 7-3. Everything seems to be right in Dodgertown.

Here are some pics from tonight:

Click here to purchase

The next bobblehead giveaway will be Jonathan Broxton on June 8, when the Dodgers face the St. Louis Cardinals.

Will Dre Play On His Bobblehead Night? No.

Well, we finally got the answer. Three days after breaking his little finger during batting practice, Andre Ethier was placed on the disabled-list. We won't get any dramatic at-bats from Dre on his bobblehead night. Too bad.

Anyway, I'm off to Chavez Ravine. Going to get that first bobblehead of the year.

Go Dodgers.

Will Dre Play On His Bobblehead Night?

Will Andre Ethier play on his bobblehead night or not? Ethier, who broke a bone in his right pinkie during batting practice on Saturday, may or may not go on the 15-day disabled list. The Dodgers were waiting on team physician Neal ElAttrache to examine the finger before making any decisions.

The first 50,000 fans in attendance will receive an Andre Ethier bobblehead tomorrow night. Last year, we saw Manny Ramirez return from a hand injury on his bobblehead night. He hit a game-winning pinch-hit grand slam in the game. It was a great moment in the 2009 Dodger season. Could we see another great moment like that tomorrow night? We'll have to wait and see.

Ely Impresses

Once again, John Ely was very, very impressive. He went seven innings, allowing only two runs, while striking a career high eight batters in the Dodgers 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros. That's eight wins in a row now for the Boys in Blue.

Ely has faced 84 consecutive batters without walking one of them. That's 23 innings without walking a single batter. Not only that, but he's gone 23 innings without giving up an extra-base hit. That is remarkable.

Ely lowered his ERA to 3.51, and has probably secured himself a spot in the rotation.

Bobblehead Of The Day: Don Zimmer

On Saturday, June 23, 2007, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (this was before they droppd the Devil from their name) gave away Don Zimmer "Now and Then" bobbleheads to the first 15,000 fans in attendance. Presented by Regions Bank, this dual bobblehead features Zimmer both in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform and in Rays gear. I did not attend this game. This was an eBay find.

The Devil Rays hosted the Dodgers that night, Turn Back the Clock Night. Vintage uniforms were worn by both teams. The Rays wore the uniforms of the 1950-era Florida State League St. Petersburg Saints and the Dodgers wore the 1955 World Champion uniforms.

Three of Don Zimmer's teammates from the 1955 World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers were on hand signing autographs, Duke Snider, Johnny Podres and Carl Erskine.

Zimmer also won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959.

The Dodgers lost that night 4-3. Casey Fossum won the game, Randy Wolf took the loss.

Here are some other views of the bobblehead:







This a bobblehead that I wanted ever since I heard they were being given out at Tropicana Field. I remember listening to the game on the radio and hearing Vin Scully talking about the special giveaway.

Don Zimmer has been in professional baseball for 62 years. He won 906 games as a manager. He has six World Series rings, two as a player and four as a coach. He was an All-Star in 1961. But this is my favorite Zimmer moment: