Facebook Trading: Kershaw, Kemp, Killebrew, Ethier And Seager

Over the last year or so I've been invited to over a dozen baseball card or autograph related Facebook groups. Some of these groups are a blast to be in and have hundreds of members, others just flame out as quickly as they're started. From a handful of good groups that I regularly contribute to and follow, I've been able to make some nice trades with other members. 

I've completed two trades in the last week. The first was with Facebook friend Rodney. Rodney showed interest in a Bob Gibson autograph I had and after looking through his album I found out he was a pretty big Clayton Kershaw fan. There were a few Kershaws I liked in his collection but one stood out from the rest, his Five Star silver auto.  It would be part of our trade, but it wouldn't be the only thing. 

After going back and forth a few times we were able to turn our small trade into a larger one. In the end I was able to add another Hall of Fame baseball to my display case, picking up a beautiful Harmon Killebrew sweet spot baseball. I was also able to get Rodney to trade two other Dodger autos, with new Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier certified sigs coming my way.

The other trade I made was with Facebook friend Garrett. Garrett is from Detroit and after chatting with him last week he mentioned he would be making the two hour drive from Motown to Midland, Michigan to autograph the Great Lakes Loons, Class A affiliate of the Dodgers. He made the trip last Wednesday because Dodger great and Michigan State legend Steve Garvey was making an appearance at the stadium. Since he was heading out there I figured I would ask him to try and get an autograph from Dodger prospect Corey Seager. Garrett was able to get Seager to sign, so we worked something out right away and now I have my first Seager signature. 

I want to thank Rodney and Garrett for the trades. I 'm looking forward to more in the future.

Andre Ethier 2012 LA Auto Show Appearance

On Sunday, December 2, I planned on taking my kids down to the 2012 LA Auto show. This has been an annual trip for us and we were looking forward to seeing all the new cars. This year's show was held from November 30 through December 9. I was able to make it down to the Convention Center a few days earlier to meet Clippers Forward Blake Griffin and this second trip was to to see the cars.

While we were getting ready to go down to the Convention Center, I got a tip that Andre Ethier would be making an appearance that afternoon at the State Farm Insurance booth. I was heading down there anyway, so I might as well get an auto from Dre. I packed up a few items I needed signed and we headed downtown.

When we arrived, there were only three other people waiting for Ethier! I figured since there were so few people they would let us get outside items signed. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Just minutes before Ethier came out we were told he would only be signing the provided State Farm 8x10 pictures. Although I was a little disappointed I wasn't going to get my items signed,  I'm also not one to turn down an auto. The picture they provided wasn't too bad anyway. 

Me and my two little monsters.

Andre was scheduled to appear from 1:00 to 2:30 and he showed up right on time, signing right away and even taking pictures with people. After we all got our autos, we decided to head to the convention. There were probably thirty people in line at that point and we could have easily gone back for more, but seriously, how many Ethier State Farm 8x10s do I need? Plus, my kids were really impatient and fidgety and wanted to get to the cars.

Although this year's Auto Show had less athlete and celebrity appearances than in previous years, it was still nice to get autographs from two of LA's bigger sports stars. Plus, the show itself is always a good time. Thanks to Andre Ethier and State Farm Insurance for the autographs and the nice meet & greet.

Facebook Trading: New Kemp And Ethier Autos

In my pursuit to pick up as many Matt Kemp autographs as possible, I just completed yet another trade for one via Facebook. This time it was with FB friend Brian. After looking through what seemed like an endless photo album of sports card goodness, I found a few of his Dodger cards I liked. We went back and forth a few times and in the end we made a nice multi-card deal. I ended up with a 2010 Topps Tribute Kemp auto/dual jersey and a 2008 Allen & Ginter Andre Ethier autograph. 

I think both cards are gorgeous and I'm happy to add them to the collection. I want to thank Brian for the trade. I can't wait for our next deal! If you're interested in making a trade, you can check out my trade bait page here.

Making Trades On Facebook

I've made a few trades on Facebook over the last month. Two of those trades were with FB friend Ryan. He offered up a boatload of Dodger cards that interested me, so we got a couple of deals done. Here's everything I picked up in the two trades:

2012 Topps Golden Moments Andre Ethier auto

2008 UD SPx Andre Ethier jersey /99

2012 Topps Golden Moments Chad Billingsley auto

2001 Upper Deck SP Gary Sheffield jersey

2010 Bowman Platinum Josh Lindblom auto

2011 GQ Matt Kemp jersey

2010 UD Matt Kemp jersey

2002 Donruss Mike Piazza jersey /50

2011 Bowman Sterling Nathan Eovaldi auto

2011 Bowman Sterling Zach Lee auto

2005 Upper Deck  Pedro Guerrero auto

Facebook has become a great place to meet great traders from all across the country. Not only have I picked up cards, but autographs and bobbleheads as well. Thanks again for the trade Ryan! I hope we can do this again.

Jaime Jarrin Doesn't Get A Bobblehead, But He Does Get A T-Shirt. Oh, And Dodgerbobble Got Some Autographs!

Normally I don't write about any other Dodger Stadium promotional nights besides bobblehead nights, but last Monday I attended Jaime Jarrin T-shirt night, and I wanted to talk about it a bit. The first 30,000 fans in attendance received shirts with Jarrin's famous catch phrase "Se Va, Se Va, Se Va" on the front which means going, going, going and "despidala con un beso!" on the back, which means kiss it goodbye. I'm talking about this promotion because I think the Dodgers screwed up by not giving Jarrin a bobblehead this year. I know this has been talked about and written about numerous times, but I thought I'd mention it again. With ten bobbleheads being given away at Dodger Stadium to commemorate the 50th anniversary, the Spanish voice of the Dodgers didn't get one, which I consider a slap in the face after 54 years of service. Maybe they wanted to make him one and he didn't want it, who knows, but if Vin Scully finally got one, why not Jaime?

Jarrin was honored before the game with a special video from the Dodgers and he also threw out the ceremonial first pitch. But before the ceremony on the field, Jaime met with the fans and signed autographs. I've been lucky enough to meet him a few times, but never got the autographs I really wanted, on the sweet spot of a baseball. That night I finally got it, plus a couple others. 

Jaime Jarrin 

This is a Fernando Valenzuela card I got signed along with Jarrin.
You can see Jaime's face peeking through there, so I figured I'd have both men sign it.

Dodger Stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley with her trademark musical note.
She's another Dodger Stadium icon who shoulda got a bobblehead.

Dodger legend Maury Wills

Dodger rookie Shawn Tolleson

Don Mattingly

I hope next year the Dodgers get their act together and give Jaime Jarrin that bobblehead he deserves. I think the T-shirt is really cool, but a Hall of Famer deserves better.

NL Wins All-Star Game, Dodgers Contribute

Congratulations to the National League on it's second All-Star Game win in a row, beating the American League tonight 5-1.


So, how did the three Dodger representatives do?


Let's begin with Matt Kemp. Matty started in Centefield and batted third in the line-up. He went 1 for 2 with a single and a walk.


Clayton Kershaw. Kersh pitched a perfect fifth inning, striking out one.


Andre Ethier. Dre entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and got a basehit. That hit knocked in Rickie Weeks, and gave Andre a run batted in. As Weeks was scoring, Ethier made a base running blunder, and was tagged out at second base.


Not bad for the three Dodgers. They all contributed to the NL victory. Now the National League has home field advantage in the World Series, not that the Dodgers have much of a chance of making it, but you never know. Stranger things have happened.

Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw Are NL All-Stars

Congratulations to Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, both of whom will be making their first All-Star appearances in Phoenix on July 12. 


Andre Ethier, still has a chance to be an All-Star, he's part of the Final Vote Competition. You can vote for Andre by clicking here. Dodger fans, let's get Andre to Phoenix too!

Ethier Extends Hit Streak, Brox Blows Save

Getty Images

I don't think there's a single happy Dodger fan tonight, even with Andre Ethier tying a major-league record for hitting in 22 games straight in April. 

Going into the ninth inning, the Dodgers had  a 4-3 lead, and Jonathan Broxton entering the game. After getting the first two Marlins he faced out, the shit then hit the fan.

First he walked Emilio Bonifacio.

Then Hanley Ramirez, who is in the middle of a slump, got a basehit.

Then Scott Cousins came up and hit a grounder to Jamey Carroll, and the ball rolled under his glove, scoring Bonifacio and tying the game 4-4.

Broxton intentionally walked Chris Coghlan next.

Omar Infante then came up and hit a line drive right to Jerry Sands, who misplayed it. Hanley Ramirez scored and the Marlins won 5-4.

There's a lot of blame to go around, but I think it's safe to say, Jonathan Broxton's time as Dodger Closer is just about over. It's time for the Dodgers to start looking at someone else to finish games.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to say, I don't condone shooting guns at anything, especially bobbleheads, but I had to get this classic video up. Don't try this at home kids.

Dodger Fans Choose 1940's Era Brooklyn Unis

On February 4, the Dodgers announced they would be wearing throwback Brooklyn uniforms for six games in 2011. Fans were given the opportunity to vote on which uniforms the team would wear. They had three uniforms to choose from; the 1911 road uniform, the 1931 road uniform, or the 1940s "Satin" road uniform.

With nearly 50,000 votes casted by Dodger fans, the results are in and the 1940s "Satin" road uniforms were chosen. From Dodgers.com:

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that the 1940s "satin" uniform was selected by Dodger fans as the winning "throwback" uniforms for six mid-week day games in 2011. Each of the games will feature half-price food and drink, including alcoholic beverages, for the first time ever at Dodger Stadium, with a special half-price six-game ticket plan available for fans who want to attend each of the games.

Nearly 50,000 votes were cast at dodgers.com/throwback with the winning uniform edging out the 1911 road uniform by less than 2,000 votes.

Though the original uniform worn in the 1940s was made of a highly reflective satin fabric to make it more visible under the lights for night games, the throwback jerseys will maintain a similar feel as those worn by the Dodgers throughout the 2011 season.

The Brooklyn jerseys will be available for purchase by fans at Dodger Stadium beginning on the first date they are worn, April 21 against the Atlanta Braves. That date marks the anniversary of the franchise's first victory, which also came against the Braves in 1890. The other five dates are May 4 (vs. Cubs), June 15 (vs. Reds), June 22 (vs. Tigers), August 10 (vs. Phillies) and August 31 (vs. Padres).

The special "Throwback Six-Pack Plan" includes half-price tickets for each of the half-price food and drink games. Details are available at dodgers.com/throwback. Individual tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. at dodgers.com, by calling 866-DODGERS or by visiting the Dodger Stadium box office.

The last time the Dodgers wore a throwback uniform was June 23, 2007 in Tampa Bay as part of a "Turn Back the Clock Night" honoring former Dodger player and Rays coach Don Zimmer. That night, the Dodgers wore replica 1955 Brooklyn road uniforms.

I voted for the 1911 unis. Personally, I think these 1940's uniforms are ugly, but it's nice to see the team trying something different.

Andre Ethier On The Traveler's Guide To Life

A few weeks ago, Andre Ethier made an appearance on a new Travel Channel show called "The Traveler's Guide To Life". The show is hosted by Adam Richman, who also hosts "Man v Food".  From TravelChannel.com:

Travel. Love. Family. Life is a journey and sometimes we need help navigating. Using interviews mixed with on-screen animation, The Traveler's Guide to Life features amazing stories from dozens of extraordinary individuals who share their insight on the things that matter most. Along the way, these seasoned storytellers discover perfect moments that capture universal truths.

Andre was on the episode "Childhood". He shares his memories of going to his grandmother's home and eating cheese crisps(quesadillas?).

2007 Allen & Ginter Andre Ethier Autograph

Here's another card from the autograph collection. This is a 2007 Allen & Ginter Andre Ethier autograph, AGA-AE. Of all the A&G autograph cards over the years, this one is my favorite. They're all basically the same, except the color scheme changes. I like this white one with the purple and teal leaves the best. Last year's orange version were probably the ugliest.

This is not my only Ethier autograph. I did get a chance to meet Andre and Clayton Kershaw in June of 2009, when they signed a ball for me.

One of my goals for 2011 is to get Andre's bobblehead signed.

Past Player Appearance: Andre Ethier And Clayton Kershaw - June 2009

I'm gonna revisit some past player appearances that I attended before I started writing this blog. Today I'm gonna talk about a Dodger appearance in 2009. 

On Friday, June 5, 2009, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp were supposed to appear at the Macy's Men's Store in Northridge. The appearance was to take place from 12:00-1:00pm.  It was a promotion for Father's Day. The deal was you had to buy $75 worth of merchandise, show your receipt to an associate, then you were given a cheap Macy's baseball and sent to a line. There was also a line for people who didn't purchase the merchandise. Those people had to wait until everyone else got their autographs.

I had to work that day, but I wanted to go real bad. Northridge is 10 minutes from my home and I didn't want to miss the opportunity. Knowing how popular Ethier and Kemp are, I figured I would have to get there early. But I couldn't miss work. Luckily my wife went and held a place for me. She got there 3 hours early, and was still 200 people back. When she got to the line she found out Matt Kemp wasn't going to appear. Clayton Kershaw  was going to take his place. Kemp is my favorite player, so I was very disappointed. By I love Kershaw too, so I wasn't too upset.

At around 11:30, I got to Macy's. It was total chaos. It was like the president was showing up. There were hundreds of people there, mostly women who wanted to see Kemp and Ethier. I'm sure many of those women were disappointed when they found out Kemp wasn't going to be there. When 12:00 finally came, Ethier and Kershaw came down to the signing table. As soon as Ethier showed his face the women went nuts. It was like the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Girls were going crazy. I have never heard anything like that.



Dre and Clay




We were told that we could only get that cheap Macy's ball signed and that no pictures would be allowed. The line moved very slowly, but when we finally got to the front, Andre and Clayton were very nice. Andre was talkative and Clayton was quiet, just as I expected. They signed the ball, my wife took some pictures from far, and we moved on.

Fading signatures.

Cheap ball

I was real happy to get their autographs, but I must admit, it was the most unorganized event I have ever been to. The signatures on that cheap ball are fading after a year and a half. I don't think it was worth the $75 I was forced to pay.