A Review Of The 2011 Dodger Bobbleheads

Tonight I'm gonna review the 2011 Dodger Stadium bobblehead giveaways. All six bobbleheads will be given a grade of A, B,C,D or F. The grades will be based on a few things: (1) Did the bobblehead look like the player?  (2) Did the player deserve a bobblehead? and (3) Creativity.

Clayton Kershaw  A-
On May 17, the Dodgers gave away the first bobblehead of the year, Clayton Kershaw. I was so happy to get my hands on this first bobblehead, and it didn't disappoint. The Ace of the Dodger staff definitely deserved a bobble. I love the way they made Kersh look, from the beard to the green eyes and even the leg kick. But it's that simple stance that keeps this bobblehead from getting an A+. Maybe Kershaw get's a Cy Young bobblehead in 2012? I hope so.

Don Mattingly  C
This bobblehead night was unlike any other I had seen in the past. On June 1, the Dodgers were supposed to give away 50,000 Don Mattingly bobbleheads away. The only problem was, 50,000 people didn't show up. In my original post, I estimated the attendance at under 30,000 fans. This was the deadest I had seen the stadium since I started going to bobblehead nights on regular basis back in 2002.

What I like about this bobblehead is that it looks like Don Mattingly, and that he's standing at the top of the dugout steps. The manager at the top of the dugout steps was a common theme in baseball this year. The Orioles, Royals, Padres and DBacks all gave away similar bobbleheads. It's very creative and helped get this bobblehead a C grade. What kept it from getting a higher grade was the fact that Don Mattingly didn't deserve a bobblehead in 2011. A  player or manager should get a bobblehead if he has accomplished something with the team. What has Mattingly done for the Dodgers? Nothing yet.

Hong-Chih Kuo C
Kuo, Kuo, Kuo. What a year for the Taiwanese pitcher. Who could have seen such a drastic change from 2010 to 2011? His horrible 2011 isn't the reason I'm giving this a C grade though. He definitely deserved a bobblehead after his amazing 2010. I'm giving this a C because this doesn't look like him and the stance is all wrong. I know he's giving the fist pump after a strikeout, but it just doesn't look right. The other thing is it lacks a certain something. In 2008, the Dodgers gave away Takashi Saito bobbleheads, and his name was put on the bobblehead in Japanese. They could have done something similar with Kuo, except with Taiwanese. In my opinion, this is a boring bobblehead, plain and simple.

Andre Ethier B
This Brooklyn throwback version of Andre Ethier was a big success back on July 7. Dodger Stadium was packed and that's the way it should be on a bobblehead night. The Dodgers honored Dre with his second bobblehead in two years. This time around they had him wearing the same 1940's-style Brooklyn Dodgers uniform the team was wearing during day games this year.

This bobblehead kind of looks like Andre. The hair and beard stubble on his face are dead on, but the facial features are a little off. The uniform is sweet, and that's a big plus. I also love the fist pump. I couldn't give this an A grade for one reason: it's the second Andre Ethier bobblehead in two years. I'm not saying he didn't deserve one in 2011, because he did. It's just that the Dodgers could have given someone else a bobblehead. There are other players who are just as deserving, like Chad Billingsley or a even a former player.

Fernando Valenzuela B
The Dodgers celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of Fernandomania with one of the nicest bobblehead giveaways ever. This nodder depicts a 1981 version of Fernando Valenzuela standing on the warning track, in front of the scoreboard, with a pen in hand and signing a mitt. The bobblehead looks like Fernando, it's very creative and Fernando definitely deserved a bobblehead for the the anniversary. This is Fernando's third Dodger bobblehead since 2001 though, and that's what's keeping this from getting an A. Yes, Fernando is still popular in Los Angeles, but like I said with Ethier, there are other players who deserve a first bobblehead. I think they should have gone with someone from the 1981 Championship team.

Duke Snider A
After passing away earlier in the year, the Dodgers decided to honor Duke Snider with a bobblehead. This was my favorite bobblehad of the year. What makes this my favorite? First off, it looks like the Duke. Second, the stance is right on. Third, he was one of the greatest Dodgers of all-time, and deserved a bobble.   Is this the most creative bobblehead of the six? No, but it didn't need to be. The Duke swinging the bat in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform was all I needed. It really has a "classic" feel to it. Great job on this one.

Overall, I'd say the Dodgers did a decent job on the bobblehead giveaways. I do feel that six bobbleheads was overkill though. It wasn't necessary to give that many away. I love my bobbleheads, but they could've done without the Mattingly and Kuo. Next year I hope to see only three or four given away. Hopefully all of them are first-time recipients, well, unless Kershaw gets a Cy Young bobblehead of course. Speaking of next year's bobbleheads, I will be giving my predictions on 2012 very soon.

So, what did you think of my grades? Did I get them all right? Let me know what you think.

Player Profile: Fernandomania Bobblehead

Last Tuesday, the Dodgers celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of Fernandomania. The team gave away bobbleheads and payed tribute to El Toro throughout the night. One of the highlights of the evening was a player profile of Fernando on the JumboTron. The Dodger legend talked about some of the best moment in his career, but instead of hearing it from Fernando himself, it was told by the Fernandomania bobblehead. Check it out:

Contest Time!

Alright, it's time for another Dodgerbobble.com/Bobbles Galore bobblehead contest.

The first dodgerbobble.com follower to answer tonight's question correctly wins the Fernandomania bobblehead. You must also 'LIKE' Bobbles Galore on Facebook. You can see all the contest rules here.

OK, here's tonight's question:


Fernando Valenzuela played 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodger. He also played for five other teams in his career. The first dodgerbobble.com follower to tell me any TWO of the five teams he played for wins the Fernandomania bobblehead.


Don't forget, you must answer on Bobbles Galore's Facebook page.

Contest Reminder

I just wanted to remind everyone that the Fernandomania bobblehead contest will be held tonight following the Dodgers/Rockies game. The lucky winner will receive a Fernando Valenzuela "Fernandomania" bobblehead courtesy of Bobbles Galores. It's the same one that was given away at last night's Dodger game.


Remember, you must be a follower of dodgerbobble.com and you must 'LIKE' Bobbles Galore on Facebook. Of course, you must answer the question correctly on the Bobbles Galore Facebook page. The question will be asked here on dodgerbobble.com. For all the rules click here.

Fernandomania Bobblehead Night

Click here to purchase

One more bobblehead night is in the books. Tonight was Fernandomania bobblehead night, and the first 50,000 fans in attendance received a Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead courtesy of Kaiser Permanente.

When I arrived at Dodger Stadium at 5:40, there was an enormous line in the Reserve level parking lot. I knew this was going to be a popular giveaway, so the place was gonna be packed. And the stadium did fill up, but I don't think it was as crazy as the Andre Ethier bobblehead night a few weeks ago.

More than 50,000 fans did show up to the game, and not all of them got the bobblehead. This included some friends that met us there. Instead of getting a bobblehead tonight, they were given a voucher to get a bobblehead for a future date. I thought it was nice of the Dodgers to honor the giveaway, but why not just give them the bobblehead tonight? Oh well, at least they'll get one.

Clayton Kershaw started for the boys in blue, and as usual, he pitched a gem, going 6.2 innings and giving up only 2 earned runs while striking out six Rockies. Kersh got the W, and Kenley Jansen got the Save, pitching a perfect 9th inning. 

Fernando was honored tonight with a short video montage before the game. It highlighted some of the great moments in his career, with many former Dodger legends remembering those moments, including Mike Scioscia, Rick Monday and Ron Cey. There was Mexican music running underneath the video, and it really got the crowd going. It's hard to believe it's been thirty years since Fernandomania.

Onto the bobblehead. 

I think this is one of the better looking bobbleheads the Dodgers have given away. But, this is the third Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead though. I think it's time to start honoring some other Dodger legends and current players. There are many to choose from, so hopefully the Dodgers can bring us something new in 2012.

Who's Going to Fernandomania Bobblehead Night?

Alright, we've come to another bobblehead night. Presented by Kaiser Permanente, the Dodgers will be giving away Fernandomania bobbleheads to the first 50,000 fans in attendance. 

We all know how popular Fernando still is n Los Angeles, so get to the stadium early. Dodger Stadium was packed on Andre Ethier bobblehead night. I would expect the same type of turn out today.

So, who's going to the game tonight?

Bobblehead Contest Rules

Alright everyone, I've got the details on the next dodgerbobble.com/Bobbles Galore bobblehead contest. The  rules will be the same as the last contest, simply because I'm too lazy to come up with something new right now. Plus, the last time I changed things up at the last minute anyway. So this time we'll stick to the rules, at least for now. I could change things up at the last second again.

Here are the rules:


(1)You must be a follower of this blog. What does that mean? Your name must be in my list of 'Followers' in the blog sidebar. If you're already a follower, you can win. If you're not a follower, click on the 'FOLLOW' button in the sidebar. 

(2)You must be a fan of BobblesGalore.com on Facebook. Click here, and 'LIKE' their page. Why do you need to do that? That's where you'll be answering the question to win the bobblehead.

(3)Answer the question correctly. On Wednesday, July 27, I'll post a question here on dodgerbobble.com following the Dodgers/Rockies game. The first person to answer the question correctly on the BobblesGalore Facebook page will win the Fernandomania bobblehead.

If anyone has a question about the contest, email me at dodgerbobble@yahoo.com. Remember, you must be a follower of dodgerbobble.com and a fan of BobblesGalore on Facebook. 

Contest Announcement

Alright, we're one week away from another bobblehead night. On Tuesday, July 26, the Dodgers will be giving away Fernando Valenzuela "Fernandomania" bobbleheads to the first 50,000 fans in attendance. Presented by Kaiser Permanente, this bobblehead commemorates the 30th anniversary of Fernandomania.

Dodgerbobble.com and Bobbles Galore would like to give one of these bobbleheads away as well. We'll be holding another contest next Wednesday following the Dodgers/Rockies game. I'll have all the contest details tomorrow. 

First Look: Fernandomania Bobblehead

The Dodgers released a hi-res image of the Fernandomania bobblehead which will be given away Tuesday, July 26, when the Dodgers play the Colorado Rockies. Presented by Kaiser Permanente, this bobblehead will be given away to the first 50,000 fans in attendance.

This bobblehead celebrates the 30th anniversary of "Fernandomania". It depicts the 1981 version of Fernando in front of a scoreboard, signing a mitt. He's also wearing a jacket. This is only the second Dodger bobblehead to sport a jacket.

This may be the best looking Dodger bobblehead yet.

First Look At Fernandomania Bobblehead

Photo via Dodgers.com

The Dodgers released a new ticket mini plan today, the Retro 4-Pack. This ticket plan includes the remaining three bobbleheads, Andre Ethier on July 7, Fernando Valenzuela "FernandoMania" on July 26, and Duke Snider on August 9. It also includes the Brooklyn Dodgers fleece blanket on September 13. The plans start at $15 a seat.

 With the announcement of the plan, the Dodgers also released a picture of the remaing three bobblehead boxes. On the FernandoMania box, we get the first glimpse of the actual bobblehead. It's a bit difficult to see, but it looks like a young Fernando standing in front of a scoreboard. If anyone knows exactly what it is or if anyone has any guesses, I'd love to hear from you.

 I'm hoping the Dodgers release a hi-res picture of the bobblehead soon. Thanks to BobbleheadFred for the tip.