Contest Time!

It's time for a contest. We're two weeks away from the first Dodger bobblehead giveaway of the year, Clayton Kershaw.  I will be giving one of those Clayton Kershaw bobbleheads away in a contests in a couple of weeks, courtesy of Bobbles Galore.

Until that time comes, I've got another contest to run. Here's what I'm giving away: A James Loney bobblehead, a Jonathan Broxton bobblehead, a Dodger T-shirt, and, in honor of the Dodgers wearing throwback Brooklyn jerseys tomorrow, a Preacher Roe autograph. The bobbleheads are courtesy of Bobble Galore.

I know what a lot of you are thinking, 'Why the hell do I want a Loney and Broxton bobblehead?' Yes, they're both having crappy seasons, but they are bobbleheads nonetheless. You can do whatever you want with them if you win 'em. Some of you may need to add them to your collection. Some of you may want to sell them. And some of you might just want to burn them. I don't care. Once you win, do what you want.

So how do you win? You need to do a couple of things:

(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. Yes, it's a cheap way to get followers, but it's a rule of the contest. If you're already a follower, you can win. If you're not a follower, click on the 'FOLLOW' button in the sidebar.

(2)Answer the trivia question correctly. Friday evening, I'm gonna ask a trivia question. The question will be asked once the Dodgers/Mets game ends. Remember, the Dodgers are playing in New York. I'm holding the contest at this time to give people on the east coast a chance to win. It's probably gonna be a simple question about the Dodgers. The first person to answer the question correctly will win the prize pack. You will answer the question in the comments section of the post.

If anyone has a question about the contest, email me at: dodgerbobble@yahoo.com

Remember, you must be a follower of Dodgerbobble.com and don't forget to check out Bobbles Galore, the world's largest SGA bobblehead reseller.

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.

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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.

Around The Dodger Blogosphere

Is Matt Diaz the next Dodger Left Fielder? It could happen. According to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the Dodgers search for a left fielder has been narrowed to free agents Matt Diaz and Scott Podsednik and possibly one more name that remains a mystery.

In the same article, Jackson mentions the Dodgers pursuit of another catcher, possibly Russell Martin. He also talks about Vicente Padilla joining the Dodgers as a reliever and possibly as a candidate for the closer's role if Jonathan Broxton struggles.

Ruling in Dodgers' divorce case expected Tuesday. Frank and Jamie McCourt are expected to find out Tuesday whether a judge has thrown out an agreement that could determine the ownership of the Dodgers.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon is expected to rule Tuesday on the validity of a marital agreement that would provide Frank McCourt with sole ownership of the Dodgers, according to multiple sources familiar with the case.

No Hall for Garvey. The 1974 NL MVP was on the Hall of Fame veterans committee ballot. To be elected, a candidate must appear on at least 75% of the 16 ballots. Only one person on the special ballot got the votes, Pat Gillick, who built three World Series champions and has served baseball for nearly 50 years, who had the necessary 75 percent (12 votes) to make it in. The results of the Expansion Era Ballot (12 votes needed for election): Gillick (13 votes, 81.25 percent; Marvin Miller (11 votes, 68.75 percent; Dave Concepcion (8 votes, 50 percent). Those receiving less than eight, aside from Garvey: Ted Simmons, Vida Blue, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Billy Martin, Al Oliver, Rusty Staub and George Steinbrenner.

Garvey's next chance at the Hall won't come until 2013.

The Minotaur gets married. Dodgers' Ace Clayton Kershaw got married this past Saturday. Roberto at Vin Scully Is My Homeboy has the details.

Feelin' Kinda Blue. There's a new Dodger blog that I'm really enjoying. It's called "Feelin' Kinda Blue".  Check it out.

Contest Winnings From I'm Ballsy, Sort Of

Last week, Are No over at I'm Ballsy held a contest. The winner got a 2009-10 Panini Hall of Fame Clyde Drexler Dream Team Game Threads, #'d 057/650. It's a sick card, one I really wanted. Well, I didn't win the contest, but Are No was nice enough to send me a nice consolation prize.

I received my yellow envelope in the mail today, and was surprised when I opened it.  There were some cool cards inside: a 2009 Bowman Russell Martin WBC card, a 2004 Jonathan Broxton Just Minors card, a 2010 Panini Basketball Bob Davies, all cards that I don't have. There was one more card inside the envelope, a 2007 Upper Deck Spx Andre Ethier Winning Materials game used card #16/199. Cool, it's numbered 16, just like Andre's jersey number. Anyway, it was a pleasant surprise. Thanks Are No! I'm gonna get something back to you in return.

Love the WBC card. My mom's Canadian, so I love seeing Russ in this jersey

Damn, Big Jon is...skinny!

Check out Are No's blog, I'm Ballsy, he's got a great collection and some cool guinea pigs.

Dodgers Down Brew Crew

The Dodger offense came alive for the second game in a row, as the boys in blue beat the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday night.  The Dodgers were led by Manny Ramirez, who went 2 for 2 with two walks, two doubles, one run scored and one RBI. That RBI gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead, and they didn't give it back, going on to win by the same score. It was reported earlier in the day that Manny had been placed on waivers by the Dodgers.

Hiroki Kuroda, who was also reported as being placed on waivers, had a nice night on the mound. Hiro went seven innings, giving up four runs on seven hits while striking out six. He did not walk any Brewers.

Andre Ethier got the Dodger offense started, hitting a solo homerun in the third inning, his 2oth on the year.

Jonathan Broxton shut down the Brewers in the eighth inning. Joe Torre then used Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill and Octavio Dotel for one batter each in the ninth inning, with Dotel earning his 22nd save on the year.

Manny Ramirez and Hiroki Kuroda weren't the only Dodgers placed on waivers. It's being reported that Casey Blake, Scott Podsednik and Jay Gibbons were also placed on waivers as well.

Bison Bobblehead Night

Click here to purchase

Tonight was the final bobblehead night of 2010. The first 50,000 fans in attendance received Home-Run Saving Matt Kemp bobbleheads. Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino, this bobble was made by P Squared Promos.

From all the pictures I had seen of this bobblehead, I knew it was gonna be a good one. After finally getting my hands on it and taking a good look, it really lived up to my expectations. This is the coolest Dodger bobblehead yet.

The Dodgers won 6-0, which made the whole night that  much better. Clayton Kershaw pitched a gem, going seven innings, allowing only five hits while striking out six Rockies. Kersh earned his 11th win on the season. He got that win because the offense actually showed up tonight scoring SIX runs. Doubles from Scott Podsednik and James Loney gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. Casey Blake singled in one more to put the Dodgers up 5-0. The crowd went crazy with the Dodgers offensive explosion. It was nice to see the bats come alive.


The Dodgers added a run in the eighth inning when Colorado reliever Randy Flores picked up a weak Ronnie Belliard tapper and overthrew it to first base. Jonathan Broxton made an appearance in the ninth inning to lock down the Dodger victory. Matt Kemp went 0 for 3 with a walk on his bobblehead night.  Kemp did come up  in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and two outs. He had an opportunity to do something special, but ended up flying out.
 
 Some pics from tonight:
 
 

 

All gone

Now That I'm Calm, A Recap Of Last Night's Dodger Game

Yes, the Dodgers' 2010 season is over. I think we've known this for a few weeks now. Last night's bullpen debacle was just another reminder of how crappy things really are in Dodgertown.

I woke up yesterday eager to see Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers play. After getting completely manhandled by Roy Oswalt the night before, I also couldn't wait to see Joe Blanton. I also hoped for Matt Kemp's return to the line-up. Well, Matt Kemp made his return, going 3 for five with a homerun and 4 RBI and the offense jumped all over Joe Blanton. Kershaw was amazing, going 6 2/3 and giving up only two runs. Great. The Dodgers were up 9-2 in the eighth. And then the shit just hit the fan.

Ronald Belisario and Jonathan Broxton. Two names Dodger fans are hating right now. Between the two of them, they faced nine Phillies and gave up EIGHT runs. Belisario was just god-awful giving up four runs in the eighth.

Broxton was just as bad. He hit the first batter he faced, then walked the next two. Then Casey Blake did his best Bill Buckner impression. With the bases loaded, Ben Francisco hit a sure double play ball to Blake, which went right through his legs, allowing two runs. This didn't help Broxton, as the DP could have made the difference in the game.

Carlos Ruiz then came up and and crushed a hanging slider, scoring the the tying and winning runs.  Brox faced five batters and retired none of them.

Broxton's has had a rough two month stretch. Since June 27, he has an era of 7.94. Joe Torre wouldn't say whether Jonathan Broxton will continue to be his closer.

"Let the smoke clear before you get me to say something I haven't thought about. He's a big boy, he'll be all right. Long-term, I'm not worried about him."

I think it would be a huge blow to Broxton's development to take him out of the closer's role now. In a season that is already lost, let him figure out his problems on the field. Yes, Hong-Chih Kuo has been amazing. Kenley Jansen hasn't been too bad either. But we all know about Kuo's elbow and how often he should be used. Jansen is still too raw. The Dodgers are out of the playoff race in 2010, so why make a change now? If this continues with Broxton in 2011 though, I'm all for change.

Player Appearance: Jonathan Broxton, The Sequel

Dodger Closer Jonathan Broxton made an appearance today at the Sports Authority in Burbank. The event was scheduled to start at 11:00am. I got there at 8:45. A head count was taken around 10:00, and I was the 201st person in line. I brought my sons Kevin and Shawn with me today. It was Kevin's first player appearance. Shawn was with me last year at the Andre Ethier/Clayton Kershaw appearance in Northridge.

The event started on time, but the line moved very slowly. We were told only one item would get signed, and pictures were ok, but we couldn't take a picture with him. Event staff walked up and down the long line letting everyone know that Brox would only be signing until noon. We got to Broxton at 11:50. We made it with 10 minutes to spare. Not everyone was as lucky though. There must have been 300 people who didn't get autographs.

I was at the last Broxton signing on June 12 in Koreatown. I got my bobblehead signed then. I still needed to get my team ball signed. So I brought the ball and my sons brought cards.

I did have a good time today. The fans in line are always great. There was a group of guys in front of us who were autograph collectors. We shared stories of the different events we had attended.

I do have two complaints though: 1. I wish there were more events in the San Fernando Valley, where I live. And 2. I think the events should be longer than an hour. There are a lot of people who come from far away to see their favorite players. Too many fans are turned away after waiting in line a long time.

The long line of people in front of us

This was the enterance to the event

Brox signing my ball

My team ball with Broxton's signature

Shawn's signed 2009 Topps 206 Broxton

Kevin's signed 2010 Allen & Ginter Broxton

Once again, I had a great time with my boys. I can't wait for the next Dodger event.

Blowing It On Bobblehead Night

What a game. The offense came to life against Tim Lincecum. Andre Ethier hit a big first inning homerun. Clayton Kershaw pitched well and left tonight's game with a  5-4 lead. But in the end, the bullpen blew that lead. Broxton's got some issues that need to be worked out. Watching him pitch is maddening. What can be said about George Sherrill? I can't see how the Dodgers can continue to hang on to him. He's lost it.

On his bobblehead night, James Loney went 0 for 3 with a walk. He also helped Jonathan Broxton exit the game early. After making one trip to the mound to talk to Brox, fill-in manager Don Mattingly was called back to the mound by Loney, and that was considered to be a second trip. By rule, a manager can only make one trip to the mound to talk to the pitcher. A second trip means the pitcher must leave the game. And that was when Mattingly brought in Sherrill. I knew what was coming at that point. Sherrill gave up the lead and the Giants won 7-5.

The Dodgers have lost six games in a row  and are now 6 games behind the first place Padres. Oh yeah, and Manny's been placed on the disabled list AGAIN! Things are pretty bad in Dodgertown right now.

Another bobblehead was given away tonight. James Loney's bobblehead was the third of four bobbleheads this year. Presented by Carls Jr, this bobble was made by P Squared Promos and given to the first 50,000 fans in attendance.

Cases of bobbleheads

All gone

I went to the game with my son Kevin tonight. It was our first trip to the Ravine together this year. We had a great time. It would have been better with a Dodger win.

The NL Finally Wins An All-Star Game.

After 13 straight All-Star Game losses to the American League, the National League finally get's a win at the Midsummer Classic.  A three-run double from Braves catcher Brian McCann in the seventh inning gave the NL the lead. And that was all they would need, as they went on to win 3-1.

Four Dodgers made the NL team, Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton, Rafael Furcal and Hong-Chih Kuo. Let's see how they did.

Andre Ethier went 1 for 2  with a single in the fifth inning off of Justin Verlander. Rafael Furcal walked in his only at bat. Hong-Chih Kuo gave up one unearned run, the only American League run. And Jonathan Broxton finished the game, striking out one and earning the save. Not bad at all.

The National League now has home field advantage in the World Series. I hate this rule, but that's just the way it is. Hopefully, the Dodgers make it that far.

Thanks From Dre and Big Jon

Andre Ethier and Jonathan Broxton will represent the Dodgers at the All-Star game in Anaheim this year. Today they thanked the fans.

From DodgertownUSA:

Joe Torre Sucks

It was real exciting to watch Clayton Kershaw pitch a gem tonight. A win would have been a great way to end this series with the New York Yankees and interleague play. Unfortunately, Joe Torre was involved in this game. With a four-run lead going into the ninth inning, The "Hall of Fame" manager decided to bring in Jonathan Broxton. This after Broxton had pitched in two of the last three games. WTF?

Now, I know Broxton is going to take a lot of heat for tonight's loss, but this has to fall on Torre. He's got a record of bullpen abuse, and now he's making Jonathan Broxton his next victim.

We saw how much Torre used Ramon Troncoso earlier this year, now he's a mess. He continues to use George Sherrill, even though Sherrill couldn't get my grandmother out. Hong Chi Kuo will probably require another surgery soon. Cory Wade is just starting to make a comeback from shoulder surgery. The list goes on and on.

It's tough watching Torre manage(if you want to call it managing) a bullpen. I don't think he understands what he's doing to the reliever's arms. The madness needs to end. Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers should have won tonight's game. Thanks to Joe Torre, that didn't happen.