The Dodgers have a new roving baserunning and outfield coach and its Rodney McCray. You may recall his famous catch while crashing through the outfield wall at Portland's Civic Stadium in 1991. His catch was even immortalized 15 years later with a bobblehead (above).
What is that old saying? Sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don't make. Colletti is singing a new tune. "There's potential for change, but as we look at the young players that we played a lot this past year, we're less likely to fill in [positions with veterans] as much as we have in the past and more likely we'll give the younger players greater opportunity," Colletti said. "I'm curious to see how our young players, who really had a chance this past year to play full-time, I'm curious to see what another year does."Maybe the youngsters are here to stay.
James Loney has been named to the 49th Annual 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. Baseball-Reference is saying that he was a unanimous selection. Andre Ethier and Russell Martin were honored last year in 2006. Below are the rest of the group.1B-James Loney, Los Angeles (NL)Story Link: MLB.com:
2B-Dustin Pedroia, Boston
SS-Troy Tulowitski, Colorado
3B-Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
OF-Delmon Young, Tampa Bay
OF-Chris Young, Arizona
OF-Hunter Pence, Houston
C-Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia
RHP-Brian Bannister, Kansas City
LHP-Hideki Okajima, Boston
Unfortunately, Chan Ho Park's best years are probably well behind him. Fortunately, he still has the pride and values to know what is important to him. Sure, he wanted to finish off his MLB career by rejoining the Dodgers in some capacity, but patriotism and loyalty to his teammates on the Korean National Baseball Team came first. After all, he is the captain of the team."After giving long and deep thought to the matter, I concluded that I should respect loyalty," Park wrote. "Both are important to me -- to sign a contract with the Dodgers to pursue my dreams and goals, and to participate in the Olympics for my country. But the thought of leaving the national team bothered me most."Pic Link: matttracy.com:
It gets juicer.
It sounds like the Dodgers may be burning this bridge.
Team USA did the incredible. They beat the powerful Cuban team 6 to 3. Cuba had previously won 9 straight titles. Rockies prospect Jason Nix belted a homerun and finished the day with 2 RBI's. He was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player. Andy LaRoche and Delwyn Young had 2 hits each in 5 at-bats. Overall, Andy LaRoche went 11 for 33, batting .333, hit 3 homeuns, 3 doubles, scored 8 runs, 10 RBI's, 5 walks and a stolen base. Delwyn Young, unfortunately, struggled. He went 6 for 31, batting .194, 1 homerun, 4 doubles, 5 runs scored, 4 RBI's and 7 walks.
At least I can sleep a little better at night. One of the first things Ned said on the call is that one of the difficult things is that our "prospects" aren't really prospects anymore. They're legitimate Major Leaguers and everyone seems to understand that. Any trade that would be made would be made with that in mind.
A split squad will be staying in Florida during the games in Asia. The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed Friday they would field a team in Vero Beach for the entire 2008 spring training, but it likely will be a split squad for the final half.Unfortunately, half of the team will not be going back to Dodgertown after the exhibition games in China.
"People shouldn't think that we did not want to return to Vero Beach. The players association decided they did not want them flying all the way back to Florida. Split-squad games are played in spring training all the time, so that's what this will be."
USA jumped out to a 2-0 lead after Jayson Nix singled and Andy LaRoche crushed a 3-2 pitch into the left field seats for his third homerun of the tournament.He finished up the day going 1 for 3 with a homerun, 2 RBI's and a walk. Delwyn Young went 0 for 3 with 2 strike outs and one walk.
"The interest appears to depend on a lot of things," Landis (Rowand's agent) said. "The Dodgers are apparently focusing on a veteran club and various ways to spend money. Aaron is a candidate, and so are other people via trade and free agency. It's still in the early process."A veteran club? Could this spell doom for the Dodger youth movement? Is Colletti's penchant for a veteran presence fostered within the chilly confines of the San Francisco bay finally rearing it's ugly head within Dodgerland? Have we given up on some of our more promising potential stars?
This is one of the rarest of all Baseball relics. Not even the Baseball Hall of Fame has an example in their collection. REA has unearthed a 1865 silver trophy ball for their upcoming auction. It's a"presentation silver trophy ball awarded by the Ulster County Agricultural Society to the Mutual B. B. C. in honor of their victory over the Active B. B. C. on September 21, 1865. In the 1860s, the ultimate prize that could be won by a team for being victorious in an organized baseball tournament was a “silver ball.” The coveted “silver ball” was the earliest formal baseball trophy, presented to honor the tournament champions. This is the first important silver trophy ball that has ever come to auction."Also, the Mutual Base Ball Club was owned by the Tammany Hall politician “Boss” Tweed, and the team was involved in Baseballs first gambling scandal. In fact, the gambling scandal happened one week after the tournament for this ball .
The Mutuals were one of the best clubs of the era, but they had a history of “suspicious” losses, and it was openly known within the gambling community that many of their players could be “bought.” Incredibly, just one week after its game with the Actives in Kingston, the Mutuals were involved in what is recognized as baseball’s first major gambling scandal. On September 28, 1865, the Mutuals lost a game to the Brooklyn Eckfords by a score of 23-11. Following that loss it was discovered that three Mutual players, Thomas Devyr (shortstop), William Wansley (catcher), and Edward Duffy (third baseman), each accepted $100 to throw the game. After admitting their involvement in the conspiracy, all three were expelled from baseball shortly after. Incredibly, the trio was eventually reinstated a few years later: Devyr in 1867‚ Duff in 1869‚ and Wansley in 1870.What an incredible item. I can't help but think that this ball belongs in a museum.
This is a simply phenomenal relic dating from the earliest days of our national pastime, just months after the Civil War had ended and the great popularity of the game was just beginning to spread throughout the land. The fact that it was awarded to the Mutuals, one of baseballs most historically significant and notorious clubs, just one week prior to their gambling scandal, and was also personally presented to the infamous Boss Tweed, only adds to its great historical significance.Story Link: REA Blog:
Where is #762? It's out there somewhere. Is it sitting in a mitt ready to be thrown from one glove to another, or has the owner kept it in a safe place as a memento? After all, it's not everyday you catch a homerun. The ball Bonds hit off Ubaldo Jimenez landed in the left field seats at Coors Field, but it's still unclear what happened to it.
Man-O-Live! Someone out there is holding a fortune.
News from out of the Blue. Barry has just been indicted for perjury and obstruction.He is also charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids.
Ya know, my problem with all of this is that I can't help but gloat. Does that make me a bad person?
"Rodriguez -- minus agent Scott Boras -- initiated talks that, according to a baseball source, will return Rodriguez to the Yankees under a 10-year, $275-million contract."The big negative is that this may cause the value of Cabrera to increase to heights unacceptable to the Dodgers. Heck, i consider many of the names already thrown around unacceptable to this Dodger fan.
Well this may ruin Spring Training plans for a bunch of people. Signs also point to the Padres and Dodgers playing exhibition games in Beijing, China, on March 15-16, 2008...The delay in making that announcement has nothing to do at this point with MLB, DuPuy said, since the Padres, Dodgers and players union are all in agreement about going.It's not yet official, but if your planning on heading out to Dodgertown I'd wait to find out if the team decides to cut their Florida spring short. They could still just send a split squad to China and keep everyone else in Florida.
Colby Rasmus walked to lead off the (5th) inning and Nix followed with a single. Rasmus and Nix then pulled off a double steal of second and third and Andy LaRoche ripped the next pitch into the right-center gap scoring both base runners. Two batters later Longoria ripped a single to left scoring LaRoche and giving the U.S. a 6-3 advantage.Delwyn Young hit 2 doubles, going 2 for 4 for the day, and scored 2 runs with 1 RBI. Young has been just as impressive this winter as LaRoche. The Road to Beijing Blog adds,
"Delwyn Young is just plain fun to watch. Whether it's the 3-run bomb, the facial-Jim-Edmonds-esque catch in left, the wide open jersey a la David Wells, or the, what has to be 74 in. bat he swings at the plate, you get your money's worth."I hope these 2 kids get a chance to prove themselves with the Dodgers.
What's great about this bat is it's provenance. First, the barrel of the bat (see below) has the following inscription, "this bat was used in the campaign of the 1888 Chicago B.C. (Baseball Club) By Our Beloved Adrian C. Cap Anson." Second, the bat also has a piece of paper on the barrel that dates to the late 19th Century. Finally, the bat comes with a 1907 Sporting Life article explaining how the bat left Cap Anson's home. The article recounts the story of how Pittsburgh catcher Harry Peitz aka Henry aka Heinie Peitz, who enjoyed a 16 year major league career, was at the time of his meeting with Anson a member of the Pirates circa 1906. Peitz actually obtained this game bat while visiting Anson at his home. The Hall of Fame 3,000 Hit Club member encouraged Peitz to visit his home by stating "come out to my house this evening and I will show you something to make your eyes water". Who among us could possibly decline.
Anson took him down to his cellar and Peitz was allowed to see hundreds of vintage hickory game used bats hanging in racks. Anson encouraged Peitz to take his pick as a momento and Heinie wisely chose the game used specimen presented in this lot.
Currently the auction is at $66,500.00, but I would expect it to go for much higher than that.
Team USA clinches a quarterfinal spot as they defeat South Africa, 4 to 2, to extend their winning streak to 3 games. Dodger rookie, Andy LaRoche, continues to whack the ball. He went 3 for 3 with 1 run and 3 RBI's. Delwyn Young went 0 for 3 in today's win.
One of the things always on the mind of any Baseball collector is the first Baseball card. What was the first card? Of course, many collectors will argue about what constitutes a Baseball card. Must they be insert in tobacco or gum packs? How about CDV's (which are basically mounted photographs)? Does an individual player need to be prominently displayed, or is a general Baseball scene acceptable? Who knows, and frankly I don't care. What I do like is the history an old Baseball relic will show and how it can help us appreciate and understand the game we love.is not an invitation... but a ticket, costing a dollar and, given its enamel-coated card stock and its original, commissioned imagery, intended to be saved as a memento,as Baseball historian John Thorn points out. Thorn dates the above card at 1844. Check out the rest of his blog entry to find out more about this incredible item.
After a surprising loss to Italy on Friday, Team USA decided to get back on track by beating Japan and routing Spain over the weekend. On top of that, there was plenty of Dodger news in these games.Duensing (the Team USA pitcher) was helped by a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch from Young, who crashed face-first into the wall and managed to hold onto the ball and double up Kenji Yokoyama at first, saving at least one run.Andy LaRoche earned 2 walks and scored twice. Our star closer, Takashi Saito, came in to provide some relief for Japan as Team USA pelted the Japanese starting pitcher. He faced just 2 batters, getting them both out to end the second inning.
of the nine runs Team USA has yielded in the first five games seven have been unearned.Again, watch the games right here.
Russell Martin wins another award. This time it is the Silver Slugger Award.Of special note: Former Dodger manager and current Team USA manager, Davey Johnson, was placed on the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee ballot.
(Justin) Ruggiano has come to play. Not sure if you could fill a stat sheet any more than he did today: 2-2 with a HR, RBI, SB, R and 2 BB.Story Link: USA Baseball Game Notes:
After years of pleading, game after game, Vin Scully finally gets his way. As you all know, Vin Scully has been extremely vocal about having coaches wear helmets while along the 1st or 3rd base lines. We now find out that it will now be required by the Dodgers. Larry Bowa commented on the news today that base coaches will now be wearing helmets in response to the awful death of the Rockies minor league coach earlier this season. Larry said he was fine with doing this, as long as it doesn't have the earflaps that would impede their vision rather than help them.Pic Link: Sports Collectibles Store:
Team USA easily handled the Panamanian team as they routed the Central American foe 7 to 0. Andy LaRoche did much of the damage as he finished up going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI's.In the first, with two outs, Andy LaRoche singled, Delwyn Young walked and Evan Longoria ripped a single to center scoring LaRoche. In the second Tyler Colvin led off with a double then after two quick outs centerfielder Colby Rasmus knocked in Colvin with a single to center, Jayson Nix was hit by a pitch and LaRoche ripped a double to right scoring Rasmus and Nix to make it 4-0 USA. The score remained the same until the bottom of the sixth when after singles by shortstop Michael Hollimon and second baseman Jayson Nix, Andy LaRoche once again provided the power by doubling off the centerfield wall, scoring both runners and making it 6-0.Delwyn Young went 0 for 2 with one walk. Tomorrow, Team USA faces off against undefeated Italy.
Year after year the Dodgers always seem to have a couple of arms in Spring Training that are hoping to earn one last chance at the big leagues. In the past we saw Victor Alvarez and Jose Lima make the team in this manner. In 2008 former Dodger Chan Ho Park hopes to do it too. He has signed a contract to play for the Dodgers and will be showing up this Spring. No doubt it is a tryout with no strings attached. ``Dodgers Town is the spring camp venue where I first started my Major League dreams,'' Park said. ``The terms of the contract are similar to a rookie on the start, but the important thing is that I will be able to play for a team that I always missed.''Maybe he might be able to regain a little bit of his old form and become a serviceable addition to our relief corps.
It bears further watching whether Park, who always pitched better in the pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium, can convince new manager Joe Torre that he is worthy of a spot on the Major League roster.
At best, Park could be an insurance player for the Dodgers should starters Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf fail to return strong from injuries.
I've never been much of a jersey collector, but I sure would love to be able to put on the jersey above. Grey Flannel has a 900 lot auction currently ongoing that is set to close in early December. Amidst all of the memorabilia you could imagine is a large collection of vintage game-used Dodger jerseys; including the 1951 Jackie Robinson shown above. “This Dodger jersey, worn by one of the greatest athletes of all time, much less a stellar ball player, bears the script Dodgers brand, which with the New York Yankees is the greatest brand in sports,” company CEO Russek said in a news release. “Figure in the Dodger blue 42 worn by one of the most overall exciting players to wear a uniform and collectors have one of the most cherished pieces that could come to the auction block.”By my count there are 19 different Dodger jersey lots; including one lot that includes only Dodger pants. It's incredible the things people collect. Available are Dodger heroes such as Claude O'Steen, Jay Johnstone, Pedro Guerrero, Orel Hershiser, Dusty Baker and Don Sutton. Current stars include Jeff Kent, Saito and Russell Martin.
In a celebrated incident on the first day of spring training, Gibson grew enraged when clubhouse prankster Jesse Orosco smeared the sweatband of his cap with eye black, his reaction setting the tone for the professionalism and competitiveness that would fuel the Los Angeles' pennant drive.They didn't just win the pennant that year. They became World Champions. I wonder if Jesse was wearing this uniform when Gibson went into his tirade.
One of the more unique items in the auction is the below turnstile from Dodger Stadium. Imagine coming home every night and seeing this. Every day could be like going to Dodger Stadium. 
All five California Baseball teams have gotten together to help raise money for Southern California's fire victims. The auction runs through November 25 and can be found here, at MLB.com auction website.
No. This can't be real. One afternoon, several weeks back, I was checking out my favorite collector forum- Net 54 Vintage Baseball Card Forum. Some of the most informed collectors and dealers in the country frequent this site.“I just inherited approx. 1,200 t206 cards and 157 colgan “tin tops.” The cards are from about 1900-1910 and there are around 15 different cig. companies. I don’t know where to start!”As you can imagine many folks were skeptical. How many times have we heard about a great find- especially a T206 Honus Wagner find- that turn out to be fakes or elaborate scams.
It turned out that Skydash lives in upstate South Carolina, as does one of the veteran board members, Brian Weisner. Between the help from Weisner and numerous other board members, the gradual postings slowly uncovered the inevitable – some of the rarest, high-grade E270 Colgan’s Chips Tin Tops in existence...From my understanding, there is only one other Thorpe in existence, and it resides in the personal collection of Larry Fritsch, a legendary veteran card collector and dealer. (Update: I recently read that there are actually 3 known Thorpe's and now there are 4. This Thorpe is by far the best condition tin top in the hobby.)
The excitement reached epic proportions when he posted some blurry images, one which appeared to be the one of the rarest cards in the entire set. (See the Jim Thorpe above)
“THORPE TIN TOP!!!” one board member typed.
“Sure looks like Thorpe!” was the post made by another member. By now, the major auction houses began to take notice of what was going on...
His wife’s grandfather, who originally owned the cards and was a collector, passed away in 1964.Man-O-Live! A Babe Ruth game used uniform?
“When he died, my father-in-law and mother-in-law drove to the funeral and arrived a day early,” said Skydash55. “When he passed, he had four boxes. Two of the boxes contained the baseball cards and Tin Tops. The other two boxes contained memorabilia – uniforms and signed baseballs, including a Babe Ruth game-worn, signed jersey.
“But, when my father-in-law arrived at the house, he was going through his things and asked where his baseball cards were. They told him they were thrown away, that they were just trash. So he literally went to the trash dump and dug those things out, but he only found the cards. He didn’t find the uniforms.”
This coming Spring will be the Dodgers last in Vero Beach, Florida. As you can imagine, as a result, Dodger fans are expected to come out in droves in hopes of experiencing Dodgertown one last time. Unfortunately, fans may start turning Blue. The Dodger exhibition schedule in Florida may be shorter than desired.The Los Angeles Dodgers' scheduled final spring training at Dodgertown may be cut in half...What a shame. Dodgertown's last hurrah may end up being nothing more than a whimper. I was hoping to get out there one last time, but now it looks like my plans may be foiled.
The 2008 Spring Training season will be the Dodgers 61st in Vero Beach. The team is scheduled to move to a new spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz., in 2009, however, the completion date for construction on that new facility has not been finalized. If it is not done in time for 2009, one option the Dodgers would have is to remain in Vero Beach.2008 may not be the last Spring at Vero Beach.
Russell Martin tops off the 2007 season with his first Gold Glove award. He led all Major League catchers with 145 games caught, posted a 3.95 catcher's ERA -- good for fourth-best in the league. He threw out 30 percent of potential opposing base stealers and picked two runners off base. He was charged with 14 errors and five passed balls.Story Link: LA Dodgers:
The Dodger rookie prospect is on a tear and folks are taking notice. This guy can just plain hit. Young, who is batting a Team USA-best .529, helped the national squad improve to 3-2 entering Thursday's fall finale against the Peoria Saguaros at Scottsdale Stadium. Team USA will then fly to Taiwan on Thursday night to prepare for the IABF World Cup, which begins Nov. 6.Andy LaRoche is also playing for Team USA.
Aren't you glad you don't have deal with a shifty owner? That Steinbrenner sure was a pain in the ass, eh. Oh wait, we have the McCourt's.
You won't believe this. In the Topps 2007 Update boxes they have created a short printed insert card for a squirrel. Yes, a squirrel! Not any squirrel, mind you, but the famous squirrel Poley Walnuts.
eBay Auction Link:
