Blog Kiosk: 12/28/2008

The cold weather has me longing for the days of Summer.

• Josh Rawitch of the Inside the Dodgers blog shares an early sneek peek photo of the new Dodger Spring Training stadium in Arizona.
• I would love to get this card. Topps is producing a 1 of 1 dual autograph card featuring both Jackie Robinson and Barack Obama in its upcoming American Heritage set. (Hat Tip: The Beckett Blog)
  
• Your right Passan, it is embarrassing.

  The United States should win the WBC. Of the 1,188 players who played in a major league game last season, 864 were born in the United States. That’s nearly 73 percent. To have an almost three-quarters monopoly on talent in the best league in the world and not cruise to victory is embarrassing.

• Speaking of embarrassing, Andruw Jones is playing in the Dominican Winter Leagues and he still can't hit. On the positive side he looks more fit. (Hat Tip: 6-4-2)

  Jones is hitting .188 through five games with three singles and eight strikeouts in 16 at-bats. Jones has twice struck out three times in a game and has yet to collect more hits than strikeouts in the same game.

• Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times really dislikes Garvey. So much so, he titles his story "Hitler. Stalin. Garvey." Now that's harsh. (Hat Tip: MSTI)
  
• Wow. Erin at Robots Took My Medicine had a spectacular day at Dodger Stadium recently. She stepped on the mound, slid into second base, got photos with Tommy (Lasorda) Claus and got some autographs. On top of that, there were bobbleheads and other stuff available at discount prices. I'm envious.
  
• The 1983 Fleer Project gets another autographed Dodger card for their collection.
• REA is offering a $1 Million reward if all 9 T206 Joe Doyle, N.Y. Nat'l, error cards (the non-error only says "Doyle, N.Y." on the bottom) graded by PSA are found. They seem pretty confident that PSA's population report is wrong and that this card is much rarer than the hobby thinks.