Upper Deck Hates the Dodgers

Who knew that Baseball cards could be filled with such wanton hate. To align the power and mysticism of the "Great Dodger in the Sky" with such blasphemy is worthy of derision. Tommy Lasorda would put a hex on them. That grand "Baseball Wizard" would curse at you like he did to those pesky reporters after Reggie's 3 bombs in the World Series. To see that a child's pastime could be emblazoned with the sign of Satan has me worried for the future of us all. Of course, maybe I'm overreacting.

The post by the Garvey Cey Russell Lopes blog had me saying to myself, "that's pretty hilarious." Not that I like Satan or anything, but you gotta admit it's pretty funny.

From 1989 to 1993 Upper Deck routinely put a Dodger player on card number 666. Yhea, that's right. Upper Deck thinks the Dodgers are the devil. Check out the Garvey Cey Russell Lopes blog for more; including pics of the other cards.

Tommy Defends Piazza

As some of you know Mike Piazza has been fingered as a steroid user in an upcoming book by Jeff Pearlman. When I first heard of the book my initial reaction was, "I wouldn't be surprised." After all, it seems like many of the superstars from the 90's have been stained by pharmaceutical enhancements. Those superstars who haven't seem to be shrinking in size day by day. So, the allegation of a juiced up Piazza is something I've been expecting to hear for a long time.

Still, I hope it isn't true. Piazza was one of my favorite players and his homeruns were like exploding fireworks with a blueish hue in the deep dark sky.

Coming to his defense, expectedly, is uncle Tommy.

"I don't believe that at all," said Lasorda, the longtime Dodgers manager . "He worked so hard. I saw him in the weight room working out all the time. Whatever (is in the book) is hearsay. I just don't believe it. He comes from a family that's full of good people.

"I wouldn't comment on it if I didn't feel strongly about it. He has too much to lose. And he's such a nice young man. He goes to church, he's got a nice family. I know him. I know what kind of man he is and I just don't believe it."

Unfortunately, my better judgment tells me otherwise.

Blog Kiosk 3/29/2009

Opening Day is on the way.

• More Goose Joak originals from Garvey Cey Russell Lopes blog. This time it's of Dodger catchers. Check the rest of them out here. Go here to see the entire complete set.
• Diamond tells us that the Inland Empire 66ers will be having their own Manny Ramirez bobblehead night on July 17th a few days before the Dodgers have theirs. Apparently, it will be exactly the same as the one being given out at Dodger Stadium, but will be sponsored by a different company.
  
• FanGraphs ranks the Dodgers.
• Must watch the Dodger Dugout podcast featuring the Tivens brothers more regularly.
  
• A Babe Ruth rookie card, 1914 Baltimore News with him playing for the Baltimore Baseball team of the International League, is for sale through Memory Lane Auctions. It's already up to $114,000.00. Only 12 examples are known to exist.
• As some of you know, John Wooden is recovering from a serious illness. Unfortunately, this has caused the request for his autograph to increase greatly. He has always been a very willing and accommodating signer, but his recovery and increasingly debilitating arthritis make it impossible to continue his kindness. Please stop sending him request to sign anything- he just can't do it anymore. The man is 98 years old for goodness sakes.

  ``We hope everyone understands and respects our request,'' Muehlhausen said. (Wooden's daughter)``It is painful for Dad to sign items and he needs to continue to rest and regain his strength after his stay in the hospital.''

• Keith Olbermann, an uber Baseball collector and hardcore fan, is now blogging about Baseball. It is called the "Baseball Nerd." Hopefully he shares some of his collection. He is known to have one of the finest Baseball card collections out there.
• The Big Lebowski original card theme is catching steam. Check out the Achiever Card Blog as he collects even more submissions from all over the web.
• AZ PBS tour of Camelback Ranch.

YouTube Link: AZPBS:
Hat Tip:Vinny Is My Homeboy:

eBay: Snapshots, Trophies and Bobbleheads

More eBay wonders featuring the glory of the Dodgers.

Original fan photographs from the 50's are rare and becoming more collected. There is no better way to capture the charm of the game than to view it from the perspective of the fan. Below is a June 22, 1955 snapshot of Ebbets Field.

eBay Auction Link: Ebbetts Field Snapshot:

Here is a fan snapshot of Joe Black at Vero Beach, March 2, 1953. Notice the background. I'm pretty sure these are the old barracks that players stayed in at Dodgertown.

eBay Auction Link: Joe Black Snapshot in Vero Beach:

Charlie Dressen managed the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1951 to 1953. In fact he was in the dugout when the Giants staged their improbable comeback in 1951 that was capped off by the now infamous "Shot Heard 'Round the World." Below is a holiday photo card featuring Mr. & Mrs. Chuck and Ruth Dressen with a ring of flowers. It measures 5 x 7 inches and is on thick cardboard stock.

eBay Auction Link: Dressen Holiday Card:

I know I'm gonna regret posting up this auction because I do not like to highlight items of questionable authenticity. Needless to say, this is not Jackie Robinson's actual MVP trophy from 1949. The real one sits comfortably on the mantle of Mrs. Rachel Robinson's home. Nevertheless, this is a pretty nice looking copy of the real thing. At it's current price on eBay of $510.00 I think it's already a bit rich though.

eBay Auction Link: Jackie Robinson MVP Trophy:

The 1960's was a great decade for bobbleheads. They had just come into existence and were showing up in souvenir stands everywhere. Some of the rarest bobbleheads from the era include this "Crybaby" Dodger from the "Weirdo Series." Go here for a little more info. It measures 7 inches tall a features a crying Dodger. On the base of the bobblehead are the words, "the kids back home usta give me four strikes!" At the time of this post it was already priced at $230.27.

eBay Link: Screaming Dodger Bobblehead:

Lima to Long Beach

Jose Lima will be playing for the Long Beach Armada this season. WooHoo!

"I'm excited to have Jose Lima pitching for us this year," said Long Beach Armada Manager Garry Templeton. "His experience, skill, and leadership will be a great benefit to us. I'm glad that we have the opportunity to showcase his skills and give him the chance to rejoin a major league club."
...
"It will be a lot of fun for our fans to experience the passion and joy that Jose brings to the game," said Long Beach Armada General Manager Tony Soares. "We will definitely have special promotions and fan activities on the nights he pitches and give the Armada faithful lots of "Lima Time!"

Lima Time!!!!

Hat Tip: LA Times:

Hunt's: Great Memorabilia

This is my final installment of interesting and noteworthy items from Hunt's early March auction. Go here, here and here for my past blog stories.

Here is a little bit of folk art from the personal collection of former major leaguer Fred Haney. Some of you may remember him as the radio play by play announcer for the Hollywood Stars. He has taken 20 bats and 11 baseballs and made a very sturdy bench. The black bats are commemorative Louisville Slugger championship bats and the others are player model bats. There are even signatures of Haney, Joe McCarthy and Roger Peckinpaugh on the baseballs. It sold for $6,000.00.

Auction Link: Baseball Bat Bench:

Below are a couple of uncut sheets of probably the most attractive cards ever produced in the 80's. These are Perez-Steele postcards series 1 to 6 in uncut form. They were very popular and difficult to find during the collecting heydays of the 80's. Autograph collectors cherished this set since these postcards were a perfect backdrop for an athletes John Hancock. They could only be obtained through a subscription service and are limited in number. Another interesting thing about this particular item is that it comes directly from the collection of Frank Steele- the artist. It sold for $1,100.00.

Auction Link: Perez-Steele Collections Uncut Sheet:

Below is a photo you've probably never seen of a player wearing Baseball garb you probably never thought he put on. This is a rare St. Mary's Industrial School Baseball team photograph from 1910-1912 that features a teenage Babe Ruth (center top row) in catchers gear. It is actually a press photo that was glued onto cardboard backing and printed most likely in 1920 as a file pic to use for later stories. By that year Ruth was a member of the Red Sox and was gaining a great deal of popularity. It sold for $3,100.00.

Auction Link: Ruth St. Mary's School Team Photo:

This is for the closeted Angels fans in the audience. Here is the first 2002 World Series Angels Championship ring I've seen for auction.

Dazzling design elements include a large iconic "A" inlaid with rubies and adorned with a halo amidst a background of dozens of small diamonds on the face. The words "World Champions" appear at the top and bottom of the bezel. The left shank features the recipients name "Espino" and year "2002" above a World Series logo in relief and the Angles season record "99-63". The opposite shank features the proclamation "Angels 1st Championship" above a rendering of a World Series trophy set inside Edison Field.

It sold for $10,500.00. Click the photo to enlarge it. Anyone know who Espino is?

Auction Link: 2002 Angels World Series Ring:

Blog Kiosk 3/22/2009

Baseball couldn't come soon enough.

• Here is a great story in Baseball Digest recounting the "water world" experience between the Dodgers and Giants during the 1962 season.

  During the 1962 season, Maury Wills was wreaking havoc on opposing teams while setting a (then) major league record of 104 stolen bases. However, in that three game stretch in San Francisco Wills failed to tally a single one. During the series the Dodgers claimed the Giants were watering down the basepaths in efforts to neutralize the advantage of the stolen base speedster that was Wills.

• O'Malley talks about his love of Vero Beach.
  

  While it might’ve been good business to move the Dodgers’ camp to Arizona, only a five-hour drive from their Southern California fan base, O’Malley said he would’ve found a way to keep the team at Dodgertown.

  “Would have,” he said. “Not could have. Would have.

  “I would have found another way to generate the revenue they’re generating in Arizona.”

• Love those Big Lebowski cards. From Punk Rock Paint. Here is Cardboard Junkies and Achiever Card Blog 1, 2, 3, contributions.
  
• Mario recounts some childhood memories as he morns an old friend. Mario's blog, Wax Heaven, is unquestionably the best card collector blog on the net.
  
• Are you a Mantle collector? Then check out Sports Collectors Digest series on Mickey Mantle and the collectibles that surround him.
  
• I hate to hit a guy while he's down, but this one is too easy. Besides, I love making fun of a Yankee. Wax Heaven shares a homemade ARod Baseball card.
• Here a video of Dolphins at Sea World tripping out over a robotic toy dinosaur. Fast forward to 1:46.
  

YouTube Link: sirensgrotto:

Cricket? Really?!

Manny Being Manny: Cricket Edition from Big League Stew on Vimeo.

It's a bit disconcerting that Manny would be doing this, especially considering his hammy issues. Nevertheless, this is fun to watch. Check out Big League Stew for more.

Ramirez, the best right-handed hitter of his generation, swung through a couple of the tosses, but connected on a few more. After one long drive to what would have been center field, Ramirez tossed aside the cricket bat and started his trot, only to be sternly reminded that cricket players must run at all times with the bat in their hands.

"But no running today," one of his handlers quickly reminded.

In the end, I'm sure that Manny is going to draw a lot of criticism for coming out to play cricket for cash when he's not yet healthy enough to play left field at Chavez Ravine. It's definitely warranted, though the whole exercise didn't look overly strenuous.

Also, look at it this way: Maybe now a few cricket teams will actually be able to create a real bidding war once Scott Boras has Manny opt out of his contract after this season.

Hunt: More Dodger Items

Here is my third installment of auction items from Hunt's recently closed March offering. Check my recent stories featuring collectibles from the estates of Negro Leaguer J. Leonard Mitchell and former Brooklyn Dodger Van Lingle Mungo.

I thought I would start out with this fun press photo (circa 1950's) of Roy Campanella and Duke Snider straddling a bunch of bats. It sold for $225.00.

Auction Link: Campanella/ Snider Photo:

Some of you may know that Brooklyn also hosted a professional football team known as the Brooklyn Dodgers. How original, eh! There were actually 2 different Brooklyn Dodgers football franchises, so I'm not sure which one this belongs to. My guess is that it's the old NFL team that played in Brooklyn from 1930 to 1943. This coat sold for $1,300.00.

Auction Link: Dodgers Football Overcoat:

There were numerous game used Dodger jerseys available in this auction, from Gary Sheffield and Manny Mota to Claude Osteen and Steve Bilko. Below is a game used 1992 Dodger jersey of Orel Hershiser. What I found notable about this jersey are some of the patches. It includes a commemorative patch for Roy Campanella and Don Drysdale who died in 1993 and a special patch for pitcher Tim Crews (#52) who died the same year. It sold for $1,200.00.

Auction Link: 1992 Hershiser Game Used Jersey:

Here is a 1963 World Series banner featuring the Dodgers against the hated Yankees. "Mangle Mantle! Murder Maris! Whack Whitey! Klonk Kubek! Bop Berra!" It sold for $225.00.

Auction Link: 1963 WS Banner:

Campanella game-used bats are the rarest of Hall of Fame bats from the era. This bat is stamped World Series 1952 and has evident game use attributes.

The bat exhibits evident use including ball marks, cleat marks, rack marks, and general surface wear. Model #G80 is stamped on the knob end... This bat has never before been offered publicly and originates from the family of a gentleman whose godmother was a family friend and neighbor of the Campanella's when they lived in Hollis Queens. According to family history, the bat was received from the Campanella's in the mid 1950's and reportedly hung over a bar in Campy's home.

It sold for $23,000.00.

Auction Link: Campanella Game Used WS Bat:

Hunt: Van Lingle Mungo

I've been a bit negligent in my posting recently of some of the bigger and better auctions in the market place. So, I hope to make up for that over the next several days.

A week or so ago I wrote about the collection of mostly Negro League items in Hunt's March Auction, but there was much more to that auction then the items from Mr. J. Leonard Mitchell's estate. In fact, the estate of former Brooklyn Dodger Van Lingle Mungo (The greatest Baseball name ever!) was featured in the auction as well. Check out some of his items below.

The Dodger have always been a family and the letter below certainly supports that. Dodgers General Manager, Larry MacPhail, offers the Dodgers support to Mrs. Mungo regarding Van Lingle's excessive drinking. It is signed by MacPhail and states pointedly, "Your problem and our problem is identical. If any of us quit on him, he won't make the grade." This letter sold for $550.00.

Auction Link: Letter between MacPhail and Mrs. Mungo:

This is one of the nicest items in this collection. Here is a circa 1931 team issued Brooklyn Robins belt buckle given to Mungo his rookie season.

(It) Features various design elements including his raised initials "VLM", enameled Robins bird logo, and decorative figural baseball in relief bearing his number "33" surrounded by the words "Base Ball Club" set in enameling.

It sold for a very affordable $325.00.

Auction Link: Mungo's Brooklyn Belt Buckle:

Here is a group of World Series ticket stubs for 1947, 1949 and 1950. No doubt that his wife or other family members used these tickets to root for the "Boys in Blue." The lot of 9 tickets sold for $800.00.

Auction Link: Mungo's WS Ticket Stubs:

Blog Kiosk 3/15/2009

Go Dodgers Go!

• Here is a great write-up on Camelback Ranch by Charles Fountain of Boston.com who calls the facility the new standard for Spring Training complexes.
• Check out this awesome new McFarlane action figurine of Russell Martin. Hat Tip: Vin Scully is My Homeboy:
• Check out the souvenir AL Championship ring the Rays will be handing out to fans in April.
• RIP John Odom. Some of you may recall John Odom. He was the young minor leaguer who was traded for 10 Prairie Sticks maple baseball bats last year. Unfortunately, John Odom has been found dead of an accidental drug overdose.
• Former Dodger GM Paul DePodesta writes a helpful guide about Pre-Arbitration Players.
• A comic book featuring Superman for the first time, Action Comics #1, recently sold at auction for $317,200.00. It sold at ComicConnect.
• LABaseballTV walks around Camelback ranch.

YouTube Video Link:labaseballtv:

• Narz interviews Sy Berger, the father of modern day Baseball cards.

YouTube Link: ripparty:

Chasing the Dream

With the Baseball season fast approaching open tryouts become more frequent. Last week the Dodgers held their open tryout in Arizona. Now, the Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League is holding open tryouts later this month.

The Long Beach Armada has announced a date for the team's open tryout. The tryout will be held on March 28 at Irvine High School for a chance to be invited to the Armada's 2009 training camp in May.

The Armada is preparing for its 5th season of professional baseball in Long Beach, and new manager Garry Templeton is looking for talented players to help the club return to the playoffs.

"I want to find the best players at the tryout and bring them to our camp," Templeton said. "You find good players that show up and guys that have been released [from affiliated clubs] and are looking to catch on with us, so there's talent out there."

Players interested in trying out are encouraged to register early with the Armada by calling the team office at (562) 427-4487. Early registration is $60, and walk-up registration is $75. Registration and check-in will be from 8am-9am on Saturday, March 28 with tryouts beginning at 9am. The address for Irvine High School is 4321 Walnut Ave, Irvine, CA 92604. Participants should be at least 19 years old.

Manny Billboard

I was just sent this a moment ago, so I thought I'd share it with all of you. Here is a video of a Manny Ramirez billboard going up. Mannymania is about to begin anew.

YouTube Link:

News For the Collector

There has been some significant news lately that concern collectors.

• Mastro Auctions who, reportedly, have been under a federal investigation has been sold outright to a newly formed company called "Legendary Auctions." Former owner Bill Mastro will not be involved in this new venture. In fact, this move may be a precursor to some potentially damaging news for him.

  "Circumstances make it clear to me that the business needs to move in a different direction at this time and Legendary Auctions is a positive step that allows everyone to be taken care of, especially our customers who have been so loyal," said Mastro. "I am looking forward to taking some time off for now, and wish Legendary Auctions only the best as they move forward."

  As you may know, Mastro was being investigated for "shill" bidding and other unsavory auction tactics.
• Panini, the maker of sports sticker albums, not only gets and exclusive license to produce NBA cards, but buys American card manufacturer Donruss as well.
• 3D cards? Really? Topps will be producing some 3D Baseball cards. Hat Tip SCD:
  

Must Download Now!

There is no reason you shouldn't go to the SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) website and download The Emerald Guide to Baseball 2009 edition. It is free and was put together by the most thorough group of Baseball fanatics in the world.

The Emerald Guide distills the 2008 season down to 586 fact-filled pages that contain the pitching, fielding, and hitting statistics for every player active in the major and minor leagues in 2008.

This guide will be your one-stop shop for data and information about the 2008 season. Think of it as a modern version of the old Sporting News Baseball Guides.

Blog Kiosk 3/8/2009

Better Late Than Never

• Garvey Cey Russell Lopes shares a couple more Goose Joak originals of Matt Kemp.
• Check out this new Dodger blog called "Baseball and the Blues."
  
• If you haven't read this already then you need to check this out. "How Manny's Deal Finally Got Done."
  
• Spring Training '09 features the 45 worst contracts in Baseball that includes 2 Dodgers. No surprises here. Jason Schmidt and Juan Pierre are featured. Another strange thing to note is that it appears that 2006 was a good year for bad contracts.
  
• Rest In Peace, Curtis "Bingo" Lloyd.
  

  Although there was a lot of love between them, Bingo had a mistress. It was baseball. And with his personal stories about Cool Papa, Ol' Satch and the Dayton Marcos for whom he played, he truly was a treasured timepiece when it came to sports.

  Eight years ago, the Dayton Dragons had him throw out the first pitch. When they asked him if he was ready, he grinned: "I'm like cold potato salad. I'm always ready."

  (Hat Tip: SCD)
  
• Here is a fascinating blog called "The Mind of Maurice Clarett." He was a former Ohio State tailback who now resides in jail.
  
• Robots! Check out more pics here at Boston.com.
• No!

YouTube Link: obie666:
Hat Tip: Battle of California:

They Just Walked Through The Door

Here is another great find that one day just showed up at a Louisville Slugger Museum appraisal fair in November last year.

Delores Knox walked into the Louisville Slugger museum holding a cloth bag full of her father's old photographs. By the time she left, she knew she was holding some of the rarest Negro League memorabilia on earth.

The daughter of former Negro Leaguer J. Leonard Mitchell showed up with her fathers lifetime collection of memorabilia. There were cards, advertising broadsides, photos, tickets, game used equipment and ephemera. Much of the items were Negro League related, but he also had a large collection of vintage entertainment, football, basketball and All American Girls Baseball League photos.

The J. Leonard Mitchell Collection will be made available to collectors on March 7th, as part of Hunt Auctions' live event in King of Prussia, PA. Company president David Hunt says that he rarely comes across anything he hasn't seen before when he's out on the appraisal trail, so it's a special day when such rare items turn up.

"With this group, about 60 to 75 percent of it was unique to me," he says. "Establishing prices was difficult. Bidding gets pretty aggressive because nobody has a set idea of what these things are worth. The market is established right in front of your eyes."

Here are some choice items. Below is a extremely rare advertising broadside featuring the great Satchel Paige. Authentic Negro League broadsides are very difficult to find in any condition.

Auction Link: Satchel Paige Broadside:

This advertising trade card for the Pittsburgh Crawford features Willie "Schoolboy" Rowe and was previously unknown. Mitchell's collection had 3 examples.

Auction Link:School Boy Rowe Trade Card:

Here is a circa 1940's photograph of the Ethiopian Clowns.

Auction Link: Ethiopian Clowns:

Below is a photograph of the 1941 Kansas City Monarchs that includes "should be" Hall of Famer Buck O'Neil.

Auction Link:Pittsburgh Crawfords:

Roy Campanella is featured in this 1942 broadside advertising a couple of games.

Auction Link: Cincinnati Clowns vs. Baltimore Elite Giants w/ Campanella Broadside:

This is one of the nicest items here. Below is a photograph featuring the Homestead Grays that includes Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard.

Auction Link: Homestead Grays Photo:

Game-used equipment from the Negro Leagues is basically non-existent. Here are some cleats and a catcher glove found within Mitchell's belongings and was most likely used in some games.

Auction Link: J. Leonard Mitchell Game-Used Equipment:

Below is a small sample of 80 photographs from the All American Girls Baseball League.

Auction Link: AAGBL Photos:

Hat Tip: SCD:

This Day in Dodger Baseball

The Brooklyn Dodger captain, Pee Wee Reese, was elected by the Veterans Committee into the Hall of Fame on this day 25 years ago.

"... As important as his play on the field was to the Dodgers, his actions off the field may have meant even more. The Ekron, Ky., native helped smooth the path for baseball's integration pioneers when he openly welcomed Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers. Robinson spent his first season in 1947 as a first baseman, then switched to second base the next year -- teaming with Reese for five seasons to create one of baseball's best double-play combinations."

Click here to listen to Pee Wee's Hall of Fame Induction speech.

Here is Pee Wee Reese's official website.

Our Seemingly Long Manny Distraction Is Over

Ramirez and the Dodgers have agreed in principal on a two-year, $45 million contract, pending a physical.

The outfielder, his agents Scott Boras and Mike Fiore, and Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti met in Los Angeles (this morning) to finalize the deal.

Have we just clinched a playoff spot? Who else in the West can come close to competing against us?

MEARS: 1960's Dodger Pins

I've been a fairly active collector of Dodger pins for quite sometime. So, I like to think that I've, at least, seen most modern day issues. Imagine my surprise when I saw this group of circa 1960's player pins at the recent MEARS Auction.

These pins measure 3 1/2 inches in diameter, have a red background with a black & white player photo surrounded by a white border near the top of the pin. On the bottom the players name is in bold white letters. All of these pins retain their original cardboard backs. I have 2 other very similar pins of Sandy Koufax and Maury Wills, but they have color photos instead of black & white pictures.

Auction Link: Drysdale 1960's Pin:

Auction Link: Don Sutton 1960's Pin:

Auction Link: Jim Lefebvre 1960's Pin:

Auction Link: Willie Davis 1960's Pin:

Auction Link: Wes Parker 1960's Pin:

Thank You Nomar- For The Memories

I've been a big fan of Nomar's since he put on the Blue, so it's with great sadness that I wish him farewell and good luck. According to True Blue LA he will be signing with the A's.

Below are a couple of video highlights from one of his greatest Dodger moments.

YouTube Link: solbrains:

Here is that walk-off homerun from a different angle.

YouTube Link: dodgerfilms: