Blog Kiosk 12/27/2009

• Santa Tommy
• Check out the Hall of Fames biography on 1st time HOF ballot ballplayer Eric Karros.
  
• Raul Mondesi, the politician? Are you kidding me?

  "Most of the people, they don't have anything," said Mondesi, who grew up in crushing circumstances just a few miles away. "I know what they need, how they feel."
  
  Asked for specifics, however, and the closest he comes to a campaign pledge is repeating a desire to build a basketball court in every neighborhood.
  
  "The first thing," said Mondesi, who didn't study beyond grade school, "is to try to show the young people how to play sports."

• GCRL makes a custom card of Sandy Koufax using the 1967 Topps design. I too have always wondered why they excluded him from the base set that year.
• John Sickels of Minor League Ball puts together his Preliminary Dodger Prospect list.
  
• Topps signs an exclusive memorabilia deal with Stephen Strasburg.
  
• Christmas trees from around the world.
  
• Oh No! A Volcano is about to erupt in the Philippines. My family does not live near Mt. Mayon, but it's still scary to think about anyway.
• Here is a great interview with collector and appraiser Mike Gutierrez at the Collectors Weekly.
  
• The Hockey Card Shows 12 Days of Christmas.