Blog Kiosk: 10/27/2011

Nice Dodger pumkin! (Pic via YFrog CraigStem) Be sure to check out the Pumkin Contest hosted by Tommy Lasorda. Details are below.

• The always sticky issue of contributory negligence enters into the Bryan Stow lawsuit, via ESPN.

  "You're saying to the jury, 'They (the Stow family) are saying we're 100 percent liable. But does that mean (Marvin) Norwood and (Louis) Sanchez, who beat this guy up, have no liability? And, does it mean Mr. Stow himself has no liability?' "

• Kuo to have his 5th elbow surgery, via LA Times.
• Those eTopps cards are very nice. Greg shows off his Russell Martin eTopps rookie card here.
• Enter the Tommy Lasorda Pumpkin Carving Contest here. Here is a stencil of Tommy you can use. Heck, Tommy will even provide an autograph to the best Tommy pumkin. More stencils can be found here.
• The awards keep coming for Kemp and Kershaw. They have both been named to the Sporting News National League All-Star teams. Matt Kemp was a unanimous selection. Story here.
• 'Zombie In A Penguin Suit" Just watch the video. You won't regret it.

Video Link:

Daily Conlon: 370 through 378

Here are todays Daily Conlon cards numbered 370 through 378, and it features former Dodger (Superbas) and Baseball umpire Mal Eason (center row, far right). Eason played in the Majors for 6 short years, two of which with the Brooklyn team in 1905 and 1906. By all accounts, he was lucky to have played that long. For Brooklyn he pitched a combined 15-38 with a 3.75 ERA, and lost twice the number of games he won in his entire career. You gotta feel bad for him, though. He played for some horrible teams.

To his credit, he did have one moment of brilliance. On July 20, 1906, against the St. Louis Cardinals, he pitched a no-hitter. He recorded 5 strike outs while allowing only 5 batted balls out of the infield.

After leaving the diamond he would umpire professionally for 13 years. Then, Mal became a cattle rancher in Arizona. A strange fact, he designed his own grave headstone in the shape of a mitt and ball. See it here.