Yawn... Dodgers to Sign Hairston... Harang Also Appears On Board

Can you hear the collective yawn? So far, the Dodgers have inspired nothing but boredom with their recent signings. Sure, they started off great with the long term deal for Kemp, but finish up lame as it appears their winter shopping list has been completed.

We receive word that the Dodgers have inked Jerry Hairston, Jr. to ride the bench to the tune of $3Mil a year on average for 2 season. Based on @Ken_Rosenthal's report this new contract equates to a healthy raise for Hairston.

(Tweet Link)

In fact, the reported salary breakdown provided by Dylan Hernandez should give you heartburn when compared to his historical salary. These next two years will be the most he has ever made in the pro's. Check out the salary information below from Baseball Reference.I can't blame a man for asking too much, but can certainly blame a GM for overpaying. It's an underwhelming signing with an overwhelming price tag.

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In another rumor, the Dodgers are said to be close to landing Aaron Harang on a two year $12Mil dollar deal, via @Ken_Rosenthal. He figures on being a bottom of the rotation pitcher and would officially close the books on any chance Hiroki Kuroda stays in Los Angeles.

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Does anyone know the Grateful Dead song "I Need A Miracle?" Well, the Dodgers are gonna need one to make the playoffs in 2012.

I need a woman 'bout twice my age
A lady of nobility, gentility and rage
Splendor in the dark, lightning on the draw
We'll go right through the book and break each and every law.

I got a feeling and it won't go away, oh no
Just one thing then I'll be ok
I need a miracle every day....

Yes... we'll need a miracle every day...

Blog Kiosk: 12/5/2011

All I want for Christmas is a new Dodgers owner. Please make it so!

• Tom Owens hears from Dodgers bullpen catcher Mark Cresse. Check it out.

  "I promised Jesse Orosco that if we were ever ahead by 15 runs in a game, he could bring his stereo down to the bullpen. Sure enough, it happened and here came his giant stereo playing the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction."

• Check out some pics from Tommy Lasorda's speaking engagement at Davidson College in North Carolina on Nov. 30th, here.
  
• Clayton Kershaw speaks about his Cy Young season with ESPN's Molly Knight.
  
• Gil Hodges Brooklyn Dodger Teammates Makes Last Minute Pitch for Hall of Fame, via Nick Diunte at Examiner.com. Unfortunately, it was all for naught.
  
• Manny, you crazy! Manny Ramirez wants to return to Baseball, via Steve Dilbeck of LA Times. He has applied for reinstatement.
• Belisario trying to return to Dodgers, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
  
• Say hello to 3 new sons at Sons of Steve Garvey.
  
• I don't think a Clayton Kershaw longterm deal is coming right away, but at least they are talking, via a tweet from Buster Olney.
• Sports Pickle has Novembers funniest sports photos.
• The second annual snowman prank.

Video Link:

Ron Santo Gets the Call From the Hall

This was long overdue. Chicago Cubs third baseman and their former WGN radio broadcaster Ron Santo was the only player to get the nod from the Golden Era Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame.From the Hall of Fame website:

Santo was the lone candidate to garner the necessary 75% of votes cast by the 16-member Golden Era Committee, which considered a ballot of eight former players and two executives whose contributions to the game were most significant from 1947-1972. The Golden Era Committee held meetings on Sunday in Dallas, site of the baseball winter meetings.

Santo becomes the 12th major league third baseman to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the first elected at the position since Wade Boggs in 2005. Including three selections from the Negro leagues, there are now 15 third basemen in the Hall of Fame. In 15 major league seasons, Santo compiled a .277 lifetime batting average, with 2,254 hits in 2,243 games, while totaling 1,331 runs batted in and 365 doubles.

Here are the total results from the voting:

Ron Santo (15 votes, 93.75%)
Jim Kaat (10 votes, 62.5%)
Gil Hodges (9 votes, 56.25%)
Minnie Minoso (9 votes, 56.25%)
Tony Oliva (8 votes, 50%)
Buzzie Bavasi, Ken Boyer, Charlie Finley, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant each received less than three votes.

I was obviously pulling for longtime Dodgers Gil Hodges and GM Buzzie Bavasi. In fact, the lack of support for Bavasi really surprises me. I had thought his record, not only as GM for the Dodgers from 1951 to 1968, but also expanding Baseball to San Diego would be more than enough to put him over the edge. Obviously, I was wrong.

CCA: The Tommy John Collection

Collectible Classics Auctions currently has a bunch of items from the collection of Tommy John. Below are some of the notables.

This is Tommy John's complete 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers World Series jersey set. It comes with jersey, pants, cleats, hat, belt and jacket. Heck, the only thing missing is his glove.

(Auction Link)

This is Tommy John's game-used batting helmet.

(Auction Link)

Considering that John is most well known for a surgery named after him (also known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction) its only appropriate that Dr. Frank Jobe have something included in this auction. Here is a autographed Baseball signed by both Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe.

(Auction Link)

This is probably the coolest item from the Tommy John collection. This is a custom made bar and bar stool set made with real Baseball bats. No doubt he entertained many ballplayers with this.

(Auction Link)