Blog Kiosk: 3/19/2012

Panini unveiled more preview picks of their upcoming Prime Cuts & Limited Baseball cards on their blog, here. Above is the Clayton Kershaw autographed card.

• Joe Mathews at Zocalo Public Square wonders what happens after Vin Scully and offers up five plans to deal with it.

  3. Digital Vin
  Don’t replace Vin at all. Eternal life is not yet possible, but technology offers an alternative. Contract with one of California’s artificial intelligence companies to create a Vin machine that could announce games. It would be programmed to speak exactly as Vin did in 1988, the year of the Dodgers’ last World Series championship.

• I like this rumor. From Giants Talk:

  Baseball sources expect the Giants’ archrival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to be major free-agent spenders next winter once a new ownership group drops more than $1 billion to purchase the franchise. There would be nothing more painful to Giants fans than seeing Cain, one of their most loyal favorites, in Dodger blue. Such a signing could tilt the balance of power in the NL West, too.

• Baseball Happenings tells about a rare Dr. Mike Marshall signing- the former Dodgers Cy Young reliever. Marshall is probably the toughest autograph of any living player in Baseball. He has previously refused to sign any autographs.

  "Marshall explained that he would willingly sign if the boys could show him that their autograph books also contained the signatures of their teachers and others who 'were really meaningful in their lives.'" Marshall defended his position by stating, "As an athlete, I am no one to be idolized. ... I will not perpetuate that hoax. They say I don't like kids. I think that refusing to sign autographs, I am giving the strongest demonstration that I really do like them. I am looking beyond mere expediency to what is truly valuable in their lives."

• Patrick Soon-Shiong, the richest man in Los Angeles, has joined the Dodgers bid group led by hedge-fund billionaire Steven Cohen, via Bill Shaikin at LA Times. Dodgers blogger Chad Moriyama isn't so enthused due to Cohen's connection with Tony LaRussa.
  
• Bronx Banter takes a look at some pitcher/batter match-ups to find out who "owned" or was "owned." Koufax comparisons is included that shows how well Mays and Hank Aaron hit against him. (Hat Tip: Baseball Musings)
  
• Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy shows some newly released bobbleheads made by Forever Collectibles of Kemp and Kershaw.
  
• An interview with Topps Director of Hobby Sales at Sports Collectors Daily.
  
• From Cardboard Connection, Guide to Using social Media for your Sports Cards and Memorabilia.
  
• Beyond the Boxscore has a nice roundup of the recently concluded SABR conference in Arizona.
• I want a Marauder when the zombies come.

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