Blog Kiosk: 4/2/2012

Topps unveiled a uncut sheet of some of their mini cards (fashioned after the 1987 Topps set) that will be in Series 2 Topps Baseball packs on Twitter. Check out the great looking Sandy Koufax card at the bottom right.

• When LA Icons Converge: Magic Johnson Reaches Out to Vin Scully, via Steve Dilbeck at LA Times.

  “It was interesting,” Scully said. “When the phone rang and I picked it up, I recognized that voice. And as I told him, 'If it’s possible, I can hear your smile.' ”

• Mike Petriello wrote a piece for Rotographs predicting a huge season for Andre Ethier. Time to add him to your roto team.
  
• I don't think I had seen this before. Here is a October 2011 GQ article about Vin Scully as he looks back at his greatest calls, via Daniel Riley. (Hat Tip: Eephus League)
  

  1953 World Series, Game 1 September 30, 1953

  The Call: At age 25, Scully becomes the youngest ever to call a World Series.

  "There was a labor disagreement: Red (Barber) felt that he had done a lot of World Series games and they were still paying—believe it or not—just $200 a game. So Red appealed, and they said, 'No that's what you're gonna get.' So he said, 'I'm not gonna do it.' Well out of the blue I got a phone call saying, 'We want you to do the World Series.' I thought, 'Well, whoa whoa whoa.' So I call Red and I said, 'Look, I've been doing this four years, I don't wanna do a World Series over your labor negotiation.' He said, 'Vinny, what's going on with me, it's not gonna change, and if you don't do it, they'll get somebody else to do it. So I'm giving you my blessing. Do it.'

• The Biz of Baseball explores the Dodgers sale.

  How Does Gueggenheim Partners Fit In?
  This is one of the most important, and least talked about aspects of the sale. Walter is the CEO of Gueggenheim Partners, a privately held, diversified financial services firm. The firm is where the bulk of the money is coming from. With more than $125 billion under management, the Dodgers will become part corporate, part privately owned.

• @Si_Vault on Twitter has a copy of an old scouting report on Nomar Garciaparra.
  
• The Legacy of Al Campanis, via William Weinbaum of ESPN.
  
• Eovaldi wins Mulvey Award for top rookie in Spring Training, via Ken Gurnick.
  
• Zach Hample was in Tokyo for the start of the Baseball season and has pictures to prove it.
• FanGraphs shares the "Important Graph" with its readers. This graph states that a baseball enthusiast’s ability to care for most everything declines considerably as the official start of the season approaches. That sounds about right.