Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 7/25/2012

Above is a 2012 Bowman Platinum "Purely Platinum Autographed " preview pic of the Clayton Kershaw card.  This is a "1 of 1" card that is made of an actual metal.  Pic via twitter @Topps.  There is also a MAtt Kemp version seeded in packs.  BTW, this set has recently been released, so I'll have pics of the Dodgers cards soon.

• Left Field Pavilion welcomes Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers with a great graphic.
• Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy has videos of Hanley Ramirez's press conference after being traded to the Dodgers.
• The sports memorabilia world gets rocked again.  Mastro Auctions executives are facing federal fraud charges, via Sports Collectors Daily.

Bill Mastro, who owned the former business that once billed itself as the “world’s leading sports and Americana auction house,” together with Doug Allen and Mark Theotikos, both former executives of the company, were indicted on fraud charges for allegedly rigging auctions through a series of deceptive practices, including so-called “shill-bidding,” designed to inflate prices paid by bidders and to protect the interests of consignors and sellers at the expense of unwitting bidders.  Allen currently runs Legendary Auctions.

• Dodgers prospect Tae-Hyeok Nam hit for the cycle for the Ogden Raptors. Nam was signed by the Dodgers out of high school in South Korea in 2009.

"He's been battling, trying to get his timing right," Raptors hitting coach Doug Mientkiewicz said. "Usually when he sits for a couple of nights, he gets back to what he normally does. Tonight was one of those nights where everything he hit fell; he picked it up big-time tonight. He's a big right-handed hitter with a lot of pop and we're trying to find a way to get him to be more consistent and get the barrel on the ball." 

• Wow.  A minor league hockey team is planing to play all of their home games outdoors in Williamsport, PA at a minor league Baseball field.  Via Puck Daddy.
• Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness, via Gizmodo.
• Tim Yount at the Upper Deck blog recounts his own adventures in purchasing a tampered blaster box in a retail store.  Remember, when buying a box at Target or Walmart make sure the shrink wrap has the appropriate logo from the manufacturer on it.
• I thought this was funny.  Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly speaks with reporters and says "I never really like the Dodgers," via 101ESPN.  It's at about the 1:50 mark.  By the way, I kinda hate the Cardinals, too.  Jack Clark can bite me!

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