Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 7/29/2012

Here's what the August edition of Dodgers Magazine look like.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, Manny Mota Providing Support for Hanley With Dodgers.

A big reason for Hanley Ramirez's smooth transition to his new club is the presence of Dodgers coach Manny Mota, whom, Ramirez said, he's known since he was "a little boy."
...
"I told him that what happened in the past is the past, this is a new beginning, and all he has to do is play baseball," Mota said. "He's a complete player. And he doesn't have to carry this team. There is Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp and now three guys together.

"He told me he's proud to be a Dodger, he knows the organization's history with Latin players and he's going to play hard. But I reminded him not to put pressure on himself. Maybe there was too much pressure on him in Miami. He doesn't have to carry this team. He has come to a good city with good fans and a rare organization. Now, just play hard and have fun."

• Listen to Dodgers President Stan Kasten on the State of the Dodgers, via the Dodgers Report at ESPN Radio.
• The eighth edition of the Dodgers Playbill features Dodger Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully and Dodger greats Sandy Koufax and Fernando Valenzuela. The playbill is distributed free to fans when they enter Dodger Stadium parking gates.  See it at right.
• Minor League Ball reviews the Dodgers top 20 2012 pre-season prospects.
• Mark Langill of Dodgers History recounts Lasorda's greatest story about the 2000 Olympics.

“This is bigger than the World Series,” Lasorda said. “I’ve managed four World Series, and when the Dodgers have won, the Dodger fans were happy, but the Cincinnati fans weren’t, the San Francisco fans weren’t. But with this baseball team, the United States of America is happy.”

• Also from Ken Gurnick, along with Ted Lilly, Rubby De La Rosa will be making a rehab start in Rancho Cucamonga this afternoon.  BTW, Jay Johnston is signing free autographs prior to the game today.
• I see you, pic via twitter @DuranSports.

• Here are some incredible photos from the Open Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, via Boston.com.
• Via Jill Painter at the Daily News we find out that the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings are close to selling out for the upcoming season.

"The season-ticket base would be so high where we wouldn't have an ability to sell any more. We have to take care of partial-plan holders, and we want to keep (tickets) for group ticket sales and individual buyers when we go on sale."