Go Kings Go!!!!

Game tonight, baby!  The Kings and Coyotes go at it again in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.  The Kings are up 2 games to 0, and have absolutely dominated the team from Phoenix.  Will that continue tonight?  I certainly hope so.  Heck, if I were a boasting man I would say that we got this in the bag.  After Tuesday nights game the Coyotes looked downright demoralized.  They came off the ice a downtrodden group of players, and it'll take an effort of monumental proportions for them to eke out a win this evening.  For the Kings, all they have to do is play their game.  As Coach Sutter is wont to say, the Kings just have to get better from game to game, and so far they have done just that throughout this playoffs.

For your enjoyment check out the video below to get your blood boiling and soul properly prepared for Playoff Hockey.

Video Link:

What is the coolest thing to look out for from tonight's game?  Well, if you're reading twitter be sure to check out @NHL.  This is the leagues official twitter account, and none other than our favorite fan Alyssa Milano will be manning the account throughout the game. She is a rabid Kings fan, so I suspect (I hope) it's filled will Kingscentric tweets.

(Twitter Link)

Here's another great video.

Video Link:

Collection: Yhency Brazoban SPx Auto

Here is another Dodgers autograph card from the 2005 Upper Deck SPx Collection.  It features once rising relief prospect Yhency Brazoban. 

What happened to this guy?  He came to LA by way of the Yankees as a result of a trade that sent Kevin Brown to New York in exchange to Jeff Weaver and Brazoban in December of 2003.  Yhency was a hard throwing right hander who was fairly new to the art of pitching.  He had only recently been converted from an outfielder to a pitcher by the Yankees in 2003, so he had less than a year of experience on the mound when the Dodgers traded for him.  They must have seen something special in his arm.  And for a while, they were right.  Brazoban could pitch.

He first came up to the big club in August 2004, and immediately impressed the brass.  In fact, over the last two months of that season he would enter into 31 games and record a 2.48 ERA with 27 strike outs in just under 33 innings.  That's a lot of work for an arm just getting use to throwing on the mound.  The following season, Brazoban would continue to be impressive and be a bullpen a workhorse.  He established a Dodgers rookie record that year by appearing in 74 games while saving 21. 

Then, something happened.  Early in the 2006 season he hurt his arm.  Yhency was diagnosed with an elbow injury that lead to Tommy John Surgery.  In 2007 he was back in Dodger Blue, but again went down with an arm injury that cost him the entire season.  In 2008 Brazoban worked himself back onto the Dodgers roster, but was eventually sent back down to the minors where he again found a home on the disabled list with another arm injury.  I think it's fair to say that the workload he experienced early on in his pitching career caused some problems.

Today, Brazoban continues to play professional Baseball.  After bouncing around a little bit from the Mexican League to the minors with several different clubs he was eventually sold to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan last year. 

Weekend Autograph Opportunities: FanFest

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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This is the Dodgers FanFest weekend!  A ticket to the game on Saturday gives you entry to a day of pure Dodger pleasure.  There will be games and activities for fans of all ages.  Below is a list of the expected autograph guest.

12:00-12:30pm Scott Elbert Elian Herrera Adam Kennedy Josh Lindblom Jerry Sands Matt Treanor Scott Van Slyke

12:30-1:00pm Chris Capuano Matt Guerrier Tony Gwynn Jr. Justin Sellers Jamey Wright

1:00pm-1:30pm Ron Cey Steve Garvey Davey Lopes Bill Russell

2:00pm-2:30pm Ronald Belisario Todd Coffey A.J. Ellis Mark Ellis Andre Ethier Javy Guerra Ted Lilly James Loney

2:30pm-3:00pm Bobby Abreu Chad Billingsley Dee Gordon Jerry Hairston Aaron Harang Kenley Jansen

3:30pm-4:00pm Al "The Bull" Ferrara Ken McMullen Dennis Powell Derrel Thomas

4:00pm-4:30pm Billy Ashley Lee Lacy Kenny Landreaux Wes Parker

4:30pm- 5:00pm Jimmy Campanis Tommy Davis Chuck Essigian Sweet Lou Johnson

5:00pm-5:30pm Jaime Jarrin Fernando Valenzuela Pepe Yniguez 5:30pm-6:00pm Tommy Lasorda

Of special note:  Vin Scully will be signing making a appearance, as well!  (I had previously erred by indicating that Scully would be signing.  That is incorrect.  Vin Scully will do what he does best.  He will be speaking to the legions of Dodger fans in attendance.)

(Tweet link: @Dodgers)

Be sure to read the below autograph guidelines.  Please be courteous and patient when getting autographs.  Remember, there will likely be thousands of fans waiting in lines and if you don't get the player you want please don't whine, complain, or push your way through.  There are only so many items a man can sign within the allotted time.  I suspect there will be just a couple of lines with players interchanging midstream throughout the day.  So, you might fall into the Garvey line only to have that player replaced with Billingsley when you finally get to the front of the line. 

Player Autograph Guidelines

• You may bring personal items for autographs. You are welcome to bring a photo, ball, and jersey, baseball bat or sports memorabilia to be autographed. 
• One autograph item per player or coach per station. NO EXCEPTIONS. 
• In order for as many Dodger fans as possible to receive an autograph, no photos with players or coaches will be permitted. Players will not be personalizing autographs. 
• Players may NOT sign a blank piece of paper.
• If you choose to vacate your space in any line at any time during the autograph session or impede the lines' progress voluntarily, you will be removed from the line. This will be strictly enforced. 
• You may not have someone reserve a space in any autograph line. Cutting lines is not permitted and may result in dismissal from the event.

You can find more information about the event at the Dodgers website, here.

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If you can't make the game above, or if you're looking for just an autograph of the Bulldog then Frank & Sons on Saturday should be your destination.  Check out the flyer below, or go to this link.