Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 7/9/2012

Here's a peek at the Tommy Lasorda/ Walter Alston bobblehead being given out on July 14th, via twitter @Dodgers.

• Dodgers 1st round pick Corey Seager is off to a fast start in his pro career.  In his second game ever he gets 3 hits while scoring twice, via Robert Emrich at MLB.com.  Seager went 1 for 3 in his first game this past Saturday.

 "That was really exciting," Seager said. "I've been waiting for it since last Saturday and I finally got in and I finally got to play. First two innings, I was nervous. The game was going a little fast, but after the second, everything kind of slowed down and it was all right."

• "Yankees' Kuroda Was Molded by Pain in Japan", via David Waldstein of the New York Times.

“Many players would faint in practice,” Kuroda said with the assistance of his interpreter, Kenji Nimura. “I did go to the river and drink. It was not the cleanest river, either. I would like to believe it was clean, but it was not a beautiful river."

• Evan on twitter @newmixicofan put up some pics of Matt Kemp in Albuquerque during his second stint this season.  Below is my favorite pic of all.

• Dodgers prospect Chris Reed pitched in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game in Kansas City, via Alden Gonzalez at MLB.com.

"It's exciting," Reed said by his locker at Kauffman Stadium, where he suited up for the World team. "It's obviously a new experience coming into a new season, great city, and obviously a nice ballpark to play in.  A lot of talent here."

• Just a little bit of controversy brewing in the autographed Koufax contest at Beckett.  Greg has more.

• "Baseball Treasure Walks into All-Star FanFest", via Sports Collectors Daily.  There is a video in the link.

This year's event was in Kansas City and hundreds of people have shown up to find out what their sports cards and sports memorabilia are worth. Much of it is of the modern vintage but once in awhile a gem walks in the door, often in the hands of older folks who have hung onto it for years.

• Nick Diunte at the Examiner.com interviews Chuck Stevens, who was the first MLB'er to face Satchel Paige in a real MLB game.

“When Satch relieved against us [in Cleveland], he was just spotting the ball around. [It seemed like] he had lost 60 mph off of his fastball. He threw his breaking stuff and he had great control so you knew he was going to be around the plate all the time. He wasn’t going to overpower you like I had seen him in his earlier days,” he said.

• Cole Hamels loves the Dodgers, via Leslie Gudel at CSNPhilly.com.

LG: I’m going to ask you about one team specifically, because it’s been talked about much of the season. Is there an appeal to the Dodgers for you?

CH: It’s going home, I mean, that’s pretty much it. I know the West Coast really well.  I pitch really well on the west coast. I think it’s appealing to every player when they’re growing up that, one day, hoping they can play in the major leagues, it’s always to play for your home team. Even though the Padres were obviously the home team I grew up with, the Dodgers were kind of there neck and neck, so I think that’s the closest home team I would ever get to.  

Upper Deck's SP Signature Really is a Failure

I think the collector blogoshpere has been loud and clear about this product.   Upper Deck's 2012 SP Signature Baseball is a dog.  I've read plenty of complaints, and don't disagree with any of them.  In fact, I want to add another criticism.

Check out the card above that is for sale on eBay.  It is a Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect autographed card of pitcher Dinesh Patel, and it should not exist in this or any other future Baseball card set.

You see, Dinesh Patel is effectively out of the game, and as far as I know is now living in India- a Baseball hotbed.  He, along with Rinku Singh won a reality show contest in India called "The Million Dollar Arm".  This show was an attempt to find raw talent in a country where Baseball is totally foreign.  Eventually, both game show winners won contracts within the Pirates organization.  Rinku thrived (and still pitches in their system today) while Dinesh was released in 2010 and went home.

As a novelty card I could be happy with Patel's autograph, but as a prospect card I find it insulting.  What is Upper Deck trying to do here?

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Anyway, I read another commentary on the set at Pack War and suddenly became enthralled with a custom card Corky made at the end of his post.  He wonders aloud, "what if."

What if they added photos to the cards?

So, he made his own Edgar Martinez card by taking out the center portion of the card and inserting  his own photo.  All in one swoop, Corky turned something ugly into something desirable.  It was like watching the ugly duckling bloom into a princess.

I had to do the same thing myself.  Check out the Ron Cey autographed card I made below.  I love how the B&W photo gives the card a more distinguished look.

Here is a Chad Billingsley card I made using a Jon SooHoo photograph.  I thought this one turned out really nice.

I am really proud of these next two cards.  I tracked down the Kemp and Ethier autographed cards and inserted a photo that features both of them.  It's almost like a puzzle card.  Put them together, side-by-side, to make one large horizontal card.

Behind-The-Scenes: Matt Kemp for Forbes

Remember that Forbes magazine cover from April featuring Matt Kemp? 

Well, photographer Robert Gallagher just shared a "Behind the Scenes" video of the Kemp photo shoot.  Check it out below.

Video Link:

eBay: Vintage Frank Howard Dodgers Pin

I thought I would start this All-Star Game week with this vintage 1960's era pinback of former Dodger Frank Howard.  He won the Rookie of the Year as a Dodger in 1960, but never earned an All-Star nod as a Dodger.  Instead, he became a 4-time All-Star selection as a member of the Washington Senators from 1968 to 1971.  For the first three years he was on the starting lineup.

This style of concession sold memorabilia is rare and tough to come by.  It sold for an impressive $162.59 on eBay- even with a ribbon that is frayed.

(eBay Auction Link)