Check out the Fernando Bobblehead!

Is this the coolest Fernando Valenzuela Bobblehead ever?

The Dodgers just released a preview pic of Fernando's bobblehead.  This will be given out to fans on the Tuesday, August 21st game against the Giants. 

This is the 9th in the series this season, and it's Fernando's 4th bobblehead ever given out by the team.  That is a franchise record.  It also celebrates Valenzuela’s  no-hitter that he threw on June 29, 1990 against the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-0.

Since Fernando is the all-time Dodger bobble master I figured I would highlight the 3 other Valenzuela bobbleheads that exist.  Check them out below.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

(Pic via VSIMH)

The above bobble was given out last season (2011), and the below "looking to the sky" bobble was given out in 2006. 

(Pic via DodgerBobble)

This bobblehead was given out in 2001.

(Pic via BHOF)

5 In a Row!

This post is just an excuse to post up the above photo.  It is from flickr and taken by sniderscion.  If you don't know, that is a graffiti painting of "Number 5" from the movie Short Circuit. 

Yes, the Dodgers have won 5 games in a row, so I figured it would appropriate to put this up.  Besides, this 1986 movie was one of my faves.

Oh yeah, here is tonight starting lineup, via twitter @Dodgers:

Jerry Hairston 3B,
Mark Ellis 2B,
Matt Kemp CF,
Andre Ethier RF,
James Loney 1B,
Juan Rivera LF,
Luis Cruz SS,
Matt Treanor C,
Clayton Kershaw P 

The Cardinals are coming out with this lineup, via twitter @latimesbaseball:

Rafael Furcal SS,
Allen Craig RF,
Matt Holliday LF,
Carlos Beltran, CF,
David Freese 3B,
Yadier Molina C,
Lance Berkman 1B,
Daniel Descalso 2B,
Adam Wainwright P

Kings Stanley Cup Championship DVD Day! And Get Them Signed!

I can't remember the last time I've been this excited about a DVD.  Today marks the 1st day you can go out and purchase the Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Championship DVD. 

In honor of this, a couple of Kings will be around town to sign copies for fans.  Please keep in mind that these players will only be signing copies of the DVD and will not be signing any other memorabilia (boooo!). Go here for details.  I do not know if you have to purchase the DVD at the location. UPDATE: I've just found out that you must purchase the DVD at the store of the signing.  A wristband will be given out at purchase.  For todays' signing with Matt Greene, the line starts at 4:00 PM and only the first 456 copies will be signed.

Today, July 24th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Matt Greene
Dick's Sporting Goods
770 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
El Segundo, CA 90245

Tomorrow, July 25th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Luc Robitaille
Sports Chalet
Westfield Santa Anita Mall
400 South Balwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 92001

On top of that, the Stanley Cup will be in town tomorrow morning for a public appearance.  Go here for details.

Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin and the Redondo Beach City Council will welcome the Stanley Cup to Redondo Beach Café (1511 S. Pacific Coast Highway) tomorrow (Wednesday).

A limited number of photo opportunities with the Stanley Cup will be available for $10 per person per photo. Proceeds will benefit the Kings Care Foundation. The event will take place in the restaurant’s parking lot from 9 to 11 a.m.

Members of the LA Kings Alumni Association Presented By Toyota are scheduled to appear and be available for autographs: Jim Fox, Daryl Evans, Nelson Emerson, Ian Turnbull and Jason Doig.

Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 7/24/2012

Here is a pic of Humphrey Bogart enjoying a hot dog.  He once said, "a hot dog at the ball park is better than steak at the Ritz."  Via twitter @HumphreyBogart estate.

• Chris Jaffe at Hardball Times lets us know about a Dodger Anniversary.  

On July 24, 1947, they won a game, their fifth in a row, topping the Reds 6-1. The win increased their lead in the NL to 5.5 games with a record of 55-36.

That’s nice, but like I said nothing special. In fact, it’s likely the Dodgers didn’t realize the significance of the day’s victory. (And if they had realized, they might not have cared much, having more pressing concerns in the midst of the annual pennant race).

But the win did something special for the franchise. That win boosted their all-time franchise record to exactly .500: 4,650 wins versus 4,650 losses. It was their first time at sea level in 38 years. They’ve been over .500 as a franchise ever since.

• Duke Snider also hit his 100th career home run today in 1951, and Shawn Green hit the Dodgers franchise 10,000th home run today in 2001.  Via Chris Jaffe at Hardball Times.
• GCRL post up some 1984 Topps Rubdown cards of a couple of Dodgers.
• Via David Pinto at Baseball Musings, the Ryan Dempster wants to play for the Dodgers.  He points to a story in FoxSports that indicates that this is the reason the trade with the Braves has been held up.  Fancy that, the Dodgers are a wanted team!
• Puck Daddy keeps us informed of the Stanley Cups whereabouts.  It was recently at the farm of Kings head coach Darryl Sutter.
• This is the funniest read in a long time.  Gaslamp Ball reports on the 2 foot "Giant Slugger" hot dog being eaten at PetCo Park.

A few bites into the second quarter he began to slow and became drunk and angry on carbohydrates. He demanded to hear updates from the game. Gaslamp Baller gdarklighter fed him information quickly as if it were a giant wiener, but it wasn't detailed enough. Matt lost his temper yelling "I need to hear baseball game updates to get my throat to relax!" I took a mental note as I bit my lip.

• Matt Cain and Cole Hamels homered off each other in the same inning, via Larry Brown Sports.  The last time this happened was in 1990 when Fernando Valenzuela and Kevin Gross homored off each other.
• Greg Aronowitz, a special effects artist, shares some of his pics from the San Diego ComicCon.

Hunt Auctions: Willard Mullin Color "Bum" Drawing

This isn't awesome because it's a William Mullin drawing of the fabled Brooklyn Bum.

Well.... Actually, that does make it awesome.  This drawing is awesomer (I've decided that this should be a real word) than your typical Mullin drawing.

Unlike most Mullin drawings I've seen over the years, this one has a full color rendering of the Brooklyn Bum.  As I sit here writing this I can't actually recall seeing another one before.

In the above scene, the "Bum" is wearing boxing gloves as he reminisces about two heavyweight boxers named Max Baer and Jim Braddock.  Click on the pic above to embiggen.

This appears to be a more modern drawing by Mullin based upon a date of 1976 at the bottom- two years before he passed away.  It is likely that this was drawn as a gift for a friend.  In fact, on the bottom right is a personal inscription from Mullin to a Mr. Tom Jobson.

This original vintage drawing was for sale at Hunt's Auctions during their All-Star Weekend offering a couple of weeks ago.  It sold for $1,700.00.