Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 9/7/2012

Check out the pic above from New Balance Baseball on twitter featuring Hanley Ramirez's new shoes.

• Via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times we find out that the Dodgers are looking to sign Ned Colletti to a long term contract.
• Here comes the blame game.  Roberto Baly at Vin Scully is My Homeboy notes some ridiculous twitter comments from Dodgers fans that were sent to Matt Kemp. Calm down, folks!  
• Via Nomo at the Sons of Steve Garvey, we find out that the Dodgers have put up a high-res photo of the fans at the Vin Scully bobblehead game.  Go here to check it out.  I've already found myself up in the reserve section, and I look uncomfortable in my seat.
• Ben Reiter at SI writes about the Dodgers recent trade activity and he makes some sense.

The staggering sums involved only serve to distract from what Colletti has accomplished. He turned three major leaguers who have never played in an All-Star game -- first baseman James Loney, starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and reliever Josh Lindblom -- and seven prospects, none of whom has ever been ranked higher than 90th on Baseball America's annual Top 100 prospects list, into a cache of proven stars, all 32 or younger. "It's not like we went and out and loaded up with players who have the sun starting to set on their careers," says Colletti. "They're in the midst of their primes."

• Josh Tinley at Midwest Sports Fan shares "8 Incredible Moments from the 2012 Paralympics".  After reading and watching some of the videos, I have to know one thing.  How exactly does someone play soccer blind?  I'm beyond speechless.
• Another stain on the card hobby.  Sports Collectors Daily notes that a fifth dealer has plead guilty to selling fake game-used jerseys; including jerseys sold to card manufacturers.

Some of the jerseys were sold to trading card manufacturers although it hasn’t been revealed whether any of the swatches cut from those jerseys were ever used on cards.

• Summer Anne Burton at BuzzFeed shares 20 vintage photos from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.  (Hat Tip: Eephus League)
• Today is the 1-year anniversary of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash that killed the entire team.  Puck Daddy commemorates this by sharing a video featuring a Pavol Demitra tribute.  Demitra was one of the players killed in that plane crash, and he was one of my favorite Kings players during those lean King years.  Puck Daddy starts the video in the middle when stories are shared between Luc Robitaille, Jeremy Roenick and Demitra, but I suggest starting from the beginning.  It includes a bunch of behind the scenes footage.
• Still looking for a chance to hang out with the Stanley Cup?  Well, Luc Robitaille is throwing a charity fundraiser for Echoes of Hope this coming Saturday evening at the South Bar by Vizio in Santa Monica (3001 Wilshire Blvd.).  See the below flyer for details. (Hat Tip: LA Kings Insider)

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

NO Lockout!

We are a little over week before the NHL owners imposed deadline for an agreement with the players association, and I'm sick to my stomach.  After an invigorating past season, I may now have to go without hockey, and it makes me sick.

I had promised myself that I wouldn't fret and scream, but I can't help myself. I want hockey to start when it should!

I've kept a watchful eye at the news reports about the issues and developments, and can't help myself in blaming the owners for this mess.  The last time around, the owners got nearly everything they wanted.  Now, with league revenues going through the roof it appears they just want more.  The players appear to be willing to accept lowered salaries (rollbacks), but want a real revenue sharing plan that will help struggling franchises.  They want a system that will forever negate a lock-out in the future.  The owners appear willing to go through this exercise every 5 to 6 years.


I don't get it.  It just makes me want to scream, "I'm Mad as Hell, and I'm Not Gonna Take it Anymore!"

Man-Alive, I really envy the labor peace that has existed in Baseball.

Anyway, this leads me to a video made by a Finnish NHL fan named Janne Makkonen.  See it below.  His work has been the talk of the league and it has gone viral with hockey fans.  BTW, Hot Takes was able to track him down and briefly interviewed him on their blog.  Check it out.  Below are a couple of choice quotes.

The fans were my biggest inspiration. I’ve never really experienced anything like the fans’ agony in the social media during the last few months. I wanted to find a way to express myself and I thought that this was the best way.
...
I’m really humbled by the feedback. Mostly I enjoy seeing almost every fan on the same level. No one’s talking about the team they support, or ones they don’t support, because everyone is supporting just one cause together!

Check out Janne on twitter, here.

Now, go watch the best video you'll see on the subject below.

Video Link:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

eBay: Vintage Press Photos of some Vintage Dodgers

Once again, I found myself trolling through the eBay wilderness for interesting Dodgers collectibles.  Check out a couple of vintage press photos below that I ran into.

(eBay Auction Link)

This is a September 26, 1955 photo from the Associated Press.  It features the pitchers who are expected to face the Yankees in the upcoming World Series; which we all know the Dodgers won.  From left to right; Don Newcombe, Billy Loes, Karl Spooner, Don Bessent, Clem Labine and Johnny Podres.  The World Series would start in just a couple of days.

Below is a New York Daily News press photo taken by Paul Bernius from 1947.  Pee Wee Reese and Pete Reiser are featured comparing bats.

(eBay Auction Link)

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *