Dodgers Blog Kiosk: 11/5/2012

In the photo above former Dodgers Joe Pignatano and Ralph Branca, along with Gil Hodges Jr, meet with the press prior to the Opening Home Game of the Brooklyn Nets.  Pic via twitter @EmmaSpan.

• How many LA Dodgers from the 2000's can you name in 20 minutes?  Check your knowledge, here.
• Kuroda is apparently choosing between the Yankees or the Hiroshima Carp, via Mike Axisa at River Avenue Blues.
• Dee Gordon had a big day in the Dominican Winter League, via MLB.com.

Licey 10, Estrellas 1
Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon tripled and drove in a game-high three runs to lead the Tigres in a romp over Oriente. Rangers' No. 2 prospect Mike Olt, Frisco teammate Engel Beltre and Dodgers prospect Tim Federowicz each scored twice as Licey tallied 16 hits in the contest. The lone Estrellas run came on a solo homer by Felix Pie (Dodgers) in the first. Box score

• Check out the Top 10 Great Lakes Loons Games of 2012 on their blog, From the Nest (Part 1) (Part 2).  They are a Class A minor league club of the Dodgers. 
• Dodgers prospect Alfredo Silverio is outrighted to Albuquerque in a move that takes him off the 40-man roster, Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.

Silverio, considered one of the organization's better outfield prospects a year ago, was seriously injured in a January auto accident in his native Dominican Republic and missed the entire 2012 season. 

• Via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times, Tagg Romney, son of Mitt, was an employee for the Dodgers at one time.

During his approximately one-year tenure with the Dodgers, insiders described him as everything from a “very nice guy who was just in way over his head” to a “vacuous-eyed, transparent political appointment.”

• Just in case you care.  Manny Ramirez is set to play in the Dominican Winter League this week, via Javier Maymi at ESPN.
• Dave Cameron at FanGraphs takes a look at "The 25 Best- and 5 Worst- Free Agent Values."
• Justin Sellers recently visited Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights.  Check out his adventure below.

Video Link:

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Dodgers Continue to Look for Best Baseball Minds- They Hire Pat Corrales

You may not know him, but I remember when he used to manage some very bad Indians teams in the 80's.  His record in Cleveland is hardly indicative of his skills, it's just that those where some really terrible teams.  Anyway, he would become the very first manager of Mexican-American descent (I have just discovered that Ted Williams was the first Mexican-American to manage in Baseball- on his maternal side), and went on be a bench coach for Bobby Cox's Braves for 9 years.

Now, he joins the Dodgers as Special Assistant to the General Manager.  From the Dodgers press release:

“We are very happy to have Pat join us,” Colletti said.  “His vast experience, especially from his years in Atlanta and Washington, will be a great strength to our organization. He will assist us in a variety of ways, including evaluating our player development system and helping us at the Major League level.  I have known Pat for a long time and some of my early mentors, whom I respect very much, have worked side by side with him.”

After his playing career, Corrales managed for nine years in the big leagues with the Texas Rangers (1978-80), Phillies (1982-83) and the Cleveland Indians (1983-87).   He was the first major league manager of Mexican-American descent and became only the fourth manager to manage in both leagues in the same season (Philadelphia and Cleveland in 1983).

When he was hired in 1990, former Atlanta Braves’ manager Bobby Cox tabbed Corrales to be his bench coach. Corrales coached alongside Cox for nine years, a period that was part of the Braves’ reign of 14 consecutive National League East titles.  The Los Angeles native joined the Washington Nationals as a bench coach in 2007 and 2008 and returned in mid-season in the same capacity for the Nationals in 2009 and 2011 while also spending time during those years evaluating their minor league system.

Corrales, 71, was a star at Fresno (Calif.) High School and had a nine-year Major League career as a catcher with the Philadelphia Phillies (1964-65), St. Louis Cardinals (1966), Cincinnati Reds (1968-72) and San Diego Padres (1972-73).

As I indicated above, Ted Williams was actually the first Mexican-American to manage in Baseball.  Every source I've ran into has indicated that Pat Corrales was the first, but based on Williams' maternal lineage, he was actually the first to manage.

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Mailbag: Woo Hoo! I Got a AJ Ellis Autographed Card

My year is now complete.  Finally, after what seems like forever, I have gotten my very first AJ Ellis Baseball card.  It is the 2012 Topps Update autographed Golden Moments card.  Better yet, I got it for a steal - $3.25 delivered.  You sure can't beat that kind of value.

I had wondered previously what exactly the words on the front of the card meant - "May I Cut In".  Now, I know.  Check out what it says on the reverse, below.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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