Blog Kiosk: 3/28/2013

So... Can I take one of these home?  Above is a pic tweeted by the @Dodgers of one of the giant bobbleheads that have been installed at Dodger Stadium.  Can you say Conan O'Brien?

• Is it too early to say that Dodger Thoughts is back?  Jon Weisman pens a great piece focused on the often unappreciated greatness of Burt Hooton.
• Lyle Spencer at MLB.com tells us that Chan Ho Park believes in Ryu's skills.

 "Wait until May, June," said Park, who was a big brother figure for Ryu in 2012 on the staff of the Hanwha Eagles of South Korea and has been in the Dodgers' camp late this spring. "He's going to get better. That's how he is. He gets stronger and sharper as the season goes on. As long as he stays comfortable, he'll be fine."

• Vincent Bonsignore at the Daily News writes a great piece on the rise of Luis Cruz.

"I was hungry to be in the big leagues and I knew I could play here. I just never had a real chance to play," Cruz said. "But you just keep waiting and waiting for that chance and then try to take advantage of it when it comes." 

• Dustin Nosler at Feelin' Kinda Blue lets us know that both Billingsley and Lilly are likely to start season on the DL.
• You should check this out if you're artistically inclined.  Via the Baseball Hall of Fame, the US Mint will have a coin design competition for a 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Coin that will be made.

• Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs explores the consequences of the new balk rule.
• MLB and the Players Union recently released PED test results going back to the start of the 2011 season to the end of the 2012 playoffs.  See the press release here.

A total of 5,136 samples -- 3,955 urine tests and 1,181 blood tests -- were collected and analyzed during the time period. Eighteen of the results were positive and resulted in discipline. Seven were for performance-enhancing substances, including four for testosterone and one each for Clenbuterol, Clostebol and Tamoxifen. Eleven were for stimulants, 10 for Adderall and one for d-amphetamine.

There were 119 Therapeutic Use Exemptions granted for Attention Deficit Disorder (116), Hypertension (2) and Hypogonadism (1).

• As you probably know, the LA Kings visited the White House the other day in honor of their Stanley Cup victory last season.  Go to the LA Kings Insider official team blog to see some photos from their visit.

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