Hyun-Jin Ryu's First Baseball Card Coming Out Soon - Here's a Preview

Ryu has made quite an impression in his first month as a Major Leaguer with the Dodgers.  He's been very effective on the mound despite not having a blazing fastball to lean on.  Ryu mixes his pitches up well and has shown that he belongs.  In fact, it's about time he get his first officially licensed Topps Baseball card.

With that in mind, Topps will be releasing their 2013 Bowman Baseball card set next week, and it will definitely satisfy Dodgers collectors worldwide.  Based on a checklist I saw last week, Hyun-Jin Ryu will have 3 different cards inserted into packs.  There is a base card, a Topps 100 Prospects insert card, and a Chrome Refractor Mini Card. 

Well, today I found out that Topps will also release a 4th card.  It is a very limited "Lucky 5" insert redemption autographed card #1.  See a preview pic of it above.  Lucky fans holding redemption card #1 for the "Lucky 5" bonus card program will receive this card directly from Topps.

Look at the intensity in his eyes.  No doubt he is about to put down one of the 46 ballplayers he's struck out so far this season.

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Blog Kiosk: 5/3/2013

Vin Scully was the presenter for the 2013 Rose Award yesterday afternoon, and Roz Wyman was the recipient.  She was the youngest woman on the LA City Council, has spent 60 years in service to the city, and is famous for bringing the Dodgers to Los Angeles.  Pic via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2013.

• Check out Bennett Liles of SVC podcast (Sound & Video Contractor Magazine) featuring Chris Mascatello of ANC Sports as he talks about the renovations done at Dodger Stadium; complete with new outfield LED screens, videowalls, and LED ribbon displays.
• Joseph Dynlacht at Sports Collectors Digest shares his recent interview with Carl Erskine.

SCD: How did you get started playing the National Anthem on a harmonica in the first place?

CE: I did 46 baseball fantasy camps (until 2008) where the staff played against the campers, and they staged it just like a major league game (with campers playing against the big leaguers). They announced each player, and he came out on the foul line, and then everyone was asked to stand and I’d play the National Anthem. One time we had two or three guys from Canada, and they said, “Hey, what about us?” I said, “Gee, I’d heard the Canadian National Anthem when I spent a couple of months playing in Montreal when I rehabbed my shoulder . . .,” and one of the guys ended up sending me a tape of someone singing “O, Canada.” So the next time we had a fantasy camp, I could play “O, Canada” as well.

• Via Allen Barra at The Atlantic, "Actually, Jason Collins Isn't the First Openly Gay Man in a Major Pro Sport: Major-league baseball player Glenn Burke was comfortably out to his teammates and friends in 1976—but back then, it was the press that wasn't ready for a gay male athlete."
• Via Webe at All K Pop, "Why was Psy worried about being seen with Ryu Hyun Jin?"

Psy brought laughter when he shared his concern, saying, “Ryu Hyun Jin is famous and I’m famous, so I worried that people would wonder if all Koreans have the same body as us.”

He went on to say, “I think we have a unique body type for Koreans. But to be honest, I like my body.”

• Jon Heyman at CBS Sports writes, "Book report: Piazza's engrossing tome a hit, but why is he so upset?"
• Why am I only finding out now that there is a Cooperstown Heroes of Baseball Wax Museum?

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