Matt Kemp Reassured Us All that there is Good in the World

Even as the Dodgers sink into oblivion, Matt Kemp proves that good things do happen.  Originally found by Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy, check out this incredible video featuring Kemp helping out a Dodger fan in San Francisco.

The person who posted up the video is a friend of the gentleman receiving Kemp's jersey, hat, batting gloves and shoes.  He writes in the description that his friend is going through a tough battle and will certainly remember this moment for the rest of his life.

Video Link:

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Matt Kemp also provided a sneak peek preview of his bobblehead that will be given out next Tuesday.  Pic via his instagram account.

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Dodger Hero, Roz Wyman, to Throw Out First Pitch Tonight

Recent 2013 Rose Award winner and former LA City Councilwoman Roz Wyman will throw out the first pitch at tonight's game.  For those who don't already know, we have her to thank for bringing the Dodgers to Los Angeles.  Without her persistence the Dodgers would not be here.  And to think, she was just 22 years old when she did it.  Amazing!

Thank you, Roz Wyman!

If you are interested in a great write up on her role in bringing the Dodgers out west check out Walter O'Malley.com.  It's long, but well worth the read if you are interested in LA Dodger history.  Below is a sample:

“Right now, I’m deep in plans to bring major league baseball to Los Angeles. Everybody wants it and we should have it. Baseball is a big business. We have the climate and Los Angeles is a great sports town. We need big league baseball. It would be great for the kids, too. They are great worshippers of top sports figures and sports-minded kids are never delinquent.”

This quote was delivered in April of 1957, not by the Mayor of Los Angeles, but by a woman.

That’s right, the youngest City Councilperson in the history of Los Angeles, Rosalind Wyman, made that statement, filled with hope that she and a cadre of local officials could woo Walter O’Malley and the Dodgers westward, providing he paid to build the stadium. It was one of the biggest gambles in the City’s history, but one, once achieved, that proved to be the mother lode of risk-taking success.

The pics included in this post is from the 2013 Rose Award banquet that included Vin Scully as presenter.   Pic Credit: Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2013

UPDATE:
Below is a video tribute put together by the Dodgers honoring her.

Video Link:

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Topps Big League Mini Figurines - Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez

From my understanding, this unusual Topps product was not suppose to officially be out until June, but packs appear to be showing up all over the place.  Heck, even David Brown of Big League Stew founds some packs at a local Dick's Sporting Goods and couldn't help but make an impulse buy.

These are 3 inch cartoon-ish looking vinyl figurines of 28 of Baseball's biggest stars, and two Dodgers are included in the set - Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp.

Below is an example of a pack and the Adrian Gonzalez figurine.

And below is the Matt Kemp version.  At first glance, they both appear to identical, but notice the placement of the gloves.  They also have slightly different smiles.

According to David Brown, packs include one figurine and will cost about $6.99 a piece.  Also, there appears to be numerous variations available.  I recently saw a Pablo Sandoval figurine that is dressed like a panda.  See that here.  I am not aware of any Dodgers variations at this time.

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Blog Kiosk: 5/7/2013

Here's a great vintage photo from the Sports Illustrated Vault of a vendor selling Brooklyn Dodgers goods at a game.  (Mark Kauffman/SI)

• Sports Collectors Daily reminds us that today is the 54th anniversary of the Roy Campanella Coliseum game.
• "Adrian Gonzalez’s admission has meaning for Matt Kemp," via Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts.

In October, Dylan Hernandez of the Times did link Gonzalez with Kemp — who had labrum surgery last winter — but nevertheless, people seem to remain surprised that Kemp is having power issues at the start of this season. In 2011, Gonzalez hit one home run in April — the same as Kemp this year.

• Via Bradley Woodrum at FanGraphs, "The Road to ROTY Goes Through Hyun-Jin Ryu."

He leads all rookie pitchers with 1.0 WAR, and is tied with the thus-far sensational position players Evan Gattis and A.J. Pollock. Sunday night, Hyun-Jin Ryu completed six innings against the San Francisco Giants, and though he took a loss, Ryu induced weak contact from a line-drive team. If the national audience was paying attention, they saw perhaps the best rookie in the league.

• Check out Matt Kemp's high school scouting report below as revealed by the Baseball Hall of Fame's Diamond Mines that celebrates Baseball scouting.  (Hat Tip: @ChadMoriyama on twitter)  Click on the pic below to embiggen.

• I don't like reading this at all.  One time Dodger, Otis Nixon has been arrested after police found drugs in his car, via Mike Oz at Big League Stew.  I've always liked him as a player and had hoped that he had been able to get past his demons.  The story suggest that the drugs may have belonged to his son.  Nevertheless, drug addiction is an extremely difficult disease, and addicts need and deserves every opportunity to get better.  I hope as time goes on more understanding minds prevail on this issue.  I firmly believe that addicts should be treated for addiction instead of incarcerated (and having the proverbial keys thrown away).
• As you probably already know, former Dodger slugger Pedro Guerrero signed autographs at Harry's Dugout on Sunday.  Both Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy, David at David's Autograph Signings and True to the Blue were there and shared their experience. Roberto passed along the news that Guerrero will be managing the Vallejo Admirals.
• Following up on Pedro Guerrero managing the Admirals, a Carolina man who may be the biggest Guerrero fan in the world recently sent him 1,300 versions of his cards to keep and give out to fans, via Matt O'Donnell at the San Jose Mercury News.
• Hugh Bernreuter at mlive.com writes, "Los Angeles Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda holds 'food' court at Dow Diamond."

Lasorda also participated in a special Food Court Wars tasting event. The Food Network show stopped at Dow Diamond Monday to tape a segment for its Food Court Wars show expected to air in October. The show will award the winning restaurant free space in a mall food court … in this case the Midland Mall.

“I’m 85, so I’ve eaten a lot of meals … a lot of great meals,” Lasorda said. “I guess I’m an expert. But to me, any meal is a great meal.”

• Jon Rosen of the LA Kings Insider (the official team blog) has a bunch of bullet points detailing the future hockey game at Dodger Stadium.
• Via Chisun Media, "MLB's Choo, Ryu Appear in Korean Baseball Film."

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