Welcome Back to the Blue, Federowicz!

Ya know, I look in bewilderment at some of the moves Ned Colletti has been making.  Like... why did we send TFed back down to begin with?  I understand we received Ramon Hernandez (our other backup catcher) in exchange for Aaron Harang, but was he really the best you could do?  Heck, you would think that a low level quasi-prospect could have been had for him- a guy who might be a long shot as a reliever, at the very least. 

Well, it has now been confirmed that sparsely used shortstop Justin Sellers will be going to AAA, and Tim Federowicz is now back up with the big club.  Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today recalled catcher Tim Federowicz from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned infielder Justin Sellers to Triple-A Albuquerque. Federowicz was recently named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the period of April 29-May 5, batting .571 with three doubles, a triple, three homers and six RBI in that span, and overall was hitting .531 with seven homers and 20 RBI in 13 games with the Isotopes. Federowicz enters his third stint of the season with Los Angeles after making the Opening Day roster and has appeared in three Major League games this season, going 0-for-5 with a walk.

Sellers was batting .191 with one home run, one double and two RBI in 26 games this year for the Dodgers.

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Ryu's Other Topps Baseball Cards Are Out

Following up on my post from last week featuring a Hyun-Jin Ryu's Topps autographed insert Baseball card, I now feature the other Ryu cards available in packs of 2013 Bowman.  BTW, I'll have pics of all the other Dodger cards from the set in a day or so.

After a stellar start to the season for the Korean starting pitcher, Hyun-Jin Ryu now has a real rookie card to call his own.  In the 2013 Bowman set he is a part of the normal base set and has two other insert cards.  Below is the base card, and it is number #218.  As always, there are numerous parallels.  In fact, I count 10 different variations (including the normal base card).  Below are examples of 4 of them.

On the top left is the base card, and on the right is the gold border parallel.

On the left below is the Silver Ice parallel, and on the right is the State & Hometown parallel card.

Below is the Top 100 insert card.  A die-cut version exist, as well.  (UPDATE: I've added a pic of the die-cut parallel card)

#BTP-77 Hyun-Jin Ryu                                  Die-Cut version

These next two cards are of the Chrome Refractor 'Cream of the Crop' Mini insert cards, #CC-LAD4.  On the left is the normal card, and on the right is the blue bordered parallel.

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Blog Kiosk: 5/8/2013

Here's a peak at the Jaime Jarrin bobblehead that will be given out on May 25th, pic via twitter @yvonnecarrasco.

• Paul Post at Sports Collectors Digest writes, "Visiting Places of Baseball History Related to Jackie Robinson"

However, one of the most memorable events ever staged there occurred on Oct. 18, 1949, when Jackie Robinson’s All-Stars – including Dodger teammates Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe – squared off against Black Baron All-Stars whose roster included an 18-year-old Mays and many Negro League greats including future Hall of Famer Buck Leonard, first baseman for the Homestead Grays.

• Dayne Perry ar CBS Sports shares a Vin Scully audio of him sharing the greatest catch he's ever seen.
• Jonah Keri at Grantland writes, "The Growing Legend of Clayton Kershaw."

In his 64 years calling Dodgers games, Scully has never been prone to hyperbole. When a truly special moment happens, sure, he'll deliver as stirring a description as you'll ever hear. But he understands context. A random pitch in a random spring training game isn't usually going to make him jump out of his chair. But this was no ordinary pitch. Kershaw's curveball was a masterpiece, falling out of the sky and turning Casey's knees into spaghetti.

• Eno Sarris at FanGraphs writes, "Being AJ Ellis."

Even when he was drafted, Ellis didn’t think like many of his fellow draftees. “I didn’t have major league expectations,” Ellis told me before this past series with the Giants. “I wasn’t being drafted and mapping out a career.” Ellis doesn’t sell himself short — this was more about his skillset and his draft position, and being honest with himself and the people he cared about. The minors were going to be “baseball finishing school” and he was going to finish up and then go coach a college team.

• Eno Sarris at FanGraphs also writes, "The Power Will Not Return for Adrian Gonzalez."
• Dan Cichalski at MLB.com tells us that former Dodger owner Peter O'Malley has been inducted in the Irish-American Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Dustin Nosler at Yahoo writes that, "Yasiel Puig is the most exciting Los Angeles Dodgers Prospect ever."
• I argued with myself about whether I should feature this particular article.  At the end of the day, I just figured it was newsworthy enough - even though I don't like the story.  Brock Keeling at the SFist shares a video of a brawl between Dodgers and Giants fans in San Francisco.  Come on, guys.  Only boxers and hockey players are allowed to fight. 
• Are Don Mattingley's name numbered?  Will be survive as manager?  Both Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts and Mike Petriello at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wonder that aloud.
• The Count at the Wall Street Journal writes, "Splashing Cash Rarely Pays Off."

These clubs should have known better. Since 2004, of the 33 teams to increase their payroll by at least 30%, only five made the playoffs. in that same time frame, of the 110 teams that increased by at least 10%, just 31 made the playoffs, barely more than the number of playoff teams that cut their payroll over that span (28).

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Check Out Yasiel Puig's First Licensed Baseball Card

The excitement surrounding Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig can not be overstated.  He is slugging his way into the hearts and minds of Dodger fans everywhere - even to the point of hearing loud choruses from fans for his immediate promotion to the big club. 

Will he end up in LA before the season is done?  I dunno.

All I do know is that Topps has just released the very first licensed Baseball cards for him in their 2013 Bowman card set and I have pics to prove it.  As you may know, he has already been put on cardboard (2012 Leaf, 2012 Rize Draft, and 2012 Leaf Metal), but those cards were unlicensed and therefore without the desirable Dodgers team logo.  So, beginning this week we finally have some cards with him wearing Dodger Blue.

In this years 2013 Bowman set he has two different cards.  See them below.  The first card is a Top 100 Prospect insert card.  A die-cut refractor card parallel card exist, as well.

#BTP-58 Yasiel Puig

Here is a Chrome Refractor 'Cream of the Crop' Mini insert card.  These cards are a little smaller than your average card. 

#CC-LAD3 Yasiel Puig

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Dodger Days at Frank & Sons

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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It is Dodger Days weekend at Frank & Son, and a bunch of Dodgers will be on hand to help us celebrate.  Go here for more information.  The flyers below provide all the details.

Frank & Son Collectible Show
19649 E. San Jose Ave.
City of Industry, CA 91748

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