Welcome to the Blue, Brandon Dixon - Dodgers 3rd Round Draft Pick, an Accomplished Noodler and a Fantasy Card for Him

With the Dodgers 3rd Round Pick of the 2013 Amateur Draft (92nd overall), they choose Arizona Wildcat Brandon Dixon.  He's a 6'1" third baseman who won the PAC-12 collegiate batting championship and was a member of the 2012 College World Series Champion University of Arizona Wildcats.  Dixon batted .369 with 6 home runs in 57 games for Arizona this past season.  In fact, 2013 was a breakout year for him.

Per Daniel Berk at the Arizona Daily Star:

"I've always had that goal and dream to go out and play professional baseball," Dixon said Wednesday. "I'm excited to see what happens."

Well son, you're a Dodger now!

Per his Wildcat biography he once aspired to work for the Secret Service and counts Noodling as one of his hobbies.

I'm sure you're wondering like I was, what is noodling? 

Well, noodling is catching catfish with his bare hands.  Yeah, you read that right.

For more background on our newest prospect check out these stories below:

• Eric Stephen at True Blue LA has some info; including a video.
• Here is his Wildcat biography page.
• Jason Bartel at Arizona Desert Swarm writes "Arizona Wildcats Baseball: Brandon Dixon named semifinalist for Dick Howser Trophy".
• Anthony Gimino at the Tucson Citizen writes, "Arizona Wildcats’ Brandon Dixon wins Pac-12 batting title".
• Daniel Berk at the Arizona Daily Star wrote a pre-draft story on him.

Check out my post earlier today featuring some fantasy card I made of our first 2 picks from the draft here.

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Blog Kiosk: 6/7/2013 - Dodgers Links - Super Puig, Another Cuban Being Watched by Dodgers and 16-Year Old Urias Continues to Impress

How many "Standing O's" will he have before this year is done?  Unbelievable!  Check out more great pics from Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013 right here.

• I just found out that Dodger Stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley has a twitter account.  Check her out here @NancyBea. 
• How great has Puig's start been?

Elias Says: Yasiel Puig's 9 RBI are tied for most by player in 1st 4 career games in Live Ball Era es.pn/11lj4WA
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 7, 2013

• AJ Ellis appears to not believe what he's been seeing.  Check out what he's been saying on twitter.  (Hat Tip: reddit fostermatt)

• Mike Cardillo at Big Lead Sports tell's us 5 things you may not know about Yasiel Puig.
• Chad Moriyama goes gif crazy over Puig's grand slam night.
• Check out this must see infographic on Yasiel Puig, via Dodger Dugout Step - the Dodgers tumblr.
• I'm not surprised by this at all.  Via Adrian Glick Kudler at Curbed LA, "Dodgers Owner Says It's Trying to Bring Second Sport to Chavez".
• Dustin Nosler writes a piece for Yahoo focused on the Dodger draftees who did not sign with us.
• Via Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, "Dodgers eyeing Cuban pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez".

Gonzalez could be declared by Major League Baseball as early as this week. Once Gonzalez becomes a free agent and is cleared by the U.S. Treasury Department to sign with American teams, he will hold a showcase for major league scouts. The showcase is expected to take place around June 20, according to a person familiar with Gonzalez’s plans.

• Chris Blessing at Bullpen Banter takes a look at our other "can't miss" prospect, Joc Pederson.
• "Teen Urias spins five shutout innings: Dodgers prospect allows one hit, earns first professional win," Via Ashley Marshall at MLB.com.
• I enjoy the Manny Ramirez updates of his exploits in Taiwan.  Via David Brown at Big League Stew, "Taiwan’s Manny Ramirez home run call: ‘Like the ex-girlfriend who will never return!’"
• Just in case you haven't seen it.  Below is Puig hitting his Grand Slam last night.

Video Link:

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2013 Panini USA Baseball Champions Set - The Dodgers' Players

Last week, Panini released a new Baseball card set.  It is focused on Team USA and includes many old faces familiar to Dodger fans.  Since none of the players are formerly shown connected to any particular team, I decided to pick and choose a handful of former Dodgers of note.  I also decided to include USC's great Baseball coach Rod Dedeaux.  He played in 2 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1935, and continued to maintain close ties to the team while compiling arguably the greatest resume for a college coach, ever.

Directly below are the former and current Dodgers' in the base set.

#2 Rod Dedeaux                               #11 Mark McGwire

#22 Shawn Green                              #23 Nomar Garciaparra

#28 Tommy Lasorda                                 #35 Reggie Smith

#55 Zach Lee                                        #89 Zach Lee

#93 Corey Seager

Here are the Dodgers' insert cards.

Diamond Kings Set Checklist

#4 Nomar Garciaparra

#11 Tommy Lasorda

Game Gear Jerseys Set

#52 Corey Seager

Game Gear Jerseys Prime Set

#52 Corey Seager #/ 99

Highlights Set Checklist

#1 Rod Dedeaux                                #4 Tommy Lasorda

#11 Nomar Garciaparra

The die-cut cards below come in various different parallel versions.  See examples of several different parallels below.  The B&W version are numbered to /699, the Mirror Red to /299, the Mirror Green to /199, the Mirror Blue to /199, and the Mirror Gold to /25.

Legends Certified Die-Cuts Set Checklist

#12 Shawn Green                                     #15 Rod Dedeaux

#19 Nomar Garciaparra                             #28 Mark McGwire

#33 Tommy Lasorda

Pride Set Checklist

#1 Rod Dedeaux                               #7 Nomar Garciaparra

#21 Mark McGwire

Stars and Stripes Signatures Set Checklist

#18 Mark McGwire #/73                      #35 Shawn Green #/229

#38 Nomar Garciaparra #/149                  #46 Tommy Lasorda #/250

Corey Seager also has an autographed Stars and Stripes card, but are only available via a redemption card.

#58 Zach Lee #/700

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Welcome to the Blue, Chris Anderson & Tom Windle - A Couple Fantasy Baseball Cards For Them

I'm probably jumping the gun here.  After all, the Dodgers still need to sign their two newest draft picks.  Nevertheless, I thought it would be nice to make a couple of homemade Dodgers' Baseball cards for them.  They are fashioned after the 1974 Topps set; complete with yellow background draft pick signage.

Also, I'm obviously late in announcing these two first picks on this blog as I was cheering on the Kings at the Staples Center last night.  Unfortunately, I came home in a unruly mood as the Kings lost a tight one, 3 to 2.

Anyway, the Dodgers selected Chris Anderson with the 18th pick.  He is a right-handed pitcher from Jacksonville University, stands a tall 6' 4", and is said to throw three plus pitches - a fastball, curve and slider.

“We’re extremely excited to have selected a player of Chris’ ability level,” said Dodger Vice President, Amateur Scouting Logan White. “He’s a big physical young man with three quality Major League pitches and a bulldog-competitive makeup to go with it.”

Via Justin Barney at the Florida Times-Union:

“I knew a couple minutes prior. I couldn’t hold back any emotion,” said Anderson, a Lino Lakes, Minn. native, who was watching the draft with friends and family back home. “Soon as the pick was made, it was just … it feels great. I know that it’s just one of those things at the end of the day. My goal isn’t just to be a first-round pick. My goal is to get to the big leagues, and this is just another step to get me to do that. JU’s had a lot of guys have success [in the major leagues], and I want to be one of those guys as well.”

It sounds like he is ready to sign.  BTW, Chris Anderson has a twitter account at @SeeAyy.   Go and check out these links for more background on Anderson.

• Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts has a great rundown of what some experts say about him.
• Chad Moriyama also has some additional information; including video.
• Dustin Nosler at Feelin' Kinda Blue has more and another video.
• Here is the Jacksonville University biography page for Anderson.

Tom Windle was the Dodgers' 56th pick in the 2013 Draft.  He is a also 6'4", and a left-handed pitcher from the University of Minnesota - a cold weather Baseball environment.  Hence, the presence of snow in the photo I used above for his fantasy Baseball card. Go ahead and follow Tom on twitter at @tomwindle38.

Proud to be selected by the LA Dodgers!!!
— Tom Windle (@tomwindle38) June 7, 2013

Via Tyler Mason at Fox Sports North:

"I think he has a chance to play the game for a while and has a chance to play at the next level if he stays healthy and continues to develop like he has," Gophers coach John Anderson said earlier this year. "He's got great makeup, great poise on the mound. He's got a quiet confidence to him. I think he's got the intangibles. I think he's got what it takes from the neck up."

Go and check out these links for more background on Windle.

• Chad Moriyama has a nice rundown on what the experts think.
• Mike Rosenbaum at the Bleacher Report has their own analysis.
• Here is John Sickels at Minor League Ball report on Tom Windle.
• Suber10 at the Crawfish Boxes has another great draft report on Windle.
• Here's an interview Windle gave to Twin Cities.com after a game in late May.
• Here is the University of Minnesota biography page for Windle.  BTW, as a sophomore in college he is still has not decided a major.  My guess is that it'll be Baseball.

Tommy's announcement of this pick is a gas.

Video Link:

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