Check Out How Hockey at Dodger Stadium Came to Be

The Stanley Cup Playoffs isn't even over with and I'm already aching for the next season to begin.  I think one of the principal reason for this is the upcoming Stadium Series game slated for January of 2014.  As you know, the LA Kings are scheduled to play an outdoor game against the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium.

This afternoon, Jon Rosen at the LA Kings Insider blog (the Kings official blogger) shared some background about how the whole thing came about.  It's a fun read.  Check it out here.

“There’s always the ‘Yes, we’d like to do this’, but then there’s ‘How do you do it?’ and ‘When do you do it?’”

That “when” is next January 25 – a malleable date that allows some wiggle room in the event of rain – a forecast that isn’t uncommon in Southern California in early winter. It also falls within the Dodgers’ schedule of being able to replace and maintain the field prior to the start of the 2014 Major League Baseball season.

Representatives of the league, the Kings and Dodgers toured Dodger Stadium one month ago for a sightlines tour and to gain a better perspective of the layout of the event and various logistical concerns – those refrigeration trucks have to be parked somewhere – while shoring up the blueprint of how to make the Dodger Stadium event a unique experience that pays tribute to its local and regional surroundings.

Last week I shared a pic of a artist rendering that was on display at Staples Center in the outdoor patio during Game 3 of the Conference Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.  See it below.  Based upon this story, it appears that having a California feel to the game may reign supreme.

“A lot of the planning right now is about making sure that this game brings L.A.,” Cheeseman said. “We are different than any other city in the league, and we can do some unique things that a lot of teams and organizations can’t do, so we want to make sure that we reflect Southern California in all of these events, so that’s important to us.”

Of course, the ethos of Southern California living may be at its most accurate when sitting under a darkening, palm tree-silhouetted, post-sunset sky at a baseball stadium that practically requires a car to access.

“I think you could have a lot of fun with the fun with the event in terms of the way you stage it and the way fans kind of celebrate the game,” Collins said. “I like the idea of tailgating in shorts.”

So, regardless of my concerns that sand so near the ice could make for a screwed up game, it's seems likely that this may be a theme they will be going for.

On the other hand, if they actually allow fans to tailgate at Dodger Stadium, then I don't think I would care about the look of the field.  Give me some BBQ, a cold beer from my cooler and hockey in the evening, and I'll be a happy camper.

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Check This Out - A Yasiel Puig Custom MacFarlane Figurine

Last week I came across a post on the r/Dodgers reddit that featured a little bit of Dodgers themed folk art.  The Original Poster, Tonedog14, shared some photos of a MacFarlane figurine that was repurposed - that is, custom painted to look like our Cuban sensation.  So, I immediately contacted the poster and he was kind enough to allow me to share the pics here.

Wow!  This thing is great.  It almost looks a little like Puig.

I had asked a couple of follow up questions.  Unfortunately, I hadn't heard back.  Oh, well. 

I was curious about who the figurine was originally.  Based on some preliminary research, I think it may have been a 2006 Andruw Jones figurine, which is a little nerve-racking. 

From my understanding, Tonedog14's father painted this figurine and regularly sells similar creations at a Frank & Sons booth in the City of Industry.  So, if you're interested in this piece or anything like it I suggest stopping by.

According to Tonedog14 they sell these folk art pieces at $50 to $75 a piece, depending upon the amount of detail.  Their booth is located in aisle 100 at booth 127, and if you want to get in contact with them feel free to email his father here.  If you get lost look for the north east corner of the warehouse. 

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Blog Kiosk: 6/13/2013 - Dodgers Links - Draft Picks Signed, Puig and No National in California (for a long time)

Both our first and second round picks from the 2013 amateur draft have just signed contracts with the Dodgers.  They were both at the stadium last night, as evidenced by the photo above.  Pic via twitter @Dodgers.  The Dodgers press release is here.

• Jason Parks at Baseball Prospectus introduces us to the Yasiel Puig drinking game.
• Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Time to ease on Puig expectations".
• Austin Laymance at MLB.com, "Dodgers prospects making impact; more on the way".

Lee, 21, was the Dodgers' first round pick (28th overall) in the 2010 Draft and has been rising quickly through the system ever since. The right-hander has four pitches that he can throw for strikes and has good movement on a fastball that sits at 92-93 mph. Still, Lee is not expected to arrive in the Majors until next season.

• Via Craig Calcaterra at Hardball Talk, he tells us what physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson says about a Baseball to the head.  This man is one of my personal heroes.

Not that anybody asked, but a baseball thrown 90 mph has about the same energy as a 0.22 caliber bullet fired from a handgun.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) June 12, 2013

• Via Bill Shaikin at the LA Times, McCourt would be a principle landlord if a football stadium was built in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.  Because of this, I believe there should never be football at Chavez Ravine.  NO!  NEVER!  I absolutely despise McCourt and knowing that he will have some role so close to our second home makes me sick!  I propose designating Dodger Stadium and its surrounding land a National Historic Landmark, so that they can never develop the land.  Screw them!
• This is just awesome.  "New Origami Street Art in Angers, France by Mademoiselle Maurice," via This is Colossal.com.  Definately a must see.

• In some brief card show news.  You should not expect the National Sports Collectors Convention to make it to the West Coast til 2020, at the earliest.  Via Susan Lulgjuraj at Beckett, "National Sports Collectors Convention planned for next six years, headed back to Atlantic City". Sports Collectors Daily shares a quote from the promoter explaining why the West Coast gets shut out.

“We have size requirements now,” NSCC Director and Co-Founder Mike Berkus told Sports Collectors Daily in 2012.  “Operating  under 325,000 square feet would mean that many exhibitors would be shut out. Vegas and Atlantic City pose challenges on diversion of attention and attendance. Philly, New York, and Boston have financial and union issues that require exhibitors to have large increases in booth fees. Anaheim, San Francisco, and Boston will not host us without a cancellation policy that would kill advance travel and planning for all concerned. They want trade shows that require 8000 to 10,000 room night guarantees or they can cancel us without recourse. We are constantly researching and negotiating as many locations as possible.”

• This is the greatest Baseball call-up news I've ever read.  Via Sean Kernan at the Daytona Beach News-Journal, "Daytona Cubs vendor with famous pitches gets big-league call".

Near the end of spring training in March, Vince received a hand-written note on personalized stationery from Mark Lerner, principal owner of the Washington Nationals. It was an invitation to come work for the National League team in Washington, D.C. 

After more than a decade hawking such ballpark delights as frozen lemonade, cotton candy, peanuts and, most famously, ice-cold beer, in the minors, Vince had received his call up to the majors. 

"I'm ecstatic," Vince said as he proudly held the note he carries in his wallet. "My entire life, I've been waiting for something to happen because everything I do – every beer that I sell – I put 100 percent into it. Every sale – peanuts, cotton candy, whatever."

BTW, he's not just a vendor.  He's a recent UCF Grad with a degree in Communications.  The Nationals plan to train him in the marketing department and have him hawk goods during games. 

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