Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Tim Leary & AJ Ellis

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.

---------------------------

AJ Ellis will be signing autographs this coming Sunday, August 25 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Manuel's El Tepeyac in the City of Industry.   Autograph Pricing: $29 Any Item.  More information available via Roberto at Vin Scully is My Homeboy.

Manuel's El Tepeyac
13131 Crossroads Pkwy South 
City of Industry, CA 91746 
(626) 488-9432 

Merchandise available for signatures: 8x10 Photos $5, 11x14 $15, 16x20; $25 Baseballs & Mini-Helmets - $15 each; Big Stick Bats - $30

---------------------------

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

A 1887 Dodger Baseball Card of a Player Involved in a Play of Deception

Following up on yesterday's post featuring a couple of vintage Dodgers memorabilia items for sale at Legendary Auctions, I want to take a moment to point out a late 19th century Baseball card for sale of a former Dodger player I thought worth mentioning.

The below card is a 1887 Old Judge tobacco card of Brooklyn Grays starting pitcher Stephen Toole.

He isn't notable because he was a great pitcher worthy of serious consideration into the Hall of Fame.  Toole was a rather poor pitcher who played in only 4 Major League seasons (2 of which with the Brooklyn Grays/Dodgers - 1886 to 1887). 

I highlight Stephen Toole because he played a part in a very unusual triple play.

As a member of the Brooklyn Galdiators (American Association) in 1890 he, along with 2 teammates, were called out in a triple play that can only be described as an act of trickery. 

Toole was on 2nd base with the bases full as the batter, John Peltz, popped it up to the short stop, Marr Phillips.  Seeing an opportunity, the short stop decided to let the ball fall untouched.  In a time before the advent of the "infield fly rule", the runners, unsure of what exactly to do, first held fast then ran for the next base.  As you can imagine, they were all putout for a triple play.

Obviously, the Brooklyn club protested.  They claimed that the league recently declared that only the batter would be out in this situation (i.e. the infield fly rule).  Unfortunately, the umpire, ironically named Barnum, would have none of that.  He declared it a triple play, claiming that he had not been notified by the league of any rule changes.

BTW, the Brooklyn Gladiators lasted only one season as a going concern.  They folded up after the 1890 season, having gone 26-72 for the year.  The team that would be known as the Brooklyn Dodgers, on the other hand, had left the American Association that season and won the National League.

*The above triple play story came from the SABR Triple Play database.

(Auction Link)

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

Blog Kiosk: 8/21/2013 - Dodgers Links - Gammons on Urias and a Puig Overload

“Yasiel Puig was late to the dance, but boy he has cleared the floor!” -Rick Monday. gif above via Dodgers on tumblr.  Check out a bunch of pics from yesterday from Jon SooHoo here.

• Peter Gammons at The Daily Gammons writes about our 17-year old pitching prospect Julio Urias.

“I have never seen a 17-year old like him,” says one scout. “He is unbelievable. Kind of a Wandy Rodriguez build, but a strong core. Throws 94-96 with legitimate athleticism, has a breaking ball and a curveball. One thing I look for is anxiety. This kid has none. He knows exactly who and what he is.

• David Pinto at Baseball Musings writes about the perceived issues with Puig.  I side with the idea that we should just let Puig play while continuing to work on any deficiencies.  Yasiel is a net positive for the Dodger (by far), and I see no reason to potentially fill him up with excess information.  I'm still in the mode of thinking that we should cut him some slack.
• Via Tony Jackson at Dodger Scribe, "The lowdown from Mattingly on his meeting with Puig".

“He left late enough to make it too close,” Mattingly said. “Trust me, he isn’t the first guy who has been here after the last bus. And it has happened (with other guys) more than two or three times.”

• I don't feel like writing anything about Plaschke's recent article about Puig's benching.  It's idiotic dribble.  Instead, check out Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts response.  It's excellent. 

But when you argue in print that a 22-year-old ballplayer, after 2 1/2 months in the major leagues, is so lacking in character that you “desperately” need a mechanism to keep him in line – weeks from now, over and over again, because the initial punishment or his natural development has so little chance of working  – you’ve revealed to the world your bias against him.

• Drew Fairservice at Getting Blanked speaks with both Clayton Kershaw and AJ Ellis on how they prepare between starts.
• According to Deadspin, the LA Times reporter Dylan Hernandez is the best Dodgers beat reporter.  ESPN's Mark Saxon is the worst.  This seems very unscientific.
• Via Jason Gay at the Wall Street Journal, "These Bums Are Baseball's Best".

They have become the big show. They have done it with pitching, long and short; they have done it with pricey names and discount ones; they have done it with the rookie Yasiel Puig, an electric cocktail of raw talent who may only be a fraction of the player he will become. They have finally and thankfully wrestled headlines away from all that recent drug drama and the inane argy-bargy in New York, where the Yankees and representatives of Alex Rodriguez continue to sock each other over the head with pillowcases full of gym socks. Thanks to the Dodgers, baseball is back to being about actual baseball. Not lawyers. It's a forgiving relief.

• GCRL shares his mighty bounty of Allen & Ginter Dodger cards from Crackin' Wax's Charity Box Break.
• ND at Baseball Musings wrties, "My Cuban Florida baseball experience - Part One - Paul Casanova's baseball academy".
• Via Liz Klimas at the Blaze, "The Awesome Story About a Group of Men Who Have Been Playing a Single Game of Tag for 23 Years".

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *