A Vintage Card Auction: Jim Gilliam & the Bridegrooms

Love of the Game Auctions has a couple of great Dodgers related collectibles I wanted to share with you.

Below is a relatively unknown vintage Puerto Rican Winter League Baseball card of Dodger great Jim Gilliam.  This set was issued from 1950-51 by Toleteros in Puerto Rico, and are fairly scarce.  It has really only been in the last decade that the collecting world has taken notice of this set. 

One of the great things about this and other sets from the island is that it includes many Negro League players who do not appear in any other card set.  In fact, this particular set includes the only known Josh Gibson card in the hobby.  It is the Holy Grail of Negro League cards, and it's value matches its rarity.  There are only about a dozen known Gibson cards.

The below Gilliam card, although not as scarce as the Gibson card, is a tough find and counts as one of his earliest issues.  As you can see, he played for Cangrejeros de Santurce in Santurce, San Juan.  They currently play at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

UPDATE:  I've always thought there was something strange about this card, and now that I look at it again I can't help but think that Toleteros used the wrong photo.  The photo they used just doesn't look like Jim Gilliam.  Am I wrong?

(Auction Link)

The next item below is super rare.  It is a 1898 Cameo Pepsin pin of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.  The Dodger team of that era, according to lore, were dubbed the Bridegrooms due to a large number of players who were wed at the same time.

This Cameo Pepsin pins measures 1 1/4" in diameter and still retains the original advertising insert on the reverse.

(Auction Link)

(Auction Link)

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2013 Panini Pinnacle Baseball - Some Dodgers Insert Cards

Following up on yesterday's post featuring the Dodgers base cards to the 2013 Panini Pinnacle Baseball card set, here are some of the Dodgers inserts cards.  Next week, I'll have pics of the "Clear Vision" insert cards.

There is a "Rookie Autograph Card" of Paco Rodriguez (#15), but a redemption card is inserted into packs.

Autograph Cards

#20 Fernando Valenzuela                          #73 Skip Schumaker

Aces Inserts

#4 Clayton Kershaw

The next two cards (Pinnacle of Success and Swing for the Fences) are acetate (or plastic) cards that are transparent.

Pinnacle of Success Insert

#16 Clayton Kershaw

Swing for the Fences Insert

#14 Matt Kemp

Looking Back Insert

#4 Clayton Kershaw

Team Pinnacle Insert

Andrew McCutchen - Matt Kemp

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The Dodgers Make it Official: Vin Scully Returns for His 65th Year

The Dodgers have announced that Vin Scully will be back in the Dodger broadcast booth for the 2014 season.  Per their press release:

"I have thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of this season, and there is no way I could leave this truly remarkable team and our great fans," Scully said. "With my wife Sandi's blessing, I've decided I'd like to come back and do it again next season. I love what the new ownership has brought to the team, and the energy provided by the fans, who have packed renovated Dodger Stadium. It reminds me that other than being home with my family, there is no place else I'd rather be."

I think we need to thank both the new owners and Sandi (Vin's wife) for making this all happen - the Guggenheim boys for remaking the Dodgers in such a way that makes this decision easy for Scully and Sandi for willing to share him with us.

"The Dodgers are overjoyed to have Vin back with the team in 2014," said Dodgers chairman and owner Mark Walter. "Vin IS Dodgers baseball. The Dodgers, the sport of baseball and the city of Los Angeles are extremely fortunate to have him in our midst."

"We're so grateful that Vin wants to continue to call Dodger games," said Dodgers owner Earvin Johnson. "Being able to listen to Vin helps make every Dodger game something special."

"Vin brings a unique perspective to Dodger baseball," said Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten. "Everyone in the Dodger family and within the sound of his voice benefits each and every time we are afforded the opportunity to hear him call a Dodger game. We are thrilled to know that experience will continue through at least the 2014 season."

Check out the entire press release here.

Pic above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013

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Blog Kiosk: 8/23/2013 - Dodgers Links - Puig, Ryu is Sick and Who is Jigger Statz?

The 11th edition of Dodgers Playbill debuts today at Dodger Stadium with Zack Greinke on the cover. The playbill is distributed at all Dodger Stadium parking gates and Fan Services stations during the game.

• Via Eric Nusbaum at Deadspin, "Where Yasiel Puig Comes From".  Just awesome!
• "Withrow relishing new opportunity in bullpen," via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com.
• This is excellent, and must be said.  Check out Barry Petchesky's column at Deadspin entitled, "This Is The Worst Column About Yasiel Puig Until Later Today, Probably".

The common thread running between all these "bench Puig for the sake of the Dodgers" columns is the idea that Puig is stubborn—he doesn't want to fix the holes in his game, like skipping cutoff men or pressing for an extra base—and needs an authority figure to rein him in. Conversely, Bryce Harper is still learning, and it'd be foolish to try and stanch his passion.
...
So what's the difference between Harper and Puig, if not their countries of birth? Excellent question.

• Via Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs, "Today in Yasiel Puig Being Really Great".

What we can reasonably conclude is that this is at least among the longest non-homers, and quite possibly the very longest for 2013. 

• Via Christopher Jackson at Examiner.com, "Isotopes Notebook: Moylan pitches in to help after tragic incident".

“It’s just a tragic, tragic story. He was super intelligent, super hard-working and (became) a victim of a senseless crime.”

• Huh... So this is what they do when a player catches a cold and they have to fly.  I wish these were provided on normal commercial flights.  Via Hyun-Jin Ryu's twitter.  Translated: "From Miami caught a cold ... Blah blah for another team member" - maybe "don't want to give to a team member"?

마이애미에서 감기 걸렸어요... 딴 팀원들을 위해서 ㅋㅋㅋ pic.twitter.com/apIy5H2HOO
— Hyun-Jin Ryu (@HyunJinRyu99) August 22, 2013

• Nick Diunte at Examiner.com writes a great story about a balllayer who reached 4,000 career hits who you likely don't know - Jigger Statz.

“They interviewed him out in New York and they had the three outfielders, Snider, Mantle and Mays. They asked him who the best one he’s ever seen was. He (Duke Snider) said, ‘Jigger Statz.’ Duke said this. All the writers went, ‘Who? Who?’ like a bunch of owls.”

• Read Ryan Braun's apology here.  Frankly, I don't believe him when he writes that this was a one-time thing.
• This is what my nightmares are made of.  Please let the 80's die.  Here is the newest pop sensation - Corey Feldman.  Really... Corey Feldman.

Video Link:

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