No No No No No! No Mascot!

I don't care if you call me a grumpy old man, or an uncaring monster.  I am absolutely against the idea of having a Dodger furry mascot.

It's silly, and this sudden adoration I'm sensing is really pissing me off.  Please stop it.

This afternoon, KTLA 5 had an interview with the masked menace.  His name is Mark Monninger.  Watch the video here.  Also, Ari Bloomekatz at the LA Times tells us more in a story just recently posted.  BTW, Monninger has been banned from Dodger Stadium for 6 months.  Good!

The 50-year-old man behind "Rally Bear," Mark Monninger of Rancho Cucamonga, said he pulled the stunt to promote the idea of the Dodgers' getting a mascot.

The moment came as the Dodgers fought their way to a 3-0 win Monday over the St. Louis Cardinals. In the bottom of the eighth inning, during a pitching change, Monninger jumped out of his seat dressed in a bear costume and rushed on top of the Cardinals' dugout.

He then waved his hands wildly, clapping to get the crowd hyped up and tried to do a jump into splits -- twice -- before being pulled away by security personnel.

Monninger called it "a gonzo, guerrilla-thing where you just go for it."

Of course, I thought the same thing about the LA Kings mascot Bailey, so there's that.  Still, I don't think the Dodgers need one.

Pic at the very top is a bastardized version of a Getty Images pic found on Big League Stew

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Adrian Gonzales Stars in "Big League Dads"

Adrian Gonzalez speaks about the joy his daughter brings to him and others every day in the video below.

Video Link:

For the past few weeks, MLB.com has been highlighting popular baseball players in a new light – off-the-field, opening up about fatherhood through the “Big League Dads” series.  Each week, “Big League Dads”  will be spotlighted on MLB.com, sharing how they care for what matters most—their families. 

You can watch Mike Trout on the values his father taught him growing up, here, and numerous other players from around the MLB share their experiences as fathers and sons, here.

For you Fathers out there, MLB has teamed up with Dove to promote a #BigLeagueDads contest.  Go here for info.  You can win tickets to Opening Day for any team in 2014, by just instagramming a photo.

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2013 Topps Finest - the Dodger Insert Cards

Following up on yesterday's post show the Dodger base cards to the 2013 Topps Finest set, here are the Dodger insert cards.

There are 3 different Dodger autographed jumbo rookie relic cards to chase.  Unfortunately, the Ryu and Puig cards are redemption's.  All that is available to look at now is the Paco Rodriquez card.  See it below.

Autograph Jumbo Rookie Relics

#AJR-PR Paco Rodriguez

I love the insert cards below.  They borrow the 1993 Finest design and put current players in.  See them below.

1993 Finest Insert Cards

#93F-AG Adrian Gonzalez                #93F-CK Clayton Kershaw

#93F-HJR Hyun-Jin Ryu                   #93F-HR Hanley Ramirez

#93F-MK Matt Kemp                        #93F-YP Yasiel Puig

#93F-ZG Zack Greinke

Finest Masters Refractors

#M-CK Clayton Kershaw

Prodigies Die Cut Refractor

#P-YP Yasiel Puig

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Goldin Auctions: 1961 Baseball GM's Respond to PA About Spring Training Housing Segregation - Dodgers GM Bavasi has a Hilarious Response

Segregation in Baseball didn't entirely end with Jackie Robinson.  In fact, it was just the opening salvo in a movement to make the game an equal battlefield for all to play in.  There were many hurdles still left to cross.

As I'm sure you know, Spring Training in those days was largely played in segregated Florida.  As a result, ballplayers typically could not be housed or even eat under the same roof.  As time went on that changed as some teams created their own facilities or found willing establishments.  Still, in 1961, some 14 years after Jackie, housing in Florida remained unequal.

As evidenced by a collection currently available for sale through Goldin Auctions we discover how each team faired in leveling the housing playing field.  In 1961 MLBPA approached each team to provide an update on how desegregating was going and this auction includes the official responses from every team (with exception of the Red Sox and Phillies).  Check out the auction here.  You'll notice that several clubs were still trying to work through this issue.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, were the bellwethers.  There are two letters from the Dodgers, signed by GM Buzzie Bavasi and President Walter O'Malley, and they are pointed and hilarious.  Considering how their club started it all, I am not surprised they responded in a snarky manner.

Above is the letter Walter O'Malley sent.  He says:

Your letter of August 7th, I believe might be sort of in the nature of a form letter as it actually does not apply to our club which trains at Dodgertown, Vero Beach.  You will recall from your visits that all our players, office staff, executives, directors and owners are housed and eat under one common roof.

So, Dodgertown was way ahead of the curve.

A fascinating part of O'Malley's letter is what he writes next.

There are local city ordinances that are not in keeping with our thinking which, however, cover situations off our self-contained base.  Our relations with the local political administration are not cordial at the moment and we have even been giving some thought to transferring our base to the West Coast unless we see signs of improvement.

This is the first I've heard that in 1961 the Dodgers had considered moving out of Florida.

Dodgers GM Buzzie Bavasi's response to the MLBPA takes a more, shall I say, sarcastic road.

You folks must be out of your mind.  We eat, sleep and drink under the same roof.  That is the only reason we train at Dodgertown.  You must know that.  If you are referring to the motion picture theatre downtown, or the barber-shop however, we have these facilities at the Base.  NOW GET LOST! (emphasis mine)

As you know, management was not very fond of the players association, so this might have more to do with that then any sense of being annoyed with being asked.

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Blog Kiosk: 10/15/2013 - Dodgers Links - Adrian, Ryu and a Rally Bear?

Carl Crawfod came in to score the third run of the game in the photo above, via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.  See more of his incredible photos from the game here.

• Ahhh... Rally Bear?  (Hat Tip: Nate Scott at USA Today)

No... The Dodgers do not have a mascot - Thank Goodness.  It was just a fan living out his/her furry fantasy at Dodger Stadium.  (I can't believe I just wrote that.)  From my understand, the bear was kicked out of the stadium.  Mike Oz at Big League Stew has more.  On a side note, I would be very unhappy if this was some planned stunt, and someone like Johnny Knoxville was in that bear suit.

• Adam Wainwright is a whiny little child.  Per Larry Brown Sports, "Adam Wainwright: Adrian Gonzalez was doing Mickey Mouse stuff".
• Tony Jackson has up some postgame video from the game.  Check out Hyun-Jin Ryu here.  Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig are in the same video here.  A Mark Ellis video is here.  Then, watch Don Mattingly here.
• "Stoic Ryu silences doubts with stellar NLCS outing," via Anthony DiComo at MLB.com.

"His emotions have been consistent the entire season," Ellis said. "That's a credit to him and the way he was raised and the way he was developed as a baseball player. You'd never know what the score is by his body language and the way he handles himself on the mound. That's the mark of a really mature pitcher who understands what his job is to do."

• ICYMI:  Yesterday I shared some pics from Super Dodger Fan Fred from Florida of his incredible Dodger room and his Garage of Dreams.  See that post here.  You won't regret it.
• Mike Petriello at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness tells us that there might be a change to the Dodgers caps next season.
• Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs writes, "Calling a Pitch to Adrian Gonzalez".  He discusses the pitch sequence that lead to Adrian's run scoring double in the 4th inning.
• "Adrian's biggest fan? His 2-year-old daughter," via Joey Nowak at MLB.com.

"She comes to the games," Gonzalez said. "She's very active, from what I hear. She loves 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame,' she loves the wave. For the most part, she didn't cry when the crowd got excited, the loud noises, and she didn't fall asleep until after the game, so she enjoyed the whole time."

• Craig Muder at Cooperstown Chatter writes a great piece about MLB umpire Wally Bell, who passed away recently.  RIP, Wally Bell.

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