2013 Bowman Sterling Baseball - the Dodgers Base Cards

Baseball cards just keep on comin'.

Last week, Topps released their newest Baseball set - 2013 Bowman Sterling.  It is a high-end offering that typically focuses on rookies and young rising future stars.  There are numerous Dodger autographed cards available, and I will share those soon.  For today, I show the Dodger base cards to the set.  See them below.

Rookie Cards

#8 Matt Magill                                     #17 Hyun-Jin Ryu

#32 Yasiel Puig

Prospect Cards

#BSP-23 Joc Pederson

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New Fantasy Cards for JP Howell and Juan Uribe to Celebrate their Re-Signing

After weeks of speculation and press confirmation, the Dodgers finally made the re-signing of both JP Howell and Juan Uribe official.  In fact, they made their announcement on Christmas Eve, but it was far too late for me to put up a post at that time. 

In belated celebration, I made a couple of fantasy Dodger cards for them.  See them above.  I used photos taken by Dodgers photgrapher Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.  BTW, only an official team announcement about the re-signing of Brian Wilson remains.  I would expect that will happen at any time. 

Ned Colletti had this to say about JP Howell, via a Dodgers press release:

"J.P. proved to be a very valuable pitcher us," said Colletti. "Not only did he help us achieve success, but his demeanor and competitiveness were real positives in the clubhouse."

And about Juan Uribe, via a Dodgers press release:

"Juan was a major player in our success last season," said Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti. "His play at third base, leadership in the clubhouse and clutch hitting helped the club immensely."

I would say that the Dodgers job is done.  They are bringing back most of the crew from this past season, and I am hopeful this will be enough to send us to the playoffs.  What happens then is anybody's guess.  I just believe that all management can do is put us in the best position possible, and I think it's fair to say that they've done that.  Now, it's time for them to play the games.

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Blog Kiosk: 12/26/2013 - Dodgers Links - Crawford Getting Married, Tanaka to be Posted and the Dodgers Winter is Basically Done

Matt Kemp was sure to wish everybody a Merry Christmas yesterday on instagram.

• Via Doug Miller at MLB.com, "Hollywood Dodgers wrote a heck of a script in '13".

If Hollywood executives in search of the next blockbuster script had only looked to the nearby Los Angeles neighborhood known as Chavez Ravine, maybe they wouldn't have resorted to that one extra remake of a bad TV sitcom.

As it turned out, "The 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers" turned out to be one heck of a flick, replete with a huge budget, an engaging cast of characters, a plot line nobody could predict, and a pulsating soundtrack of stadium cheers.

• The Dodgers winter in pretty much done, via a tweet from Ken Gurnick.

Colletti said he's "pretty much done" for the off-season unless something "presents itself." A utility infielder is a possibility, he said.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) December 24, 2013

• Carl Crawford is getting married, via Ashleigh Binder at Sports As Told by a Girl.

First, we found out she was  carrying his baby and now the couple revealed that they are engaged! The former Mrs. Ochocinco has now moved on to her new man, Dodgers slugger Carl Crawford. 

• I guess it'll be official soon.  Via ESPN, Masahiro Tanaka will be posted and made available to MLB teams.  I suspect the Dodgers would be willing to pay the maximum posting fee ($20Mil), along with several other teams.  Then, the wooing begins.  Tanaka will get to decide which team he goes to.

For 30 days from the time a player is posted, any MLB team can attempt to sign the player. It pays the posting fee only if it signs the player. A player who is not signed may not be posted again until the following Nov. 1.

Tachibana said his team is happy to retain Tanaka if he does not reach an agreement with an MLB team.

The new posting system was negotiated after some MLB teams objected that only the richest clubs could afford to bid on top Japanese players.

Under the previous agreement, which began in 1998 and ran through last offseason, there was no cap on bidding and only the highest bidder could negotiate with the player.

• LA Kings blog Mayor's Manor made a great t-shirt about Tommy Lasorda.   Get it here.  As you may know, Tommy has dropped the opening puck at numerous Kings games over the years, and he has a strange way of doing it.  He walks up to center ice, never acknowledges the opposing player, barely acknowledges the Kings player, drops the puck and immediately walks away.  It's hilarious.  Watch his puck drop from Monday, here.  

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