Mets Series Starts Tonight - Scheduled Autograph Signings, Game Give Aways and Other Stuff!

The next homestand starts this evening against the New York Mets, and several olde-tyme Dodgers will be in the house to sign free autographs for fans.  Below are the scheduled autograph opportunities and other odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.

BTW, the Extreme Loaded Dog concession stands will be making the New York Dog, a all-beef hot dog topped with Sabrett’s onions in sauce, sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard.  It will be available Friday through Sunday at extreme loaded dog concession stands on the Field, Loge and Reserve levels.  Check out a pic on the right.

This weekend is the 7th Anual Think Cure Weekend at Dodger Stadium.  Throughout #ThinkCureWeekend, stadium spectators will have several opportunities to support ThinkCure! and their life-saving cancer research program at City of Hope and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.  Go here for information.

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Friday, August 22nd at 7:10 PM
LHP Jonathon Niese vs. RHP Dan Haren

Tonight's game starts at 7:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 4:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 5:00 PM.  It is Friday Night Fireworks, so fans will be able to go down onto the field after the game.  The theme for the evening relates to the second annual LGBT Night at Dodger Stadium and will feature music by DJ Manny Lehman.

Billy Bean, newly named as MLB’s first Ambassador of Inclusion, will participate in pre-game activities in support of LGBT Night Out. Two-time Grammy-nominated artist Mary Lambert will perform the national anthem. Jesse Tyler Ferguson will throw the ceremonial first pitch. Ferguson is a five-time Emmy nominee for his work on ABC’s award-winning “Modern Family.” Eric Stonestreet, who plays Ferguson’s partner on “Modern Family,” will also be on field for pregame festivities. Stonestreet, a well-known Dodger fan, has won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as “Cam Tucker.”

Former Dodgers Ken Landreaux (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  Then, he will be signing autographs in the Stadium Club from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

• The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Army Corporal Sudy Ayvazian fof Inglewood. He was drafted in 1943 following the attack on Pearl Harbor and served with the Medical Detachment 23rd Infantry as a non-commissioned medical officer. Ayvazian served in France and Germany during World War II. His accolades include a World War II Victory Medal and American Campaign Medal. 
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will hold a silent auction on the Club level by the Vin Scully Press Box. The auction ends at 8:45 p.m. with more than 25 items up for bid, including a Clayton Kershaw autographed baseball, Andre Ethier autographed photo and Yasiel Puig autographed Dodger jersey. All proceeds will benefit LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness which help children and families throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

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Saturday, August 23rd at 6:10 PM
RHP Jacob deGrom vs. RHP Zack Greinke

Tonight's game starts at 6:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 3:30 PM, and stadium gates open at 4:00 PM.  It is "Pups at the Park" night at Dodger Stadium.  So, you should expect to see a parade of dogs from all over the Southland to invade Dodger Stadium at 5:00 PM.  Go here for information about the event.  The Dodgers will donate a portion of the proceeds to Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation.

Ellie Smith will perform the national anthem. Smith will be in Atlantic City representing her home State of Nevada in the Miss America Pageant in two weeks. Smith’s first national anthem performance for the Dodgers was at the age of 9.

Former Dodgers Billy Ashley (in right-field pavilion plaza) and Dennis Powell (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  Both will sign autographs in the Stadium Club from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM.

• The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Air Force Reserve Technical Sergeant Robert Sumner of Palmdale. He enlisted in 1983 and is a reservist currently serving with the 412th Security Forces Squadron based at Edwards Air Force Base. His duties included flying missions to transport captured Al Qaida/Taliban prisoners. Sumner has served deployments to Egypt, Panama and Afghanistan. His accolades include an Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal with two stars. On behalf of Bank of America, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Recruiter, Global HR Staffing and U.S. Air Force veteran Michelle Fowler will present the Veteran of the Game with a commemorative flag that has been flown over Dodger Stadium.
• In conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America, the Dodgers will play host to the 13th annual Scouts Day and Egg Drop Contest. Prior to the game, Boy Scouts will be dropping a device containing a raw egg from the top of Dodger Stadium into the Right Field Pavilion parking lot and the goal is to have the egg survive the fall.

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Sunday, August 23rd at 1:10 PM
 RHP Bartolo Colon vs. RHP Kevin Correia

Sunday's game starts at 1:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 10:30 AM, and stadium gates open at 11:00 AM.  The first 40,000 fans will receive an Matt Kemp figurine.  Check it out on the right.

Lakers No.1 draft pick Julius Randle will throw the ceremonial first pitch.  Tamar Braxton will perform the national anthem. Braxton will release a new album later this year and can currently be seen in the hit TV series “Tamar & Vince” and “Braxton Family Values.”

Former Dodgers Tim Leary (in right-field pavilion plaza) and Derrel Thomas (in left-field pavilion plaza) will be signing autographs for fans from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  Both will sign autographs in the Stadium Club from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM.

As always, Viva Los Dodgers begins in the Dodger parking lot at 11:00 AM and musical entertainment will be provided by El Gavachillo (WIL-DOG of OZOMATLI), La Nota and Ballet Folklorico Guadalajara..  Al “The Bull” Ferrara will sign autographs from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.

• The Veteran of the Game presented by Bank of America is U.S. Navy Petty Officer Cristina Collesano and her Military Working Dog, Zizi. She enlisted in 2006 to become a Military Working Dog Handler. Both were deployed to Kuwait where they were responsible for keeping several military installations safe. They both retired from active duty service in 2011 and Zizi was adopted by Collesano. After becoming a police officer, she re-enlisted in the Navy in 2014 and now works with a patrol/narcotics detection dog based at Naval Base Ventura County. Her accolades include two Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals and an Army Commendation Medal.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will hold a silent auction on the Club level by the Vin Scully Press Box. The auction ends at 2:45 p.m. with more than 25 items up for bid, including an Adrian Gonzalez autographed baseball, Don Mattingly autographed photo and Matt Kemp autographed game-used #42 LA Dodger jersey from Jackie Robinson Day. The LADF will feature two autographed game-used #42 LA Dodger player or coach jerseys from Jackie Robinson Day at each silent auction for the remainder of the season. All proceeds will benefit LADF and its programs in sports and recreation, education and literacy and health and wellness which help children and families throughout the greater Los Angeles region.

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