Contest Time! Win a 12-Pack Case of Big League Chew Bubble Gum!

Here's a great contest I've been able to put together with the help of your favorite Baseball themed bubble gum.  Big League Chew gave me a ring last week and asked if I would be willing to give away a 12-pack case of their chewy confection.  Obviously, I said yes.

All you have to do to enter to win is make a comment on this post, and "Like" the Big League Chew facebook page.  BTW, only Continental US residents can win.  Also, be sure to provide some way for me to get in contact with you, if you win.  I will be passing along the winner's contact information to Big League Chew, so they can ship the 12-pack case directly to you.

I'll run this contest until the evening of Saturday, March 22nd, so you'll have plenty of time to enter.  I'll tally all of the participants and use Random.org to find a winner.

So get chewing!

Post a comment and go here to "Like" Big League Chew's facebook page to win.

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Mark Langston and Chuch Finley

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.

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Former Angel hurlers Chuck Finley and Mark Langston will be signing autographs at The OC Dugout in Anaheim on Saturday, March 22nd from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.  Go here for more information.

The OC Dugout
1238 S. Beach Blvd., Ste. K
Anaheim, California 92804

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2014 Topps Heritage Baseball - The Rare Dodger Insert Cards

These next group of Dodger insert cards are the rarest of them all.  Below are the relics, stamp, coin and other scarce Dodger inserts that you can find in 2014 Topps Heritage packs.  BTW, you can check out all of my post featuring Dodger cards from this set, here.

There is a Clubhouse Collection Quad Relic card featuring (#CCQR-GEKK) Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez, but an example has yet to surface.  Furthermore, there are two different Patch Book Cards featuring a Dodger player, but they too have yet to show up.  They are of (#PBC-DSN) Duke Snider and (#PBC-MK) Matt Kemp.

UPDATE:  Thanks to reader Matt Grizzell, we have a pic of the Clubhouse Collection Quad Relic card featuring (#CCQR-GEKK) Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez.  See it below.

1965 US Postal Stamp Relic

#65US-MW Maury Wills

#65US-SK Sandy Koufax

These next two insert cards are a part of the box-loader pack.  Each box of hobby packs comes with one large pack featuring either a uncut 3-card strip of Heritage Baseball or a 1965 Giant card like the one's below.

These cards borrow a design from a set Topps produced in 1965 called 'Presidents and Famous Americans'.  I have a complete set of this in my collection, and shared it on this blog over a year ago.  Check that set out here.  They are fairly scarce, and difficult to find.

As you can see, Clayton Kershaw is the only available Dodger in the 2014 Topps version.  See both the base card and its relic below.

1965 Giant Baseball Player Box Loader

#CK Clayton Kershaw

1965 Giant Baseball Player Box Loader Relics

#CK-R Clayton Kershaw

These next group of insert cards are very rare.  They are 1965 Mint cards featuring a player with a companion US coin from that year.  From my understanding, each player in this set has a nickel, dime, quarter and half-dollar versions available.

Five Dodgers are available.  Unfortunately, I have yet to see either the Sandy Koufax (#65M-SK) or Yasiel Puig (#65M-YP) versions.

1965 Mint

#65M-CK Clayton Kershaw

#65M-MK Matt Kemp

#65M-MW Maury Wills

The Bazooka insert cards below are a retail pack exclusive set.  So, you can only find them at Target or Walmart.

1965 Bazooka Inserts

#65B-CK Clayton Kershaw             #65B-HJR Hyun-Jin Ryu

#65B-YP Yasiel Puig

These next insert cards are very scarce.  One card is randomly inserted into every 14,667 packs.  They copy an insert set that was originally inserted into packs of 1965 Topps Baseball.  Only three dodger players are available.  See them below.

1965 Topps Embossed

#4 Yasiel Puig

#8 Hyun-Jin Ryu                               #11 Clayton Kershaw

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Blog Kiosk: 3/19/2014 - Dodgers Links - Australia, Crawford has a Shoulder Issue and Kershaw on the Cover of ESPN Magazine

Adrian finds some mates on Bondi Beach.  Pic via @Dodgers on twitter.  BTW, you should definately check out JOn SooHoo's photog blog for pics of the Dodgers in Australia.  Here are pics from the MLB gala dinner in Sydney, and here are pics from a recent Dodger workout.

• John Thorn at Our Game shares a photo portfolio of Jackie Robinson.
• Via Baseball New Zealand, "Former Dodgers Exec joins Baseball NZ".

"Bouncing ideas and strategy off of a man with a great history of baseball experience and successes in the game, plus his ability to bring key people and organizations together, will pay dividends for many years for Baseball New Zealand, and we couldn't be more fortunate with this development."

• Ah crap... And so it begins.  Via Pedro Moura at the OC Register, "Crawford leaves minor-league game in Arizona after one at-bat".  He may have hurt his shoulder.  An AP report on ESPN says he should be OK.  Yeah, right!
• ESPN Magazine Baseball Preview issue will feature Clayton Kershaw on the cover.  It comes out on Friday.  See it on the right.
• Jeff Todd at MLB Trade Rumors prepares an offseason review of the Dodgers.
• Neil Paine at FiveThirtyEight.com writes about Hanley Ramirez's suprisingly great 2013 season.

Before the 2013 season, we would have expected there to be a 50 percent chance that Hanley Ramirez’s wOBA would be above .346. If you’d asked us what the odds were that Ramirez’s wOBA would reach or beat .444, we would have said practically zero — 0.1 percent, to be exact.

• Redittor justinrodimus shared a bunch of photos from the Dodgers 1981 World Series Championship parade.  Go here to check those out on imgur.
• John Sickels at Minor League Ball takes a look at the Dodgers Top-20 Prospects.
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Sydney Cricket Ground could be hitter's paradise".

But you never know how a field will play until they start playing on it. The weather here is warm with a bit of ocean humidity and gentle sea breezes that seemed to waft balls over the fence in batting practice. Even balls not struck squarely were carrying a long way. 

• Do you have some outstanding Topps redemptions that you are still waiting for?  Well, Susan Lulgjuraj at Beckett writes, "2014 Industry Summit: Topps discusses changes to redemption system".  Check it out.

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