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Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Welcome to the Blue, Miguel Olivo!


The game of musical chairs with the current roster continues.

Announced just a moment ago, the Dodgers have called up veteran catcher Miguel Olivo from Albuquerque.  Tim Federowicz  has been sent back down to AAA.  Per a Dodgers press release:
The Los Angeles Dodgers today selected the contract of Miguel Olivo from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned catcher Tim Federowicz to Triple-A Albuquerque. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club transferred right-handed pitcher Chad Billingsley to the 60-day disabled list.

Olivo, who is a 10-Year Major League veteran catcher and has a .241 batting average with 145 home runs and 488 RBI, will make his Dodger debut after signing a minor league contract with Los Angeles this season. The Dominican Republic native has fared well in 15 games at Albuquerque, posting a .390/.438/.661 slashline with four homers and 18 RBI. As a non-roster invitee with the club in Spring Training, Olivo batted .263 (5-for-19) with two doubles and three RBI.
Federowicz appeared in 13 games for Los Angeles after his recall on April 8.
Considering TFed was batting a lowly .109 this season, I guess we shouldn't be surprised by the news.  Even with Federowicz primarily valued for his defensive, batting at that clip just doesn't cut it.

Olivo has been in the Majors since 2002, and is likely to be just fine behind the plate.  And, with him showing a resurgent bat in Albuquerque, maybe the Dodgers can catch some fire while it's hot. 

In celebration of Olivo officially becoming a Dodger today (we are his 7th Major League club) I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photo grabbed from Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014 taken during Spring Training and the always great 1987 Topps Baseball card design.

UPDATE:  I was checking out Olivo's Wikipedia page and came across a strange/funny story about him:
Olivo made headlines in early 2010 for having to leave the Rockies' April 29 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the beginning of the eighth inning to pass a kidney stone. Remarkably, he was able to re-enter soon after and finished the game.
Holy Moly!

Below are Olivo's career stats, via Baseball-Reference:


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Check Out Some LeRoy Neiman Painted Baseballs at Heritage Auctions

Along with a group of game-used Baseballs from some Sandy Koufax milestone games available for auction at Heritage, they also have a collection of drawn-on Baseballs done by famed artist LeRoy Neiman.  That's right, the guy who painted those colorful sports-themed collages so popular through the 1970's and '80's also spent some time drawing on Baseballs.

Heritage has a huge collection available, so I pulled out all of the Dodgers I could find, and share them below.  BTW, if you are a Mets fan I would certainly check these all out.  There are a ton of Mets-themed Baseballs available.  A link for the auction is here.

Sandy Koufax
(Auction Link)
(Auction Link)

Pee Wee Reese
(Auction Link)

Duke Snider
(Auction Link)

Don Sutton
(Auction Link)

Tommy Lasorda
(Auction Link)



Jackie Robinson
(signed by Rachel Robinson)
(Auction Link)


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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Card Show this Weekend and Pedro Guerrero

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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The Southern California Sports Collectors Show returns this Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 from 10am - 5pm.  Admission is free.  This time they move the show to Gardena.  Go here for more information.

I plan on being there; unless a hockey game gets in the way.  From a email I received:
Three long-time collectors have partnered to bring together a good, old-fashioned local card show in the Los Angeles area.  The collectors, Jason Miller, Anthony Nex, and Adam Warshaw, are lifelong hobbyists and veterans of the card clubs that used to dominate the collecting world before the Internet. They want to revive the card shows they loved and enjoyed as young collectors and share them with the rest of the collecting public, especially those who may not have ever experienced a real local card show.  The show features cards from all sports and nonsports subjects too, as well as memorabilia, and some of the top dealers from around the country.  Confirmed vendors include Mark Macrae,  Ryan Christoff,  Paul Markoe, Wax Czar,  Andy Madec, Dan Studebaker, Sean Bassik,  and many others.  The show atmosphere will be family-friendly and collegial.
Junipero Serra High School
14830 South Van Ness Avenue
Gardena, CA  90249

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Pedro Guerrero will be at Harry's Dugout on Saturday.  Go here for more information.
Harry's Dugout
10715 Beverly Boulevard
Whittier, CA
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David Freese will be in Anaheim on Saturday.  Go here for more information.  Signing takes place Saturday, May 3rd, 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at:
The OC Dugout
1238 S. Beach Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92804
(log cabin building inside Adventure City)

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Blog Kiosk: 4/30/2014 - Dodger Links - The Mayor, Paco is Back and Kemp Speaks Loudly


Nom Nom Nom.  Look at that chocolate cake.  So, that's what the boys do for a rain out.  They pig out!  Mmmm... Pic via Yasiel Puig on instagram.
  • Via ESPN, "LA mayor rebukes Time Warner Cable."
Garcetti used a keynote speech at the Cable Show industry conference to press for a deal.

"I hope that we can resolve the fact that our home town baseball team, the Dodgers, is not currently seen on all of our boxes around the city," he said.





  • Geez Louise!  Talk about musical chairs, eh?  Paco Rodriguez is back up with the Dodgers.  Carlos Triufel, who was called up just a couple of days ago, has been sent back to AAA.  Per a Dodger press release:
The Los Angeles Dodgers today recalled left-handed pitcher Paco Rodriguez from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned infielder Carlos Triunfel to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Rodriguez opened the season with Los Angeles and allowed two runs in 5.2 innings in eight games before being optioned to Albuquerque on April 15. With the Isotopes, he allowed just two hits and struck out two in 3.0 scoreless innings in three appearances, picking up the save in his last appearance on April 26 at Fresno (1.0 IP, 10 pitches).

Triunfel was recalled before Sunday's game, but did not appear in the contest.
There simply is no diminishing what amounts to the complete transformation of a player right before our eyes. Where there was recently a skittish, frustratingly error-prone shortstop, now stands a solid, confident second baseman. What's especially impressive about Dee Gordon's development is that he has found a way to improve in so many key skill sets all at the same time.
I tend to agree with Howard on this one.  I think that he has finally figured it out.  Unfortunately, we may have a logjam on the infield, as Alex Guerrero comes steaming in from Albuquerque.  I guess that's a good problem to have.
  • GCRL wonders if he found Brett Wallach's true rookie card from 1994.  It could also be one of his other sons, Matt or Chad.  What do you think?

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