Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Steve Garvey in Scottsdale, Arizona

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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Here is a notice for Dodger fans currently in or going to Arizona this weekend.  There is a Baseball Spring Training FanFest happening in Scottsdale, and former Dodger great, along with several of current and former ballplayers, will be there to sign autographs for fans.  It is called the Baseball City Experience.  Go to their website to find out more, here.

It happens on Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th from 11:00 AM – 6:30 PM. General Admission is free.  I am uncertain about the cost for autographs, or how the whole program works.  There are wristbands for sale that allow access ($10) to interactive events and a VIP experience ($100) that specifically states that it allows you to interact with players and get autographs.  So, I am uncertain if that means you have to get the VIP pass in order to get autographs, or if there is a "cost per signature" option available without having to purchase a VIP pass.  Of note, there are only 50 VIP passes available per day.  If I receive clarification from them I will pass that along.

Scottsdale Civic Center Mall
7380 E 2nd St
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Below is a full list of player appearances:
Saturday, March 7th:

Steve Garvey (11:00AM – 12:30PM)
Billy Butler (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Michael Brantley (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Scott Kazmir (5:00PM – 6:30PM
Wily Peralta (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Yangervis Solarte (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Mike Aviles (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Tyler Matzek (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Sean Newcomb (5:00PM – 6:30PM)

Sunday, March 8th:

Andre Dawson (11:00AM – 1:30PM)
Orlando Cepeda (1:30PM – 3:30PM)
Aaron Hill (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Andrew Susac (5:00 – 6:30PM)
AJ Pollock (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Arismendy Alcantara (5:00PM – 6:30PM)
Melky Cabrera (5:00PM – 6:30PM)

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 1 / Home Game 1

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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 Chicago White Sox (0-0) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (0-0)

LHP Jose Quintana (0-0) vs. LHP Erik Bedard (0-0)

Wednesday, March 4, 2015 – 12:05 p.m. PT | Camelback Ranch – Glendale

TV: SNLA Radio: AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

(Dodger lineup, via ESPN reporter Mark Saxon on twitter)

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(Puig, pic via Juan Ocampo/LA Dodgers 2015)

HEY, NEIGHBOR!: The Dodgers open up Cactus League play and their seventh season at Camelback Ranch – Glendale today against the Chicago White Sox. Los Angeles will play 31 exhibition games this spring, including 15 games at Camelback Ranch and 26 total Cactus League contests, in addition to two games against the Rangers in San Antonio and the three-game Freeway Series against the Angels.

• The Dodgers have gone 2-5 in their Cactus League openers since re-locating Spring Training to the desert in 2009, including dropping both split-squad contests in 2011.

HEY, NEW GUY: Since the end of the 2014 season, the Dodgers have added 19 new players to the 40-man roster, including  Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Chris Heisey, who will make their debuts with the club this afternoon. Of the pitchers expected to throw in today’s contest, only Carlos Frias has previously pitched for the Dodgers.

• Rollins is batting in his familiar leadoff spot today and ranks fourth on the all-time list with 46 career leadoff home runs, behind only Rickey Henderson (81), Alfonso Soriano (54) and Craig Biggio (53). Rollins also ranks among active players in career hits (2,306, 7th) and stolen bases (453, 4th).

ON THE MOUND: Non-roster left-hander Erik Bedard will make his Dodger debut today after spending the 2014 season in the Tampa Bay organization, going 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 games (15 starts) with the Rays and making one start with Triple-A Durham. Bedard has averaged 8.60 strikeouts per 9.0 innings and has posted a 2.34 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 241 career big league games (230 games) over 11 seasons with Baltimore (2005-07), Seattle (2008-09, ’11), Boston (2011), Pittsburgh (2012), Houston (2013) and Tampa Bay (2014).

• RHP Carlos Frias is expected to appear in today’s game after seeing his first big league action last year, going 1-1 with a 6.12 ERA in 15 games (two starts) during two stints with the Dodgers. In his 13 relief appearances in the Majors last year, he limited opponents to a .205 batting average (20-for-98) with 25 strikeouts against only six walks and posted a 1.01 WHIP in 25.2 innings.
• RHP Juan Nicasio will don Dodger blue for the first time in a game today after he was acquired from Colorado on Nov. 24, 2014 in exchange for minor league outfielder Noel Cuevas. Nicasio, 28, appeared in 33 games for the Rockies last year and saw his first career action out of the bullpen, where he went 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA (8 ER/20.2 IP) and tossed scoreless relief in 14 of his 19 appearances.
• RHP Sergio Santos, a former first-round pick of the D-backs in 2002, will make his Dodger debut today after spending the last three seasons with the Blue Jays.  Santos, a converted shortstop, will be facing his former White Sox teammates today after making his MLB debut with the club in 2010 and saving a career-high 30 games for Chicago in 2011.
• 27-year-old LHP Adam Liberatore was acquired in a trade with the Rays on Nov. 20, 2014, which also brought RHP Joel Peralta to Los Angeles, and had a career year for Triple-A Durham last year, going 6-1 with four saves and a 1.66 ERA in 54 games. In parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level, Liberatore has gone 12-5 with a 2.40 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and an average of 10.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.
• RHP Josh Ravin, a graduate of Chatsworth High School, is in his second season in the Dodger organization after combining to go 2-1 with six saves and a 3.55 ERA in 23 relief appearances for Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Albuquerque last year. Ravin is entering his 10th professional season and was originally selected by Cincinnati in the fifth round of the 2006 draft.
• The Dodgers have three additional pitchers suiting up today from the minor league side: LHP Jeremy Horst (#97), RHP Jeremy Kehrt (#87) and RHP Blake Smith (#91).

(Getting Puig's signature, pic via LA Times photographer Luis Sinco on twitter)

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2015 Topps Heritage - Some of the Dodger Insert Cards

The second Baseball card set of the 2015 Baseball season has officially been released by Topps.  It is the popular Heritage brand, and it pays homage to the vintage 1966 Topps set by using its design for the base set and some of its insert cards.  Go here to check out a complete checklist.


I've yet to collect images of all of the Dodger base cards, so you'll have to wait a bit for those.  In the meantime, below is a look at the more common inserts that are available.  Of note, there sure are a ton of Sandy Koufax cards.  Of note, one of the cards below features Dee Gordon as a Dodger. 

Baseball Flashbacks

#BF-10 Sandy Koufax

Blog Kiosk: 3/4/2015 - Dodger Links - Today is the First Game of Spring

The first game of the Dodgers spring begins this afternoon at Camelback Ranch.  They'll face off at 12:05 PM PST and it'll air on SportsNet LA.  For a brief history of Dodger spring opening days check out Eric Stephen's post at True Blue LA, "Dodgers spring training history: A history of Camelback Ranch openers."  Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter.

Below are some more links to check out:

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Urias reminds Kershaw of early days with Dodgers."

"They did a really good job with me," said Kershaw. "I was frustrated when they would have me pitch in relief to cut my innings, but the way they did it was perfect. By the time I was ready for a big league season, I was ready for 200 innings."

• Here's a sneak preview pic of the Dodgers coaster set they are giving away to fans on Wednesday, May 27th.  Go here to check out the Dodgers complete promotion schedule.
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPNLosAngeles.com, "Mike Adams expects to make team."

“My whole thought process is, ‘I’ll make the club,’" Adams said. “I’m trying to keep as much doubt out of it as possible.” 

• Mark Saxon also writes a bit about Joc Pederson and his problem with strike outs: "Joc Pederson has big upside, but big strikeout total."

“Joc’s aggressive, he’s got power, he swings hard and he’s got a lot of movement in his swing,” Mattingly said. “As he understands his swing more and more and has it under control, I think when he’s swinging the bat well, we’re not going to be that concerned about strikeouts.”

• Here's something you should know if you're a vintage pinback collector.  Check out bpb47's post at baseballpinbackbuttons, "Lithograph Pinback Buttons (And One Unique Contraption)."  It's a fairly detailed look at the development of several different kind of vintage pins.

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