Roy Campanella Rarities at Hunt's All-Star Auction - Photo and MVP Award

There are a couple of great Roy Campanella items available at Hunt's annual All-Star Game FanFest auction; including the rare 1946 Venezuelan ballteam photo seen above.  Check out the auction item here.

As you can see, it is for the Sabios de Vargas club of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.  They played for the city of La Guaira, Vargas and this pic represents their inaugural season. 

Roy Campanella is seen seated second on the top right.  Also, he was co-manager of the team; along with pitcher Daniel Canónico.  Sabios de Vargas won the league title this season with a record of 18-12.

This next item is clearly one of the jewels of this auction.  Featured below is Roy Campanella's 1953 National League MVP award.  Check out the auction here.

This is the second MVP award of his I've seen for sale at auction - he won three in his career.  The first one being his 1951 award that sold at Goldin Auctions last year at $177,750 (including Buyer premium).  I originally wrote about that sale here.

(Auction Link)

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Book Signing with Mashi Murakami - The First Japanese MLB'er

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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For the 50th anniversary celebration of the first Japanese baseball player in the Majors, join legend Masanori "Mashi" Murakami and author Robert Fitts of the recently published "Mashi: The Unfulfilled Baseball Dreams of Masanori Murakami, the First Japanese Major Leaguer" for a discussion on Japanese baseball, Mashi’s career and importance to U.S.-Japanese relations.

Copies of the book "Mashi" will be on sale for $25, and Mashi will autograph the book for free!  Autographed balls & cards will also be offered for sale.  No personal items will be signed at this event.  The event takes place on Monday, July 6 at 7:00PM.  Go here or here for information.  You must RSVP for the event.

The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
5700 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100
Los Angeles, California 90036

BTW, he will also be doing a booking signing and discussion for the Baseball Reliquary on Tuesday, July 7th at 7:30PM at Villalobos Hall in Whittier College.  Admission is also free.  Go here for information.

Villalobos Hall, Whittier College
13507 Earlham Dr.,
Whittier, California

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Blog Kiosk: 7/1/2015 - Dodger Links - Olivera, Hanson and the Paciorek's

Diamondbacks mascot Baxter has been found to be the nefarious leaker responsible for the rumors and stories being told in Molly Knight's upcoming book: "The Best Team Money Can Buy."

How do we know this?

Well... Dodger trainer Stan Conte had to twist his arm to get that information from him.  One wonders if Molly had to do the same thing.  On a side note, the man under the mask is none other than McCourt sibling Drew - I kid you not (LOL).  He's been bouncing around the league taking any job that comes him way since his family got booted from LA.  No doubt he's well on his way towards enacted sweet vengeance against the Dodgers.

Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2015.  Below are some links to check out:

• Will we be seeing him soon?  Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Dodgers' Olivera visits big league clubhouse in Arizona."

"I asked him why all the Cuban players hit the other way," said Mattingly, who is critical of young Major Leaguers that have not learned to hit using the entire field. "He said if you play on the national team there, at a young age they teach you to hit the other way.

"All the Cuban guys seem to do that. [Yasiel] Puig does it really good. [Yasmany] Tomas has that inside-out swing, [Jose] Abreu, too. They all learn that approach. Somebody down there is teaching that at a young age and I like it a lot."

• Via LA Taco, "Interview with Dodgers Superfan Bobby Crosby AKA Dodgerfilms."
• Awesome!  Dodger recent draft pick Mitchell Hansen sometimes gets mail, via his twitter:

Dodger love all the way from Japan! pic.twitter.com/6bixI6drl3

— Mitchell Hansen (@MHansen_16) July 1, 2015

• Raymond Rolak at Polish News writes about the Baseball exploits of Tom Paciorek's oldest brother, John Paciorek: "Polish-American Baseball Educator, Special Footnote in Baseball History."

During the special CBS interview feature, Hall of Fame baseball manager, Tom LaSorda had high praise for the Paciorek brothers. LaSorda said, “Everyone had scouted John and the Dodgers would have loved him but Houston was an expansion team and they gave large bonuses. They were collecting young prospects by the bushel baskets.” LaSorda added, “You know, this young man at that time (John), had everything going for him, you could see a great career with him. No telling what he could have accomplished.”

(Lee Cowan, John Paciorek, Tommy Lasorda and Tom Paciorek talk baseball history recently on CBS)

• Panini's Elite Baseball set goes officially live today.  Check out some preview picks they shared yesterday, here.  Below are an Adrian Gonzalez and Corey Seager card.
  

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