Along with the game-used Jackie Robinson cap, Goldin Auctions also has a couple of great vintage memorabilia items of note. For instance, check out the above figurine of a rather jovial and slightly rotund Dodger player. It measures 11" x 14" and is thought to have been a counter-top "point-of-sale" display piece. Check out the auction here.
Apparently, it doesn't have any distinctive markings to show who made it, so it may just be a folk-art piece. I dunno.
What I do know is that I love it.
That big belly protruding through his uniform is how imagine Tommy Lasorda looked like when he laced them up for the Dodgers - even though I know he was nowhere near as large during his playing days. That big wry smile is almost like a knowing laugh - fully aware they he's about to smoke the next batter up to the plate.
Everything about this piece is wonderful.
Featured below is another Willard Mullin cartoon classic. (Auction Link here)
Dated to the early part of the 1944 season, Mullin draws the affable Brooklyn Dodger "Bum" gambling with the Dodgers fortunes. He notes that the National League played a record number of extra inning games the past season (80 of them), and that the Dodgers played in roughly one-quarter of those games (it was actually 19 of the 80 extra inning games played) - which is obviously a tough way to win. Mullin then likens this to receiving an "inside straight" poker hand - which is also a hard way to win. Nevertheless, the Dodgers still won half the time (actually going 10-9), remarking:
...And just exactly half the time they have filled... but that's a tough way to hang on to those chips!Click on the pic below to embiggen.
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