Blog Kiosk: 7/7/2016 - Dodgers Links - McCarthy, Scully and Chase Utley

Yesterdays game had it all.  There was an opening inning homer by Justin Turner to give the Dodgers an early lead.  The opposition mounted a vigorous comeback that included several big hits from former Angel Mark Trumbo.  Although starting pitching was lackluster for both team, they ended up combining for a total of 36 strike outs on the day.  BTW, nine innings was not enough to decide the game.  They had to go to extras.  All the while, Chase Utley, an aging 37-year old shortstop, thought to be already over the hill, hammered out six hits throughout the day.  A feat last accomplished by Shawn Green in 2002.  Per Jack Baer and Brittany Ghiroli at MLB.com:

"Just found some open ground out there," Utley said. "Overall it was a good game. Obviously, we're disappointed with the outcome, but we battled. Our relievers did a great job keeping us in the game. Had a lot of guys on base, a few big hits, could have used a couple more."

Via Jack Baer at MLB.com:

"Chase has been great," manager Dave Roberts said. "He finds a way to compete, put the barrel on the ball, and he found some outfield grass today. He's just a pro. The way he conducts his at-bats, I think he got three two-strike hits. Just used the whole field today."

Unfortunately, the exploits of Mr. Greybeard was not enough.  In 14 innings the Orioles outlasted the Dodgers and won, 6-4.  Go here to watch Dave Roberts talk about the game with Alanna Rizzo.

Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodger History:  In 1959 Don Drysdale pitches a perfect three innings during the All-Star game in Pittsburgh.  In 2004 Kazuhisa Ishii tosses a one-hitter against the Diamondbacks to defeat Arizona 11-0.
• Happy Birthday, Jeff Shaw, Glenn Hoffmann and Brandon McCarthy!
• Podcast:  Channel 33’s The Press Box with Bryan Curtis.  He examines what makes Vin Scully undeniably the greatest sports broadcaster of all time, and elicits the views of Al Michaels, Marv Albert, and Charley Steiner on the subject. (Link Here)

And I see people on Twitter saying, “Vin Scully is the soundtrack of summer!” — and I’m pretty sure some of these people never even lived in L.A. It’s as if Vin is so beloved, so undeniable, that we forget to say how it is he came to be great.

• Topps will be giving out 2016 All-Star FanFest wrapper redemption cards (a six-card set) in San Diego; one of which features Clayton Kershaw.  You have to open up a bunch of Topps Baseball packs at their booth to get it.  Check out the Kershaw card on the right.  Go here for more information.  

Furthermore, All-Star edition 2016 Topps complete sets will be for sale at the Topps booth and a purchase of it will include a limited unopened pack that will have an unique All-Star Game patch card.  There are six different cards available and one of them is Kenta Maeda.  Unfortunately, I do not have a pic of this card yet.

• Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider; "Kershaw, Ethier, Anderson quicken recovery progress."

No return timetable has been outlined for Kershaw, but Roberts said that the clearance to play catch came ahead of schedule.

“He says his back feels considerably better, so hopefully we continue to move in that same direction,” Roberts said. “Actually, this is a little early. We’re pleasantly surprised. This is good. Dr. Robert Watkins and the training staff have obviously given him their blessing, so that’s a good thing.

• Panini America just unveiled their VIP six-card promo set for the upcoming National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City, and it includes Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda.  Check it out on the right.  Go here for more information.
• Via Joe Lanek at Gaslamp Ball; "Padres legends Steve Garvey and Goose Gossage told stories at Sycuan Casino, and a good time was had by all." There's a lot of great stuff here.
• Via GIF Breakdown at the Pitcher List; "Analyzing Brandon McCarthy's Return From TJS in 12 HD GIFs."
  

  The Fastball velocity was already back to normal and then some, he located a majority of his pitches within the strikezone, and hitters were looking uncomfortable with their swings while not making solid contact on any of his pitch types. All welcoming signs to the idea that Brandon McCarthy is back and ready to prove that the 4-year $48 million contract he signed prior to the 2015 season was worth the price tag.

• Apparently there was some controversy over Zack Hample's appearance at the recent Fort Bragg Baseball game.  Go here to check out his post regarding his experience and how he got there.  Also, he shared a bunch of great photos from the event.
• Via Ivan Lovegren at Go GTS.net; "Behind The Wax: Collecting Thoughts from Fort Bragg." Ivan has an interesting take on the Fort Bragg Baseball game controversy.

So although we all agree on the most extreme cases (Pack Searcher is gross, Hample should be banned from MLB stadiums, that older kid who cheated us out of our Canseco rookie card ruined collecting forever), let us never lose sight of our own selfish tendencies. There is a fine line between value and greed, and I believe the hobby is at its best when we take a second to objectively note where that line stands for each of us.

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