Dodgers Blue Heaven: Blog Kiosk: 10/4/2016 - Dodgers Links - Liberatore, Hershiser, Dodgers Wrestling and Kershaw

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

Blog Kiosk: 10/4/2016 - Dodgers Links - Liberatore, Hershiser, Dodgers Wrestling and Kershaw

So... What are the Dodgers doing while they await their NLDS this coming weekend against the Nationals?

Watching some wrestling, of course.

Featured above are JP Howell, Justin Turner and Josh Reddick, along with WWE star Seth Rollins, at Monday Night RAW in the Staples Center. As you can see, they gave Rollins his very own Dodgers jersey. BTW, Reddick is also seen holding the Dodgers "Player of the Game" belt on his shoulder. In fact, he would later on show off the belt to the wrestling fans in attendance, via a photo shared by Reddick on Instagram on the right.

Photo at the very top via Justin Turner on twitter. Below are more links to check out:

This Day in Dodgers History: In 1955 the unbelievable happened. The Brooklyn Dodgers, behind the brilliant pitching of Johnny Podres, captured their very first World Championship in franchise history. They defeated the hated NY Yankees in seven games. In 1959 the Dodgers won the teams very first playoff game in Los Angeles when they defeated the Chicago White Sox, 3-1. This win put them up two games to one in the series. They would later on win the World Series in the sixth game four days later. In 2006 the worst play in Dodgers playoff history happened (in my opinion) when two runners are thrown out at home plate on the same throw during Game 1 of the NLDS against the Mets. You can relive the horror here.
Happy Birthday, Mike Sharperson, Stephen Fife and Tony Gwynn Jr.!
Via Richard Sandomir at the NY Times; "How Love Inspired the Voice of the Dodgers to Rise in Song."
ICYMI: Via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider; "Times for NLDS Games 1 and 2 announced."

Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Nationals will begin Friday in Washington at 2:38 p.m. Pacific Time, with Game 2 to follow Saturday at 1:08 p.m. PT.

The NLDS opener matches Clayton Kershaw against Max Scherzer, with Rich Hill opposing either Tanner Roark or Gio Gonzalez in Game 2.

Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA; "2016 NLDS umpire assignments announced."
BTW, Adam Liberatore is scheduled to have arthroscopic left elbow debridement surgery this week, via Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider.
Huh... He was very good, but Hall of Fame great? I dunno. Via Manny Randhawa at MLB.com; "Hershiser among 10 up for Hall of Fame consideration." The Hall of Fame announced a list of 10 folks who will be considered for the Hall by the 16-member Today's Game Era Committee. It includes Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser and Mark McGwire as players. Davey Johnson and Lou Pinella are being considered as managers. Also, three executives being considered are John Schuerholz, Allan H. "Bud" Selig and George Steinbrenner. Voting takes place on November 5th.
Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com; "Kershaw bringing new angle into Game 1 start."

"He's probably come back as good or better than we expected," said Rick Honeycutt, Kershaw's pitching coach throughout his Dodgers career. "I don't think any scout looking at the game would say he's doing anything much different, except throwing sidearm."

Kershaw said the unconventional delivery was conventional for him until his senior year in high school.

"That's the way I always threw until Skip Johnson changed my delivery before my senior season," Kershaw said of the current University of Oklahoma pitching coach, who was a junior college coach at the time Kershaw's agent, J.D. Smart, connected the two in hopes of taking the left-hander to another level. How did that work out?

"Skip changed me from low-three-quarters delivery to over the top," Kershaw said. "That helped me keep my weight back. That was actually the first real pitching lesson I ever had."

Via Shawn Anderson at the Hall of Very Good; "Josh Reddick Invades Hits Monday Night Raw."
Remember all of that hoopla about the "Back to the Future II" Nike self-lacing shoes a while back? Well... Now, you can own one too. Nike has produced 89 pairs of Nike Mag shoes, and you can win one of them as part of an fund-raising campaign in cooperation with the Michael J. Fox Foundation in benefit of Parkinson's research. Raffle ticket cost $10.00 a piece. Check out the Blowout Buzz story on the shoes here. Go here to enter into the drawing.