Opening Day Diamondback's Series Starts Tuesday - Pregame Info and Other Stuff!

The first homestand of the season starts tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday, April 12th) against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Below are some odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.  At this time I only have detailed Opening Day information.  I will update this post with more info for the games on Wednesday and Thursday as they arrive.

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Tuesday, April 11th at 1:10 PM
LHP Patrick Corbin (0-1, 5.14) vs. RHP Kenta Maeda (1-0, 0.00)
SNLA / AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

It is Opening Day at Dodger Stadium.  The game starts at 1:10 PM.  Auto gates open at 10:00 AM, and the stadium gates open at 10:00 AM.  Dodger batting practice will be from 9:50 AM – 10:55 AM.  Diamondbacks batting practice will be from 11:00 AM – 11:55 AM.  Opening Day pregame entertainment throughout the stadium begins at 10:00 AM, and on-field pregame ceremonies begin at 12:15 PM.  As always, tailgating is not allowed within the stadium parking areas.  Go here for information on parking/tailgating restrictions in areas around Dodger Stadium.

Jackie Robinson Baseball Card/Memorabilia Checklist - Part II - 1950's and Beyond

On the heals of tonight's premier of the Ken Burns' Jackie Robinson Documentary here is Part II of my checklist of Baseball cards and memorabilia featuring the legendary Hall of Famer.  You can check out Part I (1940's) here.  This listing includes the cards from his playing days in the 1950's and an handful of other cards (post-retirement) that I thought were noteworthy.  Later this week I will post up Part III (Link Here), and it will show various oddball Jackie items.  As you can imagine, this checklist is certain to not be entirely complete, so if you run across something I missed please let me know.

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1950

#22 - 1950 Bowman

2016 Panini Diamond Kings - The Dodgers Base Cards and Variation

Returning for a second year is Panini's 2016 Diamond Kings Baseball card set.  Go here for a complete checklist.  This brand offers both current and former greats on cardboard.  As you can see in the pics below, this product focuses on artwork and drawings of the players.  Below are pics of all the Dodgers base cards in the set; including the Corey Seager variation card.

#6 Gil Hodges                                       #12 Leo Durocher

Jackie Robinson Documentary Premiers Tonight on PBS

This is just a helpful reminder. 

Premiering tonight at 9:00 PM on PBS is Part 1 of Ken Burns' documentary on Jackie Robinson.  Part 2 will air tomorrow evening at the same time.  Go here for more information.

Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.” After baseball, he was a widely-read newspaper columnist, divisive political activist and tireless advocate for civil rights, who later struggled to remain relevant as diabetes crippled his body and a new generation of leaders set a more militant course for the civil rights movement.

Below is a video preview:

Video Link:

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Opening Day Restrictions Continue

Much like last year, there are significant restrictions against tailgating in the parks in-and-around Dodger Stadium for Opening Day, tomorrow afternoon.  I should also note that there is no tailgating allowed within the parking lot of the stadium.

For the surrounding area, there will be a strict "no alcohol" rule and no parking will be allowed on Palm Row/Avenue of the Palms in Elysian Park.  This is a street on Stadium Way that is between Scott Avenue and Academy Road.  In years past this site would be the location of day-long parties on Opening Day, and the revelry oftentimes morphed into a general neighborhood nuisance. 

I should also note that there is likely to be a strong police presence throughout the area; including Elysian Park.  You should not be drinking alcohol anywhere.  I suspect that even having it hidden within a nondescript cup will not stop you from getting a ticket. 

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Blog Kiosk: 4/11/2016 - Dodgers Links - Stripling, Robinson and Vin Scully Avenue

Just a friendly reminder, the Vin Scully Avenue dedication ceremony is today.  It all begins at 11:15 AM at the main entrance to Dodger Stadium.  Go here for information.  Pic above via a screengrab from a tweet by KTLA reporter Eric Spillman.  As you can see, they have already started changing the signs.

Below are more links to check out:

• Via Doug Padilla at ESPN, "Stripling family respects Dave Roberts' decision."

"One of the cool things that I experienced this morning was Ross' dad was down in the lobby today and just sought me out," Roberts said "He came up to me and, really kind of emotional, just thanked me for him and his wife for looking out for his son."

When you meet Ross Stripling you see a kid with a good head on his shoulders. When you hear a story like this it becomes clear where it came from.