Rockies Series Starts on Friday - Stadium Giveaways, Pregame Info and Other Stuff!

The next homestand starts on Friday against the Colorado Rockies.   Below are some odds and ends for this upcoming homestand; including autograph information for Sunday's Viva Los Dodgers.

The Colorado Shishito Chile Dog will be available for this homestand only against the Nationals at the Extreme Loaded Dog concession areas located on the field, loge and reserve levels. It features a Brooklyn Dodger Dog topped with red chile Colorado sauce, shredded jack cheese, blistered Shishito peppers, salt and fresh lime.

The seventh 2016 issue of the new Dodger Insider magazine, featuring a salute to the Old-Timers Game on the cover, will be available at Dodger Stadium.  (see it on the left).  The Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication (at least 80 pages per issue) with a new edition available each homestand.  They are distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation.  

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Friday, July 1st at 7:10 PM
SNLA / AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Welcome to the Blue, Dian Toscano!

In addition to adding a starting pitcher who can step right into the Dodgers rotation (Bud Norris), they also picked up a Cuban born prospect named Dian Toscano.  Per a Dodger press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired right-handed pitcher Bud Norris, minor league outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for minor league pitchers Philip Pfeifer (LHP) and Caleb Dirks (RHP). To make room for Norris on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles designated left-hander Ian Thomas for assignment.
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Toscano, 27, hit .226 with 10 RBI in 58 games with the Braves’ Double-A Mississippi this year following five seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, where he batted .299 with 13 home runs and 101 RBI in 261 games with Villa Clara. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound, left-handed hitter was originally signed by Atlanta as an international free agent on Jan. 28, 2015.

Welcome to the Blue, Bud Norris!

The Dodgers have just made another trade with the Braves.  This time, they bring along starting pitcher Bud Norris and Cuban born prospect Dian Toscano (I'll have a post on him soon).  Per a Dodger press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired right-handed pitcher Bud Norris, minor league outfielder Dian Toscano, a player to be named later and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for minor league pitchers Philip Pfeifer (LHP) and Caleb Dirks (RHP). To make room for Norris on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles designated left-hander Ian Thomas for assignment.

Norris has been one of the National League’s best pitchers this month, going 2-1 in six games (five starts) with Atlanta and ranking among the league’s best in ERA (2.08, 10th), opponents’ batting average (.194, 7th) and WHIP (0.96, 10th). Overall, the 31-year-old has posted a 3-7 record with a 4.22 ERA in 22 games (10 starts) this season, including a 2.08 ERA (11 ER/47.2 IP) in his last 17 games (five starts) since May 2.

2016 Panini Flawless - The Rest of the Dodgers Cards

Here is a last look at Panini's 2016 Flawless Baseball card set.  Go here to see my previous posts on this brand.  Featured below are some of the relic, autographs and rarities.  Unfortunately, there are numerous cards that have yet to surface.  Once they do I will update this post.

Flawless Cuts

• #9 Jackie Robinson (#/1) (not yet seen)

Flawless Cuts Memorabilia

#9 Jackie Robinson (#/1)

Blog Kiosk: 6/30/2016 - Dodgers Links - Brock Stewart's Start, Kershaw to the DL and More

Dodger pitcher Brock Stewart has had quite a year.  He began the season in Single-A and immediately impressed.  Quickly, he was advanced up the ladder.  First to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, then to Oklahoma City a few weeks back.  Yesterday, his quixotic journey put him on a Major League mound, and from what I understand his whole family was there.  Unfortunately, his day as the Dodgers starting pitcher didn't go as planned.

Stewart got shelled, but the shellacking was short lived.  In fact, if not for a flurry of six hits and a bit of bad luck that drove in five runs in the second inning we would be looking at his start as a rousing success.  As it were, Brock Stewart gave up eight hits, five earned runs and two walks in five innings of work.  He also struck out seven Brewers batters.  Per Doug Padilla at ESPN:

“I think once we decided to get him up here we wanted to see how he would handle himself,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s definitely worthy of discussion. I mean, really. Five innings, seven [strikeouts] and I thought he composed himself well. You look at a couple pitches -- it could have been a completely different outing. As I sit here right now, I think [another start] is a high possibility.”

Brock Stewart added:

“I think I’ve grown as a pitcher,” Stewart said. “I haven’t been pitching long but I definitely have come a long way since I started. I wanted to go out there for the sixth, honestly. I wanted to keep putting my team in a position to win. It didn’t happen tonight, but I definitely want to see how far I can go into a game and compete my butt off.”

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

• This Day in Dodger History:  In 1962 Sandy Koufax threw his first career no-hitter.  He defeated the Mets 5-0.  BTW, in the first inning he struck out the first three batters he faced with only nine pitches - an Immaculate Inning.  In 1985 Pedro Guerrero hit his 15th home run in the month of June to tie a Major League record.
• Happy Birthday, Chan Ho Park and Mark Grudzielanek!