Rockies Series Starts on Thursday - Autograph Opportunities, Stadium Giveaways, Pregame Info and Other Stuff!

The last homestand of the 2016 regular season starts on Thursday against the Colorado Rockies.   Below are some odds and ends for this upcoming homestand.

The twelfth 2016 issue of the new Dodger Insider magazine, featuring Vin Scully on the cover, will be available at Dodger Stadium.  (see it on the left).  The 96-page September 19-25 issue of Dodger Insider magazine is devoted entirely to Vin Scully, in honor of the Hall of Famer’s final homestand with the Dodgers after 67 seasons.  The Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication 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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Thursday, September 22nd at 7:10 PM
RHP Tyler Chatwood vs. LHP Brett Anderson
SNLA / AM 570 (Eng.), KTNQ 1020 AM (Span.)

Dodger Fans on Reddit are Trolling Bumgarner on Baseball Reference

The trolling never stops.

Yesterday I came across a Reddit post on /r/Dodgers and immediately busted out laughing.  (See it here)  Dodger fans on the site were working on pooling their resources together to officially sponsor Madison Bumgarner's Baseball Reference page, and apparently they gathered enough funds to do just that.  Check out a screen grab above.  Go to Bumgarner's page here.

As you can see, the DodgerBros put up:

DON'T LOOK AT HIM

Look at /r/Dodgers instead!

From what I understand the cost was a bit over $400 to sponsor this page.  Also, if memory serves correct the sponsorship will last for an entire year (I had personally sponsored a couple pages several years ago).  So, Giant fans will be reminded of #DontLookAtMe every time they go to that page.  Ha! Ha!

Just when I thought we wouldn't be able to get more play out of that ridiculous incident someone goes on and proves me wrong.

Well done, Reddit!

Well done.

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2016 Topps Heritage High Numbers - All the Dodgers Base, Variation and Parallel Cards

Officially out today is Topps 2016 Heritage High Numbers Baseball card set, and below is a listing of all the various Dodger base card available; including the known variations (I'll update this is any more are found).  Go here for a checklist.

Of note, Charlie Culberson, Joe Blanton and Bud Norris get their very first cards as a Dodger. 

#528 Scott Kazmir                                #529 Enrique Hernandez

#553 Joe Blanton

With Time Warner Gone -- It's Now Time to Hate Charter Communications

Ugh!

Just when I thought things could get better with Time Warner out of the picture, I've come to recently realize that Charter might be just as bad -- if not worse.  Based upon several comments in an article released yesterday by LA Times reporter Meg James ("Charter introduces Spectrum brand in Southern California") we should NOT expect to see Dodger Baseball broadcasted widely throughout the Los Angeles area next season.  Instead, we will likely be experiencing a fourth straight season of the "Dodgers Blackout."

The SportsNet LA channel will be priced higher next season, returning to its initial rate of more than $4.50 a month per subscriber home. That is the amount that AT&T’s DirecTV, Cox Communications and Frontier Communications all have complained was too high. Time Warner Cable, which entered into a long-term deal to distribute the sports channel, in March had offered a reduced rate for one year to encourage other pay-TV providers to carry it — but the proposed discount has since been abandoned.

“That deal is no longer on the table -- it didn’t work,” Charter Chief Executive Thomas Rutledge said Tuesday in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “We would love to sell the channel to others, but no one has bought it — and we are not giving it away. So if consumers want the Dodger channel, they’ll need to subscribe to us to get it.”

Same sh*t, different company.

Keep this in mind, the deal the Dodgers initially signed with Time Warner was for 25 years, so assuming the above stance remains constant over that time we might not see wide coverage until 2039!

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Ron Cey and Lakers Draftee Ivica Zubac

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Blog Kiosk: 9/21/2016 - Dodgers Links - Puig, Newcombe and Vin Scully

I was planning on saying a few words about last nights game but got distracted when I came across a a particular news article came out featuring the words and comments from the friends and colleagues of Vin Scully.  Per Jayson Starks article at ESPN:  From AJ Ellis:

"You can catch him (in the clubhouse) on Sunday mornings on the way to Mass. He comes in and gets coffee. (One Sunday,) Brandon (McCarthy) and I are the only two guys in the clubhouse. And Vin comes in and starts chatting. ... And all of a sudden his phone rings, and he says, 'Sorry, boys, excuse me.' He's always so polite. So he says, 'Yes, dear. Oh thank you for reminding me. Yes, dear.' (Then he says,) 'Gentlemen, if you would excuse me, today is one of my grandchildren's birthdays. We have a tradition in our family that I have to sing to her.' And he steps into the players' bathroom and you can hear him singing 'Happy Birthday' over the phone to his grandchild. Me and Brandon are looking at each other like, OK, this is unbelievable. Here's Vin Scully in his great baritone voice, singing 'Happy Birthday' as it echoes through the bathroom of the clubhouse."

It's hard to remember, since I've heard countless Scully stories over the years, but the one above might be my favorite of all time.  Thanks for sharing that AJ.  BTW, you should definitely check out the rest of Stark's article.  There are several more great comments.  Oh... And the Dodgers lost a close on to the Giants last night, 2-0.  Photo above via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016.  Go here to check out more great pics by Jon and Jill Weisleder from yesterdays game.  Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1934 the Dodgers were no-hit by Paul "Daffy" Dean of the Cardinals, 3-0.  His brother, Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean, pitched the first game of that days doubleheader, and kept the Dodgers hitless for eight innings.  Overall, the two brothers threw an 18-inning two-hit shutout against Brooklyn that day.