Blog Kiosk: 3/30/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

Beautiful.

Photos above and to the right via Dodgers on twitter - Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2018. You can watch Kirk Gibson's ceremonial first pitch here.

On another note, I'm not gonna get worked up about losing Opening Day to the Giants - as much as it sucks. It was a great game, and a perfect reminder of not only how wonderful this game is, but also of how maddening it really is. I love it so much it makes me want to pull my hair out.

In case you don't already know, the Dodgers lost a close one, 1-0. Here is a boxscore. Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1966 Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end their legendary holdout when they signed contracts for $130,000 and $105,000, respectively. The holdout last 32 days. In 1981 the Dodgers traded Mickey Hatcher (and a couple other minor leaguers) to the Twins for Kenny Landreaux. In 1988 the Dodgers signed free agent veteran catcher Rick Dempsey.
• Happy Birthday, Nig Fuller!
• Audio: Kirk Gibson joined Roggin and Rodney at Dodger Stadium for an exclusive Opening Day conversation to discuss the 30th anniversary of the 1988 World Series team, how to get involved with the Kirk Gibson Foundation and more (audio link).
• Audio: Rich Hill joined Petros and Money/Roggin and Rodney live from Dodger Stadium to discuss Opening Day against the Giants, the team's 2018 mindset and more (audio link).
• Podcast: True Blue LA podcast with Jacob and Eric (Podcast Link).
• Cat Loves the Dodgers shares a bunch of her pics from the field level on Opening Day here.
• Awesome! Per an AP report at ESPN; "Little Leaguer first to sit in seat commemorating Kirk Gibson's historic homer."
• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA; "Dodgers opening day payroll is $177.4 million, and $182 million against the competitive balance tax."
• Wow! Via CJ Sullivan at The Daily Beast; "Remembering the Brooklyn Dodger Who Hijacked a Plane: Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider… Len Koenecke? No, Len never quite made it. But the story of how he didn’t is a doozy."

Commercial air travel was not a common way to get around in 1935. Most baseball teams, like most people, still took trains for long distance travel. Attempts to hijack a plane were rare.

And yet, Len Koenecke has the dubious distinction of being the first person to attempt to hijack an airplane inside the United States, in 1935. He also played baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and that was the cause of his crime.

• Here's a short little interview. Via Chris Payne at Billboard; "Dodgers All-Star Corey Seager Unveils Favorite Country Stars, New Era's 'We Who Reign' Campaign."

Q: Looking ahead to the season, you guys were so close last year, losing in game seven of the World Series. What do you think it’s going to take for you guys to get over the hump this year? 

Seager: That’s a good question. I don’t really know if we would do anything different than we did last year. We were really resilient on just that night, that day. I think we have to take the same mindset. We came one game short of it. I don’t really know if there’s a huge drastic change to what we did last year. 

• Per Laurence Reisman at TC Palm; "Jackie Robinson made unforgettable debut amid segregated crowd in 1st Vero game."

“I can remember early in the morning of that day cars with black people started coming into town,” said Thompson, who went on to become one of the most respected high school sports officials in the nation and umpired games at Dodgertown. He saw a huge crowd separated by where they stood, but together in what they were there to watch.

Hudson, who knows Thompson and worked as a teacher under his father before becoming a principal and assistant superintendent, understands Thompson's perspective. 

"They never saw previously that many black people in that area," Hudson said. 

• If you're going to be in Detroit from now til mid-September then you should check this out. The Detroit Institute of Arts is hosting the "Play Ball! Baseball at the DIA" that features items from the Michigan-based E. Powell Miller collection and the Detroit Institute of Arts. There is memorabilia and a giant vintage Baseball card collection. Below is a video of what is there. (Hat Tip: Rich Mueller at Sports Collectors Daily).

Video Link:

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