Blog Kiosk: 8/11/2020 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends

Here is a fantastic 1956 Spring Training pic of 1955 World Series hero Sandy Amoros re-creating his series winning catch at Dodgertown in Vero Beach. As you can see, he is in front of the outfield berm at Holman Stadium - at centerfield. This photo recently sold at RMY Auctions at what I thought was a steal at $26.98.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1950 the Dodgers were no-ht by Vern Bickford of the Boston Braves, 7-0. He needed only 97 pitches to accomplish the feat. In 1951 the first color televised broadcast of a ballgame is aired on WCBS-TV. It featured a game at Ebbets Field between the Dodgers and the Boston Braves. Unfortunately, the Boys of Summer lose the contest, 8-1. In 1962 the Dodgers protest the Giants tactic of wetting down the basepaths in order to slow down speedster Maury Wills at Candlestick Park. The Dodgers would lose 5-4. Giants manager Alvin Dark would forever earn the nickname "The Swamp Fox." In 1969 Don Drysdale announced his retirement from the game. In 2015 every home team won their game -- making that a first in the live-ball era with a full slate of games.  
• Happy Birthday, Bobo Newsom, Luis Olmo, Dennis Lewallyn, Rex Hudson, Mike Huff & Bubba Crosby!
• YouTube Video: Locker Tour: Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers (Video Link).
• Everyone is falling in love with Dustin May. Per Alyson Footer at MLB.com -- "Mirror image: May amazes on K of Manny."

“It was kind of the same idea as last week, just getting under the hands and getting inside on him was very important,” May said. “I wasn't trying to go that far in, but it ran off and he swung at it. So it was a well-executed pitch, and that was kind of the game plan -- just to stay in. And it worked.”

Dustin May vs. Manny Machado

8/4: 99.4 mph, 18.0" of horiz. break
8/10: 99.4 mph, 19.2" of horiz. break pic.twitter.com/0mP4Z7j1pF

— David Adler (@_dadler) August 11, 2020

• This mornings Baseball America Prospect Report makes note of Dustin May's performance last night:

RHP Dustin May graduated from prospecthood on a strong note by allowing two runs over six innings against the red-hot Padres. His night ended on a slightly sour note when he gave up the go-ahead run on a single to Eric Hosmer, but overall he was excellent. May used his signature mix of two-seamers, cutters and sliders to induce weak contact and flummox most Padres hitters before yielding to Caleb Ferguson. 

• Street artist Ben Baller is releasing an exclusive Baseball card set through Topps (to be called "2020 Topps Chrome X Ben Baller") and a bunch of previews have been released. Check out a Gavin Lux card on the right. Go here to check out more at The Cardboard Connection. This product is scheduled to come out this month - exact date pending.
• ICYMI: Joe Kelly has been placed on the 10-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation and have recalled left-handed pitcher Adam Kolarek to take his place on the roster.
• Per Michael Duarte at NBC4 LosAngeles -- "Dodgers' Edwin Rios Credits Boxing With Barry Larkin For Early Season Success."

"I was a little skeptical at first," said Rios of Larkin's suggestion to take up boxing. "But it's crazy what boxing does not just for the body, but for the mind as well."

...
"I did a lot of boxing with Barry Larkin during quarantine," said Rios. "That's where I saw my body transform and get cut up a little more."

• Per Kiké Hernández at the LA Times -- "Player diary: Kiké Hernández details Dodgers’ first road trip amid coronavirus crisis."

We knew this first road trip was going to be different. We had to make adjustments from the beginning and now we know how the trips will be for the rest of the season.

...
I spent the days flipping through channels and studying videos of opposing pitchers. Since we can’t use the video room at stadiums this year, everyone is watching more film on their own. 

• Via Commercial Integrator -- "L-Acoustics K2 Sound System a Home Run for Dodger Stadium."

“Our goal was to have a state-of-the-art sound system at the stadium,” says Derek O’Hara, director of planning and development for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “Dodger Stadium is designed the way ballparks were at the time it was built, with point-source sound systems that need to throw long distances.

...
“The subwoofers are arranged in an endfire configuration, which provides some critical directionality to the low end, keeping it from escaping the stadium walls and keeping the impact on the seating,” said O’Hara.

• Per Kelly Cohen at ESPN -- "Fans honoring deceased loved ones with cutouts at MLB games."

"He actually was buried proudly representing his Dodgers in a Dodger tie, a Dodger Hat and a radio tuned to 570 AM. And as we said our goodbyes, we sang the seventh-inning stretch," his granddaughter Megan Holland told ESPN.

...
So when the Dodgers offered the opportunity to fans to buy cardboard cutouts for home games this season in lieu of in-person fans, the Holland family knew they had to buy one for their grandfather. He's watching this season in spirit, Megan Holland told ESPN -- and to say that gives the family pleasure is an understatement.

• Muncy has been dealing with a broken finger -- since summer camp. Via Alanna Rizzo/SportsNet LA on twitter:

"It was a little difficult to grip the bat sometimes, but I wasn't going to let that bother me." @maxmuncy9 on the process of getting back to where he was after fracturing his finger during Summer Camp. pic.twitter.com/Wo4QqypgMw

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 9, 2020

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *

* Like Dodgers Blue Heaven on facebook *

* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *