December 2012
A Tribute to the Dodger players that passed away in 2012
Here is my annual post, a tribute to all the Dodgers that have passed away. I am glad that we do not have as many players as we had in 2011. (nine). Here is the post from last year:
Gary Carter (04-08-1954 – 02-16-2012) Nicknamed “The kid” A local Southern California kid. He was born in Culver City, CA. I saw him play with the Montreal Expos. He played for the Dodgers in 1991.
Ed Stevens (01-12-1925 – 07-12-2012) Played for the Dodgers 1945-1947)
From the New York Times:
Ed Stevens played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946, hitting 10 home runs and driving in 60 runs, and he came to spring training the following year expecting to be one of the key figures in the lineup.
“I had no animosity toward Jackie,” Stevens wrote in his memoir, “The Other Side of the Jackie Robinson Story” (2009). “Branch Rickey was my object of anger.
Ed was a coach for the Padres in 1981.
Bill Skowron (12-31-1933 to 4/27/2012) The Yankees first baseman from 1955 to 1962. A World Series hero for the Yankees in 1958, came to the Dodgers in 1963 but he was not the slugger he was with the Yankees. Still the Dodgers won the World Series in 1963. He finished his career with a .282 average, 211 homers and 888 RBI.
Ken Rowe. Born December 31, 1933. Died November 22,2012. Ken Rowe played three seasons in the Major Leagues and worked in the Indians’ player development system for more than two decades.
Rowe made 26 career big league appearances from 1963-65, posting a 3.57 ERA in 45 1/3 innings. In all, Rowe coached for 35 years in the Appalachian League, Northern League, Minors and Majors.
Rowe spent over 50 years in the game of baseball. He pitched professionally for 15 seasons from 1953-1968 and spent time with the World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963 and the Baltimore Orioles in 1964 and 1965. In 1964 while with the Dodger’s Triple-A affiliate, he pitched in a then-record 94 games, finishing with a record of 17-11 as a relief. He missed the 1957 season while serving in the United States Army.
Boyd Bartley (02-11-1920 to 12-21-2012) He was 92. See my post on Boyd Bartley here: http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/2012/12/23/rest-in-peace-boyd-bartley/
You have gone to the Big Dodger in the Sky Boys of Summer but you are not forgotten. Rest in peace.
I compared all 76 major league players passed away in 2012 to double check who was a Dodger. From Howie Koplitz that passed away on 01/02/2012 to Ryan Freel on 12/22/2012. In alphabetical order from Herb Adams to Eddie Yost. From Frank Pastore who was killed very close to my house, two exits away on the 210 freeway. Mr. Pastore was riding his motorcycle on his way home from work.
There were four that passed away outside of the United States: Jack Pierce in Monterey, Mexico; John Kralick in Sinaloa, Mexico; Roberto Rodriguez in Maracay, Venezuela and Pascual Perez in the Dominican Republic.
Hope you all are playing a good game up there. Rest in peace.
ref: New York Times, Examiner.com LA Times, Basebal-reference, Deadball era, baseball almanac and my handy Dodger 2012 guide.
2012 in review
What a wonderful surprise from WordPress! Thank you! and thank you to my top 5 commenters:
1. Jeff and Al of Red State Blue State. I will miss reading their posts on the Cardinals and Tigers here in the MLB Blogs. Good luck my friends.
2. Kristen, a devoted Angel fan from her blog This is a Very Simple Game. Love reading all she has to say about baseball her Angels and Dodgers too. Also love reading about the wines she is savoring.
3. Mateo, love his ball hawking and his videos. His last post from Target Field in the snow was great! Minnesota looked so cold. Glad I visited it in the Summer. Good luck in college kid!
4. Russel of Wrigley Regular. His tribute to Donnie Moore was touching. I had forgotten he had committed suicide.
5. Minoring in Baseball. If you want to check minor league ballparks, check out Mike’s blog. His trips with his kids are perfect.
A big thank you to all that visit my blog! Here is to a great 2013! Cheers!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 44,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 10 Film Festivals
Happy 77th Birthday Sandy Koufax
On this day December 30, 1935 Dodger left-hander Sanford Braun is born in Brooklyn.
In his 12-year career, lefty Sandy Koufax will compile a winning percentage of .655 (165-87), whiff 300 batters or more in three seasons and fan 18 to set a major league mark for Ks in a single game.
Happy 77th birthday to our great Dodger Icon and Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax!
Here is a small collage of pictures I put together starting with the sidewalk plaque on Sunset boulevard close to Dodger Stadium to my Koufax statue and signed baseball!
Dodger Blue Christmas Presents 2012
I have not posted anything since Christmas Eve so is long overdue! Here a picture of some of my Christmas presents (some from me to me 
)
1. Dodger blanket! I love love my Dodger blanket! Now I know why Lorena loves hers! Bought this at Dodger Stadium. It is so soft! perfect for this cold weather. It has been raining lately and for me is too cold. It is currently 43 degrees at 10:40 p.m. PST. You can see snow from the San Gabriel mountains.
2. Dodger hats. My two teddy bears are sporting my two new Dodger hats. Bought these hats at Dodger Stadium
3. Dodger piggy bank! Found this one at Big 5.
4. I included my season ticket mug. As I had mentioned before, I have lost my last two on the train so I welcome having another one.
5. Baseball nutcracker! I added the LA logo on the hat. Victor found this one at Target. It was the last one they had.
I included the two baseball related Christmas cards like the one the Dodger included with Tommy Lasorda and the one my friend Kent sent me from Maine. He gets special Red Sox Christmas cards from the Jimmy Fund foundation. I would love to be able to buy Dodger Christmas cards.
Hope everyone got nice gifts for Christmas but more important that everyone is healthy.
Thursday 12/27/2012 I went to the see an optometrist to spend my flex dollars. Yeah…procrastinating until the end. I thought I would get my eyes examined, get new glasses and be on my way home. Well, after the doctor dilated my eyes, he said “What kind of insurance do you have?” I said “Why” then he said “you have a horseshoe retina tear in your left eye and you should take care of that as soon as possible” So off I went from Pasadena to Kaiser Urgent Care. The family doctor that saw me had the nurse call the ophthalmologist. I was sent to the building where the ophthalmology offices are. About 15 minutes later the doctor showed up, he examined me and prepared me for laser surgery. It was a long day but I am glad that it was taken care of.
My advice to anyone is that if you are having an eye exam, have your eyes dilated, don’t keep postponing having your eyes dilated. If you noticed you have a floater, have your eyes checked. My eye tear could have progressed into a retina detachment. My left eye is feeling fine but i do have another appointment on Thursday January 3, 2013.
Twas the Night Before Christmas
I’ve been posting this for what? two years. Made just a few changes to the one two years ago.
It was a Night before Christmas
Twas the Night Before Christmas and in every house
All baseball fans were clicking their mouse
They hung all their stockings, decorated their trees
And now it was time to sit down and see what everyone posted on this Christmas Eve.
A nice break to read what friends had posted was just what they needed but they frownded!
When they went to click on their sites, none could be found!
Oh no! we’re afraid everyone is out of town!
Is the internet down the reason we cannot read?
How could this happen in our time of need?
The users all panicked, they shivered in fright,
They pined for their read/write and settled in for the night.
“Did we misspell the links? Did we hit the wrong key? Did it go to LALA land?” Oh such misery!
And then in a flash, with a stroke of a key, One by one, they discovered their Christmas Eve reads.
Their eyes how they twinkled, they laughed and smiled. And they settled into the chair to read/write for a while.
Their hearts were delighted, they felt just like kids, But it’s still such a mystery where all links had hid.
Was it there all the time and they just didn’t see? Or did Santa step in and do a good deed?
Good baseball fans are on Santa’s list
And good bloggers and posters he vows never to miss.
It’s been a long night, time to climb into bed,
So they shut down their computers and laid down their heads.
But in a quiet of night, before things came to an end, They heard
“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!”
Look what Santa Dodgers sent me. (it was sent to all Season ticket holders. The coffee mug at the end. The items before like the stadium in 2008, the Globe with the glove and the replica seats are from prior years. The Christmas card with Tommy is next. Miss Piggy bobblehead is in the back. I have Kermit too somewhere.
Rest in Peace Boyd Bartley
Rest in peace Boyd Bartley.
Every year on New Years Day, I do a post paying tribute to all the Dodgers that have passed away during the year. Last night I was up until very late updating my list, checking the list of MLB players that have passed away and checking who were Dodgers. I told my brother Vic this morning “There are 75 players that have passed away with Ryan Freel” I was surprised by the high number and told him that I hoped it will not go up.
I had to come to work today. While at work I got a message from Nick of www.examiner.com with the bad news that Boyd Bartley had passed away last Friday. See his article here http://www.examiner.com/article/boyd-bartley-92-former-brooklyn-dodger-player-and-scout-signed-orel-hershiser
Boyd Barley (02-11-1920 to 12-21-2012) He was 92.
Here is part of the article:
Bartley was signed out of the University of Illinois in 1943 after receiving a bonus from the Dodgers to steer him away from his hometown Chicago Cubs. The young shortstop was heralded for his defensive prowess and received comparisons to then-Indians shortstop Lou Boudreau. The Dodgers wasted little time in testing Bartley’s skills, inserting him in to the lineup a day after he was signed, starting both games of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds
Sadly, Bartley never lived up to the comparison to the future Hall of Famer. Bartley made three errors in his first three games, shaking the confidence of manager Leo Durocher. He would last nine games in a week-and-a-half, batting 1-21, with his only hit coming ironically against the Chicago Cubs. Bartley was sent down to Montreal due to his lack of production, as the 37-year-old Durocher inserted himself into the shortstop role.
Also this:
While serving with the Army in the Pacific, Bartley was operating a jeep when he encountered a Japanese patrol. In his attempt to escape the patrol, his vehicle flipped over and he injured his shoulder. His arm would never fully recover.
Starting in 1968 he became a scout for the Dodgers, holding the position for over 25 years. His most prized signing, Orel Hershiser. The prized Dodger pitcher fondly recalled Bartley’s courtship in his 2001 biography, “Between the Lines.”
“In a few weeks Boyd Bartley, a Dodger scout, came to our home in Detroit to present their offer. Because I wasn’t going to turn twenty–one for three more months, my dad had to be in the meeting. Mr. Bartley offered me ten thousand dollars, an assignment, and a dream. ‘We’ll send you to our Class A team in Clinton, Iowa. You’ll have the chance to grow and develop and work your way up the ladder to play in the big leagues. We want you to pitch in Dodger Stadium some day.’ I was awestruck by his words. My dream was about to come true. I was going to turn pro. After a short meeting in the kitchen with my dad and mom, I took the offer.”
Rest in peace Mr. Bartley. There are now 42 Brooklyn Dodger players alive.
Thanks Nick. Glad you made a trip to Dodger Stadium and I got to mee you and your girlfriend. Maybe I will see you at next year SABR convention.
2012 Top 10: Views by Country & Top Blog Posts
I saw this as a Daily Post Challenge in the WordPress.
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/writing-challenge-wrapup/#more-12444
From the link above:
This week, we want to see your year-end posts. They can take all forms, from a “top X” list to a reflection on a particularly influential experience to month-by-month recaps to a look at things you’d like to do better next year. Include photos — how many cities did you visit? Include statistics — how many visitors did your blog have on January 1, and how many did it have yesterday?
I have a confession, I am obsessed with the statistics here. I don’t have the time to post a blog post every day but I check the statistics to see what countries are visiting my blog, the search terms used to find my blog and the most popular posts.
2012
Top 10 countries visits
1. United States
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. United Kingdom
5. Australia
6. India
7. Brazil
8. Republic of Korea
9. Venezuela
10. Netherlands
Top 10 Search terms
1. dodger stadium
2. mamie johnson
3. patron saint of baseball players (I still need to get me this medallion)
4. woohoo
5. woo hoo (haha)
6. dodgers emma
7. crzblue (lol)
8. sandy koufax
9. devon ethier
10. matt kemp parents
Note: #17 was frank McCourt girlfriend (lol)
Top 10 Blog Posts
2012 A Year in Pictures Bleeding Dodger Blue
2012 A Year in Pictures Bleeding Dodger Blue . I am testing this to see how it will look
Happy 12-12-12 Three LA Dodgers wearing #12
We will never see another day like this in our lifetime. It’s the century’s last sequential date.
In honor of LA Dodgers wearing # 12.
Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Tommy is always very nice at the Stadium or anywhere he is representing the Dodgers.
Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
I used to sit in “Bakersfield” back in Dusty’s playing days. We used to throw gum to him when he took his spot in Left Field. Dusty and a bat boy would pick up the gum. Dusty would pick up the gums and acknoledge us fans. Fun days.
Jeff Kent
For us women that took the Women Baseball clinics with Jeff Kent, we got to know what a nice guy he was. He just put a grouchy face with the media but to us fans he was nice. He was very patience during -what was it 5 years of Women Baseball clinics_ teaching us how to pick up ground balls, teaching us baseball terms, catching us in the bullpen and giving us suggestions how to throw the ball and overall clowning around there.
So enjoy the date 12/12/12. We wont see it in our lifetime again.
Don Mattingly’s event hosted by George Lopez in January
Dodgers have had a busy December signing Zack Greinke and Ryu, having press conferences for both, renovations at Dodger Stadium, Holiday autograph tours. January will also be busy with the first Winter Fanfest but first this Press Release from the Dodgers.com:
12/10/2012 3:22 PM ET
Tickets on sale now for a Night of Entertainment with Don Mattingly, hosted by George Lopez, January 24
Dodger manager Don Mattingly’s event at the Sports Museum of Los Angeles will benefit Mattingly Charities and the Dodgers Dream Foundation
LOS ANGELES – Dodger manager Don Mattingly’s “A Night of Entertainment with Don Mattingly hosted by George Lopez” is set for January 24, 6:30 to 10:00 p.m., at the Sports Museum of Los Angeles. This charitable event’s proceeds will benefit Mattingly Charities and the Dodgers Dream Foundation (DDF). Tickets are on sale now. Hosted by George Lopez, the night features entertainment by several comedians and a tour of the museum’s collection of Dodger artifacts dating to the franchise’s infancy in Brooklyn. The night concludes with a Q&A session with Mattingly. Dodgers scheduled to attend include Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw.
“I’m really excited with the night that we’ve put together to assist both Mattingly Charities and the Dodgers Dream Foundation,” said Mattingly. “I hope all Dodger fans, sports fans and comedy fans will come together on January 24 for these great causes.”
Tickets to “A Night of Entertainment with Don Mattingly hosted by George Lopez” are $195 and include access to the cocktail reception, with hosted food and beverages, and silent auction (6:30 p.m.), opening remarks by George Lopez (8:00 p.m.), comedic performances (8:15 p.m.), Q&A with Mattingly (9:00 p.m.) and an autographed Mattingly photograph. Fans can visit http://www.dodgers.com/mattingly or call (323) 224-1413 for complete details and to purchase tickets. VIP sponsor packages are also available.
Silent auction items for “A Night of Entertainment with Don Mattingly hosted by George Lopez” include a Dodger game experience for two with Dodger owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson, a Yankees VIP game day experience at Yankee Stadium for four and items featuring Hall of Famers, unique sports experiences and items from some of country music’s biggest stars. A full listing of silent auction items can be found at http://www.dodgers.com/mattingly.
Mattingly Charities was created to serve disadvantaged youth by supporting programs which promote baseball and softball participation in conjunction with other developmentally related activities. Mattingly Charities will provide funding, services and equipment for baseball, softball and ultimately other sports, and related youth development activities, for the benefit of disadvantaged youth, youth leagues and social welfare and related organizations. All efforts of the organization will be focused on these activities. More information can be found by visiting http://www.mattinglycharities.org.
Founded in 1998, DDF was created to provide educational, athletic and recreational opportunities for the youth of the Greater Los Angeles community. The Foundation places special emphasis on helping traditionally under-served youth. The DDF Community Diamond is divided into four bases: youth sports and recreation, literacy and education, health and environment. More information can be found by visiting http://www.dodgers.com/DDF.
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