Dodgers FanFest & SABR Day is Saturday January 26, 2013
I knew that the Annual SABR Day is scheduled for January 26, 2013. Now I am finding out that the Dodgers will have their first Winter FanFest on the same Saturday!
My first reaction was “Awe shucks!” but then I started thinking “Why not have SABR at Dodger Stadium?” It would be a great opportunity to pass the word around and see if more people want to sign up to be a member of SABR.
I was told at the last meeting that the location had not been determined. Last year it was at the LA Habra library. It was a great event with Del Crandall in attendance and High School coach Eddie Alvarez. Daryl Gribsby talked about his book “Celebrating Ourserves: African-Americans and the Promise of Baseball”.
Last year the Dodgers were having Open House at Dodger Stadium. I went a day before so I would not miss SABR Day. Last year I said the same thing “Why not have SABR DAY at Dodger Stadium.
From the SABR website at http://sabr.org, this is what i says:
SABR Day is an annual event that brings together SABR members and friends on the same day, regardless of where they live. The fourth annual SABR Day will be held on January 26, 2013. Check back on this page soon as we update our calendar with SABR Day events in your area!
Regional SABR meetings are open to all baseball fans — though we encourage you to join SABR if you like what you find — and are usually free to attend. Guest speakers often include current and former baseball players, managers, umpires, executives, scouts, writers and authors.
This will be the Dodgers first Fanrfest in the Winter. In the past two years we had events where we can volunteer along the players at places like cleanup the ocean and the La River and donating time at the La Food Bank.
I hope that they will still have events like these in addition to the FanFest. Look for more information to the Dodgers FanFest at http://dodgers.com
Update: Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin will also be at the FanFest!! Also lots of food trucks.
Not Exactly Cooperstown documentary
Excited to be going to this event (again) and seeing it among friends:
Here is the information about the documentary and filmmaker Jon Leonoudakis:
“Not exactly Cooperstown,” a Brand New Baseball Documentary
at South Pasadena Library on Friday, November 9
“Not Exactly Cooperstown,” a just released, full-length documentary will be screened in the Community Room on Friday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. This is a new date because there was a chance that the Game 7 of the World Series could have been played on the previously scheduled date. The program is free and will also feature filmmaker Jon Leonoudakis whose lifelong love affair with America’s National Pastime was snuffed out in 2002 during the game’s ignoble steroids era. But then Jon experienced a profound and lasting personal transformation.
Leonoudakis attended an alternative baseball Hall of Fame ceremony in 2002 where fans could actually vote in the inductees. An organization called The Baseball Reliquary staged the event, and honored ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson, Mark ‘The Bird’ Fidrych, and Minnie Minoso, ‘The Cuban Comet’ by electing them to their ‘Shrine of the Eternals.’ Jon found himself surrounded by enthusiasts who loved the game with a fervor that matched his own.
“The Reliquary’s approach to the game is very different,” says Leonoudakis. “It loves baseball, but not reverentially. The Reliquary is run by people steeped in the arts who operate it as a grass-roots affair. The organization fosters an appreciation of American history and culture through the lens of baseball.” Jon spent a year in the life of the Reliquary, “to see what makes it tick,” and to share the results. Leonoudakis calls his film “a star-spangled journey into the heart and soul of baseball that can’t be quantified by numbers.”
“Cooperstown is for statistics, and the Reliquary is for stories and the great characters of the game,” producer/director Leonoudakis adds. “My documentary is an unorthodox look at America’s most orthodox game. “This isn’t your father’s baseball documentary,” says Jon. “My film is a bold stew of Americana, folklore, scandal, fandom, poetry, sport, and art.” Interviews with a cavalcade of experts, fans, and free-thinkers abound, including former major league pitchers Jim Bouton (Ball Four) and Bill “Spaceman” Lee, as well as the San Diego Chicken, filmmaker Ron Shelton (Bull Durham), author Arnold Hano (A Day in the Bleachers), and Terry Cannon, the Executive Director and founder of the Reliquary.
Jon Leonoudakis has been a producer since 1985, leading teams on a diverse range of projects for clients and project partners like the Disney Theme Parks worldwide, the United Nations, Disney Cruise Lines, Pixar, Mercedes-Benz, and Universal Studios/Hollywood, as well as producing and directing, 5:04 p.m.: A First-Hand Account of the 1989 World Series Earthquake Game.
The program is presented by the South Pasadena Public Library, the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library, and the Baseball Reliquary. Audience members are asked to “dress baseball” and a trivia contest with prizes will start the event. The Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and no tickets or reservations are necessary. Refreshments will be served.
The first time I saw the film I was dressed as Hilda Chester. I won first prize. This time I only have my road game Dodger Jersey. It is a Jeff Kent jersey. It was a long day at work. Looking forward to tonight and the weekend.
Tim Leary, Richard Santillan, SABR, Christy Mathewson, Baseball Reliquary
I love going to baseball events during the offseason! Last Saturday I went to the SABR meeting. Richard Santillan was there to show us the documentary on “Mexican American Baseball in California. I was running a little late to the meeting so I walked in while the film was in progress. I had gone to Olvera Street night before for Dia de Los Muertos so I got up a little late.
Richard was promoting his two books that he co-wrote “Baseball American Baseball in Los Angeles” and “Baseball American Baseball in the Inland Empire.” The next book “Mexican American Baseball in Orange County” is due to come out March 2013. I love the books! and like Richard and Terry Cannon say “It is a community project.”
The next guest was Tim Leary! We had been asked to take baseball artifacts and Barry and others showed some real original ones. I like the 1900 baseball cards
and the poster titled “World Championship Series” of the second game series played at the Polo Grounds.
Tim Leary brought his 1988 Silver Slugger award!
He also brought his 1988 World Series ring!
I really enjoyed listening to Tim Leary. He is a very knowledgeable baseball person. The Dodgers should have him as one of the instructors at the next Winter workouts at Dodger Stadium to talk to the future Dodgers. Leary works part-time for the Dodgers as part of the community speakers but the Dodgers should be fully utilizing his skills.
I am glad to be a member of SABR giving me the opportunity to be among SABR members that blow me away with their knowledge and to attend events where we get speakers like Tim Leary, giving us a chance to hear the person speak and ask questions. I prefer this more personal meeting than a crowded autograph signing where you are rushed thru the line.
Eddie Frierson in “Matty” An Eveving with Christy Mathewson
I am glad also that SABR member Rick told me about the play “Matty” an evening with Christy Mathewson. It was playing at the Fremont Centre Theatre. I went to see it Monday night. I loved it! Eddie Frierson plays Matty. National Public Radio called it “One of the year’s ten best plays!’ the Fremont Centre is a cute little cozy theatre that says it sits 50.
Next event: “Not Exactly Cooperstown”
Friday November 9 at 7:00 p.m. at South Pasadena Library for the screening of “Not Exactly Cooperstown” by filmaker Jon Leonoudakis.
I have seen the screening but I am going back! This program is presented by the South Pasadena Public Library, the Friends of the South Pasadena Library and the Baseball Reliquary. Audience members are asked to “dress Baseball” and a trivia contest with prizes will start the event. The Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street. It is just around the corner of the Fremont Centre Theatre.
Dodger Promotional Schedule for 2013
I know everyone will have the list but I like to have it handy here so I know where to find it.
The Dodgers Promotional Schedule for 2013 has been released! I am loving the Old Timers Game! and that Jaime Jarrin will finally get a bobblehead! I love the t-shirt last year too with his iconic homerun saying “La Pelota se va se va y despidala con un beso” “The ball is going going and you can kiss it goodbye!”
Sandy koufax & Vin Scully will get another bobblehead! I just hope this time Sandy Koufax will acknowledge the fans at least from the Vin Scully Press Box if not the field throwing out the first pitch.
I see we will also get a Magic Johnson bobblehead and a t-shirt.
Here is the list:
April
| Date▲ | Opponent▲ | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Apr 1 TBD | Giants | |
| Wed, Apr 3 TBD | Giants | |
| Fri, Apr 5 TBD | Pirates | |
| Sun, Apr 7 TBD | Pirates | |
| Mon, Apr 15 TBD | Padres | |
| Wed, Apr 17 TBD | Padres | |
| Fri, Apr 26 TBD | Brewers | |
| Sat, Apr 27 TBD | Brewers | |
| Sun, Apr 28 TBD | Brewers | |
| Tue, Apr 30 TBD | Rockies |
May
| Date▲ | Opponent▲ | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, May 7 TBD | D-backs | |
| Fri, May 10 TBD | Marlins | |
| Sat, May 11 TBD | Marlins | |
| Sun, May 12 TBD | Marlins | |
| Tue, May 14 TBD | Nationals | |
| Fri, May 24 TBD | Cardinals | |
| Sat, May 25 TBD | Cardinals | |
| Sun, May 26 TBD | Cardinals | |
| Mon, May 27 TBD | Angels | |
| Tue, May 28 TBD | Angels |
June
| Date▲ | Opponent▲ | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jun 4 TBD | Padres | |
| Thu, Jun 6 TBD | Braves | |
| Fri, Jun 7 TBD | Braves | |
| Sat, Jun 8 TBD | Braves | |
| Sun, Jun 9 TBD | Braves | |
| Tue, Jun 11 TBD | D-backs | |
| Tue, Jun 25 TBD | Giants | |
| Thu, Jun 27 TBD | Phillies | |
| Fri, Jun 28 TBD | Phillies | |
| Sat, Jun 29 TBD | Phillies | |
| Sun, Jun 30 TBD | Phillies |
July
| Date▲ | Opponent▲ | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jul 11 TBD | Rockies | |
| Fri, Jul 12 TBD | Rockies | |
| Sun, Jul 14 TBD | Rockies | |
| Thu, Jul 25 TBD | Reds | |
| Fri, Jul 26 TBD | Reds | |
| Sun, Jul 28 TBD | Reds |
August
| Date▲ | Opponent▲ | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 10 TBD | Rays | |
| Tue, Aug 13 TBD | Mets | |
| Fri, Aug 23 TBD | Red Sox | |
| Tue, Aug 27 TBD | Cubs | |
| Fri, Aug 30 TBD | Padres | |
| Sat, Aug 31 TBD | Padres |
September
| Date▲ | Opponent▲ | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Sep 9 TBD | D-backs | |
| Thu, Sep 12 TBD | Giants | |
| Fri, Sep 13 TBD | Giants | |
| Sat, Sep 14 TBD | Giants | |
| Sun, Sep 15 TBD | Giants | |
| Fri, Sep 27 TBD | Rockies | |
| Sat, Sep 28 TBD | Rockies | |
| Sun, Sep 29 TBD | Rockies |
Halloween Day, Debut of Dodger Talk, Birthdays, Births, Awards and SABR Meeting
The Jints had their World Series parade today on Halloween Day, an appropriate day for them with their colors. Congrats. Hopefully next year the Dodgers will be celebrating.
Today Wednesday is also the debut of Dodger Talk on AM570 with Jorge Jarrin. The show will air from 7 PM to 8 PM. Adrian Gonzalez will be a guest. Buena suerte Jorge!
Also today is Javy Guerra’s birthday. Javy turns 27. Do you remember when he dressed as a taco last year for rookie Hazing? If not, ehre is a picture as a reminder. Love the guys showing some legs!
That was a fun day in San Diego watching the guys get on the bus with their outfits.
There was a co-worker dressed as a taco today that reminded me of Javy’s outfit last year. I dressed as Sally from Nightmare before Christmas. There were a group at work dressed as Obama and Romney. There was another dressed as Clinton and there was Hillary Clinton too.
I was going to post two more pictures but the system is being difficult. I know is NOT this user.
Congratulations are in order.
I know I am late but congratulations to Clayton Kershaw on winning the Roberto Clemente Award! Well deserve kid! The last time the Dodgers had a current player win the Roberto Clemente award was in 1981 when Steve Garvey won it.
Also congratulations to AJ Ellis and his wife Cindy on their third child. Cindy gave birth in the car on their way to the hospital. What a woman! Since I am talking about births, congratulations to my friend Nora who gave birth to her first baby. She and Sax named her Pele June. I already bought her a Dodger outfitt. It is blue but is OK, the baby can wear blue too!
SABR meeting this Saturday November 1st.
Saturday is our next SABR meeting here in Los Angeles. Here is the information:
Allan Roth Chapter meeting (Los Angeles, CA)
The Allan Roth Chapter will hold its next meeting on Saturday, November 3, 2012, at the LA84 Library, 2141 West Adams Blvd. in Los Angeles, California. Meeting time: 10 AM.
Tim Leary, major league pitcher, is expected. Dr. Richard Santillan will discuss his books on Mexican-American baseball in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.
Show & Tell: Bring your baseball artifacts, folkart, and chatzkes. We all have baseball-themed items. The more unusual, the better. If you would like to present your research, please contact Barry Mednick.
To sign up for e-mail announcements from the Allan Roth Chapter, please click here.
I am looking forward to seeing Ricahrd Santillan again. Hope he has his latest book with him so that I can buy it. I don’t have any artifacts to take to the meeting but I am curious to see what other members take.
Fertilizer! My Top Deck row seats are being taken out at Dodger Stadium
So I just got a call from the Dodgers that my Top Deck row seats are being taken out at Dodger Stadium. They say they will move me to a comparable location. Section 1 or 5. Yeah, I need to go to Select A Seat. I don’t think I can take off time at work for my scheduled appointment on Thursday. Maybe Friday but for sure Saturday. I need to see what my friend Lorena is doing. Is she moving? Who else is moving? They are disrupting our Top Deck family! They are expanding the handicap area so we will see how it looks after. NOTE: I like my seats that are in the shade!
World Series: Giants and Tigers oh My!
I am still excited about the World Series! Yeah, even if the Giants are in it. Of course I am rooting for the Detroit Tigers!! No respecting Dodger fan would root for the Giants. Just like I expect no self respecting Giant fan to root for the Dodgers. Go Tigers!! Beat the Halloween team!
A well rested Justin Verlander takes the mound at San Francisco against Barry Zito.
Dodgers will go to Australia in 2014!?
Wow! I got the message from my friend Rosie that the Dodgers might open 2014 in Australia! Start saving those dollars and vacation days.
Jackie Robinson died 40 years ago today.
It was 40 years ago today that our beloved Jackie Robinson passed away. I was reading in the LA Times everything related to baseball. The only non-baseball article I read was the one from Chris Erskine “Golden moment for Wooden in bronze” The bronze statue will be unveiled on Friday at UCLA. Erskine notes some of the other notable sports statues around Southern California. I noticed the Jackie Robinson at UCLA
and at the Pasadena Civic Center where the sculptures of Mack and Jackie Robinson overlook the City Hall building.
Like Erskine says in the article “It’ll be interesting to see what the new Dodger owners do up the hill, though Vinny and Koufax seem like the surest of things.
Remembering how Jackie Robinson decided to retire instead of going to the Giants! Go TIGERS!!
NLCS Game 7: Cardinals & Giants at AT&T. Select a Seat Day at Dodger Stadium
The NLCS goes to game 7. I do like watching more baseball but not to the extent of letting the Giants back in the race. But the Cardinals have been so generous giving up runs. They have given 10 unearned runs in the postseason. Anything can happen now. Matt Cain will square off against Kyle Lohse.
What is happening in the Dodger World? Well after the Dodgers released Dave Hansen as hitting coach, the Mariners have just hired him as hitting coach. Funny tweet from Jon Weisman: ”How many times has Team A no-hit Team B and then hired Team B as hitting coach after the season? ”
No news yet who will be the Dodgers hitting coach. There is Mickey Hatcher or ??
Select a Seat this week at Dodger Stadium.
I rather the Dodgers be playing October baseball at Dodger Stadium but they decided to do “Select A Seat” earlier this time. I believe it was in January before. I got my email so my date is Thursday but I might wait until Saturday to go. We get to take a guest and go on the field to play catch. Also the left field gift shop will have 50% off merchandise.
Have You Ever Seen The Sunset Boulevard Sidewalk plaques in Echo Park?
Have you ever noticed the Sunset Boulevard sidewalk plaques in Echo Park?
I first noticed them a few years back when I was meeting friends at Barragans on Sunset boulevard on a Sunday before the Dodger game.
The plaques are all sports related. I took pictures back then but never used them in a blog post. I asked several people at the stadium, and other people like Terry Cannon but no one could tell me anything about them.
When did they started appearing? Who put them there?
There are not all baseball. Here is Elgin Baylor’s plaque
Sandy Koufax
Jesse Owens
Among others are Wyomia Tyus who won the Gold in 1964 and 1968 in the 100 meter dash. 
Others are Boxer Jimmy McLarmin, Rafer Johnson, Jack Kramer, Bob Seager, John Longden, Bill Shoemaker, Glen Davis, Ellsworth Vines, Joe Louis, Parry O’Brien,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Billy Jean King, and many others.
But who put this together?
Then I found this plaque
L Andrew Castle? A photographer!
Talking with my friend Lorena about the sidewalk plaques, she found this article from the LA Timeson October 10, 1985: http://articles.latimes.com/1985-10-10/news/gl-15921_1_echo-park
From the article:
Castle happened to be the owner of both a small camera shop and a big dream.
His dream was to improve the struggling commercial center of Echo Park along Sunset Boulevard, maybe even transform it into a tourist attraction. With Dodger Stadium just a 10-minute walk up the hill, what better way to do that, he thought, than to shine some reflected glory of sports heroes down on the relatively unglamorous street of shoe stores, banks, bakeries and restaurants?
So, at Castle’s urging, the City of Los Angeles in 1974 declared the 10 blocks of Sunset Boulevard between Elysian Park Boulevard and Alvarado Street to be the Avenue of the Athletes, allowing sidewalks to be dotted with tablets bearing the names of superstar jocks. Castle himself hardly fit that image: At the time, he was a short, slow-moving, elderly man.
Castle worked at Dodger Stadium!
Castle, who also worked as a photographer for the Dodgers, got the team and other local merchants to back the project financially. The first plaques were laid in concrete in 1976 during what was supposed to be an annual ceremony.
But Castle died two years later and the Avenue almost died with him. The ceremonies stopped and the designs for the plaques were even lost for a while. It was not until 1980 that the Echo Park Chamber of Commerce was able to revive the project, which even its biggest boosters concede has yet to fulfill Castle’s dream.
Fred Claire is quoted in the article :
“The most important thing is whether you are really going to try to improve the area,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president of the Dodgers and a member of the plaque committee. “Andy Castle dreamed that it could be clean, that it could be free of crime. What the reality is, I don’t know for sure. But his dream lives on.”
Castle gets his plaque:
To symbolize that, a plaque bearing Castle’s name was laid in concrete last week in front of the store he used to own at Logan Street and Sunset, Castle’s shows a camera.
MLB Postseason: Another Quadruple Header
Sunday I was planning on going to the San Clemente Seafest but after seeing that there was going to be an MLB Postseason quadruple header on TV, I decided to stay home. I am glad I did stay home to watch most of the four game series. Yeah, I vegetated but in between I did get some cooking done.. I’ll take the train ride to San Clemente another weekend.
Today there is another quadruple header! I am at work but I will work with my headphones on while I listen to some of the local announcers on MLB At Bat. I tend to switch between the home and away team announcers. I have found them a little too homers. That is something that you don’t find with Vin Scully, Jaime Jarrin and Pepe Yniguez.
When I find myself on the road and my MLB At Bat fails me at the stadium, I turn to my radio and listen to the local announcers. In addition to enjoying the game, I like to listen to the local commercials to see who their local sponsors are. I found the milk commercials at Minnesota …wholesome 
. By the way, avocados from Mexico commercials in the MLB Postseason? Cool! It did make me want some avocado . Talking about avocados, last weekend was the Avocado festival in Carpinteria, CA.
this reminds me of the avocado trees back home in Honduras. It also reminded me of Duke Snider who had an avocado farm in Fallbrook, CA.
The quadruple header for today:
St Louis at WAS 10 AM PT (1 PM ET) on MLBNetwork. Carpenter against Edwin Jackson.
SF at CIN 1 PM PT (4 PM ET) on TBS Barry Zito against Mike Leake
BAL at NY 4:30 PM PT (7:30 PM ET) on TBS on ESPN radio Miguel Gonzalez against Kuroda-san.
DET at OAK 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) on TNT Mike Scherzer against AJ Griffin
Ex-Dodgers in the postseason: Kuroda-san, Jonathan Broxton, Guilleromo Mota, Edwin Jackson, Derek Lowe, Jayson Werth, Russell Martin, Jim Thome, Jim Johnson, Xavier Paul, Dioner Navarro and David Ross (Braves)
photo of San Clemente: California-Blog.com. Vin and Jaime from my calendar, third photo: : Bob Carey, Los Angeles Times, Avocado pic from coop.foodnotes.com
p.s. Jaime Jarrin twitted this “commendable drive of Clayton Kershaw to intensify the collection of funds to help kids in Zambia. He will have a golf tournament on November 12th in Los Angeles.
I like the quotes once you publish your post here at the MLB Blogs. This is from today:
The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe. — Gustave Flaubert
Meet the Bloggers: Emma Amaya
The latest installment of our Meet the Bloggers series features Emma Amaya, better known as Crzblue. Her blog, Crzblue's Dodger Blue World, has been a part of the MLB.com Blogs family since February 2009. It's a Latest Leaders mainstay, and for good reason. We caught up with Emma at her home away from home -- Dodger Stadium -- on the final weekend of the regular season to ask her about her blog:
crzblue
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