Haikus for Kershaw and a great Kershaw link article
This is a great article on Clayton Kershaw:
So in honor of the article and Kershaw pitching tonight here are some more haikus for today:
Kershaw and Ryu
Then what do the Dodgers do?
I don’t know, do you?
Nino de Oro
he reminds us of Koufax
and of El Toro
The basement is cold
The losing streak is at six
but Kershaw is gold!
13 and 19
The Dodgers current record
Let’s get to 14!
attendance last night
was only 33K
with shirt giveaway
My bet for tonigh
attendance will be higher
With Kershaw all right!
Let’s go Dodgers! Let’s start a winning streak tonight!
Happy birthday to El Titan Adrian Gonzalez! He turns 31 tonight! @Dodgers, Make sure you play “El Mariachi Loco” for all his at bats! We like to dance to his at bat song.
Dodger news: Justin Sellers has been sent down and Tim Federowicz has been called up!
Latest Leaders-February 2013: #14 again!
I was surprised that again I came in at #14 for the month of February in the latest MLBBlog latest leaders.
http://mlblogs.mlblogs.com/2013/03/05/latest-leaders-february-2013/
Great! Thank you those that visit my blog and those that found it while searching something I had here!
Last month when I came in at #14 for the month of January I dedicated the post to Gil Hodges.
This time I will dedicate it to #14 Mike Scioscia!
A skinny Mike Scioscia with a skinny Tommy Lasorda
I got this signed by Mike prior to a game.
Mike was the best blocking home plate! I sat behind home plate in the Loge level for two years (1981 & 1982) watching him play.
Here ist to you Mike! Wish you were still with the Blue!
I am missing my lemonade from Camelback Ranch
Again, thank you everyone that stops by here. Thank you Mark for doing the Latest Leaders list.
Brooklyn Dodgers. Where are they now. Don Lund
I am getting back to honoring the Brooklyn Dodgers that are alive so here is #12 in my list from oldest to youngest.
Don Lund then
Donald Andrew Lund was a backup outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers, St Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers. He was born in Detroit on May 18, 1931. He shares a birthday with my dear aunt Nora and my friend Sandi who is a St. Louis Cardinal fan.
From Baseball Reference.com:
Outfielder Don Lund earned nine letters at the University of Michigan and was also drafted by the Chicago Bears. After his playing career ended, he was a Detroit Tigers coach in 1957 and 1958. He was then the Tigers’ farm director in 1963, Scouting director in 1964, and director of player development from 1965 to 1970.
The young Lund attracted attention in 1947, a pennant-winning year for the Brooklyn Dodgers, when he went 6 for 20, slugging .700 with 2 doubles and 2 homers. He did not appear in post-season play. Lund was one of 11 players used in left field by the Dodgers that season, who never did pick a regular left-fielder in the late 1940s.
His year with the most major league at-bats was 1953, when he hit .257 in 421 at-bats with the Tigers. Al Kaline was an 18-year-old rookie that year, and the following year Kaline became a regular, while Lund was a backup.
Lund briefly managed the 1956 Jamestown Falcons. He returned to his alma mater as head coach from 1959 to 1962, leading the school to the 1962 College World Series.
checking the Dodgers media guide, Mr. Don Lund wore uniforms #8 #17 #25 #40. He was in 4 games in 1945, 11 games in 1947 and 27 games in 1948. He went to the Tigers in 1948.
Don Lund now.
I did not know that there is a SABR chapter called Don Lund Chapter! the Don Lund Chapter serves the Southeastern Michigan area. Very nice!
Also in 1997 SABR conference #27 in Louisville, Kentucky saw a player panel highlighted by Pee Wee Reese that also featured Ed Stevens and Don lund. Jim Bunning was the keynote speaker.
Found this book also about Don Lund:
James Robert Irwin
Saint James Books, 2009
From everything I read about Mr. Lund, he is another terrific person.
Ref: Baseballreference.com mgoblue.com, Annarbor.com
Brooklyn Dodgers. Where are they now. Eddie Basinski
Eddie Basinski then
Basinski was born on 11/4/1922 in Buffalo, NY. He wore uniform #3 for the Dodgers.
Eddie was signed after a tryout by the Dodgers out of the University of Buffalo even though he hadn’t played baseball in either high school or College.
Eddie debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944. He was the Dodgers regular shortstop while Pee Wee Reese was in the military in 1945 but lost his job when World War II ended an Reese returned.
According to Baseball-Refernces:
He made a prototypical rookie mistake when first coming up to the National League: hitting .389 after two weeks, he told a reporter that “Any man who can’t hit .300 in this league ought to go get a lunch bucket.” Opposing pitchers never let him live down those words.
Eddie spent the off-season as a violinist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Eddie Basinksi now
Here is a video of Portland Baseball history with Eddie Basinski and Vince Peski. Eddie tells some wonderful stories that had me cracking up.
Ad here is a another video. A wonderful interview of Eddie Baskinksi by KrisPorterSports. In there he talks about Branch Richie & Leo Durocher.
Ref: NewYorkTimes.com, Oregonlives.com, KrisPorterSports
Brooklyn Dodgers. Where are they now. Chuck Kress
Chuck Kress then
Charles Steven Kress was born in Philadelphia on December 9, 1921. He wore uniform #5.
Chuck Kress served in the U. S. Army from 1943 to 1945. Kress was a first baseman 17 seasons from 1940 to 1959, four in the Major Leagues and 16 in the minors.
He played first base for the Cincinnati Reds in 1947 & 1949.
With the Chicago White Sox from 1949 to 1950.
Detroit Tigers 1954.
On 06-09-1954, The Brooklyn Dodgers traded Wayne Belardi to the Detroit Tigers for Ernie Nevel, Johnny Bucha and Chuck Kress. Kress had 12 at bats with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 and batted .083.
Kress managed the following teams in the Minor Leagues:
1957: The Erie Sailors from the New York-Pen League of the Detroit Tigers.
1958: Durham Bulls from the Carolina Leagues of the Detroit Tigers.
1959: Des Moines Demons of the Three-I Leagues of the Philadelphia Phillies
1960: Asheville Tourists of the South Atlanta League of the Philadelphia Phillies
1961: Des Moines Demons of the Three-I Leagues of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Chuck Kress now
From Kentuckybaseball.blogspot as posted on November 2, 2009:
Chuck Kress, who played with the Reds, White Sox, Tigers and Brooklyn Dodgers responded to some questions for me.
He mentioned that his favorite team is the Mariners. His favorite recent player is Edgar Martinez.
Chuck did say that he had a lot of great memories relating to his time with that legendary Brooklyn team. Mr. Kress notes that he is proud of the fact that he got to play with Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Duke Snyder, and manager Walter Austin.
He does remember playing in Louisville when he was with Columbus of the American Association.
ref: baseball-fever.com, fangraph, kentuckybaseball.blogspot, baseball-reference, OOtbaseball, WalterOMalley.com, baseball-almanac
MLB Blog Latest Leaders for January 2013. #14 Dedicated to Gil Hodges
February 13 is my MLB Fan Blog 4th anniversary. During these four years my blog has ranked between #16 to #52 in the monthly ranking. I was surprised that I came in at #14 for the month of January 2013!
Thank you everyone that visits my blog and if you just happen to stumbled up on it well welcome! 
I dedicate my blog coming in at #14 to Gil Hodges
Hodges was the Major League premier first baseman making eight career All-Star teams.
He had 370 career home runs, which by 1962 ranked second all-time for right-handed hitters behind Jimmie Foxx.
From 1949 to 1959 he averaged 30 homeruns and 101 RBI’s
The only players in his time to drive in 100 runs in seven straight season.
He had five straight season with 30 homeruns and eleven straight with 20 homers tying a league record.
He had at least 23 doubles and 23 homeruns for nine straight years.
For the 1950s, he ranked second in the majors in homers and RBIs behind Duke Snider, and third in total bases behind Snider and Stan Musial.
Hodges was the recipient of the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1959, the perfect credential for a Hall of Fame member.
He ranked in the top 10 in runs, hits, and walks
He also received the first three Gold Glove awards given to a first baseman
he helped the Dodgers capture seven pennants and two world titles.
Hodges’ managed the Miracle Mets and in 1969, led them all the way to the World Series Championship.
His managerial career was prematurely cut short when, while golfing in Florida, he suffered a massive heart attack two days before his 48th birthday.
Vin Scully said this about Gil Hodges:
“I can’t understand why Gil Hodges isn’t in the Hall of Fame.”
Ref: http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2012/10/gil-hodges-and-the-elusive-hall-of-fame
From Mark Langill, Dodger historian: http://dodgershistory.mlblogs.com/2012/07/18/gil-hodges-and-the-hall-of-fame/comment-page-1/
Top 100 MLB Blogs for 2012. #22 Dedicated to Kershaw
Here is the 2012
I came in at #22 in the 2012 Top 100 MLB Blogs in the Fan category! I dedicate the number to #22 Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw and to his organization http://www.kershawschallenge.com/
Behind a great guy is a great woman: Ellen Kershaw
Kershaw hard at work:
From Kershawschallenge.com:
Give $100 to Kershaw’s Challenge & receive a signed 8×10 Photograph – Plus a Dodger blue, Kershaw shirt to wear to games this season
Thank you to Mark and all from the MLB Blogs for doing the Top 100 MLB Blogs every year. Thank you to commenters, readers and anyone else that stumbles on my blog! Thank you to Clayton & Ellen Kershaw for their wonderful work giving back to the community. Is no wonder that Clayton Kershaw was the 2012 Roberto Clemente Award winner.
p.s. lost my original post here so I had to redo this. No problem, learned something.
Honoring the Brooklyn Dodgers players Alive in 2013
We lost two Brooklyn Dodgers in 2012 so we have 42 Brooklyn Dodgers alive as of 2013.
Here is Mike Sandlock, the oldest Brooklyn Dodger holding a 1945 picture
Here is the updated list with a new column for Uniform number:
| Name | DOB | Birthplace | Uniform # |
| Mike Sandlock | 10/17/1915 | Old Greenwich,CT | 1, 4 |
| Ray Hathaway | 10/13/1916 | Grinville, OH | 22 |
| Lee Pfund | 10/18/1919 | Oak Park, IL | 14 |
| Luis Olmo | 10/11/1919 | Puerto Rico | 21 |
| Jean-Pierre Roy | 06/26/1920 | Montreal, Canada | 34 |
| Pat McGlothin | 10/20/1920 | Coalfield, TN | 23 |
| Andy Pafko | 02/25/1921 | Boyceville, Wi | 22,48 |
| Marv Rackley | 07/25/1921 | Seneca, SC | 35 |
| Chuck Kress | 12/09/1921 | Philadelphia, PA | 5 |
| Eddie Basinski | 11/04/1922 | Buffalo, NY | 3 |
| Don Lund | 05/18/1923 | Detroit, MI | 40 |
| Tim Thompson | 03/01/1924 | Coalport, PA | 21 |
| George Shuba | 12/13/1924 | Youngstown, PA | 8 |
| Johnny Rutherford | 05/05/1925 | Ontario, Canada | 15 |
| Wayne Terwilliger | 06/27/1925 | Clare, MI | 34 |
| Chris Haughey | 10/03/1925 | Astoria, NY | 14 |
| Ralph Branca | 01/06/1926 | Mount Vernon, NY | 13,20,28 |
| Bob Borkowski | 01/27/1926 | Dayton, OH | 27 |
| Randy Jackson | 02/10/1926 | Little Rock, AR | 2 |
| Dick Teed | 03/08/1926 | Springfield, MA | 37 |
| Don Newcombe | 06/14/1926 | Madison, NJ | 36 |
| Bobby Morgan | 06/29/1926 | Oklahoma City, OK | 2 |
| Charlie Osgood | 11/23/1926 | Sommerville, MA | 20 |
| Carl Erskine | 12/13/1926 | Anderson, IN | 17 |
| Preston Ward | 07/24/1927 | Columbia, MO | 36 |
| Rocky Bridges | 08/07/1927 | Refugio, TX | 9 |
| Tommy Lasorda | 09/22/1927 | Norristown, PA | 2,27,29 |
| Tommy Brown | 12/6/1927 | Brooklyn, NY | 9 |
| Joe Landrum | 12/13/1928 | Columbia, NC | 19 |
| Joe Pignatano | 08/04/1929 | Brooklyn, NY | 58 |
| Roger Craig | 02/17/1930 | Durham, NC | 38 |
| Ron Negray | 02/26/1930 | Akron, OH | 38 |
| Glenn Mickens | 07/26/1930 | Wilman, CA | 46 |
| Don Zimmer | 01/17/1931 | Cincinnati, OH | 23 |
| Ed Roebuck | 07/03/1931 | East Millboro, PA | 37 |
| Fred Kipp | 10/01/1931 | Iqua, KS | 26 |
| Chico Fernandez | 03/02/1932 | Cuba | 3 |
| Jim Gentile | 06/03/1934 | San Francisco, CA | 38 |
| Don Demeter | 06/25/1935 | Oklahoma City, OK | 2 |
| Sandy Koufax | 12/30/1935 | Brooklyn, NY | 32 |
| Bob Aspromonte | 06/19/1938 | Brooklyn, NY | 28,34 |
| Rod Miller | 01/16/1940 | Portland, OR | 50 |
ref: SABR, Baseball Reference, 2012 Los Angeles Dodgers guide, Pic from Greenwichtime.com
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.
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!
crzblue
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