Ashford was born in Los Angeles on November 23, 1914.  Ashford’s father abandoned the family so Emmett and brother Wilbur were raised by their highly motivated mother who worked as a secretary for the California Eagle, a black newspaper.  Ashford excelled at Jefferson High School, rising to co-editor of the school paper, the Jeffersonian, and becoming a teen journalist for the California Eagle.  When he graduated in 1933 he was the senior class president, the first black student so honored.

Ashford was 51 when he made his Major league debut as an umpire.  he told Ebony after the game. “Of course, I was a little nervous at first, but wild horses couldn’t have kept me out of there. I waited 15 years for this and now I’m finally there.”   When Ashford turned 55 in December 1969, he had reached the American League’s retirement age of 55 for its umpires, a rule occasionally bent.  he was given one more year, but after the 1970 season Ashford announced his retirement. 

His umpire career: Umpire in Southwest International League, July 1951-July 1952; Arizona-Texas League, August-September 1952; Western International League, 1953: Pacific Coast League, 1954-1965; American League, 1966-1970; All-Star Game, 1967; World Series, 1970.

Come and check out this event honoring Emmett Ashford presented by the Baseball Reliquary and Allendale Branch Library in Pasadena:

When:  SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 3:00 PM

Where:  Allendale Branch Library, 1130 South Marengo ave., Pasadena, CA

Emmett Ashford’s daughter, Adrienne Cherie Ashford, will discuss her father’s extraordinary career and legacy; will sign copies of her biography, Strrr-ike!!: Emmett Ashford, Major League Umpire; and will show video clips of her father working games in the 1970 World Series. Ashford’s biography will be available for $15.00 per copy.

I throughly enjoyed last Saturday’s Baseball Reliquary  event at the West Covina Library on the LA Blue Bum series by Stephen Seemayer.  I loved the Brooklyn Dodger trivia!  I also won the book  ”The Unwritten Rules of Baseball.  Check out Steve’s exhibition at the West Covina Library. 

Looking forward to this Saturday’s event.   

ref:  www.baseballreliquary.org  www.sabr.org , Baseballblackheritage.com

Dodgers photographer and owner of the MLB blog http://dodgersphotog.mlblogs.com/ Jon SooHoo posted this picture from Camelback Ranch two years ago with the caption “What awaits the Dodgers at the end of the rainbow this season?”  That applies even more now.

Here is a picture from 2004 P&C at Vero Beach.   Greg Miller, Tom Martin, Hong-chih Kuo, and Kaz Isshi.  Good luck in Seattle Kuo.  We will miss you. 

In addition to being P&C Day today is Marty Gras or Fat Tuesday.  A day to feast before Lent starts.   It is also called “Shrove Tuesday” or  Pancake Day in the UK.  Pancake day because it was a great way to use the foods that were given up for Lent – milk, butter, and eggs.   

An English friend suggested I give up Baseball for Lent.  My reaction:   “WHAT!   Are you kidding me!?   “No Way”   I suggested that he gives up Soccer.   I am still working on what I am going to give up.  In the meantime. 

Dodger News: Dodgers bring back Steve Yeager as catching instructor!   Welcome back Boomer!  

13 Days till the first Spring Training Game

44 Days till Dodgers Opening Game at Petco Park (A Padre fan at the Kings game asked me why I was going to Petco Park on Opening Day and if I was a Padre fan.  I was dressed with my Dodger poncho.  lol.  He did not know the Padres open against the Dodgers) 

49 Days till Dodgers opening Day at Home!

Question:  Anyone knows if any team has shown interest on Free Agent Aaron Miles?

pictures by Jon SooHoo.

Steve Yeager was at the game!  

I like this shirt that Ron (Fansince53) was sporting at the game. 

Ned Colletti and King’s mascot Bailey.

Later on today I am heading to  The Baseball Reliquary Presents “Occupy Chavez Ravine:  The “Blue Bum” Paintings of Stephen Seemayer.  

“The Last Day of This World?” by Stephen Seemayer (24” x 24,” aerosol enamel, latex, and photo collage on wood panel). Created for Dodgers/Padres series of September 23-25, 2011. On display in the exhibition, Occupy Chavez Ravine: The “Blue Bum” Paintings of Stephen Seemayer.

The exhibition at the West Covina Library has been there since February 4th and will be there until March 29, 2012.   Steve is part of the Top Deck Season ticket holder family.   Go see the exhibition and become a member of the Baseball Reliquary.   Information about event here:  http://www.baseballreliquary.org/OccupyChavezRavine.htm   Also check out Steve’s website here http://www.labluebum.com/

Location: West Covina Library
Address: 1601 West Covina Parkway, West Covina, California
 I love all these events at the libraries!    Here is a picture of Terry Cannon, the President and founder of the Reliquary and Stephen Seemayer.  We are the Los Angeles Archives Bazaar at the Doheny Library, USC.  

Another picture of Terry’s exhibition of the Baseball Reliquary at the Doheny Library.  Let’s see if I can find my Baseball Reliquary t-shirt like the one in the picture. 

Baseball Reliquary membership:  $25.  Here is Terry Cannon with Benito

One of Steve’s paintings with Haiku from a game against the Angels:

Come and check out the exhibition today and meet Steve or go to the West Covina another day to check it out.

I did not know Mitch Poole, the Dodgers Clubhouse manager is a Clipper fan.  

5 Days till Dodgers Pitchers and Catchers report. 

17 Days Till Spring Training.

48 Days till Opening Day in San Diego!

53 Days till Opening Day at Dodger Stadium.! 

Dodger Stadium is celebrating 50 years! 

Tonight is Dodger Pride Night at the King’s game.   I am meeting friends Lorena and Rosie for dinner prior to the hockey game!

Oh no!  Now I am sad.  Just read that Gary Carter passed away.   Rest in peace Gary.  Dodger photographer Jon SooHoo posted this old picture a few days ago. 

Here is a picture of Ron Cey with his kids. 

And here he is two years ago with Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda:

Here is a picture I took July 2010 at the Steve Garvey Celebrity Softball game.  I was invited by Mike who also has season tickets in my section.  

a while ago I wrote a post saying that Ron Cey never won a gold glove, not because he did not deserve one but he played during Mike Schmidt tenure.  So here is a glove for you Ron!  Is not gold but is chocolate!

Happy Birthday Penguin!  

note:  MLB TV announced they will televise for the first time, two Urban League baseball games this Saturday.

About a week before Valentines I received an email from the Dodgers asking permission if they could use this picture to promote the Valentine section in the Dodger Fan site for fans to send their picture.   Of course I said yes.  The picture is from the Dodger Caravan 2010.  One of the stops was at Chicken and Waffles.   Lady Gaga had shown up at the restaurant that day.   Also Barry Bonds picked the same day to show up .  He only made it to the parking lot.  He got mad when someone asked him to sign a baseball on the sweet spot.  

If you scroll to the beginning of the pictures here http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/fan_forum/valentine_photos.jsp  you will see my picture with Jaime Jarrin.   I love it!   My friend Lorena took the picture!  

Seven Days till Dodgers Pitchers and Catchers report.  

Who’s new: Chris Capuano, P (free agent); Mark Ellis, 2B (free agent); Jerry Hairston, OF/IF (free agent); Aaron Harang, SP (free agent); Adam Kennedy, 2B (free agent); Todd Coffey, RP (free agent); John Grabow, RP (free agent); Matt Treanor, C (free agent).
 
Who’s gone: Rod Barajas, C (free agent, Pittsburgh); Jonathan Broxton, RP (free agent, Kansas City); Hiroki Kuroda, SP (free agent, Yankees); Jamey Carroll, 2B (free agent, Minnesota); Jon Garland, SP (free agent); Vicente Padilla, RP (free agent, Boston); Hong-Chih Kuo, RP (free agent, Seattle).

Going to the King’s hockey game with Rosie and Lorena this Thursday.   It is Dodger Pride Night!   I am sure I will run into more Dodger fan friends there.   Ned Colletti will drop  the puck.  We Dodger fans wish it was one of the  players. 

I just paid for Opening Day tickets in San Diego for Lorena and I thanks to my friend Mike who is a season ticket holder for the Padres!  

I can’t wait to be at Camelback Ranch!  Lore and I will be there for the St Patrick Weekend and we are thinking of going March 3rd for the Dodgers White Sox FanFest there.    Spring is in the air!   

 Ref:  FoxsportArizona  for Who is New who is gone  Heart from Linda Wilson FB page.

Dodger Blogs Softball Tournament.    I had a great time playing for Evan’s Blog team Kingman’s Performance!   The tournament was at the Big League Dreams in West Covina.  This facility has replica fields from the Dodgers, Angels, Tiger Stadium, Yankee Stadium (the new one), Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.   We played three games at the Dodger Field, Tigers and Fenway Park replicas.   I alternated the catching  job with Esperanza, Evan’s wife.   Thank God I did or else I would have been more sore the following day.  Confession:  I am a terrible hitter but everyone was patient with me including the umpire who is a Yankee fan and even Gary and Jon SooHoo from the Left Field Pavilion team that we were playing against were rooting for me to get a hit    Thank you for inviting Evan to be part of the team opinionofkingmansperformance.blogspot.com/ 

Here are some pictures:

Esperanza who scored the only run in the first game (score VSIMHB 16, KP 1) against Roberto’s team 1 www.vinscullyismyhomeboy.com/ 

Evan who runs a great blog at OpinionofKingman’s Performance and Ron (AKA Fansince53) .  Ron is a big Dodger fan that sits in the Left Field Pavilion.  If you saw the movie “Bluetopia”, you saw Ron there. 

Roberto checking out his team

Jeanine, Emma and Pat   (I knew it was Pat, but I wanted to make sure). 

We are losing 8-1 but look at the scoreboard!  We are playing in the Dodger Stadium replica.  The scoreboard has game one of the 1988 World Series with kirk Gibson at bat, bottom of the 9, 3 balls, 2 strikes, 2 outs. 

Jeanine batting

My friend Jon SooHoo playing against us for the Left Field Pavilion team 1.   Wish we had him in our team.  He can hit!  he hit a three run homerun in our game. 

My friend Gary playing for the LFP team too.

Gary in the dugout with his team the LFP team 1.  I met Gary from the Baseball-Fever forum.

Jon SooHoo again on base.  Note we are playin in the Tiger Stadium replica. 

Oh no!  here is Jon again. 

One of our sluggers:

The victory is ours.  11-5.

Team foto:

No pictures from the third game.  The 27 Yankees like Evan called us beat us real bad.  They (The Left Field Pavilion team #2 actually won the whole thing so it was not as bad getting beat by them, a much younger team.  

Here is the schedule of Dodger blogs teams that were in the tournament:

Playoff bracket:

The food collected for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Left Field Pavilion Team 2 who took the championship and the trophy.

Dodger Diaries who came in second. 

Kershaw, Shawn Green, Troncoso, Dee Gordon, Tommy Davis, Josh Lindblom, Kenley Jansen, Al Ferrara, Tony Gwynn Jr.

Kershaw loading gallons of tomato  juice for the giveaway bags. 

Clayton Kershaw and Shawn Green

Josh Lindblom

Thank you all that visit my blog.  I know I have been missing in action sometimes. 

Saturday I will be playing in the Dodgers Bloggers Softball game in West Covina with Evan’s Team from his blog Kingman’s Performance.   details here: http://opinionofkingmansperformance.blogspot.com/2012/02/blogger-softball-tournament-adventures.html

Bring a bag of food to donate to the Los Angeles Food bank and watch us play.

Details here http://www.thelfp.com/blog/2012/02/dodger-bloggers-softball-tournament/
From theLFP webite:
Where – Big League Dreams in West Covina

Time – Gates open at 7AM First games start at 8AM Championship game starts around 5:30 PM

Benefits LA Regional Food bank

Admission to the park is $3.00 with a token for a soda or drink

Participating Blogs
The Left Field Pavilion
Vin Scully is my homeboy
Dodger Thoughts
True Blue LA
Sons of Steve Garvey
Fansmanship.com
Mike Scioscia’s tragic illness
Opinion of Kingmans performance
Save the Dodgers
Dodger Bobble
Dodger Diaries

So come on out and support your favorite blog. I’m asking that all players and fans bring along a box or bag of food to donate to the LA regional food bank.

Below is a list of the items that are most needed.
Canned Goods
Beef Stew
Ravioli
Cannelloni
Canned Tuna
Peanut Butter
Yams
Canned Chicken
Canned Beef
Assorted Canned Fruits
Assorted Canned Vegetables

Packaged Items
Hot Cereal (Grits, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, etc.)
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing Mix
Powdered Eggs

Drinks
Coffee
Juices in aseptic (non-breakable) containers
Ensure (or other Supplemental drinks)
Baby Formula

Personal Products
Bar and Liquid Soap
Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Laundry Detergent
Shaving Supplies
Feminine Hygiene Products
Deodorant and Perfume
Toilet and/or Facial Tissue
Assorted Cosmetics

They will also accept gift cards for grocery stores and fuel cards. Just mark the value on the card.

Thanks everyone and I hope to see you there!

pics by Jon SooHoo except second picture by me. I have more pics but will upload on next post.

http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/2010/01/30/happy-birthday-jackie-robinson-2/

Happy Birthday Jackie!
Read about the new Jackie Robinson movie in the works
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110601&content_id=19885520&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvsSxxPoAHU&feature=player_embedded

The Dodgers annual Select a Seat, an event for season ticket holders,  started Thursday 1/26/2012  and it will conclude with the Open House on Saturday 1/28/2012.   It is our first chance to have a Dodger dog at the stadium.  Don’t they just taste better at the Stadium.   The Dodgers sent us this picture of the sunrise at Dodger Stadium:

Although I was not feeling well, It was great seeing my Dodger fan friends there like William (Deuce’s dad), Dee, Sylvia and Jeanine to name a few.    Also Darryl and Leslie who recently became season ticket holders.  Jeanine and I met Darryl at the SABR Fall AFL conference.  Darryl said that we convinced him to get season tickets.  Welcome to the Dodger fan family Darryl & Leslie.   Other friends like Lorena, Rosie and Rene will go to tomorrow.  Will miss them. 

SABR Day Saturday 1/28/2012.  I was going to the SABR website at http://sabr.org/ when I ran into this picture!  haha, that is me chatting with yes, SABR members, the most knowledgeable baseball fans.  Down below in a Tiger hat is Max, another very knowledgeable fan. 

If you can make it go SABR Day.  There are many locations that are hosting SABR Day from Washington to Vermont to Toronto, to Puerto Rico.  For more information go to  http://sabr.org/sabrday:

SABR Day is an annual event that brings together SABR members and friends on the same day, regardless of where they live. The third annual SABR Day will be held on January 28, 2012. 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.

In Seattle, SABR Day will be held in conjuction with the Mariners FanFest.  In Minneapolis, the chapter will participate with the TwinsFest.    in Arizona it will be at Tempe Diablo Stadium, in New York at the New York Public library.   Check the site for more information.  I counted 39 locations.  

Looking forward to the event at La Habra library.  I have never been to this library and I love visiting new libraries!   From SABR:

Former Milwaukee Braves All-Star catcher Del Crandall will be joining us for SABR Day at the La Habra Library. High school coach Eddie Alvarez will speak and Eric Dearborn will present photographs of final games at various ballparks. Authors Daryl Grigsby (“Celebrating Ourselves: African-Americans and the Promise of Baseball”) and Ron Selter (on .400 hitters) will also speak. 

(note to me:  grr…second time Ido this post as I lost my original post).