A couple of weekends back was Topps annual National Baseball Card Day, and as you know free packs of an exclusive set were handed out to collectors at local card shops. The set consist of a 30-card base set and only one Dodger was included -- Cody Bellinger. There are also randomly inserted autographed cards, of which two are Dodgers'. Check them all out below. Go here for a complete checklist.
Base
#14 Cody Bellinger
Autographs
#AU-GL Gavin Lux ...
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
As you surely know by now, the Seagers -- Corey and Kyle -- played against each other for the first time in their career last night. Better yet, they both homered in the game -- becoming the first brothers to do so for opposing teams in the same game since 2001. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com :
“It was hard almost to stay focused with him out there, you want to go talk to him,” said Corey. “And he’s a talker, he wanted me to go over there. You try to be in the moment as much as possible. Y...
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Is Keibert Ruiz the future at catcher for the Dodgers?
Only time will tell, but for the moment he is the cat's meow. Yesterday afternoon he collecting his first career hit by whacking a solo home run in his first career at-bat. Hilariously, his teammates decided to have a little fun with him afterwards. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com :
Dugout ribbing about how “baseball's easy” could barely wait until Ruiz finished his first home run trot.
“They also said it’s downhill from here,” said ...
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
We are in the midst of experiencing a Dodgers' catching renaissance. First, we saw Will Smith wow the fans. Now, it's Keibert Ruiz's turn. In his first career at-bat yesterday afternoon he smashed a home run. Per Rowan Kavner at Dodger Insider :
“It was very exciting,” Ruiz said after the Dodgers’ 8–3 win that swept the series in Anaheim. “First time being in the big leagues, I just was focused on getting a fastball and making contact. Happy to be here with all these guys and keep learning....
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
The newest Sandy Koufax Topps Project 2020 card was created by Queens artist Sophia Chang. Per Nick Diunte at Forbes :
“Working on these cards, you're really seeing a piece of American culture,” she said.
BTW, you can watch Sophia chat with fellow Project 2020 artist Blake Jamieson on YouTube here .
Go here to check the Koufax card out and order the card from Topps online. A complete checklist of all the cards in the set can be found here . The reverse of the card is on the...
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
You knew this card was coming.
Featured here is Mookie's 2020 Topps Now card celebrating his record tying feat last night. As you know, he hit three crushing home runs against the burgeoning Padres to tie a Major League record for three-homer games in a career at six (6) -- joining Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa. With it still being so early in his career, Betts will no doubt break this record soon. Per Ken Gurnick at MLB.com :
“Of course. I’m human,” said Betts. “But I work so hard, man, I ...
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Look who got their awards last night -- Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger. Unfortunately, Cody has been struggling at the plate this season. Mookie, on the other hand, is heating up... big time! He celebrating yesterdays award ceremony by walloping three homers to tie a Major League record for three-homer games in a career at six (6) -- tying Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa.
Photo above via @Dodgers on twitter . Below are more links to check out:
This Day in Dodgers History : In 1919 &n...
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Hey baseball fans! Thus far into the abridged 2020 MLB season, it seems that former and present members of the Colorado Rockies (DJ LeMahieu and Charlie Blackmon) are some of the best hitters in baseball in terms of batting average. DJ is now on the Yankees, but when he played a mile above sea level, he did, in fact, win a batting title. But why are hitters on the Rockies so good? The answer is simple, and I kind of already hinted at it when I said "a mile above sea level." That's right: it's ...
From Baseball with Matt
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Welcome to the 1,000 hit club, Justin!
As you surely know by now, Justin Turner reached 1,000 hits for his career last night. It came off a double in the second inning of the game. Unfortunately, his personal achievement would not lead to a Dodger victory. Nevertheless, I am sure it's a feat he never imagined accomplishing when he came to the Dodgers spring training came as an unsigned free agent in 2014. Per Alyson Footer at MLB.com :
“That's a big positive from tonight, and somet...
From Dodgers Blue Heaven
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Hey baseball fans! Relievers are sometimes called firemen because, well, they put out fires, "relieving" the starters they replace on the mound by getting out of jams. This didn't come from nowhere, however, because it was actually the nickname of one of the first modern-day relievers baseball ever saw, Johnny "Fireman" Murphy. So, let's talk about him! When I started blogging about baseball history eight years ago, my grandfather, who grew up in the Bronx, told me about how he used to work in...
From Baseball with Matt
| over 5 years ago
| 0 reads
Hey baseball fans! The Detroit Tigers are one of the most storied franchises of the American League, originating as a part of the AL's inaugural season in 1901. With this history comes many Hall of Famers, but no Detroit legend, whether it be Hank Greenberg or Al Kaline, can compete with the meteoric rise and fall of "The Bird," Mark Fidrych. Mark Fidrych was a non-roster invitee for the Tigers in 1976, officially joining Detroit's MLB roster in late April. He was lanky and curly-haired,...
From Baseball with Matt
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Hey baseball fans! The NFL recently opened discussions about changing the name of the Washington Redskins to something more appropriate. This has prompted the MLB to consider the Cleveland Indians, who got rid of their red-faced Native American mascot and logo, Chief Wahoo, in 2018 (on Columbus Day, of all days). The Redskins moniker is definitely worse than Cleveland's, but it still begs the question: if the Indians change their name, to what will it be changed? I'll be proposing five of thes...
From Baseball with Matt
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Hey baseball fans! It's Derek Jeter's birthday! However, because I'm sure some of you think I love him a little too much, we're not going to discuss the Captain today. Instead, let's talk about one of the best players who played in the state in which Jeter grew up. Yes, Mr. November is from New Jersey and rooted for the Yankees, but he attended and was drafted out of Central High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Let's see: who's an awesome player who played for the Tigers? Oh, of course! It's Mr...
From Baseball with Matt
| over 5 years ago
| 1 read
Hey baseball fans! Carl Yastrzemski is one of the greatest hitters in Red Sox history, but he was not the only star outfielder that graced the grass of Fenway in the 1960s. The Red Sox used to have a right-handed hitter by the name of Tony Conigliaro. Conigliaro was a great hitter for the first few years of his career, and looked to continue that trend deep into that 1967 "Impossible Dream" season for the BoSox. Then, in August of that season, tragedy struck. Tony Conigliaro debuted in B...
From Baseball with Matt
| over 5 years ago
| 2 reads
Hey baseball fans!
It's a somber time to be a baseball fan for plenty of reasons, so I wanted share my story of how I fell in love with America's pastime. I don't think I really talk about how I got involved with the game much, but it's a story worth telling.
Back in 2007, Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre and the New York Yankees were in the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians. The Yanks had stars like Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon, while the Indians had recognizab...
From Baseball with Matt
| over 5 years ago
| 0 reads
Below is a message from John Sickels, the editor of Minor League Ball.
I can confirm that Minor League Ball content and archives will remain online and Vox will help with any transition to another platform. I can also confirm that the twitter account here will remain under my control. — John Sickels (@MinorLeagueBall) November 30, 2018
We want to thank him for his work on Minor League Ball, and thank you for reading.
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 1 read
Andres Gimenez | Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Early results from the Mets prospect list I have completed my first run through the New York Mets farm system and the preliminary grades are listed below.
Grade A: Zero Grade A-: Zero Grade B+: Two Grade B: Three Grade B-: Five Grade C+: 30 Grade C: Everyone else
There’s some play in the C+/B- range but the final results should be close to this. The names:
Ross Adolph, OF Peter Alonso, 1B Francisco Alvarez, C Gerson Bautista , RHP Rau...
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 1 read
Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
Open to trading Russell Martin, Blue Jays open the door for rookie catcher. The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the most talked-about farm systems, and baseball bloodlines , in major league baseball. In fact, you can’t hold a conversation, read a story, post a tweet, or listen to a podcast about Blue Jays prospects without hearing the names Vladimir Guerrero Jr , Bo Bichette , and Cavan Biggio . However, the prospect that could have the biggest impact on the 201...
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 1 read
Mickey Callaway | David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
63 names under study I am working on the New York Mets Top 20 Prospects for 2019 list. My first run through the system turned up 63 names worth looking at, listed below. Mention it in the comments if you think anyone important is missing.
Ross Adolph, OF Peter Alonso, 1B Francisco Alvarez, C Gerson Bautista , RHP Raul Beracierta, OF Quinn Brodey, OF Luis Carpio, INF Joe Cavallaro, RHP Gavin Cecchini , INF Stanley Consuegra, OF Carlos Cortes,...
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 0 reads
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
How quickly can this be turned around? I am now working on the New York Mets Top 20 prospects for 2019 list. The next team in line is the Baltimore Orioles to be followed by the Philadelphia Phillies , the Cleveland Indians , the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Houston Astros , the Chicago Cubs , the Toronto Blue Jays , and the Washington Nationals.
Use this thread to discuss the Baltimore Orioles organization. Possible points for discussion include, but ...
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 2 reads
Eloy Jimenez | Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Updated Top 20 Prospects Lists for all MLB systems Here is an index for the Minor League Ball Top 20 prospects lists for each of the 30 Major League teams.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox (published November 16, 2018) New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals (published November 6, 2018) Minnesota Twins (published Oc...
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 2 reads
Evan White | Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
It is a thin system. . . Top 20 Seattle Mariners prospects for 2019
The list and grades are a blending of present performance and long-term potential. Comments are welcome, but in the end all analysis and responsibility is mine.
QUICK PRIMER ON GRADE MEANINGS
Grade A prospects are the elite. In theory , they have a good chance of becoming stars or superstars. Theoretically, most Grade A prospects develop into stars or at least ma...
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 1 read
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The buying White Sox will not deal any of these prospects For the first time in a few years, the Chicago White Sox are buyers heading into the offseason.
With the annual Winter Meetings on the horizon, the White Sox will certainly be looking to make a trade or two.
Keeping in mind the fact that the White Sox are still in the midst of a rebuild, lets take a look at the prospects that won't be on the move in the next month.
Absolutely no chance of bein...
From Minor League Ball
| about 7 years ago
| 1 read
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The 12 meetings of the Diamond League will culminate in two championship meets. The IAAF announced Wednesday that the Diamond League will operate under a new format beginning in 2017. The new structure will feature two championship meets at the end of the circuit in Zurich and Brussels that athletes must qualify for based on performances in the first 12 meetings on the circuit.
In recent years, Diamond League prize money was awarded based on cumulative points ...
From Stride Nation
| almost 9 years ago
| 1 read
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Below you will find a collection of tweets and videos (or photos when I couldn't find video) from various sources from around the internet. At a minimum, we have had our eyes on the winner! These are presented in the order of points earned in Derby preps. This page may take a bit to load because of all the video, so stay patient. Enjoy!
This is Gun Runner breezing 4 furlongs in :50.40. https://t.co/oyhnrQdYjw
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 2, 2...
From And Down The Stretch They Come
| over 9 years ago
| 1 read