It Was 30 Years Ago Today

• This is fantastic: An oral history of Kirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run (Tim Brown, Yahoo Sports)

Earlier at SoSG: It Was 25 Years Ago Today

Crawdaddy: An Appreciation

Crawdaddy is dead; long live Crawdaddy. Thanks to loyal SoSGer Johnny Blanchard for this in-depth take on Carl Crawford's meaning to the Dodgers:

Carl Crawford is gone, long live Carl Crawford. Here was something that happened some time ago. Per baseballreference.com:

August 25, 2012: [Carl Crawford] traded by the Boston Red Sox with Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto and cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers for players to be named later, Ivan De Jesus, James Loney and Allen Webster. The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Rubby De La Rosa (October 4, 2012) and Jerry Sands (October 4, 2012) to the Boston Red Sox to complete the trade.

This is part and parcel of our new era, Dodgers fans. This was basically the big move that the new ownership (AKA Magic!) gave us, as a sign of our commitment to winning. The sign that the Dodgers were going to be the behemoth that we were supposed to be all along. Look at that trade right there again. Even before opening up the stats pages, you already know that this trade has been an unqualified success. They swung for the fences — our Dodgers — and we crushed it.

The Dodgers from 1986 to 2006 stunk. Oh sure, we got the World Championship in '88, but let’s face it, that team sucked. Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson were it, with a bunch of crap otherwise. Past Kirk and O, our next biggest contributors per WAR were Tim Leary and Tim Belcher and John Shelby. Tim Leary had no track record; Belcher was a rookie; Shelby was acquired in a good trade to get rid of Niedenfuer, although there was really no indication Shelby would be a great player, and really he wasn’t in 1988. It’s really a joke to look back on how poorly the Dodgers were run back then. After the '70s and early '80s, the Dodgers were good but not great, and certainly not performing like the elite top 3 team they should’ve been. And then came the '90s, which were fine I guess, but I knew when we made the playoffs in the mid-'90s we were the inferior team to whomever we played. AND THEN we traded a Hall of Fame player ("Mike Piazza") that our galactically stupid fans booed before he left because he had the gall to ask for money commensurate with his talent. Then came the early 2000s and basically mediocrity until the wonderful McCourts showed up.

Frank McCourt tried to do what was right. This is true, amazingly enough. He didn’t know anything about baseball (other than the Red Sox were wicked awesome), so he went out, and you’ve gotta give it to the Bostonian jerk, he hired the smartest guy around, one Paul DePodesta. Now, despite your opinion, typical Dodger fan, Mr. DePodesta was our best upper management type since I would assume the '80s, judging on the stupidity of our moves during those years. You may hate math and calculators and spreadsheets and numbers, but those sorts of things are the things that typically entail what is called "a plan." So DePodesta put together a plan, wherein we signed good players that were actually worth the money and got rid of pieces of garbage that were overvalued and/or aging steroid freaks (see Encarnacion, Juan — the man who ranked in the top 10 in outs made in 2002 and 2003 and LoDuca, Paul who was 32 when we traded him and about to be a free agent after magically having a 25 home run season in 2001, when he turned 29, after hitting 35 in his entire professional career prior to that), and in return we got a great pitcher (see Penny, Brad) who was 26 years old. Those are the sorts of things someone does when he has a plan.

But, alas, Paul DePodesta was fired the next year, essentially because Bill Plaschke had it out for him, and Bill Plaschke had it out for him because he was a nerd. No sources are needed for this assertion because everyone is aware of this that follows the Dodgers and Plaschke wrote a column acknowledging it, for Pete's sake. So, the dumb fans booed away because they traded away Paul Lo Duca, a non-Hall of Fame catcher, and the Dodgers lost a smart general manager with a plan, back when those general managers were not as prevalent as now, 2005.

OK, fast forward, we had old Ned Colletti, and whatever, he was fine, but not exactly on the forefront of the sabermetric revolution. He played along with McCourt's desires to suck money out of the Dodgers and they did OK, mostly because of our great farm system of the 2000s. Blah, blah, blah, it wasn’t actually that bad and Manny Ramirez dropped into our laps, and they had a great late 2000s, being a lot closer to the World Series than most fans realize. In any case, they were starting to have a plan, which was to build a farm system, essentially because it was cheaper than acquiring old talent, thanks to Frank McCourt. Amazingly enough.

And then "Magic" bought the Dodgers in May 2012, and the Dodgers finally had someone with a plan. Does anyone out there realize this is the golden era? Do you people know we are in the good old days? Who cares if we have tons of money but the guys who run the team are idiots? We had idiots running our team from 1986 until 2006, give or take. And starting in 2012 until this moment, we have a plan. And the first big move was to use our financial power to get a great player (see Gonzalez, Adrian), along with useful, good Major League players (see Punto, Beckett, and Crawford) that helped our team.

Carl Crawford hit .278/.320/.400 for us from 2012-2016. He even stole 48 out of 61 bases, which is a good rate. I am unaware that he was a clubhouse cancer. He was not a great outfielder, but not horrible. He had a bad arm. Having a bad arm is the least important thing for a left fielder. (As a side note, as regards winning, having a great arm in the outfield, especially left field, is spectacularly overrated. This is one of those things that stupid fans think is important but it is really just a very obvious thing when a guy can’t throw well. Meanwhile, ask those stupid fans what exactly makes Carl Crawford a vastly superior player to Juan Pierre. I guarantee you those fans find it hilarious to say that Crawford has a noodle arm. So did Pierre. Pierre had less than half of Crawford’s career WAR in about the same number of years.) Carl Crawford hit .353/.421/.882 in the 2013 NLDS, which kinda helped us win that series.

So, I don’t know, maybe I'm fighting a straw man here, and everyone appreciated Carl Crawford’s contributions. I guess what I'm saying is that Y'ALL need to know that the Dodgers being "forced" to take Carl Crawford’s contract is exactly why it’s awesome to be a Dodgers fan right now.

Photoshop by @EephusBlue

Frankrupt Is Back

From a press release:

Sports Parody Brand FRANKRUPT Returns for Dodgers 2015 Season

Popular brand featured in LA Times, Huffington Post, ABC 7 News, KFI Sports Talk, ESPN Talk Radio makes a come back.

After receiving national media attention in 2011 following Frank McCourts bankruptcy of the Dodgers, Frankrupt has re-launched with a new line of Dodger-fan themed tee shirts. New shirt styles include the "Orel Sax 1988 World Champs" tee shirt, which has already provided a laugh to Orel Hershiser himself (as seen in the attached photo). Other styles such as "I Like Slyke", "Man Bear Puig", "Going Going Gonzo" and "KKKKershaw" continue Frankrupt's tradition of Dodgers world play. For more information or to purchase a shirt, check out www.Frankrupt.com

Segundo on the Barbie: Late Night w/ the Dodgers

Joining Nomo and Team Killeen, #ineedmydelino ventured over the hill and down the 110 to Time Warner, El Segundo. Let me just say I have found the new gold standard for watching baseball from 1am to 5am. Thanks to our wonderful hosts at Time Warner Sportsnet, we got to eat and drink like kings. At least, local kings at Dodgers stadium... with an open bar.

The perfect menu for watching a game during the witching hour. My personal goal was to pack on a Puig 26... but after Aussie beer three and meat product number four, I hit the wall.

Picture and boomerang provided by Sir Killeen.

We even got some face time with one of the all time greats, the (real) OREL!!!

Orel and Time Warner management. Woman not affiliated with either.

There was a game too... as the Dodgers showed the strength of a Vegemite sandwich and the dexterity of a Dingo. Actually, I'm not sure if these are accurate statements, having never tasted either. But the Dodgers won. The local Aussie fans won. And Sportsnet won... our admiration and appreciation.

Makes we want to switch to Time Warner tomorrow... but I think DirectTV has ways of dealing with those who break contract early.

What the Heck Is Orel Doing?

Priceless! Your @SportsNetLA & @Dodgers team! @therealjhair @_johnhartung @OrelHershiser @nomar5. pic.twitter.com/zI8ai2htFg

— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) February 13, 2014

Meet The New Not-Vins

The Dodgers officially unveiled their new broadcast team for SportsNet LA today:



Hmmm. Embedded video doesn't seem to be working for me. If it isn't for you either, here's the link

Welcome back, Orel and Nomar! Welcome aboard, Alanna Rizzo! Orel will partner up with Charley Steiner for non-Vin games on SportsNet LA. Nomar will join Rick Monday on radio for those games (with the Steiner and Monday pairing continuing to take over radio in the 4th inning of Vin-called games). Rizzo will handle "sideline" duties on non-Vin games, as well as pre- and post-game coverage. Vin, of course, will continue to preside over games in California and Arizona.

While not shown in the video above, Jerry Hairston, Jr. and former ABC7 sports anchor John Hartung will also be on the SportsNet LA team.

Excited yet?

UPDATE WITH THOUGHTS: This is a HUGE upgrade all-around. Steiner and Monday will both benefit from working with new partners (and Steiner's weird fly ball calls will be easier to take when you can see the ball on TV). Orel will provide professional, relevant analysis that Steve Lyons never could. I haven't seen much of Nomar's TV work, but he's definitely personable and can probably tell a good story. I was a big fan of Alanna Rizzo's work on MLB Network. She speaks fluent Spanish and should develop a good rapport with the players she'll be interviewing. (Plus, yes, she's cute, and we're shallow like that around here.)

Comings and Goings

• Congratulations, Jon Weisman! Weisman hired as director of digital and print content (Dodgers.com)
  
• Godspeed, Tony Jackson. No headline this time, just read the post (dodgerscribe.com)
  
• Orel's joining the team! Dodgers add Orel Hershiser, Alanna Rizzo to TV broadcasts, per report (TrueBlueLA)
  
• Joe Torre has been elected to the Hall of Fame. Torre, La Russa, Cox to Cooperstown (ESPNLA.com)
  

Nomar's Back

From "Nomar Garciaparra joins Dodgers broadcasting crew " by Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times:

Plans for the Dodgers’ new regional sports network, SportsNet LA, are still being formulated, but there is progress.

Nomar Garciaparra has been hired as a new commentator by the Dodgers, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. [...]

Garciaparra is expected to do pre- and post-game commentary and be utilized on both the television and radio broadcasts. Roles are still being defined.

The Dodgers are also pursuing ex-Dodger Orel Hershiser to be an announcer and the future broadcasting face of the team, according to USA Today. Hershiser is also currently with ESPN, though is contract will soon expire.

photo by Jeff Lewis/AP

At-Game Recap (Part 1): The Clincher (NLDS Game 4, October 7, 2013)

With the memory of this game more freshly situated in my mind, I'm going to try and write my thoughts of NLDS Game 4, the clinching game of the series, and an incredible roller-coaster ride of a game for Dodger fans. Having just attended Game 3 the night before, and still riding the high of that beatdown, I was hopeful. But little did I know that this Game 4 was going to play with my emotions like a high school girlfriend on Adderall.

To start out, the couple with whom we were attending was late arriving to my house. It was only a 15-minute delay, but having suffered through some pretty bad traffic on Sunday, I was pretty stressed out. I cut through backyards and alleys en route up the hill to the Sunset Gate (luckily, the incline wasn't that bad), only to be thwarted in Lot G (not only were normal entry points closed off, but I had to park all the way over at the far end of the first-base side, which was a pain relative to our third-base side seats).

Literally sprinting down the concourse (stopping only for two Dodger Dogs and two beers), I was able to make the first pitch. (I saw the pre-game ceremony involving our father, Steve Garvey, in between sprints down the concourse; I loved the fact that Garvey said "Welcome to the final game of the NLDS!" to the crowd, which got a great roar of approval.)

Don Mattingly had opted to start Clayton Kershaw on short rest, a decision that was widely panned in the media, given Kershaw had never started on short rest before, and he was coming off a 124-pitch Game 1. Indeed, Kershaw was off his game a bit, only because he has set his own bar so high: balls were landing in the dirt five feet in front of the plate; time in-between pitches seemed extra elongated; the pace of the game seemed to slow to take a lot of bated breaths.

Complicating the factor was Adrian Gonzalez, who pulled the wrong night to stop sniffing glue (or making solid defensive plays, as he has all year). Gonzalez allowed leadoff batter Jason Heyward to reach in the first inning, and even though Kershaw got out of it, it set the tone that this wasn't going to be an easy night.

And then: Carl Crawford. His mammoth home run to right field to lead off the bottom of the first sent the place rollicking. It was if all the energy from the crowd the prior night had just been unlocked again and things were about to start rolling. My wife and our friend even made it to the seats in time to see this HR, which was great.

The guys behind me started doing the fake tomahawk chop chant, which the Dodgers opened up late in Game 3 after we went up 10-4. This was a 1-0 lead. Waaaaaaay too early, I was thinking to myself.

But the Dodgers did keep rolling that first inning. Hanley Ramirez got in a one-out single to left, prompting a clip on Diamondivision of Ken Jeong screaming "I SEE YOU!!!" (they had showed this clip on Sunday night as well, and the place erupted both times). Yasiel Puig hit a moonshot to right that Justin Upton caught on the wall, but instead it was only 1-0, though Dodger fans were feeling and acting like it was 3-0.

Crawford came up in the bottom of the third with one out and hit another solo HR (2-0, LA), immediately followed by a strange Mark Ellis double that landed just inside the right foul line. Dodger fans were feeling it, again; the tomahawk chop chant started from behind me, again. But Freddy Garcia gutted through the inning and kept the Dodgers from scoring again, so it was only 2-0.

Between innings, Nancy Bea Hefley played "Master of the House" as Diamondvision tipped its hat to Orel Hershiser, who was in the booth. Orel got a nice round of applause.

And then came the fateful bottom of the fourth. The Braves tied the game after Gonzalez made his second error of the night, turning a likely double play into a no-out, men-on-first-and-second situation. The crowd groaned when both Braves scored to tie the game at 2. And this is where Kershaw's laboring became increasingly apparent; Kershaw didn't look sharp, in fact he looked really tired. In the stands, you could feel the tension rising.

The Dodgers didn't score in the fourth, fifth, or sixth innings, and when Ronald Belisario came out to relieve Kershaw in the seventh, Dodger fans were stunned. If Mattingly wants to go all in for Game 4 with Kershaw, why send the game to Belisario, who has been shaky for over a month now?

And sure enough, Elliot Johnson tripled to right field (which should have been a double, but Puig's defensive aggressiveness caused him to pass the ball as it caromed away and Johnson proceeded to third). Garcia was finally lifted for PH Jose Costanza, a MSB generously listed at 5'9" (measurements must have been taken on platform shoes day). And Costanza singled to center, scoring the Braves' go-ahead run. Belisario was mercifully pulled. The crowd just groaned in derision over this managerial move; you could sense that a Game 4 loss would certainly cause Mattingly's firing over the off-season. J.P. Howell came in to get out of the jam.

Bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers get a two-out double from Mark Ellis, and HanRam gets a IBB. But Adrian Gonzalez fouls out to right field to end the threat. At this point, the Dodgers crowd became incredibly quiet. I had this unique situation where the field level seats in front of my were unoccupied as there was a problem with the seat. So I spent my aggression beating the hell out of the seatback in front of me.

I kept thinking, this is a shitty way to lose the game. Game 5 back in Atlanta is going to suck. We're doomed.

And then, in between innings, they ran a Roy Campanella "Dodgers Legend" tribute. I remember looking over at my wife and explaining to her how awesome Campy was (from what I've read, of course), and how moving that evening at the Coliseum honoring Campanella must have been. The mood was reverent and somber. But the spectre of the Dodgers legend made things seem we had history and tradition on our side.

If there's anyone not steeped in Dodgers history, it's probably Puig, one of the newest members to the team. He led off the eighth with a double to right off of Braves reliever David Carpenter, and suddenly things got loud again. The crowd was back into it...

Except when the following batter, Juan Uribe, crouched over to bunt. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE? We had gone through this EXACT situation earlier in the year, and I don't recall the outcome being positive--the key to Uribe's turnaround this year has been his crazy violent swing actually connecting, not his ability to advance runners with sac bunts. I was hurling profanities and epithets. Everyone around me started booing. Two failed bunt attempts and an 0-2 count later, I knew we were going to lose this game.

Until Tim Wallach laid off the bunt sign, and rightfully and finally let Uribe swing. BOOM. Uribe homers to left, just inside the pole. And it was pande-frickin-monium at the Stadium. High fives, people hugging random other people, everyone jumping up and down like they had just won the lottery. And we had. Juan Uribe won the 2013 NLDS lottery for us. And we were going to move on.

Or, to parahprase Bill Plaschke: In one moment, the Dodgers crowd was sad and forlorn. In the next moment, we were going apeshit wild because JUAN URIBE JUST GAVE US THE LEAD!

You've heard the radio call. "Isn't it amazing what somebody will do when he can't bunt."

Juan Uribe. Juan Frickin' Uribe! Sometime after the season ends, I'll take time to reflect on Uribe and his miraculous recovery this year from a miserable first two years of his contract. For now, I'm just in awe of that guy. Wow.

I felt bad for Carpenter, but hey, Dodger fans know that feeling all too well.

Enter Kenley Jansen for the ninth. Exit Braves from the NLDS.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel was left fuming in the Braves' bullpen. And ironically enough, the managerial misstep being discussed after the game had nothing to do with Mattingly, but rather the call by Braves Manager Fredi Conzalez not to call upon Kimbrel for six outs. Whatever. The Braves entered this postseason having issues. Upon Justin Upton's final strike three, the place went nuts.

Dodger Stadium had blue and silver ribbons explode into the sky and cascade down. The crowd reveled to Randy Newman's "I Love LA". And everyone just hung out and partied there for a long while (we stayed for thirty minutes or so to just soak it in; my mother apparently stayed for 90 minutes and saw the players emerge from the dugout and take victory laps on the field, high-fiving the fans).

Much has been made of the Dodgers' partying after the NLDS, as if it was excessive in its celebration (despite there being no stadium pool in which to go swimming). I say: Screw that. This team was left for dead in early June, and here we are advancing to the NLCS, and clinching at home, no less.

We've got eight more wins to get this year. But we deserve the opportunity to celebrate, especially winning a short best-of-five series in which (in baseball in particular) anything can happen. We've earned the right to enjoy it.

I took home a silver confetti streamer, dozens of photos (some of which I'll publish later, as to not try and compete with the Killeens' masterpieces).

And very, very fond memories of the Dodgers advancing to the 2013 NLCS. GO DODGERS!

photos: Crawford: AP / Jae C. Hong;

Looking Back At The Bulldog's Streak

A young Skip Schumaker (who wears Orel's 55 today) and Orel Hershiser

There have been a number of nice pieces recently about Orel Hershiser's MLB-record 59 consecutive scoreless innings. All are worth reading on the 25th anniversary of the remarkable feat:

• "A little deja Blue in Orel Hershiser's record streak" (Ben Bolch, LAT)
• "Fractions don't add up in scoreless streak" (Bolch, LAT)
• "Inside Hershiser's scoreless streak" (Mark Simon, ESPN)
• "Who could break Hershiser's streak?" (David Schoenfield, ESPN)
• "25th anniversary: Hershiser's streak begins" (Chris Jaffe, Hardball Times)
• "Orel Hershiser began his scoreless streak 25 years ago" (Eric Stephen, TBLA)

Dodgers tickets

photo: Skip Schumaker via ESPN

Master of the House Interviews Kershaw

Post-Game 1 Thread: A Day for Lefties

"How about you and I rule the world five years from now?"

DODGERS 4, GIANTS 0

First off, kudos to the Dodgers organization for the classy and thrilling pre-game ceremonies on Opening Day. There was an impressive star-studded video played on the new Dodger Stadium screens, but the highlight was Sandy Koufax throwing out the first pitch to Orel Hershiser (below). Chills? Chills. SoSG AC, SoSG Dusty and SoSG Sax were in attendance and let's hope we hear from them what the buzz at the stadium was like.

The Dodgers got off to a great start in the first inning off Matt Cain, making him throw a lot of pitches and getting two men on with no out. But Carl Crawford tried to play hero by stealing third and was thrown out easily by Buster Posey, and the inning fell apart after that. Despite making Cain throw 29 pitches, the Dodgers went scoreless in the first.

Clayton Kershaw and Cain proceeded to lock everything down by throwing up matching zeroes for seven and a half innings. Cain ended up with eight Ks, Kershaw seven.

Then came the bottom of the eighth. Bruce Bochy had already pulled Cain after 92 pitches. First up to face reliever Goerge Kontos is Kershaw, who crushes the first pitch to deep center for his first major-league home run. The Dodgers went on to score three more, but of course Kershaw's home run was the game-winner. According to the post-game interview, Kershaw is the first pitcher to throw a complete game and hit a home run on Opening Day since Bob Lemon in 1953.

So, pay the man already. 2013 just got off to a pretty damn fine start.

photo, from 2008, by Jon SooHoo/Dodgers

At-Game Recap: May 18 vs Cards, Just Pics

Since this game was already thoroughly dissected by Saxy, I thought I would just post some pictures.  Enjoy and GO BLUE!

Kings representing in the parking lot and Bailey, the Kings mascot, threw out the first pitch.

Wouldn't it be cool if they had autographed balls randomly placed in fan's cupholders when they sat down for the game. cc: Magic and Kasten about this promotion.  Thanks Mr Wills for the autograph!

AK at the plate during his 4-4 night!

Lindblom and Loney ready for the play.

Chandler Bing reaching for a beach ball that was hit to him.

Edward Scissorhands actress Kathy Baker posing for a picture.

Dee at the dish.  On the ground or 20 pushups at the plate!

Yeah, I know this was from Tuesday's game, but I just love this bulldog bobblehead.

At-Games Recap: May 14/15 vs. D'backs

Orel's still got it.

As Mrs. Orel and I raced along the I-10 to make it to Dodger Stadium in time to catch pre-game festivities on Orel Hershiser Bobblehead Night, I read Josh Suchon's excellent piece on his connection with Hershiser (hat tip: @dodgerfan_net). We parked and hustled toward the Reserve Level, passing more than a few people leaving the grounds clutching their Orel bobbleheads. One guy was even toting a whole case of them, no doubt rushing to fulfill his eBay pre-orders. A+++ WOULD BUY AGAIN

A couple things struck us as we watched Hershiser become the center of attention. He was inclusive, insisting Tommy Lasorda accompany him to the mound for the ceremonial first pitch. He was gracious, greeting first-pitch catcher Clayton Kershaw with warmth and making sure Kershaw was in the center of the trio for post-pitch pictures. He was humble, carrying the microphone stand off the field after announcing "It's time for Dodger Baseball!" And he was classy, making his way over to the visitors' dugout to shake Justin Upton's hand before leaving the field.

(Extra kudos to Nancy Bea Hefley for reviving her rendition of "Master of the House" to accompany Orel's return to the spotlight. The sentiment couldn't have been more perfect.)

So yeah, I picked a fine pitcher and a pretty good guy to borrow a name from. The game was a wash, but I met SoSG Nomo for a beer and a stroll along the Reserve concourse as we conducted an unsuccessful reconnaissance mission to locate Dusty. It was oddly peaceful for two Dodger geeks to walk and talk away from the game, discerning what was happening on the field only by the sounds of the crowd.

To the pics!

"Hey man, see you in the pantheon."

Vin Scully with his seventh-inning benediction.

More photos after the jump!

Bulldog, How Do You Feel About Getting a Bobblehead?

Team photographer Jon SooHoo has been with the Dodgers since 1985. Orel Hershiser photos? He's got 'em. Check them out:

5/15/12-Something Historical–Happy Orel Hershiser Bobblehead Day–All Photography by Jon SooHoo for the ©Los Angeles Dodgers (Dodgers Photog Blog)

More Bobbly Goodness

Via the Dodgers' Twitter feed, here are first looks at two upcoming bobbleheads that are near and dear to our SoSG hearts.

Bulldog!

Dad and friends!
The Orel bobblehead looks AMAZING. The Infield is pretty great too, if a bit static. I just hope it's not teeny tiny.

Slightly Later Word on Dodger Bidding

From @BillShaikin:

Confirmed: Garvey/Hershiser group not selected to advance in #Dodgers bidding.

Go Magic!

Jobe And A John

Tommy John and Frank Jobe

Dr. Frank obe had a nice interview in the Sunday Press Telegram, and if you can get past all the "qqq" typsetting errors, it's a nice interview reflecting on Jobe's illustrious, Dodger-filled career:

No matter how many athletes' lives he might have improved with his orthoscopic breakthroughs, Dr. Frank Jobe's legacy in the sports world will be defined by three words: Tommy John surgery.

Nearly 200 Major League Baseball players - not all of them pitchers - have had their careers extended by the ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery in their elbow, which Jobe decided to try with the 31-year-old John when he was a Dodgers left-handed pitcher in 1974 and on the verge of retirement.

John went on to pitch another 14 years and win 164 more games, more than the 124 he won in the previous 12 seasons.

Another Dodgers All-Star, Orel Hershiser, came up with an unstable right shoulder in 1990, also at age 31. He added 10-plus seasons after Jobe figured out a way to reconstruct the ligaments in the rotator cuff and joint.

In recognition of his contribution to the sport, the soon-to-be 87-year-old Jobe will be given the Dave Winfield Humanitarian Award by the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation at their annual "In The Spirit of the Game" banquet Saturday at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Congratulations, Dr. J.!

photo: Los Angeles Dodgers

Bobbleheads to Anticipate in 2012

From a Dodgers press release:

Dodger Stadium Greats Bobblehead Series

Saturday, April 28 vs. Nationals
Maury Wills with Don Drysdale

Tuesday, May 15 vs. Diamondbacks
Orel Hershiser

Tuesday, May 29 vs. Brewers
The Infield: Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey

Tuesday, June 12 vs. Angels
Mike Scioscia

Thursday, June 28 vs. Mets
TBA

Saturday, July 14 vs. Padres
Tommy Lasorda with Walter Alston

Tuesday, July 31 vs. Diamondbacks
TBA

Tuesday, August 7 vs. Rockies
Sandy Koufax

Tuesday, August 21 vs. Giants
Fernando Valenzuela

Thursday, August 30 vs. Diamondbacks
TBA

Looking forward to seeing what those TBA bobbleheads will be. Can you say Chris Capuano Bobblehead Night?

Nooooo They Fired Dad

From "Fed-up Dodgers fire Garvey" by Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports:

Steve Garvey, the former iconic first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Friday was fired by the team for his aggressive and public attempts to buy out embattled owner Frank McCourt.

Twice in recent weeks Garvey has taken his plans to the media, first to Fox, then to ESPN radio. In April he told the Los Angeles Times he’d formed an investment group that included billionaire Ron Burkle, although later he confirmed a Yahoo! Sports report that he’d overstated his financial relationship with Burkle. He has enlisted former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser as part of his prospective management group.

If Garvey has his way, he'll be taking McCourt's corner office in a year or two. Think Ron Cey is thinking I told you so?