Autographs: Chan Ho Park

I'm excited that I added these Chan Ho Park autographs to my collection. He was the first South Korean-born player in major league history.

1st baseball is a ROMLB ball with his regular signature.



2nd baseball is a ROMLB ball with his Korean signature.



And the 3rd ball (and my favorite!) is a 2001 All-Star ball. Park was an All-Star for the first time (and only time in his career) and also become the first Korean to play at a All-Star game.

2001 All Star inscription.



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Autographs: Jimmy Rollins

I might start blogging at late hours (or very early in the morning) when my son is sleeping and I'm done with work. It's the only way to keep it updated.

2015 has been good so far. I have obtained a bunch of autographs that I will try to post here from time to time.

-

Welcome to L.A. Jimmy Rollins...

#11



2 Heritage cards -



Thanks J-Roll!



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Single-game tickets for the Dodgers' 2015 regular season on sale tomorrow

The new season is around the corner...

From the Dodgers -

LOS ANGELES – Single-game tickets for the Dodgers’ 2015 regular season will go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase regular-season single-game tickets for all home games at Dodger Stadium and a limited number of Opening Day tickets at www.dodgers.com. The Dodgers have a full schedule of promotional dates to choose from including fan-favorite bobbleheads and new offerings such as a Cy Young Collectors’ Pin Series with full details available by visiting www.dodgers.com/promotions. Opening Day at Dodger Stadium is Monday, April 6 against the San Diego Padres at 1:10 p.m.

The best way to guarantee Opening Day tickets is to purchase a mini plan. The Dodgers are offering two new mini-plan options for 2015 with tickets starting at $17 per game. A preset 20-game mini plan offers all 10 bobblehead giveaways, all 8 Cy Young pins, Opening Day and Jackie Robinson Day. A 30-game flex plan provides any 2015 home game, including Opening Day, and features rights to purchase tickets to potential NLDS and NLCS postseason games. Fans can also add additional games to 30-game flex plans. More information on Dodger mini plans can be found by visiting www.dodgers.com/miniplans.

Fans will also be able to buy Opening Day mini plans and individual game tickets, excluding Opening Day, at FanFest which will be held at Dodger Stadium Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. FanFest is free and complete details can be found by visiting www.dodgers.com/fanfest.

Parking at Dodger Stadium is $10 if purchased in advance at www.dodgers.com/parking. Parking at the gate day of game is $20. Fans are encouraged to purchase parking in advance in order to save 50 percent off the price point at the gate.

RIP Ernie Banks

I was saddened to hear that Ernie Banks passed away last night. I've read dozens of articles on his life this morning and they all say he was a very nice man that enjoyed life. And it's so true. I have never heard anything bad about Banks. I remember seeing him at Dodger Stadium several times and he was always happy to meet with fans.

Pix taken at Dodger Stadium




Here's a signed baseball by Banks that I own.



Rest in peace Mr. Cub.

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2015 Dodgers FanFest Info

FanFest vouchers go on sale Friday 10am.

From the Dodgers -

The Dodgers will hold their third annual offseason FanFest presented by State Farm on Saturday, January 31. The event will be held at Dodger Stadium from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and will feature appearances and autographs from Dodger players, coaches and legends. FanFest is free and open to the public. Parking gates A, C and E open at 9:30 a.m. and fans may enter the stadium through the left or right field plaza gates at 10:00 a.m.

A limited number of autograph session tickets will be available for sale online tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. PST for $20 via www.dodgers.com/fanfest. An autograph session ticket is required to obtain autographs at FanFest. All autograph session ticket proceeds will benefit the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF). Donations will support LADF programs and provide assistance to community organizations in the area of education and literacy, health and wellness and sports and recreation.

As part of Dodger season ticket holders’ year-long benefits, a presale of autograph session tickets will be held for fans that hold Dodger season seats from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PST also via www.dodgers.com/fanfest.

For the first time ever at FanFest, those in attendance will have the opportunity to upgrade their experience as VIP vouchers are available for purchase in advance via www.dodgers.com/fanfest. Fans can choose from a FanFest clubhouse tour, FanFest meet and greet, FanFest pressbox tour and access to the FanFest Interview Room for a Q&A and photo.

In addition to autograph sessions with current and former Dodger players and coaches, FanFest will feature various family friendly activities, including interactive games and activities and all fans will be able to partake in a run the bases experience. FanFest’s main stage will feature interviews with current and former Dodgers. Fans can hang out in the @Dodgers social media lounge which will also feature a charging station and RBI Baseball on XBox. Photo opportunities inside the Dodger dugout and with the World Series trophy will also be part of FanFest. Dodger merchandise will be on sale and Levy Restaurants will provide various food and beverage offerings for purchase. Dodger partners Anheuser Busch, Chef Merito, Coke, Outerwall and Sports Authority will partake in FanFest with family-friendly activations and giveaways.

LADF will host it’s first-ever Yard Sale with one-of-a-kind Dodger items for budgets of all sizes, including jerseys, T-shirts and more. LADF will also have a Mystery Bag Fundraiser where fans can purchase an official Major League baseball autographed by a current or former Dodger for a $40 donation while supplies last. Proceeds benefit the programs and charitable giving of LADF.

Fans will be able to buy Opening Day mini plans and individual game tickets, excluding Opening Day, at FanFest. Also, the Dodgers’ annual On Sale will be held exclusively online on Friday, January 30, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at www.dodgers.com. At that time, fans can purchase individual tickets to all 2015 season games and a very limited number of Opening Day tickets. The best way to guarantee Opening Day tickets is to purchase a mini plan. More information on Dodger mini plans can be found by visiting www.dodgers.com/miniplans.

The scheduled FanFest autograph sessions are as follows and subject to change:

10:10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Session 1

Line 1: Scott Van Slyke and Eric Karros

Line 2: Zach Lee and Mark McGwire

Line 3: Joc Pederson and Daniel Coulombe

Line 4: Chris Withrow and Orel Hershiser

11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Session 2

Line 1: Joe Wieland and Steve Yeager

Line 2: Howie Kendrick and Chris Hatcher

Line 3: Kenley Jansen and Austin Barnes

Line 4: Mike Bolsinger and Ron Cey

12:10 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Session 3

Line 1: Scott Van Slyke and Joel Peralta

Line 2: Brandon McCarthy and Zach Lee

Line 3: Joc Pederson and Mickey Hatcher

Line 4: Chris Withrow and Yasmani Grandal

1:10 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Session 4

Line 1: Kike Hernandez and Steve Yeager

Line 2: Howie Kendrick and Tim Wallach

Line 3: Kenley Jansen and Ron Cey

Line 4: Chris Hatcher and Bill Russell

2:10 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Session 5

Line 1: Joe Wieland and Yasmani Grandal

Line 2: Paco Rodriguez and Yimi Garcia

Line 3: Brandon McCarthy and Mickey Hatcher

Line 4: Yasiel Puig and Joel Peralta

3:10 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Session 6

Line 1: Chris Reed and Jerry Hairston, Jr.

Line 2: Adam Liberatore and Fernando Valenzuela

Line 3: Adrian Gonzalez and Kenny Landreaux

Line 4: Zack Greinke and Lorenzo Bundy

Complete FanFest autograph session policies and procedures can be found by visiting www.dodgers.com/fanfest.

Dodgers FanFest Autograph Schedule

Vouchers should go on sale very soon.

From the Dodgers -

Autograph sessions this year will be available for purchase online for $20

This year's Dodgers FanFest, to be held Saturday, Jan. 31, will take place for the first time inside Dodger Stadium and not in the parking lot.

Entrance to the event is free. Vehicle access will be through Parking Gates A, C and E.

Fans then enter through the right-field and left-field plaza gates and will be allowed onto the field, where there will be interactive games, autograph booths, on-stage interviews with players and special appearances by Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda.

Click here for more info.

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Reminder: Tommy Lasorda, Adrian Gonzalez, Chan Ho Park & Nancy Bea This Saturday @ Frank & Son!

Reminder:

Big event this Saturday at Frank & Son!

Frank & Son Collectible Show
19649 E. San Jose Ave.
City of Industry, CA. 91748

Tommy Lasorda (11am/1pm), Adrian Gonzalez (11am/12pm), Chan Ho Park (10am/11am) and Nancy Bea (11am/1pm) will be signing autographs.

Not sure if I can share this but I have been told that Nancy Bea will also be playing the organ. How cool is that?

Details below...

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Upcoming Appearance: Adrian Gonzalez

Adrian Gonzalez
February 5, 2015
Time: 7pm
Mariners Church
5001 Newport Coast Drive
Irvine, CA 92603

Click here for more details.

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2015 Dodgers FanFest

Happy New Years everyone!

Dodgers FanFest will be here soon. - Saturday January 31, 2015.

I heard it will now be inside Dodger Stadium. Not in the parking lots. Hopefully I will feel good to go! I have missed it the last two years.

Click here for more info.

More details will be announced soon.

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Autographs: Orel Hershiser

December 7, 2014

Catching up....

I've been under the weather all week so I've found some time to write this post.

It's been a while since I woke up very early to get a free autograph. I'm too old for these type of things. But since I carpooled with a friend and I had a 1988 World Series baseball, I decided to go.

Orel Hershiser was to sign autographs at the Topanga Mall in Canoga Park at 11am and Justin Turner at 2pm. I didn't wait for Turner.

Here's the 1988 World Series baseball...



This is the only picture I took of Hershiser. Only a few fans were ahead of me. Hershiser arrived at 10:50 and by 11 I was already leaving the mall.



Hershiser told me that he has over a dozen boxes full of these '88 World Series baseballs!

The signature came out perfect. I did want him to sign it under the World Series logo and when I gave him the ball I indicated that to him.



I forgot to ask him for the "88 WS MVP" inscription. I gave him the ball back and he did it!

Happy that I went. Thanks to all that said hello.

Thanks for reading.

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Upcoming Appearance: Tommy Lasorda

*UPDATE*

This event has been canceled. Something to do with Tommy Lasorda not knowing about this event and the promoter jumped the gun. I don't know...

Lasorda's reaction -




Call for more details. Info on the flyer... 

For other upcoming signings, scroll down and on the left side of this blog, you will see "Upcoming Appearances". Click the name for more details.

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Autographs: Steve Sax

December 6, 2014

Catching up....

Christmas is around the corner so I've been busy with work. I noticed this was never posted so I'll write something quick before I go to sleep.

Steve Sax was signing autographs at the Optometry Office of Dr. Alex Corbin Liu in Rowland Heights. I've never been here before even though they have brought many athletes in to sign. Check out their site for future events. {linked here}

Sax talked about his foundation (linked here} and was friendly with fans like always. I didn't really need anything from Sax but decided to go with a baseball so he can give me the following inscription "1982 NL ROY".



My son went with me. Of course, he doesn't care about pictures. One day...



Thanks to Dr. Liu, Steve Sax and all those that said hello. Nice seeing everyone.

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Dodgers Acquire Jimmy Rollins From Phillies

Looks like all these trades were made a long time ago but here's another one that was just made official this morning.

Welcome to L.A. Jimmy Rollins.

From the Dodgers -

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the acquisition of shortstop Jimmy Rollins and cash considerations from Philadelphia in exchange for left-handed pitcher Tom Windle and right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin, who was acquired yesterday from San Diego.

The 2007 National League Most Valuable Player and three-time All-Star (2001-02, 2005) has a .267 career batting average with 216 home runs and 887 RBI in 15 big league seasons, all with the Phillies, from 2000-14. Rollins ranks third among active players with 453 career stolen bases, including stealing 20 or more bases in four consecutive years and in 13 of his 14 full MLB seasons. In addition to stolen bases, the 2007 Silver Slugger also ranks among the active leaders in games (2,090, 7th), hits (2,306, 6th), runs (1,325, 4th), doubles (479, 5th) and triples (111, 3rd). The 36-year-old switch-hitter has appeared in 46 career postseason games and was a member of the 2008 World Series champion Phillies.

Rollins, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner (2007-09, ’12), ranks second among active shortstops (min. 650 games) with a .983 fielding percentage and leads active players with 18,080.1 innings, 5,702 assists and 1,166 career double-plays turned at the position.

The Oakland, CA, native appeared in 138 games with Philadelphia last year, batting .243 with 76 runs scored (1st, NL shortstops), 17 home runs (4th, NL shortstops) and 55 RBI. He topped big league shortstops with a .988 fielding percentage, committing only seven errors in 1,170.2 innings. Rollins was also named the co-winner of the 2014 Roberto Clemente Award, along with Paul Konerko, for his positive contributions to the game of baseball, both on and off the field.

Rollins was originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 1996 First-Year Player Draft and ranks among the Phillies’ modern-era franchise leaders in games played (2,090, 2nd behind Mike Schmidt), hits (2,306, 1st), steals (453, 1st), doubles (479, 1st), home runs (216, 9th) and RBI (887, 7th).

Windle, 22, went 17-9 with a 3.82 ERA in 39 professional games (37 starts) with Single-A Great Lakes and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga in two minor league seasons in the Dodger organization after he was selected in the second round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Minnesota.

It's Official - Matt Kemp traded

It's official. Matt Kemp has been traded to the San Diego Padres. Just announced by the Dodgers.

Good luck Matt!

From the Dodgers -

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the acquisitions of catcher Yasmani Grandal, right-handed pitcher Joe Wieland and right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin from San Diego in exchange for outfielder Matt Kemp, catcher Tim Federowicz and cash considerations.

Grandal, whose name is pronounced yas-MAH-nee gran-DAHL, has a .245 career batting average with 24 home runs and 94 RBI in 216 games with the Padres from 2012-14. The switch-hitter appeared in 128 games last year at catcher (76 games) and first base (37 games) and posted career-best marks in runs (47), hits (85), doubles (19), home runs (15) and RBI (49) in his third big league season.

Grandal was selected to the 2012 MLB All-Star Futures Game and posted a .310/.408/.487 slashline in four minor league seasons from 2010-13 in the Reds and Padres organizations. The native of Cuba was originally selected by the Reds in the first round (12th overall) in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Miami and then acquired by San Diego from Cincinnati on Dec. 17, 2011 in a five-player deal.

Wieland, 24, has gone 35-22 with a 3.27 ERA in 95 games (86 starts) in seven minor league seasons in the Rangers and Padres organizations from 2008-14. As a minor leaguer, he posted a 5.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio and averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, with 444 Ks and only 86 walks in 476.2 innings. He made his Major League debut at Dodger Stadium as a member of the Padres on April 14, 2012 and has gone 1-4 with a 5.31 ERA in nine big league games (seven starts) in 2012 and 2014. He missed the second half of the 2012 season and all of the 2013 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.

Wieland, pronounced WEE-lend, was acquired by San Diego along with Robbie Erlin in exchange for Mike Adams at the trade deadline in 2011, his best professional season. He was selected as a Single-A Carolina League mid-season All-Star and a Double-A Texas League post-season All-Star that year after going a combined 13-4 with a 1.97 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) with Double-A Frisco, Double-A San Antonio and Single-A Myrtle Beach. The Reno, NV, native was originally selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

Eflin, 20, has gone 17-14 with a 3.41 ERA in 50 career games (49 starts) in three minor league seasons in the San Diego organization after being selected by the club in the first round (33rd overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. The Florida native went 10-7 with a 3.80 ERA in 24 starts last year for Single-A Lake Elsinore, posting a 3.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio (93 SO/31 BB) in 128.0 innings.

Kemp, 30, has a .292 career batting average with 182 home runs and 648 RBI in 1,116 games in nine seasons with Los Angeles. The two-time All-Star and 2011 NL MVP runner up was originally selected by the club in the sixth round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft.

Federowicz, 27, appeared in 89 big league games with the Dodgers from 2011-14, batting .194 with five home runs and 22 RBI. He was originally acquired by Los Angeles from Boston at the 2011 trade deadline in a four-player minor league deal.

Dodgers Sign Brandon McCarthy

It's official, the Dodgers sign Brandon McCarthy to a four-year contract.

From the Dodgers -

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced the signing of free-agent right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a four-year contract.

McCarthy, 31, established career highs in wins (10), strikeouts (175) and innings pitched (200.0) last season with the Diamondbacks and Yankees, going 10-15 with a 4.05 ERA in 32 starts. He ranked ninth among MLB starters with a 5.30 strikeout-to-walk ratio and averaged only 1.49 walks per 9.0 innings, the eighth-best mark in the Majors. Beginning with his final two starts with the D-backs and through his 14 starts with New York following his July 6 trade, McCarthy was one of the game’s best pitchers, going 9-5 with a 2.80 ERA (32 ER/103.0 IP) from June 27 to the conclusion of the season.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pound McCarthy has a 52-65 career record with a 4.09 ERA in nine seasons with the White Sox (2005-06), Rangers (2007-09), Athletics (2011-12), Diamondbacks (2013-14) and Yankees (2014). Since his first big league season in 2005, McCarthy ranks 16th among MLB starting pitchers by averaging only 2.23 walks per 9.0 innings and has a 2.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio during the course of his career.

The Glendale, CA, native was originally selected by the White Sox in the 17th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft.