The Trolley Dodger

Carlin grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, and he talks baseball memories on Kiner’s Korner in 1989.

Via Bronx Banter

Baseball and Football:

RIP George

LA Kings Derek Armstrong tossed out the first pitch a few days ago at Dodger Stadium, and here’s the video from the Kings website:

And while we’re on the subject, the Kings announced that coach Marc Crawford is not coming back next season.

The Sports Illustrated Vault has a gallery feature up right now: Aces High: Best Pitching Seasons with some cool pictures. As you might imagine, the Dodgers have a couple of guys in the spotlighted 15 pitchers.

Sandy Koufax, 1965:

Perhaps no pitcher has been better over a four-year stretch than Sandy Koufax from 1963 until his premature retirement due to arm trouble at age 30 in 1966. Over that span, Koufax won three Cy Young awards, but his best season came in 1965, when he went 26-8 with a 2.04 ERA, pitched a perfect game and struck out an NL-record 382 batters.

Orel Hershiser, 1988:

For most of the 1988 season, Orel Hershiser was merely very good. When he took the mound on Aug. 30, he was 17-8 with a 2.88 ERA. But beginning with a shutout of the Expos that day, Hershiser’s season went from very good to historic. By the time it was over, he had pitched a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings, including five straight shutouts. He finished 23-8 and steamrolled through the playoffs by winning all five of his starts and even notching a key save, leading the Dodgers to the World Series title.

Oh, and there’s this guy who shall remain nameless, for this post anyhow. ;)

Landon Heying, a Los Feliz tattoo artist and gargantuan Dodger fan, is featured in this LA Times article, “True Blue tattoo parlor owner is a Dodger fan on and under his skin”:

For Heying, representing is all about the ink, and the ink is all about the Dodgers. He’s the owner of True Blue tattoo studio in Los Feliz, where for $8, a discounted rate down from around $50 (he charges $100 an hour), he’s offering Dodger tattoos. Of course not everyone is ready for the Lasorda treatment, so the simple Dodger script may have to do. Still too hard-core? There’s also a selection of studs and rings for piercings emblazoned with the club’s logo.

Not sure about the Tommy Lasorda tatt, but I could definitely see a script logo. :) The coolest to me, though, is Heying and the TRUE and BLUE across his fingers. That is sweet.

UPDATE: Veronique de Turenne (now that’s a name!) over at L.A. Now posted a video with Landon, showing off his shop.

Highlights from the 1955 series.

Ted Williams on What’s My Line

They refer to the fact that the Red Sox played at Yankee Stadium earlier that day, and that the Sox won 10-9. The video description says this was from 1954, which would place this episode on May 23rd.

Joe DiMaggio on What’s My Line

From 1955; they refer to his just having been elected to the Hall of Fame. Doesn’t take them long to figure out who it was.

Today at noon (Pacific time) on the Fox Movie Channel, they’re showing It’s Good to Be Alive (1974), a dramatization of the story of Roy Campanella. Based on Campy’s book of the same name, it stars Paul Winfield as the catcher, Louis Gossett Jr. as his physical therapist, and Ruby Dee as his wife.

From the official Roy Campanella site:

A successful catcher is defined by his ability to handle the pitching staff, throw out would-be stealers, and keep errant throws and pitches in front of him. Roy Campanella possessed all these skills and then some.

The man they called “Campy” was the complete package, leading National League catchers in putouts six times, and clubbing 242 home runs in his 10-year Major League career. From 1948-1957, Roy Campanella was securely anchored behind home plate for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

He caught in five World Series, won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1951, 1953, and 1955, and was the first black catcher in Major League Baseball history. In 1969, he joined baseball’s elite with his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Speaking of awards, the Dodgers in 2006 created the Roy Campanella Award in his honor, given to the Dodger who “best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher.” Rafael Furcal won the inaugural award. The winner last year? A certain All-Star catcher who can handle the pitching staff, throw out would-be stealers, and keeps errant throws and pitches in front of him. Pretty good hitter too.

You know what would be cool for the Dodgers to release this season? A 50th Anniversary DVD. Any number of historical featurettes could be included, but a couple of things I’d love to see since I missed them was the opening day “Field of Dreams” ceremony with all the old Dodgers, not to mention the Coliseum plaque presentation for Vinny.

“What do Jedi Knights do on the weekends? They ditch the robes, dress like Earthlings and play a little baseball…”