Memories of Adrian Beltre

2012 Allen and Ginter's #334

Another addition to my growing, but not yet uploaded Adrian Beltre PC, came thanks to Matt at my LCS. I decided a short time ago to gather some Beltre cardboard after watching some old highlights. He is one of the reasons why I became a Dodger fan, and is still one of my favorite players in the game today. If he ends his career with a solid HOF case, I can only hope he goes in with an LA cap. If only Magic Johnson and his boys came around sooner, he might be entrenched at 3rd for the boys in blue. 

John Axford Relic Contest

This contest is for a 2013 Topps Series Two Chasing History John Axford Relic. The winner will receive the card pictured. Contest ends 12/7/13 at 9pm PST. The rules will be explained below. Good luck!

To enter this contest, perform one of the two things below.

• Comment on this post.
• Retweet one of my contest tweets on Twitter

You can comment on the post once a day, and everyday you comment will add an additional entry into the contest. I will occasionally tweet about the contest, and you can retweet those to enter as well. However, only one retweet per day will count towards the contest. The winner will be selected using Random.org, and will be notified via email and/or twitter. The winner will have one week to send me their mailing address. I will ship the card to the winner for free! 

Corey Seager Brings Home The Gold

Another fine addition to my PC comes thanks to a last second bid on eBay. I picked this up for about $3.00 shipped, and I cannot be more elated with my purchase than I already am . It is unquestionably one of my favorite cards I've picked up recently, and another piece to add to my USA Baseball hit list. A Corey Seager Auto is next on my list, though I already have something in the works for that.

Shredder Punto Slides Into Your Heart And Into My PC

Grabbed this down at my LCS earlier this week for the low, low cost of nothing. I really enjoy black parallel, and considering it's limited to 62 copies I was sure to add it to my box of Dodgers. I'm not Punto's biggest fan, but there is no doubt he was a vital cog for the 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers. He is not normally a player that deserves much playing time, yet he made the most of his opportunities this past season. I advocated his return to the team for 2014, but he recently signed with the Athletics. Good luck to Shredder in the upcoming season!

I am stopping the Card of the Day series, although I will still be posting cards everyday. They will all be labeled as Card of the Day, but the Title will not signify that. 

Todd Helton Demands That You Have a Great Thanksgiving

You had best enjoy your holiday. You don't want to find out what Todd Helton will do if you don't. You've been warned. Have a great Thanksgiving!

The Bison Reaches 50

After waiting just about a week and a half, card number 50 of my Matt Kemp PC has arrived all the way from the Great White North! 50 doesn't signify anything special, simply a counting number that I decided to make a big deal about. This comes form 2013 Bowman Chrome and is instantly one of my favorite cards of the man we call "The Bison". I am a huge Bowman Chrome enthusiast, and as a matter of fact am currently working on putting together the 2012 Bowman Chrome set. (You can see my progress here) As I may have mentioned about 5-6 times already, I love blue parallels of my boys in blue. The fact that this card comes from one of my favorite products, makes it all the better. #'d 198/250 this is another fine addition to my growing Matt Kemp PC. 

Card of the Day: 2013 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Chris Anderson

I picked this up at my LCS earlier this week. I've been on the hunt for his stuff, but this didn't cost me a dime. I'm still looking to acquire a relatively cheap auto of his, but it isn't a priority. If I run into to one though, I''d be more than willing to add it to my collection.

Last night, after an excruciating amount of time spent sorting, I uploaded my Want List. I have always been an admirer of Bowman Chrome, and figured I had enough of 2012 to try and build the set. I'm not interested in the inserts, simply the base and prospect sets. Check it out here, and see if you can help me build my first set!

Card of the Day: 2013 Gypsy Queen Clayton Kershaw Mini Photo Variation

I picked this up off of eBay, along with other various pieces to add to my PC last week. The seller only charged .65 cents for shipping for the first item, and everything else was free. I took advantage of this and added 12 new cards to my collection for a cool 7 bucks. This was the main card I was after and for good reason. Cards that feature pitchers at the plate are pretty cool, and I had to add it because of Kershaw. Another card added to my growing Kershaw PC.

The Dodgers Rotation Just Got a Whole Lot Better

According to Ken Rosenthal's twitter, the Dodgers have signed free agent Dan Haren to a 1 year, $10 million dollar deal, with a vesting option if he throws 180 innings in 2014.

Sources: Haren to #Dodgers, one year, $10M plus 2015 option that vests at 180 innings. Pending physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 25, 2013

Not to toot my own horn but this supposed deal is EXACTLY what I predicted about a two and a half weeks ago.  At first glance this is a great sign for the Dodgers. They had an obvious need for starting pitching going into 2014, and Masahiro Tanaka is a huge question mark at the moment. By signing Haren, the Dodgers made their projected rotation a whole lot better. The signing also prevents Ned Colletti from going out and signing guys like Jason Vargas to long-term commitments, or guys like Bronson Arroyo to short-term ones.

Haren pitched to a 10-14 mark last season, but that doesn't tell the entire story of his season. Haren had a strange case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde last year with two contrasting parts to his season. He started the campaign on route to his worst ever as a pro, taking a 6.15 ERA into June. However, Haren soon went on the DL what was officially announced as a sore shoulder. When he came back he was a completely different pitcher, posting an ERA of 3.29 across the remaining part of the season. Of course, ERA doesn't tell the entire story, and his peripheral numbers also improved. Haren is a good candidate to have a great bounce back year. He is back on the West Coast, and will be pitching in a division he dominated for years. Haren is currently slotted into the four spot in the rotation behind the likes of Kershaw, Greinke, and Ryu. The signing instantly gives the Dodgers one of the best rotations in the game, as if we hadn't already had that title, and it may the not be complete. I'ts likely to be just a matter of time until the dominoes fall and Tanaka is posted. 

Card of the Day: 2013 Bowman Chrome Bryce Harper Green Refractor

I've been a big fan of Harper since he was called up by the Nationals two years ago. I started to accumulate some of his stuff when I started collecting and have a pretty modest collection. A short time ago I decided to move on from collecting Harper to focus on my favorite Dodger players. I haven't had much luck finding a taker for my Harper collection, but I'm hoping I might find one soon. I don't know too many people in the card collecting world, and I was hoping to maybe spark a trade with a Harper/Nationals collector, but I have not had the fortune of finding any.

Below are my Harper cards. If you'd like information on them I'd be more than willing to provide it.  My eBay is here, or you can contact me by leaving a comment if your interested.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Tribute Matt Kemp Blue Parallel, #'d 88/99

Picked this card up last week for a reasonably low price considering the product it comes from. I am a huge fan of the Tribute design from this year, but I wasn't going to drop $200 dollars to buy a box myself. I came across this last week and had to have it. Like most Dodger cards, the blue parallel makes this great card even better. I didn't notice this until the scan but the numbering on the top left is slightly messed up. The blue ink seems to have leaked into the number /99. I honestly have no idea how they make these cards, or whether its ink that dripped into the numbering, but I'm not too worried about that small flaw. Another Kemp added to my PC pushes my total up to 49. Card number 50 is in route and I'll have a post on that sometime next week.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Series One Hanley Ramirez Chasing History Bat Relic

As soon as I saw Hanley would have a relic in 2013 Topps, I made it a point to acquire one. I've been a huge fan of Hanley's for quite sometime and I was ecstatic after I heard he was coming over from the Marlins. This is my only Hanley hit, but not my last. Lock up Hanley for another 4 years Colletti. Do it now. Do something......

Billy Butler Relic Contest - OVER!

Congrats to Greg over at Plaschke Thy Sweater Is Argyle as he is the winner of this week's contest. I had a record number of entries this time around and will be giving out a consolation prize to Isaac Comelli for finishing in 2nd. 




Sorry for taking so long to upload a new contest. It has been a crazy week and it's still not over. Now on to this weeks contest!

This contest is for a 2012 Topps Series One Golden Moments Billy Butler Relic. The winner will receive the card pictured. Contest ends 11/29/13 at 9pm PST. The rules will be explained below. Good luck!

To enter this contest, perform one of the two things below.

• Comment on this post.
• Retweet one of my contest tweets on Twitter

You can comment on the post once a day, and everyday you comment will add an additional entry into the contest. I will occasionally tweet about the contest, and you can retweet those to enter as well. However, only one retweet per day will count towards the contest. The winner will be selected using Random.org, and will be notified via email and/or twitter. The winner will have one week to send me their mailing address. I will ship the cards to the winner for free! 

Card of the Day: 2010 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks and Prospects Corey Seager

I picked this up at Mossette's card shop here in Fresno just a few days ago. I've been wanting to add to my Corey Seager collection for quite some time now but haven't come across much of anything. I was pretty ecstatic after picking up this beauty. It's just the standard base but it looks fantastic. I absolutely love USA baseball cards, and picking on up of my favorite Dodger prospect is a win-win. I added my meager Seager PC to the tab bar up top.  I'd love to add to my PC. Hopefully I can work out a trade with somebody soon.

Card of the Day: 2012 Topps Series 1 Chad Billingsley Golden Moments Autograph

The first auto I ever purchased was shipped to my door for about 3 bucks and I could not be happier. I've always been a big fan of Billingsley, unlike so many Dodger fans out there. Fans make him out to be a lot worse that he is, when in reality he would make a great number three for most clubs. He wont return from his Tommy John surgery until sometime mid-season and figures to slot into the bullpen. Depending on his health, and the health of the club's pitchers, he may fill into the number four or five slot in the rotation. I'm hoping for a strong comeback for Bills, and the chance to sign him to a cheap short term deal next winter.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Chrome Paco Rodriguez Red Refractor, #'d 12/25

Picked this up in a trade through reddit on the r/baseballcards sub. It's #'d 12/25 and is another addition to my list of Dodger Hits. I'm still looking to complete a Matt Kemp rainbow from this set, but frankly the budget is not there.

Card of the Day: 2001 Donruss Elite Adrian Beltre Diecut, #'d 28/29

I've had this card in my possession for quite some time, yet I know very little about it. After doing some research online I still know nothing. I do know that its a a sweet diecut from 2001 Donruss Elite. It says "Status 28/29" so I'm assuming it is just #'d /29,  but I've never seen the Status thing before. I love the look of this card, and like so many others it looks even better in person. Beltre is one my favorite players in the game today, and I wish he was playing at third for the Dodgers.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Tier One Matt Kemp Bat Relic

I added another Kemp relic to my PC this week after getting snagging this card for a little over 4 bucks shipped. Not bad for a nice looking card featuring The Bison. I cannot wait until he comes back healthy and rakes next season. March cannot come soon enough.

Card of the Day: 2012 Panini Signature Series Tim Federowicz MLBPA Logo Signatures

Picked up my first Fed-Ex auto a few weeks ago off of eBay for just over 6 bucks shipped. The card design is nice enough, but leaves a few things desired. I'm a big believer of Fed-Ex, though most fans don't match my enthusiasm. He'll never lead the in batting, but he provides great defense and and some decent pop.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Finest Paco Rodriguez Autographed Jumbo Relic

One of my most recent purchases, and my first Paco Relic/Auto. Got this for a little over $5 bucks shipped and couldn't be happier. I've been wanting to get my hands on a Paco hit for a while now, and this was a deal to good to pass up. The card looks great in the scan, but even better in person. It's #'d 115/149 and will be an excellent piece to add to my PC.

Card of the Day: 2010 Allen and Ginter's Clayton Kershaw

25 years old. Cy Young winner two of the past three seasons. Indisputably the best pitcher in baseball. Sign that contract soon Kersh.

2013-2014 Offseason Predictions

I was planning on doing this in three separate posts, one which can be seen here, but fusing them all into one post seems much easier and concise. These are the moves that I would make as GM of the Dodgers. I will try to be as realistic as possible, in my mind at least. I'm not sure about the salaries but I tried to do my best in what each player may get, but my figures are probably a little on the high side. Feel free to express your opinions by leaving comments or tweeting at me @ChavezRavining


Trades:
Dodgers: Aramis Ramirez
Brewers: Matt Magill and a B prospect
The Dodgers need a third baseman and Ramirez would bring an above average bat to help extend the order. Ramirez doesn't bring the best glove or speed but he's an above average option at third.

Dodgers: Jin-De Jhang and B prospect
Pirates: Andre Ethier
The Dodgers won't go into the season with four outfielders, and Andre is the most likely to go. His contract and declining skills don't make him the attractive trade piece he once was, but the Pirates need some OF help. The Dodgers will eat a lot of the contract but get a decent catching prospect back in Jhang.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Free Agents:
Chris Capuano - 1 year, $4.5 million
Masahiro Tanaka - ($65 million posting fee) 6 years, $75 million
Brian Wilson - 2 years, $18 million + incentives with a vesting option
Dan Haren - 1 year, $10 million + incentives with a vesting option
Eric Chavez - 1 year, $4 million
Chris Young - 2 year, $8 million
Alexi Casilla - 1 year, $1 million

Chavez will back up oft-injured Aramis Ramirez at third and be the primary bat off the bench against right handers. Chris Young makes too much sense for this Dodgers team. They need a 4th outfielder and someone who can play CF. His power also adds something that this bench has been missing since what seems like the Olmedo Saenz years. I would have liked to re-sign Punto, however Casilla will be the primary backup to Hanley this season.






Injuries:
Chad Billingsley
Scott Elbert
Josh Beckett

Billingsley and Elbert should be back sometime this year and both will take on relief roles. Billingsley may fill into the rotation depending on his health. Beckett missed most of last season and there is a good chance he never returns from his injury. He'll go to Arizona in the spring only to aggravate his injury and miss the season. 

Rotation:
Clayton Kershaw - 8 years, $235 million Extension
Zack Greinke
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Masahiro Tanaka
Dan Haren

I said Kershaw would sign for 10/275 in my last post but that's a little exaggerated. I'd still go that high with him but its unlikely. He'll sign an 8 year extension for around $235 million. That said, Tanaka will be the biggest addition this off-season. Dan Haren had a decent 2nd half and should provide depth to a team that seemingly always loses starters to injuries.

Associated Press

Bullpen:
Kenley Jansen
Brian Wilson
Ronald Belisario
Chris Capuano 
Brandon League
Chris Withrow
Paco Rodriguez

Wilson will resign with the Dodgers, but won't take over the closer role by May. I'd give him a vesting option based on innings pitched. Capuano will return as a long man out of the pen, and occasional spot starter. 

Lineup:
RF Puig
LF Crawford
SS Ramirez
1B Gonzalez
CF Kemp
3B Ramirez
2B Guerrero
C Ellis

Bench:
3B Eric Chavez
IF Alexi Casilla
OF Chris Young
C Tim Federowicz
1B/OF Scott Van Slyke

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Update Series Matt Kemp Rookie Card Silk Patch (Manufactured) TRCP-10

Added this baby to my collection a few days ago. I'm not usually a fan of manufactured patches, but this card was cool enough not to pass on. I'd still like to get my hands on Kemp's true rookie from '05, but haven't gotten around to buying one. I guess that's next on my list. I added this to my Kemp PC last night, which puts my unique total at 30 cards. I'm slowly climbing that ladder, and hopefully I get a few more Kemp's in the mail this week.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Finest Yasiel Puig

The Wild Horse lives. Although he didn't win the NL ROY, he had a fantastic season and would have probably been a unanimous winner any other year. This year's rookie class was stacked, but Jose Fernandez of the Marlins came out on top. 

This card is awesome. I love the contrasting colors, and the RC emblem puts it over the top.  I love the blue BP jersey, the photo was probably taken sometime during Spring Training. If you haven't noticed I have begun to upload my PC's at the top of the page. Those will be updated further this week, as I have a large number of cards coming in. Remember, I am always up for trades so feel free to get in contact with me so we can work something out.

USA Baseball Contest

This contest is for a USA Baseball Relic/base lot. The winner will receive the (4) cards pictured. Contest ends 11/18/13 at 9pm PST. The rules will be explained below. Good luck!

 

To enter this contest, perform one of the two things below.

• Comment on this post.
• Retweet one of my contest tweets on Twitter

You can comment on the post once a day, and everyday you comment will add an additional entry into the contest. I will occasionally tweet about the contest, and you can retweet those to enter as well. However, only one retweet per day will count towards the contest. The winner will be selected using Random.org, and will be notified via email and/or twitter. The winner will have one week to send me their mailing address. I will ship the cards to the winner for free! 

Card of the Day: 2011 Panini Playoff Prime Cuts Timeline Dual Bat/Jersey Relic Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw No. 10

One of my favorite relics features two of the best Dodgers over the past few years. Panini doesn't have the MLB licensing, but it doesn't take away from this card. The entire set is pretty awesome and I hope to get my hands on a few more relics similar to this one.

Hanley Ramirez

Relics, Autos, #'d, some Parallels and RC'S are pictured. Duplicates are not counted in the card total.

Hanley Ramirez (21 Cards)

2001 Allen and Ginter’s #30

2006 UD Series 1 #365

2008 Bowman #66

2009 UD Signature Stars #47

2010 UD Series 1 Biography SB-100

2012 Allen and Ginter’s #29

2012 Bowman Platinum #89

2012 Panini Prizm #15

2012 Panini Prizm #15 Green Parallel

2012 Topps Chrome Sepia Refractor #’d 15/75

2012 Topps Series One #60

2012 Topps Series One Blockbusters BB-5

2012 Topps Update Series US57

2013 Bowman #8

2013 Bowman #8 Gold Parallel

2013 Bowman Chrome #60

2013 Topps Series One Chasing History CH-46

2013 Topps Series One Chasing History CH-46 Gold Foil

2013 Topps Series Two #487

2013 Topps Series Two WBC-5

2013 Topps Tribute #18

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Card of the Day: 2005 Donruss Prime Patches Shawn Green Jumbo Jersey Portrait

Going back in time for today's post. This is one of the first cards I ever remember purchasing and it is one of my favorites to this day. Numbered 296/400, there is nothing too special about this card other than the basic jumbo jersey. Shawn Green is the reason I started to watch baseball, and is the sole reason I am a Dodger fan today. I'd love to get my hands on some more of his stuff, especially a multi-colored patch. 

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Heritage Matt Kemp Blue Border

This 2013 Topps Heritage Matt Kemp Blue Border is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cards I have ever seen. The pose is fantastic, along with the overall design of the card, and the blue border just adds that much more to it. I love 2013 Topps Heritage, and it's one of my favorite designs ever released. 

2013 Dodgers Offseason Preview: Starting Pitchers

Koji Watanbee

Free Agents: Ricky Nolasco, Chris Capuano, Edinson Volquez
The Dodgers number one priority this offseason should be to shore up the rotation. Ricky Nolasco, Chris Capuano, and Edinson Volquez come off the books and it is likely at least one of them returns.

Ricky Nolasco pitched decent is his 16 games with Dodgers, not including the playoffs. He had an 8-3 record, 13-11 overall, a 3.52 ERA to go with 75 strikeouts and 21 walks in 87.0 innings with the Dodgers. His 7.9 K/9(strikeouts per 9 innings) was the highest it has been since 2010 when he was with the Marlins. He put together a great stretch for the team after he arrived from Miami, highlighted by his dominant start against the Boston Red Sox on August 23rd. Nolasco looks to be one the most sought after pitchers this winter and will probably command between 15-19 million a season. A 3 year deal is not out of the question somewhere is the neighborhood of 3yrs/50mil.

Chris Capuano had an injury riddled season in his final year of a 2 year, 9 million dollar deal he signed with the club in the winter of 2011. Capuano put up a 4.26 ERA in 24 games, 20 starts, along with the lowest K/9 in his career. The Dodgers already declined his team option, opting to pay him a 1 million dollar buyout instead. Capuano has a decent chance of returning next year as a possible spot starter and long man out of the bullpen.

Edinson Volquez was decent after he came over from the Padres, however with his track history the Dodgers should stay far, far away.

Arbitration Eligible: Clayton Kershaw

....I will have all the money.

Clayton Kershaw had another stellar season putting up career bests in ERA(1.83), IP(236.0), BB(55), ERA+(194), WHIP(.915), and BB/9(2.0). The soon-to-be Cy Young winner also had a great year with the bat, highlighted with this Opening Day blast against the Giants. Kershaw should be set for a huge raise this year, hopefully by way of a new long-term contract. Rumors of a 300 million lifetime deal swirled a few weeks ago, however if there is any truth to that there is no doubt in my mind Kershaw would have already signed that deal. Keshaw will  be the highest paid pitcher in MLB history, and it is just a matter of when.

Under Contract: Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley
Greinke and Ryu had great seasons and are both under contract through 2018. I love saying that just as much as I love typing it. Billingsley and Beckett are both entering the final years of their deals, and both are recovering from major injuries. Billingsley is recovering from Tommy John surgery which he had in April earlier this year. Reports on his health have been positive, but pitchers usually don't return to full strength until about a year after their return. Billingsley figures to return sometime in the first half of the season, and will most likely slot into the bullpen. Beckett is recovering from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome but looks to be ready to pitch in spring training 2014. Beckett will be a wild card entering the year, and there is a good chance he never returns from his injury. Beckett considered retirement earlier this season, but we will see how he progresses come spring training.

Free Agents to Consider: Masahiro Tanaka
Masahiro Tanaka is the only name I listed for Free Agents to consider, and he's technically not even available....yet. His Japanese team has not yet posted him in light of new rules that have not yet gone into effect. Tanaka, 24, has been most frequently been compared to fellow countryman, Yu Darvish. Tanaka put up obscene numbers in the Japanese league this year, and his team won the championship a few days ago with him on the mound. After throwing 160 pitches in Game 6, Tanaka returned in the 9th inning  the next day to throw 15 more pitches. The article about this can be found here. As soon as Tanaka is posted, nearly every big market team in need of pitching figures to enter the bidding war. With posting fees most likely ranging between 60 and 75 million dollars, along with a contract close around 80 million, Tanaka's services won't come cheap.

Predictions

Capuano resigns with the Dodgers for a 1 year, 4.5 million dollar contract.

Nolasco and Volquez sign elsewhere.

Masahiro Tanaka signs with the Dodgers after they pay a posting fee of $67.67 million dollars. They will then sign him to a 6 year, 75 million dollar deal.

Clayton Kershaw will start off the new year with a bang, signing a 10 year, 275 million dollar contract on January 3rd.

Beckett never fully recovers from his injury and spends most of the season on the 60-day DL, after making only 1 start.

Billingsley returns in July and pitches out of the bullpen the remainder of the season.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen Sandy Koufax Blue Framed #'d/499

Pulled this from my first 2013 Topps Gypsy Queen pack this year. Numbered 100/499, the blue frame goes matches up nicely with the Dodger blue. I didn't buy too much of Gypsy Queen this year, but this is definitely a cool piece to add to my Dodgers HOF PC.

Card of the Day: 2011 Topps Update Series Matt Kemp Diamond Archives

Picked this up of eBay a few weeks ago. The diamond finish to it is pretty nifty. Another Kemp added to my PC. I hope to put up my Kemp PC up this weekend, but that means work, so we'll see.

Andy Pettitte Relic Contest!

Congratulations to Greg Zakwin (@ArgyledPlaschke) on being selected as the winner of the Andy Pettite relic. Keep your eyes open for the next contest, it should be up in a few minutes. Be sure to give Greg some competition this time too.

Card of the Day: 2013 Topps Chrome Matt Kemp Black Refractor

I absolutely love this years design of Topps Chrome. The cards look fantastic, and the parallels look even better. The black refractor with the blue LA logo is great. This particular card is numbered 11/100, and I'm going for the rainbow now. I recently purchased the sepia, and gold versions of this card. I'm still looking for the other parallels, if you happen to come across one let me know.

Card of the Day: 2009 Upper Deck Bryce Harper Auto Jersey

Here's the big fish of my collection, pulled from a box of 2009 Upper Deck Signature Stars. The card is absolutely beautiful. Harper was only 18 at the time this card came out was released and still was considered a catcher. He has since taken baseball over by storm, which just adds to the value of this card. I also love the whole USA Baseball aspect of this card as well. It is still my only Bryce Harper "hit" to date, but it's a doozy.