Promo items galore
Somewhat lost among the news yesterday that we were opening up a day earlier was the official release of our promotional schedule. Six bobbleheads (including Kershaw, Mattingly and Fernando) as well as fireworks back again on Friday nights and the half-price food and drink for all the midweek day games.
There’s something about the promo schedule that just seems to bring me back to my childhood. I guess it has to do with the fact that each year, we would get Line Drives in the mail and my dad would have me and my siblings pick out the four or five games that we wanted to go to. Usually it would be bat day or helmet day or one of the Unocal pins. It must have been the pins a lot, as I still have the hat that I put them all on in my office today.
Inside the Dodgers 
Let’s just hope the fireworks are celebrating the Dodgers being in contention for the NL West title. Otherwise, it really doesn’t matter. I gather that their is a very large Dodger fan base that just goes out for the ballpark and entertainment aspect. That is great and my hat’s off to them. It is a great experience. However, there is a contingent(I think in the minority now)that expects a winner in the tradition the Dodgers used to stand for. My hopes for another WS championship in my lifetime are not rosy!!! At least not with the McCourts as owners and Ned as GM!!!!
LOL!!! Yep Bear, bobbleheads, blankets, caps, and fireworks from China are a hell of alot cheaper than getting players to put the Dodgers back among the baseball elite that I grew up with.
Amen Trumom!!!! LOL!!! Time warped still..
LOL Trumom!!! Puts everything into Pre-Text!!!!
Forget the promos….I want a good team on the field. Hey Ned, where is the big bat you promised us? and, relief help?
Ahh….the time warp is a beautiful thing to behold 🙂 Puts everything into context…lol
LMAO, Jhall!
Hey enchanted!!!! How are things in your neck of the woods? I was just reading that article. I hope teally hope they do something about this.
Red pen – “I really hope”
Like Jhall and tru, I see the time warp is going crazy.
Thought this might bring a smile to Bear’s (and everyone else’s) face:
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http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-mccourt-20110108,0,6168248.story
Josh,
I remember Line Drive. Just came across an old one the last time I stopped by my old house in SoCal. It was the offseason edition, between ’87 and ’88, with the lead story being Don Drysdale joining the broadcast booth, and Steve Sax promising on the cover to expect big things in the coming season.
My favorite promotion when I was a kid was Hollywood Stars Night. Sure, you couldn’t take anything home with you but a memory, but it was fun seeing actors and musicians playing real baseball, not the bring-in-the-orange-mesh-wall-20-feet-from-the-infied softball stuff you usually saw for such games on tv (though Rock N’ Jock Softball on MTV made up for it with Roger McDowell’s yearly antics).
But my favorite day was Opening Day. It was its own promotion. The bunting hanging all over the park. The concrete floor so clean and shiny you could see yourself in it. The massive flag and flyovers before the game. It’s like a fresh page that you get to put the pencil to. Haven’t been to one since they made buying mini-plans pretty much mandatory for a chance at Opening Day tix, but one thing I will say for Frank McCourt is that every opening day has been memorable since he took over. Last year’s especially. Looking forward to what the Dodgers’ll bring out on Opening… Night, when I’ll be thankful ESPN didn’t drag us out to Frisco to see the Giants rain on the parade.
Thanks for bringing back some good memories
Josh : Nice touch, who doesn’t love, Unocal 76!!
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Good times!!
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You asked for ideas, and fan interaction. We asked for some live chat with, well Tommy, and as fun as that would be………( I LOOOVE THE DODGERS!!!) How about a survey among the faithful to choose one of the players plate songs…..They could submit a list that we could all vote for……and by popular fan reaction, they would know, that we are all behind them 100%……have them submit 10 choices or something???
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bomv-6CJSfM
If I’m walking from the batters box to the plate……..I’m doing…….
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Let’s put the fun back into the game……..
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DO THE HUSTLE!!!!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KIAuH6Yzds&feature=fvst
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Saw that article in the Times this morning. One can only hope.
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Also saw the Yanks are taking a look at that fat p.o.s. Jones.
He’s one of the reasons I do not travel to games any more. You can travel hundreds of miles, spend hundreds of dollars to watch some **** swing at pitches in the dirt. I’ll watch them on TV and go fishing instead.
E, I also read that article last night. It’s almost enough to give one hope. Almost.
I thought I’d relate a story that happened to my wife last week. She travelled into Fullerton to have dinner with her old roommate. They hadn’t seen each other in several years. I was home watching a movie when I got a text from her: “Guess who just shook my hand? Tommy Lasorda!”
I sent her one back: “Tell him you’re married to a huge Dodger fan and he says mccourt sucks!”. She said no way, but that he was a great person and very friendly. But then we all knew that anyway.
I like to think that Tommy would agree if he were to be able to speak freely.
Awesome, Dodgereric! I envy Chris for getting to meet Tommy. I think if I could sit down and talk with him, I’d die a happy girl!
Dodgereric – Chris told me that story, and she said he was there with two players but wasn’t sure who they were. That was a fun story.
The Rangers are introducing Beltre to their fans, the Phils, Cliff Lee, and we get more Dodger crap trinkets. How about improving the on field product you cockroach McCourt. I hope that idiot Selig can somehow force you out.
Josh, great photo of the pins. I remember those and still have a bunch of them in a box sorted (as best I could) by the year.
Eric, I too would love to hear what Tommy really thinks about the state of his beloved organization but I doubt that will every happen. He is much to loyal to the tradition ever to do anything to tarnish it and remember, it was McCourt who brought Tommy back into the limelight after Fox pretty much pushed him aside. Still, I can’t help but think Tommy is highly disappointed in what has happened on and off the field and knows there really is nothing he can do about it.
Now to McCourt and MLB. Interesting that according to the article McCourt asked for the meeting and that his good buddy Bud Selig was not part of those meetings. MLB and Selig should have had the McCourts on the carpet a long time ago but we all know that might mean Mr. Selig and the other owners would have to take responsibility for letting the McCourts into their little club in the first place. Think that will ever happen?
OBF, I have the ticket stub from every Dodger game I have attended with the score of the game written on the back of the stub. One of these days I will have to count the stubs. As a side note, it is interesting to see how ticket prices have changed.
All this talk of memorabilia makes me think of the binder full of photos, cards, and even two World Series programs given to me (my class) from Dodgereric. If you ever want them back, I (my classes) have taken exceptionally good care of them 🙂
As for me personally, I am a baseball card junkie so when I think of all the cards I have currently, I will have plenty to do when I retire.
I do have to mention my Ethieraholicism has found me collecting anything Andre as well. Being how this may be his last year with the Dodgers, I plan to collect as much this season as I can. BTW – MLBTV is doing a series “The Top 10 Right Now”, and they are doing the top ten players in every position who are playing now. I have only seen first base and right field so far, and Andre was ranked #5. I didn’t expect him to make the list at all with the pinkie issue and all, but their reasoning was how he began the 2010 season, his All-Star selection, and his season numbers were still not too shabby considering he probably came back a tad too early.
Hi Everyone.
Say Josh, I have a cap similar to the one in the photo with Dodger pins stuck in it, which I didn’t bring with me on my trip to LA, mainly because I was a afraid of losing it. I also have pins from Dodgers championships of all kinds which I got through a mail order( about two at a time) that I haven’t displayed anywhere yet.
These are things that we never grow out of.
Oh I forgot to mention my cap has the Brooklyn “B” on it.
I have pins back from where it was called Union 76 and they used to give you a pin when you purchased …I forgot…I think it was 10 gallons of gas. Also from giveaways and other pins like the Vin Scully Pin.
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OBF,
Even though you did not say it in your original comment, I was imagining your hat is a Brooklyn hat 🙂
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Have a beautiful day everyone!
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com
I know Dodgereric put in the question to the “Guiness Book of World Records” about Vin’s employment with the Dodgers, but here is some historical perspective on what has happened since Vin began broadcasting for the Dodgers…….two O’Malleys, eight bigs Comissioners, 12 U.S. Presidents, Korea, Dallas, Viet Nam, Watergate, first Gulf War, 9/11, and Iraq. I know many of you know this, but being a fairly new fan if Dodger history, thst is very impressive list of major events that have happened.
The Dodgers should really look into this guy.. I mean they don’t want draft picks anyway…
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They could have him close and Broxton set up. It would be a shut down bully with him added…
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http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/259491-why-yankees-wont-sign-soriano
Best promo ever, in my opinion, were the Union Oil portraits, circa early 60s. Wish I had saved those…plus my two Beatles wigs from Zodys.
Hiya, tru! I would be too! Well, a happy MAN.
Junie, she said Tommy got into the booth right behind her. She texted that she thought she heard one of the players’ names was “Offerman”. I told her if it’s Jose, don’t get him angry ’cause he got himself banned from winter ball in the Dominican for hitting an umpire a while ago. Then she no, she’s sure it’s “Huff”. I assumed it was Aubrey. I sent her a text telling her to say, “My husband says you’re a stinking gnat and to get the hell out of LA.” She said no, for some reason. And she stopped texting me. For some reason.
Oh, and I’m sure that the term “indian-giver” isn’t politically correct, but I’m not one. Perhaps when you retire from teaching and you don’t want them cluttering up the homestead anymore, ship them back to me COD instead of tossing them in the trash (which I KNOW you won’t do).
I had forgotten about the Guinness thing. They said it was going to be 4 weeks back in August, so I just submitted it again. I never heard back one way or the other, so perhaps it got lost in what I’m sure is an incredible volume of requests. I still think it would be cool for Vinnie.
Birk, I’ll bet those ticket stubs are starting to take up a lot of room! I wish I had thought of doing that. One thing I do have is the pennant from seeing my first Dodger game in 1960. I was 7. Junie’s seen it. I remember just enough details to ferret out the boxscore. I have it adorning my cubicle at work.
Collie, I agree. Adding Soriano would be great. However, (1) his agent is Scott-you-know-who and I think the last one of his guys we signed was that “pig in a poke” deal for Andruw Fatboy, and (2) why would any decent free agent want to play for mctrash?
Sell the team, you piece ‘o garbage.
Hey kahli! I had a few of those portraits. Gave ’em to Junie for her class! I never had a Beatles wig, although I had me some boots! LOL!
Anyone seen this? Check out the last paragraph.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2011/01/08/2011-01-08_could_fill_sandys_old_spot_as_vp.html
I don’t blame her for texting you back – lol!!!!
Kahli – I believe those portraits I have from Dodgereric are what you are talking about.
…….and Dodgereric, it will be at least 10-15 years before retirement for me unless I win the lottery. I did get 2nd place in a season-long football pool, but it didn’t have quite the payout as the lottery did. BTW – enjoy your last day of vacation 🙂
Red Pen – “for not texting you back”
It seems like there is no shortage of people interested in buying the Dodgers. However, Frank stands in the way of any of those possibilities.
To be honest, I don’t think the players give a rat’s *** about ownership, any more than the kids I teach give a rat’s *** about Administration or teachers. Players want to 1) play and 2) be paid. I think the Dodgers will kick a little butt in 2011 under Mattingley. All the suffocating baggage is gone…Torre, Schaefer, Bowa, Manny, Rhianna, and the Ned Trades (Podsednik, Theriot, Dotel).
Hello….Well what a very sad day here in Tucson yesterday…I live here in Tucson…What a senseless act by this punk shooter….Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is still in critical condition …The 9 year old girl that was killed her father is a scout for the Dodgers….What a sick world we live in folks…Take care all
Dodgerzona – I knew you were from Arizona, but I didn’t know you were from Tucson. As the day progressed, the news about what happened just kept getting worse and worse. A senseless act indeed, and I am sorry to find out the child has a somewhat Dodger connection (not that it matters because nobody should have to go through something like this). Prayers go out to your community.
My condolences to all that were affected by this senseless tragedy.
Dodgerzona ~ like Nellyjune, I also want to give my condolences to all of the families affected by this tragedy. Also, Dallas Green was the little girl’s Grandfather.
I am very saddened to hear about the tragedy in Tucson. My sincerest condolences and prayers to all involved.