California Sports Fan Blog

Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp celebrated a quarter century of life on Wednesday while Dodgers fans are celebrating a rising star who has a good shot of reaching a statistical plateau that has never been reached in the more than 100-year history of the franchise.


Kemp is aiming to become the first Dodgers player to hit .300 with 25 homers, 100 RBIs and 30 steals in one season. Through Wednesday, his 25th birthday, Kemp was hitting .304 with 25 homers, 97 RBIs and 34 steals in 149 games.

Already, he is only the sixth player in Dodgers history to have 20 homers and 30 steals in one season, and the first since Raul Mondesi in 1999.

There will be those who tell you that they knew this is what they’d eventually see from the gifted but raw young athlete drafted in the sixth round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft out of high school in Oklahoma, where he turned down an offer from the Sooners to play shooting guard and instead opted to focus on baseball.


Click here to read the full article – By Lisa Winston of MLB.com

Los Angeles Dodgers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Dodgers Autographs
Below are links to memorabilia available for Matt Kemp.

Andre Ethier has been winning games all year with his bat. On Tuesday night, he won a game with his eye and saved one with his glove.


Ethier drew a tiebreaking bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning, then made a game-saving catch crashing into the right-center fence in the top of the eighth as the Dodgers edged the D-backs, 4-3.

A second effective start by Vicente Padilla was undermined when the bullpen let a 3-1 lead get away. But the Dodgers broke the tie when Ethier worked his walk on a 3-1 pitch from lefty Clay Zavada after a walk to pinch-hitter Juan Pierre, a double by Rafael Furcal and an intentional walk to Matt Kemp, who homered for the Dodgers’ first run and created their third with his baserunning. Kemp has homered in his past four games.

Click here to read the full article – By Ken Gurnick of MLB.com

Los Angeles Dodgers Helmets
and other Dodgers Gifts

Riddell Brooklyn Dodgers Cooperstown Collection Mini Helmet (1941-1957)

Rawlings Los Angeles Dodgers Official Batting Helmet

Rawlings Los Angeles Dodgers Official Cool-Flo Batting Helmet

Over the years, Randy Wolf has worried less about striking out hitters and more about pitching to contact. That strategy has worked this season as Wolf is 9-6 and has won four consecutive starts.


Wolf said he hasn’t pitched any differently during his winning streak.
“When you pitch to contact, you get ahead of guys and you’re throwing strikes,” Wolf said. “Then you can expand and then you can go for the punchout. Throw strikes early, and if you show the other team you will do that, they will become aggressive.”

Click here to read the full article – By Steve Gartner of MLB.com

Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys
and other Dodgers Apparel

Los Angeles Dodgers Womens Crimson Fashion Jersey

Kirk Gibson Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Replica Jersey

Majestic Athletic Los Angeles Dodgers Cooperstown MLB Impact Jersey

This is how poorly things are going for the Dodgers right now: Jonathan Broxton gave up the lead in the ninth inning Wednesday night without allowing a hit.


Broxton walked Albert Pujols, who proceeded to steal second base and advance to third on a Russell Martin throwing error. Matt Holliday then completed the unconventional run with a sacrifice fly to center field for a 3-2 lead. As odd as the winning run was scored, losing games is nothing unusual for the Dodgers these days.

Click here to read the full article – By David Ely of MLB.com

Los Angeles Dodgers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Dodgers Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Joe Torre.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre knows that Jason Schmidt’s days of lighting up the radar gun are behind him. No longer will the righty blow hitters away with his fastball or be known as a power pitcher.

But that’s fine with Torre, who will give Schmidt the ball for a third time on Friday night in Atlanta as he tries to find his form after missing almost two full seasons with arm injuries. Schmidt, who went 17-5 with a 2.34 ERA in 2003 for the Giants, has made only eight starts for the Dodgers since signing with them as a free agent before the 2007 season. He has battled a series of arm and shoulder injuries and has never been the pitcher that the Dodgers signed him to be.

Click here to read the full article – By B.J. Rains of MLB.com

Los Angeles Dodgers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Dodgers Autographs
Below are links to memorabilia available for Jason Schmidt.

Manny Ramirez unleashed his pent-up power in one electrifying swing that landed, fittingly, in “Mannywood.”

Ramirez’s tie-breaking pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth inning on his bobblehead night Wednesday sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over Cincinnati, their 12th consecutive at home against the Reds. He was kept out of the starting lineup for precautionary reasons with a sore left hand after being hit by a pitch a night earlier.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Los Angeles Dodgers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Dodgers Autographs
Below are links to memorabilia available for Manny Ramirez.

He was cheered in San Diego, met with indifference in New York, and was the target of only one “Chea-ter!” chant in three days in Milwaukee.

The most high-profile player to be disciplined under baseball’s drug policy, Manny Ramirez appeared increasingly nonchalant about what he called his “mistake” in the days leading up to the All-Star break, as he was overheard laughing and telling teammates, “I haven’t been paid in 50 days!” Today, Ramirez will return to Dodger Stadium, where he expects the fans who fell under the spell of Mannywood to welcome him to the second half of the season with open arms. “That’s my town,” he said.

Click here to read the full article – By Dylan Hernandez of Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Dodgers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Dodgers Autographs
Below are links to memorabilia available for Manny Ramirez.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Eric Milton has had surgery for a herniated disk in his back and will be out at least three months, likely bringing his season to an end, according to media reports.

Milton, who spent two years recovering from Tommy John surgery, was 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA in five starts for the Dodgers as their No. 5 starter after signing a minor league deal. But Milton, who was twice placed on the disabled list this season, underwent the back surgery after suffering a setback in New York last week, according to MLB.com.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Los Angeles Dodgers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Dodgers Gifts and Collectibles

Kobe Bryant took his front-row seat behind the Dodgers dugout before the first pitch, and to his credit he stayed until the ninth inning. The sellout crowd at Angel Stadium serenaded him with “M-V-P” chants, and his team beat the home team.

“I come to a bunch of his games,” Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp said. “He can start coming to a bunch of our games. You’ve got to show some love.” You’ve got to show the Dodgers some love, all of you. We keep wondering whether the Dodgers have the best team in baseball or just the best record, and the Dodgers keep wondering why we might not believe.

Click here for the full article by Bill Shaikin on June 22, 2009

Los Angeles Dodgers Sports Memorabilia
and other Los Angeles Dodgers Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Rafael Furcal and Russell Martin.