Hey fellow Dodger fans !!!!  Spring Training is just right around the corner !!!!  And like many of you, baseball just can’t come soon enough for me, especially with the Dodgers coming 3 games short of a trip to the fall classic,  to have it come to a hault halt once again by the Phillies.  While we did have a great season last year, the loss to the Phillies again in the LCS was more painful than in ’08 because we we’re definately a lot better than in ’08, several Dodgers, particularly Kemp and Ethier, showed to us that they indeed are ready to take on the challenge of leading the way while not having to always rely on Manny and yet we still have unfinished business to take care of in ’10.  OK, until then, we can only wait.  But while we do, I thought I’d share with you some interesting programming on the MLB Network in the upcoming weeks before Spring Training, so here goes

Friday, February 12

6:30/10:00 p.m./1:30 a.m

World Series Highlights

1981-Manager Tommy Lasorda and the Los Angeles Dodgers Take on the New York Yankees

This would be the start of Dodger baseball for me.  Being 7 years old, during the playoffs that year, my uncles would always come up to me to give a high-five so the Dodgers would win.  Everyone in grade school ( I was in 2nd grade at that time ) was also abuzzed about the playoffs too, and of course our excitement lasted until the final out of Game 6 of the ’81 Fall Classic.

2:30 a.m.

MLBN Remembers: Incident at Candlestick

Bob Costas Looks Back at a Famous Bat Wielding Episode Involving Juan Marichal and Johnny Roseboro

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Now now, Dodger fans, when the name Juan Marichal comes up, even to those of us who we’re not even around in ’65, when we think of Juan Marichal, no doubt the Marichal-Roseboro incident of August 22, 1965 comes up. And because of that, i’m sure many of you have held some sort of grudge against Marichal to this day, I mean, c’mon, how could you not, this was a significant moment in the storied rivalry of the Dodgers and Giants.    However, if you do find the time to read into the realtionship the two had in the years after the incident,  the two did eventually make peace with each other,  and their families would keep contact with each other through Roseboro’s death, in which Juan Marichal spoke at his funeral.  Also not discussed much is Roseboro campaigning for Marichal’s entry into the Hall of Fame after Juan had been snubbed in his first two years of eligability.  Many felt that the incident on that August summer of 1965 played a huge role in Marichals initial snubs.

 

A rivalry that reaches it’s boiling point

Source

NY Times

 

 

All Is Forgiven

Source

SFGATE.COM

Here is a link to an article from the San Francisco Chronical about the incident on the 40th anniversary back in August 22, 2005

http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-08-21/sports/17386936_1_marichal-john-roseboro-dodgers-dugout

 Sunday, February 14

9:30 a.m.

All-Time Games

9/18/06 San Diego @ L.A. Dodgers – Dodgers Smack 4 Home Runs in a Row

I remember this game like it was yesterday.  I was listening to the game on my headset at work ( I work a night job folks, and it was a Monday night…) when , in this order, Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russel Martin, and Marlon Anderson hit the 4 consecutive HR’s in the 9th to tie the game at 9.  It was after Anderson’s HR when I got up and just let out a huge scream that scared everyone at the call center.  The Dodgers eventually won the game in the 10th on a walk-off by Nomar, and as for me, my boss figured I was listening to the game ( Dont you wish you had bosses like that ? )

Monday, February 15

5:00 a.m.

All-Time Games

6/4/1990 Atlanta @ L.A. Dodgers – Ramon Martinez Strikes   Out 18

Before Pedro , there was Ramon Martinez, who had a solid 10 year career with the Blue

Sunday, February 21

5:30 p.m./11:30 p.m.

MLB Network Movie    Special

The Jackie Robinson Story

63 years after he broke baseball’s color barrier, his legend still lives on……

Thursday, February 25

11:00 a.m.

1965 World Series    Game 4

Minnesota Twins @ Los Angeles Dodgers

After digging themselves an improbable 2 games to none hole, the Dodgers would tie up the series in a Game 4 triumph.  The series would go the full 7 games, and in Game 7, Sandy Koufax would get the start on two days rest…….

Friday, February 26

11:00 a.m.

1965 World Series    Game 7

LA Dodgers @ Minnesota

 

And on two days rest, Koufax would shut down a powerful Twins lineup.  I was able to catch some of this game a while back, and you should too, if to listen to a ” young ” Vin Scully

 

So there you have it folks.  This should keep you busy until ST arrives.  Oh yeah, just to let you know, the times listed are PST.  If you should look into the MLB Networks calendar of progamming events, all their times are listed as EST.  And of course, keep in mind that programming is Subject to Change.  So I ask again, ” How soon ’till baseball ? “