TED SOBEL SPORTS AUDIO VAULT: Your Inside Access to TOUCHING GREATNESS

First it was 2nd time big league starter Garrett Richards who only made 19 pitches before leaving with a groin injury before his Angels lost the opener of this big 4 game series 8-4. And now it was another rookie (although more accomplished) in Tyler Chatwood who couldn’t make it out of the 3rd inning tagged for 5 earned runs on 8 Texas hits and the Angels lost again 7-3 to fall 6 games back of the Rangers with 39 to play (and 8 of those against the first place boys from Arlington).

It was a frustrating night for Chatwood who I chatted with 24 hours earlier about how confident he felt going in, but it didn’t work out how he had planned so we chatted again in front of his locker…

Tyler Chatwood with Ted Sobel:

Halos rightfielder Torii Hunter was one of the few bright spots for the locals on this dismall night going 2-4 with an rbi, a nice catch in the field, and extending his season best hitting streak to 14 games-although as you’ll hear in our conversation, he wanted no part of that discussion due to the usual ballplayer superstition. But he did give me a little (very little) about the after game closed door team meeting called by his manager Mike Scioscia, who may need to turn into Vince Lombardi to get his guys to start hitting more before it’s too late…

Torii Hunter with Ted Sobel:

What a first weekend in the major leagues for 25 year old Bellflower native Justin Sellers who was just promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday when rookie shortstop Dee Gordon went on the disabled list. Sellers spent many innings during frequent visits to Dodger Stadium with his parents when he was a kid and to see his dream come true at his favorite ballpark is what playing sports is all about.

Sellers was coming off of last night’s cloud 9 game when he collected his first big league hit and today he topped that by sending Houston starter Jordan Lyles to the showers with his first major league homer…a 3-run 6th inning bomb over the left field fence to complete the scoring in a 7-0 blowout of the lowly Astros. And winning pitcher Hiroki Kuroda must still be in shock receiving more runs than he usually sees in 3 of his starts, as he lowered his ERA to 2.88 which ain’t bad for a guy with the undeserved record of 8-14.

Back to Mr. Sellers who’s probably still tasting the shaving cream pie in the face that his teammate Dioner Navarro slapped on him during his on-the-field postgame interview. And during this very trying season of many negatives, it was fun to watch these guys being little kids again when it came to enjoying the success of Sellers who spoke to us soon after in the locker room still wearing some of that cream…

Justin Sellers with Ted Sobel et al:

And the following is a compilation of his new manager and teammate’s reaction to Seller’s very special day…

Don Mattingly, Matt Kemp, and Dioner Navarro with Ted Sobel:

A fun time was had by all who attended Thursday night’s 7th annual Dodgers Dream Foundation charity bowling function at Lucky Strike lanes in L.A. Live. And it’s the 4th straight year that Dodger first baseman James Loney hosted the show that gives back the kids who need it the most.

It was good to see Don Mattingly kick back and enjoy the night on the lanes after such a tough loss the night before when his boys blew an early 6-0 lead before falling to the Phantastic Phillies 9-8. And as always Donny Baseball was gracious with his time to give me a few minutes for a sitdown chat about the dog days of his rookie managerial campaign and how he sees his ballclub still working hard for him…

Don Mattingly with Ted Sobel:

I ran into several Dodger players there including Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Jamey Carroll and the fresh on the disabled list shortstop Dee Gordon who told me he was bowling left handed (with that injured right shoulder) and I was shocked when he mentioned that he’d just rolled a strike with the off-hand—which had surprised him even more! The best news though was the outcome of his MRI exam besides how many times he called me Sir during our short chat…

Dee Gordon with Ted Sobel:

It was a special night at Dodger Stadium celebrating the life and career of the late Hall of Famer Duke Snider with pre-game ceremonies honoring the franchise’s all-time home run leader and special presentations throughout the game including of course the special bobblehead doll giveaway. And I think The Duke who died this past February at the age of 84, would’ve enjoyed the likeness of his stance at the plate with that big smile on his face. The ballclub has already been wearing a memorial No. 4 patch on the right uniform sleeve this season to honor Snider’s memory and tonight a No. 4 was also embedded in the center field grass to mark the occasion.

40 members of the Snider family were on hand for the occasion with 3 of his siblings throwing out the first pitch alongside Duke’s wife of 63 years Bev and a few of his former teammates in Tom Lasorda and Don Newcombe, who I got the privilege to speak with before the game along with Dodgers Hall of Fame voice Vin Scully.

The Dodgers also wore their special Brooklyn hats tonight as ‘The Duke of Flatbush’ played the first 11 years of his career in New York before playing his final five seasons with the club in Los Angeles. Snider’s Hall of Fame plaque was also on hand all the way from Cooperstown and it was brought into the press box for a short time to allow us media types a chance to see it up close, so it was fun to get a picture with it.

Scattered throughout the announced (but well short of) crowd of over 46,000 fans were Snider uniforms and along with some Koufax’s and Drysdale’s made it a night of nostalgia for sure.
There were also a few well-produced videos celebrating Snider’s great career shown before and during the game and they brought back some personal memories as I was one of only a few in the pressbox who actually saw Duke play here at the Ravine and at the old Coliseum…sure make me feel old-what do I care!…

Vin Scully with Ted Sobel:

Tom Lasorda with Ted Sobel:

Don Newcombe with Ted Sobel:

Oh and by the way, there was also a ballgame played as the league leading Phillies behind another one of their stellar pitchers Cliff Lee outdueled Ted Lilly for a 2-1 win and it was Lee’s 2nd homer of his career in the 7th inning that was the difference. Ironically on that pitch, I was playing with my camera focusing on Matt Kemp in centerfield (where Snider used to roam) and the number 4 showing in the grass in front of Matt when Lee belted one into the right field field pavilion. And as you can see in the picture below, Kemp never moved just watching over his shoulder as the ball carried over the fence–not exactly how ‘The Duke’ would’ve envisioned this game to go, but you just know that he would’ve been proud to be celebrated in the fashion that they did tonight.

After a super collegiate career at USC where his coach John Robinson called him ‘the greatest player I ever saw!” Marcus Allen followed up his Heisman Trophy winning season to become the first NFL player to ever gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his incredible 17 year career with the Raiders and Chiefs. Marcus also scored 145 touchdowns, including a then league record 123 rushing touchdowns, was a Super Bowl MVP, a league MVP and elected to six Pro Bowls (and it should’ve been several more while stuck in the Al Davis doghouse). So there are few who deserve Hall of Fame distinction any more than Allen (inducted in 2003) who will be in Canton today (Saturday) for the induction of the 2011 team that includes the likes of Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders and Shannon Sharpe.

Last week I sat down with Marcus just after the NFL lockout ended and we chatted about some of his passionate beliefs including taking care of the older NFL players who have been screwed over for decades not receiving the benefits that they deserved after being the physical guinea pigs for the players of today.

Marcus Allen with Ted Sobel:

The irony in chatting with Marcus is letting him know that we have the same golf pro teaching us in Brady Riggs (Woodley Lakes Golf Course) although Allen has obviously learned a hell of a lot more than I have as he’s a single digit handicap, while my handicap is having more moving parts than an engine! 🙂

So we are now just 5 days away from the first NFL pretend game and with college camps opening too, let’s get this damned season underway already!!!!

Minnesota Twins broadcaster Bert Blyleven, who pitched with the Angels from 1989-92, threw out the first pitch before Tuesday night’s game at Angel Stadium. Blyleven who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 24, was also making a homecoming of sorts, as he grew up in nearby Garden Grove and pitched the final three seasons of his career with the Angels. So it was only fitting to run into the Dutchman in the press box a few hours before his ceremonial first pitch and I got the privilege to reminisce about his days in Halo red and white and the long wait to finally become a HOFer. It took the baseball writers 14 years to decide that Bert was worthy of having Cooperstown as his alternate address and now they can never take it away from him…

Bert Blyleven with Ted Sobel: