Dodgers Acquire Shane Victorino & Brandon League

Shane Victorino Press Release:

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired outfielder Shane Victorino from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-handed reliever Josh Lindblom, minor league right-hander Ethan Martin and a player to be named later or cash considerations. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

“We’re excited to add an All-Star caliber player with postseason experience,” said Colletti. “He plays the game with passion, gives us a top of the order bat from both sides of the plate, can steal bases and is solid defensively in the outfield.”

Victorino, 31, is batting .261 with nine homers, 24 steals and 40 RBI in 101 games this season with the Phillies. The switch-hitter is hitting .316 against left-handed pitching this season and is swinging a hot bat of late, having hit safely in five consecutive games and nine of his last 10 at a .378 clip (14-for-37) since July 18.

Brandon League Press Release:

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired right-handed reliever Brandon League from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league outfielder Leon Landry and minor league right-handed pitcher Logan Bawcom. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

League was 0-5 with a 3.63 ERA (18 ER/44.2 IP) and nine saves in 46 games for the Mariners this season, striking out 27 batters and allowing just one home run. The Sacramento, CA native was named to the American League All-Star team in 2011 and went on to save 37 games for Seattle last year.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was named to the AL All-Star team in 2011 and pitched the seventh inning in Arizona. League was also part of the no-hitter against the Dodgers on June 8 at Safeco Field. The right-hander recorded the last two outs of the eighth inning, stranding runners on second and third.

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UFC on FOX Fan Events - Press Conference, Weigh-Ins

Thursday, August 2

UFC® on FOX: SHOGUN vs. VERA PRESS CONFERENCE

 JW Marriott LA Live – The Mixing Room
900 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Participants:
Dana White – UFC President
Shogun Rua - UFC light heavyweight contender
Brandon Vera - UFC light heavyweight contender
Lyoto Machida - UFC light heavyweight contender
Ryan Bader - UFC light heavyweight contender
Joe Lauzon - UFC lightweight contender
Jamie Varner - UFC lightweight contender

Details:
11:00 am - 12:00 pm – UFC on FOX Press Conference

This event is free and open to the General Public.


Friday, August 3

UFC® on FOX: SHOGUN vs. VERA Q & A and WEIGH-INS

 Staples Center
1111 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Details
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Q & A with Dan Henderson, UFC 151 headliner
4:00 – 4:30 pm: UFC on FOX weigh-ins

This event is free and open to the General Public.



Saturday, August 4

OCTAGON NATION TOUR TRUCK (at Staples Center)

 The UFC® Octagon Nation Tour™ is an interactive experience like none other. It brings the fan into the exciting world of mixed martial arts. The Tour itself is a customized Big Rig that folds out and is accompanied by tents to create an unparalleled experience including: guest fighter appearances, fitness tests, official merchandise and more.

Details:
8:00 am – 8:00 pm
>Ticket Raffle: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
>UFC Fighter Autograph Signings: 12:00 – 2:00 pm
>NIKE 3ON3 Dunk Contest hosted by UFC Fighter, Stefan Struve: 2:30 pm

This event is free and open to the public.


UFC® on FOX: SHOGUN vs. VERA FIGHT NIGHT

 Staples Center
1111 S. Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Details:
1:00 pm > Doors open to Staples Center
2:00 pm > First Bout begins

This event is admission by ticket only; for ticket purchase, go to www.ticketmaster.com

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Upcoming Appearance - Jered Weaver

Meet Angels Pitcher Jered Weaver

 August 9th

7PM – 9PM

 @ Silk the Club

(inside Pechanga Resort & Casino)

Free and open to the public.
*Limit one item per person*
 

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2012 London Olympics Contest

The 2012 London Olympics began earlier this week and I figured it would be a great time to host a contest. I've been watching different sports all morning and plan to do so for the next two weeks.

I would like to thank our friends over at Topps for providing us with the prizes for this contest.

Contest Rules:

1) You must be a follower of this blog or like LA Inspiration on Facebook or Twitter. If you aren’t a follower of Los Angeles Inspiration, click on the “Join This Site” button in the sidebar. You need to use your Google account to follow. Your account should show up on my “Followers” list.

2) You must "Like" Topps on Facebook. They are generous enough to donate a great prize for this contest.

3) Fill out the template below and leave your name/e-mail so I can contact you if there are any problems or to notify the winner.

4) Only one account per person, if I catch anyone with more than one account then I will disqualify you from this contest and any future contest I have.

You're goal is to guess how many medals the United States will end up with at the end of the 2012 London Olympics. Whoever has the lowest score combined will be the winner.*

*So if you guess 40 total medals and USA wins 45 medals, then your score will be 5.

We're accepting entries until August 2nd (11:59pm PST).

Prizes:

1st Place

2012 U.S. Olympics Sanya Richards-Ross Athlete-Worn Memorabilia

2nd Place

2012 U.S. Olympics Parallels and Inserts (55 Total)

3rd Place

2012 U.S. Olympics Base Card Set (100 Total)

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Dodgers Trade for Hanley Ramirez!

Finally the Dodgers have done something! Hopefully this Ramirez will spark the Dodgers just like the last Ramirez they traded for. This probably means Ned Colleti is pushing hard for Ryan Dempster.

From Jon Morosi:

BLOCKBUSTER: Hanley Ramirez & Randy Choate to Dodgers, Nathan Eovaldi & Scott McGough to Marlins, sources tell @Ken_Rosenthal and me.

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Upcoming Appearance - Lyoto Machida

Stop by the Zone tonight for a Q&A with Lyoto Machida who will be signing autographs for guests. We will be raffling off tix to the Aug. 4 UFC fight at Staples along with other prizes!

July 21, 2012

UFC 149 begins at 7 PM

$10 cover charge

ESPN Zone LA Live

1011 S. Figueroa Street

Los Angeles, California

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Upcoming Appearance - Peter Bourjos

Meet Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos!

July 28th

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

 Westfield West Covina
112 Plaza Drive

West Covina, CA 91790

  (located at the lower level wing in front of playspace)

Angels website

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Upcoming Appearance - Maury Wills

Meet Dodgers Legend Maury Wills!


July 22, 2012
5 p.m.

 Epicenter/Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
8408 Rochester Avenue
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

Thanks to Larry for the tip.

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Upcoming Appearance - Ernesto Frieri

Meet Angels pitcher, Ernesto Frieri!

The prices are $30 any item and $10 per inscription.

Saturday, July 28
10:30am - 12:00pm

OC Dugout
1238 S. Beach Blvd
Anaheim, Ca 92804

Thanks to Larry for the info

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Upcoming Appearance - Chuck Finley

Meet former Angels pitcher, Chuck Finley!

July 21, 2012
12pm-2pm

Mike Thompson's RV
 13940 Firestone Blvd.
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
 (562) 921-0955

Thanks to Larry for the info.

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Upcoming Appearance - Fernando Valenzuela

Meet Former Dodger Pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela!

July 14, 2012
 11am-Noon

The Shops of Montebello
2134 Montebello Town Center Drive
Montebello, CA 90640

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SummerSlam Axxess - August 18-19

SummerSlam AXXESS, the ultimate WWE Fan Experience takes over Nokia Plaza at L.A. LIVE Saturday, August 18 and Sunday August 19. SummerSlam AXXESS features live matches, autograph signings, and Q&A's with your favorite WWE Superstars like John Cena, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Triple H, the Divas and more! 

General Admission Tickets - $25*

Limited VIP Tickets - $95*

*Prices are PER SESSION and do not include applicable fees or sales tax. 

VIP SUPERSTAR APPEARANCES
Saturday, August 18
Meet WWE Superstar Sheamus from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Triple H from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Randy Orton from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar John Cena from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Sunday, August 19
Meet WWE Superstar CM Punk from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Meet WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

VIP TICKETS INCLUDE:
• (1) 8x10 glossy photo of the appearing Superstar.
• (1) Autograph on your chosen item (glossy photo provided by WWE or other item you bring with you).
• Access to the VIP standing area around the ring.
• Exclusive VIP line at the event entrance.
• NEW FOR 2012! Your photo with the appearing Superstar at the VIP autograph stage taken by a professional photographer that will be e-mailed to you after the event. Please note that additional posed photos with your personal camera or camera phone will not be permitted due to time constraints.

For more information visit the SummerSlam Axxess site.

For tickets: Click Here*

*Tickets go on sale July 14th at 10am

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Upcoming Appearance - Clayton Kershaw

Meet Dodgers All-Star, Clayton Kershaw!

August 1st, 2012

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Frank & Son's Collectible Show

19649 E. San Jose Ave.

City of Industry, CA 91748

This event will sell out! You can purchase tickets from our website link below:

http://www.ocsportscards.com/servlet/the-1794/Clayton-Kershaw-autograph-signing%2C/Detail

Small Items 8x10's, magazines, cards: $79

Medium Items Baseballs, Flats up to 16x20, Mini Helmets, Bobbleheads $89

Large Items Jerseys, Jersey #'s, Bats, Artwork, Flats larger than 16x20 $119

Inscriptions $39

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Lakers and Clippers Dealing - Nash, Odom, Billups, Crawford

As most of you have heard, the Lakers and Clippers have been trying hard to make their teams better.

The Clippers started this off-season by signing Lamar Odom. After a failed stint with the Dallas Mavericks, Odom is looking to get back to his sixth man form. Hopefully playing back in Los Angeles will help him play better and he'll have his family/friends with him again.

The Lakers shocked the NBA by acquiring two-time MVP, Steve Nash from the Pheonix Suns in a sign-and-trade deal. Nash agreed to a three year deal worth $27 million. He was linked to the New York Knicks, but decided to come to the Lakers. Nash doesn't play defense, but which Laker point guard has in the past decade? He's a great passer and can help knock down those shots from beyond the arc. There are now rumors that Dwight Howard might want to come to the Lakers to team up with Kobe, Nash, and Gasol. That would be a tough team to beat if they could make their bench better.

Earlier today, the Clippers announced that they have agreed to a 4 year deal with Jamal Crawford worth $25 million. They also resigned point guard, Chauncey Billups to a one year deal worth up to $4.3 million.

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Upcoming Appearance - Garrett Richards

Meet Angels Pitcher, Garrett Richards!

Saturday, July 7
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Pricing:
Small items $20
Large items $25
Inscriptions free!

YOU MAY TAKE PICTURES WITH GARRETT

To pre order go to www.OCsportscards.com

OC Dugout
1238 S. Beach Blvd Ste J
Anaheim, CA 92804
714-527-6319

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Clayton's Texas BBQ and HoeDown

Clayton Kershaw will host Clayton's Texas BBQ and Hoedown at Dodger Stadium on August 2. Tickets went on sale yesterday and you can purchase them here.

From the Dodgers:

LOS ANGELES – Dodger pitcher and 2011 National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and his wife, Ellen announced today that tickets are on sale for Clayton’s Texas BBQ and Hoedown at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, August 2 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Kershaw, who was named to his second consecutive NL All-Star team earlier today, will be joined by several teammates at Clayton’s Texas BBQ and Hoedown and the event will include a concert by Grammy-nominated recording artist Pat Green.

“It means a lot to me to be able to host this event for our charity, that is so important to Ellen and me, here at Dodger Stadium,” said Kershaw. “We’re excited that Dodger fans will have the opportunity to join me, Ellen and a few of my teammates for some great BBQ and music and at the same time help Kershaw’s Challenge.”

The event features family-friendly hoedown activities, silent auction, live auction and raffle, line dancing and entertainment and a Texas-style BBQ and hosted bar. Fastball tickets that include access to the concert, activities and BBQ dinner are $250 per ticket. A VIP reception that will include Kershaw and his teammates is planned from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. VIP tickets that include access to the reception as well as a Fastball ticket are $500 each. Several sponsorship levels are available and all proceeds benefit Kershaw’s Challenge. Tickets to Clayton’s Texas BBQ and Hoedown at Dodger Stadium on August 2 are on sale at www.claytonsbbqandhoedown.com.

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2012 MLB All-Star Rosters Announced

MLB announced the rosters for the 83rd Midsummer Classic that will be taking place on July 10th in Kansas City, Missouri.

A total of 6 players will be representing Los Angeles in the All-Star game. Two from the Dodgers and four from the Angels. The Angels have a chance for another player to be voted in by the fans, but it's very unlikely since he's not a popular guy. The final vote is usually a popularity contest.

Matt Kemp will participate in the Home Run Derby, but announced that he won't be playing in the All-Star game because of his hamstring. He wants to be healthy for the second half of the season.

Mike Trout will become the seventh youngest to ever play in an All-Star game.

Here's a look at the entire roster:

AL starters
C: Mike Napoli, Rangers
1B: Prince Fielder, Tigers
2B: Robinson Cano, Yankees
3B: Adrian Beltre, Rangers
SS: Derek Jeter, Yankees
OF: Josh Hamilton, Rangers
OF: Curtis Granderson, Yankees
OF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox

NL starters
C: Buster Posey, Giants
1B: Joey Votto, Reds
2B: Dan Uggla, Braves
3B: Pablo Sandoval, Giants
SS: Rafael Furcal, Cardinals
OF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
OF: Carlos Beltran, Cardinals
OF: Melky Cabrera, Giants

AL pitchers
Ryan Cook, Athletics
Matt Harrison, Rangers
Felix Hernandez, Mariners
Jim Johnson, Orioles
Joe Nathan, Rangers
Chris Perez, Indians
David Price, Rays
Fernando Rodney, Rays
CC Sabathia, Yankees
Chris Sale, White Sox
Justin Verlander, Tigers
Jered Weaver, Angels
C.J. Wilson, Angels

NL pitchers
Matt Cain, Giants
Aroldis Chapman, Reds
R.A. Dickey, Mets
Gio Gonzalez, Nationals
Cole Hamels, Phillies
Joel Hanrahan, Pirates
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Craig Kimbrel, Braves
Lance Lynn, Cardinals
Wade Miley, Diamondbacks
Jonathan Papelbon, Phillies
Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
Huston Street, Padres

AL reserves
Joe Mauer, Twins
Matt Wieters, Orioles
Elvis Andrus, Rangers
Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
Ian Kinsler, Rangers
Paul Konerko, White Sox
Adam Jones, Orioles
Mike Trout, Angels
Mark Trumbo, Angels
Billy Butler, Royals
Adam Dunn, White Sox

NL reserves
Yadier Molina, Cardinals
Carlos Ruiz, Phillies
Jose Altuve, Astros
Starlin Castro, Cubs
Ian Desmond, Nationals
Bryan LaHair, Cubs
David Wright, Mets
Ryan Braun, Brewers
Jay Bruce, Reds
Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

Fans have an opportunity to select the last roster spot by voting online for one of the five players selected by each team's manager. I'm going to predict that Yu Darvish & Bryce Harper will be voted in by the fans.

Your AL final vote ballot:

• Yu Darvish, Rangers
• Jonathan Broxton, Royals
• Ernesto Frieri, Angels
• Jason Hammel, Orioles
• Jake Peavy, White Sox

Your NL final ballot:

• Bryce Harper, Nationals
• Michael Bourn, Braves
• David Freese, Cardinals
• Aaron Hill, D'backs
• Chipper Jones, Braves

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Preview - Sandy Koufax Bobblehead

Koufax will be featured on the ninth bobblehead night of the season on August 7 when the Dodgers take on the Rockies at 7:10 p.m. This marks the Hall of Famer’s first-ever Dodger Stadium bobblehead and it will be given out to fans with the first 50,000 tickets.

Here's another image of the Sandy Koufax bobblehead presented by Time Warner Cable:

Fans can purchase tickets to this game through a season ticket plan or the 10-game Flex Plan with tickets by visiting www.dodgers.com/promotions.

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