Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Category: Celebrities (Page 1 of 2)

Video: 1960s Celebrity All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium

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On August 4, 2020

In All-Star Game, Celebrities, Dodger Stadium

Somehow, I had never seen this before, so I’m appreciative to Ken Levine for passing it along. From more than 50 years ago, it’s a Celebrity All-Star softball Game at Dodger Stadium, and as these things go, the rosters are impressive, with celebrities including Woody Allen, Peter Falk, James Garner, Robert Loggia, Ryan O’Neal and Dick Shawn, and active major leaguers like Roberto Clemente, Don Drysdale, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Brooks Robinson and Maury Wills (in his Pirates uniform). Leo Durocher and Milton Berle are the managers. 

Throw in Vin Scully for the play-by-play (albeit with a rather lugubrious Jerry Lewis as his partner), and you’ve got yourself a ballgame. 

Stars (and stripes) for Kershaw at Ping Pong 4 Purpose

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On August 12, 2016

In Celebrities, Community

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Thursday’s fourth annual Ping Pong 4 Purpose proved once again to be a happy and fun fundraiser for Kershaw’s Challenge. Here are some photo highlights on a night when Will Ferrell (wearing a Vic Davalillo jersey) was the emcee, Susan Sarandon was a special guest, Dennis Gilbert was the honoree, but Clayton Kershaw’s outfit was the star.

— Jon Weisman

Photos by Juan Ocampo

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Dusty’s Trail: A return to Baker’s Field

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On June 20, 2016

In Celebrities, History, Publications

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By Jon Weisman

It’s been 40 years since Riverside native Dusty Baker made his debut in a Dodger uniform. He has also spent 40 seasons in the Major Leagues — 19 as a player (including eight with Los Angeles) and 21 as a manager, including this year’s debut season helming the Washington Nationals.

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‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ star Terry Crews on the Dodgers, sports, acting and life

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On April 13, 2016

In Celebrities, Dodger Stadium, Television, Thinking out loud

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By Jon Weisman

Terry Crews is as big as they come, but his heart is even bigger. And Dodger Stadium has played a not-so-small part in that.

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Fordham alumni Vin Scully and Pat Harrington Jr. appear on ‘It Takes Two’ in 1970

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On January 7, 2016

In Celebrities, Off the field, Television

Pat Harrington Jr., the longtime TV performer (“One Day at a Time”), passed away Wednesday at age 86. Harrington graduated from Fordham in 1950 — one year after Vin Scully — and was a guest on the Scully-hosted “It Takes Two” in June 1970.

— Jon Weisman

Billy Crystal’s long connection to the Dodgers

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On April 7, 2015

In Celebrities

Billy Crystal

Actor/comedian Billy Crystal, whose new series “The Comedians” premieres Thursday on FX, is one of baseball’s most famous fans. And though his New York roots run deep, his connection with the Dodgers is longstanding. Read more in this excerpt from the April issue of Dodger Insider magazine. (Click the image to enlarge.)

— Jon Weisman

Jeong Ball: Talking baseball with ‘Community’ comedian

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On April 1, 2015

In Celebrities

Jeong

As we head into April and the imminent arrival of the next issue of Dodger Insider magazine, I thought I’d pass along a story from the March edition. It’s an interview with Ken Jeong, whose falling in love with the Dodgers while growing up in North Carolina is almost as is unlikely as his career transformation from doctor to comic actor. Click the image above to enlarge.

— Jon Weisman

Happy 100th birthday to epoch-spanning actor and Dodger fan Norman Lloyd

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On November 8, 2014

In Celebrities

NLFrom Scott Foundas’ Variety feature on Norman Lloyd, the unparalleled actor who turns 100 today:

Frequently, those conversations turn to baseball, another subject on which Lloyd, a lifelong Dodgers fan, holds extensive knowledge. “We had a phone conversation after the Dodgers lost in the playoffs last year,” Olbermann recalls. “He was dreadfully concerned about Clayton Kershaw having thrown too many pitches in the last game. When we talk baseball, it runs the gamut from when he saw Babe Ruth rip his pants during the 1926 World Series — he was in person for that — to Yasiel Puig. There’s no datedness to what he has to say, and that’s the extraordinary thing about him.”

– Jon Weisman

November doings: Greinkes in New York, Kershaw’s Challenge in Dallas

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On November 7, 2014

In Celebrities, Community, Social media

By Jon Weisman

In between winning awards, the Dodgers’ top two pitchers have kept busy this week.

Zack Greinke is in New York for tonight’s Gold Glove award ceremony, and his wife Emily has shared pictures on Instagram of their travels to Rockefeller Center and “Jersey Boys” on Broadway.

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Down in Dallas, Clayton and Ellen Kershaw hosted the city’s first Kershaw’s Challenge event Thursday, featuring guest musician Clay Walker, and there are photos of the event from Instagram as well.

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Mo’ne Davis lights up Dodger Stadium

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On September 2, 2014

In Celebrities

By Jon Weisman

We’ve seen a lot of great first pitches at Dodger Stadium, but not sure any of them popped quite like tonight, when Little League World Series sensation Mo’ne Davis took the mound.

The crowd, which began to roar as Davis was being introduced and before she even emerged from the Dodger dugout, then saw what Dodger catcher Drew Butera called the hardest ceremonial first pitch he had caught. I have to say, it was just really cool to experience.

Davis is a featured guest of an upcoming episode of “The Queen Latifah Show” and was joined by the Queen herself tonight.

See Davis show off her first-pitch form and other photos below.

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Busy pregames at Dodger Stadium: Julius Randle, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Greg Louganis, Rafer Johnson

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On August 25, 2014

In Celebrities, Dodger Stadium, Pregame

NEW YORK METS AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS

By Jon Weisman

Lots of cool names were coming through Dodger Stadium over the past few days, along with another big ThinkCure! Weekend, so I wanted to lasso a sample of it all.

Videos follow. For more highlights from Sunday, visit LA Photog Blog.

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Video: Bryan Cranston is the one who knocks, and Vin Scully answers

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On August 20, 2014

In Celebrities

SAN DIEGO PADRES VS LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Watch as “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston fulfills a lifelong dream of meeting Vin Scully, only to have Scully respond with another surprise.

— Jon Weisman

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Fun before the game with Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig and Jessica Alba

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On August 17, 2014

In Celebrities, Dodger Stadium

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By Jon Weisman

Admittedly, the start of today’s Dodgers-Brewers game wasn’t pretty for the hometown fans, not with Jonathan Lucroy driving in five runs in the first two innings to power Milwaukee to a 7-0 lead over the Dodgers after four. But it was plenty festive inside Dodger Stadium and at Viva Los Dodgers at the historic 76 station beyond center field.

Hanley Ramirez, Yasiel Puig and first-pitch tosser Jessica Alba were among those who put on a show before the show …

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Robin Williams at the Hollywood Stars Game, 1979

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On August 12, 2014

In Celebrities, Dodger Stadium, History

Robin_Williams_hstars79
Robin_Williams_1979_hollywood_starsJoe Siegman sent along these photos of Robin Williams from his first Hollywood Stars Game at Dodger Stadium in 1979, just after the first season of “Mork and Mindy.”

Siegman, author of “Bats, Balls and Hollywood Stars … Hollywood’s Love Affair with Baseball,” told Ben Platt of MLB.com that Williams played as Mork from Ork and brought down the house, including running the bases backward from third to home.

— Jon Weisman

Jeff Bridges bowls a strike at Dodger Stadium

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On August 2, 2014

In Celebrities

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By Jon Weisman

On a night that the Dodgers lost by six runs and Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig and Paul Maholm left with injuries — with A.J. Ellis’ right knee also a trouble spot — there was this bright spot. Jeff Bridges provided one of the most entertaining first pitches I’ve ever seen.

More from Bridges and Brenton Thwaites, star of his movie “The Giver,” below:

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Attendance

1991-2013
Dodgers at home: 1,028-812 (.558695)
When Jon attended: 338-267 (.558677)*
When Jon didn’t: 695-554 (.556)
* includes road games attended

2013
Dodgers at home: 51-35 (.593)
When Jon attended: 5-2 (.714)
When Jon didn’t: 46-33 (.582)

Note: I got so busy working for the Dodgers that in 2014, I stopped keeping track, much to my regret. 

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