I realize that the photo above has nothing to do with Baseball or even specifically the Dodgers, but it was taken at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.  Featured above is an in-action composite photograph of an vivacious and energetic Marilyn Monroe kicking a soccer ball to open an international friendly between the Israeli team and an American All-Star squad, dated May 13, 1957.  (Auction Link Here)  As you can see in the AP press wire photo, Marilyn strikes the ball with all the gusto of a pro.  BTW, this photo recently sold on eBay for $412.00.  Wow!

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1989 the Dodgers traded Mike Marshall and Alejandro Peno to the Mets for infielder Juan Samuel.  In 2005 thew Dodgers signed free agent outfielder Kenny Loften.
• Happy Birthday, Fred Merkle & Snooks Dowd!
• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider puts together his list of, "The 10 best Dodger relievers of the 21st century."
• Via Dan Itel at the San Luis Obispo Tribune; "Arroyo Grande’s Ryan Teixeira visited by Dodgers star Justin Turner at hospital."

Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Justin Turner paid Teixeira — the former Arroyo Grande High School baseball star and 2015 graduate who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in September, his second cancer diagnosis in the past year — a visit at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Turner surprised Teixeira, a rabid Dodgers fan, at the Los Angeles hospital where he awaits a bone marrow transplant scheduled for early January.

“It was a great experience,” Teixeira said in a phone interview Saturday. “I’m still shocked by it.”

• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA; "Trevor Oaks – Flying high (and fast) under the radar."

Oaks took his under-the-radar progression in stride and maintained a positive attitude while most of the focus and attention was elsewhere within the Dodgers organization.

“I feel like there’s a lot of buzz around people sometimes and your job is to go out there and pitch. So that’s what I do and I just try to be as efficient as I can,” said Oaks. “I’m not going to throw a hundred miles an hour but I’m going to get my team to seven or eight innings every time and get you a W.”

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com; "Dodgers going 'all-in' with Dominican academy: Team making major improvements at Campo Las Palmas facility."  This is the kind of stuff I like hearing.

"With the new CBA [Collective Bargaining Agreement] and everyone limited as to how much you can spend there [on players], we think the competitive edge is in facilities, instruction and training," said Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten. "We are going all-in on the best, state-of-the-art complex."