What a nice perk.  Featured above is a vintage March 1960 press photo from the Bahamas News Bureau featuring numerous members of the LA Dodgers front office and personnel as they are about to embark on a brief one-day excursion to the Bahamas.  They are about to board the Dodgers private plane for the trip.  BTW, via BSmile on twitter, we find out that today marks the anniversary of when they first got the plane in 1957.

Below are more links to check out:

• The Hall of Fame announcement is coming on Wednesday, so there are stories galore about who will or won't get in.  Apparently, former Dodger catcher Mike Piazza appears to be finally headed to Cooperstown.  Via Lyle Spencer at MLB.com, "Piazza's Hall of Fame call may be coming soon."

A Hall of Fame selection by the Veterans Committee in 1997, Lasorda bristled with the suggestion that drafting Piazza was as a personal favor. He claimed this big kid had the power and the will to make it. So began the journey.

"I don't deserve credit for anything Michael did on a baseball field," Lasorda recently said. "He did it the old-fashioned way, with hard work and perseverance. He made himself into a great player with his desire and commitment."

• Via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA, "Hard tickets no longer a free option for season ticket holders."  This sucks, but I'm not surprised.
• Over the weekend more details about Maeda's contract started to come into focus.  Via Joel Sherman on twitter:

If it matters, heard guarantee on Maeda’s deal with #Dodgers is 8yrs at $25M, not $24M. Gambling on self with tons of performance bonuses

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) January 2, 2016

So, it's an heavily incentive-based contract filled will loads of bonuses.  I certainly hope he earns every one.

• Via AJ Cassavell at MLB.com, "History suggests Maeda will be a good value."
• Via Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider, "Kenley Jansen and J.P. Howell form unlikely combo."

As dissimilar as Jansen and Howell might appear, they share a unique bond that works so well that they have a name for their combination: “Cookies n’ Cream.”

“I’m the cookie, you’re the cream,” Jansen said to Howell.

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Geren on Roberts: 'He'll make me better'"

"I like the idea of a young manager leaning on me, having an opportunity to help him and also learning from Doc," said Geren. "We have a group of general managers, all extremely bright, and you know they will bring quality players in year after year. It's the whole package, and New York was a lot of the same.

"This will be the first time I've worked with a younger and less experienced manager, and that's appealing. I was a catching instructor, and I consider myself a teacher. I feel I can make him better, and he'll make me better by challenging me."