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Arizona State Sun Devils Honor Dustin Pedroia With A Bobblehead

by | Apr 19, 2022 | Sniper Rants

On April 15th, The Arizona State Sun Devils honored one of their best college baseball players in Dustin Pedroia with a bobblehead of his own. Nicknamed Pedey or Laser Show, this Hall of Fame Sun Devil never hit below .347 and had a career average of .384, starting all 185 games. To show his dedication to the ASU baseball program and in order to help ASU recruit better pitchers, Pedroia relinquished the last two years of his athletic scholarship. Given his stellar career at ASU, many scouts took notice of the 5’9 infielder and ultimately was drafted by the Boston Red Sox as the 65th pick in the second round of the 2004 draft. 

After spending 3 years in the Red Sox Minor League system, he was called up as an every day infielder. Pedey’s Red Sox career was absolutely dynamite but lingering injuries halted his progression and was forced to retire. Many Red Sox fans (including myself) were heart broken as there’s no other Red Sox player to ever play with the grit Pedey did. 

The first 1,000 fans in attendance received their Pedroia Sun Devil bobblehead last Friday to highlight his fantastic college baseball career.  From what I was told, these were not easy to snipe as an abundance of fans wanted to keep their memory of Dustin with them. Pedey was actually in attendance and often mingled with fans throughout the game. 

The bobble itself stands 8 inches tall and is VERY well manufactured. The crinkles within his jersey and baseball pants make the collectible much more authentic. Pedey is in a fielding action pose ready to pounce on a ground ball. All of the lettering from his nameplate to his jersey number are all raised. It definitely looks like a much “younger” Pedroia as he’s got a full set of hair. The sponsor emblem reads “Gila River Resorts & Casinos” which I would think that this particular casino had no problem ponying up for this promotion. 

The collectible comes in a plain white box with a clear window opening on the front. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a colored box displaying Pedey photos or his stats at ASU but one can’t argue with a free bobblehead giveaway. This bobblehead was manufactured by bobble factory and I would give this a strong 8.3 rating. The resin material is very heavy and the lettering like mentioned before, is very clean. If the box was more eye appealing, we’re looking at a 9.0+ rating. I’m super happy that the Sun Devils gave this promotional bobblehead out to fans as Pedey had such a great career at ASU and going forward with the Boston Red Sox.

 

Sniper

 

A huge thank you to Bobbles-One with the assist on these bobbles. 

McDowell Scores Big With A Black Jack Bobblehead

by | Apr 12, 2022 | Sniper Rants

MILWAUKEE, WI – Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition bobblehead of former major league pitcher Jack McDowell, who won the American League Cy Young Award in 1993. Nicknamed “Black Jack”, McDowell spent the majority of his career with the Chicago White Sox including three All-Star seasons. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with Jack McDowell and AUTOGRAPH1.

 Wearing a black jersey and cap along with white pinstripe pants, the McDowell bobblehead is getting ready to unleash a pitch. The No. 29 jersey includes the logo of his former band, “Stickfigure,” while the front of the cap features a Jack and Ace of Spades. The backing of the base, which bears McDowell’s name and number, features two large playing cards – the Ace and Jack of Spades. Shop Black Jack Bobblehead

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 1,993 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order and are expected to ship in July.

A California native, McDowell put together a 127-87 record with a 3.85 ERA and 1,311 strikeouts in 12 big-league seasons. Nicknamed “Black Jack,” he finished his career with 13 shutouts and 62 complete games. The right-hander was an All-Star selection in three consecutive seasons from 1991-93 while a member of the Chicago White Sox. A two-time 20-game winner, McDowell won the American League Cy Young Award in 1993 after winning a league-best 22 games and posting a 3.37 ERA. After playing seven seasons with the White Sox in which he was regarded as one of the most dependable pitchers in the game, McDowell played one season with the New York Yankees, two seasons with the Cleveland Indians and two seasons with the Anaheim Angels before retiring.

Drafted by the Boston Red Sox out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, in 1984, McDowell opted not to sign and instead chose to attend Stanford University where he was a two-time All-American and led the Cardinal to the College World Series championship in 1987. He was selected by the White Sox in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1987 MLB Draft and made his big-league debut on September 15, 1987, after only six games in the minor leagues.

Since retiring after the 1999 season, McDowell has coached at various levels. A guitarist, McDowell has also been involved with bands during and after his playing days. His first band, V.I.E.W., toured with The Smithereens in 1992 before disbanding. His second band, Stickfigure, was active from the mid-1990s to 2003.

When asked about the bobblehead, Jack said, “I’m appreciative of more flashbacks of my baseball career and music beginnings.”

“We are excited to release this bobblehead of Jack McDowell, one of the best pitchers of the 1990s,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “While known for his work on the mound, ‘Black Jack’ ranks near the top of the best athlete/musicians.”

Saint Peter’s Incredible Run Continues And The Bobble Hall Celebrates The Peacocks

by | Mar 26, 2022 | Sniper Rants

MILWAUKEE – Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed Saint Peter’s Peacocks bobblehead. This marks the first Saint Peter’s bobblehead and celebrates the Peacocks who have captured the nation’s attention with their Cinderella run in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. With three consecutive shocking upset victories, the Peacocks became the first 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to advance to the Elite Eight. The Saint Peter’s bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of Saint Peter’s University.

 The bobblehead features the Saint Peter’s Peacock in full strut standing on a base bearing the Saint Peter’s name with the Saint Peter’s logo on the backing. The bobbleheads are only available for pre-order through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store and are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. Each bobblehead will be individually numbered and they are expected to ship in August. St. Peters Bobblehead

A private Jesuit University located in Jersey City, New Jersey, with an enrollment of roughly 2,500 undergraduate students, Saint Peter’s automatically qualified for the 2022 NCAA Tournament after beating Monmouth by a score of 60-54 in the championship of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament. In the regular season, the mid-major Peacocks lost six of their first nine games before turning things around. They went 14-6 in conference play and finished as the runner-up to MAAC champion Iona.

Making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, the Peacocks won their first-ever game in the Big Dance when they shocked No. 2 Kentucky in an overtime thriller, 85-79, in a first-round matchup at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Two days later, they became the third No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 when they knocked off No. 7 Murray State in the second round, 70-60. Accomplishing what previous No. 15 seeds Oral Roberts and Florida Gulf Coast University could not in the Sweet 16, Saint Peter’s continued its winning ways on National Peacock Day with a 67-64 victory over No. 3 Purdue at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Led by fourth-year coach Shaheen Holloway, the Peacocks will face No. 8 North Carolina for a spot in the Final Four on Sunday, March 27th.

Saint Peter’s University is the only NCAA Division I school whose mascot is the peacock. It was chosen as the mascot in 1930 by then-dean Father Robert Gannon after the school had been closed for 12 years following World War I. The peacock was a phoenix-like symbol of resurrection and eternal life. The peacock also ties the college to the settling of Jersey City, originally called Pavonia, or “Land of the Peacock.” At one point in the 1960s, live peacocks roamed the campus. In addition to their four NCAA Tournament appearances, the Peacocks have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament 12 times. In 1968, they gained national attention by defeating heavily favored and nationally ranked Duke in the quarterfinals en route to a fourth-place finish.

“We are excited to be producing the first bobblehead of the Saint Peter’s University Peacocks,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The run by Saint Peter’s in the 2022 NCAA Tournament will be talked about for generations and like the rest of the country, we have a case of Peacock Fever!”

The Hall Honors The Defending NCAA Champs Prior To The Big Dance

by | Mar 16, 2022 | Sniper Rants

 

MILWAUKEE –This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled two officially licensed, limited-edition bobbleheads commemorating the school’s first NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship. The release comes ahead of the anniversary of Baylor’s title and as Baylor is setting out to defend its championship when the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off on Thursday. The special edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee and manufacturer of Baylor Bears bobbleheads.

The first bobblehead features Baylor’s mascot, Bruiser, standing on a ladder and holding the net for all to see after cutting it down. The circular base says Baylor Bears and has Baylor’s logo. The second bobblehead features Bruiser giving the No. 1 signal with his right hand, while holding up a copy of the Waco News sports section in his left hand. The paper proclaims BU as CHAMPIONS! Bruiser is standing on a stack of newspapers in which the front page shows the date with the headline “BEARS CAPTURE TITLE.” For both bobbleheads, Bruiser is wearing a Baylor uniform with No. 21 and his name on the back.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,021 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in May, are $30 for the newspaper bobblehead, $35 for the ladder bobblehead, or $60 for the set of two plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. Shop Baylor Bobbleheads

Under 18th-year coach Scott Drew, Baylor finished in first place in the Big 12 Conference with a 13-1 record and earned a No. 1 seed in the South Regional for the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. The Bears rolled to the Sweet 16 with victories over 16th-seeded Hartford, 79-55, and ninth-seeded Wisconsin, 76-63, in the first two rounds. They then beat fifth-seeded Villanova, 62-51, and third-seeded Arkansas, 81-72, to advance to their first Final Four since 1950. In the national semifinals, Baylor drubbed Houston, 78-59, to advance to its first National Championship since 1948. Facing undefeated Gonzaga in the final, Baylor jumped out to an early lead and was never threatened in an 86-70 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium, capping a 28-2 season.

Junior guard Jared Butler was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, while junior guard Davion Mitchell was named to the All-Final Four team. Rounding out the Baylor starting lineup were seniors MaCio Teague and Mark Vital and junior Flo Thamba. Valuable performers off the bench were junior Matthew Mayer and sophomores Adam Flagler and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua.

Baylor followed up its National Championship season with another tremendous regular season campaign this year. The Bears entered post-season play with a 26-5 record and ranked in the top 5 in both polls. Baylor shared the 2021-22 Big 12 men’s basketball regular season title with Kansas after both completed the conference season with a 14-4 record, giving Baylor back-to-back Big 12 regular season crowns. The Bears will set out to defend their National Championship and become the first school to win back-to-back men’s basketball titles since the Florida Gators won in 2006 and 2007.

“Bobbleheads are the perfect way for fans to celebrate their team’s championship forever,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We think Baylor fans will love these bobbleheads celebrating the school’s first men’s basketball title!”

The Bobble Hall Honors The Late Chicago Legendary Broadcaster Les Grobstein

by | Mar 11, 2022 | Sniper Rants

Today, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition official bobblehead to honor longtime Chicago Sports Radio Broadcaster Les Grobstein, who passed away on January 16, 2022 at the age of 69. The bobblehead is being released on March 11, 2022, which would have been Grobstein’s 70th birthday. In addition, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a proclamation declaring March 11, 2022, as Les Grobstein Day. The bobblehead is being produced by the museum in conjunction with Les Grobstein’s family and AUTOGRAPH1 to honor the beloved “Grobber.”

Wearing a press pass around his neck, the smiling Grobstein bobblehead is holding a microphone in his right hand and his trusty tape recorder in his left hand. He is standing on a circular base bearing his name along with the 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) logo. The bobblehead includes sound clips from Grobstein that play at the touch of a button.

Each bobblehead will be individually numbered and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in July 2022, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. Les Grobstein Bobblehead

Grobstein, a Chicago native, had a career that spanned over 50 years on the Chicago airwaves. Grobstein served as 670 The Score’s weeknight overnight host since 2009. In addition to his time spent at 670 The Score, Grobstein was the Sports Director at WLS-AM Radio from 1979-89 and he also worked for WLUP-AM and WMVP-AM. He had worked for Associated Press Broadcasting since 1975 and ABC Sports Radio since 1980. His career play-by-play assignments included the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League, Northwestern University Wildcats basketball, Chicago Hustle women’s basketball, Chicago Sting soccer, Chicago Horizons indoor soccer, UIC Flames basketball and hockey, Chicago Cheetahs roller hockey, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, and many high school football and basketball contests.

A fixture in press boxes for every professional sports team in Chicago and around the country, Grobstein’s claim to fame was recording an infamous obscenity-laced tirade by former Chicago Cubs Manager Lee Elia in 1983 in which he ripped Cubs fans for failing to support the team. The clip remains popular almost 40 years later. Some wondered if Grobstein ever slept since he worked overnights in between covering games. Known for his encyclopedic memory and sports knowledge, Grobstein could remember the first Bears-Packers game he attended as a young fan in 1963. In his life, he attended more than 100 games between the bitter rivals.

Les’ family made the following statement on the release of the bobblehead, “The family is still reeling from the sudden loss of Les, but we are thrilled to see this bobblehead released on his birthday. He was a bobblehead fan and would have loved seeing his bobblehead unveiled today.”

“We are honored to release this bobblehead of Chicago sports legend Les Grobstein,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Just like the rest of his loyal fans, we were saddened by the death of ‘The Grobber’. Sports radio in Chicago, especially overnights, won’t be the same.”

AUTOGRAPH1 Co-Owners Mitch Dubinsky and Steve Gassman said, “When we received the call from National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar to get involved in producing another bobblehead, we were thrilled that it was going to be in honor of Chicago’s very own Les Grobstein.”

Two Olympic Curling Legends Are Honored By The Bobblehead Hall Of Fame

by | Mar 4, 2022 | Sniper Rants

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled limited-edition bobbleheads featuring Team USA curlers Matt Hamilton and John Shuster. Matt Hamilton, who is from McFarland, Wisconsin and is a member of the Madison Curling Club, is being honored with his second bobblehead, with the new version featuring his long hair and new tattoos. This marks the first bobblehead of John Shuster, who resides in Superior, Wisconsin and is a member of the Duluth Curling Club in Duluth, Minnesota.

Hamilton’s new bobblehead features a focused Hamilton in a rock-throwing pose on an oval red, white and blue base bearing his name. The mustachioed Hamilton bobblehead is wearing a hat with USA on the front with his shoulder-length hair flowing behind. Holding a broom in his left hand which showcases his sleeve tattoo on his left arm, he is wearing a blue shirt and white pants along with his multi-colored shoes, which were all the rage at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Shuster’s bobblehead features the skip on an oval red, white and blue base holding a broom in his left hand while celebrating his team’s victory. Both bobbleheads include removable gold medals. 

Each bobblehead, which also includes a removable gold medal, is individually numbered to 2,022 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in July, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. Purchase Here

 John Shuster led Team USA to the country’s first gold medal in curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics and has now played in five straight Winter Olympics. Shuster was chosen as one of two United States flag bearers for the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Olympics. Matt Hamilton helped Team USA bring home a gold medal from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after helping Team Schuster win five straight must-win matches. Hamilton’s first bobblehead, which was released following the 2018 gold medal performance, was the first curling bobblehead ever produced and honored the first curling gold medal for Team USA in Olympics history.

 In Beijing for the 2022 Olympics, Team Schuster was unable to defend their title after winning gold in 2018. The Americans went home without a medal after losing the bronze-medal game to Canada, 8-5. Despite being unable to duplicate the success from 2018, Team USA still got people talking about curling. Hamilton, who received his last haircut four years ago, said he would be cutting his hair for charity in March. Working with stachestrong.org, a nonprofit group that raises money for brain cancer research, Hamilton planned to cut off his hair and donate it to a children’s wig foundation while raising money for StacheStrong. “Every dollar that goes to them goes into the charity,” Hamilton said in an interview. “So, I’m just super stoked to be a part of it. And with the mustache myself, I felt like I was a good representative.”

 “We are excited to release two new bobbleheads featuring two curling legends—Matt Hamilton and John Shuster,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We received many requests for a bobblehead featuring Matt’s new hair and tattoos and a bobblehead of John Shuster, and we’re thrilled to be teaming up with both of them to make these new bobbleheads available for fans.”