Watch Jamey Carroll, even when he grounds out and you can tell what kind of baseball player he is. He drops the bat and races full speed through the bag. It sounds like nothing special, but when there are 162 games in a season, injuries and other issues, full speed isn’t always what you see.

Not for Carroll. For his passion and play, the Dodger players selected him as the winner of the Fifth Annual Roy Campanella Award.

Carroll was given the award during a dual-purpose news conference on Sept. 23. The Dodgers Dream Foundation, California State University, Northridge and the Campanella family have joined in a long-term partnership that will ensure the legacy of the Hall of Fame catcher for years to come. The DDF will make an annual financial contribution to support the Roy and Roxie Campanella Physical Therapy Scholarship Endowment at CSUN while also providing an internship opportunity within the Dodgers’ medical department each season for a student from the university’s physical therapy program.

Joni Campanella Roan, the Dodger legend’s daughter, presented the Campanella Award, which is given to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher, to Carroll during the press conference.

“This past offseason, when I had an opportunity to head into free agency, I was hoping to have an opportunity to play for an organization that was rich in history and a place where I could be surrounded by the true aura of baseball,” said Carroll. “When the opportunity came to put this jersey on, I was extremely thankful.”

Carroll said he was humbled that his teammates selected him for the award.

“To stand up here today and have my name somewhat in the little bit associated with (Campanella) is an extreme honor,” said Carroll. “I’m very grateful for my teammates who just give me the opportunity to play hard. When I walk away from the game, I want to be known as a good teammate and a guy who left it all out there, and when you get something like this voted by your teammates, you kind of have an understanding that what you do is appreciated.”

For the second time in three seasons, Dodger first baseman James Loney is the team’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. The award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who combines a dedication to giving back to the community with outstanding skills on the baseball field.

 

Loney, who leads the Dodgers in RBI and doubles and whose .998 fielding percentage this year is tied for second in franchise history, has also given time and energy to causes off the field, most notably his “Loney’s Lounge” program.

 

“The most rewarding thing for me is not signing autographs or pictures, but just talking to the kids and getting to see other people and hopefully motivate them to one day feel the same way,” said Loney on why he gives. “A lot of people assume that if they’re not high-profile, they can’t make an impact. But anybody can. It’s just a matter of wanting to do it.”

 

Loney has hosted kids from the Los Angeles Reviving Baseball in Inner-Cities program at several home games for the past three seasons. The kids watch batting practice from the field, receive a “Loney’s Lounge” T-shirt, meet and take photos with Loney and watch the game from the Baseline Box Seats. He also hosted the annual “Loney’s Lounge” video game party at Dodger Stadium and was joined this year by teammates Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Kenley Jansen and A.J. Ellis. The 26-year-old first baseman is a product of the Houston RBI program.

 

“A lot of guys around baseball try to give back,” said Loney. “Maybe it’s a charity that becomes important because someone in their family is affected. For me, RBI was a great experience. I got to go to Disneyworld at a young age (15) and played against different countries. It was an unforgettable experience.”

 

Loney also hosted the Dodgers Dream Foundation Charity Bowling Extravaganza for the third consecutive year. The event raised more than $110,000 for the Dodgers Dream Foundation. During the season, he also visited 50 kids at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton and took part in a calendar photo shoot with children from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, with the goal of finding permanent homes for those children.

 

Loney was the ideal representative for the Dodgers when the organization was honored at the Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular this year.

 

Fans get a say in the Clemente award voting. You can vote for Loney at www.chevy.com/clemente. The winner of the fan poll receives one vote among those cast by the selection panel, which includes Hall of Famers, past recipients, Commissioner Selig and Vera Clemente, wife of the late Roberto Clemente who gave throughout his baseball career, even in death when the plane he rode in trying to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua in 1972 crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico.

Hanging out in the hardware store doesn’t sound appealing to Dodger Hall of Fame Broadcaster Vin Scully. He recalled the 1994 baseball strike and how bored he was sitting at home. That thought was one of the reasons the Scully decided that he would come back for an unprecedented 62nd season.

 

“It wasn’t one of those things where you lose sleep at night, but you do think, ‘What do I do if I don’t do this?'” said Scully. “And I remember my mom and dad back in New Jersey, they would look out the window and guess whether they were going to see a Ford or Chevy go by and I used to think, ‘Whoa.’ And during the strike back in ’94, I’d play golf every day and that got old. Then I’d go and have lunch with people and that got old. And then I found myself spending an awful lot of time in the hardware store looking at nuts and bolts and screws and that was on my mind and I thought, ‘Not yet. As long as you feel the way you feel, not yet.'”

 

He will continue to call all Dodger home games and road games against National League West opponents.  His 61 years of service with the Dodgers is the longest tenure of any broadcaster in sports history. There was speculation, though, that the beloved broadcaster would not return next season.

 

“There was a story in the paper that said, ‘Only Scully knows,’ but that’s incorrect,” said Scully. “Only God knows just how long I’ll continue to work. But I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be with the Dodgers for all these years. It’s a marvelous organization. The game of baseball I love with all my heart and soul and I found in the deep recesses of my mind that I did not want to sever the relationship.”

 

Scully began his baseball broadcasting career in 1950, and since then has gone on to call three perfect games, 19 no-hitters, 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games. He was also at the microphone for Kirk Gibson’s miraculous Game 1 walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series, Hank Aaron’s record-setting 715th home run, Barry Bonds’ record-

breaking 71st, 72nd and 73rd home runs and the record-breaking scoreless-inning streaks of Dodger greats Don Drysdale and Orel Hershiser. In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

 

“I’ve had a love affair with this game since I was I guess 8 or 9 years old and I tried to play it and I realized how hard it is to play it on the level the Major Leaguers play,” said Scully. “And I’ve been intrigued by their abilities, that plus the love of the game still produces goosebumps and I think that might be my thermometer. Every time there’s a good play — the other night when the kid at second base threw the ball to first behind his back I had goosebumps like it was the first big league game I’d ever seen. And I went home thinking, ‘Holy mackerel, it’s still deep inside of me, this love for the game.'”

By Andrea Metcalf, contributor to Oprah.com
While the weather is still beautiful, getting outside and taking a few deep breaths might help lower your blood pressure.  

Whether you are taking a walk to the park or sitting on a lawn chair, research suggests breathing that slowly for a few minutes a day is enough to help some people lower their blood pressure. 

By reducing stress in your life and taking time for yourself, you’ll lengthen your lifespan by 3-5 years according to research.  

There are Dodger Dogs and then there are Dodger dogs. For the first time in Dodger Stadium history, both are part of the experience. On Saturday, Aug. 21, the Dodgers will hold their inaugural Bark in the Park at Dodger Stadium, presented by Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. Fans that purchase a special event ticket in the All-You-Can-Eat Right Field Pavilion are invited to bring their dogs to the park and help cheer on their home team as the Dodgers host the Cincinnati Reds at 7:10 p.m.

 

Part of the festivities includes a pregame “Pup Rally” in Parking Lot G between the Left and Right Field Pavillions. Each pup and their owners will check in at this location and receive a goodie bag. Fans can participate in contests and watch a rally featuring skateboarding dog Tillman. After the “Pup Rally” fans will parade around the warning track of the field with their dogs.

 

The Dodgers will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles.

 

Basically, Dodger fans can bring their Dodger dogs to the game and eat some Dodger Dogs in the pavilion, while watching some other dog lovers.

 

Andre Ethier has a dog named Lil Wayne. Jonathan Broxton has six dogs. Russell Martin has a boxer. And Joe Torre has a pair of dogs of his own.

 

All dog owners must bring a copy of a current rabies vaccination document from a licensed veterinarian and all dogs must wear an ID tag to the game and be accompanied by someone 18 years or older.

Save $125 on one ticket to a Dodger game.

 

Yes, it’s true.

 

Say you want to sit in the Field Level MVP section at Dodger Stadium and want to take a child. You pay the regular price of $130, and the child, 14 and under, gets in for just $5.

 

Beginning July 19, with the purchase of every adult ticket on the Field or Loge Levels, kids 14 and under are just $5. That includes some of the best seats in the house, even behind home plate. Two hours prior to each home game, families can purchase up to two $5 kids tickets per paying adult at the Dodger Stadium Box Offices. The promotion will be available for every remaining home game, based on availability.

 

Think of what you can do with the savings.

By Andrea Metcalfe, contributor to Oprah Magazine

 

Swapping out foods with high calories and little nutrition for lower calorie versions are one way to help you lose weight.  You may find that the simple switches are not only easy to do, but ones that you’ll really like too!

                 

This                                         Not That                                             Savings

Medium Sweet potato              Medium White Potato                           50 calories

Slice Avocado                          Slice Cheddar cheese                           50 calories

Baked Kettle Potato Chips       Potato Chips                                        50 calories

KFC Grilled Chicken Breast     Extra Crispy KFC Chicken Breast        210 calories

Starbucks Caffe Misto              Starbucks Caffe Latte                           80 calories

Reduced Fat Ranch Dressing    Ranch Dressing                                    60 calories

Fresh diced apples 2 oz            Dried Craisins 2 oz                               150 calories

Iced tea with truvia                   Lemonade                                            150 calories

English muffin                           Bagel                                                    80 calories

 

Remember fruits and vegetables are always a great choice and every calorie counts.

 

Few celebrity Dodger fans have made their allegiance to the team more noticeable than Alyssa Milano.

 

Heck, the tagline on her own web site reads “peace, love and baseball.”

 

You can read all about her love of the Dodgers on her own MLBlog at Alyssa.mlblogs.com.

 

So far this year, she has touched on her Opening Day experience, her obsession with Twitter and “Touch,” her signature clothing line of team apparel for female baseball fans.

 

You can see pictures of her “Touch” collection at her MLBlog. You can also get a list of 20 of her favorite Twitter sites.

Yes, they were nervous, thinking, “I don’t know if I could do this.” But they did and they held their own.

 

On May 31, three winners from the Dodgers’ free fan club, Women in Blue, each called an inning of the game with Ken Levine, the co-host of DodgerTalk on Talkradio 790 KABC.

 

The trio — Michelle Visco (first inning), April Garcia (second inning) and Robbie McGraw (third inning) — won the opportunity to call the game simply by signing up for the contest on the Women in Blue web page on Dodgers.com. The three of them received free tickets to the game and made their calls from the Vin Scully Press Box — just a few feet away from the booth where the Hall of Famer broadcasts Dodger games.

 

“I’m so excited,” said Garcia after her broadcast, which included her calling a Manny Ramirez home run. “I can’t wait to share it with my family and friends.”

 

Said Visco about Women in Blue and the opportunity to call the game, “I love this because I think most women don’t understand baseball. They need just a little education and they also come out to see the good-looking guys.”

 

McGraw, who called the inning on her birthday, summed it up this way: “Scary, but in a good way.”

 

All of the broadcasts are put on Dodgers.com where the public can vote on who the best is. The contest consists of six entry periods and ends Aug. 22. A grand-prize winner will receive four Field Level tickets and a guest appearance on DodgerTalk with co-hosts Levine and Josh Suchon.

By Andrea Metcalf, Contributing Writer to OPRAH.com

-Rev up your metabolism with strength training. Muscles are metabolic tissues, which means they burn calories, even when you sleep. Plus they support your framework and take up less space.

-Try adding in some pushups or situps when you wake up in the morning, or squats with a gallon of milk to help strengthen those muscles and bones.

-The best core toner is the bicycle oblique move.