President’s Night links

Because the night belongs to links …
Because the night belongs to us …

• ESPNLosAngeles.com’s new Dodger blog, Dodger Report, has launched with the great Tony Jackson at the helm. Here’s his introductory post.
• Here’s video of Vin Scully at Spring Training 1988, supplied by Kevin Kaduk of Big League Stew.
• Today in Jon SooHoo: a nice salute to photographer Herb Scharfman.
• Recently in Jon SooHoo: Darren Dreifort 1998 pretends to be Mike Scioscia 1988.
• Yep, Manny Ramirez and the A’s have agreed to that minor-league deal, for whom he’ll be eligible to play after serving out a 50-game suspension. Here’s reaction and analysis from David Schoenfield of ESPN.com and Eno Sarris of Fangraphs.
• Ned Colletti would like to sign Andre Ethier to a long-term contract, he told Fox in this video interview embedded by Steve Dilbeck of Dodgers Now.
• Steve Yeager has taken the role of special-assignment catching instructor, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
• Kansas City reliever Jonathan Broxton (yep, that looks funny) seems confident enough about the 2012 season, in this Associated Press story.
• As expected, Blake DeWitt has remained in the Cub organization, notes MLB Trade Rumors.
• DodgerFan.net has a roundup of stories on several other new ex-Dodgers, such as Rafael Furcal.
• Dodger minor leaguer Blake Smith was interviewed by Dustin Nosler of Feelin’ Kinda Blue.
• Former Dodger manager Jim Tracy has received, unexpectedly in my mind, an “indefinite” contract extension from Colorado.
• The LFP found a great picture of Frank Howard, Gil Hodges and Gil Hodges Jr. from 1961.
• Keith Olbermann explores a mystery about 1964 Mickey Mantle baseball cards at Baseball Nerd.
• Robert Lipsyte penned a first-person remembrance for the New York Times on the Mets’ first Spring Training, 50 years ago.
• Such sad news: Fox sportscaster Chris Myers’ 19-year-old son died in a car crash last week (via FishbowlLA). Please keep their family and friends in your thoughts.