Ten best Dodger Stadium giveaways of 2016.

The Dodgers announced their 2016 promotional calendar today, and you can read the full list here.

Here are the 10 best stadium giveaways, in no particular order:

Justin Turner chia

Justin Turner has a bushy beard and a long mop of red hair that make you wonder why it took so long for a Justin Turner chia pet to exist. (Associated Press photo)


1. Justin Turner Chia Pet (Saturday, April 30)

This one’s obvious.

2. Dave Roberts bobblehead (Wednesday, May 11)

Strange but true: Roberts played or coached for six different organizations (Red Sox, Giants, Padres, Dodgers, Indians, Tigers) and not ONE major league team has given away a Dave Roberts bobblehead. Two exist, so far as we can tell: One issued by the former Jamestown Jammers (short-season A-ball, his first pro team in the Tigers’ organization) and another by the Lowell Spinners (the Class-A affiliate of the Red Sox).

3. Replica Stadium (Saturday, May 14)

How big is this thing?

4. Welcome Mat (Tuesday, May 17)

The welcome mat could have been given away against a team that never plays the Dodgers. Say, the Boston Red Sox in August, or the Orioles in July. Instead, it’ll be against the Angels, a team that visits Dodger Stadium every year. The implied message: “Welcome to Los Angeles, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim!”

5. Don Newcombe bobblehead (Wednesday, June 8)

Newcombe was the first person ever to win a Cy Young Award.

6. Dusty Baker bobblehead (Wednesday, June 22)

The Nationals are visiting this day. Just curious: If Bud Black had accepted their contract offer, would this be a Bud Black bobblehead instead?

7. 1981 Tri-MVP World Series bobblehead: Ron Cey, Steve Yeager and Pedro Guerrero (Saturday, July 2)

Do the three heads emanate from one body, or one MVP ballot?

8. Socks (Sunday, August 7)

Another one that seems obvious. The Red Sox are in town.

9. Magic Johnson gnome (Sunday, August 14)

Some athletes seem a bit more gnome-able than others. Tommy Lasorda has the, um, necessary physique. The Angels gave away a Jered Weaver gnome a couple years ago. It looked like John Kruk. How will a 6-foot-9 former basketball player look in gnome dimensions? Can’t wait to find out.

10. Headphones (Tuesday, August 23)

This one’s nothing special on the surface, but it invites a cool possibility. Six years ago, the Dodgers gave away a “vintage 1959 transistor radio” at the game so fans could listen to Vin Scully just as they did in the early days of Dodger Stadium. The only thing missing were the headphones, and possibly the batteries. This time, wouldn’t it be something if fans brought their own radios to indulge in a decades-old tradition one last time?

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.