My family has felt a special connection to Casey Blake. My two oldest children have run on the field before the game at Dodger Stadium, and each time it was the Bearded One who autographed their baseballs.So even though their attention to the Dodgers is limited, it will be sad for me to break the news to them that Blake has apparently played his final game as a Dodger:... Blake is having season-ending surgery to repair a pinched nerve in his neck.Blake did not travel to Pittsburgh for the Dodgers' game against the Pirates on Thursday, remaining in Los Angeles to have tests in advance of the operation Tuesday.Blake has been bothered by the nerve and a cervical strain much of the season, and missed time with an elbow infection and back spasms. He hit .252 with four home runs and 26 RBIs