Bob Uecker Made Himself the Butt of His Own Jokes But He Hit 3 HR Against Hall of Fame Pitchers

 

Former MLB player and broadcaster, actor and comedian Bob Uecker passed away at the age of 90. Uecker had been diagnosed with cancer two years ago.

Nicknamed "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson, Uecker made a career out of making fun of his limited ability on the field through his appearances on The Tonight Show, in Miller Lite commercials, the TV sitcom Mr. Belvedere and the Major League movie franchise. 

Despite all of that public acclaim, he was happiest as the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers, a position he held from 1971 through 2024. In 2003, Uecker received the Ford C. Frick Award earning his place into the Baseball Hall of Fame delivering one of the most memorable induction speeches ever given. 

Yet for his all his self-effacing humor, Uecker was not as bad a ball player as he made himself out to be. Yes, his career numbers aren't impressive. Over six MLB seasons, Uecker played in 297 games collecting 146 hits for a lifetime batting average of .200 with 14 HR and 74 RBI. But his career was not without its highlights.

Originally with his hometown Milwaukee Braves, Uecker would earn a World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964. Prior to the 1966 season, the Cardinals would trade Uecker to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Dick Groat and Bill White in exchange for Pat Corrales, Alex Johnson and Art Mahaffey. Uecker would enjoy his best season while in a Phillies belting a career high 7 HR and 30 RBI in 78 games played behind the plate. His final big-league season came in 1967 which he split with the Phillies and Braves who by this time had moved to Atlanta.

Although Uecker only hit 14 HR over his MLB career - he hit three of them off future Hall of Fame pitchers.  His 2 HR during the 1965 season came off of Gaylord Perry and Sandy Koufax. Uecker's first HR of the 1966 season came off Fergie Jenkins although hardly anyone saw it. Only 4,053 fans were in attendance at Wrigley Field that day. A few more fans saw Uecker take Ken Holtzman deep the following day when 4,495 fans watched Uecker and the Phillies crush the Cubs 12-0.

Despite that HR against Koufax, Uecker only hit .184 (7 for 38) in his career. Yet in 1965, Uecker somehow hit. 400 against Koufax (6 for 15). Mind you, this was the season when Koufax went 26-8 with a 2.04 ERA while setting a NL record for strikeouts with 382 (a record which still stands) en route to the second of his three career NL Cy Young Awards. Uecker accounted for three of those 382 strikeouts and yet somehow managed to find a way to get as many hits off Koufax that year as Willie Mays. Yes, you read that correctly.

Nevertheless, the public perception of Uecker was that he was a failure as a baseball player - a perception he perpetuated to great success. Yet people identified with him because most of us experience failure more often than success. Uecker found a way to laugh about it and make us laugh with him in the process. R.I.P.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar was announced today.

The framework is similar to what was proposed in May 2024 with the ceasefire working in three stages. The first phase which is due to begin on January 19th would see a third of the hostages released in exchange for aid to Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners over a six-week period. The second phase will see additional hostages released in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egyptian border. The third and final phase will be a permanent ceasefire though what that would look like is anyone's guess. 

So here is the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good part is that Israel is bringing home the hostages. Hopefully most of these hostages will still be alive. Those who are not can be properly laid to rest.

The bad part is that the hostages won't be released all at once. When the American hostages were released from Tehran that was it. There is still plenty which can go wrong as this deal is being implemented. In five days, Donald Trump returns to the White House and could undo all the work the Biden Administration has spent months laying down the groundwork to reach an agreement. And let us please not forget that Hamas is and always has been a terrorist organization. 

Which brings me to the ugly part. Hamas can rebuild and perpetuate more October 7th attacks. Money and materials intended for humanitarian aid will rebuild tunnels and smuggle arms while many of the Palestinian prisoners to be released will be part of the next wave of terrorists whose sole mission in life is to kill Jews in the hope of wiping Israel off the face of the Earth. The more often it happens the more the world will sympathize with Hamas and want Israel to disappear. Frankly, if the Trump Administration comes to view Hamas as the strong horse and Israel as the weak horse then they will change horses in midstream. 

The sad part is this is probably the best deal which could have been made given the parties involved. All of which means that any further deals of this nature to be made years down the road will very likely be much, much worse.

President Biden to America: Now It's Your Turn to Stand Guard & Be Keeper of the Flame

 

I watched President Biden's farewell address with a sense of sadness and futility only to be buoyed by a clarion call to stand guard.

In a 20-minute address, Biden began with today's announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. I won't elaborate much about the deal as I plan to write about this in a separate post. But Biden noted it would be the responsibility of the Trump Administration to implement it and made a point of saying great pains were taken to ensure the incoming administration was kept apprised of developments as they will own this deal in five days.

Biden may have delivered his address in the Oval Office, but he might as well have been standing on Ellis Island because he spoke at length about the Statue of Liberty and how she sways back and forth but never falls. 

However, I could not help but think of the famous scene at the conclusion of the original Planet of the Apes when Charlton Heston sees the severed Statue of Liberty and his fall to his knees shouting, "Damn you all to hell!!!"

Indeed, Biden acknowledged that it would take time for his achievements in office to be felt in its full impact but said that the seeds were blossoming. Yet chances are the second Trump Administration will uproot those seeds and burn the ground which grows them.

Of course, Biden did not ignore the threats facing democracy - the emergence of an American oligarchy and a tech industrial complex and how it is promoting disinformation while undermining freedom of the press. Yet at the same time, he wished success to the incoming Trump presidency which will not only exacerbate these threats but welcome them with open arms.

Yes, I understand President Biden is committed to the peaceful transfer of power as expressed through the will of the American people. Right or wrong (and I say wrong), we chose Donald Trump. That choice must be respected even if we will soon face the consequences of whom we have chosen.

There were a laundry list of things Biden wants us to do - reform the tax code, prohibit members of Congress from trading stock, pass a constitutional amendment stating the President is not immune from the crimes he committed while he was in office and pass a constitutional amendment on what Biden appeared to suggest limiting Supreme Court justices to a term of 18 years. None of these things will ever come to pass while Donald Trump is in the White House. 

But there was one thing President Biden asked of us which is more than fair. "Now it's your turn to stand guard. May you all be the keeper of the flame."

The light of democracy in this country is not yet extinguished despite the outcome of the election. We still have some free will. The question remains is how we keep the flame. Do we use the flame to shed light and acknowledge the light is good? Or do we use the flame to burn down all we have built and built back better until the light is extinguished?

Donald Trump will return to the White House. But it is President Biden who has thrown down the gauntlet.

I'm Not Exactly Comforted by the Fact Nearly Half of All Adults in the World Hate Jews

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a survey which concluded that nearly half of all adults in the world (46%) have deeply held anti-Semitic beliefs. That's an estimated 2.2. billion people and is nearly double the figure it was when the ADL first began conducting this survey in 2014. 

Mind you, this survey was conducted among 58,000 people in 103 countries and the results are skewed to some degree. There's a world of difference in anti-Semitism in Russia (62% or 71.1 million people) and Ukraine (36% or 11.2 million people). Or Saudi Arabia (92% or 21.8 million people) and Sweden (5% or 416,000 people).

Yet anti-Semitism is on the rise on Sweden and the rise occurred after Hamas attack against Israel. The fact that people in Sweden and elsewhere hate Jews more after Jews were taken hostage, raped and murdered does not bode well for civilized society. 

Despite the fact that anti-Semitism is far more prevalent in some countries than in others, it is in ascendance with more room to grow. This has been laid bare by the events of October 7th. In Australia, one in five adults harbor deeply rooted anti-Semitic attitudes. These attitudes are coming home to roost with increasing acts of arson against Australian synagogues. I'm afraid it won't be long before we see deadly attacks against Jews who worship at these synagogues. 

What is especially troublesome is that adults under 35 are more likely to exhibit anti-Semitic sentiments than adults over 50. By 2035, perhaps 60% of the world's adult population will admit to hating Jews. I shudder to think what life will be like for Jews when those adults now under 35 come of age and attain political power. 

Mind you, I have long held a bad feeling that Jews will be vulnerable once all Holocaust survivors are no more and no one remaining to tell succeeding generations of what happened to them. Indeed, I believe this is already under way. More than half of all adults in the world (52%) either a) don't know about the Holocaust b) don't believe it happened or c) believe it has been exaggerated. 

It would therefore not shock me that by the end of my lifetime that Jews in most parts of the world including the United States will have a subjugated legal status and be restricted in employment, housing and participation in public life. Nor would it shock me that when my life does come to an end my cause of death will be as a result of being a Jew. 

Should this come to pass, I would rather die standing than to live on my knees.

What Do New England Patriots Fans Expect of Mike Vrabel Next Season?

As widely expected, the New England Patriots have hired Mike Vrabel to be their new head coach replacing Jerod Mayo who was fired after a single season. 

Here is what I wrote earlier this month after the Pats dropped Mayo amid speculation that Vrabel was waiting in the wings:

I think Patriots fans accustomed to Super Bowl championship parades expected too much of Mayo and turned their wrath on him the moment they saw he wasn't the second coming of Belichick chanting "Fire Mayo" during last week's final home game.

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who earned three Super Bowl rings with the Pats, is widely expected to succeed Mayo as head coach. That is unless the New York Jets beat them to the punch.

But let's suppose that the Pats hire Vrabel, and they go 4-13 again next season? Will they be looking for a new coach at this time next year? Or would Vrabel get a pass on account of the color of his skin? 

So, what do Pats fans expect of Vrabel next season? Do they expect the Pats to win the AFC East with their current level of talent? Will they run him out of town should they go 4-13, 5-12 or 6-11? Or are they willing to give Vrabel the kind of slack they weren't prepared to give to Mayo? If that is the case, then why does this attitude prevail? I wish I could discount race as a factor, but I'm afraid I cannot.

Well, we will have our answer at this time a year from now.

Trump's Greenland Gambit is About Weakening NATO & Strengthening Russia

President-elect Donald Trump has been talking a great deal about the U.S. wresting control of Greenland. 

Some like Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy see Trump's talk about Greenland as well as calling Canada the 51st state and reclaiming the Panama Canal as "a distraction".

Well, Denmark certainly isn't viewing Trump's talk as a distraction which has included taking the island by force. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed his desire to make nice with the incoming Trump Administration:

We agree that the Americans have certain concerns about the security situation in the Arctic, which we share and therefore in close cooperation with Greenland, we are ready to continue talks with the incoming U.S. president, in order to ensure legitimate American interests.

Trump has not been sworn back into the White House and yet Denmark is ready indulge him on Greenland. I wish the Danish government had taken a page out of U.S. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe and told him, "NUTS!" 

Unfortunately, the reality is that Denmark cannot defend Greenland without U.S. security guarantees via NATO. And as we all know Trump has nothing but contempt for NATO. Indeed, the incoming President of the United States last week publicly sympathized with Russian opposition to Ukraine joining NATO. 

If the U.S. were to purchase Greenland from Denmark it would have the effect of a) weakening NATO and b) strengthening Russia. After all, Russia has its own claims in the Arctic namely the Lomonosov Ridge which is also claimed by Denmark as an extension of Greenland as well as by Canada. A pro-Putin Trump Administration is more likely to be sympathetic to claims by Russia than Canada and Denmark. 

While Russian diplomats have advised Trump against his ambitions in Greenland, Russian state TV floated the idea of Russia and the U.S. sharing Greenland and is popular amongst the Russian commentariat. So, it could go one way or the other. Putin and Trump divvying up Greenland might soften the blow of the failure to conquer Ukraine. 

Why Did the Red Sox Give Up on Felix Mantilla Prior to the 1966 Season?

Former MLB player Felix Mantilla passed away yesterday at the age of 90.

The Puerto Rican born utility player signed with the Boston Braves prior to the 1952 season. When he reached the majors in 1956, the Braves had moved to Milwaukee.

In 1957, Mantilla would earn a World Series ring as the Braves bested the New York Yankees in seven games. Mantilla also played in the Yankees-Braves World Series rematch the following year although this time the Yankees would prevail in seven games.

Mantilla established a reputation as a "good field, no hit" player who could play all infield and outfield positions during his six seasons in Milwaukee. However, the Braves would leave Mantilla unprotected and the New York Mets would select him in the 1962 expansion draft. Here is where Mantilla's career began to really get interesting.

Although the 1962 Mets are regarded as among the worst teams in MLB history (that is until the 2024 Chicago White Sox came along), Mantilla acquitted himself quite well primarily playing third base. Appearing in 141 games, Mantilla hit .275 with 11 HR and 59 RBI. While those numbers aren't Earth shattering, his 59 RBI were second best on the team with Frank Thomas leading the club with 94. 

Following the 1962 season, the Mets traded Mantilla to the Boston Red Sox for Pumpsie Green, Tracy Stallard and Al Moran. Green, of course, was the first African-American player to suit up for the Red Sox while Stallard is best remembered for surrendering Roger Maris' then AL single-season record 61st HR in 1961. During the 1963 season, Mantilla was again relegated to being a utility player. However, he hit .315 in 66 games. 

Yet no one would be prepared for what Mantilla did with the Red Sox in 1964. Mantilla, who had hit 35 career homeruns between 1956 and 1963, blasted a career high 30 HR. Only first baseman Dick Stuart hit more (33) for the Bosox in 1964, but Mantilla hit his 30 HR with 180 fewer plate appearances. Mantilla finished 9th in the AL in HR in 1964. 

No one (and I mean no one) had Felix Mantilla slugging 30 HR on their AL bingo card that season. However, Mantilla loved hitting at Fenway Park where pop flies in other parks would end up in the Green Monster in Fenway. Mantilla hit 19 of his 30 HR that year at the friendly confines. He also hit .330 at Fenway as opposed to .245 on the road.

In 1965, Mantilla's HR total fell from 30 to 18. However, his RBI total jumped from 64 to a team leading 92. In fact, Mantilla's 92 RBIs in 1965 were 4th in the AL behind only Tony Oliva, Willie Horton and the recently departed Rocky Colavito. Mantilla would also be selected to his first and only All-Star Team in 1965.

Yet during spring training in 1966, the Red Sox abruptly traded Mantilla to the Houston Astros for Eddie Kasko. The official explanation for the trade was that the team wanted youth. But Eddie Kasko was a young player who was three years older than Mantilla.

Kasko only played 58 games for the Red Sox, but would become a fixture with their organization becoming a minor league manager between 1967 and 1969 before being named Red Sox skipper in 1970 in a tenure which lasted through the 1973 season. Kasko then spent the next 20 years with the Red Sox in various capacities in their scouting department most notably signing Roger Clemens.

As for Mantilla, he was relegated to being a utility player with the Astros and asked for his release after hitting only .219 in 1966. Mantilla would sign with the Chicago Cubs in 1967 but would sustain a career ending Achilles tendon injury. 

Had the Red Sox held onto Mantilla and assuming he did not sustain the career ending injury, he would have been part of the 1967 Impossible Dream Team which won the AL pennant. Would Mantilla's presence have been the difference in Game 7 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals? Well, perhaps not. Mantilla fared no better against Bob Gibson than anyone else in the '67 Red Sox lineup outside of Yaz hitting a career .125 against the future Hall of Fame pitcher. But outside of Elston Howard, hardly anyone on the 1967 Red Sox knew what it was like to play in a World Series. In any case, Mantilla was productive for his three seasons in a Red Sox uniform, and they just cast him away like he had never done anything for them. 

In 11 MLB seasons, Mantilla played in 969 games collecting 707 hits for a lifetime batting average of .261 with 89 HR and 330 RBI. After his playing career, Mantilla returned to Milwaukee where he became instrumental in promoting little league baseball in the city. R.I.P.