Imai, Okert & Santa Get 5th Combined No-Hitter in History of Houston Astros

(AP: From left to right - Alimber Sanchez, catcher Christian Vazquez, Tatsuya Imai and Steven Okert)

On Monday night, three Houston Astros pitchers - Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa - combined for a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers prevailing 9-0.

Imai pitched six innings with Okert pitching an inning with Santa pitching the final two innings in his major league debut. 

It marks the first no-hitter in MLB since September 2024 when Chicago Cubs pitchers Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge threw a combined no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

It is the 18th no-hitter in Astros history. The last Astros no-hitter took place in April 2024 when Ronel Blanco tossed one against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Of further note, this is the fifth combined no-hitter in Astros history which is by far the most in MLB history. In 2003, six Astros pitchers (Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, the late Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner) combined for a no-hitter against the New York Yankees. In 2019, four Astros hurlers (Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski) combined for a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.

Two more combined no-hitters would follow in 2022. In a case of déjà vu all over again, the Astros would use multiple pitchers to no-hit the Yankees. This time they only needed three pitchers (Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly) to pull it off. Then Javier and Pressly would be involved in a second combined no-hitter along with Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero. Only this time it was in Game 4 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It should also be noted that Christian Vazquez who caught tonight's combined no-hitter also caught the combined World Series no-hitter.

Although the Astros have a subpar 24-31 record thus far in 2026, the no-no gives them four straight wins and victories in 7 of their last 10 games. Despite their record, the Astros are only 3½ games back of the Athletics who are leading the AL West with a .500 record. Perhaps this combined no-hitter will further their momentum in the AL West.

Danielle Smith's Disingenuous Alberta Independence Referendum Question

 

Last Thursday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced  the province would vote on if they wanted to have a referendum on whether to remain in Canada or become independent.

The vote is set for October 19th.

The problem, of course, is the deliberate ambiguity of the question:

Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?

Now let's compare that question to one of the other questions on the referendum ballot:

Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King's Bench and Appeal courts?

The latter question is a singular question which will elicit a yes or no response. On this question, Albertans will either say want the Canadian Constitution amended to allow the provinces to select justices to the provincial courts or they will say no.

As to the question of independence, however, there are two questions being asked. The first question asks if Alberta should remain a province of Canada while the second asks if Alberta should hold a province wide referendum regarding separation. But Albertans are being asked to give a single yes or no answer to two separate and distinct questions.

If Smith was being honest, then she would have cut the portion which reads "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada". But this is Danielle Smith we are talking about. The last thing she wants is a clear question. 

For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called it "a very dangerous bluff" likening the situation to Brexit. Of course, Carney has a first-hand account of Brexit as he was Governor of the Bank of England at the time of the vote.

As I pointed out over a year ago after Carney became Prime Minister, Smith is claiming to be pro-Canada, yet she is the one raising the notion of an independent Alberta while leading the charge to allow the conditions for independence to come to pass. Smith is playing a dangerous game and could utterly care less. Indeed, a provincial court deemed Smith's referendum plans null and void as they failed to consult First Nations as it would violate their Treaty rights. Clearly, this ruling means nothing to her.

What could further complicate matters is the Quebec election which due to take place two weeks before the Alberta referendum. Currently, the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois is running neck and neck with the Liberals with the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec running a distant third. Should the PQ be elected then we could see the specter of another Quebec referendum which might also encourage a similar vote in Alberta and possibly other provinces such as Saskatchewan. This could prove to be Carney's bête noire. 

At a time when Canada needs to stand strong against Trump's tariffs and his desire for a 51st state, the last thing Canada needs is a bunch of provincial independence referendums. These separatist movements play right into Trump's hands while weakening Canada in the process. Nothing good can come of it for Canadians.

The Bad News Tenenbaums

For the third time in the past four days, I found myself at the Brattle Theatre.

On Friday night, I was there to see a 50th anniversary screening of Taxi Driver. 

On Saturday, I saw in succession Kings of the Road, Ghost World and Massacre at Central High. 

After taking yesterday off to do some candlepin bowling in East Boston, I returned this afternoon for a double feature of The Bad News Bears and The Royal Tenenbaums. In 2026, these films are commemorating their 50th and 25th anniversaries, respectively.

On the surface, the two films don't have a great deal in common. But I do think a thread can be found between Walter Matthau's Morris Buttermaker and Gene Hackman's Royal Tenenbaum. Both men are manipulative louses who are on spectrum between a son of a bitch and an asshole. And yet within this spectrum both Buttermaker and Tenenbaum are devilishly charming and you cannot help but liking and wanting to give them yet another chance because most of the people around them aren't that much better. Of course, much of this is a testament to the acting ability of both Matthau and Hackman. 

As with Taxi Driver, I have seen both of these films on TV but never on the big screen until today.

The Bad News Bears (1976)

It is astonishing to consider that most of the child actors in this film - Tatum O'Neal, Jackie Earle Haley, Brandon Cruz, Alfred Lutter and Chris Barnes are in their early 60s and will be eligible for Social Security and Medicare in the not-too-distant future.

But on celluloid they are forever young but not so innocent. Kelly Leak (Haley) rides a motorcycle and is an aspiring loan shark, Amanda Whurlitzer (O'Neal) sees through Buttermaker's bullshit in his ultimately successful effort to recruit her as a pitcher, Tanner Boyle (Barnes) is ready to fight anyone at any time despite his diminutive stature. The sight of Buttermaker plying his young charges with beer is enough to say, "Only in the 70's."

Alas nearly all the adults in the film - Matthau, Vic Morrow and Ben Piazza are long since dead with Joyce Van Patten keeping on keeping on at the age of 92. 

Somehow, I didn't know that Michael Ritchie directed this film. Ritchie directed two of Robert Redford's films - Downhill Racer and The Candidate, the latter of which is among my favorite films I've ever seen. While Downhill Racer and The Bad News Bears are very different films, Ritchie was drawn to sports as he would later direct films such as Semi-Tough, Wildcats, Diggstown, and The Scout though none would be as successful as The Bad News Bears. 

The Bad News Bears endures because the underdog finds their fighting chance. They don't win the brass ring, yet they stand tall at the end of the day much like Rocky which was released the same year. Of course, like Rocky, several sequels would follow along with a remake nearly three decades later but never captured the magic of the original. The only thing I particularly liked about The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training were cameos by several members of the Houston Astros including Bob Watson who started the chant, "Let them play!!!"

Tatum O'Neal probably summed up The Bad News Bears best when she told Bob Costas in 2013, "It's so funny. It's so sweet. It's sweet and, yet, it's completely wrong. It's just so wrong on so many levels."

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The Royal Tenenbaums features a remarkable all-star cast. Outside of Gene Hackman, there was Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Bill Murray and Kumar Pallana along with narration by Alec Baldwin while being directed by Wes Anderson. It is astonishing to consider the only Oscar nomination the film received was for Best Original Screenplay which was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson. Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame would win the statue for Gosford Park directed by Robert Altman. 

The films nominated for Best Picture that year were A Beautiful Mind (winner), Gosford Park, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Moulin Rouge! and In the Bedroom. Aside from Lord of the Rings, I don't think of any of the other films nominated has remained within the public consciousness the way The Royal Tenenbaums has over the past quarter century. 

The Royal Tenenbaums has endured due to the quality of the cast, Anderson's distinct directorial style and a soundtrack of '60s/70s music from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Emitt Rhodes and Nico along with incidental music from Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo fame. 

Yet the foundation of the film begins and ends with Gene Hackman. His portrayal of Royal Tenenbaum is among the greatest performances of his long and storied career. But things are often seldom what they seem. After Hackman's death, Anderson painted a less than idyllic picture of Hackman. Sadly, as it turns out, Hackman did not like the role, the film and especially the lack of money he was receiving for it and things did not end on good terms with Anderson. 

It can be said that sometimes when one is too close to a particular project or endeavor, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate it merits without the benefit of some distance. All the same, it is unfortunate there would be no rapprochement between Wes Anderson and Gene Hackman. Notwithstanding those strains, The Royal Tenenbaums has to be considered among the greatest films of this still young century.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Free - For Now

On Friday, a federal judge dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia on the basis that his prosecution was "vindictive".

Consider what I wrote in June 2025 concerning the now dismissed charges:

After insisting he had no authority to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States, El Salvadoran President Nayid Bukele did exactly that at the behest of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Abrego Garcia suddenly stands accused of smuggling thousands of migrants into the United States over a period of nearly a decade. 

Funny, if Abrego Garcia had actually done such a thing that he would have been charged with such offenses instead of being deported. 

The charges appear to be, for lack of a better term, "Trumped" up.

After all, if the Trump Admin could prove Abrego Garcia was a human smuggler then why try to deport him to Uganda? As I argued back in August 2025, such an effort indicated they didn't have a case against Abrego Garcia.

And now a federal judge agrees.

Of course, DoJ will appeal the ruling and could potentially get the charges reinstated.  

Let us also consider the vindictive nature of the Trump Administration. There is a good chance that the Trump Administration might try some other shenanigans against Abrego Garcia up to and including murder.

Complicating matters is Costa Rica's offer to take in Abrego Garcia and give him legal status. So long as the Trump Administration remains in power, they will pursue Abrego Garcia. At this point, going to Costa Rica might be the best option to end this ordeal. However, a monkey wrench could be thrown into those plans should an appeals court give the DoJ leave to reinstate the charges. 

When a government operates out of vindictiveness then it is not operating in good faith. Thus far, the judicial branch has been able to keep the Trump Administration in check where it concerns at Abrego Garcia. But perhaps the DoJ's appeal could come before a judge who wants to the Trump Administration's bidding instead of keeping it in check.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his family face a difficult decision. Either try to resume their lives in this country knowing full well that this ordeal can start all over again or start all over again in Costa Rica. 

But for the moment Kilmar Abrego Garcia is free and that counts for something.

A Thought for Kyle Busch

I have some thoughts I'd like to share about the sudden passing of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch.

While I do not follow NASCAR or motorsports in general, I was certainly aware of Kyle Busch's success and his reputation as NASCAR's bad boy. 

Less than two weeks before his death, Busch was actively racing having finished 8th at Watkins Glen, winning the Craftsman Truck Series and competed in the NASCAR All-Star Race in Dover. The Dover race took place four days before Busch's death. 

During the Watkins Glen race, Busch was experiencing a sinus cold and his symptoms got worse in the days which followed until he became non-responsive and coughing up blood on Thursday while in a racing simulator preparing for the Coca Cola 600 which took place today in Charlotte.

Busch's death was caused by pneumonia complicated by sepsis. This means his immune system was attacking his healthy organs causing multiple organ failure. Sepsis can complicate any number of conditions including kidney stones. Given my own history of kidney stones, I know this is something of which I am at risk should it ever occur again.

Of course, the key is seeking medical attention as soon as possible. Yet there is a natural tendency to resist doing so. One does not want to disrupt our routine or not fulfill our obligations. There is a tendency among healthy people to think they are healthy. There is also the fear that you will seek treatment, and the doctors and nurses will tell you that nothing is wrong. But, at some point, your body will tell you that you're not going anywhere. Unfortunately, by the time that message is delivered, it might be too late.

Kyle Busch was only 41. While he had a 25-year racing career, he still had most of his whole life ahead of him. Instead, he leaves behind a wife and two children aged 11 and 4, respectively. 

Given the rigorous schedule and harsh conditions which drivers endure, one can only hope that NASCAR will implement a regime of regular wellness checkups to prevent what happened to Kyle Busch from happening to anyone else. R.I.P.

Charlie Moore Was a Stalwart For The Milwaukee Brewers

Former MLB catcher & outfielder Charlie Moore, who played 14 of his 15 big-league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, has passed away. The announcement was made by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame which inducted him last year. Moore was 72.

Moore was a fifth-round draft pick by the Brewers in 1971 out of high school. His MLB debut came as a September call up in 1973. From 1974 through 1976, Moore was the team's backup catcher to Darrell Porter. In 1977, Moore would get the opportunity to be the number one catcher after the Brewers traded Porter to the Kansas City Royals. This would be Moore's job for most of the next five seasons (save for some time in 1978 when he platooned with Buck Martinez). 

Although Moore was not a power hitter, he had a decent bat hitting a career high .300 in 1979. On October 1, 1980, Moore had the greatest game of his career when he became the only player in MLB history to hit for the cycle and steal two bases. 

Prior to the 1981 season, the Brewers acquired future Hall of Fame catcher Ted Simmons from the St. Louis Cardinals. Moore graciously accepted a move to right field:

I had always done what the organization told me to do. Whatever I can do to help the team win, that’s what I try to do, in whatever role they want me to play.

The Brewers would make the post-season for the first time in 1981 and then win the AL pennant in 1982. Moore hit .354 (17 for 48) across two post-seasons with 3 RBI. Yet Moore's most memorable post-season moment came with the glove, or more precisely, his throwing arm. During the deciding Game 5 of the 1982 ALCS against the California Angels, Moore threw out future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson at third base. Mr. October should have thought twice about running on Moore who had 13 outfield assists in the regular season.

Although the Brewers could not replicate their winning form in 1983, Moore had a career high 150 hits and 49 RBI. In 1985, Moore was again the team's number one catcher although by 1986 he would be platooning with veteran catcher Rick Cerone.

Moore would finish his big-league career with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987 as a backup to Ernie Whitt. In 15 MLB seasons, Moore played in 1334 games collecting 1052 hits for a lifetime batting average of .261 with 36 HR and 408 RBI. He also had 51 career stolen bases which is pretty decent for a player who sent most of his career crouched down behind the plate,

Yet what is most impressive are his contributions to the Brewers. His 1283 games played in Milwaukee is sixth on the team's all-time list while his 1029 hits is 11th in team history with Christian Yelich only having passed him into the Top 10 late last season. Moore has a place on the team's Wall of Honor at Miller Park.

Charlie Moore will be remembered as a stalwart of the Milwaukee Brewers of the 1970s and 1980s. R.I.P.

Conservatives Should Stop Pretending That Trump Had Nothing To Do With Colbert's Cancellation

 

Over the past several days, conservative writers such as Jeffrey M. McCall, Tom Purcell of Townhall.com, and NRO's Armond White have celebrated the end of Late Night with Stephen Colbert. 

The common denominator between these pieces is twofold.

First, that Colbert was cancelled strictly for financial reasons due to the high cost of producing his show.

Second, that Colbert's overtly political brand of comedy alienated half of America's viewers.

Nonsense.

For starters, Colbert had been the number one rated late night talk show for nine consecutive years. 

Let us also remember that FOX News has a late-night show in the form of Greg Gutfeld who has an equally political brand of comedy. Yet somehow McCall, Purcell and White make no mention of him. Would that be because they agree with Gutfeld's politics and object to Colbert because he hold views contrary to their own?

Now I understand that Colbert's political humor isn't for everyone. Indeed, I pointed that out myself when I wrote a piece for NRO back in 2017 concerning the 25th anniversary of Johnny Carson's retirement from The Tonight Show. 

Yet whether you agree or disagree with his brand of humor, Stephen Colbert no longer has a late-night talk show on CBS for one reason.

President Trump.

When the cancellation was announced in July 2025, I wrote:

The network cited an unspecified "financial decision" as the reason for its cancellation as it evidently will withdraw from late night TV altogether.

I would hazard a guess that its "financial decision" is to appease President Trump so the administration will approve Paramount's merger with Skydance. Earlier this week, Colbert was publicly critical of CBS' parent company Paramount for settling Trump's frivolous lawsuit against 60 Minutes and the network at the beginning of the month. That will not help Paramount's standing with Trump.

There is really no other reason for CBS to pull the plug on Colbert. It is a ratings juggernaut. But the merger is a higher priority. Giving $16 million to the Trump Presidential Library (an oxymoron if there ever was one) is but a drop in the bucket. Trump is going to want a lot more. He wants a scalp and Stephen Colbert's will do just nicely given he is a persistent thorn in the President's side. 

Indeed, Trump not only celebrated Colbert's network TV demise but hoped for his other late-night colleagues to be removed from the airwaves. 

Trump made similar remarks when CBS announced Colbert's cancellation last summer:

Let me put it another way. Does anyone honestly believe that CBS would have cancelled Colbert had we elected Kamala Harris?

With that, I will cede that one of my takes in that post did not age so well:

What CBS will do after the late local news is anyone's guess although I would not be shocked if someone in the MAGAverse like Charlie Kirk got a time slot. 

Less than 2 months later, Kirk would be felled by an assassin's bullet.

In any event, Colbert's slot has been taken over by Byron Allen, a veteran comedian and successful media mogul. I'm old enough to remember Allen from his days on Real People. For his part, Allen has said there is enough political humor on late-night TV. I have no objection to this statement. Political humor has never been part of Allen's schtick. So, why start now? Yet it would not surprise if CBS either lured Gutfeld or eventually replaced Allen with a MAGA friendly host. After all, they've done it at their anchor desk.

Of course, Colbert will be just fine. He will be co-writing the next Lord of the Rings film with his son, Peter McGee.

But conservatives ought to stop pretending that President Trump had nothing to with Stephen Colbert's removal from CBS' late-night lineup. To do otherwise is simply dishonest and disingenuous.