On this day, one year ago, I wasn't sure of my place in the world. When 2018 began, I had been out of work since the previous July. But I kept at it and in late March began work as a Records Clerk with an outsourcing company called Forrest Solutions and was assigned to a law firm in downtown Boston.
I had hoped to attain paralegal employment, but it became apparent this wasn't going to happen. I was either overqualified or didn't have enough experience and it was simply a gap too wide to bridge. Honestly, I was very lucky to get the job I got. If my future boss hadn't been a bigger baseball fan than me then I'm not sure where I would be.
When I landed the position I felt assured that I would remain in the apartment in Jamaica Plain that I had called home for 10 years. Although my longtime roommate Christopher Kain was moving to Rhode Island, I felt assured I would find a successor. But this process would prove to be as insurmountable as finding paralegal employment. Unlike Christopher whom I had known for six years before becoming roommates, I was at the mercy of strangers. I met with men and women, young and old, black, white, Asian and Hispanic and nothing worked. It appeared that I would be living with a young couple, but that fell through. Then at the 11th hour along came an older gentleman with a steady job. But at five minutes to midnight, he pulled out.
A few days earlier, I saw a posting by Forrest Solutions for a Records Clerk position in New York City. So with very great reluctance, I contacted my boss and inquired about the position. It was available. In late September, after 18 and a half years in Boston, I relocated to New York City and moved in with my Dad and have now been working at the Chrysler Building just about three months.
Yet I haven't completely left Boston. My landlord and the realtors that work for them have been unsuccessful in re-renting our apartment. As of this writing, we are still paying rent for an apartment despite the fact both of us have left Massachusetts. I feel very badly for Christopher who has been paying two rents since July. At the rate we're going this could go on until next July. But I'm not sure how long we can keep this up. Renting out an apartment in Boston shouldn't take a miracle, but when it comes to us nothing comes easy.
Should I have toughed it out and waited to find another roommate? Perhaps. But with escalating rents, if I hadn't moved out last September I probably would have had to move out this coming September or in 2020 by the latest.
At this point, what's done is done. All I can do is make the best of my situation. I enjoy walking to work. Walking back is a different story. Later in the day, walking in NYC is like a demolition derby. When I visited Christopher in Providence in August, I was disturbed by the lack of people in the downtown area. Now such spaciousness would make me break out into dance.
But since I'm in a crowd I might as well as meet some people. This is my goal for 2019. A New Year's Resolution if you will. Living with my Dad means I am not alone and we spend a lot of time together during weekday evenings at the apartment and outdoors during the weekends and holidays such as this one. However, I need to find friends of my own and engage in new activities and find new rituals. Had I remained in Boston I would have gone to Harvard Square with Christopher to see the Marx Brothers tomorrow. Unfortunately, I will not begin 2019 with Groucho, Chico, Harpo or even Zeppo. Instead, Dad and I will be going to Book Culture on 112th Street off Broadway to take in some free food and jazz performed by my Dad's friends. Perhaps someone there will become my friend.
If not there will be another day and another way. Perhaps I can find a friend with whom I can go and take in a Mets or even a Yankees game. Perhaps I can find a friend who shares a mutual disdain for President Trump. Perhaps I could even find a woman to love me. In a city of 8.5 million people that shouldn't be so difficult. But remember nothing comes easily to me. Naturally I cannot force things, but I must still work at it. I can only hope my efforts have borne fruit by December 31, 2019.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Friday, December 28, 2018
Will Stan & Ollie Renew Interest in Laurel & Hardy?
On Friday night, Dad and I went to City Cinemas Cinemas 123 on 3rd Avenue across the street from Bloomingdale's to see the premier of the Laurel & Hardy biopic Stan & Ollie.
I had been very much looking forward to seeing this film because I've scarcely seen much Laurel and Hardy over the past three decades. During my childhood in the early 1980's, my siblings and I would regularly see Laurel and Hardy movies on The Matinee Money Movie which aired weekdays after school on WDIO-WIRT, the ABC affiliate in Duluth and Hibbing, Minnesota. Hosted by Ken Chapin, during commercial breaks, viewers would have the opportunity to win money or a gift certificate to the Jade Fountain, a now defunct Chinese restaurant in Duluth. We would also occasionally see Laurel and Hardy on Magic Shadows, a weeknight program on TVOntario hosted by the late Elwy Yost in which he would air a single movie over five nights.
But after about 1986 when Magic Shadows went off the air and our American TV signals were switched from Duluth to Detroit, I never saw another Laurel and Hardy movie until this past Thanksgiving. Dad and I were flipping the channels and saw Babes in Toyland (a.k.a. March of the Wooden Soldiers) on WPIX. I didn't realize it was a Thanksgiving tradition in New York City.
It reignited the hunger for Laurel and Hardy so the release of Stan & Ollie could not have come at a better time. Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly look like Laurel and Hardy have come back to life. Coogan has a strong physical resemblance to Laurel and while Reilly had to be put in heavy makeup, his voice was unmistakably that of Babe.
However, much of the story is loosely based on their final tour of Europe in 1953 long after their career peak had declined and so had their health, particularly that of Hardy. While the viewer gets a taste of their act it will not be apparent to anyone unfamiliar with Laurel and Hardy why they were considered the greatest comedy duo in film history. It doesn't help that in the film Laurel is presented as the dominant partner and Hardy as his follower. Whereas in their films it is Hardy who bullies Laurel into tears before getting his inevitable comeuppance.
It is also unhelpful that at the end of the movie this viewer is told their tour of Europe was their last ever appearance when in fact they famously appeared on This Is Your Life hosted by Ralph Edwards in December 1954. Nevertheless the film is warm, humorous and quite touching. The jury is out as to whether it helps renew interest in Laurel and Hardy in a new generation of viewers. If it does then so much the better.
Can Lucroy Rebound Behind The Plate For The Angels?
Free agent catcher Jonathan Lucroy has signed a one year, $3.35 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
The signing would have been bigger news a couple of years ago. After finishing fourth runner in NL MVP balloting with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014 and hitting a career high 24 HR in 2016 with the Brew Crew and Texas Rangers, Lucroy had disappointing 2017 with the Rangers and Colorado Rockies and a subpar 2018 with the Oakland A's despite their post-season presence. In 126 games with the A's this past season, Lucroy hit .241 with 4 HR and 51 RBI. He has only belted 10 HR since 2016. Lucroy, 32, has also seen his defensive skills diminish.
The Angels are counting on Lucroy on rebounding in 2019. Perhaps he won't hit 24 HR, but if he can get Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill back to old form then he could pay dividends. But if he doesn't meet expectations the Angels only have a one year commitment on him. So this isn't like trading away Mike Trout for a journeyman pitcher.
The signing would have been bigger news a couple of years ago. After finishing fourth runner in NL MVP balloting with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014 and hitting a career high 24 HR in 2016 with the Brew Crew and Texas Rangers, Lucroy had disappointing 2017 with the Rangers and Colorado Rockies and a subpar 2018 with the Oakland A's despite their post-season presence. In 126 games with the A's this past season, Lucroy hit .241 with 4 HR and 51 RBI. He has only belted 10 HR since 2016. Lucroy, 32, has also seen his defensive skills diminish.
The Angels are counting on Lucroy on rebounding in 2019. Perhaps he won't hit 24 HR, but if he can get Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill back to old form then he could pay dividends. But if he doesn't meet expectations the Angels only have a one year commitment on him. So this isn't like trading away Mike Trout for a journeyman pitcher.
A Thought for Richard Overton
Richard Overton, the eldest person in the United States and oldest living WWII veteran, passed away yesterday of pneumonia at the age of 112.
Overton served with the all black 188th Aviation Engineer Battalion in the Pacific and was on for both the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. There must been have many a tale he could tell, but like many veterans, Overton didn't like talking about his war experiences. It's understandable. He probably saw more than his share of death and destruction and served alongside many a man who would never return home alive. Aside from putting his faith in God, he must have wondered how he escaped such a fate. Upon his return home, despite his service to this country, there were undoubtedly many of his countrymen who viewed him as a second class citizen and perhaps something even lesser. It goes a long way in explaining his consumption of cigars and whiskey. Not an ideal diet perhaps, but he probably outlived most of his doctors like George Burns.
It is men like Richard Overton who made America great and kept it that way. This was recognized belatedly, but recognized nevertheless. R.I.P.
Overton served with the all black 188th Aviation Engineer Battalion in the Pacific and was on for both the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. There must been have many a tale he could tell, but like many veterans, Overton didn't like talking about his war experiences. It's understandable. He probably saw more than his share of death and destruction and served alongside many a man who would never return home alive. Aside from putting his faith in God, he must have wondered how he escaped such a fate. Upon his return home, despite his service to this country, there were undoubtedly many of his countrymen who viewed him as a second class citizen and perhaps something even lesser. It goes a long way in explaining his consumption of cigars and whiskey. Not an ideal diet perhaps, but he probably outlived most of his doctors like George Burns.
It is men like Richard Overton who made America great and kept it that way. This was recognized belatedly, but recognized nevertheless. R.I.P.
If Trump Shuts Down The Southern Border Then Why Do We Need a Wall?
President Trump took to Twitter and threatened to shut down the Southern Border unless Democrats in Congress provided funding for The Wall.
If Trump shuts down the border then why do we need a Wall in the first place?
Naturally none of what Trump says is grounded in logic or reason. Trump has no authority to shut down the Southern Border. Even if he did why would he? Wouldn't that ruin his great new trade deal with Mexico and Canada? But this is Trump we're talking about. He talks out of his ass about trade with Mexico costing us $75 billion a year as if we derived no benefit from it at all.
Of course all of this is grist for his base which accepts whatever he says without question. For Trump, it doesn't really matter if the Southern Border isn't shutdown and no Wall is ever built. As long as Trump keeps railing for it, his base will see them as their champion. In which case, they will run through a wall for Trump, rebuild it and pay for it themselves.
If Trump shuts down the border then why do we need a Wall in the first place?
Naturally none of what Trump says is grounded in logic or reason. Trump has no authority to shut down the Southern Border. Even if he did why would he? Wouldn't that ruin his great new trade deal with Mexico and Canada? But this is Trump we're talking about. He talks out of his ass about trade with Mexico costing us $75 billion a year as if we derived no benefit from it at all.
Of course all of this is grist for his base which accepts whatever he says without question. For Trump, it doesn't really matter if the Southern Border isn't shutdown and no Wall is ever built. As long as Trump keeps railing for it, his base will see them as their champion. In which case, they will run through a wall for Trump, rebuild it and pay for it themselves.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Twins Make Another Solid Offseason Move With Nelson Cruz
After spending the last four seasons with the Seattle Mariners, veteran DH Nelson Cruz has reportedly signed a one year, $14 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. There is also a $12 million club option for 2020.
Cruz, 38, hit .256 with 37 HR and 97 RBI in 144 games with Seattle last season. The Dominican born DH also was named to the AL All-Star Team for the fifth time in the past six years.
This is yet another solid move for the Twins who in addition to naming longtime Tampa Bay Ray Rocco Baldelli as their new manager have also added free agents C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop and added depth with ex-Yankee Ronald Torreyes. Along with a healthy Miguel Sano, another solid campaign from Eddie Rosario and a potential breakout season from Max Kepler the Twins lineup has the makings of being a juggernaut. With this revamped lineup, the Cleveland Indians shedding payroll and the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals all in rebuilding mode look for the Twins to be on the odds on favorite to win the AL Central in 2019.
Cruz, 38, hit .256 with 37 HR and 97 RBI in 144 games with Seattle last season. The Dominican born DH also was named to the AL All-Star Team for the fifth time in the past six years.
This is yet another solid move for the Twins who in addition to naming longtime Tampa Bay Ray Rocco Baldelli as their new manager have also added free agents C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop and added depth with ex-Yankee Ronald Torreyes. Along with a healthy Miguel Sano, another solid campaign from Eddie Rosario and a potential breakout season from Max Kepler the Twins lineup has the makings of being a juggernaut. With this revamped lineup, the Cleveland Indians shedding payroll and the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals all in rebuilding mode look for the Twins to be on the odds on favorite to win the AL Central in 2019.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
A Lament For The Cornelia Street Cafe
Although my mother lives nearly 1,400 miles away from NYC she has a way of knowing things about it before we do.
A few days ago, she informed me that the Cornelia Street Cafe would soon be shutting its doors. To be precise, it will close on January 2, 2019 after 41 years in business. Nestled between West 4th and Bleecker Streets, this viable commercial enterprise and gathering place is the latest victim of greedy landlords who think nothing of destroying a community if it makes them a few extra dollars.
The Cornelia Street Cafe has a restaurant on the ground level and a performing space downstairs. During my days as a poet, I performed my poetry downstairs on their Friday night open mikes when I would come here on long weekends. My Dad liked the ambience so much that he ended up making a video that he would title "Chatting & Scatting at the Cornelia Street Cafe". Included in this video was the late poet Thomas Lux. Dad would enter this video in the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival in 2006.
Needless to say, Dad and I wanted to make one last visit there before they shuttered their doors and went there this evening to take in some jazz. Our entry downstairs was delayed to a leak. More like a flood. There was water right in front of the stage which soaked the table where we usually sat. There was a bucket in front of the stage to capture the dripping water. Given the circumstances perhaps such an occurrence was fitting. A once beautiful place gone into decay. The tenants try to keep up appearances, but the landlord won't permit a proper goodbye.
In retrospect it may have been wisest not to have come after all. The scene in front of the stage wasn't helped by the fact that the music on stage wasn't very good. Sometimes it is best not to revisit the past because there is always the risk it will diminish good memories. I'm afraid this evening was one of those occurrences.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Sabathia Undergoes Heart Procedure, Expected to Make Full Recovery
New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia underwent angioplasty earlier this month after doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital discovered a blockage to one of his arteries and installed a stent.
The 38-year old southpaw is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for spring training. Sabathia signed a one year, $8 million contract with the Yankees last month. Sabathia went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts in 2018, his tenth season in a Yankees uniform.
Listed at 300 pounds, Sabathia is probably larger than that. The fact that he is having heart problems when he has not yet reached 40 is troubling. Frankly he is quite lucky. I can only hope he will make the necessary adjustments to his diet so as to prevent further problems down the road, especially after his playing career ends as expected following the 2019 season.
The 38-year old southpaw is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for spring training. Sabathia signed a one year, $8 million contract with the Yankees last month. Sabathia went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts in 2018, his tenth season in a Yankees uniform.
Listed at 300 pounds, Sabathia is probably larger than that. The fact that he is having heart problems when he has not yet reached 40 is troubling. Frankly he is quite lucky. I can only hope he will make the necessary adjustments to his diet so as to prevent further problems down the road, especially after his playing career ends as expected following the 2019 season.
Dodgers Trade Puig, Kemp & Wood to Reds For....Homer Bailey?
The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly traded outfielders Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and pitcher Alex Wood to the Cincinnati Reds for....Homer Bailey.
Well, the Dodgers are also expected to land minor league shortstop Jeter Downs and perhaps a player to be named later.
On the surface, it appears that the Reds have bamboozled the Dodgers. The Reds have landed two sluggers. Adding Kemp and Puig to a lineup which already has Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett could make the Reds contenders. In Wood, the Reds could have a potential staff ace. Meanwhile, the Dodgers now have a pitcher who went 1-14 with a 6.09 ERA in 2018 and has not had a decent season since 2014.
The only plausible reason for the Dodgers to do this is that they are clearing payroll to make way for Bryce Harper. But if the Dodgers don't land Harper then oh boy. It could prove to be one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history.
Well, the Dodgers are also expected to land minor league shortstop Jeter Downs and perhaps a player to be named later.
On the surface, it appears that the Reds have bamboozled the Dodgers. The Reds have landed two sluggers. Adding Kemp and Puig to a lineup which already has Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett could make the Reds contenders. In Wood, the Reds could have a potential staff ace. Meanwhile, the Dodgers now have a pitcher who went 1-14 with a 6.09 ERA in 2018 and has not had a decent season since 2014.
The only plausible reason for the Dodgers to do this is that they are clearing payroll to make way for Bryce Harper. But if the Dodgers don't land Harper then oh boy. It could prove to be one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history.
Four Reasons Why Trump Won't Resign
While I believe Donald Trump resigning of the Office of the President of the United States would do the country and the world much good, I do not believe this will happen.
Here are four reasons why I believe Trump won't voluntarily relinquish his office.
1. What in Donald Trump's character makes anyone think he will surrender the most powerful office in the world? (Well, it was the most powerful office in the world until he surrendered it to Vladimir Putin). Trump plays for keeps and his views his opponents in this country as weaklings even when they get the better of him. (Can you say Nancy Pelosi?) Trump's hubris views resignation as weakness. Regardless of what Chris Matthews says, as much as he genuinely loves Ivanka and Don, Jr., I don't think he would surrender his office even it spared them imprisonment.
2. Remaining in office affords Trump protection from criminal prosecution. Being a sitting President renders him virtual immunity from prosecution. Can you say Individual 1? Why would Trump surrender his shield? Especially when he has Brett Kavanaugh sitting on the highest court in the land?
3. Of course, none of this prevents Congress from proceedings with impeachment hearings against Trump. While the incoming Democratic controlled House will not hesitate to impeach Trump, GOP control of the Senate rules out impeachment for the foreseeable future. Moreover, Republicans don't have a Barry Goldwater or a Howard Baker who can tell him it's time to go. Any Republican who would dare suggest Trump resign can find himself tarred on Twitter by Trump and his millions of followers.
4. And as long as Trump retains his followers he can be re-elected President in 2020. If unemployment rates remain at a 50 year low, it is going to be very hard to unseat Trump whatever his checkered ethics and criminal activity. Trump is at his strongest when he is on the campaign trail at his signature rallies. It won't be difficult for Trump to convince people he is on their side and that he is there champion. If the people are prepared to keep Trump in office why would he leave?
Naturally I hope I am wrong. But I think any talk of Trump's impending resignation is wishful thinking.
Here are four reasons why I believe Trump won't voluntarily relinquish his office.
1. What in Donald Trump's character makes anyone think he will surrender the most powerful office in the world? (Well, it was the most powerful office in the world until he surrendered it to Vladimir Putin). Trump plays for keeps and his views his opponents in this country as weaklings even when they get the better of him. (Can you say Nancy Pelosi?) Trump's hubris views resignation as weakness. Regardless of what Chris Matthews says, as much as he genuinely loves Ivanka and Don, Jr., I don't think he would surrender his office even it spared them imprisonment.
2. Remaining in office affords Trump protection from criminal prosecution. Being a sitting President renders him virtual immunity from prosecution. Can you say Individual 1? Why would Trump surrender his shield? Especially when he has Brett Kavanaugh sitting on the highest court in the land?
3. Of course, none of this prevents Congress from proceedings with impeachment hearings against Trump. While the incoming Democratic controlled House will not hesitate to impeach Trump, GOP control of the Senate rules out impeachment for the foreseeable future. Moreover, Republicans don't have a Barry Goldwater or a Howard Baker who can tell him it's time to go. Any Republican who would dare suggest Trump resign can find himself tarred on Twitter by Trump and his millions of followers.
4. And as long as Trump retains his followers he can be re-elected President in 2020. If unemployment rates remain at a 50 year low, it is going to be very hard to unseat Trump whatever his checkered ethics and criminal activity. Trump is at his strongest when he is on the campaign trail at his signature rallies. It won't be difficult for Trump to convince people he is on their side and that he is there champion. If the people are prepared to keep Trump in office why would he leave?
Naturally I hope I am wrong. But I think any talk of Trump's impending resignation is wishful thinking.
Rangers Trade Profar to A's in 3-Team Deal With Tampa
The Texas Rangers have traded infielder Jurickson Profar to the Oakland A's in a three team deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers get four minor leaguers and money for the international draft pool while the Rays get two minor league pitchers and a 2019 draft pick.
At one time Profar was one of the most highly touted prospects in baseball signing with the Rangers in 2009 at the age of 16. The Curacao born Profar made his MLB debut with the Rangers at the age of 19 in 2012. Profar was expected to become the Rangers everyday second baseman in 2014 after trading Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder. But Profar injured his shoulder and missed two seasons. In 2016 and 2017, Profar was shuttling between the Rangers and Triple-A Round Rock Express.
But in 2018, Profar was one of the Rangers' few bright spots hitting a career best .254 with 20 HR and 77 RBI in 146 games while playing all four infield positions. The trade of Profar is something of a surprise given Adrian Beltre's retirement and the fact he was under the club's control through 2020. But it would appear the Rangers are in full rebuild mode. Profar will most likely continue to move around the infield in Oakland. At 25, Profar is entering the most productive years of his career. The Rangers may come to regret this move for many years to come.
At one time Profar was one of the most highly touted prospects in baseball signing with the Rangers in 2009 at the age of 16. The Curacao born Profar made his MLB debut with the Rangers at the age of 19 in 2012. Profar was expected to become the Rangers everyday second baseman in 2014 after trading Ian Kinsler to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder. But Profar injured his shoulder and missed two seasons. In 2016 and 2017, Profar was shuttling between the Rangers and Triple-A Round Rock Express.
But in 2018, Profar was one of the Rangers' few bright spots hitting a career best .254 with 20 HR and 77 RBI in 146 games while playing all four infield positions. The trade of Profar is something of a surprise given Adrian Beltre's retirement and the fact he was under the club's control through 2020. But it would appear the Rangers are in full rebuild mode. Profar will most likely continue to move around the infield in Oakland. At 25, Profar is entering the most productive years of his career. The Rangers may come to regret this move for many years to come.
Free Agents Murphy, Miller, Sanchez & Soria Sign With New Clubs
There are four more notable free agents who have signed contracts with new clubs.
Daniel Murphy has agreed to a 2-year, $24 million contract with the Colorado Rockies. Injuries limited Murphy to 91 games in 2018 with the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs hitting .299 with 12 HR and 42 RBI. The Rockies are hoping that Murphy will return to his 2016 and 2017 form with the Nats which were the most productive of his career following seven seasons with the New York Mets. Murphy, 33, has played the majority of his career at second base but is expected to move to first base with DJ LeMahieu ensconced at second.
Andrew Miller has reportedly signed a multi-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals (UPDATE: It's worth $25 million over 2 years). Like Murphy, Miller struggled with injuries in 2018 and was ineffective out of the bullpen as demonstrated by his 4.24 ERA which was nearly three runs higher than in 2017. But the Cardinals seem confident that the 33-year old southpaw can regain his form of 2016 and 2017 with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.
Anibal Sanchez will join the Washington Nationals' starting rotation for $19 million over the next two seasons. After several mediocre seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Sanchez was a pleasant surprise with the NL East champion Atlanta Braves going 7-6 with a 2.83 ERA in 24 starts. It was the 34-year old Sanchez's first sub 3.00 ERA since he won the AL ERA title in 2013 while still in the Motor City. The Venezuelan born hurler will most likely be the club's number four or five starter behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and newly signed Patrick Corbin.
Joakim Soria will join the Oakland A's bullpen having agreed to a 2-year deal worth $15 million. Soria began 2018 as the closer for the Chicago White Sox saving 16 games in 29 appearances before being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers where he worked in middle relief for their pennant run in the NL Central going 3-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 appearances. With Blake Treinen entrenched in the closer's spot, the 34-year native of Mexico will likely play a similar role with Oakland although he could step into the closer's role should Treinen falter or get injured.
With four days left until Christmas the big item gifts of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain in the store but their price tag rises by the hour.
Daniel Murphy has agreed to a 2-year, $24 million contract with the Colorado Rockies. Injuries limited Murphy to 91 games in 2018 with the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs hitting .299 with 12 HR and 42 RBI. The Rockies are hoping that Murphy will return to his 2016 and 2017 form with the Nats which were the most productive of his career following seven seasons with the New York Mets. Murphy, 33, has played the majority of his career at second base but is expected to move to first base with DJ LeMahieu ensconced at second.
Andrew Miller has reportedly signed a multi-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals (UPDATE: It's worth $25 million over 2 years). Like Murphy, Miller struggled with injuries in 2018 and was ineffective out of the bullpen as demonstrated by his 4.24 ERA which was nearly three runs higher than in 2017. But the Cardinals seem confident that the 33-year old southpaw can regain his form of 2016 and 2017 with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.
Anibal Sanchez will join the Washington Nationals' starting rotation for $19 million over the next two seasons. After several mediocre seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Sanchez was a pleasant surprise with the NL East champion Atlanta Braves going 7-6 with a 2.83 ERA in 24 starts. It was the 34-year old Sanchez's first sub 3.00 ERA since he won the AL ERA title in 2013 while still in the Motor City. The Venezuelan born hurler will most likely be the club's number four or five starter behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and newly signed Patrick Corbin.
Joakim Soria will join the Oakland A's bullpen having agreed to a 2-year deal worth $15 million. Soria began 2018 as the closer for the Chicago White Sox saving 16 games in 29 appearances before being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers where he worked in middle relief for their pennant run in the NL Central going 3-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 appearances. With Blake Treinen entrenched in the closer's spot, the 34-year native of Mexico will likely play a similar role with Oakland although he could step into the closer's role should Treinen falter or get injured.
With four days left until Christmas the big item gifts of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain in the store but their price tag rises by the hour.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Trump Abruptly Announces Mattis' Departure After Abrupt Withdrawal From Syria
Just over 24 hours after abruptly announcing he was withdrawing all military forces from Syria on Twitter, President Trump used the same platform to abruptly announce the departure of Defense Secretary James Mattis who will retire at the end of February 2019.
Mattis was evidently caught off guard by Trump's announcement. It wasn't the first time this happened with regard to Syria as was the case in June 2017 when Trump warned Syria it would pay a heavy price for its chemical attack on civilians. Ditto for the Muslim travel ban and the banning of transgender troops.
I guess Trump's declaring that ISIS had been defeated was a bridge too far for Mattis. Of course one cannot be surprised. After all Trump is a man who boasted he knew more about ISIS than the generals.
Now I had my issues with Mattis where it concerned Israel. Nevertheless the level of instability in the Trump Cabinet is remarkable. He has been in office for less than two years and we have seen multiple Secretaries of State, Health and Human Services, Interior, EPA, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Ambassadors to the UN and now Defense. Combine this with three National Security Advisers, three Chiefs of Staffs, two Press Secretaries, five White House Communications Directors plus Steve Bannon and you've got a chaotic presidency.
Of course his supporters love it. But for the rest of us and the rest of the world we see a President who decides public policy and personnel in 280 characters or less and does so with even less character.
Mattis was evidently caught off guard by Trump's announcement. It wasn't the first time this happened with regard to Syria as was the case in June 2017 when Trump warned Syria it would pay a heavy price for its chemical attack on civilians. Ditto for the Muslim travel ban and the banning of transgender troops.
I guess Trump's declaring that ISIS had been defeated was a bridge too far for Mattis. Of course one cannot be surprised. After all Trump is a man who boasted he knew more about ISIS than the generals.
Now I had my issues with Mattis where it concerned Israel. Nevertheless the level of instability in the Trump Cabinet is remarkable. He has been in office for less than two years and we have seen multiple Secretaries of State, Health and Human Services, Interior, EPA, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Ambassadors to the UN and now Defense. Combine this with three National Security Advisers, three Chiefs of Staffs, two Press Secretaries, five White House Communications Directors plus Steve Bannon and you've got a chaotic presidency.
Of course his supporters love it. But for the rest of us and the rest of the world we see a President who decides public policy and personnel in 280 characters or less and does so with even less character.
Cahill Joins Angels Starting Rotation
Veteran starting pitcher Trevor Cahill has signed a one year, $9 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Incentives could raise that amount to $10.5 million. Cahill's signing comes only days after the Halos added former New York Met and Cincinnati Red Matt Harvey.
Cahill spent 2018 with the Oakland A's. In his second stint with the club, Cahill went 7-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 20 starts for the AL Wild Card finalist. Cahill and Harvey will join a rotation featuring Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Jaime Barria. All five pitchers were serviceable rather than sensational. Of course, if one of them has a breakout season or if Cahill and Harvey return to their old form then the Angels could make things interesting for Brad Ausmus' inaugural season in Anaheim.
Of course, things would get a lot more interesting if the Angels traded for Corey Kluber or signed Dallas Keuchel, both former AL Cy Young winners.
Cahill spent 2018 with the Oakland A's. In his second stint with the club, Cahill went 7-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 20 starts for the AL Wild Card finalist. Cahill and Harvey will join a rotation featuring Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Jaime Barria. All five pitchers were serviceable rather than sensational. Of course, if one of them has a breakout season or if Cahill and Harvey return to their old form then the Angels could make things interesting for Brad Ausmus' inaugural season in Anaheim.
Of course, things would get a lot more interesting if the Angels traded for Corey Kluber or signed Dallas Keuchel, both former AL Cy Young winners.
Building The Wall Won't Stop Illegal Immigration
It amuses me to no end how Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and other conservatives are taking aim at President Trump for his apparent retreat on federal funding for The Wall along the Mexican border. This backlash is such that Trump is now hinting that he will force a government shutdown by vetoing the short term spending bill if it does not include funding for The Wall.
In this vein, it also amuses how a GoFundMe page started by Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee veteran, has raised nearly $5 million in three days for the purpose of funding The Wall with the goal of raising $1 billion. It would not surprise me if Kolfage attains his goal by the end of the year.
I say the build the wall all you want. It won't stop illegal immigration. Oh, it will reduce it marginally. But it won't solve the problem. A majority of illegal immigrants actually enter this country legally and overstay their visas. According to stats released by DHS in August, nearly twice as many people (702,000) overstayed their visas than illegally crossed the southern border (361,000) in 2017.
The fact that conservatives focus their attention on The Wall rather than addressing those who overstay their visas is indicative of several things. First, it indicates that conservatives prefer easy answers. Building a wall is much more straightforward proposition than the logistics involved in tracking people who entered the country legally. Second, it gives the appearance of doing something and for conservatives appearance is everything. Which brings me to my third point. By promoting The Wall conservatives set their sights on a very specific population - Mexicans and Latin Americans who have a different skin color and speak a different language. There's a ready made enemy. It's far easier to scare the population that way than by targeting college girls from Sweden who were supposed to leave the country six months ago.
Building The Wall won't stop illegal immigration anymore than banning Muslim entry into the United States will stop acts of radical Islamic terrorism or gun control will reduce mass shootings. Easy answers are invariably the wrong answers.
In this vein, it also amuses how a GoFundMe page started by Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee veteran, has raised nearly $5 million in three days for the purpose of funding The Wall with the goal of raising $1 billion. It would not surprise me if Kolfage attains his goal by the end of the year.
I say the build the wall all you want. It won't stop illegal immigration. Oh, it will reduce it marginally. But it won't solve the problem. A majority of illegal immigrants actually enter this country legally and overstay their visas. According to stats released by DHS in August, nearly twice as many people (702,000) overstayed their visas than illegally crossed the southern border (361,000) in 2017.
The fact that conservatives focus their attention on The Wall rather than addressing those who overstay their visas is indicative of several things. First, it indicates that conservatives prefer easy answers. Building a wall is much more straightforward proposition than the logistics involved in tracking people who entered the country legally. Second, it gives the appearance of doing something and for conservatives appearance is everything. Which brings me to my third point. By promoting The Wall conservatives set their sights on a very specific population - Mexicans and Latin Americans who have a different skin color and speak a different language. There's a ready made enemy. It's far easier to scare the population that way than by targeting college girls from Sweden who were supposed to leave the country six months ago.
Building The Wall won't stop illegal immigration anymore than banning Muslim entry into the United States will stop acts of radical Islamic terrorism or gun control will reduce mass shootings. Easy answers are invariably the wrong answers.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Astros Add Brantley, Descalso Now a Cub & Harvey Joins Halos
Here are some more free agent signings.
Michael Brantley, who played his entire 10-year MLB career with the Cleveland Indians, has signed a two year, $32 million contract with the Houston Astros. This most likely means Marwin Gonzalez will play elsewhere in 2019 and Brantley becomes the everyday left fielder. After two injury plagued seasons in 2016 and 2017, Brantley rebounded in 2018 hitting .309 with 17 HR and 76 RBI along with an All-Star Team selection in 143 games played with the Tribe. Brantley, 31, lacks Gonzalez's versatility and there is a question if he can stay healthy, but if he can he will be a positive addition to the Astros roster.
The Chicago Cubs added some depth by signing veteran utility man Daniel Descalso to a two year, $5 million deal. Entering his 10th MLB season, Descalso has spent the past two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks after previous stints with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies. In 138 games with the D'Backs in 2018, Descalso hit a career high 13 HR and 57 RBI. With Addison Russell's 40 game suspension for domestic violence, Descalso, 32, will be seeing a lot of playing time at second. But as the season wears on he can spell Kris Bryant at third base or become a late inning defensive replacement for Kyle Schwarber in the outfield. He'll be kind of like a back up Ben Zobrist and that will suit Cubs manager Joe Maddon just fine.
Pitcher Matt Harvey has signed a one year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Once known as the Dark Knight, Harvey faced dark days in New York until the Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds last May. In 24 starts with the Reds, Harvey went 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA striking out 111 while walking only 28 batters over 128 innings. I guess Cincinnati is a little too boring and with bridges burned in NYC the spotlight shines brightest in LA. Harvey could be on his way to a comeback season but it remains to be seen if Harvey can pitch in the AL.
Penny Marshall Ought To Have Received a Best Director Oscar Nomination
As you probably know by now actress/director Penny Marshall passed away last night of complications of diabetes at the age of 75.
Marshall remains best known for her portrayal of Laverne DeFazio on Laverne & Shirley alongside Cindy Williams. A spin off of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley aired on ABC for eight seasons from 1976 to 1983. I remember Laverne best for her penchant for mixing Pepsi with milk.
Previous to Laverne & Shirley, Marshall was in the cast of the short-lived Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers and had a recurring role on The Odd Couple. Her final acting credit was on the short-lived revival of The Odd Couple in 2016.
But perhaps Marshall's finest work was behind the camera as a movie director. Although she only directed seven films several of them became box office smashes and seminal movies of their generation - Big, Awakenings and A League of Their Own the latter of which was preserved by the United States National Film Registry. Alas Marshall never received a Best Director nomination for any of these films much less a Golden Globe or SAG nomination. She was among the first female film directors. It can be reasonably asked if her gender held her back in receiving accolades or more opportunities behind the camera as she did not direct any motion pictures after 2001. However, she did direct a documentary about former NBA player Dennis Rodman which is due to be released next year. Evidently Rodman specifically wanted Marshall to tell his story. Occasionally it takes a madman to appreciate genius. R.I.P.
Marshall remains best known for her portrayal of Laverne DeFazio on Laverne & Shirley alongside Cindy Williams. A spin off of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley aired on ABC for eight seasons from 1976 to 1983. I remember Laverne best for her penchant for mixing Pepsi with milk.
Previous to Laverne & Shirley, Marshall was in the cast of the short-lived Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers and had a recurring role on The Odd Couple. Her final acting credit was on the short-lived revival of The Odd Couple in 2016.
But perhaps Marshall's finest work was behind the camera as a movie director. Although she only directed seven films several of them became box office smashes and seminal movies of their generation - Big, Awakenings and A League of Their Own the latter of which was preserved by the United States National Film Registry. Alas Marshall never received a Best Director nomination for any of these films much less a Golden Globe or SAG nomination. She was among the first female film directors. It can be reasonably asked if her gender held her back in receiving accolades or more opportunities behind the camera as she did not direct any motion pictures after 2001. However, she did direct a documentary about former NBA player Dennis Rodman which is due to be released next year. Evidently Rodman specifically wanted Marshall to tell his story. Occasionally it takes a madman to appreciate genius. R.I.P.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Wrecking Crew Bass Player Joe Osborn Was a Greatest Hits Package Unto Himself
Imagine if you had this compilation of 1960's and 1970's rock 'n roll hits:
"Travelin' Man" - Ricky Nelson
"Ventura Highway" - America
"Holly Holy" - Neil Diamond
"Memphis" - Johnny Rivers
"California Dreamin'" - The Mamas & The Papas
"Windy" - The Association
"Dizzy" - Tommy Roe
"MacArthur Park" - Richard Harris
"Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" - The Fifth Dimension
"Closer To You" - The Carpenters
"Midnight Confessions" - The Grass Roots
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel
Well, I would call that a great afternoon drive.
Yet what these dozen songs have in common is that Joe Osborn played bass on every single one of them.
As a member of the vaunted group of LA session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, Osborn was a greatest hit package unto himself. When in collaboration with the likes of Larry Knetchel on piano and Hal Blaine on drums that trio
Later Osborn would move to Nashville and play bass on numerous country hits by the likes of Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins, Kenny Rogers and Reba McEntire. No doubt country music fans could come up with compilations of their own.
Sadly, Osborn passed away over the weekend following a long battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. Osborn might not have been a household name, but he sure had a household sound. R.I.P.
"Travelin' Man" - Ricky Nelson
"Ventura Highway" - America
"Holly Holy" - Neil Diamond
"Memphis" - Johnny Rivers
"California Dreamin'" - The Mamas & The Papas
"Windy" - The Association
"Dizzy" - Tommy Roe
"MacArthur Park" - Richard Harris
"Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" - The Fifth Dimension
"Closer To You" - The Carpenters
"Midnight Confessions" - The Grass Roots
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel
Well, I would call that a great afternoon drive.
Yet what these dozen songs have in common is that Joe Osborn played bass on every single one of them.
As a member of the vaunted group of LA session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, Osborn was a greatest hit package unto himself. When in collaboration with the likes of Larry Knetchel on piano and Hal Blaine on drums that trio
Later Osborn would move to Nashville and play bass on numerous country hits by the likes of Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins, Kenny Rogers and Reba McEntire. No doubt country music fans could come up with compilations of their own.
Sadly, Osborn passed away over the weekend following a long battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. Osborn might not have been a household name, but he sure had a household sound. R.I.P.
The Mets Are Better Off With Ramos Than Realmuto Behind The Plate
The New York Mets have been coveting Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto for some time now and there was speculation during the Winter Meetings the team would acquire him in a three team deal which would have sent Noah Syndergaard to the crosstown Yankees as well as a one on one deal.
But none of this came to pass and yesterday the Mets reached agreement on a two year contract with veteran catcher Wilson Ramos for $19 million with a club option for the 2021 season.
In all honesty, I think the Mets are better off with Ramos than Realmuto behind the plate. Both catchers were named to their league's respective All-Star Teams in 2018. Realmuto had the best year of his five year career with the Marlins with a career high 21 HR and 74 RBI along with a respectable .277 batting average. It was sufficient for Realmuto to earn his first Silver Slugger Award. Ramos was no slouch either hitting a combined .306 with 15 HR and 70 RBI with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies. His All-Star selection was the second in his career after earning a spot on the NL All-Star Team in 2016 when he hit a career best .307 with 22 HR and 80 RBI while with the Washington Nationals.
While Realmuto is 3½ years younger than Ramos and might be entering his prime offensive years, I think the Mets are better off with Ramos behind the plate. He handles pitchers better and his seven seasons in a Nats uniform put him in a unique position to help the Mets navigate the likes of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.
As for Realmuto don't be surprised if he moves across the state and ends up with Ramos' old job in St. Pete.
But none of this came to pass and yesterday the Mets reached agreement on a two year contract with veteran catcher Wilson Ramos for $19 million with a club option for the 2021 season.
In all honesty, I think the Mets are better off with Ramos than Realmuto behind the plate. Both catchers were named to their league's respective All-Star Teams in 2018. Realmuto had the best year of his five year career with the Marlins with a career high 21 HR and 74 RBI along with a respectable .277 batting average. It was sufficient for Realmuto to earn his first Silver Slugger Award. Ramos was no slouch either hitting a combined .306 with 15 HR and 70 RBI with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies. His All-Star selection was the second in his career after earning a spot on the NL All-Star Team in 2016 when he hit a career best .307 with 22 HR and 80 RBI while with the Washington Nationals.
While Realmuto is 3½ years younger than Ramos and might be entering his prime offensive years, I think the Mets are better off with Ramos behind the plate. He handles pitchers better and his seven seasons in a Nats uniform put him in a unique position to help the Mets navigate the likes of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.
As for Realmuto don't be surprised if he moves across the state and ends up with Ramos' old job in St. Pete.
What if Alonso Isn't Enough of Lure For Machado to Sign With The White Sox?
Last Friday, the Chicago White Sox acquired first baseman/DH Yonder Alonso from the Cleveland Indians for minor league outfielder Alex Call.
The trade raised eyebrows because Alonso is the brother in law of free agent Manny Machado.
But what if Alonso isn't enough of a lure for Machado to come to the South Side of Chicago?
It would leave the Chisox with two 31-year old Cuban born first basemen - Alonso and Jose Abreu. Not that it's a bad thing. Alonso bats lefty while Abreu bats righty. They could alternate between playing 1B and DH.
The two had comparable seasons in 2018. Alonso hit .250 with 23 HR and a career high 83 RBI in 145 games in his lone season with the Tribe while Abreu hit .265 with 22 HR and 78 RBI. These numbers were actually career lows for Abreu who was limited to 128 games due to surgery on his lower abdomen and groin in late August which kept him out of action for a month. Abreu actually earned his second AL All-Star selection in 2018 and if not for the injury would have likely driven in 100 runs for a fifth consecutive season.
While Abreu has been a star from his AL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2014, Alonso has been something of a late bloomer. After failing to live up to expectations with the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres, Alonso blossomed in 2017 belting a career high 28 HR and earning his first All-Star selection with the Oakland A's before being shipped off to the Seattle Mariners in early August.
Both Alonso and Abreu are free agents after the 2019 season. It will be interesting to see if the Chisox keep either player - Manny Machado or no Manny Machado.
As for Machado, I think the White Sox are a long shot even if they are prepared to break the bank. After having a taste of the World Series with the Dodgers does Machado want to play for a team that will lose 90 plus games? In that case, Machado might as well go back to Baltimore.
The trade raised eyebrows because Alonso is the brother in law of free agent Manny Machado.
But what if Alonso isn't enough of a lure for Machado to come to the South Side of Chicago?
It would leave the Chisox with two 31-year old Cuban born first basemen - Alonso and Jose Abreu. Not that it's a bad thing. Alonso bats lefty while Abreu bats righty. They could alternate between playing 1B and DH.
The two had comparable seasons in 2018. Alonso hit .250 with 23 HR and a career high 83 RBI in 145 games in his lone season with the Tribe while Abreu hit .265 with 22 HR and 78 RBI. These numbers were actually career lows for Abreu who was limited to 128 games due to surgery on his lower abdomen and groin in late August which kept him out of action for a month. Abreu actually earned his second AL All-Star selection in 2018 and if not for the injury would have likely driven in 100 runs for a fifth consecutive season.
While Abreu has been a star from his AL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2014, Alonso has been something of a late bloomer. After failing to live up to expectations with the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres, Alonso blossomed in 2017 belting a career high 28 HR and earning his first All-Star selection with the Oakland A's before being shipped off to the Seattle Mariners in early August.
Both Alonso and Abreu are free agents after the 2019 season. It will be interesting to see if the Chisox keep either player - Manny Machado or no Manny Machado.
As for Machado, I think the White Sox are a long shot even if they are prepared to break the bank. After having a taste of the World Series with the Dodgers does Machado want to play for a team that will lose 90 plus games? In that case, Machado might as well go back to Baltimore.
Orioles Have Nothing to Hyde With New Manager
Over the weekend, the Baltimore Orioles hired Chicago Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde to be their new manager succeeding Buck Showalter.
Hyde had been part of the Cubs' coaching staff since 2014 serving as both a bench coach and a first base coach under both Rick Renteria and Joe Maddon. Prior to joining the Cubs, Hyde had been part of the Miami Marlins organization for nearly a decade managing in their minor league system from 2005 to 2009 before being promoted to the major league coaching staff in 2010. He even serving as the team's acting manager for one game after Edwin Rodriguez's sudden resignation during the 2011 season before making way for Jack McKeon. Hyde, 45, also played in the Chicago White Sox organization as a catcher and first baseman between 1997 and 2000.
It goes without saying that Hyde has a very tall task ahead of him. The Orioles lost a franchise record 115 games in 2018. While it could be said that the O's have nowhere to go but up the question is how quickly can they re-emerge as contenders and how long the club will stick with Hyde.
With the hiring of former Houston Astros Assistant GM Mike Elias as their new GM last month the Orioles are going to follow the Astro way. They'll lose 100 games for the next couple of years before becoming the talk of baseball. The question is whether Hyde will the be Orioles' A.J. Hinch or will be the Orioles' Brad Mills or Bo Porter? Given how the Cubs went through a similar rebuilding process, it is Elias' hope that Hyde will be the next Hinch. But then there's always the mercurial Peter Angelos. How long will he put up with the Astros way before dealing for some veteran sluggers? The Orioles have the misfortune of being in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and who wants to be MLB's version of the Washington Generals?
Hyde had been part of the Cubs' coaching staff since 2014 serving as both a bench coach and a first base coach under both Rick Renteria and Joe Maddon. Prior to joining the Cubs, Hyde had been part of the Miami Marlins organization for nearly a decade managing in their minor league system from 2005 to 2009 before being promoted to the major league coaching staff in 2010. He even serving as the team's acting manager for one game after Edwin Rodriguez's sudden resignation during the 2011 season before making way for Jack McKeon. Hyde, 45, also played in the Chicago White Sox organization as a catcher and first baseman between 1997 and 2000.
It goes without saying that Hyde has a very tall task ahead of him. The Orioles lost a franchise record 115 games in 2018. While it could be said that the O's have nowhere to go but up the question is how quickly can they re-emerge as contenders and how long the club will stick with Hyde.
With the hiring of former Houston Astros Assistant GM Mike Elias as their new GM last month the Orioles are going to follow the Astro way. They'll lose 100 games for the next couple of years before becoming the talk of baseball. The question is whether Hyde will the be Orioles' A.J. Hinch or will be the Orioles' Brad Mills or Bo Porter? Given how the Cubs went through a similar rebuilding process, it is Elias' hope that Hyde will be the next Hinch. But then there's always the mercurial Peter Angelos. How long will he put up with the Astros way before dealing for some veteran sluggers? The Orioles have the misfortune of being in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees and who wants to be MLB's version of the Washington Generals?
Friday, December 14, 2018
Mulvaney Must Be a Glutton For Punishment
President Trump took to Twitter to announce Office of Management and Budget Director and Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mick Mulvaney as his Acting Chief of Staff effective January 1, 2019. Mulvaney succeeds John Kelly and will now become Trump's third Chief of Staff in less than two years in office. The fact that his title is Acting Chief of Staff shows how tenuous Mulvaney's position is before he has even started.
Mulvaney must be a glutton for punishment. Even former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie didn't want the job. For awhile it looked like Trump would have to turn to former MLB slugger Jose Canseco who volunteered for the position.
On the other hand, Mulvaney could be more in simpatico with Trump than his predecessors. Trump always had an uneasy relationship with Kelly and Reince Priebus. Mulvaney, then a Congressman from South Carolina, had no trouble endorsing Trump after initially supporting Rand Paul's White House bid. If Trump and Mulvaney can establish a viable working relationship in 2019 it could be key seeing his way in surviving the Mueller probe. So I don't want to underestimate Mulvaney.
But there's a good chance this will be a bumpy ride.
Mulvaney must be a glutton for punishment. Even former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie didn't want the job. For awhile it looked like Trump would have to turn to former MLB slugger Jose Canseco who volunteered for the position.
On the other hand, Mulvaney could be more in simpatico with Trump than his predecessors. Trump always had an uneasy relationship with Kelly and Reince Priebus. Mulvaney, then a Congressman from South Carolina, had no trouble endorsing Trump after initially supporting Rand Paul's White House bid. If Trump and Mulvaney can establish a viable working relationship in 2019 it could be key seeing his way in surviving the Mueller probe. So I don't want to underestimate Mulvaney.
But there's a good chance this will be a bumpy ride.
Kinsler Signs 2-Year Deal With Padres
Fresh off a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox, Ian Kinsler has reportedly signed a 2-year, $8 million deal with the San Diego Padres.
Kinsler split the 2018 season with the Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels. In a combined 128 games, Kinsler batted .240 with 14 HR and 48 RBI and earned his second career Gold Glove for his defensive work at second base.
With 13 big league seasons under his belt, the 36-year old Kinsler is at the stage of his career where he won't play everyday and will serve as a mentor particularly towards Luis Urias and Fernando Tatis, Jr. However, Tatis, Jr. isn't expected to start the 2019 season with the big league club so Kinsler will be the everyday second baseman. When Tatis, Jr. gets called up Urias will be moved to second base while Tatis, Jr. will play short.
But I suspect if the Padres continue to lose games and Kinsler has a productive season at the plate he will be in demand at the trade deadline. Who knows? Perhaps he will find himself back in a Red Sox uniform sometime in 2019.
Kinsler split the 2018 season with the Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels. In a combined 128 games, Kinsler batted .240 with 14 HR and 48 RBI and earned his second career Gold Glove for his defensive work at second base.
With 13 big league seasons under his belt, the 36-year old Kinsler is at the stage of his career where he won't play everyday and will serve as a mentor particularly towards Luis Urias and Fernando Tatis, Jr. However, Tatis, Jr. isn't expected to start the 2019 season with the big league club so Kinsler will be the everyday second baseman. When Tatis, Jr. gets called up Urias will be moved to second base while Tatis, Jr. will play short.
But I suspect if the Padres continue to lose games and Kinsler has a productive season at the plate he will be in demand at the trade deadline. Who knows? Perhaps he will find himself back in a Red Sox uniform sometime in 2019.
The Death of The Weekly Standard Proves There's No Room For Conservative Criticism of Trump
The Weekly Standard, the conservative publication co-founded by Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes in 1995, will cease publication after its final issue is released on Monday.
The cause of death was its criticism of President Trump which displeased its parent company, MediaDC. Instead of selling off The Weekly Standard, MediaDC decided to kill it.
Even as Trump's presidency unravels as Robert Mueller closes in the shuttering of The Weekly Standard is a message to conservative writers who refuse to worship at the altar of Trump Tower - your point of view unwelcome and will be silenced.
It's a tough spot. There is much to criticize about The Left - #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, political correctness, anti-Israel sentiment, etc. But what does it say that conservatism could be so easily taken over by a con man? As long as Trump supporters insist that politics is binary a lot of conservatives who don't buy into Trump will be driven into the arms of Democrats.
I don't know where that leaves me. I've been on both The Left and The Right and have departed both. I retain certain conservative views where it concerns human nature, but I also retain certain socialist views where it concerns the equality of humanity. Surely there is a place other than this blog where such views can be expressed in a meaningful way. But narrower views means such space is eroding.
Alas I never got the chance to write for The Weekly Standard though not for lack of trying. But it doesn't matter now. Nothing matters now.
The cause of death was its criticism of President Trump which displeased its parent company, MediaDC. Instead of selling off The Weekly Standard, MediaDC decided to kill it.
Even as Trump's presidency unravels as Robert Mueller closes in the shuttering of The Weekly Standard is a message to conservative writers who refuse to worship at the altar of Trump Tower - your point of view unwelcome and will be silenced.
It's a tough spot. There is much to criticize about The Left - #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, political correctness, anti-Israel sentiment, etc. But what does it say that conservatism could be so easily taken over by a con man? As long as Trump supporters insist that politics is binary a lot of conservatives who don't buy into Trump will be driven into the arms of Democrats.
I don't know where that leaves me. I've been on both The Left and The Right and have departed both. I retain certain conservative views where it concerns human nature, but I also retain certain socialist views where it concerns the equality of humanity. Surely there is a place other than this blog where such views can be expressed in a meaningful way. But narrower views means such space is eroding.
Alas I never got the chance to write for The Weekly Standard though not for lack of trying. But it doesn't matter now. Nothing matters now.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Sondra Locke, R.I.P.
Actress and director Sondra Locke passed away of cancer on November 3rd at the age of 74, but her death was not announced until this evening some 24 hours before Clint Eastwood's new movie The Mule is due to open.
It is possible that the announcement is a coincidence. Although nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in her film debut in the adaptation of Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Locke is best remembered for her long association with Eastwood appearing with him in six films most notably The Outlaw Josey Wales, Every Which Way But Loose and Sudden Impact.
Locke and Eastwood had a very public falling out at the end of the 1980's. By this time Locke was trying her hand at directing, but she would spend much of the 1990's entangled in several legal battles with Eastwood who she alleged was sabotaging her directorial ambitions. They would settle out of court.
Locke largely dropped out of the public eye in the 2000s until returning to the silver screen last year co-starring with Keith Carradine in Ray Meets Helen.
I remember seeing Locke in a segment of a 1972 episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery called "Feast of Blood" co-starring Norman Lloyd, an actor 30 years her senior. Who would have thought in 2018 that Lloyd would have outlive her? R.I.P.
It is possible that the announcement is a coincidence. Although nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in her film debut in the adaptation of Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Locke is best remembered for her long association with Eastwood appearing with him in six films most notably The Outlaw Josey Wales, Every Which Way But Loose and Sudden Impact.
Locke and Eastwood had a very public falling out at the end of the 1980's. By this time Locke was trying her hand at directing, but she would spend much of the 1990's entangled in several legal battles with Eastwood who she alleged was sabotaging her directorial ambitions. They would settle out of court.
Locke largely dropped out of the public eye in the 2000s until returning to the silver screen last year co-starring with Keith Carradine in Ray Meets Helen.
I remember seeing Locke in a segment of a 1972 episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery called "Feast of Blood" co-starring Norman Lloyd, an actor 30 years her senior. Who would have thought in 2018 that Lloyd would have outlive her? R.I.P.
Carlos Santana Back in Cleveland; Encarnacion Now a Mariner in 3 Team Trade with Tampa
Ten days after the Philadelphia Phillies traded him to the Seattle Mariners for Jean Segura, Carlos Santana is on the move again. The Mariners traded Santana to the Seattle Mariners for his former teammate Edwin Encarnacion. The Tribe also lands first baseman Jake Bauers from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Cuban first base prospect Yandy Diaz, minor league relief pitcher Cole Sulser and a player to be named later. In addition to Encarnacion, the Mariners get a draft pick and cash.
After playing one season for the Phillies and being a Mariner on paper, Santana is undoubtedly happy to be on familiar terrain having played with the Tribe for eight seasons. But what kind of Indians team will Santana be a part of? The Indians are likely to trade two time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer on top of their top slugger. While Encarnacion batted a modest .246 he slammed 32 HR and 107 RBI in 2018. Encarnacion has hit 30 or more HR in each of the last seven seasons and drove in 100 or more runs in six of the last seven seasons.
Do the Mariners plan on keeping Encarnacion or will they flip him for prospects the night before Christmas? At this point, the Mariners are sending mixed messages about 2019. In this sense, it is fitting that Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto pulled this deal off in a hospital bed.
After playing one season for the Phillies and being a Mariner on paper, Santana is undoubtedly happy to be on familiar terrain having played with the Tribe for eight seasons. But what kind of Indians team will Santana be a part of? The Indians are likely to trade two time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer on top of their top slugger. While Encarnacion batted a modest .246 he slammed 32 HR and 107 RBI in 2018. Encarnacion has hit 30 or more HR in each of the last seven seasons and drove in 100 or more runs in six of the last seven seasons.
Do the Mariners plan on keeping Encarnacion or will they flip him for prospects the night before Christmas? At this point, the Mariners are sending mixed messages about 2019. In this sense, it is fitting that Mariners GM Jerry DiPoto pulled this deal off in a hospital bed.
Mets Find a Familia Face Plus Thoughts on Kelly, Roark, Lynn & Bour
There will be a familiar face in the New York Mets bullpen in 2019.
Or should I say Familia?
Jeurys Familia signed a 3-year, $30 million deal with his old club and will be the set up man to the newly acquired Edwin Diaz.
Familia did not have a lengthy exile from the Mets. A mainstay in the Mets bullpen since 2012, Familia was dealt to the Oakland A's in mid-season where he appeared in 30 games. Overall, Familia went 8-6 with a 3.13 ERA along with 18 saves and 83 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched.
Familia isn't the only free agent reliever on the move.
The Joe Kelly Fight Club will be moving out west. After 4½ seasons with the Boston Red Sox, the bespectacled reliever has signed a 3-year, $25 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After being initially utilized as a starter, Kelly has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen since 2016 and was a critical piece in their World Series title in 2018. In 9 post-season appearances, Kelly pitched 11.1 innings giving up only one run on 8 hits striking out 13 and walking no batters.
MLB's very first Tanner for Tanner trade occurred last night when the Washington Nationals sent veteran starter Tanner Roark to the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Tanner Rainey. Roark had spent his entire six year big league career with the Nats. In 2018, he led the NL in losses with 15 with only 9 wins to show for it along with a 4.34 ERA in 30 starts. Roark's best season came in 2016 when he went 16-8 with a 2.83 ERA and a career high 172 strikeouts. The 32-year old Roark is eligible for free agency at the end of 2019. As for the other Tanner, he gave up 19 runs in only 7 innings pitched for an ghastly 24.43 ERA in 8 appearances with the Reds in 2018. It is not clear if Rainey will be part of the big league club to start the season.
What is clear is that Lance Lynn will be part of the Texas Rangers' starting rotation as he signed a 3-year, $30 million contract with the AL West club. After spending his first six big league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Lynn split the 2018 season between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees. His first season in the AL was a disappointment as he went 10-10 with a 4.77 ERA in 29 starts (20 with the Twins and 9 with the Yankees before being sent to the bullpen). During his Cardinals years, Lynn was one of the most dependable starters in the NL amassing a 72-47 record with a 3.38 ERA. The Rangers are hoping a return to that dependability and an ability to eat up a lot of innings. Lynn has thrown at least 150 innings in each of the last six seasons.
Justin Bour is also coming off a disappointing 2018 season and hopes to rebound in 2019 signing a one year, $2.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. After having a career year in 2017 with the Miami Marlins in which he hit .289 with 25 HR and 83 RBI, Bour slipped to .227 with 19 HR and 54 RBI in 112 games with the Marlins before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies hoped that Bour's bat would help them to a NL East title or a post-season spot. But Bour only hit .224 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in 29 games as the Phillies would fade down the stretch. As Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani recover from injuries, the 30-year old Bour will see a lot of playing time at first base and at DH. This could be a good signing, but some consider the MLB Winter Meetings to be a Bour.
Or should I say Familia?
Jeurys Familia signed a 3-year, $30 million deal with his old club and will be the set up man to the newly acquired Edwin Diaz.
Familia did not have a lengthy exile from the Mets. A mainstay in the Mets bullpen since 2012, Familia was dealt to the Oakland A's in mid-season where he appeared in 30 games. Overall, Familia went 8-6 with a 3.13 ERA along with 18 saves and 83 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched.
Familia isn't the only free agent reliever on the move.
The Joe Kelly Fight Club will be moving out west. After 4½ seasons with the Boston Red Sox, the bespectacled reliever has signed a 3-year, $25 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. After being initially utilized as a starter, Kelly has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen since 2016 and was a critical piece in their World Series title in 2018. In 9 post-season appearances, Kelly pitched 11.1 innings giving up only one run on 8 hits striking out 13 and walking no batters.
MLB's very first Tanner for Tanner trade occurred last night when the Washington Nationals sent veteran starter Tanner Roark to the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Tanner Rainey. Roark had spent his entire six year big league career with the Nats. In 2018, he led the NL in losses with 15 with only 9 wins to show for it along with a 4.34 ERA in 30 starts. Roark's best season came in 2016 when he went 16-8 with a 2.83 ERA and a career high 172 strikeouts. The 32-year old Roark is eligible for free agency at the end of 2019. As for the other Tanner, he gave up 19 runs in only 7 innings pitched for an ghastly 24.43 ERA in 8 appearances with the Reds in 2018. It is not clear if Rainey will be part of the big league club to start the season.
What is clear is that Lance Lynn will be part of the Texas Rangers' starting rotation as he signed a 3-year, $30 million contract with the AL West club. After spending his first six big league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Lynn split the 2018 season between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees. His first season in the AL was a disappointment as he went 10-10 with a 4.77 ERA in 29 starts (20 with the Twins and 9 with the Yankees before being sent to the bullpen). During his Cardinals years, Lynn was one of the most dependable starters in the NL amassing a 72-47 record with a 3.38 ERA. The Rangers are hoping a return to that dependability and an ability to eat up a lot of innings. Lynn has thrown at least 150 innings in each of the last six seasons.
Justin Bour is also coming off a disappointing 2018 season and hopes to rebound in 2019 signing a one year, $2.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. After having a career year in 2017 with the Miami Marlins in which he hit .289 with 25 HR and 83 RBI, Bour slipped to .227 with 19 HR and 54 RBI in 112 games with the Marlins before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies hoped that Bour's bat would help them to a NL East title or a post-season spot. But Bour only hit .224 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in 29 games as the Phillies would fade down the stretch. As Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani recover from injuries, the 30-year old Bour will see a lot of playing time at first base and at DH. This could be a good signing, but some consider the MLB Winter Meetings to be a Bour.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Charlie Morton Signs 2-Year, $30 Million Deal With Rays
After spending the best two seasons of his MLB career with the Houston Astros, pitcher Charlie Morton will spend the next two seasons in a Tampa Bay Rays uniform having signed a 2-year, $30 million contract with the club.
Morton has reinvented himself in a way not thought possible. Originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2002 and making his MLB debut with them in 2008, Morton spent the bulk of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates before briefly pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016 before being shelved with a season ending hamstring injury.
Entering the 2017 season, Morton had a career record of 46-71 with a 4.54 ERA in 161 big league starts. In his two seasons with the Astros, Morton has gone 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA. In 2017, Morton went 14-7 with a 3.62 ERA winning Game 7 of both the ALCS and the World Series giving the Astros their first ever World Series title. Morton was even better in 2018 going 15-3 with a 3.13 ERA, a career high 201 strikeouts in only 167 innings pitched and his first ever All-Star Team selection.
In signing with the Rays, the 35-year old Morton becomes the number two starter in the rotation after reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and will help the team depend less on the opener strategy deployed by manager Kevin Cash during the 2018 season.
While most baseball prognosticators will focus on the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, it would be a big mistake to overlook the Rays in the 2019 AL East race. An experienced veteran like Morton could make all the difference in the world between a Wild Card berth and a divisional title.
Morton has reinvented himself in a way not thought possible. Originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2002 and making his MLB debut with them in 2008, Morton spent the bulk of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates before briefly pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016 before being shelved with a season ending hamstring injury.
Entering the 2017 season, Morton had a career record of 46-71 with a 4.54 ERA in 161 big league starts. In his two seasons with the Astros, Morton has gone 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA. In 2017, Morton went 14-7 with a 3.62 ERA winning Game 7 of both the ALCS and the World Series giving the Astros their first ever World Series title. Morton was even better in 2018 going 15-3 with a 3.13 ERA, a career high 201 strikeouts in only 167 innings pitched and his first ever All-Star Team selection.
In signing with the Rays, the 35-year old Morton becomes the number two starter in the rotation after reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and will help the team depend less on the opener strategy deployed by manager Kevin Cash during the 2018 season.
While most baseball prognosticators will focus on the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, it would be a big mistake to overlook the Rays in the 2019 AL East race. An experienced veteran like Morton could make all the difference in the world between a Wild Card berth and a divisional title.
Theresa May Can Still Call 10 Downing Street Home, But For How Long?
British Prime Minister Theresa May has survived a confidence vote among her fellow Tory MPs.
She will remain at Number 10 Downing for now and is immune from another such challenge for a year.
But May is merely forestalling the inevitable. May has already indicated she will not seek re-election in 2022 effectively making her a lame duck. There's no way Parliament will ever ratify the Brexit deal. If they did then her successor would be stuck with her deal. There's no upside for the Tories to get behind May's efforts to ratify her negotiations.
If May is smart she will bow out soon and hand the ball to some other Tory. But like most politicians she enjoys the trappings of power and is not eager to surrender the keys to Number 10 Downing. Unfortunately, the longer May sticks around then stronger Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party become. If a new Tory leader can succeed where May failed then he or she will save Britain from Corbyn and a government which tolerates and encourages anti-Semitism. Of course, even if May comes to her senses there is no guarantee Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg will be any more successful in extricating Britain from the EU.
She will remain at Number 10 Downing for now and is immune from another such challenge for a year.
But May is merely forestalling the inevitable. May has already indicated she will not seek re-election in 2022 effectively making her a lame duck. There's no way Parliament will ever ratify the Brexit deal. If they did then her successor would be stuck with her deal. There's no upside for the Tories to get behind May's efforts to ratify her negotiations.
If May is smart she will bow out soon and hand the ball to some other Tory. But like most politicians she enjoys the trappings of power and is not eager to surrender the keys to Number 10 Downing. Unfortunately, the longer May sticks around then stronger Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party become. If a new Tory leader can succeed where May failed then he or she will save Britain from Corbyn and a government which tolerates and encourages anti-Semitism. Of course, even if May comes to her senses there is no guarantee Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg will be any more successful in extricating Britain from the EU.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Trump Should Tread Lightly Around Pelosi & Schumer
There is plenty to criticize where it concerns incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
But Pelosi and Schumer certainly got the better of President Trump in their sharp exchange over building a wall along the Mexican border. Trump couldn't make up his mind as to whether the wall had been built or not and made erroneous claims about terrorists crossing the Mexican border. Pelosi and Schumer expressed a willingness to work with Trump while Trump said he was going to shut down the government if he didn't get his way. Pelosi cleverly called a Trump Shutdown and a Twitter hashtag was born. Oh, and Mike Pence was in the room.
Trump would be wise to cut it with the Chuck and Nancy nonsense. He also needs to abandon this government shutdown rubbish. Neither of them are going to put up it and a shutdown will hang on Trump like an albatross. Whether he likes it or not Trump is going to need to work with both of them, especially Pelosi if he wants to get any of his border security measures implemented. Trump is going to need to tread lightly.
Of course Trump is an elephant in a china shop. I'm sure there will a tweet storm about Chuck and Nancy. It might satisfy his ego and his supporters. But it won't get that wall built. Especially as his presidency is crumbling down around him.
But Pelosi and Schumer certainly got the better of President Trump in their sharp exchange over building a wall along the Mexican border. Trump couldn't make up his mind as to whether the wall had been built or not and made erroneous claims about terrorists crossing the Mexican border. Pelosi and Schumer expressed a willingness to work with Trump while Trump said he was going to shut down the government if he didn't get his way. Pelosi cleverly called a Trump Shutdown and a Twitter hashtag was born. Oh, and Mike Pence was in the room.
Of course Trump is an elephant in a china shop. I'm sure there will a tweet storm about Chuck and Nancy. It might satisfy his ego and his supporters. But it won't get that wall built. Especially as his presidency is crumbling down around him.
Thoughts on Shooting in The Strasbourg Christmas Market UPDATE
Two people and eleven others were injured in a shooting at Strasbourg's Christmas Market known as Capitale de Noel.
French authorities are characterizing the attack as an act of terrorism. A suspect is in custody has not been identified, but is known to authorities. So there's a good chance an Islamist is responsible. We are less than two years removed from the ramming attack at the Berlin Christmas Market which claimed the lives of 12 people while injuring 56.
On a personal note, I spent one of the most glorious weeks of my life in Strasbourg while working as a parliamentary intern for the late Scottish Labour MP Jimmy Wray back in April 1995. We were attending a Council of Europe meeting. For most European parliamentarians in attendance it was a four day holiday and who could blamed them?
Strasbourg is the most beautiful city I have ever traversed. I loved walking from the Hotel de France to the Council headquarters as I was kept company by lush green trees and bright pink flowers. The week I was there was the week of the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. Now terror has hit Strasbourg like virtually all the other cities in which I have spent any extended period of time - Ottawa, London, Boston and New York. But for the grace of God, I can count my blessings that I have never been witness so such carnage. Knock on wood.
UPDATE: The suspect has been identified as Chérif Chekatt, a 29-year old French native of Moroccan descent. He remains at large and is believed to have made his way to Germany. Chekatt was heard to have shouted "Allahu Akbar!" when he began shooting.
True to form, instead of consoling the victims and their families, President Trump used the attack as an opportunity to take to Twitter to demand "Chuck and Nancy" get him votes on Border Security despite the fact Chekatt was born in France.
Nevertheless this attack will have political ramifications for French President Macron. Besieged by nearly a month of violent protests against his economic policies, the revelation that Chekatt's home had been raided earlier that day by authorities where weapons were found without taking him into custody will not inspire confidence in the French public.
French authorities are characterizing the attack as an act of terrorism. A suspect is in custody has not been identified, but is known to authorities. So there's a good chance an Islamist is responsible. We are less than two years removed from the ramming attack at the Berlin Christmas Market which claimed the lives of 12 people while injuring 56.
On a personal note, I spent one of the most glorious weeks of my life in Strasbourg while working as a parliamentary intern for the late Scottish Labour MP Jimmy Wray back in April 1995. We were attending a Council of Europe meeting. For most European parliamentarians in attendance it was a four day holiday and who could blamed them?
Strasbourg is the most beautiful city I have ever traversed. I loved walking from the Hotel de France to the Council headquarters as I was kept company by lush green trees and bright pink flowers. The week I was there was the week of the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. Now terror has hit Strasbourg like virtually all the other cities in which I have spent any extended period of time - Ottawa, London, Boston and New York. But for the grace of God, I can count my blessings that I have never been witness so such carnage. Knock on wood.
UPDATE: The suspect has been identified as Chérif Chekatt, a 29-year old French native of Moroccan descent. He remains at large and is believed to have made his way to Germany. Chekatt was heard to have shouted "Allahu Akbar!" when he began shooting.
True to form, instead of consoling the victims and their families, President Trump used the attack as an opportunity to take to Twitter to demand "Chuck and Nancy" get him votes on Border Security despite the fact Chekatt was born in France.
Nevertheless this attack will have political ramifications for French President Macron. Besieged by nearly a month of violent protests against his economic policies, the revelation that Chekatt's home had been raided earlier that day by authorities where weapons were found without taking him into custody will not inspire confidence in the French public.
McCutchen Inks 3-Year Deal with Phillies
Andrew McCutchen is on the move again. The veteran outfielder has signed a three year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Financial terms were not disclosed.
After nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was selected to five consecutive NL All-Star Teams and won the NL MVP in 2013, McCutchen was traded to the San Francisco Giants back in January. The Giants sent him packing to the New York Yankees in late August and saw action in the post-season going 2 for 18 in five games. His combined numbers with the Giants and Yankees in 2018 saw him hit .255 with 20 HR and 65 RBI while drawing 95 walks for an OBP of .368.
McCutchen will most likely play left field which will allow Rhys Hoskins to move to first base. The acquisition of McCutchen comes on the heels of trading away Carlos Santana to the Seattle Mariners for Jean Segura. But everyone's attention is focused on whether the Phillies will sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado or perhaps both. Yet one should not ignore someone with McCutchen's credentials. At 32, Cutch might not be the player he was five years ago. However, if the Phillies are to reach the post-season in 2019 they will require contributions from veterans like McCutchen.
After nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was selected to five consecutive NL All-Star Teams and won the NL MVP in 2013, McCutchen was traded to the San Francisco Giants back in January. The Giants sent him packing to the New York Yankees in late August and saw action in the post-season going 2 for 18 in five games. His combined numbers with the Giants and Yankees in 2018 saw him hit .255 with 20 HR and 65 RBI while drawing 95 walks for an OBP of .368.
McCutchen will most likely play left field which will allow Rhys Hoskins to move to first base. The acquisition of McCutchen comes on the heels of trading away Carlos Santana to the Seattle Mariners for Jean Segura. But everyone's attention is focused on whether the Phillies will sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado or perhaps both. Yet one should not ignore someone with McCutchen's credentials. At 32, Cutch might not be the player he was five years ago. However, if the Phillies are to reach the post-season in 2019 they will require contributions from veterans like McCutchen.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Could Trump Name Lewandowski His New Chief of Staff?
With John Kelly to be out as White House Chief of Staff at the end of the year, President Trump wasted no time taking to Twitter to say that he would soon name a successor not named Nick Ayers:
I am in the process of interviewing some really great people for the position of White House Chief of Staff. Fake News has been saying with certainty it was Nick Ayers, a spectacular person who will always be with our#MAGA agenda. I will be making a decision soon!
Trump was referring to a New York Times profile of Ayers last month which documented Vice-President Pence's Chief of Staff ascension into Trump's inner circle and speculated he would succeed Kelly. Well, it wasn't quite fake news. Trump offered the position to Ayers who declined. An ambitious man like Ayers sees the Trump presidency as a sinking ship and wisely declined to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.
So who will be Trump's fourth Chief of Staff in under two years in office? Fox News lists the likes of Congressman and House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows, OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Trump Deputy Campaign Manager David Bossie as possible successors. According to MSNBC, who largely concur with Fox, it could also be New York Yankees President Randy Levine. Well, I suppose if one could work for the late George Steinbrenner then it is entirely possible one could work with President Trump.
If I were to venture a guess as to who Trump will pick it would be former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. With Mueller closing in, Trump is probably feeling like Michael Corleone in The Godfather and wants "a wartime consigliere". If Trump is in that frame of mind then he is going to choose someone as reckless as he is. That's where Lewandowski comes in. It was just a few days ago that Lewandowski nearly got into a fistfight with two top Florida Republicans after claiming that Trump had saved their slate of candidates in last month's mid-terms. To rational people, Lewandowski would be a hot head to be avoided and shunned. But to Trump, Lewandowski's acts are a sign of strength. Appointing Lewandowski would send a signal to his supporters of his defiance in the face of Mueller.
The only potential obstacle to bringing back Lewandowski would be Ivanka Trump who gave him the ultimatum to lose him or lose her in June 2016. But by this spring, Lewandowski had reemerged as a frequent White House visitor, passenger on Air Force One and a part of Trump rallies. Lewandowski would not only run through a wall for Trump, but he would rebuild and pay for it. So it would not shock me in the least if Trump were to formally bring Lewandowski back. Of course it would be absolutely foolish and self-destructive. But this is Trump were talking about after all.
I am in the process of interviewing some really great people for the position of White House Chief of Staff. Fake News has been saying with certainty it was Nick Ayers, a spectacular person who will always be with our
Trump was referring to a New York Times profile of Ayers last month which documented Vice-President Pence's Chief of Staff ascension into Trump's inner circle and speculated he would succeed Kelly. Well, it wasn't quite fake news. Trump offered the position to Ayers who declined. An ambitious man like Ayers sees the Trump presidency as a sinking ship and wisely declined to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic.
So who will be Trump's fourth Chief of Staff in under two years in office? Fox News lists the likes of Congressman and House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows, OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Trump Deputy Campaign Manager David Bossie as possible successors. According to MSNBC, who largely concur with Fox, it could also be New York Yankees President Randy Levine. Well, I suppose if one could work for the late George Steinbrenner then it is entirely possible one could work with President Trump.
If I were to venture a guess as to who Trump will pick it would be former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. With Mueller closing in, Trump is probably feeling like Michael Corleone in The Godfather and wants "a wartime consigliere". If Trump is in that frame of mind then he is going to choose someone as reckless as he is. That's where Lewandowski comes in. It was just a few days ago that Lewandowski nearly got into a fistfight with two top Florida Republicans after claiming that Trump had saved their slate of candidates in last month's mid-terms. To rational people, Lewandowski would be a hot head to be avoided and shunned. But to Trump, Lewandowski's acts are a sign of strength. Appointing Lewandowski would send a signal to his supporters of his defiance in the face of Mueller.
The only potential obstacle to bringing back Lewandowski would be Ivanka Trump who gave him the ultimatum to lose him or lose her in June 2016. But by this spring, Lewandowski had reemerged as a frequent White House visitor, passenger on Air Force One and a part of Trump rallies. Lewandowski would not only run through a wall for Trump, but he would rebuild and pay for it. So it would not shock me in the least if Trump were to formally bring Lewandowski back. Of course it would be absolutely foolish and self-destructive. But this is Trump were talking about after all.
Will Theresa May Resign After Postponement of Brexit Vote? UPDATE
British Prime Minister is expected to make a statement in the House of Commons this afternoon following her apparent decision to withdraw a vote on the Brexit deal which has been as widely condemned by her fellow Conservatives as it has by the opposition parties.
It is worth noting the European Court of Justice has ruled the UK can unilaterally nullify the Brexit vote of June 2016. While the May government opposed this petition advanced by a motley crew of Scottish MSPs and MEPs, it may give her leave to announce a second referendum. It also may give her leave to declare that she is not the person to lead such an effort and step aside and leave it to someone else.
If May carries on then the Tories are sure to be defeated by a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour Party in the next general election which could come sooner rather than later. Of course this could be the fate of the Conservative Party regardless of who resides at Number 10 Downing. After all, the Tories have been in office since 2010. That's not nearly as long as the Thatcher-Major years, but it has been a long decade. Nevertheless, May's position is untenable at this point and the Tories are guaranteed to go down to defeat with her at the helm regardless of Corbyn's odious tolerance of anti-Semitism.
A second referendum would be face saving measure for Britons to reconsider their vote and choose to remain within the EU. Most Leave voters had buyer's remorse after extrication from the EU proved a far more difficult proposition. But who knows? What if a second vote happens and Britons decide they want to leave yet again? If she is wise this won't be Theresa May's problem.
UPDATE: Theresa May isn't going anywhere for the moment. How long will it be before Tory MPs launch a leadership challenge against her?
UPDATE II: Well, 48 hours later, May faces a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons later today. For her part, May is hinting she will resign before the next general election. This is an act of desperation. The writing is on the wall. May is probably in the last hours of her residency at Number 10 Downing.
It is worth noting the European Court of Justice has ruled the UK can unilaterally nullify the Brexit vote of June 2016. While the May government opposed this petition advanced by a motley crew of Scottish MSPs and MEPs, it may give her leave to announce a second referendum. It also may give her leave to declare that she is not the person to lead such an effort and step aside and leave it to someone else.
If May carries on then the Tories are sure to be defeated by a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour Party in the next general election which could come sooner rather than later. Of course this could be the fate of the Conservative Party regardless of who resides at Number 10 Downing. After all, the Tories have been in office since 2010. That's not nearly as long as the Thatcher-Major years, but it has been a long decade. Nevertheless, May's position is untenable at this point and the Tories are guaranteed to go down to defeat with her at the helm regardless of Corbyn's odious tolerance of anti-Semitism.
A second referendum would be face saving measure for Britons to reconsider their vote and choose to remain within the EU. Most Leave voters had buyer's remorse after extrication from the EU proved a far more difficult proposition. But who knows? What if a second vote happens and Britons decide they want to leave yet again? If she is wise this won't be Theresa May's problem.
UPDATE: Theresa May isn't going anywhere for the moment. How long will it be before Tory MPs launch a leadership challenge against her?
UPDATE II: Well, 48 hours later, May faces a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons later today. For her part, May is hinting she will resign before the next general election. This is an act of desperation. The writing is on the wall. May is probably in the last hours of her residency at Number 10 Downing.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Harold Baines & Lee Smith Get Call to Cooperstown
This evening the Today's Game Era Committee selected Harold Baines and Lee Smith to be enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019. They will be formally inducted on July 21, 2019 in Cooperstown, New York.
Baines' selection was something of a surprise including to Baines himself. Baines' 22-year MLB career included three stints with the Chicago White Sox, four stints with the Baltimore Orioles plus stops with the Texas Rangers, Oakland A's and Cleveland Indians. He collected 2866 hits for a .289 lifetime batting average with 384 HR and 1628 RBI earning six AL All-Star Team selections. Baines appeared on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot between 2007 and 2011 never earning more than 6% of the vote. Sports Illustrated is going as far as to call his induction "an embarrassment." This seems unduly harsh, but nevertheless his induction is a surprise.
On the other hand, I have long championed Lee Smith's inclusion into Cooperstown. Smith compiled 478 saves over 18 big league seasons primarily with the Chicago Cubs, but also had stints with the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos. From 1993 to 2006, no one saved more games in MLB history than Smith. The 7 time All-Star became the first pitcher to record 200 or more saves in two different decades. Not even Mariano Rivera (who will join him in Cooperstown this summer) can make that claim. Yet in his 15 years on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot, he only garnered more than 50% of the vote once. In January 2017, his 15th and final year on the ballot, I predicted the Veterans' Committee (or current version of it) would rectify his exclusion. I just didn't think it would come this soon. But now than never.
Baines' selection was something of a surprise including to Baines himself. Baines' 22-year MLB career included three stints with the Chicago White Sox, four stints with the Baltimore Orioles plus stops with the Texas Rangers, Oakland A's and Cleveland Indians. He collected 2866 hits for a .289 lifetime batting average with 384 HR and 1628 RBI earning six AL All-Star Team selections. Baines appeared on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot between 2007 and 2011 never earning more than 6% of the vote. Sports Illustrated is going as far as to call his induction "an embarrassment." This seems unduly harsh, but nevertheless his induction is a surprise.
On the other hand, I have long championed Lee Smith's inclusion into Cooperstown. Smith compiled 478 saves over 18 big league seasons primarily with the Chicago Cubs, but also had stints with the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos. From 1993 to 2006, no one saved more games in MLB history than Smith. The 7 time All-Star became the first pitcher to record 200 or more saves in two different decades. Not even Mariano Rivera (who will join him in Cooperstown this summer) can make that claim. Yet in his 15 years on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot, he only garnered more than 50% of the vote once. In January 2017, his 15th and final year on the ballot, I predicted the Veterans' Committee (or current version of it) would rectify his exclusion. I just didn't think it would come this soon. But now than never.
Violence in France Continues Despite Government Caving on Fuel Tax
Although the French government withdrew the fuel tax which has sparked violent street protests several days ago this has not stopped the violent protests themselves which have continued for the fourth straight weekend.
The Yellow Jacket movement has taken on a life of its own as it has the support of 70% of the country's populace. Its main objective now is the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
But what happens if Macron resigns? The French are angry because they cannot make ends meet. What makes them think that Madame Le Pen or anyone else can deliver the goods? Perhaps the Yellow Jackets want an end to the Fifth Republic altogether and draw up a new constitution which guarantees them the right to full employment and a living wage. But I can't see how a Sixth Republic will accomplish this objective. Or will the French find a scapegoat (i.e. Jews) turn to a dictator for a solution?
While I understand the desire for a better life I don't see how the Yellow Jacket movement makes life better for the people of France. Even if there are socioeconomic improvements down the line, I have a bad feeling a lot of people are going to get hurt and killed along the way. Will a few more francs or euros in their pockets be worth all the bloodshed?
The Yellow Jacket movement has taken on a life of its own as it has the support of 70% of the country's populace. Its main objective now is the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
But what happens if Macron resigns? The French are angry because they cannot make ends meet. What makes them think that Madame Le Pen or anyone else can deliver the goods? Perhaps the Yellow Jackets want an end to the Fifth Republic altogether and draw up a new constitution which guarantees them the right to full employment and a living wage. But I can't see how a Sixth Republic will accomplish this objective. Or will the French find a scapegoat (i.e. Jews) turn to a dictator for a solution?
While I understand the desire for a better life I don't see how the Yellow Jacket movement makes life better for the people of France. Even if there are socioeconomic improvements down the line, I have a bad feeling a lot of people are going to get hurt and killed along the way. Will a few more francs or euros in their pockets be worth all the bloodshed?
Mike Napoli Retires a Fan Favorite Everywhere He Played
Mike Napoli announced his retirement Saturday on his Twitter account after a MLB career which lasted 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, three stints with the Texas Rangers, one with the Boston Red Sox and two stints with the Cleveland Indians.
Along the way, Napoli played in three World Series for three different teams - in 2011 with the Rangers, in 2013 with the Red Sox and in 2016 with the Indians earning a World Series ring in Boston and even more memorable World Series Parade in which he went down Boylston Street shirtless and got good and drunk.
OK, it's not exactly Mookie Betts feeding the homeless, but it was the sort of thing which endeared him to fans wherever he played. He was never the best player on his team, but that didn't stop fans from chanting, "Napoli!!! Napoli!!!" whenever he came up to the plate (especially during his many stints with the Rangers).
Napoli did not play in 2018 due to a torn ACL and meniscus. While he did not mention those injuries in his statement, they were undoubtedly a contributing factor in his decision. In 2017, Napoli only hit .193 with the Rangers, but did slam 29 HR along with 66 RBI. His best numbers came in 2016 with the Tribe when he hit a career high 34 HR and drove in 101 runs. Napoli finishes his career with 1125 hits for a lifetime batting average of .246, 267 HR and 744 RBI, a World Series ring and one AL All-Star appearance. Those numbers won't get him into Cooperstown, but perhaps one day he'll have a spot in The Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals. I'm sure the drinks are better there.
Along the way, Napoli played in three World Series for three different teams - in 2011 with the Rangers, in 2013 with the Red Sox and in 2016 with the Indians earning a World Series ring in Boston and even more memorable World Series Parade in which he went down Boylston Street shirtless and got good and drunk.
OK, it's not exactly Mookie Betts feeding the homeless, but it was the sort of thing which endeared him to fans wherever he played. He was never the best player on his team, but that didn't stop fans from chanting, "Napoli!!! Napoli!!!" whenever he came up to the plate (especially during his many stints with the Rangers).
Napoli did not play in 2018 due to a torn ACL and meniscus. While he did not mention those injuries in his statement, they were undoubtedly a contributing factor in his decision. In 2017, Napoli only hit .193 with the Rangers, but did slam 29 HR along with 66 RBI. His best numbers came in 2016 with the Tribe when he hit a career high 34 HR and drove in 101 runs. Napoli finishes his career with 1125 hits for a lifetime batting average of .246, 267 HR and 744 RBI, a World Series ring and one AL All-Star appearance. Those numbers won't get him into Cooperstown, but perhaps one day he'll have a spot in The Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals. I'm sure the drinks are better there.
Friday, December 7, 2018
So Exactly At What Point Did Trump Conclude That Tillerson Was "Dumb as a Rock"?
In a rare public appearance yesterday in Houston, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sat down for an interview with Bob Schieffer of CBS and the former ExxonMobil executive didn't hold back:
It's challenging for me coming from the disciplined, highly process-oriented ExxonMobil Corporation… to go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things. But rather just kind of says, 'Look, this is what I believe and you can try to convince me otherwise,' but most of the time you're not going to do that.
OK, it's not like Tillerson called him a moron here. But it was too much for Trump who took to Twitter this afternoon to call him "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell".
Fourteen months ago, I asked at exactly what point did Tillerson conclude Trump was a moron.
In this spirit, I'll pose this question to President Trump. Exactly at what point did you conclude Tillerson was "dumb as a rock"?
Was it a week after you appointed him?
Was it when the "moron" story broke?
Or was it only this morning when you heard Tillerson call you undisciplined in public and you figured a tweet would move people away from talking about Robert Mueller's probe? Well, if it worked it only worked for a few hours as Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen will soon face prison. Trump could one day join him. In which case who exactly is dumb as a rock?
It's challenging for me coming from the disciplined, highly process-oriented ExxonMobil Corporation… to go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things. But rather just kind of says, 'Look, this is what I believe and you can try to convince me otherwise,' but most of the time you're not going to do that.
OK, it's not like Tillerson called him a moron here. But it was too much for Trump who took to Twitter this afternoon to call him "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell".
Fourteen months ago, I asked at exactly what point did Tillerson conclude Trump was a moron.
In this spirit, I'll pose this question to President Trump. Exactly at what point did you conclude Tillerson was "dumb as a rock"?
Was it a week after you appointed him?
Was it when the "moron" story broke?
Or was it only this morning when you heard Tillerson call you undisciplined in public and you figured a tweet would move people away from talking about Robert Mueller's probe? Well, if it worked it only worked for a few hours as Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen will soon face prison. Trump could one day join him. In which case who exactly is dumb as a rock?
Could Cron, Schoop & Torreyes Help Bring The Twins Back to The Post-Season in 2019?
Since hiring Rocco Baldelli as their new manager in October, the Minnesota Twins have made several interesting additions by way of free agency. Late last month they added slugger C.J. Cron and yesterday added second baseman Jonathan Schoop and underappreciated utility man Ronald Torreyes.
After four seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Cron hit a career high 30 HR and 74 RBI in his only season with the Tampa Bay Rays. Inexplicably, however, the Rays did not tender him a contract and placed him on waivers. The Rays have been making a lot of good moves, but I think they will regret this one. Cron will bolster a lineup with limited power. He already established a relationship with Baldelli in St. Pete last year and I suspect the best is yet to come.
Schoop had a disappointing season in 2018 after a career year in 2017 in which he hit .293 with 32 HR and 105 RBI with the Baltimore Orioles. Even a mid-season trade to the contending Milwaukee Brewers didn't help matters much hitting only .202 in 46 games with the Brew Crew while going 0 for 8 in the post-season. But at 27 Schoop still has youth on his side and an opportunity to prove 2017 wasn't a fluke which I suspect it wasn't.
I can only hope Torreyes finds a home in the Twin Cities. The New York Yankees designate him for assignment, trade him to the Chicago Cubs who in turn decline to offer him a contract making him a free agent. What does a guy have to do? I have a feeling Torreyes will quickly become a fan favorite at Target Field.
It remains to be seen what the Twins will do with their pitching, but in a weak AL Central they are the only team which is any threat to dethroning the Cleveland Indians in 2019. If nothing else these moves make them a viable AL Wild Card contender.
After four seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Cron hit a career high 30 HR and 74 RBI in his only season with the Tampa Bay Rays. Inexplicably, however, the Rays did not tender him a contract and placed him on waivers. The Rays have been making a lot of good moves, but I think they will regret this one. Cron will bolster a lineup with limited power. He already established a relationship with Baldelli in St. Pete last year and I suspect the best is yet to come.
Schoop had a disappointing season in 2018 after a career year in 2017 in which he hit .293 with 32 HR and 105 RBI with the Baltimore Orioles. Even a mid-season trade to the contending Milwaukee Brewers didn't help matters much hitting only .202 in 46 games with the Brew Crew while going 0 for 8 in the post-season. But at 27 Schoop still has youth on his side and an opportunity to prove 2017 wasn't a fluke which I suspect it wasn't.
I can only hope Torreyes finds a home in the Twin Cities. The New York Yankees designate him for assignment, trade him to the Chicago Cubs who in turn decline to offer him a contract making him a free agent. What does a guy have to do? I have a feeling Torreyes will quickly become a fan favorite at Target Field.
It remains to be seen what the Twins will do with their pitching, but in a weak AL Central they are the only team which is any threat to dethroning the Cleveland Indians in 2019. If nothing else these moves make them a viable AL Wild Card contender.
Is John Kelly Going To Finally Leave The Trump White House?
According to CNN, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will be resigning in a matter of days.
But we've heard all this before. Kelly was supposed to be gone during the summer only to announce at the end of July that he would remain until the end of 2020.
The story heated up again last month following revelations of confrontations with National Security Adviser John Bolton and Trump's favorite thug Corey Lewandowski. But again nothing.
Things could be different this time though. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to release new information in the Russia probe as soon as today and perhaps Kelly is going to finally jump ship before the net closes in. Indeed, it wasn't so long ago that Kelly was grilled by Mueller. I'm sure he came away from the experience wishing he was in a room with Bolton and Lewandowski.
Not that I feel a whole lot of sympathy for Kelly. He knew what he was getting into when he accepted the position as he did when Trump appointed him to head the Department of Homeland Security. Even if Trump and Kelly scarcely speak to each other, there was no need to for Kelly to tell reporters that Rex Tillerson was sitting on a toilet when he fired him as Secretary of State, to make false claims about Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and refuse to apologize when caught in a lie and cover up domestic abuse allegations against his former aide Rob Porter. Kelly is every bit the scoundrel that Trump is. Then again the same can probably be said of whoever succeeds Kelly.
But we've heard all this before. Kelly was supposed to be gone during the summer only to announce at the end of July that he would remain until the end of 2020.
The story heated up again last month following revelations of confrontations with National Security Adviser John Bolton and Trump's favorite thug Corey Lewandowski. But again nothing.
Things could be different this time though. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is expected to release new information in the Russia probe as soon as today and perhaps Kelly is going to finally jump ship before the net closes in. Indeed, it wasn't so long ago that Kelly was grilled by Mueller. I'm sure he came away from the experience wishing he was in a room with Bolton and Lewandowski.
Not that I feel a whole lot of sympathy for Kelly. He knew what he was getting into when he accepted the position as he did when Trump appointed him to head the Department of Homeland Security. Even if Trump and Kelly scarcely speak to each other, there was no need to for Kelly to tell reporters that Rex Tillerson was sitting on a toilet when he fired him as Secretary of State, to make false claims about Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and refuse to apologize when caught in a lie and cover up domestic abuse allegations against his former aide Rob Porter. Kelly is every bit the scoundrel that Trump is. Then again the same can probably be said of whoever succeeds Kelly.
Former MLB Players Valbuena & Castillo Killed in Car Accident in Venezuela
Former MLB players Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo were killed in a car accident in Venezuela last night after their vehicle in which they were passengers struck a rock. Valbuena and Castillo were 33 and 37, respectively. Both men had just finished playing a game with Cardeneles de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Valbuena played 11 big league seasons beginning in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners. He also had stints with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before being released by the team in August. In 96 games with the Angels in 2018, Valbuena hit .199 with 9 HR and 33 RBI. Primarily a third baseman, his best season came in 2015 when he hit a career high 25 HR when the Astros won the AL Wild Card. His career ends with a .226 batting average, 114 HR and 367 RBI.
Castillo played in MLB from 2004 through 2008 primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates splitting his final season with the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros. He was the Pirates' regular second baseman from 2004 through 2006. After attaining career high 14 HR and 65 RBI in 2006, Castillo saw his playing time reduced in 2007 when the Bucs moved Freddy Sanchez from third base to second base rendering Castillo a utility infielder. Since 2009, Castillo had been active in the Venezuelan Winter League and in the Mexican League along with brief stints in Japan.
Valbuena and Castillo become the latest in a line of Latin American born players killed in car accidents. Following the 2014 season, St. Louis Cardinals budding star Oscar Taveras along with his girlfriend were killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. On January 22, 2017, both Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and journeyman Andy Marte were killed in separate car accidents also in the DR. As it turns out, the roads in Venezuela aren't any safer. R.I.P.
Valbuena played 11 big league seasons beginning in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners. He also had stints with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before being released by the team in August. In 96 games with the Angels in 2018, Valbuena hit .199 with 9 HR and 33 RBI. Primarily a third baseman, his best season came in 2015 when he hit a career high 25 HR when the Astros won the AL Wild Card. His career ends with a .226 batting average, 114 HR and 367 RBI.
Castillo played in MLB from 2004 through 2008 primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates splitting his final season with the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros. He was the Pirates' regular second baseman from 2004 through 2006. After attaining career high 14 HR and 65 RBI in 2006, Castillo saw his playing time reduced in 2007 when the Bucs moved Freddy Sanchez from third base to second base rendering Castillo a utility infielder. Since 2009, Castillo had been active in the Venezuelan Winter League and in the Mexican League along with brief stints in Japan.
Valbuena and Castillo become the latest in a line of Latin American born players killed in car accidents. Following the 2014 season, St. Louis Cardinals budding star Oscar Taveras along with his girlfriend were killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. On January 22, 2017, both Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and journeyman Andy Marte were killed in separate car accidents also in the DR. As it turns out, the roads in Venezuela aren't any safer. R.I.P.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Could Goldschmidt Finally Earn That Elusive NL MVP as a Cardinal?
On Wednesday, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Paul Goldschmidt, arguably the greatest player in that franchise's two decade history, to the St. Louis Cardinals for starting pitcher Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly and minor league infielder Andy Young along with a future draft pick.
Drafted by the D'Backs in 2009, Goldschmidt reached the majors in 2011 and quickly became a fixture in Phoenix. Goldschmidt finished runner up in NL MVP balloting 2013 and 2015 along with a third place finish in 2017. In 2018, Goldschmidt hit .290 with 33 HR and 83 RBI which was good enough for a sixth place in NL MVP balloting. The 31-year old first baseman has been named to six consecutive NL All-Star Teams. He enters the 2019 season with a .297 lifetime batting average, a lifetime OBP of .398 along with 209 HR and 710 RBI.
Goldschmidt could be the key in getting the Cardinals back into the post-season having missed it for the past three seasons. Matt Carpenter, Marcell Ozuna, Yadier Molina and a healthy Paul de Jong are good, but Goldschmidt will be the guy teams in the NL Central will pitch around him and for good reason. In 43 career games against the Chicago Cubs, Goldschmidt has hit .353 with 14 HR and 39 RBI while hitting .366 with 10 HR and 32 RBI in 46 career games against the Milwaukee Brewers. Against the Cincinnati Reds, while his average falls to .272 Goldschmidt has 11 HR and 26 RBI in 42 career games. Goldschmidt has similar numbers against the Pittsburgh Pirates (.270 BA, 8 HR & 25 RBI). I don't know if the Cardinals will win the 2019 World Series, but if he continues to hit like this against the NL Central in 2019 then I believe he will finally win the NL MVP.
It is worth noting that Goldschmidt will become a free agent after the 2019 season. But the Cardinals do inspire their players to remain as Molina and Carpenter can attest. If Goldschmidt does win a NL MVP with the Cardinals then the team will try to make as much a part of the St. Louis landscape as the Gateway Arch. Come to think of it they could rename it the Goldschmidt Arch.
As for the D'Backs, Goldschmidt's departure comes 24 hours after Patrick Corbin signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals. After winning the NL Wild Card in 2017, it appears the D'Backs are in rebuild mode. How much Weaver, Kelly and Young will contribute to their rebuilding is anyone's guess. The same cannot be said for when Goldschmidt dons a Cardinals uniform.
Drafted by the D'Backs in 2009, Goldschmidt reached the majors in 2011 and quickly became a fixture in Phoenix. Goldschmidt finished runner up in NL MVP balloting 2013 and 2015 along with a third place finish in 2017. In 2018, Goldschmidt hit .290 with 33 HR and 83 RBI which was good enough for a sixth place in NL MVP balloting. The 31-year old first baseman has been named to six consecutive NL All-Star Teams. He enters the 2019 season with a .297 lifetime batting average, a lifetime OBP of .398 along with 209 HR and 710 RBI.
Goldschmidt could be the key in getting the Cardinals back into the post-season having missed it for the past three seasons. Matt Carpenter, Marcell Ozuna, Yadier Molina and a healthy Paul de Jong are good, but Goldschmidt will be the guy teams in the NL Central will pitch around him and for good reason. In 43 career games against the Chicago Cubs, Goldschmidt has hit .353 with 14 HR and 39 RBI while hitting .366 with 10 HR and 32 RBI in 46 career games against the Milwaukee Brewers. Against the Cincinnati Reds, while his average falls to .272 Goldschmidt has 11 HR and 26 RBI in 42 career games. Goldschmidt has similar numbers against the Pittsburgh Pirates (.270 BA, 8 HR & 25 RBI). I don't know if the Cardinals will win the 2019 World Series, but if he continues to hit like this against the NL Central in 2019 then I believe he will finally win the NL MVP.
It is worth noting that Goldschmidt will become a free agent after the 2019 season. But the Cardinals do inspire their players to remain as Molina and Carpenter can attest. If Goldschmidt does win a NL MVP with the Cardinals then the team will try to make as much a part of the St. Louis landscape as the Gateway Arch. Come to think of it they could rename it the Goldschmidt Arch.
As for the D'Backs, Goldschmidt's departure comes 24 hours after Patrick Corbin signed a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals. After winning the NL Wild Card in 2017, it appears the D'Backs are in rebuild mode. How much Weaver, Kelly and Young will contribute to their rebuilding is anyone's guess. The same cannot be said for when Goldschmidt dons a Cardinals uniform.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Patrick Corbin's 6-Year, $140 Million Deal With The Nats Looks Risky
Patrick Corbin, who has pitched his entire big league career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, has signed a 6-year, $140 million contract with the Washington Nationals pending a physical.
Corbin had a career year with the D'Backs in 2018 going 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA striking out a career high 246 batters in 200 innings pitched earning his second career NL All-Star selection. He will join a starting rotation which includes Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg giving them a viable a potentially viable southpaw.
However, Corbin, who turns 30 next July, has seen mixed results in his six year big league career. Corbin came of age during his second big league season in 2013 when he went 14-8 with a 3.41 ERA in 32 starts with Arizona. However, he would tear his UCL and undergo Tommy John surgery missing the entire 2014 season. It took Corbin a long time to regain his form. In 2016, Corbin was sent to the bullpen after going 4-12 with a 5.58 ERA in 24 starts. Corbin used his time effectively and he would be a serviceable pitcher during the D'Backs NL Wild Card berth season in 2017 going a respectable 14-13 with a 4.03 ERA before his solid season in 2018.
Corbin has obviously worked hard to regain his form, but it remains to be seen if he can put together a string of strong seasons without injury. The Nationals are counting on six strong seasons from Corbin when he's only had two strong seasons five years apart. However, this didn't stop the Nats as well as the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies from courting him. This contract seems like a risky proposition and the Yankees and the Phillies might be grateful they weren't saddled with it.
Corbin had a career year with the D'Backs in 2018 going 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA striking out a career high 246 batters in 200 innings pitched earning his second career NL All-Star selection. He will join a starting rotation which includes Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg giving them a viable a potentially viable southpaw.
However, Corbin, who turns 30 next July, has seen mixed results in his six year big league career. Corbin came of age during his second big league season in 2013 when he went 14-8 with a 3.41 ERA in 32 starts with Arizona. However, he would tear his UCL and undergo Tommy John surgery missing the entire 2014 season. It took Corbin a long time to regain his form. In 2016, Corbin was sent to the bullpen after going 4-12 with a 5.58 ERA in 24 starts. Corbin used his time effectively and he would be a serviceable pitcher during the D'Backs NL Wild Card berth season in 2017 going a respectable 14-13 with a 4.03 ERA before his solid season in 2018.
Corbin has obviously worked hard to regain his form, but it remains to be seen if he can put together a string of strong seasons without injury. The Nationals are counting on six strong seasons from Corbin when he's only had two strong seasons five years apart. However, this didn't stop the Nats as well as the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies from courting him. This contract seems like a risky proposition and the Yankees and the Phillies might be grateful they weren't saddled with it.
Seattle Sends Segura to Philly For Santana
First, the Seattle Mariners traded their ace James Paxton to the New York Yankees. Then they traded Robinson Cano along with their closer Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets. Now their All-Star shortstop is also headed to the Northeast as the Mariners yesterday traded Jean Segura to the Philadelphia Phillies for first baseman Carlos Santana and up and coming shortstop J.P. Crawford. The Phillies also added to Juan Nicasio and James Pazos to their bullpen.
Segura spent two seasons in Seattle after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks following the 2016 season when he led the NL in hits with 203. In 2018, Segura was named to his first AL All-Star Team and finished the season hitting .304 with 10 HR and 63 RBI. Segura will most likely remain at short, but if the Phillies should land Manny Machado he would likely move to second base.
In sending Santana to Seattle, the Phillies give up some power. In his lone season in Philly, Santana belted 24 HR and 86 RBI and walked 110 times. However, he hit a career low .229. In Segura, the Phillies have an offensive force who will keep the line going in their pursuit of the NL East title.
Meanwhile the Mariners are in full rebuild mode. Sure they have veterans like Santana and Jay Bruce on hand and they can provide some pop in that lineup, but they both hit in the .220s this season. Their main role on the Mariners will be to mentor their young teammates through a likely last place finish in the AL West.
Segura spent two seasons in Seattle after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks following the 2016 season when he led the NL in hits with 203. In 2018, Segura was named to his first AL All-Star Team and finished the season hitting .304 with 10 HR and 63 RBI. Segura will most likely remain at short, but if the Phillies should land Manny Machado he would likely move to second base.
In sending Santana to Seattle, the Phillies give up some power. In his lone season in Philly, Santana belted 24 HR and 86 RBI and walked 110 times. However, he hit a career low .229. In Segura, the Phillies have an offensive force who will keep the line going in their pursuit of the NL East title.
Meanwhile the Mariners are in full rebuild mode. Sure they have veterans like Santana and Jay Bruce on hand and they can provide some pop in that lineup, but they both hit in the .220s this season. Their main role on the Mariners will be to mentor their young teammates through a likely last place finish in the AL West.
Monday, December 3, 2018
Will France's Yellow Vest Riots Lead To The Rise of Le Pen?
For several weeks now, France has been the scene of riots carried out by the so-called Yellow Vest movement which came into being following an increase in fuel taxes by French President Emmanuel Macron. The riots have resulted in three deaths, hundreds injured and millions of Euros in damage to both private and public property including the Arc du Triomphe.
Needless to say this is the biggest crisis faced by Macron let alone his predecessors over the past half century. It is very likely that Macron will soon impose emergency rule. But even if he does it is unlikely to the ease the hatred towards him especially if he remains firm in his policies and a critical mass of France is unable to make ends meet from week to week.
The Yellow Vests are leaderless and eschew politicians - for now. Someone will exploit their anger for their own ends and Marine Le Pen of the National Front would be in the best position to organize such exploitation. At the moment, she is calling for the dissolution of the National Assembly and for new parliamentary elections. Undoubtedly, the National Front would do very well in these elections (as would the Communists led by Jean-Luc Melanchon). With every passing election, the National Front gains respectability and if respectable politicians like Macron aren't up for the job it is only a matter of time before they turn to Madame Le Pen. And when the yellow vests turn to her they will soon realize she can no more meet their needs that Macron or anyone else before him. But unlike Macron or anyone else before him, her movement was born in violence and will not hesitate to violent means to maintain power even if it means destroying the very people who bestowed power upon them in the first place.
The next French election doesn't take place until 2022 and if Macron can act now the riots of late 2018 will be a distant memory. Macron has time on his side, but not very much.
Needless to say this is the biggest crisis faced by Macron let alone his predecessors over the past half century. It is very likely that Macron will soon impose emergency rule. But even if he does it is unlikely to the ease the hatred towards him especially if he remains firm in his policies and a critical mass of France is unable to make ends meet from week to week.
The Yellow Vests are leaderless and eschew politicians - for now. Someone will exploit their anger for their own ends and Marine Le Pen of the National Front would be in the best position to organize such exploitation. At the moment, she is calling for the dissolution of the National Assembly and for new parliamentary elections. Undoubtedly, the National Front would do very well in these elections (as would the Communists led by Jean-Luc Melanchon). With every passing election, the National Front gains respectability and if respectable politicians like Macron aren't up for the job it is only a matter of time before they turn to Madame Le Pen. And when the yellow vests turn to her they will soon realize she can no more meet their needs that Macron or anyone else before him. But unlike Macron or anyone else before him, her movement was born in violence and will not hesitate to violent means to maintain power even if it means destroying the very people who bestowed power upon them in the first place.
The next French election doesn't take place until 2022 and if Macron can act now the riots of late 2018 will be a distant memory. Macron has time on his side, but not very much.
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