Tigers Lose 10 in a Row; Fall Out of Contention in AL Central

Last night, the Detroit Tigers lost their 10th game in a row falling 3-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

On June 17th, the Tigers were a game under .500 and only 2.5 games back of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.

Ten games and ten losses later, the Tigers are now 9.5 games back of the Tribe and also fallen behind the Minnesota Twins.

A couple of weeks ago, Ron Gardenhire was a legitimate candidate to be AL Manager of the Year. Now the Tigers need to make sure they don't lose 100 games like the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals are bound to do.

Red Sox's Acquistion of Steve Pearce Means He Will Have Played With Every AL East Team

Following the Boston Red Sox's win 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight, team president Dave Dombrowski announced the acquisition of veteran utility man Steve Pearce from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a minor leaguer.

What makes this trade notable is that Pearce will now have played for all five teams in the AL East. Pearce. After playing parts of five seasons with the Pirates, Pearce saw time with both the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees in 2012 (along with the Houston Astros). Pearce returned to the O's in 2013 and remained with the team for three seasons. His best year came in 2014 when he belted 21 home runs. Pearce began 2016 with the Tampa Bay Rays before returning to Baltimore for a third stint. He has been a member of the Jays since 2017. In 26 games this season, Pearce hit .291 with 4 HR and 16 RBI.

Pearce is expected to play first base and DH against left handed pitching. He's basically Hanley Ramirez for a quarter of the price.

Current Rays manager Kevin Cash came close playing with every AL East team except for the Orioles. I believe Pearce is the first player to play with all five AL East teams. There is a lot to love about baseball.

The Capital Gazette Shooting Isn't About Trump

There is no question President Trump has said despicable things about the media being an enemy of the American people  and Milo declaring journalists should be gunned down confirms he is an excretion of a man.

But today's shooting at The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland which claimed the lives of five journalists isn't about Trump and isn't about Milo. The person responsible for this act had a long standing grudge against the paper stemming from a 2011 article which had noted his conviction for harassing a woman. He would unsuccessfully file suit against the paper the following year representing himself in court. Tom Marquardt, the then publisher of The Capital Gazette, told Los Angeles Times reporters Matt Pearce and Richard Winton that the subject of the article was crazy enough to shoot up the paper. This man was enthralled with the 2015 Charlie Hebdo murders in Paris and the live execution of two journalists in Virginia by a former colleague also in 2015.

To be sure, today's tragedy makes both Trump and Milo's remarks all the more irresponsible especially Trump given his current position. They ought to be more circumspect in what they say. With that said, neither of them are responsible for what happened this afternoon in Annapolis.

Yesterday The Left Hated Anthony Kennedy; Today They Can't Imagine Life Without Him

After 30 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, Anthony Kennedy will call it quits next month and now The Left and The Right are in interstellar overdrive on his successor.

Yesterday, when Kennedy issued the majority opinion upholding Trump's Muslim Ban The Left hated him. They also didn't care for him too much when he wrote the majority opinion granting the Christian baker in Colorado the right to refuse to serve a same sex couple on religious grounds. Today. The Left can't bear the thought of him leaving the Court with the thought that Roe v. Wade will be overturned with the snap of a finger.

Of course, Trump could always do something really stupid and take his son's advice by appointing Jeanine Pirro to the High Court. But how much control do Presidents really have over the Supreme Court nominees? When President Reagan appointed Kennedy did anyone think he would write the opinion to legalize gay marriage in the United States? When Bush 41 appointed David Souter did anyone think he would become the most liberal judge on the Court? When Bush 43 appointed John Roberts did anyone think he would save Obamacare?

Yet this Supreme Court seat will be treated like a matter of life and death by both Trump's acolytes and his enemies. Unless Trump appoints a blithering idiot or a Harriet Miers type then I can't really get all that excited. But if Trump does appoint a Harriet Miers will there be anyone to take on the Charles Krauthammer role and put a stop to it? Or do conservatives hate the media so much that there is no room for any voice of reason?

Barring that scenario I will probably be one of the few people who will be content to sit on the fence and watch the world go by.

Some Cynical Thoughts About Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Before I am awash in cynicism, let me begin by stating what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did in last night's Democratic primary in New York's 14th Congressional District is remarkable. No one, and I mean no one, envisioned the possibility of her unseating Joe Crowley, one of the most powerful Democrats in D.C. who was touted as a possible successor to Nancy Pelosi. It is a remarkable achievement particularly for a 28-year old woman of Latina heritage.

Now here comes the cynicism. Consider this passage from her campaign video posted above:

But after 20 years of the same representation, we have to ask: who has New York been changing for? Everyday is getting harder for working families like mine to get by. The rent gets higher, health care covers less and our income stays the same.

Let's say that Ocasio-Cortez is elected to Congress for ten straight terms. I submit to you that in June 2038 that everyday will get harder for working families in the Bronx and in Queens to get by, the rent will get higher, health care will cover less, incomes will stay the same but Ocasio-Cortez will be doing just fine for herself.

Of course this criticism could be leveled at anyone running for Congress or any other office anywhere in the country. But anyone who promises my life is going to get easier if I elect them to office I am staying as far away as possible, be they Democrat, Republican or anywhere in between or beyond. No Congressman is going to stop my rent from increasing, stop my health care from decreasing or give me a raise at work. It's not going to happen. That's not the way the world works.

Now her aim was directed Crowley for a portion of the Bronx and Queens. But let's remember who was President for 8 of the past 20 years. It's President Obama who has a lot to do with the fact that our health care is covering less. It was President Obama who said if we liked our health care, we could keep it. No we couldn't. So why should I believe Ocasio-Cortez anymore than I should believe Obama.

It also doesn't inspire confidence that she might be to the Left of Jeremy Corbyn on Israel falsely accusing Israel of committing "a massacre" in Gaza last May. Trump's only redeeming policy value has been Israel. Unfortunately, as long as this is the case, The Left is going to become more and more anti-Israel.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will most likely make history as a youngest woman ever elected to Congress. But other than advancing her own career don't expect her to do much else.

David Lynch is Right: No One Knows How to Intelligently Oppose Trump

When legendary film director and Twin Peaks creator David Lynch proclaimed in an interview with The Guardian that Donald Trump "could go down as one of the greatest Presidents in history", chaos and confusion ensued. Opponents of Trump were aghast at Lynch while Trump gleefully tweeted the Breitbart article which contained the Lynch quote and mentioned him at a rally in South Carolina for Governor Henry McMaster.

The backlash from anti-Trump forces was such that Lynch felt the need to write an open letter to Trump on Facebook in which Lynch wishes he could sit down and talk with Trump and says that he is "causing suffering and division" while adding that it was "not too late to turn the ship around."

If only anyone had read the damn article in the first place. Here is the critical paragraph:

He is undecided about Donald Trump. “He could go down as one of the greatest presidents in history because he has disrupted the thing so much. No one is able to counter this guy in an intelligent way.” While Trump may not be doing a good job himself, Lynch thinks, he is opening up a space where other outsiders might. “Our so-called leaders can’t take the country forward, can’t get anything done. Like children, they are. Trump has shown all this.”

From the first sentence forward, Lynch is not endorsing Trump. Far from it.

But the most interesting part of Lynch's statement is when he says, "No one is able to counter this guy in an intelligent way."

Maxine Waters sure isn't nor for that matter the people who heckled DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen at a restaurant, asked Sarah Sanders to leave the Red Hen or confronted Labor Secretary Elaine Chao in front of her home. The people who did this might feel good about themselves. But if they truly wish to see Donald Trump defeated in 2020 then they must ask themselves how such acts are going to get a single Trump voter to change their minds.

I don't see how things get any better once Trump appoints Anthony Kennedy's successor to the Supreme Court. 

Perhaps it will be left to David Lynch to come up with a way. Though this might involve some coffee and cherry pie.

Hanley Ramirez Is Owed An Apology

Forty-eight hours ago, speculation abounded that former Boston Red Sox slugger Hanley Ramirez was under state and federal investigation for a 2015 homicide and involvement in a fentanyl ring. Ramirez and his agent denied the story.

This all seemed very dodgy to me and it turns out my instincts were correct. Ramirez is not under investigation after all. The only reason his name ever came up was a "friend" who was pulled over with a large quantity of fentanyl fingered him for it (and presumably the homicide as well).

Well, Ramirez might be in the clear, but where does this leave his big league career? Ramirez, who was released on June 1st, has not found other work and this story doesn't help even if it turns out not to be true. If Ramirez can't find a job this season he might need to consider legal action against ABC News who "broke" the story. At the very minimum, Hanley Ramirez is owed an apology.

Donald Hall Was Baseball's Unlikeliest Biographer

Donald Hall, former New Hampshire Poet Laureate and U.S. Poet Laureate, has passed away at the age of 89.

Hall was a significant fixture in poetry for more than six decades going back to his days as the poetry editor for the Paris Review. Known for his confessional style, some of his most memorable works came in the last two decades of his life particularly concerning the loss of his wife Jane Kenyon, a formidable poet in her own right.

But I shall always associate Hall with baseball. Hall would make a significant contribution to Ken Burns' 1994 documentary Baseball. He was also the most unlikely baseball biographer in history with his 1976 book Dock Ellis In The Country of Baseball. It was in the revised 1988 edition of the book in which Hall revealed that Ellis had thrown his 1970 no-hitter on LSD. He had initially stated Ellis was drunk when he walked eight and struck out six San Diego Padres on June 12, 1970.

Here is an excerpt of Hall's unique perspective on one of the unique characters of baseball:

Dock's speech is emphatic. Trying to render his speech, I use so much italic that his conversation looks like Queen Victoria's letters. It is difficult to render anyone's speech in print; Dock's is impossible. He is emphatic, he mimics, he uses grand gesture and subtle intonation and eloquent facial expression. He also varies swiftly from black vocabulary and syntax to academic or legal white, with stops at all stations on the way. His language is so varied that, if he were a fictional character, he would be inconsistent and unrealistic. Sometimes, maybe, Dock is unrealistic. But Dock is real. 

I thought about wanting to hang around baseball. I thought about the enigma of Dock himself -- here was this supposedly bad man, this hostile screaming crybaby of the sports pages; and he yet seemed to me funny, sophisticated, and friendly. I decided to do a little hinting of my own.

"You know that book you might do?" I said the next morning. "If you ever want anybody to read it for you, you know, to help you revise it or anything, I'd be happy to do it."

Dock turned it back, with one of his apparent changes of mind. "Oh, I won't write a book," he said. He might do a book, he wouldn't write one. "You're a writer, aren't you?"

We had smoked each other out.

Only a Poet Laureate could have written Dock Ellis' biography. R.I.P.

Dutch Rennert, R.I.P.

Former big league umpire Laurence "Dutch" Rennert passed away this past Sunday at the age of 88. No cause of death has been released.

Rennert umpired in the NL from 1973 to 1992 until he was forced to retire due to vision problems. It was always fun to watch Rennert call a game behind home plate with his emphatic strike calls as demonstrated during Game 4 of the 1989 World Series between the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants.

Usually the best umpires don't draw attention to themselves. Rennert was the exception to that rule. R.I.P.

Trump's Executive Order Won't Reunite Migrant Parents & Children Torn Apart

The Trump Administration will cease separating parents and children at the southern border following a massive public outcry.

But the parents and children who have already been separated won't be reunited. So we will have the spectacle of migrant children in detention centers, er, summer camps.

Public pressure ought to remain so that the Trump Administration will remedy this injustice and crisis of their own making. But I'm sure Trump is banking that the public will think he has done enough. Then again they might be forced to act should we see more images of children in cages or children crying

The executive order will also attempt to hold parents and children detained indefinitely. Under the current system, the border patrol cannot detain people who illegally cross the border for more than 20 days. This will very likely end up in the courts.

First Daughter Ivanka Trump tweeted in part, "Thank you @POTUS for taking critical action ending family separation at our border."

This is like thanking the arsonist for putting out the fire he started.

Surprise!!! Corey Lewandowski Is a Jerk!!!

Does it surprise anyone that the guy who roughed up a female reporter would say "womp womp" concerning a 10-year old girl with Down's Syndrome forcibly separated from her parents at the border?

Lewandowski is a jerk who has no feelings for anyone but himself and President Trump. This, of course, is a prerequisite to work for Trump.

What else can I say? Garbage attracts trash.

The UN Human Rights Council Isn't What It's Cracked Up To Be

I have no doubt President Trump's decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council owes more to its chief Zeid Hussein's criticism that his administration's child separation policy was "unconscionable" rather than its stated reason of anti-Israel bias. On that basis, the Trump Administration could have withdrawn on their first day in office or when they withdrew from UNESCO last October.

But I have no objection to this decision. Let's not pretend the UN Human Rights Council is anything other than a recycled version of the UN Human Rights Commission, a body full of dubious characters such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia who spend the lion's share of their time condemning Israel. Indeed, in its first 10 years of existence more than half of the its resolutions condemned Israel.

If the UN Human Rights Council serves no useful purpose. If it were to disappear tomorrow it would make absolutely no difference to the present state of global human rights.

Does a Child Have to Die For Trump To Stop His Family Separation Policy at The Border?

Former First Lady Laura Bush was eloquent and powerful in her opposition to President Trump's policy of forcibly separating children from their migrant parents.

But President Trump will no more listen to the former First Lady than he would to any other member of the Bush family where it concerns immigration, illegal or otherwise.

After all, if Trump saw fit to call an American born federal judge "a Mexican" as a means to deny his humanity what chance does an innocent child who was born in the wrong country with the wrong skin color?

The only possible way the Trump Administration might put this policy on hold (unless compelled by a judge) would be if a migrant child were to die in federal custody. The uproar would be intense. Yet I believe Trump would be unmoved. After all, Trump and his ilk view Mexicans and people from other Latin American nations as subhuman. Tucker Carlson says those who object to Trump's policy "care more about foreigners than their own people". Others like Laura Ingraham minimize the conditions in which the children have been placed likening it to a summer camp. Well, in most other summer camps, children get to return home to their parents. Meanwhile, Ann Coulter goes into Alex Jones territory by claiming the kids are "child actors." Trump's sycophants and their followers love this shit. Unfortunately, it's the sort of thing that got Trump elected and will probably get him re-elected.

If a child were to die in federal custody, Trump and company would find a way to blame Democrats. If that fails (which it surely would), Trump will do some smoke and mirrors like he did with his Space Force today. Perhaps a new Middle East Peace Plan will be in the offing soon. If the Trump Administration can't direct attention elsewhere they will pray for some other event to push this off the front page (i.e. a mass shooting, a terrorist attack or a natural disaster) with the hope that his opponents turn their attention elsewhere.

But how can we look away from this montrosity?

Astros Win 10 in a Row But Are Only a Half Game Ahead of The Mariners in AL West

The defending World Series champion Houston Astros may very well be better than they were a year ago. They are currently playing their best baseball of the season having won their 10th game in a row today defeating the Kansas City Royals 10-2.

Yet despite playing on all eight cylinders, the Astros are only a half game ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. The Mariners have been on a roll since Robinson Cano's 80-game PED suspension which prompted me to pose the question if the team is better off without him. At the time of that post, the Mariners had gone 11-5 since Cano's departure from the team. As of this writing, the Mariners are now 23-8 without Cano. That's almost a .750 winning percentage.

At the moment, the Astros and Mariners are every bit as strong in the AL West as the Red Sox and Yankees are in the AL East.

Miguel Cabrera Done For The Season With Ruptured Bicep

Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera's 2018 season is over.

The 35-year old right handed hitter ruptured a tendon in his left bicep on a swing and a miss during tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins. Cabrera will require surgery.

In 37 games for Detroit this season, Cabrera hit .301 with 3 HR and 22 RBI. Cabrera missed three games earlier in the season due to a strain in the left bicep area and also had a stint on the DL due to a hamstring injury.

The Venezuelan born four time AL batting champion is under contract with the Tigers through the 2023 season, but it is doubtful he can stay healthy.

But if Cabrera never played another game he would enter Cooperstown on the first ballot. In addition to four batting titles, he is an 11 time All-Star who has driven in 100 or more runs 12 times, has 465 career HR, 1635 RBI and 2676 hits. Cabrera also won the Triple Crown in 2012 becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since Carl Yastrzemski did so in 1967.

Still, I am sure this is not the way Cabrera would want to go out. For now, he will have to wait until next year.

Trump Trusts Kim Jong-un; Calls Him Honorable

Following his summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un in Singapore, President Trump told George Stephanopoulos he trusts Kim and "believes" and "thinks" that Kim trusts him:

He trusts me, I believe. I really do. I mean, he said openly, and he said it to a couple of reporters that were with him that he knows that no other president ever could have done this. He knows who we had in front of me. He said no other president could have done this. I think he trusts me, and I trust him.

This is hardly reassuring.

Trump says he trusts Kim without qualification or reservation but doesn't seem so sure if Kim trusts him. Not that one could blame Kim. President Reagan had a wonderful relationship with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. Their relationship was one for the ages. But Reagan was of the adage, "Trust, but verify." With Trump, verification has gone out the window.

As to Trump's assertion that Kim told reporters no other President could have done what he did. It could be one of Trump's white lies just like when he claimed the President of the Boy Scouts told him he had made the best speech he ever heard. Something the President of the Boy Scouts not only denied, but actually apologized for Trump's excessively partisan remarks in a non-partisan setting.

But in this instance it would not surprise if Trump was telling the truth about Kim's remarks. In which case, if you read in between the lines, Kim is telling reporters he thinks Trump is a sucker. After all, Kim and his father and grandfather had long wanted this day to happen and no American President was going to let that come to pass so long as their regime persisted with their behavior.

Given North Korea's longstanding defiance of the United States with regard to nuclear proliferation, human rights abuses and a litany of other things why would Trump think things would be any different under his watch? I can think of one reason. Trump's monumental ego. Anyone who boasts he knows more about ISIS than the generals despite no military experience suffers from delusions of grandeur.

A monumental ego is also an impediment to sober judgment. Trump actually suggested Kim was "honorable". Trump told Stephanopoulos, "I've done a lot of deals with a lot of people, and sometimes the people that you most distrust turn out to be the most honorable ones and the people that you do trust, they are not the honorable ones."

There is nothing honorable about Kim Jong-un.

There is nothing honorable about a man who those who disagree with him into labor camps.

There is nothing honorable about a man who rules over a land where his people starve.

There is nothing honorable about a man who runs a country as a prison where no one is allowed to leave and is isolated from the rest of the world.

Trump's remark about people who are not honorable, of course, are a not so veiled swipe at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following his declaration that Canada would slap retaliatory tariffs on the United States in response to Trump's tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum at the close of the G-7 Summit in Quebec City last weekend. There is much to criticize about Trudeau's disposition and the manner in which he governs. But Trudeau is no Kim. That Trump would trust Kim at face value while deriding a long standing ally demonstrates a lack of emotional stability and predilection towards totalitarianism.

We can look forward to Kim stringing Trump along with promises he will not keep while Trump boasts despite no meaningful resutls. As I have argued previously, Kim is a very young man who President for Life while Trump will leave office in either 2021 or 2025 (God willing). Trump's engagement of Kim will make things more difficult for his successor to delegitimize him. Particular one who has nuclear weapons, threatens to use them and is willing to test him at the drop of a hat.

I would ask God to help us, but He told us long ago that we are on our own.

Danny Kirwan, R.I.P

Danny Kirwan, who played guitar, sang and wrote songs for Fleetwood Mac from 1968 to 1972, passed away in London on Friday. His cause of death was unknown. However, Kirwan was beset by alcohol and drug problems and endured long periods of homelessness. He was 68.

Kirwan joined the band at the age of 18 while they were known as a blues outfit with Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer at the helm and contributed notably to the instrumental "Albatross". In all, Kirwan played on five Fleetwood Mac albums. His most prominent contributions were to his last two albums - Future Games and Bare Trees in 1971 and 1972, respectively. By this time, Christine McVie and Bob Welch had joined the group and began to evolve from hard blues to an introspective acoustic, West Coast country rock style. However, Kirwan was fired from the group for his alcoholism and drug use and the volatile behavior which accompanied it while touring in support of Bare Trees. Kirwan would be a distant memory by the time Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks had joined the band and played no part in their Rumours success of 1977 and beyond. Kirwan recorded four solo albums between 1975 and 1979 to neither critical nor commercial success and would never record or perform again. Although inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac, Kirwan did not appear at the ceremony.

My favorite Fleetwood Mac is Kirwan's "Woman of 1000 Years". It has a desperate, ethereal yet gentle sweetness about it. Despite its low key demeanor,  "Woman of 1000 Years" is one of those songs that knocked me on my ass when I heard it for the first time and led me to explore more of Kirwan's contributions to Fleetwood Mac and beyond. It is a shame that Kirwan couldn't have become a household name like other members of Fleetwood Mac and more importantly that he couldn't have found greater peace while making music. R.I.P.

Kenney Rebukes Trump on G7 Twitter Tirade on Tariffs, Trade & Trudeau

Jason Kenney is as conservative as they come in Canada. The leader of Alberta's opposition United Conservative Party rebuked President Trump following his Twitter tirade on tariffs, trade and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

When Trump accused Trudeau of lying, calling him "meek and mild" and justified recently imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum by complaining about Canada's supply management system, Kenney wasn't having any of it. He tweeted:

A disappointing retrenchment into protectionism. It’s not credible to suggest that steel tariffs imposed against several US allies on national security grounds are a response to the 60 year old Canadian supply management system. Particularly when USA has massive dairy subsidies.

I’m in complete agreement with the Prime Minister’s statement. A reasonable, balanced and firm assertion that Canada will not be bullied, and that we will retaliate if the US Administration does not end its attack on our steel exports.

There may be some so-called conservatives who might take Kenney to task for defending Trudeau but if Trump takes this line with Canada it will adversely affect Alberta and Kenney must close ranks with Trudeau. Ontario Premier-elect Doug Ford would be wise to do the same. Canadian politicians should fight Trump's measures vigorously regardless of their political affiliation. 

As usual, Trump's behavior is reckless and stupid. Should Trump's tariffs cause a recession he will only have himself to blame. Of course he won't. But if Trump supporters begin losing their jobs because of these policies then perhaps Trump will lose his job.

Warriors Sweep Cavaliers To Win Third NBA Title in Four Years

The Golden State Warriors demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 to sweep them for their third NBA Title in four years. The Warriors and Cavs have faced each other in the past four NBA Finals. It is the first time a team has won back to back NBA titles since the L.A. Lakers did so in 2009 and 2010. Warriors forward Kevin Durant won back to back NBA Finals MVP becoming the first player to do so since LeBron James did so in 2012 and 2013 while he was with the Miami Heat. LeBron might be the greatest player in NBA history, but even he was no match for the Warriors this year.

The Warriors now have to be considered among the very greatest teams in NBA history up there with the aforementioned Lakers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will very likely make their way to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame along with head coach Steve Kerr.

I'm sure many outside the Bay Area are bored with the Warriors winning but they are part of a golden age of basketball and are an ornament to the game. Congratulations!!!

Washington Capitals Win Stanley Cup 40 Years To The Date Washington Bullets Won NBA Final

Last night, the Washington Capitals won their first ever Stanley Cup championship besting the expansion Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 of the series. The Caps have been in the NHL since 1974.

The most amazing thing about the Caps' triumph is that it came exactly 40 years to the date the Washington Bullets won the NBA Title against the Seattle Super Sonics.

DC residents have their first sports champion since the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI in 1992. There will be a parade on Tuesday.

This triumph has to be sweet for Alexander Ovechkin who has played with the Caps since 2005.

Although the Capitals' championship has been a long time in coming it is worth remembering the last time DC had a World Series winner was in 1924 when the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. This was exactly 50 years before the Capitals took the ice.

Perhaps the Washington Nationals will rectify this in October. But for now DC is the Capitals' town.

Trump is More Russian Puppet Than American President

How does one explain President Trump leaving the G-7 in a huff after a Twitter row on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron and then call upon the G-7 to readmit Russia?

This is the behavior of a Russian puppet, not an American President. How does slapping tariffs on Canadian and EU steel & aluminum benefit America? How does readmitting Russia into the G-7 benefit America? It doesn't. Only Russia and those beholden to it stand to gain.

Of course, Trump hasn't always been wrong on foreign policy with moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and ending the Iran nuclear deal being good examples. Indeed the Iran nuclear deal was never in America's interest and moving the embassy to Jerusalem has been longstanding U.S. policy finally enacted upon. But these are exceptions rather than the rule as I think his forthcoming on again, off again summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong un in Singapore will soon demonstrate.

A Thought for Charles Krauthammer

Syndicated columnist and longtime Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer has revealed he has only weeks to live following news that his cancer has returned and is rapidly spreading in an open letter. "This is the final verdict," wrote Krauthammer, "My fight is over."

Krauthammer went on to write:

Lastly, I thank my colleagues, my readers, and my viewers, who have made my career possible and given consequence to my life’s work. I believe that the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking. I am grateful to have played a small role in the conversations that have helped guide this extraordinary nation’s destiny.

I leave this life with no regrets. It was a wonderful life — full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living. I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.

I agree wholeheartedly that debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking. Sadly, it is a lost art in the United States and in the Western World. You must be pro-Trump or anti-Trump down the line and any deviance from those stances is grounds to be called a traitor or worse. Despite his modesty about his contributions, Krauthammer's pen and voice will be sorely missed from the national conversation especially so in the age of Trump where reason seldom triumphs over passion on both sides of the ideological divide.

The best we can do is to imbue his spirit and read, listen, weigh the pros and cons carefully and make the strongest argument in favor of good ideas and against bad ideas. Of course, those who promulgate bad ideas aren't necessarily bad persons and conversely those who promulgate good ideas aren't always good persons. In other words, don't make arguments personal. Easier said than done I know. But Krauthammer managed to find a way. And so can we if we try.

Thoughts on Suicide (Re: Kate Spade & Anthony Bourdain)

Let me start by saying I never paid a great deal of attention to either Kate Spade nor Anthony Bourdain. I knew who they were of course and that they were eminently successful people. Or so it seemed.

Within 72 hours of each other two people who by all appearances had everything in the world decided to end their lives by hanging themselves.

It is entirely possible to own a piece of Manhattan, but this does guarantee one will also own peace of mind.

Some suicides are explainable. There were those in the WTC on September 11, 2001 who face the choice of jumping or burning to death. There are those who are diagnosed with a terminal illness who prefer to end things right then and there. There are those who commit suicide because of a financial loss and are unable to face the burden. Then there are those who commit suicide after committing a great wrong such as murder.

Then there is just plain mental illness. Of course not everyone with mental illness commits suicide much less expresses suicide ideation. But some people just can't cope even if they do manage to attain fame and fortune.

In 2005, I spent a Saturday night at a club called Harper's Ferry in the Allston/Brighton section of Boston to watch a Beatles cover group called Beatlejuice. But this was no ordinary Beatles tribute group. The lead singer was Brad Delp who topped the charts in the 1970's and 1980's with the rock group Boston. Delp was in top form and seemed on top of the world. I remember several young women jumping up on stage to join him in song. I was so envious of him. He could have spent the night with all of them if he wanted.

Two years later, he would take his own life leaving a note which read, "Mr. Brad Delp. J'ai une ame solitaire. I am a lonely soul." His tense relationship with Boston bandmate Tom Scholz was certainly a factor though Scholz disputed this and filed lawsuits against both Delp's widow and The Boston Herald but the Courts ruled against Scholz while the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case.  Whatever reason Delp saw fit to end his life, fame, fortune and success weren't enough to keep him alive.

So if fame, fortune and success aren't enough to keep a man alive then what is?

Faith? Confidence? Reason? Fear? Hope? Love? Acceptance?

Each of us must answer that question for ourselves.

It is a shame that Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain, Brad Delp and people the world over both rich and poor cannot find a reason to go on. R.I.P.

Doug Ford's Tories Win Majority Government in Ontario

Ontario voters have chosen to end 15 years of Liberal Party rule by electing Doug Ford's Tories to a majority government. This marks the first time the Tories have been in power since Mike Harris and Ernie Eves were at the helm from 1995 to 2003. As of this writing, the Tories are elected or leading in 73 seats. Andrea Horwath's NDP becomes the official opposition elected or leading in 40 seats while Kathleen Wynne's Liberals have been reduced to 7 seats. Should the Liberals not reach 8 seats they will lose official party status at Queen's Park. Wynne has been re-elected in her own seat, but she will likely step down as party leader. It is also worth noting Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner has been elected in his constituency in Guelph. Schreiner will sit in the Ontario legislature as an independent, but the Greens continue to make inroads as Elizabeth May has at the federal level.

Although the Tories did not release a platform until late in the election campaign and when they did it wasn't costed, this didn't make a difference to voters who wanted a change of government. Besides how many political parties form a government only to break their promises? It did appear that the NDP had gained at the expense of the Tories many voters viewed Horwath as Wynne on steroids and wanted something different both in style and substance.

It will be interesting to see how Premier-elect Ford handles President Trump's decision to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum much of which is manufactured in Ontario. Rather than align himself with Justin Trudeau, I believe he will try to carve out a relationship with Trump and try to mitigate the impact of the tariffs. Ford might rue this path, but he probably can't afford to be too cozy with Trudeau in the eyes of Ford Nation.

As I wrote a few days ago, I'm not sure I would have voted Tory if I were still living in Ontario. But I don't have the same antipathy towards Ford that I do with Trump. As always we shall see.

Red Schoendienst, R.I.P.

St. Louis Cardinals legend Red Schoendienst passed away last night at the age of 95. At the time of his death, Schoendienst was the oldest living player in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Despite sustaining a serious eye injury while working on FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps as a teenager, Schoendienst enjoyed a successful nearly two decade big league career mostly with the Cardinals. After leading the NL in stolen bases during his rookie season in 1945, Schoendienst would earn a World Series ring the following year. A versatile player, Schoendienst was selected to 9 NL All-Star Teams between 1946 and 1955.

However, the Cardinals would trade Schoendienst to the New York Giants a multi player deal in exchange for Alvin Dark during the middle of the 1956 season. This trade would take the wind out of his sails. But a year later, the Giants would trade Schoendienst to the Milwaukee Braves. He was the final piece of the puzzle that would earn the Braves their first World Series title in 43 years. Schoendienst remained a key figure in the Braves' 1958 NL pennant title.

Schoendienst would return to St. Louis in 1961 and finish his playing career in 1963. But Schoendienst would remain a Cardinal for the rest of his life. He would join the Cardinals coaching staff and earn another World Series ring in 1964. After Johnny Keane resigned to manage the New York Yankees, Schoendienst took over as manager from 1965 through 1976 winning a World Series title in 1967. Schoendienst would manage the Cardinals on an interim basis in both 1980 and 1990. Schoendienst remained on the coaching staff for the Cardinals' World Series wins in 1982, 2006 and 2011. The Veterans Committee elected him to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.

On a personal note, my Dad met Schoendienst in the visiting clubhouse at the Polo Grounds in 1955 where he got to ask Stan Musial a question on Bill Stern's radio show during a rained out Sunday doubleheader between the Cardinals and Giants. Naturally, I shared the news of Schoendienst's passing with my Dad. He told me he was impressed with Schoendienst "impressive size and humble demeanor." No doubt the people of St. Louis would agree wholeheartedly. R.I.P.

Canada Wasn't Even a Country When The White House Was Burned During The War of 1812

I cannot say that I am terribly surprised that President Trump would base his trade policy with Canada on the belief Canadians were responsible for burning down the White House during The War of 1812. Trump reportedly made reference to this act during a heated phone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the Trump Administration's recent imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum on its northern neighbor. These levies were also imposed against Mexico and the EU.

Of course, Canada wasn't even a country at the time. In 1812, Canada was a British territory on which the United States had designs. The U.S. would not succeed in its objective. Canada would gain its independence from the UK in 1867. Trump should recall he gave Canada his warmest wishes on its 150th anniversary last year.

As someone who was born in Canada and spent the first 27½ years of my life there, it is something of a sore point that Americans know so little about us while we know more than we want to know about the United States. Now perhaps we cannot realistically expect someone in Wheeling, West Virginia to know about what's going on in Medicine Hat, Alberta. But I do expect the President of the United States to have more than a passing knowledge of the United States' largest trading partner. But given Americans didn't care about Trump's lack of knowledge of American history (i.e. Andrew Jackson & The Civil War) then why would he concern himself with knowing anything about Canada?

What if RFK Had Been Elected President in 1968?

On this night, 50 years ago, Robert F. Kennedy won the California Democratic Primary. In the early hours the following morning, he was shot and would die the following day at the age of 42.

What would have happened had RFK lived and had been elected President?

No doubt many people asked this question in 1968.

No doubt many people are asking this question in 2018.

Naturally, it is all too easy to romanticize a RFK presidency. But I think it is safe to say that if RFK had defeated Richard Nixon in the 1968 presidential election that there would have been no Watergate. If there was no Watergate perhaps there would be greater trust in our public officials. In turn if there was a greater trust in our public officials then we would not have a Trump presidency today.

This isn't to say there wouldn't have been struggles in a RFK White House. I believe the biggest challenge would have been Vietnam. I believe it would have been far more difficult for RFK to end the war than he ever let on. If he hadn't done it quickly enough, The New Left would have given him the LBJ treatment. But if Saigon had fell under his watch, the Right would have declared it his Bay of Pigs times hundred. Ronald Reagan would have very likely been a formidable opponent for RFK in 1972. Perhaps Reagan would have been elected in 1976, but been plagued by double digit inflation. Perhaps he would have been defeated by Jimmy Carter in 1980. It is very possible that other actors who lived in obscurity would have come to prominence. Of course, it is quite possible that if RFK had been elected in 1968 that he might have not lived to see the end of his first term.

Whatever would have come of a RFK presidency we would have had a President who would not have publicly undermined our institutions, uninvited visitors to the White House who disagreed with him and not sung his own virtues when remembering our fallen soldiers. Unlike our current President, RFK possessed a warm heart and a generous spirit. Warm hearts and generous spirits are in short supply among the leaders in our country. We still have much to learn from RFK. But somehow I doubt we are prepared to listen.

There's Very Little Difference Between Jack Phillips & Lester Maddox

It should come as no surprise that conservatives are delighted with the Supreme Court's ruling permitting Colorado cake maker Jack Phillips of the Masterpiece Cakeshop to refuse to design cakes for same sex couples. It would seem conservatives have (at least for the moment) have forgiven Anthony Kennedy for making same sex marriage the law of the land.

From where I sit, there's very little difference between Jack Phillips and Lester Maddox, the late Governor of Georgia. Before being elected Governor in 1966, Maddox was the proprietor of Pickrick's. He refused to serve African-American customers despite the passage of the Civil Rights Act. While there were multiple components to Maddox's argument, one of them involved religious liberty. Maddox considered the principle of desegregation "unGodly, unChristian and unAmerican."

In 2018, such a position would be considered morally and socially abhorrent. But half a century ago, it would have represented the opinion of the majority of white Christians residing in the southern United States. Senator Ted Cruz tweeted, "Today’s Supreme Court decision upholding a Colorado baker’s constitutional right to live according to his faith is a major victory for religious liberty. The fact that the decision was 7-2 (not a narrow 5-4) underscores that govt should NEVER discriminate against religious faith.”

But if Americans have a constitutional right to live according to his faith then Ted Cruz must defend Lester Maddox's right to refuse to serve black customers because according to Maddox's faith doing so is unGodly and unChristian. Now I presume Cruz would reject such an argument, but I'm afraid he cannot have his cake and eat it. If Maddox's refusal to serve African-Americans is wrong then why is Phillips' refusal to serve a same sex couple right?

Now there is one crucial difference between Phillips and Maddox. The late Georgia Governor utilized violence to confront blacks who wished to patronize his restaurant at the point of either a gun or a pickax. Phillips has not engaged in any such conduct.

Notwithstanding Phillips' peaceable behavior one can now expect other proprietors across the country to deny service to same sex couples and the LGBT community under the guise of religious liberty. Today's Supreme Court decision effectively codifies state sanctioned homophobia. For shame.

Bruce Kison, R.I.P.

Former MLB pitcher, pitching coach and scout Bruce Kison has passed away following a brief battle with cancer. He was 68. I learned of Kison's death while reading his former Pittsburgh Pirates teammate Omar Moreno's Twitter feed.

The Pirates drafted Kison out of high school 50 years ago this month. He would reach the majors in 1971. The Bucs would win the World Series in his rookie season. Although the 1971 World Series is best remembered as a showcase for Roberto Clemente, Kison was also a major factor in that Series as the winning pitcher in Game 4 hurling 6.1 innings of one hit relief. The game was also notable as it was the first night game in World Series history.

Kison remained with the Pirates as both a starter and a reliever through the 1979 season when he collected his second World Series ring as he posted a career high 13 wins. He was one of four Pirates who played with both the '71 & '79 teams. The others were Willie Stargell, Manny Sanguillen and Dock Ellis.

In 1980, Kison signed a five year contract with the California Angels. Kison did not perform up to his expectations and even attempted to return the money he was given by the organization. Kison finished his big league career in 1985 with the Boston Red Sox. In 15 seasons, Kison went 115-88 with a 3.66 ERA.

Kison remained involved in baseball after his playing career. He rejoined the Pirates as a minor league pitching coordinator and scout before joining the Kansas City Royals as a bullpen coach and later their pitching coach. Kison spent the last two decades in the Baltimore Orioles organization first as a pitching coach and later as a scout before retiring last December. Sadly, he fell ill shortly after his retirement.

I leave you with Kison celebrating the Pirates' 1971 World Series triumph along with Clemente, Steve Blass and Bob Prince. R.I.P.

With The Liberals Already Admitting Defeat Will Ontario Pick The Tories or NDP on June 7th?

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne did the unheard of today. With five days left in the provincial election campaign, Wynne admitted she will not be re-elected.

It has been obvious to everyone that Wynne's Liberals were going to lose after 15 years in power with she at the helm for the past five plus years. Wynne has been the most unpopular politician in Canada for some time now. But to hear her say it was rather extraordinary.

Of course, there is self-interest and self-preservation there. She urged voters to elect enough Liberals to force the Tories or the NDP to form a minority government with the Liberals. Wynne wants to be a kingmaker or queenmaker.

The king in question would be Tory leader Doug Ford, the older brother of the late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (infamous for smoking crack and other deeds) while the queen would be NDP leader Andrea Horwath.

Ford won the Tory leadership race back in March after the downfall of his predecessor Patrick Brown in the midst of sexual misconduct allegations. Ford was heavily favored to win the election. However, Ford comes off to many as a Donald Trump Lite figure although opinion is divided on the subject.

But this has allowed Horwath to emerge as a viable alternative. For many voters, her relatively sunny disposition was a nice contrast to the dour Wynne and the angry Ford. This has resulted a surge in the polls for the NDP. It would seem many Ontarians either don't know, don't care or have forgotten the last NDP government of Bob Rae. The NDP shocked the entire Canadian political landscape with its stunning election win in September 1990 after the then Liberal government of David Peterson called an early election. But governing proved too heavy a task for the NDP and they would be ousted in favor of the Tories after a single term in office. Will the NDP earn another chance to govern Canada's largest province?

From a personal standpoint, I'm not sure what I would do if I were still living in Ontario. I know I wouldn't vote Liberal and I wouldn't vote NDP. The question for me is whether I could vote for Ford. The Trumpian bluster is a turn off, but Ford hasn't had a Gonzalo Curiel, John McCain or a "grab them by the pussy" moment either. He doesn't have his late younger brother's personal demons. Ford has been short on specifics. But then again how many politicians make detailed promises only to be unable or unwilling to keep them?

All things considered, Trump's nonsense and the nonsense of the Left down here is enough to keep me depressed for the rest of the decade at the very minimum. Perhaps looking at my old stomping grounds will prove a momentary respite. We'll see what happens the evening of June 7th.

MLB Notes for May: Are The Mariners Better Without Robinson Cano?

When MLB suspended Robinson Cano for 80 games after testing positive for PEDs, I wondered where the Seattle Mariners would be three months from now. We still don't know, but the first two weeks have been very, very good.

The Mariners are 11-5 since Cano's suspension and are now only a game behind the defending World Series champion Houston Astros in the AL West. At the time of Cano's suspension, the Mariners were 1.5 games behind both the Astros and the Los Angeles Angels. Could it be that the Mariners are better off without Cano? I picked them to win the AL pennant, but didn't expect them to do so without Cano. The Mariners have gained at the expense of the Angels who have gone 5-10 during this same period despite the presence of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Shoehai Othani in their lineup and are now 5.5 games back of the Astros. The Oakland A's are treading water at a game over .500 while the Texas Rangers remain in the basement.

The Cleveland Indians have pulled away from the pack in the AL Central finishing May with six wins in a row and victories in 8 of their last 10 games. Is another 22 game winning streak in the Tribe's future? The Tribe is the only team in the division with a winning record. The Detroit Tigers 26-30 is nothing to write home about, but they are only 4.5 games back of the Tribe. The Minnesota Twins continue to underachieve, but at six games back cannot be entirely counted out. The same cannot be said for either the Kansas City Royals or the Chicago White Sox who are both double digits behind the Indians in the loss column. The Chisox own the worst record in MLB after they followed up an 8-18 March/April with an 8-19 May.

Yet it could be worse. While the Chisox are 13 games back of the Indians in the AL Central, the Baltimore Orioles are 21.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East despite having a better record. But the Orioles aren't the only team in the AL East who had a bad May. The Toronto Blue Jays also replicated the Orioles 9-19 record in May. Unlike the O's, the Jays were 16-12 in March/April. They've fallen from 5 to 13.5 games back of the Bosox who continue to have MLB's best record. But the New York Yankees remain hot on their tail at only 1.5 games off the pace. The Tampa Bays Rays are the AL East version of the A's treading water at just over .500. How long will they continue to tread following the trade of closer Jesus Colome and outfielder Denard Span to Seattle?

The NL East might very well be MLB's most exciting race with the youthful Atlanta Braves a half game up on the Washington Nationals and a game up on the Philadelphia Phillies. After a 13-16 March/April, the Nats had MLB's best record in May with a 19-8 mark. Despite the success of both the Braves and the Phillies, most are picking the Nats to repeat. Even if this comes to pass the Braves and Phillies are strong NL Wild Card contenders. Of course, at this time a month ago, it was the New York Mets who were leading the division. But after going 17-9 in March/April, the Mets collapsed to a 10-18 mark in May and are now a .500 club. Will the real Mets stand up in June? Their May record was identical to that of the Miami Marlins who posted the same mark in March/April.

But the Mets weren't the only NL club with a bad May. The Arizona Diamondbacks had an even worse reversal of fortune. After having the NL's best record in March/April at 20-8, the D'Backs 8-19 record in May was the Senior Circuit's worst output highlighted by yet another injury to A.J. Pollock. Having lost 7 of their last 10 games, Arizona is now 1.5 games behind the Colorado Rockies. The NL West is fast turning into the AL Central. Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are 26-30, but are only 4 games back of the Rockies. Even the last place San Diego Padres are only six games out after a respectable 15-13 record in May.

The Milwaukee Brewers now have the NL's best record following a 19-8 May. At the end of last month, the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Brew Crew were separated by 1.5 games. The Brewers now have a four game lead on the Cubs and a 4.5 game lead on the Cardinals. Having lost 7 of their last 10 games, the Bucs are now 6.5 games off the pace. The Cincinnati Reds remain well behind, but after a 13-15 May no longer have the NL's worst record. Perhaps they will make this division a five way race at this time a month from now.