Indians Don't Land Bryce Harper; Settle for Leonys Martin Plus Other Trade Deadline Deals

Cleveland Indians' fans are undoubtedly disappointed at not landing Bryce Harper. Rumors abounded that the Washington Nationals were making their franchise player available before the trade deadline. But this did not come to pass. So the Tribe settled for obtaining Leonys Martin from the Detroit Tigers to assist their beleagured outfield.

But who knows? Maybe Martin could hit a home run that's even bigger than the one hit by his teammate Rajai Davis in the 2016 World Series.

A year ago, the Los Angeles Angels traded Cameron Maybin to the Houston Astros. He earned a World Series ring. This year, the Miami Marlins have traded Maybin to the Seattle Mariners. Can lightning strike twice?

What does one make of the Tampa Bay Rays? They trade their ace Chris Archer to the Pittsburgh Pirates and their catcher Wilson Ramos to the Philadelphia Phillies, but then turn around and acquire Tommy Pham from the St. Louis Cardinals. However, the Rays have Pham under contract through 2021. So this move could pay dividends down the road. But so could have keeping Archer and Ramos.

The Atlanta Braves' pitching staff has a strong Baltimore Orioles flavor with the additions of Kevin Gausman, Darren O'Day and Brad Brach. It remains to be seen if they will have the same kind of success that former Oriole Nick Markakis has had in Atlanta. The Braves also added Reds' power hitter Adam Duvall.

Second basemen were also a valuable commodity today with the O's trading Jonathan Schoop to the Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Jonathan Villar and two prospects. In a deal two years in the making, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally landed the power hitting bat of Brian Dozier from the Minnesota Twins.

Most of the other deals involved the bullpen. The Dodgers added veteran reliever John Axford from the Toronto Blue Jays. Their NL West rival Arizona Diamondbacks countered with reacquiring ex-D'Back Brad Ziegler from the Marlins as well as Jake Diekman from the Texas Rangers. Diekman's former Ranger teammate Keone Kela has landed in Pittsburgh. The Chicago Cubs have acquired Brandon Kintzler from the Washington Nationals. You will recall that the Nats obtained him from the Twins a year ago.

Of course, MLB clubs can continue to make deals. But now other clubs can block deals by making a waiver claim. In which case we can expect Bryce Harper to remain in D.C. for the rest of 2018.

Red Sox Acquire Ian Kinsler From The Angels

Following the Boston Red Sox extra inning win over the Philadelphia Phillies this evening, it was announced the Bosox acquired veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Los Angeles Angels for two minor leaguers.

In 91 games for the Angels this season, Kinsler hit .239 with 13 HR and 32 RBI. The numbers don't look impressive. However, he was hitting .215 to start the month of July. In his final dozen games with the Angels, Kinsler was hitting .375 (20 for 48), 2 HR and 6 RBI. So the Red Sox struck while the iron was hot.

Prior to joining the Angels, Kinsler spent the bulk of his career with the Texas Rangers playing with back to back AL pennant winners in 2010 and 2011 before being traded to the Detroit Tigers for Prince Fielder prior to the 2014 season. The 36-year old veteran was teammates with current Red Sox players J.D. Martinez and David Price while with the Tigers. Of course, Kinsler is familiar to Red Sox President Dave Dombrowski during his tenure with the Tigers. Dombrowski has said he expects Kinsler to become the Red Sox' everyday second baseman for the rest of this season. Kinsler is a free agent at season's end.

Yankees & Astros Make Questionable Moves

I'm scratching my head as to the moves both the New York Yankees and Houston Astros have made.

In recent days, the Yankees have shipped relievers Chasen Shreve and Adam Warren to the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners, respectively. They did this to make room for....Lance Lynn?

I suppose Lynn adds some depth to the starting rotation. But after six seasons in St. Louis, Lynn signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Twins and has gone 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA in 20 starts in 2018. Meanwhile, the Twins get a really exciting player in Tyler Austin. I could definitely see him becoming a superstar in the Twin Cities.

I'm really puzzled by the Yankees' decision to deal Warren to Seattle. If the season were to end today, the Yankees would face the Mariners in the AL Wild Card game. Dealing Warren to their likely Wild Card opponent might come back to haunt them. Of course, there is another 16 or so hours left before the trade deadline elapses.

But this isn't getting as much scrutiny as the Houston Astros trading away closer Ken Giles to the Toronto Blue Jays for their closer Roberto Osuna. The Astros are getting heat because Osuna is currently on the restricted list due to domestic violence. I realize Giles wasn't getting the job done, but adding Osuna gives them the sort of attention they aren't going to want. Osuna is eligible to come of the restricted list on August 5th. It has been pointed out that Robinson Cano's PED suspension renders him ineligible for the post-season should the Seattle Mariners end their playoff drought, but Osuna faces no such restriction.

As it stands, the Yankees and Astros are virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. I'm just not sure how these moves help them during the post-season.

A Very Sad Day For Pro Wrestling (R.I.P. to Nikolai Volkoff, Brian Chrstopher & Brickhouse Brown)

Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer put it succinctly on Twitter:

Just to confirm, Nikolai Volkoff, Brian Lawler and Brickhouse Brown have all passed away. Very sad day for pro wrestling.

Volkoff passed away at the age of 70 for reasons not yet released to the public. Although his public persona in the ring was that of a Soviet, he was actually from Croatia and would become a long time Maryland resident who ran for public office under a Republican banner.

Volkoff was best known for his run in the WWE (then known as the WWF) in a tag team with The Iron Sheik. The two would rile up the crowd with Volkoff singing the Soviet National Anthem with The Iron Sheik saying, "Russia number one!!! Iran number one!!!" and then spitting after he said the U.S.A. or Canada.

Brian Christopher Lawler died under far more tragic circumstances taking his own life while in jail. He was arrested earlier this month for DUI after taking police on a chase. The son of Memphis wrestling legend Jerry "The King" Lawler, he would mostly wrestle under the name Brian Christopher to escape the long shadow of his famous father. He would achieve some measure of success in the WWE in the late 1990's, early 2000's in the tag team Too Cool where he was known as Grandmaster Sexay. Initially envisioned as cowardly heels, their alliance with Rikishi made them fan favorites. Alcohol and drug problems short circuited his success in WWE. He continued to wrestle on the independent circuit into the early 2010's, but had several brushes with the law in recent years. Lawler was 46.

Brickhouse Brown also died too young succumbing after a year long battle with cancer at the age of 57. While not as nationally well known as Volkoff or Christopher, Brown's career ring spanned 35 years. Originally trained by Terry Funk, Brown made his mark in Memphis in the 1980's and 1990's primarily as a heel first in the Continental Wrestling Association and later the United States Wrestling Association holding numerous regional singles and tag team titles. He reached the height of his career in 1987 when he defeated Jerry Lawler to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. Following his cancer diagnosis, several independent wrestling promotions organized charity shows to help Brown pay for his medical bills. 

It is said that things come in threes. Let's hope it stays that way. R.I.P.

Moustakas Reunited With Cain in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired third baseman Mike Moustakas from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for two minor leaguers.

Moustakas has spent his entire professional career in the Royals' organization who first drafted him in 2007. He was the second overall pick in the nation behind current Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Moustakas reached the majors in 2011 and has been a mainstay since.

In seven and a half seasons with the Royals, Moustakas was selected to two AL All-Star Teams, was a part of the back to back AL pennant winners in 2014 and 2015, earning a World Series ring in '15. Moustakas was thought to be on the trading block last year when he hit a career high 38 HR and 85 RBI. In 98 games with the last place Royals this season, Moustakas hit .249 with 20 HR and 62 RBI. The trade reunites Moustakas with his former Royals teammate Lorenzo Cain.

With Moustakas as the new Brewers third baseman, it will be interesting to see how Travis Shaw fares at second base. If Shaw falters we'll see if the Brew Crew makes another run at Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop. Acquiring Moustakas may have strengthened the hot corner, but it might leave a big gap up the middle. At the moment, the Brewers hold the top NL Wild Card spot. However, an experiment at second base could change that dynamic quickly. There might be a moose loose in Milwaukee but he can't cover second.

Phillies Acquire Cabrera From Mets; Twins Trade Escobar To Arizona

Today it was the infielders turn to be traded.

While these trades aren't of the same significance of the Dodgers acquiring Manny Machado from the Orioles, Asdrubal Cabrera and Eduardo Escobar should help their new teams.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Cabrera from the New York Mets for a minor leaguer. Cabrera was one of the few bright spots for a Mets team in turmoil. In 98 games with the Mets this season, Cabrera hit .277 with 18 HR and 58 RBI. Shortstop has been a weakness for the first place Phillies and Cabrera should be a stop gap measure for the rest of 2018. Cabrera is a free agent at the end of the season.

Eduardo Escobar was in tonight's starting lineup for the Twins against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. But Escobar would be a late scratch when he learned he had been dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks for three minor leaguers. The D'Backs had a sudden need for an infielder when Jake Lamb was placed on the DL after injuring his shoulder during yesterday's game at Wrigley Field against the Cubs. Although primarily a shortstop, Escobar is a versatile defender and can fill in a third. A member of the Twins since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a trade deadline deal for Francisco Liriano, Escobar was hitting .274 with 15 HR and 63 RBI along with an AL leading 37 doubles in 97 games in 2018. Like his fellow Venezuelan Cabrera, Escobar is a free agent at the end of 2018.

Twins players are reportedly angry at Escobar's trade. Will they respond like they did last season when the team dealt closer Brandon Kintzler to the Washington Nationals and earn an AL Wild Card berth? The Twins are currently 8 games back of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central and 13 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the second AL Wild Card berth. So the Twins have their work cut out for them. The Twins are very likely not dealing as veteran second baseman Brian Dozier is also on the trading block.

Rangers Trade Cole Hamels to The Cubs; Phillies' Fans Hearbroken

The Texas Rangers have traded veteran southpaw Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs for minor leaguers. 

The trade is a disappointment to Philadelphia Phillies' fans who had hoped for a reunion with Hamels who pitched for the team from 2006 until he was dealt to the Rangers during the 2015 trade deadline. 

In 20 starts for the Rangers this season, Hamels is 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA. Hamels has struggled mightily while pitching in Arlington. However, he has fanned 114 batters in 114 1/3 innings pitched. 

Hamels will be a definite upgrade over Tyler Chatwood. I watched Chatwood walk six batters in 4 2/3 innings pitched against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This didn't stop the Cubs from winning today's game, but the Cubs are going to need a starter who can go deep and has post-season experience. 

For Philly fans disappointed with today's trade there might be a silver lining. Hamels is a free agent at season's end. Perhaps the reunion has merely been delayed.

There is one more comment I would like to make. Hamels has an outside chance to go to Cooperstown. He has a career record of 152-111 with a 3.43 ERA along with 2,341 strikeouts. Should Hamels pitch until he is 40 he will very likely finish his career with more than 200 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. While Hamels does have a World Series ring and four All-Star appearances, he has never been thought of as the greatest or most dominant pitcher of his era. But he has staying power and I believe he will get healthy consideration from the BBWAA when he becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame. Another World Series ring certainly would help his cause.

Brewers, D'Backs & Rockies Get Some Relief While The Astros Add Gold Glove Catcher Maldonado

Relief pitching has been the name of the game in this year's trade deadline deals. These deals might not be as spectacular as the Indians landing Brad Hand, Jeurys Familia going to the A's or Zach Britton being sent to the Yankees but these deals could bolster the post-season prospects of the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies.

The Brew Crew acquired veteran closer Joakim Soria from the Chicago White Sox. In 29 appearances with the Chisox, Soria saved 16 games with a 0-3 record and a 2.56 ERA. Soria will likely play more of a supporting role for Brewers closer Corey Knebel and All-Star set up man Josh Hader.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have added reliever Matt Andriese who had spent his entire big league career with the Tampa Bay Rays which began in 2015. Andriese was 3-4 with a 4.07 ERA in 27 appearances this season. Four of these appearances were starts as one of the many relievers who has started games for Kevin Cash's rag tag crew at Tropicana Field. Andriese will undoubtedly be delighted to be reunited with his former Rays teammate Brad Boxberger who is Arizona's closer.

The Colorado Rockies bolstered their pen by obtaining Seunghwan Oh from the Toronto Blue Jays. The South Korean native was 4-3 with a 2.68 ERA along with two saves in 48 appearances with the Jays this season and has also struck out 55 batters in 47 innings. After saving games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016 and 2017, Oh will play supporting role for Rockies closer Wade Davis joining a capable bullpen which includes Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee.

But not everyone is the market for relief pitching. The defending World Series champion Houston Astros have upgraded behind the plate by acquiring 2017 Gold Glove winner Martin Maldonado from the Los Angeles Angels. This probably means Evan Gattis will be used almost exclusively as a DH as Maldonado shares catching duties with Max Stassi. Maldonado might be the most valuable career .219 hitter in the game.

With five more days before the trade deadline there will be a lot more deals to come.

Who Got The Better Deal? Eovaldi To The Red Sox or The Yankees Adding Happ?

Within the past 24 hours, both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have added starting pitchers.

Yesterday, the Bosox acquired Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays for top pitching prospect Jalen Beeks. The Bronx Bombers matched this move by obtaining southpaw J.A. Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays for third baseman Brandon Drury and outfield prospect Billy McKinney.

Who got the better deal?

I'd call it fairly even. Eovaldi returned to the bigs earlier this season after missing all of 2017 recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. In 10 starts with the Rays, Eovaldi went 3-4 with a 4.26 ERA. In 57 innings pitched, Eovaldi struck out 53 while walking only eight. Meanwhile, in 20 starts with the Jays, Happ went 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA. Happ has struck out 130 batters in only 114 innings pitched with only 35 walks earning his first ever All-Star Team selection. Both pitchers will add depth to their respective rotations and are free agents at the end of the season.

The measure of this deal might be determined by the other participants in it. Beeks made his big league debut with the Red Sox earlier this season when the Detroit Tigers roughed him up for seven runs in four innings pitched. Earlier this month, Beeks made a relief appearance against the Texas Rangers giving up three runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Beeks will likely get an opportunity to find his way as a starting pitcher on the Rays' big league roster.

As for the Blue Jays, the key figure is Drury who got lost in the shuffle with the emergence of Miguel Andujar after being acquired in the off-season from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Drury was hitting only .176 with a home run and 7 RBI in 18 games this season. However, Drury will get a chance to play everyday in Toronto as the Jays are trying to shop Josh Donaldson (although this might be a challenge as he is on the DL). If Drury can have a Donaldson like impact on the Jays he will have a found a home.

Of course, in the short term, this deal will be measured should Eovaldi and Happ face off against each other on the mound in August or September.

Yankees Bolster Bullpen With Britton

The New York Yankees have become the latest team to bolster their bullpen with the acquisition of Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton in exchange for three minor league pitchers pending physicals. Britton was sitting in the Orioles' bullpen during tonight's game against the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yard looking far happier than anyone on a team 41 1/2 games out of the first place has any right to be.

The Yankees' acquisition of Britton comes on the heel of the Cleveland Indians and the Oakland A's adding Brad Hand and Jeurys Familia to their bullpens after the All-Star Game.

Britton was arguably MLB's best closer in 2015 and 2016. However, forearm and Achilles' tendon injuries have hampered his effectiveness over the past couple of seasons. In 16 appearances with the O's this season, Britton is 1-0 with a 3.45 ERA.

The Yankees are probably an ideal setting for Britton. He isn't expected to be the guy, but will get his opportunities with Aroldis Chapman's recent struggles. David Robertson, Dellin Betances and perhaps even Chad Green will get opportunities to close out games.

It is interesting that the Orioles dealt Britton to the Yankees when they were so reluctant to do the same with Manny Machado. Chances are Britton's tenure in the Bronx will be shortlived as the 30-year old southpaw is a free agent at the end of the season and have another chance to be a full fledged closer elsewhere.

Pirates Win Their 10th Straight Game

The Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the AL Central leading Cleveland Indians tonight 7-0 to earn their 10th straight win.

The only other clubs with double digit winning streaks this season are the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox who are likely to win over 100 games. The Bucs are the first team in the NL to do so in 2018. They have won 12 of their last 13 games and have overtaken the St. Louis Cardinals for third place in the NL Central.

It's been an odd year in Pittsburgh with the loss of both Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. The Pirates got off to a strong 11-4 start and were in first place in the NL Central as late as May 17th with a 26-17 mark. But prior to this streak, the Bucs had gone 16-32 and were in danger of falling behind the Cincinnati Reds for last place in the division. Now they are within 4.5 games of the struggling Milwaukee Brewers for the second NL Wild Card berth.

The Pirates have a nice middle of the lineup with Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Corey Dickerson, but their pitching is so-so aside from All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez. It will be interesting to see if the Pirates add players before the trade deadline or if they conclude they are not ready for the playoffs in 2018.

Ted Williams: A Life More Splintered Than Splendid

In December 2013, I read Ben Bradlee, Jr's 800 page plus epic tome The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams and subsequently met Bradlee at the Boston Public Library during a talk he gave about the book.

I wrote a review of the book as well as Bradlee's talk for The American Spectator. Unfortunately, it was not to be published. Instead, they opted to publish a review written by Paul Reid who was one of the last people to interview Williams. Under the circumstances, I understood their decision but was disappointed by it. This would not be the last time. But that's for another day. Personally, I believe this review is one of the best things I've ever written. Well, you can judge that for yourself:

If Ted Williams wasn’t able to hit a baseball then he probably would have been committed to a mental institution.

Ben Bradlee, Jr. was a bit puzzled after I made this observation to him following a talk he gave about his new epic biography of The Splendid Splinter titled The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams at the Boston Public Library earlier this month. When I explained that shouting in crowded movie theaters, jumping up and down on beds and screaming “Hi ho silver” in public in the 1930s was the sort of behavior that got people locked up, he agreed. Bradlee then added, “Well, when you hit .350 you can get away with a lot of things.”

Well, Ted Williams got away with a great many things. Williams also received the acclaim he desired. He often said that when he walked down the street he wanted people to say, “There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived,” and many people said exactly that when he passed them by. Yet no amount of praise could satisfy Williams. The one thing Williams could never attain was happiness.

Contrast that with the disposition of his contemporary Stan “The Man” Musial, the greatest player to ever don a St. Louis Cardinals uniform. Musial, who died last January at the age of 92, almost always wore a smile on his face. When asked why he was so happy all the time. Musial would reply, “If you knew you were going to hit .350 every year, you’d be happy all the time.” Williams knew he was going to hit .350 every year. Yet this knowledge never brought him contentment of any sort.

This is what Bradlee captures in his 800-page epic about Williams. It took Bradlee more than 10 years to write this book. During the course of that decade, Bradlee interviewed more than 600 people including teammates, friends, ex-wives, lovers as well as his two daughters. To give one an idea of how long it took Bradlee to complete the book more than 5% of the people he interviewed have now passed on including the likes of teammates Dominic DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky and eldest daughter Bobbi-Jo.

Bradlee traces Williams’ discontent all the way back to his childhood in San Diego. An indifferent father and a mother who was more devoted to the Salvation Army than she was to young Ted and his younger brother Danny was the root of his lifelong anger and restlessness. Complicating matters was Williams’ Mexican heritage on his mother’s side which filled him with great shame and took great pains to distance himself from until very near the end of his life.

But Williams found he could hit a baseball and through this skill found some semblance of stability with the parents of a few of his neighborhood friends who took a liking to the energetic youngster. As for his parents, they only seemed to take an interest in him when it became clear he could make a living playing baseball. They took an active role in taking bids from major league organizations interested in their son including the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox. After playing two seasons with the hometown San Diego Padres in the Pacific Coast League, the Red Sox agreed to the financial demands of Williams’ parents and signed with them in 1938.

Despite Williams’ enormous talent, he had something of a reputation of being a screwball. Williams displayed few social graces in public and his lack of propriety often extended to the playing field. Williams cared little for being an outfielder and instead of concentrating on the game would turn his back to home plate and practice his swing. It could be said that The Kid was way out in left field.

Although Williams would hit .327 with 31 HR and an American League leading 145 RBI in his rookie season in 1939, he could not shake his screwball reputation loose. When Williams experienced something of a sophomore jinx early in the 1940 season his daffiness devolved into anger when cheers turned to jeers at Fenway Park. When things didn’t go Williams’ way he would throw his glove, his bat or a ball at anyone who got in his way. And when Williams didn’t have anything to throw, he would spit instead. That year Williams would begin to feud with Boston writers whom he derisively referred to as the Knights of the Keyboard. Notwithstanding these travails, Williams finished the season hitting .344 (which ended up being his lifetime batting average when he retired after the 1960 season).

One of the more interesting aspects of Bradlee’s book is Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey’s interaction with Williams and his teammates. Yawkey was considered a generous owner who spoiled his players with high salaries. Yet until reading Bradlee’s book, I had no idea that Yawkey had financed a bordello near his plantation in South Carolina. Although mostly used by Yawkey’s employees in the International Paper Company, Red Sox players including Williams availed themselves of the services provided there. During Bradlee’s lecture, I drew laughter when I suggested that the bordello might have been one of the reasons the Red Sox didn’t win a World Series title for 86 years.

After Williams hit .406 in 1941, he could no longer be regarded as a screwball. Yet he would remain taciturn with the Boston media and fans for the rest of his career. Although Williams was revered by a majority of the Boston media and fans, he only seemed to hear those with discouraging words and would not tip his cap. Williams could lose his temper at the drop of a hat. He was like Ty Cobb only without the racism.

Of course, Williams possessed many endearing qualities. As a youngster, Williams had seen Satchel Paige pitch and would compete against black ballplayers in high school tournaments. One year Williams and Jackie Robinson would compete in the same tournament although their teams didn’t play one another. While Williams was often difficult with his Red Sox teammates, when Pumpsie Green joined the team in 1959 he went out of his way to welcome him and often played catch him in the outfield before games. The Red Sox were the last team to integrate and Williams would regret not bringing more pressure to bear on Yawkey to sign a black ballplayer sooner. This could explain why Williams made a point of challenging the Baseball Hall of Fame to induct Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and other Negro League players during his induction speech in 1966.

Williams also served this country during WWII and in Korea. Although Williams did not serve in combat during WWII he did fly 39 combat missions during the Korean War. As a result of his military service, Williams missed nearly five seasons of his career. This annoyed Williams to no end and he made every effort to avoid being shipped to Korea. Although unhappy with the armistice in Korea, in later years, Williams would take enormous pride in his military service.

Yet perhaps Williams’ greatest legacy was his kindness to children especially those afflicted with cancer. Williams visited scores of terminally ill children and insisted on doing so anonymously. He did not want the public to think he was trying to curry favor. For good measure, he often paid for the medical care of these children. Williams also championed The Jimmy Fund, the official charity of the Red Sox which provides funding to the Dana Farber Cancer Center located near Fenway Park.

Unfortunately, Williams’ kindness seldom extended to his own children. Nor was he kind to his ex-wives and live in lovers. They never lived up to his expectations and when they fell short Williams reserved his harshest criticism for them. Williams would later acknowledge that he struck out both as a husband and a father but the damage was done.

One of the most enduring images of Williams took place during the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston. Prior to the game, the living members of All-Century Team were introduced including Stan Musial, Sandy Koufax, Johnny Bench, Willie Mays and Yogi Berra. The last player introduced was Williams to the delight of the Fenway faithful. Williams acknowledged their cheers by tipping his cap.

Too frail to take the field on his own, he was driven on the field in a cart by longtime Red Sox equipment manager man Johnny Orlando, the man who nicknamed Williams “The Kid” six decades earlier. What I remember about this was how the rest of the members of the All-Century team and members of the AL and NL All-Star teams all spontaneously gathered around Williams as if they were subjects welcoming their long lost king returning from exile.

Despite this spontaneous display of royal reverence, Ted Williams bore an uncomfortable resemblance to King Lear in the final years of his life. Like Lear, Williams would disinherit the one child most loyal to him while keeping ties to his two other children who proclaimed their love while showing their contempt by profiting off his name. His son, John Henry, had power of attorney and depleted the money his father spent a lifetime earning. John Henry, who died of leukemia in 2004, along with younger sister Claudia would try to convince Williams of the merits of cryonics. Williams’ closest friends said that he wished to be cremated and have his ashes dispersed in the Florida Keys where he fished. Sadly, as we all know, Williams did not have ashes spread in the Florida Keys following his death in July 2002. Instead, his remains were shipped to the Alcor cyronics facility in Arizona where they remain to this day. Bradlee describes the procedure in gruesome detail. Suffice it to say, Williams has as little peace in death as he did in life.

It is undeniable that Ted Williams led a life full of triumph. But from beginning to end The Kid was a tragic figure. Ted Williams lived a life more splintered than splendid.

Thoughts on PBS' American Masters Documentary on Ted Williams

Earlier this evening I watched PBS' American Masters documentary Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived.

The most notable thing about the documentary was the inclusion of previously unreleased Super 8 color film of Williams' final big league home run on September 28, 1960 which inspired John Updike's famous New Yorker essay "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu". There is a fascinating article in The New York Times about how the film came to light.

Naturally, the documentary featured the likes of Ben Bradlee, Jr., author of The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams (who I met at the Boston Public Library when the book came out in 2013), Bob Costas, the late Dick Enberg, Wade Boggs, current Cincinnati Reds superstar Joey Votto and Willie McCovey. Williams and McCovey finished their careers with 521 home runs. There was also interesting archival footage such as Williams appearance on What's My Line?

I have only a single complaint. It was too short.

There wasn't much new that I hadn't known previously. But this is a splendid work for those who don't know much about The Splendid Splinter.

Thoughts on The Mass Shooting in Toronto's Greektown

I learned about the mass shooting in Toronto's Greektown right before I went to bed very early this morning. Upon learning about what happened, I texted my older brother who informed he was alright and had not heard about the shooting. It reminded me of when my mother in Thunder Bay knew about the Boston Marathon Bombing before I did.

I have fond memories of Greektown. In August 2001, I saw Ron Sexsmith play an outdoor concert there. Unfortunately, I now have another memory of Greektown and so do many, many other people.

Two people have died and 13 people have been injured. The suspect is a 29-year old Muslim named Faisal Hussain whose family has claimed has had a long history of mental illness. Color me skeptical. There was an attempt to paint the ISIS truck attacker in Nice, France two years ago as mentally ill. It bothers me there is an attempt in the mainstream Canadian media to paint Hussain as a victim. This isn't to say Hussain wasn't mentally ill. Killing people is an abnormal thing. Yet this only further stigmatizes people with mental illness as most mentally ill people don't shoot up a restaurant and kill a child much less have a predilection for violence.

It should be mentioned that Alek Minnassin, the man responsible for killing 10 people with his vehicle in Toronto back in April, also had mental health troubles but because he is a) not a Muslim and b) targeted women he did not receive similar sympathy and nor should he.

Of course, it is possible that an ISIS inspired attack wasn't part of Hussain's motive. Yet at this point it cannot be discounted. I also believe in this era of identity politics, Hussain is receiving more sympathetic treatment than someone who behaved as he did ought to receive.

Indians Get a Hand While The A's Welcome a New Familia Member

Over the past couple of days, the Cleveland Indians and Oakland A's have bolstered their bullpens.

The Tribe acquired Brad Hand from the San Diego Padres while the A's acquired Jeurys Familia from the New York Mets.

After five undistinguished seasons with the Marlins, Hand turned his career around in San Diego in 2016 when he served as Craig Kimbrel's setup man. Hand became the team's closer last year saving 21 games and had saved 24 games this season. He was a member of the NL All-Star Team for the past two seasons and would make his last Padre appearance at the All-Star Game earlier this week.

Despite Hand's credentials, Indians manager Terry Francona stated that Cody Allen will remain the team's primary closer although Hand could be used in certain situations. I think this is prudent on Tito's part. After all, Hand has closing games for a last place team and hasn't been in a pennant race. This will ease him into things. In acquiring Hand, the Indians are thinking beyond 2018 as Allen is a free agent at the end of the season. Hand is under contract until 2020 with a club option for 2021.

Unlike Hand, the post-season isn't unfamiliar territory for Familia who had his breakthrough season in 2015 when he save 43 games for the NL champion New York Mets. The following year, Familia led the NL with 51 saves. However, 2017 was a poor season for Familia as it was for nearly all the Mets. A domestic violence incident earned him a 15 game suspension at the beginning of the season and he would miss significant time with an arterial blood clot in his pitching shoulder. Familia had only six saves in 2017.

However, Familia would rebound in 2018 saving 17 games in 40 appearances for the Mets. It remains to be seen how long Familia will stay in Oakland as he is a free agent at the end of the season.

I suspect this will not be the last pitcher the Mets part ways with before the end of July.

It Turns Out Atheists Can Only Be Critical of Christianity, Not Islam (Or Richard Dawkins Learns The Hard Way)

I generally don't pay much attention to Richard Dawkins. But attention would be paid when he tweeted a picture of himself sitting on a bench in front of Winchester Cathedral (not to be confused with the song) with the thought:

Listening to the lovely bells of Winchester, one of our great mediaeval cathedrals. So much nicer than the aggressive-sounding “Allahu Akhbar.” Or is that just my cultural upbringing?

Needless to say, Dawkins has been blasted as a bigot and an Islamophobe. It turns out Atheists can only be critical of Christianity.

But since when have church bells took aim at innocent people with guns, knives, bombs or vehicles?

In this instance, Richard Dawkins is right. Church bells sound so much nicer.

Will MLB Commish Manfred's Criticism of Mike Trout Light a Fire Under The Angels In The 2nd Half?

When MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred took Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout to task for not marketing himself to the public, the Angels issued a statement defending Trout and rebuking Manfred.

I wonder if Manfred's criticism will light a fire under the team in the second half. The Angels have arguably been one of MLB's most disappointing teams this season. Although they have a winning record, with the trifecta of Trout, Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani they were expected to be a far bigger factor in the AL West. They got off to a 21-13 start. But since May 6th, the Angels are 28-35 and are in fourth place 14 games back of the defending World Series champion Houston Astros. With the Seattle Mariners currently in the second AL Wild Card berth and the Oakland A's only three games back of them, the Angels had become an afterthought.

But I wonder if this will galvanize the Angels' clubhouse as much as it has the Angels' front office. The Commissioner of Major League Baseball in his official capacity has attacked one of their own. Will they rally around the best player baseball has to offer? If this doesn't give the Angels something to fight for then nothing will.

Will Manny Machado Remain a Dodger Beyond 2018?

As widely expected, the Baltimore Orioles have sent Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers for five minor leaguers.

The news broke during the All-Star Game last night, but was made official earlier this evening.

Machado fills a void at shortstop left by Corey Seager who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this season.

The question is if Machado remains at Chavez Ravine beyond 2018.

Machado is a free agent at the end of the season and his asking price will be astronomical. Aside from New York or Boston, where else would he go unless the Phillies or Braves were willing to break the bank for him?

If Machado does remain a Dodger, he would presumably be moved back to third base once Seager returned to lineup.

Where does that leave Justin Turner?

It probably renders him expendable. But Turner is the team's leader on the field and in the clubhouse. Parting ways with Turner could do long term damage to the team. But Machado is 26 and Turner is 33. So the Dodgers figure they can ride with Machado longer they can with Turner.

With this in mind, perhaps it would be best if Machado and the Dodgers part ways at the end of the season.

Yes, I just said this before Machado has taken his first Dodger at bat.

AL Wins Sixth Straight All-Star Game In Second Consecutive Extra Inning Contest

For the sixth straight year, the American League has won the All-Star Game with an 8-6 win over the National League in 10 innings. It is the second year in a row the game has gone extra innings. It's the first time the All-Star Game has gone extra innings in back to back seasons in 1966 and 1967. The AL has now won 44 All-Star Games versus 43 for the NL. It's the first time the AL has taken the overall lead in All-Star Game triumphs since 1963.

Home runs were the theme of this game. There were 10 in all. Aaron Judge got the ball launching in the top of the 2nd inning off Max Scherzer much to the chagrin of the fans in D.C. Mike Trout made it 2-0 with a solo shot in the top of the 3rd.

Chicago Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras got the NL on the board with a solo HR to lead off the bottom of the 3rd. The offense would remain dormant until Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story tied the game in the bottom of the 7th with a solo shot of his own.

The AL took what appeared to be a commanding 5-2 lead on a three run HR by Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura. Although Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader gave up the dinger, it was Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto who took the heat for it. Votto dropped a ball near the dugout and was charged with a very tough error.

But the NL battled back. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich hit a solo shot in the 8th to cut the AL's lead to 5-3. Cincinnati Reds infielder Scotter Gennett tied the game in the 9th with a two run shot to force the game into extra innings.

The 10th inning belonged to the Houston Astros with Alex Bregman and George Springer hitting back to back HRs to give the AL a 7-5 lead.

The AL finally scored a run not involving a HR on a sacrifice fly by Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley.

Joey Votto partially atoned for his error with a leadoff HR in the bottom of the 10th. But it wasn't enough and the NL will have to wait until next year when the All-Star Game convenes at Progressive Field in Cleveland to try to end their drought.

For hitting the go ahead HR, Alex Bregman earned the All-Star Game MVP.

There was one thing that really, really annoyed me. For the second year in a row, Joe Buck interviewed the players while they were out in the field. Last year, he interviewed George Springer and Bryce Harper. This year it was Harper, Mike Trout, Matt Kemp, Francisco Lindor and Charlie Blackmon. The Harper, Lindor and Blackmon interviews were particularly annoying because Trout, Story and Segura hit their HRs during them and Buck treated those HRs as if they were an interruption of his interview. In years to come, I wouldn't be surprised if Buck tries to interview a player while at bat or on the mound.

By doing this, FOX is essentially telling us the game doesn't matter and isn't worth our attention. They are burying baseball.

If you took away all this nonsense there was actually a good ballgame. Baseball doesn't need all these bells and whistles. But it's going to get it whether it likes it or not.

Trump Deserves To Be Lectured, But Not By Obama

I'm all for President Trump being publicly lectured after his embarrassing performance in Helsinki while standing beside Vladimir Putin yesterday. But not by his predecessor Barack Obama. Of course that doesn't stop. Here's an excerpt of his remarks in Johannesburg commemorating the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth:

And I should add for this to work, we have to actually believe in an objective reality. This is another one of these things that I didn't have to lecture about. You have to believe in facts. (Laughter.) Without facts, there is no basis for cooperation. If I say this is a podium and you say this is an elephant, it's going to be hard for us to cooperate. (Laughter.) I can find common ground for those who oppose the Paris Accords because, for example, they might say, well, it's not going to work, you can't get everybody to cooperate, or they might say it's more important for us to provide cheap energy for the poor, even if it means in the short term that there's more pollution. At least I can have a debate with them about that and I can show them why I think clean energy is the better path, especially for poor countries, that you can leapfrog old technologies. (Cheers.) I can't find common ground if somebody says climate change is just not happening, when almost all of the world's scientists tell us it is. I don't know where to start talking to you about this. (Laughter.) If you start saying it's an elaborate hoax, I don't know what to -- (laughter) -- where do we start?

Unfortunately, too much of politics today seems to reject the very concept of objective truth. People just make stuff up. They just make stuff up. We see it in state-sponsored propaganda; we see it in internet driven fabrications, we see it in the blurring of lines between news and entertainment, we see the utter loss of shame among political leaders where they're caught in a lie and they just double down and they lie some more. Politicians have always lied, but it used to be if you caught them lying they'd be like, "Oh man." Now they just keep on lying.

Except that Obama told some zingers in his day as well. Remember if you like your health insurance, you can keep your health insurance? Or what about red lines in Syria? You may recall Obama denied he ever said either of those things.

Barack Obama has called a podium an elephant many, many times.

What Does MGM Resorts Gain By Suing The Victims of The Mandalay Bay Massacre?

I'd like to know why the MGM Resorts has seen fit to sue the victims of last October's Mandalay Bay Massacre in federal court.

What does MGM Resorts hope to stand to gain other than to be relieved of any potential liability?

Does it occur to them that they are going to lose business and sustain all sorts of bad publicity?

Or do they think bad publicity is better than no publicity at all?

When their legal department discussed this matter did anyone raise their hand and say, "Stop"?

And if anyone did are they still working for MGM?

There Must Be a GOP Primary Challenger After Trump's Disgrace in Finland

It is all well and good for Republicans to condemn President Trump's appalling boot licking capitulation and surrender to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland today.

But it won't mean a goddamn thing unless one Republican has the guts to challenge Trump in the 2020 GOP Primary.

Yes, I know full well that this challenger shall lose to Trump. This person can expect to be spit upon and despised by the conservative base.

But a sitting American President cannot give a Russian dictator the benefit of the doubt while discarding the advice of his own appointees and impugning the character of men and women who have sworn to uphold the Constitution in the service of our national security without consequence.

Senator Ben Sasse can say Trump is acting from a position of weakness and Senator Jeff Flake can call Trump shameful but what the hell are they going to do about it?

MLB All Star Break Notes: Are We Seeing The Greatest Red Sox Team in History?

While we have officially reached the midway point of the 2018 season, in reality we are well past the 81st game with most teams nearing 100 games. 

The very best of these teams is the Boston Red Sox. They come into the All-Star Break with a remarkable 68-30 record. The Red Sox have gone 12-2 in July which included a 10 game winning streak. After beginning the season 17-2, they have now won 17 of their last 20 games. If the Red Sox play .500 ball in the second half they finish the season with exactly 100 wins. Believe it or not, the Red Sox have only won 100 or more games thrice in franchise history. The last time they did so was in 1946 when Ted Williams would play in his only World Series in a losing effort against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

I had my doubts about Alex Cora replacing John Farrell and also had my doubts about J.D. Martinez fitting in at Fenway not to mention the abrupt release of Hanley Ramirez. But everything has gone Boston's way thus far. We could very well be seeing the greatest team in Red Sox history. 

With all that said, the Red Sox only have a 4.5 game lead on the New York Yankees. They have 10 games to play against each other after the All-Star Break and those 10 games could change the entire dynamic of the AL East. 

As for the rest of the division, the Tampa Bay Rays should be happy that are playing above .500 ball. The Toronto Blue Jays have lost 7 of their last 10 including three out of four to the Red Sox and are now 23.5 games back of the Bosox. But the Jays are light years ahead of the Baltimore Orioles who are now 39.5 games back of Boston with Manny Machado's days with the club rapidly whittling down.

Well, at least the Orioles no longer have the worst record in MLB. That distinction now belongs to the Kansas City Royals who finished with losses in 8 of their last 10 games with a 10 game losing streak earlier this month. Indeed, I asked if the Royals were in fact worse than the Orioles not so long ago. But the Royals are far from the only mediocre team in the AL Central. Both the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox have lost 7 of their last 10 games. The Cleveland Indians have a comfortable 7.5 game lead over the Minnesota Twins although the Twins did finish the first half winning 8 of their last 10 games. But the Twins have a steep hill to climb if they want to reach the post-season for the second consecutive year.

The defending World Series champion Houston Astros have built a five game lead over the Seattle Mariners who have lost four in row and seven of their last 10 games. Clipping at the Mariners' heels are the Oakland A's who have won 7 of their last 10 games. Although the A's haven't gained much ground on the Astros, they have picked up 4 games on the Mariners. The A's have a legitimate shot at the second AL Wild Card spot and could extend the Mariners' post-season drought another year. The Los Angeles Angels are probably MLB's biggest disappointment with injuries limiting Shohei Ohtani to the plate. Pundits were expecting a lot more of team with Ohtani, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the middle of the lineup. But the Angels still at least have a winning record unlike the Texas Rangers who have lost 7 of their last 10 games. Now 22 games back of the cross state rival Astros, the Rangers are likely to start moving players before the trade deadline at the end of the month.

Two weeks ago, I asked if the Atlanta Braves could hold off the Philadelphia Phillies and the Washington Nationals in the NL East. A fortnight later, the Braves find themselves a half game behind the Phillies. However, this has become a two team race with the Nats finishing the half at .500 having fallen to 5.5 games back of the Phillies. Max Scherzer's players only meeting evidently did not have the desired effect. While D.C. fans will enjoy the spectacle of hosting the 2018 All-Star Game they certainly did not expect to be a .500 team at the half. It could be worse though. At least the Nats aren't the New York Mets who find themselves tied for last place with the Miami Marlins. 

The NL West has a very similar dynamic to the NL East. The Arizona Diamondbacks who were leading the division two weeks ago now find themselves a half game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers who with unexpected contributions from both Matt Kemp and Max Muncy have overcome their early April struggles. As it stands, the NL West is MLB's most competitive race. The Colorado Rockies are now only two games back of the Dodgers with a 10-3 mark thus far in July with the San Francisco Giants only four games back. Only the San Diego Padres are out of the playoff picture with five straight losses and losses in 8 of their last 10 games. The Padres now own the worst record in the NL.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs have supplanted the Milwaukee Brewers atop the NL Central winning 7 of their last 10 games with the Brew Crew finishing the first half with six straight losses. Notwithstanding a winning record, the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in uncertainty following yesterday's dismissal of manager Mike Matheny along with hitting coach John Mabry and assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller. It remains to be seen how long the Cards will stick with the relatively unknown Mike Shildt in the dugout. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates finish the first half with a sub .500 record of 48-49. However, they have won six in a row and if the Brewers continue to struggle and the Cardinals can't find their footing, the Bucs could be the team that overcomes the hurdles in the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds might finish 2018 in last place, but they are 40-38 under Jim Riggleman. Don't be surprised if he is a finalist in the NL Manager of the Year balloting. 

Cardinals Fire Mike Matheny

Despite a winning record, the St. Louis Cardinals have dismissed manager Mike Matheny along with hitting coach John Mabry and assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller. Bench coach Mike Shildt will take over the club on an interim basis. Matheny's firing was announced after an 8-2 loss to the last place Cincinnati Reds. The decision comes a day before the end of the first half of the season.

Matheny took over the reins of the club in 2012 following Tony La Russa's retirement when the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series. The Cardinals reached the post-season during Matheny's first four seasons including winning the NL pennant in 2013. However, the Cardinals have missed the post-season in 2016 and 2017 and are currently 7 games back of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

The Cardinals are expected to elaborate on the reasons behind Matheny's dismissal during a press conference scheduled for tomorrow morning. However, it is believed that Matheny was given his walking papers after siding with closer Bud Norris who has been reportedly bullying rookie pitcher Jordan Hicks.

I picked the Cardinals to win the World Series this year. The Cardinals do have the talent to get there. They have a well balanced offense with Matt Carpenter, Jose Martinez, Tommy Pham, Marcell Ozuna and, despite his injuries, veteran catcher Yadier Molina. Miles Mikolas, after several seasons in Japan, has emerged as the staff ace while Norris stepped into the closer's role after Greg Holland proved ineffective.

The question now is whether the Cardinals will stick with Shildt or if they bring in someone from the outside to restore order in the clubhouse. Depending on their choice, the Cardinals could become MLB's biggest story of the second half of the season.

Chase Utley Isn't as Hall of Fame Worthy as Jeff Kent

Chase Utley of the Los Angeles Dodgers announced earlier today that he will retire at the end of this season. Utley spent the majority of his 16 season big league career with the Philadelphia Phillies before being traded to the Dodgers midway through the 2015 season.

The question is whether Utley is worthy of induction into Cooperstown. There's little doubt he's had a very good career. He entered play today with a .276 lifetime batting average, 1880 hits, 259 HR and 1025 RBI. Utley was selected to the NL All-Star Team six times and has a World Series ring with the Phillies back in 2008.

Nevertheless, he is far from a slam dunk. He's not in class of Rogers Hornsby, Nap Lajoie, Joe Morgan or Roberto Alomar. But he does have a chance. Jackie Robinson, Joe Gordon, Tony Lazzeri and Johnny Evers got into Cooperstown as second basemen with fewer than 2,000 hits.

There aren't an abundance of second basemen in the Hall of Fame. So Utley has a chance. But if he gets in he should not get in before Jeff Kent whose offensive numbers are vastly superior to Utley's. Kent played one more year than Utley, but has 100 plus more home runs, 600 plus more hits and and nearly 500 more RBI. Currently, Kent is the only second baseman present on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. But after five years on the ballot, Kent has never reached the 20% threshold. Kent's last year on the ballot is 2023 while Utley will reach the ballot in 2024. If Utley gets in and Kent doesn't then it would demonstrate that popularity with the media is a more important credential than player statistics. While a lot of New York Mets fans don't have fond memories of Utley, he remains a largely popular figure whereas Kent kept his own counsel. It would be a shame to see Utley in Cooperstown while Kent is on the outside looking in because of politics.

Red Sox Win 10th Straight Game With Mookie Betts Grand Slam

The Boston Red Sox have been playing great baseball from the get go of the 2018 season jumping 17-2 out of the gate. The Bosox may be playing their best ball of the year as they have now won 10 straight games. Tonight they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 on the strength of a 13 pitch grand slam HR off Jays ace J.A. Happ.

At 66-29, the Red Sox own MLB's best record. But they have a modest 3.5 game lead over the New York Yankees with three games left before the All-Star Break. If the Red Sox play .500 ball the rest of the season they will finish the regular season with 100 wins. The Red Sox haven't won 100 games in a season since 1946. Of course, 100 wins won't matter much if the Sox get eliminated in the ALDS for a third straight year. But for the moment whatever Alex Cora is doing it's working.

Are The Kansas City Royals Worse Than The Baltimore Orioles?

The Kansas City Royals lost their 10th consecutive game last night falling 3-1 to the Minnesota Twins. The Royals are now 25-65 this season. Their World Series title in 2015 seems much longer ago.

The Royals are only a half game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles for the worst record in MLB. But that might not last long. The only thing which makes the Royals better than the O's is the divisions in which they belong. While the Royals are 24½ games back of the Tribe, the O's are 37½ games back of the Red Sox. However, since June 1st the Orioles are 8-27 while Kansas City is 5-28.

Whichever team is worse they will both lose well over 100 games in 2018. Can you believe these two teams faced each other in the ALCS in 2014?

Vince Martin, R.I.P.

Folk musician Vince Martin has passed away of complications of pulmonary fibrosis. He was hospitalized for the condition back in March. Martin was 81.

While Martin is not a household name, he was a folk musician's folk musician.

Martin's musical roots began in early rock 'n roll. In 1956, Martin had a hit Top 10 hit with "Cindy, Oh Cindy" backed up by The Tarriers, a group which included a young Alan Arkin. Eddie Fisher and The Beach Boys would later cover the song.

By the early 1960's, Martin had turned his attention to Greenwich Village's burgeoning folk music scene. In 1964, Martin and his friend Fred Neil recorded an album called Tear Down The Walls. Martin's high pitched voice fit beautifully with Neil's baritone as they interpreted both traditional music as well as material their own and from their contemporaries. The album featured two backup musicians who would go on to greater fame - John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful and Felix Pappalardi of Mountain. It didn't sell much, but it influenced a generation of folk rockers.

Like Neil, Martin did not record prolifically and spent much of time in Florida involved in environmental causes particularly with dolphins and whales. After Tear Down The Walls, Martin only recorded three more albums during his lifetime If The Jasmine Don't Get You....The Bay Breeze Will (1969) Vince Martin (1973) and after forming a friendship with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth Full Circle (2003).

Here is a rare video of Martin performing "I'm a Drifter" from the Tear Down The Walls album at a August 1976 concert in Florida which featured Timothy B. Schmit who you might remember from Poco and later The Eagles.

After listening to Vince Martin, he leaves me wanting more. R.I.P.

Trudeau is Groping at Straws

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is digging a hole for himself.

Earlier in the month, Trudeau was confronted about a 2000 incident at a music festival in British Columbia in which an unnamed female reporter accused him of groping her. At the time, Trudeau said he did not "remember any negative interactions that day at all."

As I noted this did not strike me as a denial.

Nor does his latest statement on the matter today following a meeting with new Ontario Premier Doug Ford at Queen's Park in Toronto. Trudeau told reporters:

I’ve been reflecting very carefully on what I remember from that incident almost 20 years ago. I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way. But I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently.

Experienced what exactly? And if he doesn't feel he acted inappropriately in any way then why can't he just simply deny the accusation?

Chances are something happened. Something about which he is too embarrassed to talk about and might not be so proud of doing. Something that would have got another Liberal MP suspended from caucus.

Robyn Urback of the CBC noted on Twitter that Massimo Pacetti was booted from the Liberal caucus under similar circumstances. She stated that Pacetti was banished for "an encounter he thought was completely welcome and wanted was perceived differently by the woman." Urback would tweet another salient point:

Anyway, this has always been the crux of the issue: one standard for Trudeau, another one for everyone else.

The best Trudeau can do is say that he messed up, apologize and accept a reprimand by the Liberal caucus. It would probably be enough for the issue to recede. But groping becomes to Trudeau what e-mails became to Hillary Clinton then he is in very big trouble which will only get worse every times he opens his mouth. If Trudeau insists on taking a Clintonesque approach to the matter then he will be groping at straws.

Justin Trudeau & Negative Interactions

When asked about the allegation that he had groped a female reporter 18 years ago, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a Clintonesque response stating, "I don't remember any negative interactions that day at all."

That's not what I could call a denial.

Trudeau might remember his interaction with the reporter positively. Clearly the reporter has a different view of the matter. This incident was covered in a small town newspaper in B.C. in 2000 in which Trudeau apologized for his conduct stating, “I’m sorry. If I had known you were reporting for a national paper I would never have been so forward.” Well, no wonder Trudeau is so eager not to remember any negative interactions. If the woman hadn't been a reporter then how would he have behaved? Under the circumstances, one must wonder if Trudeau is the sort of fellow who would have been inclined to grab women by the pussy. I suspect this reporter isn't the only woman who has had negative interactions with Justin Trudeau.

MLB Notes for June: Can Baby Braves Pull Away From Phillies & Nats in NL East?

The Atlanta Braves didn't set the world on fire with their 14-11 record in June. But the youthful team led by Ozzie Albies played well enough to come out three games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies and five games ahead of the Washington Nationals in the NL East, both of whom played sub.500 ball last month with the Nats losing 7 of their last 10 games. Can the Baby Braves pull away or will the Phillies & Nats rebound?

The other notable item in the division is the continuing fall of the New York Mets. After going 17-9 in April, they have gone 15-39 since posting a 5-21 record in June. There is talk of the Mets dealing staff aces Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. To give you an idea of how bad things are for the Mets they are even percentage points behind the Miami Marlins for the worst record in the NL. Even the Marlins managed to post a .500 record in June.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have had a topsy turvy season. After going 20-8 in April, they fell to 8-19 in May and out of first place in the NL West. But a 19-9 June has put them back in the top spot with a 3.5 game lead over both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants who also played their best baseball of the year in June going 17-9 and 18-10 respectively with the Giants winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Colorado Rockies, who led the division, at the beginning of the month have now fallen under .500 with an 11-16 effort this month. Oddly, the Rockies are 15-22 at Coors Field while 26-20 on the road. With more home games remaining things don't look good for the team that won a NL Wild Card berth last year. As for the San Diego Padres, they were actually only 4.5 games out of first on June 6th. But they have gone 8-13 since and are now 11 games back of the D'Backs.

Despite a 12-13 June, the Milwaukee Brewers still have a 1.5 game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. At this time a month ago, the lead was four games. The Cubs went 16-12 in June and are knocking on the Brewers' door. The St. Louis Cardinals were a disappointing 12-15 in June and are now 5.5 games back of the Brewers. But the Redbirds are very much in the NL Wild Card hunt only two games off the pace. The Pittsburgh Pirates finished June losing 7 of their last 10 games and are now a sub.500 team. One wonders if this is Clint Hurdle's last season in the Bucs dugout. Hopefully this won't be Jim Riggleman's last season in Cincinnati. Although the Reds remain in the cellar they were 15-11 in June with wins in 7 of their last 10 games. The Reds are nearly at a .500 record since Riggelman took over from Bryan Price on April 20th. Did Matt Harvey in his wildest dreams think the Reds would have a better record than the Mets at the end of June?

In the AL East, there is the Red Sox and Yankees and everybody else. The Bosox lead the Bronx Bombers by one game. The Sox have won two out of every three games this season with a 56-28 record. As good as the Sox were in June at 17-10, the Yankees were slightly better at 18-10. Both teams are well on pace to win over 100 games. The same can't be said of the Tampa Bay Rays, but they did win 8 of their last 10 to reach a .500 record for the season. The Rays, however, are a very streaky team and it would not surprise me if they struggle in the two weeks leading to the All-Star Break. The Toronto Blue Jays were a decent 14-11 in June after a terrible 13-16 May. But the Jays have already sent Steve Pearce to the Red Sox. How long will it be before they deal former AL MVP Josh Donaldson? Baltimore Orioles' fans are asking the same question where it concerns Manny Machado. The O's get worse with each passing month. After going 8-20 and 9-19 in April and May, they went 6-20 in June having lost seven in a row. They are 32 games back of the Red Sox.

Although the Kansas City Royals are only 19.5 games back of the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, the Royals actually played worse than the O's in June going 5-21. They are well on pace to lose 100 games as are the Chicago White Sox who had their best month of the season going 12-17. On June 17th, the Detroit Tigers were actually 2.5 games back of the Tribe. But an 11 game losing streak has put them 9.5 back and nearing Chisox/Royals territory. The Indians lead the Minnesota Twins by 8 games despite a 14-12 mark in June.

To put this into perspective, the Indians would be in fourth place in the AL West. They would be 1.5 games behind the Oakland A's who finished June with six straight wins. To give you an idea of how good the AL West is, the A's are 8.5 games back of he Houston Astros who lead the Seattle Mariners by 1.5 games. This is a Mariners club that finished the month with six straight wins and also look good for 100 plus wins. The Los Angeles Angels, despite Mike Trout and Albert Pujols' star power, fell behind the A's in the division with a 13-14 record this month. One wonders if Mike Scioscia will return to the dugout in 2019. Perhaps a change is in order after 19 seasons. The Texas Rangers actually had a good month in June going 14-11 with win in 8 of their last 10 games. But chances are the Rangers will soon be selling off players beginning with Cole Hamels who might very well end up back in a Philly uniform.

I'll check back with an update at the All-Star Break.