The Los Angeles Angels have fired manager Brad Ausmus after only one season at the helm. The firing comes despite the fact two years were remaining on Ausmus' contract. His predecessor Mike Scioscia managed the club for 19 seasons.
The Angels had a very disappointing 72-90 season finishing in fourth place in the AL West, 35 games back of the Astros. At the All-Star Break, the Angels were a game under .500 (45-46) but slid to 27-44 in the second half. The sudden death of starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs cast a pall on the club. No manager could have got their club around that sort of tragedy.
I suspect that Ausmus' firing has a great deal to do with Joe Maddon's availability. Of course, there are several clubs who want Maddon's services. But only the Angels can claim Maddon was in their employ for 31 years. In which case, Brad Ausmus could have just been Rick Renteria-ed.
Monday, September 30, 2019
My 2019 MLB Post-Season Predictions
October is almost here and this means post-season baseball.
Back in March, I predicted a Minnesota Twins-St. Louis Cardinals World Series. I still stand behind this prediction. Here is how we get there.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AL Wild Card - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Oakland A's
Winner: Tampa Bay Rays
ALDS # 1 - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Houston Astros (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Rays in 4
ALDS # 2 - Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Twins in 5
ALCS - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins (Best 4 out of 7)
Winner: Twins in 7
ALCS MVP: Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NL Wild Card - Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals
Winner: Washington Nationals
NLDS # 1 - Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Dodgers in 3
NLDS #2 - St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Cardinals in 4
NLCS - St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Best 4 out of 7)
Winner: Cardinals in 7
NLCS MVP: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
2019 World Series: Minnesota Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Best 4 out of 7)
Winner: Cardinals in 7
World Series MVP: Paul Goldschmidt
We shall see if this comes to pass. It is entirely possible the Brewers could throw a wrench into this scenario tomorrow night. Or this could be my Don Larsen moment of baseball perfection.
Back in March, I predicted a Minnesota Twins-St. Louis Cardinals World Series. I still stand behind this prediction. Here is how we get there.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AL Wild Card - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Oakland A's
Winner: Tampa Bay Rays
ALDS # 1 - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Houston Astros (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Rays in 4
ALDS # 2 - Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Twins in 5
ALCS - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins (Best 4 out of 7)
Winner: Twins in 7
ALCS MVP: Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NL Wild Card - Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals
Winner: Washington Nationals
NLDS # 1 - Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Dodgers in 3
NLDS #2 - St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves (Best 3 out of 5)
Winner: Cardinals in 4
NLCS - St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Best 4 out of 7)
Winner: Cardinals in 7
NLCS MVP: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
2019 World Series: Minnesota Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Best 4 out of 7)
Winner: Cardinals in 7
World Series MVP: Paul Goldschmidt
We shall see if this comes to pass. It is entirely possible the Brewers could throw a wrench into this scenario tomorrow night. Or this could be my Don Larsen moment of baseball perfection.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Will Pete Alonso's Dream Rookie Season Be Enough to Save Mickey Callaway's Job?
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso had a season rookies could only dream about. He forced his way onto the roster in spring training and then hit a MLB record 53 HRs for a rookie becoming the face of the franchise.
Combine Alonso's historic season with another Cy Young caliber performance from Jacob de Grom and you have a team that was competing for a NL Wild Card spot into the final week of the season and finished 2019 with an 86-76 record. They ended their season on a positive note with Dominic Smith hitting a walk off HR in extra innings against the Braves in his first at bat in two months. But will it be enough to save the job of Mets manager Mickey Callaway?
After a 9-4 start, the Mets lost 21 of their next 32 games putting Callaway on the hot seat by late May. The Mets went 46-26 in the second half (including a stretch where they won 15 out of 16 games). Nevertheless, the Mets bullpen blew 28 saves as many of Callaway's pitching decisions were called into question. Pitching coach Dave Eiland was fired in mid-June in favor of 82-year old Phil Regan.
Callaway has a year left on his contract. Even if the club opts to keep him he will be on a very short leash in 2020. Assuming of course that he has any leash at all.
Combine Alonso's historic season with another Cy Young caliber performance from Jacob de Grom and you have a team that was competing for a NL Wild Card spot into the final week of the season and finished 2019 with an 86-76 record. They ended their season on a positive note with Dominic Smith hitting a walk off HR in extra innings against the Braves in his first at bat in two months. But will it be enough to save the job of Mets manager Mickey Callaway?
After a 9-4 start, the Mets lost 21 of their next 32 games putting Callaway on the hot seat by late May. The Mets went 46-26 in the second half (including a stretch where they won 15 out of 16 games). Nevertheless, the Mets bullpen blew 28 saves as many of Callaway's pitching decisions were called into question. Pitching coach Dave Eiland was fired in mid-June in favor of 82-year old Phil Regan.
Callaway has a year left on his contract. Even if the club opts to keep him he will be on a very short leash in 2020. Assuming of course that he has any leash at all.
Red Sox Reversal of Fortune
After winning a franchise record 108 games in 2018 en route to a fourth World Series title in 15 years, I predicted the Boston Red Sox would not make the post-season in 2019.
This has come to pass. But I did not expect the Red Sox to win 24 fewer games than in 2019. I did not expect them to finish 19 games back of the Yankees in the AL East. I did not expect them to fire Dave Dombrowski. Nor did I expect them to announce plans to cut payroll with plans to trade away 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts. Yet here we are.
The Red Sox will do all this and be expected to win the World Series next year. It's what happens when a city has too much winning. It is never enough. All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not living amongst Red Sox Nation. Not that there isn't pressure to win in New York. But New York doesn't have Boston's inferiority complex.
Cubs Part Ways With Maddon; Pirates Make Hurdle Walk Plank
Two NL Central teams let go of their managers on the final day of the regular season. The Chicago Cubs parted ways with Joe Maddon after five seasons while the Pittsburgh Pirates made Clint Hurdle walk the plank after steering their ship since 2011.
Three years removed from winning the World Series, 2019 was a season of reckoning for the Cubs after losing to the Dodgers in the 2017 NLCS and losing last year's NL Wild Card game to the Rockies. Nothing short of another World Series title would have saved Maddon's job.
On September 16th, the Cubs had won five in a row and were on pace to face the Washington Nationals in the NL Wild Card game. The Cubs then lost 9 games in a row. During this time, the Brewers won 8 of 9 games. This collapse sealed Maddon's fate. It is widely believed the Cubs will hire former Yankees manager Joe Girardi as his successor.
But Maddon will have a third act. There are managerial vacancies with the Padres, Giants, Royals and now the Pirates. There's a good chance one of those teams will jump at the chance to work with him.
The same cannot be said for Hurdle. Although Hurdle guided the Bucs to three consecutive NL Wild Card berths, they have not been a factor since 2015. At the All-Star Break, the Pirates were 44-45 only half a game behind the Cardinals. While the Cardinals surged to the NL Central title, the Pirates went 25-47 before Hurdle's dismissal. Complicating matters were several brawls between players and coaching staff and the arrest of All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez for alleged sexual assault of a child. This created the perception that Hurdle had lost control of the club. With two years remaining on his contract, Hurdle was given assurances by Pirates owner Bob Nutting that he would remain. But Nutting made an about face and terminated Hurdle late last night. However, GM Neal Huntington remains on the job. It is widely believed former Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister has the inside track as Hurdle's successor. Prior to managing the Rangers, Banister had spent 29 years in the Bucs organization before rejoining it this year as a special assistant.
There could be other teams which change managers. The NL East could have a very different dynamic as both New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway and Philadelphia Phillies skipper Gabe Kapler have uncertain futures.
Three years removed from winning the World Series, 2019 was a season of reckoning for the Cubs after losing to the Dodgers in the 2017 NLCS and losing last year's NL Wild Card game to the Rockies. Nothing short of another World Series title would have saved Maddon's job.
On September 16th, the Cubs had won five in a row and were on pace to face the Washington Nationals in the NL Wild Card game. The Cubs then lost 9 games in a row. During this time, the Brewers won 8 of 9 games. This collapse sealed Maddon's fate. It is widely believed the Cubs will hire former Yankees manager Joe Girardi as his successor.
But Maddon will have a third act. There are managerial vacancies with the Padres, Giants, Royals and now the Pirates. There's a good chance one of those teams will jump at the chance to work with him.
The same cannot be said for Hurdle. Although Hurdle guided the Bucs to three consecutive NL Wild Card berths, they have not been a factor since 2015. At the All-Star Break, the Pirates were 44-45 only half a game behind the Cardinals. While the Cardinals surged to the NL Central title, the Pirates went 25-47 before Hurdle's dismissal. Complicating matters were several brawls between players and coaching staff and the arrest of All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez for alleged sexual assault of a child. This created the perception that Hurdle had lost control of the club. With two years remaining on his contract, Hurdle was given assurances by Pirates owner Bob Nutting that he would remain. But Nutting made an about face and terminated Hurdle late last night. However, GM Neal Huntington remains on the job. It is widely believed former Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister has the inside track as Hurdle's successor. Prior to managing the Rangers, Banister had spent 29 years in the Bucs organization before rejoining it this year as a special assistant.
There could be other teams which change managers. The NL East could have a very different dynamic as both New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway and Philadelphia Phillies skipper Gabe Kapler have uncertain futures.
Cardinals Win NL Central; Brewers to Face Nats in Wild Card Game
On the final day of the MLB season, the playoff picture has been resolved. The St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL Central with a 9-0 shellacking of the Chicago Cubs. It is the first post-season appearance for the Cardinals since 2015. The win automatically gave the Milwaukee Brewers the second NL Wild Card berth. They will travel to D.C. to face the Washington Nationals in the NL Wild Card game on Tuesday night.
The Cardinals began the season winning 20 of first 30 games. But by the All-Star Break they were at .500 (44-44). But after winning 25 of 39 games following the All-Star Break the Cardinals claimed first place in the division for good on August 23rd. To put this into perspective, the Cardinals were only a half game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the half. The Cardinals are going to to the post-season and the Pirates are looking for a new manager.
For the second year in a row, the Milwaukee Brewers played their best baseball in September. The Brewers rose to the occasion after Christian Yelich fractured his kneecap on a foul ball winning 12 of 14 games which was sufficient to give them a second straight post-season appearance. The Brewers were swept by the Colorado Rockies this weekend. Will this stall their momentum when they face Max Scherzer and a Washington Nationals team that finished the season with 8 straight wins? Or will they go onto the face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS?
As for the Cardinals, they will face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS beginning on Thursday.
The Cardinals began the season winning 20 of first 30 games. But by the All-Star Break they were at .500 (44-44). But after winning 25 of 39 games following the All-Star Break the Cardinals claimed first place in the division for good on August 23rd. To put this into perspective, the Cardinals were only a half game ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the half. The Cardinals are going to to the post-season and the Pirates are looking for a new manager.
For the second year in a row, the Milwaukee Brewers played their best baseball in September. The Brewers rose to the occasion after Christian Yelich fractured his kneecap on a foul ball winning 12 of 14 games which was sufficient to give them a second straight post-season appearance. The Brewers were swept by the Colorado Rockies this weekend. Will this stall their momentum when they face Max Scherzer and a Washington Nationals team that finished the season with 8 straight wins? Or will they go onto the face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS?
As for the Cardinals, they will face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS beginning on Thursday.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
AL Wild Card Will Be A's vs. Rays
The Oakland A's celebrated with champagne despite losing tonight to the Seattle Mariners 4-3. Earlier in the evening, the Cleveland Indians were defeated 8-2 by the Washington Nationals. This gave the A's their second straight AL Wild Card berth.
Much like a year ago, the A's struggled out of the gate. On May 14th, the A's were 19-25. But an 11 game winning streak would follow en route to a 77-39 record since. Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien and Matt Olson all had standout seasons along with the spectacular defense of Ramon Laureano.
The A's will face the Tampa Bay Rays who punched their post-season ticket with a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. This marks the Rays fifth post-season appearance, but first since 2013 when they won an AL Wild Card berth. The Rays were in first place in the AL East through mid-May. Although the Yankees would eventually dominate the division, the Rays hung onto the AL Wild Card virtually the entire season. Tommy Pham, Avisail Garcia and Austin Meadows were solid with Travis d'Arnaud getting a new lease on life after failed stints with the Mets and Dodgers. While last year's Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow couldn't stay healthy, Charlie Morton and an array of openers and closers picked up the slack.
It's a shame one of these teams will have their playoff dreams ended on one night. But I believe this will be one spectacular game that could easily go 15 innings come Wednesday night.
Much like a year ago, the A's struggled out of the gate. On May 14th, the A's were 19-25. But an 11 game winning streak would follow en route to a 77-39 record since. Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien and Matt Olson all had standout seasons along with the spectacular defense of Ramon Laureano.
The A's will face the Tampa Bay Rays who punched their post-season ticket with a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. This marks the Rays fifth post-season appearance, but first since 2013 when they won an AL Wild Card berth. The Rays were in first place in the AL East through mid-May. Although the Yankees would eventually dominate the division, the Rays hung onto the AL Wild Card virtually the entire season. Tommy Pham, Avisail Garcia and Austin Meadows were solid with Travis d'Arnaud getting a new lease on life after failed stints with the Mets and Dodgers. While last year's Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow couldn't stay healthy, Charlie Morton and an array of openers and closers picked up the slack.
It's a shame one of these teams will have their playoff dreams ended on one night. But I believe this will be one spectacular game that could easily go 15 innings come Wednesday night.
Graham Nash Revisits His Early Solo Albums
On Friday night, I saw Graham Nash perform at The Town Hall in New York City. This performance comes less than seven weeks after I saw his former CSN/CSNY bandmate and former friend David Crosby perform an outdoor show at Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center.
While Crosby performed some new material, Nash performed songs at least 45 years old. However, many of these old songs had never been performed live before his current tour. Nash devoted most of the evening performing his first two solo albums - Songs for Beginners (1971) and Wild Tales (1974). The impetus for this is Nash's new wife Amy Grantham who urged him to perform these songs on tour.
Several songs on Songs for Beginners have been part of Nash's CSN repertoire for years - "Military Madness", "I Used To Be a King", "Simple Man" & "Chicago". But the rest of the album was unknown to me & I'd never heard any of the tracks on "Wild Tales". So, for all intents and purposes, I was listening to new material.
Or as Nash put it, "They're actually worth a shit."
While Crosby is outspoken on Twitter, he kept politics to a minimum during last month's show with the exception of "Ohio". Nash was far more overtly political than his estranged bandmate. He dedicated "There's Only One" to Swedish child climate activist Greta Thunberg who made waves at the UN General Assembly this week. Nash dedicated "Prisoner Song" to Ramsey Orta, the man who videotaped the 2014 choking death of Eric Garner at the hands of the NYPD. Orta is now doing time on gun and drug charges, but it is believed he was targeted by the NYPD because of the videotape and has been targeted for harassment while incarcerated. I must admit I knew nothing of Orta until Nash mentioned hm. It gives the Garner case a whole sinister dimension. Nash also performed "Oh Camil! The Winter Soldier" which was written in honor of Vietnam Veterans Against The War founding member Scott Camil.
If that wasn't enough, Nash also performed "Grave Concern" which he recorded during the Watergate hearings in honor of Frank Wills, the security guard who discovered and reported the break in at the Watergate Hotel. Nash said, "His single act brought down the President of the United States." When the song was recorded it was overdubbed with President Nixon saying, "I'm not a crook." Nash updated the background with some of President Trump's words (i.e. "I alone can fix.") "I'll say one thing about the Trump Administration," said Nash, "This is an incredibly great country and we deserve better." While I wish there we would elect a new President it is no guarantee things will get better.
There were lighter moments such as when he talked about writing "Another Sleep Song" at Barbra Streisand's house while she was eating a TV dinner. There was also much laughter when he told his familiar tale of taking LSD and going to Stonehenge & Winchester Cathedral only to end upon the grave of a soldier who died on his birthday in 1799.
But no evening with Graham Nash would be complete without his signature songs "Our House" and "Teach Your Children". After a night exploring the obscure it was good to end the evening with something familiar.
While Crosby performed some new material, Nash performed songs at least 45 years old. However, many of these old songs had never been performed live before his current tour. Nash devoted most of the evening performing his first two solo albums - Songs for Beginners (1971) and Wild Tales (1974). The impetus for this is Nash's new wife Amy Grantham who urged him to perform these songs on tour.
Several songs on Songs for Beginners have been part of Nash's CSN repertoire for years - "Military Madness", "I Used To Be a King", "Simple Man" & "Chicago". But the rest of the album was unknown to me & I'd never heard any of the tracks on "Wild Tales". So, for all intents and purposes, I was listening to new material.
Or as Nash put it, "They're actually worth a shit."
While Crosby is outspoken on Twitter, he kept politics to a minimum during last month's show with the exception of "Ohio". Nash was far more overtly political than his estranged bandmate. He dedicated "There's Only One" to Swedish child climate activist Greta Thunberg who made waves at the UN General Assembly this week. Nash dedicated "Prisoner Song" to Ramsey Orta, the man who videotaped the 2014 choking death of Eric Garner at the hands of the NYPD. Orta is now doing time on gun and drug charges, but it is believed he was targeted by the NYPD because of the videotape and has been targeted for harassment while incarcerated. I must admit I knew nothing of Orta until Nash mentioned hm. It gives the Garner case a whole sinister dimension. Nash also performed "Oh Camil! The Winter Soldier" which was written in honor of Vietnam Veterans Against The War founding member Scott Camil.
If that wasn't enough, Nash also performed "Grave Concern" which he recorded during the Watergate hearings in honor of Frank Wills, the security guard who discovered and reported the break in at the Watergate Hotel. Nash said, "His single act brought down the President of the United States." When the song was recorded it was overdubbed with President Nixon saying, "I'm not a crook." Nash updated the background with some of President Trump's words (i.e. "I alone can fix.") "I'll say one thing about the Trump Administration," said Nash, "This is an incredibly great country and we deserve better." While I wish there we would elect a new President it is no guarantee things will get better.
There were lighter moments such as when he talked about writing "Another Sleep Song" at Barbra Streisand's house while she was eating a TV dinner. There was also much laughter when he told his familiar tale of taking LSD and going to Stonehenge & Winchester Cathedral only to end upon the grave of a soldier who died on his birthday in 1799.
But no evening with Graham Nash would be complete without his signature songs "Our House" and "Teach Your Children". After a night exploring the obscure it was good to end the evening with something familiar.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Why Wasn't Dr. Clarkson in the New Downton Abbey Film?
Last night I went to see the film version of Downton Abbey at the AMC Theater on Broadway between 83rd and 84th and had a delightful time with the Crawleys and their servants. The film picked up where the series left off with plenty of good English wit and high drama. It would be nice to see new installments every several years. Viewing Downton Abbey is like going to a family reunion albeit a rather Victorian one.
Most of the cast appeared in the film, but there were some notable absences like Cousin Rose (Lily James). The absence that caught my eye was that of Dr. Clarkson (David Robb). Given that the health of Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) was one of the storylines. While Dr. Clarkson was generally a secondary character, he was often the voice of reason. So his absence stood out.
What I did not know was that Robb's wife actress Briony McRoberts committed suicide in 2013 and part of her motivation in so doing was that her husband's success made her feel worthless. Could it be the case that reprising the role of Dr. Clarkson would have served as a reminder of her suicide?
I hope it was merely another commitment which prevented him from appearing in the movie. If there are plans to make more Downton Abbey movies hopefully Dr. Clarkson will return to provide wide counsel and advice, medical and otherwise.
Most of the cast appeared in the film, but there were some notable absences like Cousin Rose (Lily James). The absence that caught my eye was that of Dr. Clarkson (David Robb). Given that the health of Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith) was one of the storylines. While Dr. Clarkson was generally a secondary character, he was often the voice of reason. So his absence stood out.
What I did not know was that Robb's wife actress Briony McRoberts committed suicide in 2013 and part of her motivation in so doing was that her husband's success made her feel worthless. Could it be the case that reprising the role of Dr. Clarkson would have served as a reminder of her suicide?
I hope it was merely another commitment which prevented him from appearing in the movie. If there are plans to make more Downton Abbey movies hopefully Dr. Clarkson will return to provide wide counsel and advice, medical and otherwise.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Thoughts on The Trump-Ukraine Whistleblower's Letter
I have read the letter released by the whistleblower addressed to Senate Intelligence Select Committee Chairman Richard Burr and House Intelligence Select Committee Chairman Adam Schiff dated August 12, 2019. The letter can be summarized in five steps:
1. The whistleblower states that White House officials relayed concerns to him or her that President Trump's July 25th phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "to advance his personal interests" and "witnessed the President use his office for personal gain". The personal gain in question is Trump's re-election next year through the gathering of information against former Vice-President Joe Biden, his most likely opponent.
2. Efforts were made by White House lawyers to conceal the content of the phone call despite the fact it did not contain any information pertaining to national security.
3. Following the phone call, Kurt Volker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations and Gordon Sondland, U.S. Ambassador to the EU met with Zelensky to advised him how to "navigate" Trump's request. Subsequent to this meeting, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani met with one of Zelensky's top advisers in Madrid as "a direct follow-up" to the "cases" discussed, namely Biden and son.
4. In May 2019, shortly after Zelensky's election, U.S. officials informed the whistleblower that the Ukrainian leadership was led to believe that a phone call or meeting between Zelensky and Trump was contingent on Zelensky's willingness to "play ball" concerning the allegations publicly leveled by Giuliani and former prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko that Biden had sought the termination of his predecessor Viktor Shokin in order to quash an investigation against Burisma Holdings, Inc. because his son Hunter sat on the board of directors.
5. In July 2019, there was an abrupt change in U.S. policy concerning military aid to Ukraine. The whistleblower learned of this development from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) notifying departments and agencies that all security assistance to the Ukraine had been suspended. OMB did not indicate why this about face had occurred other than it came directly from President Trump.
Let me simply it even further:
1. The President spoke with the head of a foreign government for the purposes of advancing his re-election by asking them to procure damaging information about his likely presidential rival.
2. The White House concealed the content of this conversation.
3. The President had government officials and his personal attorney instruct said head of foreign government and his advisers how to proceed with #1.
4. The leadership of the foreign government upon taking office was advised that access to President Trump was contingent on "playing ball."
5. There was a subsequent change in U.S. policy towards said foreign government.
Based on the above, it is clear that President Trump has committed an impeachable offense by directing a foreign leader to act against one of his potential political opponents. But Trump's Republican allies in Congress have no problem with this behavior. As the whistleblower notes, Trump told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News back in June that he would accept damaging information on a political opponent by a foreign government and Republicans didn't say boo about it.
My guess is that Trump and his cult will move Heaven and Earth to a) unveil the identity of the whistleblower and b) see if the whistleblower or his/her family has ties to Biden or the Democratic Party. Trump plays for keeps and he will keep his support. If Trump's cult doesn't care if he shoots someone on Fifth Avenue they certainly won't care if he gets dirt on Joe Biden, any other Democrat or anyone else who dares to cross him from a foreign government.
Naturally, I hope I am wrong. The sad part is that I know I'm not wrong.
1. The whistleblower states that White House officials relayed concerns to him or her that President Trump's July 25th phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "to advance his personal interests" and "witnessed the President use his office for personal gain". The personal gain in question is Trump's re-election next year through the gathering of information against former Vice-President Joe Biden, his most likely opponent.
2. Efforts were made by White House lawyers to conceal the content of the phone call despite the fact it did not contain any information pertaining to national security.
3. Following the phone call, Kurt Volker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations and Gordon Sondland, U.S. Ambassador to the EU met with Zelensky to advised him how to "navigate" Trump's request. Subsequent to this meeting, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani met with one of Zelensky's top advisers in Madrid as "a direct follow-up" to the "cases" discussed, namely Biden and son.
4. In May 2019, shortly after Zelensky's election, U.S. officials informed the whistleblower that the Ukrainian leadership was led to believe that a phone call or meeting between Zelensky and Trump was contingent on Zelensky's willingness to "play ball" concerning the allegations publicly leveled by Giuliani and former prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko that Biden had sought the termination of his predecessor Viktor Shokin in order to quash an investigation against Burisma Holdings, Inc. because his son Hunter sat on the board of directors.
5. In July 2019, there was an abrupt change in U.S. policy concerning military aid to Ukraine. The whistleblower learned of this development from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) notifying departments and agencies that all security assistance to the Ukraine had been suspended. OMB did not indicate why this about face had occurred other than it came directly from President Trump.
Let me simply it even further:
1. The President spoke with the head of a foreign government for the purposes of advancing his re-election by asking them to procure damaging information about his likely presidential rival.
2. The White House concealed the content of this conversation.
3. The President had government officials and his personal attorney instruct said head of foreign government and his advisers how to proceed with #1.
4. The leadership of the foreign government upon taking office was advised that access to President Trump was contingent on "playing ball."
5. There was a subsequent change in U.S. policy towards said foreign government.
Based on the above, it is clear that President Trump has committed an impeachable offense by directing a foreign leader to act against one of his potential political opponents. But Trump's Republican allies in Congress have no problem with this behavior. As the whistleblower notes, Trump told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News back in June that he would accept damaging information on a political opponent by a foreign government and Republicans didn't say boo about it.
My guess is that Trump and his cult will move Heaven and Earth to a) unveil the identity of the whistleblower and b) see if the whistleblower or his/her family has ties to Biden or the Democratic Party. Trump plays for keeps and he will keep his support. If Trump's cult doesn't care if he shoots someone on Fifth Avenue they certainly won't care if he gets dirt on Joe Biden, any other Democrat or anyone else who dares to cross him from a foreign government.
Naturally, I hope I am wrong. The sad part is that I know I'm not wrong.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Twins Win 1st AL Central Title Since 2010
The Minnesota Twins won their first AL Central title since 2010 following a 5-1 win over the Detroit Tigers & an 8-3 loss by the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox. Minnesota was in first place by mid-April & except for a brief tie with the Tribe in mid-August did not relinquish top spot
After earning an AL Wild Card berth in 2017, the Twins fell to 78-84 resulting in Paul Molitor's removal as manager. Molitor was replaced by longtime Tampa Bay Ray Rocco Baldelli. The Twins also added veterans like Nelson Cruz, C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop and Marwin Gonzalez.
The Twins have a hit a MLB record 299 home runs with five players launching 30 or more (Nelson Cruz, Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver). All five of their starting pitchers have at least 10 wins (Jose Berrios, Martin Perez, Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda) and Taylor Rogers has come out of nowhere to save nearly 30 games. They have a chance to become the third AL team with 100 plus wins.
Minnesota will advance to the ALDS against either the New York Yankees or Houston Astros. The Twins won't be favored against either team especially the Yankees who have bested them in post-season play five times since 2003. But the Twins were my pick to win the AL pennant and remain my pick. They've come this far. I might as well as back them all the way to the World Series (which they will lose to the St. Louis Cardinals).
After earning an AL Wild Card berth in 2017, the Twins fell to 78-84 resulting in Paul Molitor's removal as manager. Molitor was replaced by longtime Tampa Bay Ray Rocco Baldelli. The Twins also added veterans like Nelson Cruz, C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop and Marwin Gonzalez.
The Twins have a hit a MLB record 299 home runs with five players launching 30 or more (Nelson Cruz, Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver). All five of their starting pitchers have at least 10 wins (Jose Berrios, Martin Perez, Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda) and Taylor Rogers has come out of nowhere to save nearly 30 games. They have a chance to become the third AL team with 100 plus wins.
Minnesota will advance to the ALDS against either the New York Yankees or Houston Astros. The Twins won't be favored against either team especially the Yankees who have bested them in post-season play five times since 2003. But the Twins were my pick to win the AL pennant and remain my pick. They've come this far. I might as well as back them all the way to the World Series (which they will lose to the St. Louis Cardinals).
Transcript Confirms Trump Asked Ukrainian President to Investigate Biden
President Trump released the transcript of his July 25th phone conversation with Ukrainian President Voldymor Zelensky in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi launch an impeachment inquiry over allegations by an intelligence official the Trump Administration had threatened to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless they would investigate Biden.
Trump has falsely asserted that Biden got Viktor Shokin, the country's prosecutor fired in 2016 to protect the business interests of his son, Hunter. The younger Biden did sit on the board of Burisma Holdings which was owned by Mykola Zlochevsky. While his presence on the board while father was Vice-President gives the appearance of impropriety, Biden called for Shokin's resignation because he was being too lenient towards Zlochevsky and others. There's no indication Hunter Biden was ever a target of an investigation, but if he were his father's intervention would not have helped him.
The transcript confirms that Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden, but no mention of military aid is made in the conversation. However, it was Trump who brought Biden into the conversation:
The other thing. There's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it ... It sounds horrible to me.
After Zelensky asked Trump to provide his incoming prosecutor additional information, Trump replied that he would have his attorney Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr get in touch with him. Trump added, "I heard the prosecutor was treated very badly and he was a very fair prosecutor."
Shokin was anything but fair. To the contrary, Shokin was quite ineffective in battling corruption and his removal was demanded not only by the United States, but the rest of the G-7 and IMF Chrstine Lagarde advocated for his removal. Biden did some bragging, but it wasn't about stopping the prosecution. It must also be remembered that Shokin was a reviled public figure in Ukraine and was subject to protests due to his ineffectual response to corruption. Biden was far from alone in his dismay with Shokin. Trump's assertion that Biden acted in an unlawful manner is yet another lie. But this particular lie is an impeachable one. While I believe Trump calling on a foreign government to investigate the man he could possibly face in next year's presidential election is an impeachable offense, there is no way Mitch McConnell led Senate is going to impeach Trump regardless of the merits.
The question now isn't so much about Trump, but rather about Biden's Democratic rivals. They'll all condemn Trump for the phone conversation, but will they defend Biden? Methinks not (save perhaps for Buttigieg). But if Biden's rivals take aim at him concerning his actions against Shokin all he has to do is say that they are doing Trump's bidding and sound more like Fox News or Breitbart than a Democratic presidential candidate. If that doesn't rally the Democratic Party around Biden then nothing will.
Trump has falsely asserted that Biden got Viktor Shokin, the country's prosecutor fired in 2016 to protect the business interests of his son, Hunter. The younger Biden did sit on the board of Burisma Holdings which was owned by Mykola Zlochevsky. While his presence on the board while father was Vice-President gives the appearance of impropriety, Biden called for Shokin's resignation because he was being too lenient towards Zlochevsky and others. There's no indication Hunter Biden was ever a target of an investigation, but if he were his father's intervention would not have helped him.
The transcript confirms that Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden, but no mention of military aid is made in the conversation. However, it was Trump who brought Biden into the conversation:
The other thing. There's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it ... It sounds horrible to me.
After Zelensky asked Trump to provide his incoming prosecutor additional information, Trump replied that he would have his attorney Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr get in touch with him. Trump added, "I heard the prosecutor was treated very badly and he was a very fair prosecutor."
Shokin was anything but fair. To the contrary, Shokin was quite ineffective in battling corruption and his removal was demanded not only by the United States, but the rest of the G-7 and IMF Chrstine Lagarde advocated for his removal. Biden did some bragging, but it wasn't about stopping the prosecution. It must also be remembered that Shokin was a reviled public figure in Ukraine and was subject to protests due to his ineffectual response to corruption. Biden was far from alone in his dismay with Shokin. Trump's assertion that Biden acted in an unlawful manner is yet another lie. But this particular lie is an impeachable one. While I believe Trump calling on a foreign government to investigate the man he could possibly face in next year's presidential election is an impeachable offense, there is no way Mitch McConnell led Senate is going to impeach Trump regardless of the merits.
The question now isn't so much about Trump, but rather about Biden's Democratic rivals. They'll all condemn Trump for the phone conversation, but will they defend Biden? Methinks not (save perhaps for Buttigieg). But if Biden's rivals take aim at him concerning his actions against Shokin all he has to do is say that they are doing Trump's bidding and sound more like Fox News or Breitbart than a Democratic presidential candidate. If that doesn't rally the Democratic Party around Biden then nothing will.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Nationals Clinch NL Wild Card Berth
The Washington Nationals have clinched a NL Wild Card berth sweeping Philadelphia Phillies in a doubleheader 4-1 and 6-5. It must have been satisfying to clinch against Bryce Harper thus proving they can reach the post-season without him.
It has been a remarkable season in D.C. Prior to Memorial Day Weekend, the Nats were 19-31. They had lost five in a row and were only 1.5 games ahead of the Miami Marlins. Manager Dave Martinez was on the hot seat. But despite a suspect bullpen, the Nats turned it around going 69-38 since. They didn't have a losing streak of more than three games until earlier this month.
What the Nats have going for them is strong starting pitching in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez, a MVP candidate in Anthony Rendon, a young slugger in Juan Soto and an sparkplug at the top of the order in Trea Turner. Their triumph is tempered by the fact Martinez underwent a heart procedure earlier this month. Bench coach Chip Hale is serving as acting manager.
Between 2012 and 2017, the Nats won four NL East pennants but could not make in past the NLDS. I strongly suspect they will meet the same fate in 2019 with their bullpen which has blown 29 saves. The idea the Nats' bullpen will hold up in the post-season seems far-fetched.
Washington will likely host the NL Wild Card game one week from tonight. They will most likely play the Milwaukee Brewers whose magic number for a post-season berth is 1. However, the Brewers are only 3 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central and still have an outside shot at the division. There is also a remote possibility the Nats could face their NL East rival New York Mets or the Chicago Cubs. But the Mets would have to win their remaining five games while the Brewers will have to lose their remaining five games which would force Game 163. However, the Brewers are 18-4 in September and are playing their best baseball without Christian Yelich. So this is very unlikely. It is equally unlikely they will face the Cubs who are in the midst of a 7 game losing streak with manager Joe Maddon's job in jeopardy. What is certain is that the Washington Nationals will play baseball in October.
It has been a remarkable season in D.C. Prior to Memorial Day Weekend, the Nats were 19-31. They had lost five in a row and were only 1.5 games ahead of the Miami Marlins. Manager Dave Martinez was on the hot seat. But despite a suspect bullpen, the Nats turned it around going 69-38 since. They didn't have a losing streak of more than three games until earlier this month.
What the Nats have going for them is strong starting pitching in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Anibal Sanchez, a MVP candidate in Anthony Rendon, a young slugger in Juan Soto and an sparkplug at the top of the order in Trea Turner. Their triumph is tempered by the fact Martinez underwent a heart procedure earlier this month. Bench coach Chip Hale is serving as acting manager.
Between 2012 and 2017, the Nats won four NL East pennants but could not make in past the NLDS. I strongly suspect they will meet the same fate in 2019 with their bullpen which has blown 29 saves. The idea the Nats' bullpen will hold up in the post-season seems far-fetched.
Washington will likely host the NL Wild Card game one week from tonight. They will most likely play the Milwaukee Brewers whose magic number for a post-season berth is 1. However, the Brewers are only 3 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central and still have an outside shot at the division. There is also a remote possibility the Nats could face their NL East rival New York Mets or the Chicago Cubs. But the Mets would have to win their remaining five games while the Brewers will have to lose their remaining five games which would force Game 163. However, the Brewers are 18-4 in September and are playing their best baseball without Christian Yelich. So this is very unlikely. It is equally unlikely they will face the Cubs who are in the midst of a 7 game losing streak with manager Joe Maddon's job in jeopardy. What is certain is that the Washington Nationals will play baseball in October.
Omar's Disdain of Biden Makes Me Like Him More
In an interview with The Guardian over the weekend while attending the Iowa People's Presidential Forum, anti-Semitic Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar declared she could not support Joe Biden's presidential bid:
There are few people who fit into the kind of progress that we all want to see in this country. And I would say he is not one of them.
I think it has been very clear to many of the people who have been creating the kind of movement that is exciting generations, that we want somebody who really has a plan that is going to tackle a lot of the systematic challenges that we have, and he doesn’t.
The fact that Omar doesn't like Biden makes me like him more. As such, I'm willing to give him a second look. Call it an anti-endorsement.
Omar's phrase "we want somebody who really has a plan" makes me think that she will most likely endorse Elizabeth Warren. After all, Warren's fans are fond of saying 'She has a plan for that.' Needless to say, if Omar were to support Warren it would be yet another reason for me to look unfavorably upon her.
Let me put it another way. Biden doesn't walk on water. But the fact both Omar and President Trump have seen fit to direct their ire towards him makes me think that he could be our least worst option. Unless Pete Buttigieg finds a second wind, it could prove to be our wisest course of action.
There are few people who fit into the kind of progress that we all want to see in this country. And I would say he is not one of them.
I think it has been very clear to many of the people who have been creating the kind of movement that is exciting generations, that we want somebody who really has a plan that is going to tackle a lot of the systematic challenges that we have, and he doesn’t.
The fact that Omar doesn't like Biden makes me like him more. As such, I'm willing to give him a second look. Call it an anti-endorsement.
Omar's phrase "we want somebody who really has a plan" makes me think that she will most likely endorse Elizabeth Warren. After all, Warren's fans are fond of saying 'She has a plan for that.' Needless to say, if Omar were to support Warren it would be yet another reason for me to look unfavorably upon her.
Let me put it another way. Biden doesn't walk on water. But the fact both Omar and President Trump have seen fit to direct their ire towards him makes me think that he could be our least worst option. Unless Pete Buttigieg finds a second wind, it could prove to be our wisest course of action.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Yost Retires as Royals Manager After 10 Seasons
Ned Yost has announced he will retire as manager of the Kansas City Royals after 10 seasons at the helm. Yost led the Royals to back to back AL pennants in 2014 & 2015 winning the World Series in 2015. But the Royals have fallen on hard times with back to back 100 loss seasons. Nevertheless, Yost is the club's winningest manager and got to leave on his own terms. With five games remaining, Yost is 744-836 in his tenure in Kansas City. Yost previously managed the Milwaukee Brewers between 2003 until late in the 2008 season. His overall managerial record is 1201-1338.
The Royals are likely to name an internal candidate as Yost's successor. Bench coach Dale Sveum (who succeeded Yost in Milwaukee), catching coach Pedro Grifol and former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny are the prime candidates. After being dismissed by the Cardinals last season, Matheny was hired by the Royals as a special assistant to GM Dayton Moore. I wonder if ex-Royals players Carlos Beltran or Raul Ibanez would be given consideration.
Despite their 100 losses this season, the Royals are an exciting team that likes to run. The Royals have nowhere to go but up. The question is how quickly they will get there.
The Royals are likely to name an internal candidate as Yost's successor. Bench coach Dale Sveum (who succeeded Yost in Milwaukee), catching coach Pedro Grifol and former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny are the prime candidates. After being dismissed by the Cardinals last season, Matheny was hired by the Royals as a special assistant to GM Dayton Moore. I wonder if ex-Royals players Carlos Beltran or Raul Ibanez would be given consideration.
Despite their 100 losses this season, the Royals are an exciting team that likes to run. The Royals have nowhere to go but up. The question is how quickly they will get there.
After Being Locked Out of Twitter I Finally Joined Facebook
After 4½ years and more than 73,000 tweets, I got locked out of Twitter earlier this month and have been unable to get back in. To be exact, I got locked out on September 11th right after posting my thoughts on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Twitter sends me a SMS Verification Code to my phone, but I never receive it. I complain to Twitter and they just send me another SMS Verification Code. I tried to set up another Twitter account, but they insist on both e-mail and phone verification. Back to square one. To make matters worse, you cannot talk to anyone at Twitter. They don't do customer service over the phone.
So I've given up on Twitter. Yes, there is a lot of meanness and stupidity on Twitter. I've probably entered into conversations I ought not have engaged. But I've come across many interesting people with whom I enjoyed communicating about baseball, old TV shows and politics. On occasion, I've met these online connections in person. So Twitter was not without its virtues.
With Twitter closed off to me, I pondered staying off social media altogether. A lot of employers make hiring decisions based on social media activity and I'm sure my Twitter activity put off some people despite my efforts to be as civil and polite as I could be.
Back in 2014, I wrote an American Spectator article titled, "Why I Won't Join Facebook". Alas this is one of my many articles which has been expunged. I did have concerns about privacy and, indeed, these breaches have occurred on a large scale. But my greater concern was that no one would want to be my Facebook friend. Given my experiences on Twitter, I know that friendly people can be found. That and I like sharing my experiences with people. Hopefully, I can renew some old acquaintances and find some new ones.
So while awaiting the special screening for Easy Rider at Radio City Music Hall on Friday night, I finally joined Facebook and posted several pictures from the concert as well as my trip yesterday to Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.
For better or for worse, social media is a fact of life. With one platform closed and another open, I will use social media as prudently and as wisely as possible.
Twitter sends me a SMS Verification Code to my phone, but I never receive it. I complain to Twitter and they just send me another SMS Verification Code. I tried to set up another Twitter account, but they insist on both e-mail and phone verification. Back to square one. To make matters worse, you cannot talk to anyone at Twitter. They don't do customer service over the phone.
So I've given up on Twitter. Yes, there is a lot of meanness and stupidity on Twitter. I've probably entered into conversations I ought not have engaged. But I've come across many interesting people with whom I enjoyed communicating about baseball, old TV shows and politics. On occasion, I've met these online connections in person. So Twitter was not without its virtues.
With Twitter closed off to me, I pondered staying off social media altogether. A lot of employers make hiring decisions based on social media activity and I'm sure my Twitter activity put off some people despite my efforts to be as civil and polite as I could be.
Back in 2014, I wrote an American Spectator article titled, "Why I Won't Join Facebook". Alas this is one of my many articles which has been expunged. I did have concerns about privacy and, indeed, these breaches have occurred on a large scale. But my greater concern was that no one would want to be my Facebook friend. Given my experiences on Twitter, I know that friendly people can be found. That and I like sharing my experiences with people. Hopefully, I can renew some old acquaintances and find some new ones.
So while awaiting the special screening for Easy Rider at Radio City Music Hall on Friday night, I finally joined Facebook and posted several pictures from the concert as well as my trip yesterday to Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.
For better or for worse, social media is a fact of life. With one platform closed and another open, I will use social media as prudently and as wisely as possible.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Astros Clinch 3rd Straight AL West Title
The Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Angels 13-5 to earn their third straight AL West title. George Springer homered thrice in the clincher while Justin Verlander earned his 20th win of 2019. The Astros have been in first place since April 28th en route to their 3rd consecutive 100 plus win season.
When Zack Greinke is your number three starter you're doing well as Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole compete for the AL Cy Young Award. While the Astros didn't have as many serious injuries as the Yankees, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa all missed significant time. But Yordan Alvarez stepped into the breach blasting 27 HR and 77 RBI in half a season.
As of this writing, the Astros lead the Yankees by half a game for the best record in the AL. If this holds then the Astros would face the winner of the AL Wild Card in the ALDS. Chances are the Astros will have to face the Oakland A's. When they last faced their AL West rival the Astros were on the wrong end of a sweep. Neither the Tampa Bay Rays or the Cleveland Indians will be pushovers either.
Still, no one would be shocked if the Astros win their second World Series title in three years.
When Zack Greinke is your number three starter you're doing well as Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole compete for the AL Cy Young Award. While the Astros didn't have as many serious injuries as the Yankees, Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa all missed significant time. But Yordan Alvarez stepped into the breach blasting 27 HR and 77 RBI in half a season.
As of this writing, the Astros lead the Yankees by half a game for the best record in the AL. If this holds then the Astros would face the winner of the AL Wild Card in the ALDS. Chances are the Astros will have to face the Oakland A's. When they last faced their AL West rival the Astros were on the wrong end of a sweep. Neither the Tampa Bay Rays or the Cleveland Indians will be pushovers either.
Still, no one would be shocked if the Astros win their second World Series title in three years.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Padres Fire Andy Green
With a week left in the 2019 season, the San Diego Padres have fired manager Andy Green. Despite the addition of free agent Manny Machado and rookie sensation Fernando Tatis, Jr., the Padres are headed for their 9th straight losing season. The past four of those seasons have been under Green's stewardship including two last place finishes. Green's managerial record was 244-366. After posting a .500 mark (45-45) at the All-Star Break, the Friars have gone 24-40 since. In September, they are 6-13 and have lost 8 of their last 9 games.
Bench coach Rod Barajas will manage the team the rest of the season. He is a candidate to manage the Padres in 2020. However, should the Chicago Cubs dispense with the services of Joe Maddon they are going to take a run at him.
Bench coach Rod Barajas will manage the team the rest of the season. He is a candidate to manage the Padres in 2020. However, should the Chicago Cubs dispense with the services of Joe Maddon they are going to take a run at him.
After A Year in New York City I'm Trying to Find My Lane
It was exactly a year ago today that I moved from Boston to New York City. For six months, I was paying rent on the old apartment in Jamaica Plain. It took me that long to feel some degree of normalcy. It was only in April that I resumed swimming. It also took me that long to feel comfortable in the new job. Living in close quarters with my Dad has also been an adjustment
The most significant change in the past year has been a new pursuit - bowling. Back in June, the law firm where I work had a company outing at Bowlmor in Times Square. It was the first time I had bowled in 17 years. Somehow I managed to bowl 119 and I was hooked. The following month I took out a summer membership at Bowlmor. There were some struggles. I injured the middle finger on my right hand and then switched to my left hand. It took me until Labor Day weekend to reach 100 again just as my membership expired.
I have decided to explore other bowling lanes. Two weeks ago, I bowled at Shell Lanes off Avenue X in Brooklyn. Very bare bones. But I bowled three games for just over $15. Last week, I took a bowling lesson from an enthusiastic gentleman named Ray Watkins at Whitestone Lanes, a 24 hour bowling lane in the Flushing section of Queens. Today, I went to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn to bowl at the Gutter Bar.
I was last in Williamsburg in January 2014 to watch the Gene Clark No Other tribute concert at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. There is a tremendous youthful energy about Williamsburg - that is until I got to the Gutter Bar. It was a biker bar. What the hell did I get myself into? My confidence was not further inspired when I was told I had to give them one of my shoes while I bowled. It seemed dodgy, but I'm not going to start an argument in a biker bar.
Besides I was determined to bowl and I did. A woman who was quite intoxicated approached me about my game. I was polite, but got back to my game as fast as I could. She could have been a biker's girlfriend and the last thing I want to do is have a biker accusing me of moving in on his old lady.
The lane conditions were rough. Balls that would have gone into the gutter knocked down pins while balls that should have knocked down pins went into the gutter. Needless to say, I will not be returning to the Gutter either in Williamsburg or Long Island City anytime soon.
But this is trial and error. There are other bowling lanes and neighborhoods to explore. Hopefully there will be friends to be made as well. Perhaps I will join a league. While there are some nice people at work I've not socialized with anyone outside of work related events. Hopefully I can find me a friend in year two in New York City. If that friend is female then so much the better. At this time a year from now I hope to find my lane.
I have decided to explore other bowling lanes. Two weeks ago, I bowled at Shell Lanes off Avenue X in Brooklyn. Very bare bones. But I bowled three games for just over $15. Last week, I took a bowling lesson from an enthusiastic gentleman named Ray Watkins at Whitestone Lanes, a 24 hour bowling lane in the Flushing section of Queens. Today, I went to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn to bowl at the Gutter Bar.
I was last in Williamsburg in January 2014 to watch the Gene Clark No Other tribute concert at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. There is a tremendous youthful energy about Williamsburg - that is until I got to the Gutter Bar. It was a biker bar. What the hell did I get myself into? My confidence was not further inspired when I was told I had to give them one of my shoes while I bowled. It seemed dodgy, but I'm not going to start an argument in a biker bar.
Besides I was determined to bowl and I did. A woman who was quite intoxicated approached me about my game. I was polite, but got back to my game as fast as I could. She could have been a biker's girlfriend and the last thing I want to do is have a biker accusing me of moving in on his old lady.
The lane conditions were rough. Balls that would have gone into the gutter knocked down pins while balls that should have knocked down pins went into the gutter. Needless to say, I will not be returning to the Gutter either in Williamsburg or Long Island City anytime soon.
But this is trial and error. There are other bowling lanes and neighborhoods to explore. Hopefully there will be friends to be made as well. Perhaps I will join a league. While there are some nice people at work I've not socialized with anyone outside of work related events. Hopefully I can find me a friend in year two in New York City. If that friend is female then so much the better. At this time a year from now I hope to find my lane.
Easy Rider at 50: Peter Fonda Is Gone But The Music Lives On
On Friday evening, I went to Radio City Music Hall to see a 50th anniversary screening of Easy Rider. The soundtrack to the movie was played live by various musicians including John Kay of Steppenwolf and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. It was my first time seeing Kay perform ever while 19 Septembers have passed since I saw McGuinn perform at the Boston Folk Festival.
The event, which was announced in July, was to have featured Peter Fonda as MC. But Fonda passed away of lung cancer last month at the age of 79. However, a vocal recording of Fonda commenting on the event was played. He sounded quite ill yet retained a generous spirit and good humor reminiscing how he had to talk Jack Nicholson out of quitting acting and overcome co-star and director Dennis Hopper's objections.
I've seen live musical accompaniment to silent movies, but not a talkie. The music wasn't synced to the movie. Indeed, when the music went on longer than the scene, the movie faded to black and picked up where it left off after the song. It worked exceptionally well. Equally exceptional was Kay whose voice is every bit as powerful on "The Pusher" and "Born To Be Wild" at 75 as he was at 25.
Although this was a tribute to Fonda, the audience had an extraordinary connection with Nicholson from the moment he hit the screen. He brought a different energy to the film. I'm sure audiences from 1969 had the same kind of connection because it was this role which turned him into an overnight sensation after more than 30 films under his belt.
I was struck by the contrast between Fonda's low key optimism as Captain America with Hopper's paranoid pessimism as Billy until the roles reversed in the film's penultimate scene. Although Nicholson's George Hanson is only in a third of the film, it is his words on freedom which resonate every bit as much in 2019 as they did in 1969. "Oh yeah, they're gonna talk to you and talk to you and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual and it's gonna scare 'em." Today, this can be said in equal measure of both Trump supporters and the so-called Resistance. It's very hard to publicly reject both sides because fear makes people dangerous.
Of course, the film ends on the darkest of notes. But Kay saw to it the evening didn't end that way. "We couldn't do this evening with Peter, but we'll do it for him," said Kay right before he launched into "Magic Carpet Ride". While that song doesn't appear in Easy Rider it was an appropriate choice to end a magical evening.
The event, which was announced in July, was to have featured Peter Fonda as MC. But Fonda passed away of lung cancer last month at the age of 79. However, a vocal recording of Fonda commenting on the event was played. He sounded quite ill yet retained a generous spirit and good humor reminiscing how he had to talk Jack Nicholson out of quitting acting and overcome co-star and director Dennis Hopper's objections.
I've seen live musical accompaniment to silent movies, but not a talkie. The music wasn't synced to the movie. Indeed, when the music went on longer than the scene, the movie faded to black and picked up where it left off after the song. It worked exceptionally well. Equally exceptional was Kay whose voice is every bit as powerful on "The Pusher" and "Born To Be Wild" at 75 as he was at 25.
Although this was a tribute to Fonda, the audience had an extraordinary connection with Nicholson from the moment he hit the screen. He brought a different energy to the film. I'm sure audiences from 1969 had the same kind of connection because it was this role which turned him into an overnight sensation after more than 30 films under his belt.
I was struck by the contrast between Fonda's low key optimism as Captain America with Hopper's paranoid pessimism as Billy until the roles reversed in the film's penultimate scene. Although Nicholson's George Hanson is only in a third of the film, it is his words on freedom which resonate every bit as much in 2019 as they did in 1969. "Oh yeah, they're gonna talk to you and talk to you and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual and it's gonna scare 'em." Today, this can be said in equal measure of both Trump supporters and the so-called Resistance. It's very hard to publicly reject both sides because fear makes people dangerous.
Of course, the film ends on the darkest of notes. But Kay saw to it the evening didn't end that way. "We couldn't do this evening with Peter, but we'll do it for him," said Kay right before he launched into "Magic Carpet Ride". While that song doesn't appear in Easy Rider it was an appropriate choice to end a magical evening.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Braves Win Back to Back NL East Titles
For the second year in a row, the Atlanta Braves are NL East champions. They earned their spot tonight with a 6-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. While many pundits favored the Phillies, Nationals and Mets to take the division, the Braves took over first place on June 12th and only got stronger.
Ronald Acuna, Jr., Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson had 30 plus HR campaigns with Ozzie Albies approaching 25. Rookie Mike Soroka and sophomore Max Fried anchored a strarting rotation with resurgent Mike Foltynewicz and veterans Dallas Keuchel and Julio Teheran. Their bullpen is the three headed monster of Luke Jackson, Shane Greene and Mark Melancon.
The Braves advance to the NLDS where they will face the winner of the NL Central. This will most likely be the St. Louis Cardinals who have a 3 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers with 8 regular season games remaining.
Ronald Acuna, Jr., Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson had 30 plus HR campaigns with Ozzie Albies approaching 25. Rookie Mike Soroka and sophomore Max Fried anchored a strarting rotation with resurgent Mike Foltynewicz and veterans Dallas Keuchel and Julio Teheran. Their bullpen is the three headed monster of Luke Jackson, Shane Greene and Mark Melancon.
The Braves advance to the NLDS where they will face the winner of the NL Central. This will most likely be the St. Louis Cardinals who have a 3 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers with 8 regular season games remaining.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Yankees Clinch 1st AL East Title Since 2012
The New York Yankees have defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-1 to win their first AL East title since 2012. The Yankees have made the post-season thrice since by way of an AL Wild Card berth in 2015, 2017 & 2018 when winning 100 games wasn't good enough to win the division. This year 100 wins was exactly enough.
What is remarkable about this team is that they dominated without the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Miguel Andujar, Luis Severino and Dellin Betances. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez also missed significant portions of the season. They instead found unexpected solace in the likes of D.J. LeMahieu, Gio Urshela, Mike Tauchman and Mike Ford. After battling with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees took over top spot for good on June 15th and never looked back.
The question now is whether the Yankees can earn the best record in the AL to get home field advantage in the post-season. As of this writing, the Yankees are a half game behind the Houston Astros in that quest.
Given the sheer number of injuries, Aaron Boone must be strongly considered for AL Manager of the Year. Although I think he'd prefer the franchise's 28th World Series title.
What is remarkable about this team is that they dominated without the likes of Giancarlo Stanton, Miguel Andujar, Luis Severino and Dellin Betances. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez also missed significant portions of the season. They instead found unexpected solace in the likes of D.J. LeMahieu, Gio Urshela, Mike Tauchman and Mike Ford. After battling with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees took over top spot for good on June 15th and never looked back.
The question now is whether the Yankees can earn the best record in the AL to get home field advantage in the post-season. As of this writing, the Yankees are a half game behind the Houston Astros in that quest.
Given the sheer number of injuries, Aaron Boone must be strongly considered for AL Manager of the Year. Although I think he'd prefer the franchise's 28th World Series title.
Tillerson Suggests Israel Aren't "The Good Guys" In The Middle East at Harvard
During an appearance at Harvard University on Tuesday, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested Israel aren't "the good guys" in the Middle East. Tillerson reserved much of his scorn for Bibi Netanyahu who might soon be out of office judging by the results of Israel's latest vote the same day Tillerson appeared at Harvard:
Netanyahu, whose 10-year reign appears in doubt after Tuesday’s election. He called Netanyahu “an extraordinarily skilled” politician and diplomat, albeit “a bit Machiavellian,” who forges good and “useful” relationships with leaders and nations he anticipates he’ll need at a future time.
Tillerson said despite Israel’s closeness with the U.S., “In dealing with Bibi, it’s always useful to carry a healthy amount of skepticism in your discussions with him,” recounting that Israel would share “misinformation” to persuade the U.S. of something if necessary.
“They did that with the president on a couple of occasions, to persuade him that ‘We’re the good guys, they’re the bad guys.’ We later exposed it to the president so he understood, ‘You’ve been played,’” said Tillerson. “It bothers me that an ally that’s that close and important to us would do that to us.”
Tillerson did not elaborate on what sort of "misinformation" Netanyahu was giving President Trump. And if Israel aren't the "good guys" in the Middle East then who is? Does this mean that Tillerson thinks Iran and the Palestinian Authority are beacons of honesty? While serving as Secretary of State, Tillerson acknowledged his support of the Iran nuclear deal which would indicate that he has a favorable opinion of their regime.
In which case, perhaps Trump is right to say that Tillerson is as "dumb as a rock" and firing him was the correct course of action.
Netanyahu, whose 10-year reign appears in doubt after Tuesday’s election. He called Netanyahu “an extraordinarily skilled” politician and diplomat, albeit “a bit Machiavellian,” who forges good and “useful” relationships with leaders and nations he anticipates he’ll need at a future time.
Tillerson said despite Israel’s closeness with the U.S., “In dealing with Bibi, it’s always useful to carry a healthy amount of skepticism in your discussions with him,” recounting that Israel would share “misinformation” to persuade the U.S. of something if necessary.
“They did that with the president on a couple of occasions, to persuade him that ‘We’re the good guys, they’re the bad guys.’ We later exposed it to the president so he understood, ‘You’ve been played,’” said Tillerson. “It bothers me that an ally that’s that close and important to us would do that to us.”
Tillerson did not elaborate on what sort of "misinformation" Netanyahu was giving President Trump. And if Israel aren't the "good guys" in the Middle East then who is? Does this mean that Tillerson thinks Iran and the Palestinian Authority are beacons of honesty? While serving as Secretary of State, Tillerson acknowledged his support of the Iran nuclear deal which would indicate that he has a favorable opinion of their regime.
In which case, perhaps Trump is right to say that Tillerson is as "dumb as a rock" and firing him was the correct course of action.
Trudeau's Blackface Photos Show That He is Two-Faced UPDATE
A week into the Canadian election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finds himself in hot water. Yesterday, Time published a 2001 photo of Trudeau appearing in blackface and a turban when he was a teacher at a private school in Vancouver.
Trudeau swiftly apologized for his act and disclosed he had appeared in blackface while in high school to sing Harry Belafonte's "Day-O". There is also a third instance of Trudeau appearing in blackface on video in which he sticks out his tongue. The Liberal Party claims this video was recorded in the early 1990's.
Trudeau's contrite posture could alleviate matters. But one of Trudeau's rivals is NDP leader Jagmeet Singh who is Sikh. Singh responded emotionally to the images:
Seeing this image today, the kids that see this image, the people that see this image, are going to think about all the times in their life they were made fun of, that they were hurt, that they were hit, that they were insulted, they were made to feel less because of who they are.
This also might have the benefit of sparking life to the NDP which has seen it lose ground to the Green Party in recent months. Of course, this could also improve the chances of the Conservatives returning to power. If nothing else it gives Tories a certain amount of satisfaction because Trudeau's blackface shows that he is two-faced.
Trudeau has spared no effort to associate Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer and Ontario Premier Doug Ford with the alt-right and white supremacists and has had no trouble calling voters racist for asking questions he doesn't like. A classic case of throwing rocks from a glass house. Trudeau would be wise to get his own house in order before casting aspersions upon others. Otherwise Canadian voters could cast aspersions upon him.
UPDATE: During an address on the controversy this afternoon, Trudeau said he “wary of being definitive” with regards to the possibility of other images of him in blackface could emerge. This tells me that there will probably be more and this was something he got a kick out of doing.
Trudeau swiftly apologized for his act and disclosed he had appeared in blackface while in high school to sing Harry Belafonte's "Day-O". There is also a third instance of Trudeau appearing in blackface on video in which he sticks out his tongue. The Liberal Party claims this video was recorded in the early 1990's.
Trudeau's contrite posture could alleviate matters. But one of Trudeau's rivals is NDP leader Jagmeet Singh who is Sikh. Singh responded emotionally to the images:
Seeing this image today, the kids that see this image, the people that see this image, are going to think about all the times in their life they were made fun of, that they were hurt, that they were hit, that they were insulted, they were made to feel less because of who they are.
This also might have the benefit of sparking life to the NDP which has seen it lose ground to the Green Party in recent months. Of course, this could also improve the chances of the Conservatives returning to power. If nothing else it gives Tories a certain amount of satisfaction because Trudeau's blackface shows that he is two-faced.
Trudeau has spared no effort to associate Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer and Ontario Premier Doug Ford with the alt-right and white supremacists and has had no trouble calling voters racist for asking questions he doesn't like. A classic case of throwing rocks from a glass house. Trudeau would be wise to get his own house in order before casting aspersions upon others. Otherwise Canadian voters could cast aspersions upon him.
UPDATE: During an address on the controversy this afternoon, Trudeau said he “wary of being definitive” with regards to the possibility of other images of him in blackface could emerge. This tells me that there will probably be more and this was something he got a kick out of doing.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Arrest of Pirates Closer Vazquez Caps Off Horrible Season For Bucs
The Pittsburgh Pirates won't finish 2019 with the worst record in MLB much less the National League. But make no mistake. No team had a worse season than the Bucs.
A 21-41 record after the All-Star Break would be bad enough, but a litany of fights with each other and other teams, insubordination and now the arrest of closer Felipe Vazquez of sexual assault of a minor, a crime he has apparently admitted, has rendered Pittsburgh the least desirable organization in MLB.
Vazquez's arrest comes just over a week after he was fined $10,000 following a fight with fellow reliever Kyle Crick. In the fight, Crick sustained an injury to his right index finger requiring season ending surgery.
Although Pirates GM Neal Huntington and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle are not responsible for Vazquez's alleged behavior, the incident adds to the perception the Pirates are an organization in complete chaos. However, it is unlikely, that Huntington and Hurdle will walk the plank as they are under contract through 2021 as Bucs owner Bob Nutting loathes spending money.
If a head does roll I think it will be pitching coach Ray Searage. Although Searage was a pivotal figure in the Pirates three NL Wild Card berths from 2013-2015, his pitching staff this season have an ERA of 5.24, second worst in the NL only to the Colorado Rockies. Searage has been under scrutiny for some time now. The fact that his pitchers are putting up more of a fight against each others than opposing batters (except when pitching inside to the Cincinnati Reds) suggests a parting of the ways is in order.
Still, the arrest of Vazquez will cast a shadow over the franchise as big as the Pittsburgh drug trials of the mid-1980's. Short of a complete turnaround next season with a different cast of characters, the Pirates have once again become the Siberia of baseball.
A 21-41 record after the All-Star Break would be bad enough, but a litany of fights with each other and other teams, insubordination and now the arrest of closer Felipe Vazquez of sexual assault of a minor, a crime he has apparently admitted, has rendered Pittsburgh the least desirable organization in MLB.
Vazquez's arrest comes just over a week after he was fined $10,000 following a fight with fellow reliever Kyle Crick. In the fight, Crick sustained an injury to his right index finger requiring season ending surgery.
Although Pirates GM Neal Huntington and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle are not responsible for Vazquez's alleged behavior, the incident adds to the perception the Pirates are an organization in complete chaos. However, it is unlikely, that Huntington and Hurdle will walk the plank as they are under contract through 2021 as Bucs owner Bob Nutting loathes spending money.
If a head does roll I think it will be pitching coach Ray Searage. Although Searage was a pivotal figure in the Pirates three NL Wild Card berths from 2013-2015, his pitching staff this season have an ERA of 5.24, second worst in the NL only to the Colorado Rockies. Searage has been under scrutiny for some time now. The fact that his pitchers are putting up more of a fight against each others than opposing batters (except when pitching inside to the Cincinnati Reds) suggests a parting of the ways is in order.
Still, the arrest of Vazquez will cast a shadow over the franchise as big as the Pittsburgh drug trials of the mid-1980's. Short of a complete turnaround next season with a different cast of characters, the Pirates have once again become the Siberia of baseball.
Trump Dissing Cokie Roberts After Her Death Comes As No Surprise
CNN's Chris Cillizza is mostly spot on when discussing President Trump dissing journalist Cokie Roberts following her death yesterday at the age of 75:
Usually when someone dies, you follow the rule your mom taught you: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Usually when someone dies, you follow the rule your mom taught you: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.
President Donald Trump doesn't follow that rule. Asked about the passing of legendary journalist Cokie Roberts on Tuesday, here's what Trump said (in part):
"I never met her. She never treated me nicely. But I would like to wish her family well. She was a professional, and I respect professionals."
So, yeah.
The first words out of his mouth when asked about someone's death was a) never met her and b) "she never treated me nicely." Me, Me, Me, Me, Me, Me.
While all politicians -- and all people -- tend to see things through a how-does-this-impact-me lens, most of us understand that turning everything, especially someone else's death, into a conversation about ourselves is hugely selfish and narcissistic. It also reeks of a lack of empathy, an inability to step outside yourself and into another person's shoes for even a minute.
That Trump's first instinct when asked about the death of a prominent journalist would be to make it about himself and then use it as a piece of ammo in his long-running fight with the news media is, even for this president, a remarkable thing. And by remarkable, I mean revealing. Revealing in that it makes clear -- and, if you have been paying attention to the presidency it might well already be crystal clear to you -- that Trump is simply unconcerned about anyone who isn't him. He doesn't view the presidency as a position of moral leadership. He just does and says what he wants, when he wants.
That rejection of moral leadership -- of taking the high road, of understanding that you don't need to say everything you think -- is what makes Trump truly radical vis a vis the other men who have held the office of president. They tried -- and sometimes failed, but always tried -- to do what they believed to be the right thing, even if it wasn't what they wanted to do. Trump makes no attempt to do so. None.
You can argue that what Trump says about a deceased journalist isn't that big a deal -- especially when compared to some of the other things he has said and done as president. I get that. But, it reveals something far deeper -- and darker -- about Trump.
Someone who is incapable of expressing empathy -- or even of not saying something bad! -- about a dead person is someone who is so self-focused as to be largely (if not totally) blind to the world around him. That's a problem for any person. It's a massive problem -- and should be a huge area of concern -- when the person we are talking about is the president of the United States.
Cillizza is correct to say that Trump is making Roberts' death about him and has made no attempt to show moral leadership of any kind. Where I part with him is that his reaction to Roberts' passing is revelatory. On the contrary, it is predictable. Let us not forget how Trump repeatedly took aim at John McCain more than half a year after his death. That he would take a swipe at a deceased member of the media before she has been laid to rest is in keeping with Trump's character or lack thereof.
That's not to say Trump's behavior is any less horrible. It just demonstrates Donald Trump is a vile human being and that we must stop pretending that Trump has any decency whatsoever. We will have only ourselves to blame if we choose him again because we know exactly what we will get and we will deserve to get it.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Ric Ocasek, R.I.P.
Ric Ocasek, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the 1970's and 1980's band The Cars, was found dead in his New York City townhouse. No cause of death has been released.
Ocasek was the principle songwriter on The Cars' big hits - "You're Just What I Needed", "Shake It Up", "You Might Think", "Magic" and "Drive" (which was sung by Ben Orr who passed away of pancreatic cancer in 2000). During the making of the video "Drive", Ocasek met supermodel Paulina Porizkova whom he married in 1990 and had two children in addition to four other children from two previous marriages. Porizkova ended their marriage last year.
After The Cars broke up in 1988, Ocasek released five solo albums between 1990 and 2005 to little fanfare. The remaining members of The Cars reformed with Todd Rundgren as their lead singer although they did record an album in 2010 and toured in 2011. The Cars reunited one last time when they were inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
When I think of Ocasek I think of him at the height of his success with The Cars in 1984. In particular, it's video for "You Might Think" which featured a close up of Ocasek and his distinctive dark glasses. A cool video of a cool song by a cool cat. R.I.P.
Ocasek was the principle songwriter on The Cars' big hits - "You're Just What I Needed", "Shake It Up", "You Might Think", "Magic" and "Drive" (which was sung by Ben Orr who passed away of pancreatic cancer in 2000). During the making of the video "Drive", Ocasek met supermodel Paulina Porizkova whom he married in 1990 and had two children in addition to four other children from two previous marriages. Porizkova ended their marriage last year.
After The Cars broke up in 1988, Ocasek released five solo albums between 1990 and 2005 to little fanfare. The remaining members of The Cars reformed with Todd Rundgren as their lead singer although they did record an album in 2010 and toured in 2011. The Cars reunited one last time when they were inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
When I think of Ocasek I think of him at the height of his success with The Cars in 1984. In particular, it's video for "You Might Think" which featured a close up of Ocasek and his distinctive dark glasses. A cool video of a cool song by a cool cat. R.I.P.
Mike Trout To Have Season Ending Foot Surgery
Two time AL MVP Mike Trout will have season ending surgery on his right foot in what has been both a disappointing and tragic season for the Los Angeles Angels. Trout, who last played on September 6th, finishes the season leading the league with a career high 45 HR as well as walks (110), OBP (.438), SLG (.645) and OPS (1.083). On top of that Trout, 28, has 104 RBI and drawn 110 walks.
One can only hope this injury won't adversely affect Trout in the long term as he is signed with the Angels through 2030 to the tune of nearly $430 million. Simply put Trout is the best player in MLB and has not let that status go to his head. Hopefully he will pick up right where he left off in 2020 while being surrounded by a better Angels team.
One can only hope this injury won't adversely affect Trout in the long term as he is signed with the Angels through 2030 to the tune of nearly $430 million. Simply put Trout is the best player in MLB and has not let that status go to his head. Hopefully he will pick up right where he left off in 2020 while being surrounded by a better Angels team.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Eddie Money, R.I.P.
Singer-songwriter Eddie Money passed away this morning of esophageal cancer. He was 70.
Born in Brooklyn and spending his formative years in Long Island, Money followed his grandfather, father and brother's footsteps in the NYPD. However, Money wanted to make music and he quit to move to California to pursue his dreams which came true in 1977 when he released his eponymous debut album. "Baby Hold On" and "Two Tickets to Paradise" became Top 20 hits and remain a staple of classic rock stations to this very day.
Money continued his success throughout the 1970's and early 1980's with hits such as "Maybe I'm a Fool" and "Think I'm In Love" which became one of the most popular videos in the early days of MTV. Like many of his contemporaries, alcohol and drugs got in the way. But Money would rebound in 1986 with "Take Me Home Tonight" which also revived the career of Ronnie Spector. Money would have hits in the late 1980's and early 1990's with "Walk on Water" and "Peace In Our Time".
During the 2000's, Money did a notable guest spot on the hit TV show King of Queens. Millennials acquainted with Money will know him from the AXS TV reality series Real Money which was launched last year following a well received appearance on Oprah. R.I.P.
Born in Brooklyn and spending his formative years in Long Island, Money followed his grandfather, father and brother's footsteps in the NYPD. However, Money wanted to make music and he quit to move to California to pursue his dreams which came true in 1977 when he released his eponymous debut album. "Baby Hold On" and "Two Tickets to Paradise" became Top 20 hits and remain a staple of classic rock stations to this very day.
Money continued his success throughout the 1970's and early 1980's with hits such as "Maybe I'm a Fool" and "Think I'm In Love" which became one of the most popular videos in the early days of MTV. Like many of his contemporaries, alcohol and drugs got in the way. But Money would rebound in 1986 with "Take Me Home Tonight" which also revived the career of Ronnie Spector. Money would have hits in the late 1980's and early 1990's with "Walk on Water" and "Peace In Our Time".
During the 2000's, Money did a notable guest spot on the hit TV show King of Queens. Millennials acquainted with Money will know him from the AXS TV reality series Real Money which was launched last year following a well received appearance on Oprah. R.I.P.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Thoughts on Watching The Democratic Debate With NYU Students
After watching the second of the late July debate with a bunch of Trump supporting Libertarians on the Lower East Side, I watched tonight's debate with Democrats in The Village most of whom were from nearby NYU.
Because of the preponderance of NYU students I could not hear most of the debate although it did get better during the last hour or so. They were there to drink and hang around with friends. That's fine, but it isn't conducive for choosing a candidate. With that being said, I think they've already decided. Elizabeth Warren received the loudest pop of the night while Joe Biden was lustily booed. They cheered Julian Castro when he scolded Biden for saying he couldn't remember what he said two minutes ago. It's safe to say that if Biden is the nominee these folks aren't voting.
Aside from Castro, the other candidates weren't as aggressive in going after Biden as they did in July. I think they recognize doing that doesn't help them. Did anybody help themselves tonight? Amy Klobuchar turned in her best performance and lives to fight another day. Beto O'Rourke was helped by being in his home state and seems to have refound his voice with gun control in the wake of El Paso. Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg met expectations, but so did Warren and Bernie Sanders. Andrew Yang was part motivational speaker, part game show host with his offer of Democracy Dollars. Kamala Harris was more relaxed. Harris was probably relieved she didn't have to face Tulsi Gabbard again.
As for Biden, it was his best debate performance. He stuck to his guns. Although when asked why he didn't support reparations instead of talking about teacher pay he should have said why the first black President didn't support reparations.
In the grand scheme of things though what they said really didn't matter. A New York Times reporter approached me and asked what I thought of the debate. I replied, "They spoke a lot, but they really didn't have much to say."
The candidates will have ample opportunity to say even less on October 15th & 16th at a yet to be named location in Ohio. Unlike tonight, the next debate will have at least 11 candidates as billionaire Tom Steyer has qualified for the debate. I will probably skip those debates as both the ALCS and NLCS will be underway. It also might explain why no network has agreed to cover those debates as of yet.
Because of the preponderance of NYU students I could not hear most of the debate although it did get better during the last hour or so. They were there to drink and hang around with friends. That's fine, but it isn't conducive for choosing a candidate. With that being said, I think they've already decided. Elizabeth Warren received the loudest pop of the night while Joe Biden was lustily booed. They cheered Julian Castro when he scolded Biden for saying he couldn't remember what he said two minutes ago. It's safe to say that if Biden is the nominee these folks aren't voting.
Aside from Castro, the other candidates weren't as aggressive in going after Biden as they did in July. I think they recognize doing that doesn't help them. Did anybody help themselves tonight? Amy Klobuchar turned in her best performance and lives to fight another day. Beto O'Rourke was helped by being in his home state and seems to have refound his voice with gun control in the wake of El Paso. Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg met expectations, but so did Warren and Bernie Sanders. Andrew Yang was part motivational speaker, part game show host with his offer of Democracy Dollars. Kamala Harris was more relaxed. Harris was probably relieved she didn't have to face Tulsi Gabbard again.
As for Biden, it was his best debate performance. He stuck to his guns. Although when asked why he didn't support reparations instead of talking about teacher pay he should have said why the first black President didn't support reparations.
In the grand scheme of things though what they said really didn't matter. A New York Times reporter approached me and asked what I thought of the debate. I replied, "They spoke a lot, but they really didn't have much to say."
The candidates will have ample opportunity to say even less on October 15th & 16th at a yet to be named location in Ohio. Unlike tonight, the next debate will have at least 11 candidates as billionaire Tom Steyer has qualified for the debate. I will probably skip those debates as both the ALCS and NLCS will be underway. It also might explain why no network has agreed to cover those debates as of yet.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
On Being in NYC on 9/11 For The First Time
When September 11th arrives, like many people, I write my observations, reflections, thoughts and acts.
What makes this year different is that I now call New York City home. While there were attacks at the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, New York City experienced this horror like no other place.
Of course, I visited the city many times before moving here nearly a year ago. I remember Dad and I making the trek to Ground Zero on April 30, 2011. The place was desolate with the new Freedom Tower nowhere near completion. But just over 30 hours later, the place was full of euphoria and jubilation upon learning that Osama bin Laden had been killed. Alas euphoria and jubilation are invariably short-lived. While killing bin Laden brought some measure of justice, the evil he spawned was far from gone and was of little comfort to the residents and rescue workers who became ill as a result of cancer causing dust that remained for months after the attacks.
My walk to work this morning was like any other except for a small snippet of conversation of a mother telling her children about what happened on this day 18 years ago. The first Tower was struck at 8:46 a.m. At that moment, I was standing on the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 52nd Street. I tried to place myself there at that exact moment 18 years ago. Would I have heard a large noise? Or would have nothing seemed out of the ordinary on what should have been beautiful Tuesday morning? Had I been working in the Chrysler Building that day, as I do now, I would venture to guess that once the severity of what had happened had been known the building would have been evacuated and I, along millions of other New Yorkers, would have made the trek home in a daze.
The closest I've come to experiencing an act of terrorism in real time was the Boston Marathon attacks on April 15, 2013. Although I was a safe distance away at Minuteman Park in Concord, I could have just as easily been watching the marathon after having taken in morning baseball at Fenway Park as I had the year before. My decision to venture to Walden Pond might have saved my life, if not my limbs. As it turned out, given the global speed with which news travels, my mother in Northwestern Ontario knew about the bombings before I did.
Life carries on as it must. There is work to be done and other matters to keep. What happened 18 years ago today is difficult to think about. Yet we must remember. We must remember those who perished merely for going about their day. We must also remember who caused those deaths and the religious ideology which inspired their act. We must further remember that something like this can and probably will happen again as it has already. There might come a day when this country experiences an attack on a scale larger than that of 9/11. While there might be a 9/11 Museum it's reason for being is not an artifact of an ancient past.
When I walk the streets of New York today, people might not be talking about 9/11 but they are surely thinking about it.
What makes this year different is that I now call New York City home. While there were attacks at the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, New York City experienced this horror like no other place.
Of course, I visited the city many times before moving here nearly a year ago. I remember Dad and I making the trek to Ground Zero on April 30, 2011. The place was desolate with the new Freedom Tower nowhere near completion. But just over 30 hours later, the place was full of euphoria and jubilation upon learning that Osama bin Laden had been killed. Alas euphoria and jubilation are invariably short-lived. While killing bin Laden brought some measure of justice, the evil he spawned was far from gone and was of little comfort to the residents and rescue workers who became ill as a result of cancer causing dust that remained for months after the attacks.
My walk to work this morning was like any other except for a small snippet of conversation of a mother telling her children about what happened on this day 18 years ago. The first Tower was struck at 8:46 a.m. At that moment, I was standing on the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 52nd Street. I tried to place myself there at that exact moment 18 years ago. Would I have heard a large noise? Or would have nothing seemed out of the ordinary on what should have been beautiful Tuesday morning? Had I been working in the Chrysler Building that day, as I do now, I would venture to guess that once the severity of what had happened had been known the building would have been evacuated and I, along millions of other New Yorkers, would have made the trek home in a daze.
The closest I've come to experiencing an act of terrorism in real time was the Boston Marathon attacks on April 15, 2013. Although I was a safe distance away at Minuteman Park in Concord, I could have just as easily been watching the marathon after having taken in morning baseball at Fenway Park as I had the year before. My decision to venture to Walden Pond might have saved my life, if not my limbs. As it turned out, given the global speed with which news travels, my mother in Northwestern Ontario knew about the bombings before I did.
Life carries on as it must. There is work to be done and other matters to keep. What happened 18 years ago today is difficult to think about. Yet we must remember. We must remember those who perished merely for going about their day. We must also remember who caused those deaths and the religious ideology which inspired their act. We must further remember that something like this can and probably will happen again as it has already. There might come a day when this country experiences an attack on a scale larger than that of 9/11. While there might be a 9/11 Museum it's reason for being is not an artifact of an ancient past.
When I walk the streets of New York today, people might not be talking about 9/11 but they are surely thinking about it.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Christian Yelich Done For The Season; Are The Brewers?
Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich is done for the 2019 season. Yelich's season came to an abrupt end tonight in Miami, the city where it began. In the first inning of tonight's game against the Marlins, Yelich fouled an Elieser Hernandez pitch off his right knee sustaining a fracture.
Entering tonight's game Yelich was possibly en route to back to back NL MVP Awards with .330 batting average, 44 HR, 97 RBI, 30 stolen bases and 100 runs scored.
Despite Yelich's injury, the Brewers beat the Marlins 4-3 for their fifth straight win and are 8-2 in September. As of this writing, the Chicago Cubs are losing to the San Diego Padres 6-3 in the 4th inning. Should the Cubs lose, the Brewers will be one game back of Chicago for the second NL Wild Card berth. But it's hard to see the Brewers sustaining this level of play without Yelich. They certainly wouldn't have won the NL Central last year without Yelich. On the other hand, the Brewers now have something to prove with 18 games left in the regular season.
Entering tonight's game Yelich was possibly en route to back to back NL MVP Awards with .330 batting average, 44 HR, 97 RBI, 30 stolen bases and 100 runs scored.
Despite Yelich's injury, the Brewers beat the Marlins 4-3 for their fifth straight win and are 8-2 in September. As of this writing, the Chicago Cubs are losing to the San Diego Padres 6-3 in the 4th inning. Should the Cubs lose, the Brewers will be one game back of Chicago for the second NL Wild Card berth. But it's hard to see the Brewers sustaining this level of play without Yelich. They certainly wouldn't have won the NL Central last year without Yelich. On the other hand, the Brewers now have something to prove with 18 games left in the regular season.
Dodgers Clinch 7th Straight NL West Title
The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their 7th straight NL West title with a 7-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Corey Seager slammed 2 home runs while Walker Buehler struck out 11 over 7 innings. Unlike last year, the Dodgers didn't need 163 games.
But given the Dodgers have won back to back NL pennants anything less than a trip to their third straight World Series will be regarded as a disappointment. Still, if the Dodgers have to take on the Washington Nationals in the NLDS facing Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg & Patrick Corbin is a daunting task. But if the Dodgers win a third consecutive NL pennant they will be the first NL team to have done so since the St. Louis Cardinals from 1942-1944. That's no small accomplishment.
But given the Dodgers have won back to back NL pennants anything less than a trip to their third straight World Series will be regarded as a disappointment. Still, if the Dodgers have to take on the Washington Nationals in the NLDS facing Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg & Patrick Corbin is a daunting task. But if the Dodgers win a third consecutive NL pennant they will be the first NL team to have done so since the St. Louis Cardinals from 1942-1944. That's no small accomplishment.
Will H.R. McMaster Be Billy Martin to Donald Trump's George Steinbrenner?
In the wake of President Trump's firing of National Security Adviser John Bolton, it has been revealed that Trump made overtures to Bolton's predecessor H.R. McMaster over the past several weeks going as far as to say that he misses him. Trump certainly didn't appreciate McMaster in the 513 days he served him.
But now that Trump sees McMaster in a new light one must wonder if he intends to bring him back into the fold. After all, who the hell else is going to want the job? If Trump does give McMaster a second chance he would take a page out of the book of another bombastic New York business icon - the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. In his 30 plus years at the helm of the Bronx Bombers, Steinbrenner hired and fired the late Billy Martin five times. Bob Lemon, Gene Michael and Lou Piniella also managed the Yankees in multiple tenures during Steinbrenner's reign.
Given the litany of departures from the White House I'm surprised Trump hasn't pulled a Steinbrenner yet.
But now that Trump sees McMaster in a new light one must wonder if he intends to bring him back into the fold. After all, who the hell else is going to want the job? If Trump does give McMaster a second chance he would take a page out of the book of another bombastic New York business icon - the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. In his 30 plus years at the helm of the Bronx Bombers, Steinbrenner hired and fired the late Billy Martin five times. Bob Lemon, Gene Michael and Lou Piniella also managed the Yankees in multiple tenures during Steinbrenner's reign.
Given the litany of departures from the White House I'm surprised Trump hasn't pulled a Steinbrenner yet.
Bolton Out as NSA & Robert Harward Is Still a Freaking Genius
When President Trump named John Bolton his third National Security Adviser in April 2018 I pondered, "Personally, I don't object to Bolton. But how long will it be before Trump starts to object? How long will it be before we're on to National Security Adviser #4?"
Well, as it turns out, it was exactly 17 months. It's 108 days longer than his predecessor H.R. McMaster and 513 days longer than Michael Flynn. But sooner or later Bolton was going to fall out of favor with Trump. Doesn't everyone not named Trump? Soon arrived last night when Trump fired Bolton and let the world know about it this morning. For his part, Bolton is claiming that he offered his resignation and Trump told him they would talk this morning. While I'm more inclined to believe Bolton, however this all transpired, this is a shit sandwich.
This is exactly why Robert Harward wanted to avoid serving the Trump Administration when he publicly declined Trump's appointment to succeed Michael Flynn back in February 2017. Harward, a former Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command, gave the standard "I want to spend more time with my family" line. But as I observed at the time, his thinking was probably more along these lines:
What? President Trump wants me to be his National Security Adviser? Is he out of his fucking mind? Why on earth would I want to work for a guy who says he knows more about ISIS than the Generals? I'd like to keep my sanity, thank you very much.
Trump certainly couldn't have done anything to change Harward's mind when he publicly rebuked McMaster on Twitter after he had said that Russian interference in the 2016 election was "incontrovertible". Trump had wanted to dump McMaster as far back as November 2017 after only 9 months on the job because he was evidently too serious in his demeanor. One would think national security would be a serious matter to the President, but Donald Trump isn't most Presidents. Harward saw what he would be in for, thought the better of it and because of it he is a freaking genius.
Bolton strongly disagreed with Trump's desire to meet with Taliban leaders at Camp David the week of the 18th anniversary of 9/11, chafed at the President's attempt to roll back sanctions against North Korea and was at odds with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney for not being sufficiently loyal to Trump. Under the circumstances, it is astonishing that Bolton lasted this long.
All of which points to Harward's genius. Why associate your good name with someone who behaves in such an arbitrary, capricious and mercurial manner? Stick around long enough in the Trump Administration and you become known for caging children. Nothing good can come of being associated with Trump. If only the country arrives at the same conclusion in November 2020.
Well, as it turns out, it was exactly 17 months. It's 108 days longer than his predecessor H.R. McMaster and 513 days longer than Michael Flynn. But sooner or later Bolton was going to fall out of favor with Trump. Doesn't everyone not named Trump? Soon arrived last night when Trump fired Bolton and let the world know about it this morning. For his part, Bolton is claiming that he offered his resignation and Trump told him they would talk this morning. While I'm more inclined to believe Bolton, however this all transpired, this is a shit sandwich.
This is exactly why Robert Harward wanted to avoid serving the Trump Administration when he publicly declined Trump's appointment to succeed Michael Flynn back in February 2017. Harward, a former Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command, gave the standard "I want to spend more time with my family" line. But as I observed at the time, his thinking was probably more along these lines:
What? President Trump wants me to be his National Security Adviser? Is he out of his fucking mind? Why on earth would I want to work for a guy who says he knows more about ISIS than the Generals? I'd like to keep my sanity, thank you very much.
Trump certainly couldn't have done anything to change Harward's mind when he publicly rebuked McMaster on Twitter after he had said that Russian interference in the 2016 election was "incontrovertible". Trump had wanted to dump McMaster as far back as November 2017 after only 9 months on the job because he was evidently too serious in his demeanor. One would think national security would be a serious matter to the President, but Donald Trump isn't most Presidents. Harward saw what he would be in for, thought the better of it and because of it he is a freaking genius.
Bolton strongly disagreed with Trump's desire to meet with Taliban leaders at Camp David the week of the 18th anniversary of 9/11, chafed at the President's attempt to roll back sanctions against North Korea and was at odds with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney for not being sufficiently loyal to Trump. Under the circumstances, it is astonishing that Bolton lasted this long.
All of which points to Harward's genius. Why associate your good name with someone who behaves in such an arbitrary, capricious and mercurial manner? Stick around long enough in the Trump Administration and you become known for caging children. Nothing good can come of being associated with Trump. If only the country arrives at the same conclusion in November 2020.
Monday, September 9, 2019
The Left Derives Pleasure From Sarah Palin's Divorce
As soon as news broke that Todd Palin had filed for divorce from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, left-wing Twitter couldn't contain its glee.
Charlotte Clymer: "I hope Sarah Palin can see a prenup from her house."
Alex Cole: "Sarah Palin never hesitated telling others how they should live, now look at her. Can't keep her own family together. Conservatives are fucking hypocrites! Family values, my ass. Preaching is so much easier than actually practicing them."
Mrs. Betty Bowers: "Hark! Someone who routinely scolds you about your lack of Christian values is flipping off Jesus again. Sarah Palin is getting a D-I-V-O-R-C-E, something Jesus forbade. Matthew 5:32."
Criticize Palin for her policies, her actual words and her judgment. There is plenty of fertile ground there. But this is such rubbish. Sarah Palin has never told others how to live or scolded anyone for lacking Christian values - ever. I would also note that Mr. Palin filed for divorce, not Mrs. Palin. We don't know the reasons for their divorce and we don't need to know. In the unlikely event the Obamas were ever to divorce these same people would demand we give them privacy. I certainly don't recall Republicans criticizing Al & Tipper Gore when they ended their marriage.
I can't say this enough. As much as I can't stand Trump it's garbage like this that turns me off from re-embracing The Left.
Charlotte Clymer: "I hope Sarah Palin can see a prenup from her house."
Alex Cole: "Sarah Palin never hesitated telling others how they should live, now look at her. Can't keep her own family together. Conservatives are fucking hypocrites! Family values, my ass. Preaching is so much easier than actually practicing them."
Mrs. Betty Bowers: "Hark! Someone who routinely scolds you about your lack of Christian values is flipping off Jesus again. Sarah Palin is getting a D-I-V-O-R-C-E, something Jesus forbade. Matthew 5:32."
Criticize Palin for her policies, her actual words and her judgment. There is plenty of fertile ground there. But this is such rubbish. Sarah Palin has never told others how to live or scolded anyone for lacking Christian values - ever. I would also note that Mr. Palin filed for divorce, not Mrs. Palin. We don't know the reasons for their divorce and we don't need to know. In the unlikely event the Obamas were ever to divorce these same people would demand we give them privacy. I certainly don't recall Republicans criticizing Al & Tipper Gore when they ended their marriage.
I can't say this enough. As much as I can't stand Trump it's garbage like this that turns me off from re-embracing The Left.
Red Sox Owners Are Cowards & Alex Cora is a Broken Man
Boston Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner are total cowards. Instead of explaining why they abruptly fired Dave Dombrowski as the stroke of midnight they left it to manager Alex Cora to do it - someone who played no role in that decision.
Cora look like a dejected man as the Red Sox lost 5-0 to the Yankees and eliminated from winning their fourth consecutive AL East title. Perhaps Cora figures he could be on the chopping block too or has a more shorter leash than he thought. Not even the return of David Ortiz, fully recovered from his shotgun wound, could lift Cora's spirits or what's left of the Fenway Faithful. I cannot help but wonder if Big Papi would have been at Fenway tonight if Dombrowski still had his job.
Yes, the Red Sox have won four World Series titles under their ownership. But Henry and Werner don't behave so well when they don't win. It was like when they blamed broadcaster Don Orsillo for low ratings during their last place campaign in 2015 (the year they hired Dombrowski). As if Orsillo could be held responsible for what happened on the field. To add insult to injury, they offered Orsillo a group sales job at the third of his salary. It was offer he had to refuse. Fortunately, Orsillo found a nice landing spot in San Diego.
It's easy to be magnaminous when you win. It's not so easy lose. Obviously, managers, general managers, VPs and presidents get hired and fired all the time in pro sports. But when it's unexpected, the owner or owners need to explain their decision and not hand it off to someone else. To do otherwise is an act of cowardice.
She's Just Plame Anti-Semitic
Former CIA employee Valerie Plame is getting much praise for her campaign ad as she runs for Congress in New Mexico as a Democrat in which she shows her stunt driving skills. Plame became a cause célèbre during the Bush years when her ID was exposed. Although this was Richard Armitage's doing, not Scotter Libby's. Not that facts matters to her anymore than they do to President Trump.
Of course, it's quite a stunt the Democrats are pulling with their increasing tolerance of anti-Semitism. Democrats should be running away from someone who tweets "America's Jews Are Driving America's Wars" and claims Israelis celebrated the 9/11 attacks. Instead, we have David Axelrod singing her praises.
I'll say it as often as I can. I cannot abide President Trump. But how is claiming American Jews are driving American wars every bit as anti-Semitic as President Trump questioning the loyalty of American Jews. If Democrats insist on looking the other way and openly promote the overtly anti-Semitic Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and now Valerie Plame then they can kiss my vote goodbye next year. A pox on both their houses.
Of course, it's quite a stunt the Democrats are pulling with their increasing tolerance of anti-Semitism. Democrats should be running away from someone who tweets "America's Jews Are Driving America's Wars" and claims Israelis celebrated the 9/11 attacks. Instead, we have David Axelrod singing her praises.
I'll say it as often as I can. I cannot abide President Trump. But how is claiming American Jews are driving American wars every bit as anti-Semitic as President Trump questioning the loyalty of American Jews. If Democrats insist on looking the other way and openly promote the overtly anti-Semitic Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and now Valerie Plame then they can kiss my vote goodbye next year. A pox on both their houses.
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Red Sox Fire Dombrowski After Losing to The Yankees
Less than half an hour after the Boston Red Sox lost 10-5 to the New York Yankees, ESPN reported the Red Sox had fired their President Dave Dombrowski. He will be succeeded by assistant GM Eddie Romero.
What a difference a year makes. Last year, the Red Sox won a franchise record 108 games and their fourth World Series title in 15 years. This year, the Red Sox are a respectable 76-67, but are 17.5 games back of the Yankees in the AL East and 8 games back of the second AL Wild Card berth which has become a thre team race between the Oakland A's, Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Indians. Being good isn't quite good enough and the team evidently didn't want to wait until the end of the season to dispense with his services. Then again, Dombrowski got the job in August 2015 during the second of two back to back last place finishes sending Ben Cherington out the door. So these things come full circle. Not that the Red Sox are going to finish in last place, but not making the post-season in Boston is the equivalent of losing 100 games as Dombrowski's old club the Detroit Tigers did today. At this moment, I'm sure Dombrowski wishes he was back in Detroit.
It just goes to show how fickle and unforgiving Boston is. Above all else Bostonians have unrealistic expectations. Last year was the first time the Red Sox won 100 plus games since 1946. Now they expect to do it every year. No team has won back to back World Series in nearly 20 years and they expect to win this year. Boston is as miserable in triumph as it is in disaster. I shudder to think what might happen when Brady and Belichik leave the Patriots.
Compare with the San Francisco Giants who didn't make the post-season after winning World Series in 2010 and 2012 and 2014. Was Bruce Bochy burned in effigy? Bochy will retire as a beloved figure even with a losing season in his last year. It is in part because of what happened to the Giants this decade that I'm not surprised the Red Sox have experienced this setback.
New York is plenty impatient. I don't know if Mickey Callaway will manage the Mets beyond this season. But the fans here have nowhere near the bitterness they do in Boston. It's been nearly a year since I left Boston. Just when I begin to miss it things like this jolt me back to reality and remind of all the unpleasantness and utter lack of joy with life. I miss the places more than I miss the people.
But who knows? Maybe the Red Sox win the World Series next year and Romero is hailed as a genius. He might ride in a Duck Boat, but he could easily walk the plank on a cold September night after losing to the Yankees.
Sanford Challenges Trump as SC GOP Cancels Primary
Former South Carolina Governor & former Congressman Mark Sanford becomes the third Republican to launch a challenge against President Trump for the GOP nomination.
Sanford's challenge comes just as the SC GOP cancels its primary putting them in an awkward position. Do they prostrate themselves before Trump or do give their native son an opportunity to run?
Of course, Sanford has plenty of baggage himself. Ten years ago, he was embroiled in scandal after claiming he had gone for a hike on the Appalachian Trail when he in fact travelled to Argentina to meet with his mistress. Not that Trump and his supporters are in any position to lecture anyone about marital fidelity though it won't stop them from trying. But if not for Sanford's infidelities there would be no Nikki Haley as Governor much less UN Ambassador or possible VP candidate or future GOP presidential nominee.
However, Sanford would gain some measure of redemption as voters returned him to Congress in a special election in 2013 and twice more until he ran afoul of Trump who characterized him as "unhelpful" and "nothing but trouble" despite voting with him 89% of the time. But for Trump it's either 100% or nothing. Trump's tweet was enough to have Sanford lose the GOP primary to Katie Arrington.
Sanford has no chance of defeating Trump, but he can make him look weak if Trump appears to be unwilling to fight him. Why wouldn't Trump like to be "winning" again? Unless that is his "winning" isn't bigly enough. If Sanford's challenge becomes interesting it is because Trump and the SC GOP will make it interesting.
Sanford's challenge comes just as the SC GOP cancels its primary putting them in an awkward position. Do they prostrate themselves before Trump or do give their native son an opportunity to run?
Of course, Sanford has plenty of baggage himself. Ten years ago, he was embroiled in scandal after claiming he had gone for a hike on the Appalachian Trail when he in fact travelled to Argentina to meet with his mistress. Not that Trump and his supporters are in any position to lecture anyone about marital fidelity though it won't stop them from trying. But if not for Sanford's infidelities there would be no Nikki Haley as Governor much less UN Ambassador or possible VP candidate or future GOP presidential nominee.
However, Sanford would gain some measure of redemption as voters returned him to Congress in a special election in 2013 and twice more until he ran afoul of Trump who characterized him as "unhelpful" and "nothing but trouble" despite voting with him 89% of the time. But for Trump it's either 100% or nothing. Trump's tweet was enough to have Sanford lose the GOP primary to Katie Arrington.
Sanford has no chance of defeating Trump, but he can make him look weak if Trump appears to be unwilling to fight him. Why wouldn't Trump like to be "winning" again? Unless that is his "winning" isn't bigly enough. If Sanford's challenge becomes interesting it is because Trump and the SC GOP will make it interesting.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Chris Duncan, R.I.P.
Former MLB player turned sports talk radio host Chris Duncan passed away following a lengthy battle with brain cancer, a disease which also claimed his mother. He was 38.
The son of longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan and older brother of former MLB player Shelley Duncan, he played with the St. Louis Cardinals as an outfielder and first baseman from 2005 to 2009. His best two seasons came in 2006 and 2007. In '06, Duncan hit a career high 22 HR and earned a World Series ring following that with 21 HR and 70 RBI in '07. Injuries would plague the rest of his career. The Cardinals traded Duncan to the Boston Red Sox for Julio Lugo during the 2009 season, but never played at Fenway Park. Duncan retired after being released by the Washington Nationals during spring training in 2010. In 389 games with the Cardinals, Duncan hit .257 with 55 HR and 175 RBI.
In 2011, Duncan returned to St. Louis where he embarked on a sports talk radio career. That career nearly ended when he was diagnosed with brain cancer the following year. By 2013, his cancer was in remission & he returned to the airwaves until his cancer returned earlier this year.
I leave you with a triumphant moment from that magical 2006 season when the sky was the limit. R.I.P.
The son of longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan and older brother of former MLB player Shelley Duncan, he played with the St. Louis Cardinals as an outfielder and first baseman from 2005 to 2009. His best two seasons came in 2006 and 2007. In '06, Duncan hit a career high 22 HR and earned a World Series ring following that with 21 HR and 70 RBI in '07. Injuries would plague the rest of his career. The Cardinals traded Duncan to the Boston Red Sox for Julio Lugo during the 2009 season, but never played at Fenway Park. Duncan retired after being released by the Washington Nationals during spring training in 2010. In 389 games with the Cardinals, Duncan hit .257 with 55 HR and 175 RBI.
In 2011, Duncan returned to St. Louis where he embarked on a sports talk radio career. That career nearly ended when he was diagnosed with brain cancer the following year. By 2013, his cancer was in remission & he returned to the airwaves until his cancer returned earlier this year.
I leave you with a triumphant moment from that magical 2006 season when the sky was the limit. R.I.P.
Why I'm Now Disinclined to Believe Blaney Ford's Allegations Against Kavanaugh
At about this time a year ago, the country was in the midst of the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh when Christine Blasey Ford went public with allegations of an incident of sexual assault in 1982. My commentary on the subject was limited and neutral:
It is possible that Blasey Ford's letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein could be true. In which case there is the danger of having a sociopath sitting on the Supreme Court. As if having one in the White House isn't bad enough.
It is also possible that Blasey Ford's letter isn't true at all. Politics in this country is played for keeps. Do I think Democrats would knowingly lie or suborn libel to prevent Kavanaugh from being seated on the Supreme Court? I certainly do.
It now appears that Blasey Ford's letter to Senator Feinstein was indeed politically motivated. Blasey Ford's attorney Debra Katz admitted as much in a speech she made last April at a conference at the University of Baltimore. The video of the speech only came to light earlier this week:
In the aftermath of these hearings, I believe that Christine’s testimony brought about more good than the harm misogynist Republicans caused by allowing Kavanaugh on the Court. We were going to have a conservative [justice]… elections have consequences, but he will always have an asterisk next to his name. When he takes a scalpel to Roe v. Wade, we will know who he is, we know his character, and we know what motivates him, and that is important; it is important that we know, and that is part of what motivated Christine.
If this had been a criminal proceeding, any defense attorney worth their salt would scream "reasonable doubt" at the top of their lungs. What bearing does Kavanaugh's views on abortion or any other subject have on an allegation of sexual assault? Would Blasey Ford have made any complaint if Kavanaugh had been a Democrat whose rulings had been praised by Planned Parenthood and NARAL? Either Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Blasey Ford or he didn't. That is the only issue at hand. To put a political matter of any sort into the equation trivializes the heinous nature of sexual assault and the ordeal victims of sexual assault long after their occurrence.
At this point, Blasey Ford hasn't repudiated her attorney's statement. Absent any repudiation one must reasonably conclude that Kavanaugh's views on abortion at the very minimum partially motivated her allegations and was very possibly the sole motivation. The fact that her attorney would brag that her client's allegations put an asterisk besides his name calls the credibility of Blasey Ford's allegations in question not to mention Katz's ethical standards regarding attorney-client privilege.
Katz's comments give the appearance that Blasey Ford's allegations were designed to smear the reputation of a man because his worldview was contrary to her own, not because of any unlawful conduct on his part. As such, barring further evidence to the contrary, I am now disinclined to believe Christine Blaney Ford's allegations of sexual assault against Justice Kavanaugh.
It is possible that Blasey Ford's letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein could be true. In which case there is the danger of having a sociopath sitting on the Supreme Court. As if having one in the White House isn't bad enough.
It is also possible that Blasey Ford's letter isn't true at all. Politics in this country is played for keeps. Do I think Democrats would knowingly lie or suborn libel to prevent Kavanaugh from being seated on the Supreme Court? I certainly do.
It now appears that Blasey Ford's letter to Senator Feinstein was indeed politically motivated. Blasey Ford's attorney Debra Katz admitted as much in a speech she made last April at a conference at the University of Baltimore. The video of the speech only came to light earlier this week:
In the aftermath of these hearings, I believe that Christine’s testimony brought about more good than the harm misogynist Republicans caused by allowing Kavanaugh on the Court. We were going to have a conservative [justice]… elections have consequences, but he will always have an asterisk next to his name. When he takes a scalpel to Roe v. Wade, we will know who he is, we know his character, and we know what motivates him, and that is important; it is important that we know, and that is part of what motivated Christine.
If this had been a criminal proceeding, any defense attorney worth their salt would scream "reasonable doubt" at the top of their lungs. What bearing does Kavanaugh's views on abortion or any other subject have on an allegation of sexual assault? Would Blasey Ford have made any complaint if Kavanaugh had been a Democrat whose rulings had been praised by Planned Parenthood and NARAL? Either Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Blasey Ford or he didn't. That is the only issue at hand. To put a political matter of any sort into the equation trivializes the heinous nature of sexual assault and the ordeal victims of sexual assault long after their occurrence.
At this point, Blasey Ford hasn't repudiated her attorney's statement. Absent any repudiation one must reasonably conclude that Kavanaugh's views on abortion at the very minimum partially motivated her allegations and was very possibly the sole motivation. The fact that her attorney would brag that her client's allegations put an asterisk besides his name calls the credibility of Blasey Ford's allegations in question not to mention Katz's ethical standards regarding attorney-client privilege.
Katz's comments give the appearance that Blasey Ford's allegations were designed to smear the reputation of a man because his worldview was contrary to her own, not because of any unlawful conduct on his part. As such, barring further evidence to the contrary, I am now disinclined to believe Christine Blaney Ford's allegations of sexual assault against Justice Kavanaugh.
Let Us Shed Tears for Zimbabwe, Not for Mugabe
Former Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe passed away today of an undisclosed illness in Singapore. Mugabe was in power from 1980 until he was deposed in a coup by Emmerson Mnangagwa in November 2017. Mnangagwa announced his death on Twitter stating, “Mugabe was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten.”
While it is true that Mugabe was a critical figure in ending white minority rule in Rhodesia, he was no liberator and left Zimbabwe far worse than it ever was the dark days of Ian Smith. Mugabe was no Mandela. His land confiscation policies turned the country from a net exporter to a net importer of food and would render the Zimbabwean dollar worthless and its economy dependent on the black market. Throw in an AIDS crisis and political violence and you have a country where life is nasty, brutish and short. Mugabe lived nearly 40 years longer than the average life expectancy of a Zimbabwean male. He might have lost the presidency, but with an estimated net worth of $20 million he lived far more lavishly than most Zimbabweans for whom bread is considered a luxury item.
Mnangagwa is certainly no better than Mugabe. His response to fuel protests earlier this year make that fact very clear. But Mugabe set the template and with absolute power it will be nearly impossible to find a leader prepared to deviate from that template. In which case, not much will change in Zimbabwe in the foreseeable future. As such our tears should be shed for Zimbabweans, not for Mugabe.
While it is true that Mugabe was a critical figure in ending white minority rule in Rhodesia, he was no liberator and left Zimbabwe far worse than it ever was the dark days of Ian Smith. Mugabe was no Mandela. His land confiscation policies turned the country from a net exporter to a net importer of food and would render the Zimbabwean dollar worthless and its economy dependent on the black market. Throw in an AIDS crisis and political violence and you have a country where life is nasty, brutish and short. Mugabe lived nearly 40 years longer than the average life expectancy of a Zimbabwean male. He might have lost the presidency, but with an estimated net worth of $20 million he lived far more lavishly than most Zimbabweans for whom bread is considered a luxury item.
Mnangagwa is certainly no better than Mugabe. His response to fuel protests earlier this year make that fact very clear. But Mugabe set the template and with absolute power it will be nearly impossible to find a leader prepared to deviate from that template. In which case, not much will change in Zimbabwe in the foreseeable future. As such our tears should be shed for Zimbabweans, not for Mugabe.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Boris Blunders in Expelling 21 Tory MPs
It comes as no surprise that Boris Johnson's no deal Brexit proposal was defeated in the British House of Commons yesterday.
But it comes as a very big surprise that Johnson saw fit to expel 21 Tory MPs who voted against said proposal. Among those Tory MPs included former Chancellor of The Exchequer Kenneth Clarke (who I once met at a dinner of the UK Parliamentary Beer Club), the outgoing Chancellor Phillip Hammond and Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill. When you couple that with the defection earlier in the day of Tory MP Phillip Lee to the Liberal Democrats as Johnson was speaking from the dispatch box, I cannot see how Johnson survives an impending general election. What is the upside in expelling these MPs from the 1922 Committee?
Now it's true some of these MPs such as Soames won't stand for re-election. But I don't think Johnson should count on those constituencies electing a nameless Tory MP in their place. I also wonder if the Lib Dems will somehow manage to recruit some of these Tory rebels to run under their banner. Combine this with disaffected Labour voters appalled by Corbyn's wobbling on Brexit and his tolerance of anti-Semitism within Labour, the Liberal Democrats could have a breakthrough as a firmly pro-EU party who will restore order.
But should there be a general election anytime soon I fear that Labour will be elected to a majority government with a critical mass of voters looking the other way at Corbyn's anti-Semitic behavior the way a critical mass of American voters looked the other way at Trump's racist behavior. If Corbyn moves into Number 10 Downing not only do I not believe Brexit will be fixed, but that the institutional anti-Semitism which runs through Labour will run throughout the British government and spread out into broad society. Such anti-Semitism will inevitably lead to violence and force Jews to leave the UK en masse. While a Corbyn government would be responsible for such conditions, it is the foolish actions of Johnson which could set this disaster into motion.
But it comes as a very big surprise that Johnson saw fit to expel 21 Tory MPs who voted against said proposal. Among those Tory MPs included former Chancellor of The Exchequer Kenneth Clarke (who I once met at a dinner of the UK Parliamentary Beer Club), the outgoing Chancellor Phillip Hammond and Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill. When you couple that with the defection earlier in the day of Tory MP Phillip Lee to the Liberal Democrats as Johnson was speaking from the dispatch box, I cannot see how Johnson survives an impending general election. What is the upside in expelling these MPs from the 1922 Committee?
Now it's true some of these MPs such as Soames won't stand for re-election. But I don't think Johnson should count on those constituencies electing a nameless Tory MP in their place. I also wonder if the Lib Dems will somehow manage to recruit some of these Tory rebels to run under their banner. Combine this with disaffected Labour voters appalled by Corbyn's wobbling on Brexit and his tolerance of anti-Semitism within Labour, the Liberal Democrats could have a breakthrough as a firmly pro-EU party who will restore order.
But should there be a general election anytime soon I fear that Labour will be elected to a majority government with a critical mass of voters looking the other way at Corbyn's anti-Semitic behavior the way a critical mass of American voters looked the other way at Trump's racist behavior. If Corbyn moves into Number 10 Downing not only do I not believe Brexit will be fixed, but that the institutional anti-Semitism which runs through Labour will run throughout the British government and spread out into broad society. Such anti-Semitism will inevitably lead to violence and force Jews to leave the UK en masse. While a Corbyn government would be responsible for such conditions, it is the foolish actions of Johnson which could set this disaster into motion.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
The Mets Surrender 7 Runs to The Nats in the 9th
The New York Mets' season is over.
Don't get me wrong. The Mets have 24 games left to play and they will play them.
But make no mistake. Their season is over and it all happened in an inning.
The Mets entered the top of the 9th with a 5-4 lead. They would add to that lead. Brandon Nimmo led off the inning with a solo HR. Mets lead 6-4. After Joe Panik singled, Nats manager removed Roenis Elias in favor of Daniel Hudson. The recently acquired reliever from the Blue Jays was no more successful. Facing Todd Frazier, Hudson uncorked a wild pitch advancing Panik to second. Frazier then popped a ball to the first base dugout but catcher Kurt Suzuki got in first baseman Matt Adams' way. This helped Frazier work a walk. Luis Guillorme filed out to left and Thomas Nido grounded out to short, but Trea Turner inexplicably didn't try to turn the double play allowing Frazier to reach second. Jeff McNeil made the Nats pay for Turner's transgression with a 2-run double to give the Mets an 8-4 lead. Pete Alonso put the icing on the cake with his NL leading 44th HR to give the Mets a commanding 10-4 lead. Martinez finally lifts Hudson in favor of Javy Guerra who gets Michael Conforto to fly out to center to end the inning.
With a six run lead heading to the bottom of the 9th, Mets manager Mickey Callaway lifted Seth Lugo in favor of Paul Sewald. Victor Robles led off with a single. Sewald got Howie Kendrick to fly out to right. But Trea Turner atoned for his mental lapse with a double scoring a hustling Robles all the way from first. Mets lead 10-5. Former Met Asdrubal Cabrera singled as did Anthony Rendon which scored Turner. Mets lead 10-6. With Sewald hitting a sea wall, Callaway removed him in favor of Luis Avilan. Juan Soto singled to load the bases. With pinch hitter Ryan Zimmerman representing the tying run, Callaway brought in closer Edwin Diaz to face Zimmerman. Diaz has struggled much of the season, but appeared to have turned the corner. Not so fast. Zimmerman hit an opposite field double out of the reach of Conforto. The Mets lead was now down to 10-8 with Suzuki representing the winning run. I thought Diaz would put Suzuki on to set up a potential double play facing either Gerardo Parra or pinch hitter Adam Eaton. Diaz pitched to Suzuki.
At this point, I moved from my chair to the couch. It didn't make a damn bit of difference. Suzuki took Diaz deep for a walk off 3-run HR on a 100 MPH fastball. The Nats scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th and win 11-10. In the Mets' 57 year history which included a 120 loss season in 1962, tonight found a way to lose that Casey Stengel couldn't have conceived.
And that ended the 2019 season for the New York Mets. There is a game tomorrow afternoon. They might win it. But it's probably just as well that it will only be viewed on YouTube. They are 5 games back of the Cubs for the second Wild Card spot and will be 5.5 back by the end of the night. The Mets might finish the season with a winning record. Given they went 27-10 after being 40-50 at the All-Star Break, Mets fans had reason for optimism. Having lost 8 of their last 11 games, that glimmer of hope has been extinguished.
But it just goes to show that Roger Angell is right. There is more Mets than Yankees in our lives and tonight that has never been more true.
Don't get me wrong. The Mets have 24 games left to play and they will play them.
But make no mistake. Their season is over and it all happened in an inning.
The Mets entered the top of the 9th with a 5-4 lead. They would add to that lead. Brandon Nimmo led off the inning with a solo HR. Mets lead 6-4. After Joe Panik singled, Nats manager removed Roenis Elias in favor of Daniel Hudson. The recently acquired reliever from the Blue Jays was no more successful. Facing Todd Frazier, Hudson uncorked a wild pitch advancing Panik to second. Frazier then popped a ball to the first base dugout but catcher Kurt Suzuki got in first baseman Matt Adams' way. This helped Frazier work a walk. Luis Guillorme filed out to left and Thomas Nido grounded out to short, but Trea Turner inexplicably didn't try to turn the double play allowing Frazier to reach second. Jeff McNeil made the Nats pay for Turner's transgression with a 2-run double to give the Mets an 8-4 lead. Pete Alonso put the icing on the cake with his NL leading 44th HR to give the Mets a commanding 10-4 lead. Martinez finally lifts Hudson in favor of Javy Guerra who gets Michael Conforto to fly out to center to end the inning.
With a six run lead heading to the bottom of the 9th, Mets manager Mickey Callaway lifted Seth Lugo in favor of Paul Sewald. Victor Robles led off with a single. Sewald got Howie Kendrick to fly out to right. But Trea Turner atoned for his mental lapse with a double scoring a hustling Robles all the way from first. Mets lead 10-5. Former Met Asdrubal Cabrera singled as did Anthony Rendon which scored Turner. Mets lead 10-6. With Sewald hitting a sea wall, Callaway removed him in favor of Luis Avilan. Juan Soto singled to load the bases. With pinch hitter Ryan Zimmerman representing the tying run, Callaway brought in closer Edwin Diaz to face Zimmerman. Diaz has struggled much of the season, but appeared to have turned the corner. Not so fast. Zimmerman hit an opposite field double out of the reach of Conforto. The Mets lead was now down to 10-8 with Suzuki representing the winning run. I thought Diaz would put Suzuki on to set up a potential double play facing either Gerardo Parra or pinch hitter Adam Eaton. Diaz pitched to Suzuki.
At this point, I moved from my chair to the couch. It didn't make a damn bit of difference. Suzuki took Diaz deep for a walk off 3-run HR on a 100 MPH fastball. The Nats scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th and win 11-10. In the Mets' 57 year history which included a 120 loss season in 1962, tonight found a way to lose that Casey Stengel couldn't have conceived.
And that ended the 2019 season for the New York Mets. There is a game tomorrow afternoon. They might win it. But it's probably just as well that it will only be viewed on YouTube. They are 5 games back of the Cubs for the second Wild Card spot and will be 5.5 back by the end of the night. The Mets might finish the season with a winning record. Given they went 27-10 after being 40-50 at the All-Star Break, Mets fans had reason for optimism. Having lost 8 of their last 11 games, that glimmer of hope has been extinguished.
But it just goes to show that Roger Angell is right. There is more Mets than Yankees in our lives and tonight that has never been more true.
Monday, September 2, 2019
An Evening With The Who at MSG
For the first time in my life I made it to Madison Square Garden where, for the first time in my life I saw The Who in concert.
Opening up for The Who was a Long Island based folk singer named Leslie Mendelson. She sounds like somebody I would hear at Club Passim and indeed she performed there not long ago. Mendelson was essentially there to give people time to get into their seats. But Mendelson had her moments such as when she called her last LP "Love and Murder" "a family album." A new album will be released in the fall featuring a song called "Medication" which she dedicated to Johnson & Johnson. It was a damn good song.
Mendelson performed a Dr. John inspired song called "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at The Time" before segueing into the late New Orleans legend's signature song such a night. She closed with a song called "The Human Touch" which she performed live with Jackson Browne this summer and will be featured in a documentary about the AIDS crisis in the early 1980's produced and directed by Paul Haggis called "5B". Mendelson was A-OK. You can see why The Who asked her to open for them again after doing so back in May.
After a 30 minute intermission, The Who hit the stage with a full orchestra. They began their set by playing several cuts from "Tommy". At 75, Daltrey's voice has lost none of its power especially as he hit the high notes on "See Me" which received a lengthy standing ovation. For the first time on American soil, The Who performed "Hero Ground Zero" which will appear on a yet to be titled album to be released in November. Townshend dedicated the song to Bob Blocker, a friend of his who had died that morning following a fall.
The orchestra took a break while the main band - Daltrey, Townshend, his younger brother Simon on lead guitar, Jon Button on bass, Loren Gold on keyboards and Zak Starkey on drums (that would be Ringo's son) played classic Who songs like "Substitute", "The Seeker" and "You Better Bet" before Daltrey & Townshend did an acoustic version of "Won't Get Fooled Again". Part of the orchestra returned for "Behind Blue Eyes". Particular attention must be paid to violinist Katie Jacoby. The camera showed her on the big screen almost as much as Daltrey & Townshend. Aside from her Asian allure, Jacoby is a damn good violinist who stood out on "Behind Blue Eyes".
As the full orchestra returned, Townshend apologized to the audience about the quality of their performance. Daltrey had trouble with his earpiece earlier in the show, but the audience voiced its disagreement with Townshend's assessment. Aside from Daltrey's top notch vocals, the 74-year old Townshend can still play guitar with the best of them. As Daltrey later said, "We've lost our youth and we've lost our glamour. But we've still got the music."
After debuting another new song called "Big Cigars", The Who embarked on several selections from "Quadrophenia". When Townshend finished "Drowned" he confessed he'd torn off a fingernail. "it won't bother me now, but when I get to bed -" and then made some whimpering sounds. Another prolonged standing ovation was earned with Gold's keyboard playing & Daltrey's vocals on "Love Reign O'er Me". The audience kept standing as the familiar notes of "Baba O'Riley" sounded to close the show. Jacoby again shined & held her own with Daltrey & Townshend as she flawlessly played the most famous violin solo in rock 'n roll history.
While walking up 8th Avenue, a couple of women had heard from other audience members unhappy there was no encore. I turned to them and said, "They played almost two and a half hours straight." One of the woman added, "And the orchestra took a break. They didn't." And they get to do it all over again on Tuesday night in Toronto.
The Who could have retired 40 years ago & still been legend. The fact they continue to perform and continue to strive for perfection is a clear message they don't want to rest on their laurels. Audiences of all ages should be blessed as The Who keep Movin' On.
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