Why I Fear Trump Supporters Will Commit Election Day Violence

Like many people I fear the possibility of Election Day violence. 

Violence in voting is something one usually associates with countries like India or Nigeria. 

But with President Trump calling upon his supporters to become "poll watchers" we could have election day violence in the United States. If armed Trump supporters are willing to use vehicles to try to drive the Biden campaign bus off the road is it really a stretch to imagine that armed Trump supporters would shoot voters in predominantly minority communities in cities like Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia or here in Atlanta?

I think even among the staunchest of Trump supporters there is a realization that he will probably lose this election on the up and up. Trump supporters like the power they have and want to keep it at any cost - including the lives of their fellow Americans who they see as enemies because they do not worship at the altar of Trump. From the perspective of these Trump supporters, if a few Americans or a few hundred Americans die so that Trump remains in power then those dead Americans are collateral damage, if anything at all.

If Trump supporters do kill voters they can expect Trump to defend them as he defended the Kenosha Killer and whose mother would receive a standing ovation at the Wisconsin GOP meeting. Or at least not receive any condemnation. When militia members were arrested and charged for plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Trump reserved his ire for Whitmer. While people committing violence in the name of Trump might have to answer to the law they will attain living martyrdom among the Trump universe. That is one hell of an incentive to commit murder and mayhem. 

I hope Election Day comes and go without incident. But I will not be surprised if it doesn't.

Dr. Fauci Was Right as U.S. Gets Hit With 100K COVID cases in One Day For First Time

On June 30th of this year, Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and warned the United States could soon face 100,000 new COVID-19 cases a day. 

Exactly four months later, Dr. Fauci's prediction came to pass when the United States recorded 100,233 new COVID-19 cases yesterday. This occurred the same day our country topped 9 million COVID cases overall. 

We were going in the wrong direction four months ago and we're going in the wrong direction now because President Trump, Republican Governors and people who just didn't care refused to heed Dr. Fauci's warnings. However, we can begin to go into the right direction in 72 hours from now.

Sean Connery Was Born to Play James Bond

Actor Sean Connery, best known for playing Agent 007 in seven James Bond films over two decades, passed away today at the age of 90. No cause of death has been released.

Although Connery was known to have eventually detested the role, he was born to play James Bond. An aspiring bodybuilder with a black belt in karate, Connery was a real life tough guy who grew up poor on the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. Before Bond came into his life, Connery did Bond like things such as when he single handedly beat up six members of Edinburgh's Valdor gang who wanted his jacket including smashing the heads of two gang members together. Then early into his film career, Connery knocked out L.A. mobster Johnny Stompanato who stormed the set of Another Place, Another Time with a gun believing that Connery was having an affair with his girlfriend Lana Turner. The bottom line is that Connery was a man you wanted as a friend rather than a foe.

Whatever his feelings about Bond, Connery managed to enjoy a viable post-Bond Hollywood career with appearances in films like Highlander, The Untouchables (for which he won his lone Academy Award), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Hunt for Red October, The Rock, Entrapment, Finding Forrester and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen before retiring from acting altogether 15 years ago. 

Although he made his last movie 15 years ago, Sean Connery never really left us and won't leave us even in death. R.I.P.

The Tigers Hiring Hinch Sends a Bad Message

No sooner than his year long suspension had ended, the Detroit Tigers have hired A.J. Hinch to be their new manager.

Why? Hinch's credentials consist of winning a World Series under tainted circumstances. Take away that World Series title and what do you have?

Tigers General Manager Al Avila said of Hinch:

We had a pretty good knowledge of AJ, of who he was. There was never a doubt in my mind of his character, honesty -- he's one of the better guys that you're going to meet in the game, or in life in general. One mistake does not determine a man.

Character? Honesty? Those are not the first words that come to mind when I think of Hinch. Yes, one mistake does not necessarily determine a man but this depends greatly on the nature of his mistake.

When Hinch was interviewed by Tom Verducci on the MLB Network back in February, I argued that he came across as self-serving:

My impression of the interview was that of someone angling for some team to hire him as a manager in 2021 - perhaps even the Astros.

While Hinch claimed he was taking responsibility he also repeatedly said he wanted to move on. When asked about what he regretted most about the scandal and role in it Hinch said he would leave that to others. It's safe to say he didn't want to answer the question.

If anything teams should be more wary of Hinch after the interview. He claimed he didn't feel confident in his leadership skills in 2017. Why not? He had been their manager since 2015 leading them to the AL Wild Card. At the very minimum, it is clear Hinch wasn't running the show. Perhaps Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran were. In which case, their terminations are all the more justified.

As for Hinch, he said he twice broke the video monitor used to steal signs. Either he didn't do it front of the team or if he did the club didn't listen to him. Neither scenario inspires my confidence.

OK, I was wrong about the Astros rehiring him. (That might not be the case where it concerns Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox.) Perhaps the Astros were wary of him after all. The same cannot be said of the Tigers who have finished in last place in the AL Central in four of the past six seasons. Under the circumstances their hiring of Hinch and the swiftness with which they hired him reeks of desperation. 

Above all, the hiring of Hinch sends a bad message by rewarding someone associated with scandal rather than a hard working minor league manager who has paid his dues (i.e. Brian Snitker of the Atlanta Braves) or a veteran former big league manager with unimpeachable credibility (i.e. the Chisox bringing Tony La Russa out of retirement yesterday albeit at the expense of Rick Renteria who got the team to its first post-season appearance in 12 years.)

I believe the Detroit Tigers will rue their decision to hire Hinch and that it will ultimately end Al Avila's tenure with the Tigers.

Thoughts on Georgia Possibly Turning Blue

 

I have moved to Georgia at a most interesting time. There is a very distinct possibility the Peach State could not only make Joe Biden the first Democrat they've picked for the White House in nearly a quarter century, but they could not send one, but two Democrats to the U.S. Senate. 

Judging by how Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue wants nothing more to do with Jon Ossoff after the Democratic challenger eviscerated him in a TV debate earlier this week. The Reverend Raphael Warnock is also expected to top the other Georgia Senate race.

But here's the rub. Unless either Ossoff or Warnock exceed 50% of the vote on Tuesday then there will be a runoff election on January 5, 2021. This is a possibility in the Ossoff-Warnock race as there is a Libertarian candidate on the ballot. It is nearly a certainty in Warnock's race as this is a special election to replace Johnny Isakson who resigned last year. Following Isakson's resignation, Georgia's Republican Governor appointed Kelly Loeffler to fill his seat until a special election could be held. There is no Democratic or Republican primary. Rather all candidates, Democrat, Republican or otherwise, appear on the same ballot. Loeffler will split the Republican vote with GOP Congressman Doug Collins who represents a largely rural area of northern Georgia encompassing Gainesville. 

While Atlanta is a liberal oasis, the rest of Georgia remains a conservative jurisdiction. If there is a runoff in January then the GOP will have a distinct advantage. On the other hand, if one or both of the Georgia Senate contests is the difference between Mitch McConnell remaining in control of the Senate and Democrats wresting the upper chamber then the whole country will be paying attention to Georgia leading up to the first days of 2021. If Biden wins then perhaps that momentum will help Ossoff and Warnock or it could motivate Republicans to keep a Senate majority. If Trumps gets re-elected, Democrats will move Heaven and Earth to gain control of the Senate. Whether that will be enough to move Georgians remains to be seen.

Although I hope Ossoff and Warnock win outright, I would welcome the opportunity to vote for them in the New Year to do my small part to turn Georgia blue.

U.S. Tops 9 Million COVID-19 Cases Four Days Before The Election

With only four days before Election Day, the United States has topped 9 million COVID-19 cases. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of this writing, 9,018,524 Americans have been afflicted with COVID killing just under 230,000 of us (229,356). This represents a mortality rate of 2.5%. Please keep in mind we've added 500,000 new COVID cases in less than a week with hospitalizations reaching critical levels all over the country.

More than 83 million Americans have voted either via absentee ballot or through early in person voting. I suspect a great many of that 83 million who have voted do not want the kind of leadership which allowed this number of cases and this much death not to mention suffering from lost jobs and lost income. I cannot imagine this state of affairs is acceptable to most Americans. If this is the case then Donald Trump will lose. If not on November 3rd then sometime thereafter when the votes have been counted. 

But there will always be doubt so long as Trump questions the legitimacy of any election he loses. Who can say that Republican controlled state legislatures or the conservative majority on the Supreme Court won't give him a second term despite the will of the voters?

If this is the case then we will continue to have more COVID cases, more death and more suffering with no end in sight. To quote Trump it will be "COVID, COVID, COVID." 

One can only hope that the vote against Trump is wide and deep enough to convince Republicans to abandon the President especially if Republicans end up losing the Senate, Governor's mansions and state houses. Because President Trump's legacy is "COVID, COVID, COVID."

Islamist Terrorist Shouts "Allahu Akbar" Killing Three Worshippers at Church in Nice, France

France was rocked by a second Islamist terrorist attack in less than two weeks when a Tunisian national shouting "Allahu Akbar!!!" stabbed three worshippers to death including a woman who was beheaded at the Basilica of Notre Dame in Nice. 

Earlier this month, a school teacher in a Paris suburb named Samuel Paty was beheaded by an 18-year old Russian national from Chechnya. This assailant and several accomplices have been charged in connection with the attack which was motivated by Paty teaching his students about the Charlie Hebdo controversy over the depictions of Muhammad in their publication more than five years ago. 

French President Emmanuel Macron's vigorous response to the attack on Paty has drawn criticism from Muslim majority countries like Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. But Macron and the French Republic are unlikely to be swayed by such protests especially in light of today's attack and a separate attack at the French Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where a guard was stabbed but is expected to survive.

It is said that things come in three and I strongly suspect another attack in France will come soon especially with the condemnation of France from the Muslim world which has the effect of condoning terrorism.

La Russa to Manage White Sox For The First Time in Nearly 35 Years

The Chicago White Sox did not go through a time warp. On Thursday, the team hired Tony La Russa to manage the club for a second time. He succeeds Rick Renteria who was dismissed earlier this month despite leading the team to its first post-season appearance since 2008.

While La Russa is best remembered for his lengthy tenures with the Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals leading those teams to six World Series winning a title with the A's in 1989 and two with the Redbirds (2006 & 2011), he began his big league managerial career with the Chisox. La Russa managed the White Sox from the middle of the 1979 season through the middle of the 1986 season leading the club to an AL West title in 1983.

When the White Sox take the field in 2021, it will have been nearly 35 years since La Russa last managed on the South Side of Chicago. To give you an idea of how long it's been since La Russa managed the White Sox his last starting shortstop was Ozzie Guillen. In 2005, Guillen led the Chisox to their first World Series title in 88 years. 

La Russa becomes the first manager to lead a team after being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Since retiring after the Cardinals' second World Series title in 2011, La Russa has remained active in baseball working in an executive capacity with MLB (2012-2013), Arizona Diamondbacks (2014-2017), Boston Red Sox (2018-2019) and this past season with the Los Angeles Angels. Although La Russa has been absent from the dugout for nearly a decade he is not far removed from the game itself. 

It remains to be seen how this will work. If the Chisox regress then Jerry Reinsdorf looks like a jerk for dumping Renteria. But if La Russa leads a third big league club to a World Series title then Reinsdorf is a genius. But no one can dispute the 76-year old La Russa's credentials. 

Suspending Corbyn is The Best Thing The UK Labour Party Has Done in 5 Years

Seven months ago, Jeremy Corbyn was leader of Britain's Labour Party.

Today, Corbyn was suspended by the Labour Party.

The suspension came after Corbyn dismissed a report issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission which, after a nearly 18 month investigation, concluded that the party under his leadership had breached Britain's Equality Act where it concerned political interference in anti-Semitism complaints, failure to provide training to those handling anti-Semitism complaints and harassment. 

Keir Starmer, who succeeded Corbyn as Labour Party leader in April, said, "It is a day of shame for the Labour Party. We have failed Jewish people...I am truly sorry for all the pain and grief that has been caused."

When Starmer assumed the party's leadership I wondered about his seriousness in combatting anti-Semitism. My doubts were significantly removed in July when Starmer sacked his leadership rival, Rebecca Long-Bailey, from the Shadow Cabinet after she refused to delete an anti-Semitic retweet. 

But this is quite something else. A former leader of the Labour Party suspended. Corbyn is now an independent MP. This isn't to say Labour couldn't reverse the suspension. But given Corbyn's reaction to the damning report, he left Labour little choice. This is the best thing they've done in five years. 

Assuming Labour doesn't reinstate Corbyn or otherwise resist efforts to stop anti-Semitism, Starmer will have the space necessary to compete with Boris Johnson whose incompetence in handling of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly rivals that of President Trump. In the long run, Britain will have a loyal opposition ready to responsibly assume the reigns of power should the voters be prepared to grant them such a responsibility. 

Mind you there won't be another election in Britain until May 2024 by which time COVID-19 could be a distant memory or a time voters simply wish to forget. Whatever the outcome of that vote, it is certain that Labour would not be given another chance to govern until it repudiated Corbynism and its willful hatred of Jews. Today was a giant leap in the right direction.

30 Hours in Atlanta

As I write this I have now been in Atlanta for about 30 hours. 

My cousin Marsha did me right by finding this furnished studio apartment above a garage in Midtown Atlanta. All I had to provide was the bedding which I did by going to TJ Maxx. 

Now while TJ Maxx is within walking distance there is little devil that went down to Georgia in that detail. Accessing TJ Maxx (as well as the Whole Foods next to it not to mention Home Depot) requires one to climb a trail which is more like steep jagged incline. Ascending the incline isn't as much of a challenge as descending it. It's not something one wants to do at night or in wet weather. But my new landlords tells me that it saves one from walking an extra 40 minutes.

Fortunately, I don't think I'll have to navigate the trail too often. As luck would have it there is a Whole Foods kitty corner from where I'll be working. So I can always shop on my way home from work or perhaps during my lunch break. 

I did get a bit lost while practicing my commute as I wandered down the wrong Peachtree Street. But I found my way and I will have a very nice commute as much of it will go through Piedmont Park which is only a couple of blocks from my apartment.

I have yet to use a Bank of America ATM. Unlike Boston or New York City, you don't find Bank of America ATMs every couple of blocks. Things are a lot more spread out down here. I will have to address this tomorrow. But everything in good time.

One thing Atlanta (or at least Midtown Atlanta) does have in common with Boston and New York is that it's very liberal in its political inclination. There are Biden signs everywhere as well as signs for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock - the two Democrats who are running for Georgia's two Senate seats. There are also rainbow flags everywhere. Much to my surprise, Atlanta has one of the largest LGBT communities in the country. By percentage of the population, it is only behind San Francisco and Seattle. 

There are also scooters here. Lots of them. Many of them just laying down on the sidewalk. I can see why South Park devoted an episode to the subject.

Complete strangers more apt to say hi to you. Not everyone does it. But I've certainly had it happen more over the past 30 hours than in the entire two years I spent in New York and quite possibly the 18 and a half years I spent in Boston. I don't know if I'll get around to engaging people in that way. Mind you many people have migrated here from the Northeast or from California. I'm inclined to think that people who will say hi to strangers in Atlanta are either from Georgia or a neighboring state like Alabama, Tennessee or the Carolinas. 

On the downside, far fewer people wear masks. Oh, it has to be done in indoor public settings. But when it comes to masks this isn't New York City. There is a local campaign, "Let's make mask wearing contagious," but this hasn't spread. When you consider that the CDC is located in Atlanta this is not a positive state of affairs when you consider this country will hit its 9 millionth COVID case sometime tomorrow. 

But these first few hours in Atlanta have been more positive than negative. I hope this can be said of the hours which will follow.

Justin Turner's COVID Diagnosis Mars Dodgers' 1st World Series Title Since 1988

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 in Game 6 to win their first World Series title since 1988. 

But this news was marred by the fact that Justin Turner was removed from the game in the 8th inning due to a positive COVID test. How was the information not known before the game?

To make matters worse, instead of being in isolation, Turner went back on the field to celebrate with his teammates without a mask and refused to leave the field. 

So now virtually the rest of the Dodgers' organization is going to have to go into quarantine.

I only managed to watch three innings of this World Series and couldn't watch anymore. I'm glad I missed this mockery, but am angered by the example that was set or lack thereof.

If people see Justin Turner refusing to isolate after being diagnosed with COVID-19 or Vice-President Pence refuse to quarantine (despite being the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force) then a lot of people will probably follow suit and make this pandemic even worse than it already is. 

The 2020 MLB season already had three strikes against it - COVID being strike one. What should have been its finest hour was instead its lowest moment since the 1919 Black Sox Scandal amid a pandemic more than a century ago. This was no cause for celebration.

Pence is Still a Putz

Four months ago today, I called Vice-President Mike Pence "a putz". 

At that time, Pence was fallaciously claiming the Trump Administration was flattening the curve despite 40,000 new cases a day - a figure we've now managed to recently double. Pence also refused to wear a mask (as he hadn't while visiting the Mayo Clinic in April) or encourage others to do so. And for good measure he was also defending President Trump's rallies including the one in Tulsa which killed Herman Cain. 

In view of these facts, it does not surprise me that five people in Pence's orbit including his chief of staff and body man have tested positive for COVID-19. Nor does it surprise me that Pence refuses to quarantine despite CDC policy and is appearing at political rallies on behalf of Trump. How long will it be before Pence is diagnosed with COVID-19? If he is will he still ignore CDC guidelines? 

Regardless of the answers to the two aforementioned questions I can reaffirm my view that Pence is still a putz.

GOP Senate Confirms Barrett to the Supreme Court in a Month; No Stimulus Bill in Sight

Exactly one month after President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in a ceremony better known for spreading COVID-19 in the White House and Washington, D.C., the GOP Senate today confirmed her to the Court by a 52-48 and she was sworn in this evening by Justice Clarence Thomas (at the White House no less). The 48-year old Barrett will start her tenure on the Court tomorrow. Barrett's confirmation comes only 8 days before the election with 62 million Americans having already voted. 

While it only took a month for the Senate to confirm Justice Barrett, it has been nearly five and a months since the House first passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act and just over three weeks after the House passed a slimmed down $2.2 trillion HEROES Act. All Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans were willing to cough up $500 billion with no stimulus and no enhanced unemployment benefits and failed to get that far.

Two thirds of American voters wanted the Senate to pass a new stimulus bill before confirming Justice Barrett, but Republicans don't give a damn about what people want or their needs. Indeed, it reinforces my disagreement earlier today with the New Hampshire Union Leader's editorial urging "the election of healthy dose of GOP senators and representatives" notwithstanding their endorsement of Joe Biden. A healthy dose of Republican Senators is not looking out for the health and well being of Americans unable to find work, pay their rent and mortgages or cope with COVID-19. 

Conservatives might now have a solid majority on the Supreme Court, but voters can deny conservatives control of both the White House and the Senate. In which case, Republicans will learn the hard way that voters' priorities are very different from their own.

Re-Electing Trump Would Be a Middle Finger to 225,000 Plus Dead Americans

On NRO, editor Rich Lowry makes the claim that re-electing President Trump would represent "a middle finger" to "the cultural Left":

Besides the occasional dissenting academic and brave business owner or ordinary citizen, Trump is, for better or for worse, the foremost symbol of resistance to the overwhelming woke cultural tide that has swept along the media, corporate America, Hollywood, professional sports, the big foundations, and almost everything in between. 

For his part, Lowry cedes, "This may not be a very good reason to vote for a president, and it doesn't excuse Trump's abysmal conduct and maladministration."

I would say this is not only a bad reason to vote for President Trump, but an abysmal one.

Conservatives might view the re-election of President Trump as a middle finger to "the cultural Left".

Moral people would view the re-election of President Trump as a middle finger to 225,000 dead Americans and counting not to mention their loved ones. According to Johns Hopkins University, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 225,495 Americans as of this writing. 

With all our medical know how and our public health institutions, there is no way this many people should have died much less got this sick. But under President Trump, medical science takes a backseat to ideology steeped in irrationality. The consequence of which is that a significant portion of the American populace has ceased to love thy neighbor. They spurn masks and eschew social distancing to attend Trump rallies where he complains that all Joe Biden and Democrats want to talk about is "COVID!!! COVID!!! COVID!!!" Well, if the deaths of 225,000 Americans in less than a calendar year doesn't warrant public discussion then what does? 

Lest we forget that this country is now adding tens of thousands of new cases a day. After recording 80,000 plus cases on Friday and Saturday, we somehow managed to add just under 60,000 new cases on Sunday. In three days, the United States recorded more new COVID-19 cases than Canada has had during the entire pandemic (216,104). This isn't anything about which to be proud. Yet Trump and his supporters are infected with pride. 

There are those within this orbit who erroneously claim that only a fraction of the deaths are truly attributable to COVID. These are claims made by people who wish to minimize the "American carnage" while holding Trump blameless. This is behavior fitting of a cult.

It should be noted Lowry believes it is more likely that Biden will be elected, but is hedging his bets to keep in Trump's good graces. In truth, there is no grace when it comes to Trump. There is only disgrace. No good can come of Trump's re-election. Only more disease, death and the disdain of a middle finger. 

Two Cheers for the New Hampshire Union Leader's Endorsement of Biden

For the first time in over 100 years, The New Hampshire Union Leader has endorsed a Democrat for President of the United States. In an editorial titled, "Our choice is Joe Biden*", the Union Leader editorial board argues:

Mr. Trump rightly points out that the COVID-19 crisis isn’t his fault, but a true leader must own any situation that happens on their watch. We may be turning a corner with this virus, but the corner we turned is down a dark alley of record infections and deaths. Mr. Trump is a self-proclaimed expert on a wide variety of topics, but when pushed on basic topics he doesn’t want to discuss, he very quickly feigns ignorance.

Donald Trump did not create the social-media-driven political landscape we now live in, but he has weaponized it. He is a consummate linguistic takedown artist, ripping apart all comers to the delight of his fanbase but at the expense of the nation. America faces many challenges and needs a president to build this country up. This appears to be outside of Mr. Trump’s skill set.

Building this country up sits squarely within the skill set of Joseph Biden. We have found Mr. Biden to be a caring, compassionate and professional public servant. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to be a president for all of America, and we take him at his word. Joe Biden may not be the president we want, but in 2020 he is the president we desperately need. He will be a president to bring people together and right the ship of state.

For this I give the Union Leader two cheers. Bravo!!!

So why not a third?

It probably has not escaped your eye that the Union Leader's endorsement of Biden comes with an asterisk. Here is their caveat in full:

While Joe Biden is the clear choice for president, it would be a disservice to the country to send him to the White House without a backstop. We suggest splitting the ballot and electing a healthy dose of GOP senators and representatives. The best governance often comes through compromise. The civility of the Biden administration will help foster such compromise, but a blue wave would be nearly as disastrous for this country as four more years of Trump. It would result in a quagmire of big government programs that will take decades to overcome.

Well, we've had a healthy dose of Republicans in control of the Senate who have failed to rein in President Trump's worse instincts and turn a blind eye to his misdeeds up to and including the mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic which has now cost the lives of more than 225,000 Americans. Their unwillingness to extend enhanced unemployment benefits to Americans in needs is unconscionable. With very few exceptions when Trump says jump, the Republican Party asks how high. In effect, President Trump's tweets are the Republican Party platform. As such it would be entirely unsuitable to reward the Republican Party in any manner in 2020. 

While I have strong reservations about certain forces within the Democratic Party (i.e. AOC plus three) they do not represent a clear and present danger to The Republic like President Trump and an acquiescent quislings which wave the Republican banner. With this, I believe voters should elect Joe Biden to the White House give Democrats control of both Houses of Congress in 2020.

Jerry Jeff Walker, R.I.P.

Singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, best known for composing "Mr. Bojangles" in 1970, passed away on Friday at the age of 78. No cause of death has been released although Walker had been suffering from health problems over the past several years. 

Born Ronald Clyde Crosby in upstate New York, he would become part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene in the 1960's before migrating south to Austin, Texas to become part of the outlaw country movement. Although Walker spent a good part of his career interpreting the songs of others, hundreds of artists have covered "Mr. Bojangles" while The Nitty, Gritty Dirt Band and Sammy Davis, Jr. got big hits with the two very different versions of a sad story about a tap dancing drifter. "Mr. Bojangles" is part of the Great American songbook and Walker wrote a chapter. In which case, let us hear Walker's seldom heard original. R.I.P.

We're Not "Rounding The Turn" on COVID-19 with More Than 80,000 New Cases Today

For the better part of the past 8 weeks, President Trump has repeatedly said the United States is "rounding the turn" on COVID-19.

Today, this country recorded more than 80,000 new COVID-19 cases. More than any other day during this entire pandemic.

Over the past month, hospitalizations have increased by more than 40% and, unlike the two previous surges, the transmission and hospitalizations rates are spread all throughout the country. 

This is not rounding the turn. It's more like being buried under an avalanche with no way of getting out.

By tomorrow, we will have reached 8.5 million COVID-19 cases and might possibly top 225,000 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of this writing, there have been 8,489,752 COVID-19 cases in the United States with 223,947 deaths for a fatality rate of 2.6%. 

This is nothing to brag about. But this is President Trump we are talking about. For the third time this year, Trump made a point of picking on Reuters reporter Jeff Mason for wearing a mask. Human life is meaningless to him apart from his own life when it comes to COVID-19 or living near an oil refinery. During last night's debate when Joe Biden spoke about people of color in Texas getting sick because they live near oil refineries, all Trump could say was, “They are making a lot of money, more money than they’ve ever made.” 

Even if it were true, Trump as always somehow misses the point. Or perhaps he just simply passed the turn and didn't even know it was there.

Biden-Trump Presidential Debate #2: 5 Observations From Their Final Debate

Just over three weeks after their first debate, President Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden met for their second and final debate tonight. Here are my five observations of this debate. 

1. COVID-19

President Trump continued to make nonsensical claims about COVID-19 such as that he was "immune" from the disease, there was "a cure", that Dr. Anthony Fauci is "a Democrat", that he had been congratulated by heads of countries on his handling of COVID, there would be a vaccine within weeks and that we are rounding the corner. With 75,000 new cases per day we're nowhere near rounding the corner.

But when Trump said we were "learning to live with COVID", Biden said, "We're dying with it." That would be 220,000 Americans and counting.

2. Trump's BS is Wearing Thin

Although Trump was less confrontational in this debate, he continued to spew bullshit just the same. But his bullshit is wearing thin. 

Nobody believes Trump when he says, "There's nobody tougher than me on Russia."

Nobody believes Trump when he says he's done more for African Americans than any President since Abraham Lincoln.

Nobody believes Trump when he says he's the least racist person in the room. Especially so when just minutes later he characterized asylum seekers who showed up for their immigration hearings as "low IQ".

Nobody believes Trump when he says he's going to bring us "beautiful healthcare." What does that even mean?

Nobody believes Trump when he says Republicans are going to win the House. I doubt Trump believes that either.

Nobody believes Trump when he says his taxes are still under audit. To which Biden replied, "Just show us."

3. Kristen Welker, Hunter Biden & The Trump Kids

Kristen Welker was a big improvement over Chris Wallace as a debate moderator. But why did she ask Joe Biden about Hunter Biden while not asking President Trump about his adult children particularly daughter Ivanka who gets Chinese trademarks while employed at the White House. Where does the White House begin and the Trump Organization end?

As I guessed, Biden didn't mention Trump's kids. Indeed, he said this election wasn't about "my family or his family, but your family." Trump tried to mock him for the line, but made himself look small in the process. 

4. Trump Goes After Biden on the 1994 Crime Bill or So Much for Defunding The Police.

During the summer, President Trump repeatedly accused Biden of wanting to defund the police while Biden made it clear he doesn't support this at all. The attack didn't work. So now Trump is painting Biden as the jailer of young black men for his role in getting the 1994 Crime Bill passed through Congress. Trump is trying to have it both ways but he won't get it any way at all.

5. Joe Biden Comes Across as a Decent Human Being; Donald Trump Comes Across Like He Doesn't Give a Damn

Aside from COVID-19, the most telling moment contrasting the two men was the question of separating families of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden characterized the treatment as criminal and expressed anger at the Trump Administration for being unable to reunite 545 children with their parents. At first, Trump erroneously claimed that these children were smuggled in by coyotes. When Biden made it clear that these children came over the border with their parents he then claimed the children were "so well taken care of". He said this with all the sincerity with which he condemns white supremacists. 

Given what this country has experienced in 2020, never mind since January 2017, I cannot see the country willingly signing up for another four years of it. People are tired of COVID, but they are also tired of Trump and Americans will forever associate the two with one another. People want calm, compassion and empathy and Biden has those qualities in abundance. If people haven't already voted, I think Biden encouraged millions of more Americans to vote for him tonight. In which case, I stand by my prediction in May that Biden will win by a landslide.

The work goes on. But I feel a lot better about things right now than I did four hours ago.

Give Me Hunter Biden & I'll Raise You Don, Jr., Eric & Ivanka (But Joe Biden Probably Won't)

We are just over half hour away from the second debate between President Trump and Joe Biden. Sure as the sun sets in the west, Trump will utter the name Hunter Biden repeatedly over the 90 minute debate.

Well, give me Hunter Biden and I'll raise you Don, Jr.'s meeting with the Russians, Eric's deposition with the New York Attorney General and Ivanka's Chinese trademarks. 

The question, however, remains if Joe Biden will. I have no doubt President Obama would have taken it on had Trump attacked his children. But Biden doesn't have Obama's killer instincts.

Now it's not like Biden doesn't have plenty he can talk about. After all, with more than 75,000 new COVID-19 cases today and nearing 8.4 million cases overall (8,399,689), Biden can ask Trump how he can say we're rounding the corner on COVID-19. He can also ask Trump to explain why he thinks Dr. Anthony Fauci is an idiot.

But Trump probably won't let Hunter Biden go. 

In which case Biden can tell Trump, "I love my son Hunter just as you love your adult children. This election isn't between Hunter Biden and Donald Trump, Jr. It's between you and me and the future of this country as 220,000 plus Americans have died under your watch."

As it stands, a quarter of Americans have already voted and I doubt many of them have gone to the polls early because of Hunter Biden nor can I imagine they will after tonight.

From The Big Apple To The Big Peach

One month ago today, I made note of my 2nd anniversary in New York City. In doing so, I posed the question as to whether I would be living here in a year from now.

One week from today, I will be moving to Atlanta, Georgia to start a new job in November.

Simply put, I will be moving from the Big Apple to the Big Peach.

I have been offered a position by Epiq Systems as a Records Specialist Lead and shall be assigned to an international law firm in the city. Despite my efforts to make a good of it as a writer and my foray as a paralegal, I have spent most of my professional career as a records clerk primarily in the insurance industry before moving on to law firm settings. What can I say? I'm good at it. Quite good actually. Good enough to move more than 850 miles down the East Coast. This particular records position is a step up as I will be in a lead role and compensated accordingly. 

I have some family in the Atlanta area including my Aunt Marlene (one of my Dad's sisters) and a some cousins. Hopefully his will be an opportunity to get to know them better notwithstanding any COVID constraints. My cousin Marsha (Marlene's daughter) was instrumental in helping me a find an apartment within a 30 minute walk to work which has relieved my burdens considerably.

I will be situated in Midtown Atlanta near Piedmont Park and Georgia Tech - long known for its baseball program. The likes of Kevin Brown, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, Mark Teixeira and Matt Wieters played for the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets before enjoying distinguished big league careers. Then there are the Braves who came oh so close to winning a NL pennant. I don't know if I'll be in any rush to attend any games as long as there's a pandemic, however. But all in good time.

It must be noted that I came very close to returning to Boston. At the same time I was being interviewed for this position in Atlanta, I was also being interviewed for a similar position with a law firm in Boston's Financial District - very familiar terrain. Given the 18 and a half years I spent in Boston, I would have taken less money to go back up north to renew old acquaintances, seek out new ones while immersing myself in candlepin bowling. Alas, I was not offered the position. My disappointment was mitigated by the fact that someone out there wants me. If I cannot go back north then I'll fly south.

Naturally this means leaving my Dad behind. But he was fine before my arrival and he will do just fine after I leave. He is as fit as a 79-year old man can be and in his element in New York City. I look forward to returning to celebrate his 80th birthday next April (fingers, toes and appendages crossed). I'm glad we had this time together.

In the grand scheme of things, however, New York & I were a mismatch. Given all that has happened this year, leaving New York City is a step in the right direction for me as it has been for many others who have found greener pastures.

Obviously there will be a period of adjustment in Atlanta - a new city and a new region with its own norms and idiosyncrasies. Keep in mind that I've never been south nor west of Cincinnati where it concerns the United States. I did have some good experiences working with Southerners from Georgia, the Carolinas and Texas who came up to Boston during Hurricane Katrina 15 years ago when I was working in the insurance sector. So I do have that frame of reference and hopefully it will be of help to me as I begin this new chapter of my life. As it turns out, you can go duckpin bowling in Atlanta. Perhaps the chapter will start there. Who knows what pursuits, passions and people I shall discover in the course of this new chapter. 

While there will be challenges living in Atlanta, in the grand scheme of things, I am very fortunate. I have my health (knock on wood) and I am starting a new job. Many Americans are in a far more perilous state than I am especially with President Trump's mishandling of the pandemic and his refusal and that of Republicans to offer more stimulus and extend enhanced unemployment benefits. One can only hope we will have the wisdom to elect Joe Biden to the White House and give Democrats control of the Senate. It won't be a paradise much less perfect, but as Sam Elliott put it, "We can go from there."

Above all else, I hope my time Atlanta will be peachy. If I am truly fortunate then perhaps I shall find my own rhythm section.

Spencer Davis, R.I.P.

Guitar, harmonica player and later record executive Spencer Davis, best known as a founding member of the Spencer Davis Group, passed away of Monday of pneumonia. He was 81. 

Born in Wales, Davis mastered several languages before being immersed in the language of music. Davis would collaborate with a pre-Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and a pre-Fleetwood Mac Christine McVie (nee Perfect) before recruiting drummer Pete York, bassist Muff Winwood and his 14-year old brother Stevie form the Rhythm & Blues Quartet in 1963. That Stevie would be Steve Winwood. 

Although the younger Winwood's vocal chops would be the focal point, the group would be renamed The Spencer Davis Group because Davis did media and other behind the scenes work. The Spencer Davis Group had a string of hits in the mid-1960's - "Keep on Running", "Somebody Help Me", "I'm a Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin'".

The Spencer Davis Group would lose its mojo after Steve Winwood left the group to form Traffic in 1967. Two more albums would follow over the next five years but with little to show for it. Davis made little money from Island Records, but would get a windfall when The Allman Brothers covered "Don't Want You Know More" which he had co-written with latter day Spencer Davis Group member Eddie Hardin. 

Davis subsequently became an executive with Island Records and managed the likes of Bob Marley, Robert Palmer as well as Steve Winwood's solo career. In 2006, the Spencer Davis Group reformed without the Winwood brothers and performed on the oldies circuit. 

Although a longtime California resident, Davis was a staunch supporters of the Welsh Nationalist political party Plaid Cymru. 

I leave you Davis discussing his musical career at length in an interview given in 1997. R.I.P.

Trump is The Disaster & Idiot That America is Tired Of, Not Dr. Fauci

President Trump finally told the world how he really feels about Dr. Anthony Fauci describing him as "an idiot" and "a disaster" on a conference call this morning with his campaign staff as well as reporters. 

Trump's diatribe comes only 15 days before Election Day. If this is Trump's attempt closing argument it will be one that only resonates with those Americans who are prepared to attend his rallies without masks or engaging in social distancing.

Yet this outburst cannot come as much of a surprise. Trump's anger and derision having been building for months. 

Back in April, I thought that Fauci would meet the same fate as the likes of Rex Tillerson, James Mattis and John Kelly. Of course, Trump wanted to fire him but as the President himself ceded today that "there's a bigger bomb if you fire him." 

And why is that, Mr. President? Could it be because Americans consistently trust Fauci more than they trust Trump?

Of course, Trump knows this to be true. As such, he and his underlings have been undermining Fauci in earnest since July. As I argued at the beginning of August, if only Trump were as interested in stopping COVID-19 as he was in stopping Fauci. Indeed, since I made that argument COVID-19 has claimed the lives of nearly 70,000 more Americans. 

Trump is right about thing - people are tired of COVID. But they are equally tired of a President that is not only not trying to stop it but a President who is both downplaying its seriousness and actively undermining the people trying to slow its spread - Dr. Fauci chief among them. 

Again deep down Trump knows this to be true. His words are that of a President who knows he will soon be moving out of the White House and there's not a damn thing he can do about it even though he would like nothing more.

Simply put, the disaster and idiot America is tired of is Donald Trump, not Anthony Fauci. 

Dodgers Win 3rd NL Pennant in 4 Years

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won their 3rd NL pennant in the past four seasons by defeating the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in Game 7 of the NLCS. The Dodgers were down 2-0 and 3-1 to the Braves in the series, but their experience prevailed. 

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was named the NLCS MVP. Seager went hit .310 (9 for 29) with 5 HR and 11 RBIs. 

Although the World Series is familiar terrain to the Dodgers the franchise still hasn't won a World Series title since 1988. The Dodgers lost back to back World Series in 2017 and 2018 to the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, respectively - both under controversial circumstances with the Astros and Red Sox embroiled in electronic sign stealing scandals.

The Dodgers will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series starting Tuesday under equitable conditions. This will mark the first World Series the teams with the best records in the AL and NL have faced off since the 2013 Fall Classic between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. It will also mark the first World Series that will be played in a single ballpark since the 1944 crosstown matchup between the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals. As with the NLCS, the World Series will be played in its entirety at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas due to COVID-19 protocols.

One of these cities will win their second championship of 2020. Tampa Bay and Los Angeles have already won sports championships this year with the Lightning winning the Stanley Cup and the Lakers winning the NBA Final.

An interesting link between the Rays and Dodgers is Andrew Friedman. The current Dodgers President of Baseball Operations was previously the General Manager of the Rays from 2006-2014. Whether this gives the Dodgers the edge remains to be seen.

The Dodgers become the first NL team win reach the World Series in three out of four years since - the Dodgers who did so in 1963, 1965 and 1966. That edition of the Dodgers won it all in '63 and '65 but lost in '66. This edition of the Dodgers is still seeking their championship. Will they be stung by the Rays? Or will the third time be the charm? 

Rays Win AL Pennant & Save Baseball From Embarrassment

The Tampa Bay Rays averted disaster by defeating the Houston Astros 4-2 in Game 7 of the ALCS earning them their second AL pennant. 

The Rays had a 3-0 series lead, but the Astros won three straight games to tie the series and force a seventh and deciding game. Had the Astros prevailed they would have become the second team in MLB history to come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a post-season series. This was previously accomplished by the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. 

Had the Astros prevailed in the ALCS they would have become the first team to reach the World Series with a losing record. Combined with the Astros 2017 electronic sign stealing scandal and their lack of contrition for it their presence in the World Series would have given baseball a black eye. Fortunately, the Rays spared us from this fate.

Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena was named the ALCS MVP. The Cuban born slugger went 9 for 28 (.321) with 4 HR and 6 RBI during the ALCS becoming the first rookie to win the honor. Arozarena has hit 7 HR overall in the 2020 post-season.

The Rays will play their first World Series since 2008 when they lost in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies. Tampa Bay will find out who they will face in the World Series tomorrow night as the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers face off in Game 7 of the NLCS. The Braves have an opportunity to win their first NL pennant since 1999 while the Dodgers could win their third NL pennant in four years. 

If the Rays win the World Series they will become the second team from the Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg area to win a major sports championship as the Tampa Bay Lightning won their second ever Stanley Cup last month.

Whether the Rays win the World Series or not they have saved baseball from eternal embarrassment and for that we should be forever grateful.

NZ Voters Give Ardern's Labour Party a Majority Government on Strength of Competence on COVID

On the strength of her competence in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand voters have not only given Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party a second term in office, but an outright majority government winning 64 out of 120 seats in the New Zealand Parliament. 

What is remarkable about this is that New Zealand adopted Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMPP) back in 1996. Until today, this has meant that the Labour Party or the conservative National Party has had to rely on smaller parties to form a governing coalition. 

When Ardern, now 40, came to power in 2017, not only did she need the support of the Green Party but also that of New Zealand First, a right-wing populist party led by Winston Peters. Indeed, Ardern named Peters her Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister. This would be roughly equivalent to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez naming Ted Cruz as her vice-presidential running mate. However, New Zealand First failed to reach the 5% of the popular vote necessary for representation in parliament which may have effectively ended Peters' long political career. So Ardern will be less constrained to pursue progressive policies aimed at reducing inequality. Although one wonders if Ardern would have been more reluctant to shut down New Zealand's borders absent Peters presence in cabinet. 

Prior to the COVID pandemic, a second term was not guaranteed for Ardern as plans to created 100,000 affordable housing units failed spectacularly. But when the greatest crisis of the 21st Century came to New Zealand's shores, Ardern outshone every other leader in the world. Due to Ardern's aggressive measures, New Zealand has had only 1,883 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 along with 25 deaths in a country of 5 million. 

At one point, New Zealand went 102 days without any new COVID-19 cases. An outbreak in the capital of Auckland forced the restoration of lockdown measures and delayed the election for a month. But this cluster was declared conquered 10 days ago.

Let's put it this way. Dr. Anthony Fauci would be happy if we reduced the number of new COVID cases in the United States to 10,000 a day. Meanwhile, New Zealand is COVID free. 

If any world leader earned their re-election it is Ardern. From the beginning, she emphasized that New Zealand was "our team of five million." President Trump could never deploy such language. But Joe Biden could. 

New Zealand voters have rewarded excellence and unity. Let's hope American voters will reject mediocrity and chaos in 17 days from now.

French President Macron Denounces "Islamist Terrorist Attack" After Beheading of Teacher

For all of the suffering Americans have had to endure with COVID-19, economic depravation, racial injustice and white supremacist violence, it is easy to forget that radical Islamic terrorism still exists in the world.

But it is very much front and center in France where a history teacher in a Paris suburb was beheaded by a man who shouted "Allahu Akbar!!!" The perpetrator was later shot and killed by French authorities. He has not been identified, but is described as an 18-year old Russian born Chechen Muslim. For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the attack as an "Islamist terrorist attack."

The teacher had been engaging his students in civics and had been discussing recent French history surrounding the caricatures of Muhammad which led to the massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris in 2015. Some parents objected to the lessons although the teacher gave students the choice of opting out given the subject matter. What connection the perpetrator had to either the teacher or students isn't clear. What is clear is that in the perpetrator's mind even showing the images of Muhammad in an education and historical context much less having a discussion about what happened at Charlie Hebdo warranted murder and terror to cease all discussion. 

Naturally, I take the view that most Muslims abhor violence and manage to go through life without taking the life of another. But there remains a critical mass of the Muslim community (particularly in France) who organize themselves on a grand scale (i.e. 9/11, the Boston Marathon attacks or the Paris terrorist attacks of November 2015) or are individually radicalized online in such a way as they are willing kill those who do not believe as they do and intimidate the population at large. 

In America, Islamist terrorism has taken a back seat to white supremacist terrorism in recent years. But just because it has taken a back seat does not mean it is in the rearview mirror. 

America Hasn't Rounded The Corner with 8 Million COVID-19 Cases & Counting

President Trump has repeatedly insisted that we're rounding the corner when it comes to COVID-19.

Of course, when Trump repeatedly insists upon something one can reliably conclude that it is false. We're no more rounding the corner after Columbus Day than we were on Labor Day and, if anything, we have taken several steps backwards. 

For the second day in a row, the new case tally has exceeded 64,000. These are numbers we haven't seen since following the Fourth of July. Consequently, we have now surpassed 8 million COVID-19 cases. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of this writing, the United States has 8,040,922 cases along with 218,455 deaths for a mortality rate of 2.7%. 

As we all know, President Trump is among the over 8 million Americans who have been afflicted with COVID-19 as well as First Lady Melania Trump and his teenaged son Barron. Now that Trump has survived his ordeal, he is proclaiming that he is immune and has been cured. This is as nonsensical as the notion that we are rounding the corner on COVID-19. Indeed, it is quite possible to be re-infected with COVID-19. That possibility increases when one insists on holding crowded rallies with few masks in sights and isn't forthcoming about undergoing a COVID test before the first presidential debate.

By the time we reach election day, we will have topped 9 million COVID-19 cases. The only chance America has of rounding the corner is by electing Joe Biden as our next President and this is being done as we speak. Of course, even if this comes to pass, there will be much suffering between now and January 20, 2021. Until then, Trump will have us spinning in circles rather than rounding any corners.

Twitter Doesn't Like Me Very Much

A little over a year ago, I reluctantly joined Facebook after being locked out of Twitter. 

During the summer, I quietly rejoined Twitter and was having a grand old time until I once again got locked out last week. This time I created another account and this past Saturday night while live tweeting Lost in Space on MeTV Super Sci Fri Saturday night I got locked out yet again. For some reason, Twitter must think I'm not a flesh and blood human being. 

It's the same old problem as before. Twitter sends a verification to my phone and my phone never gets it. If there's a problem they just send you another verification code and there's no one to whom you can speak. 

This does frustrate me because Twitter does serve up news in real time and it does generate some traffic on these blog posts. (Well, perhaps a few cars slow down and take a long look before driving by). But if I could live without Twitter prior to 2015 and I could live without Twitter again for nearly a year there's no reason I can't survive without Twitter yet again. Nevertheless it is frustrating to be kicked out again and again. Perhaps I'm just not wanted in the Twitterverse. 

For all its shortcomings, Facebook has been a pretty good experience. I've managed to reconnect with some people I haven't seen in decades as well as a few of the good people I found on Twitter who also maintain Facebook accounts. So I guess I'll stick with Facebook. That is until it gets sick of me too.

White Sox Fire Renteria Despite Leading Team to Postseason For 1st Time Since 2008

In something of a surprise, the Chicago White Sox have fired manager Rick Renteria despite leading the team to its first post-season appearance since 2008. Indeed, it was the team's first winning season since 2012. The Chisox were eliminated in their AL Wild Card matchup with the Oakland A's losing two out of three games. 

This is the second time Renteria, 58, has been given a raw deal in Chicago. Hired to manage the Cubs in 2014, he would be dismissed by the Cubs after one season when Joe Maddon became available. Of course, the Cubs won the World Series in 2016 so that injustice has been overlooked. Brad Ausmus found himself in the same situation when the Angels hired Maddon this past off-season but in this case Halos would be tarnished.

Renteria was hired by the Chisox in 2017 after five years under Robin Ventura. Three consecutive losing seasons would follow including a 100 loss season in 2018. But the Chisox had a lot of raw talent and had acquired veteran players in the off-season and were expected to contend in 2020. On September 15th, the White Sox had the best record in the AL, had won six in a row and 9 of their last 10 games. They would lose 9 of their last 12 games and were the number 7 seed in the post-season just ahead of the hated Houston Astros. Renteria's use of the bullpen was questioned during this period. But this is the case of any manager when a team struggles for any extended period of time. Still, the White Sox were going in the right direction.

Chisox GM Rick Hahn is calling Renteria's departure "a mutual decision". But let's be clear. Renteria was shown the door despite the best season of baseball on the South Side in a dozen years. 

Perhaps the third time will be the charm. In light of this development, I wonder if their AL Central rival Detroit Tigers would be interested in Renteria's services. If Renteria could lead the Tigers past the Chisox in the AL Central that would be a just reward. The question remains if the Tigers will make a leap of faith. And if the White Sox win a World Series in the next year or two, Renteria's unceremonious departure will be yet another footnote to gather dust.

Roberta McCain, R.I.P.

Roberta McCain, mother of the late Senator John McCain has passed away today at the astounding age of 108. No cause of death has been released, but her passing was announced by daughter-in-law Cindy McCain on Twitter. 

Although she lived for more than a century and was prominent in social circles for decades, she didn't become a full fledged public figure until her son's 2008 White House bid where her bluntness occasionally caused her son some headaches. As indicated by the obituary of the McCain matriarch in The Washington Post, it is clear from whom the 2008 GOP presidential nominee inherited his maverick streak:

When Roberta was a freshman at the University of Southern California, she met Jack McCain, a young Navy officer who was serving aboard a battleship with its home port at Long Beach. Against the wishes of her mother, who disapproved of the match, the pair eloped to Tijuana, Mexico. They were married above a bar named Caesar’s.

“Society Coed Elopes With Naval Officer: Roberta Wright Defies Family,” read the headline in the San Francisco Examiner.

“I realize now I was so immature. I just took life as it came — still do,” she told Vogue in 2008.

After 48 years of marriage, her husband had a heart attack on a transatlantic flight home to Washington and died. Her daughter, Jean Alexandra “Sandy” Morgan, died in 2019. Survivors include a son, Joseph P. McCain of Washington; 10 grandchildren; and 11-great grandchildren.

After the death of her husband in 1981, she and her twin (who died in 2011) spent months each year traveling the world. When they could not find a car-rental agency willing to rent to a pair of women in their late 80s, they bought one — a Mercedes “baby Benz” that they drove from Munich to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

“I wanted to see Samarkand,” Mrs. McCain said by way of explanation.

She kept the car in Europe until 2006, when she shipped it home to Washington. Then she drove solo across the country to deliver the car to a great-nephew in San Francisco. Along the way, she picked up a speeding ticket for driving 112 miles an hour in northern Arizona.

“She was a willful, rebellious girl,” John McCain wrote in his 1999 memoir, “Faith of My Fathers.”

Roberta McCain's spirit and force of will might very well explain how she managed to outlive her twin sister (who herself lived until 99) and two of her three children. We should all be so fortunate. R.I.P.

Joe Morgan, R.I.P.

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, best known for his days with the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati, passed away yesterday. No specific cause of death has been released, but Morgan has had significant health problems over the past five years including Mydolesplastic syndrome which led to leukemia complicated by polyneuropathy. Morgan was 77. 

A native of Bonham, Texas (just north of Dallas), Morgan signed with the Houston Colt 45's as an amateur free agent in 1962 and would make his big league debut with the Colt 45's two days after his 20th birthday in 1963. His first full season in MLB would come in 1965 when the team was renamed the Astros. Morgan led the NL in walks with 97. This was good enough to finish runner up in NL Rookie of the Year balloting to Jim Lefebvre of the Los Angeles Dodgers. While with the Astros, Morgan would make the NL All-Star Team in 1966 and 1970.

After leading the NL in triples with the Astros in 1971, Morgan was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with outfielders Ed Armbrister and Cesar Geronimo, infielder Dennis Menke and pitcher Jack Billingham in exchange for first baseman Lee May, infielder Tommy Helms and utility man Jimmy Stewart. This is usually not listed among the most lopsided trades in MLB history (i.e. Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio) but it should be. 

Although the Reds won the NL pennant in 1970, they took a big step back in 1971 going from 102 wins to a losing record of 79-83. Despite the presence of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez and the genius of Sparky Anderson, there probably would not have been a Big Red Machine without Morgan. In Morgan's eight seasons in Cincinnati, he was named to the NL All-Star Team all eight seasons (including All-Star Game MVP in 1972), walked 100 or more times and had a OBP of .400 or greater six straight seasons, earned five Gold Gloves, played in three World Series, won back to back World Series in 1975 and 1976 (including the game winning hit in Game 7 of the '75 Series) as well as back to back NL MVPs in '75 and '76. One could make a legitimate case that Morgan was the best overall player in the NL, if not all of MLB, in the 1970's. Morgan could have retired after the 1979 season and would have been elected to the Hall of Fame.

Instead, Morgan would return to Houston in 1980 where he would help the Astros make their very first post-season appearance with a NL West title. Morgan then spent two seasons with the San Francisco Giants. His most memorable appearance in a Giants uniform was when he ended he broke the hearts of Los Angeles Dodgers fans by hitting a game winning homerun ending their chance at a NL West which instead went to the Atlanta Braves. 

In 1983, Morgan would reunite with Big Red Machine alumni Pete Rose and Tony Perez on the Philadelphia Phillies. Dubbed The Wheeze Kids, the triumvirate would help the Phillies earn a NL pennant and another World Series appearance though they would fall to the Baltimore Orioles in five games.

Morgan would return to the Bay Area to finish out his career with the Oakland A's in 1984 - his lone season in the AL. In 22 seasons, Morgan played in 2649 games, collected 2517 hits for a lifetime batting average of .271 with 268 HR and 1133 RBI. When you add Morgan's 1865 walks he finished with a career OBP of .392. Morgan finished fifth on the all-time walks list. Only Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Rickey Henderson and Barry Bonds collected more walks in their careers. Morgan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1990 with 81.8% of the vote.

Following his playing career, Morgan spent 25 years in the broadcast booth calling games for the Reds in 1985 and for the Giants from 1986 to 1994. He also appeared on national broadcasts with both ABC and NBC, but was best known for his 20 year partnership with Jon Miller on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. That program has simply not been the same since their departure after the 2010 season.

Morgan would join the Reds' front office in 2011 as a special assistant. His health problems would be evident when he walked with a cane when introduced to the crowd prior to the start of the 2015 All-Star Game in Cincinnati. But his competitive spirit was still there in his eyes.

Morgan is now the sixth member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame to pass away in 2020. Detroit Tigers legend Al Kaline died in April. On August 31st, Tom Seaver (a teammate of Morgan's in Cincinnati from mid-1977 through 1979) was claimed by COVID-19. Less than a week later, Lou Brock succumbed. Less than a month later, Brock's longtime Cardinals teammate Bob Gibson died. New York Yankees pitching legend Whitey Ford passed away only 48 hours before Morgan. I would ask if this awful year could get worse but I already know the answer to that.

The best we can do is to remember what Morgan did best. R.I.P.

Lakers Win NBA Title for Kobe

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win their first NBA Title in 10 years and tied the Boston Celtics with a NBA record 17th championship. It was also LeBron James' 4th NBA title and is now among only a handful of players who have won titles with three different teams.

But this belonged more to one man who wasn't on the court but was very much present in spirit. The Lakers won the title in a year full of sorrow which truly began on January 26th when Kobe Bryant along with his daughter and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash. As Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times wrote earlier this evening:

The real hero of the Lakers’ title run, however, could be found in the clothing they wore and the name they chanted. The biggest star was the memory of the late Kobe Bryant, whose spirit hovered over everything and whose influence was felt everywhere.

Even though it has been a decade since the Lakers' last title under normal circumstances most NBA fans would be rooting against them including portions of the Greater Los Angeles area which are more apt to support the crosstown Clippers. But with Bryant's sudden death, it would have been difficult to root against the Lakers at least for this one season. 

This will, however, not be the case if this proves to be year one of a brand new Lakers' dynasty. But this is a year which has been like no other year.

Rays Best Yankees to Face Astros in ALCS

The Tampa Bay Rays have defeated the New York Yankees 2-1 to win the fifth and deciding game of their ALDS. 

Tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the 8th, Mike Brosseau hit a dramatic home run off Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman following a ten pitch at bat. Although Brosseau took the high road in the post-game interview, this had to feel good considering Chapman threw a 101 MPH fastball behind his head last month. It is also worth noting that Brosseau signed with the Rays as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Now he has arguably hit the biggest home run in Rays' history.

With the victory, the Rays reach the ALCS for the first time since 2008 when they won their lone AL pennant. Despite the fact the Rays had the best record in the AL this season and the Astros managed to make the post-season despite a losing season, I suspect the Rays will be treated as the underdog in the ALCS. In which case, this will make the Rays only that much hungrier.

Should the Rays dispatch the Astros then they will have saved Major League Baseball not only from cheaters and scofflaws, but from rewarding teams with losing records that do not deserve to be in the playoffs in the first place.

The ALCS will commence at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night.

Imagine Being Neighbors with John Lennon

 

Today would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday. Naturally one cannot help but wonder what contributions Lennon would have made to world of music and politics if he was still among us.

On a more personal level, I often imagine being neighbors with John Lennon if he was still here today. After all, I live on New York's Upper West Side a short distance from his abode at The Dakota. I cannot help but think that my Dad and I might have bumped into him and Yoko in Central Park or perhaps near Zabar's (where we bumped into Jackie Mason last year). I can very easily imagine my Dad shooting the shit with Lennon as Yoko and I look on helplessly. Alas this would not be part of my New York story. 

I did make a point of visiting Strawberry Fields in Central Park this afternoon and briefly listened to some people play "I've Got a Feeling" from Let it Be. There was also a John Lennon impersonator nearby who was complaining no one was paying attention to him. It might have had something to do with the fact he wanted everyone to take off their masks. While tomorrow never knows, I suspect the real John Lennon would have told him, "Give masks a chance."

These visitors to Central Park were fortunate to have an audience with John Lennon and wish him a happy birthday while he devised his mind games.