Arrivederci Atlanta; Back to Boston

Seven months ago today, I arrived in Atlanta.

Today marks my last full day in Atlanta.

Tomorrow afternoon I return to Boston.

So what happened?

Earlier this month, I lost my job. I sprung into action. What other choice did I have? I had to move forward.

Late last week, I was offered a position in Boston. In a little over three weeks form now, I'll be starting a job working in legal records for yet another outsourcing company. I've been assigned to a large law firm in the Seaport District. I won't be making as much money as I did down here but I'll be making more money than I made in New York.

This marks the third time I have moved out of city and out of state in less than three years. Hopefully this will be the last move for a long time to come.

But if I had to move anywhere I'm glad it will be back to Boston. I lived in Boston longer than I've ever lived anywhere else. It's my spiritual home - JP, Cambridge, day trips to Walden Pond. There's something about walking along Mass Ave across the Longfellow Bridge from Back Bay to Harvard Square. I've never had that feeling during my time in Canada, in New York City or here in Atlanta.

Now I lived in a lovely apartment in Midtown Atlanta a couple of blocks from Piedmont Park. But outside of that vicinity Atlanta is just too spread out for my liking and public transportation isn't equal to the task. I never went to Downtown Atlanta and only went to Buckhead once and that was to get a COVID test. I had hoped for a trip down to Savannah or at least to Decatur but this will not come to pass. Aside from a large procession of young kids without a care in the world riding their scooters on the sidewalk at full speed, I hardly got to know Atlanta let alone The South.

There were some joyous moments during my time here. The spontaneous street celebration after it was announced Joe Biden had defeated Donald Trump that Saturday afternoon last November. Not quite two months later, the election of Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to the Senate. I even managed to write an article in The Forward about casting a vote for Warnock despite some reservations about his views on Israel. I even got interviewed by a correspondent with the Christian Science Monitor in response to the article. 

Although Ossoff and Warnock were instrumental in getting the stimulus bill passed, this triumph has been tempered by the attempted insurrection at the Capitol the day after they were elected accompanied by the passage of a voter suppression bill here in Georgia which gives the legislature the power to overturn the will of the people. Georgians will probably elect Stacey Abrams Governor in 2022 but the Republican legislature will probably say to hell with that.

Then there was the sadness of the massacre at several Atlanta spas which claimed the lives of 8 people - six of them Asian women. I visited the site of the two massacres on Piedmont Road days later and will never forget the young man who carried the sign, "I Am Not a Virus". 

Of course, there is good and bad everywhere. Boston had the Boston Marathon attack and New York had 9/11. As for Atlanta perhaps if I had moved here in my late 20's it too would have become my spiritual home. Naturally, the pandemic complicated matters considerably. Still, it is lot harder to meet people when you are approaching 50 than when you're approaching 30. I do have a small network of people in Boston and the surrounding area with whom I can renew acquaintances. I also intend to explore new outlets starting with candlepin bowling. 

While the cost of living is lower in Atlanta than it is in Boston so too is the quality of public services. When I applied for unemployment insurance in both Massachusetts and New York I had a wait time of less than a week. As of this writing, nearly a month after applying, I have yet to hear from the Georgia Department of Labor regarding my unemployment claim. My efforts to contact the Georgia DOL as well as my state representative were all for naught. Fortunately, the job offer in Boston has rendered this moot. But what if that hadn't come to pass? Who knows how long I might have waited. Georgia is also one of those Republican states which has opted out of the enhanced unemployment insurance program.

Mind you I'm not sure where I will be living in Boston just yet. But this was the case when I first went there more than 20 years ago. This time around, I will be staying with friends for a few days. I do have an appointment on Sunday morning to look at an apartment in Cambridge. Hopefully I will have something in fairly quick order. If this is the case then I will likely head to New York City to visit my Dad for a few days before making my way back to fully reacclimate and reconnect in Boston. 

When I said goodbye to Boston in September 2018, I made this observation:

Honestly, I don't know when I'll be back. The past year or so has been one swift kick in the ass after the other. Despite good people here and there, on the whole, Boston was getting me down. It is not a friendly place. There's an aloofness which precludes kindness and warmth and I have not been immune to its effects. As time has passed, I have become more uncomfortable around people and generally more anxious being out and about....Boston is not without good memories. But I will need time and space to better appreciate those memories.

As it turns out, my exile from Boston lasted nearly a 1,000 days. This has given me plenty of time to better appreciate my memories of Boston both good and bad. There will be unpleasant people I will meet along the way. That unpleasantness while momentary has a way of lingering. There will be struggles and bad days accompanied by anxiety and uncertainty. This too can linger. But hopefully this will be tempered by my existing social network and my efforts to expand upon it. Given the impact of the pandemic, I can only hope that more people might be receptive to saying hello and sticking around.

Needless to say, anxiety has been the order of the day in both losing my job and abruptly having to pull up stakes yet again. But there is something to which I can look forward. My new journey in Boston will begin by having dinner with my neighbors Monica and Stephanie. This should help put me at ease. Perhaps the appetizers will come with good omens.

I suppose a trip to Fenway Park is in order even though I've cooled to baseball over these past several years. I never did get to Truist Park and had little way and no desire to travel to Cobb County to see the Braves. I remember the days when I could walk to Fenway from my apartment in all of 10 minutes. Even when I moved to JP, it was a short subway ride away. It is a truly a neighborhood hangout. When the Red Sox win, "Dirty Water" by The Standells is played. Boston, you're my home.

Facing The World Unmasked

In observance of being fully vaccinated, for the first time in more than 13 months, I went outside without wearing a mask.

To say that it felt weird would be an understatement. It was an unfamiliar sensation for my mouth and nose after being led by my mouth and nose uncovered for more than 47 years. It was a weird feeling, but a good feeling.

Now walking outside without a mask in Georgia is far from unusual. There was never a statewide mask mandate and local mask ordinances were limited to indoor facilities. But picking up from where I left off in New York, I continued to choose to wear a mask in public. I tentatively planned to stop wearing a mask outdoors once I was fully vaccinated after my first shot. Moments before getting my second shot, the CDC announced mask rules would be loosened for fully vaccinated people. At that point, things truly began to round the turn. But as I waited my turn to be vaccinated, I waited my turn to remove my mask outdoors.

I walked along the BeltLine. Although it was a comfortable evening crowds were scarce. But one young lady said something to me I haven't heard in over a year - "I love your mustache." Well, at least one Atlanta resident had the chance to go on the record.

Mind you, I kept my mask close at hand and promptly put one on when I went inside Kroger although many shoppers were unmasked. I'm going to continue to take things slow even as things around me move fast.

Israel Wins Military Battle But Hamas Wins Propaganda War in Ceasefire

Israel and Hamas will enter an Egyptian brokered ceasefire effective at 2 a.m. Tel Aviv time (or 7 p.m. EST) after 11 days of fighting.

While Israel won the battle militarily with the help of the Iron Dome which kept Israeli casualties down significantly, Hamas won the propaganda war.

When Israel and Hamas last faced off in earnest in 2014 the fighting lasted for six weeks. Israel is on a very short leash even in the United States and Hamas knows this all too well. While President Biden has said Israel had a right to defend itself, he was otherwise tepid and a significant segment of the Democratic Party is sympathetic to Hamas and trying to cut off military aid to Israel altogether. This dynamic did not exist 15-20 years ago. How long will it be before Democrats demand the U.S. State Department remove Hamas from its list of terrorist organizations?

My guess is that by Hamas will begin launching missiles into Israel after re-stocking within the next two years and Israel will have even less time to respond in kind if at all. But if Hamas didn't keep launching rockets there would be no conflict in the first place. 

Another Night, Another No-Hitter as Corey Kluber Renders Rangers Hitless

Another night, another no-hitter.

Less than 24 hours after Detroit Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull no-hit the Seattle Mariners, Corey Kluber threw a no-hitter against theTexas Rangers giving the New York Yankees a 2-0 victory. Last year, Kluber was a member of the Rangers. 

It is the sixth no-hitter of the 2021 season (seven if you count Madison Bumgarner's 7 inning doubleheader gem). It is the second time the Rangers have been no-hit at Globe Life Park. They were no-hit last month by San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove.

The Rangers, Mariners and Cleveland Indians have been no-hit twice this season. Of the six no-hitters thrown this season, five have been thrown on the road. So as with the Mariners, the Rangers have been no-hit in front of their fans who have loved every minute of it.

This is the first no-hitter thrown by a Yankees pitcher since David Cone's perfect game against the Montreal Expos in 1999. Fittingly, Cone called this no-hitter for the YES Network.

Kluber, 35, won two AL Cy Young Awards with the Cleveland Indians in 2014 and 2017, missed most of the 2019 and 2020 seasons due to injury, has gone 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 9 starts with the Yankees this season. So far the Yankees have spent $11 million very wisely.

I Can't Stand GOP Insurrectionists/Quislings or The Hamas Wing of the Democratic Party

There a lot of people who annoy me on both sides of the political aisle.

I cannot stand Republicans whether they worship at the altar of Donald Trump (GOP Insurrectionists) or are just too cowardly to say 2 + 2 = 4 (GOP Quislings) and indulge Trump in his delusions that he won an election he lost by 8 million votes.

While many in the GOP including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minoriity Leader Mitch McConnell were quick to condemn the actions of Trump and his supporters on 1/6 they now cannot bring themselves to support a public inquiry into the matter and act like that day never happened or claim the insurrectionists were benign as tourists as Georgia Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde did despite all evidence to the contrary. 

Their time is spent on so-called election integrity which loosely translated from Russian means they cannot persuade people to vote for them. For a party that decries cancel culture the GOP Insurrectionists and Quislings sure seem ready to cancel millions of votes cast against them. At this stage, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who have firmly spoken out against Trump and his nonsense are voices in the wilderness.

Nor can I stand the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party which seeks to single out Israel for having the temerity to defend itself. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar accuses Israel of "terrorism", AOC invokes "apartheid" while Congresswoman Tlaib publicly berates President Biden for his public support for Israel's right to defend itself. Now they are seeking to block a $735 million arms sale to Israel. Delaware Senator Chris Coons says the view of The Squad (and the Far Left) does not represent the Democratic Party. I have to say the jury is out on that one. At the very minimum, the Democratic Party is indulging the anti-Semitism of Hamas wing of the Democratic Party as GOP Insurrectionists and Quislings are indulging the authoritarian aspirations of former President Trump.

At the best of times politicians are duplicitous creatures worthy only of contempt. Now we have a Republican Party that has hitched its fortunes to a businessman who traffics in conspiracy theory and demands to be worshipped as a false idol while a critical mass of the Democratic Party sees fit to single out the world's only Jewish state for all the world's ills while its mainstream appears to be where the Republican Party was five years ago. I shudder to think what the Democratic Party will be if The Squad becomes its masters.

If these are the only two options I have on the ballot then the only side I can choose is my own.

New York Lifts Mask Mandate as U.S. COVID-19 Cases Reach 33 Million

Today, New York (which was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic) lifted its statewide mask mandate. More than half of all New York residents over the age of 18 have been fully vaccinated. 

As masks come off in the Empire State, the United States has now recorded more than 33 million cases of COVID-19. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 33,012,767 cases resulting in the deaths of 587,564 Americans representing a mortality rate of 1.8%. 

The good news is that community spread of COVID-19 has dropped dramatically over the past several weeks. When the U.S. reached 32 million cases on April 24th, I expressed anxiety that case numbers will accelerate as it took 15 days to get from 31 million to 32 million cases after it took 16 days to get from 28 million to 29 million, 29 million to 30 million and 30 million to 31 million cases. 

Well, it has taken 25 days to get from 32 million to 33 million cases. Over the past 25 days, the number of new cases has dropped from 66,000 to 27,000 cases a day with daily cases below 30,000 for the fourth straight day. Obviously, the vaccines and the Biden Administration's dissemination of said vaccines across the country has done wonders. The Biden Administration is now in a position to send vaccine doses abroad and plans to send out 20 million by the end of June. 

It is quite possible we could soon reach Dr. Fauci's long stated goal of getting down to fewer than 10,000 new cases a day. Of course, it's quite possible that New York and other jurisdictions lifting their mask mandates could cause cases to climb as not everyone will agree to be vaccinated. So what happens if it takes 20 days to get from 33 million to 34 million COVID-19 cases? Will vaccines be enough? We might never reach herd immunity though not for lack of trying.

The wild card is if COVID variants are resistant to the vaccines. If they are will new vaccines need to be developed? Or will monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutics help ease the burden? Of course, there is also the question of fully vaccinated Americans requiring a booster shot. Pfizer has indicated that a booster might be required after 8 to 12 months but is in the midst of conducting clinical trials.

While lingering questions remain we are far closer to rounding the turn on COVID-19 than we have ever been. We can only hope there will be no detours, roadblocks or speedbumps before we get there.

Tigers Pitcher Spencer Turnbull Tosses No-Hitter; Mariners No-Hit Twice in Two Weeks

The no-hits just keep coming. On Tuesday night, Detroit Tigers pitcher Spencer Turnbull tossed the fifth no-hitter of the 2021 season en route to a 5-0 victory. 

Turnbull, 28, became the first Tigers pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Justin Verlander did it 10 years ago this month against the Toronto Blue Jays. 

As for the Mariners, the no-hitter was not such a rare event. They were on the wrong end of a no-hitter only 13 days earlier by John Means of the Baltimore Orioles. Both no-hitters took place in Safeco Field. Indeed, four of the five no-hitters thrown in 2021 have been on the road. At least, the Mariners have company. The Cleveland Indians have also been no-hit twice in 2021 first by Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon on April 14th and then by Cincinnati Reds starter Wade Miley on May 7th. The only other team to be victimized by a no-hitter was the Texas Rangers when Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history on April 9th. Of course, if not for the baseball gods, Madison Bumgarner of the Arizona Diamondbacks would have been in the mix but he was restricted to 7 innings due to MLB's new doubleheader rule.

As for Turnbull, it was only his 10th career victory. Turnbull, a 2nd round draft pick of the Tigers in 2014, reached the majors in 2018 and would lead the AL in losses in 2019 with 17. At the end of spring training this season, Turnbull tested positive for COVID-19 and had symptoms which kept him out of action for a month. Under any circumstances, this would have been a triumphant night but surviving COVID undoubtedly made this achievement considerably sweeter.

Rennie Stennett, R.I.P.

Former big league infielder and outfielder Rennie Stennett, best remembered for being the only big league player during the 20th Century to collect 7 hits in a game, passed away today of cancer. He was 72. 

The Panamanian born Stennett was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969 and would make his big league debut in 1971. That same year Stennett made history when he led off in what turned out to be the first all-black and Latino starting lineup in MLB history in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates would go onto the win the World Series defeating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games.

After splitting his time between second base, shortstop and the outfield, Stennett would become the Pirates' everyday second baseman in 1974 after trading Dave Cash to the Philadelphia Phillies. On September 16, 1975, Stennett would have the most memorable game of his career. In a 22-0 thrashing of the Chicago Cubs, Stennett went 7 for 7 making him the only player to do so during the 20th Century. During the game, Stennett hit four singles, two doubles and a triple before being lifted for a young pinch runner by the name of Willie Randolph who would go on the greater success in the Bronx. In addition to his seven hits, Stennett scored five times and had 2 RBI. His first hit of that game was off Cubs starter Rick Reuschel. His seventh hit of the game was off Paul Reuschel. 

Brandon Crawford of the San Francisco Giants collected 7 hits in a game in 2016 but that was an extra inning affair. However, this did not stop Stennett from visiting with Crawford to congratulate him. 

Stennett was on his way to having a MVP caliber season in 1977. He was batting .336 and had a career high 28 stolen bases but would sustain a broken leg sliding into second base in a game against the San Francisco Giants on August 21st ending his season. Of all people, relief pitcher Terry Forster was inserted as a pinch runner. 

Although Stennett would earn another World Series ring with the Bucs in 1979, he was never the same player. Stennett did manage to sign a five year, $300,000 free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants. But he would be released by the Giants prior to the 1982 season. Stennett would play in the Mexican League with Broncos de Reynosa before signing a minor league contract with the Montreal Expos in 1983 where he played under Felipe Alou with the Triple-AAA Wichita Aeros. However, Stennett was not return to the big leagues. In 1237 games big league games over 11 seasons, Stennett collected 1239 hits for a lifetime batting average of .274 with 41 HR and 432 RBI plus two World Series rings. 

I leave you with Stennett getting his seventh and final hit that glorious September day at Wrigley Field in 1975. Perhaps he is back there now. R.I.P.

Charles Grodin, R.I.P.

Actor, comedian, talk show host and political pundit Charles Grodin passed away today of bone marrow cancer. He was 86.

After appearing in supporting roles in Rosemary's Baby and Catch-22, Grodin had a breakout role in the 1972 film The Heartbreak Kid alongside Cybil Sheppard and Eddie Albert. However, he would spend most of 1970's and 1980's in supporting roles in movies like King Kong, Heaven Can Wait, Seems Like Old Times, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, The Great Muppet Caper, The Lonely Guy, The Woman in Red, Ishtar as well as co-starring with Robert DeNiro in Midnight Run. In the early 1990's, Grodin enjoyed box office success in the Beethoven movies as well as in Dave with Kevin Kline.

During the mid-1990's, Grodin made a career shift when he became the host of The Charles Grodin Show on CNBC which focused on current events. In 2000, Grodin became a commentator on 60 Minutes II. After several years of family life, Grodin returned to acting making appearances during the 2010's on shows like Law & Order: SVU, The Michael J. Fox Show and Louie. 

Grodin collaborated with Simon & Garfunkel directing two TV specials - Songs of America (1969) and The Paul Simon Special (1977) for which he won a writing Emmy. 

I remember Grodin best for putting on an antagonistic persona. In 1977, Grodin hosted SNL and came off as completely bumbling and constantly forgetting the show was live. The aforementioned Paul Simon was the musical guest and the two came out to perform a duet with Grodin donning an Art Garfunkel wig with disastrous but hilarious results.

This antagonistic persona would be put on full display during his many appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. It could get awkward and uncomfortable but it made for amusing TV as demonstrated by this exchange between Grodin and Johnny Carson in 1990. R.I.P.

John Oliver Complains About Israel Because Too Few Jews Have Been Killed By Hamas

 

Here is one of the prime reasons I try to avoid getting political analysis from comedians - they don't what they are talking about or don't care to know.

In this particular case, I am referring to John Oliver who went on a rant about Hamas renewing its attack on Israel. Well, of course, he didn't put it in those terms. He has very little sympathy for Israel. Oliver complained about the casualty imbalance - 8 dead Israelis vs. 80 dead Palestinians. In other words, Oliver is objecting that not enough Jews are being killed.

Although Oliver did object to Hamas firing rockets he also objected Israel having an Iron Dome. Not surprisingly it never occurred to Oliver to ask why Israel has an iron dome in the first place. Because Hamas persists in firing rockets into Israel (as does Hezbollah from Lebanon). And why does Hamas persist in firing rockets into Israel? Because Hamas wants to wipe Israel out of existence.

Now Oliver casually accuses Israel of war crimes but I'm pretty sure Hamas' primary objective of wanting to destroy Israel is a war crime and an act of genocide.

Can Pujols Light a Spark for The Dodgers?

Albert Pujols is going crosstown signing a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the remainder of the 2021 season. Earlier this month, Pujols was released by the Los Angeles Angels in the final season of his 10-year contract. 

Pujols, 41, will not likely be an everyday player. Max Muncy will get the lion's share of time at first base. Nevertheless, Pujols could prove to be an interesting clubhouse presence for the defending World Series champions. After getting off to a scorching 13-2 start, they have gone 7-15 since (although they have won four of their last five games) and are currently in third place in the NL West albeit only two games back of the San Francisco Giants.

It will also be interesting to see what number Pujols wears. He has worn number 5 his entire 21 year big league career. However, shortstop Corey Seager currently wears 5 for the Dodgers. Will Seager offer Pujols his number as a measure of respect?

This development is undoubtedly a disappointment to St. Louis Cardinals' fans hoping for a reunion and a proper goodbye. Indeed there were discussions about making this happen. The Dodgers are scheduled to visit St. Louis from September 6-9. In which case, Cardinals fans will have to be content to praise Pujols in Dodger Blue. 

Would The Yankees COVID-19 Outbreak Have Been Avoided With The Pfizer or Moderna Vaccine?

Amid news yesterday that the CDC had lifted masks guidelines for fully vaccinated people came the news that eight members of the New York Yankees had tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated including shortstop Gleyber Torres. 

Unfortunately, this news was greeted with fever pitch for those who subscribe to Newsmax nonsense. No one ever said taking the vaccines would prevent one from getting COVID-19. But getting the vaccines will keep you from being hospitalized or dying. As it stands, only third base coach Phil Nevin experienced mild symptoms from which he has since recovered.

The common denominator here is that all eight Yankees members who tested positive for COVID-19 received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine rather than the double dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines which both have a higher efficacy rating. Would there have been COVID-19 outbreak on the team had these individuals utilized a mRNA vaccine instead of an adenovirus vaccine?

Naturally this lead to other questions. Did all Yankees personnel take the J&J vaccine? Or did some personnel take Pfizer or Moderna? What about the rest of MLB? Do teams have a blanket policy regarding a specific vaccine or is this left up to the individual?  It appears to be the former as there are reports the Boston Red Sox are receiving their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Then there is the question of whether the fully vaccinated Yankee personnel transmitted the virus among themselves or if they received it from someone who is unvaccinated. The former could again raise concerns about the efficacy of the J&J vaccine as was the case when its use was halted last month because of rare cases of blood clotting in women of child bearing age. If it is the latter might then it could be a result of vaccine hesitancy within the organization itself. Many Latin American born ballplayers regard vaccines in general with suspicion as do American born players from certain areas of the country. In other words, MLB is a microcosm of what it playing out in society at large.

It will be interesting if this COVID outbreak on the Yankees is but an aberration or a forewarning of things to come.

MTG's Boorishness Obscures AOC's Excusing Palestinian Terrorism

Georgia Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is a menace with more than a few loose screws. 

Stalking and screaming at New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and accusing her of supporting terrorists is unbecoming. For her part, MTG denies such behavior but given her past history I am not inclined to believe her. Of course, MTG exhibited this sort of behavior before she was an elected official when she confronted Parkland high school shooting survivor and gun control activist David Hogg outside of Capitol Hill in 2019. 

In this case MTG was speaking about BLM and Antifa rather than Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Regardless of who MTG was calling terrorists her actions serve only to draw negative attention to herself rather than to properly scrutinize AOC's views. There is a right way and a wrong way to criticize AOC (or anyone else) and MTG doesn't care about doing it the right way. I do.

After all, AOC has been making excuses for terrorists - foreign rather than domestic. Yesterday, the very day of the confrontation, AOC took President Biden to task for stating Israel had a right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks and then took it a step further:

By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions - which are condemnable - & refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence. This is not neutral language. It takes a side - the side of occupation.

While AOC says Hamas' actions are condemnable she does not condemn them and thereby denies Israel's right to defend itself against such violence. She also then falsely denies the Palestinians instigated the violence and falsely calls Israel an occupying power in Gaza. Israel left Gaza in 2005. AOC is right about one thing though. Biden's language was not neutral. He sided with good against evil.

While Waiting For My 2nd Moderna Shot, The CDC Further Loosened Mask Guidelines

 

This afternoon I received my second dose of the Moderna vaccine. Above is a picture of me in the waiting room following the injection in deep contemplation.

Shortly before getting the shot, I learned the CDC had issued an advisory that fully vaccinated people will be able to largely jettison masks both outdoors and indoors. 

The advisory was issued in part to encourage people who haven't already been vaccinated to get vaccinated. However, here in Atlanta, people have long been maskless outdoors. On Saturday, I went to a gathering in the Virginia-Highlands neighborhood called Porchfest and I would say 95% of the attendees did not wear masks and were in close contact with each other. I suspect a great many of these people were not fully vaccinated or vaccinated at all. For my part, I remained fully masked. At this point, my plans have not changed. Once I am fully vaccinated two weeks from now I shall not wear my mask outdoors unless I'm in a large, dense crowd of people like I was over the weekend.

As for wearing masks indoors there will likely be complications. Although Georgia does not (and never has) have a mask mandate, the city of Atlanta does. How long will it be before Atlanta drops this requirement? And even if Atlanta does it is possible individual establishments and commercial properties could wait longer to drop their requirements. Will these establishments and properties require proof of vaccination? Then there is also the question of commercial travel? How long will it be before buses, trains and airliners drop mask requirements?

All of this to say there will be some confusion where it concerns the wearing of masks indoors and at large outdoor gatherings. Invariably I think this will lead to increase in the daily COVID-19 caseload which has been falling steadily. But it is possible that the number of vaccinations might be sufficient to offset any possible increase in cases if it results in fewer hospitalizations and deaths. However, the daily vaccination rates have been declining and states have been implementing incentive programs most notably Ohio's $1 million lottery drawing for residents who have been vaccinated. 

I say all of this with the realization that this is good news and I don't believe this iteration of the CDC would have issued these guidelines haphazardly. After more than a year of living in conditions which has led to the deaths of more than half a million Americans, I am looking forward to a pleasant summer along with everyone else. 

As I have mentioned I will let the people of Atlanta finally see my mustache in its full glory in two weeks time. But I'll be keeping my mask close at hand.

Thoughts on Ohio Holding a $1 Million Lottery for Those Who Have Been Vaccinated

On Wednesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the state would be giving away five prizes of $1 million to five lucky Ohioans aged 18 and older who have been vaccinated beginning May 26th. There will also be a draw for those under the age of 18 with a prize of a full scholarship to any Ohio state college or university.  

First, I'm all for giving incentives to people to get vaccinated if it means the reduction in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Second, as far as incentives go it is hard to top a $1 million cash prize. If I were hesitant to get the COVID vaccine the thought of $1 million could alleviate that hesitancy. As it stands I am not hesitant (my second Moderna shot is scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon). If I were a resident of Ohio I would enter that draw in a heartbeat. 

Third, notwithstanding my second point, if DeWine had proposed spending that $5 million giving out $2,000 checks to vaccinated Ohioans instead of five $1 million draws then 2,500 individuals and families would benefit. As a matter of public policy, if federal COVID-19 funds are to be used to pay out cash to vaccinated individuals that money should benefit as many individuals and families as possible rather than arbitrarily benefit five "lucky people".

The same principle is true for the scholarship prizes. If one wants to encourage young people to get vaccines and get a college/university education in Ohio then scholarship money should be allocated to as many individuals as possible.

With that I wish those vaccinated Ohioans who become millionaires and those who receive full college scholarships all the luck and success in the world.

Royals Flushed; Lose 10th Straight Game After Leading AL Central in April

The Kansas City Royals have embodied the lyric "riding high in April, shot down in May" from Frank Sinatra's "That's Life".

After ending April leading the AL Central, the Royals have now lost 10 consecutive games. Their latest loss was took place on Wednesday as they were on the short end of a 4-2 games against the Detroit Tigers who just happen to own the worst record in all of MLB.

The Royals have gone from having a 1.5 game lead on the Chicago White Sox to 5.5 games back of the Chisox who are currently on a five game winning streak. The AL Central has quickly turned into a two team race between the Chisox and the Cleveland Indians who are only a game back. Eight of K.C.'s ten straight losses have been to the Chisox and the Tribe and all of those losses came at Ewing Kaufmann Stadium. The Royals have a day game against the Tigers tomorrow before they go to Chicago for a four game, weekend set against the White Sox. 

How does one explain the Royals' reversal of fortune? After a 4-4 start, the Royals won 12 of their next 17 games. However, most of those wins came against mediocre teams like the Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Tigers. The only .500 or above teams the Royals triumphed against were the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays - winning 3 of 4 against the Jays. But once they had to go up against contending teams like the Chisox and the Tribe the Royals were flushed. 

It isn't to say that their season is over in the middle of May. Danny Duffy has put in quality starts and former Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi has shone. But if they can't compete against Chicago and Cleveland then they will have no claim on the AL Central throne much less a Wild Card spot.

House Republicans May Have Ousted Liz Cheney But They Have Made Her Stronger

This morning House Republicans ousted Liz Cheney from her leadership post as Chair of the House Republican Conference unable to tolerate her persistent and, more importantly, truthful criticisms of former President Trump's role in last January's attempted Capitol Hill insurrection. 

Cheney's criticisms were amid Trump's persistent false claims that he won an election that he lost by 8 million votes. Last night, during a speech on the House floor, Cheney said she would not ignore the lie or embolden the liar. Because Liz Cheney will not tell a lie nor bend her knee to the man who told it, House Republicans have declared her persona non grata.

Cheney might be relegated to being a Republican backbencher with New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik likely to succeed her. But since Republicans haven't actually killed her they have actually made her stronger. 

Obviously she had name recognition by virtue of being the former Vice-President's eldest daughter. But now Cheney has made her own name and has done so in defiance of Donald Trump - a man most Republican officials despise but fear to criticize because of his bluster and that of his supporters. 

That Cheney voted with Trump 93% of the time was of no matter. She would not worship at his altar much less indulge his fantasies and fevered conspiracy theories that he was still President of the United States and for this she was punished with the loss of her job. But from where I sit Cheney looks at this development not as punishment but as a badge of honor she will wear happily even if at the risk of ending her political career.

Cheney is almost certain to face a primary challenger as the sole member from Wyoming in the House of Representatives. If such a challenge were successful she could opt to run as an independent and might just have the Capitol to pull it off. Should this be successful then Cheney will surely launch a bid for the White House in 2024. She could do it as a Republican although the GOP nomination is Trump's for the asking. The mere willingness to stand on a debate stage with Trump and stand up both to his bullying and for constitutional conservative principles might be sufficient to end his White House ambitions in failure. Cheney could also run as a third party conservative candidate in an effort to siphon votes from Trump although she would be seen in some circles as enabling Biden a second term but those circles already irrationally despise her. 

Whatever Liz Cheney chooses to do going forward the one choice she isn't going to make is to go away much less go away gently. Whatever one thinks of her ideology, her continued participation in the civic arena might mean the difference between preserving democracy or embracing authoritarianism.

Norman Lloyd, R.I.P.

 

Actor-director-producer Norman Lloyd, whose career began nearly 100 years ago and was a contemporary of Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock, passed away yesterday at the age of 106. 

It was only last week when I saw a 1960 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents which featured Lloyd when he was a mere lad of 46 as a man claiming to be the devil. I made a point of taking a picture and I'm glad I did.

If you came of age in the 1980's then you likely remember him from the cast of NBC's St. Elsewhere which featured a young Denzel Washington as one of his co-stars. Or you might remember him from Dead Poet's Society with Robin Williams along with a young Ethan Hawke.

But that only scratched the surface. Lloyd was part of the Mercury Theater with Orson Welles, appeared in Charlie Chaplin's Limelight and began a decades long collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock when he played a Nazi spy in his 1942 film Saboteur. Lloyd served as Hitchcock's associate producer of Alfred Hitchcock Presents directing 19 episodes and acting in a handful including "The Little Man Who Was There" (where he is pictured above). He would be elevated to executive producer of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Lloyd also produced shows such as The Name of the Game and Tales of the Unexpected. His directing credits include episodes of Chevron Theatre and the 1971 Columbo episode "Lady in Waiting" featuring Susan Clark. Some of his TV acting credits include Night Gallery, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, Kojak, Quincy, M.E., Wiseguy, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Murder, She Wrote and The Practice. 

Mind you this doesn't begin to mention all of his stage work and work in radio. His final credit took place with a small role in Amy Schumer's 2015 film Trainwreck.

Lloyd was an avid tennis player until he was 100. To give one a sense of his longevity, Lloyd attended Game 2 of the 2017 World Series between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The last World Series game he had attended was 91 years earlier when he attended Game 1 of the 1926 World Series between the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. Norman Lloyd was probably the last man on earth who saw Babe Ruth play in a World Series game. 

For further appreciation, I would suggest reading Alex Ross' 2015 piece on Lloyd in The New Yorker or Judd Apatow's 2016 profile of him in Vanity Fair. 

Norman Lloyd lived a long rich, interesting life irrespective of fame and money. We might not have the privilege of walking among Chaplin, Welles and Hitchcock but we can look to Norman Lloyd for inspiration. R.I.P.

MLB Gives The A's Their Blessings to Leave Oakland

The Oakland A's might soon be on the move. Major League Baseball has given the team its blessing to leave Oakland given the city council's stalling on approving a new ballpark on Howard Terminal.

The A's, baseball vagabonds which has taken them from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Oakland, have played in the Oakland Alameda-County Coliseum (these days known as RingCentral Coliseum) since 1968 and have long wished to vacate. Given how raw sewage rears its ugly and smelly head during rain delays it is not safe place to play baseball or any other activity.

I'm not unsympathetic to Oakland's concerns about the use of public money to finance a private facility and there is significant opposition in the community to the construction of the new stadium. Given these circumstances I believe the A's will leave Oakland by the end of the 2024 season when their current lease at RingCentral Coliseum expires - if not sooner.

Frankly, I would very shocked if the Howard Terminal Project ever got off the ground. Even if the A's won the World Series this year I think their days in Oakland are numbered. After all, the Golden State Warriors were the best team in the NBA for several years and that didn't stop them from leaving Oakland in 2019 to return to San Francisco.

The NFL's Oakland Raiders made their way to Las Vegas last year. Chances are this is where the A's will end up. Aside from the Raiders, the Las Vegas Golden Knights expanded into the NHL in 2017. How far behind can a MLB franchise be? 

Of course, there are other possibilities. Portland, Oregon and Vancouver would keep the A's in the AL West but this might not make the Seattle Mariners too happy. MLB could opt to expand down here in the South in Nashville or Charlotte. But that would involve realignment. I don't think the A's would move to Montreal. The Tampa Bay Rays are a more likely and logical candidate for that if MLB grants Montreal a new Expos franchise.

This is the A's 54th season in Oakland - the same number of years they spent in Philadelphia under Connie Mack. While in Oakland, the A's have won six AL pennants and four World Series titles including three consecutive championships between 1972-1974 and have inspired some very loyal, passionate fans who move Heaven and Earth or at least navigate I-880 and the BART to get from Point A to Point A's. There could be more championships as the A's currently sit atop the AL West. But, win or lose, all things must pass.

Ilhan Omar Accuses Israel of Terrorism After Defending Itself Against Hamas

Hamas launched rockets into Israel and Israel responded by using its Iron Dome.

However, according to Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Israel's act of self-defense is "an act of terrorism".

Omar complains, "Unlike Israel, missile defense programs, such as Iron Dome, don’t exist to protect Palestinian civilians." Well, yes, the Iron Dome exists to protects Israelis from rocket attacks from Hamas. If Hamas stops rocket attacks against Israel then Israel won't need to defend itself.

Of course, unlike Israel, Hamas deliberately attacks Israeli civilians. Which is the way Omar wants it.

In a follow up tweet, Omar stated:

Many will tell you Israel has a right to defend itself, to safety and security, but are silent on whether Palestinians have those rights too. Until we can defend the rights of Palestinians just as we do Israelis, we have no leg to stand on when it comes to justice or peace.

What Omar doesn't tell is that the Palestinians concept of self-defense, justice and peace includes suicide bombings on buses, restaurants and weddings. Israel does not behave in this manner when defending itself.

In condemning Israel, Ilhan Omar condones Hamas. 

In supporting Palestinian "self-defense", Ilhan Omar supports terrorism.

I just hope the MSNBC prime time lineup doesn't make excuses for Omar much less issues a blanket condemnation of Israel while turning a blind eye to Hamas.

As much as I loathe the GOP should they gain control of the House after the 2022 elections they have every right to not only strip Omar of her committee assignments but to expel her from Congress.

Tawny Kitaen, R.I.P.

Actress Tawny Kitaen passed away yesterday. No cause of death has been announced. She was 59.

Kitaen co-starred with a young Tom Hanks in Bachelor Party. She would achieve her greatest fame in the late 1980's appearing in several videos for the band Whitesnake including their biggest hits "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love?". Kitaen was married to Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale. Previously, she had appeared in music video and album covers for the heavy metal group Ratt and dated the group's guitarist Robinn Crosby. In 1991, Kitaen appeared in the classic Seinfeld episode "The Nose Job" and would be part of the cast of the syndicated The New WKRP in Cincinnati. 

Unfortunately, Kitaen got headlines for alcohol, drug abuse and domestic violence - the latter of which end her second marriage to former MLB pitcher Chuck Finley. In the mid to late 2000's, Kitaen would appear on reality shows like The Surreal Life and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. 

Still, she was part of a lot of people's childhoods including my Facebook and Twitter Laura Axelrod who tweeted her remembrances of Kitaen and the tweet just blew up.

Whatever her troubles and what role they might have played in her demise, 59 is still a far too young an age to depart the world and leave daughters behind. R.I.P.

Wade Miley Tosses 4th No-Hitter in 2021 & Second No-No in 48 Hours

Cincinnati Reds southpaw Wade Miley tossed a no-hitter last night against the Cleveland Indians last night en route to a 3-0 victory. 

Miley's gem is the fourth no-hitter of the 2021 MLB season and second within 48 hours. On Wednesday, Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means no-hit the Seattle Mariners. Last month, Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history against the Texas Rangers while Chicago White Sox hurler Carlos Rodon no-hit Cleveland Indians five days later. So this is the second time in less than a month that the Tribe have been on the wrong end of a no-hitter.

Miley's no-hitter is the second thrown in interleague competition this season along with Musgrove. It is also the third of four no-hitters thrown on the road this season. Only Rodon's gem was thrown in front of the home fans. This was the first no-hitter for a Reds pitcher since Homer Bailey no-hit the San Francisco Giants in 2013. Not nearly as long a wait as a 30-year drought for the Orioles and more than half a century for the Padres, but a treat for Reds fans just the same.

Of course, there are many who believe the no-hitter tally should be at five with Madison Bumgarner throwing one in the second game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves last month. The problem is that doubleheaders are now only 7 innings apiece but MLB only recognizes 9 inning no-hitters. 

Miley, 34, is in his 11th season in MLB. A first round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, he made his big league debut in 2011. A 16 win season in 2012 earned him his only All-Star team selection and enough votes to be runner in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting to Bryce Harper. But since 2015 Miley has bounced around - Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros before signing with the Reds as a free agent prior to the 2020 season. 

During the COVID shortened 2020 season, Miley struggled going 0-3 with a 5.65 ERA in six appearances. However, in six starts this season Miley is 4-2 with a 2.00 ERA.

One notable thing about Miley's no-no. At the urging of his 4-year old son, Miley sported a temporary Hulk tattoo on his pitching forearm. Under the circumstances, Miley will probably now have to do this for the rest of his career. Perhaps it will turn him from a .500 pitcher into the next Sandy Koufax or maybe the next Charlie Morton.

Lloyd Price, R.I.P.

Rock 'n roll pioneer Lloyd Price passed away on Thursday evening. No cause of death was released but he had been in poor health for the past few years. He was 88.

Born outside of New Orleans, Price worked as a radio DJ when he was a teenager. In 1952, Price wrote and sung "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" which topped the R&B charts and became an unexpected hit with both black and white audiences. The song featured another rock 'n roll pioneer on piano - Fats Domino. Elvis Presley would later record his own version of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" in 1956.

Price's career stalled when he was drafted into the Army and served in Korea. By the end of the 1950's, Price would enjoy his biggest musical success with a cover of the traditional folk ballad "Stagger Lee" as well as  "Personality" and "I'm Gonna Get Married" both of which he co-wrote with Harold Logan. 

Although he would continue to record and perform, Price never managed to have another hit. However, Price wisely invested his money and would become a successful entrepreneur. with the Lawdy Miss Clawdy food brand and as a real estate developer. Price was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. 

On a personal note, I first remember hearing "Personality" on Happy Days while "Stagger Lee" was on an 8-track compilation of '50's and 60's music sent to us by my Uncle Andy and Aunt Diane who ran TeeVee Records during the 1970's and 1980's. Those songs have stuck with me and shall remain embedded even if Lloyd Price is no longer here to sing them. R.I.P.

Bottoms Will Not Seek Re-Election as Atlanta Mayor UPDATE

"Wow!!!" "Wow!!!" "Wow!!!" "Wow!!!" "Wow!!!"

Those were my exact words when I heard Brian Williams announce that Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms would not seek re-election this year.

Although Bottoms is facing a challenge from City Council President Felicia Moore her decision is shocking considering that she had declined an offer of a cabinet post in the Biden Administration back in December. Bottoms has reportedly accepted a position with Walgreens. 

In recent months, Bottoms has taken heat for being unable to address the rise in violent crime in the city. However, Bottoms' polling appeared to be in good shape. But how she might be polling in May isn't necessarily how she would poll in November. Perhaps she wasn't so confident of re-election.

Nearly a year ago, Bottoms appeared to rise to the top when she managed to condemn both the murder of George Floyd while condemning political violence which arose from it in downtown Atlanta. This would quickly lead to speculation that Biden could select Bottoms as his running mate. Of course, Biden would choose Kamala Harris and this turned out just fine.

Bottoms' departure from the mayoral race has fueled speculation that her predecessor Kasim Reed might embark on a political comeback.

A year in politics, as it turns out, is an eternity.

UPDATE: During her press conference this morning, Bottoms denied reports that she had accepted a position at Walgreens stating, "I don't know what's next."

Albert Pujols' Career Should Not End Being Designated for Assignment

The Los Angeles Angels have designated Albert Pujols for assignment. Pujols, 41, is in the final year of a 10-year contract with the Halos. In 24 games for the Angels this season, Pujols was hitting .198 with 5 HR and 12 RBIs.

Pujols was not the player with the Angels he was with the St. Louis Cardinals where he won three NL MVP awards and two World Series rings in 2006 and 2011. In his first 10 seasons with the Cards, Pujols hit over .300 every year and drove in 100 or more runs and hit more than 40 HR six times. Although Pujols has had four 100 RBI seasons in Anaheim he never hit above .285 and had about half as many home runs as he had in St. Louis (445 vs 222). 

Still, Pujols is a first ballot Hall of Famer as he is fifth on the all-time home runs list (667) and third on the all-time RBI list (2112). A player of Pujols' stature should not end his playing career by being designated for assignment. Indeed, it appears he was benched at the request of team ownership rather than by Angels skipper Joe Maddon. He deserves a chance to say goodbye to the fans on his own terms whether it be by returning to St. Louis or reuniting with Tony LaRussa on the South Side of the Chicago. 

Johnny Bench, Carl Yastrzemski, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz have all gone out on their own terms. Albert Pujols deserves the same.

The Importance of Willie Mays' 90th Birthday

Willie Mays, The Say Hey Kid and Major League Baseball's greatest living player, is celebrating his 90th birthday today.

Mays is not the oldest person to have ever played MLB. On that score, Mays is the 74th oldest living MLB player. Until yesterday he had been 75th. Sadly, former Milwaukee Braves great Del Crandall has left this mortal coil. But many remain with us. Several members of the 1960 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates are older than Mays - Dick Groat, Vernon Law and Elroy Face (who are 90, 91 & 93, respectively). Mays' former Giants teammate Billy Gardner is 93 while rival Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine is 94. There are even a couple of centenarians - journeyman first baseman Eddie Robinson and the aptly named George Elder who played in 41 games for the St. Louis Browns back in 1949.

But Mays is the oldest living Hall of Famer and since April 2020 10 of his fellow Cooperstown honorees have passed away - Al Kaline, Tom Seaver, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford, Joe Morgan, Tommy Lasorda, Phil Niekro, Don Sutton and Hank Aaron compounding the sorrow of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of all this sadness and Joe DiMaggio long gone the nation turns its lonely eyes to Willie Mays to be baseball's elder statesman.

He has long had the credentials - 1951 NL Rookie of the Year, two NL MVPs more than a decade apart (1954 & 1965), a World Series ring in 1954 along with an over the shoulder basket catch which secured his fame not to mention 12 Gold Gloves, 24 NL All-Star Team selections becoming the first player to win the All-Star Game MVP twice (1963, 1968). This achievement has since been matched by Steve Garvey, Gary Carter, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mike Trout. A Giant on both coasts he would end his career back in New York as a Met. In all, Mays had 3,283 hits for a lifetime batting average of .302 with 660 HR and 1903 RBIs. Had he not missed two seasons due to military service there is a case to be made that Mays might have eclipsed Aaron in both HRs and RBIs. 

Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 with 94.7% of the BBWAA vote, this triumph was marred by MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn shortsighted decision to put Mays and Mickey Mantle on the ineligible list because they worked as greeters in an Atlantic City casino. Kuhn's successor Peter Ueberroth wisely overturned this foolish edict. Baseball is a better place with Willie Mays in it and it is about we appreciate him while he still walks among us.

As amazing as Mays' catch was back in 1954 perhaps even more amazing was the catch he made on Old Timers Day at Shea Stadium in 1981 when he was a mere lad of 50. Happy 90th with many more catches to come.

Del Crandall, R.I.P.

Former big league catcher turned manager and broadcaster Del Crandall passed away yesterday. No cause of death has been announced. He was 91.

A native of Southern California, Crandall signed with the Boston Braves out of high school in 1948 and would make his big league debut with the club the following season at the age of 19. Crandall was the last surviving member of the Boston Braves.

Crandall would miss two seasons due to military service. When he returned to the Braves in 1953 the team had moved to Milwaukee. Crandall would have his best seasons in Milwaukee. From 1953 to 1962 when he was arguably the best catcher in the National League, Crandall was named to 11 NL All-Star games and four Gold Gloves and would appear in back to back World Series in 1957 and 1958 earning a ring in '57. He hit 15 or more HRs every year between 1953 and 1960 providing protection for Hank Aaron and Eddie Matthews. Crandall also caught Hall of Famer Warren Spahn for the bulk of his career. The only pitcher-catcher combination with more appearances together in MLB history is Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan with the Detroit Tigers in the 1960's and early 1970's. 

An elbow injury forced Crandall to miss the entire 1961 season. With the emergence of Joe Torre behind the plate, the Braves would trade Crandall to the San Francisco Giants following the 1963 season in a multi-player deal which would see fellow future big league manager Felipe Alou come to Milwaukee. After one season in San Francisco, Crandall would spend 1965 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and 1966 with the Cleveland Indians before hanging up his catcher's mitt. In 1573 big league games, Crandall collected 1276 hits for a lifetime batting average of .254 with 179 HR and 657 RBI. 

After two years out of baseball, Crandall would join the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization in 1969 and managed the Albuquerque Dodgers in the Double-AA Texas League leading the team to a championship in 1970. In 1971, Crandall joined the Milwaukee Brewers and was named manager of the team's Triple-AAA affiliate in Evansville. Crandall would return to Milwaukee in late May of 1972 when he replaced Dave Garcia as the team's manager. The Brewers would never finish better than fifth in the AL East before being let go on the last day of the season in 1975. Crandall's tenure with the Brewers is best remembered for his decision to make 18-year old Robin Yount the team's everyday shortstop.

In 1976, Crandall joined the California Angels as the manager of their Single-A affiliate in Salinas guiding the team to a championship in the California League. Crandall would be promoted to big league team as first base coach under Norm Sherry and later Dave Garcia, the man he replaced in Milwaukee five years earlier.

Crandall rejoined the Dodgers' organization in 1978 and would manage the Albuquerque team once more. By this time they were known as the Dukes and were part of the the Triple-AAA Pacific Coast League. Under Crandall's leadership, the Dukes won four Pacific Coast League championships in five seasons. 

In late June of 1983, Crandall got a second chance to manage at the big league level when he succeeded Rene Lachemann at the helm of the Seattle Mariners. Unfortunately, Crandall's success as a minor league manager never translated on the big league level and he would be replaced by Chuck Cottier late in the 1984 season.

Crandall would turn his attention to the broadcast booth becoming a color commentator for the Chicago White Sox between 1985-1988 and later with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992-1994. He would return to the Dodgers as a minor league manager in 1995 and retired from baseball in 1997. 

As one of the best catchers in MLB history, Crandall deserved more Cooperstown consideration but could never get above 4% of the vote in his four years on the BBWAA ballot between 1976-1979. I leave you with an interview Crandall did a few years back reflective on his life in baseball. R.I.P.

Ray Miller, R.I.P.

Former big league pitching coach and manager Ray Miller passed away on May 4th. No cause of death was released. He was 76.

Miller was a minor league pitcher in the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles' organizations from 1964 to 1973. In 1974, Miller made the transition to coaching when he was named pitching coach of the Rochester Redwings - the Triple-AAA affiliate of the Orioles - for whom he had pitched from 1971-1973. 

In 1978, Miller was to have finally reached the major leagues when he was named pitching coach of the Texas Rangers. However, when longtime Orioles pitching coach George Bamberger was named manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, Miller was offered the position and the Rangers permitted him to go to Baltimore. 

Miller helped guide Mike Flanagan and Steve Stone to career seasons as they would win the AL Cy Young Award in 1979 and 1980, respectively. The O's would win the AL pennant in 1979 and the World Series in 1983.

Mid-way through the 1985 season, Miller was offered the opportunity to manage the Minnesota Twins succeeding Billy Gardner. However, he would be canned before the end of the 1986 season and replaced by Tom Kelly who would guide the team to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991.

As for Miller he would once again become a pitching coach this time for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Miller would serve under Jim Leyland in this capacity from 1987 to 1996 and was part of the three consecutive NL East division winners from 1990 to 1992. While with the Bucs, Miller would coach his third Cy Young winner - Doug Drabek in 1990.

In 1997, Miller would return Baltimore and once again serve as the Orioles pitching coach. The following season Miller would replace Davey Johnson as the O's manager and served in that role for two seasons before being replaced by Mike Hargrove. In parts of four seasons as a big league manager, Miller went 266-297. 

Miller would become the Orioles' pitching coach for the third and final time during the 2004 and 2005 seasons but an aneurysm would end his coaching career.

In 2010, Miller was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. R.I.P.

John Means Throws First Orioles' No-Hitter in Nearly 30 Years

Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means threw MLB's third no-hitter of the 2021 season on Tuesday as the Seattle Mariners failed to get a hit off him. Sam Haggerty was the only Mariner who reached base after striking out on a wild pitch.

This is the first Orioles' no-hitter in nearly 30 years. In June 1991, Bob Milacki, Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson and Gregg Olson threw a combined no-hitter against the Oakland A's. Means the first Orioles pitcher to throw a complete game no-hitter in more than half a century. In August 1969, Jim Palmer no-hit the Oakland A's. 

As mentioned earlier, Means has the third no-hitter of the 2021 season. In April, Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres and Carlos Rodon of the Chicago White Sox spun no-hitters. Some would argue there have been four no-hitters in 2021 as Arizona Diamondbacks ace Madison Bumgarner didn't allow a hit against the Atlanta Braves late last month in the second game of a doubleheader. However, doubleheaders are only 7 innings but MLB does not recognize no hitters fewer than 9 innings.

But there is no question as to Means' achievement. Means, 28, improves to a 4-0 record with a 1.37 ERA in seven starts this season. Not bad considering the Kansas born southpaw was an 11th round draft pick by the Orioles in 2014. In 2019, Means was runner up in AL Rookie of the Year balloting and an All-Star. After a so-so sophomore campaign in 2020, it appears Means will have his way to have a breakthrough season in 2021. 

Could India Overtake U.S. With World's Most COVID-19 Cases By Next Month?

In recent weeks, COVID-19 has reserved its greatest havoc for India. Yesterday, India recorded more than 400,000 new COVID-19 cases. It won't be long before India crosses the 20 million case mark. According to Johns Hopkins University, India has 19,557,457 COVID-19 cases while the U.S. currently has 32,418,583 cases.

When India surpassed Brazil for the second in the world for the most COVID-19 cases in September 2020 the possibility of overtaking the U.S. for the most cases was raised. But the U.S. would have its own third wave from November 2020 to January 2021. However, community spread in the U.S. has receded considerably while COVID in India began to surge in March and accelerated in April. The surge has been attributed to the population not observing masking and social distancing with mass gatherings for malls, sporting events, religious ceremonies and political rallies for various state legislative elections. Vaccine dissemination has also proven inefficient.

Today, the United States recorded 45,303 new COVID-19 cases. If India continues to record 400,000 new cases a day and if the U.S. continues to record 45,000 new cases a day then India could overtake the U.S. in 37 days from now. That would be June 8, 2021.

Of course, it is possible that community spread in India could plateau while we see yet more increases in the U.S. But it would seem that India will supplant the U.S. when it comes to COVID cases sooner rather than later.

Olympia Dukakis, R.I.P.

Actress Olympia Dukakis, best known for her Oscar winning performance in Moonstruck alongside Cher, passed away today at the age of 89. No cause of death had been released but she had been in poor health over the past few months.

After toiling in obscurity for the better part of a quarter century in Off-Broadway stage productions and in regional theater (including Boston's Charles Playhouse), Dukakis was cast in Moonstruck by director Norman Jewison after seeing her perform in Mike Nichols' Broadway production of Social Security. Moonstruck would lead to appearances in movies such as Working Girl, Steel Magnolias, Mr. Holland's Opus and the Look Who's Talking movies. She would also stump on behalf of her cousin Michael Dukakis' 1988 White House bid. My favorite Olympia Dukakis role was her portrayal of Anna Madrigal in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City and its subsequent sequels. 

In recent years, Dukakis had returned to the stage devoting her time to teaching acting as part of the New York Drama Center and NYU-Tisch's New Studio on Broadway.

I leave you with Dukakis accepting her Academy Award. R.I.P.

Obama Succeeded in Having bin Laden Killed But Failed To Stop The Rise of ISIS

It has been exactly 10 years since U.S. Seal Team Six shot and killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

I remember that weekend well. On April 30, 2011, I was visiting my Dad in New York City and we made a point of going to the WTC site. At that time, 1 WTC Center was still far from complete and the area generally looked decrepit and forlorn and not without just cause.

The following morning I returned to Boston. That evening I was watching ESPN Sunday Night Baseball which featured the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the New York Mets. During the course of the broadcast, it was announced by Dan Shulman that Osama bin Laden had been killed. This would soon bring about chants of "U.S.A.!!! U.S.A!!!"

Meanwhile, in New York City, thousands crowded on the very ground my Dad and I walked on only a day earlier.

President Obama authorizing bin Laden's execution was a good thing. But killing Osama bin Laden didn't stop Ansar al-Sharia, an al Qaeda affiliate, from launching a terrorist attack at the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks killing four Americans. Nor did it stop a terrorist attack near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in April 2013. Nor did it stop the rise of ISIS which beheaded Americans on video in the summer of 2014 and took over much of Iraq and Syria. Mind you, it was President Obama who deemed ISIS "the JV team."  I can only hope that President Biden has learned from Obama's mistakes.

Obama may have saw fit to kill bin Laden, but he did not kill radical Islamic terrorism let alone recognize it. Islamic terrorism against the West has largely retreated in recent years. But it is merely biding its time.

The death of Osama bin Laden did produce a short term catharsis and a small measure of satisfaction. Simply put Obama helped win a battle, but he did not win the war.

MLB Notes for April: Giants Inch Above Dodgers in NL West

Although I am not watching a lot of MLB on TV I am keeping my eye on the standings. With this in mind, for the first time since the 2019 season I am going to write a monthly update on the current happenings in MLB.

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers have won 8 consecutive NL West titles and few had any doubt they would win a 9th consecutive division title myself included. To the extent the Dodgers would face any challenge in the NL West most (again myself included) thought it would come from the San Diego Padres. But the San Francisco Giants have interjected themselves into the conversation and end the month of April atop the NL West by a half game over the Dodgers.

The Dodgers began the season picking up where they left off beginning the season with a 13-2 record with a 4.5 game lead in the division. But over the past two weeks the Dodgers have lost 9 of their last 12 games. For their part, the Giants have simply been playing steady ball under the leadership of Gabe Kapler. The biggest difference for the Giants in 2021 has been the return of Buster Posey who opted out of the 2020 MLB season who is hitting .361 playing the way he did when the Giants won World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014. They have also been bolstered by a deep rotation anchored by Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeScalfini, Aaron Sanchez, Alex Wood and veteran Johnny Cueto with Jake McGee getting an opportunity to close games.

I suspect however the NL West will be more competitive than in past years. The Padres are out only 1.5 games back of the Giants while the Arizona Diamondbacks are two games out. The NL West will likely be decided by which team beats up the most on the last place Colorado Rockies who own the worst record in the National League.

In the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers enjoy a two game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds both 3.5 games back. Although the Reds and Pirates have identical records I think the moods on those teams are quite different. Few expected the Pirates not to be in last place. The Reds, fresh off a post-season appearance in 2020, began the year 9-5 but have lost 8 of their last 11 games. Alas the depleted Cubs find themselves in last place - an unfamiliar position for them in recent years. 

The NL East can be properly characterized as the NL Least. The Philadelphia Phillies lead the division with a .500 record. The Phillies have a one game lead over the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals and New York Mets while the last place Miami Marlins are only 1.5 games back. The Marlins could easily be atop the division in a matter of days.

Now let's go from west to east in the American League.

The Oakland A's began the season 1-7 but then went on a 13 game winning streak. However, the A's only have a one game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. The Mariners are seek their first post-season appearance in 20 years. The hated Houston Astros are 1.5 games back while the Los Angeles Angels are treading water at .500. Only the Texas Rangers have a losing record in the division.

The most surprising division in the junior league is the AL Central. The Kansas City Royals have a 1.5 game lead over the Chicago White Sox with the Cleveland Indians at the .500 mark. Although the Royals are only six years removed from a World Series title they had back to back 100 plus loss seasons in 2018 and 2019 along with an undistinguished COVID shortened 2020 season. Equally surprising are the Minnesota Twins who have winning back to back AL Central titles went 9-15 in April and are barely ahead of the last place Detroit Tigers who own MLB's worst record. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch isn't finding it so easy to win when his team doesn't have Alex Cora around to electronically steal signs.

Speaking of Alex Cora, he is having far more success in his return to the dugout with the Boston Red Sox. After being swept by the Baltimore Orioles on opening weekend, the Red Sox own MLB's best overall record at 17-10 with a 3.5 game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays who sit at .500. The Bosox are doing remarkably well considering Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley, Jr. are no longer patrolling the outfield at Fenway Park. The defending AL champion Tampa Bay Rays are a game under .500 while the New York Yankees find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being tied for last place with the O's. 

So where will be in a month's time? Can the Giants hold off the Dodgers? Will the real Cincinnati Reds stand up? Does anyone want to win the NL East? Will the Astros disappoint the A's and Mariners' post-season dreams? Will the Royals be rendered common? And are the Yankees truly a last place team? We shall find out after Memorial Day.