Jerry Remy, R.I.P.

Former MLB player, longtime Boston Red Sox TV color commentator, author and restauranteur Jerry Remy passed away last night after more than a decade long struggle with lung cancer. He was 68.

Back in June, Remy abruptly left the broadcast booth during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, following shortness of breath requiring hospitalization. Remy would resume his duties later that month, but his cancer would return in August forcing him to the sidelines once more. He would make his final public appearance at Fenway Park earlier this month when he threw out the first pitch to longtime teammate and broadcast colleague Dennis Eckersley prior to the AL Wild Card game against the New York Yankees.

A native of Somerset, Massachusetts, Remy was drafted by the California Angels in 1971 and would make his big league debut with the club in 1975 becoming their everyday second baseman. Following the 1977 season, the Angels traded Remy to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Don Aase. In 1978, Remy would be named to his lone AL All-Star team. Remy had little power (he only hit 7 HR in his 10 year MLB career) but had excellent speed stealing 30 or more bases in each of his first four MLB seasons until knee injuries curtailed his baserunning ability. But he remained a good contact hitter and an above average defender at second base. Remy finished his playing career with the Bosox in 1984. In 10 big league seasons, Remy appeared in 1154 games collecting 1226 hits for a lifetime batting average of .275 with 7 HR, 329 RBI and 208 career stolen bases.

In 1988, Remy would join the Red Sox broadcast booth and would remain a fixture there for more than three decades despite his illness. Remy combined his knowledge of the game with an endearing sense of humor which would later earn him the title of President of Red Sox Nation. Remy also authored 8 books including five about Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster who Remy helped get over with Red Sox Nation after initial resistance to having a mascot. Affectionately known as Rem Dawg, Remy owned several restaurants in the Boston area bearing that name.

Unfortunately, the past decade or so had been a struggle with Remy not only for his fight with cancer but his family's legal troubles especially his son Jared who murdered his girlfriend and is serving a life sentence. Through it all Remy maintained his dignity and sense of humor even while losing a tooth during a Red Sox broadcast. R.I.P.

Left-Wing Hostility Towards Kinzinger is Misplaced

When Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger announced on Friday that he would not seek a seventh term to the House of Representatives Trump World was predictably pleased. After all, Kinzinger was one of only 10 Republican Congressmen who voted to impeach former President Trump for his role in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol and has, along with Liz Cheney, served on the House Select Committee to investigate said attack. For his part, former President Trump simply said, "2 down, 8 to go!"

But many left-wingers were equally disdainful even while acknowledging his vote to impeach Trump.

Don Winslow: "Before you going getting all boo hoo, remember this:

Adam Kinzinger voted 90% of the time for Trump policies. 90%."

Majid Padellan (a.k.a. BrooklynDad_Defiant): "WHOA! Rep. Adam Kinzinger has decided not to run for reelection. While I appreciate him voting to impeach trump, I also remember he voted for trump policies most of the time, so buh bye."

Avenger Resister: "Adam Kinzinger voted with Trump 90% of the time so no, I won’t miss him. Let’s flip it blue!"

Ricky Davila: "People are calling Adam Kinzinger a principled Republican just because he’s been an outspoken MAGA critic, but all I remember is that he voted against the John Lewis Voting Rights Act as well as voted for Agolf Twitler and 90% of his destructive policies. All I see is GQP."

The common thread here is that Kinzinger should not be admired because he voted with Trump 90% of the time. In so doing they miss the point in its entirely. In Trump World, supporting Trump 90% of the time is treason. It's either 100% or 0%. You're all in or you're all out.

Adam Kinzinger isn't a liberal and has never pretended to be one. Like Cheney, he drew a line when Trump saw fit to prevent the peaceful transition of power and, in so doing, put an end to his career as an elected official. Not only has Kinzinger been disowned by Republicans, he has been disowned by members of his own family.

By all means feel free to disagree with his votes but to suggest Kinzinger is nothing more than a QAnon supporter is both delusional and dishonest. The left-wing hostility towards Kinzinger is simply misplaced and is every bit as nasty as that coming from Trump supporters. In which case, perhaps they are two of a kind and are no better than the Trump supporters they claim to despise.

Bob Melvin Leaves The A's After 11 Seasons to Manage The Padres

In a shocking development, longtime Oakland A's manager Bob Melvin will reportedly leave the club after 11 seasons at the helm to manage the San Diego Padres. Although Melvin had one year left on his existing contract in Oakland, the A's evidently gave Melvin their blessings to interview with the Padres who have offered him a three year contract. 

Melvin succeeds Jayce Tingler who was fired after the Padres' second half collapse. I knew the Padres would hire an experienced manager though I thought they might make an offer to Buck Showalter. Melvin certainly has experience having managed on the big league level for nearly 20 years. His big league managerial experience began with the Seattle Mariners in 2003. After two seasons in Seattle, Melvin would manage the Arizona Diamondbacks for four plus seasons guiding the team to the NL West title in 2007. But Melvin would have his greatest success in Oakland reaching the post-season six times most recently during the COVID shortened 2020 season. However, the A's never reached the ALCS during Melvin's tenure. Can he guide the Padres to a NL pennant and their first ever World Series title?

If nothing else, I think Melvin can keep Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis, Jr. from shouting at each other in the dugout. Still, with the talent they have the Padres will be expected to return to the post-season soon although I don't think the Los Angeles Dodgers are going anywhere anytime soon.

Of course, there is now a question of who will manage the A's in 2022. I would venture to guess that unlike the Padres, the A's will most likely hire someone with no previous MLB level managerial experience. The reason the A's allowed Melvin to interview with the Padres was to dump his $4 million salary. But if the A's are looking to dump their manager's salary then what other kind of salaries will they be dumping this off-season? If this is the case then Melvin is very lucky to have left on his own terms.

Mort Sahl Pioneered Stand Up Comedy, Improv & Political Commentary

Mort Sahl, an American original born in Canada, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 94.

It is a shame that Sahl isn't a household name in the way he was during the 1950's and 1960's. Because without him it is very unlikely we would have seen Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers and Whoopi Goldberg. With only a newspaper in hand, Sahl almost single-handedly pioneered stand up comedy, improv and political commentary. Sahl didn't tell jokes, but rather engaged in spontaneous conversation about our state of affairs. 

His star faded when he concentrated his energies on JFK's assassination. I don't know if turned off his audience so much as it turned off club promoters and TV executives. Sahl didn't disappear entirely, but he never recaptured his earlier stardom as his humor didn't resonate despite his role as a comedy pioneer. Yet his perceptiveness didn't disappear even if most among us couldn't entirely appreciate what he was saying. Consider what he said about Donald Trump back in 2005:

The movies have dissolved the Black man as a political force. The Black man has become a guy who just wants to get his necklaces and his tennis shoes and run a record company, so he can be as good as Donald Trump. You know what Preston Sturges would have done with Trump? He would have been Rudy Vallee, and he would have been a joke. But look where it is now. A guy who’s in Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Atlantic City is telling people what it is to be a failure. And there’s nobody on the air to satirize it.

So most people would be lost when it comes to Preston Sturges and Rudy Vallee. But in 16 years, Trump has lost an election and is telling people what is to be a failure. There are plenty of people on the air to satirize it but the horse left the barn. It would be funny if it wasn't so dangerous. 

We must also remember that Sahl didn't play favorites. It is easy to satirize Trump (and for good reason). But in most comedic circles satirizing AOC, Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi or Kamala Harris is verboten. Ideology should not get in the way of skewering the fallibility and foils of public figures. Sahl could skewer both JFK and Nixon in equal measure and with equanimity as demonstrated in this appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in October 1960. R.I.P.

The Judge Presiding Over Rittenhouse's Trial Has Guaranteed His Acquittal

I know this story is a couple of days old, but it is worth a bit of discussion given the fact the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager who crossed state lines into Kenosha, Wisconsin with a loaded weapon and ending up killing two people, is scheduled start on Monday.

Two days ago Bruce Schroder, the presiding judge in the case, ruled that the prosecution could not refer to the victims as victims, but that defense attorneys could refer to the victims as arsonists, looters and rioters.  

For his part Rittenhouse is claiming self-defense and Judge Schroder ruled that referring to the people Rittenhouse killed as victims would be prejudicial to the defendant. Now there are some judges who when presiding in self-defense cases do not allow the use of the term victim. This would be fine on its own. But Judge Schroder is allowing the defense to use language which is anything but neutral when it comes to the two people who are dead and cannot defend themselves. By allowing the the defense carte blanche to utilize such dehumanizing and inflammatory language, Judge Schroder has guaranteed Rittenhouse's acquittal before opening arguments have begun.

Should Rittenhouse be acquitted there will be more Kyle Rittenhouses arming themselves going across state lines to kill people while claiming self-defense and more victims who the justice system will not recognize as victims. As for Rittenhouse himself, I believe his acquittal will earn him an invitation to be a keynote speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Cardinals Will Reportedly Hire Marmol as New Manager

Reports have surfaced that the St. Louis Cardinals will name bench coach Oliver Marmol as the team's new manager. An official announcement is expected tomorrow, the day before the beginning of the 2021 World Series.

Marmol's hiring comes a week and a half after the Cardinals abruptly fired Mike Shildt despite making the post-season three years in a row. At 35, Marmol would become the youngest manager in MLB. Not only that but he is younger than current Cardinals pitchers Adam Wainwright, Jon Lester and JA Happ as well as infielder Matt Carpenter and catcher Yadier Molina who is entering the final year of his big league career.

Marmol has spent his entire professional career with the Cardinals' organization who drafted him as a player in 2007. In 2011, Marmol became a minor league hitting coach before spending the next five seasons as a minor league manager. The Cardinals promoted him to the big club in 2017 naming him the first base coach while Mike Matheny was still managing the club. In 2019, Marmol was promoted to bench coach under Shildt.

It will be interesting to see what kind of contract Marmol receives. What happens to Marmol if the Cardinals don't make the post-season in 2022 after making the post-season three straight seasons under Shildt? Then again maybe the Cardinals will attain full flight under Marmol.

JoAnna Cameron, R.I.P.

Actress JoAnna Cameron (a.k.a. Joanna Cameron), best known for starring in the Saturday morning live action show Isis (later re-titled The Secrets of Isis) passed away of complications of a stroke on October 15th. She was 70.

The Secrets of Isis was the first American TV show to feature a female superhero as the lead character when it debuted on CBS in September 1975. The Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman would make their prime time debuts the following year. I am just old enough to remember the show which was paired with Shazam! with several crossover episodes. 

However, in my adulthood, I best remember Cameron from the 1974 Columbo episode "Negative Reaction" in which she is featured as the love interest of the murderer played by Dick Van Dyke, in a rare role as a villain. Indeed, I learned of her passing on the Columbo Appreciation Society Facebook page.

Cameron had a relatively brief acting career appearing in films like How to Commit Marriage with Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason, I Love My Wife with Elliott Gould and Brenda Vaccaro and Pretty Maids All in a Row with Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson and Telly Savalas. Cameron would later act onscreen with Hudson in a episode of McMillan. Most of Cameron's work was in TV commercials. For a time, she held the Guinness Book of World Records for appearing in the most national TV commercials before leaving the profession altogether in 1980.

I leave you with an appearance Cameron made on The Merv Griffin Show circa 1978-1979 in which she discusses spending time in Hawaii and learning to navigate around rejection in Hollywood. R.I.P.

Jay Black, R.I.P.

Jay Black, lead singer of the 1960's band Jay & The Americans, passed away on Friday of pneumonia. Black had also been suffering from dementia which had forced him to retire from performing in 2017. He was 82. 

Born in an Orthodox Jewish family the Borough Park section of Brooklyn as David Blatt, he cultivate his talent for singing at shul. Blatt would change his name to Jay Black when he succeeded Jay Traynor as the lead singer of The Americans in 1963. After scoring a hit in 1962 with "She Cried", the group struggled for a follow up hit and Black was brought in to replace Traynor. 

With Black as the group's front man, they would have a huge hit with the Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart and Wes Farrell composition "Come a Little Bit Closer". The following year, Jay and The Americans would have another huge hit with "Cara Mia" which had been a hit more than a decade earlier in the U.K. for David Whitfield. Jay and The Americans would have one additional hit in 1968 with "This Magic Moment", a Mort Shuman-Doc Pomus composition which had previously been a hit for The Drifters in 1960 with Ben E. King on lead vocal. 

For nearly a half century, Black performed on the oldies circuit. His career, however, was marred by a gambling addiction which eventually left him owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes to the IRS. Whatever his financial troubles, Black sang like a million bucks every time. R.I.P.

Braves Win 1st NL Pennant Since 1999

The Atlanta Braves bested the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in Game 6 of the NLCS to win their first NL pennant since 1999. In the process, the Braves avoided a repeat of last year when they relinquished a 3-1 NLCS lead to the Dodgers. 

The Braves took the lead on a 3-run HR by Eddie Rosario who was also named the NLCS MVP. Rosario was even more dominant than Yordan Alvarez was in the ALCS going 14 for 25 (.560) with 3 HR and 9 RBI. Atlanta acquired Rosario in a trade with the Cleveland Indians at the trade deadline for Pablo Sandoval who never played a game in a Tribe uniform. 

Atlanta will travel to Houston to commence Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night. The Braves are vying to win their first World Series title since 1995. I think this makes up for not hosting the All-Star Game. 

Although this will be the first all Southern World Series, I suspect much of the country will be rooting for the Braves as the Astros have long been associated with the electronic sign stealing scandal. Although Astros manager Dusty Baker has nothing to do with the scandal and it would be nice to see him finish his managerial career with a World Series ring, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker has been with the Braves organization since 1977 and it would be nice to see someone who has paid their dues win themselves a World Series ring. 

Under different circumstances I might have been still been in Atlanta and possibly had a chance to experience my fourth World Series parade. But my heart wasn't into the Braves when I was there. Truist Park is in Cobb County and that might as well have been on the other side of the Earth. It is not part of the neighborhood the way Fenway Park is. For better or worse, the Red Sox are part of my soul and I am where I want to be. Still, now that the Red Sox are out of the picture, I shall be rooting for the Braves. 

Peter Scolari, R.I.P.

Actor Peter Scolari passed away on Friday following a two year battle with leukemia at the age of 66.

When I think of Scolari I always think of Bosom Buddies, the early 1980's sitcom in which he co-starred with Tom Hanks. The basic premise of the show were two men who dressed up as women to live in a women only hotel. I remember watching it when it originally aired and while I cannot claim I understood everything I liked what I saw. It would be more than 30 years before I saw Bosom Buddies again. The show did not age well except for the on-screen charisma between Scolari and Hanks.

Scolari would not attain the A list stature of Hanks, but nevertheless enjoyed a solid career in TV and on Broadway. For most people, he is probably best known for playing Michael Harris on Newhart for which he earned three Emmy nominations. He would also star in the TV adaptation of Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (as he bore a remarkable resemblance to Rick Moranis). Scolari would finally win an Emmy for his portrayal of Lena Dunham's father on Girls in 2016. 

I leave you Scolari juggling hams during a 1990 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. R.I.P.

Astros Win 3rd AL Pennant in 5 Years; Red Sox Have Nothing To Be Ashamed Of At All

The Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in Game 6 of the ALCS to win their 3rd AL pennant in five years.

The Red Sox had a 2-1 series lead and had a good chance of going up 3-1 when Nate Eovaldi appeared to have Jason Castro struck out but home plate Laz Diaz transformed into Joe West right before our very eyes. Instead, Castro singled and began a 7 run 9th inning and won the game 9-2. In fairness to Diaz, he did not leave 10 runners on base in Game 4. Nevertheless, it would knock the wind out of the Sox's sails. The Red Sox who had scored 9 runs in Game 2 and 12 runs in Game 3 would only score one more run in the remainder of the ALCS as the Astros went on all eight cylinders on pitching, offense and defense. Astros' DH Yordan Alvarez earned the ALCS MVP going 12 for 23 (.522) with a HR and 6 RBI including a 4 for 4 performance this evening.

The 2021 Boston Red Sox have nothing to be ashamed of at all. This was widely expected to be a rebuilding season. Boston was not expected to contend. Most picked a fourth place finish in the AL East just ahead of the lowly Baltimore Orioles. Instead, the Sox had a powerful offense up and down the lineup and had some surprise pitching performances from Tanner Houck and Rule 5 draft pick Garrett Whitlock. It was enough to reach the post-season for the first time since 2018. The Sox defeated the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card game and upset the defending AL champion Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS and managed to have the upper hand against the Astros in the ALCS until the 9th inning in Game 4. 

The Astros will face the winner of the NLCS. The Atlanta Braves currently have a 3-2 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in that series which resumes tomorrow night in Atlanta. Should the Braves prevail tomorrow or on Sunday it will mark their first NL pennant since 1999. It would also mark the first all-Southern World Series in MLB history. 

However, if the Dodgers come back and win it all like they did against the Braves a year ago then we will have a rematch of the 2017 Fall Classic. While that Series was spectacular at the time, the Astros blatantly cheated their way to a title and their cast of characters remains much the same. The Dodgers would get their World Series title last year. That was tainted by Justin Turner celebrating with his teammates on the field even though he had been diagnosed with COVID-19. 

Should there be another Astros-Dodgers World Series then I cannot bring myself to root for either team with this single caveat. The only good thing about the Astros winning the World Series would be that it would be a nice capstone on Dusty Baker's nearly three decade managerial career and would punch his ticket into Cooperstown. Still, I wish Baker's World Series triumph would have come elsewhere.

Despite not having the best of experiences in Atlanta, I am rooting for them against the Dodgers and will root for them should they face the Astros. Whoever faces the Astros in the Fall Classic will have a very tall order before them.

Manchin Prefers Nothing to Something Just Like Jayapal

During tense negotiations over the reconciliation bill on Capitol Hill among Senate Democrats yesterday, Joe Manchin told Bernie Sanders he would be "comfortable with zero" when it came to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. In other words, Manchin would prefer no reconciliation bill at all. Just the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill. 

When I read about Manchin's remark it very much reminded of when Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal told her supporters last week that nothing is better than something. In her case, Jayapal would prefer no infrastructure bill at all. Just the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. 

Needless to say this is beyond counterproductive. If there is no room for compromise within this wide crevasse within the Democratic Party then we can surely look forward to a Republican controlled House and Senate in 2022. There will be no infrastructure bill and there will be no reconciliation bill. We can look forward to a whole lot of nothing.

Which is why Senator Manchin and Representative Jayapal better get their heads out of their asses and give us something.

More Murder in Midtown Atlanta

About 48 hours ago, a young attorney by the name of Courtney Cox was murdered in her Atlanta apartment by her boyfriend who then engaged in gunfire at other residents in neighboring buildings as well as with authorities until he was eventually killed. Whether he died at the hands of police or by his own hand remains unclear. 

What is clear is that it is yet another reminder that Atlanta is a very dangerous city even in its safest neighborhoods and that I am glad I departed when I did. This homicide occurred at Atlantic House which was right down the street from where I worked. The murder of Katherine Janness and her dog in Piedmont Park took place exactly two blocks from where I lived. Nearly three months later, the case has gone cold while the fear remains hot.

Then, of course, there were the infamous Atlanta Spa Murders. 

Of course, no community is immune from crime. But what sets Atlanta apart from Boston is that homicides seem to occur in public parks and in business districts with some frequency. Boston, of course, has its share of violent crime, but a homicide taking place in Boston Common or in the Financial District is nearly unfathomable. Knock on wood.

One of the things which bothered me about Atlanta was the lack of community policing, let alone a police station. Boston, on the other hand, is filled with neighborhood police stations. I remember finding a wallet on the Belt Line and wanted to turn it over to the police. But the nearest police station was two miles away. I walked there and it turned out there was no police station at all. Eventually, I turned over the wallet to Midtown Blue which is an organization of off-duty police officers who patrol the neighborhood. The officer on duty asked me where I found the wallet. He looked at me funny when I said the Belt Line. But when I explained I tried to find a police station, he nodded his head in understanding. 

I'm not saying the presence of a community police station would have prevented what happened at Atlantic House, in Piedmont Park let alone the Atlanta Spas. The police, of course, cannot be everywhere. But having police accessible and present within the community at large builds confidence and can deter some crime. 

The cold fact remains is that a young woman with a promising career was cut down in the prime of her life and she was cut down in the place where she should have felt safest. 

Trump's Denigration of Powell's Memory Serves One Useful Purpose

Can anyone be surprised that former President Trump would denigrate former Secretary of State Colin Powell's memory the day after he died?

Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media. Hope that happens to me someday. He was a classic RINO, if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!

While I might not be surprised, nevertheless I shudder to think that a man capable of uttering such cruelty about another man who has just passed away and not been laid to rest once held the highest office in our land. General Powell was survived by a wife of nearly 60 years, three children and four grandchildren. What must be going through their minds when Trump spoke of him in that way? Needless to say, Trump didn't give them a moment's thought. Why would we? This is a man who gives his own family very little thought. So how could Trump be expected to extend a compassion he did not possess to someone else's family in their time of grief?

Yet we must never forget that Trump did once hold the highest office in our land because we put him there to say nothing of the significant portion of the electorate who fervently believes he still is the President of the United States. Even people who did not vote for Trump and wouldn't dream of voting for him delighted in his passing because of his role in the War in Iraq and other imagined sins. We can be a cruel people and our malevolence isn't confined to Trump loyalists.

Nevertheless, Trump has coarsened the civil discourse in this country in a way no one has ever before and we have mostly let him get away with it. Trump denigrated John McCain's heroism and the Republican Party nominated him anyway. Trump denigrated McCain in death and the Republican Party didn't so much as bat an eyelash. 

Oh, there will be some anger at Trump for a bit as there was after the January 6th insurrection. But it will recede quickly and GOP officials will quickly resume currying his favor. In the Republican rank and file, there will be no anger at all. They would not only nominate him again today but would be brought to their feet if he denigrated Powell in his acceptance speech. 

For all of Trump's innate cruelty towards Powell, it does serve one useful purpose. It reminds decent minded Americans how lucky we are that Joe Biden is in the White House and how we must keep him there come 2024.

Colin Powell is Among The 725K Americans Who Have Died of COVID-19 As Cases Top 45M

As of today, 725,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. The most famous among them is former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell who succumbed to its complications today at the age of 84.

It was a sad day not only for the loss of a man who served this country with distinction, but for the crass manner in which his passing was exploited. On the Left you had those who never forgave him for his involvement in the War in Iraq. The Right, upon learning Powell had been fully vaccinated, used today as an opportunity to claim that vaccines don't work without mentioning that he had multiple myeloma. You know the kind of cancer which inhibits the blood from producing anti-bodies. Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz actually managed to synthesize both sentiments when he tweeted, "Post-vaccine breakthrough infection kills more people than Iraq’s WMD’s ever did." Nice of him to discourage people from getting vaccinated.

Here are the cold facts. Today, we not only crossed 725,000 deaths but we also passed the 45 million case mark. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 45,048,605 cases resulting in 726,149 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.6%.

There is a sliver of good news though. Both community spread and deaths have seen modest declines. After taking 9 days to go from both 42 to 43 million cases and from 43 to 44 million cases, it took 12 days to go from 44 to 45 million cases. Yet keep in mind, it took 58 days to go from 33 to 34 million cases between May and July. And whereas it took 11 days to go from 675,000 to 700,000 deaths, it took 17 days to go from 700,000 to 725,000. Still, we must keep in mind it took 65 days to go from 600,000 to 625,000 deaths between June and August.

The question remains is whether we will continue to go into the right direction. Notwithstanding Powell's passing, the key is vaccination. The country is just about 58% fully vaccinated which puts us just ahead of Turkey and slightly behind Ecuador. We can do better, but a large minority doesn't want to do better.

R.I.P., General Powell.

Dodgers Will Face Braves in Rematch of 2020 NLCS; Giants' 107 Win Season is Over

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in the fifth and deciding game of the NLDS and will advance to the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves. A year ago, the same two teams faced off and the Dodgers overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the NL pennant before going on to win their first World Series title since 1988.

The game was scoreless until the 6th inning when the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead on a Corey Seager double. The Giants would tie it up 1-1 on a mammoth HR by Darrin Ruf. But the Dodgers would get the go ahead run in the 9th on a RBI single by Cody Bellinger.

Max Scherzer was brought on to pitch the bottom of the 9th for the Dodgers. With one out, Kris Bryant reached base on an error by third baseman Justin Turner. But Scherzer struck out both LaMonte Wade and Wilmer Flores to end the game and end the Giants' 107 win season on a sour note.

The Dodgers will undoubtedly be heavily favored against the Braves with a chance to win their fourth NL pennant in five years. But then again the Braves have something to prove. So it ought to be an interesting NLCS which begins Saturday night in Atlanta.

Cardinals Jilt Shildt

The St. Louis Cardinals have surprisingly fired manager Mike Shildt despite making the post-season three seasons in a row. After replacing Mike Matheny midway through the 2018 season, Shildt guided the Cardinals to a NL Central title in 2019 and back to back NL Wild Card berths in 2020 and in 2021. The Cardinals surged to a post-season appearance in 2021 on the strength of a 17-game winning streak last month helping them fly over the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. It was the team's longest winning streak in franchise history. However, the Cardinals were eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Wild Card game last week and evidently one loss was one loss too many.

Although Shildt had a year remaining on his contract, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak cited "philosophical differences" as the reason for dismissing Shildt. Those philosophical differences are apparently news to Shildt as he was "very shocked" to be out of a job.

Barring a more adequate explanation, this is a bush league move by an organization known to do right by people. Now should Shildt's successor take the Cardinals to a World Series title in 2022 then Mozeliak will be forgiven and showered with praise. But I have a feeling the Cardinals are going to have a very long season next year.

In the video posted above in which Shildt discusses the Cardinals 2021 season, he speaks about looking at Stan Musial's statue and not believing that he manages the Cardinals. Sadly, I don't think he will ever look at that statue the same way again.

Texas Teachers Told They Can Teach The Holocaust...As Long As They Present "Opposing Views"

Over the summer, Texas enacted a law intended to end the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. However, one school administrator in a Dallas suburb interpreting the law to exclude the teaching of certain historical events unless an alternative perspective is presented - such as The Holocaust:

A top administrator with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake advised teachers last week that if they have a book about the Holocaust in their classroom, they should also offer students access to a book from an “opposing” perspective, according to an audio recording obtained by NBC News.

Gina Peddy, the Carroll school district’s executive director of curriculum and instruction, made the comment Friday afternoon during a training session on which books teachers can have in classroom libraries. The training came four days after the Carroll school board, responding to a parent’s complaint, voted to reprimand a fourth grade teacher who had kept an anti-racism book in her classroom.

A Carroll staff member secretly recorded the Friday training and shared the audio with NBC News.

“Just try to remember the concepts of [House Bill] 3979,” Peddy said in the recording, referring to a new Texas law that requires teachers to present multiple perspectives when discussing “widely debated and currently controversial” issues. “And make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust,” Peddy continued, “that you have one that has an opposing, that has other perspectives.”

“How do you oppose the Holocaust?” one teacher said in response. 

“Believe me,” Peddy said. “That’s come up.”

The teachers inside that room were audibly taken aback. If only the American soldiers who had liberated Buchenwald had been there to listen to such nonsense. They could have given an education of their own.

Say what you will about critical race theory. If you don't like then disagree with it. But to ban it only leads to equivocation on the Holocaust. Indeed, such legislation was opposed in Missouri because it could preclude the teaching of the Holocaust without offering Holocaust denial materials.

I'm old enough to remember when James Keegstra flat out taught that the Holocaust didn't happen. That hasn't happened in Texas - yet. But if this is how the Holocaust is taught in the years to come there will be a lot more Keegstras and a lot more cowardly school administrators like Peddy allowing that to happen all in the name of banning critical race theory.

Texas Republicans can argue this is not what they intended in passing this legislation. But we all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We should also know you reach hell much faster with bad intentions.

Ray Fosse, R.I.P.

 

Former MLB catcher and longtime Oakland A's broadcaster Ray Fosse passed away yesterday of cancer at the age of 74. Fosse had originally been diagnosed with the disease in 2005 but did not reveal his condition until he stepped away from his broadcasting duties back in August.

Fosse had been a broadcaster with the A's since 1986 and this is the role in which most people remember him. But Fosse had a good career a catcher playing 12 big league seasons albeit one riddled with injuries - none more famous then when Pete Rose barreled into him at home plate separating his shoulder in the 1970 MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati.

Fosse enjoys the distinction of being the first player ever selected by the Cleveland Indians in the inaugural MLB draft in 1965. After cups of coffee with the Tribe in 1967, 1968 and 1969, Fosse emerged as a star player in 1970 resulting in an All-Star selection and the unfortunate crash with Rose. He would still win a Gold Glove for his defensive work that season as well as the following season. Indeed, Fosse had been selected to the 1971 AL All-Star Team but did not play in Detroit due to injury.

Shortly before the beginning of the 1973 season, the Indians traded Fosse and infielder Jack Heidemann to the Oakland A's for catcher Dave Duncan and outfielder George Hendrick. Fosse would become the A's every day catcher in '73 as the team moved 1972 World Series MVP Gene Tenace to first base. He would earn two World Series rings in an Oakland uniform although Tenace would get the majority of the catching duty back in 1974 after Alvin Dark replaced Dick Williams in the dugout.

After one more season in Oakland, Fosse was sold back to the Cleveland Indians prior to the 1976 season. Late in 1977, the Tribe sent Fosse packing to the expansion Seattle Mariners. Fosse would finish his big league career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1979. In 924 big league games, Fosse collected 758 hits for a lifetime batting average of .256 with 61 HR and 324 RBI.

Among those paying tribute to Fosse on social media included Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Jim Palmer, Reggie Jackson and Frank Thomas as well future Hall of Famer Mike Trout. There was also a moment of silence in honor of Fosse in San Francisco tonight prior to Game 5 of the NLDS between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of the kindest tributes came from Bay Area radio host Dan Dibley who tweeted:

I met Ray Fosse in the press elevator at the Coli in about '07. Before I could fanboy on him he was dropping knowledge about my show with @GaryRadnich and how HE was a fan of MINE. Turns out, he made everyone feel that special. What a great man and a great loss. #RayFosseRIP

It takes someone special to make everyone they meet feel special. R.I.P. 

Republican Anti-Vaxxers' Obsession With Nazi Imagery

Georgia Republican Senatorial candidate Herschel Walker cancelled a fundraiser with a Texas woman whose Twitter profile contained needles shaped as a swastika after initially denying there was any Nazi link at all.

At least, Walker was sufficiently chastened to cancel the fundraiser and distance himself from the use of Nazi imagery. Sadly, the same cannot be said of many Republican anti-vaxxers who casually invoke Nazi imagery in objecting to vaccine mandates and other COVID public health measures.

Last month when the ADL of Arizona chided Republican State Senator Kelly Townsend for likening vaccine mandates to the Holocaust, Townsend told the ADL to "learn their history." Imagine if Townsend had said this directly to a Holocaust survivor. Actually, it's not hard to imagine at all.

Some Republicans like Congressman Madison Cawthorn, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman John Bennett  Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have compared vaccine passports to the yellow Star of David Jews were forced to wear throughout Nazi occupied Europe. Mind you, Greene apologized for comparing mask wearing to the Holocaust back in June only to liken the Biden Administration's vaccine mobilization efforts to Nazi "brown shirts" three weeks later. Days later, Colorado Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert called those engaged in these efforts "needle Nazis."

I've objected to the use of Nazi imagery previously as well as Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey's likening vaccine passports to slavery. At the time I wrote:

Now one might not agree with the policy of a vaccine passport. But to invoke Jews wearing a yellow Star of David or slavery with regard to the merits of a vaccine passport is just plain demagoguery built on the foundation of ignorance and stupidity. 

The yellow Star of David singled out Jews and slavery singled out African-Americans rendering both groups not only second class citizens, but subhuman. Vaccine passports are a public health measure which apply to all people regardless of their religious beliefs, race, gender or sexual orientation. 

Yet the ongoing effort of Republican anti-vaxxers to utilize Nazi imagery makes my blood boil. In so doing they minimize the deaths of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis and those who survived concentration camps. They defame those who died and mock those who have survived. It is anti-Semitism plain and simple. For all of their efforts to liken vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany, it is interesting how American Nazis are in solidarity with their anti-vaccine views.

Of course, if vaccine mandates were truly akin to the Nazis then the Marjorie Taylor Greenes, Lauren Boeberts, Madison Cawthorns, Kelly Townsends and Herschel Walker's Texas fundraising host would not be free to speak their minds. They instead would be incarcerated or dead. Not even a vaccine could save their life.

Pramila Jayapal: Nothing is Better Than Something

In a Zoom call resisting the trimming of the proposed $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill (which includes Medicare expansion) while being prepared to kill the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill already passed in the Senate, Seattle area Congresswoman and House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal proclaimed:

A lot of people have asked: ‘Isn’t something better than nothing?’ And the answer, quite simply, is no. Because when it comes down to something rather than nothing, it’s the same people who are forced to settle for nothing over and over and over again.

As my Twitter friend Melissa Quinn Amour put it, "Oh FFS." I couldn't agree more.

A $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill might be nothing to Jayapal and a reconciliation bill of say $2 trillion might be nothing to Jayapal, but it will mean a great deal to people who walk or drive over unsafe bridges on their way to see the doctor. 

Yes, I have my problems with the Joe Manchins and Kyrsten Sinemas of the world who haven't advanced concrete proposals, but so-called progressives aren't helping matters either. If Jayapal truly believes nothing is better something then we won't have a reconciliation bill nor an infrastructure bill. If Jayapal truly believes nothing is better than something then we will soon have a Republican controlled Congress in which she will have little to no power to yield.

Space is Truly William Shatner's Final Frontier

 

I have to admit that the ventures billionaires Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have taken into space have seemed little more than vanity projects that didn't do any to contribute to the good of our world much less beyond. As such I paid it little heed.

But I'll give Bezos credit for inviting William Shatner on his latest Blue Origin flight. Captain Kirk might have been a fictional character, Shatner's portrayal of him on Star Trek on the both the small and big screen has undoubtedly inspired generations of people to pursue careers in astronomy and space exploration. Shatner's presence on this flight buys Bezos goodwill and good publicity.

For a man of 90 to go into outer space demonstrates Shatner's remarkable constitution. Even with advances in medical science, most 90-year old people don't venture down the street much less out of this world even if only for a few short minutes. Shatner was very clearly moved by the experience which he shared with Bezos after returning to Earth. The Canadian born thespian told Bezos:

What you have given me is the most profound experience I can imagine. It hasn't got anything to do with the little green men and the blue orb. It has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death.

In a sense, space is truly William Shatner's final frontier.

When Someone Doesn't Want Their Book Published in Hebrew It Means They Hate Jews

For starters I must confess that I have never read a word of Sally Rooney's books. In light of the fact that Rooney refuses to have her latest book Beautiful World, Where Are You translated into Hebrew I sure as hell have no plans to do so now.

In refusing to have her book published in Hebrew, Rooney praised the BDS movement calling it "anti-racist." To the contrary, BDS is motivated by hatred fueled by a desire to rid the world of its only Jewish state. Rooney has made it very clear that she wholeheartedly supports this objective. Rooney has also made it clear she is not above using the apartheid smear:

I understand that not everyone will agree with my decision, but I simply do not feel it would be right for me under the present circumstances to accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people.

The Hebrew-language translation rights to my new novel are still available, and if I can find a way to sell these rights that is compliant with the BDS movement’s institutional boycott guidelines, I will be very pleased and proud to do so.

What does Rooney know about apartheid? Last I checked, a Palestinian Islamist holds the balance of power in the current Israeli government. Could a black person have held the balance of power under white minority rule in South Africa much less cast a vote?

Rooney's commentary is also disingenuous. She implies she could do business with an Israeli company which publicly distances itself from apartheid. But by virtue of being an Israeli company operating in Israel that entity would be part of that so-called apartheid. Indeed, BDS calls upon "cultural workers" to "boycott and/or work towards the cancellation of events, activities, agreements, or projects involving Israel, its lobby groups or its cultural institutions." A literary publishing house based in Israel would surely be a cultural institution.

She is equally disingenuous when she says she could sell the Hebrew language translation rights which is "compliant with the BDS movement's institutional boycott guidelines". North of 90% of the world's Hebrew readers live in Israel and a vast majority of those readers are Jewish. It's highly unlikely Rooney would find a Hebrew language publisher outside of Israel to translate her work and she knows it. 

When someone doesn't want their book published in Hebrew it means they hate Jews. Sally Rooney doesn't object to her book being published in any other of the world's 6,500 languages. Therefore Sally Rooney is an anti-Semite. If she wishes to shun Jews and our language then Jews and decent minded people ought to shun Sally Rooney and her words.

Freeman Launches Braves Past Brewers to NLCS

The Atlanta Braves will be going to the NLCS. They bested the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the NLDS on the strength of a Freddie Freeman solo HR off Brewers' closer Josh Hader in the bottom of the 8th. The 2020 NL MVP broke a 4-4 tie. 

Braves closer Will Smith came on in the 9th. After allowing a leadoff single to Eduardo Escobar, Smith got Kolten Wong to pop out and then struck out Willy Adames and Christian Yelich to punch their ticket to their second straight NLCS.

The Braves await the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants NLDS. The Giants lead that series 2-1. A win tonight would clinch a NLCS berth. The Dodgers, however, could force a fifth and deciding game in San Francisco on Thursday night. The Braves will begin the NLCS in either L.A. or S.F. on Saturday.

Should the Braves face the Dodgers it will be a rematch of last year's NLCS. The Braves held a 3-1 lead in the series before the Dodgers came back to win the series and go on to win their first World Series title since 1988. The Braves are seeking their first World Series title since 1995. 

Astros Reach 5th Straight ALCS; Face Red Sox in 2018 Rematch

The Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 10-1 in Game 4 of the ALDS to advance to their fifth consecutive ALCS. The Astros are only the second AL team to reach five straight league championship series joining the Oakland A's who did so between 1971-1975. The Atlanta Braves reached five consecutive NLCS contests from 1995-1999. The Astros will face the Boston Red Sox, a rematch of the 2018 ALCS starting Friday night in Houston at Minute Maid Park. Houston is 2-2 in ALCS contests besting the New York Yankees in 2017 and 2019 while falling short against the Red Sox in 2018 and the Tampa Bay Rays last year. 

I suspect most will root against the Astros for the lingering legacy of the 2018 electronic sign stealing scandal. But Red Sox manager Alex Cora was at the center of that scandal when he was a bench coach in Houston. Dusty Baker, on the other hand, is unimpeachable.

Nevertheless, I shall still root for the Red Sox. 

The Red Sox will need every bit of good fortune they can. Yes, Boston prevailed in 2018 but that was the year they won 108 games. Then again the Red Sox did just eliminate a Rays team which won 100 games. There's no reason they cannot do the same to the Astros. Love them or hate them though the Astros are formidable and a force with which to be reckoned. 

Red Sox Upset Rays to Advance to ALCS

The Boston Red Sox have defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 in Game 4 of the ALDS to advance to the ALCS. 

The Red Sox scored five runs in the third inning on a 3-run HR by Rafael Devers as well as a double by Alex Verdugo and a single by J.D. Martinez. However, the Rays would chip away. A fifth inning RBI groundout by Austin Meadows made it 5-1. 20-year phenom Wander Franco hit a 2-run HR to make it 5-3 in the 6th. The Rays would tie it in the eighth on a double by Kevin Kiermaier and a single by Randy Arozarena as the normally effective Ryan Brasier failed to retire a batter. 

It would be up to Rule 5 draft pick Garrett Whitlock to pitch two scoreless innings. The Sox won in the 9th on a sacrifice fly by Kike Hernandez. If the ALDS had an MVP then Hernandez would have been it going 9 for 20 with 2 HR and 6 RBI including a post-season record 7 consecutive hits. 

This is a monumental upset. I certainly didn't expect this outcome. After all, the Rays were the defending AL champions and had won a franchise record 100 games. In Game 1, the Rays overmatched the Bosox shutting them out 5-0 at Tropicana Field. But then the Red Sox would even the series in Game 2 with a 14 run outburst with Hernandez going 5 for 6 with 3 RBI and Martinez, despite being hobbled by an ankle injury, collecting four hits along with 3 RBI. 

Yesterday's game was a post-season classic going 13 innings with Nick Pivetta pitching four scoreless innings of relief. The Rays appeared to have had the game won on a Kiermaier double but the ball bounced off right fielder Hunter Renfroe into the Fenway bullpen for a ground rule double keeping Wandy Diaz on third base. Christian Vazquez would hit a walk off HR to give the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. Thank goodness they don't put a runner on second in extra innings in the post-season. But then why do it at all?

But that's a fight for another day. The momentum continued into today despite blowing a five run lead. Whitlock and Hernandez came through. 

The Red Sox will either face the Chicago White Sox or Houston Astros in the ALCS which commences on Friday on the road. The Astros have a 2-1 lead in their ALDS matchup and the Astros could clinch it tomorrow afternoon in Chicago. But the White Sox could tie up the series and force a Game 5 in Houston on Wednesday. 

I'm beginning to get excited. But I must temper my enthusiasm. Yet I cannot deny enjoying listening to Joe Castiglione calling Red Sox games on the radio again. Ever so slowly I'm becoming a Red Sox fan again. Ever so slowly I'm becoming a baseball fan again. But we'll have to take it day by day.

Of Course Trump is Going To Run in 2024

I don't why some people think it's a question of "if" former President Trump will make another White House bid in 2024.

What has Trump done for nearly the past year? He has absurdly claimed he won the election "by a lot" from the moment Biden was declared the winner. Two months less a day later, the former President inspired his followers to storm the Capitol in an effort to prevent the peaceful and lawful transfer of power. 

This is man who has spent nearly a year claiming he is still the President of the United States and has managed to convince nearly 80% of Republicans into believing him. This includes elected Republican officials who will not acknowledge Joe Biden as President of the United States or won't deny the election wasn't stolen as is the case with the number two ranking Republican in Congress. 

Of course, Donald Trump is going to run in 2024. 

It isn't to say there aren't other Republicans with presidential ambitions (i.e. Tom Cotton, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Kristi Noem) But none of that matters. The Republican nomination is Trump's for the asking. Consider what I wrote back on the Fourth of July:

There is every reason to believe that Trump will run in 2024. He doesn't need to ask for the GOP nomination. The Republican Party has become just like one of his properties - something which has lost its value except as a tax write off. Should Trump run in 2024 and lose yet again to Biden his screams of fraud will be ten times as loud. If there is a Republican majority in the House of Representatives then they will not certify Biden's re-election. Should that happen and the Supreme Court upholds it then all bets are off. We will cease to be a democracy. We might still be called the United States of America, but this would be in name only.

There are only two scenarios under which Trump would not run - he is in jail or he is dead. If he is in jail his supporters will view him as a political prisoner, a martyr worthy shedding blood over. If he is dead there will be a critical mass of his supporters who believe he is not dead or will return to save us like Jesus. Let's keep in mind these people think this guy is John F. Kennedy, Jr.

Thus the question isn't whether Trump will run. The question is will Trump win. 

I'm afraid this not beyond the realm of possibility. It is entirely possible Trump could defeat Biden in 2024. It is more likely that Biden will defeat Trump yet again and Trump will once again claim fraud. As mentioned above, a Republican controlled House would likely go along with him. And in the unlikely event they decided to certify Biden's win then Trump will try to gain the White House by force. 

Regardless of which scenario returns to the White House it will mark the end of America as a Republic and our democratic experiment will be over. Life in America as we know it will become nasty, brutish and short. Far more so than it is now. And a lot of us will have brought this on ourselves because we only know democracy and look upon it only with contempt. Once our democracy is gone we will want it back. We might get it back but it won't be in our lifetime. Until we do get it back there will be a lot of death and suffering before that happens. 

It doesn't have to be this way. The only way this happens is if a) Joe Biden is a successful President and b) should Biden be re-elected that the democratic guardrails can again somehow resist Trump and his supporters both in and out of government from seizing power. This is to what it has come down.

A Fannytastic Evening with June Millington

On Friday night, I attended the New England premiere of Fanny: The Right to Rock at the Brattle Theater here in Cambridge. The screening was part of the 2021 Boston Women's Film Festival.

This is actually my third time watching this movie and here were my thoughts on it back in July. As such, I don't have anything really new to add about the film itself other than it does make a difference when you're watching it in a theatre full of people. It makes for a far more meaningful experience. In case you're wondering, to get into the Brattle you had to be masked and present proof of either your vaccine status or a recent negative COVID test. 

The main reason I went to see to film tonight was because Fanny's lead guitarist June Millington would be in attendance. Joining her was Fanny: The Right to Rock director and producer Bobbi Jo Hart. The two had a conversation with the audience following the film. I joined in to tell June how she turned my world upside down. I thought I knew everything there was to know about early 1970's music until I heard June play slide guitar on "Ain't That Peculiar" last year. Given what she has gone through this year in fighting breast cancer I told her how gratified I was that she could be here to see the love people have for her music. Some of June's contemporaries like Tim Buckley and Judee Sill didn't live long enough to see their music appreciated in the way it should have been.

June performed a short acoustic solo set with a mix of 1970's Fanny songs ("Long Road Home", "All Mine" and a snippet of their cover of The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog") and newer material ("Girls on the Road" from the 2018 Fanny Walked the Earth album plus the live debut of "Girls Don't Dream (The Big Lie)") along with a spontaneous rendition of "The Letter" made famous by The Box Tops. She concluded the evening by reading a passage from her 2015 autobiography Land of a Thousand Bridges recounting the night she saw Albert King, Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana at the Fillmore West.

I stuck around to briefly meet with Bobbi Jo Hart as well as June's longtime partner Ann Hackler. Ann told me the evening reminded her of some of June's livestreams which she did until her cancer diagnosis. June would often be joined in her barn by her nephew Lee John, his longtime girlfriend Naia Kete and his father Earl Slick, who only played guitar for David Bowie and John Lennon. It was truly a family affair. Not many people watched but those who did were devoted and we knew we were in for a treat after a home cooked meal.

I volunteered to help Ann carry some gear and had the opportunity to carry one of June's guitars. Not exactly a roadie. A streetie perhaps. In any case, it is not everyday one gets to carry the guitar of a rock 'n roll pioneer.

Alas all things must come to an end. All in all though it was a Fannytastic evening.

Chris Taylor Puts Dodgers Past Cardinals in NLWC to Face Off Vs. Giants in NLDS

After more than four hours, the NL Wild Card Game has ended with Chris Taylor hitting a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 9th off Alex Reyes to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers will head to San Francisco to face off against the Giants in the NLDS beginning Friday. 

The only offense the Cardinals could muster was Tommy Edman scoring on a wild pitch by Max Scherzer. The Dodgers would tie the game in the 4th on a solo HR by Justin Turner. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would forcibly remove Scherzer in the 5th after his ace refused to hand over the ball. Roberts could have been second guessed, but the Dodgers bullpen threw 5.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Instead, it will be Cardinals manager Mike Shildt who will be second guessed after lifting T.J. McFarland in favor of Reyes. McFarland had walked Cody Bellinger with two outs and Shildt opted to have Reyes face Taylor who ended the Cardinals' magical run which saw them unexpectedly win a NL Wild Card berth.

Now it will be the 106 win Dodgers vs. the 107 win Giants. This is more worthy of a NLCS than a NLDS. Still, it's a great matchup. And it's Dodgers vs. Giants. 

With Jayce Tingler Out Could The Padres Turn to Buck Showalter?

The San Diego Padres fired manager Jaycee Tingler with a year remaining on his contract. 

In 2020, Tingler led the Padres to their first post-season appearance in 14 years during the COVID shortened season. Expectations were raised considerably after the Padres acquired the services of pitchers Blake Snell, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove as well as closer Mark Melancon to go along with the offensive juggernaut of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Eric Hosmer. 

The Padres got off to a promising start and even briefly held the lead in the NL West in late May. At the All-Star Break, the Padres were 53-40 and 3.5 games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the second NL Wild Card spot. San Diego went 26-43 after the All-Star Break to finish with a 79-83 record only 4.5 games ahead of the subpar Colorado Rockies.

Tingler's fate was probably sealed when Machado and Tatis, Jr. had a shouting match in the dugout at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 18th. The Cardinals, of course, would supplant the Padres for the second NL Wild Card spot. 

As with the Mets, I think the Padres need a veteran manager. One of the names I suggested for the Mets was Buck Showalter. I think Showalter would make even more sense in San Diego given his relationship with Machado. Showalter knows how to lay down the law. Indeed, Machado lobbied the Padres to hire Showalter after they dismissed Andy Green following the 2019 season. Given what the Padres just experienced, I think it would behoove A.J. Preller to listen to Machado. 

What Trump Means When He Says Losing The Election Was The "Real Insurrection"

Nine months ago today, the U.S. Capitol was stormed by Trump supporters who attempted to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

The former President is unrepentant about the events of that day:

The Unselect Committee of partisan Democrats, and two very weak and pathetic RINOs, should come to the conclusion after spending many millions of dollars, that the real insurrection happened on November 3rd, the Presidential Election, not on January 6th—which was a day of protesting the Fake Election results.

Now whether the former President actually believes what he says is beside the point. The point is he said the election (and losing it) was the real insurrection and that the events of January 6th were merely a day of protest. Trump says these things and millions of people take him at his word (except when it comes to getting vaccines). But on this they believe him.

With this in mind, when Trump speaks he is talking to his supporters and this is what he is telling them. First, he is saying that Americans who freely voted him out of office are the ones who were engaging in an act of insurrection and that those votes don't count. That is what he truly means by "Fake Election results". Second, he is telling that the violent protests which took place on January 6th are acceptable, something that they should be proud of and something that he would like to see more of it until he is returned to the White House by hook or by crook. 

Unfortunately, January 6th is only the beginning. Last year, I feared Trump supporters would commit the kind of election day violence one would see in India or Nigeria. With the genie out of the bottle and Trump only emboldened and his supporters more fervent it would not shock me if we saw election day violence in Democratic precincts particularly in African-American or Hispanic majority areas come 2022. If Trump views voting as the real insurrection then I'm afraid there will be blood. If this comes to pass will it embolden opposition to him or will it submit to his will?

The fact that I feel the need to pose the question does not bode well for the future of America as a democracy.

U.S. COVID-19 Cases Top 44 Million Amid Vaccine Misinformation

The United States has now surpassed 44 million COVID-19 cases. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 44,054,979 cases resulting in 707,710 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.6%. 

It took 9 days to go from 43 to 44 million cases as it did when we went from 42 to 43 million cases. Things aren't getting worse but they aren't getting better either. When we get to 45 million cases I hope the number of days it takes to get there are in double digits. This might be a lot for which to ask, but we ought to ask. 

We should ask because when COVID cases hit 43 million, President Biden took his booster shot. "Comedian" Joe Rogan suggested Biden faked getting the shot. It would be a joke if not for the fact that millions of people listen to Rogan's podcast and take what he says as the gospel truth. It's also no laughing matter when Rogan likens vaccine mandates to Nazi Germany. If what Rogan said was true then he would not have a podcast much less be alive. Rogan knows nothing of what he speaks but this does not prevent him from speaking. In this respect he is much like former President Trump when he claims he won the 2020 election. 

But so long as the Rogans of the world are taken more seriously than the Dr. Fauci's of the world then things aren't going to get better. As long as the Rogans of the world are taken seriously then we are going to have anti-vaxxers harass parents and their children who get vaccinated. As long as Americans refuse to get vaccinated then more Americans are going to get sick, go to the hospital and die. And perhaps kill America in the process.

Red Sox Beat The Yankees in AL Wild Card & All is Well With The World For Now

Now I really know I'm back home. The Boston Red Sox have beaten the New York Yankees 6-2 to win the AL Wild Card and will advance to the ALDS against the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays.

Of course, I picked the Yankees to beat the Red Sox and to go on and win the World Series. Perhaps it is the New England pessimism I have accrued over time but what I want and what I believe will happen are seldom the same thing.

In this instance, I am delighted to have been wrong because the Red Sox beating the Yankees never gets old and all is well with the world for now. 

With that I don't see the Red Sox getting past the Rays. But that's another conversation for later. Here's what happened tonight.

The Red Sox got off to a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st on a 2-run HR by Xander Bogaerts. Kyle Schwarber, acquired from the Washington Nationals in mid-season, hit a solo shot in the 3rd to give the Bosox a 3-0 lead and knocked out Gerrit Cole after only 2 plus innings.

Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi struck out 8 batters over 5.1 IP. But Eovaldi gave up a solo HR to Anthony Rizzo and was then removed by Sox manager Alex Cora when Aaron Judge beat out a ground ball hit to Bogaerts. Red Sox radio broadcaster Sean McDonough seemed exasperated, "I'm stunned." 

Ryan Brasier appeared to have given up a game tying HR to Giancarlo Stanton but it grazed the Green Monster. Inexplicably Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin gave Judge the green light to go home. Centerfielder Kike Hernandez made a perfect relay throw to Bogaerts who threw Judge out at the plate by a mile. Disaster averted.

Alex Verdugo would have two key hits in the game. He doubled in the sixth off Luis Severino to give the Sox a 4-1 lead and then hit a two run single off Jonathan Loaisigia in the seventh to give the Sox a 6-1 lead.

Verdugo's two hits gave the Red Sox enough breathing room that Stanton's solo HR with one out in the 9th off Garrett Whitlock didn't matter. Whitlock got both Joey Gallo and Gleyber Torres to fly out to Hunter Renfroe in right field to beat the Yankees. 

I think it is safe to say Aaron Boone will not be managing the Yankees in 2022. Although he reached the post-season in each of his four seasons in the Yankee dugout he did not win an AL pennant. 

On a personal note, I opted not to go to the sports bar near Porter Square to watch the game. While it would have been nice to share a collective experience back in my spiritual home, I instead listened to it streaming on the radio. After all, it's a school night. I don't think I could have committed to staying at a bar for three hours and not buy any booze without some funny looks. And while there's a very high rate of vaccination here in Massachusetts, COVID is still spreading too fast for my liking and spending a prolonged period in a large crowd in a small indoor space does not appeal to me. Perhaps on a weekend for an hour or so like I did last Sunday. We shall see.

I also cannot stand ESPN which talks about everything under the sun except for what is happening on the field. Listening to Sean McDonough, Joe Castiglione and young Will Flemming's broadcast was the perfect combination of three generations of sportscasters who know their craft. 

Anyhow I shall go to bed content and look forward to my commute to work tomorrow aboard the Red Line. I think there will be a few more smiles than usual. 

Confronting Sinema in The Bathroom or on a Plane Doesn't Help

For starters, I'm fairly ambiguous about Arizona Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema. I could have done without the curtesy or whatever that was after voting against increasing the federal minimum wage law. 

Sinema's opposition to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package is frustrating because other than not liking the price tag she has not been forthcoming with what she would like to see instead. Given that this could torpedo President Biden's Build Back Better program her lack of support for it warrants an explanation.

But it does not warrant so-called activists to follow her into the bathroom (even a public one) or confront her on an airplane. I don't see how any of this helps to persuade her to support progressive causes. Alas they don't care. Case in point is Vivian Kane of The Mary Sue who writes, "If these activists make Sinema feel encroached upon by engaging her in a non-political space, who actually cares? Protest isn’t supposed to make everyone feel comfortable."

Somehow I cannot imagine Kane being so generous if AOC were to be confronted in a bathroom by female pro-Israel activists. I suspect if AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush or Ayanna Pressley were confronted in such a manner I very strongly suspect Kane and her ilk would accuse pro-Israel supporters of spreading hate all the while having no concept of what hate actually is.

Again, I think Sinema is worthy of criticism and she ought to answer for her lack of candor where it concerns the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package. But there is a right way and a wrong way to engage in such criticism and a good portion of the progressive movement in this country seems every bit as thuggish as the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6th.