MLB Notes for April: Cincinnati Fans Are Seeing Red

The first month of the 2022 MLB season is in the books and for the Cincinnati Reds it is only the beginning of what will prove to be a very long season.

The Reds own the worst record in MLB at 3-18 having lost five games in a row and 16 of their last 17 games. They are already 11.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. They are 5 and 6 games back of the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively. 

Needless to say, Cincinnati fans are seeing red. A year ago, the Reds were contenders. At the All-Star Break in 2021, the Reds were only four games back of the Brewers but would ultimately fade. Although they finished with a winning record of 83-79, they were 7 games of the surging St. Louis Cardinals for the second NL Wild Card spot. 

During the off-season, the Reds blew up the team trading the likes of Tucker Barnhart, Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winker along with pitchers Sonny Gray and Amir Garrett while losing Nick Castellanos to free agency. Poor Joey Votto is left with virtually no protection in the lineup. While rookie pitcher Hunter Greene can throw 100 MPH plus he is still quite raw and will have some growing pains. These pains are aggravated by having three starting pitchers on the IL (Luis Castillo, Mike Minor and Nick Lodolo).

Reds fans knew it would be bad, but even they couldn't have imagined this result thus far. It didn't help matters when Reds President Phil Castellini saw fit to mock fans for which he would have to apologize.

To put into some perspective, the Reds have only had one season where they lost 100 or more games and that was 40 years ago when they went 60-102 during the 1982 season. Not only are the Reds on track to lose 100 plus games they have a chance to eclipse the 1962 New York Mets' 120 loss season. The Reds have dug themselves a deep hole from which they are not likely be able to climb out.

At this point, the NL Central is a two team race with the Brew Crew, having won 5 in a row and 8 of their last 10 games, leading the St. Louis Cardinals by three games. 

By contrast, the NL West is a four team race thus far. The San Francisco Giants lead the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres by a half game. Also in the mix somewhat surprisingly are the Colorado Rockies who are only two games back. The Arizona Diamondbacks, who lost an MLB worst 110 games in 2021, have a losing record but are only 4.5 games off the pace. 

The New York Mets have a two game lead in the NL East over the Miami Marlins who have won 7 in a row and 8 of their last 10 games. The Philadelphia Phillies won 7 of their last 10 games to finish April at .500 and four games back of the Mets. The defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves had a so-so 10-12 record in April and are missing Freddie Freeman. However, Ronald Acuna has returned to the lineup so the Braves cannot be counted out. The same cannot probably be said for the Washington Nationals who have lost 9 of their last 10 games and are 8.5 games back of the Mets.

Both New York teams are doing well. The New York Yankees finished April with an 8-game winning streak and have a 1.5 game lead in the AL East over the Toronto Blue Jays and a three game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays. Both the Jays and Rays have won 7 of their last 10 games. Conversely, the Boston Red Sox have lost 7 of their last 10 games and have fallen back to Earth after an unexpected post-season run in 2021. The Bosox are only 1.5 games ahead of the grounded Baltimore Orioles.

After many years of underachievement, the Los Angeles Angels have a 2.5 game lead in the AL West over the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. With reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani and a healthy Mike Trout could the Angels make their first post-season appearance since 2014? The Oakland A's had a similar fire sale as the Cincinnati Reds with the departures of Mark Canha, Starling Marte, Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Josh Harrison, Andrew Chafin and Sean Manaea. Even manager Bob Melvin headed south to San Diego. Yet despite this and the fact that feral cats nearly outnumber fans at the Oakland Coliseum, the A's are only a game under .500 and 3.5 games back of the Angels. The winner of the AL West will probably be determined by who can beat the Texas Rangers the most.

After finishing in last place in the AL Central in 2021, the Minnesota Twins are the only team in the division with a winning record. Of course, the additions of Sonny Gray, Carlos Correa, Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela have helped. It isn't much of a surprise the Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers are playing sub .500 ball, but it is for the Chicago White Sox who won the division last year by 13 games. Although only 3.5 games back of the Twins, the Chisox have struggled losing 8 of their last 10 games.

So where will we be at the end of May? Will the Red Sox and White Sox continue to disappoint? Can the Angels continue to soar? Will the Rockies be able to hang with the Giants, Dodgers and Padres? Can the Mets continue to win without Jacob deGrom throwing a single pitch? Will the Cincinnati Reds climb their way out of the cellar? We'll see what things are like after Memorial Day.

Naomi Judd, R.I.P.

Naomi Judd, one half of the mother-daughter country duo The Judds, passed away today at the age of 76. Her daughter actress Ashley Judd attributed her mother's death to "mental illness".

Suffice it to say, that statement sounds rather grim and gives the impression she took her own life. Whatever the circumstances of her death, her family must deal with this loss.

Earlier this month, Naomi performed Wynona Judd for the first time in nearly five years at the CMT Music Awards. Tomorrow night, the two were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and were also scheduled to go on a brief tour in September which would have been their first since 2011.

The Judds enjoyed a string of country hits during the 1980s and into the early 1990s before Naomi was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and would largely retire from performing while Wynona went onto a successful solo career.

While I don't listen to a lot of country music their breakthrough hit "Mama He's Crazy" struck a resonant tone that will never be silenced. R.I.P.

Oklahoma GOP Chairman Calls For Fauci's Execution....And Gets Cheered

Earlier this week, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman John Bennett who is running for Congress called for the execution of Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Bennett said at a campaign rally, "And by the way, we should try Anthony Fauci and put him in front of a firing squad."

Moments later, Bennett added, “And for the Secret Service, if they’re listening, I’m not advocating we kill Anthony Fauci … until he’s convicted of his crimes through a court.”

Gee, I'm glad he cleared that up. Although Bennett didn't say what crimes Fauci committed much less ones that would warrant his death.

For bad measure, the Republican audience cheered Bennett's bloodlust.

There was once a time that a state Republican Party chair threatening the life of a public health official would have prompted condemnations, a resignation and a withdrawal from public life. 

But Bennett will no more be condemned by fellow Republicans for this than he was when he likened vaccine mandates to Jews being forced to wear the yellow Star of David in Nazi occupied Europe back in August 2021.

I'm afraid that likening vaccine mandates to Nazi era policies against Jews and calling for the execution of public health officials is now mainstream opinion in the grassroots of the Republican Party and it barely registers any shock and disgust. For this we can thank Donald Trump.

Such views go a long way in explaining why Republicans wouldn't accept Trump's defeat and were willing to commit violence to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

Five Mets Pitchers Combine on 1st No-Hitter of 2022 & 2nd in Franchise History

My father texted me a short time ago to inform me that five New York Mets pitchers combined on the first no-hitter of the 2022 season. Starter Tylor Megill went five innings and was followed by relievers Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz en route to a 3-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at CitiField.

It is only the Mets' second no-hitter in franchise history. The first was thrown a decade ago by Johan Santana against the St. Louis Cardinals. 

At 15-6, the Mets own MLB's best record and have done so without a single pitch thrown by Jacob de Grom. Indeed, Megill is in the Mets starting rotation by virtue of de Grom's injury. Well, we're not out of April just yet and there's still a substantial amount of baseball to be played but if the Mets are this good now then imagine how good they will be when de Grom finally toes the rubber.

Judy Henske, R.I.P.

Singer-songwriter Judy Henske, perhaps best known as part of the folk music scene in Greenwich Village in the early 1960's, passed away on April 27th after a lengthy illness. She was 85.

Although Henske recorded several albums and musically collaborated with then husband Jerry Yester of The Lovin' Spoonful she was not well known outside the Greenwich Village folk music scene having largely withdrawn from the music business in the early 1970's to raise her daughter. Henske, however, did continue to write songs and eventually returned to performing during the 1990's.

I first learned about Henske through Richie Havens when I attended his concerts in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Havens spoke of his experiences in the Greenwich Village folk music scene and, in particular, spoke reverently about a tall woman with dark hair and a black dress who sang 10 Bob Dylan ballads in a row. The first couple of times I heard him tell the story, he did not mention who he was speaking of until one night several audience members asked him to reveal this mystery woman. 

The other reason I know about Henske is because she made fun of a lyric in Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren". Henske laughed at the line, "I'm as puzzled as the oyster". Sensitive to her criticism, Buckley stopped performing the song until he rewrote the line as, "I'm as puzzled as the newborn child." On a personal note, when I was writing poetry in the early 2000's, I titled my first chapbook Oysters and the Newborn Child: Melancholy and Dead Musicians. I suppose I would have never selected that title if not for Henske.

Judy Henske possessed a deep powerful voice which she controlled impeccably as demonstrated by her performance of "Wade in the Water" from the 1963 film Hootenany Hoot which featured the likes of Johnny Cash and George Hamilton IV. If you listen to it you can understand why Richie Havens was so mesmerized by her. R.I.P.

Marjorie Taylor-Greene is The Female Trump (And Should Not Be Underestimated)

I see Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene as the female Donald Trump.

Especially so after her confrontation with CNN's Jim Acosta who repeatedly questioned her about text she sent musing about martial law (or as she put it Marshall law).

On the one hand, she claims the texts aren't hers. On the other hand, she says the texts aren't calling for martial law. 

Greene was belligerent, boorish and buffoonish calling Acosta a liar a dozen times in their exchange while claiming he was harassing her. 

For most people, this is off putting behavior.

But there are many people, numbering in the millions, who think MTG owned Acosta and like her "because she fights" just like Trump. Mind you she is only fighting for herself. Nevertheless, people love the spectacle and the fact that she does not give an inch. 

For all of MTG's belligerence, boorishness and buffoonery (not to mention an inability to spell or grasp certain words) we would be foolish to underestimate her.  As I wrote the other day, MTG might not be able to spell martial law, but she sure knows what it means. Greene's removal from House Committees in February 2021 hasn't marginalized her in the least.

Indeed, I would dare say that if Trump is the Republican nominee (and there is every reason to believe he will be) that he will pick MTG to be his running mate. MTG is a mirror image of him and is the most loyal of the loyal. Trump is going to want a nominee who would be willing to refuse to certify an election or re-election of a Democratic President despite the will of the people.

Marjorie Taylor Greene may be a fool. So too is Donald Trump. But there are a lot of fools willing to vote for them. And even if they lose, they will claim victory and say the election is rigged. The attack on the U.S. Capitol might not have succeeded this time, but if it does next time Marjorie Taylor Greene will be a big reason for its success. For all of her insufferable antics, if we underestimate her like we underestimated Trump we do so at our own peril.

DeSantis Revoking Disney's Tax Status is Just Goofy (and UnAmerican)

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis' recent decision to revoke Disney's tax status can be summed up in one word.

Goofy.

It can be described as goofy for two reasons.

First, the only reason DeSantis saw fit to do this was because Disney had the temerity to disagree with his "Don't Say Gay" bill. This is the sort of thing that Viktor Orban does in Hungary and it is precisely what he is doing. Imposing punitive laws against organizations solely for disagreeing with one's politics is simply unAmerican.

Second, by changing Disney's tax status which effectively treats it as a county government, DeSantis will force counties to raise taxes as they will assume Disney's debts as proscribed by state law. So because Disney dared to disagree with DeSantis millions of Floridians will see their taxes increase. Whoever the Democrats nominate to run against DeSantis had better say over and over again, "DeSantis' personal attacks on Disney will mean a tax increase for Floridians. That's just Goofy. It's also unAmerican."

It is worth noting that this change doesn't take effect until June 1, 2023 well after this November's elections. So because Floridians won't feel the impact of this decision there's always a chance they could let him get away with it. In which case, Florida is becoming a real Mickey Mouse operation.

Dr. Fauci: U.S. is Out of Pandemic Phase for COVID

In an interview with Judy Woodruff which aired on the PBS News Hour night, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated the United States was "out of the pandemic phase" where it concerned COVID though he cautioned other parts of the world are still experiencing pandemic conditions:

We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase. Namely, we don't have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now.

Dr. Fauci attributes this to a combination of two thirds of the country being fully vaccinated (with half being boosted) as well as having so many people infected with Omicron that an estimated 60% of the country has antibodies in their blood which provides some residual protection. Even in areas where cases have spiked it has not been accompanied by a spike in hospitalization. 

Of course, the question remains as to how long the protection would last. So there exists the possibility the U.S. could regress to a pandemic situation once more if we rely strictly on natural immunity. Dr. Fauci mused about the possibility of Americans needing an annual shot, but stopped short of drawing that conclusion just yet. Last month, the CDC recommended people 50 and over get an additional booster.

It is fair to say that pandemic or no pandemic, there will be a great many people for whom COVID is not over whether it is by way of losing a loved one or by suffering through long COVID. It is also fair to say that some people acted like there had never been a pandemic.

For better or for worse, life in the United States is getting back to normal.

Senator Rand Paul (R-Kremlin)

I think this is an apt description for Senator Paul as he seems to be more interested in advancing the interests of the Kremlin than the interests of Kentucky.

He certainly demonstrated that in his line of questioning of Secretary of State Antony Blinken before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. Paul blamed Russia's invasion of Ukraine on NATO which is music to Vladimir Putin's ears.

When Blinken told Paul that Russia had not invaded countries who were members of NATO, Paul shot back, "You could also argue the countries they've attacked were part of Russia...part of the Soviet Union."

If Ronald Reagan were alive to hear Rand Paul talk this way.....

Of course, this is hardly new behavior from Paul. It was five years ago when Paul was trying to thwart Montenegro's application to join NATO. The late John McCain quipped, "The senator for Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin."

Evidently he still is. And so are a lot of other Republicans. 

Susan Jacks, R.I.P.

Singer Susan Jacks, best known for her time in the Canadian late '60s, early '70s pop group The Poppy Family, passed away yesterday after a lengthy battle with kidney disease. She was 73.

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan as Susan Pesklevits, she began performing music as a teenager while living in the Vancouver area and would appear on the CBC TV show Music Hop, Canada's answer to American Bandstand. 

Pesklevits would meet guitarist Terry Jacks and would soon form a band called Powerline which was later renamed The Poppy Family. The two would marry and became forever known as Susan Jacks although their union would last a little over five years.

Their musical collaboration would have greater endurance. The Poppy Family's debut single "Which Way You Goin' Billy?" which featured Susan Jacks on lead vocal would top the Canadian charts in the fall of 1969 and hit number two on both the U.S. Billboard and Cashbox charts in the spring of 1970. The only other Poppy Family song to gain traction was "Where Evil Grows" in 1971.

The Poppy Family would break up the following year and both Jacks went on solo careers with Terry Jacks scoring a number one hit in 1974 with his adaptation of Jacques Brel's "Seasons in the Sun". Susan Jacks would record several solo albums through the 1970's and early 1980's before she moved to Nashville with her new husband former CFL linebacker Ted Dushinski. In Nashville, Jacks became a country music songwriter. 

I leave you with Jacks singing "Which Way You Goin' Billy?" during a 1970 TV special hosted by Bobby Darin called The Darin Invasion. R.I.P.

MTG Can't Spell Martial Law, But She Sure Knows What It Means

Eleven days after the attack on the U.S. Capitol and only 72 hours before Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene was still trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. In a text to then White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Greene wrote:

In our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for Marshall (sic) law. I don't know on those things. I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next. Please tell him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!"

Marshall Law? Gazpacho police? Greene might not be able to spell martial law, but she sure as hell knows what it mean. Mind you, it was only 72 hours ago on the witness stand in which Greene declared she did not remember calling for Trump to impose martial law. Greene's claim did not pass the credibility test three days ago and amid this text it is clear that she is lying. Calling for the imposition of martial law in the United States is not something one merely forgets except out of convenience.

Greene was on the witness stand last week as her candidacy has been challenged in court by a group of her constituents who believe her insurrectionist views are a violation of the 14th Amendment thus disqualifying her from seeking re-election. 

I doubt this petition to the court will be granted. If it were, it would likely be struck down in the appellate courts. But given this text I am certainly sympathetic to the petitioners cause. Greene or any other member of Congress calling for the imposition of martial law to prevent the peaceful transfer of power ought to prevent her from seeking public office. It is perhaps most notable that Greene states she was speaking with her Congressional colleagues and that "several are saying" that Trump ought to impose martial law. 

While Greene might be more vocal than most, she is certainly not the only Republican member of Congress who holds the U.S. Constitution with such disdain. Now it is not clear to which colleagues Greene is specifically referring. At this point, we can only speculate. There are the usual suspects (i.e. Gosar, Biggs, Boebert, Cawthorn, Gaetz) but there also could be others we might not have previously suspected of harboring such views when one considers Utah Senator Mike Lee's texts to Meadows. But whoever they might be chances are they too have likely left an electronic or a paper trail. 

In which case, it is clear that other such challenges are warranted and ought to be pursued however remote the chance for success.

U.S. COVID Cases Pass 81 Million As Hospitalizations Significantly Decline

The United States officially surpassed 81 million COVID-19 cases today. According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been 81,037,785 COVID cases resulting in 991,558 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. 

After taking 29 days to go from 79 to 80 million cases, it took 27 days to get from 80 to 81 million cases. Of course, with at home tests, we're probably adding 1 million new cases much more quickly than once a month.

Nevertheless, when we were adding 1 million cases a day at the height of Omicron in January it was accompanied by COVID hospitalizations exceeding 150,000. That number has now dwindled to just over 10,000 hospitalizations which is even lower than what it was in July 2021 right before the Delta variant hit. That doesn't mean the hospitals aren't facing challenges but COVID is certainly more manageable than it was three months ago never mind two years ago. 

Still, we are nearing 1 million COVID deaths and we will probably hit that ominous figure sometime in May. No war or natural disaster has killed so many Americans in so short a time. It is a black mark on our country and lot of it is of our own making. 

Will Elon Musk Turn Twitter Into Litter?

So it appears Elon Musk will officially own Twitter later this year. 

The first question which comes to mind is whether Musk will turn Twitter into litter?

Now one can make the case that Twitter is a cesspool as it is. But I think that's exactly what Musk likes it about and wants to encourage COVID denialism to which he subscribes and bring back defeated former President Trump so he can claim the 2020 election was an insurrection and the attack on the U.S. Capitol was a protest all in the name of freedom of speech. What Musk wants is to litter Twitter with falsehood and disinformation.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren says Musk's purchase of Twitter is "dangerous for our democracy." She may be right, but his purchase also isn't illegal or improper. If it were then Senator Warren would presumably have a plan to prevent this transaction. At most, Musk will be summoned to a Senate Committee where Warren can pepper him with questions or perhaps a House Committee where he will be subject to Katie Porter's whiteboard. Warren and Porter might land a couple of punches, but that won't be enough to stop him from taking over Twitter.

At this point, I have no plans to quit Twitter. I got locked out of Twitter twice before finally getting back on shortly after moving to Atlanta. If the Elon Musks of the world want to litter Twitter with MAGATs and Russian bots then they will have to put up with me until they see fit to lock me out once more. I must admit I enjoy annoying buffoons. There are those who will want to leave Twitter immediately because of Musk. To me, this is giving up without a fight. Frankly, I would rather bide my time and force them to put up with me. If they can't then that proves the only free speech Musk cares about is his own.

Now, if Musk turns Twitter on a subscription platform then I might decide I do want to pay him $200 to $300 of my hard earned money to him. Of course, there is always a possibility a better platform comes along which could do to Twitter what Facebook did to MySpace. In which case, Elon Musk will have spent $44 billion to get Trump back on Twitter.

Macron Defeats Le Pen Again; But How Much Longer Can The Far Right Be Kept From French Presidency?

French President Emmanuel Macron has won a second term in office decisively defeating his Far Right rival Marine Le Pen. With 88% of the polls in, Macron leads Le Pen by more than 13 points (56.8% to 43.2%).

Despite Macron's decisive win, Le Pen's vote tally gone up 10% since 2017. 

Le Pen might have lost yet again, but does this defeat merely forestall the inevitably of either her or some other right-wing populist winning the presidency in 2027?

As a result of constitutional reforms enacted in 2008, Macron is prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term in 2027. After a decade of Macron, who can say the French electorate won't be prepared to give Le Pen the keys to the Elysee Palace?

Much of this will depend on Russia's place in the world in five years from now? Will Putin still rule Russia? Will Russia have taken over Ukraine? If so then will Russia see fit to invade an EU nation? If the answer to any of these questions is yes and Le Pen is still making excuses for Moscow then she will likely be kept away from power. But would that give an opening to another right-wing populist who would be independent of Russia or at least be perceived as independent of Russia? Then again what right-wing populist doesn't pay fealty to Russia these days? Certainly not Eric Zemmour.

On the other hand Le Pen might stand a better chance in five years from now if she ends up facing someone from the Far Left like Jean-Luc Melenchon or one of his acolytes. 

Further complicating matters would be if Donald Trump were to return to the White House after the 2024 election or if Ron DeSantis were nominated in his stead. 

Whatever the future holds, at least for the moment, the world can breathe a sigh of relief where France is concerned.

Some Thoughts on Yankees Fans Throwing Garbage at Cleveland Guardians Players

Yesterday afternoon, New York Yankees fans shamed themselves. It began when the Yankees tied the score in the 9th inning by Isiah Kiner-Falefa against the visiting Cleveland Guardians when Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan crashed against the wall knocking the wind out of him. Yankees fans began trash talking Kwan to which fellow Guardians outfielders Oscar Mercado and Myles Straw took exception. Straw climbed the chain link fence to confront the fans berating Kwan.

Moments later, pinch hitter Gleyber Torres won the game for the Bronx Bombers on a double, but their victory was marred when Yankees fans began throwing beer, water bottles and other debris at Mercado and Straw. To their credit, Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton intervened and admonished their fans to stop their behavior.

I have some thoughts.

First, I think the umpires ought to have ruled the game a forfeit and give the Guardians a win notwithstanding the welcome intervention of Judge and Stanton. Such a ruling would have sent a strong message and deterred Yankees fans from behaving in such a fashion again.

Second, when the Guardians return home on May 3rd to play the San Diego Padres, Straw and Mercado are going to get a huge ovation for sticking up for their fallen teammate.

Third, Straw and Mercado literally acted as "Guardians". Perhaps this will go some way in getting Cleveland fans to accept the new team name. Of course, the best way for Cleveland fans to accept the new name would be win to win their first World Series title in 74 years. 

Fourth, when the Yankees visit Cleveland at the beginning of July, I worry that Guardians fans may see fit to retaliate against Yankees players. In which case, this would make them no better than the Yankees fans who disgraced themselves yesterday.

Let's just say the last chapter of this saga has not been written.

Utah Democrats Back Independent Evan McMullin in Senate Race vs. GOP's Mike Lee

In an extraordinary move, Utah Democrats backed the Senate bid of independent candidate Evan McMullin over Democrat Kael Weston against Republican incumbent Mike Lee. 

McMullin is best remembered for his independent White House bid in 2016 earning a respectable 21% of the vote in Utah though not enough to prevent Donald Trump from carrying the state.

I suspect that the impetus for this decision has come amid recent revelations of Senator Lee's efforts to try to overturn the 2020 election in favor of Donald Trump via text messages with then White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Although Lee would later vote to certify the election, his actions undermine his credibility as a "constitutional conservative".

Let us keep in mind that 2022 is going to probably be a bad year for Democrats. Let us further keep in mind that Utah hasn't elected a Democrat to the United States Senate since 1970. That year Frank Moss was re-elected to a third term. But Moss would lose six years later to one Orrin Hatch who would become the longest serving Republican Senator in U.S history before retiring in 2020 in favor of Mitt Romney. (BTW, Hatch just passed away tonight at the age of 88. R.I.P.). 

The odds are still against McMullin. Even though Weston wasn't endorsed by Democrats there's a good chance he'll stay on the ballot and split the vote sufficiently for Lee to win a third term.

But if this gambit does work (and especially if it helps Democrats hold onto the Senate), it could inspire similar strategy by Democrats in other states which have a weak infrastructure to nominate independent candidates especially so long as Republicans continue to regress down the path of authoritarianism.

Cabrera Gets 3,000th Hit & It's Going To Be Awhile Before Someone Joins Him

This afternoon Miguel Cabrera became the 33rd player in MLB history to collect 3,000 career hits. The longtime Detroit Tiger did so in front of the home fans with a single off Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela in the bottom of the first en route to a 13-0 victory.

Perhaps the happiest person at Comerica Park was Rockies shortstop Jose Iglesias who ran over to first base to give Cabrera the ball and embrace him. Cabrera and Iglesias were teammates on the Tigers for more than five seasons and are very close friends. 

Cabrera is now only one of three players with 3,000 hits, 500 career home runs and a lifetime batting average of .300. The two others are Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

Now while I hoped Cabrera would have doubled for his 3,000 hit, I shall savor his achievement just the same because it will be quite awhile before we see another player join the 3,000 club. 

Aside from Cabrera and Albert Pujols, there are only three active MLB players with more than 2,000 hits - Robinson Cano (2,630), Yadier Molina (2,116) and Joey Votto (2,035). Cano and Molina are 39 with this being Molina's final MLB season and Votto is 38. 

If we look at the Top 25 active hit leaders, I think there are four players who have a plausible shot at 3,000 hits - Freddie Freeman (1,722), Eric Hosmer (1,648), Manny Machado (1,445) and Mike Trout (1,428). Freeman and Hosmer are 32, Trout is 30 and Machado is 29. Of course, all of this assumes they can stay healthy and productive. Keep in mind that Trout has been injured most of the past three seasons. All of which makes Cabrera's achievement all the more remarkable. 

Guy Lafleur, R.I.P.

Hockey legend Guy Lafleur, best known for his tenure with the Montreal Canadiens, passed away of lung cancer on Friday. He was 70. 

Arguably the greatest player in the NHL in the mid to late 1970’s, outside of Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Jean Beliveau, Lafleur may have been the greatest to wear a Habs uniform. Known for his distinctive long blond hair, Lafleur was part of five Stanley Cup teams during the 1970’s including four straight between 1976 to 1979. He also scored 50 or more goals in six consecutive seasons and is the Canadiens’ all-time leading scorer.

Lafleur abruptly retired in 1984 after the Canadiens refused to trade him amid a falling out with coach and former teammate Jacques Lemaire. However, after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, Phil Esposito talked Lafleur in coming out of retirement and play with the New York Rangers. Lafleur returned to his native Quebec to play with the Nordiques for two seasons before retiring for good in 1991.

Lafleur’s passing comes one week after the death of fellow Quebecer Mike Bossy who also succumbed to lung cancer. This has been sombre seven days for hockey fans in Canada. R.I.P.

I Don't Believe McCarthy Had Any Intention of Calling on Trump to Resign

Much of the focus on the recorded conversation between House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and then House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney on January 10, 2021 (four days after the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters) in which McCarthy told Cheney he was going to call Trump and demand his resignation was McCarthy's denial that the conversation had ever taken place thus being caught in a lie. 

Yet I think there is a lie McCarthy told that isn't getting the attention it deserves. The lie in question is to Cheney. Having heard the conversation and read the transcript, I don't think McCarthy had any intention of doing any such thing:

Cheney: Is there any chance? Are you hearing that he might resign? Is there any reason to think that might happen?

McCarthy: I've had a few discussions. My gut tells me no. I'm seriously thinking of having that conversation with him tonight. I haven't talked to him in a couple of days.

Um, from what I know of him, I mean you guys all know him too, do you think he'd ever back away? But what I think I'm going to do, is I'm going to call him.

To say "I'm seriously thinking of having that conversation with him tonight" and "But what I think I'm going to do, is I'm going to call him" isn't exactly what I could a profile in courage. It wouldn't exactly lead me to believe that McCarthy was going to follow through even if he genuinely believed Trump's actions on January 6th were in the wrong. I doubt McCarthy actually called Trump and if he had I doubt he would have made such a demand. Had McCarthy done so, Trump would have gone on the warpath against him long ago like he has with Mitch McConnell though McConnell is on surer footing in the Senate than McCarthy is in the House.  

At this point, Trump hasn't lashed out at McCarthy. Of course, with Trump one never knows where one stands from one day to the next. But if Trump is directing his ire at Republicans other than McCarthy he might very well achieve his lifelong dream of becoming House Speaker next year and thus be rewarded for his lies.

Red Sox Mar Tribute to Remy By Snubbing Orsillo

Last night, the Boston Red Sox paid tribute to former player and broadcaster Jerry Remy who died last October after a lengthy battle with cancer. 

Notably absent from the proceedings was Remy's former broadcast partner Don Orsillo who has been the voice of the San Diego Padres since 2016 after the Red Sox unceremoniously fired him before the end of the 2015 season. 

Orsillo took to Twitter and stated he was offered the opportunity to send a video tribute which he did but was subsequently told by the Red Sox his tribute was "no longer needed."

Needless to say, the Red Sox have been doing damage control, but have ended up doing more damage in the process. Red Sox Senior Vice-President Pam Kenn claimed the organization reached out to Orsillo but that "he didn't come" as if they were unaware he calls game for the Padres while Red Sox President Sam Kennedy simply issued a statement which said nothing.

Although the Red Sox owned Boston Globe reporter Chad Finn admonished Orsillo for not waiting a couple of days before making his grievance public, he nevertheless acknowledged the team "should have found a way to show his video, which was roughly 30 seconds long." 

If an organization with the vast resources of the Boston Red Sox cannot find a way to include Jerry Remy's broadcast partner of 15 years for 30 seconds then it goes a long way in explaining their shortsightedness in dismissing him nearly 7 years ago in the first place.

Shame on the Boston Red Sox.

Why I Hope Miguel Cabrera's 3,000th Hit Will Be a Double

Tonight, Detroit Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera came one hit shy of reaching 3,000 for his career after a 3 for 4 performance in a losing cause against the New York Yankees. 

Cabrera, who turned 39 on Monday, will get another shot at baseball immortality against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon in front of Tigers fans at Comerica Park. 

Personally, I hope his 3,000th hit will be a double.

Should that come to pass it would mark his 600th career double. In other words, one out of every five of Cabrera's hits would be a two-bagger. There would be a certain poetic symmetry if Cabrera's 3,000th hit is his 600th double.

Doubles don't get the attention they deserve. They're aren't as glamorous as home runs, but they usually result in RBIs. Cabrera has led the AL in doubles twice including a career high 52 doubles in 2014. 

Whenever Cabrera gets his next double, he would join Albert Pujols as the only two active players with 600 or more doubles. Pujols has 673 doubles and is fifth on the all-time list behind Tris Speaker (792), Pete Rose (746), Stan Musial (725) and Ty Cobb (724). As for other active players, the only player close to 600 doubles is Robinson Cano of the New York Mets who enters tonight with 571. After that you have Cincinnati Reds stalwart Joey Votto with 436. 

Cabrera is currently 18th on the all-time doubles list and is within striking distance of Barry Bonds (601), Cal Ripken, Jr. (603) and Paul Molitor and Paul Waner (605 apiece). Next on the list would be Hank Aaron at 624 doubles. 

Miggy, as he is affectionately known, is under contract with the Tigers through 2023 with vesting options in 2024 and 2025. If Cabrera stays healthy he will have an opportunity to add to his considerable resume as he needs 193 more RBI to reach 2,000 for his career. 

Well, let's take it one hit at a time.

MBTA Flip Flops on Masks

Last night, after a federal judge put the kibosh on the mask mandate on planes, trains, buses and in public transportation facilities, I noted that the MBTA had planned to continue to enforce the mask rule on its fleet and in its facilities. This morning, in response to a question from a doctor, the MBTA tweeted:

Good Morning. Yes, masks are still required on all MBTA vehicles and in stations.

However, approximately 7 hours later the MBTA did an about face:

Effective immediately, wearing a mask on the T is now optional except for on The RIDE. The MBTA continues to follow @CDCgov guidelines in encouraging people to wear face masks on public transit. Please respect your fellow passengers' decisions. Learn more: http://ow.ly/Orc750IMWT9

While it would appear the MBTA received its guidance from the TSA, I wonder what other factors might have figured in regarding its about face although I'm sure there was some public feedback. I'm also sure the Biden Administration realizes it is fighting a losing battle where it concerns masks unless there is a major surge in cases accompanied by a major surge in hospitalizations.

As I said last night, I am going to continue wearing a mask aboard the T for now. At this point, I'm simply not comfortable going maskless on a crowded train for any length of time. Especially if the train gets stuck.

MBTA Will Continue Mask Rule Notwithstanding Ruling by Federal Judge

Today, U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle struck down the federal rule requiring masks on airplanes, trains, buses and public transportation facilities. The CDC had extended the rule last week to last through May 3rd. 

For its part, the Biden Administration could still appeal the ruling or seek an injunction to delay the ruling. While that could happen if this went up to the Supreme Court I suspect the mask mandate on public transportation will be dead on arrival even if COVID cases continue to rise. 

Mizelle, a Trump appointee who is a member of the Federalist Society deemed unqualified by the American Bar Association said the CDC had exceeded its authority. However, Mizelle's ruling gave airlines, bus companies and local transit agencies leeway to retain mask mandates if they so wish. 

As of this writing, in the Boston area, the MBTA is adhering to CDC guidelines and is reviewing Mizelle's ruling. So for the moment masks will still be required on the T. However, it will be interesting to see how many maskless commuters there are tomorrow morning.

As for me, I will be wearing my mask. The idea of spending more than 15 minutes on a crowded train without a mask is something I am not ready for just yet. There may come a time when I'll be comfortable going maskless on a crowded train, but that time hasn't yet arrived. 

Jackie Robinson In His Own Words

Today marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking MLB's color barrier when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Of course, racism is a sin we will never excise out of existence. Yet for most people it is inconceivable that African-American would be prohibited from playing baseball or any other professional sport.

Above is a portion of an interview Robinson did with Dick Cavett in January 1972 shortly before the 25th anniversary of his MLB debut. While Robinson believed blacks needed greater opportunities, he believed America's drug problem was worse than its race problem. Sadly, his son Jackie, Jr, who had struggled with substance abuse, had died in an automobile accident.

It is good that Robinson had this conversation with Cavett because he would die 9 months later at the age of 53 though he looked considerably older than that having borne all those burdens.

Mike Bossy, R.I.P.

NHL legend Mike Bossy, best remembered as the prolific goal scorer who was lynchpin of the New York Islanders' four consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the early 1980's, passed away yesterday of lung cancer. He was 65. 

Though I grew up in Canada, I was never a big hockey fan. However, Bossy made a lasting impression. In an era which saw the emergence of Wayne Gretzky, the only player who rivalled him in stature during his early career was Bossy. In his 10-year career, Bossy scored 50 or more goals in 9 consecutive seasons. During the 1980-1981 season, Bossy scored 50 goals in 50 games matching Maurice "Rocket" Richard's achievement with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1944-1945 season. This achievement would later be matched by Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Brett Hull. A chronic back injury ended the Montreal native's playing career at the age of 30. His 573 goals are 22nd on the NHL's All-Time List.

I also liked Bossy because he publicly eschewed fighting, an aspect of the game which has always turned me off. Bossy was thrice honored with Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for good sportsmanship.

Although he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991, the Islanders did not see fit to bring him back in any capacity until he was given a front office position in 2006. Bossy did serve as a hockey analyst in both English and in French on the MSG Networks and on TVA in Quebec. 

Considering his contributions to the game, Mike Bossy deserved far more recognition. R.I.P.

The Brooklyn Subway Attacker Hated Everyone

After being on the run for more than 36 hours, NYPD arrested Frank James this afternoon in Manhattan's East Village. James is alleged to have shot 10 people and injured dozens of others by throwing smoke grenades on a N train pulling into the 36th Street Station in Brooklyn. 

Right-wing Twitter wants you to believe he was a Black Supremacist and a BLM supporter. Did he hate white people? No doubt. But he also had a fanatical hatred of New York's African-American Mayor Eric Adams. 

James had a worldview, but it wasn't a coherent one. Let me put it this way. James isn't James Hodgkinson, the Bernie Sanders supporter who shot Republican Congressman Steve Scalise at the Congressional Baseball practice nearly five years ago. 

In the last video he posted before the shooting James said, "I've been through a lot of shit, where I can say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to watch people die right in front of my fucking face immediately."

I think it is safe to conclude James hated everyone.

Throwing smoke grenades onto a subway car and randomly shooting people is a fairly strong indication that you hate people. Black lives didn't matter to Frank James. No lives mattered to Frank James. 

That no one died in the attack is a miracle. We rarely get that lucky and we probably won't be so lucky next time.

Of Course Kershaw Should've Had The Chance To Throw a Perfect Game

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw had a chance to add perfect game in his first start of the 2022 MLB season to his future Hall of Fame resume which includes three NL Cy Young Awards, a NL MVP Award, 8 NL All-Star Game selections, a Gold Glove, a World Series ring and a no-hitter. 

It would have been MLB's first perfect game in almost a decade with Felix Hernandez tossing the last one for the Seattle Mariners against the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2012. However, after 7 perfect innings and 80 pitches against the Minnesota Twins, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts lifted Kershaw. 

For his part, Kershaw publicly stated he agreed with Roberts' decision. I do not believe him.

For a pitcher as competitive as Kershaw, it is inconceivable to me that he wouldn't have wanted that perfect game. As great as he has been, the chance he'll come this close to throwing another one is practically nil.

It is true that Kershaw, 34, has had injury troubles with his left forearm late last season. But if throw 15 to 20 more pitches is that much of a danger then why is Kershaw pitching at all?

The fact is that MLB is losing fans and the lockout did little to help matters. A perfect game is something for fans to get excited about. To have a perfect game thrown especially by someone of Kershaw's stature would have given baseball a big shot in the arm. Instead, Roberts spiked Kershaw and baseball fans in the shins.

I Will Never Get Gilbert Gottfried's Voice Out of My Head

I read about the passing of comedian and voice actor Gilbert Gottfried who succumbed to a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He was 67. 

While I wasn't a big fan of his work, Gottfried possessed one of the most distinctive voices - ever. If you heard it you knew it was him and no one else. 

If you click on the picture above you will hear his regular voice and will immediately understand he led with his other voice. A voice I will never get out of my head. R.I.P.

Of course, this was not his normal voice. 

Brooklyn Subway Attacker Still at Large

I heard about what happened on the New York subway system early this afternoon at work, but did not have time to catch up on things until this evening.

As a Brooklyn bound N train pulled into the 36th Street Station, a man threw two smoke grenades and then shot 10 people. Thirteen other people required medical attention for smoke inhalation, shock and injuries from falling. 

In the grand scheme of things, this could have been far worse as no fatalities resulted in the attack. This is of cold comfort as the perpetrator remains at large as of this writing and there could be more to come. The NYPD have identified a 62-year old African-American man named Frank James as "a person of interest" though have not named him a suspect. His social media posts indicate a hatred of other African-Americans with particular animus towards newly elected New York City Mayor Eric Adams. 

If nothing else, today's attack has shown the vulnerability of the MTA and perhaps many other mass transit systems around the United States. Indeed, the camera or cameras at the 36th Street Station were inoperable and thus could not identify the suspect. If someone with a history of mental health issues could cause this much chaos then I shudder to think what could happen if the perpetrators had prepared and deployed a well-organized plan of terror. 

Here in Boston area, the MBTA will be beefing up security. Of course, we are less than a week away from the Boston Marathon and we all know the terror which occurred on Boylston Street in 2013.

The impetus now is to get the "person of interest" and anyone else who might be involved off the streets and soon.

Joel Horlen, R.I.P.

Former MLB pitcher Joel Horlen, who spent the bulk of his big league career with the Chicago White Sox, passed away yesterday of complications of Alzheimer's Disease. He was 84. 

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Horlen had a distinguished collegiate career at Oklahoma State University where he would be part of a team which won the 1959 College World Series. Soon after, Horlen signed with the Chisox organization and would make his MLB debut late in the 1961 season. 

Horlen (who was called Joe rather than Joel by most) became a full fledged starting pitcher in 1962. Between 1964 and 1968, Horlen posted an ERA below 3.00 and only once above 2.50. Yet during this period, he only had two winning seasons. Horlen was often the victim of poor run support which earned him the nickname "Hard Luck Horlen".

Good fortune would shine on Horlen in 1967, however. Horlen would finish runner up in AL Cy Young balloting to Jim Lonborg of the Impossible Dream Boston Red Sox by posting a 19-7 record with a league leading ERA of 2.07, a league leading 6 shutouts and a career high 13 complete games. On September 10th of that year, Horlen would no-hit the Detroit Tigers at Comiskey Park during the first game of a doubleheader. Horlen would also earn his only AL All-Star Team selection and finish fourth in AL MVP balloting behind Tigers catcher Bill Freehan, Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins and Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski. 

Horlen's stats would decline in 1970 and would be released prior to the 1972 season. No doubt being the team's player representative during the first ever players' strike in MLB history didn't help matters. However, Horlen was quickly picked up by the Oakland A's where he pitched primarily out of the bullpen and would earn his only World Series ring. 

In 1973, Horlen was signed by the Cleveland Indians where he was assigned to pitch in his hometown of San Antonio with their Double-AA affiliate then known as the Brewers. He would not return to the majors. Horlen finished his 12-year career with a record of 116-117 with a 3.11 ERA in 361 appearances including 290 starts. In 2002 innings pitched, Horlen struck out 1065 while walking 554. His 113 wins with the White Sox are 9th in franchise history.

Following his pitching career, Horlen would convert to Judaism after remarrying. Here is an August 1994 radio interview in which Horlen discusses his baseball career. R.I.P.

Macron & Le Pen Headed for French Presidential Election Rematch

French President Emmanuel Macron is headed for a rematch with Marine Le Pen of the National Front after the first round of France's presidential election. With 96% of the vote in, Macron leads with 27.4% of the vote with Le Pen earning 24% of the vote. The runoff will take place two weeks from today on April 24th. 

In 2017, Macron defeated Le Pen by a 2 to 1 margin (66.1% to 33.9%). Although Macron is favored to win, with five years under his belt, no one is expecting that margin of victory this time around. 

Keep in mind that no French President has been successfully re-elected since the late Jacques Chirac 20 years ago. Nicolas Sarkozy was ousted after a single term in office by Francois Hollande and Hollande didn't bother to seek a second term in office. So one cannot discount the possibility of a Le Pen victory.

And it is this prospect of a Le Pen victory which will motivate some voters to cast their ballot for Macron. That vote will be more anti-Le Pen than pro-Macron. It will also be something of an anti-Putin vote. 

Le Pen has been a longtime ally of Putin. Her party certainly likes Russian money. Though she might try, Le Pen can no more distance herself from Putin than she can from her anti-Semitism. Though she tried to court Jews during the 2017 election that all blew up when she claimed France wasn't responsible for sending Jews to concentration camps.

While Macron is certainly right to challenge Le Pen's closeness to Putin, his conversations with the Russian leader since his invasion of Ukraine haven't done much to inspire confidence. But if Le Pen prevails then whatever EU solidarity there is for Ukraine goes out the window. 

Let me put it another way. A Le Pen victory in France would be as catastrophic as Trump's election here in 2016. Right-wing authoritarianism would take hold in Western Europe. It would be further cemented if Trump were to return to the White House in 2024.

As with Joe Biden, a vote for Emmanuel Macron is a vote for democracy. As with Donald Trump, a vote for Marine Le Pen is a vote for dictatorship. We know which result Vladimir Putin would prefer.

McConnell Feels "Obligated" To Trump, But Not To The Constitution

In an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he had an obligation to support Donald Trump if Republicans nominated him in 2024.

McConnell told Swan, "I think I have an obligation to support the nominee of my party. That will mean that whoever the nominee is has gone out and earned the nomination.”

Sure, McConnell didn't mention Trump by name but the odds of someone other than Donald Trump being the GOP nominee are practically nil. 

McConnell seems to feel an obligation to Trump, but does not feel the same obligation to the U.S. Constitution. Although McConnell opposed Trump's impeachment, he readily acknowledged that Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for the events of January 6, 2021. As recently as February, McConnell said, "It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next."

Despite McConnell acknowledging Trump is "practically and morally responsible" for "a violent insurrection" he is more than happy to welcome him back to the White House.

In this respect, McConnell is simply another Bill Barr instead of a Liz Cheney. Anything short of the Cheney Standard must be a non-starter. The Cheney Standard being that Trump is unfit to hold any office and should not be permitted to run for any elected position, much less President. 

While McConnell feels obligated to Trump, Trump feels absolutely no obligation to McConnell and wants him ousted from the Senate Republican leadership.

McConnell knows what Trump is, but is too much of a coward to disavow him. It is a cowardice which breeds authoritarianism. Should the United States become an authoritarian country, McConnell will bear a great deal of responsibility for it by putting cult of personality and party before constitution and country.

Nehemiah Persoff, R.I.P.

 

Actor Nehemiah Persoff passed away on April 5th of heart failure. He was 102. His wife of 70 years, Thia, passed away in February 2021 and no doubt diminished his will to carry on any longer.

An inaugural member of The Actors' Studio, Persoff appeared in movies such as On The Waterfront, Some Like It Hot, The Comancheros, Voyage of the Damned, Yentl as his well voice in the American Tail animated films. 

I remember him best from TV shows like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Six Million Dollar Man and Columbo where he typically played villains. Persoff's other TV credits include The Untouchables, Gilligan's Island, Naked City, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild, Wild West and Mannix. 

After playing a rabbi in Yentl with Barbra Streisand, the Jerusalem born Persoff was cast as a rabbi in Magnum, P.I., The Last Temptation of Christ, L.A. Law, and Chicago Hope. 

Persoff retired from acting in 1999 at the age of 80 to concentrate on painting. He lived a long, wonderful life. We should all be so lucky. R.I.P.

KBJ Confirmed to SC & There's Not a Damn Thing Republicans Can Do About It

By a 53-47 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court and there's not a damn thing Republicans can do about it. 

Though they tried to the bitter end with Rand Paul delaying the vote and not being able to bring himself to step inside the Senate chamber to vote. After she was confirmed, nearly all Republican Senators walked out of the chambers led by Ted Cruz as Democratic Senators and Mitt Romney saw fit to applaud her. More on Romney later. 

Even before President Biden had even nominated KBJ, Cruz made it loud and clear he found it "offensive" that Biden would keep his campaign promise to appoint a black woman to the highest court in the land. Longtime Cato Institute apparatchik Ilya Shapiro was horrified that Biden would appoint "a lesser black woman" to the bench while Mississippi GOP Senator Roger Wicker claimed the pick would be nothing more than "a beneficiary" of affirmative action. Not to be outdone Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said a black woman wouldn't know "a law book from a J. Crew catalogue."

Like I said, this was before Biden actually nominated anyone.

Once Jackson was appointed, Tennessee GOP Senator Marsha Blackburn demanded KBJ define what a woman is, Cruz did his usual grandstanding this time with children's books, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley increased his street cred with the QAnon crowd by claiming KBJ was soft on child porn and pedophilia. Oh yeah, Oklahoma Senator Tom Cotton claimed that Jackson would have probably defended the Nazis at Nuremberg. 

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse did decry the "performative jackassery" among his Republican colleagues, but then decided to vote with the performative jackasses. Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham decided he was against KBJ after being for KBJ. 

Through it all KBJ didn't take the bait. Not once. She came across as both dignified and eminently qualified. 

Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted for her as they did when she was confirmed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and would be joined by Mitt Romney who did the reverse of Graham and supported KBJ after previously opposing her. Romney praised KBJ as a “well-qualified jurist” and a “person of honor” who is in "within the mainstream." These are just about the only three Republicans who showed even a modicum of decency and dignity during this whole ordeal.

This isn't to say that I won't disagree with KBJ's decisions or reasoning behind them. Nothing she has ever said or done warranted the sort of treatment she received at the hands of most Republicans. But in the end Republicans ended up doing more damage to themselves than they ever did or ever will to Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Paul Siebel, R.I.P.

Singer-songwriter Paul Siebel passed away yesterday at the age of 84. His death was announced by David Bromberg during his concert in Minneapolis. 

Siebel recorded two albums in the early 1970's for Elektra Records (Woodsmoke & Oranges and Jack-Knife Gypsy) before walking away from the music industry. He performed a one-off live concert with Bromberg and Gary White at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California in 1978. 

I was not familiar with Siebel's music until I got heavy into Iain Matthews' music. Matthews recorded "Louise" which appeared on the 1972 Plainsong album In Search of Amelia Earhart. Perhaps the best known version of "Louise" was recorded by Bonnie Raitt. Matthews also recorded "Bride 1945" on his 1974 solo album Journeys from Gospel Oak.

Another Siebel song Matthews performed was "Any Day Woman". Matthews' arrangement was more gentle whereas Siebel has a bit of Bob Dylan and a bit of Gene Clark in his voice which makes the emotion much rawer. In any case, I can see how Matthews, Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings saw fit to record Paul Siebel's songs. R.I.P.

Zelenskyy Envisions Ukraine Becoming a "Big Israel"

Prior to his address to the UN Security Council yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that he aspired Ukraine would become a "big Israel":

I think all our people will be our great army. We cannot talk about 'Switzerland of the future' — probably, our state will be able to be like this a long time after. But we will definitely become a 'big Israel' with its own face.

We will not be surprised that we will have representatives of the Armed Forces or the National Guard in all institutions, supermarkets, cinemas, there will be people with weapons. I am sure that our security issue will be number one in the next ten years.

Aside from Zelenskyy's Jewish heritage, I think he looks at Israel as a model because Russia seeks to eliminate Ukraine's national identity and very existence as a nation. For Ukraine to survive it must become to Russia what Israel became to the Arab world until the Arab world grudgingly decided it could live with Israel.

That Zelenskyy would so strongly identify with Israel definitively bursts the bubble of those who seek to tie Ukraine's plight to those of the Palestinians which was a tenuous argument in the first place. 

Ukrainians don't seek to eliminate Russians as Palestinians seek to eliminate Jews. I cannot see the Ukrainian government wantonly massacring Russian civilians much less naming schools, soccer fields and streets after those who do so.

Should international sympathy for Israel grow in the coming years, Israel might very well have Zelenskyy to thank for it.

My 2022 MLB Predictions: An All-Florida World Series

A little over a year ago, I predicted the first Yankees-Dodgers World Series in 40 years. It turned out to be the Atlanta Braves besting the Houston Astros in six games.

So what do I think is in store for 2022? Well, have a look.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL East

Tampa Bay Rays

Toronto Blue Jays*

Boston Red Sox*

New York Yankees

Baltimore Orioles

AL Central

Chicago White Sox 

Kansas City Royals

Detroit Tigers

Minnesota Twins

Cleveland Guardians

AL West

Houston Astros

Seattle Mariners*

Los Angeles Angels

Texas Rangers

Oakland A's

* - denotes Wild Card winners

AL Wild Card Round (Best 2 out of 3)

Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox - Winner: Mariners in 3

Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays - Winner: Blue Jays in 3

ALDS (Best 3 out of 5)

Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays - Winner: Rays in 3

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Houston Astros - Winner: Blue Jays in 3

ALCS (Best 4 out of 7)

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays - Winner: Rays in 6

ALCS MVP - Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays

AL Rookie of the Year - Spencer Torkelson, Detroit Tigers

AL Manager of the Year - Mike Matheny, Kansas City Royals

AL Cy Young Award Winner - John Means, Baltimore Orioles

AL MVP - Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL East

Atlanta Braves

New York Mets*

Philadelphia Phillies*

Miami Marlins*

Washington Nationals

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers

St. Louis Cardinals

Chicago Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates

Cincinnati Reds

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers

San Francisco Giants

San Diego Padres

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

* - denotes NL Wild Card winners

NL Wild Card Round (Best 2 out of 3)

Miami Marlins vs. Milwaukee Brewers - Winner: Marlins in 3

Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets - Winner: Mets in 3

NLDS (Best 3 out of 5)

Miami Marlins vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - Winner: Marlins in 5

New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves - Winner: Braves in 3

NLCS (Best 4 out of 7)

Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves - Winner: Marlins in 7

NLCS MVP - Joey Wendle, Miami Marlins

NL Rookie of the Year - Ethan Roberts, Chicago Cubs

NL Manager of the Year - Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins

NL Cy Young Award Winner - Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins

NL MVP - Pete Alonso, New York Mets

2022 World Series - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Miami Marlins - Winner: Marlins in six

World Series MVP - Jacob Stallings, Miami Marlins

Yup, I'm picking an all-Florida World Series. We'll see if the oranges bear fruit in October.

Will Silman's Defection From Bennett-Lapid Coalition Bring Bibi Back to Power?

Less than 10 months after forming a new government in Israel, the coalition led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Affairs Minister Yair Lapid and supported by Mansour Abbas, may have come to premature end with the defection of Idit Silman, who served as the government whip. Silman will now sit with the opposition Likud Party led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Silman's resignation caught Bennett and all of Israel by surprise. She cited the government's decision to enforce a High Court ruling that hospitals could not forbid people from bringing in non-kosher food during Passover which starts next week. Silman claimed the government's policy was undermining Israel's Jewish identity. For his part, Bennett asserted that Silman had broken after months of verbal threats against her and her family by Netanyahu supporters. 

At this point, one of two things could happen. Likud could try to form a new coalition within the Knesset as it is presently constituted or move to dissolve the Knesset and force a new election. If the latter occurs, it will be Israel's fifth election since April 2019. It would also been Lapid would become Prime Minister until elections are held.

There are several questions worth asking.

What promises did Netanyahu make to Silman? After all, Silman's defection serves Bibi's interests. There has to be a quid pro quo.

Who would want to be a coalition partner with Bibi? Netanyahu and Benny Gantz formed a coalition after the March 2020 election similar to what Bennett and Lapid have now. Instead of relinquishing the premiership to Gantz, Bibi gambled, forced early elections and lost. What Israeli politician is going to trust Netanyahu in a power sharing agreement?

And what of Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial. Anyone running against Bibi in the election would be a fool not to raise doubts about his fitness to return to office. 

If Netanyahu's gambit fails and he remains on the opposition benches and/or is convicted in his trial then I think the clock will have run out on Israel's longest serving Prime Minister. 

Then again one would be foolish to underestimate Netanyahu. One doesn't become Israel's longest serving Prime Minister without having a few tricks up his sleeve.