Former Socialist, Former Republican, Former Contributor to The American Spectator, Former Resident of Canada, Back in Boston Area After Stints in New York City & Atlanta, Current Mustache Wearer & Aficionado of Baseball, Bowling in All Its Forms, Cats, Music & Healthy Living
I would agree that Bolsonaro is the most dangerous of the two especially if he decides to pull a Trump and refuse to concede the election. But a less dangerous Lulu doesn't mean he isn't dangerous at all.
So let's be clear. A man who subscribed to the views of defeated former President Trump that the 2020 election was stolen wanted to kidnap and maim House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Instead, he tried to murder her husband Paul Pelosi.
Yes, Republicans have been targets of violence. But I defy anyone to name a Democrat who made fun of Steve Scalise after he was shot in June 2017 during the practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game.
Senator Paul's response and that of Republicans at large at the attack of Paul Pelosi is emblematic of Trumpism which derives amusement and pleasure in the suffering of others. And it is only going to get worse.
Quatraro was tabbed by new Royals GM J.J. Piccolo who succeeded Dayton Moore who was also fired by the organization. Of course, Quatraro is an unknown quantity. He was a career minor leaguer with the Devil Rays/Rays organization from 1996 through 2002. After a brief stint with the New York Yankees organization in 2003, Quatraro rejoined the Devil Rays in 2004 working as a minor league manager through 2009. From 2010 to 2013, Quatraro worked for the Rays as their minor league hitting coordinator. Quatraro would get his first exposure to the big leagues when he was hired as assistant hitting coach with the Cleveland Indians where he would spend four seasons. He would rejoin the Rays in 2018 as their third base coach. In 2019, he was promoted to bench coach when Charlie Montoyo was hired to manage the Toronto Blue Jays. Last off-season, Quatraro was interviewed for managerial vacancies with the Oakland A's and New York Mets.
The Royals have had six consecutive losing seasons. Quatraro has been given a three-year contract with an option for the 2026 season. I suspect not much will be expected for Quatraro in 2023. But who knows? Can the Cleveland Guardians repeat their success of 2022? The Chicago White Sox have their own managerial problems while the Detroit Tigers look moribund and the Minnesota Twins could go either way. Perhaps Quatraro can help the Royals exceed expectations in his inaugural season in Kansas City. If he does Quatraro might enjoy a long reign with the Royals.
In 1957 and 1958, Lewis' popularity rivaled that of his Sun Records labelmate Elvis Presley with hits like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Great Balls of Fire", "Breathless" and "High School Confidential".
As quickly as Lewis' career rose it would sink with his marriage to his 13-year old cousin Myra Gale Brown. Mind you, this was already his third marriage with four more to come with two of those wives dying under peculiar circumstances though there is nothing to suggest he had anything to do with their demise.
Lewis would re-establish himself as a country musician in the late 1960's and would have success on the country charts through the early 1980's. He would continue to record and tour well into the 2010s.
But it was his electric performances on the piano and charismatic persona from his early days in rock 'n roll which shall endure. Case in point would be his 1964 performance of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in London with an exuberant, young British audience giving Lewis even more intensity than usual. R.I.P.
Tomorrow night, the Houston Astros will host the Philadelphia Phillies to commence the 2022 World Series.
While this is the first time the Astros and Phillies have faced each other in the World Series, it is not the first time they have faced each other in the post-season.
Those of us of a certain age will know I am referring to the 1980 National League Championship Series. In less than a decade in the AL, the Astros have thrived playing in six consecutive American League Championship Series winning four of them along with a World Series title in 2017 (albeit under controversial circumstances). But for most of their history, the Astros were a NL team when they debuted 60 years ago as the Houston Colt 45's. Rechristened the Astros when they moved into the Astrodome in 1965, the Astros would reach the post-season for the first time in 1980 besting the Los Angeles Dodgers in a one game playoff.
Managed by Bill Virdon, they had added both Nolan Ryan and Joe Morgan as free agents joining an organization which already had Jose Cruz, Joe Niekro and Cesar Cedeno. They even had a Canadian, outfielder Terry Puhl from Melville, Saskatchewan. I would be remiss if I didn't mention J.R. Richard, a pitcher who threw every bit as hard as the Ryan Express. Sadly, Richard would be unable to compete in this NLCS as he had felled by a stroke shortly after the All-Star Game in July 1980 and would never again pitch in MLB.
The Astros faced a Phillies team which featured Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Tug McGraw and managed by Dallas Green. Whereas Virdon was low-key, Green was domineering and despised. But unlike his predecessor Danny Ozark who was unable to get the Phillies past the Big Red Machine in 1976 and the Dodgers in 1977 and 1978 before missing the post-season entirely in 1979, Green got his team to the World Series prevailing over the Astros in a spirited five game series. Four of the five games went into extra innings.
I was all of 8-years old when I watched this contest. 1980 was the year I became a baseball fan and was only beginning to understand the game. But I remember being excited by the back and forth nature of this contest. What I also remember is being very sick during the week of the 1980 NLCS. This wasn't a case of baseball fever. I was sick as I have ever been and I remember this series being the only thing that made me feel better even though the Astros would go on to lose the NLCS. I was rooting for the Astros because the Phillies had bested the Montreal Expos in the NL East.
In retrospect, the Phillies had been a longer suffering franchise than the Chicago Cubs. When they defeated the Kansas City Royals in six games, it was their first World Series title in their 97-year history. They have only won one other title since back in 2008.
So this time around I am rooting for the Phillies and I predict Philadelphia will upset the Astros in five games.
Schumaker, 42, will succeed Don Mattingly who parted ways with the Marlins after seven seasons at the helm. During Mattingly's tenure, the Marlins reached the post-season once during the COVID shortened 2020 season.
The Marlins picked Schumaker over perpetual bridesmaids Joe Espada and Matt Quatraro who are the bench coaches for the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively. Former New York Mets manager and current New York Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas was also in the mix.
Schumaker played in MLB from 2005 through 2015 as an outfielder and second baseman primarily with the Cardinals where he earned World Series rings in 2006 and 2011. In 2018, Schumaker was hired by the San Diego Padres to be the team's first base coach. In 2020, following the hiring of Jayce Tingler as manager, Schumaker was given the title of associate manager. Schumaker rejoined the Cardinals organization prior to this season.
The Marlins decision to hire Schumaker has been well received earning praise from ace pitcher (and possible NL Cy Young Award winner) Sandy Alcantara and outfielder Jazz Chisholm. Still, the Marlins will have their work cut out for them. Then again a NL East team has represented the Senior Circuit in the World Series three out of the past four years. Could the Marlins be the next NL East team to make the World Series? If they do then baseball fans in Miami will skip for joy.
Between the ethical lapses of Johnson and the sheer incompetence of Truss, do the Tories have nowhere to go but up under Sunak? It was Sunak who pointed out the irresponsibility of Truss' economic plans. In their debate back in July, Sunak stated, "Liz, we have to be honest. Borrowing your way out of inflation isn’t a plan, it’s a fairytale." With what soon followed, Sunak's statements turned out not to be empty rhetoric.
While Sunak might have some measure of goodwill, he will still have a short leash. Spending cuts and austerity are likely to be order of the day and there's a good chance such measures will be taken out on the people who can least afford it. Should this come to pass, Sunak's enormous wealth will surely be unfavorably highlighted. It will be incumbent upon Sunak to demonstrate noblesse oblige when implementing his government's fiscal policy. Governing with competence and compassion could go a long way with voters. Yet it is entirely possible the Tories will have more favorable polling numbers under Sunak, but it might not be enough to overcome a British public tired of a Tory government which has been in office since 2010.
Whatever the case, Sunak will soon at the dispatch box in the House of Commons face to face with Labour Party leader Keir Starmer. It will be interesting to see if Sunak can raise the bar and if it does how high he can raise it.
The Houston Astros have swept the New York Yankees in the ALCS defeating the Bronx Bombers 6-5 in Game 4.
The Astros have won back to back AL pennants becoming the first AL team to do so since the Kansas City Royals pulled it off in 2014 and 2015. This is the Astros' fourth AL pennant since 2017.
This was the Yankees' best effort of the series taking an early 3-0 lead on singles by Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres in the first and an Anthony Rizzo double in the second. However, the Astros would tie the score in the third on a three-run HR by Jeremy Pena. Houston would take a 4-3 lead on a Yuli Gurriel single.
The Yankees would tie the game in the 4th on a single by Rizzo in the fourth and would take a 5-4 lead in the sixth on a HR by Harrison Bader. But singles by Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman would give the Astros the lead for good.
In what might prove to be the final at bat of his Yankee career, Aaron Judge grounded out to Gurriel at first to end the series. After eclipsing Roger Maris with 62 HR and very likely the AL MVP, Judge went 1 for 16 in the ALCS and was hearing boos from the Yankees faithless.
Meanwhile, rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena won ALCS MVP honors going 6 for 17 (.353) with 2 HR and 5 RBIs along with two doubles.
The Astros will host the Philadelphia Phillies for Game 1 of the 2022 World Series beginning Friday night. Given the Astros are undefeated in this post-season they will be heavy favorites. But I wouldn't sell the Phillies short. They are a feisty team. Or should I say Pheisty? Both teams will have four days off so this might be a more competitive World Series than you might think.
This represents the Phillies' 8th NL pennant and first since 2009. The Phillies also captured the NL pennant in 1915, 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993 and 2008. Philadelphia is 2-5 in World Series play winning the Fall Classic in 1980 and in 2008.
When the Phillies bested the Kansas City Royals for their first World Series title in 1980, they had to get past the Houston Astros in a sensational five game NLCS to get there. Now there's a very good chance the Phillies will face the Astros in the World Series. The Astros currently have a 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the ALCS and could clinch back to back AL pennants and their fourth since 2017 this evening. However, if the Yankees somehow comeback from an 0-3 deficit, it will mark the third time these two teams have played in the World Series with the Yankees prevailing in both 1950 and in 2009.
Either way, the Phillies will have to wait until Friday to commence World Series play in either Houston or New York. Regardless the Philadelphia Phillies are now our 2022 NL champions.
During President Joe Biden's term in office, we have seen the enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS Act, the Pact Act, the Safer Communities Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and student loan forgiveness (provided it gets unblocked by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals).
So why can't Democrats bring themselves to support President Biden?
I shudder to think where this country would be if Trump were still in the White House. Yet Republicans remain steadfastly loyal to Trump while Democrats treat Biden like a pariah. They treat him as if he incited an attack on the U.S. Capitol.
This will not do. The only thing standing between Trump and the White House is Joe Biden. That is the choice. It isn't a tough call. If Democratic politicians genuinely believe Biden shouldn't run in 2024 then who is the alternative who can exceed all of the achievements of the Biden presidency over the past 22 months? Let them put forward his or her name now. Assuming they have such a name there is a very good chance that candidate will not be able to assemble the coalition necessary to withstand Trump.
I would love to hear a Democrat running for office in this election year say unequivocally, "Joe Biden is a vastly better President than Donald Trump for the American people and he has my unconditional support in 2024 if he so chooses to run again."
The fact that Democratic politicians, especially the likes of Jim Clyburn, cannot bring themselves to publicly support Biden here and now does not bode well. Democrats will come to regret their lack of support if they force Biden to not seek re-election or demand his resignation and the end result is a second Trump presidency.
Bochy, who guided the Padres to a NL pennant in 1998 and the Giants to three World Series titles in 2010 (against the Rangers), 2012 and 2014, has signed a three-year contract to manage the club. After a 25-year managerial career, Bochy stepped down as Giants manager after the 2019 season.
Bochy is no stranger to Rangers GM Chris Young who pitched under him while a member of the Padres during the 2006 season. The Rangers have had six consecutive losing seasons. In August, the Rangers fired Chris Woodward back in mid-August (despite having signed him to contract extension after the 2021 season) and replaced him on an interim basis with third base coach. It is unclear whether Beasley will remain with the organization.
What is clear is that the Rangers will have their work cut out for them. Even if Bochy turns around the organization and gets them winning they still must contend with the Houston Astros who with a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the ALCS could win their fourth AL pennant since 2017. But if anyone is a match for Astros manager Dusty Baker in the dugout, it is Bochy as they are now the only active managers with 2,000 plus wins under their belts at the big league level.
Eldest sister Joanna Simon passed away of thyroid cancer at the age of 84 on Wednesday while Lucy Simon died on Thursday of metastatic breast cancer at the age of 82. Her younger brother, Peter Simon, a photographer, died of a heart attack in 2018 at the age of 71.
While Carly Simon is hardly alone in feeling grief at these losses, yet she is now the last surviving member of her immediate family. While I cannot presume to know what she is thinking it would only be natural to think of one's own mortality especially when one's last two surviving siblings die one day apart.
Simon and her siblings grew up in the lap of luxury as their father Richard L. Simon was the co-founder of the publishing house Simon & Schuster. While Carly Simon gained global fame in the early 1970's for hits such as "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", "You're So Vain" and "Anticipation", her older sisters were successful in their own right.
Joanna Simon was an acclaimed mezzo-soprano opera singer who performed on stages all over the world for nearly a quarter century until her retirement in 1986. Lucy Simon and younger sister Carly began their careers as a folk music duo in the early 1960's scoring a modest hit with an adaptation of the poem "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" and also had their own interpretation of "Turn, Turn, Turn" before The Byrds made it into an international hit.
After Carly's pop success, Lucy tried to follow in her footsteps releasing two solo albums in the mid-1970's - Lucy Simon and Stolen Time to little acclaim. In the early 1980's, she and her husband David Levine would win Grammy Awards for two children's albums In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record and In Harmony 2. Simon would find additional success in Broadway composing the score for The Secret Garden which earned her a Tony nomination in 1991 and later scored a musical adaptation of Doctor Zhivago.
During an appearance at Georgetown University last night, former Vice President Mike Pence was asked if he would support Donald Trump if the Republican Party were to nominate him in 2024.
Pence quipped, "There might be somebody else I'd prefer more."
While Pence's reply was cute, he didn't answer the question.
It does appear that Pence will make a bid for the GOP nomination in 2024. But a good many Republicans would rather hang Mike Pence than hang out with him.
Simply put, Pence doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell against Trump.
Which brings us back to the original question. Will Pence support Trump if he is the GOP nominee in 2024?
We all know the answer because for nearly all Republicans, "The Left is worse." Pence is no Liz Cheney. Unless Pence declares that Trump shouldn't be allowed to run for public office then we can safely assume that he, like nearly all of the other GOP quislings, will seek to curry favor with Trump and endorse him for another four years in the White House even if he did try to have him killed.
Only 45 days after being sworn as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss has resigned after a series of decisions which sent the British economy reeling. Her 4.1 Scaramuccis represent the shortest reign in U.K. history.
Four days ago, I observed, "Boris Johnson set a very low bar and yet somehow Truss has tripped over it thereby managing to make Johnson look good."
Let us remember though it was the long serving Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson who said, "A week in politics is a long time." Six weeks is an eternity none the richer.
Although Truss has lowered the bar, Johnson has more baggage than Heathrow. It would seem the safer bet would be Rishi Sunak who lost to Truss in last month's Conservative Party leadership.
Of course, it might not matter who the Conservatives select if the British electorate has already made up their minds to elect either a Labour government or a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition government after a dozen long years of Tory rule.
Let's keep in mind that Trump went ballistic on Netanyahu for congratulating Joe Biden on his election victory claiming that Bibi was ungrateful to him. For this Trump said of Netanyahu, "Fuck him!!!"
So why is Bibi acting like Ted Cruz or J.D. Vance with regard to Trump and kissing his ass?
Of course, Israelis go to the polls on November 1st and Bibi is calculating that Israelis still support Trump notwithstanding his admonition of American Jews and wants that support to rub off on him. But Bibi is already the longest serving Prime Minister in Israeli history. He didn't need Trump then. So why should he need him now?
When it comes loyalty, for Trump not only is it a one way street but a cul-de-sac. It's bad enough that Republicans see fit to emasculate themselves with Trump to curry his favor, but that a former foreign head of state feels the need to do is just pathetic.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, while campaigning for New Hampshire Republican Senate hopeful and election conspiracy theorist Don Bolduc this past Sunday, saw fit to liken President Biden to Adolf Hitler:
And this is something that is, you know, throughout history, we look at authoritarian leaders and dictators in other countries. I'm pretty sure they all believe they’re doing what’s best. Even Hitler thought he was doing what was best for Germany, right? For the German race. In his own mind, he found a way to justify the means to meet his end. So when we have people with that mindset, well, you know we’ve got to do whatever it takes because, as President Biden said in that speech in Philadelphia, that those who supported Trump, those who didn't vote for him are extremists and a threat to our democracy.
Of course, when President Biden spoke in Philadelphia last month, he said no such thing:
Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.
Now, I want to be very clear, very clear up front: Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology.
Australia's Labor government, which came to power last May, has initiated a diplomatic row with Israel by reversing the previous Liberal/National government's decision to recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Hospitalizations continue their downward trend from the end of July. According to Our World in Data, there are just under 21,000 COVID hospitalizations (20,942) as of October 16th. That is nearly a 50% reduction from the end of July when it eclipsed 40,000 on July 28thh (40,131).
The Yankees got a solid outing from Nestor Cortes on short rest while Giancarlo Stanton hit a three run bomb in the first with Aaron Judge following with a solo shot in the 2nd. Anthony Rizzo added a RBI single in the fifth. The Guardians' only run came on a sacrifice fly by Jose Ramirez.
Whether you call them Guardians or Indians, next year Cleveland will have gone 75 years without winning a World Series.
Meanwhile, the Yankees will have little time to celebrate as they must travel to Houston and meet the Astros in the ALCS for the third time in six years starting tomorrow night. The Guardians-Yankees ALDS had two postponements due to rain and today's game coincides with Game 1 of the NLCS between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres. The Yankees faced the Astros in the ALCS in both 2017 and 2019 with Houston prevailing both times. Will the third time be the charm for the Yankees or will the Astros continue to dominate this rivalry?
No President has done more for Israel than I have. Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S. Those living in Israel, though, are a different story - Highest approval rating in the World, could easily be P.M.! U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel - Before it is too late!
Trump is angry at American Jews not because they are less appreciative of Israel than Evangelicals, but because American Jews are less appreciative of him. Well, Jews believe in only one G-d and do not worship false idols like Trump - gold statue and all. While there is a significant segment of Jews in this country who are anti-Israel most American Jews do support Israel and like it when our Presidents do the same. We just don't want strings attached.
Especially if that string comes attached with a stone from a defeated, former President is demanding my people to get its act together before it's too late. Considering his daughter Ivanka has converted to Judaism and has Jewish grandchildren he should know better. Trump might very well, but he just doesn't care.
While Israelis do appreciate his decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, no one can easily become Prime Minister in Israel. This involves the cobbling of coalitions - an area where Trump has no appreciable skill. For Trump make a suggestion is a combination of his usual bravado and general ignorance about the minutia of Israeli politics. Moreover, Trump is just as quick to question Israeli loyalty to him as he did with Benjamin Netanyahu when Bibi congratulated Joe Biden on his election victory while not indulging Trump on his election conspiracy fantasies. For this transgression, Trump said of Netanyahu, "Fuck him!!!"
While Trump has a very low threshold for disloyalty from just about anyone, real or imagined, the fact that he saw fit to single out "U.S. Jews" collectively makes his statement anti-Semitic regardless of his familial relations and positive policies implemented with regard to the State of Israel while he was in the White House and the Biden Administration is correct in characterizing his remarks in this manner.
The Padres advance to the NLCS for the first time since 1998 and will host the Philadelphia Phillies beginning Tuesday night. The Phillies, of course, upset another 100 plus win team in the Atlanta Braves in their division series. San Diego has never won a World Series title.
I had questioned whether a bye could hurt. While the Astros swept the Mariners, the Dodgers and Braves with 212 wins between them are done. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees are one loss away from that same fate as the Cleveland Guardians scored three runs in the 9th to take a 2-1 lead in the ALDS.
Alas the NL is a distant memory for the Astros. Having swept the Mariners, the Astros advance to their sixth consecutive ALCS. Houston will play either the Cleveland Guardians or the New York Yankees. Their series is currently tied at one game apiece with the Yankees leading the Guardians 5-3 heading into the 9th inning of Game 3. Should the Yankees prevail in the ALDS it will be the third time there has been an Astros-Yankees ALCS in the past six years. The Astros won both matchups in 2017 and 2019.
The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS 8-3 and will advance to their first NLCS since 2010. Home runs from Brandon Marsh, J.T. Realmuto (an inside the park HR no less) and Bryce Harper along with a RBI single from Rhys Hopkins accounted for the Phillies offense.
The Phillies face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres in that contest. The Padres hold a 2-1 NLDS lead over the Dodgers and could clinch later this evening.
The Phillies' triumph ends hopes for back to back World Series titles for the Braves. This year's edition of the Braves won 101 games in the regular season as opposed to the 88 games they won a year ago. But this meant nothing to the Phillies who won 87 regular season games. The Phillies demonstrated they were the hungrier team. The question now is whether their appetites have been satiated or whetted.
The only other thing which could benefit Truss other than time is if she exceeds expectations. Of course, Johnson set the bar so low that Truss might be able to overcome it. However, one should not underestimate the Tories' tendency towards cruelty and scandal. When it comes to Liz Truss, the jury is out on her for the foreseeable future.
The source of this incompetence was Truss' tax cut proposal for the wealthy without having a plan to pay for it. This set off a panic in the British markets causing the pound to nearly collapse resulting in a rise in mortgage payments. The Bank of England had to intervene to stabilize the market. Boris Johnson set a very low bar and yet somehow Truss has tripped over it thereby managing to make Johnson look good.
Yesterday, Truss reversed course on the policy and sacked her Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng after only 38 days on the job. That's just about four Scaramuccis. But given that this was the central plank in Truss' economic policy and she picked Kwarteng to implement it how long can she expect to stay at 10 Downing Street? Is she another Scaramucci away from joining Kwarteng on the unemployment line?
Technically, Truss won't be subject to a leadership review until next September. But the Tories could change those rules and try to force her resignation. After all, Truss has become an albatross around their necks. Or in this case an albatruss.
A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Sutter was drafted out of high school by the Washington Senators in 1970, but was deemed too young to sign. He would subsequently sign with the Chicago Cubs as undrafted free agent the following year.
When Sutter injured his elbow in 1972, he quietly paid for his own surgery so the Cubs wouldn't cut him. As it turned out, they would not need to as Sutter was taught the split-fingered fastball by minor league pitching instructor Fred Martin. Sutter would reach the majors with the Cubs in 1976 and by 1977 had begun to establish himself as Senior Circuit's premier closer earning the first of six NL All-Star Team selections on the strength of his split-fingered fastball.
In a 12-year big leaguer career, Sutter finished with exactly 300 saves. Of those 300 saves, 188 required more than an inning of work. After 13 years on the BBWAA ballot, Sutter was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Sutter's time at the top was relatively short, but his influence is far reaching. Bruce Sutter's splitter paved the way for Mariano Rivera's cut fastball. He is part of the Mount Rushmore of relievers. I leave you with Sutter striking out fellow Hall of Famer Jim Rice at the 1979 All-Star Game. R.I.P.
If Democrats are to retain control of the Senate, it is crucial that Warnock defeat Republican Herschel Walker, the former Heisman Trophy winner. This evening the two debated in Savannah, Georgia. Here are my seven observations of this debate:
1. The Debate Panelists Were Awful
The debate was only an hour long and the panelists limited Walker and Warnock to 15 and 30 second responses. One cannot have a meaningful debate about student loan forgiveness and Medicaid expansion under those conditions and the campaigns of both candidates are at fault for agreeing to such conditions. Georgia voters were poorly served by this debate.
2. Warnock Was a Fourth Grade Teacher; Walker Was a Fourth Grade Student
Senator Warnock is a functioning adult who can speak in complete sentences while it was unclear whether Walker understood what was being discussed. The man could not pronounce the term federal minimum wage. But defeated former President Trump and Georgia Republicans have no trouble with this from Walker so long as he does what they tell him to do.
3. Nevertheless Warnock Exceeded Expectations
Despite sounding utterly incoherent, Warnock does have personality, a sense of humor and charm. Not that I believe him when he says he's transparent. But he was not intimidated by Warnock. As such, I think the big story of this debate is that Walker exceeded expectations.
4. If Walker Can Debate Warnock Then Why Can't Hobbs Debate Lake in Arizona?
5. Warnock Distances Himself From President Biden While Walker Fully Embraces Trump
Senator Warnock was asked point blank if President Biden should seek re-election in 2024 and he would not answer the question. His answer was artful in that Warnock said he was focused on being a Senator and not a political pundit. Nevertheless it was an artful dodge. With the way Warnock was distancing himself from President Biden, you would have thought it was Biden who was responsible for the events of January 6th.
Needless to say, Walker had no such hesitation when it came to supporting Trump's bid for re-election making a point of calling Trump his friend. The one talking point Walker consistently stood by was that Warnock voted with Biden 96% of the time and in this regard he was successful in getting Warnock to throw Biden under the bus.
6. Warnock is Competent, Serious Senator
Despite distancing himself from President Biden, Warnock demonstrated himself to be a competent legislator who had demonstrated he takes his job seriously and a willingness to work with Republicans when possible by focusing on the issues in Georgia.
7. Warnock's Competence Might Not Matter to the Georgia Legislature
Yet Warnock's competence might not matter. Voters might be prepared to give him a full term, but with the Georgia legislature having diminished the power of the Secretary of State while empowering itself to overturn the will of the people and install Walker to do their bidding. If this comes to pass it will be a product of the destructive legacy of Trumpism.
I'm glad I don't live in Ohio. Because if I did my choices for the Senate would be between Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance. Yes, Vance is utterly despicable having gone from a Never Trumper to an Only Trumper. But Vance backs his guy all the way.
The same cannot be said for Ryan when it comes to President Biden. During their debate last night, Ryan reiterated he did not want Biden to seek re-election in 2024. Ryan said, “No, I’ve been very clear. I’d like to see a generational change. Mitch, McConnell, Donald Trump, the president everybody. We need a new generation of leadership.”
Last month, Ryan first disclosed he did not want Biden to run again. "The environment politically across the country is poisonous, and people I think want some change," said Ryan, "It's important for us, in both parties, these leaders who have been around for a while, I think it's time for some generational change."
Yes, we have a politically poisonous environment. But the idea that Biden is on the same moral plane as Trump much less McConnell when it comes to this politically poisonous environment is utterly ludicrous. Ryan might disagree with President Biden's student loan relief measures, but he is trying to govern. The same could not be said for Trump during his single term of office never mind his words and deeds before and after January 6th. As for Mitch McConnell, he would not permit a confirmation vote on Merrick Garland in 10 months because President Obama was in his last year in office but did so for Amy Comey Barrett in 10 days when Donald Trump was in his last days in office. Now McConnell may loathe Trump but he could not bring himself to impeach Trump for his actions on January 6th because he put party ahead of country.
What kind of poisonous atmosphere does Ryan think President Biden is bringing to the country?
And what of this generation of leadership? Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert are 48, 40 and 35, respectively while Democrats Jamaal Bowman is 46, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is 33 while Ilhan Omar just turned 40 earlier this month. This new generation of leadership has plenty of poison to spread.
I think the 49-year old Ryan means himself. After all, he did run for the Democratic nomination for the White House in 2020 and did little to distinguish himself. Little has changed between then and now. If Ryan cannot bring himself to support Biden much less recognize his achievements while Vance sings Trump's praises I cannot see why Ohioans would be prepared to choose him in four weeks from now.
Both AOC and Ted Cruz have my contempt because they denounce anti-Semitism only when it is committed by someone who isn't in their political camp. To be a champion against anti-Semitism then one must denounce all anti-Semitism at all times. When it comes to denouncing anti-Semitism at all times, AOC and Ted Cruz cannot aspire to be contenders much less champions.
What is most remarkable about Lansbury's career which spanned eight decades was that her greatest success came after she turned 60. Although Lansbury was thrice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (twice in her early 20's) and won four Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical during the 1960's and 1970's, it was Jessica Fletcher which made Lansbury a household name the world over.
Murder, She Wrote has been off the air for more than 25 years. Its last TV movie aired almost 20 years ago and yet it is airing somewhere in the world right now and most of that owes to Lansbury. Although it wasn't a bad thing to be an older woman on TV during the 1980's as Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and especially Betty White could attest with The Golden Girls, Lansbury was a lead. For a medium increasingly devoted to youth it is astonishing Lansbury led for as long as she did.
In a sense, Lansbury was born to play Jessica Fletcher. After all, Lansbury was being cast as a woman much older than she actually was as was the case when she played Elvis Presley's mother in Blue Hawaii despite an age difference of 10 years. Lansbury was only three years older than Laurence Harvey when she was cast as his mother in The Manchurian Candidate, a chilling performance which earned her a third Academy Award nomination. While Jessica Fletcher was 180 degrees away from Eleanor Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate and more than 20 years apart, it meant that Lansbury finally hit the peak of her career when she played a role which embodied her age to which people of all ages responded warmly. R.I.P.
The Padres scored all six of their runs on singles. Austin Nola hit a two-run single in the 2nd inning while Trent Grisham drove in one run with a single in the 4th. Manny Machado had a RBI single in the 5th and Juan Soto hit a two-run single in the sixth.
San Diego will travel to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLDS on Tuesday night. The Dodgers who won a franchise record 111 games this season will be heavy favorites as they finished 22 games ahead of the Padres in the NL West. The Friars were 5-13 against the Dodgers this season. No doubt there are many who don't think the Padres have a prayer against the Dodgers. But that was then and this is now. For the Padres, nothing is written. Not yet anyway.
My 2022 MLB post-season predictions haven't been so great. I predicted three of the four Wild Card Series incorrectly. The only one I got correct was the Cleveland Guardians defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. As such I shall refrain from making any further predictions until the World Series.
The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 to sweep the NL Wild Card Series. Aaron Nola and three relievers combined on a 7-hit shutout while Bryce Harper hit a solo HR in the 2nd with Kyle Schwarber driving in a run on a sacrifice fly in the 5th.
The turning point in the series was the 9th inning of Game 1 on Friday. With the Cardinals leading 3-0 in the 9th inning, the Phillies scored six unanswered runs rendering Redbirds fans in shock.
With the Cardinals exit so ends the playing careers of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright who were part of the team's World Series championships in 2006 and 2011 with the hope of capturing a championship in a third decade. But the Phillies had other plans.
Those plans involve travelling to Atlanta to face the defending World Series champion Braves in the NLDS starting Tuesday night in the best three out of five series.
The Phillies sweep of the Cardinals follows the Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners who swept their Wild Card Series earlier on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively.
The only Wild Card contest left to be determined is the NLWCS between the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets. After the Padres feasted on Max Scherzer for a 7-1 win in Game 1 on Friday, the Mets evened the series with a 7-3 victory tonight. The deciding game takes place tomorrow night at Citi Field where the previous two games have also been played. The winner of that series will go on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the other NLDS matchup.
The Mariners would score four runs in the 6th inning, three of which came as a result of a HR from veteran Carlos Santana to cut the deficit to 8-5. However, the Jays would get one run back on a single by Danny Jansen. But the Mariners answered with four runs in the 8th on a Cal Raleigh single and a bases loaded double by J.P. Crawford to tie the game at 9-9. On the play, Blue Jays outfielders Bo Bichette and George Springer collided forcing Springer to be taken out on a stretcher. With the wind knocked out of their sails, Adam Frazier drove in the go ahead run in the 9th on a double and eliminated the Blue Jays from post-season play.
Seattle advances to the ALDS and will face the Houston Astros starting on Tuesday in Houston. While the Astros will be heavily favored, it would be fitting if the Mariners knocked off their AL West division rival.
The Guardians won Game 1 yesterday 2-1 with the difference being a two-run HR by Jose Ramirez. The only run scored in the AL Wild Card Series by the Rays was a solo HR by Jose Siri.
I am so glad MLB does not apply the stupid extra inning rule where they begin the inning with a runner on second base in the post-season. So why do it at all?
Cleveland advances to the ALDS where they will play the New York Yankees in the Bronx in the best three out of five series on Tuesday.
While the Yankees are going to be big favorites in this series, the Guardians will come in a fighting mood. After all, back in April, Yankees fans disgraced themselves when they pelted several Cleveland players following a Yankees win including Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan who had been injured crashing into the wall. At the time, I observed "the last saga of this chapter has not been written."
Well, the story shall soon resume. It remains to be seen if there will be a favorable ending for the Guardians, but for the moment they have triumphed.
If Sasse wanted to he could have been a profile in courage like Liz Cheney. But he didn't want to be that. What he wants is to be in the good graces of Conservatism, Inc. Sasse won't get that by staying in Washington where Republicans will very likely remain in the minority, but he can do this by going to the cradle of Trumpism and the den of DeSantisland in Florida and posing as an intellectual conservative.
While I have great contempt for the likes of Hawley, Cruz, Rand Paul and Rick Scott amongst others they no longer care to show any pretensions about preserving the sanctity of our democratic institutions. Sasse, on the other hand, makes a great show about supporting the Constitution and upholding civility but votes with Hawley, Cruz, Paul and Scott just the same notwithstanding his impeachment vote.
Sasse could have followed Cheney's lead and used his impeachment vote as the starting point as to why Trump should never be allowed to seek public office. Instead, it was his last word.
By the second week of August, the Mets had pulled away with a 7 game lead, but the Braves would win 15 of their next 17 games and never again be beyond 3 games out of the division lead. However, until this past weekend when they swept the Mets, the Braves only had sole possession of first place on September 9th. It's not how you start but it's how you finish.
The Braves team which won the World Series a year ago had 88 wins in the regular season. They now stand at 101 wins. By any measure, this Braves team is better than they were a year ago. But there are no guarantees. As with the Dodgers, the Braves get a bye in the first round of the post-season and this could very well work against them.
The New York Mets might not have won the NL East, but they make the post-season for the first time since 2016 and Buck Showalter has made a difference in the dugout. It isn't the Mets faded. They haven't had a losing month this season. It's just that the Braves have been on all eight cylinders. But a few days off could make the Braves rusty and the Mets likely facing the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card could help give them an edge Assuming they get past the Padres this could help them against the Braves and Dodgers deeper into the post-season.
Judge, 30, hit the homer in Globe Life Park off Texas Rangers pitcher Jesus Tinoco in the first inning of the second game of a doubleheader (which, as of this writing, they are losing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning). Although Judge would have undoubtedly preferred to do this in front of Yankees fans, I'm also sure he would prefer to win a World Series ring in the Bronx.
Of course, Maris' record has been surpassed in the NL by Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds with Bonds owning the single season MLB HR record when he hit 73 HR in 2001. Of course, these records are generally looked down upon because of the trio's use of performance enhancing drugs. As such, although Maris continued to hold the AL record, Judge's run at Maris was looked upon with far less fanfare.
Still, Judge is a virtual lock to win his first AL MVP as he has a chance to win the Triple Crown. Judge entered tonight leading the AL in both HR and RBI (130) with a .311 batting average - four points behind Minnesota Twins infielder Luis Arraez.
Judge will be a free agent after the 2022 season. But for the moment he has entered Yankees lore and perhaps captured baseball immortality.
Lynn would gradually inherit this crown following the death of her friend Patsy Cline and would become a mainstay of the Grand Ole Opry. Although there have been other female country singers who have come along - Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Emmylou Harris, Tanya Tucker, her younger sister Crystal Gayle and Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn kept performing and recording well into this century. Whether it was her duets with Conway Twitty during the 1970's or Jack White of The White Stripes producing her 2004 album Van Lear Rose, her voice always shone through.
As memory serves, I first became aware of Loretta Lynn through The Muppet Show. I remember her long dresses and how she managed to stay elegant in an inelegant world. Here she is singing her 1971 hit "Lookin' at Country". R.I.P.
Phillies ace took a perfect game into the 7th inning while Kyle Schwarber hit two HRs. Rookie Bryson Stott also went deep.
This likely would not have taken place had Joe Girardi still been in the dugout. The Phillies were 22-29 when Girardi was dismissed at the beginning of June and replaced with bench coach Rob Thomson. The low key Thomson was exactly what the Phillies needed. Philadelphia went over the .500 mark on June 13th and never looked back.
Granted, the Phillies did have a rough stretch during the last two weeks of September in which they dropped 10 out of 13 games and came very close to being eclipsed by the Milwaukee Brewers. But now the Phillies have won 4 of their last 5 games and are 65-44 overall under Thomson's leadership.
At this point, it is unclear who the Phillies will play in the post-season as the NL East is still up for grabs at least for one more night. With a 1.5 game lead, the Atlanta Braves' magic number is still 1. However, the Braves were shutout by the Miami Marlins 4-0 while the New York Mets and Washington Nationals were rained out.
But at least for the moment the Phillies and their fans have something to celebrate and can worry about comes next tomorrow.
Actor Robert Brown, star of the ABC TV series Here Comes The Brides and probably best remembered for his 1967 Star Trek guest appearance as Lazarus in "The Alternative Factor", passed away on September 19th at the age of 95.
Brown worked primarily in television and appeared on TV shows such as Wagon Train, Bonanza, Perry Mason, Bewitched, Columbo, Mannix, Archie Bunker's Place, Fantasy Island and In The Heat of the Night. His appearance on Star Trek was done at the last minute when John Drew Barrymore was a no-show.
While Brown would star for two seasons on Here Comes The Brides with David Soul and Bobby Sherman, he also had the chance to star in Hawaii Five-O as Steve McGarrett. But only days before shooting began, executive producer Leonard Freeman abruptly replaced Brown with Jack Lord. It might have been the right decision as Hawaii Five-O stayed on the air for a dozen years. Still, one never knows what could have been.
I had the opportunity to watch a marathon of Here Comes The Brides on the Decades Network a few years back and thought Brown to be a charming leading man in a family show, but Westerns were falling out of fashion as the decade switched from the 1960's to the 1970's.
Aside from his appearance on In The Heat of The Night as a favor to his friend Carroll O'Connor, Brown had been done with acting for more than 35 years and lived a good long life. R.I.P.
Of course, La Russa began his big league managerial career with the Chisox when he replaced Don Kessinger during the middle of the 1979 season and manage the team for seven years leading the team to an AL West title in 1983. La Russa experienced greater managerial success with the Oakland A's where he led the team to three consecutive AL pennants between 1988 and 1990 and a World Series title in 1989. There would be three NL pennants with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004, 2006 and 2011 with World Series titles in 2006 and 2011. La Russa would retire from managing after the 2011 World Series.
Inducted into Cooperstown in 2014, La Russa would hold positions with MLB as well as with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels before he was surprisingly hired to manage the Chisox again prior to the 2021 season. La Russa led the Chisox to a decisive AL Central title before losing to the eventual AL champion Houston Astros in the ALDS.
The White Sox were one of MLB's biggest disappointments in 2022 with La Russa's managerial decisions frequently being called into questions particularly when it came to intentionally walking hitters who had two strikes on them already. Although the White Sox could finish the season with a winning record and La Russa had a year remaining on his contract there is a possibility that he might not have been back in 2023 even if he had been healthy as a horse.
As for La Russa his 2,900 wins as a big league manager are second only to Connie Mack of the Philadelphia A's who had 3,731 wins. Of course, it helped that he owned the team and was thus immune from being fired. Even though La Russa's managerial career might not have had the storybook ending it did in St. Louis a decade ago, no one can take away those 2,900 wins, three World Series titles and Hall of Fame plaque
This collapse would prompt the dismissal of manager Jayce Tingler who would be replaced by Oakland A's manager Bob Melvin. Despite not having Fernando Tatis, Jr. in the lineup due to injury, Manny Machado would carry the team. Not leaving anything to chance, the Padres made a blockbuster deal with the Washington Nationals for Juan Soto and Josh Bell at the trade deadline and also added Brandon Drury from the Cincinnati Reds. They offset the complete loss of Tatis, Jr. with his subsequent PED suspension. The acquisition of closing Josh Hader from the Milwaukee Brewers turned out to be less successful but the Padres managed to work around it.
It remains to be seen who the Padres will meet in the NL Wild Card round. They could face either the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets or even the St. Louis Cardinals. All three games would be played on the road but the Padres are as good away from San Diego as they are at Petco Park.
The Padres could find out their fate tomorrow night. The Atlanta Braves, who have overtaken the New York Mets for top spot in the NL East, have a magic number of 1 to clinch their fifth consecutive NL East title. The Braves will be in Miami to take on the Marlins while the Mets will host the Washington Nationals who have the worst record in MLB and itching to be spoilers. Even if the Mets fall short in winning the NL East they would get the top NL Wild Card seed and play in their first post-season since 2016.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies' magic number to clinch the third NL Wild Card berth and their first post-season appearance in 11 years is 1. A win over the Houston Astros or a Brewers loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow will do the trick.
