Elon Musk Resumes Bashing The ADL

Well, quel surprise. Elon Musk has turned his attention back towards the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) claiming, "The ADL hates Christians, therefore it is a hate group."

Truth be told, Musk isn't referring to Christians per se, but rather to the late Charlie Kirk's group Turning Point USA. The ADL merely highlighted their past ties to far right, anti-Semitic groups. Unfortunately, the ADL bent the knee.

Musk has been maligning the ADL for quite some time in his campaign to legitimize anti-Semitic discourse. The ADL has tried to appease Musk by praising his leadership on anti-Semitism and claiming he didn't "heil Hitler" during Trump's second inauguration. No amount of appeasement or placation will work with Musk. To quote Taylor Swift, "Haters gonna hate."

Mind you, the ADL also gets grief from the far left in the form of AOC and more recently from NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

In order for civil society to properly function, civic groups must be free to function free from intimidation from demagogues on both the Left and the Right. In the case of the ADL, demagogues on the Left and on the Right are seeking to expel Jewish groups from American civil society.

Unless the ADL and other Jewish groups put their foot down and refuse to be intimidated then the Musks and Mamdanis of the world will continue to legitimize anti-Semitism as an acceptable form of public discourse until organizations like the ADL cease to exist.

Trump Tells Generals of an "Enemy Within"

In a maniacal, obscene address at Quantico to U.S. Generals summoned from the world over, President Trump told the country's top military leaders of "an enemy within." Trump clamored:

Only in recent decades did politicians somehow come to believe that our job is to police the far reaches of Kenya and Somalia, while America is under invasion from within. We're under invasion from within, no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they don't wear uniforms.

At least when they're wearing a uniform, you can take them out. These people don't have uniforms. But we are under invasion from within. We're stopping it very quickly. After spending trillions of dollars defending the borders of foreign countries, with your help, we're defending the borders of our country from now on. We're not going to let this happen.

Trump added, "This is going to be a big thing for the people in this room because it's the enemy from within and we have to handle it before it gets out of control."

I would be remiss if I didn't add that Trump noted near the beginning of his remarks, "I'm thrilled to be here this morning to address the senior leadership of what is once again known around the world as the Department of War."

As I noted when Trump made the Department of War announcement earlier this month, his target is us:

However, Trump's repeated proclamation of "no new wars" seems to fly in the face of reestablishing a Department of War. Unless, of course, the Department of War's aim and objective is to wage war against Americans be it sending troops into cities with Democratic mayors as he has done with the National Guard in Washington, D.C. and is threatening to do in Baltimore, Chicago and now New Orleans.

The Department of War would likely also wage war against groups that President Trump doesn't like such as transgendered persons with the DoJ now planning to place restrictions on transgender persons owning guns. Perhaps federal troops would enforce these new rules. In other words, the Second Amendment for me but not for thee or, in this case, they.

The Department of War might very well be called upon to assist ICE with deporting non-citizens or at the very least people who look like non-citizens. 

The Department of War might very well be called upon to quell dissent by people who dare to publicly disagree with President Trump and his policies. In which case, this quelling would involve our military murdering American citizens much like a military junta in Africa, Asia or South America. 

Indeed, Trump railed against "radical left Democrats": 

You know, the Democrats run most of the cities that are in bad shape. We have many cities in great shape too, by the way. I want you to know that. But it seems that the ones that are run by the radical left Democrats, what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they're very unsafe places and we're going to straighten them out one by one. 

And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That's a war too. It's a war from within. Controlling the physical territory of our border is essential to national security. We can't let these people live. 

We can't let these people live?

Trump is basically telling the military to shoot people on sight. Now, I suspect that most of those generals would not be prepared to do that. But I have a feeling that Trump with his lapdog Secretary of Defense (or is it Secretary of War, now?) Pete Hegseth will promote people to general who will.

 Hegseth derisively referred to some of the generals assembled as fat. I suspect that the generals whom Hegseth deems unfit both physically and programmatically will not be long for Trump's Army. The generals might very well find themselves every bit as much an enemy within as anyone else. It was just 2 years ago that Trump suggested that former Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley should be executed. 

Of course, no one loves this more than Russia. While America's military is redeployed against its own people, Russia is free to escalate their attacks against NATO countries without fear of recrimination. 

Alas, this is the fate we chose for ourselves, and if Trump turns the military against us then it will be too late to go back.

Twins Say Bye-Bye to Baldelli After 7 Seasons

The Minnesota Twins have fired Rocco Baldelli as their manager after 7 seasons.

The Twins hired Baldelli prior to the 2019 season. In his inaugural season, Baldelli led the Twins to an AL Central title with 101 wins. But as with his predecessors Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire, the Twins could not get past the New York Yankees in that year's ALDS. 

During the COVID shortened 2020 season, the Twins would reach the post-season again only to be swept by a sub-.500 Houston Astros team in the ALDS.

The Twins would miss the post-season in both 2021 and 2022 but would return in 2023. They would sweep the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card Series which would be their first post-season triumph since 2002. But the Astros would dispense with the Twins in the ALDS yet again.

In 2024, the Twins appeared playoff bound yet again. On August 17th of that year, the club was 70-53. The Twins would go 12-27 the rest of the way while the Detroit Tigers roared their way into the post-season.

The Twins had a very promising start to 2025 highlighted by a 13-game winning streak in May. A month later, there will be a reversal of fortune as the Twins would lose 15 out of 18 games. The team would never recover and embarked upon a massive fire sale at the trade deadline at the end of July.

Baldelli finishes his tenure with the Twins with a winning record (527-505) but all things must come to an end. At 44, I have no doubt that Baldelli will get another chance to manage a big-league club. 

The question now is who will pick up the pieces at Target Field.

Giants Dismiss Bob Melvin After 2 Seasons

After two disappointing seasons by the Bay, the San Francisco Giants have relieved Bob Melvin of his managerial duties despite a year remaining on his contract.

Melvin joined the Giants amid a difficult relationship with San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller despite guiding the team to the post-season in 2022. The Padres lured Melvin away from the Oakland A's where he spent 11 seasons guiding the team to 6 playoff appearances but with little to show for it. Melvin began his big-league managerial career with the Seattle Mariners in 2003 before moving on to the Arizona Diamondbacks where he led the team to a NL West title in 2007.

The Giants finished 81-81 in 2025. The team would get off to a strong start. When they acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox in mid-June, I thought the team was headed for the stratosphere.

That didn't quite happen. The Giants would struggle. By late August, the team was 61-68. But the Giants would win 10 out of 11 games and were 4 games back of the third NL Wild Card spot. Twenty-four days ago, the Giants had a better chance at playing October baseball than the Cincinnati Reds who were 6 games off the pace having lost 8 of their last 10 games. But then the Giants dropped 12 of their next 17 games. Had the Giants not been playing the Colorado Rockies on the final weekend of the season they probably wouldn't have reached .500. 

It will be interesting to see if Buster Posey decides to give Bruce Bochy a call now that the Texas Rangers plan to kick him upstairs. As much as Posey respects Bochy, I think he wants his own guy in there and I don't think Bochy would blame him.

Unless some other team takes a flier on him, this might be the first time Bob Melvin isn't managing a big-league team since 2010 when he was a scout for the New York Mets. Melvin is currently 20th on MLB's all-time managerial win list with 1678 wins. Yet he has never reached a World Series. The only MLB managers with more wins and no World Series titles (let alone appearances) are Buck Showalter (1727 wins) and the late Gene Mauch (1902 wins).

Melvin might not get a managerial post in the off-season. But if some struggling team needs to make a change during the 2026 seasons and needs an experienced hand, there's a good chance Bob Melvin will be at the top of their list.

Bochy to Leave Rangers Dugout After 3 Seasons Including a World Series Title

After three seasons at the helm of the Texas Rangers, Bruce Bochy will not return to manage the team in 2026. He has instead been offered a front office position with the club.

The Rangers coaxed Bochy out of retirement prior to the 2023 season. Following six consecutive losing seasons, Bochy led the Rangers to their first World Series title in franchise history besting the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. It was his fourth World Series title after leading the San Francisco Giants to three titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Bochy also led the San Diego Padres to the NL pennant in 1998. 

Unfortunately, Bochy could not replicate the team's success in either 2024 or 2025. The team fell under .500 in 2024 and finished 81-81 this season falling to the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians on the final day of the season. 

Although not as well publicized as the New York Mets or their division rival Houston Astros, the Rangers crashed down the stretch. On September 13th, the club was 79-70 and only 2 games back of the Astros in the AL West. The Rangers would proceed to lose 8 in a row dropping 11 of their final 13 games finishing 9 games back of the Seattle Mariners who surged to their first division crown since 2001.

Bochy's most likely successor is former Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker who spent the 2025 season as the team's senior adviser to Chris Young, President of Baseball Operations.

If Bruce Bochy never manages another game again, he will end his career as among the greatest skippers baseball has ever known. Although Bochy has a losing record of 2252-2266, he is the sixth winningest manager in MLB history with five World Series appearances and four World Series rings. 

At 70, Bochy is well within his rights to take it easy. But let's remember that Bochy agreed to manage the Rangers following a 3-year retirement. It will not surprise me if Bochy declines that front office assignment with the Rangers if there are managerial openings with the New York Mets or the Atlanta Braves. Or perhaps the Twins? Or dare I say, the Giants who just fired Bob Melvin? In which case, Cooperstown can wait.

Mamdani Has No Standing to Say the ADL Doesn't Represent Jews in NY or Anywhere Else

(Jacob Kornbluh/The Forward)

In an interview a few days with fellow Hamas apologist Mehdi Hasan, NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani questioned the legitimacy of the Anti-Defamation League stating, “I think there are far better representations of the concerns of Jewish New Yorkers than the ADL and Jonathan Greenblatt.” 

Whether the ADL represents the interests of the Jewish community is up to Jews and no one else. Mamdani has no standing to weigh in such matters, certainly not as a government official. 

Of course, the reason Mamdani is doing so is to delegitimize, disrupt and dismantle Jewish organizations out of civil society. 

To be sure, I was quite perturbed with ADL President Jonathan Greenblatt tried to curry favor with Elon Musk. But I have standing to be perturbed. AOC does not and she, like Mamdani, wishes to delegitimize, disrupt and dismantle Jewish organizations out of civil society.

Naturally, I remain worried that the city with the largest Jewish population in the world will see fit to elect a pro-Hamas, anti-Semite as mayor despite the fact that incumbent Eric Adams has now dropped out of the race. It is very probably too little, late for Andrew Cuomo.

If Mamdani does get elected mayor, he will be emboldened to further attack the ADL and other Jewish organizations and create an environment which will invariably lead to violent anti-Semitic pogroms. For me, this is personal as my Dad lives in New York City. 

When I attended the march against anti-Semitism across the Brooklyn Bridge in January 2020, I made the case that if Jews are not safe in New York, then we are not safe anywhere. In just over 5 weeks, New Yorkers (including many Jews) might decide to put the lives of Jews in peril and elect Mamdani. He would be every bit as destructive to New York City as President Trump is to America.

There Should Have Been One Game Playoffs Between the Mets-Reds & Astros-Tigers

The 2025 MLB regular season is over, and the playoff picture is complete.

The Toronto Blue Jays won their first AL East since 2015 with the Cleveland Guardians winning the AL Central after being down 15½ games behind the Detroit Tigers on July 8th while the Seattle Mariners win their first AL West title since Ichiro Suzuki's MLB rookie season in 2001. 

The AL Wild Card berths belong to the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Although the Yankees have not won a World Series since 2009, this is their 12th playoff appearance in 16 years. The Red Sox make their first post-season appearance since 2021 while the Tigers, despite their collapse in the AL Central, play October baseball for the second consecutive season.

This means the Blue Jays and Mariners get first round byes. The AL Wild Card matchups are the Yankees vs. Red Sox and the Guardians vs. Tigers. The winner of the Yankees-Red Sox series will face the Blue Jays while the Mariners will face the winner of the Guardians-Tigers 

In the Senior Circuit, the Philadelphia Phillies win the NL East, the Milwaukee Brewers win the NL Central while the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers win the NL West. The Phillies have won back-to-back NL East titles, the Brewers their third consecutive NL Central title and four in the past five seasons. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have won their 12th NL West title over the past 13 seasons.

The NL Wild Card berths belong to the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds. This is the first post-season appearance for both the Cubs and Reds since the COVID shortened 2020 campaign while this is the fourth time the Padres will play October baseball this decade.

This means the Brewers and Phillies get first round byes. The NL Wild Card matchups will see the Reds take on the Dodgers while the Cubs and Padres will face each other in the post-season for the first time since 1984 when the Padres won their first NL pennant after being down 2-0 in a best of five series. The winner of the Reds-Dodgers series will face the Phillies while the Brewers will host the winner of the Cubs-Padres series.

There are two things which trouble me. I think both the Houston Astros and New York Mets were screwed out of a possible post-season appearance. The Astros and Tigers had identical 87-75 records while the Mets and Reds had identical 83-79 records. However, the Tigers and Reds both have a chance to win a World Series because they won their regular season series against the Astros and Mets, respectively.

To me, this is antithetical to the spirit of competition and fair play. There ought to have been a Game 163 between the Astros-Tigers and the Mets-Reds. 

I grant you that neither the Astros nor the Mets will illicit much in the way of sympathy. Although the Astros are nearly a decade removed from the cheating scandal that tarnished their 2017 World Series title, Houston had been in the post-season every year since. I'm sure there are a lot of baseball fans who are delighted the Astros finally got their comeuppance. As for the Mets, in the words of their great announcer Gary Cohen, "And the Mets agonizing, three-and-a-half-month, slow-motion collapse, is complete." On June 12th, the Mets had a 5½ game lead over the Phillies in the NL East owning a MLB best 45-24 record. They went 38-55 the rest of the way. Since July 27th, the Mets went 21-35.

Still, the Mets and Astros should have been given one last shot in the interest of competition and fair play.

There is a similar problem with the AL East as the both the Blue Jays and Yankees have identical 94-68 records. Yes, both get to play in the post-season. But the Blue Jays get a bye while the Yankees have to fight in the AL Wild Card matchup despite both teams sharing the best record in the Junior Circuit.

I have no doubt the 2025 post-season will be great and have nothing against the Tigers or Reds. These teams have not won a World Series since 1984 and 1990, respectively. There is a chance the Red Sox and Reds could meet in the World Series 50 years after they last met. Meanwhile, the Tigers and Cubs haven't faced off in a World Series in 80 years.

Nevertheless, the current playoff format is the by-product of dumbing down baseball by speeding up games and having the ghost runner in extra innings. Champions and chumps are determined by arbitrary criteria in the Commissioner's office instead of on the field.

What Does VP Vance Mean When He Says "Potential Illegal Alien"?

This past Wednesday, a sniper opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas killing one person and wounding two others before killing himself.

The Trump Administration have framed the incident as an attack against ICE and claimed the deceased perpetrator is part of the far-left. However, the persons killed and wounded were detainees who were helpless handcuffed. Given how VP Vance likes to "create stories" about hard-working Haitian migrants, who can say they weren't the actual intended targets? The surviving detainees remain handcuffed to their hospital beds.

What I find interesting are comments by Vice-President Vance. As per ABC News:

Vance offered condolences to those affected by the attack, saying it "looks like some of the detainees, in other words, some of the potential illegal aliens were some of those who were affected."

"Look, just because we don't support illegal aliens, we don't want them to be executed by violent assassins engaged in political violence either," Vance said.

That's kind of hard to believe when the victims are handcuffed and unable to protect themselves.

But what exactly is a "potential illegal alien"?

Was Vance unsure that the detainees might have been U.S. citizens or permanent residents who were wrongly rounded up? Or is someone a "potential illegal alien" because they have brown skin or speak Spanish?

In any case, the Department of Homeland Security did not see fit to release their names until yesterday. Killed in the attack was Norlan Guzman-Fuentes from El Salvador while Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez, a Mexican national who has been in the U.S. since early childhood, and Venezuelan born Jose Andres Bordones-Molina. Now that their names have been released, they have been downgraded from being "potential illegal aliens" to "criminal illegal aliens". 

Whatever the Trump Administration calls these people, it is clear that they view them as subhuman.

In Celebration of Former MLB Pitcher Bobby Shantz Turning 100

Two days ago, former MLB pitcher Bobby Shantz turned 100.

A native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia, Shantz was an all-around athlete but upon graduating high school stood under five feet tall. He would have a growth spurt to 5,6 and less than 140 pounds soaking wet while serving in the U.S. Army during WWII, but most pro scouts were still leery of his height until his hometown Philadelphia A's took a chance on him just after the 1947 season signing a professional contract at the age of 22.

Shantz would make his big-league debut with the A's during the 1949 season mainly working out of the bullpen but struggled with his control walking 74 batters against 58 strikeouts over 127 innings pitched. However, Shantz would have a breakout season in 1951 going 18-10 with a 3.94 ERA primarily as a starting pitcher earning his first of three AL All-Star Team appearances. Remarkably, Shantz did this as the A's finished sixth in the AL with a 70-84 record, 28 games back of the New York Yankees.

The 1951 season was a preview of what was to come. In 1952, Shantz would have a season to remember. In 33 starts, Shantz went 24-7 with a 2.48 ERA striking out a career high 152 batters while earning another AL All-Star Team selection. As there was no Cy Young Award at the time, Shantz was named the AL MVP beating out a trio of the Yankees - Allie Reynolds, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. In no small part due to Shantz's performance, the A's would have a winning record and improve to fourth place in the AL but still a distant 16 games back of the Yankees.

Unfortunately for Shantz, the diminutive southpaw would injure his shoulder the following season falling to 5-9 with a 4.09 ERA in only 16 starts. However, the A's stuck with him as the team moved from Philadelphia to Kansas City. 

During the years, the A's were in KC the team was essentially a glorified farm club for the Yankees. Shantz would become part of this pipeline being sent to the Bronx prior to the 1957 team in an 11-player trade which would eventually include future Yankees third baseman Clete Boyer. Shantz would enjoy a resurgence in Yankee pinstripes in 1957 working both as a starter and a reliever posting an 11-5 record with a league leading 2.45 ERA earning the first of 8 Gold Gloves for his fielding work along with his final AL All-Star Team selection. He would also appear in his first World Series starting Game 2 against the Milwaukee Braves though he would be on the losing end of a duel with Lew Burdette. The Yankees would lose the series to the Braves in 7 games.

For the remainder of his career, Shantz would return to the bullpen with a few spot starts. He did earn a World Series ring in 1958 as the Yankees got a measure of revenge against the Braves though he did not appear that in Series. Shantz did pitch three games in the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates although Bill Mazeroski would dash their hopes in the most memorable Game 7 in World Series history. 

Ironically, Shantz would spend the 1961 season with the Pirates before splitting 1962 with the expansion Houston Colt-45s and the St. Louis Cardinals. Shantz had a chance for another World Series ring with the Cardinals in 1964 but was part of the infamous trade which sent Ernie Broglio to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for future Hall of Famer Lou Brock. If that wasn't bad enough, Shantz would be sent to the Philadelphia Phillies where he witnessed the team collapse to the good fortune of the Cardinals.

In 537 career games (including 171 starts), Shantz went 119-99 with a 3.38 ERA fanning 1072 batters in 1935.2 innings pitched earning 8 Gold Gloves, 3 AL All-Star Team selections, a World Series ring and an AL MVP. He is the only pitcher in MLB history who stood 5,6 or shorter who has tossed 200 innings in season thrice.

After his retirement as a pitcher, Shantz returned to the Philly suburbs where he co-owned a dairy bar restaurant for more than 20 years.

Bobby Shantz is a small man who earned big achievements and has lived a long life. 

I leave you with Shantz's appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" during his dream season of 1952. Happy belated 100th birthday!!!

The Indictment of Former FBI Director is About Revenge for Trump, Not Justice for the American People

A federal grand jury has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two counts - one count of false statements and one count of obstruction of justice relating to testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020.

What exactly constitutes false statements and obstruction on the part of Comey remains to be seen. But what is clear is that this indictment has nothing to do with the interest of justice for the American people, but for revenge on the part of President Trump.

After all, it is Trump who brought pressure to bear upon Attorney General Pam Bondi less than a week ago concerning Comey, California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and NY Attorney General Letitia James. The U.S. Attorney for Northern Virginia, depending on who you believe, resigned or was fired by Trump and replaced by a White House aide who has never tried a case in her life. 

Trump, of course, is jubilant characterizing Comey as "one of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to". If that isn't a statement of projection, then nothing is. Yet, if it weren't for Comey, Trump wouldn't have been elected President in the first place. But let us remember that Trump fired Comey in 2017 because his oath of loyalty is to the Constitution, not to him. Let us further remember that Trump has been calling for Comey to be indicted since 2017 - long before the timeline pertaining to the allegations Comey is now facing.

Given Lindsey Halligan's inexperience in trying a case one can only hope that the government's case is so egregious and incompetent that either a judge will accept a defense motion to dismiss the charges or a jury will acquit. But even if those scenarios should come to pass, it will not deter Trump. He will direct his minions to find something other case to construct against Comey out of whole cloth. Because this is what happens when you have a revenge system instead of a justice system.

Guardians Overtake Tigers in AL Central After Being Down 15½ Games on Fourth of July Weekend

The Cleveland Guardians have overtaken the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central after besting the Tigers 5-1 in front of their hometown fans with their underrated superstar Jose Ramirez collecting two hits including an RBI double which drove in two runs late in the game.

What a remarkable turn of events in 80 days. 

On July 6th, the Guardians were playing the Tigers in very same ballpark with a very different result. That day the Guardians lost 7-2 in 10 innings. That loss was their 10th in a row and put them 15½ games back of the Tigers. At the time, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt stated, “This game felt like a kick in the pants. It really did. Gut-wrenching. Heart-wrenching.”

Yet Vogt also made this comment:

It doesn't do any good to loathe or talk about negatives and moan and complain. That's not productive. We've got to keep working to get better. We're all in this together. There is light at the end of the tunnel. I mean, it's going turn.

And boy has it ever turned. 

At the end of play on July 6th, not only did the Tigers enjoy a 15½ lead over the Guardians in the AL Central, they had the best record in MLB at 57-34. Over the past 80 days, the Tigers have gone 28-39 with 8 straight losses during a September which has seen Detroit drop 15 out of 20 games. 

The Tigers have gone from having the best record in MLB to being in danger of not making the post-season at all. If this comes to pass, it would be quite a fall from grace. A year ago, it was the Tigers who made a late season surge to reach the post-season for the first time since 2014 and become MLB's Cinderella story. 

Conversely, Cleveland has gone 46-24 over the same period. In September, the Guardians boast an 18-5 having won 17 of their last 20 games which included a 10-game winning streak. What is truly astonishing is that Cleveland has done this despite the suspensions of key starting pitcher Luis Ortiz and closer Emmanuel Clase over gambling allegations.

However, to quote Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over." The Guardians and Tigers have one more game to play tomorrow. The Tigers could rally and be tied for first with the Guardians in 24 hours from now. 

Whatever the outcome of tomorrow's game, the Tigers then come to Boston to play the Red Sox for the final three games of the season. The Red Sox, of course, are vying for an AL Wild Card spot.

Meanwhile, the Guardians will host a struggling Texas Rangers which snapped an 8-game losing streak tonight. Unfortunately, that losing streak eliminated them from the post-season. In 10 days, the Rangers went from being 2 games out in the AL West to 9 games back. 

While I don't wish to rule out the Rangers chances against the Guardians, I believe the Tigers have a much taller task in Boston.

For all of baseball's many flaws, the Cleveland Guardians have made things exciting this September. Should they make the post-season they could make things exciting in October by winning their first World Series title since 1948.

Until then, baby steps.

Why is Trump Giving Medical Advice Linking Autism to Tylenol? Because We Elected Him - Again

Yesterday, President Trump gave remarks linking autism to Tylenol:

First, effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of a -- well, let's see how we say that acetaminophen -- is that OK? Which is basically commonly known as Tylenol during pregnancy, can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.

So taking Tylenol is not good. All right. I'll say it. It's not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That's, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever, that you feel you can't tough it out. You can't do it. I guess there's that.

It's a small number of cases, I think. But if you can't tough it out, if you can't do it, that's what you're going to have to do. You'll take a Tylenol, but it'll be very sparingly. It can be something that's very dangerous to the woman's health, in other words, a fever that's very, very dangerous and ideally a doctor's decision because I think you shouldn't take it and you shouldn't take it during the entire pregnancy.

They may tell you toward the end of the pregnancy, you shouldn't take it during the entire. And you shouldn't give the child a Tylenol every time he goes -- he's born and he goes and has a shot. You shouldn't give a Tylenol to that child. All pregnant women should talk to their doctors for more information about limiting the use of this medication while pregnant.

So ideally, you don't take it at all. But if you have to -- if you can't tough it out or if there's a problem, you're going to end up doing it. The other thing that I can tell you that I'll say that they will maybe say at a little bit later date. But I think when you go for the shot, you do it over a five-time period, take it over five times or four times, but you take it in smaller doses and you spread it out over a period of years.

And they pump so much stuff into those beautiful little babies, it's a disgrace. I don't see it. I think it's very bad. They're pumping -- it looks like they're pumping into a horse. You have a little child, a little fragile child and you get a vat of 80 different vaccines, I guess, 80 different blends and they pump it in. So ideally, a woman won't take Tylenol.

Never mind that autism predates Tylenol by more than four decades.

If that wasn't enough, Trump also claimed there is no autism among Amish and Cuban people.

Why exactly is Donald Trump allowed to give medical advice to anyone? Because we elected him - again. 

This despite being fully aware that he suggested people inject themselves with bleach during the COVID pandemic much to the chagrin of Clorox and Lysol. Unfortunately, sure enough there were people who took Trump's advice and ended up needing help from their local poison control departments. 

Of course, Trump's defense was that he was being sarcastic about injecting bleach. So, was the announcement concerning autism and Tylenol also another act of sarcasm? 

While I do not want the President of the United States to be sarcastic when it comes to public health matters especially during a global pandemic which killed millions of people around the world, the fact is there are a significant number of voters who do not object to "sarcastic" behavior and were more than happy to give him another chance to preside over the deaths over millions more Americans. 

The sad truth is that there will be some women who still top taking Tylenol during their pregnancies because President Trump said so. And some of those women will get sick and some of them will die. Unfortunately, a lot of those families will say the death of their loved ones is G-d's will instead of a result of Trump's reckless disregard for human life.

Trump's words and deeds will soon again cause unnecessary deaths among Americans. But these unnecessary deaths could have been prevented had we chosen not to elect in the first place. And, for that matter, the second place.

Thoughts on Jimmy Kimmel's Return to TV Tomorrow Night

After one week off the air, Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be back on most ABC stations tomorrow night. Last Tuesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to revoke ABC's broadcast license because Kimmel said things concerning Charlie Kirk's assassination that he (and President Trump) didn't like. 

Not all ABC stations will air the show, however. Sinclair Broadcasting which has ownership of 39 ABC affiliates will continue to preempt the show.

What strikes me the most about Disney's announcement is this passage:

We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.

And how will these thoughtful conversations affect the show going forward?

Will Kimmel issue an apology? If so, then to whom? Kirk's widow? The FCC Chair? President Trump? All of the above.

Will Kimmel be forced to announce that ABC is going to make donations to Turning Point USA or to the Trump Presidential Library?

Assuming Kimmel does this bit of groveling will it be enough to mollify Sinclair much less MAGA? I wouldn't count on it. If a significant chunk of ABC networks refuses to air Kimmel, then I cannot help but wonder if his return will prove to be short-lived.  

I am also concerned that Kimmel has made himself a target and that some MAGA extremist will see fit to exact revenge for Kirk's death by either assassinating or attempting to assassinate Kimmel. In our age of anger and irrationality, I don't think we can discount the possibility. At the very minimum, I hope security for Kimmel's shows going forward is tighter than Fort Knox.

The best-case scenario in all of this is that freedom of speech in America is still alive despite the worst efforts of the Trump Administration. But this won't be the last time Trump and the FCC go after Kimmel or some other show which gets in their crosshairs and expresses impure thoughts.

Trump at Charlie Kirk Memorial: I Hate My Opponents

During an hours long memorial for Charlie Kirk, President Trump declared:

I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry Erika, but now Erika can talk to me and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that’s not right, but I can’t stand my opponents.

The Erika in question is, of course, Kirk's widow who made a point of publicly forgiving the man who killed her husband. Trump, however, was in no forgiving mood:

The Department of Justice is also investigating networks of radical left maniacs who fund, organize, fuel and perpetrate political violence, and we think we know who many of them are, but law enforcement can only be the beginning of our response to Charlie’s murder over the last 11 days.

We have heard stories of commentators, influencers and others in our society who greeted his assassination with sick approval, excuses or even jubilation. You’ve heard that, so have I … some of the very same people who spent the last eight years trying to sit in moral judgment of anyone who disagreed with them about politics suddenly started cheering for murder.

There are certainly those in this country who approved of Kirk's murder. As hateful, foolish and counterproductive as those sentiments are, they are not unlawful much less evidence they were involved in his death. 

Yet in Trump we have someone who is every bit as hateful, foolish and counterproductive as those who condoned Kirk's killing. The difference is that he is the President of the United States, and he is using Kirk's killing as a means to consolidate power he constitutionally does not have. 

Unless Congress or the courts keep him in check, Trump will use this consolidation of power against the "opponents" he hates in any way he sees fit including imprisonment and execution. How broadly Trump defines his "opponents" remains to be seen. But don't be surprised if Trump defines an "opponent" as anyone who publicly disagrees with him in anyway. If it should come to that then no American is safe from Trump.

Trump Appoints WH Aide as New US Attorney to Seek Retribution Against NY AG James

Donald Trump famously said, "I am your retribution."

Since returning to the White House, one of his targets for retribution has been New York Attorney General Letitia James who successfully sued Trump for business fraud last year.

Trump's DoJ began its retribution against James last month by launching an investigation into claims of mortgage fraud. However, things haven't been going according to plan. Erik Siebert, the US Attorney for Eastern Virginia, resigned on Friday after he had made it clear to DoJ officials there was insufficient evidence to pursue the investigation against James any further.

But Trump, true to form, claimed Siebert didn't quit, he was fired. Not to be outdone, Trump then appointed White House aide Lindsay Halligan as the new U.S. Attorney for Eastern Virginia. Yes, I'm sure Halligan is going to be fair and impartial. Of course, her idea of being fair and impartial is doing what Trump wants. In which case, one can only hope a grand jury will decline to recommend indictments against James as have other grand juries done in reaction to overreach by Trump's DoJ.

If President Trump wants to replace the Department of Defense with the Department of War, then I don't know why he doesn't go ahead and replace the Department of Justice with the Department of Retribution. Because Trump's pursuit of Letitia James is only about retribution and has nothing to do with justice. 

The Last Tap

 

This evening, I went to the Coolidge Corner Theatre to take in a screening of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. 

I have been looking forward to seeing this sequel for some time. The anticipation built when I saw the original at the AMC Theatre in Boston Common over the Fourth of July weekend. That experience made me remember when first viewed the film in a theatre during my first year of university when I lived in Ottawa. A fellow named "Ozzy" Drukarsh and I saw the film at the Mayfair Theatre. At the time, he had viewed the film over 400 times and reciting the lines of the film much to the annoyance of those around us. It also made me remember when I saw the film at the Beacon Theatre in NYC in 2019 with Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner appearing in person for the 35th anniversary of the film. Much to my disappointment, Elvis Costello made a surprise appearance. 

When I was last at the Coolidge to see A Real Pain back in January, I noted the theatre had undergone a significant renovation. What I did not know was that there were several new theatres upstairs. Way upstairs. Five flights of stairs and my knees felt every bit of it. The theatre where Spinal Tap II was being shown was also difficult to find. Not quite as difficult as it was for Spinal Tap to find the stage that night in Cleveland mind you. But close enough.

Set 41 years after the original, the group reunites for a one-off concert in New Orleans after having not spoken to one another in more than 15 years. The concert comes to pass as a result of Hope Faith (Kerry Anna Godliman), the daughter of the late band manager Iain Faith (originally played by Tony Hendra who passed away in 2021), inheriting the band's contract which required them to play one last show. As a result, David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) uneasily reconvene with documentarian Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) in the weeks leading up to the concert. 

Aside from internal tensions, there is the small matter of finding a drummer. Given the fact that 11 or 12 Spinal Tap drummers have died under mysterious circumstances, their attempts to recruit Questlove, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lars Ulrich of Metallica for the show prove unsuccessful. However, a Spinal Tap devotee Didi Crockett (Valerie Franco) earns the job all too aware of the curse which hangs over her drum kit. 

St. Hubbins spends much of the film bullying Tufnel and even Paul McCartney can't give a little help. Further complicating matters is Simon Howler (a Simon Cowell typed played by Chris Addison) who insists the octogenarian trio dance on stage like Taylor Swift. Howler evens critiques Elton John's piano playing to his face. Sir Elton joins Tap to perform "Stonehenge". Let's just say that they probably wish they had the 18-inch Stonehenge model from the first film.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues has plenty of laughs, but it doesn't quite go to 11 even if the music is quite good. While it was grand to see the boys again, I think they have gone this far and can go no farther. With apologies to The Band, this was the Last Tap.

The 2025 Colorado Rockies Won't Be the Worst Team in MLB History

When the Colorado Rockies bested the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 last night, they won their 42nd game of the 2025 season thus ensuring they will not be the worst team in modern MLB history.

Last year, of course, the 2024 Chicago White Sox set a modern MLB record with a 41-121 record.

It wasn't a pretty win by any means. Rockies starter Bradley Blalock earned the win despite surrendering 6 runs on 8 hits. Blalock even managed to increase his abominable ERA from 9.00 to 9.16.

However, the Rockies bullpen pitched four scoreless innings. Meanwhile, Rockies leadoff hitter Tyler Freeman went 3-for-4 scoring 2 runs.

What saved the Rockies from being worse than the 2024 Chisox was a couple of good stretches after the All-Star Break. Between July 18th and August 2nd, the Rockies went 8-6 before embarking on an 8-game losing streak between August 3rd thru 11th. It was their fifth 8-game losing streak of the season. Then between August 12th & 20th, the Rockies played their best baseball of the year going 7-2. 

The Rockies then proceeded to lose 8 of their next 9 games and have gone 5-22 between August 21st and September 19th. They have 8 games remaining this season with two more home games against the Angels today and tomorrow before finishing the season on the road against the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants. 

It would be nice if the Rockies somehow won 3 of those games. This would give them a record of 45-117. A forgettable season to be sure. But it would mean that the Rockies would have won 23 games in the second half as compared to 22 in the first half. The Rockies have to have something for which to play especially against the Mariners who recently overtook the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. 

When a team is 45 games out of the first place, you need to find every stake you possibly can.

It's Interesting How the Trump Admin Tolerates Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories on Kirk's Assassination

In putting pressure on ABC to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the air following his comments on the Charlie Kirk assassination on Monday, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr claimed, "The FCC could make a strong argument that this is sort of an intentional effort to mislead the American people about a very core fundamental fact, a very important matter."

Yet, at the same time, here we have Candace Owens' insinuations that Israel was somehow involved in Kirk's assassination. If this isn't an intentional effort to mislead the American people about a very core fundamental fact and a very important matter, then nothing is.

I don't see anyone in the Trump White House clamoring for Owens to be expunged from polite society. Insinuating the killer might have been MAGA is out of bounds and warrants threats to pull a broadcast license, but entertaining anti-Semitic conspiracy theories is just fine and dandy. 

Yes, I am aware that Owens isn't on broadcast TV and isn't covered by the FCC. But none of that matters. If anyone says anything the Trump Administration doesn't like, they will find a way to shake them down. The fact that the Trump Administration isn't doing anything to dissuade the dissemination of anti-Semitic hatred is quite telling. What this tells me is that the Trump Administration not only tolerates anti-Semitic behavior but is prepared to let it ferment. 

Clayton Kershaw Will Retire Among the Winningest Pitchers in MLB History

Clayton Kershaw announced that he will be calling it quits after this season. 

Kershaw, 37, will make his final regular season start tomorrow for the Los Angeles Dodgers against their storied rivals the San Francisco Giants. 

The Texas-born southpaw is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Entering action tomorrow night, Kershaw has a career record of 222-96 with a 2.54 ERA (more on that in a moment). Earlier this season, he collected his 3,000th career strikeout. Kershaw has K'd 3,039 against only 708 walks. Ferguson Jenkins and Curt Schilling are the only other pitchers with 3,000 plus strikeouts and fewer than 1000 bases on balls. Then there are 11 NL All-Star Team selections, 3 NL Cy Young Awards and a NL MVP along with a World Series ring in 2020 and a no-hitter in 2014 (the same year he won both the NL Cy Young & MVP honors).

For me, the most astonishing thing on Kershaw's resume is his career winning percentage of .698. This places him fourth on MLB's all-time list. Ahead of Kershaw on the list are Spud Chandler (.717), Ray Brown (.721) and Al Spalding (.794).

Now Spalding pitched in the 1870s under far different conditions then prevail today. One season Spalding logged 617.1 innings pitched recording 52 wins. Spalding pitched more innings in 7 seasons than Kershaw has in 18 seasons (2886.1 vs. 2844.2). Brown and Chandler, on the hand, pitched during the 1930s and the 1940s. Brown pitched most of his career with the Homestead Grays in the Negro National League while Chandler spent his entire 11-year MLB career with the New York Yankees earning 6 World Series rings and an AL MVP in 1943.

Both Brown and Chandler had over 100 career complete games whereas Kershaw recorded 25. However, Kershaw has logged nearly as many innings as Brown and Chandler have combined. That is what makes Kershaw's winning percentage so remarkable. He managed to sustain that level of success for nearly 20 years. 

It remains to be seen if Kershaw will be on the Dodgers' post-season roster. Either way, I hope Kershaw makes his final regular season big league start a memorable one.

Trump Admin Now Dictates What Speech is Acceptable After ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off The Air

 

I wish I could say this unbelievable, but we are living in Donald Trump's America. 

ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely amid threats from FCC Chair Brendan Carr to revoke the network's broadcast license because of a small portion of his monologue on the assassination of Charlie Kirk on Monday night:

[This] appears to be an action by Jimmy Kimmel to play into the narrative that this was somehow a MAGA or Republican-motivated person. What people don’t understand is that the broadcasters … have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest. When we see stuff like this, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.

In case you want to know what Kimmel specifically said which drew the ire of Carr, er, President Trump well here it is:

We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it, but in between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.

If you haven't seen the full monologue, you can still watch it on YouTube and decide for yourself - for now. Kimmel's comment above comes about 2 minutes into the video.

Now one may dispute the veracity of what Kimmel said or not find it very funny. After all, this is a comedy show. But it is none of the government's goddamn business what "narrative" Jimmy Kimmel says during his monologue. If Brendan Carr doesn't like it, he can change the channel or turn off the TV. But the Trump Administration cannot turn the other cheek. Here is more of Carr:

The FCC could make a strong argument that this is sort of an intentional effort to mislead the American people about a very core fundamental fact, a very important matter.

And what exactly is the core fundamental fact? That Charlie Kirk's murder was a result of "left-wing extremism" as claimed by Vice-President Vance? 

That might be Vance's claim and a view that Carr might share, but it is not a fact. Not yet anyway. Unless, of course, there has already been a trial held against the person who stands accused of assassinating Kirk and we just haven't been told anything about it.

Until there is a public, fair, impartial trial we will not know with any degree of certainty what motivated the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk to act as he did. While it is certainly possible that the accused came from a MAGA household and then embraced left-wing extremism, Kimmel is entitled to his point of view - right or wrong. It isn't for the Trump Administration to dictate what can and cannot be said over the public airwaves.

I would be remiss if I did not take Disney/ABC for capitulating to the Trump Administration yet again as it did last December when it had to make a $15 million donation to the Trump Presidential Library in order to settle a defamation suit over comments made by George Stephanopoulos over the E. Jean Carroll trial. In which case, would Kimmel be allowed to return to the airwaves if Disney/ABC made a donation to Turning Point USA?

Of course, President Trump is delighted with this turn of events stating on Truth Social, "Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done."

But then Trump revealed the real agenda here by calling upon NBC to fire both Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

Forcing ABC to pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air has absolutely nothing to do about what he said concerning the Charlie Kirk assassination. Rather, it has everything to do with President Trump dictating what can and cannot be said and who can and who cannot be on the air. That is it.

Charlie Kirk himself told the Oxford Union earlier this year, "You should be allowed to say outrageous things." The actions of the FCC are anathema and Trump's praise of their actions are anathema to Kirk's credo.

Thoughts on Robert Redford Passing Away on My Birthday

On Tuesday, I celebrated my 53rd birthday. It was mostly a good day with well wishes from family over the phone and friends on Facebook. The evening was spent at Veggie Galaxy, a vegan/vegetarian diner here in Cambridge. I treated myself to some vegan Bolognese, tater tots, a vegan coffee frappe and a slice of birthday cake.

The only sour note of my birthday was when I learned of Robert Redford's passing at the age of 89 when I got into the elevator after arriving at work. 

If you saw Robert Redford, even for only a moment, he left an immediate impression. When he spoke, the impression was lasting. He just had it.

This was evident in his TV appearances in the early 1960s (i.e. The Twilight Zone, The Naked City, The Untouchables, Perry Mason). He was surrounded by plenty of good actors. But Redford had a magnetism which leapt off the screen.

Then there were his films - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jeremiah Johnson, The Candidate (my personal favorite), The Sting, The Great Gatsby, Three Days of the Condor, All the President's Men and The Natural. Of course, I have not seen all of them including Barefoot in the Park (which began for him on Broadway) and The Way We Were. Hopefully, this will be rectified preferably on the big screen. 

Redford was a classic leading man - handsome and didn't need to say much but what he said mattered and you liked him and wanted to be his friend, even if he wasn't always on the up and up. He proved equally adept behind the camera winning his only Oscar for Ordinary People in his directorial debut.

Although Redford had retreated from the spotlight, he remained front and center behind the scenes with the establishment of the Sundance Film Festival and his ongoing environmental activism.

But all things come to an end no matter how wonderful a life one has led. For however many birthdays I have going forward, I shall now forever associate those days with Robert Redford leaving the stage no matter how good my story might be that day. R.I.P.

JD Vance is No Position to Lecture Anyone About Civility

Vice-President JD Vance hosted a special episode of the late Charlie Kirk's podcast in tribute to his fallen friend. The Vice-President declared:

We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility. And there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination.

I agree with his final sentence. There is nothing surrounding the circumstances of Kirk's death which warrants celebration. Those who do are damned fools. 

Vance's first sentence is another matter altogether. The notion that he and President Trump don't believe in political violence is laughable. Trump might believe the attack on the U.S. Capitol was "a day of love". However, I doubt the D.C. Metro Police who were on duty that day would agree.

Equally as preposterous is Vance's claim that he and the Administration he serves believe in civility. Vance certainly has not displayed any civility towards Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. Where was his civility when he told Kamala Harris to go to hell? Where was his civility when he questioned former President Biden's fitness for office following his cancer diagnosis?

It is also well worth noting that Vance interviewed Tucker Carlson as part of the tribute to Kirk. Where is the civility in giving a platform to an anti-Semite. 

Whatever grief that Vice-President Vance has for his friend, he is in no position to lecture anyone about civility. The same holds true for much of his party which had little sympathy for Paul Pelosi when he was attacked in his home or for Minnesota State Senator Melissa Hortman after her assassination this past June. 

Simply put, Vance's words about civility ring hollow. Equally hollow are Vance's reassurances the Trump Administration won't go after constitutionality protected free speech but are only after "the NGO network that foments, facilitates and engages in violence." At this point, barring compelling and definitive information, the only person responsible for the death of Charlie Kirk is the man who shot him. But that isn't enough for the Trump Administration.

Not to outdo himself, Vance also claimed, “And while our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics on American politics today are proud members of the far left.” The families of those who died at the hands of white supremacists at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Walmart in El Paso and at Tops Friendly Grocery store in Buffalo might like a word with the Vice-President.

Not that Vance would listen. Instead, he would probably lecture them about civility.

Is This Truly The Grand Finale of Downton Abbey Or Will The End Continue?

 

On Saturday night, I went to the Kendall Square Cinema to attend a screening of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. 

I saw Downton Abbey on the big screen when I lived in NYC in 2019 and its sequel Downton Abbey: A New Era in 2022 at the Kendall Square Cinema. 

The story centers around Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), coming to terms with relinquishing his hold on Downton and handing it over to Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) who must struggle with ostracism after she has divorced Henry Talbot because the U.K. in 1930 cannot accept divorced women in polite society. But who can say no to a party at Downton with Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) and Guy Dexter (Dominic West). Of course, we met Guy Dexter in a New Era and he helps former butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) find his elusive happiness. 

Also coming to terms with relinquishing their hold on Downton are Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) who hands over his position as butler to Andy Parker (Michael Fox) and Mrs. Patmore (Leslie Nicol) who hands over her position as cook to Daisy Parker (Sophie McShera). Let's just say Mr. Carson has a harder time letting go than Mrs. Patmore.

Paul Giamatti was a welcome addition reprising his role as Harold Levinson, the younger brother of Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) even if he nearly puts Downton into ruin.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale was dedicated to the memory of Maggie Smith who portrayed the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley and died nearly a year ago a few months shy of what would have been her 90th birthday.

Although the film is billed as the "grand finale" I can't help but wonder if there is more to tell. After all, there is another World War to come, and one wonders how Mary Crawley will manage Downton while holding off the Nazis. 

The Pros & Cons of Aaron Judge Surpassing Joe DiMaggio & Yogi Berra on The Yankees All-Time HR List

On Friday night, Aaron Judge hit his 362nd career HR at Fenway Park in a 4-1 over the Boston Red Sox. With that HR, Judge passes Joe DiMaggio for fourth place on the New York Yankees all-time HR list. 

This achievement came only 72 hours after Judge surpassed Yogi Berra on the Yankees all-time HR when he slugged his 359th career HR in a 12-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. 

What is impressive about Judge surpassing both DiMaggio and Berra he did so in just over 600 fewer games (606 games) than Joltin' Joe and nearly 1000 fewer games than Yogi (989 games). Translated into at bats, Judge needed nearly 2800 fewer at bats to surpass DiMaggio and nearly 3500 fewer at bats than Berra.

But there is a flip side. Now Judge has also surpassed both DiMaggio and Berra in walks. Judge needs one walk to reach 800 for his career while Joe D. posted 790 walks while Berra drew 704. However, Judge has struck out 1,359 times in his career nearly 1,000 more career strikeouts than DiMaggio (369) and nearly 950 more career strikeouts than Berra (411). Indeed, Judge has more career strikeouts than DiMaggio and Berra combined with more with nearly 600 strikeouts to spare and counting.

To put this into perspective, DiMaggio's highest single season strikeout total was 39 during his rookie season in 1936. Berra's highwater mark in strikeouts in a single season was 38 in 1959. By contrast, Judge posted 42 strikeouts this past June. It's a different game.

This doesn't take anything away from Judge who is on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Judge is a greater power hitter than both DiMaggio and Berra. But Berra and DiMaggio seldom wasted an out and knew how to put the ball in play. 

Still, Aaron Judge is an exciting player who is going to continue to hit home runs. Although it will be awhile before he reaches third place on the Yankees all-time HR list. That spot belongs to Lou Gehrig who has 493 career HR. If Judge stays healthy and there is no work stoppage in 2027, Judge could surpass the Iron Horse sometime in 2028.