Angels Clip Suzuki & Mozeliak's Wings

 

The Los Angeles Angels are cleaning house. 

The Angels announced that Kurt Suzuki will not manage the club in 2027 although they have offered him a position in the front office. 

Additionally, acting GM John Mozeliak will depart the club at the end of the calendar year. Mozeliak, who spent three decades with the St. Louis Cardinals was brought in mid-season after Perry Minasian was shown the door.

This is not a surprise given the fact that new ownership will soon be taking over. But even if that wasn't a factor, I think Suzuki was set up to fail after he was offered only a single season to turn the franchise around. Unfortunately for Suzuki, the Angels lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history.

The Angels will first hire new GM before hiring a new skipper. Whoever Stan Kroenke's crew hires for these roles had better realize that there will be no easy fixes for the Halos. Restoring the team to its former glory of the 2000s is going to be a year's long project which might see even more failures before the light of success shines on them.

The starting point won't truly happen until after 2030 when Mike Trout's contract expires and the deferred payments to Anthony Rendon cease. Even when they have more financial flexibility, it will be a question of how they spend their money. In which case, the Angels will need to keep a close eye on the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers starting with the World Series tomorrow and likely for years beyond.

Trump Says Ramaswamy's Ad "Powerful" Claiming Acton "Lies, Cheats and Steals"

(YouTube screenshot of President Trump answering questions from CNN's Kaitlan Collins on October 22, 2026)

If JD Vance was going to forcefully defend Vivek Ramaswamy's ad against Amy Acton then one knew it wouldn't be long before President Trump wanted in on the action as well.

Trump took to Truth Social and typed in this slop:

Vivek Ramaswamy put up a very powerful Ad about a mother saying that her daughter, Amy Acton, who is running for Governor of Ohio, is a liar, and much worse. The Press, in a concerted and well coordinated attack, is trying to get Vivek Ramaswamy to “take down the Ad.” Frankly, anybody whose mother spoke about a daughter in that way would normally lead to the daughter being precluded from serving in Office, let alone the Office of Governor.

And it got worse:

I suggested, on the other hand, that Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate, explain how the daughter is a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals! I only wish the mothers of my opponents would be so brave as to come forward and explain that their son or daughter is a liar, and much worse. That took a lot of courage to do but, essentially, what she was really doing was saving Ohio from making a truly horrible choice! The Press is trying to convince everyone that this Ad is bad, because it’s so good! Who wouldn’t use such an Ad? I would, it’s called, “hitting pay dirt.” The fact is, Lyin’ Amy Acton, who I’ve never even heard of before, has been lying about Vivek for the entire Campaign. 

Uncontrollably lies, cheats and steals?

Talk about projecting one's qualities onto your betters.

If Trump has never heard of Amy Acton before, then how would he know that she is lying?

Well, that's because Trump lies as he breathes.

Later in the day, CNN's Kaitlan Collins pressed Trump about the sexual assault charges against Acton's late stepfather to no avail. To which Trump replied contemptuously, "But when did she make that statement? Was it just recently?"

Given Trump's treatment of E. Jean Carroll, could one truly expect any compassion and empathy from him towards Acton? Compassion and empathy are anathema to Trump, Vance and MAGA.

Contrary to Trump's claims, Acton has led Ramaswamy in most polling.

One would think there is enough visceral anger to give Acton a double-digit victory.

But lest we forget that Ohio voters gave Trump an 11-point victory over Kamala Harris despite the fact he and Vance repeatedly claimed Haitian migrants were eating cats and dogs. If Ohio voters were willing to go along with such a preposterous lie, then is it beyond the realm of possibility that a majority of Ohio voters will believe Amy Acton's estranged mother is in the right and elect Ramaswamy?

After all, lies, if repeated often enough, will be accepted as gospel truth (i.e. the 2020 election was stolen or Palestinian claims of genocide in Gaza).

Should Ramaswamy continue with this line of attack (with support from Trump and Vance) in the final 10 days or so of the campaign it is not beyond the realm of possibility that it could send him to the governor's mansion.

If this comes to pass, it doesn't say a great deal about the people of Ohio. But there's been a great deal to be said about the people of Ohio and the people of the United States over the past decade and a lot of it isn't very good.

Todd Benzinger Was Part of the 1988 Morgan Magic Red Sox & The 1990 World Series Champion Reds

(YouTube screenshot of Todd Benzinger catching the final out of the 1990 World Series)

Former MLB first baseman and outfielder Todd Benzinger passed away yesterday. No cause has been given. He was only 63.

Born in Dayton, Kentucky and raised in New Richmond, Ohio, Benzinger was drafted out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 1981 MLB Draft.

Benzinger would make his MLB debut with the Red Sox during the 1987 season, the year after the team came within a strike of winning the World Series. The following season, Benzinger would make his mark on the team as part of the Morgan Magic that would rise to win the AL East under Joe Morgan (who passed away last month at the age of 95). 

On July 20, 1988, Benzinger would hit an extra inning walk-off 3-run HR off Keith Atherton to give the Red Sox a 9-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins. That would extend the Red Sox win streak to 7 games under Morgan en route to winning 19 of 20 games. Benzinger would finish his first full big-league season with a .254 batting average with 13 HR and 70 RBI in 120 games played.

That December, the Bosox sent Benzinger to the Cincinnati Reds in multiplayer deal in exchange for Nick Esasky. The trade represented a homecoming for Benzinger. In 1989, amid the turmoil of the gambling scandal involving then Reds manager Pete Rose, Benzinger had his finest season. Playing in 161 out of 162 games, Benzinger led the NL with 628 at bats for a .245 batting average with 17 HR and 76 RBI.

In 1990, Benzinger's offensive production dipped to 5 HR and 46 RBI in 118 games played. But under the leadership of new manager Lou Piniella, the Reds would lead the NL West the entire way, upset the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS and sweep the heavily favored Oakland A's in the World Series. Benzinger caught the final out off a pop up by Carney Lansford in the Oakland Coliseum's cavernous foul territory.

By the middle of the 1991 season, the Reds would ship Benzinger to the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Carmelo Martinez, best remembered for being part of the 1984 NL champion San Diego Padres. After the 1991 season, the Royals would trade Benzinger to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Chris Gwynn, the younger brother of Tony Gwynn. Benzinger would spend the final three seasons of his big-league career as a bench player with the San Francisco Giants under Dusty Baker. After a brief stint with the New York Yankees Triple-AAA Columbus Clippers in 1995, Benzinger's professional baseball career came to a close.

In 9 MLB seasons, Benzinger played in 924 games collecting 733 hits for a lifetime batting average of .257 with 66 HR and 376 RBI.

After his playing career, Benzinger would coach girls' high school basketball and later manage the Dayton Dragons, the Single A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds in 2009 and 2010. R.I.P.

Vance Defends Ramaswamy's Indecency & Inhumanity Towards Acton in Ohio Governor's Race

(BlueSky screenshot of JD Vance at GOP rally in Sharonville, Ohio October 21, 2026)

As much as Democrats annoy me with their incessant Israel bashing, MAGA Republicans insist on engaging in indecency. 

This is evident in the Ohio Governor's race between Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, who was the state's top public health official during the COVID pandemic, and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, who sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.

Last night, after there was initially no attribution, Ramaswamy disclosed his campaign produced an ad featuring Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, accusing her daughter of being a liar. What Ramaswamy's campaign does not disclose in this ad is that Acton and her younger brother were removed from her mother's custody after her stepfather sexually abused her. Nor does it disclose that Acton's mother ran off with the stepfather and remained with him until his death in 2004. Far from showing any sense of shame, Ramaswamy's campaign will spend $4 million to air the ad.

Now a good many Republicans have seen fit to denounce the ad. Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said of Ramaswamy, "He's a bad guy. It's a shame he continues to get away with it."

Well, you know who think Ramaswamy isn't a bad guy?

JD Vance

Of course, Vance represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate before Donald Trump named him his running mate in 2024. It's one thing to stick up for a guy from your state. It's quite another to go out of your way to prove you're an even bigger jerk than Ramaswamy.

First, Vance took aim at Haley and other Republicans critical of Ramaswamy:

I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America.

But he didn't stop there. At a Republican rally for Ramaswamy and Ohio GOP Senator Jon Husted this evening in Sharonville, Ohio, just outside of Cincinnati, Vance dove in headfirst before checking if there was water below:

Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar.

I think that a person who is more worried about whether somebody says something mean about them, that person -- that person could never serve in the governor's mansion of the great state of Ohio.

Calls it out like it is?

JD Vance just told the world that he believes Amy Acton is lying about being raped by her stepfather. 

I would call Vance a contemptible human being, but I do not believe he possesses an ounce of humanity.

His second sentence demonstrates it in spades along with a dose of chutzpah. Donald Trump always complains about people saying mean things about him and threatens to jail these people. Of course, Vance is perfectly fine with Trump serving in the White House especially as he is but a heartbeat away from the Oval Office.

But this is beyond mean. Ramaswamy is suborning slander and Vance is cheering him on.

Of course, it also says a great deal about Vance's character or lack thereof. Vance believes Acton's mother, a woman with whom the good doctor has not spoken with in nearly 50 years. 

The state removed Acton and her brother from her care because she was a danger to them. Donna Arthur has no standing to speak about Amy Acton. Vance's endorsement of Ramaswamy's elevation of Acton's estranged mother is an insult to every child who has ever endured physical or sexual abuse from a parent.

Amy Acton is far more fit to serve as Ohio's next governor than Vivek Ramaswamy. As for Vance, he is both unfit to serve in his current office as well as in the higher office he is likely to seek.

What Kind of Friend is Abdul El-Sayed?

Consider what Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed told Linsey Davis of ABC News when she asked him if he considered Israel an American ally:

An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn't be fighting is not an ally. It's like, I mean, do you have kids?

When Davis answered in the affirmative, El-Sayed added:

And if your kid has a friend who keeps bumming off their money, and then talks about them behind their back, and then gets them into fights with other friends, what would you tell your kid to do with that friend? You'd probably tell them, maybe it's not actually a friend. I think it's time for us to realize that Israel is not actually our friend.

Good Lord!!!

When El-Sayed claims Israel gets the U.S. into "fights with other friends" is he referring to the Iranian regime as a friend? In which case, El-Sayed will finally have answered the question he refused to answer during his debate with Mike Rogers last week. 

However, if El-Sayed insists on using a kid's analogy then let me offer this point.

El-Sayed could be described as the sort of childhood friend who lies about other kids and makes false accusations against them because dislikes the religion they practice. 

In which case, Abdul El-Sayed is not a friend.

He is not a friend of the people of Michigan nor is he a friend of America.

75% of Alberta Voters Reject Referendum in Favor of Remaining in Canada

Last night, Albertans voted in a province wide referendum and were given to choice to remain in Canada or to support a future referendum to vote on separating from Canada.

With more than 90% of the votes counted, more than 75% of Albertans rejected the referendum option outright and wish to remain in Canada.

However, at the same time, Alberta voters wanted more provincial control over matters as demonstrated in separate referendum questions on immigration and tend to be conservatively inclined on such issues such as restricting access by recent immigrants to social programs. 

I don't think Albertans are particularly happy with Premier Danielle Smith who comes across like someone taking credit for putting out a fire that she started with this whole referendum business in the first place. Yet I suspect when Albertans vote in the next general election at this time next year, they will likely re-elect Smith and the United Conservative Party. Given the antipathy towards immigrants, I simply cannot see Alberta electing a Muslim Premier no matter how moderate NDP leader Nasheed Nenshi may be in his policy outlook.

Of course, stranger things have happened. If for some reason, the separatists in the UCP see fit to challenge her leadership and oust her like she did with Jason Kenney then Nenshi might get a second look if they choose someone really kooky. But barring such circumstances by this time a year from now this referendum will be in the rearview mirror.

On Being Speaker #309 at the Cambridge City Council Meeting Opposing The Latest BDS Resolution Against Israel

 

Late last week, I received notice from the American Jewish Committee concerning a pair of resolutions before Cambridge City Council in support of BDS against Israel.

Although this is not the first time such a resolution has been brought forward in Cambridge, it did mark the first time I got directly involved in opposing such a resolution. 

I spoke against the resolution at last night's Cambridge City Council meeting which I attended via Zoom. Five and a half hours would pass before I would get my turn to speak just after 11 p.m. Officially I was Speaker #309 of 352 people who signed up although only 260 people actually spoke.

All things considered, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui did a reasonable job in allowing people everyone to speak to their allocated minute. There was an attempt by Cambridge city councilor and former mayor E. Denise Simmons to close debate at 10 p.m. as the meeting was scheduled to adjourn at that hour. 

Mayor Siddiqui wanted to continue debate but Simmons insisted on having the city solicitor weigh in. The city solicitor weighed in and gave the mayor the discretion to continue which was supported by a majority of the council.

Had the debate been adjourned right then and there then my landlady would not have been permitted to speak. Alas, she spoke in favor of the resolution.

Indeed, approximately two thirds of the speakers rose in favor of the resolution. The word genocide rolled off their lips with near orgasmic ecstasy. When they weren't uttering genocide, they uttered occupation and apartheid with speakers frequently citing South Africa thus demonstrating their historical illiteracy. 

None of the speakers who spoke in support of the resolution condemned Hamas for its actions on October 7th. They were also indifferent to the anti-Semitic bullying the children of those who spoke against the resolution have experienced. One speaker referred to charges of anti-Semitism as abstract. 

Of course, hatred is a learned behavior. It is taught. I suspect that many of those who spoke in support of the resolution have either taught their children to hate Jews or have been Jew hatred themselves. Shamefully, many of those who spoke in favor of the resolution are Jewish.

For all the talk of genocide, those who supported the resolution don't really give a shit about genocide. At least where it concerns the Sudanese, the Rohingya or Uighur Muslims. Their rationalization is that the U.S. government and corporations support Israel. That is the real agenda. Make up claims of genocide as a justification for their hatred of this country and their hatred of Jews and Israel. In other words, they don't care for the Uighurs because they can't blame Jews for it. 

In case you're curious, here are my prepared remarks from last night:

My name is Aaron Goldstein. I have been a resident of Cambridge for more than five years. 

I rise to speak in opposition to Policy Orders 2026-195 and 2026-196 mandating the City of Cambridge commit to a policy of boycotting of and divestment from the State of Israel. 

The order is predicated on the false premises that Israel has engaged in apartheid, occupation and genocide. And while claiming to oppose anti-Semitism, this order also ignores the terrorist violence committed by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023 and its longstanding objective to kill all Jews in Israel.

Therefore, the only purpose this order serves is to willfully promote hatred against the Jewish community here in Cambridge.

If implemented, it would not only be a stain on the city's reputation, but I fear could lead to October 7^th inspired attacks against Jews within city limits. 

As of this writing, the resolutions have been tabled by Cambridge City Council. They were tabled this morning. There is a distinct possibility the resolutions could be amended. If they wanted to vote in favor of the resolution they could have done so this morning. Or perhaps they will wait a few weeks, quietly make it a last-minute agenda item and then vote in favor of it before anyone is the wiser. 

The process was an exhausting one. That exhaustion would have been tenfold had I attended in person. Sleep did not come easy last night.

Should Cambridge City Council either vote down the resolution or significantly water down the resolution so as not to single out Israel, it won't be long before such a resolution is introduced again because the Jew haters smell blood in the water. In which case, it will become necessary to speak out against it once more no matter how exhausting the process might be. Because if I am not for myself then who is for me?

Rays Will Face Brewers in 1st World Series Since 1980 Where Neither Team Has Won a Championship

 

After being down 2-1, the Tampa Bay Rays won three straight games against the Cleveland Guardians to win their 3rd AL pennant in franchise history. Tampa Bay previously won the AL pennant in 2008 and 2020. It is their second AL pennant under manager Kevin Cash whose team fell short against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the COVID shortened season.

The Rays claimed the title with a 7-3 win in Game 6 at Tropicana Field. Tampa starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. In 12 innings pitched, Peralta gave up only one run on 9 hits with 9 strikeouts and 4 walks.

It is well worth noting that Peralta pitched eight seasons with the Brewers before being traded to the New York Mets this past off-season after finishing 5th in NL Cy Young voting. Following a disappointing 5-9 record with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts with a disappointing Mets team, Peralta was shipped to the Rays where he improved to 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts.

Alas, Cleveland which has not won a World Series since 1948 will have to wait yet another year.

As for this year's World Series, it will mark the first Fall Classic since 1980 in which neither team has previously won a championship. In 1980, the Philadelphia Phillies won their first World Series title besting the Kansas City Royals in six games.

While FOX might dread this World Series matchup, it should be quite competitive with the ratings going up steadily should it reach a sixth and especially a seventh game.

The 2026 World Series will begin on Friday night in Milwaukee.

The Riots in France Will Likely Result in a Le Pen Presidency

(YouTube screenshot of rioter shooting flamethrower into a woman's face via The Telegraph)

For the past month, France has been under siege by protests which have devolved into riots. The protest which initially began in the middle of last month concerning conditions in a school in suburban Paris.

By early October, the unrest had spread nationwide with violence escalating including footage of a woman who tried to stop the violence being burned with the face with a flamethrower. This weekend, a town hall was torched, shops were looted and a synagogue was vandalized. Not helping matters is French Communist Party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon egging and encouraging acts of hooliganism. 

The French presidential election is just over six months away. Should this violence persist then I am afraid Marine Le Pen will become France's next President. 

It is clear that the centrism of President Macron isn't working and the populace is turning towards extremism. While much can happen in six months, barring a viable alternative, there's a good chance we could see a runoff between Le Pen and Mélenchon. In which case, I believe most French voters will choose Le Pen's offer of law and order over the chaos and unrest embraced by Mélenchon.

As I have previously argued, I do not trust Le Pen no matter how much she tries to sanitize her father and her party's anti-Semitic foundation. Aside from the threat I still believe Le Pen and her party would pose to Jews, she is little more than another Russian stooge and a compatriot of President Trump.

It is all the more reason for the violence in France to cease at once. Stop now and perhaps whatever necessary reforms can be implemented thus clipping the wings of both Le Pen and Mélenchon. 

But if Le Pen takes up residence in the Elysee Palace, the hooligans and rioters attacking women with blowtorches, vandalizing shops and synagogues and torching town halls will have only themselves to blame. They will get the government they deserve.

Ottawa Redblacks Avoid Winless Season with Upset Victory Over Toronto Argonauts

(YouTube screenshot of Ottawa Redblacks QB Bryson Barnes shortly after throwing a go-ahead TD vs. Toronto Argonauts on October 16, 2026)

Stop the presses!!!

The Ottawa Redblacks won a game.

They were in danger of becoming the first team in the history of the CFL to go winless.

With two games left in the season, the Redblacks had a record of 0-16 with 22 losses in a row going back to last season. Their lone Grey Cup championship a decade ago seems so much further removed.

But tonight the Redblacks pulled off a last minute 40-39 victory over the playoff bound Toronto Argonauts on the strength of quarterback Bryson Barnes, who was making his first career start. Barnes completed 27 of 37 passes for 335 yards with two touchdown passes to wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt. 

As some of you may know, I lived in Ottawa for most of the 1990s where I attended Carleton University as an undergraduate and graduate student with some time spent working in the civil service before making my way to Boston in 2000. 

For several years, I lived in the Glebe and was within walking distance of Lansdowne Park (later known as Frank Clair Stadium and now known as TD Place) and attended a handful of Ottawa Rough Riders games. The Rough Riders were not very good when I lived in Ottawa and would disband in 1996. Brent Dowdall, who was a classmate of mine at Carleton, would write a book about the fall of the Rough Riders in 1999 called Turnover. 

In 2002, football would return to the National Capital Region with the establishment of the Ottawa Renegades. But they too were mired in failure and would be gone by 2008. The CFL took another chance on Ottawa in 2014 with the founding of the Redblacks.

Like their predecessors, there has been more failure than success with only three winning seasons. Even when they won the Grey Cup, they actually had a losing record of 8-9-1 but would finish first in a weak CFL East Division. So weak in fact that the Redblacks had to play East final against the Edmonton Eskimos in a crossover format before upsetting the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup. 

Back to the present, the Redblacks have one more regular season game next week against the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The Ticats are 5-12 this season. Could the Redblack win two in a row? Stranger things have happened.

Obama Continues To Say Dumb Things About Jews & Israel

(Screenshot from LinkedIn of former President Obama being interviewed by Susan McKay at the O2 Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on October 13, 2026)

Former President Obama has long held a deep-seated hostility towards Israel.

This hostility manifested itself during remarks Obama during an appearance on Tuesday in Belfast, Northern Ireland in which he declared:

The fact is that the Jewish people, for millennia, were oppressed, discriminated against, killed. Europe was responsible for much of it. They understandably sought a refuge.

That is undeniable. What is also undeniable is that they took land off people and they were expelled. And those people understandably said, ‘This is injustice and I want my land back.’

At some point to break the cycle, a stronger partner has a responsibility by virtue of its strength.

If the attitude of Israel is, now that we are the strongest, the most technologically advanced in the region, then our security will depend on us simply doing whatever we need and taking whatever we want, and not making any concessions to anyone.

That may work short-term... but you have ceded moral ground if that is the position you take.

I would say the current Israeli government appears to have taken that. It is incumbent on them to recognize that 7m Palestinians are not going anywhere.

Took land?

This is an utterly dishonest statement. In point of fact, Jews legally purchased land in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Obama also ignores the fact an estimated 850,000 Jews were expelled from Arab countries in the two decades following the establishment of the State of Israel as well as an estimated 70,000 who fled Iran after the Khomeini Revolution in 1979.

Perhaps most egregious of all is the failure of Obama to acknowledge that the 1947 UN Partition Plan established both a Jewish and an Arab state. The Jews said yes and the Arabs (latter day Palestinians) said no. 

From there, Obama relies on erecting strawmen such as his allegation that the Israeli government should recognize the Palestinians aren't going anywhere.

Perhaps Obama has forgotten former Secretary of State Madeline Albright chasing Yasser Arafat before the Palestinians missed another opportunity to miss another opportunity with the 2000 Camp David Accords. 

No, Israel is quite mindful of the fact the Palestinians aren't going anywhere. The problem is the Palestinians are led by people whose raison d'être is to indoctrinate their populace with Jew hatred 24/7 while rewarding those who kill Jews. It is the Palestinians and their supporters who chant, "Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea." Israel accepts there are 7 million Palestinians while the Palestinians believe one Jew is one Jew too many.

Let us also keep in mind that Obama has seen fit to pal around with anti-Semitic figures like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and will soon campaign for Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. From where I sit, President Obama is no position to lecture Israel about a moral high ground which he himself does not occupy.

Brewers Sweep Dodgers to Win 1st NL Pennant; Earn 1st Trip to World Series Since 1982

The Milwaukee Brewers have swept the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2026 NLCS and with it their first NL pennant.

Tonight, they bested Dodgers 6-4 at Chavez Ravine and with it LA's dream of becoming the first NL club to win three consecutive World Series titles. The Brewers were down 4-0 early in the game on the strength of a 3-run HR by an otherwise struggling Shohei Ohtani.

Milwaukee battled its way back on a Jake Bauers two-run double in the fourth and RBI single by David Hamilton in the fifth to cut the Dodgers' lead to 4-3.

I have been wanting to watch a bit of the post-season at a sports pub near Porter Square, but it's usually dominated by the Bruins, Celtics or college football. While most people were paying attention to the Chargers-Seahawks game, there were plenty of TVs tuned to the Brewers-Dodgers.

I got to the pub in time to watch the Brewers tie it in the bottom of the fifth with a bases loaded walk. In the bottom of the sixth, the Brewers went ahead on a Garrett Mitchell home run. I came back home after that half inning. The Brewers would add an insurance run in the 9th on a HR by Hamilton. 

This is a remarkable achievement by the Brewers considering how they were swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS last year. Milwaukee has reached the post-season 8 of the last 9 seasons winning the NL Central title in the last four seasons and five times in six years. But until now the Brewers couldn't punch their ticket to the World Series.

Although this is the Brewers first NL pennant, it is their second trip to the World Series. Of course, the Brewers were originally an AL team and won the AL pennant in 1982 but would lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games. 

I remember that 1982 Brewers team well. Managed by Harvey Kuenn, it included Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers and Ted Simmons. There was also Cecil Cooper, Jim Gantner, Ben Ogilive, Gorman Thomas, Charlie Moore, the DH platoon of Roy Howell and Don Money and AL Cy Young winner Pete Vukovich. 

Back to the present, Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers earned the NLCS MVP. Bauers went 4 for 14 with a HR and 6 RBI. Aside from tonight's bases loaded walk to tie the game, Bauers earned an 11-pitch against the previously invincible Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 that would spark a Brewers rally. In Game 3, Bauers would force Blake Snell to throw 12 pitches before he took him deep for a go-ahead 2-run HR. He was in the middle of the action at the most crucial time in the game. If that doesn't a most valuable player, then nothing does. Perhaps most remarkably, Bauers nearly quit the game after bouncing around with the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees before having a career year this season with 26 HR and 86 RBI.

The 2026 World Series will commence a week from Friday. As of this writing, the Cleveland Guardians have a 2-1 lead in the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays. Should the Guardians prevail, the World Series will see a contest between a Cleveland franchise which hasn't won a World Series since 1948 against a Brewers club which has never won a World Series since the franchise was originally known as the Seattle Pilots in 1969. Should the Rays prevail, it will be the first World Series since 1980 in which neither team has previously won a World Series.

Pillay's Plea to Prosecute Netanyahu Proves Her Prize is For Pillorying Israel Not For Promoting Peace

This year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay has called for the prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

This, of course, is the reason Pillay was bestowed with the Nobel Peace Prize. Pillay uses the prestige of this prize to pillory Israel. It has nothing to do with promoting peace.

The Uyghur Muslims, who have actually been victims of a genocide at the hands of China, certainly don't view Pillay as a voice of peace as reflected in this announcement from the World Uyghur Congress:

On 9 October 2026, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay in recognition of her efforts to promote peace and international law. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) expresses serious concerns about this decision in light of actions taken by Pillay during her tenure as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

Under her leadership the NGO liaison office shared the names of Uyghur and other Chinese human rights defenders, as well as information about their participation in the UN Human Rights Council, with the Chinese government without their consent and despite the potential risks to the individuals concerned and their families.

Among those affected was Dolkun Isa, former president of the WUC, who faced significant obstacles in obtaining accreditation and accessing the UN Human Rights Council between 2012 and 2013. Isa described the disclosure of information to the Chinese government as “a profound betrayal of trust by an institution that should have protected us.”

Suffice it to say, I don't think Pillay will be using her platform to champion the rights of Uyghurs, let alone other Chinese dissidents. Why would she? Aside from the fact that she does not want to be on the receiving end of Beijing's ire, she has no reason to speak on behalf of the Uyghurs because it would take time away from her agenda of pillorying Israel. 

In Trump's World Zelensky is a Dictator & Putin Isn't

While in Alaska on Tuesday to campaign for incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, President Trump was asked about his disagreement with Sullivan concerning Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Sullivan believes Putin is a dictator while Trump...well, I'll let him say it:

Well, look, I have to make deals with people so I don’t go around calling them names. I’m a deal maker. I’ve always been a very good deal maker. I became very rich because of deals. So I don’t go around mocking people. 

As one can imagine much of the commentary to this statement revolves around Trump's dubious claim that he does not mock people. Name calling and mocking people is Trump's stock and trade. In the past few days, Trump has mocked a woman assaulted at his rally in Youngstown, Ohio, referred to South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews as Trannie Andrews and just this past Wednesday afternoon referred to Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs as "a dumb person."

But I want to focus for a moment around Trump's unwillingness to describe Putin as a dictator because he is perfectly happy to describe Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky as a dictator as he did in February 2025. This was not long before Trump and JD Vance publicly berated Zelensky at the White House in front of the whole world. 

It will come as no surprise that Putin has also referred to Ukraine as "a dictatorship." It is even less surprising to know this isn't the first time Trump has declined to refer Putin as a dictator. During a White House visit by French President Macron days before he and Vance ambushed Zelensky, Trump was asked if he considered Putin a dictator. He replied, "I don't use those words lightly."

Trump uses words lightly all the time. He certainly used the word dictator lightly when describing Zelensky. But where it concerns Putin, Trump treads carefully. He doesn't want to displease his boss.

Mattingly Earned The Chance To Be The Phillies Full-Time Manager

I'm glad the Philadelphia Phillies came to their senses and announced last night that Don Mattingly would remain as the team's manager for the next two seasons after serving on an interim basis in 2026.

All Mattingly did was take a team headed for disaster, right the ship and make their way to the post-season.

Yet an early exit against the Atlanta Braves was sufficient for the team to seek out former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora who declined the position. 

As it stands, Mattingly is popular with his players, and I think hiring a new manager at this time would have done more harm than good.

Don Mattingly earned the chance to be the Phillies full-time manager and it's about time the club removed the interim tag. 

Trump Misses The Mark Regarding His Regret Over The Killing of Iran's Leaders

(YouTube screenshot of President Trump speaking in Youngstown, OH on 10/12/2026)

During a rally in Youngstown, Ohio last night, President Trump made some revealing comments concerning the War in Iran which are worthy of both discussion and derision.

Trump's commentary on Iran is being overshadowed by his egging on violence by his supporters against a female protester (not without justification) and his fawning over Senator Jon Husted's ass. That I could have gone my whole life without being the wiser.

Regarding Iran, Trump specifically commented on killing its leaders and having regrets about having done so:

We might have gone too far with the leaders because we don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with anymore.

For starters, it is clear to Trump that his decision to engage in a military action against Iran has harmed his standing and may very well lead to Republican losing both Houses in next month's mid-terms. Voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the Iran War by a 2:1 margin. 

Yet at the same time, Trump completely misses the mark.

Mind you, this is hardly a surprise. Where it concerns in Iran, he has gone from calling on the people of Iran to take back their government to claiming that regime change has been achieved and then saying he never cared about regime change in the first place. If one was going to commit to a military action against the Iranian regime, Trump is the worst possible President to have in the White House.

His statement in Youngstown is predicated on the premises that Iran's existing regime continues as an Islamic Republic. Yet let us not forget there has been popular discontent against the regime for years including in the months prior to the war. As I argued prior to military action:

From where I sit nearly 6,000 miles away from Tehran, I believe the best possible outcome would be if the regime were to collapse by the sheer force of popular revolt from within and for Iranians to determine their own destiny. I write this knowing full well such a thing is unlikely to happen without the aid of external actors. 

That external help could have come in the form of covert operations not only on a military level but also working closely with Iranian opposition on the ground to prepare a government in waiting. Had this opposition been successful in forcing the collapse of the Iranian regime then this opposition could have formed a provisional government.

This provisional government with technical assistance from the United States, Israel and other willing parties with the aim of establishing democracy through elections, the writing of a new constitution, granting autonomy to existing civic institutions within Iran as well as the establishment of an independent judiciary. That body would be given the task of holding leaders and members of the previous regime not killed in any military conflict to be held to account for their actions. 

Of course, such things require patience, planning and precision. Unfortunately, President Trump does not possess any of these qualities. 

Because of this lack of qualities and the Left's relative indifference to the fate of the Iranian people as compared to the Palestinians, Iran's regime continues to have a lifeline regardless of how many of its leaders have been killed in the course of this military campaign.

Abbas Postpones Palestinian Elections - Again

(YouTube screenshot of Mahmoud Abbas from France 24)

Yesterday, Mahmoud Abbas, who is amid his third decade of his four-year term as President of the Palestinian Authority, postponed elections which were scheduled for next month until September 11, 2027. 

Quel surprise!!!

True to form, Abbas blamed Israel for delaying the elections and keeping him in power for all of these years. What suffering he has endured. 

For its part, France "regrets" Abbas' decision. Where it concerns the Palestinians, France regrets. Where it concerns Israel, France condemns. Indeed, French President Macron has been indulging Abbas going so far as to erroneously claim that Hamas does not operate in the West Bank. 

Not that Abbas needs much encouragement. After all, this isn't the first time Abbas has delayed an election. He previously did so back in April 2021 while also blaming Israel.

Assuming Abbas, who turns 91 next month, is still alive I have no doubt he will postpone Palestinians elections come next fall and blame Israel for it while France will be full of regret.

Guardians Overcome 0-2 Deficit vs. Chisox to Face Rays in ALCS; Brewers vs. Dodgers NLCS Rematch Begins Tomorrow Night

The Cleveland Guardians bested the Chicago White Sox 2-0 to win Game 5 of the ALDS. 

Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams struck out 12 batters over 5.2 innings pitched. Cleveland pitchers struck out a combined 21 batters - a new MLB record for a 9-inning game. In 1962, Washington Senators pitcher Tom Cheney struck out 21 Baltimore Orioles batters over 16-innings.

Jose Ramirez supplied Cleveland's only two runs with a 2-run HR in the fourth inning.

The Guardians overcame a 0-2 deficit to end the Chisox's dream season two years removed from losing a modern-day MLB record 121 games. Nobody expected the South Siders to be playing October baseball. 

Cleveland will head to St. Petersburg to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS starting Monday night.

In the meantime, the NLCS rematch between the Milwaukee Brewers and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers begins tomorrow night at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

The Dodgers are seeking to become the first NL team to win three consecutive World Series titles. The Rays and Brewers have never won a World Series while the Guardians have not a won a World Series since 1948. 

While MLB's owners insist on a salary cap in order not to lockout the players at the end of this year, the Brewers have the 19th lowest payroll in MLB while the Rays & Tribe are 28th & 29th out of 30 teams, respectively.

Let us consider the possible World Series matchups.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Cleveland Guardians vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Cleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

If the Rays face the Brewers, it will mark the first time since 1980 featuring both teams which had not won a World Series. That year, the Philadelphia Phillies bested the Kansas City Royals in six games.

Prior to 1980, the last time that had happened was 60 years earlier in 1920 when the Cleveland Indians beat the Brooklyn Robins for their first World Series title. The Robins, of course, are the Dodgers.

So, it would be the first World Series between these two teams in 106 years. But if the Rays vs. Dodgers, that would be the first time in 6 years.

With the Guardians & Brewers, it is between a team that hasn't won a World Series in 78 years and a team which has never won a World Series. 

Like many people, for me it's anybody but the Dodgers and there's a 3 in 4 chance of that happening. With that said, it is hard to bet against the Dodgers. While I would not care for another Dodgers' World Series title, it would be a triumph of historical significance for the NL. Not only would the Dodgers become the first NL team to win 3 straight World Series, it would be their fourth World Series title this decade.

Let the games continue tomorrow night.

El-Sayed, Israel, Iran & Ridiculous Hypotheticals

On Thursday evening, Abdul El-Sayed faced off against Mike Rogers in the Michigan U.S. Senate debate.

During the debate, WOOD TV8 political reporter Rick Albin posed this question to El-Sayed, "Who is the bigger threat to the United States? Israel or Iran?" El-Sayed called it "a ridiculous hypothetical." He then added:

Here’s what’s happening right now: our ostensible ally in Israel has lobbied us to go to war with Iran. We have watched as Iran has responded by bombing all kinds of countries in the Middle East and then choking off the world’s energy supply.

When Albin pressed El-Sayed, the most he would say was, "Both of them have proven dangerous in their own way."

Wrong answer!!!

The answer is Iran is a bigger threat to the United States than Israel. 

This is not a ridiculous hypothetical. Nearly half a century of history proves it.

As to El-Sayed's assertion of moral equivalence between Israel and Iran, at no time has he ever publicly criticized the Iranian regime.

El-Sayed has not criticized the Iranian regime for killing 30,000 of its own people late last year and early this year.

El-Sayed has not criticized the Iranian regime for sentencing singer Parastoo Ahmadi to be flogged for performing without a hijab. 

El-Sayed has not criticized the Iranian regime for holding Iranian American journalist Reza Valizadeah in captivity, let alone call for his release. 

Nor has El-Sayed criticized the Iranian regime for funding Hamas.

This is because El-Sayed reserves his criticisms for Israel. As such, he will never say Iran is a bigger threat to the United States than to Israel.

Nidal Malik Hasan Should Be Executed But Not in Front of The Whole World

Make no mistake. Nidal Malik Hasan should be executed.

After all a military jury sentenced Hasan to death in August 2013 for the killing of 12 fellow soldiers and a civilian while wounding more than 30 people at Fort Hood in November 2009.

Not only was it an act of terrorism, but it was also a crime against the United States. In other words, it was an act of treason as Hasan was inspired by American born al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki and was in communication with him in the months leading up to the attack.

However, I do not believe that Hasan should be executed for the whole world to see as the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution scheduled for December 3rd at the behest of Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense (or Secretary of War as he prefers).

Attendance at Hasan's executions should be confined to military prison officials, members of his family, members of his victims' families and a few media representatives. That's it. No one else needs to see his execution. This is not a spectator sport.

If this proceeds it will be the first public execution in the United States in nearly 90 years. Very few countries conduct public executions namely Iran, Afghanistan and Yemen. Oh yes, Hamas conducts public executions in Gaza. 

What good can come of livestreaming Hasan's execution? If this comes to pass it won't be the last public execution that we see in this country. If public executions are conducted by the U.S. military, then civilian execution at the federal and state level will surely follow. Could you imagine Christa Pike's botched execution being livestreamed?

I also believe the spectacle of public executions runs the risk of bringing back public lynchings. The next time MAGA doesn't get its way in an election, perhaps they will execute a police officer. Or perhaps on the next anniversary of the October 7th attacks, masked Hamas supporters will kidnap a Jew off the street and then stage an execution with anti-Semitic pogroms to follow.

The one consequence I don't think Hegseth, the Pentagon and the Trump Administration intend is that the return of public execution will spur public opposition to the death penalty. Although support for the death penalty has been slipping over the past 25 years, a majority of Americans still favor capital punishment. The spectacle of public executions in a supposedly civilized society will swiftly evaporate that majority.

By all means, carry out the Nidal Malik Hasan's execution. Justice will be served.

Broadcasting or livestreaming his execution (or anyone else's) does not serve justice. It only serves bloodlust, revenge, sadism and perhaps the greed to make money off it.

Navi Pillay Winning The Nobel Peace Prize is About Legitimizing Hamas' Mission to Annihilate Israel

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was bestowed upon Navi Pillay "for her efforts to promote peace and international law."

In reality, Pillay was bestowed with this honor for her role in accusing Israel of genocide in her capacity as Chairman of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. She served in this position from May 2021 through November 2025. During her time in this role, she defended fellow Commissioner Millon Kathori when openly complained about Israel being a member of the UN while asserting the "Jewish lobby" was controlling social media. Pillay also pointedly refused to characterize Hamas' actions as "terrorists" or engaging in acts of "terrorism".

Indeed, Pillay has long been hostile to Israel going back to her time as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights between 2008 and 2014. During her time in that role, Pillay oversaw the debunked Goldstone Report, appointed the notoriously anti-Semitic Richard Falk as the Special Rapporteur for the Palestinians, her promotion of the Jew hating Durban II and Durban III conferences and gave then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a platform to spew Holocaust denying conspiracy theories. 

Bestowing Pillay with the Nobel Peace Prize helps to legitimize false claims of genocide while blessing to Hamas and other terrorist groups seeking to annihilate the world's only Jewish state. It has nothing to do with promoting peace and international law.

Thoughts on the ICE Shooting in The Bronx

(Screenshot from CBS News feed on YouTube)

This afternoon, ICE agents shot and wounded a man in his vehicle in an enforcement operation in The Bronx. A 5-year-old child was inside the vehicle during the shooting though he was not injured in the incident.

What is remarkable is this portion of the statement from DHS which reads, "During the incident, an ICE officer discharged his weapon and the criminal illegal alien was injured."

Nothing in the statement indicates that the suspect used his vehicle as a weapon or threatened the ICE officers let alone that the agent who fired the shots was in any danger.

It simply states the ICE officer "discharged his weapon" and wounded the "criminal illegal alien" as if that alone were sufficient justification.

The statement also claims, "ICE officers immediately rendered aid", but this is contradicted by witness testimony indicating it was NYPD who assisted the victim after arriving on the scene.

As usual, ICE conducted itself with reckless disregard for human life with the intent and effect to intimidate the community at large. Instead, ICE's actions only angered the community and rightly so.

Could The Yankees Replace Boone with Mattingly?

 

Last night, the New York Yankees were eliminated from post-season play after being swept in the ALDS by AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays. 

The Yankees did appear to have tied the game with a HR by Anthony Volpe but a fan in fact reached over the outfield railing to catch the ball. Alas, this is not 1996 and Jeffrey Maier wasn't there to save the Yankees. Volpe did get an RBI double, but it is as close as the Yankees would get.

Since taking over the managerial reins in 2018, Aaron Boone has led the Yankees to 8 post-season appearances in 9 years. His 790 managerial wins is 7th best in franchise history. But there have been no World Series titles to show for it. The Bronx Bombers last won it all in 2009 under Boone's predecessor, Joe Girardi.

Of Boone's 8 playoff appearances as Yankees skipper, the team has exited the post-season via the ALDS 4 times including the past two seasons after winning the AL pennant in 2024. 

Boone is under contract to manage the Yankees next season, but his seat is hot. A month ago, Zachary D. Rymer wrote in The Bleacher Report, "Nothing less than a title will make Boone's seat cool again."

While there is blood in the water, there are those who expect nothing to happen because Hal Steinbrenner is nothing like George Steinbrenner. In the first two decades, the elder Steinbrenner owned the Yankees he made 20 managerial changes including hiring and firing Billy Martin five times. However, since 1992, the Yankees have had only four managers - Buck Showalter, Joe Torre, Joe Girardi and Boone.

There is only one scenario under which I see the Yankees parting ways with Boone (and for that matter longtime Yankees GM Brian Cashman) and that is if they were to hire Don Mattingly as their next skipper.

After all, Mattingly played his entire 14-year MLB career in Yankee pinstripes. He is an experienced big-league manager stewarding the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins while being thrust into becoming the interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies this season following a 9-19 start. Mattingly promptly turning the team back into a winner and clinching a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season before being shown the door in the NL Wild Card Round by the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies, however, don't seem eager to bring back Mattingly despite his success and his popularity with the players. With that said, no one seems eager to manage the Phillies. Just ask Alex Cora. Although current Yankees bench coach (and former Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels manager) Brad Ausmus is reportedly being considered.

If this is the case, then the door is open for the Yankees to bring back Mattingly to the Bronx. Imagine if the Yankees traded Boone and Cashman to the Phillies for Mattingly and his son, Preston, who is the team's GM?

Or perhaps, Steinbrenner will continue to bide his time and leave Boone to manage this season and then replace him with Mattingly if they don't win in 2027. The only problem with that plan is that some other team might decide to make Mattingly their next manager.