Are The Padres & MLB Letting Oswaldo Pirela Twist in the Wind?

On Sunday, ICE detained San Diego Padres minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela at El Paso International Airport where he was planning to fly back home to Peoria, Arizona. The team's Triple-AAA affiliate is based in El Paso.

At the time of his detainment, Pirela was carrying a work permit which expires in 2029. The Venezuelan born Pirela had a brief minor league career as a teenager in the Texas Rangers organization before seeking asylum along with his family due to his opposition to the regime of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro.

For its part, DHS acted with its usual grace:

FACT CHECK: This Venezuelan illegal alien, Oswaldo Jose Pirela Dominguez, was granted permission by the Obama Administration to remain in our nation until February 10, 2018. In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome by more than 8 YEARS. NOBODY is above the law, and he will remain in ICE custody pending removal. Being in detention is a choice.

Given the callousness of the Trump Administration, I am rather concerned about the reaction of the Padres and MLB to Pirela's detainment.

The Padres issued the following statement: 

We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas. We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.

The Padres aren't exactly going out on a limb here. Meanwhile, MLB has said nothing.

Frankly, the Padres and MLB are afraid of the Trump Administration. Should they speak up then perhaps DHS will go after players at both the minor league and major league level. The Padres' roster features several players from Venezuela (Bradgley Rodriguez, Freddy Fermin & Luis Rengifo), the Dominican Republic (Fernando Tatis, Jr; Wandy Peralta & Randy Vasquez), Cuba (Adrian Morejon) and Aruba (Xander Bogaerts).

When MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred lifted the lifetime bans against Pete Rose and the 1919 Black Sox after meeting with President Trump last year, he acknowledged the "ingress and egress" of "foreign born players". As I wrote at the time:

I think I know exactly what Manfred was worried about. I'm sure that Trump basically told him, 'Either you reinstate Pete Rose, or all foreign-born players will be asked to leave the country.' Or perhaps he limited the edict to players from Latin American countries which comprise about 25% of all active MLB players.

If MLB isn't going to stick up for their star players, then they are certainly not going to go to bat for a minor league catching instructor who was just doing the job the Padres asked of him.

As it stands, I believe the Padres and MLB are letting Pirela twist in the wind. If push comes to shove, then the Padres will wash their hands of Pirela.  

Aside from being fundamentally unAmerican, it will serve to alienate a good portion of this country's Latino community which supports baseball more than any other population in America.

If the Padres and MLB let Pirela twist in the wind then it might be left to a former player, perhaps a Hall of Famer, to speak out on Pirela's behalf. But I'm not counting on it.

In which case, we can expect ICE to detain more foreign born (particularly from Latin American countries) personnel within MLB. As with most things concerning the Trump Administration nothing good can come from it especially if ICE is involved.

Thoughts on a Near Hit-and-Run Incident Outside a Boston Synagogue

 

(Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe in Brighton, MA)

A most disturbing incident here in the Boston neighborhood of Brighton via Boston.com.

A driver sped up and yelled an antisemitic slur at a couple crossing the street to attend Shabbat services Friday evening at an Orthodox synagogue in Brighton, the rabbi there said. 

The newly married couple was walking across the closest crosswalk to Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe on Washington Street when a driver sped up and they had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, said KTM Rabbi Daniel Aldrich, who spoke directly with the couple.

“He yelled antisemitic epithets as he drove by and then the very shaken couple came into our synagogue, and we immediately called the police,” Aldrich said. 

A spokesperson for the Boston Police Department said they received a report of an incident that occurred in the Brighton community at 101 Washington St. around 7:30 p.m Friday. The Civil Rights Unit is investigating whether there are any bias indicators involved in the incident, and no arrest has been made at this time, the spokesperson said. 

I would suggest that bias indicators are self-evident when someone attempts to use their vehicle as a weapon while yelling anti-Semitic slurs at Jewish people.

What worries me is that no arrest has been made at this time. This could mean a couple of things. It could mean that authorities have no idea who committed this act. It could also mean that authorities do have a possible suspect but have seen fit not to pursue the matter. 

I cannot help but think that this driver may have done something like this before and his victims were too afraid to reach out for help perhaps because they have come to believe that authorities do not care about Jews.

In which case, I also cannot help but think that as long as this driver remains at large that he will try something like this again and when he does there will be bloodshed.

Perhaps he won't use his car. It is quite possible that he might walk into a synagogue and disrupt services just like what happened at Central Synagogue in NYC right around the same time at this attempted hit-and-run incident.

Or perhaps he will use his car to storm a synagogue and bring other weaponry just as the perpetrator did at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan last March. Should this come to pass then Abdul El-Sayed will have another opportunity to claim that "hurt people hurt people" and once make excuses for those who commit violence against Jews. 

Even if the man responsible for this act does not commit any further acts there will be someone else who will be more than happy to commit violence against Jews for being Jews. And the more this happens then the more violence against Jews is tolerated and eventually accepted as appropriate behavior in polite society.

Mixing Business & Family in NYC with a Touch of Tony Danza

I spent the better part of last week and the start of this week in New York City for my third business trip to Big Apple. 

My previous business trips to New York took place in April 2025 and in May 2026. Those previous business trips as well as my business trip to Wheeling, West Virginia in June 2025 took place between a Monday and a Wednesday. This business trip took place between a Wednesday and a Monday.

This meant that I took an Amtrak train down to NYC last Wednesday morning, arrived in NYC by 12:30 p.m., worked in the office for ½ day before spending all of Thursday and Friday in the office and another ½ day this morning before taking the train back to Boston.

While my previous NYC business trips had elements of family by virtue of staying with Dad, this time around my brother Ezra was also in town. I should add that the NY office is operating on summer hours which meant I could clock out a couple of hours early. This meant more time with the family in the evening as well as both Saturday and Sunday. Also going back to Boston on a Monday is considerably less expensive than doing so on a Sunday.

For those that don't know, Dad has a YouTube channel called Gugie Goldstein. Dad mainly shoots videos of various musical happenings around the city. Among his regular haunts is Manny's Bistro which is situated on Columbus Avenue near West 70th Street. On late Sunday afternoons & early evenings, there is a jazz band which plays right outside the premises led by former 20/20 producer Victor Neufeld. This band also regularly features guest appearances by actor Tony Danza who one might remember from Taxi and Who's The Boss?

I should mention that Danza, who turned 75 back in April, lives on the Upper West Side, and I saw him walking around the neighborhood on several occasions when I lived in NYC between 2018 and 2020. Dad has a bit of history with Danza. One night at a neighborhood restaurant, Dad gave Danza the "call me" sign. This did not amuse Danza one bit and he called him out on the carpet for it. 

However, over time, Danza has seen Dad videotaping the sessions at Manny's, has been appreciative of Dad's work and has accommodated his requests for several songs. Are they friends? Not by a long shot. But mutual respect will do just fine.

Ezra and I were on hand for Dad's latest session at Manny's yesterday. It was an overcast day, but Danza brought a lot of energy when he joined in the festivities especially by people who are walking by not expecting Tony Danza to be singing on the street in front of a restaurant. There were also a couple of tango dancers which also livened things up considerably. While this wasn't my first time viewing the proceedings, I had never been so delighted to be on hand for it.

Of course, all things must come to an end. While there were no issues on Amtrak this time around, no sooner had I arrived back in Boston there was power failure on the MBTA Red Line which forced the shutdown of the AC on the subway. After about five minutes of sitting on a sweltering train, I decided to take a cab in rush hour traffic back home. While this cost me some money, I will be reimbursed for it because in this particular circumstance, this cab ride is a business expense. Business travel does have its privileges. 

The only thing which would have made it better is if Tony Danza were driving the cab. Or maybe Marilu Henner who I met many, many moons ago. But that is another story for another day.

A Thought for Hayden Panettiere

 

Yesterday afternoon, I was in Barnes & Noble in NYC's Union Square. On my way out of the store, I noticed that actress Hayden Panettiere had an autobiography titled This is Me: A Reckoning. I'm not sure why it caught my eye, but it did.

A few minutes ago, I look online and see she has died five days shy of her 37th birthday. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't know a great deal about her career aside from her days as a child actress in the film Remember the Titans which frequently airs on TV and on the TV show Heroes. Nevertheless, she left an impression and now she is gone. Perhaps she is at peace. Still, it is sad that she did not live a full life.

As of this writing, no cause of death has been released. However, given her youth, one cannot help but think that her passing was not natural. Saddest of all, she leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter. 

Tommy John Should Have a Plaque in Cooperstown

Former MLB pitcher, coach and broadcaster Tommy John passed away yesterday at the age of 83. 

John's passing was not unexpected as it came just over a week after he had released a written statement was which read during Old Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium announcing his time was coming soon. In recent years, John had been in poor health with a serious case of COVID and was subsequently diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Although John last toed a big-league mound in 1989, his name is known by baseball players everywhere by virtue of the medical procedure known as Tommy John surgery. The procedure was performed on his pitching elbow by Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974 and ended up extending his career by 14 seasons retiring at the age of 46. Towards the end of his career, John joked, "My body is 46, but my arm just had its bar mitzvah."

A native of Terre Haute, Indiana, John signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1961 and would make his MLB debut with the Tribe as a September call up in 1963. Prior to the 1965 season, Cleveland traded John to the Chicago White Sox in a three-way trade with the Kansas City A's in a deal which included Rocky Colavito and future New York Mets star Tommie Agee.

John would spend seven seasons on the South Side of Chicago as a mainstay of the Chisox rotation along with Joe Horlen and Gary Bell. After winning 82 games in a White Sox uniform and earning an AL All-Star Game selection in 1968, the Chisox traded John to the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the 1972 season for Dick Allen who would win the AL MVP. John held up his end of the bargain becoming a dependable part of a Dodgers rotation which included future Hall of Famer Don Sutton, Claude Osteen and Andy Messersmith.

In 1974, John was en route to a possible NL Cy Young campaign. In 22 starts, John went 13-3 with a 2.59 ERA when he injured his elbow in a start against the Montreal Expos in mid-July shortly before the All-Star Game. 

Not only did John miss out on the Dodgers' NL pennant triumph but there was a good chance that his career was over. John made the fateful decision to allow Dr. Frank Jobe to perform reconstructive surgery on his left elbow by transplanting a tendon from his right wrist. Prior to Tommy John surgery, going under the knife would not extend his career.

John would return to the Dodgers in 1976 going a serviceable 10-10 with a 3.09 ERA in 31 starts. However, in 1977, John would exceed all expectations with his first 20-win campaign finishing runner up in NL Cy Young balloting to future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. John would also reach the World Series for the first time in his career and would do so again the following season falling short against the New York Yankees.

Prior to the 1979 season, John signed with the Yankees as a free agent. He would win 21 games and finish runner up to Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan in AL Cy Young balloting. In 1980, John would win a career best 22 games finishing fourth in AL Cy Young balloting behind Yankees teammate "Goose" Gossage, Oakland A's hurler Mike Norris and Baltimore Orioles hurler and future broadcaster Steve Stone. John would earn an NL All-Star Team selection in 1978 and back-to-back AL All-Star Team selections in 1979 and in 1980.

In 1981, John would return to the World Series for the third time in his career, but the season was overshadowed by the tragedy of his son Travis sustaining a serious head injury when he fell out of a third story window. The following season, John would have a falling out with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner when Yankees brass brought up his son during his pitching struggles. Late in the 1982 season, the Yankees would trade John to the California Angels, a team which would win the AL West.

John would spend all of 1983 and 1984 with the Halos before being traded to the Oakland A's during the 1985 season. In 1986, John would return to the Bronx Bombers to finish out the final four seasons of his career. 

In 26 seasons, John appeared in 760 games (700 starts) with a record of 288-231 with an ERA of 3.34 striking out 2245 while walking 1259. Between 1995 and 2009, John was on the BBWAA Ballot and only topped 30% of the vote during his last year of eligibility.

In 2025, John fell five vote shorts of Hall of Fame induction by the Classic Baseball Era Committee which elected Dave Parker and Dick Allen (the man for whom he was once traded).

Yet it is worth noting that Jim Kaat was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Golden Days Era Committee in 2022. Kaat, who pitched 25 seasons in MLB, had remarkably similar stats (283-247 with a 3.45 ERA, 2,461 strikeouts along with 1.083 walks.)

If Jim Kaat has a Hall of Fame plaque, then why doesn't Tommy John?

I wouldn't be surprised if John was enshrined posthumously. That might give his family a small measure of comfort, but Tommy John wouldn't get to see his moment in the sun.

As it happened, while John did enjoy a broadcasting and coaching career, his world would fall apart when his son Taylor took his own life in 2010. A Hall of Fame plaque can only bring so much joy.

Hall of Fame plaque or not, Tommy John makes an indelible legacy on baseball every time a pitcher gets his elbow surgically repaired and career extended. Tommy John made his bones. R.I.P.

Joshua Báez Hits 3 HR in MLB Debut for The Cardinals

Joshua Báez put himself on the map in his MLB debut on Saturday afternoon for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 23-year-old Boston native hit 3 HR in his first 3 at bats driving in 5 runs in an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Báez becomes the first MLB player to hit 3 HR in his big-league debut. He belted all 3 of his HR off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd. 

The Cardinals selected Báez in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft straight out of Dexter School in Brookline, Massachusetts. Perhaps Báez will prove to be the spark necessary for the Cardinals to gain a NL Wild Card berth. If Báez continues to hit in this manner, then he could win NL Rookie of the Year honors despite only six weeks of playing time.

Mamdani is Shocked, Shocked That Jews in Prayer Would Be Assaulted in NYC

 

It is amazing how I can be somewhere, and my mother knows about it before I do. 

As it happens, I am in New York City. After awaking a short time ago, I saw a text from Mom about the assault which took place during Shabbat services last night at Central Synagogue. It is a Reform Temple located on Lexington Avenue & East 55th Street. When I lived here, I would often pass Central Synagogue on my way to work at the Chrysler Building.

During the incident, which was livestreamed, a hooligan comes in ranting and raving and punches a 63-year-old woman in the face. The punk also headbutted a security guard and spat at him as well as desecrating the synagogue.

True to form, NYC Mayor Mamdani was "shocked, shocked" such a thing would happen:

This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.

I trust Mamdani to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe about as much as I trust President Trump to protect women from sexual assault.

Now I suspect that this bum probably has a deep-seated hatred for Jews, but that Mamdani's recent taxpayer funded video tirade gave this hatred legitimacy and emboldened him to commit this heinous act. Since Mamdani issued his irresponsible statement, we have seen two stabbings on the Upper West Side plus the brick throwing incident at a synagogue in Sarasota, Florida in which the suspect specifically stated he was inspired by Mamdani.

Sooner or later, Mamdani words and deeds will get Jews killed in NYC and beyond. 

As far as the safety of Jewish New Yorkers goes, the surest way to ensure is to see to it that Mamdani is defeated in the next election. Although by then, a lot of death and damage will have been done.

A Thought or 54 for Butch Huskey

Former MLB player Butch Huskey died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism today. He was only 54.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Huskey was a 7th round draft pick of the New York Mets out of high school in 1989. Huskey would reach the Mets for a cup of coffee in 1993 and again in 1995 before becoming a mainstay of their lineup between 1996 and 1998. His best season was in 1997 when Huskey hit a career best .287 with 24 HR and 81 RBI. Huskey played in the outfield, third base and first base. 

Between 1999 and 2000, Huskey would have stints with the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins and the Colorado Rockies. His professional career ended after the 2001 season during which he played in the Cleveland Indians system before rejoining the Rockies organization. In parts of 7 MLB seasons, Huskey played in 642 games collecting 555 hits for a lifetime batting average of .267 with 86 HR and 336 RBI. 

During tonight's New York Mets-Washington Nationals game, Mets announcer Gary Cohn choked up when announcing Huskey's passing. Cohn spoke about Huskey's big-league debut on September 8, 1993 against the Houston Astros. As it happened, the Mets were on the wrong end of a no-hitter by Darryl Kile. During the game, Kile struck out Huskey thrice. Cohn noted that Huskey was upset following the game thinking he wouldn't be able to get a hit in a big-league game but was assured that no one could hit Kile that evening. Four days later, Huskey would collect his first MLB hit and RBI against the Chicago Cubs.

Of course, for those who know, Kile would die suddenly during the 2002 MLB season while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals at the tender age of 33. Kile was the first MLB player to die during the season since New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash in 1979 at the age of 32.

While Huskey didn't die nearly as young as either Kile or Munson, he certainly left this world sooner than he ought to have. Huskey's passing hits me as I am due to turn 54 in just over one month - G-d willing. This ought to have been Huskey's middle age with decades left in the tank. Alas, the only guarantee in life is that it will end. We have little control over when. R.I.P.

Man Throws Brick Through Synagogue in Sarasota After Viewing & Sharing Mamdani's Anti-Israel Video

Last month NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's taxpayer subsidized rant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resulted in a pair of stabbings on the Upper West Side including a man leaving a synagogue.

Unfortunately, Mamdani's words have caused damage beyond New York City. As per the New York Post:

A Florida man charged with a hate crime for hurling a brick through a synagogue window was motivated by a video of Mayor Zohran Mamdani calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” his police interview suggests.

Sarasota resident Brayton Laschinger, 30, admitted he targeted the Chabad House on July 29 and told detectives he became enraged by “propaganda on social media that was making him mad,” the Sarasota Police Department said.

“Laschinger admitted to deliberately throwing the brick at the window of the synagogue because it was a Jewish temple,” Sarasota Police Department Detective Frank Castro wrote in the probable cause affidavit dated July 30.

“He stated he was anti-Israel,” Castro added.

The only political content found on his public Instagram account was Mamdani’s July 21 video labeling Netanyahu with the “war criminal” moniker.

“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” New York’s socialist mayor said in a video address that repeats unproven, pro-Hamas talking points.

This act of hate would not have happened had Mamdani not seen fit to disseminate this video. It is only a matter of time before Mamdani words result in death. The frightening thing is that even if his words do result in deaths, he will say those deaths have no place in our society and then continue to use his office to incite further violence against Jews.  

Strolling & Trolling in North Kingstown, Rhode Island

For the third summer in row, I took a daytrip to Rhode Island to see my friend Christopher Kain. 

Two years ago, our focus was Providence with stops at the RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) Museum, the Providence Athenaeum and Brown University before taking in the WaterFire along the Providence River. It was a fabulous time until I fell, bloodied my knee and ripped my pants and then discovering the Commuter Rail back to Boston was inoperable due to a felled tree on the tracks in Canton. Last year, we ventured to Newport highlighted by a visit to the Castle Island Lighthouse and dinner at the Valley Inn Restaurant in Portsmouth.

This year, we made our way to North Kingstown which is just under 25 miles south of Providence. Our first destination was an art installation of a troll by Thomas Dambo in Ryan Park. These trolls are wooden sculptures made mainly of recycled materials. This troll you see below is called the Iver Mudslider and is Troll 161 out of an estimated 170 which are situated all over the world. After we concluded our visit, several people asked us if we had been trolling. Indeed, we had.

From there, we made our way to Wickford which is a village within North Kingstown which has a large number of 18th Century colonial homes. It is Christopher's favorite spot in all of Rhode Island. Before we explored the area, we had lunch at Tavern by the Sea where I enjoyed salmon, veggies and rice pilaf without any dressing or sauce and it was quite refreshing. Equally refreshing was the level of service provided by our waitress, Leah. 

After our meal, Christopher showed me several antiques store before we made our way onto Main Street to look at these houses. Christopher then led me to the Old Narragansett Church which is believed to be the oldest Episcopalian house of worship in New England. We met with the church caretakers who showed us the pipe organ built in 1680 which has been with the church since 1800.

As you can imagine, this church was not air conditioned. So, we went back out in the 90-degree weather to cool off and made our way down to the ocean. After all, we were in the Ocean State.

We concluded the afternoon with a visit to the Village Ice Cream & Soup shop. I was hoping there would be gazpacho on this hot day. But I settled for a scoop of vegan cookies 'n cream ice cream before heading back to Providence where Christopher dropped me off at the train station.

Honestly, it doesn't seem like we did all that much, but what I described to you took place over a period of 6 hours. This was truly a day trip.

So, what will my next Rhode Island adventure be? I would like to go duckpin bowling. It is something I have not done since I was in Atlanta. Or perhaps we can pick some tulips next spring. Who knows? Maybe we venture to Westerly and bump into Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

In such a small place the possibilities are endless.

A Thought for Mike Krukow

Yesterday, Mike Krukow announced he will be retiring from broadcasting San Francisco Giants games at the end of the 2026 season. Krukow has been in the Giants broadcast booth, mainly with Duane Kuiper, since 1990. The pair, both former MLB players, are affectionately known as Kruk & Kuip. 

Prior to joining the Giants broadcast booth, Krukow pitched in San Francisco for 7 of his 14 MLB seasons from 1983 to 1989 with his best season coming in 1986 when he won 20 games and finished third in NL Cy Young balloting. Krukow has spent more than half of his life with the Giants organization.

Krukow is retiring with great reluctance. Sadly, for the past 20 years, Krukow has been battling inclusion body myositis, a degenerative muscle disease. It has affected his ability to move to the point where he has been broadcasting games remotely from his home in Reno, Nevada for the past several seasons. Kruk hopes to remain with the Giants in some other capacity. Some suggest that the Giants make him a special pitching adviser given his encyclopedic knowledge of pitching. 

I have occasionally viewed Kruk and Kuip cover Giants games on the MLB Network over the years. The pair have an easy camaraderie. Krukow is particularly knowledgeable without going over people's heads. Both men bring a joy to broadcasting and Giants fans tune in to find that joy even in a season which has been so disappointing for the Giants. 

The Giants enter tonight 21 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. At this point, the only reason to tune into Giants games is to hear Kruk & Kuip together for one last summer. Because after this year, it just won't be the same. 

Jon Stewart Doesn't Think Israel is Part of The Jewish Community

 

I've never thought Jon Stewart was particularly funny. Not when he had a syndicated talk show more than 30 years ago and not today.

I've also never taken Jon Stewart seriously as a political analyst. Whenever he would be overmatched by someone who knew what they were talking about such as John Yoo, Stewart would by default say, 'I'm a comedian,' Well, that's a debatable proposition. In any case, I believe Stewart is daft.

Case in point was his testy interview with Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman over his support for Israel. At one point in the interview, Fetterman told Stewart that he supports Israel in part because when Jews are persecuted "things end badly." Stewart shot back, "The Jewish community and Israel are not the same thing, brother-man. That is not the same thing."

If that is true then why did Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drive his truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan armed with a rifle and with explosives? In the days which followed, newspaper headlines proclaimed the shooter's family had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. What was not mentioned was that Ghazali's brother was a Hezbollah commander. Abdul El-Sayed, now the Democratic Party nominee for the U.S. Senate race in Michigan, excused Ghazali's action stating that "hurt people hurt people." Those who hate Jews make no distinction between Jews in Israel, Jews in San Jose or Jews in the Philippines. 

Stewart's comment, on its face, is also absurd. Israel is a part of the Jewish community. Nearly half the world's Jewish population is in Israel. A country which emerged out of the ashes of the Holocaust after most of the world refused to admit Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler. Frederick Blair, the civil servant in charge of Canada's immigration system proclaimed, "None is too many."  It is those attitudes which necessitated the creation of Israel and necessitate its continuation. Indeed, the cradle of Judaism is to be found in Jerusalem. To suggest that Jews have no ties to Israel is akin to suggesting that Muslims have no ties to Mecca.

Of course, while Stewart is Jewish it is clear that he is woefully ignorant of his people's history and culture. I also suspect that Stewart is ashamed of being Jewish and hence his hostility to a non-Jew like Fetterman who goes out on a limb to support Israel and the Jewish community at large. After all, his real name is Jon Leibowitz. Alas, he is not the first Jew to Anglicize his name and sadly he won't be the last.

Seven Thoughts on El-Sayed Becoming The Democratic Nominee in the Michigan Senate Race

I have some thoughts I would like to share about Abdul El-Sayed becoming the Democratic nominee in the Michigan Senate race last night.

No Double-Digit Victory for El-Sayed

El-Sayed was widely expected to crush Haley Stevens by double-digits last night based on recent polls. Although he never trailed, El-Sayed only prevailed by 1% (48.5% to 47.5%) which adds up to all of about 15,000 votes. Somehow, Mallory McMorrow who dropped out last month earned 4% of the vote. How would those 61,000 votes have been split had she been off the ballot? El-Sayed might still have prevailed, but this was no cakewalk. He and his people have an air of overconfidence, and it nearly cost him. 

A Narrow Victory for El-Sayed is Still Very Cold Comfort

The fact that El-Sayed by a narrow margin is very cold comfort to me. After all, a plurality of Michigan Democrats didn't care they were voting for a vile anti-Semite. His proclamations of love to the Jewish people and Judaism ring hollow so long as he insists on palling around with Hasan Piker who champions Hamas, the organization responsible for the deaths of the most Jews since the Holocaust while making excuses for the terrorist attack on a synagogue in his own state.

I Partially Agree with Trump's Assessment of El-Sayed

After El-Sayed had been declared the winner, Trump wrote on Truth Social:

Great news for the Republican Party. El-Sayed, a Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel, is the projected winner in his race with the Socialist.

I agree with Trump when he says El-Sayed hates Jews and Israel. However, I think it would be more accurate to describe El-Sayed as an Islamist with a leftist facade. I'm also not sure if El-Sayed's victory is such great news for Republicans.

Republicans Are Overconfident Against El-Sayed

Matt Vespa of Townhall.com thinks El-Sayed's victory all but guarantees Republicans will retain control of the Senate. It is certainly a possibility that Mike Rogers will pick up this seat for Republicans against El-Sayed, but there is a lot of ground to cover in Michigan over the next three months.

For starters, El-Sayed has a strong ground game. Trump can scream fraud all he wants but El-Sayed has demonstrated he can get voters to pull the lever for him.

Speaking of Trump, he looms very large in this race. His disapproval rate in Michigan reflects the national average and isn't likely to get any better over the next three months. El-Sayed will do everything he can to tie Rogers to Trump.

Mike Rogers had better campaign with everything he can muster because he will need every bit of it.

If I Lived in Michigan, I Would Vote for Rogers with Reservations

I am thankful that I do not live in Michigan just as I am grateful that I do not live in Texas. But if I were a Texas voter, I could not bring myself to vote for either Republican Ken Paxton or Democrat James Talarico.

But if I were a Michigan voter, I would cast my ballot for Rogers. My vote would be more against El-Sayed than for Rogers. Again, El-Sayed is a vile anti-Semite. I don't want vile anti-Semites elected to the U.S. Senate. Unlike Paxton, Rogers does not have a history of corruption and knows how things work.

When it comes to Israel, I hope Rogers will put El-Sayed on the defensive and tie him to Hamas and Hezbollah and take him to task for his irresponsible statements concerning the synagogue shooting in West Bloomfield Township.

Yet I am not without reservations where it concerns Rogers. When Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the 2020 election, Rogers urged Trump to accept the results. Rogers doesn't say such things anymore and has indulged Trump's conspiracy theories when he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2024 (narrowly losing to Elissa Slotkin) and in his current run for office.

Like other Republicans, I have no doubt Rogers doesn't believe any of Trump's nonsense where it concerns elections. The reality however is that the price of admission for running under the Republican Party banner is to indulge in Trump's election denialism.

Stevens is Fully Backing El-Sayed Days After She Accused Him of Engaging in Anti-Semitism

Yet let us not kid ourselves. The Democratic Party has a price of admission to run under its banner and in our current age that price of admission of is for its candidates to accuse Israel of genocide.

If Stevens wants to have a future in the Democratic Party, then that means she is going to have to support openly anti-Semitic candidates for office.

As mentioned, a few short days ago, Stevens castigated El-Sayed for wanting "to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans." But when asked by CNN if she would support El-Sayed if he won the primary, Stevens said, "You bet."

Now perhaps Stevens will endorse him but keep her distance and not campaign with him. But if Stevens wants to return to Congress or decides she wants to run for Governor if Republican John James beats Democrat Jocelyn Benson, she will very likely have to back El-Sayed to the hilt. Of course, Stevens could do this, and Democratic primary voters will decide she is a Zionist and roundly reject her.

Conclusion: El Sayed's Election to the U.S. Senate Would Be Another Step in Legitimizing Anti-Semitism in America

While Democratic voters at large do not universally support anti-Semitic candidates, a plurality does and that plurality is likely to grow in years to come. Although Republicans sense an opportunity to gain a seat, they and especially Rogers would be foolish to underestimate El-Sayed's organization and the albatross that is President Trump.

If El-Sayed is elected to the U.S. Senate, then it would be another step in the legitimization of anti-Semitism in this country and perhaps a step more significant than the election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City. While NYC is a firmly left-wing city, the same cannot be said for Michigan. His election would demonstrate there is broader acceptance of anti-Semitism beyond left-wing precincts.

Michigan voters have three months to decide if they want to play a role in legitimizing anti-Semitism in this country or if they want to vote for decency.

Cori Bush Got Her (Wesley) Bell Rung

With less than half  of the vote counted, St. Louis area Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell handily withstood the primary challenge of former Squad member Cori Bush.

As of this writing, Bell has earned 66.8% of the vote compared to only 29.3% of the vote for Bush.

Two years ago, it was Bell who ousted Bush. After her defeat, Bush claimed she had been "radicalized" and vowed to tear down AIPAC. I'm glad to see Democratic primary voters not choose the anti-Semite this time around.

Needless to say, being an intemperate lunatic didn't sell so well in St. Louis. Bush has also been under federal investigation for misusing campaign contributions for her personal security and other personal expenses. Bell, on the other hand, comes off as a responsible representative and voters opted to have a drama free Congressman.

Of course, so-called progressives lambasted funding Bell received from AIPAC. Well, some voters don't like it when their representatives refuse to meet with their Jewish constituents and refuse to call Hamas a terrorist organization.

Don't feel too sorry for Cori Bush. I'm sure she has a future career as a faith healer and can unleash a whole new set of scams. 

Meanwhile, Missouri's first Congressional District will continue to be responsibly served by Wesley Bell. 

Red Sox Obtain Rutschman from Orioles; Send Mayer to SF

The Boston Red Sox, who have gone 28-5 since June 24th, did not rest on their laurels during the trade deadline.

This afternoon, the Bosox acquired catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles along with fellow catcher Jake Rogers in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvaez and minor league prospects Enddy Azocar, an outfielder along with two righthanded pitchers - Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon.

Rutschman, 28, was the number one pick in the MLB Draft by the Orioles in 2019 and runner up in AL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2022 behind Seattle Mariners slugger Julio Rodriguez. He has been named to three AL All-Star Teams in the past four seasons. 

It might be a while before Rutschman sees any action as he is currently on the IL with a wrist injury, his third IL stint this season. When Rutschman has been healthy, he has been productive hitting .251 with 8 HR and 47 RBI in 69 games played this season. Hence the decision to also acquire Rogers. 

Despite being only 2½ games out of the third AL Wild Card berth, the Orioles have chosen to be sellers at the trade deadline dealing starting pitcher Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins and outfielder Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners before parting ways with Rutschman.

Also of note, the Red Sox decided to give up on infielder Marcelo Mayer sending him to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for middle reliever Erik Miller. Mayer was the Red Sox's top draft pick in 2021 and the fourth pick overall in the nation out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California, just outside of San Diego. However, in parts of two seasons, Mayer has hit only .223 with modest power, a propensity to strike out with very few walks.

I have heard stories that Mayer likes the nightlife. Mayer might get away with that if he was hitting better. Like Rutschman, Mayer is also currently on the IL since late June due to a forearm injury. The one thing Mayer has in his favor is that he is only 23 and can get a fresh start in San Francisco. Although things have been pretty chaotic this season and perhaps being teammates with former Red Sox player Rafael Devers might not be the best thing for him especially when the Giants come to Fenway later this month.

The impact of these trades won't be immediately known for the Red Sox but they may loom large as the season progresses.

There's Something Rotten in Montreal

Montreal was the cite of not one, but two anti-Semitic incidents over the weekend.

Early Saturday morning, arson destroyed Nöam, a popular kosher restaurant. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Only hours later, during a soccer match at Saputo Stadium, fans of CF Montréal, jeered Israeli soccer player Dor Turgeman of the New England Revolution chanting "Death to Israel!!!" and "Free Palestine!!!". Turgeman got the last laugh by scoring a goal in a game which ended in a 2-2 tie. But that only seemed to aggravate Montreal fans who threw cans and lighters at Turgeman. 

Then yesterday, a visibly Jewish person was violently assaulted in Montreal's Outremont neighborhood.

I have warned that New York City will likely experience an October 7th style attack due to Mayor Mamdani. Sadly, I would not be surprised if such a thing were to occur in Montreal or Toronto (where two bagel shops had their windows shattered last week including one with gunfire). Indeed, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs recently stated, "Canada remains one intelligence failure away from a mass casualty event, and that is something the Jewish community is keenly aware”.

Yet were such a mass casualty, anti-Semitic attack to take place in Canada, I would put Montreal at the top of the list.

Giants Deal Arráez, NL's Leading Hitter, to Phillies; Plays With 5th Team in 5 Seasons

Luis Arráez is on the move again.

The San Francisco Giants have traded Arráez to the Philadelphia Phillies along with pitcher Caleb Kilian in exchange for pitchers Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair. 

At the time of the trade, Arráez, 29, was leading the NL in batting with a .324 average. From 2022 through 2024, Arráez won three consecutive batting titles with three different teams. In 2022, he won the AL batting title with the Minnesota Twins hitting .316. In the off-season, the Twins traded Arráez to the Miami Marlins in exchange for pitcher Pablo Lopez. Arráez won the NL batting title in 2023 with a career best .354 average. Early in the 2024 season, the Marlins sent Arráez to the San Diego Padres in a deal which included Jakob Marsee. He won yet another NL batting title posting a .314 batting average.

Last year, Arráez spent a full season in San Diego though he slipped to a .292 batting average despite collecting an NL leading 181 hits. In the off-season, Arráez signed a 1-year deal with the San Francisco Giants for $12 million. At the time, I wrote:

What is fascinating to me is that Arraez is so well-travelled. You would think three batting titles would make one a fixture in someone's lineup a la Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Rod Carew, Wade Boggs or Tony Gwynn. Alas, Arraez is viewed as a liability for not having sufficient power, drawing few walks and subpar defensive skills despite his three batting titles and rarely striking out. Evidently, MLB frowns upon contact hitters.

So even if Arraez wins his fourth batting title with the Giants, he will likely be on the move albeit with a lucrative free agent contract although that could be jeopardized by a lockout of the 2027 season when the present MLB collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of this year.

Have perennial batting champion will travel.

Well, Arráez did not last a full season in SF. Yet it should be said that Arráez has been one of the few bright spots on a team which, along with the New York Mets, is the most disappointing in all of MLB. Aside from pitcher Logan Webb, Arráez was the only other Giant named to the NL All-Star Team. 

One can only hope Arráez can find a home in Philly, his fifth team in five seasons. I'm sure Arráez will get along famously with manager Don Mattingly, who was once among baseball's purest hitters batting better than .300 seven times including an AL batting title with the New York Yankees in 1984. 

If nothing else, Arráez can give the Phillies a shot in the arm. Although the Phillies have the second NL Wild Card berth and have won three games in a row, they were only 9-15 in July finishing the month losing 8 of 9 games.

The arrival of Arráez enables the Phillies to move Bryce Harper from first base back into the outfield. 

Should Arráez win his fourth batting title in five seasons, it will be the second time in his career he will have won the NL batting title splitting his season with two teams. Prior to Arráez, the only other player to win a league batting title while splitting his season with two teams was Dale Alexander who hit .367 in 1932 with the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox. In 1990, Willie McGee won his second career NL batting title hitting .335 with the St. Louis Cardinals despite being traded to the Oakland A's prior to the trade deadline with just over a month left in the season to help the A's win their third consecutive AL pennant.

Luis Arráez is among baseball's best hitters. I just hope Arráez is finally treated like one.

Val Kilmer is as Mythic a Figure as Jim Morrison

 

On Saturday night, I went to the Somerville Theatre to attend a midnight screening of The Doors, the 1991 biopic directed by Oliver Stone and starring the late Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison.

I saw the film when it was released in theatres 35 years ago. A year later, I remember seeing it with nearly my entire dorm during my freshman year at Carleton University. It was one of those films which struck a chord with Gen X, which despite its cynicism, still had an admiration for the spirit of the late 1960s. Jim Morrison, of course, was a larger-than-life mythical figure who was a source of fascination.

I've probably caught it on TV a time or two here and there but thought it was worth another look a quarter of the way through our present century. To put it into perspective, The Doors was released a few months before the 20th anniversary of Morrison's death. More time has now elapsed between the time of the film and the present day than Morrison's 27 years on the planet. To some degree, I think Morrison and much of the 1960s has been lost to time. Indeed, most of the audience were Gen Xers & Boomers with perhaps a handful of older Millennials sprinkled into the mix. 

I should mention The Doors was screened on a 70 mm print. Somerville Theatre film projectionist David Kornfeld gave a brief introduction. I remembered him from the special screening of a 70 mm print of Apocalypse Now last year and thought it was kind of fitting given that film begins with The Doors' "This is the End", a song which is also featured prominently in The Doors.

Kornfeld didn't think much of the story and that many of the events depicted in the film simply didn't happen. But he did praise Kilmer's performance and that the remaining members of The Doors were awed a how Kilmer captured Morrison's essence. 

I share much of Kornfeld's assessment. I knew at the time of the release that certain things depicted in the film didn't happen in real life or at the very least didn't happen in the way they did in real life. To be specific, I am referring to The Doors only appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. While the band was asked not to use the lyric, "Girl, we couldn't get much higher," Morrison didn't emphasize the word "higher" nor did the tv director accidentally show his crotch as depicted in the film. The only word Morrison emphasized was "fire". 

While some might argue that Tombstone was Kilmer's epitaph, one could certainly make the case that he made a career defining performance in The Doors. After Kilmer's death, Doors drummer John Densmore wrote on Instagram, "As an actor, Val’s channeling of Jim (Morrison) was so close, he gave me the creeps on the set of Oliver Stone’s biopic. He should have been nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor."

There was a certain melancholy in seeing Kilmer onscreen especially in his scenes with Michael Madsen (portraying Tom Baker, an actor Morrison met through Andy Warhol) who also passed away last year. On an eerie note, Madsen passed away on July 3rd - the 54th anniversary of Morrison's death.

Aside from Kilmer, the visuals remain compelling and the music captures the spirit of the time. I must say that I found the casting of Meg Ryan as Jim Morrison's girlfriend Pam Courson a bit peculiar. Her voice and physical mannerisms made me think of Sally Albright from When Harry Met Sally cosplaying a hippie.

The cameos were fascinating - John Densmore playing a recording engineer supervising a session of Morrison reciting poetry, Billy Idol, Crispin Glover (as Andy Warhol), Mimi Rogers (the first wife of Tom Cruise who played photojournalist and 16 Magazine editor-in-chief Gloria Stavers), Paul Williams, attorney William Kunstler and, if you didn't blink, you might have caught Eric Burdon from The Animals and War and Sky Saxon from The Seeds.

Now that Val Kilmer has recently passed, he has become a mythic figure in his own right. Perhaps his mythos can help carry that of Jim Morrison through the Doors of perception. R.I.P to both men.

Surprise!!! Surprise!!! Surprise!!! Skubal is Now a Dodger

Yesterday afternoon, I went to Quincy to meet up with my friend Gary to have our annual lunch at Cathay Pacific. 

Despite the fact that I do not follow baseball with the same fervor that I once did, we still discussed it. Our first topic of discussion was Tarik Skubal. I told Gary that Skubal would probably end up with the Dodgers even if the Milwaukee Brewers were prepared to give up their entire farm system for him.

Just about 12 hours later, as I was awaiting to see a midnight screening of The Doors at the Somerville Theatre, I learned that Skubal was heading to the Dodgers. In return, the Tigers receive three top prospects - outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith. Skubal is expected to make his Dodgers debut on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.

Of course, Skubal has won back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards with the Tigers. However, Skubal was sidelined in early May as he required arthroscopic surgery to remove loose chips in his pitching elbow. Remarkably, Skubal was back on the mound in only five weeks.

After making the post-season in both 2024 and 2025, the Tigers struggled following Skubal's injury losing 21 of their next 25 games. However, given the weak state of the AL this season, the Tigers rebounded sufficiently to be a plausible contender for the third AL Wild Card berth. 

As of this writing, the Tigers are only 2½ games behind their AL Central rival Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins for the third AL Wild Card berth. Alas, the Tigers decided it would be best to part ways with Skubal who is headed for free agency and unlikely to remain in Detroit and think beyond 2026. Of course, in 2024, the Tigers were sellers at the trade deadline only to earn a post-season berth. Perhaps they hope lightning will strike twice. 

Skubal's final appearance in a Tigers uniform was on Wednesday when he notched his 1,000th career strikeout but would not be involved in the decision as the Tigers lost 10-9 to the Baltimore Orioles in 12 innings.

When Skubal makes his debut for the Dodgers, he will join a rotation anchored by 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski who each have 11 wins not to mention Shohei Ohtani. Did I mention that Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are waiting in the wings?

With the best record in MLB, the Dodgers have a chance to become the first NL team to win three consecutive World Series titles. The acquisition of Skubal made the possibility a lot more probable.

Stevens Calls Out El-Sayed's Anti-Semitism But It Might Be Too Little, Too Late

In Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, Congresswoman Haley Stevens finally took the gloves off against Abdul El-Sayed on Friday morning.  

In a post on X responding to a video of El-Sayed stating that AIPAC "picked the least capable candidate in America", Stevens responded in part by stating, "Everyone in America understands you want to blame all of your problems on Jewish Americans."

I wish Stevens had said this to El-Sayed's face during their debates.

Alas, it is probably too little, too late. Most polls taken since Mallory McMorrow dropped out of the race have El Sayed leading Stevens by double digits although a single poll conducted by the Detroit News had Stevens up by 7 points. Most likely this poll was an outlier. Indeed, what the polls indicate and what the actual outcome is are not necessarily the same thing.

Nevertheless, I think Stevens sees the writing on the wall. In the post, she also writes, "You lost by over twenty points to Gretchen Whitmer and you will lose to Mike Rogers by talking like this." For all intents and purposes, she it tacitly acknowledging she will not prevail against El-Sayed but that El- Sayed will not prevail against Republican Mike Rogers.

For his part, El-Sayed claimed, "At the end of the day, I love and revere Judaism and the Jewish people."

I do not believe him. In fact, I believe El-Sayed loves Jewish people about as much as I believe President Trump loves Haitians.

If El-Sayed truly loves the Jewish people, then he would have condemned the terrorist attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township earlier this year without equivocation.

Instead, El Sayed made excuses for the attacker whose brother was a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon claiming, "Hurt people hurt people." In so doing, El-Sayed made it clear that he views synagogues as legitimate targets for "hurt people."

So yes, Stevens is correct to say that El-Sayed wishes to blame Jewish Americans for all of our problems. Unfortunately for Stevens, a majority of Michigan Democrats may very well agree with El-Sayed come this Tuesday.