Bill Melton Was the First White Sox Player to Lead AL in Homeruns

Former MLB player Bill Melton, who spent the bulk of his 10-year MLB career with the Chicago White Sox, passed away today following a brief illness. He was 79. 

A native of Mississippi, Melton grew up in San Diego and signed with the Chisox in 1964. Originally an outfielder, he converted to third base while still toiling in the minor leagues in 1967. Melton would make his MLB debut with the White Sox in May 1968. He would become the team's regular third baseman the following season leading the team with 23 HR and 87 RBI.

Prior to the 2024, the worst team the Chisox fielded was in 1970 when they lost 106 games. But Melton was the team's lone bright spot blasting 33 HR with 96 RBI. In fact, Melton became the first player in franchise history to hit 30 or more HR in a season. 

Melton would hit 33 HR again in 1971 earning his lone AL All-Star Game selection. This time it was good enough to lead the AL just edging out future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and Detroit Tigers slugger Norm Cash. It was the first time a White Sox player would ever lead the AL in HR. Only one other White Sox player has done so with Dick Allen doing it the following season en route to an AL MVP and again in 1974.

Unfortunately, Melton would injure his back catching his son after he fell off their garage roof limiting him to 57 games. Melton did have some productive seasons between 1973 and 1975 but would never have another 30 HR season. Prior to the 1976 season, the Chisox traded Melton to the California Angels in a four-player deal in which the White Sox received first baseman Jim Spencer. Melton would only hit 6 HR in 118 games for the Halos. He finished his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians in 1977. In 1144 games, Melton collected 1,004 hits for a lifetime batting average of .253 with 160 HR and 591 RBI. Of his 160 HR, 154 were hit in a Chisox uniform which is still good enough for 9th in team history. White Sox fans of a certain generation will always remember him as Beltin' Bill.

Nearly a quarter century after playing his last game in a White Sox uniform, Melton would rejoin the team as a pre-game and post-game show analyst in 1998 and remain in that role until retiring in 2020. R.I.P.

Did Obama Recommend Biden Buy a Copy of Rashid Khalidi's Latest Anti-Israel Screed?

 

On Thanksgiving weekend, President Biden made headlines when he exited a bookstore in Nantucket, Massachusetts carrying Rashid Khalidi's latest anti-Israel screed, The Hundred Years War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism & Resistance, 1917-2017. 

Clifford May, President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, quipped, “Why didn’t Obama just give him one of his dog-eared copies?” 

It would not surprise me if it was Obama who recommended that his former VP buy the book over the Thanksgiving holiday. If you're old enough to remember the 2008 presidential election, you might remember the L.A. Times stashed away a videotape of Obama praising Khalidi during a tribute dinner in 2003 as Khalidi was departing the University of Chicago for Columbia University. Before his life in academia and becoming a colleague of Obama at the University of Chicago, Khalidi was in the employ of the PLO in Beirut when it was designated as a terrorist organization. While the tape remains under lock and key to this very day, Obama reportedly praised Khalidi for acts of "resistance" against Israel. In this case, resistance=terrorism. I would not be surprised if Obama said far worse.

While the Right is predictably angry with Biden over his purchase, if Obama recommended the book to Biden it would be because he views Biden as too pro-Israel. For Khalidi's part, he says Biden bought the book four years too late. Under the circumstances, perhaps it would be best if Khalidi's book were to gather dust on Biden's shelf.

Al Fitzmorris Was The Most Underappreciated Pitcher in Kansas City Royals History

Former MLB pitcher Al Fitzmorris who pitched the majority of his 10-year big league career with the Kansas City Royals passed away of cancer at the age of 78. 

Signed by the Chicago White Sox out of high school prior to the 1965 season, the Royals would select him in the 1968 Expansion Draft. Fitzmorris would make his MLB debut with the Royals late in the 1969 season.

After spending his first four big league seasons in the bullpen, Fitzmorris was moved into the Royals starting rotation in 1973 and he thrived. Between 1973 and 1976, Fitzmorris went 52-32 with a 3.13 ERA along with 31 complete games. Fitzmorris enjoyed a16-win campaign in 1975 and a 15-win season in 1976 when the Royals captured their first AL West title. 

Yet Royals manager Whitey Herzog left Fitzmorris off the post-season roster in favor of southpaw Larry Gura. Fitzmorris was furious with Herzog and an argument ensued. While Gura did pitch well in Game 1 of the 1976 ALCS against the Yankees, he would fall short against future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter while lasting only 2 innings in Game 4 with Doug Bird (who passed away in September) earning the win in relief to force Game 5. 

The one thing which worked against Fitzmorris was that he wasn't a strikeout pitcher fanning a career high 80 batters over 220.1 innings pitched in 1976. During his glory years, in 741.1 innings pitched, he struck out 238 batters while walking 218. 

Fitzmorris would never pitch for the Royals again after his falling out with Herzog. The Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in yet another Expansion Draft following the 1976 season only to be traded hours later to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Alan Ashby. Fitzmorris would struggle with the Tribe in 1977 posting a 6-11 record with a career worst 5.41 ERA. He would split the 1978 season between Cleveland and the California Angels. He signed with the San Diego Padres in 1979 but spent the season in the minor leagues although at least he got to finish his professional career pitching in Hawaii. 

However, Fitzmorris would return to the Kansas City area and was active in the community with various charitable causes, was involved in the local music scene and spent a number of years working pre-game and post-game shows on TV and radio for the Royals. In 10 big league seasons, Fitzmorris pitched in 288 games (159 starts) with a record of 77-59 with a 3.65 ERA. Of those 77 wins, 70 came in a Royals uniform. Nearly 50 years after throwing his last pitch with the Royals, those 70 wins are still tied for 9th in franchise history with Steve Busby. 

Al Fitzmorris will go down as the most underappreciated pitcher in Kansas City Royals history. R.I.P.

I Wish I Could Believe Trump When He Says There Will Be Hell to Pay if Hamas Doesn't Release The Hostages

President-elect Trump made headlines earlier this week when he said "there would be hell to pay" if Hamas did not release all remaining hostages by the time he takes office on January 20, 2025. Trump wrote on Truth Social:

Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk and no action!

Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity.

Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!

I wish I could believe him.

But given Trump's lack of fidelity to the truth he is not entitled to the benefit of the doubt. 

I remember the Trump, who in the hours after the October 7th attacks, saw fit to attack Israel's leaders instead of condemning Hamas much less of offering words of comfort to the families of the hostages. 

When Trump speaks of hostages, he usually means those who were held responsible for attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. 

Should Hamas see fit to release all hostages by January 20, 2025, then Trump will make it about how great he is rather than about innocent people who have been freed from captivity. 

Of course, if Hamas doesn't release all hostages by then Trump there will be hell to pay. But what does this mean? I think Trump is all talk when it comes to the hostages being held by Hamas. After all, Trump thought the hostages were all dead until Israeli President Isaac Herzog wised him up. 

Don't get me wrong. I'll be more than happy if Hamas releases the hostages any time before January 20, 2025. I'll also be happy if Trump backs up his words with deeds should Hamas fail to release the hostages by the time he assumes office once more. I just wouldn't count on it.

MLB's Proposed Golden At Bat Rule is Every Bit as Stupid as The Ghost Runner

It's no secret that my enthusiasm for Major League Baseball has diminished considerably since the start of this decade. 

The thing I loathe more than anything else is the ghost runner during extra-inning games. Why should a runner be entitled to second base if he did not earn his way on base?

Well, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has outdone himself having now floated the idea of a "Golden at Bat". As Ryan Phillips of Sports Illustrated explains:

Most probably haven't heard of the proposal for a "Golden At-Bat," but the basic concept is that a team could choose one at-bat in every game to use its best hitter regardless of where they are in the lineup. So if, say the New York Yankees had the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, they could bring Aaron Judge to the plate even if it wasn't his turn in the order. It would be a one-time replacement, not a substitution like a pinch hitter.

There could be variations on it. As The Athletic's Jayson Stark points out, restricting the rule only to teams trailing at the time could be an interesting constraint. It could also lead to scenarios where a hitter bats one spot before his turn in the lineup, so what would happen if he gets on base? Would the original hitter take his spot on the bases, for the Golden hitter to step back in the batter's box for a second consecutive at-bat? There is a ton to think through here.

On the contrary, there is nothing to think about here. The idea is garbage and serves only to make a mockery of the game and further erodes any concept of fair play. 

While I am heartened that World Series MVP Freddie Freeman opposes the idea, the true rationale behind it makes the idea even more appalling. Here is what an anonymous official with the MLB Commissioner's office told Jayson Stark:

Look at the way entertainment is consumed now. Look who you're competing with," they said. "Today's fans have grown up on their phones. … They're used to getting exactly what they want, what they like, what they find engaging and compelling—and they want it now. And they want to watch it for a few minutes and move on. So the Golden At-Bat accomplishes all those things.

In other words, MLB wants to dumb down baseball even further than it has already done.  

I can only hope this idea is placed upon the ash heap. But, what Rob Manfred wants, he gets. So, I would not be surprised if this rule will soon be implemented. 

If it is then that would be the final straw for me. My only interest in baseball would be from a historical perspective pre-2020. 

Of course, living in the past can only take you so far. The only suitable remedy would be an alternate baseball league played under more traditional rules. Of course, MLB's anti-trust exemption would likely render such a league dead on arrival. But if such a league had the financing, talent and an audience, then anything is possible. However, I hope it won't have to come to that. 

President Biden Should Not Have Pardoned His Son

President Biden has just pardoned his son Hunter Biden concerning his convictions for gun possession and tax evasion. Here is part of the President's explanation:

Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently. 
 
The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the court room – with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.   

President Biden is right. Hunter Biden was treated differently. 

But President Biden was wrong to pardon his son.

The facts of Hunter Biden's case today are no different than they were yesterday or, for that matter, in June 2024 when he stated, “I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him.”

Now that he has pardoned his flesh and blood, it reinforces the perception that all politicians are corrupt, self-serving, are part of the deep state and that Biden is no different from President-elect Trump (minus the criminal convictions.)

Biden's decision also detracts and overshadows Trump's own egregious decisions such as his appointment of Kash Patel as FBI Director. That is, unless, Biden will have more such decisions to follow over the course of the last 50 days of his presidency. After all, he does have presidential immunity just as Trump does.

Trump Has Appointed Patel for FBI Director to Carry Out His Retribution

President-elect Donald Trump appointed Kash Patel yesterday to be the next director of the FBI for one reason and one reason only - to carry out his retribution.

Patel said as much during an interview with Steve Bannon a year ago on his podcast:

We will go out and find the conspirators — not just in government, but in the media. Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.

We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice, and Steve, this is why they hate us. This is why we’re tyrannical. This is why we’re dictators. Because we’re actually going to use the Constitution to prosecute them for crimes they said we have always been guilty of but never have.

Mind you, Patel wants to prosecute people for stating the fact that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. 

If Patel is prepared to prosecute people for stating this fact, then they are surely prepared to prosecute people who characterized January 6th as an insurrection or that his inauguration crowd in 2017 wasn't the largest in history.

One can only hope Senate Republicans will thwart Patel's appointment as they did with his appointment of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General. But it does not appear that Patel has a predilection for underaged girls. So, I would not count on any profiles in courage. 

Of course, even if the Senate does make it clear to Trump that Patel is unacceptable, he will appoint simply appoint someone else to carry out his retribution as he has done with Pam Bondi in lieu of Gaetz's withdrawal at AG. Trump is still going to fire Christopher Wray despite the fact that he appointed Wray to lead the FBI in 2017 after firing James Comey. 

Nevertheless, most Trump loyalists are seldom as nakedly explicit about their aims and objectives as Patel has been. If it is possible to prevent his appointment, then all reasonable action must be taken.