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The enforced relocation and internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII is a stain on our history.  When viewed in retrospect from the perspective of the 21st century it is appalling to realize that the government did this to a segment of Americans regardless of the circumstances and, moreover, that it was supported by the general populace.  Yet, we did.  As Casey Stengel was fond of saying: “You could look it up.”

The time was early 1942.  On the previous December 7 Japan had launched a surprise attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor, devastating our Pacific Fleet and plunging the US headlong into WWII.   In one of the most famous speeches in Presidential history President Franklyn Roosevelt had characterized December 7, 1941 as “a date that will live in infamy.”  Americans were shocked, furious and vengeful.  There was a strong anti-Japanese sentiment in the country.  It was focused not only on Japan, but also on the Americans of Japanese descent living in the US.

As a result of Japanese imperialism the US government was very wary of Americans of Japanese descent.  It had been secretly monitoring Japanese-Americans since the 1930’s in order to identify potential subversives.  In early 1942 it seemed to many that Japan was about to launch a follow-up attack on our West Coast, which was essentially defenseless.  The climate was right for the government to take drastic action against Japanese-American nationals.

In February 1942 FDR signed the first of a series of Executive Orders by which authority the government began the forced relocation and incarceration (“R & I”) of between 110,000 and 120,000 Japanese nationals.  This was effected without any due process.  The legality of this so-called “exclusion order” was subsequently validated by the Supreme Court (but not the incarceration without due process).   About 112,000 of the 127,000 Japanese Americans living in the US at the time were domiciled on the West Coast.  Anyone with as little as 1/16 Japanese blood was subject to enforced R &I.  Curiously, in Hawaii where the 150,000 Japanese-Americans comprised approximately 1/3 of the total population only about 1,500 were interned.  I’ll explain the reasons later.

It is important to distinguish among the three groups of Japanese involved.

1.  About 2/3 of the aforementioned total were  “Nisei,” literally “second generation.”  They were native born children of Japanese immigrants and, as such, were American citizens.
2. “Sansei,” or “third generation” were children of “Nisei,” also American citizens by birth.  Both of these groups should have been entitled to the full protections of the Constitution, just like any other US citizen.
3. “Issei” were “first generation” immigrants who had been born in Japan and, based on specific legislation, were ineligible for citizenship.

Life in the internment facilities was extremely degrading with one hardship after another.  Most detainees survived by following the principle of “gaman,” which means “endurance with dignity.”  The facilities were operated by various groups, including the Wartime Civil Control Administration, the War Relocation Authority,  the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Department of Justice.  There were three types:

1.  Civilian Assembly Centers were temporary facilities.  These were where families were sent initially.  Typically, they were located in race tracks or fairgrounds.
2. Relocation Centers, aka internment camps, were the next stop for most people.
3. Detention camps were for perceived trouble makers.  Really hard cases were sent to Citizen Isolation Centers or Federal Prisons.

As the late philosopher, Yogi Berra, would have said, “It’s ‘deja vu’ all over again.”  Yesterday, various well coordinated Islamic terrorist attacks were carried out in Paris.  The targets were various “soft” targets, such as a restaurant, a concert, a sports stadium and a couple of bars.  What did these targets have in common? Two things: (1) they were not protected or secured by law enforcement or military personnel; and (2) they were packed with tourists and residents whose only crime was a desire for an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.  Instead, hundreds of them, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, were murdered or injured, many of them critically.

In addition, the manner of attack was particularly vexing.  Witnesses have stated that, after the initial attacks, the terrorists coldly, calmly and methodically searched out survivors and executed them one by one.  Some of the survivors managed to escape; others survived by playing dead by laying among dead people.  Think of the horror.  We’re not talking about trained soldiers or policemen.  These are ordinary people like you and me who one minute were enjoying a concert, a soccer game or a meal and the next were dead, injured or forced to lie among dead people in order to survive.

As I write this, no group has claimed responsibility for these acts of terror, but the evidence points strongly towards ISIS.  Indeed, French President Hollande has identified ISIS as the culprits.  To me, it makes no difference whether it was ISIS or another Islamic terrorist group. They are all interrelated anyway.

Mr. Hollande, declaring the attacks as “an act of war,” has taken other decisive actions, such as declaring a state of emergency, placing Army troops in Paris and closing the border.  None of these actions addresses the underlying issues that led to the attacks, but that is a subject for another blog on another day.

It does not take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that there were more than eight terrorists involved.  The eight that we know about had to have an extensive support system to carry out this kind of coordinated attack.  Likely, there are many more still at large in France and other countries.  Also, it is obvious that these were well planned attacks coordinated and financed from international sources.

CONCLUSION

Once again, the Islamic terror group that the current administration has derided as a “JV” has struck a massive blow against the West.  ISIS and its partners in crime have perpetrated many, many such attacks in the last several years – the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in 2008, Mumbai also in 2008, Oslo in 2011, Toulouse in 2012, Nairobi in 2013, Brussels in 2014 and Nigeria, Paris (Charlie Hebdo), and Ankara this year, to name a few.  By comparison, can anybody name the last time a NON-ISLAMIC group carried out a terrorist attack?  Probably not.  And yet, President Obama still refuses to identify these Islamic groups as terrorists!

Most of you are familiar with the opinion voiced by some Americans that we need to fight the terrorists in the Middle East or else we will be fighting them here eventually.  Others have derided that argument as war mongering or sticking our nose in other people’s business.  No one, except, perhaps, a few extremists, is advocating sacrificing American lives unnecessarily, however, as time goes on and more terrorist attacks are perpetrated in the West the former philosophy is gaining more and more credence and the latter seems more and more misguided.  How long before a similarly well-coordinated attack occurs on US soil?  We have countless “soft” targets – malls, schools, restaurants, etc. – from which to choose.

As I have blogged before, words, negotiations, posturing and saber-rattling haven’t and won’t work.  Terrorists only understand and respect force.  Due to the Administration’s indecisive approach what was a small problem a few years ago has now become a big problem.

I say to the leaders of the West, we need to send ISIS and its ilk a strong message.  Appeasement did not work in 1938. Throughout history, It never has and likely never will.   Let’s learn from our history and not repeat it.  We have the ability to deal with this.  Do we have the will?

The NY Mets are in the World Series!  Roll that around in your mind a few times.  At the start of the season the Mets’ ownership and management were being criticized by their own fans as cheap, incompetent and dysfunctional.  Why wouldn’t they spend to bring in talented players?  Where were the highly touted minor leaguers fans had been promised for years?  Why should fans even bother going to Citifield.  You’re all familiar with the back story and with what happened.  Key minor leaguers, such as Syndergaard and Conforto, were brought up and have contributed.  Significant players, such as Cespedes, Johnson and Uribe were acquired at the trade deadline.  The team jelled beyond all but the most optimistic expectations to win the NL East Division, beat the Dodgers and the Cubs in the playoffs, and here they are in the World Series.  As they used to say in Brooklyn, “Who’d a thunk it!”

The WS will begin on Tuesday, October 27 in Kansas City.  If it goes the full seven games it will conclude on November 4.  KC last won in 1985, the Mets in 1986.  This will be the 111th edition of the “Fall Classic,” as it is sometimes called.  Some WS facts:

1.  The first modern WS was played in 1903.  It was arranged by the owners of the two league champions.  Boston beat Pittsburgh to win the first world championship.
2. There was no WS in 1904 as the owner of the NL champion Giants refused to play the champion of the “upstart,” “inferior” AL.
3. Beginning in 1905 the two leagues arranged the WS, and it has been played every year since then, except for 1994 during the players’ strike.  Neither war nor earthquake has cancelled it.
4.  The first night game was Game 4 of the 1971 WS in Three Rivers Stadium between Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
5. In 1989 Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the site of Game 3, was damaged by a massive earthquake before the game, which shook the Bay Area.  The Series was delayed for ten days, but not cancelled.
6. The leagues used to alternate home field advantage, but beginning in 2003 the league that won that year’s All-Star Game has earned the odd home game.
7. The AL has won 63 of the previous 110 Series (58%).
8. The Yankees have made the most appearances (40) and won the most championships (27).
9. The team with the highest regular season winning percentage has only won the WS 49% of the time.
10. Only one WS MVP has been a member of the losing team (more on that later).

There have been many memorable WS.  All fans have their favorites.  Personally, I have six, which I will profile below.  These were not only exciting in their own right and featured a memorable play, but also had some significance to the sport in addition to the game itself.  So, in chronological order:

1. 1955 – Brooklyn wins its first and only WS – Despite having tremendous teams featuring various future Hall-of-Famers, every time the Dodgers played the Yankees in the WS they lost.  A key hit here, a key error there, same result.  The Dodgers were living up to (or down to) their unofficial nickname – the “Bums.”  Year after year, the Dodger fans’ famous refrain was “Wait until next year.”  Well, this year it was the Dodgers that made the key play.  In the decisive Game 7 Sandy Amoros, an unheralded utility player who had been inserted into left field as part of a “double-switch,” made one of the most amazing catches in WS history to save the game, and the Dodgers won 2-0.  “Next year” had finally arrived, and a ten year old boy on Long Island became a Dodgers fan for life.  As one NY paper touted the next day “Who’s a Bum?!”
2. 1960 –  Pirates Beat Yanks – This was an odd Series.  The Yankees were clearly the better team.  They outperformed the Bucs in every category.  They won their three games by a combined score of 38-3!  Bobby Richardson, the second baseman, was named MVP, the only time a player from a losing team has been so honored.  But, the Bucs won four close games and the Series.  The seventh game was, perhaps, the best of all WS games.  It doesn’t have the cache of other famous games, because it was played in the afternoon before a relatively small tv audience, rather then in prime time.  Not only was it close; it had several twists and turns and memorable plays.  Also, it was the deciding game and featured a “walk-off” homer by the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski in the bottom of the 9th inning.  Ironically, Maz was a light hitter, known primarily for his fielding.  Many people believe that homer was responsible for his getting voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Another outcome was that the Yanks fired their manager, Casey Stengel, which made him available to become the first manager of the Mets two years later.
3. 1969 – The Mets win their first title –  On paper this was a huge mismatch.  The AL champion Orioles had won 109 games and blown through the playoffs.  They were very strong in all three areas – pitching, hitting and defense.  The Mets, though sporting the best record in the NL, were still viewed by many as lovable losers.  Indeed, they had finished ninth the previous year.  Only the most optimistic fans gave them much of a chance.  Yet, they got the key hits and made the key plays in the field.  They not only won but did so in five games.  Many old-time Mets fans see some parallels between that team and this year’s.
4. 1975 – Fisk “pushes” his home run fair, but Reds win – The Reds were considered to be the superior team.  Known as the “Big Red Machine” because of their powerful offense they had won 108 games during the regular season and swept the Pirates in the NL playoffs.  But, Boston was a popular and exciting underdog.  The Series became memorable because of Game 6.  The Reds led three games to two and 6-3 when the “Saux” tied the game with a pinch hit three-run homer.  Then, in the bottom of the 12th Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk led off with a drive down the left field line.  Clearly, it had the distance, but would it go fair or foul.  TV replays showed Fisk standing at home plate waving his hands to the right as if to “push” the ball fair.  It was fair winning the game.  That was a seminal WS and tv moment.  But, the Reds spoiled the Cinderella story by winning the next day 4-3.
5. 1985 – KC wins with an “assist” from the umpire –  This was known as the I-70 or “Show-Me” Series because St Louis and KC were both in Missouri and were connected by Interstate 70.  St. Louis seemed to have the Series won.  They were ahead three games to two and 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning when disaster struck.  The first base umpire, Don Denkinger, missed an obvious call, ruling a KC runner safe when tv replays clearly showed him to be out.  But, this was before replay reviews, and the erroneous call stood.  Given the extra out KC went on to win the game and the next day as well winning the Series.  Tough break for the Cards, but they still had their chances to win.  All they had to do was get out of the inning or win Game 7.  Champions have to be resilient.
6. 1986 – Mets win, barely –  On paper, the Mets were the better team and were big favorites.  But, they lost the first two games at home.  They won Games 3 and 4 to even the Series, but proceeded to lose Game 5 and were trailing in Game 6 by 5-3 in the bottom of the tenth with two out and none on.  Then, they staged the most unlikely of rallies.  Three straight singles with two strikes on the batters and a wild pitch tied the score.  Next Mookie Wilson hit a routine ground ball to first base, which, inexplicably, rolled between Bill Buckner’s legs and under his glove.  The winning run scored, and the Mets won Game 7 as well.  WHEW!  That rally proved the old baseball adage.  “The game is not over until the last out.”  Baseball is the only sport in which the clock does not run out on the trailing team.  Regardless, you get your “last licks.”  Many fans, especially Mets fans, consider that Game 6 to be the best WS ever.

CONCLUSION

This series will match the dominant Mets starting pitching against the equally-dominant KC bullpen.  No one knows what will happen, including the so-called “experts.”  Fans know that you play the game on the field, not on paper.  In a short series anything can happen.  History tells us that an unlikely hero or two will emerge to lead his team to victory.  Who will it be?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Enjoy the Series.

LETS GO METS!!

The “Cold War” prisoner exchange is the story of a prisoner exchange between the US and USSR in 1962, at the height of the “Cold War.”  Currently, it is being depicted in the movie “Bridge of Spies” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Steven Spielberg.

Anyone over the age of 60 remembers the so-called “Cold War” between the US and the USSR – drills in schools where kids cowered under their desks (like that would do any good in the event of a nuclear attack), Russian missiles in Cuba, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe on his desk while speaking at the UN.  Those were scary times, tense times.  Many people feared the world would end at any time in the fireball of a nuclear holocaust.  That was the historical context of the Cold War prisoner exchange.

There were a lot of intracacies and subplots to the situation, but basically, we had their spy, Rudolf Abel, and they had our U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers.  Each one possessed significant sensitive information.  Therefore, each country wanted its man back – badly.  An additional complication was that East Germany was detaining an American graduate student, Frederic Pryor, who was an innocent pawn in the drama.  Furthermore, the US could not be seen as negotiating with East Germany because, officially, it did not recognize East Germany as a “country.”  It needed the negotiations to be handled by a non-government person, in secret, without official sanction.  That is the essence of the back story.

Enter James Donovan.  Donovan was not a diplomat.  He was not an experienced negotiator per se.  He was not connected to the government in any way.  He was simply a partner in a NY-based law firm specializing in insurance cases.  There was nothing in his background that prepared him to negotiate an extremely delicate prisoner exchange with the Soviets and East Germans at the height of the Cold War in East Berlin without any official government sanction or protection.  He had defended Abel in 1957 as a favor to the Brooklyn Bar Association in order that Abel, heinous as his crimes were, could receive the “due process” guaranteed by the US Constitution.  Abel, an extremely successful Soviet spy, had been found guilty of espionage and “failing to register as a foreign agent.”  (In the movie, the Abel character responds to that absurd charge by asking facetiously how many foreign agents actually bother to register?)  Even though Abel was convicted, Donovan managed to save him from being executed.  In a remarkable piece of foresight Donovan had argued successfully that by keeping Abel in prison the US could possibly use him prospectively in exchange for a valuable American held by the Soviets.

That opportunity arose when the Soviets captured Powers in 1960.  Powers had been flying a U-2 spy plane, equipped with the latest and most sensitive surveillance equipment over Russian soil.  The Russians tried and convicted Powers of espionage and sentenced him to ten years. The government (CIA?) convinced Donovan, whom Abel trusted, to negotiate unofficially.  They were not really interested in securing Pryor’s release, but Donovan was.  He had to travel to East Berlin as a private citizen without diplomatic “cover” and negotiate with shadowy people who were likely connected to Soviet  and East German espionage agencies.  At the time, East Berlin was a very dangerous and lawless place.  The Berlin Wall had just been constructed.  Donovan had to deal not only with the East German police, who often acted as they pleased, but also gangs of thieves who roamed wild and unfettered.  Additionally, the obvious risk was that if things were to go “sideways,” he was on his own.

Another complication was that even though the USSR had some degree of control over East Germany the latter had its own agenda, which did not necessarily coincide with that of the former.  There were many twists and turns, but ultimately Donovan not only pulled it off, but he also managed to secure Pryor’s release.  On February 10, 1962 Abel and Powers were exchanged at the Glienicke Bridge, which separated East and West Berlin, and Pryor was released through “Checkpoint Charlie.”  This was a tremendous feat accomplished under the most trying circumstances.

CONCLUSION

So what became of Donovan, Powers and Pryor?  A few years later, Donovan successfully negotiated the release of 1,100 survivors of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and 8,500 political prisoners from Cuba. Later, he became vice president of the NYC Board of Education and president of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.  He ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 1962.  He died in 1970.

Powers was not exactly received as a conquering hero upon his return.  Many thought he should have destroyed the plane and the sensitive equipment onboard rather than permit it to fall into Soviet hands and/or taken the “optional” suicide pill provided by the CIA.  He was called to testify before the Senate Armed Services Select Committee (whose members included Barry Goldwater and Prescott Bush – George’s father and W’s grandfather).  Eventually, it was determined that he had followed orders and had not divulged any crucial information to his captors.  Powers worked as a test pilot for Lockheed Aviation and then as a helicopter reporter for a news station in Los Angeles where he died in 1977 in a tragic helicopter crash while on the job.

Pryor achieved success as an academic at various well-known universities as both a professor and researcher.  In addition, he has written over a dozen books primarily dealing with the economy in communist countries.  Currently, he lives in the Philadelphia area.

I just read a truly amazing book about the Holocaust. The story is even more compelling because it is true. I know there have been many novels, movies and plays dealing with this horrible subject, but this one stands out, and I recommend it heartily. It is called “Dancing with the Enemy: My Family’s Holocaust Secret” by Paul Glaser.

Briefly, so as not to give away too much of the plot, it is about a Catholic man living in the Netherlands in the 1970s who, by happenstance, discovers his Jewish heritage. Along the way, he discovers a long-lost aunt named Rosie, who was imprisoned in various camps during WWII and is the heroine of the story. It is told as two simultaneous stories – Rosie and her desperate struggle to survive and Paul and his tale of discovery.

Rosie proves to be a remarkably resourceful person who does whatever is necessary to survive as she is thrust into one horrendous situation after another. She is betrayed to the Nazis, in turn, by her husband, brother-in-law, lover and friends. She survives by inventing ways to be useful to her captors. Since she speaks German fluently she becomes an interpreter, at times even befriending lonely German soldiers and prison guards who miss their families and loved ones. She has administrative skills, so she becomes an administrator. She has skills as a dancer and song writer, so she writes songs and poems, plays the piano, and dances for them (hence the title). And, yes, being attractive, she becomes a lover to a couple of them. Rightly or wrongly, she does whatever is necessary to survive.

This raises the moral question concerning Jewish prisoners and concentration camp victims who cooperated with the Nazis guards in order
to survive. It has been well documented that many prisoners did so and were hated by the other prisoners for it. It is easy to criticize their actions after the fact, but you have to ask yourself what you would do in their situation. Would you cling to your principles regardless of the consequences, or do whatever is necessary to survive? Not an easy dilemma to solve. Personally, I cannot condemn Rosie for what she did. It appears she was not an informant against other prisoners, which would have been a different story in my mind.

One of the surprising and disturbing subplots of the story is the considerable degree to which the non-Jewish Dutch cooperated with the Nazis. According to the author his research disclosed that the Dutch police and even ordinary citizens, rather than resisting the Nazis, were willing and sometimes enthusiastic participants in enforcing the anti-Jewish laws and practices. Frequently, they would turn Jews in for a reward. Some of them even stole property that had been entrusted to them. Others were indifferent to the plight of the Jews, particularly if their economic and personal situation was stable. For them, life under the Nazi occupation went on relatively normally; therefore, they didn’t really care about the plight of the Jews. Reading the story, I couldn’t help but contrast their actions and inactions with those of the Danes and Swedes, for example. Approximately, 72% of the Dutch Jews perished during the War. 72%!

As if the foregoing were not enough, after the War the Dutch government, in many cases, refused to return property and in some cases pursued the surviving Jews for “back taxes.” According to the author most of the non-Jewish Dutch didn’t seem to oppose these policies. Consequently, many Jews who had escaped to other countries, including Rosie, resisted returning. Many emigrated to Israel, or other more welcoming countries, such as the US or Canada. Others simply remained where they were. Rosie remained in Sweden even though the Dutch government tried to coerce her to return. She married and made a life for herself there.

CONCLUSION

This personalized account provides a perspective of life in the Netherlands under the Nazis of which I had not been aware. You will not be able to put the book down!

Yesterday, Yogi Berra, lovable “King of the Malaprop,” passed away of “natural causes” at the age of 90.  Although he initially built his reputation as a superb baseball player he also achieved much notoriety for his “Yogisms.”  They sounded funny and weird, but, in a convoluted way, they actually made sense.

Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra was born on May 12, 1925 in St. Louis.  His parents were poor first generation Italian immigrants.  They believed in hard work and saw little value in their children playing sports.  Supposedly, Yogi’s older brothers had to work really hard to convince them to let him pursue a baseball career.  Thank God they did.

Two other soon-to-be famous boys lived on the same block – Joe Garagiola and Jack Buck.  Garagiola was actually widely considered to be the better baseball prospect, and the hometown St. Louis Cardinals chose to sign him instead of Yogi.  Garagiola became a journeyman major league catcher and had better success as a broadcaster and entertainer, demonstrating that scouting is an inexact science.  Buck became one of the most accomplished baseball announcers of his generation and was the “Voice of the Cardinals” for many years.  (Younger readers will be more familiar with his son, Joe, who has followed in his footsteps.)   As a result of their success the name of the street on which they lived was later changed to “Hall of Fame Place.”  There is a story that Branch Rickey, the general manager of the Cardinals, actually liked Yogi. Supposedly, he purposely didn’t sign him because he was leaving to go to the Dodgers.  He was hoping to save him for the Dodgers.  In any event, before Rickey could pull off that coup the Yankees signed Yogi for the bargain price of $500.  I would say they got their money’s worth.

After serving in the US Navy during WWII as a gunner’s mate and a brief stint in the minor leagues Yogi made his major league debut on September 22, 1946.  As they say, the rest was history.  Supposedly, Yogi’s nickname is derived from his habit of sitting with his arms and legs crossed like a Hindu yogi.  Sounds good to me.

Yogi is widely regarded as one of the best catchers in baseball history. In particular, he was a fabulous “clutch” hitter.  Consequently, many opposing pitchers actually feared to face him in a big spot more than any other Yankee, even the more famous Mickey Mantle.  In addition, he was one of the best “bad ball ” hitters of his time.  He had the facility to hit a pitch up by his eyes or down by his ankles.  Yogi often said “If I can hit it, it’s a good pitch.”

Below please find a few of Yogi’s professional accomplishments:

1. He was an All-Star for 15 years and played in 18 such games.
2. He won three AL MVP awards (1951, 1954 and 1955).
3. He holds numerous World Series records, including most games, at-bats, hits, doubles, catcher put-outs, games caught, Series appearances (18 as a player, coach and manager), and, most importantly, Series won (ten).
4. After retiring as a player, he managed or coached the Yankees, Mets and Astros.
5. He caught the only perfect game in World Series history (by Don Larsen in 1956).
6. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.  That same year, the Yankees “retired” his number 8.
7. “The Sporting News” included him on its list of the “100 Greatest Baseball Players.”
8. The fans voted him onto the “MLB All-Century Team.”

CONCLUSION

This piece would not be complete without discussing Yogi’s unique way of “turning a phrase.”  His famous “malapropos” obscured the fact that he was a superb baseball player and an underrated manager.  Below please find, in no particular order, a list of my favorites:

1.  “When you get to a fork in the road, take it.”
2. “It’s like ‘deja vu’ all over again.”
3. Referring to a popular Italian restaurant, “no one goes there anymore.  It’s too crowded.”
4. “Baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical.”
5. “Always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise, they won’t go to yours.”
6. “You better cut the pizza into four slices.  I’m not hungry enough to eat six.”
7. “How can you think and hit at the same time?”
8. Referring to the Yankees penchant for “comeback ” victories: “It gets late early out here.”
9. “Pair up in threes.”
10. Referring to Sandy Koufax after the he led a Dodgers sweep of the Yankees in 1963: “I can see how he won 25 games.  What I don’t understand is how he lost five.”
11. “So, I’m ugly.  I saw anyone hit with his face.”
12. “I never said most of the things I said” (probably true).  For example, golfers often attribute to Yogi the saying “90% of short putts don’t go in.”  If he didn’t say it, he should have.
13. And my personal favorite, while commenting on the Mets seemingly insurmountable deficit during the 1973 pennant race:  “It ain’t over till it’s over” (turned out to be accurate).

What’s your favorite “Yogism?”  I’d like to know.

Finally, as a lifelong Dodgers fan and Yankees hater, I rooted against Yogi, but I respected and feared him, especially with the game on the line.  Yogi, you were one of a kind.  Rest in peace.  We will miss you.

Finally, some good news! Nowadays, it seems that all the news we hear is dire. North Korea, which is run by an unpredictable mad man, has nuclear weapons capacity; Iran will likely have it in due course; Russia stalks Eastern Europe with impunity with no fear of retribution from a timid world; ISIS and other radical Islamic Jihadists have formed a Caliphate in the Middle East and threaten to annihilate Israel and the US; the economy is static, at best; there is racial and political conflict reminiscent of the 1960s; the Federal government seems to be ineffective; and we have been hit with one political scandal after another seemingly without end. I may have omitted one or two issues, but you get the idea.

Amid all of the foregoing, however, we finally got some good news last month, something to make us feel good about ourselves, even if only for a few days. Three normal, everyday Americans – Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Spencer Stone – were able to foil an Islamic terrorist on a passenger train in France. These three men had grown up together in the Sacramento area and were lifetime friends. They had gone their separate ways. Skarlatos is a member of the National Guard; Sadler is a college student; and Stone is a member of the Air Force. They were on vacation together and were enjoying a quiet, relaxing train ride to Paris. By now, you’re all familiar with the story. An Islamic terrorist, armed with an assault rifle, a pistol and a box cutter, began to fire randomly on other passengers. There was no one to stop the man – no security guards or even railroad employees in sight. This had the potential to turn into a significant terror attack like many others we have seen in recent years. But, the heroes foiled the attack. They bravely took it upon themselves to subdue the gunman. According to the heroes they didn’t think; they just reacted. Furthermore, they stated not only were the railroad employees no help, one of them was actually an impediment during the struggle for the terrorist’s weapons. Mr. Stone was the first to charge the terrorist, but he was joined quickly by the other two. Mr. Stone was stabbed in the melee.

Afterwards, the President of France, Francois Hollande, presented them with the country’s highest civilian honor, the Legion of Honor. Back in the US they became celebrities appearing on various news programs and talk shows. Their home town honored them with a parade. One trivia point: the Mayor of Sacramento is one Kevin Johnson, former star NBA guard known as “KJ” during his playing days. Mr. Skarlatos is appearing on “Dancing with the Stars,” and best of all, they were invited to the White House where they met President Obama. (Regardless of one’s political leanings it has to be a tremendous honor to actually meet the President.)

Incidentally, France’s state-run railroad company, SNCF, conducted an internal investigation, which, to no one’s surprise absolved its employees of any malfeasance. It said that one of the guards “confronted” the gunman, and the actions of two of the conductors caused him to “lose enough time” to enable the Americans to subdue him. Despite this “spin,” it is significant to note that the company has implemented enhanced security procedures and employee training.

CONCLUSION

It should be noted that despite the military background of two of the heroes they were not trained in counterterrorism, nor was it their responsibility to intercede. They were just brave men who saw a developing situation and reacted without regard for their safety. Most of us would like to think we would have reacted similarly, but who knows.

It’s been a while since I published a quiz, so here it is.  This one is on American history and geography.  Test your knowledge.  Are you smarter than a fifth grader?  No peeking at the internet.

1.  The only US President to serve two terms non-consecutively was:

(a)  Theodore Roosevelt; (b) James Madison; (c) James Monroe; (d) Grover Cleveland

2.  The first state to secede from the Union before the Civil War was:

(a)  South Carolina;  (b)  Georgia;  (c)   Alabama;  (d) Florida

3.  Mount Rushmore is located in which state?

(a) North Dakota;  (b) Montana;  (c)  Idaho;  (d) South Dakota

4.  All of the following facts about Abraham Lincoln are true EXCEPT:

(a)  He did not graduate from college; (b) he did not have a middle name; (c) he was a lawyer; (d) he served in the US Senate.

5.     The first state to ratify the US Constitution was:

(a)  Georgia; (b) Virginia; (c) Delaware; (d) Massachusetts

6.  Fifty-six delegates to the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.  The most from any one state was nine.  Which one was it?

(a)  Virginia; (b) Pennsylvania; (c) Massachusetts; (d) New York

7.  During the War of 1812 the hero of the Battle of New Orleans was:

(a)  Andrew Jackson; (b) John Paul Jones; (c) Davy Crockett; (d) Daniel Boone

8.  Of the states listed below, which is the most populous?

(a)  New York; (b) Florida; (c) Texas; (d) Illinois

9  Which is the eastern-most state?

(a) Florida; (b) Maine; (c) Alaska; (d) Virginia

10.  Which is the western-most state?

(a)  Alaska; (b) Hawaii; (c) California; (d) Washington

11.  Which is the southern-most state?

(a)  Florida; (b) Texas; (c) Mississippi; (d) Hawaii

12.  Which war started with an assassination?

(a)  Crimean; (b) Revolutionary; (c) WWI; (d) WWII

13.   Which of the following was NOT President during the Vietnam War?

(a)  Truman; (b)  Eisenhower;  (c)  Ford;  (d) Nixon

14.  WWII began on 9/1/39 when Germany invaded which country?

(a)  Austria;  (b) Czechoslovakia; France; (d) Poland

15.  What year was “9/11?”

(a)  2000; (b) 2001; (c) 2002; (d) 2003

16.  The state in which the highest number of Presidents were born was:

(a)  Virginia; (b)  Ohio; (c) Missouri; (d) California

17.  The first signer of the Declaration of Independence to become President was:

(a)  George Washington; (b) John Adams; (c) Thomas Jefferson; (d) Benjamin Franklyn

18.  The President of the US during WWI was:

(a)  Taft; (b) Hoover; (c) Wilson; (d) Teddy Roosevelt

19.  The last of the 48 contiguous states to join the Union was:

(a)  Hawaii; (b) Utah; (c) Arizona; (d) Wyoming

20.   During WWI which of the following was NOT one of the Central Powers?

(a)  Germany; (b) Bulgaria; (c) Ottoman Empire; (d) Italy

ANSWERS: 1. (d), 2.  (a), 3. (d); 4.  (d), 5. (c),  6. (b),  7. (a), 8.  (b),  9. (c), 10. (a), 11. (d), 12. (c), 13. (a), 14.(d), 15. (b), 16.  (a) (8), 17. (b), 18. (c), 19. (c), 20. (d)

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