JACKIE ROBINSON

Yes, in the wake of Iran’s attack of Israel yesterday the world is quite possibly on the brink of WWWIII or at least an expanded regional war in the Middle East. Anyone who has not been living in a cave is cognizant of and concerned about that or should be.

Nevertheless, at this time I must shift gears and pay tribute to the seminal baseball event that took place 77 years ago tomorrow. I will address the other matter after I see what transpires the next few days.

Number 42. Does that have any special meaning for you, or is it just another number? Baseball fans, civil rights advocates, and students of history will recognize it as the uniform number worn by Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It should be noted that that uniform number has two other major significances:

1. It is the only number to have been retired by every major league baseball team (in 1997); and
2. as has been customary since 2004, every year on April 15 on what is known as “Jackie Robinson Day,” every player wears that number on his uniform in tribute to Jackie Robinson in recognition of the anniversary of his debut in the major leagues in 1947.  On that historic date Jackie became the first African American to play in the major leagues since the 1880s. Any team not playing a game on April 15 will celebrate on the 16th. In addition, regardless of their team colors all teams’ # 42 jerseys will be in “Dodger Blue” and will feature a commemorative patch.

In order to put this in its proper perspective one must realize the racial situation in 1947. Life was radically different, a reality that few of us who live in the PC era can appreciate.  Much has changed in the intervening 77 years.

For example:

1. Segregation was the law of the land. “Jim Crow” was alive and well.
The “Brown” Supreme Court decision integrating public schools would not come until 1954.
2. Even though many AAs had distinguished themselves during WWII the armed forces would not be integrated until 1948.
3. A disproportionate percentage of MLB players were from the South and espoused all the values, attitudes and experiences of the region regarding AAs.  Most of them had never played ball with an AA.  Many had rarely even associated with one as peers.
4. The prevailing attitude among players, sportswriters, and fans was that AAs were not good enough and did not have the “temperament” to succeed in MLB.

Very few of us lived through that era, and consequently, we cannot imagine the circumstances Jackie had to overcome.

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia.  His parents chose his middle name in honor of President Teddy Roosevelt, who had recently died.  He was the youngest of five children.  One of his older brothers, Mack, would later earn some notoriety by winning the silver medal in the 100-meter dash in the 1936 Olympics, (the Games held in Berlin at which Jesse Owens embarrassed Adolph Hitler and the Nazis by winning four gold medals).

Jackie’s parents were sharecroppers and barely scraping by, so in 1920 they moved to Pasadena, California seeking a better life.  In high school and college Jackie excelled in five sports – baseball, basketball, football, track and tennis.  Basically, he was an all-around athlete who excelled in any sport he tried.  At UCLA he became the school’s first athlete to “letter” in four sports (all of the above except tennis).  One of his teammates on the 1939 UCLA football team was the future actor, Woody Strode, who would carve out a respectable career in movies as a “heavy.”  Ironically, statistically, at least, baseball was his worst sport of the four.

In 1941 Jackie left UCLA just shy of graduating to play semi-pro football, but in early 1942 he was drafted and stationed at Fort Riley in Texas.  He applied for admission to OCS. Initially, his application was rejected as few blacks were accepted at the time, but following a personal appeal from Joe Louis, the reigning heavyweight boxing champ, he was accepted.

Jackie’s tenure in the army was marred by one unfortunate incident in which his fiery temperament got him in trouble.  While riding on an Army bus one day the driver told him to move to the back.  Jackie refused.  As a result, he was nearly court-martialed for insubordination and other “trumped up” offenses.  A conviction would have changed the course of his life and, possibly, the country’s as well, but he was acquitted.

In 1945 Jackie signed to play for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. Unbeknownst to him, Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking for a Negro to break the major leagues’ “color barrier,” which had been in place since the 1880s.  He had compiled a list of the best players in the Negro leagues and was evaluating them for suitability.  There were many players better than Jackie, notably Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, but due to age, temperament and other factors, they were all eliminated in favor of Jackie.

Rickey knew the first AA player would have to “turn the other cheek” to a great deal of verbal, physical and emotional abuse.  Otherwise, it might be many more years before the next one got a chance.  When he told Jackie this, Jackie was shocked and replied: “Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?” Rickey’s famous reply was that he was seeking a Negro “with guts enough not to fight back.”

To make a long story short, Rickey signed Jackie.  He played for the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers AAA minor league affiliate in the International League, in 1946.  He “tore up” the league, winning the MVP award.  The next year he made his debut in the major leagues.

To me, his debut was one of the most significant events not only in baseball history, but also in the country’s history.  There was tremendous resistance not only from other Dodgers, but from players on other teams as well.

Again, it is very hard for us to appreciate the level of abuse to which Jackie was subjected. Breaking into the major leagues is hard enough, physically. The added mental and emotional pressures Jackie and other AAs had to overcome was mind-boggling. Jackie had to endure a tremendous amount of prejudice and abuse both on and off the field (name calling, spiking, “beanings,” separate lodgings and restaurants on the road, etc.  Eventually, other AAs would join him in the majors. They had to overcome many of the same obstacles.  Some were unable to survive, but many more did.

Luckily, Dodger management was behind Jackie 100%.  When some Dodgers players threatened to quit, strike or demand a trade, the team’s manager, Leo Durocher, a fiery, no-nonsense person himself, nipped the rebellion in the bud.  He declared: “I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a f****** zebra.  I’m the manager of this team, and I say he plays.”  Players on other teams also threatened to strike, but MLB Commissioner “Happy” Chandler quelled that rebellion quickly as well.

CONCLUSION

Rickey chose well with Jackie.  In baseball parlance, he “knocked it out of the park.”  Attendance soared and not just in Brooklyn but in every other city as well. Black people came in droves to see their hero, Jackie Robinson, play.  In those days, attendance was the primary source of ball clubs’ revenue, so Jackie made money for everyone.

Not only did Jackie “take” all the abuse without incident, he also starred on the field and became an integral part of one of the most storied teams in baseball history, the “Boys of Summer.”  In a ten-year period from 1947-1956 that team dominated the National League. It won six pennants, lost another in a playoff and lost another by one game.

Among Jackie’s many MLB accomplishments:

1. Rookie of the year in 1947 (the first one).
2. National League MVP in 1949.
3. Appeared in six World Series.
4. World champion in 1955.
5. First ballot hall of famer in 1962.
6. Member of the MLB All-Century team.

Jackie was an extremely versatile ballplayer. Although he came up as a second baseman, he also played first, third and the outfield.  Many times, he was among the league leaders in fielding at his position.  He was one of the best “clutch” players I have ever observed.  He could beat you with the bat, the glove or on the bases.  I have never seen a better baserunner or a tougher competitor.  When on base, he would drive the opposing pitcher crazy with his antics.  He was always a threat to steal a base.  I saw him steal home in the 1955 World Series.  When caught in a rundown he often escaped, which, generally, was a rarity.  His aggressive style of play was unique for the 1940s and 1950s.

As an example of his extremely competitive nature, one story will suffice.  In the decisive third game of the 1951 playoff with the NY Giants, when the Giants’ Bobby Thompson hit the pennant-winning home (dubbed: “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”) all the Dodgers left the field immediately with their heads down in defeat.  All except for Jackie.  He watched and made sure that Thompson touched all the bases on his home run trot.  He would not accept defeat until Thompson had completed his circuit.

Jackie retired from baseball after the 1956 season worn down by age and diabetes, but he did not retire from life.  For example, he became very active in the civil rights movement; he became the first black to serve as vp of a major corporation (Chock Full O’Nuts); he went into broadcasting; and he acted in a movie of his own life story.

Conclusion

Ultimately, however, his fierce competitiveness could not overcome ill health.  Jackie died on October 24, 1972 at the relatively young age of 53 from complications of heart disease and diabetes.  I’m sure that all the stress he had to endure on the playing field also contributed to his early demise.

Jackie’s legacy, however, lives on.  There are countless statues, schools, parks and roads named in his honor.  Moreover, every time a black or other minority takes the field in the major leagues, the NFL or the NBA, he owes a debt to the pioneer who made it all possible.

Jackie’s story is recounted in the 2013 movie 42 starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie, Nicole Beharie as Rachel, and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. I have seen it many times, and I recommend it. One can usually find it on tv at this time of the year.

So, tomorrow, while watching your favorite team in action take a moment to appreciate the special achievement of one Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

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APRIL FOOL’S DAY

This is not an April Fool joke. It’s a legitimate blog.

As you know, today is April 1, also known as “April Fool’s Day.”  I like a good joke as much as anyone, but I am not a big fan of pranking people on this date.  Maybe when I was ten or so, but at my age, no.

However, I was curious about the origins of the holiday, and how it is celebrated around the world.

According to Wikipedia AFD is not a official holiday in the US, nor in any other country for that matter, but it is widely recognized and celebrated around the world unofficially.  Different countries have different ways of celebrating it. More on that later.

Some people love to play jokes and perpetrate hoaxes.  So, if you hear that President Biden has resigned and relocated to an assisted living facility, or that James Dolan has sold the NY Knicks, or that China has “forgiven” the US’s debt, don’t believe it.  Those would most certainly be AFD jokes.

Even the media can be a willing participant.  One of my favorite AFD pranks occurred on April 1, 1985.  The Sports Illustrated cover story that day was about a baseball pitching phenom named Sidd Finch.  Some old-time Mets fans may remember this. At first, the story appeared to have credibility, as it was written by George Plimpton, an author of some renown, and published in SI, a very popular sports magazine.  Finch was presented as an unknown rookie pitching prospect in the NY Mets training camp.  (At that time Opening Day was later in April.)  So far, so good.  But, as one read the details of the story, particularly about his 160 MPH fastball, it became apparent that it was an AFD joke.

A few other famous, or infamous, AFD pranks courtesy of various media outlets including, among others, Wikipedia, CBS and CNN, (which many claim is the “fake news” network anyway):

1. Swiss spaghetti – On 4/1/57 a British tv show called “Panorama” claimed that the Swiss spaghetti harvest had enjoyed a “bumper year” due to the unusually mild weather and the elimination of the “spaghetti weevil.”  This hoax was ranked the #1 AFD joke of all time by the Museum of Hoaxes.  (Yes, there is such a place.)

2. Toilet paper – On 4/1/73 Johnny Carson joked on the Tonight Show that there was a shortage of toilet paper. This hoax was credited with creating a real shortage as many listeners believed him and rushed out to “stock up.”

3. In 2015 Cottonelle announced it was developing “left-handed toilet paper.”  “It cleans just like right-handed toilet paper, only it’s made for (lefties),” touted one advertisement.

4. Google Gulp – In 1998 Google announced a drink called the “Google Gulp,” which, it said, would help one to “achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be grateful cerebral cortex,” [and it was] “low in carbs” to boot.

5. Walt (Clyde) Frazier, the illustrious NY Knick Hall of Fame basketball player and broadcaster, retired after the 1979 season. On April 1, 1997 the MSG network ran a story that he was coming out of retirement. It fooled some people for a while, but it was not true.

6. On April 1, 1992 the LA airport hung a big banner welcoming airline passengers to “Chicago.”

7. In 1996 Taco Bell announced it had purchased the Liberty Bell and renamed it the “Taco Liberty Bell.”

8. In 1997 long-time Jeopardy host Alex Trebek swapped places with long-time Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak.

9. In 2008 the BBC ran a report of “flying penguins.”

All in good fun!

On the flip side there have been actual events that occurred on or around April 1 that were mistakenly taken as AFD jokes, such as:

  1. In 1946 a news report of an earthquake and tsunami in the Aleutian Islands area that ultimately killed 165 persons in Alaska and Hawaii.
  2. In 1984 it was reported that singer Marvin Gaye, Jr. was shot and killed by his father.
  3. In 1995 it was reported that the singer, Selena, was shot and killed by the former president of her fan club.
  4. In 2009 CBS announced that its long-running soap opera, The Guiding Light, was being cancelled.

Initially, each of these was denounced as false AFD pranks even by those who should have been cognizant of the truth.

In 2020 and 2021 during the height of the COVID Pandemic some people were opposed to incorporating the virus into AFD pranks. For example, Google opted not to publish its customary “infamous April Fools jokes. Additionally, in Thailand police warned that posting or sharing any AFD jokes or pranks online could result in a maximum of five years in prison for the perpetrator.

The origin of AFD is murky and controversial. Surprisingly, there are records of continuous AFD celebrations back as far as 536 BC in present day Iran. They celebrate the Persian holiday of Sizdah Bedar, which falls on the 13th day of the Persian New Year, (April 1). In addition, the Romans celebrated festivals called “Hilaria” on March 25 and the “Medieval Feast of Fools” on December 28. In certain Spanish-speaking countries, the latter is still a date on which pranks are played on people. Also, there is a reference to the holiday in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which was first published in 1387.

According to Wikipedia, a 1908 edition of Harpers Weekly published a reference to AFD in connection with Noah’s Ark. I think the article, itself, was likely an AFD joke, particularly since the story of the Ark and the Flood, itself, strains credulity.

In 1508 a French poet, Eloy d’Amerval, referred to a day called poisson d’avril , or “April’s fish” in one of his poems, which some historians attribute to be the earliest known reference to the holiday in France. Even today, AFD is referred to as “April Fish Day” in France, Belgium and Italy.

During the Middle Ages there was no universally-recognized calendar, so many regions celebrated New Years Day on April 1 rather than January 1. Some of those who celebrated it on January would denigrate those who celebrated it on April as “fools.” It is easy to see how that label morphed into “April fools.”

Supposedly, in 1561 Eduard de Dene, a Belgian poet of some renown, published a humorous poem about a nobleman who sent one of his servants on “foolish errands” on April 1.

In 1686 John Aubrey, who Wikipedia describes as an antiquary, writer and philosopher, is credited by Wikipedia with making the earliest reference to the celebratory day in Great Britain. He called it “Fooles holy day.” (For those of you who, like me, are not well-versed in Oxford English the term antiquary is defined as one who collects or studies antiques.)

According to Alex Boese, curator of the Museum of Hoaxes, the Dutch popularized the day in the late 16th century.  By the 1700s it had spread over much of Northern Europe, and eventually to the US.

Nowadays, the holiday is celebrated differently around the world. Some examples are as follows:

1. UK – The April Fool joke is disclosed when the perpetrator shouts “April Fool” at the recipient.  Traditionally, April Fool jokes are to cease at midday.  After that time, anyone trying to prank someone becomes the “April Fool” himself.  These AFD customs are similar in other countries whose traditions were influenced by the UK, such as the US.

2. Scotland – AFD is called “Hunt the Gowk Day.”  “Gowk” is Scotch for a foolish person.

3. Ireland – A common tradition is to give the “prankee” an important letter in an envelope to give to a certain person.  That person would ask the “prankee” to give it to another person, and so on and so on.  Eventually, someone would open the envelope.  The letter inside would say “send the fool further.”

4. Poland – Traditionally, April 1 is a day to play jokes and hoaxes.  The media participates as well.  Serious matters are to be avoided.  For example, supposedly, a treaty signed on April 1, 1683 was later backdated to March 31.

5. France/Italy/Belgium – One common prank is to attach a paper fish to the victim’s back without being detected. (Along these lines, in high school we used to put a “kick me” sign on a victim’s back, although not just on AFD.  Movie buffs may recall that this joke was played on McFly Senior in the movie Back to the Future.)

6. Sweden/Denmark – They celebrate on May 1 in addition to April 1. Many Danish and Swedish news outlets will intentionally publish one false story on April 1.

CONCLUSION

AFD can be fun, especially for kids. Even in the current PC era, a little harmless fun never hurt anyone.  That is especially true today as, in my view, many Americans are becoming increasingly humorless.

I recall some years ago my son “pranked” my grandson, who was six at the time and a huge Mets fan, telling him that David Wright, his favorite Mets player at the time, had been traded to the hated Yankees. To his credit, my grandson, merely shrugged his shoulders and asked “who for?”

I can remember being both the perpetrator and butt of April fool jokes in grade school and middle school. All in good fun.  I predict that some of you will be victimized this year. Be ready, and take it as the good fun in which it is intended.

Please tell me some of your favorite April fool’s moments.  Were you the perpetrator or the victim?   I promise you I won’t put it on social media (maybe).

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I’M NOT VOTING FOR TRUMP

Thanks to loyal reader, David, for providing the idea and much of the information for the following blog.

I am not voting for Donald Trump, the man, in the 2024 presidential election. I don’t hate the man as many others do. I don’t know him. I have never met him, but based on what I have seen and observed over the years it is likely that if I did get to know him, I wouldn’t like him personally. He would not be my choice for a dinner companion or any other type of social encounter. He can be abrasive, rude, abrupt, and arrogant. Over the years he has had a plethora of clashes with many people including, subordinates, business associates, and the media, among others. These types of qualities do not exactly endear him to many people on a personal level. No, I would not vote for Trump, the man.

However, I AM going to vote for the following policies and, by extension, the man who I deem best able to enact them.

  1. Support and defend the Constitution, especially the first and second amendments.
  2. Secure and defend our borders against illegals who we have no idea who they are, where they came from, and their intent. Contrary to what the Dems and the media tell you most of them are NOT asylum-seekers. Many of them are from countries that are our enemies and/or sponsor terrorism and comprise the dregs of society from those countries – criminals, terrorists and other undesirables.
  3. Finish the border wall, reinstitute the “remain in Mexico” policy and deport illegal aliens that break our laws. Until and unless they become citizens they are guests in our country, and they should act as such.
  4. Crack down on the importing of illegal, deadly drugs, such as fentanyl, which are killing tens of thousands of us.
  5. Crack down on the Mexican cartels who essentially control the Mexican government and act with impunity on both sides of the southern border.
  6. Terminate human trafficking and other human rights violations.
  7. Crack down on sanctuary states and cities.
  8. Be the president of all the people, not just some of the people.
  9. Do away with the runaway wokeism and other inane and misguided far-left policies that have been plaguing our country and tearing apart our social fabric.
  10. Stop treating illegal aliens better than our own citizens.
  11. End censorship of differences of opinion, especially on social media.
  12. Restore the traditional justice system. Make the Justice Department treat everyone equally under the law regardless of social status, economic wealth, color, religion, or political persuasion.
  13. Make us feel safe again by refunding the police, ending “no-bail” laws, and demanding that local DAs actually prosecute crimes and judges sentence the guilty to prison.
  14. Appoint judges and SC justices that will follow the constitution.
  15. Resume drilling for oil and gas in order to restore our energy independence and eliminate our dependence on our enemies.
  16. Replace the current administration’s “America last” policy with an “America first” policy.
  17. Stand up to the leaders of foreign countries who are threatening us (e.g. Russia, China, and Iran), disrespecting us and taking advantage of us (e.g. NATO allies and Mexico).
  18. Reinstitute unwavering support for Israel, our sole reliable ally in the critical, dangerous and mercurial Middle East.
  19. Protect our critical industries by equalizing tariffs and preventing the export of jobs and manufacturing.
  20. Support our military and our veterans.
  21. Crack down on the anti-Semites and antisemitism that is running rampant in our schools and in our society, in general.
  22. Reverse the US’s current downward spiral and make us proud to be an American again.
  23. Secure the future of America for our children and grandchildren.

CONCLUSION

These are tall orders. They will not be easy to accomplish, particularly since the entrenched powers in Congress and government will resist by any means possible to safeguard their turf.

Of all the candidates which one is most capable of accomplishing the foregoing? We know the answer, because he did it already in his first term. The policies he has been espousing are precisely the ones we need and want now. Biden and his administration have had their chance, and they have f**ked it up royally.

In a recent poll people were asked to name the most significant accomplishment of the Biden administration. What was the winner? Was it the economy? No. Was it the border? No. Was it crime? No. The winner was “nothing.” That’s right, “nothing.” So, if you voted for him in 2020 are you happy with the result, or do you have buyer’s remorse?

My advice is to ignore the bloviators and spin doctors in the media and elsewhere. Your decision in 2024 should come down to the answer to one simple question. There is no deep analysis needed. “Are you better off today than you were in 2020?”

So, don’t vote for Trump, the man. Hold your nose, swallow your pride, ignore your personal feelings, and vote for Trump’s policies. Ignore what he says. Ignore his character flaws. Focus on his policies. He succeeded before. He can do so again.

Your children and grandchildren will thank you.

–

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OPENING DAY

Today is March 28, and after a long winter of cold, rain, political, economic and social turmoil, and war today will mark the start of the full 2023 baseball season, aka OPENING DAY, with a full slate of games scheduled. Sports fans always look forward to OD. We know, sports are a healthy diversion, especially in difficult times such as now. Every team will be in action weather permitting.

Note, I am not counting the pre-opening day two-game series last week between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. I view that as a prelude to the real OD. MLB does not consider these “pre-openers” to mark the official start of the season either. It has always considered OD to be the first date when a full slate of games was scheduled. Got it? It should be noted that due to travel and time change, following those pre-openers both teams returned to play additional preseason games. Weird.

This was not the first time MLB has scheduled such games in foreign venues. Beginning in 1996 games, both pre-openers and in-season, have been played in foreign locales such as Sydney, Australia, Mexico City, Mexico and London, England, among others. Opening in these foreign locales may be inconvenient for the players, but MLB does it to broaden the exposure and appeal of the game. Indeed, MLB rosters are chock full of players from countries in the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Asia. According to MLB 28.5% of MLB players are foreign-born.

Typically, many early season (and late season) games are played in weather more suitable for football. Why? We know why – M O N E Y. If MLB persists in playing games in March, April and November why doesn’t it mandate domed stadiums in cold weather locales? Probably, too logical for the Lords of Baseball.

For many years, MLB had scheduled the very first game of the season in Cincinnati, usually on the first Monday in April, with a full slate of games the next day. This was in recognition of the fact that the Reds were the first professional baseball team. In fact, the Reds are the only team that has always been scheduled to play its first game at home. There have only been three years when they opened on the road – 1966, when the home opener was rained out and 1990 and 2022 when those seasons were delayed due to lockouts. The team was formed in 1869 as the Red Stockings. It has undergone various name changes and is now known as the “Reds.” Incidentally, for you trivia buffs, they went 65-0 that first year, the only perfect season in baseball history.

The National League was organized in 1876, and the American League in 1901. For many years there were 16 teams – eight teams in each league, all in the northeast, with no team being located west or south of St. Louis. With the advent of air travel in the late 1950s it became feasible to add franchises in other sectors of the country. Presently, there are 30 teams – 15 in each league.

Despite the often-inclement weather, OD holds a special meaning. Mention those words to any sports fan, and, immediately, he or she knows what it means, and to which sport it pertains. Not football, not basketball, not hockey. OD means that another season of Major League Baseball is beginning. Baseball fans look forward to OD every year. Local newspapers step up their coverage of the local team in anticipation. They send the beat writers to Spring Training to report on the local team. Many of them even print a daily countdown of the number of days remaining until OD. In addition, OD occurs in the Spring, a season that symbolizes a new beginning and one which most people anticipate every year.

Most fans will acknowledge that baseball is no longer the most popular sport. In fact, according to TV ratings, betting interest and most fan polls, football has superseded baseball. Perhaps, basketball has as well, particularly among younger fans. However, baseball, which has been played in the US in some form since the 1840s, is part of the social fabric of America.

Most men (and women) remember their first game of “catch” with their father and their first baseball game. For most it is a “rite of passage” as uniquely American as the flag. In fact, I have a more detailed recall of a World Series game I saw with my father in 1956 than I do of ballgames I saw last year.

Every fan is optimistic on OD. Every team starts with the same 0-0 record. None has lost a game yet. Every team still has a chance to make the playoffs (at least in theory), and as we have seen in recent years, once you make the playoffs anything can happen. For example, in 2016 the Chicago Cubs won it all for the first time since 1908. Think about that for a minute. That meant that, at the time, no Cubs fan, and virtually none of their fathers, had even been born the previous time the Cubs had won. In 2017 the Houston Astros won their first WS after having languished near the bottom of the league for many years.

Unlike other sports, very often the team with the best regular season record does not win the World Series or even get there. Even the best baseball teams generally lose about 40% of their games. If those losses come at the wrong time, it’s sayonara.

Eight wild card teams have actually won the World Series, most recently, the Texas Rangers, last year. Furthermore, in 2002 and 2014 both WS participants were wild cards (the Angels beat the Giants in 2002, and the Giants beat the Royals in 2014). Five teams – the Padres, Mariners, Brewers, Rays, and Rockies – have never won a WS, and the Mariners have never even appeared in one. The WS format has always been the best of seven games, EXCEPT for 1903, which was the first one, and 1919-1921 which were all the best of nine.

Many fans, and even some reporters, place undue emphasis on the opener, forgetting or ignoring the fact that the season consists of 162 games. To many fans, a win OD means the season will be outstanding; a loss means the team “stinks.”

Down through the years, OD has produced some memorable events, such as:

1. In 1907, the NY Giants, forerunner of the San Francisco Giants, forfeited the opener after rowdy fans began throwing snowballs at the players and umpires. There were not enough police on hand to restore order, so the umpires forfeited the game to the visiting Phillies.
2. In 1910 President Howard Taft became the first President to throw out the “first ball.” In 1950 President Truman threw out the “first pitch” twice, as a righty and a lefty. Over the years nearly every president has done so, and the practice has evolved from a perfunctory toss from the stands to a more elaborate ceremonial toss from the mound. Will we see President Biden follow tradition this year? Your guess is as good as mine. Can you imagine him doing the “wave?”
3. In 1940, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians, known as “Rapid Robert” because of his high velocity fast ball, threw the only OD day no-hitter in baseball history. As an aside, there were no radar guns in Feller’s Day, so one day some officials attempted to “time” his fastball by having him throw a pitch against a speeding motorcycle. Not very scientific.
4. In 1947 Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on OD becoming the first African American to play in the major leagues since the 19th Century.
5. In 1975 Frank Robinson became the first African American to manage in the Major Leagues. Later, he became the first AA manager to be “fired.”
6. In 1996, John McSherry, an umpire, suffered a fatal heart attack near home plate.
7. Early in the 20th Century teams would, on occasion, open with a doubleheader. Doubleheaders used to be quite common, particularly on Sundays and holidays. Now, they are rare, and when they do occur it is usually the result of adding an extra game to make up for a rain-out. The reason? Money, of course.
8. In 1946 Boston Braves fans attending the game got an unpleasant surprise. It seems that the Braves’ management had had the stands freshly painted, and the paint had not completely dried. Many fans got red paint all over their clothes. The embarrassed management issued a public apology and paid the fans’ cleaning bills.
9. Tom Seaver started the most openers – 16. Walter Johnson pitched the most OD shutouts – seven, including a 1-0 victory in which he pitched 15 innings. No chance of that happening today. Incidentally, Johnson had 110 career shutouts. Talk about unbreakable records!
10. In 1974 Henry Aaron clouted his 714th homerun tying Babe Ruth’s all-time record for career homers.
11. In 1968 Angels minor leaguer Greg Washburn became the only pitcher to appear in two OD games in the same year. Huh? How did he do that? First, he pitched the opener for the San Jose Bees of the California League and then for the Quad City Angels of the Midwest League. (He won both games 2-0).

12. Some of the individual OD records we may see broken today are most home runs (3), most hits (5) most RBIs (7) and most strikeouts (15). Maybe, we will see another no-hitter, although the way the game is played today any no-hitter would be a group effort.

Last year MLB instituted various rules changes, which were designed to increase the appeal of the games to fans by enhancing the action on the field, decreasing the length of games, and increasing the pace, which had often slowed to a crawl. In 1980 the average game took two hours and 33 minutes; in 2022 the average game had increased to three hours and six minutes. These changes had the desired effect at least with respect to reducing the length of games. Last year the average length was only two hours and forty-two minutes.

MLB has instituted a few minor rules tweaks this year:

  1. the time allotted to release the next pitch with a runner on base will be reduced from 20 seconds to 18.
  2. The runner’s lane between home plate and first base has been widened.
  3. The number of mound visits in a game has generally been reduced from five to four.
  4. The “ghost ” runner rule has been made permanent for regular season games.

CONCLUSION

As I said, weather is often an issue on OD, especially in the northern cities where it is not unusual to have cold, damp, rainy weather in early April that is more suitable for football than baseball. It reminds me of one of the major criticisms of baseball, that the season is too long. We all know the reason – tv money. The owners like it, because it makes them rich and less dependent on attendance for revenues. The players tolerate it, because it helps fuel their astronomic salaries. As for the fans, well, they will just have to grin and bear it.

Hall of Fame pitcher, Early Wynn sagaciously summed up the essence of OD thusly: “An opener is not like any other game. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one you can’t lose them all.” Joe DiMaggio, always looked forward to OD. He felt “you think something wonderful is going to happen.” Finally, I am reminded of that renowned philosopher Yogi Berra, who could turn a phrase with the best of them, who is reputed to have said: “A home opener is always exciting, no matter if it’s home or on the road.”

So, which teams will reach the World Series? Which team will win? According to FanDuel Sportsbook the favorites are the Dodgers and Braves in the NL and the Astros and Yankees in the AL. Good choices. Can’t fault them, although watch out for the Orioles. I, of course, will root for the Dodgers. In any event, it’s a long season, and anything can happen. I think the TV networks would like to see a Dodgers-Yankees World Series. I think that would generate the most interest and the highest TV ratings. They used to meet on what seemed like a regular basis back in the 1950s, but they have not met since 1981.

What is your favorite OD memory? Please share.

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY – MARCH

Below please find some of the significant events that have occurred in March.

3/1/1932 – In one of the most notorious kidnappings ever, the 20 month-old son of renowned aviator, Charles Lindbergh, was taken from his home. Tragically, the child was later found dead only a few miles away.

3/1/1961 – President JFK established the Peace Corps, which sent volunteers to developing countries to provide healthcare, education, and other basic human needs.

3/1/1974 – Several senior officials of the Nixon administration were indicted for obstruction related to the infamous Watergate break-in.

3/4/1681 – England’s King Charles, II deeded a huge tract of land in the New World to William Penn in settlement of a debt. Appropriately, the area became known as Pennsylvania.

3/4/1789 – The first meeting of the US Congress occurred in NYC.

3/4/1830 – Former President John Quincy Adams returned to Congress as a member of the House of Representatives, the first, and only, ex-President to do so. [Who was the only ex-President to serve in the US Senate? See answer below?]

3/5/1770 – British soldiers opened fire on a group of demonstrating colonials, killing five, including Crispus Attucks, an African-American, who later became celebrated as being the first American to die in the Revolutionary War.

3/5/1946 – The term, “Iron Curtain,” was first used (in a speech by Winston Churchill) to describe the separation between the free countries of Europe and those that were under the domination of the Soviet Union.
3/6/1836 – The Alamo was overrun by Mexican troops, who slaughtered every last defender, including James Bowie and Davy Crockett. “Remember the Alamo” became the inspirational rallying cry for Texans’ fight for independence from Mexico.

3/10/1862 – The US began distributing paper money in denominations of $5, $10 and $20.

3/10/1880 – The Salvation Army was founded in the US.

3/11/1918 – The “Spanish Flu” first appeared in the US. By the end of 1920 it had been responsible for some 22 million deaths worldwide.

3/12/1609 – The British colonized Bermuda (by accident, as a ship headed for Virginia had been blown off-course).

3/12/1888 – The infamous “Great Blizzard of 1888” wreaked havoc on the northeastern US. In NYC it dropped 40 inches of snow over 36 hours and was responsible for some 400 deaths.

3/12/1912 – Girl Scouts of America founded.

3/12/1938 – In the first of many blatant acts of aggression, Germany invaded, and later annexed, Austria.

3/15/44 B.C. – Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate by a group that included his friend, Brutus (“Et tu, Brute?”).

3/16/1968 – American soldiers killed 504 Vietnamese men, women and children in what became known as the “My Lai Massacre.”

3/17 – Celebrated in many countries as St. Patrick’s Day to honor the Patron Saint of Ireland, who is credited with converting the Irish to Catholicism in the 5th century.

3/22/1972 – Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender.

3/23/1775 – In a speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses, Patrick Henry intoned his famous words, “give me liberty, or give me death.”

3/24/1934 – President FDR granted independence to the Philippine Islands, which the US had controlled since the Spanish-American War.

3/24/1989 – The oil tanker, Exxon Valdez, ran aground off the coast of Alaska, spewing forth some 11 million gallons of oil over some 45 miles of natural habitat, creating the one of the largest and most devastating ecological disasters in US history.

3/25/1807 – The British Parliament abolished slavery throughout the Commonwealth.

3/25/1911 – A raging fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in NYC killed 123 in just minutes. The tragedy shined a spotlight on the working conditions of immigrant women who were laboring in the garment industry for long hours and low pay.

3/26/1979 – Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Accord peace treaty, brokered by President Jimmy Carter.

3/28/1930 – Constantinople was renamed Istanbul.

3/28/1979 – An accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant created a controversy over the use of nuclear power that still has not been fully resolved.

3/30/1981- President Ronald Reagan is gravely wounded by a would-be assassin. He recovered shortly to resume his duties and later quipped that he “forgot to duck.”

3/30/1909 – The Queensboro Bridge (aka The 59th Street Bridge) opened.

3/31/1968 – President LBJ, who, for many, had come to symbolize the futility and frustration of the Vietnam War, announced he would not run for re-election.

Birthdays – 3/1/1904 – Glenn Miller, bandleader (“Moonlight Serenade”), in Carilinda, IA; 3/2/1793 – Sam Houston, led the fight for Texas independence, Rockbridge County, VA; 3/3/1831 – George Pullman, invented “Pullman Car,” which improved sleeping accommodations on trains, in Brocton, NY; 3/3/1847 – Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, among others, in Edinburgh, Scotland; 3/4/1747 – Casimir Pulaski, Revolutionary War hero, in Poland; 3/4/1888 – Knute Rockne, football coach, in Voss, Norway; 3/6/1475 – Michelangelo, Renaissance painter, in Caprese, Italy; 3/9/1451 – Amerigo Vespucci, explorer and cartographer for whom America is named; 3/9/1934 – Yuri Gargarin, first cosmonaut in space, in Gzhatsk, Russia; 3/14/1879 – Albert Einstein, physicist who developed the theory of relativity; 3/14/1833 – Lucy Hobbs, first female dentist, in NY; 3/15/1767 – Andrew Jackson, 7th President, war hero in War of 1812, in Waxhaw, SC; 3/16/1751 – James Madison, a Founding Father and 4th US President; 3/18/1837 – Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President (only president to serve two terms non-consecutively), in Caldwell, NJ; 3/19/1813 – David Livingstone, explorer and missionary who famously went missing in Africa. When he was finally found by newsman Henry Stanley, the latter supposedly uttered the famous line, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume,” although that might have been an example of Hollywood hyperbole, in Scotland; 3/19/1848 – Wyatt Earp, Wild West lawman and gunfighter, in Monmouth, IL; 3/19/1860 – William Jennings Bryan, known for “Cross of Gold ” speech and for the dubious honor of being only person to lose three presidential races, in Salem, IL; 3/21/1685 – Johann Sebastian Bach, composer, in Germany; 3/24/1874 – Erik Weisz, aka, Harry Houdini, escape artist, in Hungary; 3/26/1911 – Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams, III, playwright (“A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”), in Columbus, MS; 3/29/1760 – John Tyler, became 10th President upon the death of William Henry Harrison, Charles City County, VA; 3/30/1853 – Vincent Van Gogh, Postimpressionist painter, in Groot Zundert, Holland; 3/31/1731 – Franz Joseph Hayden, composer, considered to be father of the symphony and string quartet, in Austria; 3/31/1878 – Jack Johnson, first AA boxing champion, in Galveston, TX.

Answer to quiz – Andrew Johnson (TN)

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CHUCK SCHUMER – POLITICAL CHAMELEON

Chuck Schumer has been a strong supporter of Israel for all of his nearly 50-year career in public service – until last week. Now, I sense that his formerly strong support of Israel has waned. Furthermore, he has not been as supportive of American Jews as he should be in light of the recent plethora of antisemitic incidents in our schools and in general. He has not condemned, criticized, or even commented. His silence has been most disappointing as he is in a unique position. Many Jews feel he should be more outspoken. What has caused this seminal change? See below for my opinion.

In my view, Chuck Schumer is the consummate politician, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. He epitomizes what I always say about politicians: their best abilities are to get elected and to get re-elected. He sees the seismic shift in the Dem Party to the left on major issues, plus away from Israel, and toward antisemitism that we all see, and he is reacting to it. Sure, he could stick to his guns and resist the trend. He could continue to espouse unwavering support for Israel, but the politician in him won’t permit him to do it. His overriding instinct of preserving his Senate seat against a possible primary challenge in 2028 won’t permit it (even though four years is a lifetime in politics). Moreover, his desire to maintain his Majority Leadership position in the Senate won’t permit it. And so, we have “THE SPEECH.”

Schumer began his political career in the NY State assembly in 1975. In 1981 he was elected to the House of Representatives. In 1998 he was elected to the US Senate. Currently, he is serving his 5th term, which makes him the longest-serving senator ever from NY. He has worked his way up to the very influential post of Senate Majority Leader.

For most of his career Schumer has been a staunch and outspoken supporter of Israel. This was understandable since he is Jewish, and he has represented a heavily Jewish constituency.

For instance:

  1. In 1994, Schumer joined the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Congress in a campaign to petition the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Palestinian-American charity the Holy Land Foundation, which by the time it was shut down in 2001 was the largest Muslim charity in the US.
  2. In June 2010, while speaking at an Orthodox Union event in Washington D.C., Schumer expressed support for Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which was then a controversial topic.  He buttressed his position by denoting statistics to demonstrate that the Palestinian citizens of the West Bank were experiencing “economic prosperity”, crediting this to their government’s cooperation with the Israeli government on combating various terrorist groups.
  3. When the Palestinian citizens of the Gaza Strip voted to be governed by Hamas he advocated for Israel to “strangle them economically until they see that’s not the way to go,” while also stating that Israel should continue providing “humanitarian aid” to Palestinian civilians.
  4. He has steadfastly supported Israel in its various conflicts involving others in Gaza and elsewhere. He defended the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2007 as being justified not only because it kept weapons out of the Palestinian territory, but also because it showed the Palestinians living there that “when there’s some moderation and cooperation, they can have an economic advancement.”
  5. In May 2017, Schumer co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, Senate Bill 720, which made it a federal crime, punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories if protesting actions by the Israeli government.
  6. In May 2018, Schumer praised Trump for opening the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, saying, “I sponsored legislation to do this two decades ago, and I applaud President Trump for doing it.”
  7. In the past he has frequently criticized the Palestinians for opposing a Jewish state or even a two-state solution, although presently he appears to be supporting the Biden Administration’s party line of a two-state solution.
  8. Schumer was a co-sponsor of a Senate resolution expressing objection to the UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement-building in the occupied Palestinian territories as a violation of international law.

The US and Israel have been strong allies since Israel’s inception. Some of you students of history may recall that the US under President Harry Truman was the first country to recognize the State of Israel a mere eleven hours after it declared its independence. Over the years through Administration after Administration both Republican and Democrat, both liberal and conservative, the US and Israel have forged and maintained a symbiotic relationship that has worked out very well for both countries. The US has realized that Israel is its only reliable ally in the dangerous, mercurial and strategically critical Middle East, and Israel has realized that the US is its only staunch and powerful defender in an otherwise very hostile world.

Unfortunately, it appears clear to me that the US’s support has grown tepid in the last few years. It began in the Obama Administration, and the trend has accelerated under the Biden Administration. Both Biden and his administration have exhibited anti-Israel and pro-Iran and Hamas attitudes, particularly with respect to the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attacks. More on that later.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has long had a contentious relationship with certain US presidential administrations. Most notably, I recall President Obama declined to invite him to the White House during his 2015 visit to the US in March 2015 to address Congress. Obama’s excuse was that it was policy not to meet so close to an election, but many interpreted it as a snub.

The Netanyahu-US relationship has deteriorated significantly following Hamas’ terror attack of October 7. Briefly, the Biden Administration has been pressuring Israel to exercise “restraint.” It has been pressuring Israel not to retaliate militarily. It favors negotiation and cease fires. It has been trying to balance its policy between the anti-Israel far left wing of the Dem Party and the majority of the rest of the country. Based on the polls I have seen it is not succeeding, and there is much concern. Many people in the US, particularly Jews, have interpreted the foregoing as anti-Israel and antisemitic. Israel has been adamantly pursuing a strong military response. Its attitude is that Hamas will continue to attack prospectively unless and until it is totally wiped out. It resents what it perceives as US interference.

Hence, we got “The Speech.” Essentially, Schumer threatened Israel. He said, in part, that “it’s become clear to me that the Netanyahu coalition[‘s reaction to Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack] no longer fits the needs of Israel. … If Netanyahu won’t step down and continues to pursue dangerous and inflammatory policies that test existing US standards for assistance [the US will be forced to] play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage.” President Biden doubled down by calling it a “good speech” that had been cleared in advance by his staff.

The speech was interpreted by many as blatant and inappropriate interference in the elections of a sovereign nation and a clear threat. “Do what we want or else.”

Reaction was immediate and fiercely critical. Benny Ganz, Israeli’s opposition leader stated “Israel is a strong democracy, and only its citizens will determine its leadership and future.” Former PM Naftali Bennett, no fan of Netanyahu’s, stated “we are an independent nation, not a “banana republic.” In the US Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, called the speech “unprecedented,” and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called it “just plain wrong.”

CONCLUSION

I would characterize it in stronger terms as a “sell-out” and “antisemitic.” In my experience such outrageous, blatant interference of a nation’s self-governance should be limited to dictatorships with massive human rights violations, not a staunch and reliable ally. Furthermore, every nation has a right, even an obligation to its citizens to defend itself in a manner in which it sees fit. Think what our reaction would have been if after the Japanese sneak attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 or the terror attacks on 9/11 if the world had urged us to stand down and not retaliate with force. Why should Israel be any different? Because it’s a Jewish state? You decide.

So why did Schumer give that speech? It was especially odd especially given his past support of Israel. Only he knows for sure, but I think he wanted to ingratiate himself with the members of the far-left wing of the Dem party, many of whom have expressed clearly antisemitic opinions. They are small but vociferous, and they have been pressuring the Biden Administration to scale back its support of Israel. They are particularly influential with the election looming. I don’t think Schumer is antisemitic, but, as I said, he is a political chameleon, and he perceives the trend of his party is to offer only tepid support to Israel in its fight with Hamas.

I seriously doubt that Israel will allow itself to be bullied by the US or anyone else, so it remains to be seen if the US will follow through on its threat.

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2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – TRUMP VS BIDEN

Trump and Biden are now the presumptive nominees of their respective political parties. Although anything can happen in politics in all likelihood they will become the official nominees at their respective party’s conventions this summer.

In my view, the 2024 presidential election will be extremely contentious. The campaign will include a surfeit of obfuscations, exaggerations and lies, even more so than usual. It is virtually axiomatic that all politicians are guilty of the above to some degree. We all know this. We don’t like it, but we accept it. A politician who tells the absolute truth all the time, like Jim Carrey’s character in the movie Liar, Liar, would never get elected.

That said, I maintain that voters should ignore all the bloviations, exaggerations and promises by the candidates and reported by the media. After a while, it all becomes so much “white noise” anyway. Promises are meaningless. Most of them never come to pass anyway. Rather than listening to what they say or promise focus on what they’ve done or haven’t done. You will find that that will clarify matters.

We can do this because in 2024 we have a very rare situation. Both candidates have actually served a term as president. Therefore, we don’t have to guess. We don’t have to predict. We can see what they’ve each done or not done as president. According to Wikipedia, Trump is only the 7th former president to run again after having left office, the first to do so since Herbert Hoover in 1940. (Only one of the previous six won – Grover Cleveland.)

The best way to analyze this election is to ask yourself that age-old question – are you are better off today under Biden’s presidency than you were four years ago under Trump’s. For example, is your quality of life better or not? Do you have more money or not? Are you able to provide for your family better or not? Regardless of what the government says, in your personal experience are prices of the necessities you buy, chiefly food, gas and shelter, higher or not? Has inflation impacted you or not? Do you feel crime is on the rise or not? Do you personally feel safer or not? Do you think the world is safer or not? Are you more or less satisfied with the US’s relationship with our friends, notably Israel, and our enemies? Do you feel the justice system is more equitable or not? Are your children’s and grandchildren’s schools educating them better or not? If you are Jewish do you feel the level of antisemitism is greater, lesser, or the same? If you are Black do you feel opportunities are better, lesser or the same? If you are a legal immigrant are you happy with special treatment of the flood of illegal immigrants that have entered the country or not? These are just some of the questions you should ponder. Your answers will make it obvious for whom to vote.

Don’t pay any attention to real or perceived personality flaws. They are largely subjective anyway. Like I said, follow your objective analysis. If you feel you and the country are better off under Biden than you were under Trump vote for Biden regardless of his cognitive status and legal issues. On the other hand, if you feel you and the country were better off under Trump then vote for him regardless of his abrasive personality and legal issues.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion, the answer to all of those comparisons strongly favor Trump. Do I like him on a personal level? I don’t know him. Never met him. But if I were to know him personally, I probably wouldn’t like him. But I say so what? Who cares? We’re not voting for senior class president. It’s not a popularity contest. We’re not going to “hang out” together. We don’t have to like him. We just have to think that he will improve things. Moreover, if you know your history you know that many of our best and most popular presidents had serious physical and/or personality flaws that were hidden from the public. Today, due to the internet and social media virtually nothing is hidden.

Furthermore, let’s not ignore the empirical evidence. We saw what Trump did as president pre-Covid. The economy was booming. Unemployment was at record lows for all ethnic and gender groups. We were energy independent for the first time in over 70 years. There were no wars. Our enemies feared and respected us. Our border was secure. Yes, some people were put off by his mean tweets and abrasive personality. Well, strap on your “big boy pants,” hold your nose and deal with it!

On the other hand, Biden’s record speaks for itself. His supporters perceive him as a nice old man. Many of them choose to ignore his cognitive decline and his nefarious, if not treasonous, activities. They voted for him in 2020 and will likely do so again. My question to them is how is that decision working out for you? I repeat, focus on what the candidates do or don’t do, not what they say or promise.

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BIDEN’S SOTU ADDDRESS – ONE MAN’S OPINION

The following blog constitutes my assessment of President Biden’s 2024 SOTU address.

  1. To no surprise, based on the post-address media coverage, generally, one’s opinion and analysis of the SOTU depends on whether one is a Biden supporter or a Trump supporter.
  2. Biden’s supporters have been ebullient over the fact that his delivery was mostly devoid of any of the fumbling, stumbling and bumbling, which have characterized his public appearances over the last few years. I concede that this was true for the most part, but I would add that that was a very low bar to hurdle, akin to a high jumper clearing a two-foot bar.
  3. Like many observers I was struck by his tone. He came across as strident, almost shouting and lecturing. I found that very odd and off-putting. It was not typical of him at all. It was like he had drunk several cups of coffee or red bull or ingested some other kind of stimulant.
  4. In my experience, Presidents use the SOTU address to try to unify the electorate. It is their rare chance to address the entire electorate, to highlight their past accomplishments, present their vision for the future, and make the case that they are the person to lead us there. Yes, they want to present their record in the best possible light, but more importantly they want to heal, or at least alleviate any fractions between the two parties. Their message is conciliatory rather than contentious.
  5. Biden, on the other hand, did not do that. His address was more akin to a campaign speech. He played to his base rather than the broad electorate. I understand that he wanted to shore up his support on the left, but nonetheless I think that was a mistake. Every presidential candidate knows one has to appeal to the middle in order to win.
  6. He doubled down on his policies, which are largely unpopular.
  7. In the process he lied and exaggerated repeatedly. The most egregious were with respect to the border and the economy. For example, after spending three years telling us the border was secure, which was an obvious lie, he maintained that Congress had to pass a bi-partisan bill, which he supports, to fix it. He blamed Trump and the GOP for Congress’ inaction. He conveniently ignored the fact that (a) the border fiasco is entirely due to his policies and (b) he can resolve the problem on his own by issuing executive orders, which is how he caused it in the first place. Regarding the economy he tried to convince us inflation was the lowest in decades when anyone who has bought food, filled their gas tank or tried to buy or rent a home knows from personal experience that is a lie. All he did was demonstrate that he is out of touch with Americans’ daily lives and problems.
  8. He claims he supports Israel, but his actions speak to the contrary. For example, he continued to insist Israel must stand down, and he continued to advocate a two-state solution, which neither Israel nor Hamas wants. Furthermore, the proposed port in southern Gaza he is supporting is ill-advised. Humanitarian aid sounds good, but there is no guarantee the aid would get to the people for whom it is intended.
  9. He continued to exhibit absolutely no compassion for those Americans who have been victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Also, he refused to honor Laken Reilly, or even say her name until he was shamed into it. And after he was, he proceeded to mispronounce her name as Lincoln Reilly, twice, even though he had her name written on a card right in front of him. He compounded his error the next day when he apologized for using the term “illegals,” saying he should have referred to them as “undocumented,” which is a “wishy-washy” characterization favored by the far left. He did not apologize to the Reilly family for mispronouncing Laken’s name, and to my knowledge he still hasn’t.
  10. He did not address the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan or the names of those Americans who were killed as a result.
  11. He still has not addressed the rampant anti-Semitism in our schools and in our society in general.
  12. He continued to offer no meaningful solution to the rampant crime wave in our cities and the coddling of criminals.
  13. He continually tried to portray Trump as soft on Russia and being subservient to Putin when, in reality it is he who has demonstrated those characteristics.
  14. He basically ignored his and his family’s corrupt dealings with Russia, China and other enemy states.

CONCLUSION

In summary, I think Biden did very little to repair his image or expand his support base. I think he will continue to lose support among Hispanics and Blacks, which will not augur well for his chances for re-election.

It will interesting and illuminating to see what the post-address polls show.

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FECKLESS JOE AND THE STATE OF THE UNION

Tonight, President Biden will deliver the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, members of the Cabinet (except for one “designated survivor), and the justices of the Supreme Court. The SOTU is required by the US Constitution, Article 2, Section 3, Clause 1, which states that the president shall periodically “give to the Congress information of the SOTU and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

George Washington delivered the initial SOTU to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1790. For most of the next 100 or so years presidents fulfilled the constitutional requirement merely by submitting a written report to Congress. Then, in 1913 Woodrow Wilson commenced the current practice of delivering the SOTU in person. Later, with the advent of television and streaming the address has been delivered live throughout the entire country and much of the world.

Traditionally, the president uses this opportunity to review his administration’s accomplishments, outline what he hopes to achieve prospectively, and foster unity among the voters. In this case, however, I wouldn’t count on it. As I have written many times I cannot think of any positive accomplishments by the Biden administration. Moreover, I doubt that he will be able to achieve any in the remainder of his (hopefully only) term. Finally, the notion that he will unify the country, or even try to, is a joke. On the contrary, thus far his administration has done everything to demonize and criticize Republicans and, in particular, Trump and his supporters.

Those of you who have been paying attention over the last three years are cognizant of the following Biden lowlights, and I apologize for wasting your time by repeating them here, but for those of you who have been drinking the Dem Kool-Aid below please find a brief summary:

  1. Opened the border to virtually anyone who wants to enter the US. Millions have entered in the last three years. We don’t even know the identity of these people, how many there are, where they’re from or their intentions. What we do know is they done significant damage to our country economically, politically, criminally, and socially. And that doesn’t even address the real threat of terrorism they present. The negative ramifications of this action are incalculable and will be long-lasting.
  2. Suspended the production of oil and gas. Succinctly put, this took us from energy independence to energy dependence and in the process damaged our economy. Additionally, it has propped up the economies of many of our enemies, such as Russia and Iran. As a result, Russia has used its oil revenue to prosecute the war against Ukraine, and Iran has been able to finance terrorist activities in the Middle East and elsewhere.
  3. Created massive inflation through profligate spending. Don’t believe the government’s publicized inflation numbers. Anyone who has bought groceries, filled up their car’s gas tank, or tried to buy or rent a home knows they don’t reflect reality. We’re being gaslit.
  4. The evidence of his and his family’s corruption continues to grow. It’s getting to the point where only his most ardent supporters can deny their guilt of corruption and maybe even treason. In my view, he has been the classic “Manchurian candidate.”
  5. There are wars and conflicts all over the world. His weakness has encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine, Arab terrorists to attack Israel in the most heinous fashion, and China’s saber-rattling vis a vis Taiwan. The botched exit from Afghanistan was a disastrous embarrassment and caused the loss of hundreds of American lives. Furthermore, his tepid support of Israel should make every Jew very uncomfortable.
  6. The rise of crime due to the proliferation of “no bail” laws and woke DA’s reluctance to prosecute crimes has made all of us unsafe.
  7. He has done nothing to curb the very disturbing rise of anti-Semitism in the country and indeed the entire world. He has not taken any action, not condemned it, not even spoken out. I am not saying Biden is an anti-Semite, but his lack of support for Israel and Jews makes one wonder. Based on the foregoing, it is beyond me how any self-respecting Jew could vote for him.

It has taken over three years, but voters are finally catching on. All the polls speak loudly and clearly. Voters are beginning to realize that “the emperor [really] has no clothes.”

  1. According to the latest NY Times-Sienna poll Two-thirds of voters say the country is “heading in the wrong direction.”
  2. The latest CBS News/You-Gov poll has revealed that only one-third of voters think Biden’s presidency has been “excellent” or “good.” Some 61% of voters say he is “too old to be an effective leader.” It’s not just his chronological age. Many people have been lucid and effective well into their 80s. Contrary to what his supporters say, anyone who has seen Biden speak or even move around can readily see he is declining cognitively. It brings to mind the old Groucho Marx joke: “Are you going to believe what I tell you or what you see with your own eyes?”
  3. Despite the Dems’ and their supporters attempts to discredit Trump with bogus claims, even to get him disqualified from the ballot in some states voters are not being fooled. In fact, these false claims have served to boost Trump’s popularity. People are coming to realize that what’s being done to him could easily be done to them. Presently, the latest polls indicate that he leads Biden in every battleground state. This has led to widespread panic among the Dems. Some believe Biden may be replaced on the ticket, possibly at the convention.

CONCLUSION

I believe that tonight’s SOTU speech will be very interesting. I am anxious to see how Biden conducts himself. I’m not interested in what he says so much as how he says it. The pressure is on him to be articulate, cogent, coherent, and lucid. How will he justify his record? Will he attack Trump and his supporters? How many “Pinocchio’s” will he get. Who will deliver the opposition rebuttal, and what will he or she say?

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Trump “Show” Trial

We’ve all been raised to believe that the US justice system is fair, that justice is “blind,” that everyone is equal before the law. The Constitution guarantees that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. That’s what most of us have always believed. Trials with preordained verdicts, so-called “show” trials are the province of autocratic countries like Russia, North Korea and China. Not the US.

However, after witnessing the miscarriage of justice masquerading as Donald Trump’s trial for fraudulent valuation of certain assets, I have serious doubts regarding the equity of the US judicial system. Letitia James, the NYS Attorney General who brought the case had bragged continually during her election campaign that she would “get” Trump. The clear implication was that she would conduct an unrelenting investigation of Mr. Trump until she found a case that was prosecutable in her view. Mr. Trump became her entire focus. In the process she has essentially ignored the myriad of problems NY has such as, among others, rampant crime, the influx of illegals, and high taxes. She pushed all those problems aside to focus solely on Mr. Trump. Governor Hochul shares much of the responsibility as well.

Following her election, she felt it was incumbent upon her to make good on her campaign promise. She had to find something, anything and bring it to trial. The result was the fraud case. It was not a solid case. It had some fatal flaws as you will see below.

Briefly, the state alleged that in the course of applying for financing Trump had defrauded various banks by inflating the value of certain properties that were being offered as collateral for the loan. There are several problems with the case that eroded its validity, to wit:

  1. In applying for the loan Mr. Trump’s lawyers had specified that the banks were advised to calculate their own valuations of the properties rather than merely accept theirs. Indeed, these lenders were very sophisticated and experienced in the world of real estate and financing, and they would have done so as a matter of course. They were not the type of lenders that would be defrauded.
  2. Both parties agreed that the valuations were reasonable. However, the judge disagreed. He placed his own values on the properties, which were unrealistically low.
  3. None of the lenders lost any money on the deal. In point of fact, they all made a considerable amount of money. They had done business with Mr. Trump in the past and were eager to do so again prospectively.
  4. In the course of my research into this matter I did not find any independent person who agreed with the judge that the valuations were inflated and the lenders defrauded.
  5. According to Jonathan Turley and many other attorneys this case featured an “unprecedented” application of the law Mr. Trump was accused of having violated and the fine levied was considerably excessive. (More on that later). The law was intended to apply to situations in which the offender had committed a crime, declared bankruptcy to avoid repayment, or caused the victims to lose money. None of these applied in this case. Even the left-leaning NY Times, no friend of Mr. Trump’s, denoted that it could not find a single instance in which the accused was not guilty of any of those.
  6. Mr. Turley and many other attorneys maintained that the $455 million fine, including interest, imposed by the judge was excessive and designed to make it very difficult, if not impossible, for Mr. Trump to appeal the decision. Turley pointed out that under NYS law in order to file an appeal Trump would first be required to deposit the full amount in a court account. This is a very high bar even for a man of Trump’s immense wealth and resources. It may require him to sell properties at distress prices, or perhaps, even declare bankruptcy.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the prosecution and the court clearly overstepped. This case, itself, and the decision have been widely seen as a personal vendetta against Mr. Trump for the reasons cited above. Surely, the appeals court would substantially reduce the fine or even reverse the entire decision. The question is can Mr. Trump raise enough money to finance the appeal?

Most of the public sees this for what it is – a political “hit job.” It reinforces the growing feeling in America that the scales of justice are tilted depending upon the defendant’s politics. It compromises the entire notion of equity of our system of justice. The rest of us should beware. If this can happen to a prominent man like Trump, with all his resources, it can certainly happen to the average “Joe.” Again, this situation is a characteristic of an autocracy, not a democracy.

Even worse, it clarifies what many of us have long believed. The Dems are deathly afraid of Mr. Trump’s popularity, and this case and other pending cases against him, which are also comprised of “trumped up” charges, are designed to knock him out of the race. It is a blatant attempt at voter suppression, to prevent the people from being able to decide elections without outside interference.

The unintended consequence of all this, that the Dem governing class was either too blinded by hatred or too dumb to anticipate, is that once it becomes apparent to other business leaders and wealthy people what the governor and DA have done it could stoke fears that they may do it to them as well and may accelerate their departure from NY to states with more favorable political, economic and social situations. NY is already suffering a sizeable exodus of people and businesses, and it can ill afford this. The Dem leaders may end up being hoisted on their own petard, and it would serve them right.

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