Tag: baseball

Sept. rambling: end of the American age?

Songs In The Key Of Life: The EP

AI Giants Probe ‘Tens of Thousands’ of Security Incidents—Some Involving Government Sites

At the End of the American Age

Jon Stewart: The City Began Covering Their A**es Three Weeks After 9/11

The Nerd Reich

Amazon drones are overwhelming a Texas suburb

UnitedHealthcare & UnitedHealth Group, and Brazil Elections 2026: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver;  John Oliver is a Lawsuit Gremlin, and LegalEagle loves it

The High Crime of ‘LMAO’: Cops Are Treating Flock Mass Surveillance Like a Joke

The great American road trip is in peril

Nik Durga: In defense of Mississippi, the place where I became a writer, which has a poignant mention of Emmett Till

They Kept Outsiders Away for 500 Years. Their World Is About to Change.

Meet the First Brand-New Cat Species Identified in More Than a Century

Peter Max, Trippy Artist of Counterculture Era and Beyond, Dies at 88

In Memoriam – 78th Emmy Awards

Taylor Swift joins Mariska Hargitay for a very special episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Bob Pettit, who was the N.B.A.’s first M.V.P., dies at 93

From MLB.com: Looking at the 2026 playoff teams, you might notice something: Three of them have never won a World Series. That’d be the Brewers, Rays, and Padres, who are three of the five teams that have never won it all. (To the other two, the Rockies and Mariners: There’s always next year.)

How One Trick Play Tells The History Of Football

Getting Rich and Going Broke, One Pack of Sports Cards at a Time

When First Comes in Third and Free Money’s Fine Print

Everything is better when you add Godzilla to it

Oy

U.S. rejects U.N. declaration on preparing for pandemics

A quiet ICE surge that unfolded “everywhere all at once” this summer

Supreme Court lets regime use flawed database for voter purges

EPA says repealing power plant emissions rules will save billions – but its estimate leaves out health and climate costs

Officials eject 750,000 people from Obamacare, claiming fraud

RFK Jr Assures Vaccine Skeptics That They Have a ‘Friend at the White House’

Kennedy Center delayed the repairs it now cites for its closure

FBI blindsided as hackers claim to steal data on ‘all employees’

Snipers and drones on his giant arch?

Who’s A ‘Communist’? Trump TV State News Channel

Unprecedented: Most Supreme Court Decisions Issued On ‘Shadow Docket’ 

Call for action on the Census 2030 plan

You may all have heard about a Federal Register Notice changing rules for the 2030 Census.

The proposed rules and a Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis can be found in the documents section of https://www.regulations.gov/document/USBC-2026-0628-0001

This is also where you can submit your comments and read others’ comments.

The biggest changes that might impact us all are:

  • Many residents are excluded from the count. The proposal only counts US citizens and Legal Permanent Residents
  • The proposal suggests that people should be counted where they spent most of the winter months
  • The proposal suggests not asking about race/ethnicity, but asks for comments on including a citizenship/legal status question

 Some of the potential impacts:

  • Funding inequities because of a mismatch between Census counts and numbers of people present
  • No census data on communities of color
  • Limited data for smaller communities (especially combined with the plans for a new disclosure avoidance system)
  • Lower quality population estimates and downstream impacts for survey controls, funding distributions, denominators for all kinds of rates, etc.
  • Loss of seats in the House of Representatives

A group of expert stakeholders created a website: Hands Off Our Census

There you can read all about the proposal, how you can comment, and many other resources.

MUSIC

Songs In The Key Of Life: The EP – Stevie Wonder

Dummy with a Wig on Top – Randy Rainbow

In An Autumn Garden by Toru Takemitsu 

The 1999 London West End production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! starring Hugh Jackman

The musical Annie in Korean

Come From Away: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (2019)

You’ll Be Back from Hamilton –  Lemon Squeezy

Coverville 1594: The Chrissie Hynde/Pretenders Cover Story IV and 1595: Tributes for Duncan Sheik, Tim Curry, and Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory

Typewriter – Brandenburger Symphoniker

Rocket “88” – Jackie Brenston, sometimes cited as the ‘first’ rock ‘n roll record, from 1951, 75 years ago

Birdland – Quarantine Big Band Helsinki 

Favorite Songs By Favorite Artists (Series Four) #9: The Pogues 

Autumn Leaves – Nat King Cole

Peter Sprague Plays Good Vibrations featuring Leonard Patton

A Town With An Ocean View by Joe Hisaishi, a cue from Kiki’s Delivery Service

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana, in honor of the 35th anniversary of the album Nevermind; also Smells Like Nirvana – Weird Al Yankovic

Footloose (dancing in the movies)

Songs Mark Evanier’s mom sang to him

Take My Breath Away – Berlin

K-Chuck Radio: What happened to Timothy?

Stuck With You – Huey Lewis and the News 

Rick Beato Finally Defeated Every Copyright Claim on His Channel (ft. LegalEagle

The Beatles UK vs. US Albums: The Compleat Chart

The Pirates lineup that changed baseball

Dock Ellis, ESPN JEOPARDY clue

On September 1, 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup at Three Rivers Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies was:

Rennie Stennett 2B
Gene Clines CF
Roberto Clemente RF
Willie Stargell LF
Manny Sanguillén C
Dave Cash 3B
Al Oliver 1B
Jackie Hernández SS
Dock Ellis P

In front of a crowd of 11,278, the team “fielded a lineup composed entirely of Black and Afro-Latino players. It is believed to be the first all-minority starting nine in AL/NL history. Five of those players — Clines, Stargell, Cash, Oliver and Ellis — were African American. Clemente hailed from Puerto Rico, Sanguillén and Stennett from Panamá, and Hernández from Cuba…

“The Pirates’ players on the field did not realize they were making history until the game was underway. Sanguillén remembers hearing about it in the second inning. That’s when, by several accounts, Cash turned to Oliver and said something to the effect of, ‘We’ve got all brothers out there.'”

You can read the entire account at MLB.com.

SIDEBAR: The starting pitcher for the Bucs that day got a mention in ESPN JEOPARDY’s final this summer. “It’s a 2-minute penalty in the NHL, 15 yards in the NFL & no penalty in MLB if you’re Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter in 1970.” The answer is below.

Ebony

When I was growing up, “Ebony ran an ‘Annual Black Baseball Roundup,’ featuring all the Black players in Major League Baseball.”My family subscribed, and I read the feature regularly.

I don’t recall that I was conscious of which teams had the most black players, though I realized my New York Yankees – my hometown of Binghamton, NY, had a Yanks’ farm team – seemed to have a dearth of players of color.

I do know that I was rooting for the Pirates in their World Series in 1971 and 1979, both against the Baltimore Orioles. Could this story have something to do with my affection for the Bucs? I wasn’t consciously aware of the September 1 game, but I must have seen a notice.

In any case, these were good players. The ones above with the links are members of the Pirates Hall of Fame. Clemente, the only player for whom I own a uniform shirt, and Stargell are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

When I mentioned this story in the past, someone said, “Why does it matter? Whether they can play or not should be the only consideration.” My [pretty darn obvious] retort was that, 25 years earlier, this could not have happened because there were ZERO black baseball players in MLB.

FJ response: Tripping.

Thus ends another Talk Like A Pirate Day

Why people hated the Yankees

Chief antipathy

Even though I was a fan, I remember why people hated the Yankees when I was growing up. They won too much. From 1949 to 1964, they were in the World Series every year except two, 1954 and 1959, a fact I didn’t even have to look up. They won 9 of the 14 Series. More recently, they won the Series in 2009 but haven’t gotten there since.

I thought about this as I realized I would be rooting against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Though they’ve “only” won two of the last five World Series, in 2020 and 2024, with the expanded number of teams, that’s still quite impressive.

Their current roster has a unicorn. Shohei Ohtani’s legendary game (throwing 10 strikeouts as a pitcher AND hitting three home runs) got the Dodgers there, but I have to root for the underdog.

It’s not that I dislike the Dodgers particularly, though I was distraught when they beat the Yankees in the 1963 Series. I liked Maury Wills, who stole over 100 bases the year before; Junior Gilliam; and Tommy and Willie Davis, who were NOT related. I also admired their two best starting pitchers, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

Two teams, both established in 1977, will play in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series tonight. The Seattle Mariners have NEVER been in a World Series, and the Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back Series in 1992 and 1993 but haven’t appeared since.

NFL

I’ve discovered that I have developed an antipathy against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although I was glad they didn’t have a “threepeat” when they lost the Super Bowl in 2025, I was wary about claims that the Chiefs were getting special treatment. Well, until the game against the Detroit Lions on October 12.

I’m still rooting for the Lions, who lost last week and play tonight. And of course, the Buffalo Bills, the only NFL team that plays its home games in New York State, lost last week and have a bye this week. 

I’ve discovered that, now that coach Bill Belincheck is coaching in the college ranks, I don’t have the antipathy towards the New England Patriots hat I did for years.

Yes, these are irrational feelings. So it goes. 

September rambling: Snollygoster

Measles and Polio Down In The Schoolyard

Word of the Day: Snollygoster –  A shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician.

Pity the Nation, a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (2007)

Anti-Intellectualism Is Not a Fruit of the Spirit by Rev. Benjamin Cremer

You can’t worship God and money

A.Word.A.Day: kleptocrat – A politician or an official who uses their position to enrich themselves.

United States Boycotts UN Human Rights Review. The move sets “a terrible precedent that would only embolden dictators and autocrats and dangerously weaken respect for human rights at home and abroad.”

SCOTUS ruling allows ICE to use racial profiling in Los Angeles raids.

Israel’s Attacks on Seed Banks Destroy Millennia of Palestinian Cultural Heritage, and Israel Bombs Hamas Ceasefire Negotiating Team in Doha

Lysenkoism Comes to America: As RFK Jr. purges the CDC and cancels billions in research grants, Americans need a refresher course on what happened to Soviet biological research during the Stalin years.

Are You Ready for Measles’ Wrath?

Submit Your Official Comment Against the EPA’s Plan to Rescind Its Ability to Limit Greenhouse Gas Emissions Created By Any Industry and Gut Vehicle Standards Needed to Fight Climate Change

Tax cuts helped health giants dodge billions while patients faced higher costs and denials.

FOTUS vs. Higher Education and The Baileys: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

The Attack on the Smithsonian Previews His Presidential Library

How math turned me from a D.E.I. skeptic to a supporter

Kennedy Center Ticket Sales Plummet as “MAGA Former Dancer” Takes Over Dance Program. Upcoming ballet performances are between only 4 and 19% sold.

FOTUS steals $400b from American workers

Information

Internet Archive Designated as a Federal Depository Library

The National Archives Recovers Rare Logbook from the Pearl Harbor Attack

The Return of Plundered Belongings Offers a Chance for Healing to a Grieving Lakota Community 170 Years After a Long-Forgotten Massacre

Giorgio Armani, Fashion’s Master of the Power Suit, Dies at 91

CBS News’ Mark Knoller, veteran White House correspondent, dies at 73

Davey Johnson, an Orioles infielder before becoming the manager of the Mets, including their 1986 World Series win, died at 82

High Greens, Chip Ordway– now and forever

The game was perfect. The call, more perfect. Sept. 9, 1965 -Sandy Koufax, Vin Scully

You Know More Finnish Than You Think

Reviews, Ratings, and Pointless Surveys by Seth Meyers

The Beetle Bailey book celebrates 75 years in the funny pages

Spider-Man’s first live-action TV run was on PBS, and I watched it

Now I Know: The Worst Movie Money Couldn’t Buy, The Problem With Faking a Smile, and The Human Traffic Cone?

The latter box should read: “$893 million in 30 graduated annuity payments”
MUSIC

Bottle Up Magic – Rebecca Jade (feat. Eric Darius)

Measles and Polio Down In The Schoolyard – Marsh Family parody of Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio” on RFK

In Memoriam: Mark Volman of the Turtles (1947-2025). From Stuart Mason: The masterpiece of the album The Battle of the Bands was ‘Elenore,’  simultaneously an absolutely deathless sunshine pop classic and a not particularly subtle middle finger to White Whale Records.

Supertramp co-founder, singer, and keyboardist Rick Davies died at the age of 81 after a 10-year battle with Multiple Myeloma. 5 standout Rick Davies tracks by Supertramp.

Bohemian Rhapsody, isiZulu version – Ndlovu Youth Choir

Everybody’s Song– Robert Plant and Saving Grace

Moonlight, one of Four Sea Interludes from the Benjamin Britten opera Peter Grimes

One Tiny Flower – Jeff Tweedy

Song To The Moon from Rusalka, Act I, by Antonín Dvořák

Better Broken – Sarah McLaughlin

Coverville 1547: Van Morrison Cover Story IV and 1548: The Aimee Mann Cover Story I

Dead – Sudan Archives

Big Money –  Jon Batiste

Letter To My 13-Year-Old Self and Lover Girl – Laufey

Am I Born To Die – Billy Strings, 12/13/24 ACL

Surf’s Up – The Beach Boys

The Boys Of Summer -Don Henley

Hot Fun In The Summertime – Sly & The Family Stone

September Morn – Neil Diamond

I Started A Joke – Ruby Leigh

The Power Of Love – Huey Lewis and the News

Thunderstruck + It’s a Long Way to the Top – Goddesses of Bagpipes

Burning Down The House – David Byrne ft. Olivia Rodrigo – Live at Gov Ball 2025

Is AI Ruining Music? | Dustin Ballard | TED, and AI-generated music sparks industry concern, and  AI music takes on a life of its own: Walking Away –Sadie Winters

K-Chuck Radio: Billy Joel gets pitchy and The Out-Of-Phase Stereo Series

Stairway, Denied

Did I play catch with my dad?

“Maybe this is Heaven.”

Did I play catch with my dad? It seems like a pretty simple question, but I don’t know.

The genesis of this process was a Facebook post from a guy in my neighborhood. He never “got ” Field of Dreams. In the movie, Ray (Kevin Costner) is in his cornfield and hears a voice saying, “If you build it, they will come.” He does, and soon, Shoeless Joe and his old teammates return to play baseball again. 

Someone opined: “At the heart of the story, it’s about a man reconciling his fraught relationship with his now deceased father. It’s about forgiveness and understanding, and the vehicle for his catharsis is baseball.” There is that. “Shoeless Joe was his dad’s favorite player and needed his redemption, along with the rest of the 1919 White Sox. The Field of Dreams allowed them all to experience that.” Okay. 

But, I said, “I don’t think you need to know the Black Sox scandal to appreciate it, though it helps to appreciate baseball.” And maybe you don’t even need that. 

I was touched when the doctor saved Ray’s daughter, abandoning his baseball dreams for the greater good. “Defying the threat of foreclosure, Ray listens to the once-cynical, worn-down Terence’s (James Earl Jones) dreamy prediction.” 

Every. Single. Time. 

When Ray plays catch with his dad, I cry every damn time. Every. Damn. Time.

Yet, I cannot remember whether my father and I played catch, yea or nay. My sisters could not give me a definitive response. 

My dad and I attended minor league baseball games in the Binghamton, NY, area, seeing the Triplets. However, he worked nights at IBM in the mid-1960s, so I tended to go to games with my grandfather, McKinley. Dad and I also saw a New York Yankees game at the old Stadium when they beat the Washington Senators, 4-3, quite possibly on July 21, 1962. (I remember the score and the opponent.)

I saw Field of Dreams when it first came out in 1989, when my dad was still alive. Since he died in 2000, I know there are questions I would have liked to have asked about his childhood, his relationship with McKinley, his time in the military, and many other things. It’s a sentimental movie; my father’s passing makes it feel more so.

Leslie Harold (Les) Green died a quarter of a century ago.