"In any discussion of the problems in our world today, racism must rank high. Not because we are soft-minded liberals obsessed with countless crimes throughout history induced by colour, religion, tribalism or chauvinism of one kind or another. But because the poison which we hoped and believed had been eradicated in our own time by the knowledge of the ultimate evil- the gas-chamber murders committed by the Nazis--is in fact still present, not in any one area of discrimination or racism, or in a restricted number of specific rulers or governments, but in all humankind. I call it "Inner Racism."-

Gitta Sereny, "The Healing Wound"

Sunday, February 18, 2024

The Skipper's

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEFRUIT LINE

While the boys from Flushing are trying on the latest jock-strap couture from the House of Manfred ("We'll never leave Oakland") the Beavers from Corvallis, rated 7th in the nation in baseball skills and 379th out of 381 in declared math majors, started off their over-expectant campaign with a savage win over the New Mexico Lobos - the local paper described it as "an offensive eruption" which if I hadn't been reading an account of the game I would have sworn someone was referring to Governor Huckleberry Sanders' hygiene;

they hit 7 homers in a 15-6 win in Surprise, Arizona- the town that leaves everything to chance.

With Opening Day 39 days from midnight we'd like to know whats holding up the Alonso signing - as of late afternoon Sunday.

Pete Alonso, Mets haven't had long-term contract talks yet with free agency looming https://nypost.com/2024/02/17/sports/pete-alonso-mets-havent-had-long-term-contract-talks-yet/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost_sitebuttons via @nypostsports

It seems our Metsies have signed up the rather husky but oh so flexible (but not lithe?) Ji-man Choi, a left-hitting DH/First Baseman, whose career plan looks like he intends to play with every major league team and open a Korean BBQ in each city - not bad.

He became a DH after this. He's never fully recovered

The other possible DH is D.L. Stewart, a Buck Showalter discovery who I suspect was signed for his "bench-clearing" prowess. Baltimore gave him a cool $2Mil to sign then he promptly spent the next few years hitting .218 for the Aberdeen Ironbirds, the Delmarva Shorebirds and the Frederick Keys and the Bowie Baysox. The Orioles finally took a chance then on August 6, 2019, "while attempting to field a fly ball hit by Mike Ford of the New York Yankees,

D.L. (PROM PICTURE)

Stewart dove too early and was struck on the side of the head by the ball, suffering a concussion and being replaced in the game by Jace Peterson." Since then he's barely stayed above the Mendoza line. Which now makes him one of us.

More thrills later, Joe