but, I don’t know if it will ever be the same. Baseball was always an escape from the troubles in the world and a break from politics that have become increasingly divisive. When Joe Biden was elected President he promised to bring the country together. Instead, he has driven it further apart, and nowhere is it more apparent that in baseball, when he “parrotted” the false claims of Stacy Abrams, from which Robber Manfred took his “cue” to move the All-Star Game from Atlanta.
Baseball is no longer that escape from politics, It is politics and to ignore that it has been reduced to this is one of the saddest things I have ever seen. After 9-11, America used baseball to come together united as a country. In one stroke of his pen, Rob Manfred, just like Joe Biden has divided America even more with his race-baiting actions. Denver says the All-Star Game will bring them an additional $190 Million. That means that Atlanta probably lost that much.
Atlanta has nearly 30% of their companies which are Black Owned Businesses. Over 45% of the population in Atlanta are Black or Latino. Robber Manfred is honoring Henry Aaron by depriving his adopted home town of $190 Million dollars that they desperately need Post-Covid-19.
Henry Aaron lived in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was one of the city’s most successful entrepreneurs. He owned several car dealerships, as well as 18 Krispy Kreme doughnut franchises. Throughout his business career, Aaron has held to his philosophy to help other African Americans succeed. “No matter how much success that one may achieve, there’s always one of us back there that needs a little help,” he told Smiley of NPR. “When I opened up my BMW dealership, I didn’t have the experience of being a general manager. But there was somebody back there that was black that needed to have a chance to move up, and if I didn’t give him a chance, then nobody else would. And that’s what I did.“
Robber Manfred is not honoring Hammerin’ Hank by robbing the Black Entrepreneurs of Atlanta of almost $200 Million Dollars. No matter what Hanks’ Parrot son says, Hank Aaron is rolling over in his grave right about now because of the race-baiting politics of Abrams, Biden, and Manfred! Even if this voter registration law were racist and is it demonstratable not (even though the left tries to hold on to a few minor points), the game should not have been moved. It is doing much more harm than good.
Former MLB Pitcher David Wells said this: “I don’t watch baseball anymore. I refuse to watch it because of this. I don’t want any part of it, and this was my life … For me not to want to go to a baseball game or even watch, it kills me, because I don’t put up with that kind of crap, and I don’t condone it.”
Now, that I have allowed political debate on this site, I see many respond with stuff like this:
- “that is stupid.”
- “only the dumbest of the dumb would believe that”
- “that makes no sense”
- “anyone can see that’s not true.”
- “that has been debunked by fact-checkers”
- “no logical person believes that”
When I read things like that, I understand that the argument is lost and the loser has to resort to slander. I was trained in debate, evidentiary foundations, and what constitutes evidence. What you think is silly or wrong is just your opinion. Most journalism is opinion. There is very little news that is devoid of opinion. You are all entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. Many here “assume facts, not in evidence” based upon their opinions and political leanings.
As long as you can keep it civil, I will too, but if you want to talk crazy, I can dominate that bout. I go out of my way to bite my tongue and not demean people I disagree with. I hear and get the backhanded slaps and all that tells me is that since you can’t improve your argument, you have to attack the character. I generally consider the source an move on… but there is no guarantee I will not call you out. It is just that I generally have found out that people who have already made up their minds, do not want to be confused by facts.
Some of you don’t like this and have left… some of you are thinking about it. Do what you have to do. I am doing what I have to do. Just about every other Dodger Blog has ignored what Manfred did in moving the All-Star Game in the interest of being “politically correct.” Well, I don’t care! I don’t put up ads all over the blog so that I can make a few hundred dollars a month. I do not monetize this blog. I am here because I once loved baseball and the Dodgers and hope to again. I am here for the community which is being fractured, I know. To ignore it is however, to ignore the elephant in the room and no sane person can do that.
On Trevor Bauer
Some fans think that Trevor Bauer could be suspended for applying a foreign substance to the baseball. How can he be suspended if you can’t prove that he put the substance on the baseball? What is that substance? I see no way someone can be suspended the first time this happens. Of course, I did not think that the Idiot Manfred would Cancel Atlanta. So there is that!
So when you said I had “a bag of hammers for a brain” last year during early discussions on COVID, what was that?
And yet another political post.
It is true that sports and politics cannot be separated. I was saying that last year during the Covid crisis and was told to knock it off.
Mark has always taken the lead with insults MP. Idiot, moron, the stupid tattoo he left us with, the box of hammers is a favorite, blinder than a dead man is another. It’s his blog. He can do what he wants.
“I have lived in the south, I don’t want to live there again”. Henry Aaron on news the Braves were moving to Atlanta.
https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2021/1/25/22248081/hank-aaron-baseball-career-legacy-obituary
Bloggers here now openly giving reasons why they believe voter suppression is good thing. And that is obviously what many believe. The left will never concede that nonsense.
This country by law has only been a democracy for about 55 years. And the equal rights battle continues.
Well, Hand did live in Atlanta until he died.
You can write voter suppression a million times but it doesn’t make it true.
What the Bill does is make it harder for dead people to vote, for people to vote twice or turn in another person’s ballot. So, when no ID or Voter Number is required, voter fraud can never be proven. That is fact. To say that what the Dems want, is opinion.
In most instances when I have called people names, it was a response to a sometimes eloquent backhanded insult. I am not passive-aggressive – I prefer to hit it head on.
The law is predicated on a lie. Sixty some odd court cases were dismissed by the courts. As I mentioned yesterday the worst provision of the law affects the final step in the voting process: the official count. The new law removes the Georgia secretary of state as chair of the State Election Board and allows the GOP-controlled legislature to handpick his replacement. And the current GA Secretary of State is now persona non grata within the GA Republican Party.
At this point no one is going to change anyone’s mind on this topic. So do you think we can move on?
Are you short? I keep getting this Napoleon vibe from you.
Mark has his bluster. And you’re right. It’s his blog. He can do whatever the hell he wants. Personally, I don’t find the bluster nearly as objectionable as snide passive aggression. At least with the bluster it’s out in the open. You know where you stand. You can bluster right back, roll around and create a bunch of bluster dust, get back up, shake hands and go back to normal. It’s a pressure relief valve.
When I first started hanging around here a couple of blogs ago (that one before Scott’s) Mark annoyed me. I actually didn’t care for him. He was going on about wanting the Dodgers to blow up the team and trade Kershaw for prospects. Seriously. He was advocating for that. WHAT A MORON! So, I did what any reasonable person would do and told him he “had half a gnat’s brain” if he thought that. It’s been better ever since. I obviously beat some sense into him.
https://youtu.be/74I7Nl1mKig
The snide, passive aggressive bit drives me nuts. It’s insidious. It’s like a worm burrowing into the foundation – undermining, manipulating, gaslighting. It pokes and prods and pushes just the right buttons to get a desired response, and then, having achieved that objective, presents the opportunity to then claim victimhood and some sort of moral high ground. It’s fundamentally dishonest.
“Hey look! He said a mean thing to me. He’s mean.”
I don’t know exactly who you were referring to by this statement. “Bloggers here now openly giving reasons why they believe voter suppression is good thing.” It’s deliberately vague. Whether you are alluding to Mark or my comments on the Williamson article, it is a flat out mischaracterization of both of our arguments.
If I take a position that you don’t agree with, address the points I’m making directly and in good faith and honestly and without mischaracterizing them, and respond with a better points. That’s how civil, constructive dialog should work.
I NEVER advocated for voter suppression.
You mischaracterized me once before and attacked my character. I called you out point blank and asked you to apologize. Your conspicuous silence said a lot.
So man up Badger. Put your Big Boy Pants on. Get a backbone. Grow a pair.
Wow. Has this place devolved.
Am I short? Really? I won’t go into my resume, I’ll just say my nickname suited my attitude for the first 50 years of my life. Some here know of my background. Obviously you don’t.
Your post yesterday:
“Is more voting universally a good thing in every circumstance? For example, Bernie publicly advocated for felons to have the right to vote. Do you want that? If you agree, why? If you don’t think it’s a good idea, why? You might say that felons have shown such poor judgement and have been so destructive to society that they should have their say in it’s governance restricted.
Williamson isn’t talking about restricting the existing right to vote, he’s saying we shouldn’t be falling all over ourselves trying to get more people to vote by making it easier or more convenient. Voting is free and a guaranteed right. It shouldn’t be convenient. We don’t need canvassers going door to door to show people how to vote, and ballot harvesters collecting their votes . The right should require some effort. “
Shame on you.
Not everyone who is poor is ignorant. Ex felons have paid a huge price for their mistakes, but they have paid. So yes, of course they should be allowed to vote. You don’t want the poor, the disadvantaged, or prior felons to vote because of your fear that with their vote your conservative candidates are going to get their asses handed to them.
I believe I’m done talking with you. We clearly have different values.
You post is a microcosm of the larger dysfunction in the national political discourse. It follows a similar pattern.
Not even a year ago it would have been unthinkable to even consider granting felons the right to vote. Now, not only has that Overton Window now shifted dramatically, but I should be shamed for even suggesting this is less than ideal. As a tool of social coercion, shame is actually very effective. It’s why you do it (and also to reinforce your own moral rectitude).
It’s incredibly manipulative.
“Ex felons have paid a huge price for their mistakes, but they have paid. So yes, of course they should be allowed to vote. ”
The thing is, this is actually a valid argument. For me to answer it honestly and in good faith and with a better argument would require some effort on my part. If I just simply said, “you want felons to vote? You want to destroy this country. Shame on you!” – That would be a cheap and easy cop out.
Since you’d rather hide behind your self-righteous preening I guess I don’t have to put in the work. Oh well.
Haven’t I refrained from that since then? I am showing unusual restraint
Yes.
It is opening day at Dodger Stadium. The pennant will be raised, they will get thier rings and be able to celebrate in front of some of their fans. It is a day to celebrate the end of over 30 years of frustration. I for one am going to enjoy the day and the rest of it can just wait until another time to be addressed.
Good plan.
Mark, you’re dead on with your comments. Impeach Manfred!!
Anyone see the end of the Mets game yesterday? Pitch thrown, Conforto sticks his slow out in the strike zone, umpire about to call a strike, the calls hit by pitch. Conforto goes to first runner comes home and Mets win. Play not reviewable. Umpires huddle and say the call stands.
It’s been bad enough seeing bad ball/strike calls, but this is worse. Even the umpire admits he blew it ( as did the Mets announcers during the game).
Again, I’ll ignore the politics and spin job, and stick to our champs.
I will be at the Stadium today, Dodger/Laker combo mask and all. I will represent everyone here at LAPoliticsTalk.com. I’ll text Mark some pics to share.
Just imagine the emotions today, since no fans have been to Dodger Stadium since Howie Kendrick’s grand slam. We have to pay our respects to Lasorda and Sutton. We have to welcome Trevor Bauer for coming home. We have to officially welcome Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen. And we have to really officially welcome Mookie Betts to LA!
And then the rings. And the banner. I can’t even imagine the reaction when Kershaw gets his ring ….
Hi Bobby – what a great day you’re in for. So much to celebrate and commemorate.
Would love to be there with you, but will be watching every moment.
Hope MLB.com starts the coverage early.
Beuhler to throw a gem, 6-2 Dodgers.
Okay, from this morning’s LA Times, MLB always gathers balls from every pitcher every game to be sent to an authenticator, according to MLB officials. Nothing unusual about this, other than Trevor Bauer’s recent criticism of the commissioner’s office. He has accused them of leaking the report.
It is truly amazing that so many people need to be right ! – whether they are correct in their position or not.
Or the last heard, so as to think they won the debate.
Bringing up an event from a year ago (while it may be true) is counterproductive, and not relevant to hopefully continuing forward with LADT.
I have only posted a few times (actually twice) since I found out about LADT x-years back.
Overall Mark and all the other consistent contributors have done a great job keeping to baseball.
When Mark took the site down I thought it was for the wrong reasons and made in a knee-jerk reaction to events outside his controls.
However, after receiving the one letter (if not many more), DBM passing away and her husband’s email to Mark and probably other reasons, Mark re-considered and allowed for this site to continue (THANKFULLY).
There were a lot of interesting posts over the past few weeks and I tried to read them all (although some were very trying).
Going forward we are all well aware that both sides of the political spectrum read and post to this site.
Some times outside events will overtake the site – like DBM passing away and individuals from both sides of the spectrum acknowledged they sorrow and how nice, kind and courteous she was!
Did anyone know her political positions?
So the interesting thing is – this site has role models like DBM that we all can learn from.
Now the question is whether collectively we value what we have here with LADT, or do we have to be right?
Very well said
Well, this subject is certainly staying in the news cycle isn’t it? I wonder how much $$ MLB is going to lose by moving the All-Star game. Usually these things are announced far in advance so that the host city can accommodate everything involved with hosting such an event. Let’s see what happens now that MLB has alienated half of its fan by making a political statement supporting one political party over another.
The funny thing about all of this is that Georgia is just the first state to fix and strengthen their voting laws after current laws were thrown out the window to accommodate Covid. If you like the fact that your vote should count you would support the dreaded ID requirement. If you think that ID’s are racist, than you’re probably racist because you don’t believe a person of color is capable of retaining a valid ID. If you are an adult and you don’t have an ID, you’re either purposefully not participating in “The System”, or you’re so stupid that your vote shouldn’t be counted anyway.
Moving on to more important issues, I don’t see any way in hell that the two clowns in charge are going to be able to negotiate the next CBA. Tony Clark and Rob Manfred are responsible for this mess and they’re in charge of the upcoming CBA negotiations. Enjoy this season, we might be seeing the scrubs play next year.
I’m with Koufax32. MLB should absolutely remove and replace Manfred ASAP. Boomer and former Commissioner Fey Vincent have already dunked on Manfred over this debacle. MLB needs new leadership. I’m still mad at them for suspending Urias after the police dropped all charges and the ridiculous suspension of Joe Kelly after he didn’t hit any Astros that weren’t suspended for cheating and being allowed to keep their championship after they cheated. This guy can’t make a good decision to save his life and he seems to be doing all he can to mess with the Dodgers…
Reduced the September rosters because the Dodgers are deeper than all other teams
Implemented the 3 batter rule because the Dodgers made too many pitching changes
Suspended Urias after police investigation ruled no wrong doing
Suspended Kelly for throwing at a batter when he didn’t
Allowed the Astros to keep their title after cheating it from the Dodgers
I heard one thing that I thought was interesting. Florida was the epicenter of the hanging chad fiasco in 2000. Since then they put the effort into reforming the election process.
In this last election, Florida was a key battleground state. It was hotly contested by both sides. In the last few election cycles, it has been the single most contested state between the two parties.
The results were called THAT NIGHT.
There was no controversy. They weren’t counting votes for a full week after the election. There wasn’t one candidate who was leading the night of the election, only to have a chaotic vote counting and certification process reverse the results several days later. It was run efficiently and the results were called promptly.
What happened in Penn, Michigan and Georgia was an absolute shit show. Whether or not the the results would have been different had these states run their elections better and with more transparency, the whole process undermined confidence in the results.
It’s almost as if people on the left actually want the chaos and confusion. Why would you not want an orderly process that inspires confidence in the results?
Does it really matter how long it takes to count votes?
Yes
Would six months work for you?
Six months, no. That would be quite problematic.
A week? Sure. That wouldn’t be so bad.
What was much more problematic about undermining public confidence, were false claims made and amplified publicly.
Pennsylvania where i am from, was pretty upfront that it would take quite a while to count the votes. Because the state legislature couldn’t agree on starting the count earlier. They had to wait, and thus we had to wait. This was communicated, but then it was repositioned, as cited above and below, and blown into a narrative of a chaotic or inefficient process.
Thanks for telling me about who you know Mark.
I know people who can get me a Tesla for half-off. Supposedly.
States that don’t allow mail in ballots to be either reviewed or counted until Election Day will obviously take more time. Want everything over by Election Day then the start the count earlier. Or is the argument that we should get rid of mail in ballots? While a lot of Democratic’s used mail in ballots this past year, historically older Republicans have. Note; Denver mails out ballots to all eligible voters and with over 90% votes being done by mail. Yes, Denver has a voter ID rule but they allow something on the order of 16 different types of ID being acceptable.
As for who should be voting; it’s interesting to note that lower turn out can be attributed to less concerns about the outcome. So the fact that this years vote count was the highest ever says something about people’s overall anxiety about the direction of this country.
The longer it takes, the more chance for cheating… on both sides. No one has addressed it but I know people that have voted multiple times, people who harvest ballots, and people who absolutely cheat and I have seen it on the right… probably more, because I am around more of these people.
Not only the more chance of cheating, but helps the cheaters potentially strategize their cheating.
If I’m from political party A, and from the current count know that my party is X number of votes behind political party B, I now now exactly how many votes I need to “find” and can manipulate accordingly. What gets measured, gets improved. Cheating will then become a science.
Counting all the votes on a single election DAY eliminates the opportunity for this.
You want an example? Again…Florida. THE most important swing state and nary a peep of contesting from either side and no real hint of widespread voting irregularities.
Because Florida had its shit together.
This is just obvious stuff and Bluto should know better, so don’t let yourself get drawn into some fruitless back and forth where you have to repeatedly explain the obvious or define minutiae.
Believe me. What I’m saying is obvious.
And if you don’t go along, I’ll just call further discussion fruitless.
It’s a bold strategy, Cotton.
It’s a sanity preservation strategy to not get drawn into reductio ad infinitum arguments.
I asked yesterday, but has anyone read what process Manfred used before making the decision to move the game? Was it his alone or did he confer with other parties? Whatever the case, he needs to be replaced. His next reasonable or correct decision will be his first as commissioner.
No one has a clue Ted. He did not share that info. My heart will be at the old ball yard with ya Bobby. Have a great time and a Dodger Dog for me. Oh yeah, screw politics, especially on opening day at home.
Yes, he followed the same line of thinking that Roberts follows on such important matters, listen to what the lamestream media is saying and that is your position. Requires no effort, you think you are virtuous, to hell with what’s right or wrong – just go along the trail of pragmatists (the second Trail of Tears – forgive me Chief Joseph for borrowing from your plight many years ago).
“Going along with the crowd takes no thought, no reasoning and definitely no substantive inquiry to base your opinions on”. Some would describe that as being useful idiots. No logic is followed, no morals are sought.
You know I’ve read a book that describes all of this to a T. I think the country has reached a tipping point from which it can’t mend it’s ways, once the slippery slope has been entered, you can’t climb out of it. The journey to the bottom only accelerates to TERMINAL velocity, as it were.
I don’t watch any of Roberts’ interviews anymore. When he speaks, he’s condescending and his words are routinely contradicted by his actions. He provides no insight or information and seldom takes responsibility for his actions. When he pinch hit Beaty for a hot McKinstry this season he said he liked Beaty against velo right there. He’s a smug a-hole. He’s worse than Mattingly in my book and I have a Mattingly bobblehead hanging from a noose in my man cave. When we won the World Series last year, one of my first thoughts was that we’re stuck with Roberts now.
Stay positive!
Well, I found out Manfred consulted with his executive council which includes eight owners including the Dodgers’ Mark Walter. Now, whether they concurred with his decision I don’t know.
Can someone, please, tell me what time the game starts today? It is scheduled at 1:10, but at that time is the first pitch? or at that time does the ring-giving ceremony begin? I finish my work day at 2, hopefully I get home early so I can watch the game, or at least most of it
First pitch is 1:10. Ceremonies start at 11:45.
I don’t know that Manfred makes the decisions. Gone are the days of Kennisaw Mountain Landis and Bart Giamatti. The decisive actions they took, though harsh, effectively ended the taint of betting, that would have destroyed the game.
I think the problem of society is a lack of leadership. No one is willing to take a stand.
You have mobs of Woke SJW college students storming administration buildings and publicly intimidating professors, and their official response is to placate with boilerplate platitudes about “doing better” and creating a “safe space.” It is complete capitulation, which only fuels the mob. This dynamic has now spilled out into the real world. Corporations just capitulate to those who will threaten. The power dynamic now lies with the Woke cult and big tech oligarchs. They have power. Corporate boards know now not to get out of line.
What Manfred or his coteries did was not an action. It was a capitulation.
.. there’s a post of mine in moderation
Badger, America is not and never has been a democracy. We are, as Ben Franklin said, a republic. The Founders were well aware of the flaws of democracies, especially over long periods of time.
As for voter suppression, the Left, as you call it, has mastered the use of repeated big lies to suppress opposition votes for years. The male-female wage gap, the rich don’t pay their fair share, systemic racism, imminent catastrophic global warming, etc. All are easily refutable but Leftists know they control information in American society so they get away with it. Add specific lies about Republicans such as “Romney didn’t pay his taxes,” the Charlottesville lie, the Russian collusion lie, and many others. Again, massive suppression of Republican votes. And how about that suppression of Republican citizen groups by Democrats at the IRS? Well, we did get a nice apology years later, right?
Any profession of concern for legitimate elections by anyone on the Left rings quite hollow to me, my friend, especially when, to top it all off, Leftists regularly dismiss the will of the people’s elected representatives and find a few judges to overturn legislation that they don’t like.
Wait.
The male-female wage gap is a lie?
Systemic racism didn’t exist?
Global warming doesn’t exist?
Is easily refutable a synonym for Mark’s “I know a guy” or “I read it somewhere?”
“The male-female wage gap is a lie?”
– The male/female wage gap, when controlling for variables such as length of time in the workforce, the type of education and majors the respective genders achieve and enter, leaving the workforce for child rearing, relative propensity to ask for a raise – goes to near parity. It is easily refutable. To point this out gets the “war on women” talking point, which is a lie.
“Systemic racism didn’t exist?”
– He didn’t say systemic racism “didn’t exist” … as in the past tense. That was a sneaky little add-on you just made to distort his meaning.
“Global warming doesn’t exist?”
– Now you’re lying by omission. You left out the part of his phrase where he said “imminent catastrophic.” That obviously changes the meaning.
Bluto you sir, are a liar. That is not name-calling. It is a description, and a perfect example of my earlier point that the most pervasive and destructive form of voter suppression is a willingness to lie without the slightest regret. Again, with the huge advantage provided by your willingness to lie so incredibly blatantly about anything and everything it is a damn miracle that your side does not win elections with 90% of the vote in this country. You obviously think LA Dodger Talk readers are as idiotic as most of the people who voted with you. People like you scare the hell out of me. Dodgerpatch very clearly explained why.
40 years ago, 9 April 1981 born Fernandomania…..
Yep, he pitched in a couple of games at the end of the 1980 season. But when Ruess was not able to make the opening day start, the kid stepped in and the next few months were magical. In fact, it was a magical year.
There are no dead people voting. There are not even live people pretending to be people who are dead. It is made up. It is Republican propaganda to try to suppress the vote.
I repeat, there was a massive study done in 2016, and they found something like a possible fifty cases of voter fraud out of tens of millions of votes cast. In Texas, they just looked and looked for voter fraud in the recent election, and they have found 17 cases to investigate, out of twelve million votes cast, and those seventeen are not necessarily fraud, but they are investigating them. That is Texas, probably the most socially darwinian state in the union, where they froze hundreds of people because they have monopolistic control of one power grid; and where thousands of people lost many thousands of dollars because the power company drastically raised prices, and these people had automatic pay, so now some of them have been financially ruined by this. . And even Texas can only find seventeen possible cases of voter fraud, at the most, out of 12 million ballots cast.
But still the Right hammers away at voter fraud. Why? 1) Because they cannot accept that Democrats can sometimes wine elections, they believe they must have cheated in some obscure and never actually verified way. 2) This gives them the opportunity to pass state laws which will make it much more difficult for Democrats to vote, particularly minority Democrats in big cities.
Last year, many Black people in Georgia had to wait up to ten hours in line to vote. That is obscene. It is because, like most states in the Deep South, there are not nearly enough voting places in big cities. That is on purpose. But they still lost, so now they have really taken the gloves off, and are throwing up every impediment to voting that they think they can get away with. And in Georgia, they have gone so far as to allow the Republican controlled state legislature to appoint the majority of every election board, with the power to overturn any result that they choose, calling it “underperforming.” That is right, they can simply declare that the Republican won the race, no matter what the vote totals are. That should horrify every American, but it obviously does not, which is a tragedy, because played out, it inevitably would lead to a totalitarian state, the very kind which people always want to say that they deeply hate, but do not seem to understand the nature of when it encroaches here.
So what should people who care about democracy do? Just let it go, I guess, all of it. America the totalitarian, where a state like Georgia will decide who wins elections, based on whom they want to win. Or maybe do something? Boycotts are legitimate forms of protest, Republicans do it all the time. They held ceremonies burning Dixie Chicks records, and told stations not to play them. Some of them who are NFL fans vowed to never watch the games, because they did not like the kneeling at the National Anthem. They cheered when the ratings went down some. They cheered when the Oscar show ratings went down.
But Democrats are supposed to just sit and take it? Manfred is not someone I admire but he is not foolish enough to do this on his own. He said that he consulted with several owners. So I doubt that he would make a unilateral decision. Republicans, always searching for a way to outrage their declining base, now say that this is awful, we will teach those liberals for moving the all-star game. By doing what? Coming out to vote in Georgia? The Georgia law already guaranteed that Republicans will win every election there, they don’t even have to waste their time to vote. People will get used to that, the social psychologists call it learned helplessness. No point tin voting, it has already been determined for you. Go to the movies, put some money in the corporations’ pockets, instead.
When you see laws which you believe are a major threat to democracy, you should try to do something about them, in a non-violent manner. Not in the way that the insurrectionists tried to kill elected officials and police officers at the capitol on January 6, 2021. Boycotts, even moving sporting events, can be debated, but it is legitimate. Polls have shown that most people do not like the voting suppression laws, does that matter at all?
Biden has torn the country apart?? Seriously? Trump was trying to have the vote certification stopped by violent protests for which he made sure the national guard would not be called to stop. The idea was to keep Biden from taking office. If he could get enough violence, he would declare martial law, and remain in office. But Biden is tearing the country apart? His Covid Relief Bill is very popular. His Jobs Act is very popular. His approval rating is much higher than Trump’s was in four years. He is not tearing anyone apart. Republicans got the idea that they were supposed to win all the elections, and are infuriated when they do not. I don’t think that moving the All-Star game was a great idea. But it was not a bad one, either. The awful idea was passing a bill which would curtail voting, and make sure that even if a Democrat won something, the Republican Board could reverse it. That is true evil. The moving of the All-Star game is the distraction and deflection which obscures what led to it.
“There are no dead people voting. There are not even live people pretending to be people who are dead. It is made up. It is Republican propaganda to try to suppress the vote.”
Here’s what really puzzles me: Do you really believe that? I feel sorry for you if you really do. What about the 2018 congressional race in North Carolina that was overturned by the state election board? Or the mayor of Gordon, Alabama, who was removed from office last year after his conviction for absentee ballot fraud?
John and Grace Fleming both were found guilty of duplicate voting, once by absentee ballot in New Hampshire and then in person in Massachusetts.
Reginald Holman, a city council member in Ashtabula, Ohio, who was forced to resign after an investigation found he illegally registered at his parents’ address in Ashtabula rather than his actual residence in Plymouth, Ohio.
Take the case of Courtney Rainey in Canton, Mississippi, who was found guilty of bribing and harassing individuals to win a municipal election.
Or take the case of April Atilano, who was found guilty of changing party affiliations of voters and forging signatures on voter registration forms, among other things. Atilano was hired by a private company to contact and register voters in Madera County, California.
Voting by mail makes it easier to commit fraud, intimidate voters, and destroy the protections of the secret ballot. It puts elections into the hands of the Postal Service. Without the oversight of election and polling officials, ballots can be lost, disqualified, and even stolen.
In Georgia, the State Election Board has referred 35 cases of election-law violations to the attorney general or local district attorneys for a criminal prosecution, including these cause which were bound over for prosecution, including the following:
—The New Georgia Project, which allegedly submitted 1,268 voter registration applications after the 10-day deadline, causing voters to be disenfranchised in the March 19, 2019 special election;
—Samunta Shomine Pittman of Atlanta for allegedly submitting 70 false voter registration applications while canvassing for the Coalition for the People’s Agenda;
—Floyd Jones and the Fayette County Board of Elections and Voter Registration where he was director at the time for alleged improper handling of four memory cards registering 2,760 votes in the Nov. 3, 2020 general election;
and a whole lot more!
Bruce Bartman, a 70-year-old from Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was also charged with voter fraud.
He pretended to be his dead mom to vote for President Donald Trump in the 2020 election and registered his dead mother-in-law to vote, prosecutors said.
The mayor of Gordon, Alabama, was removed from office last week after a jury found him guilty on two felony counts of absentee ballot fraud. Elbert Melton won by 16 votes, and so evidently thought he had to cheat to win. Melton notarized several absentee ballots while no witnesses were present—ballots that voters had not signed in his presence.
In Georgia, a Dade County man, Edward Skwiot, who died in 2015 at age 82, was issued a mail-in ballot on Oct. 1, which state records show was accepted on Oct. 19.
County Executive Ted Rumley said the case was now under investigation by the sheriff’s office.
Scott Christiansen, who was married to Deborah Jean Christiansen from Roswell, an Atlanta suburb, was shocked to learn that she was registered to vote on Oct. 5, long after she passed away in May 2019.
I could go on and on, but you lost the whole case in the first paragraph.
YOU ARE DEAD WRONG… and once I prove that you have ZERO credibility, no matter how much more you write!
Here is a list as of March 9th of Pending Litigation on the ABA”s site:
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/election_law/litigation/
However, I am sure they are all false.
Not one of your better replies Mark.
First of all, two of those people are dead people voting. TWO . In a country of hundreds of millions. If that how you define a problem, then you and I are of different mentalities fundamentally. And it’s statistically insignificant.
Second the people who were caught. WERE CAUGHT. The system works.
One of William’s points is that the new Georgia rule is ex nihilis. It’s coming out of nothing.
I think you just bettered that point.
I think it takes a moron to get caught with the systems in some states, so I think it actually proves my point. Most people get away with it. You are a smart guy – put aside the emotion and look at the logic.
The big lie was that there was no election fraud by the left. When they stopped the count when Trump was hundreds of thousands votes ahead and trucked in bogus Biden ballots until he won.
Biden has wanted to be President since the 70’s and no one wanted him. No one wanted Harris either and she got no support when she was running for President. Yet these two losers got more votes than the person who had the highest vote total ever for a sitting President.
There was plenty of proof and sworn affidavits from all around the country but the courts wouldn’t hear anything.
As to the insurrection
How come we haven’t heard anything about the people arrested. The corrupt media covers up that the left had people involved.
And instead of just repeating left wing talking points why don’t you defend what Biden is doing. Do you support open borders?
Hey William, if the election was so legitimate why is the military still occupying DC? People who win honest elections don’t need the military to enforce them. If you believe everything you wrote here, you are beyond help. Keep believing the lies.
The handful of “insurrectionists” has more coverage than the nightly “peaceful protests” in Portland and Seattle. No insurrection label there.
The stats for the last election were so askew, it’s akin to a baseball player breaking every record in the same season. No cheating there.
First time in 100 years that the bell-weather counties voted against the winner
Biden and Trump both received more votes than any other President.
Just about all of the swing states had voter dumps in the middle of the night after the polls closed that flipped the result.
I’m assuming that you’re fine with the “anomalies” because it favored your desired result and don’t care to look into them. Or, you’re completely biased so you only get news from the same people who told you about peaceful protests while burning buildings were in the background.
By the way, someone is already convicted with voter fraud in the last election. No one contests there wasn’t any voter fraud, they say it wasn’t “wide-spread” which is a completely subjective term especially when the difference in 3 swing states was less than 1%.
If a state allows everyone to vote and requires ID, has early voting and absentee voting there is no voter suppression. If you believe that narrative, you’re drinking cool-aide from a firehose.
Sorry William but you must be living in some alternative universe. Wow, I wouldn’t even know where to start with a guy like you, something is really broken. I’m not attacking you really, you are a truly amazing. I think you are best left alone to stew in your own juices at this point. The truth hurts but I’m afraid you wouldn’t recognize it if it hit you in the face.
Well, I haven’t waded into the fray until now. I must say that it is with some trepidation that I do now. First, I have wanted nothing more than just to have this debate go away, so I didn’t want to throw fuel on the fire. Second, I don’t want to be cancelled myself. If I’m going to honestly state my opinions, I don’t want to be attacked or labelled. I haven’t attacked anyone on this blog, and I want be treated in a respectful way, the same way that anyone would want to be treated.
So, first, I disagree with the decision to move the All Star game. I think that it hurts the people of Georgia who haven’t done anything to deserve it. I think that it also inflames the culture wars, which are tearing apart the country. At the same time, I am against voter suppression. I think we should do everything possible to enfranchise voters, not disenfranchise them. And I mean voters of all stripes. It is healthy for democracy for as many people as possible to vote. With regards to the Georgia law, I agree with the idea of having voter IDs. We have them here in Europe and no one complains. The rest of the provisions strike me as nothing more than political hardball. Trying to get an edge in voter turnout. Whether the people who made the law are rascist, I really don’t care. I don’t know the people or what is in their hearts. I do think that the effect will be to disenfranchise voters, which I am against.
Having said that, I have a very important question to ask the readers of this blog. Look into your heart, and ask yourself the following question. Do you care more about MLB’s moving the All Star game or the insurrection at the Capitol? It may seem like a strange question, but here is my reasoning. I have been following this blog daily since just before the pandemic. It has been a lifeline during a difficult time. When rioters stormed the Capitol, there was hardly a word said here. There was hardly any debate or discussion. It was barely mentioned. There were almost no expression of outrage or disgust, even though our democracy was under threat and 5 people died. And yet, when MLB moves the All Stat game, all hell breaks loose here. Why is that? Well, you could answer that it’s because this is a baseball blog, and MLB’s decision made it impossible to ignore this intrusion of politics into the game that we love. Okay, fair point. But I ask you to look into your hearts and ask yourselves honestly, which truly bothered you more?
For me personally, there is no contest here. As much as I love baseball, I love democracy more. I disagree with MLB’s decision, and it bothers me, but I found the insurrection deeply disturbing and troubling. In the final analysis, I could live without baseball, as sad as that would be. But the destruction of American democracy would break my heart.
Now, what are the implications for our blog?
Simply put, baseball is one of those things that brings us together. You can go to any bar (well, when we used to go to bars!) and strike up a conversation about baseball. And you could have a very enjoyable conversation and it wouldn’t matter one iota what the person’s political persuasion was. There are people on this blog whose political views I agree with and people I don’t. However, I don’t reject anyone here based on his or her views. We need to find ways to come together, to stop attacking and disqualifying each other, and start listening to each other. We need to do that for all of our sakes. Politics may be a blood-sport, but it is not a game like baseball. It is not a zero-sum game, where one side walks away the winner and the other the loser. If our democracy fails, we are all losers.
So let’s keep it respectful here and in our society in general. For all of our sakes. And let’s get back to the Dodgers.
“When rioters stormed the Capitol, there was hardly a word said here. There was hardly any debate or discussion. It was barely mentioned. There were almost no expression of outrage or disgust, even though our democracy was under threat and 5 people died. And yet, when MLB moves the All Stat game, all hell breaks loose here. Why is that?”
I won’t attack you for this. It’s something I actually thought of, too. It’s a fair question. To be honest, moving the ASG is relatively small potatoes compared with everything else. Maybe b/c this specific act involves baseball, which makes ignoring the larger political issues relevant to the blog.
“There are people on this blog whose political views I agree with and people I don’t. However, I don’t reject anyone here based on his or her views. We need to find ways to come together, to stop attacking and disqualifying each other, and start listening to each other. We need to do that for all of our sakes. Politics may be a blood-sport, but it is not a game like baseball. It is not a zero-sum game, where one side walks away the winner and the other the loser. If our democracy fails, we are all losers.”
Eloquently put.
Congratulations David and dodgerpatch for what I think is the first civil exchange of thoughts in the past week. I’ve mostly stayed away from commenting lately because what I’ve seen has totally depressed me. Your two comments give me a little bit of hope that people can discuss their differences respectfully. Thank you.
David,
That is a good question with a simple answer: Baseball had nothing to do with storming the Capital, which by the way, I think is despicable. But baseball canceled the All-Star Game. Apples to oranges!
By the way, I was in DC that day. Nowhere near the Capital! It was one of the most awe-inspiring things I ever saw: Over a million people and what a kind and gentle bunch! Don’t judge the Trump supporters by a few idiots (maybe 2,000+) who stormed the Capital or I will say that the Dems are all Antifa and BLM who intimidated thousands, beat hundreds, killed dozens, and did Billions of dollars of damages to cities and Federal Buildings.
Mark, my point was about listening to each other and not cancelling each other. Not about Trump supporters, Antifa, BLM, or any of that. It is not a condemnation of you or anyone. It is a plea for understanding each other, rather than stereotyping each other.
Only thing missing today will be Vinny. I really wish he could be part of these ceremony’s. Prince Phillip passed away at the age of 99. Long life being second fiddle to the Queen. It will be nice seeing fans in the stands today…Will be looking for ya Bobby……..Lets see a Betts bomb in his first game in LA in front of the home crowd. Buehler gets the call.
How many fans?
I’ll take the over on 15,000 that are said to be the limit.
In the NC area and Dodgers game is blacked out b/c we are playing DC.
Any ideas how I can watch this game?? I hate these dated regional blackout rules. If I have to Ill listen to Rick and Charley, but I really want to see these games….what a bummer…
If you have Direct TV
Try channel 690. Sports net la
After the game starts
Try “volokit.com” I watch all the Dodger games on my computer because our provider doesn’t carry the Dodgers.
Was not aware of this but if it had taken place it would have been another reason to hate Fox ownership
https://news.sportslogos.net/2021/04/08/la-dodgers-almost-dropped-dodger-blue-for-dodger-purple-in-1990s/baseball/
No Bellinger no Betts in the lineup today.
I truly hate where our country is going but please stop this! PLAY BALL not bull!
Can someone, please, tell me what time the game starts today? It is scheduled at 1:10, but at that time is the first pitch? or at that time does the ring-giving ceremony begin? I finish my work day at 2, hopefully I get home early so I can watch the game, or at least most of it. PLEASE!
I have made no secret about my distain for Rob Manfred and his minions. He’s dangerous and an idiot. I have bad feelings about the power he uses to rule the game. Maybe this collection of “doctored” baseball is some common exercise my MLB. Or NOT. I don’t trust Manfred as far as I could throw him and it would not surprise me one bit if he pulled a rabbit out of his hat with a fine or suspension – to Bauer.
In November, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris quoted a coach with experience in several major-league organizations as saying, “Almost everyone is using something.” A player-development executive told Sarris the benefits are “better than steroids.”
“Better” How? Better grip on the ball of better strength and endurance? That’s the biggest pile of bullshit ever. Comparing steroids to adding a foreign substance? Rosin, Pine Tar or whatever add grip, spin and control. The last I checked, there was no evidence that pine tar makes your nuts swivel up or gives you a size 81/2 head. That “player development exec was probably one who believed MLB’s claim that player steroid use back at it’s peak was 7%-10%, when in fact it was about 70%.
I would never doubt or be surprised if Manfred used Bauer as a sacrificial lamb. This is right up Rob’s alley.
I personally have had a gut full of all the political posts. But I do believe in personal freedom. The freedom here is I had the voice of not reading the posts. It’s the same with Facebook. I waste no energy trying to convince someone I’ve never met to change their minds.
Luke Raley for Bellinger, why not Matt Davidson? Another lefty
Raley is on the roster and he is also on the taxi squad that traveled with the team. Davidson is a non roster guy on a minor league deal and someone would have to be cut in order to activate him. Raley is already in LA>
One reason I would think is that Raley can play outfield and Davidson can’t. I was wondering about Peters, then I thought Taylor would be the main replacement for Belli anyway, so they need a bench bat. So, bench bat + outfielder = Raley.
They could have used Peters, But like I said, Raley is with the team. Peters and Davidson are at the extended spring training with the rest of the minor leaguers in Arizona. Logistical and roster wise, the smart move.
Is it just me or are the umps calling way too many strikes on balls off the outside edge this year?
The strike zone seems to have expanded
Buehler has pitched great through 6 innings!
Any recommendations on bullpen choices to hold the lead?
1 Gonzalez
2 Treinen
I would say Gonsolin but he is on the IL.
To be more specific Gonzalez against both sides of the plate hopefully to close it out and go the distance. Otherwise Treinen in the 9th and hopefully against RHB only. But if there’s a lefty batter in the ninth bring in either Alexander or Knebel.
There you go Treinen gave up a double to a LHB. And I smell Jansen appearing in the ninth. If so that’s stupid Doc and Jansen wanting a save opportunity.
Oops I forgot about the three batter minimum rule.
Kenley Jansen… all the way!
Who’s closing?
Well, lets see who comes out to pitch the 8th. If it is Knebel, then Treinen will most likely get the 9th. Just hope it is not gas KAN KENLEY. 4 hits today….3 by Turner, 1 by the rest of the team. Not good so far. Treinen in the 8th…….so hopefully someone not named Jansen in the 9th. Kersh against Scherzer on Sunday, May’s start pushed back.
It will be Jansen in the 9th!
Can he bounce back and pitch a successful inning?
They have to find out.
Nope, it was Knebel and he was Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaat !
Well at least Kenley won’t blow the save today!
That was an impressive save! By our new closer? Great teams can win in all kinds of ways!
Hey Eric, want to retract your evaluation of Knebel???? That was impressive stuff. And oh yeah, Treinen got out of the jam…so I guess Roberts knows what the hell he is doing.
I’m all good with Treinen as long as you keep him away from LHB. I just pointed out that he gave up a double to a LHB. Then he faced all RHB except Soto who he intentionally walked.
Knebel has some weird career stats, he is good against RHB and bad against LHB. Reverse splits.
I’m not always right but if you go with career stats you will be more right than wrong. And the main stat that I look at is OPS versus right and versus left and I have a cut off at .700.
I’m giving away my secrets for free. LOL.
Treinen is not all that bad against LHB to call him a ROOGY like I did with Kolarek and Floro. But I would still try to keep him away from LHB.
Oops I meant to say Knebel is good against LHB and bad against RHB. I’m sick today so my brain is not working right.
Knebel is like Treinen not all that bad against a particular side of the plate. But I would still try to keep him away from RHB if possible.
I got a couple things wrong here today and had to correct it because I’m sick today my brain just isn’t working right. So I’m sorry about the multiple posts.
Hope you start to feel
Better soon
Hey thanks I appreciate that.
I think Knebel is a different pitcher than he was with the Brewers.
He throws his curveball a lot more and his four seamer a lot less. He is still about a 1 MPH slower on his fourseamer than 2017, which was his best year. So far, he’s getting more ground balls and not getting as many swing and misses. Still early and small sample size, obviously, but if he relies on his fastball I don’t think he can be as effective as he was in 2017.
Great win Dodgers!!! Robert’s with a good decision even if we had lost he had to do it. Didn’t know he had it in him. When treinen was in I thought we were in crisis but sadly that is at the border. Keep up the good work Mark!
I’m not talking politics all I Gotta say is. What a team , what a team, what a team, what a good team, what a mighty good team
My condolences to DBM’s Family and friends , Her post will be missed
Great game in defense for Will Smith
No politics from me all I Gotta say is What a team, What a team, what a great team, what a mighty great team
My condolences to DBM’s family and friends, I will miss her posts to this site
Oh yeah Kneble was wipe out
Unfortunately, we haven’t seen the next new closer yet, and like it or not, it will still be Kenley.
Which sounds logical, since we cannot assure anything just for one game, for better (Knebel) or for worse (Kenley) stay tuned, there will still be more news to come.
The ceremony and the story behind the ring
https://youtu.be/2HYLv5m2moY
https://youtu.be/twdMoxasWeo
I doubt many here Eric would want to steal your secrets about how you rate a reliever. See, the problem is that things change year to year. Not long ago, the Dodgers simply could not beat LHP. No matter how hard they tried, their record against lefty’s was abysmal. Well individual players are even harder to predict. Knebel was out close to 2 years. He is not going to be the same pitcher. So using his past stats and basing you evaluation on prior splits just is not going to fly. Just like your stats for Treinen. They will change year to year. In 2018, lefty’s hit .192 against him.
2018 was Treinen’s best year. Anyone can have a good year at anytime.
I use OPS and Treinen has only had 2 years with a sub .700 OPS against LHB and 1 year was the shortened 2020 year.
I don’t have a problem with Treinen, but it’s better to keep him away from LHB as much as possible. But It’s impossible to 100% avoid LHB because of the 3 batter minimum rule
As I said before, career stats can give you a prediction of future stats, it’s not 100% accurate but you’ll be right a lot more often than wrong.
Here is a couple questions for you: First question, Which Dodger or Dodgers do you think is/are going to have a good year or possibly a career year? Then the 2nd question is, why do you think so?
A matter of fact if you read my first post above I was hoping Doc would use Treinen today and he did.
What makes this country Great is our Constitution. It is important that we all read it as it is amazing.
It should be required reading with comprehension in all schools
I stand with Mark. Anyone who takes what the MSM says at face value is not very bright. They and the Democrat party are inseparable and are taking us where we don’t want to go. It was one of the saddest days of my life when MLB saw fit to be a useful idiot for the left.
On a different note, I thought the ring ceremony was particularly classy, especially the testimonials by former players.
https://youtu.be/twdMoxasWeo