Anything to win, even cheat

Any of the 12 readers of this blog know that I am a Chicago Cubs fan and even with their success this year I am guarded until I see the final results.

Overall though, I am a fan of baseball as a game and enjoy watching as much as I can. I respect good play and good players and abhor poor sports, showboats and self promoters. A J Pierzynski of the Chicago White Sox is at least 2 of the 3.

Many remember his dropped 3rd third strike ruse in the 2005 playoffs against the Angels wherein he was called out on a third strike and ran to first base after catcher Josh Paul rolled the ball to the mound. Replays clearly showed Umpire Doug Eddings made the out sign but he was too intimidated to affirm his own call and challenge Pierzynski. The White Sox later scored and won the game making good use of the extra out. Ultimately the Sox would have won the World Series even with the correct call but A J’s willingness to use deceit is the telling trait.

After watching the Cubs victory today I switched channels to watch the Sox who are a very talented and exciting team this year with a team full of classy gamers (save Pierzynski). After the Sox tied the game in the ninth Pirzyski singled in the tenth and advanced to second on a sacrifice fly. The problem came when he attempted to go to third on Jermaine Dye’s ground ball to short. Caught in a rundown Pierzynski clearly reached out with his left arm and appeared to graze third baseman Willy Aybar who was subsequently called for interference. Pierzynski is smart and used his knowledge of the rules to cheat. As an added insult Pierzyski stepped on the infield grass while running out of the baseline, an infraction that he should have been called out for committing. The umpire can see a phantom touch of Pierzynski (he whiffed on contact anyway) but cannot see him run out of the baseline or that he clearly initiated the contact in the first place. This is a feat of umpire malfeasance to beat the band, he could have gone four ways with a call on this matter and picked the worst and most incorrect of the lot. As for Pierzynski, it matters not to him how he wins as long as he wins. Let’s give him the Jeff Gillooly award for sportsmanship.

Even more disturbing was the White Sox announcers who applauded the play without mentioning the forced contact by their player.  Ken “Hawk” Harrelson went on and on about how impressed he has been with Pierzynski since his youth and Darren Jackson (the boring one) blathered about how smart a player the Sox had in Pierzynski.

Smart isn’t always ethical and winning is only good if you earn it. The Sox may well have won this game on their own today and they definitely earned their World Series in 2005. It is unfortunate that they embrace poor character in the process.

We live in a society where every child in Little League gets a trophy and we don’t we even keep score for the first few years so we don’t damage little Johnny’s self-esteem but the at the highest levels we tolerate or even celebrate poor character like that exhibited by Pierzynski as long as it means a victory. Maybe this explains how blowhards like Barack Obama get as far as they do without exhibiting character or substance.

By the way, the name of umpire that blew the call?  Doug Eddings.

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says, Social Issues at 5:01 AM EDT

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In a manner that has become increasingly popular and alarmingly common, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones announced his retirement today, the move will be effective at the end of his term. This is the fourth Illinois Democrat politician to “retire” after standing for the primary election to assure a seat for their children in the last four years. All of the politicians mentioned are from that hotbed of Democracy known as Cook County.

It started in 2004 when long time 3rd District Congressman Bill Lipinski retired to spend more time with his family and anointed his son Dan to fill his seat. Apparently the elder Lipinski had some sort of epiphany between the March primary and August of that year that told him his family desperately needed his presence, otherwise he most assuredly would have given his son the opportunity to stand on his own and face the people of the Illinois third as the greenhorn he was and in many ways still remains. Anyone knows a primary victory in the Third is essentially the same as winning the general in a district where the Republicans haven’t even offered token resistance since 1994. 2004 brought us Ryan Chlada, suspected to be a Democrat plant and 2006 brought Ray Wardingly who seems to have the suffix perennial candidate attached to his name. In what is sure to become a trivia question in Democratic wards in the future, Wardingly now vows to run against Jones’ son Emil III.

The younger Jones has the same blank resume’ as Lipinski who taught at the University of Tennessee until his call to the family business. He is a Regional Manager at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. A job he most assuredly was deemed qualified to hold because of his last name and parental heritage. Most often those are the only qualifications needed in Illinois politics. The Department has done such a great job that we have just registered record unemployment figures for the recent era.

To add insult to injury, Jones stands to collect a six figure pension by 2010 which is 26% higher than his current Senatorial salary. Nice work if you can get it and Emil III (or should we just call him Trey?) just got it. This insult is heaped upon the insults provided by Lipinski, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger and former County Commissioner and short term President Bobbie Steele who resigned and appointed her son at the 11th hour. I would say Illinois in general and Cook County in particular have become a joke if only this were funny. We also have political family franchises in our constituional offices with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, daughter of the powerful speaker of the house along with Dan Hynes, State Comptroller; though at least those two stood for election in the primary.

This fetid political cauldron is the place where our current Democratic Presidential Candidate and personal savior Barack Obama cut his political teeth. He considered Jones a mentor and worked side by side in the Senate with Madigan. He endorsed Todd Stroger during his election and apparently sees nothing wrong with this miscarriage justice parading as a free election. Where are the people when they no longer have a choice in political candidates? How can these power obsessed politicans represent the people when they feel entitled to the position in the first place? It is not Public Service it is the public serving the candidates and their families in perpetuity.

Government creates nothing, it only takes and out of nothing we increasingly get a similar return on our investment.

Posted by Biloxi in Cook County, Illinois Politics at 9:26 PM EDT

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…let me count the ways.

A letter to a presidential hopeful:

Let’s start with your trip to the Middle East followed by your whirlwind tour of Europe. You needed to get your rear end out to see the war you have been wrongly criticizing, then you refuse to give the credit to the surge, General Petraeus and ultimately our troops by claiming the relative calm state there compared to a year ago was caused by an inexplicable confluence of events that occurred and those valiant men and women were merely swept along with the tide of good fortune. Bad move if you want to be a Commander in Chief. Iraq is stable because of our troops and the General’s brilliant strategy. Whatever happened to the virtue of admitting you are wrong? President Bush was pounded for not ever admitting error early in his term yet you sir won’t admit the surge was a correct strategy and the driving force in the current successes, even with a supplicant media allowing you to use 20-20 hindsight. This alone, disqualifies you from being the leader of the United States but there is so much more.

You ridicule a gas tax holiday and claim it would have little effect on lowering prices while you simultaneously oppose domestic exploration of any kind claiming that drilling in ANWAR or offshore would have little effect for 10 years while barely reducing gas prices at the pump. Wrongheaded and reckless sir. You tout renewable energy sources that will take 10 years or more to develop, why not do both in tandem? You complain about our reliance on foreign oil while doing everything you can to restrict our ability to diminish said dependence. Not only does your stance (and that of your party) defy logic, it seriously dents the claims of intelligence I hear circling when others mention your name. I know Columbia University and Harvard Law can do better than you. You’re certainly not stupid but definitely no Einstein.

You are running to be the President of the UNITED STATES yet you sell yourself as a citizen of the world in your Berlin egofest and suck up to world opinion. I want America’s interests served first and damn world opinion. We have always acted in the best interests of mankind and your insinuations that we are somehow bad actors on the world stage in beneath contempt. We lead! Certainly with consideration for other countries but not to our own detriment as they suffer through their own diminishing influence and inferiority complexes. You claim that the 3000 deaths at the hands of the 9/11 terrorists were people from all countries downplaying the fact that America was attacked! 85% of the deaths were American and the other 15% were aspiring Americans and friends in OUR COUNTRY! We acted properly and damn those who refused to help. If you can’t see that you cannot be the President who acts in the manner that keeps our homeland safe. You, along with Senator McCain also wish to give up our sovereign right to protect and enforce our borders by legalizing up to 12 million lawbreakers. This train of thought is dangerous and shows that you cannot be trusted. Now or ever.

Now this week you claim your opponents will bring up your race as a reason you shouldn’t hold the office of the President. It is embarrassing for you and further evidence of your lack of the right stuff. A post racial candidate cannot cry racism without solid evidence and remain credible. Even your fawning press cannot cover it up.

I am from the Chicago area and am fully aware of your ties to the Daley machine and its excesses. You offer platitudes with no substance, hope with no kicker and change with no outline. You claim to be outside Washington but went there to make your name without impacting any substantive change in your brief Senatorial career. Your thin record is mostly party line yet you offer hope? Hope of what? Your long held associates are now political poison to you and you bailed on them the minute they became politically inconvenient to you. If you disavowed a 20 year relationship with your Pastor and long standing relationships with dubious “friends” like Tony Rezko and Bill Ayres what can those of us you don’t know expect from you? Loyalty? You promised us a full term in the Senate but ceased to do your duties on behalf of the people of Illinois barely one year into your term. Ambition shows no loyalty and you are consumed by it like almost no other before. I don’t trust people whose entire life was dedicated to the pursuit of political power. Government creates nothing, it only sucks life and expends the resources of the working people you look down upon. Senator, you are not fit to lead a parade, let alone the most blessed country on God’s earth.

One final thing, I resent you for making me put up a post that looks like I’m defending John McCain, he’s nearly as unqualified and disloyal as you.

Sincerely,

Biloxi

Posted by Biloxi in Obamastan, Politics, War on Terror at 9:19 PM EDT

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Global warming has been linked to all the ills that plague the earth lately. It is a way for humans to think they are actually more important than God. After being told that our carbon emissions are the cause of hurricanes, polar ice caps melting, mild winters and the waning numbers of polar bears we were informed earlier this month that global warming may now be a cause for increased occurrences of kidney stones. Before that could sink in we are slapped with information that the evil specter of climate change has led to an increase in kittens because it sends cats into heat earlier and causes it to last longer.

Is there anything the alarmists will not blame on this “crisis”? Is it possible that the earth is warming and it is not man’s fault? Perhaps this is cyclical and it is just part of normal historical cooling and warming cycles. Whatever it may be I just can’t wait to open my paper every morning and see what damage and evil man hath wrought upon this pristine planet. Heck maybe the hordes of feral kittens will finally be enough for Al Gore to give up his private jet, limousine and living quarters that could house a small nation. If we look at the bright side we can expect fewer mice and rats which could lead to a decrease in communicable disease. Of course the birds might want to keep their eyes open and parents need to keep on alert so the kitties don’t steal their breath.

Call me when they get to the heartbreak of psoriasis. I’ll be on pins and needles until then.

Posted by Biloxi in Liberal Illogic, Social Issues at 9:11 PM EDT

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Former Press Secretary to the current President and head speech writer for the 1st President Bush Tony Snow passed away at 53 today. It was not entirely unexpected as he had been suffering from a recurrence of colon cancer and it had been reported that it spread to his liver. Somehow I do not expect we will see a media spectacle quite on par with the recent canonization of Tim Russert after his untimely death prior to Father’s day. That said Tony was the best press secretary I have ever seen, in manner, presentation and knowledge. He was also not afraid to admit when he didn’t know the answer to a question. Tony could be combative at times but it was often brought about in response to combative or snide questioning from the primarily liberal White House press corps.

Snow compares favorably to Russert in that he worked in politics before getting into media, first as a newspaper columnist and then for 10 years as “moderator” of Fox News Sunday providing fair and balanced questioning despite his personal political leanings. He later left television for a syndicated show on radio.

Tony will be missed for his clear-headed views, even demeanor and piercing intellect. He got his point across without bombast and was fair to all. Champions of a balanced media and intellectual honesty will be lacking a true leader and the people of the United States will be a little under-served in that regard.

Go with God Mister Snow, Rest in peace. Tony’s may have been short but it was a full life and the world was a better place for his having been here.

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says, Politics at 4:09 PM EDT

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Even with a World Series victory in 2005 the Chicago White Sox management and some players (not to mention a large portion of the fan base) cannot seem to get over their jealousy and inferiority feelings towards their cross town rival Chicago Cubs. A Chicago Sun-Times article today relays more of the same whining we have heard from Sox manager Ozzie Guillen since his hiring in 2004. He claims it is all about repsect but it is obviously far deeper than that. I used to respect Guillen because he actually manages instead of going with pitch counts and conventional match-ups. He knows his players and their abilities and applies them accordingly. That said, his unholy preoccupation with the Cubs has shown the little-mindeness of his character and the immaturity within. All he needs to do is worry about himself and his team and the respect he is looking for will be there. It was in 2005 and has been since, despite the crying and insecurity exhibited by the manager, GM and some of the players of the South Side Ballclub. Grow up guys, just play ball and the rest will take care of itself. For heaven’s sake you sound like my kids.

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says at 11:51 AM EDT

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Is this the change the people are asking for? The Barakstar announced today that he will forgo public financing for his campaign. Such a statement made in February of 2007 might have been unique and refreshing but uttered now it only makes the cynical more so and shows the true lack of substance and character of Barack Obama.

Obama officials said they decided to take that route because McCain is already spending privately raised funds toward the general election campaign. Obama has vastly outraised McCain, however, and would likely retain that advantage if McCain accepts the public money.

Obama had no idea what kind of reception he would get on his lighter than air campaign back then so he kept the option in his hip pocket, claiming to support the public financing of campaigns while he does the exact opposite.

“It’s not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections,” Obama told supporters in a video message Thursday. “But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who’ve become masters at gaming this broken system.”

Broken, how? I thought McCain-Feingold fixed all of that. The system as currently structured actually stifles the voices of many by restricting their ability to use their voice (and/or money) within 30 days of the campaign. Later in the day Obama stated that he would need the money to fight “attack ads” from McCain supporters since the good Senator won’t do so himself. This is not only preposterous, it is an outright fabrication made with a straight face. McCain has repeatedly refused to use or support these supposed attacks to his own detriment. He called for the North Carolina Republican Party to pull a primary ad that criticized Obama for his relationship with his former Pastor Jeremiah Wright and has gotten himself sideways with the party for doing so. This is one of the many reasons I can’t stand McCain but it certainly runs contrary to the tripe put out daily by Obama and his campaign. Plain and simple, Obama has become a money raising machine and has come to like it, his new style of campaigning will include spending that money with abandon and filling the air with his fluff filled platitudes at a pace of 3 - 1 over the McCain campaign.

At the moment I’m more annoyed than usual with Barack for forcing me into a half-hearted yet necessary (at least for those who value truth) defense of John McCain. The luster continues to dull on this plastic candidate with each passing week, each stultifying speech and press conference. Flowery words that are devoid of meaning and substance, words with the consistency of cotton candy, sweet but lacking body and essence. Something that goes down good but leaves you hungry for something with some weight to it. Cloud words. Change, hope, opportunity, togetherness. For those with the ability to look beyond the soaring speeches that lead to nowhere there is more familiar political territory in the offing. Cynicism, partisanship, posturing and incompetency.

The “post racial” candidate disses his Muslim supporters in Michigan by refusing to allow them to sit in view of the cameras then blames it on his volunteers. Nonsense, those volunteers didn’t come up with the image idea out of whole cloth. This is a scripted campaign from the get go, it has a terrific ground organization as judged by his success in Iowa and other states yet it tasks two “volunteer” nincompoops to make seating decisions affecting image?

Mr. Togetherness isn’t as squeaky clean as he would like us to believe. Another chink in his armor revealing an empty suit is his refusal to accept even 4 or 5 town hall style debates with McCain. Senator Genuine can’t talk when he gets off the teleprompter or and cannot use the carefully written cloud words provided by the staff. His much publicized gaffes concerning health care and Iraq War funding are evidence of that which I speak. His togetherness message stands in contrast with his close associates known for their propensity for racist ranting. People like Jeremiah Wright, Michael Pfleger and Louis Farrakhan were not just passing acquaintances but 20 year associations. Finally, his claims of bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle have proven to be as without foundation as the rest of him. Look at the record, he has voted in lock step with the liberal party line at every level of career, rarely if ever crossing the aisle yet he criticizes McCain for being a third Bush term. The reason McCain is in hot water with much of the conservative electorate is for his over-willingness to get in bed with the Dems yet Barack wants to claim the upper hand on this issue and the media will probably let him get away with it.

Embrace Barack at your own risk. Grabbing onto the foundations behind his platform is like hugging a smoke filled suit, a little pressure and it crumbles to floor revealing its emptiness.

Posted by Biloxi in Obamastan, Politics at 10:45 PM EDT

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I was following a Toyota Prius yesterday that was going slow enough to cause a hazard. As my car does not even idle at those speeds I was forced closer to the environmentally conscious driver’s rear bumper than I really wanted to be. I was close enough to read the Free Tibet bumper sticker and since I was not going to get to my destination in a hurry it gave me time to think.

Why is it that the leftisits who are so vocal in support of Tibetian soverignity and their right of self determination are so often critical of The United States Government support of Taiwan? Like Tibet, The People’s Republic of China considers Taiwan (Formosa) to be a province within their soverign territory. The big difference between the two is that Taiwan has built a strong economy and a military presence over the years. Why then is one territory the darling of the left and the other is at best, ignored?

I believe the answer is that the American left is enamoured of the helpless and resent strength. Tibet as the conquered state engenders sympathy due to the brutal occupiers, while Taiwan is considered a militaristic rabble rouser. Democracy is not always the romantic story but it is the picture of freedom. It can grow but it must be fought for and protected, even to the death. Taiwan flies under the radar in the eyes of the left because they refuse to be victims and stand up for their independence from those that would oppress and enslave them. There has been saber rattling from both sides but as long as Taiwan stops short of a verbal decree of independence they have been left alone. President Clinton nearly upset the apple cart during his second term by accepting China’s concept that Taiwan was indeed legitimate Chinese territory. A liberal misconception is that peace exists merely by the abscence of war or open hostility. Ask Tibet or even the average citizen of the PRC how that has worked out. Taiwan has thrived and overcome its early authoritarian roots because it has shown strength in the face of threat. The United States has been a force in helping them build that strength and should remain a staunch ally. While international diplomatic concerns are obvious we must support the Taiwanese right to a Democratically elected government even if it stops short of a declaration of independence.

Any discussions our next President may have with the Chinese Communists should have a pre-condition that recognizes Taiwan’s right to free elections. Perhaps the left can consider our image abroad that they seem to be so worried about. What would it look like if we abandon a democratically elected government to the totalitarian oppressors? I know it is much more romantic to support the lost cause that is Tibet but reality is that a show of strength is far more effective.

If Tibet has a right to be free (and they do) then why not endorse the same right in Taiwan and even mainland China? So the next time we see a greenie driving down the street with a “Free Tibet” placard on their bumper maybe we ought to offer a Preserve Democracy in Taiwan one to go with it. Because we care.

Posted by Biloxi in Foreign Policy, Liberal Illogic at 2:28 PM EDT

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May we never forget the reason:

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says at 9:19 AM EDT

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As the professional sports teams raise the cost of attending a game and the players are paid astronomical sums for what is not exactly rocket science the least we should be able to expect is accountability.

During today’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs outfielder and highest paid team member Alphonso Soriano dropped a routine fly ball to left field wit two outs in the ninth allowing the tying run to score from first base and costing his team a win when Jason Bay singled home the winning run in the 11th.

Soriano’s commentary?

There wasn’t anything he could do differently, Soriano said.

I don’t know Fonz, maybe you could have tried catching the ball. That would be different. Two run homers matter not when your team loses a game they had in hand. Soriano is the one of the most overpaid and overrated players in the history of baseball and most certainly in the long and sordid history of the Cubs. While he can be an electric hitter who tears off 10 home runs in a week when he is hot, he also can cost the team games with a lack of clutch hitting and shoddy defense. If you want to collect the big money you need to be a complete player, something Soriano cannot even begin to claim. The Cubs have not won a World Series in 100 years and this is one of the reasons. Games are won with pitching and defense, not leadoff homers in a 13-2 game. And they wonder why the fans boo. If you screw up Fonzie, the least you could do is admit it.

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says, Chicago at 9:04 PM EDT

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