Let me apologize: On this site, I try to never mix politics with the Yankees.
The world needs a safe place for nut-bag Yank fans, and regardless of your or my political views, that's what IT IS HIGH needs to be. You'll always be welcome here.
But today, with the chaos that I'm afraid is about to unfold, I just can't bring myself to agonize over whether TJ Rumfield remains a viable alternative at 1B. (I think he could be, but the lack of power is concerning, and, oh, fukkit, who are we kidding? the Yankees will sign some fat guy who peaked in 2022.) Obviously, what I think doesn't matter. The Yankees won't change. Cashman will return, Boone will return, Food Stamps Hal will just grow richer until his money stacks to the moon, and whenever there's a chance to make a bad deal, rest assured, the Yankees will make it.
Back in 2004, when the floors caved in, I thought nothing could ever be worse. Then, last week, in one single inning, I was proven once again to be a fool.
I think the America we knew is over. And, today, I just can't do this.
Our younger daughter is 18, the older one 30 with a new baby. Label me as a pessimist but I wish I could see a way forward for them.
ReplyDeleteSo you are trying to say that these people have to die off for things to change...
ReplyDeleteI can't either, Hart....
ReplyDeleteMy wife's late grandmother (in Germany) used to buy dress shirts for me as Christmas presents. One year I got a brown shirt. Guess I should dust that fucker off.
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't pass for one if you tried, JM. Time to hunker down. I never really wanted Social Security, Medicare of a functioning federal government, anyway. Nah, not I.
DeleteWill it still fit?
DeleteIt's a very generous cut, AA.
DeleteIf anything happens to Soc Sec, I'm totally fucked.
It's a joyous day for all the pigfucking billionaores.
ReplyDeleteHear, hear, Duque! You're not our Peerless Leader for nothing. I have tried hard to abide by the "no politics" rule, too. But today, I feel as though I am in mourning. This is the death of an America that I have loved since even before I discovered baseball. To quote Randy Newman, "You're the greatest dream man has ever dreamed..." And now I fear it is finished.
ReplyDelete2024 just doesn't stop delivering the good times,
ReplyDeletedoes it. It is only November 6th which means that
there are still 55 additional days to go until they pull
back the skin of 2025. 55 more - of 2024.
I'm reminded of Sol Roth’s character's elective euthanasia
(Going Home) in Soylent Green. Perhaps this will be the
next huge business start-up opportunity for the deep pocketed
denizens of Moneytown (maybe minus the recycled human
food part of it)
Did Sol listen to Vivaldi at the end? I can't remember the composer, but it was sprightly. The opposite of how I feel, which is numb from shock.
Delete"In the 1973 film Soylent Green, Sol Roth listens to the following classical music during his death scene:
DeleteSymphony No. 6 ("Pathétique"): By Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral"): By Beethoven
Peer Gynt ("Morning Mood" and "Åse's Death"): By Edvard Grieg"
Pathetique is not exactly a lively toe-tapper, but there you go.
Still a better choice than say Dawn’s Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree
DeleteBut better than Knock Three Times? I think not.
DeleteGentlemen (do we have any ladies here?): I may be the most political person on this blog and have had to self-censor myself 1000 times, lest I be booted as I have been from every social media site. Today is my exception: this country has completed the long, slow wrong turn we began 4o years ago. The power elites have sealed their victory and will fuck us all over as much as they want, even their ignorant supporters. I have nothing but respect, admiration, and yes - affection for this commentariat and I wish you and your families and friends all the best. I won’t say god help us, since he has turned his back on us.
ReplyDeleteI agree, BTR. It's a sad day for us. For all of us, although millions of people who chose wrong don't know it yet. Sadly, they will.
Delete✅
DeleteI'm angry, I'm confounded, I'm disappointed, I'm sad, and to make it worse (because it shows how jaded I've become), I'm not that surprised.
ReplyDeleteTonight I leave for a trip to see the Giants play in Munich (yeah, I know, but the pre-season is always full of hope). This morning, I (whose forebears were murdered by Nazis), made a joke about seeking asylum in Germany.
Dear God, man, you're traveling to see the Giants? The Giants? What were you thinking? The Giants? You've gone mad! The Giants? They're the only thing worse than the recent Yankee debacle.
DeleteHinkey, Munich is brown territory. Doubtless lots of people there thinking this election turned out great.
DeleteMe, I stick more to the north and west, where the people seem more reasonable and sane. Berlin is generally great, but it is surrounded by East Germany. And yes, there is a big difference between East and West.
Safe travels
DeleteDuque, I agree with you a million %. I haven't been this depressed since...well 2016. But this time around there are no guardrails and there is presidential immunity. Yesterday, attempting to cover my anxiety with gallows humor, I joked that if Trump won, how many others here would be forced to watch the Yankees games from the Rogers Centre in Toronto. I guess we shall soon see.
ReplyDelete"I can't go on; I'll go on"
ReplyDelete- Samuel Beckett
I LOVE YOU ALL, MY BROTHERS.
ReplyDeleteTry not to kick the Beckett, Publius
ReplyDeleteOnly if it kicks me first, Carl
ReplyDeleteKick the Beckett...I like that.
ReplyDelete“Kick three times on the Beckett if you want me”
ReplyDelete71+ million of us chose to vote for convicted felon and all around despicable human being. How in God’s name could they all possibly think having him as our “leader” is remotely acceptable.
ReplyDeleteWhile we worry about Cashman and Boone, one has to ponder what has gone wrong in our country…..
The populace has become dumber and dumber. I bet 90 percent of people can't pass the citizenship test or any basic civics test. They don't read, many of them have never been out of the country or even the state they were born in. They're completely clueless about how the results are likely going to effect them, their Social Security, Medicare, food stamps and other programs many of them need to get by.
DeleteIt's a longer list, but generally ignorant and uninformed is a good catch-all.
Scott Boras ….. is he still alive?
ReplyDeleteThank you for asking…..Why yes, YES he is. And just in case you were craving some “Lemon-Fresh Boras” news to spice up today’s uneventful news cycle, here’s a quote from ScottyBoy:
Boras gave a pun-filled, 48-minute assessment of the market at the general managers meetings on Wednesday, calling Soto “the Mona Lisa of the museum.” Boras said only a handful of players have matched Soto’s accomplishments at age 26, mentioning Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Ted Williams, and boasted “he has literally 15 years more of his prime to offer.”
“ You’re talking about a business opportunity where you can make literally billions of dollars by acquiring somebody,” Boras said. “You can really see that owners, general managers, that they’re kind of called upon to be championship magicians. ... It’s hard to do, to put together that magic of a championship run, but behind every great magician obviously is the magic Juan.”
There it is, that's Soto's asking price. 50 million for 15 years.
DeleteBrian just choked on his Quintessential Grilled Cheese sandwich from Serendipity. Hal looked at him darkly and shook his head.
Dumpster diving it is, Brian!
What? Pat Paulsen lost!?!?
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm out of a cabinet position. 🫤
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ReplyDeleteI will have to dissent. Does anyone here remember the 1970s? Nixon impeached. The Vietnam War STILL being fought. The 1973 oil embargo. Inflation up the ying-yang. Jimmy Carter, a "nuclear engineer," elected President (and proving unable to do the job).
ReplyDeletePersonally, I got some big raises, percentage-wise, in the 1970s. So did a lot of people I knew. We made almost nothing, so a 15% raise was no big deal. And what's worse, the big raises on small numbers proved unable to help us keep up with inflation.
The decade ended with a bang. Carter appointed Volcker as Big Fed Cheese; he raised interest rates to the sky. We elected a Hollywood Actor as President. In 1982, you could get serious double-digit interest income if you had $ to buy Treasury paper (I did not). In 1984, when I bought my first house, the interest rate was 13.75%. I blanched at that, but my wife wanted to live in a house we owned.
I've omitted here: The Hostage Crisis. Whip Inflation Now! The pump price of gasoline going from 25 cents/gallon to $1.00 in what seemed like a day. The shooting of George Wallace (not too long after JFK, RFK, MLK, and Malcolm X were killed).
And of course, during the 1970s, one heck of a lot of really bad music.
Perhaps the 2020s, and Donald J. Trump, are not quite as awful.
No, they're worse. Wait and watch.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI composed a long response and then deleted it. Pointless. I agree with you, JM. And for the record, there was some amazing music during the 1970s, not least being the Clash.
DeleteRegarding 70’s music:
ReplyDeleteSteely Dan
Eagles
Earth, Wind, and Fire
70’s music was awesome.
Agreed on the music! And you're leaving out Elvis Costello, still a lot of good Dylan, the last great Stones album (Some Girls), Joni Mitchell, Blondie, and so much more.
ReplyDeleteNow? Not so much.
Ramones, Talking Heads, all that amazing reggae and dub - can you say Bob Marley, King Tubby, and a thousand others? - Brian Eno, King Crimson, and that other amazing band: Presidents Who Did Not Betray the Oath of Office?
Delete