It might be a coincidence — or it might not.
The New York Mets are on an 11 game skid since New York mayor Zohran Mamdani hugged the team’s mascot.
An apology seems to be in order.
Forget the Red Sox&#8217; long-dead &#8220;Curse of the Bambino&#8221;—New York has a new, much more bureaucratically efficient disaster: The Mamdani Curse. On April 9, Mayor Zohran Mamdani stepped onto the field and wrapped his arms around Mrs. Met. Since that cold-blooded act of political affection, the Mets have gone 0-11. It’s as if the Mayor’s touch carried the same administrative efficiency he brings to City Hall, successfully grinding a <a href="https://www.wfmd.com/2026/04/18/new-york-mets-500-million-team-has-lost-10-games-in-a-row-after-zohran-mamdani-meeting/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$507 million engine of hope</a> into a stationary pile of expensive scrap metal.
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The New York Mets haven&#8217;t won a game since Mr &amp; Mrs Met hugged Zohran Mamdani <a href="https://t.co/VI0zqnoHRt">pic.twitter.com/VI0zqnoHRt</a>
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehoffather/status/2044420722240729143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Statistically, Mamdani is the most effective defensive player in Major League Baseball history. Since he made contact with the mascot, the Mets have scored a pathetic 1.8 runs per game. He has managed to do what no opposing pitcher could: he neutralized Francisco Lindor, turned Bo Bichette’s bat into a decorative toothpick, and sent the team’s playoff odds off a cliff, plummeting from a confident 89% to an almost certainly too hopefuly 47%.
While the mayor might be used to managing deficits, this 11-game skid is a masterclass in bankruptcy. It takes a special kind of political talent to walk into a stadium and accidentally lobby for a 100% tax on hits, runs, and basic competence. Watching the Mets right now is like watching a city council meeting on a Tuesday morning: long, painful, and ending with everyone wondering where all the money went.
Even when the team tries to fight back, the &#8220;Mamdani Curse&#8221; lingers like a bad zoning law. Against the Cubs, the Mets <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/sports/mets-drop-11th-straight-in-nightmare-extra-inning-loss-to-cubs/">managed to go</a> 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They aren&#8217;t just losing; they are failing with the kind of bureaucratic precision that suggests they’ve been ordered to stay in last place by the mayor&#8217;s office.
At this point, an apology may not be enough. For the sake of the city, the mayor needs to be banned from within 500 feet of Citi Field, and Mrs. Met needs to be dipped in holy water.
If Mamdani decides to hug the Statue of Liberty next, New Yorkers should expect the torch to go out and the harbor to freeze over by sunset.
The Mets have 27 outs to work with every game, and thanks to the mayor, they are treating every single one of them like a campaign promise: discarded, forgotten, and leaving the public in tears.

Arizona Diamondbacks v New York Mets

One Moment… Then Disaster. See The Streak Everyone’s Talking About

Baseball

General

New York

New York Mets

Sports

U.S.

Zohran Mamdani

A truly heartwarming moment at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game reminded Americans why baseball has always been America’s game, no matter the numbers.
Jake Mangum of the Pirates saw a young girl in the outfield bleachers wearing his jersey, and tossed the ball into the upper deck where her older brother caught it with his mitt. The young boy then turned and handed it to his sister, hugging her as he did so. Their father, behind them, was as excited as they were.
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Jake Mangum threw this baseball to a young fan &#8230;
The moment that unfolded after will melt your heart 🥹❤️ <a href="https://t.co/ppJSZz3moj">pic.twitter.com/ppJSZz3moj</a>
&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/2045953764792701310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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My neice and nephew!!! And he DID make their day!!
&mdash; betsyburgh (@betsy_burgh) <a href="https://twitter.com/betsy_burgh/status/2045968583818195083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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I can confirm!!!! Their dad…..my brother!
&mdash; betsyburgh (@betsy_burgh) <a href="https://twitter.com/betsy_burgh/status/2046029558730621339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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After the game, an interviewer asked Mangum, “You also created a core memory for a brother-sister duo, it looked like, in the stands, throwing them a ball. As a big brother yourself, what was that moment like?”
“It was cool. Watching the dad’s reaction to their kids catching the ball was really cool. That’s what it’s all about,” he answered.
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Jake creating core memories at the ballpark. 🥹 <a href="https://t.co/8sXwRmfKcB">pic.twitter.com/8sXwRmfKcB</a>
&mdash; Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/2045963773706404319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Mangum’s family also has a love and excitement about baseball; his beloved grandparents saved the tickets from his first high school game, on which they wrote, &#8220;On the way to the big league.” His mother framed them and saved them for him.
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When Jake Mangum played his first high school game, his grandparents saved their tickets &amp; wrote &quot;On the way to the big league&quot; on them ✏️🎟️
His mom was able to frame and gift them to Jake following his debut: &quot;If anyone knows my mom, she keeps a lot of stuff.&quot; 😆🥹… <a href="https://t.co/sjUyzmR1I3">pic.twitter.com/sjUyzmR1I3</a>
&mdash; SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNPittsburgh/status/2043809034164113795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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As New York University president John Sexton wrote in his best-selling book, “Baseball As A Road To God,” “In an age of gigabytes and picoseconds, we tend to live too quickly and to miss much that we might see. Baseball as it turns out, can help us develop the capacity to see through to another, scared space.”
“I don&#8217;t have to tell you that the one constant through all the years has been baseball,” W.P. Kinsella wrote in “Shoeless Joe,” later filmed as &#8220;Field of Dreams.&#8221; “America has been erased like a blackboard, only to be rebuilt and then erased again. But baseball has marked time while America has rolled by like a procession of steamrollers.”
Famed Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda noted, “There are only two seasons—winter and baseball. And when baseball comes, families come together.”
The Chicago Cubs&#8217; beloved Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks enthused, “The only thing better than baseball is sharing it with someone you love.”
&#8220;Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too,” Yankees legend Yogi Berra declared.
As legendary Hall-of-Famer Rogers Hornsby noted, &#8220;People ask me what I do in winter when there&#8217;s no baseball. I&#8217;ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.&#8221;

MLB: APR 08 Padres at Pirates

WATCH: Heartwarming Moment With Pirates Player And Kids Reminds Us Baseball Is Still America’s Game

family

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
One of the most important moments in baseball history occurred on Saturday, in the 6th inning of a closely contested but otherwise ordinary early-season game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox. 
With two outs and the bases loaded, with the Reds up 5-3, C.B. Bucknor, one of the worst home-plate umpires in Major League Baseball, rung up Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez on a called strike three. Suarez immediately tapped his helmet, indicating he was disputing the call. This activated the computerized ABS, Automated Balls and Strikes system, which the MLB is officially implementing this year after several years of trial and error. 
TV viewers immediately saw the pitch, as did people in the Reds home stadium. The computer animation showed that Bucknor was wrong. It was a ball. The crowd roared. Any true baseball fan — and the Reds have a passionate and well-informed fan base — knows that Bucknor has long been a problem for the sport, an out-of-control, marginally-competent egomaniac who often gets calls wrong in key situations, imposing his will, deciding games in inappropriate situations. 
On the very next pitch, Bucknor rung up Suarez again. Again, Suarez challenged, and again, Bucknor was wrong. It was a ball. The stadium reacted like the Reds had just won the World Series. The Reds announcers remarked that it was the loudest cheer on a day where the Reds had already hit two home runs. 
On the next pitch after that, Suarez grounded out to end the inning. But even though the Reds ended up walking off the game in the 11th with a single, winning a 6-5 thriller, the real headline was the gauntlet that this new technology laid down to the home-plate umpire’s authority. The Red Sox and Reds challenged Bucknor eight times. And they were right six of those times. Tensions boiled over so extremely that Bucknor ended up ejecting Red Sox manager Alex Cora in the eighth inning. But that was the desperate act of exactly the type of professionally doomed person that the ABS means to expose. The game will never be the same.  
One of baseball’s most beautiful features is that it’s always changing. It used to take nine balls to draw a walk. Black players had a separate league. There were no night games. People rooted for players with names like “Dizzy” and “Dazzy” and “Moose.” And the game today, though basically the same as the one I knew as a kid, also has some significant differences. The Houston Astros used to be in the National League. The Milwaukee Brewers were in the American League. There were no Wild Card teams until 1995. There were no divisions until 1969. The introduction of in-season interleague play seemed like a dumb idea, and it remains a dumb idea, but there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it now. When the MLB added the designated hitter to the National League, it was a violation of all that’s holy. But that was before Shohei Ohtani signed with my beloved Dodgers. Now I like the DH. 
There was also a time when we couldn’t even conceive of robot umps, except on an episode of Futurama, but now they feel like they’ve always been inevitable. Fans used to have a lot of fun when fat old managers roared out of the dugout to scream at fat old umpires over ball-strike calls. But that was decades ago, when the calls were guesswork for everyone involved, fans, players, managers, and umpires alike. After TV broadcasts introduced pitch-tracking technology in 2008 and StatCast in 2015, suddenly everyone could see exactly what the umps were getting wrong. The era of “YER BLIND, UMP!” ended. It stopped being amusing and started just feeling pathetic. 
MLB first tried out the ABS system in the minor leagues and then last season in Spring Training. The system uses 12 Hawk-Eye cameras and T-Mobile’s 5G network to track pitches within one-sixth of an inch of accuracy. It takes the guesswork out of the way, removing the last major bone of contention that teams have with umpires. 
If a pitcher, catcher, or batter thinks an umpire has missed a strike call, they can &#8220;challenge.” This triggers an automatic robot review. If the challenger is right, the call is overturned. But the challenger can also be wrong, which allows the game to retain an element of human error. From Thursday through Sunday, roughly 54% of all challenged calls were overturned, which means that players were right slightly more often than umpires. 
Umpires are often right, but the bad ones can no longer take charge of a game behind the plate through bad calls, briefly becoming the main character when the focus should be on the players. Also, the ABS mostly gets rid of “pitch-framing,” a sub-skill among certain catchers where they can micro-jerk their mitts into the strike zone, sleight-of-hand fooling umpires into making the wrong call. It’s going to get a lot harder for catchers to pull a rabbit out of that hat, just like it’s going to get a lot harder for batters to throw temper tantrums when they think the umpire has done them dirty. The rational ABS will quickly dump ice water on those hotheads. 
Most importantly, it will be a lot harder for a missed ball-strike call to determine a game’s outcome. We saw perhaps the last instance of this in modern history in the 9th inning of the World Baseball Classic semifinal between the USA and the Dominican Republic. The WBC didn’t use the ABS, and it sure showed. With the 2-1 game on the line and a runner on third with a three-ball and two-strike count, U.S. pitcher Mason Miller threw a low slider to the DR’s Geraldo Perdomo. It was clearly a ball. Perdomo didn’t swing. Umpire Cory Blaser called it a strike anyway, and that was ballgame. 
Cory Blaser may be the last umpire ever to crush a national fan base’s dreams. The ABS cannot make a mistake like that. It sees all. 
Over the weekend, the Baltimore Orioles successfully challenged two separate pitches in the 9th inning against the Minnesota Twins, turning a potential walk into a strikeout to nail down an 8-6 win. We’ve yet to see a dramatic game-ending ABS overturn, but it’s coming, and the stadium will go nuts like a stadium has never gone nuts before. Because the robot umps are here to save baseball.
***
Neal Pollack, “the greatest living American writer,” is the author of 12 semi-bestselling books of fiction and nonfiction and is a three-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

Arizona Diamondbacks v. Los Angeles Dodgers

Baseball Just Put An End To One Of Its Most Frustrating Problems

Major League Baseball

Upstream

The smell of cracker jacks fills the air and the sound of bats cracking can be heard all across the United States, because it is Opening Day for America&#8217;s Pastime. Major League Baseball is kicking off the season in patriotic fashion with a league-wide campaign to celebrate 250 years of the United States.
All season, the Major League Baseball will recognize this milestone by accumulating 250,000 collective volunteer hours in 2026 across all 30 MLB clubs and other extensions of the league as part of the &#8220;MLB Together&#8221; initiative.
MLB is a partner of America250, the official nonpartisan organization established by Congress to lead the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.
&#8220;MLB Together represents the very best of what our sport means to our fans and our communities,&#8221; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. &#8220;Baseball’s ability to bring people together through common values and causes has placed the game in a unique stature within our culture. We look forward to working with our Clubs, partners, and fans in making meaningful changes in our society through the MLB Together platform.&#8221;
250,000 hours is a challenge, but former players got a start earlier in March by participating in a beach cleanup in Miami ahead of the World Baseball Classic final. Volunteers joined players — including Michael Bourn and Scott Kazmir — removed debris and trash from the shoreline of Miami Beach.
It&#8217;s fitting that baseball is playing a role in celebrating America&#8217;s 250th birthday since the sport has been part of the nation&#8217;s culture since the 1800s. In addition to logging the 250,000 volunteer hours across the league, teams will display a &#8220;USA 250&#8221; on their jerseys through the July 4th games — and during the MLB All-Star Game, which takes place in America&#8217;s birthplace, Philadelphia.
The midsummer event returns to Philly, where the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago. This year&#8217;s game is the first time Citizens Bank Park will host the event since opening in 2004. The game has been held in Philadelphia four times in the past, one of which was held at Veterans Stadium for the nation&#8217;s Bicentennial in 1976.
Opening Day 2026 features some powerhouse pitching matchups with Pirates ace Paul Skenes facing off against Mets slinger Freddy Peralta.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-proudest-ive-ever-been-wearing-a-jersey-is-the-usa-jersey-paul-skenes-is-americas-ace">&#8216;The Proudest I’ve Ever Been Wearing A Jersey Is The USA Jersey&#8217;: Paul Skenes Is America’s Ace</a>
Other Thursday games to watch include the World Champion Dodgers beginning their journey toward a three-peat when they take on the Diamondbacks. The Mariners and Guardians compete in a battle of the 2025 division winners in Seattle.
The 162-game season leaves little time for players to have free time, but the MLB&#8217;s commitment to celebrating America will be felt every time players and coaches log their volunteer hours to hit the overall volunteer goal.
Fans can get involved too by <a href="https://www.mlb.com/mlb-together/america-250">signing up</a> to volunteer alongside their favorite players.

Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Opening Day 2026 Kicks Off A Patriotic Season For America’s Pastime

America250

News

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/introducing-upstream-a-lifestyle-and-culture-section-of-the-daily-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream,</a> The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
There is something beautiful that exists only on the baseball field and in the stands, and it isn’t the manufactured roar of a billion-dollar stadium or the over-produced bass of a “fan experience” sound system. It’s the sharp, lonely crack of a wooden bat echoing off a wooden grandstand, the low murmur of men in lawn chairs, and a scorecard being filled out by hand.
On Opening Day this year, Americans have a deep cultural hunger for the authentic, the local, the rugged. You see it in the revival of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ditch-the-doomscroll-and-try-the-granny-hobbies-bringing-real-peace-back">traditional crafts</a> and in the renaissance of farming and homesteading. And yet, our national pastime is being stripped of its poetry by the cold, clinical hand of modern finance. In recent years, the business of baseball has succumbed to a particularly modern form of madness: the cult of efficiency.
Major League Baseball has shuttered and unaffiliated <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30486689/mlb-120-farm-teams-40-cities-dropped-affiliates">dozens of minor league affiliates</a>, cutting the cord on communities that had hosted teams for generations. In the vacuum, firms such as Diamond Baseball Holdings, backed by Silicon Valley capital, have moved in — not to steward the game, but to consolidate it. These firms don’t buy teams because they love the infield fly rule (like I do). They buy them to extract value.
To maximize that value, they lean on public money, hundreds of millions of dollars from local governments, pressuring towns such as <a href="https://www.wtvm.com/2024/09/04/columbus-bets-big-baseball-with-50m-investment-braves-affiliate/">Columbus, Georgia,</a> and <a href="https://www.cityofspartanburg.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/44">Spartanburg, South Carolina,</a> into financing stadiums under the threat of relocation. So the question becomes unavoidable: Why are we subsidizing the corporatization of our own culture? This is more than economics; it&#8217;s a kind of erasure. The local team becomes a line item, the ballpark becomes an asset, and the community — its memories, its rituals, and its people — is treated as expendable and tradable.
And yet, anyone who has ever sat in those bleachers knows exactly what’s at stake. Sociologists call them “third spaces,&#8221; places that are neither home nor work where community is built. For generations of American men, the baseball field has been the ultimate third space.
It is a slow game. In our hyper-caffeinated, doomscrolling age, it creates room for something rare: quiet, unstructured fellowship. You sit shoulder-to-shoulder with your father, your brother, your friends, watching the same patch of green, speaking in the language of the game. We need these spaces, not &#8220;safe spaces,&#8221; somewhere outdoors where the grass is real (not turf, please) and the stakes are human. 
This fellowship is the connective tissue of our social order. We knew this inherently for all of history; we don’t need a study to prove it. It is where boys learn patience and the truth that failure is not fatal. In baseball, if you fail seven out of 10 times, you’re a star. There is no better metaphor for the kind of stick-to-it gumption real life demands.
I remember my father’s hands adjusting my grip on a bat before my first Little League season. To a boy, that moment is more than instruction. When a father tells his son to keep his eye on the ball, he isn’t just talking about a fastball.
Then the boy grows up, and one day he’s no longer being taught the game; he’s watching it with his father. That’s the magic of baseball. It doesn’t just pass time; it binds generations together in a way unique to American culture. It is the &#8220;green field of the mind&#8221; that A. Bartlett Giamatti <a href="https://mason.gmu.edu/~rmatz/giamatti.html">wrote about</a>, a place where the &#8220;chill rains&#8221; of change are stayed, if only for nine innings. Giamatti famously noted that the game is designed to break your heart, beginning in the spring and leaving you to face the fall alone. But we shouldn&#8217;t let that heart be broken by a Silicon Valley algorithm or a private equity dividend.
If we’re going to keep it, we have to make a conscious choice. It starts by rejecting the convenience of the screen. We’ve become a nation of fans who consume what’s broadcast to us from hundreds of miles away, rooting for logos while the diamonds in our own towns grow over with weeds. This season, go find the game. Find the independent league club playing in a municipal park or the American Legion team where the players still rake the infield themselves. Sit in the stands where the outfield fence is lined with ads for the local plumber and the family-owned hardware store.
Bring your son, and explain why the pitcher throws over to first. Tell him about the first game you remember. Let him feel the long middle innings, the productive boredom that teaches you how to sit still and pay attention and not just scroll away. If our sons grow up thinking that sports are just something you watch on a screen or play on a console, then we’ve failed them. We owe them dirt. We owe them the smell of pine tar and the rhythm of the game. We owe them something that can’t be downloaded.
And we should be honest about this, too: Our dollars are our votes. The people reshaping this game want frictionless consumption. They want us staring at betting apps and buying mass-produced jerseys, detached from any real place or community. We don’t have to accept that; we can choose something local and real. Some things are too beautiful to be sold. And some traditions are too important to be optimized away.
Baseball, at its best, cannot be rushed and cannot be faked. It demands your presence. It asks you to sit, to watch, to listen, to be part of something unfolding in real time, on a real piece of ground. It is our best invention to &#8220;stay change,&#8221; to keep the memory of sunshine alive even when the days grow short.
This Opening Day, the big leagues will put on their spectacle. Enjoy it. I know I will. But at some point this summer, I’ll find my way back to a local field. I’ll sit in the stands, I hope with my dad and my brothers. Maybe I&#8217;ll go with my friends, and we&#8217;ll all listen for that sound — the crack of the bat echoing into the evening. I hope to see you there too.

MLB Photos Archive

The Game Hasn’t Changed, But What’s Behind It Has. And Fans Can Feel It.

Team USA is heading to the finals of the World Baseball Classic after a gritty win over a stacked Dominican Republic squad Sunday, and Paul Skenes couldn&#8217;t be happier leading the charge for his country in what he calls his &#8220;proudest&#8221; moment.
&#8220;The proudest I’ve ever been wearing a jersey is the USA jersey,&#8221; Skenes told <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/paul-skenes-talks-representing-usa-rare-interview-a-rod-its-different-level">Alex Rodriguez</a> in a sit-down interview ahead of the win over the DR. &#8220;You’re playing for a whole lot more. It’s great to play for a city, great to play for Pittsburgh in the regular season, but playing for your country, it’s a different level.&#8221;
Skenes is arguably a generational baseball talent, and while he shines on the diamond, he&#8217;s never shied away from his love of country.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ace once thought he would be flying fighter jets in the United States Air Force. The Cy Young winner, an award for the best MLB pitcher, was fresh out of high school when he took an oath to put his life on the line for our country. Even after Skenes was the overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the MLB Rookie of the Year, and already a Cy Young award winner, he says taking that military oath is still &#8220;one of the highlights&#8221; of his life.
&#8220;I got the chills reciting that pledge just from how proud I am of this country,&#8221; Skenes penned in a letter published by <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/paul-skenes-mlb-baseball-pittsburgh-pirates-wbc-usa">The Players&#8217; Tribune</a> ahead of the international baseball tournament. &#8220;I’m actually getting chills right now remembering back to that time. Because when you love something so much that you’re willing to lay down your life for it? It’s pretty meaningful stuff.&#8221;
He played the first two years of his college career at the Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU, where he won a National Championship. But during his time wearing both an Air Force serviceman uniform and baseball uniform, Skenes said he developed the skills that have made him into the pitcher and person he is today.
&#8220;I truly believe that regardless of what you’re doing, if you want to accomplish great things and be the best version of yourself, you’re going to have to work extremely hard — be disciplined, focused,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t put in that time at the Academy, I probably would&#8217;ve spent a lot more time in the minors than I did. So I’m incredibly grateful.&#8221;
His military background is why playing on Team USA is such an honor.
&#8220;I was never deployed myself, but I know how much pride those individuals take in wearing that uniform with your name on the right side of your chest and the U.S. Air Force or Army lettering on the left side … because that’s what you put over your heart,&#8221; Skenes said, adding that the players putting on the red, white, and blue aren&#8217;t doing it for the fame or money, but to simply represent their country.
&#8220;Our team, we’re not cadets or anything like that. (These hairstyles would never fly). But everyone on this team … we all understand that when you put on those colors, you’re not just playing baseball, you’re representing something deeper,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;When you’re watching us in this tournament, we hope you feel that too.&#8221;
Skenes set the all-time record for most strikeouts at seven by a Team USA pitcher at the World Baseball Classic in his first appearance in the tourney. In the biggest test of the WBC, Skenes went 4.1 innings and gave up one run, a first-inning homer to Junior Caminero. Skenes got two strikeouts in the win over the previously undefeated Team DR filled with MLB all-stars including Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Skenes, aside from his Players&#8217; Tribune letter, is a man of few words — still after Sunday&#8217;s win, Skenes explained the significance of the semi-final victory, calling the Team DR lineup &#8220;the toughest lineup&#8221; he&#8217;s ever faced.
Now Team USA awaits the winner of Monday&#8217;s semifinal between Venezuela and Italy before taking the field one last time on Tuesday in the WBC Final.
Team USA entered the tournament as the favorites to bring home the hardware, and entering the finals, Skenes&#8217; mindset isn&#8217;t focused on adding another trophy to his case — but winning to honor the real heroes of the United States.
&#8220;Our servicemen and women don’t have the luxury of losing, it’s not really an option for them,&#8221; Skenes said. &#8220;We’re not going to war, but [this] is what we do in America: we fight and we win. That’s our responsibility.&#8221;

Credit: Daily Wire Staff/Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images

‘The Proudest I’ve Ever Been Wearing A Jersey Is The USA Jersey’: Paul Skenes Is America’s Ace

Team USA

U.S. Military

World Baseball Classic

If you want to know what the American spirit is, don’t ask a politician.
Ask the dad coaching Little League after a 10-hour workday. Ask the single mom who prays over the dinner table even when she’s not sure how she’ll pay the light bill. Ask the soldier who salutes a flag that too many in Washington now treat like a political prop instead of a sacred symbol.
The American spirit was never about government. It was about grit, grace, and the stubborn belief that no matter who you are or where you start, you can build a life rooted in faith, family, and freedom. It’s the heartbeat of a people who crossed oceans, tilled soil they didn’t own, and risked everything for the promise of something better.
Today, that spirit feels tested — maybe more than at any time in our lifetime. We live in a country where politics has become sport, truth has become optional, and too many Americans are told that our Founding ideals are relics of oppression rather than beacons of hope. Both parties have lost sight of who they work for. Both Democrats and Republicans “govern” like it’s a game or street fight. Somewhere between strategy and survival, the people get forgotten.
I’ll say this clearly: I love America. And when you love something, you’re expected to be critical of it. If you didn’t love your kids, you wouldn’t discipline them. Love doesn’t mean silence — it means wanting the best for what you hold dear. My criticism of America isn’t born of cynicism. It’s born of conviction that we can do better because we are better.
But here’s the thing: the American spirit isn’t dead. It’s just been buried under noise. And if you listen closely — past the headlines, the outrage, and the endless finger-pointing — you can still hear it.
I heard it at a Buccaneers game this past weekend. I was still in the concession area grabbing a beer when the national anthem began. Without anyone saying a word, the entire concourse stopped. Vendors, fans, security guards — everyone froze in place. Hats came off. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. For ninety seconds, the chaos of modern life went silent, and every person stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the direction of a flag they couldn’t even see. That’s the American spirit. Not something choreographed or forced, but something instinctive. Reverence that lives deep in the bones of ordinary people.
The American spirit is defiant and hopeful all at once. It’s rebellious in the best sense of the word. Our Founders didn’t wait for permission to pursue liberty — they acted on conviction. And they didn’t do it for fame or profit. They did it because they believed that human freedom was a divine calling, not a political gift. That belief came straight from Scripture: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” That’s not just a verse — it’s the origin story of the greatest nation on Earth.
Yet somewhere along the way, we traded that conviction for comfort. We let cynicism creep in. We started looking to politicians to fix what only character can. We looked to Washington for salvation when it should have started in our own homes, churches, and communities. We forgot that self-government begins with self-discipline.
When Alexis de Tocqueville came to America nearly two centuries ago, he was astonished not by our government but by our people — by their faith, their voluntary associations, their instinct to help neighbors before the state ever arrived. That’s what made America exceptional. Not that we were richer or smarter, but that we were moral and free.
Who needs to hear this? Honestly, everyone.
The young person taught that America is something to apologize for. The middle-aged voter who’s stopped believing that anything can change. The elected official who’s forgotten that public service is a trust, not a brand. And yes, even the conservative who’s become so jaded by corruption and media manipulation that they’ve forgotten hope is a weapon too.
We need to remember that pessimism never built anything worth keeping. Hope did. Faith did. The American spirit did.
If we can define that spirit, we can reclaim it. And reclaiming it starts with three things: we return to God, we rebuild the family, and we rediscover community.
No nation can sustain freedom without virtue, and no virtue survives long without faith. Our Founders knew this. John Adams said it plainly: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.” They didn’t separate church and state to erase faith from public life — they did it to protect the church from the state’s reach. Reclaiming the American spirit means bringing prayer back to dinner tables, courage back to pulpits, and humility back to our leaders.
Every cultural rot you can name — crime, addiction, confusion, despair — can be traced to the breakdown of the home. A strong nation begins with strong moms and dads who teach their children that life has purpose, that truth exists, and that love isn’t license — it’s responsibility. You can’t legislate that. You can only live it.
And the American spirit thrives in places Washington will never reach: small towns, ballfields, church pews, front porches. It’s where people still look each other in the eye and say, “How can I help?” instead of, “Who did you vote for?”
Reclaiming that isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about survival. Because when you know your neighbor, you’re less likely to hate him. When you serve your church, you’re less likely to feel hopeless. And when you live with purpose, you stop waiting for politicians to deliver meaning they were never meant to provide.
So yes, criticize the left for weaponizing victimhood. But don’t spare the right for losing moral courage. The problem isn’t just policy — it’s pride. It’s thinking we can restore the country through ballots alone without first reviving our souls.
The American spirit was born in defiance of tyranny, but it survived through obedience — to God, to conscience, to truth. It’s not red or blue — it’s red, white, and blue. And it belongs to anyone willing to live by the creed our Founders staked their lives on: that freedom is worth the fight, that virtue is worth the cost, and that faith is worth the ridicule.
We are not finished as a nation. We are being refined. And maybe that’s exactly what the American spirit has always been. Tested, but never broken; humbled, but never hopeless; faithful, even when the world mocks the faith itself.
As we stand on the eve of America’s 250th birthday, let’s take that spirit seriously. We’re a ways removed from the fireworks and speeches of July 4th, but those celebrations will come soon enough. The question is: what kind of country will we be when that day arrives? Let’s make sure that when America turns 250, she’s not limping into it — she’s standing tall, proud, and faithful. Let’s be in the best spiritual, cultural, and moral shape we’ve ever been. That would be the greatest gift we could give to the generations who will inherit her next.
Our anthem says it best: “The land of the free and the home of the brave.” Not the land of the perfect. Not the home of the comfortable. But of the brave — the men and women who choose hope over hate, sacrifice over cynicism, and God over government.
That’s the American spirit. And it’s still alive.
You just have to look around.
Because it’s us.
It’s We the People.
Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We The People.” Follow him on Instagram and X @GatesGarciaFL.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Crucifix and American flag at garage

Want To Understand The American Spirit? Don’t Ask A Politician.

America

Family Values

Founding Fathers

Fourth of July

The Major League Baseball playoffs are here, which means the Boys of Summer are ready to battle for the ultimate prize – those oversized, coveted World Series rings.
What better time to look back at some of the very best baseball movies ever made? Some moved us or made us laugh. Others provided powerful lessons on the sport’s cultural impact.
All are worth a rewatch this time of year — in between playoff games, of course.
<h2>&#8220;The Natural&#8221;</h2>
<div id="attachment_978629" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978629" class="wp-image-978629 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-407x576.jpg" alt="Robert Redford. &quot;The Natural.&quot; copyright 1984 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Copyright 1984 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
This 1984 keeper casts Robert Redford as an aging ballplayer attempting an unlikely comeback. Those &#8220;natural&#8221; talents helped him get this far, but his complicated past suggests that even God-given skills may not be enough. The all-star cast includes Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, and Richard Farnsworth under the direction of Barry Levinson (&#8220;Diner&#8221;) in his cinematic prime. &#8220;The Natural&#8221; packs plenty of magical realism into the narrative, focused on redemption and our all-American passion for second acts.
<h2>“Bull Durham”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978637" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978637" class="size-large wp-image-978637" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-407x576.jpg" alt="Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon. Bull Durham. Copyright 1988 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Copyright 1988 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
Kevin Costner at the dawn of his legendary career. Susan Sarandon selling a sultry big-league “whisperer” like no other. A gangly Tim Robbins playing an &#8220;aw-shucks&#8221; pitcher coming into his own. There’s so much to love about this baseball rom-com, from the inspired dialogue to the bittersweet story of a minor league lifer coming oh, so close to The Show only to be upstaged by the new kid. Director Ron Shelton’s affinity for sports movies played out over multiple films (“Blue Chips,” “Tin Cup”), but he got the elixir just right with this 1988 gem.
<h2>“Field of Dreams”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978645" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978645" class="size-large wp-image-978645" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-407x576.jpg" alt="Field of Dreams. 1989. Universal Pictures. Gordon Company. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Field of Dreams. 1989. Universal Pictures. Gordon Company. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
The 1989 sports fantasy has an almost spiritual pull on audiences, particularly sports fans. And understandably so. Once again, Costner is front and center in a story that weaves the national pastime together with fathers and sons, heartland USA, and redemption arcs.
The sublime cast, including Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster (his final big-screen role), and James Earl Jones — who gives gravitas to the ultimate baseball movie.
“If you build it, they will come.” Try fighting back the goosebumps whenever that line is uttered. If the film isn’t enough, there’s a <a href="https://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com/visit">Field of Dreams movie site attraction</a> in Dyersville, Iowa, for movie lovers.
<h2>“42”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978647" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978647" class="size-large wp-image-978647" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-407x576.jpg" alt="42. Warner Bros. Legendary Entertainment. 2013. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />42. Warner Bros. Legendary Entertainment. 2013. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
This overlooked 2013 film recalls one of the sport’s most impactful players. Sure, Jackie Robinson broke the “color barrier” by becoming baseball’s first black player, but it&#8217;s how he did it, with grace, class, and nonviolence in his heart, that made him an icon.
The late, genuinely great Chadwick Boseman brings Jackie to life, capturing both the player and the man behind the moment. Harrison Ford’s supporting turn as Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ owner who took the biggest risk of his professional life by inserting Robinson into the lineup, is the film’s most welcome surprise.
Had “42” been made a few years later, it might have been stained by woke sentiments. Instead, it’s a fitting tribute to an American hero.
<h2>“Moneyball”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978651" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978651" class="size-large wp-image-978651" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-407x576.jpg" alt="Moneyball. 2011. Sony Pictures Entertainment. Columbia Pictures. Scott Rudin Productions. Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Moneyball. 2011. Sony Pictures Entertainment. Columbia Pictures. Scott Rudin Productions. Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
A movie about baseball statistics? Yawn. Not even close in this case, thanks to the fascinating source material – author Michael Lewis’ tome of the same name.
Brad Pitt stars as GM Billy Beane in the story of the 2002 Oakland A’s, a mid-tier franchise that used a new approach to field a winning team. They couldn’t outspend the Yankees or Dodgers, but by deploying “sabermetrics” they defied the game’s odds.
It’s a fascinating look at modern baseball that&#8217;s given heft by a killer cast, including Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
<h2>“The Bad News Bears”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978673" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978673" class="size-large wp-image-978673" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-407x576.jpg" alt="The Bad News Bears. 1976. Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />The Bad News Bears. 1976. Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
Put this one in the “They couldn’t make THAT” today Hall of Fame. Walter Matthau plays the crusty coach of a ne’er-do-well Little League team that has more fight in it than even he realizes.
What makes it “problematic?” Consider the infamous scene where Matthau’s character passes out on the pitcher’s mound after one too many brews. Or how teammates swap racial slurs as casually as relay throws.
That’s not why these “Bears” are unforgettable. The film teems with fascinating characters, from pitching whiz Amanda (Tatum O’Neal) to bad boy Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley). The championship game is a keeper, brimming with suspense and the cold realities baseball supplies. 
<h2>“Major League”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978685" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978685" class="size-large wp-image-978685" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-407x576.jpg" alt="Major League. Photo by Mirage Enterprises. Paramount Pictures. Morgan Creek Entertainment. Copyright 1989. All rights reserved." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Major League. Photo by Mirage Enterprises. Paramount Pictures. Morgan Creek Entertainment. Copyright 1989. All rights reserved.</div>
This 1989 corker captures the sillier side of baseball. The ensemble cast isn’t as deep as the Yankees’ Murderers’ Row, but everyone owned their parts to perfection. Tom Berenger. Charlie Sheen. Wesley Snipes. Corbin Bernsen. Bob Uecker. They’re all key elements in a seemingly inept Cleveland Indians (triggering!) franchise destined to lose enough games to spark the team’s sale.
Except they keep finding ways to win.
The comedy stays mostly faithful to the sport while doubling down on its colorful characters, crazy storylines, and underdog theatrics. Oh, and it’s relentlessly funny, even if it sparked two inferior sequels. 
<h2>“Eight Men Out”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978691" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978691" class="size-large wp-image-978691" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-407x576.jpg" alt="Eight Men Out. 1989. Orion Pictures. MGM. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Eight Men Out. 1989. Orion Pictures. MGM. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
“Major League” offered a palate cleanser a year after this sobering 1988 drama. Director John Sayles recreates the Black Sox Scandal, recalling how a pennant-winning team threw the World Series to appease the betting crowd. And, of course, earn a little scratch at a time when athletes weren’t as absurdly wealthy as they are today.
The White Sox assembled a &#8220;can’t-miss&#8221; squad of stars, but the persnickety owners refused to reward them for an unforgettable season. Enter some opportunistic gamblers who give key players an offer they should refuse, but don’t.
The strong cast includes D.B. Sweeney, John Cusack, and, yes, Charlie Sheen.
It’s baseball’s darkest hour, a cautionary tale that has kept the sport (mostly) clean ever since. We’ll leave the Barry Bonds debate for another day.
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<h2>Honorable Mention: “The Naked Gun”</h2>
No, director David Zucker’s spoof classic isn’t a baseball film, per se, though the film’s extended finale does take place during a baseball game. Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) impersonates an umpire to stop an assassination, finding himself calling balls and strikes in the process.
It’s one of the funniest moments of the film, capped by Drebin-the-umpire crying, “strike threeeee!” before the ball ever reaches the catcher’s mitt. It’s a perfectly silly baseball sequence, and one impossible not to include here.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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The Best Baseball Movies To Watch This Postseason

Entertainment

Hollywood

Kevin Costner

Movies

Two Middle Eastern men accused of shooting a Texas youth baseball coach during a pregame prayer were handed immigration status by the Biden administration, The Daily Wire has learned.
Three men opened fire on the Ameripark youth baseball field in Katy, Texas, on Sunday from a nearby pasture, shooting the coach in the shoulder, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wallercountysheriff/posts/pfbid02gy5JP5GCDkxYyDsSW4cBBuQnzE1mpkoE6cM9QSoCCJh5ERQytnvD7DqFjfXZBscgl?rdid=oLONrjJntJtH19n4#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Waller County Sheriff&#8217;s office. The three suspects — Mahmood Abdelsalam Rababah, 23, Ahmad Mawed, 21, and Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah, 27 — have been charged with deadly conduct and are each being held on $100,000 bond.
Mohammad Matalgah of Jordan was given American citizenship on Aug. 1, 2023, despite having prior arrests for drug possession, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire. Mawed, a Lebanese immigrant, entered the United States on an IR-2 <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/adoption/bringing-your-internationally-adopted-child-to-the-united-states/before-your-child-immigrates-to-the-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visa</a> — which is given to children of American citizens — on June 3, 2021, automatically granting him a green card.
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“This horrific act of terror firing on children praying before the start of a baseball game is pure evil,&#8221; Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. &#8220;These individuals from high threat countries were let in by Biden. They clearly were not vetting the aliens they were letting legally enter our country and even become U.S. citizens.&#8221;
“Not only did Biden fail the American people by leaving our borders wide open to criminals, but he also legally allowed them to gain status and citizenship to terrorize our communities,&#8221; she said.
The motive for the attack is unclear.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
SCOOP: Two of the men accused of shooting a youth baseball coach during a pregame practice in Texas were immigrants let in by Biden, DHS tells <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a>
Mustafa Mohammad Matalgah, an alien from Jordan was turned into a U.S. citizen by the Biden Administration, despite a… <a href="https://t.co/RnPx8JFUZT">pic.twitter.com/RnPx8JFUZT</a>
— Jennie Taer 🎗️ (@JennieSTaer) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennieSTaer/status/1971387102853054595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Trump administration has been cracking down on immigrant crime with its mass deportation sweeps across the country. President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Justice has also commenced an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-orders-justice-dept-to-denaturalize-new-citizens-convicted-of-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audit</a> of the legal immigration system with an effort to denaturalize new citizens who may “pose a potential danger to national security.”
The injured coach, whose name has not been released, was airlifted to a nearby hospital and has since been discharged, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1217185030454181&amp;set=a.303691761803517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the sheriff&#8217;s office.
Dramatic video of the attack showed bullets raining down as the young players ran for cover.
The team&#8217;s founder, Andy Baize, <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/baseball-coach-shot-katy-texas/285-6992be75-6eee-4938-8506-2ca48ef2e851" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> KHOU that the injured coach took a bullet to protect the children.
&#8220;He literally took the bullet for a child that was to his left and so thankfully we avoided a major disaster, still very very emotional over it,&#8221; said Baize.
&#8220;When he was struck by the bullet, his first reaction was to get down to the ground, cover his kids and get them to a safe space,&#8221; he added.

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Middle Eastern Men Accused Of Shooting Baseball Coach During Prayer Were Let In To U.S. Under Biden

Immigration

Joe Biden

Texas

Three strikes and you&#8217;re out! Maybe not so fast anymore after Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it will roll out a new rule allowing players to appeal to robot umpires to overturn pitches they think were incorrectly called by human umpires.
The new rule will take effect for the entire 2026 MLB season and will give each team two opportunities to challenge whether a pitch was correctly ruled a strike or ball. The pitch will then be assessed through a complex automated camera system to judge whether the human umpire was correct.
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BREAKING: Major League Baseball will use the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) during the entire 2026 season
ABS CHALLENGE RULES:
&#8211; Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they&#8217;re successful
&#8211; Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or… <a href="https://t.co/xHkRIbHrRx">pic.twitter.com/xHkRIbHrRx</a>
— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1970546182893248800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The rule to bring the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System to the MLB was approved Tuesday by the MLB’s Joint Competition Committee. The system had previously been used in the Minor Leagues, as well as during MLB spring training and the All-Star Game.
The new rules will allow two appeals per game for each team to challenge a pitch call. Challenges must be initiated by a pitcher, batter, or catcher right after the pitch. To challenge, the pitcher will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know. According to the MLB, “no help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed.”
If a game goes into extra innings, each team will get one challenge per inning if it used up its challenges in regulation.
“Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players. The strong preference from players for the Challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.
The MLB said that the system was “powered by T-Mobile 5G network&#8221; and &#8220;uses cameras set up around the perimeter of the field to track the location of each pitch and a graphic on the scoreboard shows the result of the challenge.”
&#8220;We’ve accomplished a lot through our longstanding partnership with MLB, and the rollout of ABS — powered by T-Mobile 5G — is one of our most exciting milestones yet,” said Mike Katz, the president of marketing, strategy and products at T-Mobile. “It’s a powerful example of how we’re using our technology to help MLB innovate, while preserving the character of the game we love.&#8221;

MLB: SEP 18 Giants at Dodgers

Major League Baseball Makes Final Decision On Robot Umpires

A father who found himself at the center of a viral home run ball dispute says he’s “still in disbelief” after what was supposed to be a special father-son moment at a Phillies game turned into a nationwide backlash.
Drew Feltwell, who grew up in New Jersey but now lives in Florida, raced over to grab a home run ball hit by Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader at Friday’s game hosted by the Miami Marlins. But after he gave the ball to his son, Lincoln, an irate woman dubbed “Phillies Karen” stormed over and demanded he give it to her. Eventually, Feltwell gave in and handed the ball to the woman. This sparked outrage online and led to a campaign to dox and shame her for her actions. 
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A Phillies fan retrieves a home run ball for his son and this woman is furious she did not get the ball <a href="https://t.co/kDMMJrw2R5">pic.twitter.com/kDMMJrw2R5</a>
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1964136365253083609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Feltwell family has been treated to many gifts in the wake of the baseball controversy, including a meeting with Bader, who gave Lincoln <a href="https://x.com/Phillies/status/1964152246779662478">a signed baseball bat</a>. A rep from the Marlins also gave Lincoln a bag of merchandise, and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis <a href="https://x.com/marcuslemonis/status/1964181482672459822">wrote</a> on X that he’d be buying the family World Series tickets and an RV.
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Going home with a signed bat from Bader <a href="https://t.co/pCaXHSjLgL">pic.twitter.com/pCaXHSjLgL</a>
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1964152246779662478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Feltwell <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-young-fan-harrison-bader-viral-home-run-ball-dispute/4264863/">told</a> NBC10 Philadelphia that they were celebrating Lincoln’s 10th birthday. “We’re just trying to make this week about him,” he said. “I felt like super dad putting that ball in his glove and giving him a hug.”
The father said the woman began screaming at him, saying, “That’s my ball!”
“Still in disbelief that she walked down there like that,” he told the outlet. “Just trying to set an example of how to de-escalate a situation in front of my son, I guess.”
He said he later apologized to Lincoln about his decision to hand over the baseball.
“I wish I had the ball for my son to put in his room next to the bat, but if I had the ball, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the bat, so it worked out fine,” Feltwell added, saying the woman was booed out of the stadium shortly after the confrontation took place.
“I hope that ball means a lot to her,” he said.
There’s been some back and forth online over how the situation was handled, who was in the right, and whether the backlash went too far. Several people were misidentified as the woman who demanded the baseball.
A woman named Cheryl Richardson-Wagner insists she wasn’t Phillies Karen. “OK everyone … I’m not the crazy Philly Mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast) …. And I’m a Red Sox fan,” she shared on Facebook.
After one rumor took hold that the Phillies fan was a Hammonton School District employee, the district also issued a statement. 
“The woman identified on social media as ‘Phillies Karen’ is not, and has never been an employee of the Hammonton Public Schools located in Hammonton, New Jersey,” the district said. “Anyone who works for our school district, attended as a student or lives in our community would obviously have caught the ball bare-handed in the first place, avoiding this entire situation!”

Harrison Bader

‘Still in Disbelief’: Dad Caught In Viral Home Run Ball Drama Speaks Out

Dad From Viral Home Run Baseball Argument Speaks Out, 'Still In Disbelief'

Philadelphia Phillies

viral video

The following is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
* * *
With the first female umpire now working in baseball, it’s time to take a look at how women have made historic strides in the world of professional sports by ruining everything.
You see, in the past, professional sports provided a safe method for wives to get their husbands out of the damned way by placing them in front of the television where they could watch something completely meaningless that wasn’t porn. That way, the wives could get their work done, and if they occasionally dropped in on the TV room with a sandwich and a beer, their husbands would happily devote the rest of their lives to their support and happiness. Later, over dinner, the husbands could describe every play of the game in agonizing detail, which would give the wives time to mentally organize their schedules for the week, since they didn’t have to listen to a word their husbands were saying because it was just about a guy on TV hitting a ball with a stick for some reason. At least their husbands hadn’t spent the day watching some naked girl pretend to enjoy getting strangled during sex, which would only give them bizarre ideas about how they should spend the rest of the weekend.
Now all that has changed. Women are invading every aspect of sports so that men can watch other men doing useless things for no reason while thinking about sexual strangulation at the same time. For instance, after ball games, attractive female sportscasters are now assigned to interview players so male viewers can listen vaguely to some athlete saying, “You’ve gotta take it one game at time,” while simultaneously wondering what the female sportscaster would look like if she were wearing some ridiculous leather contraption and a pair of handcuffs.
Having more women athletes on the field has also changed the nature of sports by ruining everything. Sports used to reflect masculine values like winning and also more winning. But now sports also have to reflect female values which run the gamut from incomprehensible to non-existent depending on the woman’s mood on any given day. For example, when gymnast Simone Biles quit the Tokyo Olympics because she had some girly problem called the twisties, most men felt this was tantamount to losing which, according to many sports analysts, is approximately the opposite of winning. But no. The men were swiftly informed that, in fact, Simone Biles had been very brave to quit like a girl over her girly twisties. And ever since then, Olympic women’s gymnastics has included Quitting as an event, along with Crying, Hugging the Winner as if You Were Happy for Her, and Giving Men a Look that Says they Better not say Something Insensitive or There’ll be Hell to Pay.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show">WATCH: The Andrew Klavan Show</a></h3>
In women’s basketball, Caitlin Clark has completely transformed the game by causing people to realize there’s such a thing as women’s basketball. To thank her, black women players have been repeatedly beating the living crap out of Clark for being talented while white. This turns out to be a game that men will actually watch because it involves women wrestling with each other, so now men are showing up at women’s basketball games and hurling sex toys down at the court, which has also made the women’s game more popular by including sex toys. Even so, a woman’s basketball game remains the least popular American event that isn’t a colonoscopy, and when the players recently marched outside the stadium holding signs that said “Pay us what we’re worth,” they discovered they actually owed the league $15,000 apiece.
To prove that it’s not only women who ruin everything in sports, the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings have hired two male cheerleaders. So now, instead of an occasional amusing glimpse of pretty girls prancing around the sidelines in an intriguingly suggestive way, Vikings fans are being treated to two prancing homosexuals, something no sentient creature wants to see except other homosexuals who aren’t even watching sports because they’re homosexual.
And as for the first female umpire, so far her ball and strike calls have been about one and a half percent less accurate than the average male’s, which is being hailed as really great for a girl, and should transform the sport completely, by ruining everything.
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-andrew-klavan-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Andrew Klavan Show</a>.”
Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/After-That-Cameron-Winter-Mysteries/dp/1613166869/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EGZUC370LG46&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y_NI0mDOKeowShheDQTVx5NH-fAeimJoCD56_T0Acpl8C0mup7uJf-nGGSRLEItaaekoDnvS2vWLMa4Zd2UBXQ8Y-g-P502jOWz-Y8IX3ZQsdlO7WMLrg1xIhNoKmjCorSWUR4C2l_RbiZ7apJ1MfPzGOrrEf7AdAXX6xwnJRVP_XqUfWuMuVthTWscaU3P4vgmS86-96n-721enHfX12CFQWTajqFbVnrsDkexfUf4.6_gTH6h1Bb9Pn375QdF_VAVZSayDvjQBBKGXE-MTiFo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=klavan&amp;qid=1754049918&amp;sprefix=%2Caps%2C80&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After That, The Dark,</a> is now available for Pre-Order. Follow him on X: <a href="https://x.com/andrewklavan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@andrewklavan</a>
The views expressed in this satirical article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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