The MLB’s Cleveland Indians are looking to change their name following a similar controversy with the NFL’s Washington Redskins.
“We are committed to making a positive impact in our community and embrace our responsibility to advance social justice and equality,” the team said in a statement posted to Twitter. “Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community.&#8221;
“We have had ongoing discussions organizationally on these issues. The recent unrest in our community and our country has only underscored the need for us to keep improving as an organization on issues of social justice,” the statement continued. “With that in mind, we are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path forward with regard to our team name.”
“While the focus of the baseball world shifts to the excitement of an unprecedented 2020 season, we recognize our unique place in the community and are committed to listening, learning and acting in the manner that can best unite and inspire our city and all those who support our team,” the statement concluded.
The Athletic <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/03/cleveland-indians-join-washington-redskins-in-considering-name-change/">reported</a> that the team will consider a new name after consultations with the Native American community,  staff, players, and fans. The team name was changed to the Indians in 1915, The New York Post reported. Previously, they were known as the Bluebirds, Broncos, and the Naps.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cleveland-indians-will-abandon-controversial-chief-emily-zanotti">reported</a> in January 2018, the Indians scrubbed their controversial mascot, Chief Wahoo, from uniforms and merchandise prior to the 2019 MLB season. The mascot had been part of the team since 1948.
“The Indians say the change has been in the works for some time, though they did not meet the deadline to have the mascot removed from the 2018 regulation uniforms, which must go into mass production before Spring Training begins in February. This season, fans will notice a scaled back Chief Wahoo presence, and he’ll be totally scrubbed by the beginning of the 2019 season,” The Daily Wire’s Emily Zanotti reported at the time.
Chief Wahoo had been the subject of numerous complaints prior to that season, but after the team appeared in and lost the 2016 World Series, and then participated in the 2017 playoffs, MLB management started pressuring the team to change the mascot. When the decision to remove Chief Wahoo was made, Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner of baseball, issued a statement saying he was delighted the team “ultimately agreed with my position that the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball.”
The team replaced Chief Wahoo with a block letter “C” instead.
The move to change the team name comes after the Redskins announced a “thorough review” of its name, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/redskins-cave-announce-thorough-review-of-name-here-are-the-top-suggestions">reported</a>.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> member</a>.

Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians Consider Name Change After Redskins Controversy

Baseball

Cleveland

Sports

Major League Baseball voted on Monday to move forward with a March agreement to return to play after weeks of renegotiating with the players’ union to change the deal’s terms.
MLB owners went back to the March plan, agreed to by both sides early in the pandemic, after trying for about six weeks to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mlb-and-players-union-are-still-haggling-over-pay-days-ahead-of-deadline">renegotiate</a> players’ pay for a truncated season without fans. The latest revision was rejected by the players’ union earlier Monday, according to <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-owners-rob-manfred-plan-to-impose-60-game-2020-season-after-failing-to-reach-deal-with-mlbpa/live/">CBS Sports</a>. Under the March agreement, players’ will be paid their salary on a prorated basis for the number of games played.
While many of the details are still fluid as the MLB waits for a response from the players’ union, the sport is expected to move forward with a 60-game season. Spring training is tentatively scheduled for July 1, and Opening Day is expected to fall on July 24, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1275250942770806785">ESPN</a>.
Aside from a response from the players on the pay structure, the MLB is also negotiating with the union on health protocols for the sport amid the coronavirus pandemic. The union signaled in a Monday <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBPA_News/status/1275190330309124096">statement</a> that it intends to approve the health guidelines and procedures proposed by the league with modest changes.
“Earlier this evening, the full Board reaffirmed the players’ eagerness to return to work as soon and as safely as possible. To that end, we anticipate finalizing a comprehensive set of health and safety protocols with Major League Baseball in the coming days, and we await word from the league on the resumption of spring training camps and a proposed 2020 schedule,” the union said.
The league released a <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB_PR/status/1275247148498661376">statement</a> following the vote:
<blockquote>Today, the Major League Baseball Players Association informed us that they have rejected the agreement framework developed by Commissioner Manfred and Tony Clark. Needless to say, we are disappointed by this development.
The framework provided an opportunity for MLB and its players to work together to confront the difficulties and challenges presented by the pandemic. It gave our fans the chance to see an exciting new Postseason format. And, it offered players significant benefits including:
<ol>
<li>The universal DH for two years</li>
<li>A guaranteed $25 million in playoff pools in 2020</li>
<li>$33 million in forgiven salary advances that would increase the take home pay of 61% of Major League players</li>
<li>Overall earnings for players of 104 percent of prorated salary</li>
<li>Over the last two days, MLB agreed to remove expanded Postseason in 2021 in order to address player concerns</li>
</ol>
In view of this rejection, the MLB Clubs have unanimously voted to proceed with the 2020 season under the terms of the March 26th Agreement. The provisions listed above will not be operative.
In order to produce a schedule with a specific number of games, we are asking that the Players Association provide to us by 5:00 p.m. (ET) tomorrow with two pieces of information. The first is whether players will be able to report to camp within seven days (by July 1st). The second is whether the Players Association will agree on the Operating Manual which contains the health and safety protocols necessary to give us the best opportunity to conduct and complete our regular season and Postseason.</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Willie Horton

MLB Moves Forward With 60-Game Season After Union Rejects Latest Proposal

Coronavirus

Major League Baseball will likely return for a truncated season as early as July, but there will be major changes to how players comport themselves both on and off the field to keep the sport safe from a coronavirus outbreak.
<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/showers-spitting-off-limits-mlb-eyes-safe-return-200755808--mlb.html">Yahoo News reports</a> that a favorite pastime of players, spitting in the dugout, will be prohibited, and locker rooms will be largely off limits, as players will be asked to shower at home instead of using arena facilities.
The MLB has drafted a 67-page &#8220;return to play&#8221; handbook for players that outlines the rules for participating in major league play during a pandemic. The rules, which include the aforementioned prohibitions, as well as mandatory temperature checks and social distancing requirements, are part of a package the MLB is sending to the players&#8217; union for approval this week.
&#8220;The new restrictions, which have to be approved by the players&#8217; union, would also enforce social distancing, meaning no hugs or high fives after a home run, and a ban on chewing tobacco,&#8221; the outlet said Sunday. &#8220;Players would go through daily temperature screenings and have to sanitize their hands each half-inning. MLB plans to perform thousands of tests on players, coaches, management and stadium personnel for Covid-19 on a weekly basis.&#8221;
Players will also be discouraged from wearing their uniforms outside of ballparks, mascots will be banned from games, there will be no fist-bumps, post-game lineups, or bat boys (or girls). &#8220;Players may not touch their face to give signs, and they’re not allowed to lick their fingers. Teams are encouraged to hold meetings outdoors, players spread apart,&#8221; <a href="https://apnews.com/fa448199aebdc7993e0d742f4dc13a88">The Associated Press adds</a>.
When on the road, teams must abide by any local coronavirus-related restrictions and should not eat out at restaurants or use hotel fitness facilities. Managers and coaches must have on face-coverings at all times, and players are encouraged to wear masks when they are off the field.
The rules also affect game play. &#8220;Fielders are &#8216;encouraged to retreat several steps away from the baserunner&#8217; between pitches. First and third base coaches are not to approach baserunners or umpires, and players should not socialize with opponents.&#8221; Where players can observe social distancing, even on the field, they are required to do so.
&#8220;A ball will be thrown away after it is touched by multiple players, and throwing the ball around the infield will be discouraged,&#8221; AP reports. &#8220;Personnel who rub baseballs with mud for the umpires must use gloves.&#8221;
The MLB is hoping for a return to play the first week of July, with play kept largely regional so that teams don&#8217;t move around, spreading any potential illnesses from state to state. So far, there are only proposals, though, and no concrete plans. Some players are resisting a return to work over concerns about contracting the novel coronavirus, and others are still negotiating how much they should earn for a shortened season.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

MLB Outlaws Spitting, Limits Showering In New Baseball Rules

According to a new report, Major League Baseball officials are &#8220;cautiously optimistic&#8221; that the league will reopen &#8220;no later than July 2&#8221; and are discussing the possibility of a rather radical relaunch plan that includes realigning teams into three 10-team divisions and playing a season of &#8220;at least 100 games&#8221; – likely without fans.
&#8220;Major League Baseball officials have become cautiously optimistic this week that the season will start in late June, and no later than July 2, playing at least 100 regular-season games, according to three executives with knowledge of the talks,&#8221; <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2020/04/28/mlb-optimistic-about-starting-season-late-june/3039275001/">USA Today</a>&#8216;s Bob Nightengale reported Tuesday, noting that the league officials requested anonymity.
While the league plans to play in their own ballparks in order to cut down on travel, they expect that they&#8217;ll do so &#8220;with no fans,&#8221; Nightengale writes. The plan, which Nightengale says is pending approval from medical officials, would require that COVID-19 testing is available to the broader public.
The curtailed season may include three new divisions made up of 10 realigned teams. Nightengale presents the following &#8220;possible realignment structure&#8221;:
<blockquote>
EAST —New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins
WEST — Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners
CENTRAL — Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers
</blockquote>
While league officials are reportedly hashing out their three-division relaunch plan, as reported by <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29109067/white-house-discusses-re-opening-plan-sports-leagues">ESPN</a>, the league&#8217;s chief medical officer, along with those from other major sports leagues, participated in a call on Tuesday with White House Coronavirus Task Force member Seema Verma, an administrator for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, to discuss their role in reopening the country.
<aside class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al" aria-label="advertisement">
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&#8220;Among those representing the various sports leagues were officials from Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA, the WNBA, the NHL, the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff, the National Women&#8217;s Soccer League, NASCAR, PGA of America, the Masters Tournament, the United States Tennis Association, as well as a few other organizations,&#8221; ESPN reports.
According to the network, Verma emphasized to league officials &#8220;the importance of finding innovative ways to allow sports while keeping the athletes, coaches, staff and fans safe&#8221; and &#8220;the president&#8217;s commitment to supporting the efforts to reopen in a way that is consistent with public health data.&#8221;
While MLB&#8217;s reported plans for reopening are still in the works, the PGA Tour has already <a href="https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/29040966/the-complete-rundown-pga-tour-revised-schedule">announced</a> its intention to get restarted with a revised schedule. The first event back is scheduled for early June: the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The event will have no fans.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.  
</div>
</aside>

Empty Fenway Park During Pandemic

Report: The Radical Relaunch Plan Major League Baseball Officials Are Discussing

Economy

Major League Baseball officials have been reportedly discussing a plan to begin the baseball season in late June, or early July at the latest, in an effort to bring back the national pastime with some coronavirus-conscious adjustments. 
Bob Nightengale, baseball columnist for USA Today, reports that the MLB is giving consideration to an unorthodox plan that would start the season without fans and create three new divisions, based on geography to reduce travel and unnecessary contact. 
These new 10-team temporary divisions would supersede the American and National leagues, with Nightengale noting that the divisions could be based on Western teams, Central teams and Eastern teams, providing the following example: 
Western 
San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers. 
Central 
Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Indians. 
Eastern 
Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays. 
The columnist, who spoke with three executives in the MLB, reports that the plan has officials “cautiously optimistic,” particularly with developments in coronavirus testing, but also noted that it is still in the consideration phase. The plan would also need to be approved by medical experts. 
The MLB postponed the season indefinitely in mid-March, shortly before the regular season was scheduled to begin, noting that the move was a public health measure.
The Athletic <a href="https://theathletic.com/1779886/2020/04/28/rosenthal-an-inside-look-at-the-possibilities-and-risks-of-an-mlb-restart/">reported</a> on Tuesday that MLB officials have been modeling “virtually any idea” that will allow teams to play this year, but have not settled on anything definitively. 
“Those involved at the sport’s highest levels are increasingly confident games will be played in 2020,” reports the news agency. “Rather than rush into a plan and increase the risk of mistakes, the league will continue gathering information and likely wait as long as possible to present a proposal for the players association.”
Jon Heyman, an insider at MLB Network, tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that officials still plan to hold the MLB draft on June 10, but noted that the event would be virtual instead of being held in Omaha. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The MLB draft is still planned to be done June 10. Virtually of course. Was originally supposed to be in Omaha but of course there’s no College World Series now.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1255238162617688067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
The NFL recently held a virtual draft and received record ratings, attracting more than 55 million viewers over the course of three days, according <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001111738/article/2020-nfl-draft-sets-alltime-viewership-records">to the league</a>. The figures represented a growth in viewership of approximately 35% from the 2019 draft. 
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

New York Yankees v Tampa Bay Rays

Report: MLB Officials Discussing June Start Date, New Divisions

Major League Baseball is currently on hiatus after the coronavirus-related lockdown shuttered stadiums and ended the 2020 baseball season before it even began. But the league now says that it&#8217;s considering a radical plan that would bring back baseball &#8212; but a shortened, somewhat chaotic, special coronavirus version.
The MLB is considering a &#8220;radical realignment&#8221; <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2020/04/10/mlb-realignment-league-considers-radical-move-for-2020-season/5128935002/">according to USA Today</a>, that could see teams play the 2020 season without regard for leagues and with a &#8220;universal designated hitter&#8221; present in every game.
The plan &#8220;would eliminate the traditional American and National Leagues for 2020, a high-ranking official told USA TODAY Sports, and realign all six divisions for an abbreviated season.&#8221;
Instead of playing in their home stadiums, teams would play only in Arizona, where the &#8220;Cactus League&#8221; &#8212; the half of MLB teams who hold their spring training in the southwest &#8212; has several stadiums set up for major league players. Games would not have in-person audiences but would be broadcast on major networks.
Instead of the American and National Leagues, the teams would be divided based on where they play their pre-season games: either Arizona and the southwest, or Florida and the southeast.
&#8220;The plan would allow teams to return to the comforts of their spring training sites for three weeks of training, which would also include exhibition games, before opening the regular season and playing a schedule with wholly different divisional opponents,&#8221; USA Today says.
Fan reaction to the plan was mixed, but the MLB says that it would only be for the 2020 season, which has already been cut short because of coronavirus. The national lockdowns, and the possibility of communicating the deadly virus, has led league officials to get &#8220;really creative&#8221; according to Angels&#8217; senior advisor of baseball operations, Tony La Russa.
&#8220;When you’re trying to get really creative, why say no now?’’ La Russa told USA Today. “So you have a unique season. I’ve got no problem with that. I’m not sure we’ll be able play in our own cities across the country, so if you split it up like that, it’s a possibility.’’
The MLB is also considering other plans, including a shortened season &#8212; to take place whenever the country begins &#8220;opening up&#8221; from coronavirus-related lockdowns &#8212; and extending the regular MLB season into November.
Other sports leagues are also considering contingency plans if coronavirus lasts longer than a few months. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is leaving the door open for a resumed 2019-2020 season. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told media last week that he is &#8220;hopeful&#8221; play will resume in June.
“All I know from all the science and everything that I’m reading, I think we’re making enough advances that several of them will come through so we can start planning what a comeback would look like,&#8221; <a href="https://nesn.com/2020/04/mark-cuban-has-revised-his-take-on-when-nba-might-resume-2019-20-season/">Cuban said</a>. &#8220;If I had to bet, and this is more a guess than a bet, I’d say early June is when you see teams start to take the field and maybe play games just for television.”
The National Hockey League (NHL) was almost at the end of its season when coronavirus struck. Hockey analyst Brian Burke <a href="https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/29013313/brian-burke-nhl-playoff-possibilities-memories-whalers-phil-kessel-stories-more">told ESPN that the league</a> is likely considering a &#8220;centralized&#8221; location for the Stanley Cup finals, hopefully to be held this summer.

2019 World Series Game 5 &#8211; Houston Astros v. Washington Nationals

MLB Has A Crazy Plan To Bring Back Baseball Despite Coronavirus Lockdown

Pete Rose posted monster numbers in his Major League Baseball career.
Rose, who played from 1963 to 1986, holds major league records for games played (3,562), at bats (14,053), hits (4,256), and singles (3,215). He had a lifetime batting average of .303. Those are Hall of Fame numbers. But the player known as &#8220;Mr. Hustle&#8221; has never been inducted into Cooperstown because of a scandal that marred his post-player career.
In 1989, three years after his retirement, Rose was kicked out of baseball amid accusations that he bet on baseball games while playing for and managing the Cincinnati Reds. An MLB lawyer, John M. Dowd, alleged that Rose bet on 52 Reds games in 1987, with a minimum bet, reportedly, of $10,000 a day. No hard evidence ever emerged that he bet against his own team and Rose, for years, denied the allegations. But in 2004, Rose admitted in his autobiography that he bet on baseball while serving as the Reds manager. In 2007, he told ESPN Radio that he bet on the Reds to win every night.
During negotiations with Major League Baseball over the matter, Rose agreed to to be placed on baseball&#8217;s &#8220;permanently ineligible&#8221; list. Every few years, though, Rose&#8217;s permanent ban from the Hall of Fame comes up for discussion.
Now, President Trump is jumping into the fray.
&#8220;Pete Rose played Major League Baseball for 24 seasons, from 1963-1986, and had more hits, 4,256, than any other player (by a wide margin),&#8221; the president wrote on Twitter. &#8220;He gambled, but only on his own team winning, and paid a decades long price. GET PETE ROSE INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME. It’s Time!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pete Rose played Major League Baseball for 24 seasons, from 1963-1986, and had more hits, 4,256, than any other player (by a wide margin). He gambled, but only on his own team winning, and paid a decades long price. GET PETE ROSE INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME. It’s Time!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1226251504086065152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In 1991, the Hall of Fame voted to exclude from consideration anyone on the &#8220;permanently ineligible&#8221; list &#8212; a list that currently includes just one player, Rose.
Rose&#8217;s attorneys petitioned Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred for Rose&#8217;s reinstatement this month, stating that Rose&#8217;s &#8220;ongoing punishment for an act that never impacted a single play or game outcome is no longer justifiable as a proportional response to his transgressions.&#8221;
Mark Rosenbaum, a civil rights lawyer who submitted the petition on behalf of Rose, told the <a href="https://apnews.com/PR%20Newswire/bd6efc51442a4b0b15bc3c5540158320">Associated Press,</a> “Pete doesn’t seek special treatment, but equal treatment to others who have violated the integrity of the game. Unlike those known and unknown management and players who used and countenanced the use of steroids and engaged in electronic sign stealing, Pete’s transgressions did not affect the outcome of any game, let alone the World Series, or player performance. And unlike Pete, those violators will not be banished from baseball for thirty years and counting. At stake here then is not just proportional treatment for Pete, but the credibility and stature of the game for all time.”
According to Dean of UC Berkeley Law School, Erwin Chemerinsky, who helped author the petition, “It is essential to baseball, and to any fair system, that punishment be proportionate to the offense and to that imposed on others. Pete Rose’s lifetime ban from baseball and from the Hall of Fame, for actions that never affected the outcome of a single game, is grossly disproportionate when compared to the one-year suspensions imposed on those whose misconduct likely did change the results in games. After 30 years of being banished from baseball, it is time for Pete Rose to be reinstated.”

1983 World Series &#8211; Orioles v Phillies

Trump Calls On Major League Baseball To Put Pete Rose In The Hall Of Fame

Donald Trump

Following accusations of sign-stealing that were leveled at the Houston Astros during the MLB playoffs, a former Houston Astros pitcher has come forward to claim that the team used a camera feed from center field to steal signs as far back as 2017, the year the Astros won the World Series.
As reported in <a href="https://theathletic.com/login/?ref_page=/1363451/2019/11/12/the-astros-stole-signs-electronically-in-2017-part-of-a-much-broader-issue-for-major-league-baseball/&amp;source=article">The Athletic</a> by Ken Rosenthal and Evan Dreilich, Mike Fiers, a current Oakland Athletic who went 21-19 for the Astros between 2015 and 2017, joined three other members from the Astros’ 2017 organization to assert that the team had cheated.
Fiers stated, &#8220;That&#8217;s not playing the game the right way. They were advanced and willing to go above and beyond to win.&#8221;  According to Rosenthal and Drellich, &#8220;at least two uniformed Astros&#8221; were necessary to make the system work; the system &#8220;required technical video knowledge and required the direct aid of at least some on the baseball operations staff.&#8221;
The system reportedly had the center field camera spot the opposing catcher’s signs, which were then flashed to a TV on a wall near the Astros’ dugout. Rosenthal and Drelich explained, &#8220;Team employees and players would watch the screen during the game and try to decode signs — sitting opposite the screen on massage tables in a wide hallway [between the dugout and clubhouse]. When the onlookers believed they had decoded the signs, the expected pitch would be communicated via a loud noise — specifically, banging on a trash can, which sat in the tunnel. Normally, the bangs would mean a breaking ball or off-speed pitch was coming.&#8221;
Fiers stated he wants &#8220;the game to be cleaned up a little bit because there are guys who are losing their jobs because they&#8217;re going in there not knowing.&#8221;
Danny Farquhar, who faced the Astros as a member of the Chicago White Sox, told The Athletic, &#8220;There was a banging from the dugout, almost like a bat hitting the bat rack every time a changeup signal got put down. After the third one, I stepped off. I was throwing some really good changeups, and they were getting fouled off. After the third bang, I stepped off.&#8221;
Prior criticisms of the Astros were lodged by the New York Yankees, as SNY’s Andy Martino <a href="https://www.sny.tv/yankees/news/sources-yankees-dugout-erupts-over-astros-alleged-sign-stealing/311184886">reported</a> after game 1 of the ALCS:
<blockquote>Yankees players and coaches became angry with the Astros during Game 1 of the ALCS when they noticed a whistling sound in the Astros&#8217; dugout — which they believed was an over-the-line example of sign stealing, and a violation of the game&#8217;s unwritten rules. According to three sources, a Yankees coach noticed a whistling sound in the opposing dugout on certain pitches on Saturday night in Houston. The Yankees started yelling across the field, and people in the dugouts argued back and forth. &#8220;The whole dugout was pissed,&#8221; said one source. &#8220;Everyone was chirping.&#8221;</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2018/10/cleveland_indians_boston_red_s_77.html">Cleveland.com</a> reported in October 2018, after the Astros had defeated the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS, “For almost two weeks before the ALDS, the Indians worked hard to protect their signs because of Houston&#8217;s reputation for stealing signs. The Astros reportedly try to train cameras on the opposing catcher, manager and bench coach in an effort to steal signs and pick up tendencies.”
<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2862408-mike-fiers-admits-astros-stole-signs-electronically-during-2017-mlb-season">Bleacher Report</a> noted, “MLB cleared Houston of any wrongdoing in 2018 and 2019.”
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

New York Yankees v Oakland Athletics

Former Houston Astro: Astros Used Center Field Camera To Steal Signs

Houston Astros

Late Tuesday night, swimsuit model Kate Upton lashed out at those posting &#8220;dumb misogynist comments&#8221; in reaction to a tweet she posted about a controversial call during Game Six of the World Series.
&#8220;I LOVE talking about sports and reading all of the dumb misogynist comments. It reminds me that women need to keep fighting for equality. It’s 2019 but feels like the 1950s,&#8221; Upton posted to her Twitter account, adding a &#8220;feminist&#8221; hashtag.  
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I LOVE talking about sports and reading all of the dumb misogynist comments. It reminds me that women need to keep fighting for equality. It’s 2019 but feels like the 1950s. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/feminist?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#feminist</a>
&mdash; Kate Upton (@KateUpton) <a href="https://twitter.com/KateUpton/status/1189391778924912640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The call in question Upton was commenting on, as <a href="https://abc13.com/sports/kate-upton-slams-misogynist-comments-about-tweet-on-mlb-rule/5658824/">noted</a> by a Houston ABC News affiliate, &#8220;came in the seventh inning, when the Washington Nationals&#8217; Trea Turner was ruled out on interference at first base.&#8221;
&#8220;The disputed call went under review, and it appears it&#8217;s during that time that Upton tweeted the MLB rule about the call, trying to clear up confusion,&#8221; <a href="https://abc13.com/sports/kate-upton-slams-misogynist-comments-about-tweet-on-mlb-rule/5658824/">ABC 13</a> explained.
&#8220;He wasn’t within the base path,&#8221; Upton captioned a photo of the game. &#8220;Those who don’t know the rule you HAVE to run inside the 2 lines. Not sure why the review is taking so long&#8230;&#8221;
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He wasn’t within the base path. Those who don’t know the rule you HAVE to run inside the 2 lines. Not sure why the review is taking so long&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/SzUJTA4L70">pic.twitter.com/SzUJTA4L70</a>
&mdash; Kate Upton (@KateUpton) <a href="https://twitter.com/KateUpton/status/1189374113627938817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The 27-year-old beauty also retweeted a post by sportswriter Jon Morosi concerning the MLB rule to which Upton was referring.
&#8220;[MLB] rule: &#8216;When running the last half of the way to first base while the ball is being fielded in the vicinity of first, a baserunner must stay within the three-foot runner&#8217;s lane to the right of the foul line unless [he is] avoiding a player fielding a batted ball,'&#8221; Morosi posted.
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. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> rule: &quot;When running the last half of the way to first base while the ball is being fielded in the vicinity of first, a baserunner must stay within the three-foot runner&#39;s lane to the right of the foul line unless they are avoiding a player fielding a batted ball.&quot;
&mdash; Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1189374199770558465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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While it appears a vast majority of the reactions, whether in disagreement or agreement, were not sexist, Upton was seemingly reacting to some of the nasty comments, such as &#8220;stick to modeling&#8221; and &#8220;do porn and I’ll forgive you for this tweet.&#8221;
The model made sports-related headlines in 2016, as well. On both Twitter and Instagram, Upton posted about her frustration with athletes kneeling during the playing of our national anthem, particularly on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
&#8220;This is unacceptable,&#8221; she said of Miami Dolphins players taking a knee. &#8220;You should be proud to be an American. Especially on 9/11 when we should support each other.&#8221;
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This is unacceptable. You should be proud to be an American. Especially on 9/11 when we should support each other. <a href="https://t.co/qFozwaH9Bu">https://t.co/qFozwaH9Bu</a>
&mdash; Kate Upton (@KateUpton) <a href="https://twitter.com/KateUpton/status/775092537707077632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Protest [and] speak [your] mind whenever [you] want but during the 120 seconds you should support the people who protect our freedom,&#8221; Upton added.
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Protest&amp;speak ur mind whenever u want but during the 120secs you should support the people who protect our freedom. <a href="https://t.co/qFozwaH9Bu">https://t.co/qFozwaH9Bu</a>
&mdash; Kate Upton (@KateUpton) <a href="https://twitter.com/KateUpton/status/775093441676075008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
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In an Instagram post, with has since been removed from the platform, Upton wrote:
<blockquote>In my opinion, the national anthem is a symbolic song about our country. It represents honoring the many brave men and women who sacrifice and have sacrificed their lives each and every single day to protect our freedom. Sitting or kneeling down during the national anthem is a disgrace to those people who have served and currently serve our country. Sitting down during the national anthem on September 11th is even more horrific. Protest all you want and use social media all you want. However, during the nearly two minutes when that song is playing, I believe everyone should put their hands on their heart and be proud of our country for we are all truly blessed. Recent history has shown that it is a place where anyone no matter what race or gender has the potential to become President of the United States. We live in the most special place in the world and should be thankful. After the song is over, I would encourage everyone to please use the podium they have, stand up for their beliefs, and make America a better place. The rebuilding of battery park and the freedom tower demonstrates that amazing things can be done in this country when we work together towards a common goal. It is a shame how quickly we have forgotten this as a society. Today we are more divided then ever before. I could never imagine multiple people sitting down during the national anthem on the September 11th anniversary. The lessons of 911 should teach us that if we come together, the world can be a better and more peaceful place #neverforget.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kate-upton-rips-nfl-players-disrespecting-national-hank-berrien">Kate Upton Rips NFL Players For Disrespecting National Anthem</a>

Kate Upton

Kate Upton Slams ‘Dumb Misogynist’ Commenters After Posting About Controversial World Series Call

On Sunday night, President Donald Trump attended Game five of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros in the wake of the announcement that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed in a U.S. raid.
As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-how-crowd-responds-when-trump-announced-at-nationals-world-series-game">The Daily Wire</a>, Trump, who was accompanied by five wounded veterans, was greeted with loud boos and chants of “Lock him up!” when he was announced at the game.
Opponents of President Trump also found another way to hit Trump with regard to the baseball game, and it included his 13-year-old Barron.
Left-wing Twitter knocked the president for not bringing Barron to the Sunday night game, suggesting he&#8217;s a bad father.
&#8220;A Father not taking his son to a baseball game, let alone a World Series game, is perhaps the worst indictment of a &#8216;family man&#8217; I’ve ever heard,&#8221; criticized Democratic politician Rob Anderson. &#8220;I have a feeling Trump could have gotten Barron a ticket, if he got tickets for Scalise and Gaetz.&#8221;
In less than 24 hours, the tweet garnered over 33,000 likes.
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A Father not taking his son to a baseball game, let alone a World Series game, is perhaps the worst indictment of a “family man” I’ve ever heard. 
I have a feeling Trump could have gotten Barron a ticket, if he got tickets for Scalise and Gaetz.
&mdash; Rob Anderson for Louisiana (@RobAnderson2018) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobAnderson2018/status/1188637638221357063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Imagine being a kid and your dad takes Lindsey Graham to the World Series instead of you,&#8221; said Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko. This tweet similarly accumulated almost 33,000 likes.
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Imagine being a kid and your dad takes Lindsey Graham to the World Series instead of you.
&mdash; Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamParkhomenko/status/1188612884521201665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We didn’t have any money growing up, but my dad still took me to every sporting event he could afford. Donald Trump has unlimited resources, yet he couldn’t even take Barron with him to the baseball game?&#8221; questioned Bill Palmer, of the left-wing blog Palmer Report.
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We didn’t have any money growing up, but my dad still took me to every sporting event he could afford. Donald Trump has unlimited resources, yet he couldn’t even take Barron with him to the baseball game?
&mdash; Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/PalmerReport/status/1188679560126177281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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LGBT activist Brandon Wolf captioned a photo of the Trumps with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): &#8220;Trump left Barron at home and brought this clown instead?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump left Barron at home and brought this clown instead? <a href="https://t.co/8GQQNRTPkM">https://t.co/8GQQNRTPkM</a>
&mdash; Brandon (Were)Wolf 🐺🎃 (@bjoewolf) <a href="https://twitter.com/bjoewolf/status/1188666647336411141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Responding to Anderson, Donald Trump Jr., the president&#8217;s eldest son, posted:
<blockquote>&#8220;This is the dumbest take ever! I mean f-ing stupid!!! Maybe he knew that the scumbag lobbyists and liberal elite in the 94% leftist swamp of DC would behave exactly as they did and therefore shielded a child from that kind of behavior. That’s great parenting moron!&#8221;</blockquote>
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This is the dumbest take ever! I mean f-ing stupid!!!
Maybe he knew that the scumbag lobbyists and liberal elite in the 94% leftist swamp of DC would behave exactly as they did and therefore shielded a child from that kind of behavior. 
That’s great parenting moron! <a href="https://t.co/oeLqaR02Is">https://t.co/oeLqaR02Is</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1188813508529532929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Others displeased with the anti-Trump politicos using Barron to hit his father, sounded off on the matter.
&#8220;Maybe Trump didn’t take Barron to the game because it’s not good for him. Maybe Barron doesn’t like crowds. Maybe Trump knows people will be booing him and doesn’t want to expose his kid to that. Maybe he’s protecting him. Going after Trump because Barron wasn’t there is gross,&#8221; wrote comedian and former Playboy writer Bridget Phetasy.
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Maybe Trump didn’t take Barron to the game because it’s not good for him. Maybe Barron doesn’t like crowds. Maybe Trump knows people will be booing him and doesn’t want to expose his kid to that. Maybe he’s protecting him. Going after Trump because Barron wasn’t there is gross.
&mdash; Bridget Phetasy (@BridgetPhetasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/BridgetPhetasy/status/1188729979174977536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;For a while we haven’t seen Barron Trump mentioned (which is a good thing) but I’ve seen an uptick recently&#8230; including this tweet. He’s 13-years-old and didn’t choose this life. You have no idea why he wasn’t there, Rob [Anderson], journalist Yashar Ali wrote. &#8220;Leave him alone.&#8221;
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For a while we haven’t seen Barron Trump mentioned (which is a good thing) but I’ve seen an uptick recently&#8230;including this tweet. 
He’s 13-years-old and didn’t choose this life. You have no idea why he wasn’t there, Rob. 
Leave him alone. <a href="https://t.co/hqJhC4H0v7">https://t.co/hqJhC4H0v7</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1188814411160440832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Rita Panahi noted that Trump is not well-liked in D.C. (hence the booing), which might be why he didn&#8217;t bring his 13-year-old son.
&#8220;Trump knows he’ll get booed in Washington DC (where he got 4% of the vote), why would he take Barron? They are finding ever dumber things to bag him about,&#8221; she wrote.
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Trump knows he’ll get booed in Washington DC (where he got 4% of the vote), why would he take Barron? They are finding ever dumber things to bag him about. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TDS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TDS</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z18yNYxJvl">https://t.co/Z18yNYxJvl</a>
&mdash; Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RitaPanahi/status/1188732604406628352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Unfortunately, Barron Trump has not been immune to vulgar attacks. Last summer, for example, the young boy was attacked by left-wing Hollywood elite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-saying-barron-trump-should-be-raped-peter-amanda-prestigiacomo">Peter Fonda</a>, brother to actress and anti-Trump activist Jane Fonda.
Fonda posted in a now-deleted tweet: “WE SHOULD RIP BARRON TRUMP FROM HIS MOTHER’S ARMS AND PUT HIM IN A CAGE WITH PEDOPHILES AND SEE IF MOTHER WILL WILL STAND UP AGAINST THE GIANT A**HOLE SHE IS MARRIED TO. 90 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE STREETS ON THE SAME WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY. F***.&#8221;

Donald, Barron, and Melania Trump

Leftists Use 13-Year-Old Barron To Hit President Trump

Barron Trump

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) expressed disappointment on Monday after the crowd at Nationals Park shouted chants of &#8220;lock him up&#8221; aimed at President Donald Trump during the World Series in Washington D.C.
&#8220;I&#8217;m enough of a traditionalist about our institutions that even at a time when there is a lot that our president does that I find disturbing, offensive, unconventional, I have a hard time with the idea of a crowd on a globally televised sporting event chanting &#8216;lock him up&#8217; about our president,&#8221; Coons told CNN news anchor John Berman. &#8220;I frankly think the office of the president deserves respect even when the actions of our president at times do not. &#8221;
Coons&#8217; remarks come after Trump made a low-key appearance at Game five of the MLB World Series on Sunday evening. Fans began booing and jeering when the ballpark displayed the president on the jumbo screen during the 3rd inning and subsequently began shouting &#8220;lock him up.&#8221;
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JUST NOW: Dem Sen <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCoons?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChrisCoons</a> not happy with the &quot;Lock him up &quot; chants at World Series last night.
&quot;Frankly think the office of the president deserves respect, even when the actions of our president at times don&#39;t. &quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/NewDay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/OJwZfv9Vp8">pic.twitter.com/OJwZfv9Vp8</a>
&mdash; John Berman (@JohnBerman) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnBerman/status/1188790689645109250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The president stayed at the game for seven innings before returning to the White House. He notably decided not to throw out the ceremonial first pitch &#8220;in order to make the fan experience as positive as possible,&#8221; according to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Trump is the first president not to have thrown the first pitch either for Opening Day, the All Star Game, or the World series since former President William Howard Taft began the tradition in 1910.
The president and first lady Melania Trump were sitting in a box behind home plate and were joined by some members of Congress, including the Republican House leadership: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Whip Steve Scalise, and Conference Chair Liz Cheney. Other members of Congress, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and David Perdue (R-GA) also enjoyed the game with the president.
&#8220;I certainly hope that we won&#8217;t hear &#8216;lock him up&#8217; chants at Democratic rallies or at our convention,&#8221; Coons said. &#8220;I think that is one of the most regrettable, even at times despicable, actions by candidate Trump when he was running for president in 2016.&#8221;
&#8220;It reminds me of things that happen in countries where rule of law is unknown or unestablished,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;[It is] sort of whipping up public furor on both sides I don&#8217;t think is constructive or helpful.&#8221;
Accordingly, supporters of the president famously chanted &#8220;lock her up&#8221; during Trump rallies in reference to failed Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The chant has since been repeated at some rallies following Trump&#8217;s presidency.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) held a rally for his presidential campaign only days earlier where a crowd of nearly 25,000 Bernie supporters also chanted &#8220;lock him up&#8221; in reference to the president.
&#8220;I understand why crowds in Washington would feel a lot of animus towards our president given the things that he&#8217;s done,&#8221; Coons said. &#8220;But frankly, that&#8217;s why I think those of us in the Senate need to approach the impeachment process seriously in a measured and responsible way because our very institutions, our constitution, is at risk by these sorts of &#8212; the passions that have been unleashed by the politics of the moment.&#8221;

WATCH: Democratic Senator Scolds Crowd For ‘Lock Him Up’ Chants

Officials with Major League Baseball say they&#8217;re investigating a &#8220;violent&#8221; pro-Trump tweet sent by one of their umpires, Rod Drake.
Drake is, reportedly, a fan of President Donald Trump and decidedly not a fan of the Democrats&#8217; impeachment inquiry, a point he made very clear last week when he suggested that, in the event of a civil war, he planned to be armed with an AR-15.
&#8220;Drake, 50, made his major league debut in 1999 and has been a full-time major league umpire since 2010. He worked postseason games in 2010 and 2012 through ’15, and was on the crew at the All-Star Game in 2013,&#8221; <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27913518/mlb-looking-long-umpire-rob-drake-tweet">according to ESPN</a>.
&#8220;I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL [sic] WAR!!! #MAGA2020,&#8221; Drake tweeted from his private Twitter account, which has since been deleted.
The threat was the last in a series of thoughts Drake had on the impeachment process and the series of closed-door and SCIF meetings Democrats held this week on Capitol Hill, where they questioned witnesses and viewed confidential and classified documents.
“We have a political party trying to overthrow a president by lying, hiding, creating and manufacturing crimes. Where do we live? This is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! This isn’t Russia, Venezuela, Cuba,” Drake posted, according to another Twitter account which claims to have screenshotted Drake&#8217;s tweets before Drake took his account private and then removed himself from the social media platform.
“You can’t do an impeachment inquiry from the basement of Capital [sic] Hill without even a vote! What is going on in this country?” Drake continued.
Drake also regular retweeted social media missives about the conspiracy theory, QAnon.
ESPN, which apparently keeps track of baseball officials&#8217; Twitter accounts, caught the tweets and publicized them, alerting MLB higher-ups of Drake&#8217;s threatened gun violence.
Fox News reports that the MLB has initiated an investigation into Drake&#8217;s tweets and could sanction him for making overt political statements. Unlike the NFL, which clearly allows its players and officials to comment on current events and public issues (and, it seems, the NBA), the MLB has strict rules on what players, umpires, and league higher-ups can say publicly. If Drake ran afoul of these rules, he could face punishment.
<blockquote>Players can’t make what can be construed as official club or league statements without permission; 
Players can’t use copyrighted team logos and stuff without permission or tweet confidential or private information about teams or players, their families, etc.; 
Players can’t link to any MLB website or platform from social media without permission; 
No tweets condoning or appearing to condone the use of substances on the MLB banned drug list 
No ripping umpires or questioning their integrity; 
No racial, sexist, homophobic, anti-religious, etc. etc. content; 
No harassment or threats of violence; 
Nothing sexually explicit; 
Nothing otherwise illegal.</blockquote>
Tehnically, Drake&#8217;s comments don&#8217;t fall under any of the banned topics, though the league may decide that his comments about gun ownership are a bridge too far, even if his personal political beliefs are clearly his own.
&nbsp;

major league baseball

MLB Will Investigate Umpire Who Posted ‘Violent’ Pro-Trump Tweet

Hollywood loves making movies about undiscovered talents who can throw a fastball at dizzying speeds (The Rookie, Rookie of the Year), and now, thanks to a speed pitch challenge at Coors Field, one rocket-throwing undiscovered 23-year-old has been <a href="https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/a-fan-threw-96-mph-at-a-stadium-speed-pitch-challenge-now-he-has-an-mlb-contract?fbclid=IwAR1CdH81MGPTtPYowZ1rHCIa_9x5XSWSLs3-xOwsuqeojOFJkdwgb7h6jsM">signed to a contract</a> by the Oakland Athletics.
Roughly two weeks ago, Nathan Patterson and his 23-year-old brother Christian attended a Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field where they tried the speed pitch challenge. Nathan hit the speed gun at 90, 94, 94, and 96 mph. Christian posted the video, and voila!
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/cut4/a-s-sign-pitcher-who-dazzled-at-in-stadium-radar-booth">MLB.com</a> provided some background on Nathan:
<blockquote>His journey began last August at a Nashville Sounds game (they were the A&#8217;s Triple-A affiliate at the time). He hit 96 on the radar gun at a speed pitch, which surprised him because he hadn&#8217;t thrown &#8220;for a few years before that.&#8221; Inspired by that outing, he began training a couple months later, but was then hit by a car and had surgery on his non-throwing wrist in December (hence the cast mentioned above).</blockquote>
MLB pointed out that Nathan spoke with the A&#8217;s in February 2019 and joined a men’s league before the Rockies game. He noted that after the video was posted, &#8220;a few days later the A&#8217;s gave me a call.&#8221;
Nathan wrote on Instagram:
<blockquote>Words cannot describe this feeling and I cannot thank everyone enough who has been part of this journey so far! My family has given me nothing but constant love and support throughout the last 9 months as I pursue a dream of mine that I’ve had since I was a little kid. It&#8217;s been a roller coaster to get here with many challenges and overcoming adversity.
I&#8217;m grateful for all the trainers, coaches, friends, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rsrbaseball/">@rsrbaseball</a> and everyone else who has supported me thus far! And for those who tell you that you can&#8217;t achieve your dreams, use that as fuel to work even harder. Because those people are the ones that settle.
I&#8217;m grateful for the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/athletics/">@athletics</a>organization for giving me this opportunity!
This story is not over. It is not the beginning. I am writing the next chapters and excited for this journey! Time to focus even more, work even harder, and it all starts with your mindset. Go after your dreams and make them a reality!</blockquote>
The film &#8220;The Rookie&#8221; was based on the real-life story of Jim Morris, who was in his mid-thirties and working as a high school physical education teacher and baseball coach at Reagan County High School in Big Lake Texas when he promised his team he would try out for major league baseball if they won the district championship. They won, he tried out and found that despite several surgeries on his arm, he threw 12 consecutive 98-mph <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastball">fastballs</a>. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the age of 35, moved up through the minor league system, and made his big-league debut on September 18, 1999, against the Texas Rangers; he made 16 major league appearances.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Guys, we were just chillin at a <a href="https://twitter.com/Rockies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rockies</a> baseball game, and my brother decided to step into a speed pitch challenge&#8230;he hit 96 mph <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLB</a> Let’s get him signed! <a href="https://t.co/g0fKrvUxzt">pic.twitter.com/g0fKrvUxzt</a>
— Christian Patterson (@cpatterson_7) <a href="https://twitter.com/cpatterson_7/status/1150829879476260864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">“How can you not be romantic about baseball” -Billy Beane
Words cannot describe this feeling and I cannot thank everyone enough who has been part of this journey so far! <a href="https://t.co/E4eSMUDmU5">pic.twitter.com/E4eSMUDmU5</a>
— Nathan Patterson (@npatterson_12) <a href="https://twitter.com/npatterson_12/status/1157069677199101952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>

Two Brothers Take Speed Challenge, Post Video Of One Throwing 90+ MPH. Then This Happens.

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/17513/breaking-multiple-shooting-congressional-baseball-joseph-curl">nearly fatal shooting</a> of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) on a baseball field in Virginia. The shooter, who will not be named as a matter of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/27329/why-daily-wire-will-no-longer-publish-names-or-ben-shapiro">Daily Wire company policy</a>, was revealed to be a Bernie Sanders campaign-<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/06/14/alleged-gunman-james-hodgkinson-worked-bernie-sanders-campaign/102847514/">volunteering</a> hard leftist who thought Republicans deserved to die for their alleged sins committed against the American people. This is not an exaggeration &#8212; it was all but made clear as an <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/james-hodgkinson-shooting-sanders-supporter-625792">express motivation</a>. To be sure, no one whatsoever <a href="http://theweek.com/articles/705676/theres-only-person-blame-awful-congressional-shooting">was to blame</a> for the shooter&#8217;s actions other than the shooter himself &#8212; human beings are discrete actors and, absent direct incitement or agitation to violence, we each possess individual culpability and bear responsibility for only our own actions.
But perhaps because the shooter was a leftist and the target was a notable Republican, the media coverage today, on the two-year anniversary, seems rather &#8230; sparse. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/14/politics/congressional-baseball-shooting-survivors/index.html">CNN</a> and <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/448532-scalise-marks-two-years-since-shooting-im-still-here-getting-to-do-the-job-i">The Hill</a> have anniversary pieces, but a quick survey of the mainstream media landscape reveals not too many other entries. CNN&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/14/politics/congressional-baseball-shooting-survivors/index.html">write-up</a> is straightforward enough:
<blockquote>
On June 14, 2017, a man who posted online about hating conservatives and President Donald Trump fired a semi-automatic rifle and a semi-automatic handgun at Republican lawmakers, staff and coaches practicing for an upcoming charity baseball game in Alexandria, Virginia. The shooter fired at least 70 rounds before he was killed.
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana was gravely wounded, and his determined recovery has been widely reported on, but for the four others who were struck by bullets and shrapnel, their road to recovery has been largely out of the spotlight in the years since the attack.
</blockquote>
Scalise himself furthermore tweeted earlier today: &#8220;Two years ago, my colleagues and I were attacked while practicing for a charity baseball game, simply because we&#8217;re Republicans. Thanks to countless heroes, miracles, and prayers, I&#8217;m still here today getting to do the job I love in Congress&#8212;and play a little baseball.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Two years ago, my colleagues and I were attacked while practicing for a charity baseball game, simply because we&#8217;re Republicans. Thanks to countless heroes, miracles, and prayers, I&#8217;m still here today getting to do the job I love in Congress&#8212;and play a little baseball. <a href="https://t.co/4DWeeFrc76">pic.twitter.com/4DWeeFrc76</a>
&#8212; Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveScalise/status/1139490157906857984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Still, fully accepting the premise of individual culpability for one&#8217;s own actions, the inescapable reality of the facts surrounding this shooting is that a deranged socialist went on a kamikaze mission to go shoot up as many Republicans as he possibly could. Against that backdrop, and surveying the relative paucity of media coverage today on the shooting&#8217;s two-year anniversary, one must naturally wonder: How differently would this anniversary be covered if the shooter had been wearing a MAGA hat and had specifically targeted not Republicans, but Democrats?
The thought experiment seems to answer itself. It goes without saying that our myopic fourth estate, which is comprised of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/05/06/just-7-percent-of-journalists-are-republicans-thats-far-less-than-even-a-decade-ago/">90+% registered Democrats</a>, is ultimately but one of many instruments wielded by our broader bi-coastal clerisy &#8212; our supercilious <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ruling-Class-Corrupted-America-About/dp/0825305586">ruling class</a> that deigns to govern the misbegotten heartland yokels. Alternative history speculations are ultimately just that &#8212; speculations. And, to be sure, we can never know for sure how exactly subsequent media coverage would have transpired had the political and partisan identities of the involved actors been reversed. But we can make an educated guess that there would surely be more mainstream media coverage on the two-year anniversary of a brazen attempt to assassinate a sitting U.S. congressman if the identities had been reversed. And the fact that we can so easily make such an educated guess ought to be distressing.

Steve Scalise Was Shot Two Years Ago Today. Why Is The Media So Silent On The Anniversary?

Bernie Sanders

Guns

Media Bias

Steve Scalise

This week, the lyrics of a patriotic song composed at the end of the Great War by a Russian Jew were <a href="https://www.toddstarnes.com/campus/grade-school-bans-god-bless-america/?fbclid=IwAR3wzH5YivSX6f4gOOju7b3hZOHtzGLgJpIf0IDwqXSBGbz2W7M39KcoQWk">determined</a> to be a violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But, the determination was not made by any judge or jury. Rather, a public school&#8217;s lawyer put an end to elementary students saying, &#8220;God Bless America.&#8221;
Irving Berlin emigrated to the United States from Russia to become one of America&#8217;s most beloved songwriters. His song &#8220;Putting on the Ritz&#8221; came to define a generation, and &#8220;White Christmas&#8221; lives on still today in the holiday traditions of millions. But, Berlin may be most renowned for his patriotic anthem, &#8220;God Bless America.&#8221;
As the world emerged from World War I, Berlin tried to put to song the gratitude his heart felt. &#8220;Thanks America&#8221; and &#8220;Let&#8217;s Talk About Liberty&#8221; were not quite right. So, he turned to one of his half-written, long-discarded lyrics which became the tune we know and love today.
Still, it took another two decades for the song to take root in the hearts and minds of Americans. It was in 1938 on the eve of World War II that the song debuted on CBS radio one cold November evening. The song took off. Sheet music sold out. Baseball games adopted it as the notable repertoire sung during the playing of America&#8217;s pastime. And, as our troops became entrenched in battles across the globe, the sentimental ode to home warmed the hearts of our G.I.s at USO concerts.
After 9/11, the song took on a new meaning. Congressmen famously <a href="https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/36778">assembled on the steps of the U.S. </a><a href="https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/36778">Capitol</a> to sing Berlin&#8217;s tune. Once again, baseball parks paused in the middle of the seventh inning (even during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef2rUV9M-no">World Series</a>) across the country to reflect on the tune. Its most famous lyric &#8212; &#8220;God Bless America!&#8221; &#8212; adorned overpasses and billboards across the country, reflecting the determination of patriots &#8220;from the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam.&#8221;
But, Berlin&#8217;s lyric is too much for one activist organization. Not far from where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field, Sabold Elementary School in Springfield, Pennsylvania this week put an end to end to its practice of saying &#8220;God Bless America!&#8221; at the conclusion of its morning announcements and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance over the school loudspeaker. This group of &#8220;atheists, agnostics, and freethinkers&#8221; sent a letter, condemning those three words as amounting to &#8220;a declaration of orthodoxy in religion that falsely equates piety with patriotism.&#8221;
Good grief. Such hyperbole may be expected from a group that routinely targets the slightest mention of religion in public with vague threats of litigation. What should be unexpected is that the school&#8217;s law firm &#8212; no doubt happily billing by the hour for the time it took to read the silly letter, advise the school, and respond with its own letter &#8212; responded, informing the association that the school ceased &#8220;the practice of announcing the slogan, &#8216;God Bless America.&#8217;&#8221;
There&#8217;s no word on whether the school district intends to stop taking money with the slogan &#8220;In God We Trust&#8221; on it, but maybe that will come later. Nor is there evidence (yet) that the principal now hits the &#8220;bleep&#8221; button when the school comes to the &#8220;under God&#8221; portion of the Pledge of Allegiance. And, though we can&#8217;t be sure, there do not appear to be plans to fire teachers for saying &#8220;God bless you&#8221; to students who sneeze on campus.
Let me explain the complex legal analysis here as simply as I can: Any claim that the three words &#8212; &#8220;God Bless America!&#8221; &#8212; used in succession on a public school campus is sufficient to establish a religion in violation of the First Amendment is entirely without legal merit.
What should your response to something like this be? Quite simply, you should ignore it. When someone claims the grass is pink when it is obviously green, you ignore the claim because it lacks any basis in reality. Same here. The suggestion that such an innocuous expression of patriotism violates the Constitution is absurd and should be treated as such. Do not take it seriously.
If Congressmen and women can stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and sing Berlin&#8217;s lyrics, then surely an elementary school need not be concerned that its morning announcement time jeopardizes our constitutional framework.
Cowing to such ridiculous suggestions that &#8220;God Bless America!&#8221; (or &#8220;In God We Trust&#8221; or &#8220;under God&#8221;) violate the Constitution slowly erodes the precious, God-given freedoms so many have fought and died to defend.

Jeremy Dys (<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremydys">@JeremyDys</a>) is Deputy General Counsel for First Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Read more at <a href="https://firstliberty.org">FirstLiberty.org</a>.

DYS: Ignore Any Suggestion To Ban ‘God Bless America’

Constitution

First Amendment

Religion

Major League Baseball will replace the &#8220;disabled list&#8221; with the &#8220;injured list&#8221; for the 2019 season amid concerns that the term &#8220;disabled&#8221; was insensitive.
The &#8220;disabled list&#8221; has been part of professional baseball since the mid-1960s (though there are records of some teams using a &#8220;disabled list&#8221; as far back as the early 20th century), and it&#8217;s become second nature to refer to an injured or exhausted player as &#8220;on the DL,&#8221; but MLB has been reportedly playing around with the idea of renaming the injured roster in order to better reflect the condition of players who skip games for medical or physical reasons, <a href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25947020/major-league-baseball-rename-disabled-list-injured-list">according to ESPN</a>.
&#8220;The league will make the change out of concern that the term &#8216;disabled&#8217; for injured players falsely conflates disabilities with injuries and an inability to participate in sports,&#8221; the sports network reported. The change was made at the request of disability advocacy organizations which have been pressing the league to make the change for nearly a decade.
&#8220;In recent years, the commissioner has received several inquiries regarding the name of the &#8216;Disabled List,'&#8221; MLB&#8217;s &#8220;senior director of league economics and operations&#8221; wrote in a letter to MLB teams and team owners in late December.
&#8220;The principal concern is that using the term &#8216;disabled&#8217; for players who are injured supports the misconception that people with disabilities are injured and therefore are not able to participate or compete in sports. As a result, Major League Baseball has agreed to change the name &#8216;Disabled List&#8217; to be the &#8216;Injured List&#8217; at both the major and minor league levels. All standards and requirements for placement, reinstatement, etc., shall remain unchanged. This change, which is only a rebranding of the name itself, is effective immediately,&#8221; the MLB statement said.
&#8220;People with disabilities do not consider themselves injured,&#8221;Jay Ruderman, president of the disability advocacy organization, The Ruderman Family Foundation, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/sports/disabled-list-baseball.html">told The New York Times</a>. &#8220;When it&#8217;s used incorrectly, when someone is injured, not disabled, that&#8217;s offensive.&#8221;
He went on to add that players with a &#8220;torn ACL,&#8221; for example, are more adequately described as &#8220;injured&#8221; and not &#8220;disabled,&#8221; hence the push. Ultimately, disability advocacy organizations hope that the change will resonate with baseball fans and lead to a more widespread understanding of the difference between temporary injury and permanent disability.
There will be no immediate changes made to how the &#8220;injured list&#8221; is constructed, and managers will continue to opt for placing players on either a &#8220;short term&#8221; injury list, giving them a 10 day rest period, or a &#8220;longer term&#8221; injury list, giving them up to two months to recover.
Major Leage Baseball is reportedly considering a number of other changes to the rules and regulations governing the game, as pitchers and catchers begin to report for spring training this week.
In a far more controversial move than changing the name of the &#8220;disabled list,&#8221; the MLB announced that it is considering forcing National League teams to add a &#8220;designated hitter&#8221; to their rosters for the 2020 season.

Major League Baseball Ditches ‘Disabled List’ Over Social Justice Concerns

Social Justice

On Saturday night, after <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2019/01/27/mookie-betts-receives-mvp-award-from-baseball-writers-new-york/r2WsoV0Bl0P3brRZwSDpiI/story.html?s_campaign=bdc:article:stub">accepting</a> the Most Valuable Player award at the 96th annual New York Baseball Writers&#8217; Association of America dinner, Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts said he <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2019/01/27/mookie-betts-says-will-not-white-house/5AUx8KbmwlBW33VLuUfnjK/story.html">would not join</a> other members of his team when they visit the White House on May 9. Betts told The Boston Globe, &#8220;I won&#8217;t be going there. I decided not to.&#8221;
The Red Sox were initially scheduled to visit the White House on February 15 but the government shutdown forced the visit to be rescheduled to May, when Boston has a three-game series at Camden Yards in Baltimore against the Baltimore Orioles.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers has already said he would not visit the White House, according to the Globe; pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is leaning against it, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts and infielder Eduardo Nunez have not decided whether they will or won&#8217;t. The Globe reported that Red Sox manager Alex Cora appears unlikely to attend. Last September, when President Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1040217897703026689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1040217897703026689&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2018%2F9%2F13%2F17854408%2Ftrump-hurricane-maria-death-toll-tweets">said</a> that Democrats had <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1040220855400386560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1040220855400386560&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2018%2F9%2F13%2F17854408%2Ftrump-hurricane-maria-death-toll-tweets">inflated</a> the number of people who died after Hurricane Maria hit the island, Cora <a href="he%20said%20they%20were%20%25E2%2580%259Cdisrespectful%25E2%2580%259D%20to%20Puerto%20Rico,%20but%20he%20also%20said%20that%20%25E2%2580%259C%255Bhe%255D%20hate%255Bs%255D%20that%20people%20that%20make%20it%20a%20political%20issue.%20This%20is%20about%20human%20beings.%25E2%2580%259D">commented</a> that Trump&#8217;s comments were &#8220;disrespectful&#8221; to Puerto Rico, although he added that he &#8220;hate[s] that people that make it a political issue. This is about human beings.&#8221;
Red Sox players who have said they would attend include Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Brock Holt, Brian Johnson, Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce, Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, and Blake Swihart.
Other championship teams have had members refusing to visit Trump&#8217;s White House; many members of the New England Patriots skipped the trip in 2017. After the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship in 2017, several Warriors said they would not visit if they were invited, including Stephen Curry. Before the team decided what they would do, President Trump tweeted, &#8220;Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911572182060453893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
The Warriors then tweeted:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Statement from the Golden State Warriors: <a href="https://t.co/6kk6ofdu9X">pic.twitter.com/6kk6ofdu9X</a>
&#8212; Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WarriorsPR/status/911671456928382976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
Curry <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2018/2/27/17058176/warriors-white-house-washington-dc-children-museum-local-kiddos-good-job-yall">stated</a>, &#8220;It&#8217;s kind of funny that that tweet (Trump&#8217;s) was sent out before we had a chance to get together as a team. It is what it is. My stance is the same [as] yesterday. I&#8217;m trying to cement that even further about how things in our country have gone, especially with representing us.&#8221;
That, in turn, prompted NBA star LeBron James to tweet at Trump. &#8220;U bum <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30">@StephenCurry30</a> already said he ain&#8217;t going! So therefore ain&#8217;t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
U bum <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenCurry30</a> already said he ain&#8217;t going! So therefore ain&#8217;t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
&#8212; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/911610455877021697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
The NBA championship team has usually visited the White House the next season when they play the Washington Wizards in Washington D.C. After the Warriors won in 2017, they did not visit the White House in 2018, and then after winning the title again in 2018, instead of visiting the White House when they played in Washington D.C. this week, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/01/25/warriors-skip-white-house-meet-with-former-president-barack-obama-instead/?utm_term=.c4ee82a7a0ec">Warriors visited former president Barack Obama</a> at his Washington office.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/17468/rumor-nba-champion-golden-state-warriors-refuse-go-ben-shapiro%20%5D">shoe was on the other foot</a> in 2011, when Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas refused to visit the White House to meet with President Obama, explaining, &#8220;I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties and Property of the People.&#8221; As <a href="https://heatst.com/uncategorized/flashback-when-boston-bruin-snubbed-obama-at-white-house-media-reaction-was-very-different/">Heat Street reported</a><a href="https://heatst.com/uncategorized/flashback-when-boston-bruin-snubbed-obama-at-white-house-media-reaction-was-very-different/">,</a> the leftist media ripped Thomas:
<a href="http://www.espn.com/boston/nhl/story/_/id/7495441/tim-thomas-picked-wrong-time-make-statement">Joe McDonald of ESPN wrote</a> &#8220;Tim Thomas put himself above [the team] &#8230; When the president of the United States invites you and all your teammates to the White House to honor your Stanley Cup championship, you go and represent the team. On Monday, Thomas instead chose to represent himself.&#8221;
<a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1037288-tim-thomas-the-ugly-truth-behind-his-white-house-refusal">James Hardie from Bleacher Report wrote</a>: &#8220;If Thomas was a real man, he would have gone to the Boston Bruins management and ownership, returned the money from his contract and quit the balance of it by retiring &#8212; so he could exercise his rights as a free citizen.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2012/01/24/why-tim-thomas-white-house-snub-was-wrong">Over at Sports Illustrated</a>, Stu Hackel wrote, &#8220;[&#8230;]Tim Thomas decided to exploit a non-political event to expose his personal political views.&#8221;

AL MVP Mookie Betts Won’t Join Team On Visit To White House

Boston Red Sox

LeBron James

Several years ago, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh splashed out on lots of tickets to Washington Nationals games &#8212; and now the left-leaning research outlet ProPublic is desperate to know why, and who Kavanaugh went to all those baseball games with.
In a tweet Monday, ProPublic announced what appears to be a classic fishing expedition: an open call for anyone who might have photos of Kavanaugh attending Nats games, so that they can research whom he was with, and why.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Did you attend a Washington Nationals game in 2017?
You might be able to help us. Really. <a href="https://t.co/LAhGBWiI6u">https://t.co/LAhGBWiI6u</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y2Xhkx6ir0">pic.twitter.com/Y2Xhkx6ir0</a>
&#8212; ProPublica (@ProPublica) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProPublica/status/1028986531984408577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
ProPublica&#8217;s theory seems to be that Kavanaugh is circumventing campaign finance laws with his &#8220;$200,000&#8221; baseball ticket purchase, even though Kavanaugh paid the charge almost immediately, and doesn&#8217;t appear to have exercised much political influence during the Obama years.
<blockquote>
We think it&#8217;s important to figure out as much as we can about a nominee&#8217;s background before he is confirmed. So we&#8217;re turning to you.
Figuring out who Kavanaugh brought to games could be relevant to his confirmation. It would help:
<ul>
<li>Understand more about his relationships and any potential questions they might raise for the Supreme Court justice.</li>
<li>Get a better sense of what went into this unusual amount of debt for a judge in his position.</li>
<li>Or maybe just affirm that the guy really does love baseball for the judicial inspiration.</li>
</ul>
We&#8217;re not sure what we&#8217;ll find. But we do know that people take a lot of pictures at baseball games. Did you see Judge Kavanaugh at a game? Did you attend a game with him? Do you have any photos, and if so, will you send them our way?
</blockquote>
It is, of course, entirely possible that Kavanaugh is just a Nationals fan, spent some cash on season tickets, and either took friends to games or had friends pay him back for tickets they used. The Left tried to use his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaugh-piled-up-credit-card-debt-by-purchasing-nationals-tickets-white-house-says/2018/07/11/8e3ad7d6-8460-11e8-9e80-403a221946a7_story.html?utm_term=.1adc3a6ff519">purchase as a line of attack once before</a>, and then discovered that, yes, indeed, he purchased several sets of season tickets &#8212; a purchase for which he was eventually (mostly) reimbursed.
The debt also, likely, wasn&#8217;t anywhere near &#8220;$200,000&#8221;; when Kavanaugh reported the debt, he checked a box that indicated debt &#8220;between $60K and $200K.&#8221; That&#8217;s a rather large range, and it&#8217;s difficult to assume his debt is on the upper end.
<a href="https://hotair.com/archives/2018/08/13/propublica-fate-republic-rests-kavanaughs-nats-1-something/">As Hot Air points out</a>, ProPublic goes on to suggest there might be &#8220;tax implications&#8221; for his purchase, but that&#8217;s only if Kavanaugh used the tickets as a way to entertain clients or as in-kind donations. If he merely purchased the baseball tickets for his and his friends&#8217; enjoyment, the tax implications would be . . . nothing.
Although it seems like an age since he was nominated, Kavanaugh&#8217;s confirmation hearings are due to begin the first week of October, and the only offensive strategy Democrats have is that Kavanaugh has &#8220;documents&#8221; that haven&#8217;t been released. Those, apparently, include his credit card receipts.

ProPublica Desperately Seeks Photos Of Brett Kavanaugh At Nationals Games

Brett Kavanaugh

Baseball is the best of all sports. It&#8217;s great because it&#8217;s timeless &#8212; it exists in a space beyond time. Unlike other major sports, baseball requires no clock. It&#8217;s a ballet of set pieces &#8212; at-bats, walks, strikes, balls &#8212; and burst of motion. The grace of a swing, the artistry of a double play &#8212; all of these don&#8217;t run to the ceaseless demands of a clock.
It&#8217;s great because it&#8217;s a balance between individual achievement and team play. We know the names of the individual greats, but it requires a team of great individuals to win the World Series. Baseball is about the three-run home run, but it&#8217;s also about whether your fifth-place hitter can lay down a bunt to move the runner into scoring position.
It&#8217;s great because the tension of a face-off without violence can be incredible. A flamethrowing pitcher facing down a slugger with the game on the line; the junkballing reliever trying to struggle out of a bases loaded jam with a one-run lead. Baseball is like life: placidity punctuated by stress.
Baseball is great because it is classic &#8212; because we can measure the numerical achievements of past players against current players, speculate about whether Babe Ruth would have been able to compete in today&#8217;s game, discuss endlessly with friends and parents and children who the best centerfielder of all time was (for the record, Ty Cobb).
Baseball is great, too, because baseball&#8217;s history is tied to the social history of the United States. Babe Ruth goes hand in hand with the roaring 1920s; Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams take us back to the second world war; and of course, Jackie Robinson reminds us of the goodness of human beings and the courage of heroes.
But baseball is under fire &#8212; largely for political reasons. Michael Powell of the Globe and Mail says that <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/article-the-unbearable-whiteness-of-baseball/">baseball is simply too white</a>, despite the fact that as of 2017, 32 per cent of players were Latino, and 43 per cent weren&#8217;t white. There has been a significant decline in the black population of Major League Baseball, but it&#8217;s difficult to attribute that to racism.
<a href="https://spectator.us/2018/08/baseball-is-wonderful-dont-diminish-it-by-making-it-about-race/">Read the rest by clicking here</a>.

Shapiro At ‘The Spectator’: Don’t Make Baseball About Race

On Sunday at the Chicago Cubs&#8217; Wrigley Field, in the fourth inning of a game between the Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals, a member of the Cubs tossed a ball to a boy siting in the front row of box seats. The boy missed the ball, and it rolled to a young man with a crew-cut in the seats behind him, who grabbed it and triumphantly presented it to the woman next to him.
The tape of the incident went viral, with people condemning the man on Twitter, vilifying him for stealing from the young boy.
But that wasn&#8217;t the whole story.
The initial video showed this:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
When going to a baseball game, DON&#8217;T be this guy. <a href="https://t.co/pAeiRN6Q2X">pic.twitter.com/pAeiRN6Q2X</a>
&#8212; Cut4 (@Cut4) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cut4/status/1021147509849305089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
The tape was posted after the Cubs, alerted to the situation, had acted:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A <a href="https://twitter.com/javy23baez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@javy23baez</a> signed ball should take care of it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EverybodyIn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EverybodyIn</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YzUlG8qfN">pic.twitter.com/4YzUlG8qfN</a>
&#8212; Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1021134802580393989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
But after the firestorm of anger descended on the man on Twitter, another story emerged:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I spoke with people from the Cubs. The man who grabbed the ball on the widely seen video had actually already helped the little boy get a ball earlier. The young man has a game used ball and a Javy Baez ball. All is well. Guy is A-OK so let it go people.
&#8212; David Kaplan (@thekapman) <a href="https://twitter.com/thekapman/status/1021238617786765312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I was sitting the next to the boy and the same fan helped him snag a ball a few innings before this.
&#8212; Jeff Rose, CFP® (@jjeffrose) <a href="https://twitter.com/jjeffrose/status/1021223544452198400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The other ball the kid has was the one the same guy caught and gave him before this. I was sitting next to him.
&#8212; Chuck Mycoff (@cmycoff2) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmycoff2/status/1021155756987609090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
He had already helped that kid get a ball. He gave two more away to kids also. He was a great guy. TV got this all wrong.
&#8212; Chuck Mycoff (@cmycoff2) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmycoff2/status/1021178690296778753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>

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