Left Coast Sports Babe

Well, after tonight’s reception from Nats fans in DC guessing whoever ends up winning World Series isn’t getting White House invite. Astros owner is Jim Crane, per Wikipedia “..a supporter of the Democratic Party (who) frequently golfs with former U.S. President Barack Obama.”

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Not that the fans would be much more supportive.  – This reminder from 2016 Presidential election in Texas – Houston/HarrisCounty: Trump 545,955 votes, Clinton 707,914 votes.

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And hey, I’m not the President, but at least when I’ve been lucky enough (as a SF Giants season ticket holder) to go to World Series games, I brought my son!

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Trump also decided in advance to arrive World Series game 5 after it started and to beat the traffic by leaving early.   Uh sorry, Donald, Nationals don’t want you and it’s too late to claim you’re a Dodgers fan.

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NFL loves to talk their salary cap and parity.   But can anyone remember a season with less parity?   Through week 8  – four teams, three in NFC with 0 or 1 losses.  Five teams, four in AFC with 0 or 1 wins.

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Very early days in NBA for Warriors. But a reminder, again, how amazing, and difficult the San Antonio Spurs current streak is of 22 consecutive playoff appearances.

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After metal filings in their food were found by a customer, Taco Bell just recalled 2.3 million lbs of beef from restaurants in 21 states. Shocking, Taco Bell uses actual beef?!

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A new book indicates Trump told James Mattis to “screw Amazon” out of bidding on a $10 billion Pentagon cloud computing contract. “But who would believe POTUS could be that petty?” said no one.

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It was apparently C.I.A. who got the tip on al-Baghdadi’s location last summer. So I missed Trump giving credit to the “deep state.”

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When US got Bin Laden, Obama instantly called press conference to announce it. Now when US military killed ISIS leader al-Baghdadi  on Saturday, Trump had to stage a situation room photo, and then  SCHEDULE announcement for Sunday am. I am so ready for this Presidential reality show to be canceled.

Stubhub says cheapest ticket tonight in DC for World Series game…. 1102.00
Cheapest ticket in DC for Jets-Redskins on Sunday. 15.00

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But World Series Game 3 between Astros and Nationals ended up being over 3 hours old through the 6th inning.  Over 4 hours total, despite the final score being only 4-1.   Even the Red Sox and Yankees were thinking “Can you speed it up a little?

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If you weren’t already a Jose Andres fan, he’s been asked to throw out first pitch for Game 5. His first response “I’m humbled by the invitation, and I realize is a big big big honor but I really hope that by Saturday night all of Washington will be celebrating that the Nationals are the 2019 MLB World Series Champions.”

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Not sure if the 1-0 Miami Heat will make the playoffs. But they already have more wins than the 2019 Miami Dolphins.

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Another reason Trump didn’t really want to throw out first pitch for World Series game 5. Not only would he “look heavy,” but also he’d be shown up by today’s “first pitcher” 89 yr-old Buzz Aldrin.

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Ivanka and Jared are having a big 10th Wedding Anniversary celebration this weekend, with Donald Trump in attendance. The location? Camp David. Your tax dollars at work.

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Lost in the grift of Ivanka and Jared celebrating their 10th Wedding Anniversary at Camp David, who invites her DAD on an anniversary trip with her husband?

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Eric Trump says Trump Organization may sell the Trump Hotel Washington DC because “People are objecting to us making so much money on the hotel.”
Wait, I thought Donald said he was losing billions being President. This is SO confusing.

Even Mark Sanchez thinks Rudy Giuliani accidentally dialing a reporter was a major butt fumble.

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So did Trump tweet out to Tim Apple that he doesn’t like the iPhone swipe because no one has ever swiped right on him?

from Marc Ragovin  “Upon further review, MLB umpire Rob Drake needs to take another high school course in civacs

Trump now says he will go to World Series game 5 on Sunday, if there is a game 5. When asked if he would throw out the 1st pitch, he responded ‘I don‘t know. They got to dress me up in a lot of heavy armor — I’ll look too heavy.”
Uh, Don, it’s not the armor.

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Anyone but me wonder if Trump picked WS Game 5 to attend in hopes Nationals will sweep and he won’t have to show up and get booed?

If MLB really wants to punish Rob Drake for his “Cival War” AR-15 tweet maybe they should make him spend 2020 season working only in San Francisco.

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Only good news in tonight’s Warriors-Clippers opening for San Francisco Bay Area sports fans who root just for local teams:  Anyone thinking of budgeting for 49ers playoff tickets will feel pretty good about not needing to save money for Golden State in the postseason.

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Trump has ordered not only the White House but also federal agencies to drop their subscriptions to NY and Washington Post. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. “Not renewing subscriptions across all federal agencies will be a significant cost saving—hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars will be saved.”  Gosh, we might save the cost of half of one of Donald’s golf weekends.

At this point Trump probably can’t decide whether to attack Katie Hill or to praise her.

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How much is it eating at Trump to see Elijah Cummings lying in state at US Capitol and being eulogized by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle?

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Tim Ryan has dropped out of the 2020 Presidential race. All together now – “Who?

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A reminder for those in Congress of something they’ve ALL said publicly. – “I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Looking at these recent first innings, maybe the Astros should consider an opener when Verlander starts now in the post season?

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Now 2-0 in World Series and Trump STILL hasn’t acknowledged the Washington Nationals.  Maybe he’s confused and thinks the Redskins are the only DC team that regularly plays in October.

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MLB had to be cringing at Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman’s offensive outburst just before World Series.  Umpire Rob Drake “Hold my beer.” 

(Drake’s tweet – “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020” )

As my son says, should be fun the next time Drake umpires a game in San Francisco.

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But maybe Drake, unlike the Nationals, wants a White House invitation.

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Just maybe mean bitch karma is not a fan of domestic violence? Especially making fun of domestic violence

Wonder what Popovich said to Spurs to get them to rally in 4th quarter tonight. Something like-  “If you lose home opener to Knicks I’m retiring right now?”

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So when is Trump going to tell us which state’s residents he is building that wall around Colorado to keep out? Maybe Mitt Romney has him scared of that Book of Mormon.

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Apparently 13 of the 41 Republican lawmakers who stormed a closed-door hearing today to protest an alleged lack of transparency have access, if they want it, to the impeachment hearings.   What, you mean it was all a reality TV stunt? 

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Guarantee you one thing folks – If you or I stormed a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) in the Capitol we’d be arrested if we weren’t shot first. #HouseRepublicans

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How long until Trump just tries to outlaw Congress?

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Trump today declared a “big success” in Syria and said he would lift sanctions on Turkey over its invasion. Many Kurds didn’t disagree with him, because they were, you know, dead.

Didn’t everyone have the pitchers duel between Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer ending up 6-5?

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Whatever happens this World Series, the Nationals were 19-31 in late May. Just throwing that out there for any team thinking of firing their manager if team gets off to a slow start in 2020.

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Do we think Trump even knows the Nationals are playing in the World Series?

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Washington Nationals did hang on to win Game 1. But their  bullpen gives me flashbacks to SF Giants bullpen in 2016.

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And then on a less light note,  it’s now been reported, and corroborated, that Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman turned to a group of three female reporters, including one who had repeatedly called out Houston’s signing a player who’d been suspended 75 days for domestic violence and yelled, half a dozen times, “Thank God we got Osuna! I’m so f—— glad we got Osuna!”

And instead of the obvious team reaction “obviously this is a disturbing report, we are looking into it, we take domestic violence very seriously,  we have no tolerance for this kind of alleged behavior etc etc.” the team at first called the report “Fake News.”

Two words- Go Nationals.

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Michael Jordan said Steph Curry is “Not a Hall of Famer yet.”
So we are beginning to see why Jordan was such a great head of basketball operations for Charlotte.

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Henry Thomas, former child star of ‘E.T.’, was arrested for DUI in Oregon. I suppose it would be inappropriate to make “phone home” jokes.

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So Trudeau almost didn’t get re-elected because he stupidly wore blackface costume in his teens and 20s…. And then we wake up to hear 72 year old POTUS tweeting about impeachment – “All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here – a lynching.”

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And then this morning when all the headlines were going crazy about Trump’s lynching tweet you have the Fox website leading with “NASA official names date on when space agency intends to put Earthlings on Mars.”

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Just guessing – and hoping – Bill Taylor doesn’t have any vacation plans to visit Moscow.

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Trump reportedly considering Kellyanne as a replacement for Mick Mulvaney. Well, Thanksgiving at the Conway house might be interesting this year.

Talk about an castle and outhouse division. After tonight, seven weeks into NFL season, two AFC East teams  have one loss between them, the other two  have one WIN between them.

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At this point NY Jets mantra has to be “Thank God for the Miami Dolphins.”

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Coming into Sunday’s game the  Chicago Bears defense ranked fourth in NFL. Saints may tell Brees and Kamara to take their time coming back.

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Aaron Judge after Yankees ALCS loss “This season is a failure.” Now, Judge has spent his entire career in pinstripes. But maybe he should spend a year with say, the Orioles for some perspective.

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Not that every President has to love all sports. But ever notice Trump doesn’t root for teams or players? He only congratulates a few of them AFTER they win. #Sad

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ET reports from a source “Felicity (Huffman) is doing really well and she’s holding up” amid her 14-day prison sentence for her role in the college admissions scandal. We could have a nationwide violin shortage.

CBC has called election for Justin Trudeau, though “whether it will be a minority or majority government remains to be seen.” Wonder how many Canadians were swayed by Andrew Scheer’s dual-American citizenship. Elect him & worry Trump might send a spawn up north next…

Trump has probably called and/or tweeted every quasi-dictator in the world with congratulations when they have won their elections. Just guessing this isn’t happening with Justin Trudeau.

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Trying to imagine what Trump voters would do if it emerged Donald had ever worn blackface.

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So Trump now saying G7 at Doral would have been “free.”. Because Mexico would have paid for it?

Marco Rubio to a Bloomberg reporter   – “Obviously you know, given everything that’s going on, it was a bad look,” Rubio said of G7 at Doral, though he doubts Trump wanted to make money. “As a Floridian I thought it was great that they were going to come down, especially in June when we don’t have as many visitors.” Uh, Rubio said the quiet part out loud…. “Especially in June when we don’t have as many visitors.” Gosh, you mean not everyone loves heat and humidity, along with bugs the size of small dogs?

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And as Trump whined that G7 at Doral would have been “the best ever.” Uh, Donald even YOU don’t go to Florida and Mar-A-Lago in June.

Fox was really salivating at the idea of a Dodgers Yankees World Series and the ratings it would bring. Thoughts and prayers.

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After SF Giants bullpen meltdown in 2016 team decided to sign a closer in off-season. Aroldis Chapman was available. Much of fan base, including me, was against it due to his domestic violence arrest. As much of a bust as Melancon was with SF still think Giants made right choice. And particularly happy to see Alteuve hit the game-winner off Chapman.

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Both Yankees and Astros used an “opener” in Game 6 of ALCS!?! Because the DH in the American league isn’t already far enough away from real baseball?

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Feeling sorry for Wisconsin and my Badger friends. But the fact they even let Illinois within 10 points with under 10 minutes to go indicates a potential CFB playoff game against Alabama might had been painful to watch.

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Trump yesterday talking to astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. “This is the first time for a woman outside of the space station. They’re conducting the first-ever female spacewalk.” 15 women astronauts who have done spacewalks. Once again, numbers have a liberal bias.

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John Kasich is now in favor of impeaching Trump. So wonder what childish nickname Donald is working on for him?

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Trump “I thought I was doing something very good for our Country by using Trump National Doral, in Miami, for hosting the G-7 Leaders.”

Translation for a man who basically says “L’etat est moi”  (The state is me, Louis XIV)  –  “I thought I was doing something very good for ME.”

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“I am so going to miss the opportunity to enjoy Florida’s summer heat and humidity” said no world leader ever. 

Just putting this out there, if Trump is forced to have G7 at Camp David, it’s only 60 miles from Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. Pretty safe bet he’ll suggest the resort for at least one outing or dinner.

If Trump wants to resign and blame it on “Media and Democrats crazed and irrational hostility” I am okay with that.

Patrick Mahomes dislocated his kneecap. I miss the days when the most outrageous fan reactions were Chiefs fans as opposed to fantasy football,

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Not there yet, but imagine how somewhat at Fox Sports is feeling who wrote the preview of Dodgers-Yankees World Series,

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About Turkey and the Kurds “like two kids in a lot, you’ve got to let them fight and then you pull them apart.” Right, doesn’t every mother deal with her kids by letting one of them kill the other?

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So Bill Clinton SHOULD have said “Of course I had sex with that woman, Get Over It?”

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Commissioner Silver said China wanted NBA to fire Rockets GM Daryl Morey to be fired tweet supporting anti-government Hong Kong protesters, but league said ‘no.”

Hmm, maybe China was speaking less about Rockets than trying to curry favor with Trump by demonstrating the way government should deal with perceived criticism?

The Democratic party has a big tent. But Trump likes to say AOC and Ilhan Omar are the face of the party. The “face” of the party? They’re not even endorsing a Democrat in 2020.

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White House says Trump’s Doral resort will host G-7 “at cost” but doesn’t say how much that will be. Well of course, because “at cost’ equals “under a routine audit” like Donald’s tax returns.

So all Nationals needed to make it to their first World Series  was to get rid of Bryce Harper?

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Washington fans are hoping their team doesn’t forget how to play baseball by the time the ALCS, rained out yesterday, is finished.

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Apparently unhappy Yankees fans were throwing water bottles and baseball on the field at Astros players yesterday. Not beer at least. Suppose at Yankee stadium beer is too expensive to throw.

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The Los Angeles Angels have reached an agreement with Joe Maddon to make him their next manager.  Hope Joe doesn’t get too bored.  As said in “Little Big League”  – “It’s the American League, they have the DH, how hard can it be?”

Trump said this picture was Nancy having a meltdown.
To paraphrase Princess Bride, I do not think this picture means what Donald thinks it means.”

Alec Baldwin, on Felicity Hoffman “My heart goes out to Felicity, (her husband) Bill Macy and their family. I don’t think anyone involved in the college fraud cases should go to prison. That includes past cases as well. Community service, fines, yes. But prison time, no.”
Translation, did he or was Baldwin planning to do the same for his children?

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#NotTheOnion Official White House feed. “The United States and Italy are bound together by a shared cultural and political heritage dating back thousands of years to Ancient Rome.”

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Short version, POTUS actually wrote a letter to the leader of Turkey ending “Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool. I will call you later.” This would be a lot funnier if it were satire.

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And Erdogan apparently threw the letter in the trash.  Of course, maybe the Turkish leader felt that if Trump really cared about Turkey instead of Pence he’d have come with his  favorite senior advisor Ivanka?

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Not particularly religious but pretty sure Elijah Cummings is in a better place now than Donald Trump will ever be.

Donald Trump Jr. after Hannity said Hunter Biden had foreign opportunities only because “they’re really buying favor with the father.” “Of course they are. When you’re the father & your son’s entire career is dependent on that, they own you.” Some statements don’t need a punchline.

MLB considering moving NLDS game 5 from 4p EST to an evening game since ALCS game 4 looks likely to be rained out. Of course the Cardinals would actually have to win a game first.

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So far there have been so many good NLCS and ALCS championship pitching performances, after a year when league clearly juiced the ball for more offense, you almost expect MLB to do something like outlaw a good curveball.

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Two controversial calls go Green Bay’s way late at Lambeau Field,  NFL said now officials erred when they called a second hands-to-the-face penalty on MNF against Detroit defensive end Trey Flowers.   The first penalty kept drive alive, the second set up the Packers game-winning field goal.

But if Lions miss the playoffs by one game am sure the Saints will tell them how league admitting a mistake makes the pain all go away…

Ft Worth police officer, Aaron Dean who fatally shot #AtatianaJefferson, a black woman in her home while she played video games with her 8-year-old nephew has resigned. He could still face charges. How long until he gets offers for job with GOP, Fox News or White House security?

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Anyone else thinking that maybe it wasn’t a great idea for Trump to p*ss off John Bolton?

Trump’s rants about nepotism really make me wish his Press Secretary was still Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

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And then there’s GOP chairwoman Ronna McDaniels tweeting about nepotism. Wonder why Ronna, Mitt’s niece, drop the “Romney” from her name? Also,  I missed Ronna Romney McDaniels’ tweet on why a knockoff clothing designer has been acting like a combination Secretary of State/VP at her daddy’s summit meetings.

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Sometimes I think we all need to take a deep breath and remember the same man who installed his unqualified daughter as more than a vice President, and whose sons make millions from Trump enterprises in over 30 countries, is attacking Joe Biden’s son for a few foreign deals

When he added the #, Twitter automatically added the Fleur de Lis for the Saints.

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Maybe even God and the Pope aren’t over that pass interference call?

Who needs Touchdown Jesus when you have the Pope?

Tom Brady says he won’t be trying to convince Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement. Well, not unless the Patriots start losing, that is.

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Just thinking, if you were watching the previously winless Redskins vs Dolphins Sunday and you’re not a hard-core fan of either team, you might want to rethink your lack of hobbies.

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Aaron Judge on last night’s ALDS matchup between the Astros and Yankees “Just back and forth, the two best ballclubs in the game.”. So he is saying we might as well just cancel the World Series then?

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Six penalty flags on six consecutive plays yesterday late in Cowboys-Jets game. But hey, doesn’t everyone pay their way in to games or buy NFL Sunday Ticket to watch world class officiating?

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Your reminder that while White House and Trump play down the mass murder parody video they were completely apoplectic and called it “absolutely disgusting,” when Michelle Wolf made fun of Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ eyeliner.

Trump is tweeting about the manslaughter case in Anguilla about a white man, Scott Hapgood, who claims he killed a resort worker in self defense. But crickets on Atatiana Jefferson, killed while playing video games with her nephew,  in her own home by a police officer. I wonder what the difference is?

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Now Trump is taking time from his busy day for this tweet -“Vote for good guy @seanspicer tonight on Dancing With The Stars. He has always been there for us!” Again, this is NOT a well man.

So are Cardinals going to score as many runs in NLCS against Nats as they did in first inning of NLDS game five against Braves?

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Georgia loses to South Carolina in 2nd overtime. Most unhappy folks other than Bulldog fans are SEC officials trying to figure how to spin that conference STILL should have two teams in CFB playoffs.

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Playoff  Zack Greinke at this point is making Astros fans long for Clayton Kershaw.

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At a Kentucky rock climbing park a 8-year-old girl scales replica of Trump’s ‘un-climbable’ border wall in less than a minute.  So how long until wall-climbing is nominated as an Olympic sport?

After a pregame scuffle at midfield, refs in Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Longhorns football game gave all players on both teams unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, meaning any in-game such penalty would result in ejection.  As Annie Savoy (Bull Durham) said “Don’t be such GUYS.”

Trump likes to portray himself as a man of courage who can make tough choices. He couldn’t even pick a candidate in Louisiana Governor primary because he was afraid of betting a losing horse.

For all that Trump rants about suing various perceived enemies, isn’t he close to running out of people willing to be his lawyer?

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Trump had lunch with Rudy Giuliani yesterday at his golf club reportedly as a show of support. Support? Or warning him to be careful of potential “accidents?”

Hunter Biden is resigning from board of Chinese private-equity firm, says if dad wins he won’t serve on boards of foreign-owned companies. How long until the Chinese board offers his seat to Don Jr or Ivanka?

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Trump fundraising email

“Where is Hunter Biden? He has disappeared while the Fake News protects his Crooked daddy, who is a total joke.Together, Sleepy Joe and his son, Hunter, have LIED to the American People and ripped off foreign companies for MILLIONS of dollars – and yet, they have the nerve to call for MY IMPEACHMENT? I DID NOTHING WRONG.
This is the greatest Scam and Witch Hunt in the history of the United States.”

A tale of two nice guys. Barry Zito signed a huge contract with the Giants and he was over all mediocre at best, But he came up huge in 2014 playoffs and now everyone in SF loves him.
Clayton Kershaw has been a Hall of Fame player for the Dodgers, but now some idiots in Los Angeles are destroying his jersey.
Baseball is a funny game. And at times a cruel one.

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NCAA made  Mary Hardin-Baylor to vacate its 2016 Division III national football championship because the head coach let a player use his car for more than 18 months. The car was a 10 year old Subaru.  Wonder what kind of cars players drove at Florida and OSU when Urban Meyer was coaching.

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Trump used, without permission of course, Purple Rain at his rally last night. And fans know Prince would have been furious. Donald really doesn’t want to win Minnesota, does he?

Doubling down on stupidity. Giuliani’s henchmen and their one way tickets…. Even a mediocre travel agent could have told them it’s always cheaper to book a roundtrip ticket if even if they weren’t sure they were coming back.

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If Giuliani ends up behind bars any way they can give him inmate number 09-11?

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Karen Pence told women “not to be afraid to get on their knees” for Trump.     Hmm, maybe based on GOP criteria then we can get him impeached?

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Trump said Friday he will delay tariff hikes on China next week and try to hammer out a limited trade deal.
Translation, even MAGAers buy iPhones, and why not put the proposed hikes in his back pocket for the next time Donald needs a distraction?

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Shep Smith is leaving Fox News. Will he be taking the “Fair and Balanced” slogan with him?

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As Democrats considering expanding impeachment inquiry beyond Trump’s Ukraine dealings, and GOP tries to limit it, your reminder that Ken Starr started investigating Bill Clinton over Whitewater land deals dating originally from 1979.

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Trump when asked Friday if Rudy Giuliani is still his lawyer ““Well, I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Rudy. I spoke to him yesterday briefly. He’s a very good attorney and he has been my attorney, yeah, sure.”
Saturday no doubt it will be “Rudy who?”

These postseason games are not only weirdly scheduled for people with normal work days, so far it’s not been a good idea to miss the first innings.

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But yeah, SF Giants fans have thought we’ve seen bad first innings in 2019. In NLDS and ALDS game 5 Braves and now Rays saying “Hold our overpriced stadium beer.”

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Interesting to remember, on May 24, 2019, SF Giants had a better record at 22-29, than the Washington Nationals at 19-31.
Baseball is a funny game.

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Some GOP Georgia legislators are blaming the bad karma of not giving out foam “Chop On” axes to fans for the Braves game 5 loss in Atlanta yesterday. Yeah, had they given out the axes might Braves pitchers have only given up 7 or 8 in the first inning?

Police arrested San Diego Padres pitcher Jacob Nix after he was accused of breaking into a suburban Phoenix home through a doggie dog and was shot with a Taser by the homeowner.  Alcohol and/or drugs are suspected although not known to be a factor. But just guessing that someone might end up subject to “random” drug testing next year.

So Eric Trump tonight at daddy’s rally leads a cheer of “Lock Him Up” about Hunter Biden for taking advantage of his father’s position to get ahead….

Why there is no satire.

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Give Trump credit, the Twins’ performance in ALDS is already not the most embarrassing thing in Minnesota this week.

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Pence just contradicted something the whole world heard Trump say on the White House lawn. How long until Donald tries to replace him with Ivanka?

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I know it shouldn’t matter but it really bothers me with Tulsi Gabbard and Jill Stein being so destructive to the Democratic party. Like to think that women are smarter.

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Giuliani’s henchmen Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were arrested at Dulles airport apparently on their way out of the country. One of few times the fact that it takes FOREVER to get to many gates at Dulles turned out to be a good thing.

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Rumors that the FBI might have wiretapped Giuliani. But who could believe Rudy would be so dumb as to say anything incriminating on the phone..?
Said no one.

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So Rudy and his friends suddenly got a hankering to take off to Austria…. “The hills are alive with the sound of treason…”

So far this MLB postseason is punctuating the Wild in Wild Card.

Seriously, with all the analytics and replay that baseball has, ESPN radio announcers were discussing before the game whether tonight’s umpire’s small strike zone will most help the Dodgers or Nationals.
Uh, there is ONE strike zone, so explain to me again why we can’t have robot umps now?

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Okay, this is heretical to admit as an SF Giants fan, but sometimes I actually feel sorry for Clayton Kershaw.

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And yes, can’t believe I’m defending Kershaw. But the idea that all pitchers are interchangeable in the postseason regardless of their regular season roles is to my mind yet another travesty to lay at the feet of analytics.

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The Atlanta Braves had said before their game 5 today that out of respect to the Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley, who is a member of Cherokee nation, that they would “take several efforts to reduce the Tomahawk Chop during our in-ballpark presentation today.”
None perhaps as effective as allowing 10 runs in the first.

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Braves looked so bad Atlanta sports fans were getting PTSD flashbacks to Super Bowl LI.

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Lindsey Graham says he is “going to ask my colleagues in the Senate- Republicans- to sign a letter saying we do not believe transcript of the phone call between the president & the Ukraine is an impeachable offense.”
Lindsey’s waiting until someone comes forward with an alleged blow job?

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Trump on the Kurds today “They didn’t help us in the Second World War, they didn’t help us with Normandy.”
So not helping us with Normandy will be Trump’s excuse the next time he causes a crisis with Germany?

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Donald Trump attacked NBA coaches Steve Kerr and  Gregg Popovich for not speaking out with Hong Kong situation.  Maybe because he feels that unlike himself they have some real power in dealing with China.

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Would someone please, on camera, ask Trump why he thinks the extradition issue with China is so important to Hong Kong?

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Trump insulted Biden today, claiming with his son Hunter that he “has ripped off at least two countries for millions of dollars.”
Is Donald insulting Joe for not with his family ripping off more countries for billions?

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Seriously? Now Jacob Wohl & Jack Burkman are going after Kamala Harris for alleged “sexcapades.” At this point Amy Kobluchar has to feel insulted they haven’t gone after her with a fake toy boy.

Am hearing over and over and over how well-rested the Yankees will be in ALCS. Yeah, that worked out so well in the World Series for the 2012 Tigers.

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Rays drew 32,251 fans for yesterday’s win against Astros, their largest home crowd of season. To put that in perspective, 12 MLB teams AVERAGED more than 32,000 for the season.

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Among those fans had to wonder if Rays flew in Pablo Sandoval to sit in the dugout as an anti-Verlander lucky charm.

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Although in Los Angeles, tickets for NLDS game 5 Wednesday night against the National, which will decide who goes to NLCS, are going on Stubhub as low as $42.  Maybe Dodgers fans don’t want to pay that much to be in the stadium for the 3rd through 6th innings?

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Trump talking about “a record sell-out crowd at the Target Center.” Which means he probably won’t outdraw the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Wild.

(or maybe even the NBA Lynx.)

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Isn’t refusing to cooperate with an impeachment inquiry itself an impeachable offense?

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Trump sent Pelosi a letter about impeachment – “Given that your inquiry lacks any legitimate constitutional foundation, any pretense of fairness, or even most elementary due process protections, the Executive Branch cannot be expected to participate in it.”

Uh, the defendant doesn’t get to set rules for the trial.

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Barr now says Congress shouldn’t have gotten the information they needed to investigate Watergate. How long until Trump tweets that Nixon also was the victim of a coup?

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Right-wing websites are reporting that Trump has activated U.S. Marine reserves to respond to an “emergency within the United States,” -and might be called upon to defend the White House” from a potential “illegal coup” by the “deep state.”
This would be almost funny if it didn’t seem so completely Trumpian.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is demanding Trump pay security costs of $530,000 to use the city-owned Target Center for his rally, or cancel the event.
Trump is not pleased. Well, it’s not as if he’s left cities holding the bag and not paid in the past….
Oh wait, never mind..

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Just for the fun of it, there’s a twitter hashtag game tonight #ImpeachASong.  First two efforts  “Tweet Surrender,” and of course Olivia Newton John’s “Let’s Get Criminal.”

You think you’re having a bad day. You could have Baker Mayfield in your fantasy football league.

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It’s been a few years since Sergio Romo left SF to sign with the Dodgers. And while Giants fans will always remember him fondly we won’t miss those hanging sliders.

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Why I love Jessica Mendoza on ESPN covering baseball. When Max Muncy hit a very high pop fly in the rain, she calls attention to the fact that, maybe because of the weather, he ran it out at full steam, and would have been on 2nd had it dropped.

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Redskins fired Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start. He was the 5th coach under Dan Snyder, who bought the team before the 1999 season. None of them have had a winning record.
New slogan? “Washington Redskins – a fine-tuned machine owned by a stable genius.”

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Now James Harden trying to calm the waters after Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protestors “We apologize. You know, we love China. We love playing there… They show us the most important love.”
Translation, there is no love more important than the love of $$$$.

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As NBA genuflects before China and Chinese money who’s in charge of keeping Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr away from reporters?

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That moment when your QB rating is 13.4 and it’s still higher than your team’s point total.

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Well, give Trump credit for some economic stimulus. After Nickelback demanded he take down their song “Photograph” as part of his anti-Biden tweet, Billboard said downloads for the track surged 569%,

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Marco Rubio, Jim Jordan and Roy Blunt are now saying Trump telling China to investigate Joe Biden was just a joke.
Right, like “Russia, if you’re listening…”

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One bit of good news for the planet today. Reportedly Jared Kushner will lead Trump’s impeachment defense.

Trump claimed today his poll numbers went up “17% in the past few days.” Is he talking about a poll of the voices in his head?

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Lots of managers deciding to throw top starters into relief roles in 2019 MLB playoffs. – The Nationals’ Patrick Corbin reminded us, it’s not as easy as Madison Bumgarner made it look.

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Alden Gonzalez of ESPN pointed out Dodgers against Nats in NLDS Game 3 “had 8 RBIs by players who fell behind in the count 0-2, the most by any MLB team in a game all season.”
And SF Giants pitchers were somehow not involved.

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Atlanta Braves now saying they “look forward to a continued dialogue with those in the Native American community” after the season. This after Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley, who is Cherokee, said it was “a shock” to hear the tomahawk chop chant at Sun Trust stadium.
Now, Helsley IS a rookie. But the Braves have only been doing the chop chant since 1991. Can’t imagine how anyone would be surprised.

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Just guessing anyone who bet on the Saints goal of being 3-3 with Brees out for six games might be feeling okay tonight.   

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Houston Texans had scored 78 points in 4 games. They scored 53 against Falcons today.
Their offense went through Atlanta faster than Sherman.

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Ben Roethlisberger, who’s out for the year, was fined $5k ffor wearing an Apple Watch on sidelines. Good to see NFL has their priorities in order.

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Dallas coach Jason Garrett was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct,in the Cowboys’ loss to Green Bay today, specifically for “abusive language toward an official.”
Owner Jerry Jones’s response “Oh, I hope the little darling didn’t hear something he hadn’t heard before.”
Sometimes I wonder, how has Jones not been offered a job in Trump administration?

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Wow, Trump sounds so old & over the top unhinged tonight on Twitter half expect him to go outside and scream at Secret Service agents stationed outside to get off his White House lawn.

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Is there ANYONE who has worked in Trump administration who still has their reputation intact?

Astros pitchers are, mostly,  making opposing batters all look like SF Giants hitters at Oracle Park this season.

Gerrit Cole struck out 15 over 7⅔ shutout innings.  But then Roberto Osuna loaded the bases with no out, gave up a run, walked the bases loaded again with one out, and was pulled before Houston finally won, 3-1.  Maybe mean bitch karma has at least mixed feelings about someone suspended 80 games for domestic violence.

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Four games into Rutgers’ season QB Art Sitkowski and RB Raheem Blackshear have opted to redshirt, basically meaning this season doesn’t count for them.
You can do that, asked most of the Miami Dolphins?

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Who knew “next man up” would end up being Stanford’s quarterback slogan? #Nerdnation

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Wildest story of the morning might be Glenlivet coming up with alcoholic tide pods. By comparison this seems strangely sane in the Trump era.

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Pretty sure history will be much kinder to Mitt Romney than Donald Trump.

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Trump now says he “didn’t want to make the call” to Ukraine’s President ” The only reason I made the call was because Rick (Perry) asked me to.” So is he claiming Perry thought Zelensky should try out for DWTS?

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Trump now blaming former Texas Governor and DWTS alum Rick Perry, saying he “didn’t want to make the call” to Ukraine’s President- ” The only reason I made the call was because Rick asked me to.”
Five words. “Damn I miss Molly Ivins.”  (For those who forget, she called him “Governor Goodhair.”)

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Susan Collins “I thought the president made a big mistake by asking China to get involved in investigating a political opponent, it’s completely inappropriate.”

So she’s very very troubled?

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Trump “War Room” on Twitter attacking Hunter Biden for allegedly being paid $50,000 a month by a Ukranian company.
So they’re saying Hunter has to be a fool to take so little money compared to Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka?

As an SF Giants fan, thinking torture is much easier to watch when it’s not YOUR team administering the torture.

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But NLDS game delayed in 7th in Los Angeles by a beach ball on the field. And some Dodgers fans wonder why SF Giants fans ridicule them.

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As an SF Giants fan must admit I think Clayton Kershaw is a very decent human being. If Madison Bumgarner signs somewhere else in free agency maybe Clayton can leave Dodgers and team up with him. I could root for that team… (as long as it wasn’t the Yankees.)

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San Jose Mercury news says lawyers representing Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes want to quit because she isn’t paying them. Gosh, and who might have thought Holmes would be dishonest?

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Agustin Huneeus, a, former Napa Valley vineyard owner was sentenced to five months in prison today for helping his daughter cheat on her SATs and fake being a top water polo player to get her into USC.
One of the wines his winery made… Faust.
#whythereisnosatire

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“As President I have an obligation to end CORRUPTION.”
Sounds like a great first line for Trump’s resignation speech.

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This one’s for GOP members of Congress still afraid to say a word against Trump, and especially Bible verse quoting Marco Rubio – from Leviticus 26:36-39
“And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall.

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It’s after midnight on Friday night and POTUS is not enjoying an evening with his family or watching sports but rather obsessively tweeting about Democratic primary polls. Add Joe Biden to the list of people who lives rent-free in Trump’s head.

Okay, so maybe Trump is a Yankees fan, not a Nationals fan, fair enough. Maybe. But Amy Kobluchar took time to tweet support of her Twins, even though they lost. Trump rants and ignores both NY and Washington wins. #Sad.