Lena Horne, 1917-2010. R.I.P.

Singer and actress Lena Horne has died at the age of 92.

She was the first black performer who signed a contract with major studio (MGM). However, she was relegated to bit parts and would later concentrate on her nightclub act becoming one of the most popular singers in North America in a career that would last decades.

If you grew up in the 1970s and 1980s as I did you probably remember her for her appearances on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and The Cosby Show. Even well into her later years she retained an ageless beauty. She had such a warmth about her. Seeing and hearing her left me with a smile on my face. I found her appearances on TV reassuring.

She pretty much disappeared from public view about a decade ago. There have certainly been times this past decade when seeing Lena Horne would have been exactly what the doctor ordered. The world was a better place with her in it.

Dallas Braden Throws Perfect Game

Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon en route to a 4-0 victory.

Braden beat the best team in baseball by striking out six Rays for his fourth victory of the 2010 season.

Prior to today, Braden was best known for shouting at New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez last month for crossing the pitching mound during a game last month. A-Rod mocked Braden for berating him because he had "a handful of wins in his career."

Well, now Braden is only one of 19 pitchers in MLB history to have thrown a perfect game. For his part, A-Rod said "good for him" when asked about Braden's achievement. A-Rod added, "And better yet, he beat the Rays." And he helped put the Yankees into first place in the AL East.

As for Braden and A-Rod, I like the fact he shouted at him. Not because he's a Yankee but because it shows Braden is a competitor. I would love to see Braden in a Red Sox uniform.

It is the second time in less than a year the Rays have been on the wrong end a perfect game. Last July, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox threw a perfect game against the Rays which featured a dramatic catch by centerfielder DeWayne Wise (who is now in the Phillies organization).

The only down note to this day is that Braden's mother wasn't around to see her son's achievement. She died of cancer while Braden was a senior in high school. Well, she couldn't have asked for a better tribute.

Forget Miranda! Use Common Sense!

In the wake of the Times Square bomb attempt, it is important to remember the purpose of the Supreme Court’s Miranda ruling which is to prevent some poor schnook from making statements incriminating himself inadvertently. By administering Miranda warnings, police are free to use a suspect’s statements against him in a subsequent criminal proceeding. This provides an incentive for police to administer such warnings. It is important to remember, however, that there is no requirement that police administer such warnings in every case. Police are free not to administer such warnings if they have no need to use a suspect’s statements against him in a subsequent criminal proceeding.

In the case of the Times Square bomber, the police had his car, the witness who sold him the car, all manor of physical evidence found in the car and his home, and evidence of intent to flee the country all before he was ever placed in custody. In the case of the Christmas Day bomber, police arrested him with bomb elements burning in his underwear and a plane full of people who witnessed him trying to explode a bomb. In both cases, there is no need for additional statements to convict these guys. Consequently, it is MUCH more important that we learn of their co-conspirators in these plots both inside and outside the U.S. in order to prevent future attacks rather than pile on additional evidence in the zeal to obtain a better criminal case.

The Attorney General suggested we need new laws for administering Miranda warnings. Hardly. We need the Attorney General and his Justice Department to exercise some common sense. Is it more important to advise a terror suspect to shut up and consult a lawyer in the hope of removing one would-be terrorist from the streets, especially when the other evidence against him is overwhelming, or is it more important that we talk to him under those circumstances to try and extract as much actionable intelligence as possible to prevent future attacks? What if one of these guys had a partner who got away? Wouldn’t it be nice to know who the partner was so he did not strike us too?

http://eyeonfreedom.com/

The Ageless Jamie Moyer & Phil Niekro

Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Jamie Moyer made history tonight becoming the oldest pitcher in MLB history to throw a complete game shutout.

The 47-year-old veteran gave up only two hits against the Atlanta Braves tonight. He struck out five batters and walked no one. Not bad for a father of eight children.

I saw Moyer's previous start on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball against the Mets. Although he won the game he gave up five runs on six hits.

Prior to Moyer's masterpiece, Phil Niekro had been the oldest pitcher to toss a shutout. Unfortunately, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com states Niekro did so on July 25, 1987 while a member of the Cleveland Indians against the Minnesota Twins.

Niekro did pitch that night but it was against the Texas Rangers and he lost the game 7-3 against fellow knuckleballer Charlie Hough. Niekro threw his shutout on October 6, 1985 for the New York Yankees against the Toronto Blue Jays. He surrendered only four hits against the Jays en route to an 8-0 victory.

I remember this game for five reasons.

1. It took place on the last day of the regular season.

2. It took place the day following the Blue Jays clinching their first AL East Division.

3. It was Niekro's 300th victory.

4. Niekro deliberately did not throw knuckleballs until the final hitter of the game (which if memory serves was Jeff Burroughs).

5. It took place on my sister's 9th birthday.

Needless to say, I have sent Zolecki an e-mail containing this information.

UPDATE: Zolecki replied, acknowledged the error and has corrected it.

Nick Clegg Holds All The Cards Despite Fewer Seats

With 649 out of 650 constituencies reporting here are the U.K. election results:

Conservatives - 306
Labour - 258
Liberal Democrats - 57
Democratic Unionist Party - 8
Scottish National Party - 6
Sinn Fein - 5
Plaid Cymru - 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party - 3
Green - 1
Alliance - 1

The Conservatives gained 100 seats but fell short of a majority government. They would have needed to win 326 seats. Now since the Sinn Fein MPs won't take their seats (not that it stopped them from claiming MPs expenses) the Tories could form a working majority with the Democratic Unionists, the SNP and Plaid Cymru. But it would be very, very fragile.

Despite the fact the Liberal Democrats have five fewer seats in this Parliament let's make no mistake. They are far more powerful now than they have ever been. The Liberal Democrats do have a leg up. Or should I say a Clegg up.

So David Cameron has no choice but to make an overture to Nick Clegg. The Liberal Democratic leader has become a kingmaker. What will be the price Cameron must pay? Vince Cable becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer? A referendum on proportional representation?

Or are we headed for another Labour-Liberal coalition?

Nick Clegg holds all the cards.

The Tories Need to Court Plaid Cymru & SNP

So here are the latest election results from across the pond:

Conservative - 285
Labour - 234
Liberal Democrat - 50
Democratic Unionist Party - 8
Scottish National Party - 6
Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) - 4
Plaid Cymru (Wales) - 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party (Northern Ireland) - 3
Green - 1
Alliance Party (Northern Ireland) - 1

As of this writing there are 54 more seats to be declared.

Despite the fact that the Tories have the largest number of seats they are very unlikely to win the 326 seats necessary to have a majority in the House of Commons.

This means the Tories will have form some kind of alliance with one or more of the smaller political parties. It wouldn't necessarily mean a coalition government but it could mean adopting some of their policies.

Frankly, at this stage of the game I think Labour has a better chance of forming an accord with the smaller parties than do the Tories.

Now at the moment the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats don't have enough combined seats to overcome the Tories. Despite Nick Clegg's debate performances the Lib Dems have a net loss of six seats. But nearly all of the other parties have social democratic inclinations. The only other smaller party listed that could be construed as conservative is the Democratic Unionist Party from Northern Ireland.

However, if I were a Tory strategist I would focus my attention on the Scottish Nationalists and Plaid Cymru in Wales. Despite their social democratic leanings it must be remembered that their main competitors in the regional assemblies in Scotland and Wales is Labour. If the Tories can convince Plaid Cymru and the SNP they have no more love lost for Labour than they do then they have a fighting chance of heading up a new government. If they can't then Gordon Brown could stay in power despite losing more than 80 seats.

A Peculiar Feature of British Elections

An observation about the British elections.

When the results are announced in a constituency it is done by the local election returns officer with all the candidates in that constituency right behind or beside him or her. All the candidates also wear these silly ribbons to signify their political party. The process is known as a declaration.

In most cases there are at least half a dozen candidates. In addition, to the Tories, Labour and Liberal Democrat there is the UK Independence Party, the British National Party, the Green Party and various other fringe parties. I haven't seen anyone from the Monster Raving Loony Party however.

But it's something I never saw in Canada and certainly doesn't happen in this country.

Updated results:

Conservatives - 243
Labour - 189
Liberal Democrat - 39
Scottish National Party - 6
Plaid Cymru - 3
Others - 17

The Conservatives need 326 seats for a majority government. They aren't likely to get it. But I don't think Labour and the Liberal Democrats can make a go of it either. So the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the parties in Northern Ireland (Democratic Unionist, Sinn Fein, Social Democratic & Labour Party) become very, very important here.

Let me make a prediction here. If Cameron is given a chance to form a government and cannot he will resign as leader of the Conservative Party.

Ex-Rolling Stone Wyman Rooting For The Tories

I am watching the BBC's coverage of the UK elections courtesy of C-SPAN.

For some reason the Beeb saw fit to include former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman as one of their panelists. No matter. He's rooting for the Tories.

Wyman said, "I grew up working class and Labour did nothing for us."

As of this writing:

Conservatives - 120
Labour - 107
Liberal Democrats - 19
Others - 24

So who will be the first to make a deal?

Thoughts on Tasers

I am not a big fan of tasers.

There are two reasons.

First, I don't think we fully comprehend the strength of tasers. They are intended only to stun. But there have been many instances when people have died after they have been administered.

Second, I don't think the proper protocols have been put in place as to when to and when not to use a taser. Case in point: that fan who ran out onto the field at Citizens Bank Park earlier this week. The Philadelphia PD are lucky the kid isn't dead. There was no reason to tase him. Clearly, it was just some dumb schmuck who ran out onto the field. He presented a threat to no one. All he did was delay the game momentarily. If the police officer had not used the taser the kid would have been tackled thirty seconds later anyway.

Now, you could have made a far more convincing case for using a taser on those two fans who attacked former Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago back in 2002. But then again the Royals rushed the field to his defense and the perpetrators were quickly subdued. So no taser was required.

If a taser has to be used I would rather it be used on someone behaving violently rather than merely running away. But I would just as soon see a recall and have the manufacturers turn down the voltage.

Robin Roberts, 1926-2010. R.I.P.

Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts has passed away of natural causes. He was 83.

Roberts pitched the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies where he won 20 games or more six consecutive seasons beginning in 1950 when the Phillies won the NL pennant. Affectionately known as the Whiz Kids they would be swept by the Yankees in that year's World Series.

While Roberts would never again reach the World Series he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball during the first half of the 1950s. His best season came in 1952 when he went 28-7 with a 2.59 ERA and 30 complete games. These days starting pitchers barely make 30 starts and save for Roy Halladay are lucky to complete one or two games a season. Roberts would finish runner in the NL MVP balloting that year to Hank Sauer of the Chicago Cubs.

Since winning those 28 games no National League pitcher has matched that figure. Denny McLain, of course, won 31 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1968. But the only two NL pitchers to come close to Roberts were Sandy Koufax and Steve Carlton who both won 27 games in 1966 and 1972, respectively.

Yet Roberts period of dominance pretty much ended after 1955. In his last season with the Phillies in 1961 he went 1-10 with a 5.85 ERA (of course that was the year the Phillies lost 23 games in a row). But he would remain in the majors until 1966 pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs. Those so-so remaining years are probably why he was not inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame until 1976. Still, with 286 career wins he could not be denied indefinitely. Although try telling that to Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven and Tommy John with 283, 287 and 288 wins apiece and no plaques in Cooperstown between the three of them.

Until today, I did not know that Roberts had been a New York Yankee prior to the 1962 season but was released before he had a chance to pitch with them.

I remember watching Bob Costas interview Dick Allen last winter. He asked Allen who he thought was the greatest Phillie of all time. Without any hesitation Allen said, "Robin Roberts." This seemed to take Costas by surprise. I think Costas would have expected Allen to pick fellow slugger Mike Schmidt. Besides, Allen was teammates with Schmidt and not Roberts. Well, even if Roberts isn't the greatest Phillie ever he is certainly up there. Unfortunately, I don't have a link to the interview.

However, here is a nice piece that was done on Roberts just last summer.

Who Will Buy Newsweek?

With The Washington Post putting Newsweek up for sale it begs the question as to who will buy the magazine.

Rupert Murdoch obviously comes to mind but what about Glenn Beck?

Ernie Harwell, 1918-2010. R.I.P.

Ernie Harwell, the voice of the Detroit Tigers for more than four decades, has signed off. Harwell passed away this evening after a year long battle with cancer. He was 92.

Harwell began his broadcasting career in the Southern Association with the Atlanta Crackers in 1943. When Brooklyn Dodgers broadcaster Red Barber suddenly took ill in 1948, the Dodgers traded catcher Cliff Dapper to acquire Harwell's services.

In 1950, Harwell moved across town and to join the New York Giants broadcast team. He would broadcast the first live coast to coast game on TV on October 3, 1951 when Bobby Thomson hit the shot heard round the world off Ralph Branca. However, it was Russ Hodges call on the radio that everyone remembers. Harwell would often joke that his wife Lulu was the only one who saw him call Thomson's homerun.

When the St. Louis Browns moved east to become the Baltimore Orioles in 1954, the new club would hire Harwell as its first broadcaster where he would remain through the 1959 season.

But it is in Detroit where Harwell made his legend beginning in 1960. Harwell saw the Tigers through good times and bad. He was there when they won World Series in 1968 and 1984. He was there when Mark Fidrych took the world by storm in the summer of 1976. He was there when the Tigers enjoyed 12 straight winning seasons. He was there when the Tigers endured nearly a decade worth of last place finishes. He retained his sunny disposition even on the cloudiest of days.

When I think of Harwell I think of when the Tigers opted not to renew his contract following the 1991 season. I was living in Thunder Bay, Ontario at the time and we received our American TV stations from Detroit and boy did Harwell's firing touch a raw nerve. Replacing Harwell was like replacing Coca-Cola. It left a bad taste in peoples' mouths. Tigers President Bo Schembechler (who had been the long time head coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines) got the lion's share of the blame and would eventually resign.

Harwell was brought back into the Tiger fold by Mike Ilitch after he bought the team in 1992. He would call Tiger games on both radio and television until 2002. But even after his retirement, Harwell would be brought back on special occasions by FOX and ESPN to call games through 2007. He would have the opportunity to call an inning of Game 1 of the 2006 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals.

In 1981, Harwell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He remains the only inductee into Cooperstown to have read a poem as part of his acceptance speech.

Until death did them part Harwell was married to Lulu for 68 years. He is also survived by four children.

Contessa Brewer Channels Evan Thomas

MSNBC's Contessa Brewer is rightly getting raked over the coals for being "frustrated" that Faisal Shahzad, the man apparently responsible for attempting to car bomb Times Square over last Saturday is a Muslim.

While appearing on Stephanie Miller's radio show today, Brewer said, "There was part of me that was hoping this was not going to be anybody with ties to any kind of Islamic country."

It comes as no surprise that such a sentiment would be expressed. Because the moment I heard about Brewer's frustration I was reminded of Evan Thomas' cringe last November following the Fort Hood Massacre. While appearing on the PBS program Inside Washington, Thomas, the assistant managing editor at Newsweek, said, "I cringe that he's a Muslim."

Frankly, Thomas and Brewer are two peas in a pod. Consider Thomas' reasoning:

But with that label attached to him, it will get the right wing going and it just -- I mean these things are tragic, but that makes it much worse.

Brewer is basically reading from the same script:

There are a lot of people who want to use terrorist intent to justify writing off people who believe in a certain way or come from certain countries or whose skin color is a certain way. I mean they use it as justification for really outdated bigotry.

Has it occurred to either Brewer or Thomas that conservatives have no quarrel with an individual religious beliefs, their country of origin or their skin color? If it hasn't then they obviously know little or nothing about conservatism in this country.

Conservatives are angry at Nidal Malik Hasan because he killed his fellow soldiers in the name of jihad. Conservatives are angry at Faisal Shahzad because he wanted to kill innocent civilians in one of the busiest places in the entire world in the name of jihad. Frankly, liberals should be angry at Hasan and Shahzad for the same reason. But the fact that Thomas can only cringe and that Brewer can only express frustration towards conservatives rather than express anger towards those who would kill their fellow human beings is very troubling indeed.

We Can Now Drink The Water in Boston

Earlier this morning, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has lifted the boil water edict he issued in Boston and surrounding communities on Saturday afternoon.

Aside from a temporary shortage of bottled water you would have hardly known we were under a state of emergency. Then again we're not in Tennessee.

I should note that at one point I had more bottled water in my fridge than was at either Stop N' Shop or CVS.

Given that this all came and went in less than 72 hours I think Governor Patrick's poll numbers will go up as I speculated here on Saturday.

But is the lab coat really necessary? Even Obama has other people wear them.

Lynn Redgrave, 1943-2010. R.I.P.

Actress Lynn Redgrave died yesterday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 67.

She was, of course, part of the Redgrave acting dynasty and enjoyed an acting career that lasted nearly half a century. Redgrave would earn two Academy Award nominations more than three decades apart. She was nominated for Best Actress for the 1966 film Georgy Girl and in 1998 would receive a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Gods & Monsters. Redgrave also starred in the CBS TV series House Calls from 1979 to 1982.

But Redgrave did most of her work on the stage both in London and in New York. In 1992, she would co-write a play with her husband John Clark (with whom she would later divorce acrimoniously) called Shakespeare For My Father, a one woman play documenting her relationship with her father Sir Michael Redgrave.

When I think of Lynn Redgrave I think of when she spoke out against her older sister Vanessa Redgrave in 1991 for her stance on the Gulf War. At the time, the Redgraves were appearing together in Chekov's Three Sisters in London and Vanessa had been outspoken against the U.S. led incursion into Kuwait. On top of that, the elder Redgrave had blamed Israel for the conflict. It proved to be too much for Lynn who told New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams, "[We are] not one person, one voice. We are two separate people. I'm thinking of changing my name to add my husband John Clark's name. The waters are being muddied. I want them not to muddy me."

This is the second time death has hit the Redgrave family in a month. Redgrave's older brother Corin died suddenly on April 6th.

NYPD Stop Terrorist Attack in Times Square

The New York City Police Department have stopped a terrorist attack in Times Square.

At approximately 6:30 p.m., a horse mounted NYPD officer saw smoke coming from a car parked on Seventh Avenue at 45th Street. The bomb squad was dispatched and found an incendiary device with electrical components as well as three propane gas tasks and two gas cannisters. As the incendiary device was being defused the NYPD had the Herculean task of evacuating hundreds of thousands of people from Times Square.

There is obviously the question as to who is responsible for this act. Islamic terrorists? Eco-terrorists? A violent May Day protest? Well, whoever is responsible it is obvious there was an intent to maximize carnage and kill as many people as possible. If one is going to launch a terrorist attack on a Saturday evening in New York City then one would do it in Times Square.

Thanks to the swift actions of the NYPD a tragedy which could have been as monumental as the events of September 11, 2001 has been averted.

Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before another attempt will be made and next time we might not be so fortunate. All we can do is keep our eyes and ears open.

State of Emergency Declared in Massachusetts

Earlier today, a water main broke in Weston (about 20 miles west of Boston) spilling an estimated 8 million gallons an hour into the Charles River. The break affects 36 communities in eastern Massachusetts comprising 2 million people including the City of Boston.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency and residents are being ordered to boil drinking water. A state of emergency has also been declared by Boston Mayor Tom Menino.

At the risk of being crass I've been thinking how this crisis will affect Patrick's chances at re-election in November. The shorter the duration of the crisis the better it will be for Patrick. While Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and Democrat turned indepedent Tim Cahill snipe at each other Patrick can point to how he handled a crisis. But if it takes weeks for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to repair the water main then Patrick might be subject to a lot of heat.

Speaking of heat, temperatures are expected to hit 90 degrees tomorrow. It couldn't be a worse time for a water main to break. Let's hope things aren't compounded with power outages.

As for me I am fine at the moment. I have several bottles of water and other assorted beverages. I am fortunate because bottled water is in short supply as you can imagine. Under the circumstances, I am sorely tempted to head to Walden Pond tomorrow for a swim.

MLB Notes for April

Here are some observations about the happenings in MLB in the first month of the 2010 season.

1. Tampa Bay Rays

At 17-6, the Rays have the best record in MLB. They appear to have regained the form that earned them an AL championship in 2008 especially their starting rotation. Matt Garza, James Shields and David Price have a combined record of 10-2 with an ERA of 2.68.

The downside with the Rays is their attendance. Despite their early success they have not drawn well at Tropicana Field. Fewer than 11,000 fans showed up to see the Rays two nights ago as they downed the Oakland Athletics 10-3.

2. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are already 12 games back of the Rays in the AL East with a MLB worst 5-18 record (although they have won three of their last five games).

They weren't expected to be a contender but they weren't expected to be this bad either. Rookie southpaw Brian Matusz is the only member of the starting rotation to record a win accounting for half the team's victories this season. The bullpen (outside of Will Ohman and Jason Berken) have been even worse.

But their offense has been the most disappointing aspect of their game. The O's miss Brian Roberts at the top of their order and the team has been slumping at the plate. Only Ty Wigginton (who is filling for Roberts at 2B) and the reacquired Miguel Tejada have been hitting with any consistency.

Needless to say manager Dave Trembley is living on borrowed time.

3. New York Mets

A couple of weeks ago, Mets skipper Jerry Manuel found himself on the hot seat as well. But that was before the Mets played a 20-inning game with the St. Louis Cardinals in which they prevailed 2-1. Since the 20-inning game, the Mets have gone 10-2 and are currently on an eight game winning streak. They now occupy first place in the NL East with a 1½ game lead over the defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Move over Johan Santana. Mike Pelfrey wants to be the ace of the staff. David Wright has the right stuff again while rookie first baseman Ike Davis might give Justin Heyward of the Atlanta Braves a run for his money in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.

4. Atlanta Braves

The Braves, on the other hand, have gone in entirely the opposite direction. On April 20th, the Braves were 8-5. They tend embarked on a 9 game losing streak which ended this evening with a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros. What a difference ten days can make. Although they are now in last place in the NL East they are still only five games back of the Mets. It can't be much fun for Bobby Cox no matter how much he watches Justin Heyward play.

5. A Topsy Turvy NL West (San Diego Padres & Los Angeles Dodgers)

If you asked most people to predict the NL West before the beginning of the season the Dodgers would have likely been picked to finish first while the Padres likely would have been picked to finish last. Yet at 15-8, the Padres own the best record in the NL at one point winning eight games in a row. The Dodgers snapped a five game losing streak tonight against the Pirates but remain six games back of the Padres.

While the Padres have no pressure on them the Dodgers are under constant scrutiny. Despite Dodgers centerfielder Matt Kemp leading the team in home runs and RBIs it didn't prevent Dodgers GM Ned Coletti from publicly ripping him earlier this week for his defensive play.

6. Kelly Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

Who would have picked the former Braves castoff to be leading the NL in home runs with 9? The D'Backs second baseman hit 8 home runs in slightly over 300 at bats with the Braves last season. The Braves could sure use him about now.

7. Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox

Meanwhile, the veteran Chisox first baseman is leading MLB with 11 home runs.

8. Matt Capps, Washington Nationals

After being made to walk the plank by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the offseason, all Capps has done in first month of the 2010 season is to save 10 games which gives him the lead in the NL. Capps has been the crucial figure in the Nationals' strong April showing. The Pirates meanwhile signed Octavio Dotel, a closer nearly a decade older than Capps. Dotel has saved only three games for the Bucs this season.

9. Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers

The all-time MLB leader in saves needs only six more to reach 600 for his career. But it's not going well for him. Apparently, NL hitters can't distinguish between his fastball and his changeup. As of this writing, Hoffman is 1-2 with an astronomical 13.00 ERA with only three saves to show for his troubles. He has given up 13 runs in only nine innings pitched. The ninth inning used to be "Trevor Time." Well, now time appears to be closing on the game's greatest relief pitcher.

10. Colby Lewis, Texas Rangers

The Rangers starter is the very definition of a reclamation project. Originally a supplemental first round draft pick by the Rangers in the 1999 MLB Draft (teammate Josh Hamilton was top pick in that draft) Lewis never lived up to expectations. He did win 10 games for the Rangers in 2003 but recorded an ERA of 7.30. Lewis would hurt his shoulder the following year and spent the next three seasons with four different organizations (Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals) before going to Japan prior to the 2008 season.

It was in Japan that Lewis modifiied his pitching style. After spending two seasons in Japan, Lewis returned to the Rangers this off-season. As of this writing, Lewis is 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA. Tonight, he may have pitched his greatest game of his big league career against the Seattle Mariners. Lewis pitched nine shutout innings striking out ten batters. He surrendered only three hits while walking one batter. Unfortunately, the game was still scoreless into extra innings so Lewis did not figure in the decision but the Rangers would win 2-0 in 12 innings. Lewis is an early candidate to be 2010 AL Comeback Player of the Year.

MLB Players Association Rips Arizona Immigration Law

A few days ago I wrote about the possible implications the newly passed immigration law in Arizona could have for Major League Baseball given that a significant number of MLB players are from Latin American countries (including Mexico) or are American born with Latino heritage (usually Puerto Rican):

I have no doubt MLB will prep player personnel with regard to the law of the land in Arizona. But if a player were to get caught up in a misunderstanding arising over this legislation the repercussions could have long term effects on MLB's relationship with the state of Arizona.

Today, the Major League Baseball Players Association weighed in on the matter. (H/T Daniel Foster of The Corner at NRO). Michael Weiner, Executive Director of the MLBPA, has asked Arizona to either repeal or modify the law. If the legislation is enacted as is Weiner stated, "If the current law goes into effect, the MLBPA will consider additional steps necessary to protect the rights and interests of our members."

Now, I don't think the Arizona Diamondbacks are going anywhere. But other teams could move their spring training facilities from Arizona. The Arizona Fall League could be relocated and as could the 2011 MLB All-Star Game from Phoenix to another National League city. As of this writing, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has made no public comment about the law. But if he does speak out and his comments mirror those of Weiner then there could be trouble.

Earlier today, the Arizona legislature announced it had adopted some amendments to the legislation. Whether that will be sufficient to mollify the MLBPA remains to be seen. But even if it does mollify them I suspect it won't mollify pro-amnesty forces who smell blood in the water.

Axelrod Claims Crist Was Run Out of GOP

David Axelrod claims Florida Governor Charlie Crist was run out of the GOP Senate Primary.

In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America Axelrod said, "They recruited him for this Senate race and now he's been run out of the party. It really speaks to the way the party is moving to the right."

Nonsense.

Crist ran himself out of the GOP. Scarcely three weeks ago, Crist ruled out a run as an Independent. Crist's campaign manager Erik Eikenberg insisted that this was nothing more than a rumor launched by Marco Rubio's campaign. Or should I say Crist's ex-campaign manager?

Crist alienated Republicans by going out of his way to support President Obama's stimulus bill. But Rubio also captured the imagination of conservatives and presented a viable alternative to Crist. Rubio would have crushed Crist in the August primary and his political career would have been over. But now Crist has a fighting chance against Rubio and Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek.

Now I don't blame Crist for his actions yesterday. Crist is playing the only card he has left even though he said he wouldn't. It isn't the first time a politician has said he won't do something and does it anyway and it won't be the last.

So I disagree with Rich Lowry when he writes, "Crist could have bowed out gracefully, except it would have required entirely too much grace." Crist is right when he tells the people of Florida, "It's your decision to make." As Jim Antle from The American Spectator writes, "He wants to be around forever. Florida voters may decide they want a more temporary relationship with him." But the elections are just over six months away. A lot is going to happen between now and then and the ride could be bumpier than at Universal Studios Orlando.

A Reasonable Case for Reasonable Suspicion in Arizona

I must confess that I had some reservations about Arizona's new immigration law. But I wanted more information before I commented one way or the other.

My main concern revolved around "reasonable suspicion." Specifically, what "reasonable suspicion" would lead a state, county or local law enforcement official to believe a person was not in the United States legally and thus take the step of making a formal inquiry into said person's immigration status?

Kris Kobach answers that question in an op-ed in The New York Times titled, "Why Arizona Drew a Line?":

Over the past four decades, federal courts have issued hundreds of opinions defining those two words. The Arizona law didn’t invent the concept: Precedents list the factors that can contribute to reasonable suspicion; when several are combined, the “totality of circumstances” that results may create reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.

For example, the Arizona law is most likely to come into play after a traffic stop. A police officer pulls a minivan over for speeding. A dozen passengers are crammed in. None has identification. The highway is a known alien-smuggling corridor. The driver is acting evasively. Those factors combine to create reasonable suspicion that the occupants are not in the country legally.

That's what I needed. A real world example. The most salient point Kobach (who is running for Secretary of State in Kansas) makes is that Arizona didn't just suddenly invent the term reasonable suspicion. To be certain, reasonable suspicion is open to reasonable debate and reasonable doubt. But it's not as if we don't have any case law to draw upon.

In fact, Rich Lowry from The Corner at National Review Online draws our attention to a 2004 U.S. Supreme Court decision Muehler v. Mena in which the Court ruled the police did not require reasonable suspicion to ask a person in detention about their immigration status and thus did not violate the Fourth Amendment. Incidentally, the decision was unanimous.

Iran "Elected" to UN Commission on Women's Rights

Yes, you read that right.

Not only that but they were elected by acclamation. Simply put no member state requested a vote including the United States. The Obama Administration at work. But what can you expect? They're too busy directing their animosity towards Israel.

So for the next four years Iran will "evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide."

I wonder what those global standards would be. Arresting women for licking ice cream or eating apples too provocatively?

What's going to happen next? Iran on the UN Disarmament Commission?

Oh wait! That already happened.

Is Gordon Brown Really Sorry?

It appears that Gordon Brown that put the final nail into his coffin and will soon be carried out of 10 Downing Street.

During a campaign stop, Brown had a brief conversation about immigration with Gillian Duffy, a lifelong Labour Party supporter. When Brown returned to his car with his microphone still on he described the encounter as a "disaster" and then called Duffy as "a bigoted woman."

Brown subsequently offered a public apology. But it was completely insincere. He claimed he wasn't given a chance to answer Duffy's question about immigration. Rubbish. Brown ended the conversation. He assailed broadcasters for having "chosen to have played my private conversation."

Gordie, let me break it to you. If you are wearing a microphone there is no private conversation. The fact Brown would try to blame the broadcasters for his words that left his mouth indicates to me that Brown is not sorry for what he said but rather that he is sorry that he got caught.

That said when I learned about this incident the first thing I thought of was Joe The Plumber's encounter with Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign. Now, Obama didn't say anything disparaging about Samuel Wurzelbacher. Yet let's not forget how severely he was scrutinized after meeting with Obama. The point I am making is that if Obama had said something untoward about Gillian Duffy the liberal media would have given Duffy the Joe The Plumber treatment rather than have taken Obama to task.

This isn't to say that the British media isn't left-wing but I find them more even handed in their scrutiny of public officials. Take this tough line of questioning of Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State of Health, over the Brown incident. (In the interest of full disclosure, Burnham was my boss when I worked as an intern for Labour MP Tessa Jowell from January to March 1995. I also must confess that until now I had not realized he had gone on to become an MP and a member of Brown's cabinet).

Frampton Thanks Churchill But Voted For Obama

Yesterday, Peter Frampton came out with a new album titled Thank You Mr. Churchill.

It's an autobiographical album which begins with the title track. "It starts with my birth, which I thank Mr. Churchill for bringing my father back from the Second World War," said the British born guitar hero. A live version of the song can be heard here.

I wonder how Frampton's admiration for Churchill sits with President Obama. After all Obama holds Churchill in extraordinarily low regard. Come to think of it I wonder if Frampton is aware of Obama's disdain of The Last Lion.

I ponder this because Frampton backed Obama in the 2008 election. Frampton, who lives near Cincinnati, became a naturalized American citizen after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Frampton is best known for his 1976 double live album Frampton Comes Alive. However, I'm partial to his time with Humble Pie where he shared vocal duties with Steve Marriott of The Small Faces and Greg Ridley of Spooky Tooth for four albums between 1969 and 1971 before embarking on a solo career in 1972. Sadly, both Marriott and Ridley have passed on. My favorite Humble Pie song is called "Home and Away" which was co-written by Frampton and Ridley.

Could Iran Launch a Nuclear Attack on U.S. From Venezuela?

This is not reassuring.

What is even less reassuring is this Pentagon report will not stir the Obama Administration to take the necessary measures to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

In fact nothing will.

In which case it is not inconceivable that Iranian paramilitary forces would launch a nuclear attack on the United States from Venezuela with the full blessing of Hugo Chavez.

I shudder at the thought. It should give the Obama Administration chills too. But it doesn't because they have no spine.