March 13, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Deluge of Democratic scandals

As the East Coast gets drenched with a monster rainstorm to close out the hellish Winter of 2009-2010, the Democratic Party is getting clobbered with a deluge of scandals -- moral, ethical, financial, you name it! Nancy Pelosi declared that the Democrats would "drain the swamp" of corruption in Congress after they took control in the 2006 election, and those words are coming back to haunt her. Soon, everyone will have forgotten all about Sen. Ted Stevens, Rep. Tom DeLay, and Jack Abramoff. This comes at a most inconvenient time, as President Obama is leading the political equivalent of Pickett's Charge on Capitol Hill, forcing the health care issue without a semblance of public consensus, or even majority support.

Just when the American people need reassurance that the government is collecting taxes in a fair and equitable manner, so that shared public policy goals may be realized in an atmosphere of mutual trust, the man with the greatest responsibility for that task has been exposed as a crook. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) had to give up his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee while an ethics probe is carried out to find out the connection between the many favors he received from various corporate interests and the tax laws that he helped bring about.

By amazing coincidence, another Harlem politician, Gov. David Paterson is facing another wave of accusations about political corruption. His key assistants have resigned, and it will be a minor miracle if he manages to finish out his term, which is actually the term of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, another sleazebag. Among other things, Paterson has accepted, and possibly actively sought, free tickets to New York Yankees baseball games, with a strong appearance of a quid pro quo. One expert/consultant calls those two scandals "catastrophic for the black community in America and particularly in Harlem." See the Washington Post.

And for bizarro comic relief, Rep. Eric Massa resigned his seat in Congress after admitting to flagrantly improper behavior. It nothing more than mildy bawdy "tickle fights," in his words, but to some of his former staffers and Navy shipmates, it was sexual harrassment. What was even weirder about this case was the question of how and why it came to light. Did Democratic leaders leak the story so as to get rid of a Democratic opponent of Obamacare, thereby making it just a bit easier to pass a modified health package the second time around? Briefly, Massa became a "hero" to conservatives, according to politico.com. Rush Limbaugh loudly protested the manner in which he was "outed," and Glenn Beck made a fool of himself by having Massa on his FOX News TV show for a full hour, violating his own cardinal rule of not wasting his viewers' time. Massa is clearly a flake of little long-term consequence. See the Washington Post

"Born Again Americans"

I make no bones about my devotion to civility in political discourse and seeking bipartisan cooperation on behalf of the public interest, whenever it is feasible. Many people falsely equate such an attitude as compromising conservative principles, which is too bad. But when it comes to bogus appeals from leftists in sheep's clothing, I am nobody's fool. Someone recently sent me a link to an inspirational music video at bornagainamerican.org, and something about it struck me as a little odd. So I took a closer look, and sure enough, it's an offshoot of Norman Lear's "People for the American Way," which takes the separation of church and state to an extreme. After doing some Googling, I came across a very apt critique of the "Born Again Americans" at dakotavoice.com, a blog based in Rapid City, South Dakota.

March 10, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Yankee Stadium is tumblin' down

"When the walls ... comes tumblin' down..." The ominous refrain in that John Mellencamp song is probably being sung in The Bronx this month, as the demolition of Yankee Stadium (the original one, more or less) reaches the climactic phase. For weeks it has seemed that the process was dragging on forever, but the winter weather was the main reason for that. Over the past week or so, workers have been drilling seams into the upper deck, in preparation for pulling it down one section at a time. The first and second decks were demolished from December through early February, and the wall in back of the bleachers, with the imitation decorative frieze, was taken down last week, exposing the crumbling innards for all the world to see. I know it was inevitable, and I've been preparing myself for this for quite some time now, but it still leaves an indescribable feeling of melancholy.

Anyway, Mike Zurawski drew my attention to a youtube.com video of one section being pulled down, by Bobby Jackson. That video is also displayed at demolitionofyankeestadium.com, which has plenty of grim late-breaking photos. I was hoping that they would pull down the entire upper deck at once, which would have been spectacular and would have at least gotten over the pain quickly. For people like me, watching the drawn-out process is a form of torture. Some people think the reason for doing it section by section is to preserve Gate 2 for historical posterity, and I certainly hope that's the case.

Strasburg shines in debut

In his first start as a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, Stephen Strasburg lived up to the sky-high expectations people have of him. Going against the Detroit Tigers in the Nats' spring training home in Space Coast Stadium, he only went two innings, but he gave up just two hits and no runs, while getting two strikeouts. He is reaching 98 mph with some consistency, and we can only hope that he doesn't wear out his young arm trying to prove himself. See the Washington Post. Long-suffering Nationals fans are giddy with excitement over what the future holds for the team with Strasburg on the mound. All indications are that he will start the season in the minors, and probably get called up to Washington by mid-summer.

R.I.P. Willie Davis

Former L.A. Dodger center fielder Willie Davis, renowned for his speed and base-stealing abilities, passed away at the age of 69. He played when the Dodgers won the World Series in 1963 (against the Yankees) and 1965 (against the Twins). See Yahoo sports; hat tip to Bruce Orser.

March 7, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Chileans pick up the pieces

The good news from Chile is that the death toll actually declined to about 800, and it may not even reach 1,000 when the final reckoning is made. In the province of Maule, the epicenter of the quake, authorities realized that 200 missing people should not be included among the confirmed dead. The country's resilient spirit and national pride have been symbolized by a photograph of a man holding up a muddy and tattered Chilean flag that he found in the rubble. The scenes of devastation remind one of New York City after September 11, 2001. President Michelle Bachelet, whose term expires this week, declared three days of national mourning beginning today. See CNN.com

The bad news is that major sectors of the Chilean economy, such as winemaking, have been devastated. Also, looting has broken out in some of the worst-hit areas, and over 10,000 Chilean soldiers were sent in to the coastal city of Concepcion to maintain order. The people of Chile see themselves as having risen above the chaos that is typical of Third World countries, but as the Washington Post reported:

... the pillaging was carried out largely by poorer Chileans, and it left some horrified onlookers wondering whether their country had really advanced as much as the economists and government officials had believed.

This, despite the fact that Chile has the lowest poverty rate in Latin America, at 14 percent. Some blame inequality, but Chile has a huge middle class and has less class conflict than most other countries in the region. Perhaps the underlying social resentments were instigated by the Socialist governments of the past two decades.

Mrs. Clinton visits Chile

By pure coincidence, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on her way to South America when the earthquake struck Chile last week. The first item on her agenda was attending the inauguration Uruguay's new president, Jose Mujica, and she later paid a brief visit to Santiago de Chile, where she met with outgoing President Bachelet and President-elect Piñera. Clinton brought a load of cellular telephones to help in the emergency response, and promised power generators, water treatment equipment, and similar items. See state.gov. It must have been quite a scene when the two popular, high-profile women leaders got together for a talk at such a heart-wrenching moment.

Social media & Chile

In a sign of the times, I was kindly invited to join a Facebook group focused on sharing photographs and experiences of the earthquake survivors. It provided me with a window into the awful situation in Chile that you just can't get through mainstream media. I guess my skepticism about the relative benefits of the new "social media" has been taken down yet another notch.

March 2, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Gov. Perry defeats Hutchison

In Texas, yet another intra-party feud among Republicans fizzled out this evening, as Gov. Rick Perry turned back a challenge from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. With a 20-point margin of victory and an absolute majority that obviates the need for a run-off among the top two candidates, Perry can claim a solid popular endorsement, something few would have expected six months ago. The result may reflect the anti-Washington mood across the nation more than anything else. On the Democratic side, Bill White, mayor of Houston, easily won the primary election and may give Perry a run for his money this fall. See politico.com.

It's a mystery to me why Sen. Hutchison thought she could topple the incumbent governor, or why she would want to give up her privileged Senate seat in exchange for the headaches of running a rambunctious mega-state. Evidently she thought she could position herself as more conservative, criticizing Perry for tax hikes and exploiting his reputation for using strong-arm tactics to hold on to power, but it didn't work. In a Washington Post analysis on Saturday, Dan Balz explained why her campaigned floundered, in spite of endorsements from Dick Cheney, former President George H.W. Bush, and all the major Texas newspapers. (Perry's main high-profile endorsement was from Sarah Palin!) In an era of sound bites, getting called "Kay Bailout" for her support of the bank / financial sector rescue really stung. The economic situation in Texas is not as severe as in most other states, and that muffled any resentment toward Perry, who cruised to victory.

Does this mean that moderate "RINOs" like Perry are making a comeback? Probably not. It would be nice to draw some meaning from this race as it applies to the Republican Party nationwide, but it appears that the decisive factors were local and personal in nature. Now the big question is, What is in Sen. Hutchison's future?

March 1, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Democrats weigh nuclear option

In the wake of the "bipartisan summit" on health care that President Obama convened at the Blair House last Thursday, it appears that the Democrats are determined to use any means necessary to get their way on that critical legislative package. The White House claims they have enough votes to pass their version of health-care "reform," insisting on a prompt "up-or-down vote," apparently fearing that any further delays will allow opponents to mobilize public opposition. That means, most likely, the expedited process known as "reconciliation," which would enable the bill to be passed with a simple majority vote. This obscure, mysterious term has become the central bone of contention in Washington over the past few days. If the measure goes through without any Republican support, it would be an almost unprecedented raw power play on a vital issue to all Americans, with clear constitutional aspects. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) warned that if they did that, they would "lose their majority in Congress in November." See the Washington Post.

On the eve of that summit, Sen. Mitch McConnell sharply criticized the "legislative arrogance" and Democratic subterfuges:

In light of all these behind the scenes efforts to get around the will of the people, it's hard to imagine what the purpose of Thursday's summit is. If the White House wants real bipartisanship, then it needs to drop the proposal it posted Monday, which is no different in its essentials than anything we've seen before -- and start over. And they need to take this last-ditch reconciliation effort off the table once and for all.

I was pleased to see Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) take a strong, visible stand on this issue. He has been in the background of national politics ever since his failed run for the presidency in 1996. (Remember his trademark plaid shirt?) The leftists at thinkprogress.org point out that Alexander himself has personally voted for reconciliation at least four times, suggesting he's a hypocrite, but those were all on budget-related issues, not fundamental reforms.

How did we get to this point? Immediately after Republican Scott Brown won the special election in Massachusetts in January, taking away the Democrats' supermajority, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) switched his earlier position and said he might go along with using budget reconciliation to the health care bill. See thehill.com. That was a clear sign that the Democrats were seriously considering defying public opinion on this issue. For the "Party of the People," it's public opinion be damned!

Republicans have expressed outrage, but as Jeanne Cummings explains at politico.com, Republicans have used reconciliation more often than the Democrats since it was first used in 1980. It basically allows a Senate vote on accepting minor modifications to overcome objections from the House of Representatives, with limited debate and a short-cut schedule. The theory is that the full Senate has already passed the original measure, so that it should not require a 60-vote supermajority to pass a slightly different version over again, especially when it comes to taxing or spending measures that are required to keep the government running. The key difference between this situation and the historical cases is that the previous bills were budget related, in keeping with the original purpose by which the reconciliation procedure was adopted. Cumings also reminds us of one stipulation, that a "reconciliation bill cannot increase the deficit beyond the budgetary window." In other words, any measures passed that way have to be budget neutral over the long term.

The use and abuse of majority power is one of the touchiest subjects in the field of politics. It was nearly five years ago, in April 2005, that the Republican majority in the Senate considered using the "nuclear option" over the issue of judicial confirmations. (The Democrats kept blocking judges nominated by President Bush.) For the record, I reluctantly went along with that idea, against my better judgment. I was well aware that "What comes around goes around," and if it had passed, the Republicans would have been exposed to a vindictive, unrestrained Democratic majority after the 2006 election. In the end, thankfully, a compromise by moderate senators in both parties prevented that from coming about.

Birthers won't quit

No surprisingly, Republican J.D. Hayworth is challenging Sen. John McCain on the grounds that McCain is not conservative enough, notwithstanding the fact that Hayworth acceded to President Bush's Medicare Part D entitlement -- unlike McCain! Hayworth has raised the issue of President Obama's place of birth, an issue which should have died many months ago. I commented on Bruce Bartlett's Facebook page:

The pseudoconservatives who remain obsessed with Obama's birth status are a cult movement, impervious to reason. Expecting them to apply rational criteria like the consistency of voting records is just not realistic. You're either one of them, or you're on the enemy's side. Since they are motivated by conspiracy theories and thrive on defeat, it's just a matter of time before GOP leaders realize they are political poison. But by then it may be too late.

I may not agree with McCain all the time, but at least his head is screwed on right. He is infinitely more worthy than Hayworth to serve in the United States Senate.

February 27, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Defending the Tenth Amendment

Are you a "Tenther"? I'm not sure if I'm as vehement about the issue as some folks, but I have taken the Tenth Amendment seriously at least since I was in graduate school at U.Va. I was surprised back then that some of my grad student colleagues, and apparently some professors, seem to downplay the Tenth Amendment as nothing more than self-evident, redundant boilerplate language lacking much substantive meaning. Their attitude baffles me for two reasons: first, because I can't imagine why the Founding Fathers would amend the Constitution with something so trivial, and second, because it is so obvious that major issues hinge on the extent to which states exercise unique powers that are denied to the Federal government in Washington. Clearly, if you favor centralized big government solutions to social and economic problems, then you won't be too fond of any constitutional impediments that might thwart your agenda. In other words, there is a widespread dismissive attitude toward the meaning of the Constitution, tending to subvert respect for authority. In any case, here is the text:

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

I bring this up because I heard a very good presentation on "Term Limits and the Tenth Amendment" this morning at the Valley GOP breakfast. The guest speaker was James Atticus Bowden, a retired Army officer, author, Republican Party activist, and blogger. His presentation is posted on his blog at Deo Vindice. I first learned who he was three years ago when he was one of the "Bloggers for Sayre," and have occasionally read his writings since then. (He is NOT the deovindice blogger from Tennessee.)

Bowden argued that American politics is out of kilter in large part because of a badly mistaken understanding about where the locus of authority and sovereignty is in our federal republic. He views supreme authority as resting in God Almighty, and human laws being subordinate to and (hopefully) consistent with Divine Will. Since the American Civil War, which badly disrupted the body politic of the American nation, there has been a steady march toward the centralization of power, which is the prime reason for the gradual breakdown of social order. Americans are allowing their freedoms to be incrementally stripped away, and one manifestation of this is the poor awareness of the role of the Constitution in upholding our individual liberties and state government prerogatives. Bowden made a very good case and displayed a solid, deep grasp of the subject matter. My only real criticism, as I stated during the Q&A period, was the fact that he glossed over the erosion of constitutional safeguards under the Bush administration, exemplified by the No Child Left Behind educational program and the initiation of military action against Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003) without a formal declaration of war by Congress. Bowden agreed with me on both points.

The Tenth Amendment is the essential basis for the effort by state governments to nullify Obamacare, if it is passed. I discussed this constitutional issue in my Feb. 12 blog post, and talked about it when I met Ken Cuccinelli (then a state senator, now attorney general) last September.

Internet tax equity

The lead editorial in Monday's News Leader praised the bill sponsored by State Sen. Emmett Hanger, which would begin levying sales taxes on purchases made over the Internet from within Virginia. Of course, that got the knee-jerk anti-tax crowd all fired up with their metaphorical torches and pitchforks, but there were a number of worthwhile comments made by readers. My comment:

The idea that tax burdens should be spread equitably is obvious, or ought to be. Likewise, the need for additional revenue is obvious, especially for communities like Staunton where budget shortfalls threaten to close a key state institution, the CCCA. Too bad that some people refuse to consider worthwhile reforms, or even admit that the state budget is in dire straits.

Mr. Campbell [*] sheds helpful light on some crucial details that the News Leader editors may have missed. From what I can tell from the Legislative Information System, SB340 was tabled until next year by the Senate Finance Cmte., and SB660 is a watered-down short term incremental step. If it passes, let's hope it doesn't side-track the goal of FULLER tax equity.

A number of companies that sell goods over the Internet already charge state income tax, but I wonder how many of them actually fork over the proceeds to the fifty state treasurers like they are supposed to?

* That was a reference to a comment by R. David L. Campbell, Chief Executive of Fed-Tax.net

Are liberals smarter?

Some expert in Britain has done a scientific study which found that, "on average, people who identified as liberal and atheist had higher IQs. This applied also to sexual exclusivity in men, but not in women." CNN.com. The more I read, the more appalled at the bigotry of the authors, one of whom linked paranoid feelings with religious faith. I also question their premises: "It defines 'liberal' in terms of concern for genetically nonrelated people and support for private resources that help those people."

February 27, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Huge earthquake strikes Chile

For the second time in as many months, a strong earthquake has struck near the capital city of a country in Latin America. This time it is Chile, on the west coast of South America. Once again, it will take days or even weeks before we have a good idea of how many people have perished. Early reports say that at least 122 people have died, but the total will certainly climb into the thousands. The earthquake that occurred during the overnight hours hit the central region of Chile, where most of the people live. Dozens of aftershocks have been reported, some located in Argentina, on the other side of the Andes Mountains. What little we know thus far has come through video reports via CNN and other news networks. Also see BBC.

This natural disaster comes barely six weeks after a strong earthquake killed about a quarter million people in Haiti, in mid-January. In that case, the death toll was greatly magnified due to the fact that building standards are much lower, reflecting Haiti's relative poverty, and the fact that people in Chile are better prepared for earthquakes, which occur relatively frequently.

This comes at an awkward time as Chile is about to undergo a transfer of power. Sebastian Piñera was elected president just last month and will be sworn in the middle of March. He made a statement saying that his country is able to take care of emergency responsibilities for now, but there is no doubt that Chile will need large-scale humanitarian assistance, just as Haiti needs it.

We will learn much more about this situation in the near future. For now, we can offer the people of Chile our heartfelt prayers and encouragement.

February 27, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Late-breaking deal-making

As spring training ramps up into high gear, with the position players joining their teams' respective pitchers and catchers in Florida and Arizona, a few teams are tweaking their rosters for maximum advantage. The biggest news of the past week is that Johnny Damon, former Red Sock and Yankee, has signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. They need the help, and that acquisition should make the AL Central race more interesting this year. See MLB.com.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Toronto's phenomenal pitcher Roy Halladay a couple months ago, and their payroll is estimated to total about $136.55 million; see MLB.com. That's not as much as the Mets or Yankees, but it's a very healthy commitment to winning a National League pennant for the third year in a row, if not another World Series title. Does Ryan Howard still have enough slugging pop to generate runs for the Phils?

As expected, the Washington Nationals signed Livan Hernandez to a minor league contract. He has a good shot at making the starting rotation, but he probably only has a couple years of high-quality pitching left in him. In the Washington Post, Thomas Boswell joins the chorus of awe-struck praise for rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg, nick-named "Jesus" for the way that players react when they see his fastball.

February 26, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Cleveland Stadium update

The diagrams of Cleveland Stadium, better known as the "Mistake on the Lake," have been updated with several significant corrections. The super-sized grandstand extends about 15 feet further toward the southeast (right field) and northeast (left field) sides than I had previously estimated, but the grandstand ends curve in more sharply. The center field bleachers don't curve as much, and foul territory is slightly smaller in the post-1960s versions. Finally, of course, the profile is much more accurate than before, and the light standards are included. I had previously included a note on that page to the effect that an update was scheduled for August or September, so I edited that to highlight the belated accomplishment of that long-overdue task.

But perhaps the most notable change on that page is the inclusion of a new hypothetical football version diagram. What if the City of Cleveland had decided to invest a couple hundred million dollars in the mid-1990s to refurbish Cleveland Stadium and bring it up to contemporary standards? They would have removed the massive roof and the upper portion of the support columns along with it, no doubt, and most likely would have expanded the upper deck by about eight rows, much like at the renovated Yankee Stadium. Likewise, they would have replaced much of the rear portion of the lower deck with expanded concourse areas and luxury suites, and added about eight rows of seats in front of the lower deck, while lowering the playing field by about three feet. That would have put the fans within reasonable distance of the sidelines, while improving the sight-lines for football games. It is a similar to my suggestion for QualComm (Jack Murphy) Stadium in San Diego.

Thanks to Tom Tomsick for pointing out to me that the bullpens at Cleveland Stadium were moved from foul territory to the vacant area beyond the outfield fence in 1954, and stayed there until 1966.

All-Star/World Series Stadiums

On a related note, I recently realized that on my blog post of Dec. 30 I should have included Cleveland Stadium among the elite group of stadiums that have hosted both the All-Star Game and the World Series during the same year: 1954. (Remember Willie Mays' famous catch in the Polo Grounds?) I also noticed that Yankee Stadium should have been listed a third time, for 1960. Here is the complete list, fully corrected and double-checked, along with the corresponding pennant-winning teams:

• Yankee Stadium (1939) -- N.Y. Yankees
• Fenway Park (1946) -- Boston Red Sox
• Ebbets Field (1949) -- Brooklyn Dodgers
• Cleveland Stadium (1954) -- Cleveland Indians (!)
• Memorial Coliseum (1959) -- L.A. Dodgers
• Yankee Stadium (1960) -- N.Y. Yankees (!)
• Metropolitan Stadium (1965) -- Minnesota Twins
• Riverfront Stadium (1970) -- Cincinnati Reds
• Yankee Stadium (1977) -- N.Y. Yankees
• Jacobs Field (1997) -- Cleveland Indians

Among all stadiums that have ever hosted the All-Star Game, Cleveland Stadium stands out in being the only one in which the "host" team, the Cleveland Indians in this case, did not even play there during the year in which the All-Star Game was played there, 1935. After two years in "Lakefront Stadium," as it was called in the early 1930s, they decided to return to the cozy confines of League Park, which remained their primary home until 1947.

World Series droughts

Another dubious distinction of Cleveland Stadium is that it shares second place for the most consecutive years in which the resident team did not earn a league pennant and thus a trip to the World Series: 39 years (1955 - 1993), the same as Comiskey Park (1920 - 1958). In a "league of its own," sadly enough, is Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs: 64 years without a World Series, and running. Here are the top seven:

Stadium	Team	From	Through	No. of years
Wrigley Field	Chicago Cubs	1946	-	64
Cleveland Stadium	Cleveland Indians	1955	1993	39
Comiskey Park	Chicago White Sox	1920	1958	39
Braves Field	Boston Braves	1915	1947	33 *
Jack Murphy Stadium	San Diego Padres	1969	1997	29
Olympic Stadium	Montreal Expos	1977	2004	28
Griffith Stadium	Washington Senators	1934	1961	28

* NOTE: Braves Field would be only 31 years if you count 1915 and 1916, when the other Boston team, the Red Sox, borrowed it for the World Series. Braves Field and Jack Murphy Stadium were fortunate to host World Series games during the final years of their Major League Service after an extended "drought," and Olympic Stadium probably would have if the 1994 players' strike had not ruined everything.

February 22, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Spring (training) has arrived !!!

The snow may still still cover the ground across much of the country, but the annual resumption of the baseball spring training in Florida and Arizona gives us hope that fair weather can't be far off. In Viera, Florida, where pitchers and catchers for the Washington Nationals have begun practicing, hopes are soaring. Seeing Jason Marquis wearing a Nationals cap gives me an indescribable feeling of optimism. There is a veritable media feeding frenzy for newly-signed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, dubbed "the Michael Jordan of Taiwan." Chinese-language reporters are swarming Space Coast Stadium to interview him, but there is no guarantee that his shoulder will fully heal. See the Washington Post.

There is just as much excitement, if not more, over Stephen Strasburg, the phenomenal pitcher from southern California whom the Nationals signed as their #1 draft pick last summer. Ivan Rodriguez, one of the newest Nats, said he was impressed, but "manager Jim Riggleman hinted that Strasburg may not be on the Opening Day roster..." See MLB.com. No need to rush; give the guy a chance to grow up first. As for "Pudge," he will certainly help the team as a batter, but some doubt that he has sufficient defensive skills as a catcher to help nurture and instruct the Nationals' young pitching staff.

As for the rest of the Nats' roster, Josh Willingham remains a question mark, but I hope he stays with the team. He may not be 100% consistent, but he does get some big clutch hits, and I like his attitude.

I was browsing the annual baseball 2010 preview magazines yesterday, and every one I saw forecast that the Nationals would finish in last place in the National League Eastern Division once again. Well, I beg to differ! It's a highly competitive division, I know, but there is no reason why they shouldn't expect to end up with a record over .500, for the first time since they moved to Washington.

Perhaps the biggest news of the day is that veteran slugger Johnny Damon, one of the most prominent free-agents, just signed a one-year contract worth about $8 million with the Detroit Tigers. He had been negotiating with the Yankees and other teams, and it would appear that he held out too long, as the terms he accepted weren't all that great. I'm sure he would have preferred a multi-year deal. See MLB.com. With a soaring unemployment rate, Detroit is in desperate need of an emotional lift.

Spring cleaning (photos)

One of my long-postponed chores is updating the photos and making them more consistent, especially the panoramas which I have taken over the past two years. I have now done so for Nationals Park, Citi Field, Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium, and Yankee Stadium II. With any luck, I'll get to see games at two or three new ballparks this year, so you can look forward to more new photos. I also added five excellent photos of Wrigley Field that were sent to me by John Minor a while back.

Spring destroying

On a more somber note, demolition work at Yankee Stadium is advancing rapidly, with both the first and second decks of the grandstand now completely gone, and a small portion of the upper deck getting "whacked" as well. If you can bare to look, see the photos at baseball-fever.com; hat tip to Mike Zurawski. After the recent weather-induced delays, they will have a hard time finishing the work before Opening Day, now less than six weeks away.

February 20, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Rockingham County

I went birding in Rockingham County with fellow Augusta Bird Club member Jo King yesterday morning, in search of two rare birds that were were recently reported by local bird watchers: a Peregrine falcon and a Snow bunting. No luck on either of the target birds, unfortunately, but it was a successful outing nonetheless. We first stopped at Leonard's Pond, just in case some ducks might have stopped by, but it is still frozen over. About a mile north where the Snow bunting was supposed to be we saw a number of songbirds, and it was nice to hear so many of them actually singing. (Yes, Virginia, spring is on the way!)

Later on, we passed through the towns of Bridgewater and Dayton, and stopped for a while at Silver Lake, where there is a historic mill and museum / gift shop. There we saw about 20 Mallards, a pair of Mute swans, a pair of Lesser scaups, and a lone female Bufflehead. Not bad! But the real highlight of the day was when a flock of Amerian pipits flew in and landed on the lake shore. Some came within 50 feet of us, walking on the snow. We were utterly thrilled! After checking my records back home, I confirmed that it was the first time I had ever seen that species, which makes life bird #401 for me!! (My previous first-ever bird sighting, #400, was a Pectoral sandpiper, three actually, on October 28.) I have updated my life bird list accordingly. Anyway, here the highlights of the day's bird observations, 33 species altogether, with exclamation marks where appropriate and estimated numbers for some of them:

1. Bluebirds
2. Kestrels
3. Red-tailed hawk
4. Meadowlarks !
5. Black vultures
6. Carolina wrens
7. Red-winged blackbird
8. White-breasted nuthatch
9. White-crowned sparrows !
10. House finches
11. Yellow-rumped warblers (8) !
12. Robins (50)
13. Kildeers
14. Red-bellied woodpeckers
15. Mute swans (2) !
16. Lesser scaups (2) !
17. Bufflehead (F) !
18. American pipits (20+) LIFE BIRD!!

In other birding news

While driving across the Route 29 bridge over the James River near Lynchburg on Thursday, I saw a flock of at least 100 gulls, probably Ring-billed gulls. It was quite a sight to behold. The weather has been too bad to do much birding over the past several weeks, so I'm left watching birds in the back yard. We had a Towhee show up a few times this week, and some Robins appeared late this afternoon. Overall, there are fewer woodpeckers and White-breasted nuthatches than in past winters, and hardly any goldfinches, to our dismay. Zero Cedar waxwings, zero Purple finches, and zero Pine siskins so far this year.

I should also mention that I have made several visits to a location east of Stuarts Draft where a Rough-legged hawk has been seen on a regular basis for the past few weeks. Somehow, it has eluded me every time I have been there. Maybe next time I'll get luckier...

Finally, I recently updated my standard Montages of wild bird photos, with vastly improved photos taken with my digital cameras over the past two years:

Clockwise from top left: Bluebird, Tree swallow, Ruby-throated hummingbird, Cardinal, Magnolia warbler, Barred owl, Painted bunting.

Roll the mouse over the image to see the old wild bird photo montage.

February 20, 2010 [LINK / comment]

R.I.P. Gen. Alexander Haig

The man who kept the government functioning during the Watergate nightmare passed away earlier today. Gen. Alexander Haig, who served as supreme military commander of NATO forces, chief of staff in the Nixon White House, and Secretary of State under President Reagan, and few leaders of the 20th Century attained such heights of power and influence as he did. According to his family he succumbed to an infection while at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was 85. Sunday's Washington Post has a full article on his exemplary career as a soldier and a diplomat.

Haig was tapped by President Richard Nixon to help restore order in the White House after chief of staff Bob Haldeman was forced to resign as the Watergate scandal unfolded. In October 1973, as the Yom Kippur War was threatening to escalate into World War III, Nixon ordered Haig to instruct acting Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire special prosecutor Arhibald Cox, but Ruckelshaus refused and quit instead. This was the infamous "Saturday Night Massacre."

As a general, Haig was saddled with daunting challenges. In the years immediately following the Vietnam war, U.S. influence was waning around the world, and the Soviet Union was building alliances in Africa and elsewhere in the Third World. Western European countries were virtually paralyzed by economic stagnation in the wake of the surge in petroleum prices, and many people that that capitalist democracy was doomed. As commander of NATO forces during that time, Haig had to make extreme exertions to make sure that U.S. forces (under-equipped at that time) would be ready to face any sudden Soviet attack, in order to reassure our NATO allies that the United States would fulfill its treaty commitment. In this task, his abilities as a military commander and as a diplomat -- reminiscent of the role played by Gen. George C. Marshall during and after World War II -- proved invaluable to the United States.

As Secretary of State, Haig became a victim of political maneuvering and lack of firm central control in the Reagan White House. This tension came to a head in May 1982, when U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick resigned after siding with Great Britain in the dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. This made Haig's job more difficult, and after he complained about the "cacophony of voices" in the administration's foreign policy, Reagan informed Haig that he was accepting his resignation -- even though Haig had not resigned!

I think it's a shame that Haig caught so much flak for that one ill-phrased statement in 1981, after President Reagan was shot and no one knew whether he would live. "I'm in control here." became a derisive catch-phrase that dogged him for the rest of his life. I think it is safe to say that every single obituary written about him will include that phrase.

Haig was a perfect example of the old Eastern Establishment Republican, and would probably have a hard time fitting in to the GOP today. He was a poised, well-rounded leader whose self-assuredness sometimes rubbed other people the wrong way. When he was chosen as secretary of state, he said that he would serve as the "vicar" of foreign policy, an odd choice of words implying a privileged, custodial decision-making role. (A "vicar" is what Anglicans call their ordained priests.) His run for president in 1988 was anachronistic in style and probably doomed from the beginning. Haig was simply out of touch with the emerging political currents, especially the Christian Right.

One of the curious aspects of Haig's career was the Moorer/Radford affair, brought to my attention by Kevin Gutzman. U.S. military leaders were suspicious of President Nixon for making secret deals with the Chinese while the Vietnam war was still going on. They enlisted Haig, then serving as deputy to National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger, to snoop through Kissinger's papers and pass along the latest news about what was being negotiated. This fascinating episode, which took place in December 1971, is described in Forty Years War, by Len Colodny and Tom Shachtman. They regard Haig as one of the original Neoconservatives, who have played a controversial role in U.S. foreign policy since the late 1970s. See watergate.com.

I had the pleasure to meet Gen. Haig in the mid-1990s when I was a graduate student at the University of Virginia, after he spoke at the Miller Center, where I worked. Haig was kind enough to answer my questions about what really happened with Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands War, in which the government of Peru tried to play a mediating role. (After the effort broke down, Peru sent a squadron of Mirage fighter jets to help their Argentine allies fight back against the British forces.) Haig rejected the assertion made by many critics in Latin America that Prime Minister Thatcher was determined to teach the Argentines a lesson, no matter how the negotiations went. He also praised the good-faith peace-making efforts of Peru's President Fernando Belaunde, who passed away in June 2002. (See the obituary I wrote for him.)

While it is true that Haig was involved in some intrigues that may never see the light of day, he was a highly competent, patriotic, steadying influence in the corridors of power in Washington during a tumultuous time in U.S. history. I hope he gets proper recognition some day for his great service to the country.

February 20, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Metropolitan Stadium update

Based on the various photos that Bruce Orser brought to my attention recently, I have updated the diagrams for Metropolitan Stadium, home of the Minnesota Twins from 1961 until [1981]. It turns out that the fence and bleachers in right field were angled inward a couple of degrees, and the same was true of the left field fence from 1961 to 1964. In the football version (1965), I moved the gridiron about 70 feet closer to the main grandstand, and that position seems to have prevailed for most if not all of the 1965-[1981] period. Also, triple-deck portion of the main grandstand is slightly smaller than I estimated before, and the temporary bleachers along the third base line are a little further away. Finally, the profile of the post-1965 grandstand in left field has been corrected slightly. From seeing all those photos, I am growing skeptical of the dimension data for Metropolitan Stadium in Phil Lowry's Green Cathedrals.

UPDATE: I added a second set of hypothetical diagrams, with a more economical design in which there would be a retractable lower deck in left field (like in the Superdome), as opposed to the entire left field grandstand being rotated back and forth between baseball and football games. [Note that the short distance to left field (310 feet) would be offset by a 30-foot high fence reaching to the second deck -- very similar to Fenway Park.]

Tampa ballpark "news"

Mike Zurawski sends news that Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg is making more noise about needing a new stadium. Where have I heard that one before? Oh yeah, every year for the past decade! See Tampa Bay Online. Here's what he has to say about Tropicana Field:

we're not going to be there through 2027. It just can't happen. Baseball won't allow it. Our partners in baseball won't allow it. The other teams won't allow it. And it's just not the right thing for our organization, and quite frankly it's not the right thing for our population.

Sternberg seems to be making an implied threat to slash his team's payroll if he doesn't get his way. Well, maybe he can ask President Obama for some bailout or economic stimulus money. Hey, Citibank got bailed out, and their name is still on Citi Field, so why not? Meanwhile, the former mayor of Tampa, Dick Greco, has come up with a plan to build a new stadium at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Hillsborough County, on the Tampa side of the Bay, according to fieldofschemes.com. But wait, there's more! Another developer, Claire Clements, wants to build a stadium for the Rays in downtown Tampa. See fieldofschemes.com, again.

And, for the record, Mike tells me that the idea of putting an MLB franchise in Vancouver is "1000% insane." He cites the miserable history of the NBA Vancouver Grizzlies franchise, as an example of lack of fan support in that picturesque city. Oh, well. Certainly, the chances of any franchise relocation in the foreseeable future are almost zero, and there won't be any franchise expansions for at least another ten years, if then.

February 19, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Baseball in Vancouver, B.C.??

As the 2010 Winter Olympics proceed in Vancouver, British Columbia, some folks in Canada recall back in the mid-1980s when that city had hopes for attracting a Major League Baseball team. Believe it or not, that was one of the primary reasons for building BC Place, home of the CFL B.C. Lions, currently being used the main venue for indoor Olympic events. Philip Delisle wrote to ask me about the possibility of doing a diagram of that stadium, since it has been used for baseball exhibition games over the years, including the Blue Jays and the Brewers.

Philip pointed me to a discussion thread in which some photos and illustrations of a baseball configuration are shown: hfboards.com. Let me tell you, it is weird! The diamond is angled to the left, so that the foul territory on the third base side gradually shrinks as it approaches the foul pole, while it steadily expands on the other side. I'm very dubious about that alignment, which leaves a huge vacant area between the seats and first base. As somebody at baseball-fever.com pointed out, "Temporary seating on the 1st base side would kind of be reminiscent of old War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo." (That's where the movie The Natural, starring Robert Redford, was filmed.)

With its fabric roof, BC Place looks almost exactly like the Metrodome from the outside, but it is more elongated in order to accommodate the larger size gridiron used in Canadian Football League. The B.C. Lions have played there since 1983. It has about 60,000 seats, but there are very few sellouts, except for when the CFL "Grey Cup" championship game is played there. BC Place will undergo a thorough renovation after the Olympics are over, with a new retractable roof that is suspended from 20 or so outward-leaning poles rimming the outside perimeter. The project will cost an estimated $458 million, in Canadian dollars. Obviously, the B.C. Lions will be unable to use BC Place this year, so it was decided to build a large temporary facility located where their former home Empire Stadium used to stand; it will be called "Empire Fields." See the Vancouver Sun.

In any case, the dream of big league baseball in Vancouver is still alive, and the future retractable roof at BC Place, with blue skies and fresh breezes, makes that an appealing thought. As fans in Montreal, Seattle, and Minneapolis know, there is no sense in staying inside on a bright summer day in the northern latitudes. At Canadian Baseball Network, Adam Fine argues that BC Place will flop unless another major professional team makes its home there. The NFL is out of the question, which leaves baseball. With a population of just over 2.3 million (third biggest in Candada), Vancouver rivals Portland, Oregon as a prospective location for a possible future MLB expansion franchise. (See the Baseball cities page.) One would think that Montreal (about 3.8 million) would get first preference, but as Mr. Fine says, it all depends on fan interest and investor willingness.

Speaking of Montreal, the present situation in Vancouver reminds you of what a financial and engineering debacle Olympic Stadium (a.k.a. "The Big Owe") proved to be. Awkward compromises in multi-sport stadiums are rarely satisfactory to anyone, and the result is often a "white elephant" which nobody loves. They could just as well invest that $458 million on a brand-new baseball stadium, making it open at one end to allow for a CFL gridiron.

At a hearing of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly in May 1993, the provincial Minister of Economic Development, David Zirnhelt said he was busy promoting Vancouver as a future MLB venue. As an alternative, he also suggested that the Seattle Mariners could play some of their home games in BC Place every year, sort of like how the White Sox played some of their home games in Milwaukee County Stadium in 1968-1969, or the Montreal Expos played some of their home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in 2003-2004. (See the Anomalous stadiums page.) That sounds like a reasonable idea to me; why not give it a try? I still think Major League Baseball ought to consider having teams from southern states (especially Florida) play some of their midsummer games in Canada.

Seattle Mariners fans recall that BC Place was where their star slugger Edgar Martinez tore a hamstring during a Mariners-Brewers exhibition game prior to the 1993 season. He never fully recovered from that injury, which is why he spent the rest of his career as a designated hitter. Anyway, I guess this means I'll have to add BC Place to my "to do" list. The baseball seating chart at bcplacestadium.com will be of great help.

February 17, 2010 [LINK / comment]

Wang joins the Nationals

Just in time for spring training, former Yankee starter Chien-Ming Wang has agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals, who will retain an option on him for a second year. Wang will get a salary of $2 million plus up to $3 million in incentives. The official announcement will take place on Friday. See MLB.com. Everything depends on his health, however, as he is still recovering from surgery that was performed on his right shoulder last July. He probably won't start for the Nationals until May. According to Chico Harlan in the Washington Post, "Wang is less a purchase than a gamble." It could turn out to be a great bargain, or a big waste. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Wang will probably be motivated to prove his worth to his new team after two disappointing years in The Bronx. He had great win-loss statistics in 2006 and 2007, but that may have reflected the team he was playing on. His specialty is the sinker ball, forcing groundouts rather than going for strikeouts.

The Nationals also signed a minor league contract with veteran Ron Villone, who was one of their few reliable relief pitchers last year, and won their arbitration case against another former Yankee relief pitcher, Brian Bruney. You take those guys, and add Jason Marquis, John Lannan, and perhaps Stephen Strasburg late in the season, and you have one hell of a fine pitching staff. Things are definitely look up in Nats Town -- finally!

The mail bag

Paul Thompson recently got back from a trip to Cuba, where he visited Estadio Latinoamericano (capacity 50,000) in Havana, among some smaller ballparks and other entertainment venues. I highly recommend reading his detailed trip report, which is chock full of photos and videos, at mopupduty.com.

Bruce Orser brought to my attention some good images of Metropolitan Stadium at baseball-fever.com, and after browsing for a while I realized to my horror that the right field fence was angled slightly inward -- not perpendicular to the foul line, as I had long thought! You really do learn something new every day. Yet another diagram update pending...