Pine Tar

Twenty five years ago, one of the most memorable and controversial baseball games happened at Yankee Stadium. Tim Kurkjian, from ESPN The Magazine, explains.

I watched the game live. I knew what the umpires were doing as they laid the bat down next to home plate to measure how far up the bat the pine tar was. I was a third-year baseball umpire at the time, and suddenly, those umpires on television were doing something I had been instructed to do, and hoped I never had to do.

I was holding my three-month old daughter in my lap, feeding her from a bottle, as umpire Tim McLelland called George Brett out. I can remember thinking that if I wasn’t careful, I was going to drop her, because I was paying so much attention to the television. My heart was pounding.

The aftermath was just as emotional as the Pine Tar homerun. Should Brett have been called out, or not? It was the topic of conversation for the next several days. When AL President Lee MacPhail finally ruled that the home run would count, the debate raged again. I have felt, to this day, that MacPhail made the wrong decision. If the rule is on the books at the start of the game, you don’t decide after it is enforced that we don’t want the rule to be enforced. Wait until the end of the season and change it, if necessary, but you shouldn’t strike rules from the rule book in the middle of a game.

How’s That Bush Economy Working For You?

Apparently, the “expansion” of the economy from 2001–2007 was weaker than any other post-World War II expansions. (via)

Check Out The New Blog

The folks over at Progressive Accountability have been working overtime to keep you up-to-date with John McSame’s far right-wing views, and documenting how dangerous they can be to your wealth and prosperity. For example:

• John McCain and Phil Gramm Love-In
• John McCain on Equal Pay (he says he for it, except when has had the opportunity to vote for it, he hasn’t voted for it)
• John McCain and the Housing Crisis
• McCain and Gramm Agree: Economic Woes Are “Psychological” and “Mental”
• John McCain Call Social Security “A Disgrace”
• McCain Is In Ohio Promoting Bush Style Policies That Jeopardize Ohio’s Economy
• McCain’s Energy Plan Continues Bush White House Pro-Business, Pro-Oil Agenda
• John McCain’s Big Oil Policies Driven By Big Oil Lobby
• McCain Record Leaves America’s Veterans Behind

Great work over at Progressive Accountability (but then, McCain gives them a lot to work with)

John McCain: The Economy is Strong

The Double Talk Express

John McCain denies saying he doesn’t know much about economic matters. Except he said it.