A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
2008 Mets Prediction

I think it's 50/50 that the Mets will win the NL East. It's difficult to assess how many games the Braves will pick up because of their huge advantage at manager.

Ultimately since I think Tom Glavine has little left and since the Mets acquired Johan Santana, I'm going with the Mets to finish 90-72, good enough for first place in the NL East, just edging out the Braves and the Phillies, before winning in the NLDS and losing in the NLCS.
posted on 3/31/2008

 
Gotay Joins Elite Group

Last season, Ruben Gotay filled in admirably at second base, hitting .295 with 4 homers, 24 RBIs, a .421 slugging percentage and 12 doubles over 190 at bats.

Despite Gotay's production, in late July the Mets traded for Luis Castillo. That move made sense, as Castillo's experience looked to be an asset during the playoffs. Alas, the Mets collapsed, with Castillo's production not quite as good as Gotay's. Over 199 at bats, Castillo hit .296 with one homer, 20 RBIs, eight doubles, two triples and a .372 slugging percentage. Castillo did steal 10 bases to Gotay's three.

After the season, the Mets rewarded Castillo and his bad knees with a 4 year $25 million contract. Today, they released Gotay.

Gotay's sin is that Willie Randolph doesn't like him. Last season. Randolph repeatedly dismissed Gotay's success as a fluke.

Willie and Omar Minaya have a thing about young players. They couldn't wait to get rid of Jeff Keppinger (for Gotay), Heath Bell and Brian Bannister, all of whom have been outstanding since leaving the Mets. Lastings Milledge was traded away for two mediocre and easily replaceable players. On the other hand, no matter how awful he played, they kept giving Anderson Hernandez opportunity after opportunity.

Willie and Omar also have a thing about old players. "Give us your tired," they proclaim, as they sign ancients like Julio Franco, Orlando Hernandez and Moises Alou to long-term deals, bring back Jose Valentin, sign has-beens like Jose Lima, Brian Lawrence and Chan Ho Park and Fernando Tatis, and even never have-beens like Nelson Figueroa.

In the case of Gotay, Willie apparently does not like his fielding. Willie wasn't with the Mets then (though Omar was), but back in 2000, that was the Mets' explanation for sending Melvin Mora and three other players for mediocre shortstop Mike Bordick.

Gotay may or may not be another Melvin Mora or Jeff Keppinger. He might just be no more than a backup infielder.

The problem with Willie and Omar is that yet again, they refuse to give a young player a chance. When injuries hit the Mets, as they always do to older teams, don't give Randolph and Minaya a free pass.

Finally, if Tatis is so good, why didn't the Mets ever call him up from AAA last season, when he hit more than 20 homers and 30 doubles? Instead, the Mets traded two prospects for Jeff "Weekend At Bernie's" Conine, who proceeded to hit a sterling .195.
posted on 3/27/2008

 
Five More Comments

UPDATE: 2/27: My wife has informed me that she did indeed donate to the PBA. As MoC would say, Ich Kenisht.

1. In the 90s, Arutz Sheva served as a valuable alternative source of news to Israel's mainstream media. Frequently, Arutz Sheva would break news, and it would report extensively on developments that Haaretz, Yediot and Maariv largely ignored.

Unfortunately, over the years Arutz Sheva has gone downhill, essentially offering basic news with a far right-wing slant, and monolithic opinion pieces.

Yesterday, several people sent me a new article from Arutz Sheva, reporting that according to Chicago Arab activist Ali Abunimah, Barack Obama had, in the past, been far more pro-Palestinian than he is now letting on.

The Abunimah article is, in my opinion, indeed disturbing. It also was posted on March 4, 2007, a fact that Arutz Sheva did not bother to mention.

2. Lost amidst the controversy concerning Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright is a statement Wright made last year, when Obama disinvited him from delivering an invocation at Obama's presidential announcement.

Then, the New York Times reported:

“Fifteen minutes before Shabbos I get a call from Barack,” Mr. Wright said in an
interview on Monday, recalling that he was at an interfaith conference at the
time. “One of his members had talked him into uninviting me,” Mr. Wright said,
referring to Mr. Obama’s campaign advisers.

Am I the only one who finds Wright's use of the word "Shabbos" of note?

3. Since adding my telephone number to the Do Not Call registry, the only telemarketing calls I get are from frum charities and the Police Benevolent Association. What's worse, both the frum charities and the PBA invariably follow-up by thanking me for a pledge I did not make and sending me an invoice.

I no longer give to the PBA, though I recognize that the NYPD has many dedicated and fine officers who risk their lives on a daily basis, and should not be judged mainly based upon its corrupt, arrogant and occasionally trigger-happy members - even if a culture of corruption and arrogance is accepted and justified.

I do donate to various frum charities, which makes the practice of a number of them to send invoices for relatively small amounts that were not actually pledged rather disturbing. Surely this is done by the telemarketers and not the charities directly, but ultimately the charities must take responsibility for this less than honest practice. Rightly or wrongly, my tendency is to stop donating - or to donate less - to charities that bill me for imaginary pledges.

4. All baseball teams have their deficiencies, but six days before they open the 2008 season, those of the Mets are maddening. While the Mets acquired Johan Santana (had they not they probably would not even be a contender), they largely ignored their need for outfield depth, a number 5 starter, and bullpen help. For the second straight season they are relying on Moises Alou, Duaner Sanchez, Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey. That gamble will hopefully not fail as it did last year, but for a little more payroll, the Mets could have solidified these areas.

In the meantime, the Mets look poised to pray that Nelson Figueroa can plug the hole in their rotation. They continue to stubbornly refuse to consider Aaron Heilman as a starter, and also seem to have forgotten that overall Jorge Sosa wasn't bad during his 14 starts last season.

Looking back to the '86 Mets, during the offseason after 1985, the Mets decided that they needed a lefty for the back of their rotation. They acquired Bobby Ojeda from the Red Sox, and he then went on to have a career year and lead the Mets with 18 wins.

5. Nets fans have known this for a while, but now the secret is finally getting out: Jason Kidd is not a superstar anymore. Hopefully, the Mavs will at least make the playoffs, as otherwise the Nets won't get a first round pick from them until next season.

This is not to say that Kidd can't help Dallas or is not still a good player. But at 35, his weaknesses have become more prominent and difficult to hide.
posted on 3/25/2008

 
Ten Comments

1. This morning, opposing counsel was kind enough to give me a ride from court to midtown Manhattan, and I listened to Obama's speech in his car on the way. Whatever one thinks about Obama and regardless of whether the speech alleviated concerns about him, Obama was thoughtful and intelligent and his speech much more substantive than almost anything else I've heard from politicians.

2. I happen to have no problem with African-Americans feeling enraged at the United States. A history of slavery, legalized segregation, workplace discrimination, and a biased criminal "justice" system will inevitably have that result.

The issue, ultimately, is channeling that rage in a manner that does not include hatred toward white Americans.

3. Unlike his speech today that primarily dealt with race, Obama has still not said anything very original about Israel.

4. Why is "the free market" sacrosanct when it comes to individuals and families going through a rough time, but the government can spend tens of billions bailing out mismanaged banks?

Yeah, I know, it's to save the economy. Fine. But in that case, the free market approach isn't really sacrosanct at all, is it?

5. To the extent that it relates to Arabs who are not citizens of Israel, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky's call for Israeli Jews to not hire Arabs because "we are war with them" strikes me as the sort of common sense that Israelis have failed to internalize.

6. Very few Jets fans are happy with the team's offseason moves. While they may be right, it's hard to escape the sense that Jets fans are too jaded to be pleased about anything.

For what it's worth, I am among those who feel that the Jets are paying way too much for players headed toward the downside of their respective careers. Yet when the Mets have, over the years, made similar moves, their fans reacted with excitement.

Maybe Mets fans are stupider, or maybe the 1986 World Series has bought the Mets a few decades of respite from fan revolt.

7. Speaking of revolt, the Rangers' power play is revolting and unwatchable.

Now that I've said that, let's hope for two power play goals tonight.

8. The Mets should have signed Kyle Lohse to be their number 5 starter.

9. The Days Inn (used to be called Quality Inn) on the Upper West Side features prominently in today's news. I stayed there for shabbos a number of times in 2003 and 2004 and remember the staff almost going out of its way to not accommodate my Shabbos related issues.

10. Is it possible to get an economy ticket via El Al's Matmid system? In July many of my points will expire, yet El Al seems to offer almost no dates on which coach seats can be redeemed. Perhaps a class action is in order. Or must I take El Al to a beis din?
posted on 3/18/2008

 
Memories of Shea - Strawberry Sunday and the Return of Koosman

There was an air of optimism around the Mets during spring training 1984. The Mets had a new young manager, young pitching talent, 1983 Rookie of the Year Darryl Strawberry, and star first baseman Keith Hernandez.

Longtime Mets fans were well aware that the optimism was a sham. Strawberry would be a star and Hernandez already was one, but Davey Johnson had never managed in the majors and his talk about using computer analysis to help him manage sounded loony. The young talent would surely disappoint and/or get hurt. George Foster would continue to be a colossal bust. GM Frank Cashen had proven himself a buffoon; after finally doing something right and bringing back Tom Seaver, he had inexplicably left Seaver unprotected and lost him to the White Sox during the offseason.

Yet I was only 11 years old and while I had never experienced a winning season - or even a 70 win season - I was buying into the optimism. One day I called the Mets at 718-507-TIXX and requested a schedule.

A few days later, the brand new schedule - actually two of them - arrived in the mail. And there on the list of promotions was Strawberry Sunday, on Sunday, April 29, 1984, on which Carvel would be giving out strawberry sundaes to all in honor of the Mets' right fielder. My father agreed to take me to the game, and I ordered two tickets.

In the days prior to the game, the Times mentioned something about Jerry Koosman returning to Shea for the first time. I was well versed in Mets history and knew Koosman was a long-time Met and a star on the '69 team. Still, he'd been gone for six years, ancient history for an 11 year old.

I must have left school a little early, but my 6th grade rebbe was only in his 20s and I doubt it ever crossed my mind that he would care if I went to the game.

Back then, all Carvel products were certified kosher, so there was no problem (I think) with eating the sundaes.

I remember loud applause when Koosman came out to pitch for the Phillies after the top of the first inning ended.

Strawberry had two hits, Hernandez homered, Jesse Orosco continued his scoreless streak and the Mets beat Koosman and the Phillies to improve their record to 12-8 and tie for first place in the NL East.

The strawberry sundae was good too, as were the 1984 New York Mets.
posted on 3/13/2008

 
Political Resignations

As long as the topic of the week is resignation of political leaders, has it occurred to anyone that sending 4,000 young soldiers to their deaths and another 30,000 wounded soldiers in a war based on imaginary weapons of mass destruction - even as the neighboring country of the one invaded openly develops real WMDs with little consequence - might also be a basis for resigning from elected office?
posted on 3/12/2008

 
More Of The Same

I'm back from California, but will have little time or energy to post over the next few weeks. Some quick thoughts:

1. The mass murder at Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav is particularly devastating for those of us in the religious Jewish community. The latest to be murdered and maimed join a huge list of victims since Arafat's terror war commenced in September 2000 and since terror spiked shortly after the Oslo Accords.

Nothing will change, however, because nothing ever changes when Jews are murdered in Israel. Jews have been murdered in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, in Eilat and Beersheva, in Netanya and Haifa, and nearly everywhere else in Israel. Not to mention the disgraceful situation in Sderot, which Israel's government has apparently forgotten lies within its borders.

The world long ago got used to the idea of Jews being murdered, and in recent years, so have we - even if, again, particular murders are particularly painful to some of us.

The Arabs will continue their celebrations in honor of their heroic mass murderers, George W. and Condi and the rest of the world will repeat the usual nonsense about "the peace process" and business will go on as usual.

2. For various reasons, it is appropriate to feel disdain for the Olmert government. What is not appropriate is for R. Herschel Schachter to mention the idea of shooting Prime Minister Olmert to a group of yeshiva students.

Even accepting R. Schachter's statement in his apology that he was only joking, his statement was utterly deplorable. There is nothing funny about the idea of murdering the prime minister, and the "I wasn't serious" defense is not acceptable a little more than 12 years after the shooting of Prime Minister Rabin by a former yeshiva student.

(Note to any potential commenters pretending to be right-wing extremists: While I accept and support open and free debate and my policy has always been to allow all comments, in this case, I will delete comments supporting the murder of Israeli leaders.)

3. The Jets' flurry of activity has the look of a GM and coach desperate to keep their jobs beyond 2008. The four major moves all improve the team, but it is questionable whether the amounts paid can be justified in a salary cap era.

4. As for the Mets, the excitement of the Johan Santana acquisition is now predictably being tempered by concerns over injuries, depth in the outfield and the starting rotation, and the bullpen.

Not to mention that they are still managed by Willie Randolph.
posted on 3/11/2008