Back In Black (Game 80)

Charlie Black, McCain aide, says that terrorist attacks on America give McCain a “big advantage”. Nice. Do these people have no shame whatsoever? Seriously.

If this were an Obama advisor, there would be screaming from every editorial page, and vehement calls for him to withdraw from the race. Typical double standard. If John McCain has any decency left, he fires Black. Tomorrow.

How is it that the people who claim to be oh so very serious about terrorism talk about it so cavalierly?

Monica Crowley, a conservative writer who obviously can’t be bothered to check facts, apparently said that Obama’s half brother claimed to the Jerusalem Post that Obama is a Muslim. Problem is, well, he didn’t. He was interviewed on Israeli radio, and never said anything of the kind. But why should facts get in the way?

I don’t think I directly addressed it here, and God knows you all have been dying to hear what I think, but Curt Schilling underwent shoulder surgery and is out for the season, and quite possibly done forever. That brings up an interesting question-Is Curt Schilling a Hall of Famer?

Baseball types can get into a tizzy about stuff like this, but I, though a baseball type, typically don’t get too excited about it. Like many baseball fans, I have my own personal list of eligible players that I feel belong in the Hall, not always for the most rational of reasons. That would include Bert Blyleven, Jack Morris, Jim Rice, and Andre Dawson, off the top of my head.

Assuming for the moment that Schilling is done, he enters Hall eligibility at approximately the same time as a bunch of others-Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine. By many measures, Schilling is the worst pitcher in this group-fewer seasons, fewer wins, fewer strikeouts, etc.

The things arguing in Schilling’s favor are his two World Series wins, and especially the heroic/hagiographic 2004 postseason, when he pitched critical wins against the Yankees and Cardinals on one leg, with the now legendary blood leaking through the sock. The Hall is what the Hall says it is, as Bill James points out, so it’s hard to talk much about it without winding yourself in circles.

The Hall does say specifically that a single event or achievement is not criteria for admission. But Schilling’s somewhat thin resume, combined with his postseason dominance and the bloody sock game, to my mind, puts him in.

In Boston, the deeply slumping Captain Jason Varitek came up with an RBI single in the 4 run 8th to key a 5-4 win.