It was Opening Day in Detroit, which is for all practical purposes a holiday in SE Michigan. The Tigers didn’t disappoint as they rallied for two runs in the eighth inning to tie the score, and then after giving up a home run in the top of the ninth the Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on game tying homerun by Eric Haase, a triple by the newest Tiger Austin Meadows, and then a walk-off single by the newly acquired free agent shortstop Javy Baez. All of this was off one of the elite closers in baseball, Liam Hendricks. The final score Tigers 5, White Sox 4.
The game winning single by Baez almost wasn’t. (See the Video of the Day) Baez launched an 0-1 fastball to the wall in right field. Initially, it looked like right fielder A.J. Pollock made a juggling catch and the umpire signaled out. Báez, though, right away motioned that the ball scrapped the wall. After a review, the ball did indeed hit the wall. Call reversed, game-winning single. Baez was belatedly but joyously mobbed on the field by his new teammates and serenaded by the fans — “Javy, Javy” — as he left the field.
The Tigers continued to show the influence of Manager A.J. Hinch who has instilled in the players the importance of competing for all 27 outs. Expect many more games like this as the Tigers will battle up until the last out. With the influx in talent, I look for the Tigers to be competing for a playoff spot in September.
Yesterday I read a disturbing article in the Wall Street Journal on their opinion page. The article was about Russia’s action in Bucha, Ukraine and other areas were civilian targets are being hit and how some EU/NATO countries continue to fund the war for Russia by buying energy from Russia. Here is an excerpt from the article.
…..Evidence is building that Russia’s brutality is deliberate. Der Spiegel, the German magazine, reported that German intelligence intercepted radio traffic from Russian soldiers operating north of Kyiv, near Bucha where mass graves were discovered. Sources told the magazine that the intercepts indicate “that the murder of civilians has become a standard element of Russian military activity, potentially even part of a broader strategy. The intention is that of spreading fear among the civilian population and thus reducing the will to resist.” This comports with the Russian strategy of indiscriminate bombing of Ukrainian cities.
The atrocities are increasing Western support for more sanctions on Russia—and more weapons for Ukraine. The European Union approved new sanctions on Thursday that include a phase-out of Russian coal imports and blocking Russian ships from EU ports. Germany and other countries can find ready substitutes for Russian coal, even if it takes time. But the shame is that the EU still won’t ban the import of Russian oil and gas. This means that each day Europe is subsidizing Russia’s war by financing the Kremlin. If a ban is too much, the EU should at least put payments for Russian energy into an escrow account until Mr. Putin ends his war, as our Holman Jenkins has suggested.
Today, multiple sources are reporting that over 50 civilians are dead and over 100 civilians injured in a Russian missile attack on a train station in Ukraine that was evacuating civilians to safer part of Ukraine. The Russians continue to deny they are targeting civilians. If that is true, than their intel must be terrible or their missile systems are not as state-of-the-art as most of us believe they are.
The verdict is in on the four men tried for the potential kidnapping of Governor Whitmer. The two acquittals and two mistrials (hung jury) should not come as a surprise. Here are excerpts from the Detroit News article tonight. The largest domestic terrorism trial in recent U.S. history ended with no convictions Friday, delivering a blow to a case about a kidnapping plot targeting Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that has been dogged by controversy, scandal and the intense focus of a nation grappling with the rise of violent extremism. Jurors acquitted two accused plotters and deadlocked on two alleged ringleaders after defense lawyers raised questions about FBI agents’ misconduct and informants who were credited with thwarting the plot.
Tiger Woods continues to defy the odds. He followed up yesterday’s one under 71 with a two over74 today. Leaving him tied for 19th place at one over par 145 after two rounds. He is nine strokes behind the leader Scottie Scheffler but is only four strokes back of second place. I figured Tiger’s legs would fail him today, after having walked 18 holes yesterday. Following his accident just 17 months ago when it was not clear if his legs could be saved or he would ever walk again, I never imagined he would be playing in the Masters and making the cut. I should never doubt someone who won the U.S. Open on a broken leg and torn ACL and then six tournaments the following year.
Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence? Get vaccinated and get your booster.
Orchid of the Day: The Detroit Tigers
Onion of the Day: The Russian military and Putin for the continual targeting of civilians.
Quote of the Day: “There’s going to be a lot of games like this this year. These young guys here, we’re going to be able to get hot and make adjustments during the game and things like this are going to happen.” Javy Báez, the Tiger’s new free agent shortstop who had two hits and made an incredible backhanded play earlier in the game.
Video of the Day: Highlights of the Tiger’s opening day victory, including the game winning instant replay walk-off single by Javy Baez.