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Who would have thunk it?
With the Twins loss to the Guardians today in extra innings, the Tigers are now tied with the Twins for the final wildcard playoff spot in the American League. With the Tigers’ 3-game sweep of the Royals this week, the Tigers are only two back of the Royals for the second wildcard playoff spot.
On July 4, the Tigers were 9 games below 500, since then the Tigers are 15 games above 500 and have the best record in the American League.
Because the Tigers were sellers at the trade deadline and traded some valuable experienced players, the Tigers were forced to use the young players in their system, whether they were ready or not. So far, these young kids are surprising the baseball world. For the first time since 2014, the Tigers are playing meaningful games in September. For a baseball nut like me, it has been great fun watching these kids perform at a level many never thought possible.
Parker Meadows
No one has been more valuable to the Tigers than Parker Meadows, the Tigers’ centerfielder extraordinaire. When Meadows has been in the starting lineup the Tigers are 43-23. Since coming back from injury and the minors on July 5, he has an OPS of .850 plus and is playing center field in ways Tiger fans have not seen in decades. In the last week, he has made two catches in centerfield that saved the Tigers at least 4 runs. On his catch on Tuesday, he ran over 60 feet at a speed of over 27 feet per second to track down what looked like a sure triple in a tie game. He had the game winning hit in the 10th inning on Tuesday, and last week, he had a game winning grand slam against San Diego.
As Tiger announcer Andy Dirks said on Tuesday after his catch, “he is the best centerfielder in baseball”
See my Video of the Day.
J.D. Vance
Is this the guy we want to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? He thinks nothing of making up stories and lies to make his point. He does it without regard to who he harms or the damage he does.
He scares me as much as the former president. This story reported by the NY Times and many other media outlets should make one think long and hard about voting for the MAGA party candidates for president and vice-president.
Senator JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, said Sunday that he stood by the debunked claims he and former President Donald J. Trump have spread suggesting Haitian migrants were eating pets, saying that he was willing “to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention.”
And Mr. Vance responded indignantly when asked about the bomb threats that have upended life in Springfield, Ohio, the city where he and Mr. Trump falsely claimed that the pets were being eaten.
“I’ve been trying to talk about the problems in Springfield for months,” Mr. Vance said on CNN, referring to strains he said that a large influx of Haitian migrants had placed on the city’s public services. He went on: “The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
When the CNN host, Dana Bash, noted that he had used the word “creating,” Mr. Vance replied, “I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it.”
Vance is dangerous. He has no moral compass. He and the former president scare the hell out of me.
Good News
Per multiple sources on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday by half a percentage point, an unusually large move and a clear signal that central bankers think they are winning their war against inflation and are turning their attention to protecting the job market.
“Our patient approach over the past year has paid dividends,” Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, said during his news conference. But now “the upside risks to inflation have diminished, and the downside risks to unemployment have increased.”
The Fed’s decision lowers rates to about 4.9 percent, down from a more than two-decade high.
The pivot comes in response to months of fading inflation, and it is meant to prevent the economy from slowing so much that the job market begins to weaken more painfully. Officials have been keeping a careful eye on a recent uptick in the unemployment rate, and by starting off with a big cut, the Fed is in effect taking out insurance against a bigger employment slowdown.
So far, Fed officials have managed to slow inflation notably without causing major economic problems. The unemployment rate has crept up, but it hasn’t jumped painfully. Hiring persists, though it has slowed. Consumer spending remains strong. Overall growth is still robust.
The resilience has made Fed officials hopeful that they might be able to pull off a historically rare “soft landing,” in which they manage to put the economy on a healthy and sustainable track without causing a recession.
This type of news is always good for the political party in power.
A Letter from Republicans
Yesterday, a letter was published that was signed by over 100 high level Republicans denouncing the former president as unfit to hold the office of president. This got a lot of media attention. What did not get much attention was why they supported Kamala Harris for president. Here is what the letter said about Harris.
Vice President Harris has demonstrated a commitment to upholding the ideals that define our nation freedom, democracy, and rule of law. Her experience as Attorney General of California and her leadership on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and as Vice President have helped prepare her to be President. We are prepared to support her as President because she has:
- Consistently championed the rule of law, democracy, and our constitutional principles.
- Pledged to “ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world “and to honor and respect those who wear the uniform.
- Committed to sign the bipartisan Border Security package, drafted under the leadership of Republican Senator James Lankford and other Republicans, which would hire 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection personnel and provide more resources for law enforcement but was opposed by Donald Trump to avoid giving President Biden any political advantage.
- Supported a strong NATO to stand up to Russia and protect European and American security and been firm in her support of Ukraine.
- Declared her intention to ensure that the United States will meet the economic and military competition with China.
- Declared her intention to “always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself” and “to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists”.
- Demonstrated that she can engage in orderly national security decision-making, without the constant drama and Cabinet turnover of the Trump Administration.
- Committed to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet in order to encourage a diversity of views and restore a measure of bipartisanship and comity to our domestic politics.
Keweenaw Peninsula and Copper Harbor
If you have not visited Michigan’s northern most point, outside of Isle Royale, I highly recommend you find time to take it in. Leah and I stayed at an upscale bed and breakfast called The Keweenaw Castle, a converted monastery on the shores of Lake Superior. The sun set directly across from our balcony. The place had more amenities than we could use. The facility had a very large hot tub, pool table, full kitchen, stocked refrigerator, zero gravity chairs on the beach, beautiful grounds. Our bathroom had heated seats, heated mirrors, a shower with lights behind the mosaic tile pattern of the UP.
We found great places to eat. We hiked the Estavant Pines Nature Sanctuary, which wasn’t the smartest thing we have ever done considering there was no phone coverage, and the trail is rugged and not used by many people. Fortunately, we made it out safely and felt good about ourselves. Seeing 500-year-old pines that reached high into the sky was worth the risk.
To top our trip off, we went to Tahquamenon Falls on the way back and hiked to the upper and lower falls,
The weather was spectacular, mid-70s and sunny all three days with light winds. Lake Superior was calm, but majestic.
Roads in the UP.
I was amazed at the condition of the roads in the UP. Nearly every paved road we drove on was in outstanding condition. The only paved road that was marginal was the road from Newberry to the Tahquamenon Falls. However, if that same road was in SE Michigan, it would be one of the better roads.
The other thing I was amazed at was the number of roadside parks that were on the roads. The parks were plentiful. We only had one bad experience, but it was a dozy.
Greg Harden
On Friday, Greg Harden, 75, U of M’s secret weapon, passed away suddenly following complications from surgery. Last year I wrote about Harden’s book, Stay Sane in an Insane World. This is a book that I keep close by my side on my phone or Nook. It is a book I reference on a regular basis.
Over the years I have had a chance to talk to Greg or email him about his ability to relate to others and cut to the chase with young adults who are struggling with life. Greg was a gifted person who shared his gift for over 40 years with U of M student athletes.
Greg may no longer be with us, but his lessons will be passed on from generation to generation by those who were touched by him.
Here are excerpts from the final pages of Greg Harden’s book Stay Sane in an Insane World. It is a call to action.
“Nothing I’ve said in this book belongs to me. These are universal truths. I’ve just tried to be the vehicle to help you see them in a new way. More than anything else, I want you to always believe in yourself. But even that is not enough. Right now, I want more from you.
This country, this culture, this world, is desperately in need of a new kind of leadership. It needs people who want to build each other up, not tear each other down. Who want to bring people together instead of dividing them even more. Who want to invest in one another, believe in one another, and help one another dream big, and become big in the most positive sense of the word…..It is one of those rare moments that will truly shape our human destiny…The stakes are really that high. The history books will record how we respond. I need you to believe that, and I need you to join me in answering the challenge.”
Question of the Day: Are you trying to be the best in the world, or are you trying to be the best for the world? True leaders strive for the latter.
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Quote of the Day: “In short, Donald Trump cannot be trusted “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic . . . and bear true faith and allegiance to the same” Over 100 high level Republicans in a letter published yesterday.
Orchid of the Day: The Detroit Tigers again.
Onion of the Day: Me, for giving up on the Tigers on July 30 after the Tigers traded away four players for prospects.
Question of the Day: See above under Greg Harden
Video of the Day: Parker Meadows doing his thing in centerfield.
Hey Biggsie, great blog!! boz
As a practicing (not in name only) Christian, I’m trying to be what Christ would have me to be.. humble, thankful and appreciative of all the good in the world. The devisive destructive rhetoric that continues to threaten the nations of the world can only succeed when the people are willfully uninformed or just don’t understand the ramifications of practicing hate. I’m purchasing Greg Harden’s book. Thank you.