Another Icon of Americana is Gone

 While the, Washington Football Team is still trying to figure out a new team name and logo, the Cleveland Indians have jumped into the stanky pool of "political correctness" and done away with one of the most iconic logos in American Sports history... what's next, banning the film, Major League?

This decision comes with a flood of foolishness and infantile whining from leftists (most of which are whiter than a major league baseball) in something that is called, "virtue signaling" a made up term that basically means, "we know better than the people we are claiming to be protecting" but really just means, "we're a bunch of dumbasses who are ignorant of accurate history and the basics of the English Language".

Baseball, and sports in general, used to be the last great refuge away from political nonsense (for the most part), a way to get away from the nonsense in the public and just enjoy America's Pastime with family and friends.  A day at the ball park, hotdog in one hand, beer in another, ready to drop both if a foul ball comes your way.  Or a day in the hammock, radio on, cold beer, burgers on the grill, family and friends enjoying the sun & breeze... but no more of that nonsense 😡 (am I still allowed to use that emoji?).

Speaking of the Washington Football Team, I agree with the

name change on that, but there was and remains nothing wrong with the logo, it was actually designed by an American Indian (shut up, there is nothing wrong with that term).  They should have been done in 24-48 hours going from the old name to the, Washington Warrior and that would be that, but you had all the pale faces whining and crying about a logo they hadn't even bothered to research at all.

"The Redskins primary logo used today was first designed in 1971 in close consultation with Native American leaders. Among those who unanimously approved and voiced praise for the logo was Walter "Blackie" Wetzel, a former President of the National Congress of American Indians and Chairman of the Blackfeet Nation."

Cleveland's decision to change it's name and logo make no damn sense at all, none, zip, zilch, nada... especially with a major motion picture backing up the teams heritage and iconic standing in American sports.

This is the man behind the name, Indians, his name is Louis

Francis Sockalexis and was known as, The Deerfoot of the Diamond, a member of the Penobscot Tribe, he played 3 years of professional baseball, all for the Cleveland Spiders.  He played outfield, had 3 home runs and 55 RBI’s in his career with a .313 batting average.

The logo of Chief Wahoo, as we see it here, has been a part of Americana since 1951 and before that still that of an American Indian Warrior swinging a baseball bat rather than a weapon of war.  It

was only made more iconic and beloved in the 1989 sports classic, Major League, starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Beringer & Wesley Snipes.  The Indians logo became a symbol of the Underdog Team, it brought fans to the team and the game, a lot of new ones.

The bottom line is this, "political correctness" is an intellectual disease, robbing the individual of any and all trace of Common Sense, Logic and Reason, thus why they always act like such petulant children, screaming at the top of their lungs and/or name calling rather than engage in rational debate with substance and facts.  "Virtue Signaling" is the latest political weapon that is used like a blunt object, based in inaccurate history, guilt trips and false feelings of entitlement.

History is riddled with things  like this, “oh it’s only a baseball team”… that’s how it starts, little things that don’t seem to matter on the grand scale of life but have always ended with it being taken to extremes and creating some of the darkest times in human history, despite what it’s called in the beginning.

I will always proudly wear my Cleveland Indians baseball hats and anything else I own with that historical and logo based in pure Americana, it's an icon and deserves to be treated better than banishment based in ignorance.

Baseball on Radio, another American Pastime

 Listening to Horton and Clairborne call a St. Louis Cardinals game is like listening to two college kids, that none of the fraternities wanted, try to call a high school ball game.  I change the station when they both came on to call the game.

Rick Horton is bad enough when he’s on with Jon Rooney, as he talks far too much and way too fast, as if he’s calling a horse race instead of a baseball game.  Not to mention he talks about himself too much, I didn’t even know who he was until I looked him up and still don’t know who he is.  If he was a somebody when he was a player, I can understand, but he tries to make everything about him.

Clairborne just seems very green and hasn’t done much on a microphone, still talks as if he’s a player, if he was one, he just has a lot of growing up to do and needs to speak more clearly, he’s calling a game, not talking to buddies in a bar.

Great sports announcers on radio are getting fewer and further between and that’s a crying shame, there is a lot of old tape they could listen to from pairs like, Jack Buck & Mike Shannon or Harry Carey and Pee Wee Reese, that really knew how to call baseball.

People want to chill while listening to baseball, in the hammock or on the couch, and if the announcer is calling it all like a horse race then you can’t relax, nothing wrong with a little bit of (almost) silence here and there, we can still hear the crowd.

Slow down, take your time… it’s baseball, enjoy it.

Thin air between the ears of MLB execs

 

The decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game was based in misinformation, propaganda and outright LIES.

Originally slated to take place in Atlanta GA, MLB claims that it didn’t move the game to protest the states new Voter Laws but it was too obvious and the denial has stopped, though they have yet to actually admit it.  These laws, in spite of the lies of the media, shored up voter security and made it easier for legal citizens to vote in the state. It also helped to prevent the potential for voter fraud, which, again despite the lies of the national media, does exist all too much.

But, the misinformed public cried foul ball on the new Georgia laws, that they neither read or understand at all, and the “leadership” at MLB announced the move to Coors Field in Denver Colorado, a state, up until the last election cycle, was a “red state” before voting laws were illegally changed.

I’m happy to say that I won’t be tuning in on television or the MLB app.  Yeah, I know, they won’t miss me, but that’s too bad that today’s MLB only seems to listen to one side of an argument and never seems to listen to Common Sense anymore.

Along with the greedy kids wishlist to Santa style number of new rules, that keep on coming, the Major Leagues are going to see a major exodus of fans, if they are not careful.  Major League Baseball has almost failed several times in my life and might see the end sooner than they think if they keep allowing politics to make decisions for the game.

This issue shows, more than ever, that politics and sports need to stay as far away from each other as possible, as much as possible.  Don’t like the game being held in Georgia, fine don’t go, and petition for the game to be had in Colorado down the road.

Personally, I’ve been a far bigger fan of Minor League Baseball for over 20 years than that of Major League, and the list of WHY just keeps on growing, as I’m sure it is for a lot of fans.

The move of the 2021 All-Star Game was/is/always will be a black eye on the American Pastime. 🇺🇸⚾️

A Yen to know more about Japanese Baseball

There are some things that the nation of #Japan takes far more seriously than a lot of people here in the states realize, and one of them is, #Baseball.

Shohei Ohtani is one of the most amazing baseball players I’ve ever seen from any country and so glad to see his incredible success from both the pitching mound and at the plate, which is unusual for a player from any country.

The baseball world is incredibly excited for his achievements so far and I’m thrilled to see if he has the staying power that Coach Madden has for him.

It’s easy to compare a hot player to the legends of yesteryear but can they keep it up for more than one season, that is the biggest question.

Personally, I’m just glad to see fans in the states taking Japanese Baseball Players more and more

seriously.  For a long time I had heard some bits and pieces about how seriously they take Americas Pastime there, but it wasn’t until 1992s Tom Selleck film, Mr Baseball did I start to look into Japan’s rich history of baseball.

The movie was about an aging American ballplayer who get traded to a Japanese baseball team, who happens to have a legendary Coach.  The American ends up challenging his coaches game-to-game hitting streak, but at the core was also the films look at how Japan looks at baseball, it’s a good bit different than here in the states.   Neither is necessarily right or wrong, it’s just a difference in the culture and that is part of what really interested me.  I highly recommend the film, by the way, it’s a romantic-comedy that has a lot of fun, but it’s also got some good views into Japanese life and differences in the people that keeps it interesting throughout.  

What I started asking friends from Japan about baseball there, I got some great stories that weren’t unlike stories here in the states, about family trips, father & son, throwing the ball with friends, it was all kind of familiar and that’s the beauty of baseball, it’s one of our universal languages in sports.

Players like Japans Home Run King, Sadaharu Oh, then America being introduced to another legend, Kaoru Betto on the t-shirt of #TheDude from the #BigLebowski, to players like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui making the jump to the Majors here in the states, have gotten the attention of fans from hardcore to just general fans, but Ohtani is getting the attention of the entire sports world.

I’m thankful for the fictional characters in the movies like the ones in Mr Baseball or, Tanaka in Major League II but I genuinely hope that more American baseball fans start digging into the history of baseball in Japan.

It is one of my dreams, on my trip over there, to catch some baseball games and get the full experience of noodles instead of hotdogs, learning a team chant or two and even trying to find some collectibles to add to my own, like the original card and mask I have of Betto, and of the ones who have made the transition like Suzuki & Matsui.

Going back to Ohtani, I hope to see him wowing fans for years, and see his career grow, he certainly looks like he has the potential and work ethic to stay strong.

Even though Baseball is America’s pastime, Japan has taken this game and made it her own as well, like so many other countries have.  I consider it one of our great achievements to have the international relations that baseball has created.