Dodgers play five former Catfish vs Braves

The Braves and the Dodgers opened their spring training games against other Major League teams yesterday (the Braves beat the University of Georgia on Wednesday) with the Dodgers winning 5-4.

One thing people noticed was the way the Braves bullpen couldn't hold a 4-2 lead in the 9th.

I noticed that the Dodgers played five young players who previously played minor league ball in Columbus: Chin-Lung Hu, Xavier Paul, Andy LaRoche, Matt Kemp, and Delwyn Young.

Hu was 1-for-1 with a run scored, a walk, but was caught stealing.

Paul was 0-for-1, reaching base on a fielder's choice, but was stranded.

LaRoche was 1-1 with a walk.

Kemp was 2-for-3 with a strikeout.

Young ... who, in the 2003 season, I saw knock a good dozen branches off of a single pine tree with towering shots down the right field line ... with a walk and a strikeout, but reached base five times, being stranded each time, twice in scoring position.

All wore the Columbus Catfish uniform -- except Young, who played in Columbus when the team was the South Georgia Waves -- when the local team was a Dodgers affiliate.

I enjoyed watching each of these players play ball in Columbus over the past 5 seasons, and look forward to their days in the Majors. Or continued days in the Majors, as the of these five played Major League Games in 2007 for the Dodgers.

I can hardly wait for baseball season to begin.

No, the Catfish aren't affiliated with the Dodgers any longer. That's fine. They're a Rays affiliate. And many of the 2007 Catfish will be playing in the Majors soon.

There's some good ball players on your nearby minor league team. Do check it out.

And, if you make it to a Catfish game in 2008, maybe I'll see you there. I'll be in my usual seat behind home plate.

Five Friday February

Today is the 5th Friday in February.

That don't happen much.

In fact, this is only the second time it's happened in my lifetime.

Of course, it's because February is usually only 28 days long, and that means only 4 of any named weekday in that month.

But this is a leap year. So February gets 29 days. And this year, it's a Friday.

So, it's a Five Friday February. And it only happens once every 28 years. Last time was 1980. Time before that was 1952, before I was born. Next time, by the way, will be 2036.

Friday means the end of the work week for most people in the U.S. And I'm fortunate enough to be in that group.

So, for the 5th time this month, I'm not saying it, but I'm thinking it: Thank God it's Friday.

Natural born citizen

Now the New York Times is questioning Senator John McCain's eligibility to be President of the United States.

Yes, the same John McCain that previously ran for President in 2000. But he wasn't the GOP front-runner then.

And it was raised by the same New York Times that made unfounded allegations of an "inappropriate relationship" between the Senator and a lobbyist.

And the eligibility question despite Congress declaring in 1790 that "The children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural-born citizens of the United States."

In case you're not familiar, the United States Constitution sets forth the requirements for President and Vice President. And, yes, they are the same.

Article II, Section 1 says:

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States.

Okay, that should be easy. "Natural born citizen." And Congress says that includes "children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States."

And that includes John Sidney McCain, III. Son of John Sidney McCain, Jr. and Roberta Wright McCain. John III was born at the Coco Solo Air Base in the Panama Canal Zone. And followed his father and grandfather's footsteps into the United States Navy.

Of course, if the New York Times can get anyone to put effort into defending silly questions about Senator McCain, they get an easier time pushing their liberal candidates and agenda.

Pathetic, isn't it.

Hussein in the membrane

News heads have been talking about Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham referring to Barack Hussein Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama." Most of the talk ... and writing in print and on blogs ... has focused on what Arizona Senator John Sidney McCain, III, did in response.

You see, Cunningham was warming up the crowd at a McCain campaign appearance when he called Barack Hussein Obama by the name "Barack Hussein Obama" not once, not twice, but three times.

Yes, three times Willie referred to Barack Hussein Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama."

And Senator McCain has caught some flack about it.

No, not because Cunningham referred to Barack Hussein Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama," but because McCain apologized for Cunningham calling Barack Hussein Obama by the name "Barack Hussein Obama" at a McCain rally.



The New York Times reported McCain distanced himself from Cunningham's comments:

"It's my understanding that before I came in here a person who was on the program before I spoke made some disparaging remarks about my two colleagues in the Senate, Senator Obama and Senator Clinton," he said. "I have repeatedly stated my respect for Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, that I will treat them with respect. I will call them 'Senator.' We will have a respectful debate, as I have said on hundreds of occasions. I regret any comments that may have been made about these two individuals who are honorable Americans."

I'm not going to pile on Senator McCain. If the Senator feels that Barack Hussein Obama should not be referred to as "Barack Hussein Obama" then people at McCain-sponsored events should not call Barack Hussein Obama by the name "Barack Hussein Obama."

I certainly understand and respect Senator McCain's wishes that Barack Hussein Obama not be called "Barack Hussein Obama," and I won't do it at any McCain campaign event.

But how do I personally feel about Barack Hussein Obama being referred to as "Barack Hussein Obama?"

I can sum it up in three words: Barack Hussein Obama.

Polls apart

There's a new poll out today that shows Senator Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL) leading everyone in the race for the White House. Not just over New York Senator Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (D-IL,AR,DC,NY). But over Republican front-runner, Arizona Senator John Sidney McCain, III.

The odd thing is, that poll seems to buck the trend of other polls.

Over at RealClearPolitics.com, it looks like polls have been trending towards Senator McCain recently. Including McCain leading in the most recent polls.

Until, all of a sudden, a New York Times poll and an AP poll show Obama with a double-digit lead.

What's up with that?

I mean, it's not like CBS or the New York Times would make up news, would they?

CBS would never, say, publish fake records of a politician's ... say, President Bush's ... military service, would they?

And the New York Times would never make up a story about an "inappropriate relationship" between a politician ... say, Senator McCain ... and a lobbyist, would they?

And the AP would never use unreliable news sources in reporting, would they?

I don't put much stock in polls. They change.

Unlike the left-wing media bias. It's been the only consistent thing in this story.

Homicide

The Wife and I have finally discovered Homicide: Life on the Street.

Yeah, I know. The show went off the air in 1999. 122 episodes. And just now, we've started watching it.

I'd seen some episodes on TNT, when they'd air Law & Order episodes that crossed over with Homicide.

But that's all I ever saw.

When the show started, back in 1993, I was in Korea. And it didn't air on AFKN.

Season two, which was only four episodes, aired in January 1994. And that's when I got back from Korea. And was looking for a place to stay, after the Ex- notified me she was about to become my Ex-.

Seasons 3 when I was in the Army and working on becoming single again.

And season 4 when I was single, trying to be a non-custodial parent.

Season 5 was airing when I left the Army and moved to the Columbus area.

And I'm not sure why I missed seasons 6 and 7, but I did.

Well, recently, the TiVo suggested up an episode of Homicide, and I Googled it, wanting to see what it was all about.

That's when I found out that the episode that TiVo had suggested was near the end of the run. And, checking the schedule, I discovered that it was starting from the beginning soon on WGN.

So, week before last, I set up TiVo to record the show, adding it to the To Do list.

And last week, we began watching it.

I like it.

A lot.

Yeah, I know. It's all old hat to you.

But we're getting to experience it for the first time.

Thank goodness for WGN. And thank goodness for TiVo.

Ready on Day One ... to do what?

USA Today has a front page article today entitled "Ready on Day One?"

Well, in fact, I can answer that question regarding the three candidates pictured.

We have, from left, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (D-IL,AR,DC,NY), Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL), and John Sidney McCain, III (R-AZ).

Actually, Obama is to the left of Clinton, politically, but on the USA Today front page, it's in the order of the names I gave.

So, are they?

"Ready on Day One?"

Yes, they are. All of them.

Just, ready for different things.

Obama and Clinton, for instance, are ready to go after your wallet.

McCain, on the other hand, is ready to go after the enemies of freedom.

And that makes all the difference.