IT’S ALL HAPPENING!

by John Walters
https://mediumhappi.org/?p=7217

by John Walters

Starting Five

Lindor exults after his game-tying double

A Quest Called Tribe

Number 22 did not come without suspense. The Cleveland Indians trailed 2-1 with two outs and two strike to the Kansas City Royals when Francisco Lindor hit a game-tying double off the left field wall. One inning later, Jay Bruce ended it with a walk-off single. It was Cleveland’s first walk-off and first extra-inning victory of the now historic streak.

With the win, Cleveland takes over the ALL-TIME WIN STREAK record in MLB history. The 1916 New York Giants posted a 26-game unbeaten streak, but one of those contests ended in a tie.

2. Rubicon Crossed

followed by…

(Why did he type “untruth” instead of “lie?” Is that a libel issue?)

followed by…

 I briefly worked with Clay Travis. He’s a smart guy and a personable dude in person. Like Donald Trump, he’s big on promoting himself as a straight talker, and also like the president, he diligently avoids speaking bluntly on topics that would alienate a white supremacist audience.

Unlike Trump, Clay is not a liar. He’s just a guy who meticulously picks his battles so that he never has to come out against subjects his legion of followers find dear. That’s convenient and for him it has also proven profitable. But it’s also cowardly. And deep down, or directly on the surface, he knows he’s a sellout; a craven victim to his own naked ambition.

He’s rich (just ask him). But as soon as he’s transparent about racism as he is about, say, antifa, that will be a first. He’s the dude who spends 100 hours mocking or exposing BLM and then justifies it with a throwaway line such as, “I’m the least racist person I know.” Great. But the fact that you have to even say that, well, why did it come up?

Meanwhile, I like what our mutual former editor and bonafide great egg, Barry Werner, tweeted:

 

3. Judge Bombs

Baseball’s most majestic swing

During last night’s 13-5 against the Orioles, Yankee rookie Aaron Judge blasted two bombs, had six RBI, and DID NOT STRIKE OUT. The blasts put Judge’s home run total at 43 with 16 games remaining. Remember when The Ringer posted this edgy headline?

Most home runs in one season by a New York Yankee, age 25 or below:

Babe Ruth, 1920: 54 (age 25)*

Mickey Mantle, 1956: 52 (age 24)*

Lou Gehrig, 1927: 47 (age 24)

Joe DiMaggio, 1937: 46 (age 22)

*led American League

Judge is sitting pretty to tie either the Yankee Clipper or the Iron Horse. It may be time for an iconic nickname.

4. Lalas Land

Lalas, right

Earlier this week former World Cup and American soccer dude Alexi Lalas leaped across the abyss from erstwhile athletic hero to GOML spokesperson by calling the U.S. Men’s National Team “a bunch of soft, underperforming, tattooed millionaires.”

The USA is 2-2-3 (3 losses) in World Cup qualifying after recent losses to the likes of Costa Rica and Honduras. In responding to Lalas’ criticism, Michael Bradley borrowed a line from the Lannisters: “The lion doesn’t care about the opinion of the sheep. But Jozy Altidore had a better comeback:

 

 Altidore’s girlfriend, Sloane Stephens, won the U.S. Open last week, by the way.

5. A Reptile Dysfunction

In Sri Lanka a talented young reporter for The Financial Times, Paul McClean, was apparently killed by a crocodile. An Oxford grad just a month shy of his 25th birthday, McClean sounded like a special young talent, if you read this piece.

McClean was on holiday with friends in a remote part of a remote nation when a croc dragged him into a lagoon.

Reserves

As long as they’re coming to Times Square, there’s only one real choice for celebrity guest picker

Well They’re Coming/To My Ci-TAYYYYYYY!!!!!!

ESPN’s College GameDay, in the “I’ll just have a Bud Light” of on-campus location decisions, opts for Times Square on September 23rd. The nearest FBS campus is Rutgers, and the nearest that anyone in Manhattan truly considers a legitimate college football power is three-plus hours west in State College.

What a lazy decision. Or was it about the budget? Or about promoting the Disney Store and ABC’s nearby GMA studios? Or was it just about ego (“We’ve even been to Times Square!”). Pullman, Wash., and Iowa City, Iowa (the Hawkeyes host Penn State in an early Big Ten unbeatens clash) were better options.

Music 101

Son Of A Son Of A Sailor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX9esXzzO7w

As far as Top 40 hits go, Jimmy Buffett has only had a few, and only one higher than 30 (“Margaritaville” went to No. 8 in 1977). Still, the 70 year-old who was born on Christmas day, 1946, has as loyal and as cult-like a fan base as any American artists this side of the Grateful Dead. This tune was the title track of his 1978 album.

Remote Patrol

Vietnam

Sunday 8 p.m.

PBS

America’s foremost documentary filmmaker, Ken Burns, has tackled The Civil War and World War II, so it was only a matter of time before he dipped his lens into this quagmire. The 10-part, 18-hour series will air each night from Sunday through Thursday this week, take Friday and Saturday off, and then the final five episodes air Sunday through Thursday the following week.

You have to wonder if a late edit will include this fan post about Alabama’s freshman quarterback from Hawaii:

6 thoughts on “IT’S ALL HAPPENING!”

  1. The 1916 Giants didn’t technically have a tie – one game was halted in the ninth inning due to weather and darkness with the score tied, and replayed in its entirety the next day (the Giants won). The baseball Twitterati has been abuzz with debate about whether this means the Giants really didn’t win 26 in a row. Also of note — all 26 games in the Giants’ streak were home games.

    I also saw a tweet this morning that mentioned that as statistically unlikely as a 22-game win streak is, it is actually far more likely than a team winning 52 out of 61 games, which is what the Dodgers did this summer.

    Reply

  2. I’m starting a petition to have the MH editing board stop posting random pictures of clowns. It is starting to be the fist thing I think of when I wake up in the morning. In the dark.

    Also, re: College Gameday’s decision to go to Times Square on September 23rd:

    Toledo at Miami (first home game for Miami since Irma)

    Texas Tech at Houston (won’t be Houston’s first game back from Harvey, but still would be neat to pay some tribute to the families down south)

    TCU at Oklahoma State (this is by default. Only ranked matchup of the day)

    Rutgers at Nebraska (just kidding. Although the Gameday bus is always welcome to stay in my driveway)

    Penn State at Iowa (taking this from JW. Plus I could drive there, if I wanted to. Another selfish move)

    But really, not Miami or Houston?

    Reply

      • If your stock is up 100%, that’s a double or you’ve made 2 times your money. If up 200%, that’s a triple, if up 300%, that’s a 4-bagger (made 4 times your money). So, my NVDA is a 14-bagger – I’m up 1300% & thus made 14 times my investment money (well, on paper since I haven’t sold). 🙂

        Reply

        • Susie B!

          You may be a bagger braggart, but I’m thrilled for you (as I am for Jacob/Jason and his BitCoin call). I’m going to forget this bagger explanation within a month and I’ll have to ask you again, but please have patience with an older man with a feeble mind…

          JW

          Reply

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