The 2009 Mets, Race Progress or Hypocrisy

As the New York Mets get set to christen their new stadium, named CitiField (at least for now), they could resemble the National League of 1946, the year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier; in a stadium being build to mimic the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field, the Mets could enter the new season in two months with no African-American players on its 25-man roster.

In their last year at Shea Stadium, the Mets had at least two African-American players, Marlon Anderson and Damion Easley, along with a black manager, Willie Randolph. The Mets have failed to resign Easley and Anderson's spot on the 25-man roster is in jeopardy with the signing of infielder Alex Cora who has to be retained because he would be the only backup shortstop on the roster. Randolph, of course, was fired in the middle of the night in the middle of the season.

Despite the official retirement of Jackie Robinson's number 42 coming at Shea Stadium in 1947, the Mets have have a checkered race-friendly history.
One of the best hitters ever produced by the organization, outfielder Cleon Jones was caught with a woman in his van. The woman was not his wife and was also white. Cleon was forced to apologize in front of the media with his wife at his side in the spring of 1975. After a run-in with manager Yogi Berra later that summer, he was released and ended his career with the White Sox.

In the glorious year of 1986, left fielder George Foster said his benching was race-related saying that whenever the Mets could promote players like Lenny Dykstra, they did. Of course, one of the players who replaced Foster was Mookie Wilson, who was black.

Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson, has decried the decrease in number of African-Americans in the Majors.

There are many free agents left on the market and the Mets still have several needs to fill including a starting pitcher, left-handed reliever, left fielder, and second baseman.

Among those second baseman still available is Orlando Hudson, who has said he wants to play for the Mets. Only the trade of Luis Castillo seems to stand in the way of this "no brainer" signing.

Though a player's race should never be taken as a reason to sign or not to sign him, as Mets fans walk through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda to watch the first game of the new season, it would be appropriate that the Mets have at least one African-American player.

Italy vs. the Shish Kebab

For some reason, Italy must have taken a crazy pill and has decided that the best way to protect itself is to ban foreign food. While this doesn't make much sense, it appears to be the reality and I'm kinda confused. If you'll excuse me, I need to eat a kebab with lobna.

Yesterday it spread to Lombardy and its regional capital, Milan, which is also run by the centre Right. The antiimmigrant Northern League party brought in the restrictions “to protect local specialities from the growing popularity of ethnic cuisines”.

Luca Zaia, the Minister of Agriculture and a member of the Northern League from the Veneto region, applauded the authorities in Lucca and Milan for cracking down on nonItalian food. “We stand for tradition and the safeguarding of our culture,” he said.

Mr Zaia said that those ethnic restaurants allowed to operate “whether they serve kebabs, sushi or Chinese food” should “stop importing container loads of meat and fish from who knows where” and use only Italian ingredients.

Asked if he had ever eaten a kebab, Mr Zaia said: “No – and I defy anyone to prove the contrary. I prefer the dishes of my native Veneto. I even refuse to eat pineapple.”

Another Step of Progress as Iraq Votes

Iraq held its fourth round of voting since its 2003 liberation. The majority of provinces held local elections and turnout was heavy. Violence, however, was not. This continues the upward trend that Iraq has been traveling on since early 2007.

Hopefully the trend continues and Iraq succeeds. I'm hoping for it.

Still, thousands of women, including many in conservative tribal areas, cast ballots, many for the first time. Voters brought their families to participate in only the second elections since the fall of President Saddam Hussein and by far the most open and competitive. More than 14,000 candidates contested for 440 seats to lead influential local councils, the equivalent of state legislatures in the United States.

"I am so happy," Raad al-Shimari, 30, declared in the Kadhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad, flashing a forefinger stained with purple ink indicating he had just voted. "I chose the person that will represent me."

After the polls closed Saturday evening, U.N. and Iraqi officials declared the elections -- one of the most heavily monitored by independent observers in recent Middle Eastern history -- as transparent and credible. "This is a good day for Iraq's democracy," said Staffan de Mistura, the top U.N. official in Iraq.

Quote of the Day-- February 1, 2009

Caller: My mother taught me more than any Escalade, any Atari game, she done taught me the value of life...
R.C.: Did she tell you the proper use of a preposition?

-- R.C. Collins

Joe's Scum of the Week

Hello, ladies and gents, this is your ol' pal Joe C., MD. Sometimes I sit in my darkened room, with only the flicker of a computer screen giving me light. And then I get angry. Sometimes I get tired of being the nice guy, so now I've come up with this feature: Joe's Scum of the Week.

This week's piece of scum:
Keith Olbermann
After I gave my opinion on our foxy Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Keith Olbermann, who I like to call Keith Olber-Douche, dared to attack one such as myself. I am a lonely 19-year-old college student who happens to find Pelosi very, very attractive. I bide my time, looking at her alone, stroking my beard, wondering when I'll meet her.

Then, POW, right in the kisser! Out of no-where, Keith Olber-Scum attacked me in his show on MSNBC. What can I say to this ridiculous chicanery? Sit on my thumbs? Spend upwards of 20 hours on the internet a day? Air guitar in mid-air? NO! Keith Olbermann is my scum of the week, and I will not take this attack sitting down.
So, everyone, send this article to everyone you know. We must stop him; we must stop Keith Olbermann! Keith Olbermann says to be quiet, but I will not be silenced!

Joe's Scum Scale: 10 Buckets of Puke out of 10
And see last week's scum!


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