As I have said before in this space I would happily vote for either Donald Trump OR Ron DeSantis if either wins the GOP nomination for president in 2024 (although the other than a Ted Cruz presidency the ideal would be Trump for 4 more followed by 8 years of DeSantis) and the country would be well served by either.
Frankly DeSantis has been doing an excellent job of wooing me and I’ve not been big on the Trump attacks on him, but there is a question that I think those pushing his candidacy need to answer..
One of the arguments that we hear from the shadow DeSantis crowd is that Trump is “unelectable” (or more properly “un re-electable” ) They may or may not have a point as Trump derangement syndrome is a real thing and the left has demonstrated that disaster is better than , but I would like to ask those who would push DeSantis on those grounds these questions:
What makes you think that the same democrat counties in critical states that played with the vote count in 2020 would not do so again in 2024 if DeSantis is the nominee?
Donald Trump has already stated publicly that the GOP needs to ballot harvest in the Democrat fashion, What tactics will a DeSantis campaign do to counter Democrats in states that haven’t pushed the excellent election reforms that he put in place in Florida to counter Democrat dirty tricks?
We already know that Trump will fight back on any attempt to steal an election from him in 2024. As there is no reason to believe Democrats would not use the same tactics against DeSantis, what steps will he take to prevent and/or counter any Democrat attempt to steal the 2024 election from him?
Oh and any person who claims: “Democrats won’t try to steal the election if Trump isn’t on the ballot” is too stupid to work on any campaign.
Ok let’s finish our look at the 1996 league with the NL west.
NL West
W
L
PCT
GB
San Diego
13
3
.813
——
Houston
8
7
.533
4 1/2
Los Angeles
8
8
.500
5
St. Louis
5
11
.313
8
San Diego: 13-3 .813 1st place
The good news : San Diego is hitting .303 AS A TEAM! Kenny Lofton is leading the majors in runs (21) and is 2nd in the NL in stolen bases. Mark McLemore is tied for the NL lead in doubles and Ken Caminiti leads the NL in Homers and the majors in RBI’s Ron Karkovice and Todd Huntley are both hitting .400 or better. Darryl Strawberry is hitting .385 And the pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.29 best in the NL. .
The Bad News: Not much to choose from here but starters John Burkett (2-2 5.93 ERA and 5 HR given up in 27 1/3 innings) and Ariel Prieto (0-0 7.59 ERA WHIP 2.06 and .341 avg against are underperforming dramatically.
Didn’t see that coming: Tony Gwinn hitting .297 is not a big surprise SD having six starters hitting better than him is.
Medical Report: The only thing healthier than San Diego’s batting avg is their health.
Coming Attractions: It’s off to Boston for two and Houston for four before coming home to face Chicago and Atlanta. .
Houston: 8-7 .533 2nd place 4 1/2 games out
The good news : Dante Bitchette has been dynamite .333 4 HR 11 RBI. Biggio has hit .346 and stolen 10 bases in 13 attempts while driving in 13 without going yard.. Otis Nixon has stolen 22 more leading the majors. Houston’s 41 walks allows is the 2nd lowest among major league teams.
The Bad News: While the bullpen has been spectacular the starting pitching has been meh. Tom Glavine is 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA Jamie Navarro is 0-1 with hitter batting .313 against him and a 5.56 ERA and Mike Hamptons start was so bad (0-1 6.48 ERA and .375 avg against he ended up dealt to Baltimore along with Quintin McCracken (.077 avg till he went to Baltimore hitting .333 in the AL) Meanwhile Terry Steinbach is hitting a mere .204 and so is Matt Williams .204 with only 2 HR & 5 RBI.
Didn’t see that coming: Houston relivers Pedro Borbon, Mark Dewey, TJ Matthews , Mike Munoz and Paul Spoljaric in a combined 15 appearances and 24 innings have yet to give up a run..
Medical Report: All quiet on the Injury Front.
Coming Attractions: After a quick trip to NY to face the Yanks for 2 they return for a 9 game homestand with 4 against San Diego, 2 vs Seattle and 3 vs Florida
Los Angeles: 8-8 .500 3rd place 5 GB
The good news : Mike Piazza is hitting .322 with 3 HR and 8 RBI and has scored 11 while throwing out 13 runners. Brian Hunter is batting .359 Jessie Orosco has 3 saves in three chances. Starter Ismael Valdez has a WHIP of 1.02 6th in the league.
The Bad News: Piazza may have caught 13 runners but he’s let 47 steal. Steve Decker has already committed 5 errors at third to go along with his .170 avg. Rafael Bournigal has been not committed an error in the field but is also hitting a mere .169 and Travis Fryman .175 Avg and a .197 OBP runs)
The Meh News: In 13 starts 4 of Houston’s five starters have ERA’s between 4.26 & 4.76.
Didn’t see that coming: While LA’s avg against is the worst in the NL their staff’s 124 K’s in the 2nd best in the majors with three of their starters in the top 10 in K’s of the NL. Travis Fryman’s miniscule batting and OBP avgs has not stopped him from driving in 11 runs so far this season..
Medical Report: All present and accounted for
Coming Attractions: LA has one more to play in Baltimore before they head home for 4 against the Cards, two against the blue Jays and 3 vs the Pirates before an 11 game road trip.
St. Louis: 5-11 .313 4th place 8 GB
The good news : Ray Langford is leading the majors in triples with 3. Julio Franco is leading the NL with a .403 avg, leads the majors in hits (27). Brian Jordan is hitting .303 with 2 HR and 10 RBI. David Cone is is only allowing a .191 batting avg with a 1.12 WHIP and while being 3rd in the league in innings has yet to give up a home run.
The Bad News: The Benes Brothers have been a disappointment on the mound. Andy is 0-2 with a 6.62 ERA and Alan while 1-2 has an ERA of 7.04. Willie McGee has had a horrendous .190 0 HR 1 RBI Tim Rains is even worse hitting only .071 with an OBP of .133 with only a solo HR and RBI to his name. .
Didn’t see that coming: St. Louis has only five home runs in 596 at bats
Medical Report: Mark Langston came out of his first start of the season and will not be back till late July. .
Coming Attractions: St. Louis visits Cleveland for 2 and LA for four before coming home for 3 vs Cincy and then it back on the road for 2 in Boston before hosting Houston for another 4.
Ok we’ve looked at the AL East and West now let’s take a peek at the senior circuit the East that is.
(Current as of 5/12/23 Noon EST)
NL East
W
L
PCT
GB
Florida
9
7
.563
——
Cincinnati
7
8
.467
1 1/2
Atlanta
7
9
.438
2
Pittsburgh
5
9
.357
3
Florida: 9-7 .563 1st place
The good news : Florida is flush with .300 hitters including Fred McGriff (.350 .435 OBP) Rondell White ( .364) Mariano Duncan ( .348 9 RBI 10 Runs scored 12 RBI) and Vinny Castilla (.338 12 Runs scored) Even pitcher Mark Portugal has is hitting .333 with a walk. Barry Bonds is only batting .246 by comparison but he has driven in 14 and scored 16. Reliever Billy Taylor is 4-0 with one save and the only save blown by the team in 5 in save chances. .
The Bad News: Florida is only 1-3 vs Left handers and starters Mark Portugal worse with the normally sure handed Mike Lansing with 4 errors in 14 games
Didn’t see that coming: Not only has Florida yet to win a game on turf they are also the only first place team with a negative runs differential (-7)
Medical Report: The bad news is reliever Todd Jones who went down in the San Diego series won’t be back till the current road stand is over. Of course given his .565 avg against, 4.15 WHIP & ERA of 18.69 that not a great loss.
Coming Attractions: Florida continues a long road trip with stops at Minnesota (2) and a big series in Atlanta (4) where they will try to finally get a some wins away from home before coming back to see the Orioles for two begore hitting the road again. .
Cincinnati: 7-8 .467 2nd place 1 1/2 games out
The good news : Cincy’s 3.14 team ERA, 1.17 team WHIP , 46 Earned runs allowed and .993 fielding percentage all lead the majors. Their perfect 4-4 in save chances Lance Johnson and Barry Larkin each have 8 steals and Eric Davis’ 5 HR’s are second in the league.
The Bad News: With Ricky Henderson hitting .204 with a .338 OBP which is the highest on the team among players with at least 18 at bats and Eric Young hitting .241 with a .300 OBP the table isn’t being set for anyone. This would explain why the Reds have yet to win a 1 run game. Despite the highly touted Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate not only do they lead the majors in passed balls but have only caught 1 of 6 runners trying to steal.
Didn’t see that coming: After being unpicked in the draft Mike Blowers was picked up off waivers to help when Chris Sabo didn’t do the trick with Boggs on the DL. Blowers has hit .400 with an OBP of .538, a slugging of .800 and an OPS of 1.338
Medical Report: Cincinnati had an injury plagued start with Lance Johnson (3 games) Barry Larkin (4 games) and Wade Boggs who just returned from the 10 game disabled list for game two vs San Diego but for the first time since opening day they are all healthy
Coming Attractions: Cincy has one more at San Diego and then a pair at Chicago before they return home for 4 against Pittsburgh and a pair against the yanks.
Atlanta: 7-9 .438 3rd place 2 GB
The good news : Atlanta’s offense has been incredible with four starters Chipper Jones, Marques Grissom, Jose Offerman and Jim Eisenreich) hitting .364 or higher Jones has driven in 19 with 5 HR and before he broke a bone Larry Walker had 5 HR and 13 RBI. (Eisenreich is at .439). They lead the NL in hits and triples Homers and the majors in RBI’s. Alan Embree and newcomer Mariano Rivers (who came from the Yanks for John Smoltz who was 2-0) have not given up an earned run.
The Bad News: Closer John Wetland’s .333 avg against and 8.44 ERA is a big reason why they traded Smoltz for Rivera. More than half of their starts have been by pitchers with ERA’s from 5.79 to 12.46. Jeff Kent is hitting .150 in 15 games. Chris Hoiles is hitting .188 in 13 games. Their ERA is the 2nd worst in the league and only St. Louis has blown more saves in the league
Didn’t see that coming: Atlanta is the only team in the majors with both a losing record and a positive run differential. Greg Maddux 0-2 ERA 12.47 batters hitting .362 against.
Medical Report: It’s been a disaster for Atlanta in the outfield. Not only have they lost Jim Edmonds till the middle of their series vs San Diego three weeks away but Larry Walker broken bone means he will barely make it back before the September callups
Coming Attractions: It’s a back and forth scheduled for the braves, two in Toronto, back home for 4 vs Florida and a pair vs Cleveland then off on the road again to play the Padres.
Pittsburgh: 5-9 .357 4th place 3 GB
The good news : Glenallen Hill is hitting .333 playing full time and Mark Johnson is .393 with 3 HR and 7 RBI in part time play. Kevin Elster’s 5 HR puts him in a tie for 2nd in the league. On the mound Curt Schilling has proved himself worthy of the first pick overall in the draft with a 3-0 record in three starts a WHIP under 1 0.99 2 complete games and an ERA of 2.13. On the whole the team has an ERA of 3.39 (4th best in the majors) and has given up fewer hits (106) and fewer HR (7) than any other MLB team
The Bad News: Unfortunately the teams gloves have betrayed them their .966 fielding percentage is the worst in the league. Their Catchers have only thrown out 2 of 23 men trying to steal 0.87 the worst rate in the majors while giving up the fewest runs Pittsburgh has the lowest team avg in the majors (.224) and their obp of .297 is the 2nd worst. This is thanks to four regulars (Moises Alou, Ernie Young, Bret Boone and John Jaha ) all batting under .200 and two more starters (Joe Carter & Jason Kendall) both hitting .225 or under.
Didn’t see that coming: Pittsburgh has yet to win a game played on grass
Medical Report: Moises Alou missed the series against Cleveland but should be back for the final game vs Houston. Meanwhile Wade Terrell had to leave his last start early and will have his next start delayed by a day or two.
Coming Attractions: Pittsburgh has two at Houston before they head to Seattle for a pair and then Cincinnati for a big four game series.
Senator Warren has significantly higher unfavorable numbers than her fellow Democrats statewide and that seems to be creating an opening for Baker, who always enjoyed large amounts of cross-party appeal. Looking at the cross tabs, Republicans seem to coalesce behind Baker (79%) in a way that Democrats do not around Warren (56%), and Baker leads with independent/unenrolled voters 2-1 at 57-26%.
Warren’s favorability rating is 5 points above water, with 49 percent finding her favorable and 44 percent saying she is unfavorable, including 35 percent who find her “very unfavorable.” As Craney pointed out, her favorability rating indicates she is far less secure than some of her fellow prominent elected Democrat officials in the Bay State.
Now while it would be nice to have a Ted Cruz or a John Kennedy (of LA) win a US senate race in Massachusetts, with the current state of our state voting population there would be a better chance of the Red Sox signing me as a 60 year old pinch runner off the bench next week than an actual full blown conservative winning a statewide election for US Senate. Until and unless we educate and persuade the electorate Baker is likely the best we can realistically get and in terms of competence he would be a giant step forward for Massachusetts, plus it’s always useful to have a person with executive experience in the Senate.
This should send the fear of God into the left although there would be several bright sides for the left:
Baker would almost certainly be voting with Democrats 10-20% of the time
He would be the MSM’s “goto” republican on any social issues we attempt to advance
He could reliably be expected to attack a President Trump and make any opposition to him be by definition “bipartisan”
But that extra vote to give the gavel to McConnell and stop Biden judges in their tracks would outweigh those disadvantages.
However there is one question that needs to be asked before we break out the bubbly.
Has anyone asked Charlie Baker if he wants the job?
Right now Charlie Baker is president of the NCAA. I’m sure like all jobs it has ups and downs but I suspect it’s a job he enjoys and I don’t doubt for one moment that it’s a job he doing well because it rewards competence which Baker has by the bucketful.
So can someone explain to me why Baker would leave that job to enter a race where he’ll be targeted, attacked and get grief from an incredibly polarized electorate and even risk physical attack (and he’s a really big target, seriously that guy is tall).
Why would he abandon the sweet gig he has for all that grief? I don’t see him doing it and until someone convinces me otherwise I’m not going to get my knickers in an uproar.
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