My new favorite blog: http://www.firejoemorgan.com/

From “The Duck of Minerva” -

Zorn and Gill report evidence that baseball fans are far more likely to embrace the designated hitter (DH) if they are Democrats:

Most important, and consistent with our expectations, we find that self-identified Democratic Party members are more likely to support the DH rule than are either independents or Republicans; the odds ratio of 1.90 suggests that, on average, Democrats are 90 percent more likely to support the rule than are independents. This implies (we think) that the values that draw the respondents to the Democrats are linked to those associated with supporting the rule. At the same time, the reverse is not true: Republicans are no more or less likely to support the DH rule than are political independents.

Sixty years ago today, Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Dodgers to man first base. He represented the first modern African-American player to play baseball in Major League Baseball. Sixteen years before Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Robinson moved the country forward towards the American Civil Rights Movement of the late fifties and sixties. Twenty years before American would see the first interracial kiss on the silver screen, Robinson was thrilling baseball fans with his talent, skill, and determination.

Jackie Robinson, by virtue of being a baseball player, was one of the first black heroes to white children of American. During his ten year playing career, all in Brooklyn, kids chased him down the street trying to get his autograph. To those young fans, Robinson was fighting the good fight against the hated New York Giants and New York Yankees. Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1947 and the MVP award in 1949. A whole generation of baseball fans, as well as baseball players were changed forever.

By the time I became a baseball fan, black players were well established. In fact, my favorite players growing up were Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, the two black stars of the 80’s New York Mets. It wasn’t until much later that I even learned of the time when baseball was all white. It seemed inconceivable to a kid in 1986, when the all time home run champion was Hank Aaron, the best pitcher in baseball was Dwight Gooden, and Willie Mays was considered the greatest all around player, that blacks were ever not part of baseball.

Sadly, it is true that just a decade before I was born, that blacks were considered second class citizens by law. It is a blight on our nation that we first had slavery, and then the legal oppression of an entire race. Jackie Robinson, to me anyway, was one those civil rights pioneers that we owe our thanks to opening our eyes to the idiocy of racism. He was a great ball player and a great American. April 15th should be a national holiday, in the same way we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

I have a couple ancestors in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Paul and Lloyd Waner, two brothers who played mainly for the Pirates during the 1920’s and 1930’s.

The Pirates have announced they are retiring Paul’s number. Read all about it here:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_502638.html

We are truly in one a golden age for baseball fans. There is no other time in history when a fan could watch or listen to so many baseball games. Just yesterday, I listened to the home broadcast of the Boston-Kansas City game. Later, I caught the Tampa Bay broadcast of the Yankee-Ray game. After that game, I caught a few innings of the A’s-Angels game.

If I was a TV person, I could buy Extra Innings and watch every game. MLB also offers an internet tv broadcast service. It’s stunning really, if you’re a baseball fan.

My wife Kelly, and I are buying a new house, and there should be just enough room to setup some Strat-o-Matic games for me to simulate.

Such a time, such a time.

To get on record before tonight’s Mets-Cardinals 2007 season opening game, I want to get my predictions down. I plan to write about baseball quite often this season.

Division Winners

NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Cardinals
NL West: Dodgers
AL East: Yankees
AL Central: Twins
AL: West: Angels

Wild Card

NL: Mets
AL: White Sox

World Series

Twins v. Cardinals with a Twins victory