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Rays in Oakland
I make this entry at considerable risk. I’m going to put something in print that runs the considerable risk of jinxing the Rays’ prospects for success this season. Still, I’m positively giddy over James Shields’ performance so far this year.
No, it hasn’t been perfect. Yes, the season is only a few weeks old. Yes, he wasn’t nearly as good near the end of last season as when he started it (when he was called up). All the same, to this amateur viewer, Shields has shown flashes of being a pretty darn good pitcher. His twelve strikeouts should have been good enough for a win last Sunday (against the Indians). His performance last night apparently was good enough too (although I only read about it – I didn’t stay up to watch). I may have it all wrong, but I’d swear his velocity is up compared to last year. I thought I remembered seeing his fastball top out at 88-89 mph last year. This year it seems like it’s more often in the low 90’s. His changeup was already REALLY effective, but if his velocity is up on his fastball – it could become devastating.
Mostly, I’m just relieved they got a W on the road. It looked like the Angels made them really familiar with the woodshed.
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Broder: the supreme arbiter of Washington Politics
This week my stroll through the conservative blogosphere has brought me to several criticisms of Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader (and a Democrat from Nevada). If you’ve been paying attention, the big hub-bub this week has been Reid’s statement that the war in Iraq “is lost.”
David Broder has been held up as an unimpeachable voice of respect in Washington, and his suggestion that Reid should resign (in response to Reid’s comments) has been eaten up by conservatives across the land.
I thought this column by Media Matters contributor Jamison Foser was an interesting rebuttal…
Media Matters – “Media Matters”; by Jamison Foser
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Finally
I may not ultimately like the results, but I’m glad they’re finally talking to each other – in person, rather than by sound byte.