Fans of rival teams, especially Red Sox fans, have long known that the New York Yankees are the Evil Empire, as well as major recipients of corporate welfare. But in a recent legal proceeding, the team has now officially admitted it [HT: Josh Blackman]: A panel of trademark judges in Washington, D.C., earlier this month […]
Archive | Baseball
Johnny Pesky, RIP
Boston Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky passed away today. Gordon Edes of ESPN has a good obituary here: More than anybody else, Johnny Pesky embodied the Red Sox. More than anybody else, Johnny Pesky loved the Red Sox. More than anybody else, Johnny Pesky shared that love with anyone who ever asked for a picture, […]
A Too Big to Fail Parking Lot at Yankee Stadium?
Manhattan Institute scholar Nicole Gelinas has an interesting column about a massive financially dubious parking lot at Yankee Stadium, which Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. claims requires a government bailout to prevent a local financial crisis: If the Zuccotti kids want to protest Wall Street bailouts, they should go occupy the Yankees’ luxury parking […]
Farewell to Terry Francona
The Red Sox and manager Terry Francona have decided to end their relationship in the wake of the teams’ painful September collapse. Despite the disappointing end to his tenure with the team, Francona will surely be remembered as the most successful Red Sox manager in almost a century, if not ever. During his eight years […]
You Knew I’d Say Something About This:
A somewhat dispirited series of highly-anticipated matches between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid was elevated to high art through the remarkable play of the remarkable Lionel Messi. If you didn’t see his goals in Wednesday’s game — the second one in particular is a thing of sublime beauty — check them out here (the UEFA […]
New York Yankees Co-Owner Hank Steinbrenner Denounces “Socialism”
New York Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner recently denounced Major League Baseball’s revenue-sharing system, calling it “socialism”: Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner [the other co-owner/co-chairman is Hank’s brother Hal] says baseball’s revenue sharing and luxury tax programs need changes….. “We’ve got to do a little something about that, and I know Bud wants to correct it in […]
Moneyball the Movie
Sports columnist Rob Neyer has an interesting post about the making of the movie based on Moneyball. Michael Lewis’ famous book about Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful efforts to build a great team with a small payroll by relying on statistical analysis to identify undervalued players. The movie will be directed by Aaron […]
A Billionaire Corporate Welfare Cheat?
Sportswriter Jeff Passan describes evidence indicating that billionaire Miami Marlins owner Jeff Loria may have lied about the team’s finances in order to secure massive public subsidies for the construction of the Marlins’ new stadium [HT: VC reader Eric Robinson]: A look at the leak of the Marlins’ financial information to Deadspin confirmed the long-held […]
How Baseball Gets It Wrong, and Hockey Gets It Right
The sports world is atwitter over Major League umpire Jim Joyce’s blown call in the ninth inning that cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a well-deserved perfect game. The play at first base was made to end the game. It would have been the 27th out on the 27th batter, but Joyce called the runner […]
“Temporary” Tax to Pay for DC Baseball Stadium Becomes a Permanent Cash Cow for City Government
I have often criticized government subsidization of sports stadium construction, including the biggest such boondoggle: the record expenditure of over a billion dollars in government money on the new Yankee Stadium (see here for my most recent post on the subject and links to earlier ones). As I pointed out in my very first post […]
A Great Law School Dean Doesn’t Have to be a Great Scholar
By Ilya Somin on May 7, 2010 3:55 pm in Academia, Baseball, Judicial Nominations, Sports and Games, Supreme Court
Conservative blogger Paul Mirengoff and liberal law professor Paul Campos argue that Elena Kagan is poorly qualified for the Supreme Court because of what they argue is a weak record of scholarship. Mirengoff expresses incredulity that “you could publish so little and still become the dean of a major law school.” I have a much […]
Dubious Grousing over the Percentage of African-American Players in Major League Baseball
USA Today recently published an article lamenting the supposedly low percentage of African-American players in major league baseball: Major League Baseball is celebrating Jackie Robinson Day today. But 63 years after he broke the game’s color barrier, the number of African-American players continues to suffer, with 9.5% of them making opening-day rosters, according to USA […]
Did Anti-Semitism Prevent Hank Greenberg from Breaking Babe Ruth’s Home Run Record?
In this recent New York Times article, Howard Megdal revives the longstanding claim that anti-Semites on opposing teams tried to prevent Jewish Detroit Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg from breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1938 because of anti-Semitism: Evidence has finally been published that seems to resolve a 72-year-old mystery. When Hank Greenberg of […]
The Say Hey Kid:
There was a delightful review, by Pete Hamill, in last week’s NYT Book Review, of James Hirsch’s “Willie Mays: The Life and Legend.” Can’t speak for the book, but Hamill’s little love letter to baseball in New York in the Fifties is wonderful. There never was, and never will be, anything like baseball in New […]
Coakley vs. Curt Schilling
Former Boston Red Sox star Curt Schilling has been campaigning for Republican Massachusetts Senate candidate Scott Brown. In response, Democratic candidate Martha Coakley called Schilling “another Yankee fan.” Schilling responds here: I’ve been called a lot of things…. But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee […]