Katrina
My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the hurricane. It is just a sad period. When thinking about it, I was reminded of the Randy Newman song:

Song quote of the day
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away

But it won't.

Song quote of the day
Goodbye again
I'm sorry to believe in you
goodbye again
as if you didn't know --John Denver
*Dedicated to Maurice Clarett, who's Rocky Mountain High must not as great as John's.

More Hitch
If it's an actual fight, I have no idea. But in a verbal debate, Hitchens will destroy George Galloway.

Hitchens
When I read Christopher Hitchens' articles on the war in Iraq, I often find myself asking "why doesn't Bush say that?"
It's pretty obvious that I have supported the President, but at times( such as in the first presidential debate) he seems to stumble and not lay out his best case.
(This would be the part where you can write that Bush is stupid. Believe me, every Bush supporter has heard the claim 1000 times. When looking to refute those claims back in November, I again turned to Hitchens.)
Hitchens lays it out in his latest column. I have admitted that Hitch is my favorite writer. What I envy is his clarity. It might come from his inability to care what others think of him, but I think it also comes from his travels and research.
I'd comment on his latest column, but it's probably better to just read it and draw your own conclusions.

Clarett to Cleveland?
Maurice is expected to get the axe in Denver, and it's possible that Cleveland, without Lee Suggs, might take a chance. I will just wait for Aaron and Erik to respond to this. My guess is that Erik would rather wear a Johnny Damon shirt to Jacobs Field than see Clarett in orange. I'm guessing Aaron may be more receptive. I certainly would not be opposed to bringing him in, just to see.

Rolling Stones make bad grass
Fenway Park will be going through a Jimmy Buffett 1995, and it's all because of the greatest rock band of all time.

MLB Prediction 3
The Phillies will make the playoffs, and Charlie Manuel will get no credit.
When he was in Cleveland, I never gave Charlie any breaks. But the fact is that Philadelphia was ready to deal Billy Wagner and call it a year. But Manuel, has somehow gotten his group to play as well as they have in 10 years. All this after Jim Thome's season was declared over. Manuel deserves credit for having faith in Ryan Howard, sitting back and letting him develop.
Willie Randolph or Frank Robinson will likely get manager of the year, but Charlie's ability to keep his team focused should earn him some votes.
Sadly, people like me have mocked him and doubted his intelligence. Others may not admit it, but Charlie, I'm sorry. You are a good manager.

MLB Prediction Two
Four more pitchers or former pitchers will be arrested for something.
Kenny Rogers, Dwight Gooden and now Sidney Ponson have all been in trouble with the law. Rogers assaulted a camera guy, Gooden drove away from the cops after they pulled him over, and Ponson has a DUI. This appears to be a growing trend, and the numbers will only increase before the last curve is thrown. And remember, if you see a Major League pitcher, consider them dangerous.
Update
Erik comments.

Chicago sports resembles sixth grade
Recently I heard Tom Hamilton talking about a feud between Hawk Harrelson and Jay Mariotti.
For those who don't watch ESPN or WGN, Mariotti is the loud, arrogant guy on Around the Horn.
Actually, that doesn't narrow it down, does it?
Hawk is the White Sox' cable broadcaster, and has been for a very long time.
No one can be sure what really started the difference between the two, but now they are having the type of petty feud that would make 14-year olds blush.
Hawk is a pretty big guy though. If it came to blows, Hawk would "put him on the board ... yes,"
Some true lessons in maturity here. I like Hawk though. He's an unabashed homer, but he's funny and likable. Mariotti is about as pleasing as a rash.

Robertson clarifies
Conservative religious broadcaster Pat Robertson said Wednesday that his remarks about the removal of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez were taken out of context and that he never called for the killing of the Latin American leader.
"I didn't say 'assassination.' I said our special forces should 'take him out.' And 'take him out' can be a number of things, including kidnapping; there are a number of ways to take out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted by the AP [Associated Press], but that happens all the time," Robertson said on "The 700 Club" program.

Kidnapping. Oh, I feel so much better now.

Five Predictions for the end of the baseball season
For the next five days, I will make predictions about the end of the 2005 baseball season. Prediction No. 1 is below.

1. For the first time since 1993, the Yankees will miss the playoffs.
This one is easy for me to write. Right now, the Yankees are 69-55 and tied with the Indians for the AL Wildcard. As the northeast media bias rears its ugly head, most are hopping on the Yankees bandwagon.
I'm not.
Until the Yankees can get Randy Johnson to pitch like Randy Johnson, they lack the starting pitching to compete with the A's, Twins and Indians down the stretch. The problem is that from night to night, you never know what you'll get from Yankee pitching. You can't expect continual success from that bunch, so I won't.

Held to a higher standard
Erase the Rafael's stats, says Frank Robinson. I agree.

Thoughts on Robertson
I didn't pay attention to Pat Robertson before today, and I'm not about to start now. Sadly, I think others do, and his comments send the wrong message. If David Duke can be described as a "senator" in some countries, what will they call this guy?
I'd like to write about how people like Robertson give conservatives a bad name, how he's not representative of Republicans and not representative of most church-going people I know.
But to write more about it would be to give him far more attention than he deserves. Part of me wants the right to ignore this whole thing, and another part of me wants them to come out strongly and say that Robertson is an old fool.
I just hope people who follow this guy see statements like he made today and say "This man is not worthy of my time and money."

Song quote of the day
One like you should surely be
miles and miles away from me
then you'd never care how much I've lied --Gram Parsons

Keith Richards doesn't want to bash neo-cons
From Tim Blair's site:
Guitarist Keith Richards disclaims responsibility for the song, written by singer Mick Jagger: “If I’m going to write a song, politicians are the last subject I think of,” he tells USA Today. “ ‘Neo-Con’ is like an old headline. Nobody will know what it means in 10 years.” Sort of like “Center 42."
But Jagger says: “I have my opinions, which I’ve stated in the tune. Maureen Dowd is no more qualified to have opinions than I am.” No one can possibly disagree with that.

Browns thoughts
Different things that caught my eye during the Browns wins over the Lions.
-I didn't see the broadcast in question, but the powers that be apparently decided that Bob Golic is not and will not be the next Al Michaels.
That said, I was actually looking forward to seeing how bad the former Mike Rogers, a linemen from California University would do as the main announcer.
Regardless, I thought the three man booth, with the tremendous Sam Rosen as the play-by-play man, was very strong. Brian Brennan has come a very long way since he was Ronnie Duncan's sidekick in 1999.

- Trent Dilfer played better than anyone could have hoped. He made good decisions and trusted his line. Before anyone, like my dad, says that it's "just the Lions," remember that unlike the Giants, Detroit is expected to be a contender this year by some. I am not sure who, exactly, but ...

- Much has been said about Charlie Frye, one of the three former MAC quarterbacks on the roster. One thing that I noticed was how calm Charlie was at the end of the first half when he needed to spike the ball to set up a field goal attempt. Dawson missed the kick, but Charlie gave them a shot.


-Here's the big one. This was (and still may be) a column idea, but it needs to be written now, before I forget or Braylon Edwards gets hurt.
The Browns needed one play to win the game, and it came on their last shot. Everyone in the building saw Braylon come in. Everyone watching in Cleveland and Detroit saw it too.
Watching the game at work, I knew he was going to get the ball, and I had a pretty good idea what type of play it would be.
I knew that if I knew it, and the fans knew it, and the Browns knew it, there was a good chance the Lions knew what was coming too.
It didn't matter.
They knew, and they still couldn't stop the Browns receiver from coming down with the ball, and really, the win.
That was what every Browns fan needed to see.
That is why we should be optimistic.

A few must-reads
Erik has made some pretty great posts lately at his site. He starts with a comprehensive recap of yesterday's Browns win over the Lions. I have a column coming on the preseason catch, and what it could mean to the Browns.

-Only in the NBA can a guy who averaged less than two points a game get a three year contract. Erik talks about the insanity of Mark Cuban.

-Hockey ... outdoor life. Hockey ... outdoor life. Connection ... lacking.

It's still tab week, so I won't be back to any kind of normal blogging schedule until tomorrow.

In silence
The White Sox have suddenly lost seven consecutive games. Nobody seems to have noticed, because they still have a nine game lead. But it may be time to get a little concerned in Chicago.

Song quote of the day
When you're strange
faces come out of the rain
when you're strange
No one remembers your name
When you're strange-- The Doors.

Song quote of the day
If I can't have you
I don't want nobody baby
If I can't have you -- The Bee Gees

Peter Jennings Obit
I never really know what's going to be in the google ads from day to day on this page, but today, I noticed a thoughtful, interesting obituary on the life and career of Peter Jennings.
Watching ABC's World News Tonight yesterday, well, it just isn't the same. Part of me thinks the replacements won't seem different to me after some time passes.
But another part doubts the news will ever be the same, which I suppose is a tribute to how good Peter Jennings was, and how much he will be missed.

Song quote of the day
He left yesterday behind him
You might say he was born again
Might say he found a key for every door-- John Denver

Something different
My posts have slowed down since my vacation. If the first break was because I wasn't working at all, this one is because I have been working a lot. Every sports writer in North America knows why.
It's August, and that means that sports are starting up all over again. But before they do, my peers and I engage in tab-writing, something that takes forever and requires a lot of hours, a lot of phone calls, and really, a lot of confusion.
Anyway, I am not in the mood to write about sports. No, I don't even want to write about Bernard Goldberg's priceless "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America," despite the fact that I loved it so much I finished it in three days.
I don't want to write about Thomas Jefferson, or Christopher Hitchens' book, which I am in the middle of. Hitchens is my favorite writer in the world right now, so you can guess what I think of it.
I don't want to write about the NFL Network, which my father informed me just became part of his cable service. I don't want to write about how if I had it I would never leave my apartment.
No. I want to write about the Bee Gees.
And I will. Later tonight.

Song quote of the day
I come straight from the street
fresh on my feet
kinda lean and lazy
not much meat on my bones
a whole lot alone and more than a little bit crazy --Harry Chapin

Wishing ...
I had something interesting to write about today, but no dice. Still, I didn't want to make it seem as though I had abandoned the blog. Maybe the Indians losing three straight to the Devil Rays is affecting my desire to post.

Saturday
In my remarks yesterday, I forgot to thank my friend Justin for, you know, giving me a place to stay in LA. Curtis mentioned the shuttle, and I should write that I was able to hear the sonic boom on the morning it landed. Of course, I was neither smart enough nor awake enough to draw that conclusion. I thought it was the world's biggest firecracker.
The vacation did make me wonder who I'd hit up next year for my vacation. Phil, if you're reading, make no plans.
One other thing about the trip. I rode on the bridge in San Diego where Baxter got punted. Let's see who gets the reference.

Tribe and Error
Sorry, but if a team commits five errors, then grounds into four inning-ending double plays, it officially brings a loss upon itself. In a year of mind-numbing offensive slumps, wasted starting pitching and Eric Wedge's brown meadow under his nose, it would take a lot to call a game the worst of the season. But this had to be it.
And no Matt Underwood, I don't buy that the Indians were "tired." Underwood also made some strange remark about the Indians offense being on fire since the all-star break. Huh? Does he even remember the series against the White Sox? Probably not.

Gene Mauch
No one mentioned it here, and in the wake of Peter Jennings, it was easy to see why. Still, a great baseball manager was lost last week when Gene Mauch died. He was 79.
For all the words written about Bill Buckner, it's hard to imagine a a baseball figure with worse luck than Mauch. If Ernie Banks is the best player never to reach the World Series, Mauch has to be considered the best manager never to get there.
It's 1964 and the Phillies have a six game lead in the National League with 12 games to go.
It's 1982 and the Angels have a 2-0 NLCS lead on the Brewers.
And of course, it's 1986 when the Angels are one out away from a World Series appearance, only to meet up with Dave Henderson.
Gene Mauch managed all of these clubs, and they all met a bad ending.
He managed four teams and won a combined 1,902 games. His winning percentage was .483, but that's mainly because he was the first manager for Montreal, and unlike today, expansion teams were almost certain failures in their early years.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Mauch.

Blake
I leave for a week and Casey Blake ups his average to .247. I must remind everyone that he has done the majority of his hitting against Detroit and Kansas City. Regardless, Blake is no longer an automatic out, and that's a positive.
As for the Indians themselves, they continued a tradition of playing well when my family is away. The Indians played considerably well when Curtis A. was in Europe, and went five and one while I was out west.

Chavez Ravine
Just wonderful. It's second on my stadium list, just behind Wrigley.

Certain things
I need to start by thanking by brother and Vivek for keeping the blog going during my absence. Curtis was especially good, I thought, since his post on oil was something I likely never would have written about. Vivek touched on Peter Jennings' passing, something I heard about while at a party for a friend in Los Angeles.
Unlike Vivek, my parents watched ABC when I was growing up. Peter was always the man I watched give the national news. In later years, I began to suspect he was liberal, but unlike some of his contemporaries, it did not affect his presentation.
The man won points with me just last year for single-handedly derailing Wesley Clark's presidential bid, just by asking a question. No bias, just a question that needed to be asked.
I am not sure when his passing will sink in, probably next time I watch World News Tonight and realize the new face is not just "sitting in."
In the last few months, we have lost the main anchors of a generation.
Tom Brokaw has retired. Dan Rather screwed up and stepped back. Now Peter Jennings is gone.
The world turns, albeit a little differently than it did a few weeks ago.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Jennings.

California
In his last post before my return, my brother speculated that I'd quote from Randy Newman's "I love LA." A good choice, and certainly an obvious one.
I have never been one to go for the obvious. (see below)
After spending six days in perhaps the capital of American liberalism, I was surprised to find that the people I met were mostly apolitical. Perhaps they were simply being polite (maybe my friend tipped them off), but politics was not really discussed. I did go to the Ronald Reagan Library, which as you can imagine was right up my alley. The Reagans certainly could pick the spots, as the area where the library was located was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. Sadly, I forgot the camera that day, only coming away with a wall-bound picture from the gift shop.
The museum had a sports display case. Among the items that caught my eye was an orange helmet that was signed by every member of the 1988 Cleveland Browns. It was one of only two NFL items in the case.
It made me appreciate the man even more.
More on the trip later.

Jaggar rips on Bush
Wow, a rock star attacks a conservative president. I'm shocked. Besides, who puts stock in Mick Jaggar's political beliefs anyway? The best rock and roll front man of all time is not a political scientist. He's a man who has lived his life his way, and I'm guessing that hasn't left much time for reading big books and hanging with people who didn't tell him how awesome he was.
Just keep doing your thing Mick.
If he agreed with Bush, I'd have to rethink my positions.

Song Quote of the day
Won't you scratch my itch sweet Annie Rich
and welcome me back to town
come out on the porch or step into your parlor
and I'll tell you how it all went down -- Gram Parsons

Curtis A. Reporting. . .

It is time for Vitamin C to give back the reigns as Zach returns tomorrow. I'm sure everyone will get to read about his week long trip to California, and quotes from Randy Newman's "I love LA".

However, I can say I'm happy to be part of a Vitamin Z milestone. This is the 970th post on Vitamin Z, yeah it might not be 1000, but still noteworthy nonetheless.

I'm happy to be going back into blog retirement, as I'm sure Zach's readers are as well. I much more enjoy reading these things than writing in them.

Discovery finally landed this morning. Thank God. The media circus should finally die down tomorrow. It seemed like the media was just waiting for something to go wrong.

The indians go in tonight to Kansas City. Keep the winning streak alive boys.

Curtis A. signing off for the last time. . .

Curtis A. Reporting. . .

Oil has now topped $63.00 and I'm sure we will see that reflected shortly on our weekly trips to the gas station. As oil continues to rise, it raises the question if our consumption habits are sustainable. Indeed they are most certainly not. There has been plenty of debate on the subject, but the problem is nothing seems concrete. Many argue that we shouldn't be too concerned, new technology will allow us to access more oil that we know exists but couldn't reach before. Others argue that oil is not even a fossil fuel and is more renewable than we think it is. Of course, then there are those that argue we are running out, and it is only a matter of time.

One thing we know for sure, our economy runs on oil. Walmart, target, and every other store out there depends on trucks to ship their goods. Americans depend on gas to get from their suburban home 30 miles to their jobs. As the prices go up, our economy will stall.

Right now the technology is nowhere close to where we need it to be. Hybrid cars are not efficient enough, hydrogen fuel cell technology, according to Forbes magazine, is still 15 - 20 years away.

Meanwhile, our oil sources are becoming depleted. According to the 2000 numbers, the united states has 37 years left of oil. This is a simple calculation of the amount of consumption divided into the known supplies that exist around the world. However, each of the last four years, our consumption has increased, while the new number of reserves is still lagging.

Could we feasibly be out of oil in 40 years? Probably not, but as demand increases, and reserves stay put, the only thing we can expect is higher oil prices. Can our budgets handle 4 dollars a gallon of gas? Do we have any mass transit to fall back on? Can our industries survive by shipping with more rail? Can our power plants successfully switch to more coal and nuclear power dependency?

Bush's energy bill seems like a feable attempt to deal with what will become a major energy crisis. 14.5 billion dollars will be spent looking for more oil and improving energy emissions. There are tax incentives to buy a hybrid car. However, it doesn't do enough.

The USA might not have a 20 year time frame to ween the country off its mass consumption habit.

What the outcomes of high oil prices are, we'll have to wait and see. It seems though that there is not enough panic in the government to really attack this issue the way that it needs to be attacked. We don't have the luxury of time.

Vitamin V!

Vivek here, I have returned from Connecticut. As you know Zach is in LA LA land, so I thought I would contribute something to his blog. I can't spell and I suck at grammar so try to ignore the errors. I learned about ten minutes ago that Peter Jennings died. I was taken aback by the news. I knew he had cancer and wasn't doing so well, but it was a shock. I liked Peter Jennings, he seemed like a kind person. I enjoyed watching his newcasts when I watched ABC. My parents usually watch NBC, but I grew up watching all three major newscasts. I'm sure there will be a million tributes to him tomorrow (all well deserved) anyway I thought I chime in my worthless two cents.

Curtis A. Reporting. . .
This morning, while sipping on a vanilla bean Frappacino at the local Dayton Starbucks, I found myself engaged in a very interesting article written by Hal McCoy. McCoy, a sports writer for the Dayton Daily News, is a well known reputable writer. In his column today he stated that he would never ever vote Rafael Palmeiro into the baseball hall of fame. It was the breath of fresh air I had been waiting for.
This is a topic that vitamin C and Z seem to agree on. Regardless, of whether baseball did or didn't do anything about steriods in the 90s, it doesn't give Palmeiro or morons like him a free pass. He still cheated. He cheated game, just like shoeless, just like Rose. Yet, since we can't quantifiably determine who didn't and did take steriods, many journalists seem content to blame Major League Baseball and not the players themselves. Too many articles have been written saying that this guy deserves to get into the hall. Too many articles have been written saying the fans don't care.
This is all, for lack of a better term, bullshit. For kids growing up playing in the backyard, there was no such thing as an umpire. Balls and strikes were called by the those playing. A ball over the plate between the knees and chest was a strike, one that wasn't was a ball. Kids play fair because they have to, its the only way to keep everyone around. The only thing that baseball has is its integrity. Kids know this. Why don't the adults? The real fans who love this game are heartbroken and saddened. Baseball needs to worry more about them, and not be content that the rich business men in the club seats don't care if ball players are juicing. The people that keep baseball alive are the real fans. They are the ones who teach their children to play, put them in little league, encourage them to run hard to first, and give it their all until the last out. They are the ones who pack up the family van and drive to cooperstown to see not only their childrens heros, but their own.
We all grow up loving the game for the truth that it holds; hard work, teamwork, sacrifice. It is a game where the guy without the most talent, can still be the best player on the field. The best players play smart and play hard. It takes teamwork to turn two and throw a runner out at the plate. A bunt down the third base line is the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the team.
This is why we love baseball. We don't give a shit about the 475 ft. blasts. We'd rather see a pitchers duel. We'd rather see a crisp double play. A run that is earned with a hit, a steal and a sacrifice are the fundamentals that we crave to see at the game.
That is what baseball is about. It certainly isn't about cheating. Voting this guy in to the hall of fame is telling children everywhere to do whatever it takes. In the end, it won't matter if you use drugs to improve your performance, you can still get into the hall. If baseball, and its players really want to help the sport, ban Palmeiro, not for ten days, not for a year, but for life. Men like him don't belong in the game. Until the risk is greater for players to take steriods than to not take them, baseball will continue to slide into a dark abyss, losing the fans who truly love what baseball is all about.

Mr. Vitamin Z himself is on Vacation. He has appointed three highly qualified guest writers to keep his blog from collecting too much dust over the next week.
Here are the rules:

We can write about whatever we want
We must identify ourselves

That's it.

So from this day forward, (until my brother returns), you will be getting a dose of what I like to call. . . Vitamin C - Curtis A. reporting.

Bill Frist, considered by many to be the next GOP Presidential Candidate was pushed even closer to the center today when organizers of Evangelical rally, "Justice Sunday II" did not send him an invite. This is in retalitation to the good Doctor's new opinions on stem cell research. It should be noted, that Frist did attend "Justice Sunday" last year.

We now have our selves a race to the center line. Frist and Hillary both battling it out for the moderate voters. I wonder if this is a good call, considering the success that Rove had rallying the supporters of the far right out of their farms, away from their guns,into their pickup trucks and into the polling stations. When push comes to shove, the GOP has quite a talent for bringing their far right constituents out with issues like Gay marriage and Good healthy Christian prayer in schools. If I was Frist I certainly wouldn't want to alienate them. Of course, God knows I wouldn't want to go to an evangelical Rally either.

Vacation
For the first time in my professional life, I have decided to take a short break. That means an absence from work, and also, an absence from blogging. While gone, I have asked a few people to take over Vitamin Z. I have given these three individuals complete authority to write what they want.
These three men: Vivek Vasavada, Nihar Vasavada, and Curtis A., ought to make for an interesting week to say the least.
In the meantime, everybody be well.
--Zach

Ozzie
You have to give the show "The Sports List" credit. Very rarely can a show that interviews TV stars and uses them to further sports debates have any real worth.
But the show somehow retains some, if only for comic value.
Hence, the Top Ten Shortstops.
No. 1 was Ozzie Smith.
Ozzie Smith.
Yes, it was ...
excuse me...
Hahahahaahahahahaahhaahahahahahahahahahahhahhha.
excuse me.
Hahahahahahahahhahahahaahahahhahahahahahahahhha.
I mean-
Hahahahahahahahahhahhahahahahahhahahhhahahahhhaha.

Playing even
Here's something that has bothered me for a while. Why is the use of performance-enhancing drugs not taken more seriously?
I can hear the groans now. It has, after all, been featured on ESPN, CNN and the biggest newspapers in the world. It has been discussed, dissected and broken down by every sports columnist in this country.
The issue was even brought before congress for a day of grandstanding testimony.
And yet the words have been written, the question has been raised.
The fact is that baseball people haven't comprehended how serious the steroids issue is.
---
These are the facts:
Steroids are illegal in this country and have been since 1991. You can only obtain them with the help of a (likely crooked) doctor.
Steroids improve, illegally, a players' ability. That is, after all, why they're taken.
Every time a player stepped on the field with illegal substances in his system, he was cheating. Cheating the fans, cheating the sport, but more importantly, cheating his opponents. He was giving his team an unfair advantage over the clean ballplayers, and giving his team an unfair chance to win.
In other words, he was messing with the integrity of the game.
When Ben Johnson was found to have used steroids in 1988, his gold medal was taken away. In today's culture, Olympic athletes face long suspensions and disgrace for using them.
What I am saying is this:
In 1989, Pete Rose was banned for life for betting on baseball. He is not in the Hall of Fame, despite 4,256 hits.
He is not in the Hall because he bet while managing a club.
Did he mess with the integrity of the game? Yes.
But roided up players used illegal drugs to enhance their own performance. In doing so, they aided their teams.
I fail to see the distinction between Pete Rose and the cheaters of the steroid era.
If Pete Rose is banned, so should all those who take steroids.
That's what should happen. But it won't.

The Big Fish
For the moment, I'll withhold comment on Rafeal Palmeiro specifically. But my concern, coming into this season, was that baseball would cover up for its big stars if they failed a test.
They have not.
I wish the suspensions were longer, and I have some questions remaining. But baseball has at least dealt with this issue. Not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.