(For the non-baseball fans in the audience, this may be the most amazing catch in history. Willie Mays. 1954 World Series. Game One. Enough said.)
Thought we could all do with a tour around the news and the blogoverse. And a bit of an update on the Libby stories in the news as well.
– Carol Leonnig of the WaPo has a portrait of the sometimes oddly congenial interactions in the Prettyman Courthouse between members of the media and the folks testifying at the trial. The Beltway is such a tiny little bubble, everyone seems to know everyone and all their business, and it's been colliding day in and day out during the course of this trial. It's an interesting glimpse of the odd dynamic between the accused, the used and the amused.
– The WaPo also has an extraordinary glimpse into an aid worker's sojourn in Helmand province in Afghanistan. It is brutally honest, but a needed glimpse into the limited resources available for reconstruction and development in the war torn nation — and how the Taliban and the drug lords are stepping into the money breach. Just one segment:
A vehicle-borne suicide bomb detonates outside the provincial governor's office compound, about two blocks away. It's only a partial explosion, and the bomber survives the blast to be shot down as he gets out of the car. Several days later, we hear more blasts — the rest of the suicide mission's explosives. U.S. Special Forces forgot to tell anyone they were going to set them off. Our ribs shake from the impact, and a tense silence descends on the office.
* * *
I hold a dry opium pod, and it rattles like a baby's toy. Today I learned that women are planting poppy openly in front of their homes, trying to attract buyers. I'm told that some are widows who can't imagine another way to provide for their children. Others are virtual widows, their husbands lost to the haze of opium addiction.
I met today with F., the director of women's affairs for the province. Apparently she secretly educated hundreds of girls in her home during the Taliban era. The Helmand Women's Association is housed in a dank, dilapidated building. F. receives no salary and faces begging, pleading women every day. She feels helpless, and is grateful that we are here.
The increasing instability in Afghanistan is the result of a lot of factors, not the least of which is that, once again, the United States is failing to live up to its hollow promise of support.
– In case you missed Froomkin's Friday column, go back and take a peek. He walks through the whole of Cheney's fingerprint, and it is an exceptionally well done summary of a lot of the trial points up to now in the Libby trial. (And speaking of Froomkin, his Neiman piece that I highlighted yesterday is well worth a read if you missed it.)
– Digby has some thoughts on Vice President Cheney. (Hint: Not particularly complimentary, unless you are a unilateral executive loving, power hungry jerk.)
– The LATimes pokes some holes in the Libby defense, and asks whether Libby's credibility will be enough to save his behind. Not if he's standing in Cheney's shadow, anyway.
– And in a shocking moment of candor, Rupert Murdoch admits to manipulating the media. Yeah, I know. Who could have known. Ahem.
– Scout Prime at First Draft illustrates how far apart reality can be between Washington, DC and London. Lawyers, Guns and Money has more.
– In case you missed it yesterday, Jeralyn was on CNN's Reliable Sources talking about the Libby trial and its coverage. She has a great update on motions filed this weekend in the trial as well.
Related posts:
- Karzai’s Brother Reported on US Payroll: So, Uh, How Much CIA Money Inadvertently Funds the Taliban?
- Is Donna Edwards Catching the #Rahmflu?
- Early Morning Swim: Special Memorial Day Edition
- What Have We Done? Single Mothers Among New Homeless Vets
- More Troops for Afghanistan? Faster Withdrawal from Iraq?
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whoa. fitz! Christy!
Jane! Swopa!
I couldn’t reach the Murdoch link. They did not take it down already, realizing that the leftblog world is peeking in, did they…?
are we on lunchbreak for the trial?
I hope someone can comment on the demeanor of Wells and the apparent reaction of the jury. (See comments near the end of the last thread – several people made good inquiries on this).
Willie!
I caught Jeralyn’s appearance on “Reliable Sources.” It was nice to put a face to the name. She did a great job.
OT — I made my reservations at the hotel for YKos, but now I need to find some roomies — I’d love to have four of us in the room to keep costs down as much as possible. Just did that in DC for the march, and it was fine with that many in the room.
I’m getting ready to make my reservation for YKos itself, but was bummed to see that the $175 fee went up to $225. I thought only the $100 fee was going away. I would have done it last week had I realized that. Oh, well, I guess it will be worth it. Can’t wait to meet a lot of the folks from FDL there. I know there are some DUers going, too.
the Say Hey Kid!
LandOfTheFree at 4 — I’m afraid any answers are going to have to wait for the folks at the courthouse to finish their lunch. They have a very limited time to eat in a crowded cafeteria, but I’m sure someone will get to it when they finish eating.
GrandmaJ — I updated the link to Crooks and Liars on the Murdoch issue. Should work for you — but if not, it’s on the current front page of C&L — just scroll down a bit.
SharonRB: what are the exact dates for Ykos? I’m travelling a lot this summer, so I’m not sure if I can fit it in.
5 degrees here in Indianapolis today, they are talking about a parade for the Colts this afternoon. I think they are out of their minds! Kids were on a 2 hour delay because of the cold.
I see Fredo sent his budget to Congress. This war will break us all.
LandOfTheFree @ 9
It’s August 2-5 in Chicago. I just bit the bullet and decided to go ahead and register — I hated to commit so early, but I know the hotel was filling up. I figured since it was so cheap to go to Chicago from Detroit it was a good year to go.
Love the picture, although Vic Wertz’s descendants may view it differently….
Christy,
The WaPo article on Afghanistan was very frustrating to read. The hopelessness of all this woman’s work in actually improving the conditions of the Afghans is heart rendering.
I always wonder what the split in aid money is between security costs and actual funds that go to help the people.
Well, maybe the most amazing catch in World Series history. For the most amazing catch in history, you have to go to Ken Griffey (Sr.) running up the left field wall of Yankee Stadium sometime in the early 1980s. The most amazing thing I ever saw–Griffey literally ran to the wall and then up it. And Griffey normally played right field, not left.
Mutant at 12 — Early in our marriage, I bought Mr. ReddHedd a shadowbox to hang on his office wall with a photo of this catch and an autographed Willie Mays baseball, because he is Mr. ReddHedd’s fave of all time. I believe I still own the title of “greatest wife present without prompting” in the office. *g*
Former Fed at 13 — I know. It was a VERY painful read, wasn’t it?
I just can’t get over the freedom Walton is giving Wells.
On at least two occasions Wells has gone way over the line.
First, in arguing a motion during the first week he alluded to an appeal while Walton was still considering the matter. The second time was today’s “Mr. Zeidenberg” remark.
Each of these took my breath away.
SharonRB @ 6
Sharon, I’ll send you a PM at DU on this subject.
-S
old gold @ 17
Do you think Walton could be allowing Wells this freedom so he won’t be overturned on appeal.
I don’t really know anything about law, just thinking.
Strategerie @18: Great. I’ll watch for it (then I’ll know who you are!).
Christy, thanks for the link to the Afghanistan article; Helmand is in even worse shape now…what a heartbreaking waste, waste, waste.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6324409.stm
“Taleban forces in southern Afghanistan have taken control of a town which British troops had pulled out of after a peace deal with local elders.
Some local people said they were leaving the town, Musa Qala in Helmand province, for fear of bombing raids on the Taleban by Nato forces.
US commanders and diplomats had criticised the deal.
They said it had not been done with elders but with the Taleban themselves and was not the way to defeat them.”
From today’s White House press gaggle, this exchange between Bush and David Gregory:
Bush’s last three or four press conferences have been when David Gregory was subbing in New York for Matt Lauer on The Today Show.
Christy @8 – understood! It must be a zoo at the courthouse.
SharonRB @11 – if I’m in town, I’d be coming from Detroit, too. I may have to wait another month or so to figure out if I can go. Are you flying or driving?
(and did we perhaps do a lot of door-to-door canvassing for Nancy Skinner together? If you are who I think you are, we did an early Sunday morning in Berkley that was unbelievably HOT, plus a few other days.)
To fully understand “The Catch” you need to realize that this was in the Polo Grounds in N.Y.where center field was something like 480 feet deep, about 75 feet deeper than in any park today. The catch was at about 450 feet from home, a sure homer in any other stadium, then or now.
I remember watching this on our 12 inch black and white TV, a big screen for the time.
old gold at 17 — You know, most of the judges that I know around here would have yanked him back for that Zeidenberg remark. That was over the line for practice standards, here. Maybe Walton could see that there was a visible reaction in the courtroom and that a dressing down wasn’t necessary? Not being there, I don’t know. But here, most of the judges would have had a conniption fit over an insinuation on the record like that. Especially considering how professionally both Zeidenberg and Bond have been with this case. Bond is VERY prepared — she’s just that way — and I have heard that from a numberof the journalists that she’s actually investigated in other leak matters in the past who are reporeting on this case, as well as from the guys who are marshalls in the courtroom who have seen her testify in other cases. I’ve also heard it from DoJ folks who have worked with her. Wells was not only out of line, but he was wrong on the facts. I can only hope that the jury saw that for what it was.
It’s fascinating to watch Cheney’s power grabbing, in somewhat the same way that I’m sure a snuff film can be fascinating despite the utter revulsion. The Addington-smelling “Plum Book” entry contains just enough fact to make the larger lie it serves that much more egregious. Yes, the VP does have “functions” within the legislative as well as the executive branch–although I can’t help noticing that Cheney and Addington always treat “functions” as “powers” while ignoring the attendant concepts of “responsibilities,” “checks,” and “balances.” To claim that the OVP is attached to the legislative branch under the Constitution is, however, ludicrous a priori (here’s a clue, Dave: the principal title is “vice president” and not “president of the Senate” for a reason). And to submit this in lieu of an employee list as if the OVP is exempted from the rules that govern the activities of federal agencies is utter bullshit.
There’s a description, in the book ‘Willy’s Time’ (by Charles Einstein), of Mays going around another fielder as they nearly collide under the ball, leaving the other fielder staring into his own empty glove.
Best centerfielder ever.
Tannen @ 19
Sometimes if a judge perceives one side is clearly winning, they will start protecting the record by bending over backward for the losing side.
I don’t think that is happening here.
My concern is over the “Daddy Issue” discussed
by Pach last week.
pitchers and catchers report to spring training soon.
As far as I am concerned, Bush is the ‘responsible’. Not Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Rice, Libby or the rest. Bush is the one. There is, for me, no wiggle-room.
Willie Mays
The Catch
Thanks Christy.
While a handful of other MLB players have made similar catches (although I don’t think in a World Series), what will probably never be duplicated was “the throw” after “the catch,” that kept Larry Doby from scoring.
Baseball.
fyi – this afternoon, starting at 2pm (EST), our senate will be be debating troop levels in iraq… and it will be covered by c-span2.
from c-span:
OT
Arivosis has a new campaign. This time against Snickers and a rather homophobic commercial.
The M&M Mars people don’t know what they are tangling with if they ignore him.
punaise @ 29
Amazing, Superbowl Sunday the NYT has an article about football being basically a placeholder till baseball. Now we just skip over the greatest sports event year-in-and-year out, March Madness, and pine for (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz) baseball. Arrgggh!
I recall Lon Simmons and Russ Hodges broadcasting Giants baseball from the “Stick”. And it’s bye, bye baby!
LandOfTheFree @ 23
I’ll probably be flying — no need to have a car in Chicago. I would consider the Megabus, perhaps, but flights are so reasonable, I’ll most likely do that. I’ll worry about transportation down the road, probably in July sometime. I did a ton of canvassing for Nancy (among other things) in the hot, hot weather, including in Berkley. I went out with different people all the time, so now I’m trying to figure out who you might be!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 36
“and you can tell it good-bye!”
Morris Sheppard @ 24
Didn’t he also throw someone out on the return throw to the infield?
Seconded
When healthy, Mantle was damn close, if not equal, but he couldn’t stay on the field. Run, throw, field, hit, hit for power, nobody else you want in CF.
I prefer not watching football, because I miss more of the season by not seeing one game.
raven @ 35
your mileage appears to vary.
baseball is about as exciting as watching paint dry…unless you view it through the prism of what could happen next. it’s all about the set-up.
Rushton @ 39
See my comment at 10:09.
bernhard, at moon of alabama (spinoff of billmon’s wiskey bar), has an excellent (but short) post on Lt. Watada – whose trial starts today.
one of america’s heros.
old gold @ 17
Old Gold-
Some of my litigator family members (I have four! Ugh!) also were shocked by this. You are not supposed tp speak to opposing counsel, only to the witness or the Court. One family member said his response would have been, “Your Honor, if Mr Wells would like to testify on issues pertaining to this witness’ credibility, we can swear him in and find out the basis for his opinion.”
Completely agree.
Orlando Cepeda.
Best quote from the WaPo article, from Michael Isikoff (who I bet wishes he hadn’t said it!):
Yeah, and the tough kids from cross-town Blogger High have rolled in to toast your cocktail weenies, Michael!
punaise @ 42
Yea, I know it’s timeless. I spent half my life running recreation programs and I have always thought basball was the least beneficial for kids. They play at night during the school year so they can finish their season’s a a select few get to go into the “playoff’s”. Go to any little league field and look at the holes they kick in the ground out of boredom! Then there are “little league” parents, the real reason I only spent half my life doing it. Play ball!
Isn’t it time for someone to tell us to stop this chatter???
Actually, Minute Maid Park in Houston has a center field that is 435 feet deep (which is still probably at least 50 feet shorter than the old Polo Grounds). The Houston park was consciously modeled on the Polo Grounds in many ways.
Been out of the loop, when is Tool Time Timmeh due on the stand?
Night games. Hot dogs. Baseball.
Do you remember Vic Wertz’ catch?
BTW, the local news in the ATL last night said the Fugees Soccer team we all read about a couple of weeks back is getting a book and movie deal.
SharonRB @ 37
I’m a musician, if that helps. We met at one of the first Skinner events, right after they opened the office on Woodward. You and I did a lot of envelope stuffing & canvassing. I remember one day when it was just you and me, and it was hotter than blazes. You were just bookin’ down the street, convincing voters left & right – you’re one of the best canvassers I’ve ever seen!
I ended up going out of state for a while, so I wasn’t around for the end of the campaign.
I’ll let you know if I end up going to dKos. I’d be nice to see you again!
Bustednuckles @ 53
Someone said most likely late tomorrow. First they have 7 hours of GJ recorded testimony to play.
raven at 51 — The liveblogging isn’t going on at the moment. That’s what eats up the bandwidth. And the reason we ask that things be kept to a minimum is to keep the site from crashing which, I assume, is something everyone would prefer.
Thanks RevDeb.
raven @
51
try gabbly — go to http://gabbly.com/firedoglake.com and happy hacking. After a few minutes I whipped it into shape…
Oklahoma kiddo @ 54
Not sure I get the purpose of gabbly..want to help a net wit out?
Swopa’s back from lunch and has a fresh thread up and running for everyone.
EPU’ed, but it’s on-topic for this thread and obviously not for the next. My friend Eric is spending a year in Uruzgan Province of Afghanistan for USAID, and occasionally blogs about his experiences. It’s obviously not as bad there as in many areas of Afghanistan, but it’s another interesting perspective. (And if anyone can point me to a good map of Afghanistan’s provinces, I’d appreciate it; Google maps just has a few cities inside the borders.)
If Pach were online now, I think he’d bring up Endy Chavez’s fabulous catch in the 2006 World Series. I still get chills thinking about it.
LandOfTheFree @ 57
I’m wracking my brain and can’t figure out who you are. The musician thing didn’t help. I met so many people over the summer working on the campaign — it’s all a blur now. I don’t even know if you’re a he or a she! If Nancy runs again, maybe we’ll meet up again on her campaign if not at YKos.
Thanks for the compliment on my canvassing — I really don’t think of myself as being that great, but I did get to know Nancy’s positions on the issues pretty well and could articulate them to anyone who would listen. The problem was getting people to come to their doors!
William Ockham @
52
That’s about right – the page John Casper linked above includes a photo of the center field marker, apparently taken while Mays was making the follow-up throw. Interestingly, the text on that same page says that it is “an exaggeration” to say that the ball went 450 feet – but the photo shows Mays not that far from the marker, which reads 483 feet.
SharonRB @67: no problem. I remembered that you told me this was your username at DU, so I put together the connection. I’m female, a little taller than you, brown hair, sometimes wearing glasses but more likely contacts. If I remember correctly, you were also in the group of us at the Farmington Founder’s Festival. I got there after the parade, but we did lunch @ Quizno’s with Nancy and a few others.
Do you know if Nancy is considering running again? I hope so. She’s a terrific candidate – so knowledgeable, with excellent ideas and so much positive energy.
I’m sure we’ll run into each other at another one of these political events in town. I’ll try to make it to Marcy’s book signing on Thursday, if I can change my work schedule.
About the “Wertz Catch”
“Say Hey” didn’t think it was a big deal at all.
Apparently, in the Negro leagues, outfielders were taught to run to the fence on long fly balls and catch them “overhead”. Routine.
Time for proscecutor Amici to put cross examination in a clearer light.
LandOfTheFree @ 69
Okay, that all helped — now I know exactly who you are. I didn’t know you were a musician. Didn’t you often have to leave to get to work in the afternoon? I wondered what had happened to you later in the campaign — I didn’t realize you had gone out of town.
Nancy is considering running — she just hasn’t made a definite decision yet. Currently she’s chief of staff for Dan Mulhern. Hopefully she’ll decide in the next few months.
Christy, if you want to see “the guy who makes the greatest catches”, go to youtube and look up Jim Edmonds of the Cardinals. He has a good number of incredible catches that will make you stand up and cheer!
In the summer of 1973 when I was playing little league baseball for one of the lower ranked teams, one bright spot was the all-star tournament in Roosevelt.
That’s a small town over by what was then a fairly new reservoir, where the owners of a campground/store/laundry gave two twelve year old boys free run of the shoreline and fishing poles, food and beds, rides back to town for the games, and a minimal amount of oversight. At least that’s the way I remember it, a week of almost total freedom, interrupted by the necessity of organized competition. A sweet gig, is what I’m trying to say.
Now, as to why this is important to me today. The reason the Couple by the lake were so preoccupied, at that particular moment in history. Congressional Hearings on the Watergate break in were on Television every day, so we ate our meals from trays in the living room while watching the proceedings and learning invaluable lesions of civic responsibility and having our questions answered in a very loving and serious manner.
It wasn’t the genesis of my political awareness. I’d all ready lived though a dozen turbulent and violent years, but this was the first time I felt I was making some contribution just by being present in the home of patriots.
Today I’m following the Liars trial with what I hope is the same devotion my benefactors showed some 33 years ago, and I get an even better seat with the FDL crew giving a play by play from the courthouse, and loving, patient answers to the questions, with all this legal jargon and subterfuge being throw around, so that even this observer is able to follow the mighty hand of justice, despite the mighty wurlitzer.
We never went hungry though the name was Starvation, and we’re not going hungry today, living in the midst of a new kind of Lake,
Thanks all.
Sharon RB,
I would be interested in sharing a room. How do I contact you?
Yes, SharonRB – that was me. I’m the one with the weird work schedule that changes every day. Life of a musician!
I really hope Nancy will run again. She’s really an outstanding person. I believe that if the state and national party would have lifted a finger to help her a little bit, she could have defeated Knollenberg. Next time up, his seat is ripe for the picking.
I LOVE BASEBALL! Love watching it, love playing, love my nephews playing it while we watch it!!!!
Just thot I’d let ya know. I don’t care crap about statistics; don’t care about that part of it. But I DO LOVE BASEBALL.
LandOfTheFree @ 76
Well, the DCCC is targeting Knollenberg in ‘08, so we should get some help next time. For some reason I thought you were a nurse with a crazy schedule! I guess the fact you’re a musician never came up.
I couldn’t help but pipe up — although I wasn’t born when “The Catch” occurred, I did buy and assemble a plastic “Revell” model replica of the event that I assembled with Duco cement around 1965 in my basement with my father (not a plastic model enthusiast, but a great craftsman). So I’ve always felt as if I saw The Catch myself, because I lived and suffered through the creation of the replica. The hardest part was getting that damned “24″ to stick to the back of Willie’s shirt.