As I write, two California little leagues have just banned the use of the name and logos of the Houston Astros. This baseball club is currently in the dog house because they have been caught stealing signs in the 2017 World Series game. Why it took so long to uncover this theft, or at least to announce it, is a mystery to me. Sign stealing is a common threat and occurrence in baseball. The question is: when is it legal, and when is it cheating? Catchers often approach the mound to consult pitchers when there is a runner on second base. In that position, the runner has a clear view of the signs a catcher is giving to the pitcher. The second baseman's actions have never been questioned. But the Astros have been charged with having an electronic means of viewing the signs during home games, and then transmitting the catcher's signs to the batter by certain bangs on a garbage can in the dugout. The league has called that cheating. The Houston coach and GM have been fired, the club fined, and they have lost future draft selections.
With every televised game, the catchers' signs are frequently shown to the viewers on almost every pitch. Presumably, it would be wrong to have a TV set in the dugout, or in the manager's booth, to see these signs. That information could be relayed to the first base coach, who then could tip off the batter. Would it also be wrong for mom at home to be watching the game, and simultaneously be on the phone to her son in the dugout so that he could relay the pitch to the first base coach? The batter could gain a few more seconds for the relay of information by stepping off the plate.
I spoke with a Mississippi Hall of Fame coach about this. He said teams try to steal signs all the time, but this was the first case of electronic theft. He said the batter still has to be able to hit the ball.
Law and order is under siege in this country. New York City may be the most egregious example. One criminal has been caught and released 139 times, and laughs when apprehended. Police in the city have been doused with water with no repercussions. Unlike the two previous mayors, the present one and also the state governor do not stand behind the police force.Who would want to be a police officer under those circumstances?
Sanctuary cities are other examples of the breakdown of law and order. If an illegal immigrant (someone who has broken our immigration laws) can make it to one of those cities, he has protections that in many cases are superior to those of legal citizens.
The breakdown of the traditional family unit is a large factor in the increase in crime. According to Pew Research, there were 13 percent of children living with unmarried parents in 1968. By 2017 that figure had increased to 32 percent. In that year, one in five children were living with a solo mom.Without a father in the home, there is frequently -- but thankfully not always -- less discipline, and this spills over into crime as the child gets older. Disrespect for the law then continues into adulthood because there is no compulsory military service. (Sergeant majors demand obedience!) It is hard to imagine that mandatory military conscription would ever succeed to be implemented in the foreseeable future.
Socialism is currently being debated in this election year. In England, the country of my birth, it is routine for the National Health System (NHS) to have a six-month waiting period for most procedures. But doctors will say: “If you want to go ‘private,’ we can see you in two weeks!” I had a cousin who had eye cataracts. When her turn eventually came up, she went to the clinic, but had a cold. The surgeon would not operate. She was returned to the end of the line and never received the surgery. Her last days were spent in near blindness.
“Free” health care sounds great, but soon it will lead to long waits, and taxes must be increased to cover the costs.
Peter Gilderson 601-853-4632.
