END OF YEAR MUSINGS, ROBY'S YAHRTZEIT

Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas came and went. Sadly I was buried in paperwork and got lots of bad news, however my teeth are white after going to the dentist once a week for over two months. Chanukah came early this year. I did go to candlelighting almost every night in my building. Different people did the lighting every night, we sang the traditional Chanukah songs and ate latkes. On the first night as everyone was leaving a fellow walked over to me and said "Hi, I'm Jerry, would you like to go out for a glass of wine?" I was so shocked I said yes since no one had asked me that lately, lol. So far we have not gone due to my unwillingness to go out in the cold weather.

One of the nice people who lived in my building moved to Israel last Sunday - Janice. A very feisty 80+ year old lady who was described as a 'macher' and a shaker. She once told me she met Einstein as she was taking the shuttle bus on the Princeton University campus where her husband was studying. This was the same day I 'met' Dave Dromkowski, GM, Red Sox at 1180 Beacon St. She topped me ! Although each man is big in their field :) She gave me a brass spicebox.


11 TEVET/DECEMBER 19TH ROBY'S YAHRTZEIT
A week after Chanukah came Roby's Yahrtzeit during the last two weeks of the year.

I've become the official organizer of the Saturday Night at the Movies film series during the winter (because I don't like to go out in the cold as stated above:) So far I've shown The Book Club with Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Jane Fonda. Pretty good for a 2018 film. Also, The First Wives Club with Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler - a fabulous movie, really funny - we laughed until tears rolled down our cheeks and our stomachs hurt. Also Harold and Maude - I LOVE that movie - Ruth Gordon plays a 79 year old character who teaches her young 20 something boyfriend to live ! "Give me an L, give me and I, give me a V - you have to live Harold, LIVE !"

I called the monument company to schedule what I hope is the last appointment to finish up the inscription for Shirley's stone. Hopefully it will be installed by May. I emailed Barry about that and he replied with "this is taking so long it will be time for our stones." LOL I emailed back...."that's how I felt all last summer - will I live to see this stone go into the ground...." It was a long, hot summer, much hotter than usual, many 100 degree days - every visit to the cemetery it was blazing hot - climate change... as the prez guts the EPA and goes back to coal, but I digress...

New Years Eve day I spent working on my CV. Looking into giving some talks on my synagogue project...

Happy New Year ~ as my friend Ron says, good health, good heart, good harmony...

PS. Spring Training starts Feb. 22nd. I already printed out the schedule :)

SOX WIN THE WORLD SERIES IN 5 !!!

Just got a call from Ron and Pam watching the game in San Francisco to say congratulations for the Sox ! 



Wow, how awesome is that ? What a bunch of guys - I cannot believe the bullpen got it together for the World Series. Joe Kelley suddenly turned into a 1, 2, 3 strikeout relief pitcher. After they beat the Yankees and after they beat the Astros, I believed they could beat the Dodgers and they did ! Chris Sale yelled and screamed in the dugout in Game 4 when we were down 4-0. The next inning they scored 3 runs. Mid season acquisition Steve Pearce delivered consistently - 2 homeruns in this game ! The bottom of the order really delivered, Pearce, pinch hitter Mitch Moreland hit a home run last night off the bench. The Brockstar, position player Brock Holt came through in the clutch with hits and plays from second base.

And David Price. He must be the happiest guy - now he finally pitched and won games in the Post season for the first time in his 15 year MLB career. Happiness for him and us. I guess he won't opt out of his contract with the Sox now.

Steve Pearce gets the Willie Mays MVP award with everybody cheering on the field ! He gets an amazing large and heavy trophy plus a fire engine red Chevy truck. He's 35 years old and played for every team in the AL East.



No one will ever forget this 2018 team with the most wins of any Red Sox team - 108.

Alex Cora - rookie Manager....wins the World Series on his first year managing - the whole thing was miraculous. Starter Chris Sale closed out the game in the 9th. Just spectacular....

Fire up the duckboats ! Ready for the parade :):)

STRAIGHT LINE FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE TO PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE ATTACK

Last year neo-nazis marched in the streets of Charlottesville near the University of Virginia campus founded by Thomas Jefferson. He must have been rolling in his grave. The president said "there are good people on both sides." What ?!?!?! The Jewish community is very divided right now in America although after yesterday's attack, I hope Sheldon Adelson wakes up and smells the coffee. Also Orthodox jews who support Dump, i.e.  90 % in Crown Heights, headquarters of Chabad, ultra-chassidic jews because of his support for Israel.

"Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting is a Moment of Reckoning for American Jews" , Daily Beast.
"To support Trump now is to say that his pro-Israel policies are more important than his enflaming of anti-Semitism."

What a week. Fifteen people received pipe bomb threats in the mail including two former presidents. All Democrats. T***p did not contact them. His only response was to complain this is diverting attention from the mid-terms. NOTE: It did knock the Kashogghi story off the media. No more discussions of sanctions on selling guns to the Saudis. This is not the country I grew up in. Scary. Not safe. I had my own anti-Semitic incident a few years ago and will post the letter I wrote and I did contact the ADL to report it. See Slippery Slope to Creeping Fascism.

Eleven people shot and killed inside a synagogue during Shabbat services. One woman was a Holocaust survivor - 97 years old ! That is unbelievable - she survived the Holocaust and was gunned down during Shabbat, Rose Mallinger. We are hearing a lot of "we never thought it would happen here." Based on Jewish history, I am not surprised. I know it can happen anywhere. Anti-semitism does not go away - it is thousands of years old. But this Administration is enabling it. A tax break for the 1%, a yawning schism between the rich and the poor - people look for a scapegoat. This attack was also an anti-immigrant attack against the Jewish organization HIAS.

"Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement that the organization believed Saturday’s shooting to be “the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States." POLITICO, 10.27.18

The silence from Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump is deafening. What are they doing in the White House at taxpayers expense ? I haven't heard anything from them.

TWITTER:
We mourn... #TreeOfLifeSynagogue:
Joyce Feinberg-75
Richard Gotfried-65
Rose Malinger-97
Jerry Rabinowitz-66
Cesil Rosenthal (brother)-59
David Rosenthal (brother)-54
Bernice Simon (wife)-84
Sylvan Simon (husband)-86
Daniel Stein-71
Melvin Wax-88
Irving Youngner-69

AND THEN THEY CAME FOR US

POEM BY MARTIN NIEMOLLER

First they came for the communists,
and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists,
and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.

"First they came ..." is a poem written by the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984). It is about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Many variations and adaptations in the spirit of the original have been published in the English language. It deals with themes of persecution, guilt and responsibility. WIKIPEDIA.

UH OH. EPIC GAME 3 LOSS. 18 INNINGS. EVOLDI !

GAME 3 CONTINUED 10:30 AM

I had a bad feeling when I went to sleep at 12:30ish last night. Imagine my surprise today - a historically long, 18 inning game with our work horse Evoldi, 7 innings in relief ! He will not be starting Game 4 tonight.

NOTE: I started writing this earlier today until the horrific attack at the Tree of Life synagogue diverted my attention for most of the day. Now Game 4 is underway - Eduardo Rodriguez is pitching great into the 5th inning.

But there's a lot to say about an 18 inning, marathon ball game. Lots of ink about it in the Globe. Take aways: Ian Kinsler, error, cost a run. He is being compared to the historic ball through the legs of Bucky Dent, not good. If we lose the series that will stay with him forever. Red Sox fans and baseball fans in general never forget bad plays unless you get the Win. Nunez hijinx catching a ball allowed a run to score eventually. The top of the order is not hitting. Mookie Betts has a look on his face I have never seen - 'worried', that's it. He is not hitting, neither is Xander B.

The star of the game was our late acquisition, Nathan Eovoldi - he should have won that game and even though he didn't the Boston media has dubbed him a star and his performance 'outstanding' which it was.

Alex Cora, rookie manager had the Midas touch until last night. Why didn't he leave Rick Porcello in after pitching really well for five innings ? He looked good out there. We drained our bullpen and starter Eovoldi who was supposed to start Game 4 already pitched a complete game between midnight and 3:30 am. You tell me...

Meanwhile in Game 4, Dodgers redhead, red bearded Justin Turner always seems to get on base, good and dangerous player. Vazquez overthrow just brought in Turner...well, buckle up, it's a bumpy night.....

ADDENDUM: I spoke too soon - 4-0 Dodgers, Rodriguez gave up a three run homer. HOWEVER, pinch hitter Mitch Moreland just scored a three run homer, 4-3.....exhale.....stay buckled....better though. More later.

Thinking of Roby....

ROWDY CROWD ON BOOK TV.ORG AT UT AT AUSTIN

I usually have my TV on Book TV (booktv.org/CSPAN) on the weekend. I've never seen the Book TV crowd so rowdy during the Q + A while the author panel fielded questions from the audience. The two authors are Amy Chozik, Chasing Hillary and Ben Fountain, Beautiful Country Burn Again: Democracy, Rebellion, Revolution. CSPAN cut off and ended the Q + A while the crowd booed and got very loud - who ever saw that amongst a group of readers ?!?! It comes right at the end. Here.https://www.c-span.org/video/?452774-12/author-discussion-reporting-2016-election&playEvent

HATE CRIME/TERRORIST ATTACK: TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE

YIKES ! Breaking news - our charmed Jewish lives in America appear to be over. Eight people are dead from a shooter INSIDE the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh during Shabbat services. I always felt 'safe' inside a synagogue. Not now. I almost went to TBZ (Temple Beth Zion), the synagogue next door to me, this morning but decided not to - tired from cheering on the Sox late last night. Today's plan, make chicken soup a la Bubbe.

"According to on-scene reports, the shooter shouted “All Jews must die” as he was firing into those present."

Dutch Jews arrived in America in the 1600's in New Amsterdam, aka New York. Possibly  Jews might have arrived on the Mayflower in 1492. Sephardic jews from Spain. Some say Columbus was Jewish. Some say the trip was financed by Spanish jews (not Queen Isabella)  looking to escape the Inquisition. FACT: Spain expelled all the Jews in 1492. So they needed someplace else to go. For either 400 + years or 600 + years, America has been a haven for the jews....until now.  More on those theories can be read here. 

FACT: While living in Berkeley, CA I was reading the San Francisco Chronicle. Buried on page 14, the headline said: Spain Apologizes for Expelling the Jews in 1492. I did the math. 500 years later, it's not too late to apologize.....

Today's tragic event is shocking, terrifying, surreal......

I don't know why Donald Trump can't be impeached FOR INCITING VIOLENCE. Yes I went there. Hate and anti-semitism has gone mainstream.....

GAME 2 WIN 4-2

AIR BENI !  

POETRY IN MOTION ! 

RELENTLESS ! 

UP 2-0 IN WORLD SERIES !

A ballet dancer from the Boston Ballet wrote an article in the Globe calling Benintendi's amazing catch ' a Grande Jete' in ballet that usually takes years and years of practice....."Benintendi's a natural. With ten minutes of practice he would have perfect form." What a riot. He is high off the ground with all limbs extended.

After we won Game 2 Mookie Betts proved he is not only a powerhouse player but also a Mensch. It's the talk of the town - he delivered trays and trays of food to the homeless folks camped out in front of the Boston Public Library ! He tried to be incognito.

"“They were flabbergasted,” Winter told WEEI. “You see a lot of celebrities do stuff for recognition, but the fact was he was trying to stay totally on the down-low. He wasn’t out looking for any recognition all." 

This team is historic and playing on all cylinders. We saw the best baseball all season. Look at that scoreboard, 108 wins - historic for the Sox. I did hear Xander Boegarts, the X man say they know they didn't go deep in the previous two years - they had something to prove and they are playing their hearts out. It's a beautiful thing. And yes, I have to listen to Joe Castiglione calling the game on the radio, WEEI; I cannot take Joe Buck or Fox. They even insert commercials during the game ! I have never seen that.....


GAME THREE

Ok, we are in the tenth inning of Game 3 ! Score is tied 1-1. The Dodger's pitcher, Buehler was an ace for 7 scoreless innings. Tip of the cap for excellent pitching.

Ok it's midnight - the go ahead run is on 3rd, Ian Kinsler, pinch runner for J.D. Martinez on a base hit by the Brockstar, Brock Holt - now Nunez is up. Not deep enough, caught, too bad, Kinsler could not score - he ran home, tagged out....

Tired now - more tomorrow.....it's a nailbite. Good night at 12:30 am.

GAME ONE WORLD SERIES: SOX WIN 8-4 !

Nunez hit a three run homer - 8-4 Sox ! Top of the 8th !
Fox did not show Carl 'Yaz' Yastrzemski throw out the first pitch; they are seriously lame. And biased.

Great coverage in the Globe including a double rainbow over Fenway after a streaky storm around 5:30. Weird weather all day....

More tomorrow....good night....

10.24.18 GOOD MORNING

The first article in the Globe had this timely comment - I thought of Roby and laughed out loud:

"The Dodgers broke my heart when they left Brooklyn. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE THEM FOR THIS. NEVER! I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE SOX TO KICK THEIR BUTTS BUT I MUST ADMIT IT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO SATISFY THE ANGUISH THE O'MALLEYS PUT ME THROUGH. There is a generation of people like me who thought the Dodgers in Brooklyn was forever. But alas, this was not to be. Kids today simply will never understand the pain the Dodgers caused. I was prepared to sacrifice myself for them. Waiting to go to the tryouts in Ebbets Field, making the team, and playing along side Koufax. This of course never happened so I did the next best thing- got a doctorate and cried myself to sleep. GO SOX."

According to Sandler lore, Roby tried out to be a Red Sox player after he graduated from high school but did not make the team as did the above mentioned long suffering Brooklyn Dodgers fan. Becoming a Professor of English was second best - such is the Sandler baseball obsession. Moving to Florida did not stop Roby from rooting for the Sox forever. A lifelong fan. I even got an email from Barry yesterday morning stating: "GOETH SOX ! " channeling Roby and Shirley and Aunt Ruth and ME ! Everyone in Boston is talking the Red Sox. Lots of Dodgers fans in the city. You can talk to perfect strangers about baseball and the Sox - usually people in Boston would not dream of talking to someone they don't know. Not now.  On to Game 2 and David Price who has redeemed himself to Sox fans by pitching six shutout innings to the Yankees in the playoffs. FINALLY, David Price won a game in the post-season. We are happy. No more, "take the opt out clause in your contract after this season." Boston fans are merciless, locked in to every pitch and every play.  GO SOX    GO SOX     GO SOX