Althouse: "President Trump Hosts the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros."

March 12, 2018

"President Trump Hosts the 2017 World Series Champion Houston Astros."

73 comments:

Luke Lea said...: Wasn't it the Dodgers, not the Yankees? But that's ok.; 3/12/18, 3:34 PM
Wilbur said...: In the limited amount I watch the MLB Network, they seem to skirt around political stuff, unlike our good friends at ESPN. I'll be interested to see how they treat this tonight.; 3/12/18, 3:40 PM
JackWayne said...: Trump will be welcoming the Astros a year from now as the 2018 Champions.; 3/12/18, 3:44 PM
James K said...: Wasn't it the Dodgers, not the Yankees?

They beat the Yankees in the ALCS to get to the World Series.; 3/12/18, 3:56 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: When SNL was funny (40 years ago), Garret Morris played a retired Dominican baseball player named, "Chico Escuela," staging a comeback. In a slow exaggerated spanish accident he'd state that, "Beisbol bean berry berry good to me."

Probably, in today's world, that would be considered a racial hate crime (Black on Hispanic) but it was quite humorous.

Go Astros!; 3/12/18, 3:56 PM
MadisonMan said...: I never quite got the point of Chico Escuela.

I did like Garrett Morris' deaf interpreter schtick.; 3/12/18, 3:59 PM
James K said...: I did like Garrett Morris' deaf interpreter schtick.

Which would also probably be considered a hate crime today.; 3/12/18, 4:04 PM
Known Unknown said...: I cannot believe the Astros would stoop to normalizing Trump in such a way.
Houston? Not woke.; 3/12/18, 4:11 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: I just bet on Cubs to win the Series but figure they will need to beat Houston in the Series which will be very tough.; 3/12/18, 4:11 PM
D 2 said...: My temporary Bright Idea of the Day is that all these Champions Visit to the White House should be scrunched together. Time is money. The President got things to do rather than jib jab on fastballs and fumbles and shutouts and half pipe loops and whatnot. Plus there is all the noted politicising of people NOT going. BECAUSE! Which is just News for the sake of news.

So: maybe twice a year - once for summer sports and once for winter I suppose - maybe the White House can do like an "Open House" to those who won a trophy or ribbon or medal or whatnot of Glorious Fame. Invite all the suspects and tell 'em: "No worries if you cant make it, but if you want, we can take a pic, jib jab, etc. oh yeah, we also got a few little ones [insert little league team or little amateur skier, chosen more at random] visiting the same day, maybe they get a kick out of meeting you too etc"

Reframe these "visits" as a chance to celebrate sport of all types, a chance to be less political given the large crowd involved, and have it be just a chance for some athlete to meet their president because fate bounced their way

But only twice a year.; 3/12/18, 4:27 PM
Big Mike said...: Houston? Not woke.

But as a city it’s grateful for the Trump administration’s response to the hurricane.; 3/12/18, 4:39 PM
SteveBrooklineMA said...: I remember my dad groaning and laughing at the “deaf interpreter “ gag, because it was such old one!; 3/12/18, 4:40 PM
Static Ping said...: Houston won its first World Series in 2017. The following MLB teams have not won the World Series:

Colorado
Milwaukee (nee Seattle)
San Diego
Seattle
Tampa Bay
Texas (nee Washington)
Washington (nee Montreal)

This excludes any 19th century teams that went belly up before the World Series existed as well as the entire Federal League.

Seattle and Washington/Montreal are the only teams to never play in the World Series.

The only team that may have a chance to exit this group next year is Washington. If Washington does not do it next year, there is a strong chance that their window has closed and will not have a chance again for some time, though you never know.; 3/12/18, 4:44 PM
mockturtle said...: I was one of the best Series in my lifetime.; 3/12/18, 4:44 PM
James K said...: The only team that may have a chance to exit this group next year is Washington

Your tax dollars at work. In the good old days, DC was too small a town to have a quality team, or possibly any team at all.; 3/12/18, 4:48 PM
Rana said...: @Jack Wayne: From your mouth to God's ear. My daughter started working for them a week ago and a 2018 World Series Championship would qualify her for a World Series ring (an item on her bucket list--the other sports-related item on there is her name on the Stanley Cup.).; 3/12/18, 4:50 PM
CWJ said...: "I was one of the best Series in my lifetime."

You were?; 3/12/18, 5:13 PM
Jaq said...: ”I was one of the best Series in my lifetime."

Sorry, but the Red Sox breaking the curse under a lunar eclipse was that.; 3/12/18, 5:23 PM
langford peel said...: They were able to have a civil meeting because baseball is a white sport. A Republican sport. The deplorable sport. Yew there are many Latins and even some Orientals but it is basically white. That is why nobody would kneel during the anthem.

The NFL and especially the NBA are not. They are properly part and parcel of the identity politics of a Democratic President.; 3/12/18, 6:01 PM
langford peel said...: I hope President Trump does not invite the Eagles to the White House.

I do notice that a few of the kneelers are getting cut in KC and Seattle. Sneaky.

It is just too little too late.; 3/12/18, 6:02 PM
mccullough said...: MLB is international sport. Great players from Venezuela, Curaçao, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Canada, and Japan (some decent players from Mexico and South Korea and a dude from Germany).

So it’s a bit odd to visit the White House, unlike the NFL (NBA and NHL are also international).

Carlos Correa is from Puerto Rico, a US territory.

Puerto Rico has amazing baseball players. They make California and Texas look like Vermont and New Hampshire.

In the World Baseball Championships last March the “United States” team beat the “Puerto Rico” team.

That’s how fucking good Puerto Rico is st baseball.; 3/12/18, 6:07 PM
mccullough said...: But the best baseball player on the planet is from Millville, New Jersey.

The second best player is from Toronto, Canada.; 3/12/18, 6:09 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: The 2017 series was fantastic; 3/12/18, 6:12 PM
langford peel said...: Baseball is the American sport.

Just as football and basketball used to be All American sports.

But the NFL has been taken over by the criminal element which has long controlled he NBA. They have

President Trump would be well served to ignore them.

The people who play baseball are happy to be here and play in America. Instead of eating rats in Venezuela.; 3/12/18, 6:22 PM
Wilbur said...: mccullough said...
But the best baseball player on the planet is from Millville, New Jersey.

The second best player is from Toronto, Canada.
_______________________________________________________________________

I can't disagree. That little dude in Houston, Jose Altuve, deserves a look and maybe Joey Votto? Kris Bryant? There's a whooooole lot of good players now; one quiet reason is there's twice as many teams as 60 years ago.; 3/12/18, 6:33 PM
Wilbur said...: Just saw Trump and the Astros on MLB. Very brief and respectful coverage, both of which are appropriate.; 3/12/18, 6:34 PM
Deep State Reformer said...: Where the hell did this custom of athletes getting a meet up with POTUS ever get started? Like the correspondents dinner, first pitch of the season, the grid iron thing, all of that Bread & Circuses BS ought to go.; 3/12/18, 6:40 PM
Drago said...: Has LLR Chuck demanded that all of Trump's high school teachers, counselors, advisors and administrators be put under oath before a Grand Jury to determine if Trump actually played high school baseball yet and to determine conclusively what Trump's batting avg happened to be?

And if anyone in that school ever baked a pecan pie, God protect them from LLR Chuck's wrath....; 3/12/18, 7:16 PM
Fritz said...: I never quite got the point of Chico Escuela.

I did like Garrett Morris' deaf interpreter schtick.

I think it was an imitation of an old Jose Jimenez bit.; 3/12/18, 7:28 PM
madAsHell said...: Some where P.T. Barnum is rolling in his grave.....cuz he is no longer the greatest showman that has ever lived!!; 3/12/18, 7:29 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Garrett Morris sang like an angel as well!; 3/12/18, 7:33 PM
bolivar di griz said...: And Sammy Sosa, copied it 25 years later.; 3/12/18, 7:40 PM
Leland said...: Where the hell did this custom of athletes getting a meet up with POTUS ever get started?

For baseball, it started in the 1860's. It seems like one of the best roles for POTUS. Recognizing greatness in one's own country is a good thing. The thing about sports is greatness is determined through competition, rather than say the correspondence dinner, which includes people from such failures like Newsweek and the Washington Post.; 3/12/18, 8:20 PM
rcocean said...: The first World Series championship team feted at the White House is believed to be the 1924 Washington Senators, who visited Calvin Coolidge at the executive residence the following year.

John F. Kennedy was the first president to welcome the NBA champions, when the Boston Celtics visited in January 1963, and the Indiana University men's basketball team is believed to be the first NCAA champion to visit the White House when it was hosted by Gerald Ford in April 1976.

The first Super Bowl champion to visit was the Pittsburgh Steelers, who joined the World Series-winning Pittsburgh Pirates in a dual ceremony with Jimmy Carter in February 1980.; 3/12/18, 8:44 PM
rcocean said...: No one really cares if the NBA or NFL champs visit the white house.

The only real "tradition" is the world series champs.; 3/12/18, 8:46 PM
rcocean said...: Peeps need to realize that before 1960 the NBA and NFL were considered minor sports.

The main sports before then were College Football, Major League baseball, and Boxing.; 3/12/18, 8:49 PM
Sprezzatura said...: Speaking of Astros, I was recently talking to a surfer of meager means (i.e. a dude (and his girlfriend) who have checked out re what the man says yur supposed ta do.))

It turns out that all wheel drive Astros are a killer ride re chasing waves. Cheap. Easy to get parts. Can hold seven short boards. Good to sleep in.

Y'all are welcome for the tip.

Carry on.; 3/12/18, 8:52 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Did I fall asleep like Rip Van Winkle and wake up 20 years later in an alternate dimension where Trump suddenly became interesting?

Is it possible to go one day - let alone a full 12 hours - without blogging about this eminently uninteresting wreck of a primate?; 3/12/18, 8:53 PM
Sprezzatura said...: BTW, is Great Dane racist?; 3/12/18, 8:53 PM
Sprezzatura said...: Seems sorta white supreme-ist-y; 3/12/18, 8:54 PM
Unknown said...: Was T photo bombed? No reaction, relaxed, having fun, I eat a lot of KFC and MCD too, He will live to 116. Why? See The Big Fat Surprise. GIGO, opinion is not data. It’s eugenics when you tinker with entire populations. We’d have solved cancer by now if we’d not outlawed cancer sticks. Thank goodness the people are waking up. LUTFA.; 3/12/18, 8:56 PM
Sprezzatura said...: "Is it possible to go one day - let alone a full 12 hours - without blogging about this eminently uninteresting wreck of a primate?"

It seems like she (boss blog lady) sometimes works to avoid the DJT du jour jabber. In these situations she tries to hold to her standard re stuff should be interesting.

But, she must also feed the flock. So, the dreck must flow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGRoEfRJSGs; 3/12/18, 9:02 PM
Curious George said...: Static Ping said...
The following MLB teams have not won the World Series:

Colorado
Milwaukee (nee Seattle)
San Diego
Seattle
Tampa Bay
Texas (nee Washington)
Washington (nee Montreal)

This excludes any 19th century teams that went belly up before the World Series existed as well as the entire Federal League.

Seattle and Washington/Montreal are the only teams to never play in the World Series.

The only team that may have a chance to exit this group next year is Washington. If Washington does not do it next year, there is a strong chance that their window has closed and will not have a chance again for some time, though you never know."

Those are cities, not teams. The 1957 Milwaukee Braves won the World Series.; 3/12/18, 9:09 PM
narciso said...: When poet laureate obama spent days examining bracket instead of say the Afghan counterinsurgency plan?; 3/12/18, 9:15 PM
Jon Ericson said...: In after the shitposters.; 3/12/18, 9:17 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Please post more shit.
I'm bored.; 3/12/18, 9:21 PM
Anonymous said...: Sweet Jesus -

The bile spilled here is ridiculous.

Baseball is "our" sport - which has gone world-wide. Call it "diversity."

POTUS addressed the team, Sports Fans - are you such political animals you cannot acknowledge the accomplishments of Houston? Harvey hit us harder than you can imagine, and the 'Stros (I am a die-hard Red Sox fan), were boots on the ground down here. They blew past my Sox, and they became (as they were with my dearly, recently departed Bride) - "My guys."

President Trump acknowledged their accomplishment. Put away your political butt-hurt and all of that. Haven't you other things to bitch about?

Go 'Stros. But watch out for my Sox!; 3/12/18, 9:25 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Blowhard troll, Homosexual troll.
Pffft.; 3/12/18, 9:36 PM
rcocean said...: Sorry, I've never been able to take the Houston Astos seriously.

Baseball should never have expanded past 16 teams. We all watch them on TV anyway.

The Seattle Mariners, Canadians baseball, Texas baseball, Florida Baseball, it all seems so unreal.

What's next, the Havana Reds? Or the Mexico City tacos?; 3/12/18, 9:37 PM
langford peel said...: Jon Ericson.

There you go.

A real piece of shit for you.

You're welcome.; 3/12/18, 9:49 PM
Sprezzatura said...: JE,

I'm here to add page breaks because Althouse wrote that if I keep doing it she's going to delete everything I type here.

So, either that will happen. Or it won't.

I don't care which outcome comes. Regardless, I'll never stop adding extra page breaks.; 3/12/18, 9:52 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Plus a moby.
Damn.; 3/12/18, 9:57 PM
M Jordan said...: 1960 World Series ended with the Greatest Game ever played. 10-9, Pirates with a home run by Bill Mazeroski to end it on the second pitch in the ninth. In Pittsburgh. It was the beginning of the turnaround in Pittsburgh from the Smoky City to one of the cleanest in U.S.

Magic moment for me, a second-grader who watched the ball sail over Yogi Berra’s head and into baseball mythology. Trust me, any man over 64 from Western, Pa. remembers that moment.; 3/12/18, 10:00 PM
Anonymous said...: MJ -

Over 64 - saw it. Maz did the deed to the Yanks.

Warmed the cockles of my Red Sox heart.; 3/12/18, 10:10 PM
M Jordan said...: Thx Duncan. And watching Curt Shilling put the red in Red Sox warmed my heart as well.; 3/12/18, 10:13 PM
bagoh20 said...: Hey Peeps, You are not going to believe this, but Donald j. Trump is President of the United States. Yea, that Donald Trump. It's freaking amazing!; 3/12/18, 10:44 PM
Sprezzatura said...: "Hey Peeps, You are not going to believe this, but Donald j. Trump is President of the United States. Yea, that Donald Trump. It's freaking amazing!"

Bag is my idol.

The best I can do is empty space. But it's possible to be even less than nothing re comments here.

Thanx for adding that comment to the thread Bag!; 3/12/18, 10:59 PM
Jon Ericson said...: Osculate my glans, auntie.; 3/12/18, 11:02 PM
SteveR said...: The Astros won with the bounty of high draft picks vis really dreadful teams. Played their cards well but they well earned he name Lastros for a number of years. Great tea now but they have crappy fans.; 3/12/18, 11:32 PM
eddie willers said...: I never root for the Junior League.

DEATH before DH!; 3/12/18, 11:49 PM
eddie willers said...: But as a Braves fan, I know the Designated Hitter was a godsend for Evan Gattis.; 3/12/18, 11:53 PM
mccullough said...: There are more good baseball players and pitchers now than ever.

Trout, Arenado, Votto, Bryant, Seager, Altuve, Betts, Harper, Correa, and Goldschmidt are phenomenal.

Kershaw, Scherzer, Sale, Kluber, and Bumgarner.

MLB entering another golden age. Trout has a good chance of supplanting Mays and Mantle as the greatest player ever.

The Cubs are actually good. Teams like the Astros and Royals are winning World Series.

Good players like Yelich and Cain are joining the Brewers.; 3/13/18, 12:21 AM
Yancey Ward said...: It is special that a team beat both the Yankees and the Dodgers in series to win a World Series. Has that happened since division play? I don't think so.; 3/13/18, 12:32 AM
dwick said...: Yancey Ward said 3/13/18, 12:32 AM...
It is special that a team beat both the Yankees and the Dodgers in series to win a World Series. Has that happened since division play? I don't think so.

I think only 2 teams have had that opportunity:
1) 1996 Braves beat LAD in NLDS but lost WS to NYY
2) 2009 Phillies beat LAD in NLCS but lost WS to NYY

Dodgers had good teams through the 1970s but had to contend with the Big Red Machine in the NL West first half of the decade. LAD and NYY faced off in WS 3 times between 1977 and 1981. Yankees didn't make the postseason at all 1982-1994 before Torre and the 'Core Four' showed up. Other than NYY in 2009, neither team got to WS 2004-2016.; 3/13/18, 2:17 AM
Leland said...: Trump was recognizing greatness in his country, which is a good thing. There was much more there than the Astros. Jim McIngvale was there. The Cajun Navy was represented. And AJ Hinch spent a good deal of time talking about how the Astros was a very diverse team, not just in culture (Cuban, Venezuelan, American, Japanese, etc) but also in ability (top of the draft, third round, never drafted) and economic status; and that the mix helped build a great team.; 3/13/18, 7:08 AM
Jaq said...: But the NFL has been taken over by the criminal element which has long controlled he NBA

What fucking bullshit.; 3/13/18, 7:53 AM
Jason said...: I cannot get used to the Astros being in the American League #DeathBeforeDH; 3/13/18, 8:39 AM
Static Ping said...: Curious George: Those are cities, not teams. The 1957 Milwaukee Braves won the World Series.

I said they were teams, or, if you prefer, franchises. If I were referring to cities I would not have included Washington on the list as the original Senators won in 1924.; 3/13/18, 9:06 AM
mccullough said...: The Dodgers are the royalty of the NL because Walter O’Malley was a great owner.

He pushed for Jackie Robinson to get to play in MLB to integrate the sport. (Bill Veeck also deserves a lot of credit. As Indians owner he pushed for integration in baseball and signed Larry Doby who started in 1947 a few months after Robinson. Doby, like Robinson was a WW2 vet and terrific ball player. Both great men as well as ball players.

O’Malley also moved the Dodgers out west after the 1957and got the Giants owner to join him.

The Dodgers and Giants did not have anywhere close to the fan base of the Yankees. And California was a booming state with a ton of baseball fans.

In 1957, St. Louis was the farthest “west” team in MLB of the 16 teams.

It wouldn’t have been enough to just put expansion teams in LA and SF (though the Angels started up in 1962).

So the Dodgers draw 4,000,000 fans a year, by far the most — stadium seats a little over 50,000.

The Cardinals have the most World Series of NL teams with 11, followed by the Giants with 8 and the Dodgers with 6.

The Dodgers are the greatest sports franchise in the history of sport.; 3/13/18, 10:43 AM
Static Ping said...: Oh, and technically the Washington Senators of the American League were not the original Washington team either. There are four defunct Washington teams in the 19th century plus whatever was going on in the National Association.; 3/13/18, 1:55 PM
Jim at said...: I never root for the Junior League.

DEATH before DH!

Hear, hear!; 3/13/18, 2:23 PM
Jim at said...: The Dodgers are the greatest sports franchise in the history of sport.

Indeed.

A fan since '74.; 3/13/18, 2:26 PM
Jason said...: Cut me, I bleed Dodger Blue.; 3/13/18, 6:03 PM