Inciting the Masses (Part One) - by Moses

      So I'm sitting at a Tim Horton's and I sit with a couple of guys that I consider my friends.  One of the guys (an Italian in his 60's) makes this comment;  'Jews hate 'Black' people.'  So I respond to him 'That's offensive.  I'm a Jew and I have 'Black' friends'.  

  This constant racial divide is perpetuated daily by bigots, and causes for the mis-education of what people really think.  Personally I have no use for racial stereotyping, and no use for a typecast based on race, colour, or creed.  Believe what you want to believe,  hang out with whoever you want to hang out with, and try to be kind are my words of wisdom.  What I don't understand is how in 2020 we still see racial divide.  How insincere are the U.S in their dealings with the NAACP?  When are the bigots going to be silenced? and when will a reparation for 'Blacks' in America surface.  Anything less than 20% of the Annual U.S GDP is lip service.  The problem with bigoted statements made in public is that people may not say anything, but silently agree and then the rumor mill starts and people become persecuted.  As a Jew when someone tries to give a Jewish stereotype I remind them that there is one G-d and 7 Billion different ideas of what is right or wrong.  Should the stereotype stand that Jews hate 'Blacks', this would incite people into desecrating Synagogues.  Wasn't Reggie White's Church burned down based on his ethnicity?  This plight has been endured by Jews since we came to North America, and we've suffered enough desecration (of the synagogues) and persecution of our people on this matter.  For the record there really isn't a stereotype that could be used to define a Jew, a 'Black', a 'White', a Muslim, a 'Native' man, and the list goes on and on...         

Toronto Blue Jay Trades and Aftermath - by Moses

 Proposed Trades

1.  From Toronto;  Tom Hatch (RHP), Julian Merryweather (RHP), and Yennsy Diaz (RHP) to the Milwaukee Brewers for Corbin Burnes (RHP)

2.  From Toronto;  Ross Stripling (RHP), Derek Fisher (OF), and Forrest Wall (OF) to the Cleveland Indians for Zach Plesac (RHP)

3.  From Toronto;  Jacob Waguespack (RHP) and Reese McGuire (C) to the Atlanta Braves for Travis d'Arnaud (C/1B)

As a result of the trades (and losing free-agent closer Ken Giles) this is how our pitching looks entering 2021;

Starters                                G  GS QS   IP     H    BB  SO  W  L  ERA  WHIP Sv 

1.  Hyun-Jin Ryu (LHP)     33  33  20  207.1 180   53  173  20  7   2.77   1.145   -      

2.  Corbin Burnes (RHP)   32  32  20  204.2  163  73  256  15  6   3.05   1.167   -

3.  Taijuan Walker (RHP)  27  27  13  165.0  157  46  159  12  8   3.57  1.198    -

4.  Zach Plesac (RHP)         25  25 15  161.1  133  27  150  13  4   2.53  0.997     -

5.  Robbie Ray (LHP)         23  23   9  130.2  125  44  153   8   6   3.42  1.262     -

Swingmen                                 

1.  Nate Pearson (RHP)       32  15  7 110.1  93  35  135   8   5    3.55  1.191    0

2.  Chase Anderson (RHP) 25   6    2  63.1   65  23   43    2   3   4.12  1.317    0 

Lefty Specialists 

1.  Ryan Borucki (LHP)     62  -     -   71.1   54    20  77   2   3   2.17  1.056     2     

2   Anthony Kay (LHP)      57  -     -   61.2   53    17  67   3   4   2.84  1.103     1

3.  Kirby Snead (LHP)       33  -     -   27.1   25    10  20   0   1   3.35  1.218     0 

7th Inning Men

1.  A.J. Cole (RHP)             73   -   -   77.1  70    17  73  5   3   2.72   1.131    3 

2.  Shun Yamaguchi            55   -   -   65.2  60   22  70   3   4   3.21   1.198    1

3.  T.J. Zeuch (RHP)           54   1  0   63.0  60   23  45   0   3   3.91   1.225    0

8th Inning Men

1.  Jordan Romano (RHP)  71  -   -   79.0   53   12  93  5  2   1.91  0.855     7

2.  Anthony Bass (RHP)      65  -   -    69.2  61   15  60  3  4   2.79  1.084     3

3.  T.J. Zeuch (RHP)            54  1  0   63.0   60  23  45   0  3  3.91  1.225     0

Closer

1.  Rafael Dolis (RHP)         58 -     -    59.1  46  13   63   1  3  2.55  0.999     44  

2.  Jordan Romano (RHP)  71 -     -    79.0  53  12   93   5  2  1.91  0.855       7

Batting Order vs Righties                          AB   R  2B 3B HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS SB CS

1.  Cavan Biggio (2B/3B/OF) bats left      550  110 33   7   21    77   .310  .419  .477  .896  44   5

2.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (LF) bats right     591  94  43   4    24    93   .290  .347 .507  .854  13   4

3.  Bo Bichette (SS) bats right                   523 121  47   5    33  100  .329  .378 .612  .990  33   6

4.  Rowdy Tellez (1B) bats left                  491  91   27    1    40  110  .288  .357 .607  .964   3    3

5.  Vlad Guerrero Jr. (DH/1B) bats right 511 120 33    1    43   134  .320  .389 .615 1.004 4    3

6.  Travis Shaw (3B/1B) bats left               383 51  15    1     23    63   .272  .325 .475  .800  1    2

7   Teoscar Hernandez (RF) bats right     573 90   25    4    37   103  .273  .340 .540 .880  21   7

8.  Randal Grichuk (CF) bats right          552 87   27    2    25     80  .255  .317 .446 .763   7    2

9.  Danny Jansen (C) bats right                403  67  22    0    10     50  .240  .310 .367 .677   0    1

Batting Order vs Lefties

1.  Cavan Biggio (2B/3B/OF) bats left

2.  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (LF) bats right

3.  Bo Bichette (SS) bats right

4.  Vlad Guerrero Jr. (DH/1B) bats right

5.  Teoscar Hernandez (RF) bats right

6.  Randal Grichuk (CF) bats right

7.  Travis d'Arnaud (C/1B) bats right

8.  Rowdy Tellez (1B) bats left

9.  Jonathan Villar (3B/2B/SS) bats both

Bench                                                    AB  R  2B 3B HR RBI AVG OBP SLG OPS  SB CS    

1.  Travis d'Arnaud(C/1B)bats right 320 46  21   0   12   55   .320   .377  .520  .897    2     2  

2.  Jonathan Villar (3B/2B/SS) both  323 53  23   3     7   42   .263   .320  .420  .740  30   7  

3.  Joe Panik (2B/3B/SS) bats left      256 31  13   0    6    30   .267   .319  .367  .686    5    3      

4.  Santiago Espinal (2B/SS/3B) right110 12   5    0    1   10   .240   .290  .321  .611     3    1

5.  Jonathan Davis (OF) bats right    321 44   17  3    7   41    .281   .340  .420  .760    7    2  

Jacob Blake and the Causes and Effects of Systematic Racial Profiling. As Well as the Resulting Murders of 'Black' Men Caused by Systematic Policing of 'Black' Men

   What is going on here?  Jacob Blake has his three children in his car and upon being non-compliant to an officers' orders, receives seven bullets (four landed) in the back rendering him a paraplegic for life (when he was no real threat).  Just a month ago we had to deal with the murder of George Floyd.  Who can forget the murder of Ahmaud Arbury just two months prior to Floyd.  This is systematic of the racial profiling done by the authorities creating a two-tier system for policing.  The 'White' treatment vs the 'Black' treatment.  The Black Lives Matter movement has evolved into a Civil Rights Movement that can't and won't be shut down until the U.S. Government deals with their denial of reparation for African-Americans.  Personally I believe that reparation should be a yearly 20% of the U.S.A's G.D.P (annually).  Anything less would be ignorant to the fact that African-Americans make up 20% of the U.S population.

  What would have happened in the time of Lansky, Luciano, and Siegal had the authorities operated this way (as they are acting towards 'Blacks' today) towards the U.S.A's Italian and Jewish population then?

  A reparation is in order.  Is retribution in order? or do we acknowledge that G-d himself works in mysterious ways.  Personally, I'd laugh if the cop that shot Jacob Blake came down with a life threatening stroke or heart attack.  That would be redemption from the highest level.

  Just don't ask me to play G-d, as 'Black' men are profiled systematically by the authorities.  My Grandfather was a quarter 'Black'.  It's offensive for me to explain why I will never have the right to operate in vengeance for the killings of my people.  If vigilante operations against the authorities exist as a result of these Murders, there will be nothing the authorities will be able to do about it.