Narciso Crook (photo by Dylan Heuer)

AAA

Indianapolis 5, Iowa 4 (10 Innings)

Top Performers

Narciso Crook: 2-5, HR (10), R, 2 RBI (.272)Tyler Payne: 2-4 (.350)Erick Castillo: 2-4 (.291)Dixon Machado: 2-5, R (.288)Jackson Frazier: 1-3, RBI, BB (.195)Javier Assad: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (4.15)Wyatt Short: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K (5.11)Brendon Little: 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (6.08)

AA

Tennessee 9, Birmingham 5

Game Recap

Up 3-2 heading into the 8th, Tennessee batted around, and broke the game open with six insurance runs.

Top Performers

Alexander Canario: 3-4, 2 2B, R, RBI, BB, CS (3) (.222)Yonathan Perlaza: 1-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB (.238)Matt Mervis: 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, HBP (.305)Luis Vazquez: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, CS (6) (.212)Brandon Leibrandt: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K (3.31)

High-A

Wisconsin 9, South Bend 1

Game Recap

Drew Smyly threw three scoreless innings on his rehab assignment before Wisconsin got to him for three runs in the 4th.

Top Performers

Luis Verdugo: 2-4, 2B, HR, R, RBI (.272)Jake Washer: 2-3, BB (.288)Yohendrick Pinango: 2-4 (.266)Drew Smyly: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 KMichael McAvene: 1.1 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 K (3.86)

Low-A

Columbia 9, Myrtle Beach 8 (10 Innings)

Top Performers

Josue Huma: 3-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB (.328)Juan Mora: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB (.267)Kevin Alcantara: 2-6, R, 3 RBI (.269)Armando Rivero: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB (.353)Ezequiel Pagan: 1-4, BB, SB (9) (.287)Tanner Jesson-Dalton: 2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K (3.38)

ACL

White Sox 8, Cubs 2

DSL

Marlins 5, Cubs Blue 0

Pirates 5, Cubs Red 3

If we learned anything from the Supreme Court’s June 24, 2022 release of their decision to overturn the 49-year precedent of Roe v Wade, it’s that one woman’s day of infamy is another woman’s reason to celebrate.

While the 6-3 decision brought out pro-choice defenders in droves, there were still plenty of so-called pro-life juggernauts out to greet them.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously said, Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

On December 7, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Public Law 103-308 declaring every December 7th to be National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

For most Americans, December 7 is, indeed a day to live on in infamy. For Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, it was a date of internal conflict. In his diary, Admiral Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, said, I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.

While enthusiastically favoring a war with America, Yamamoto knew that a prolonged war with the blossoming industrial nation would be disastrous for Japan.

Yamamoto never saw his fears realized, as he was shot down in April of 1943 on a flight from Rabaul to Balalae over the Pacific Ocean.

On the other side of the world, Brits may have slyly smirked as news of the Pearl Harbor attack reached their shores. They had already been reeling from Hitler’s Blitz air attacks for more than a year and were probably more than a little relieved that America would be pushed into active participation in the war now engulfing Europe.

Japanese-Americans may remember the day their families were rounded up and shipped off to internment camps as days of infamy. For Japanese nationals, August 6, 1945, the day that the United States unleashed the first nuclear weapon on Hiroshima is, understandably a day to live on in infamy.

Same with August 9, 1945, when nuclear destruction rained down on Nagasaki. September 2, 1945, the date of Japan’s official surrender still lives in infamy for many Japanese.

Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan and Harry S. Truman attacked them with nuclear destruction. Between the two, there are plenty of days living on in infamy.

For many of us, the dates September 11 (2001), January 6 (2021) and June 24 (2022) are all dates we can readily add. And now, July 4 (2022) for residents of Chicago suburb, Highland Park, Illinois.

As we have seen though, we don’t all share the same feelings about those dates. Right wing Breitbart has already begun attacking Highland Park for an ineffectual assault weapon ban.

Some think the entire past term of our rogue SCOTUS will live in infamy. Protections and rights were stripped away with abandon, like old wallpaper. Women, children and minorities of all description were cast aside and left to fend for themselves, often against helmeted citizens carrying weapons of war.

Even the planet, itself was not spared the effects of hyper-partisan, lobbyist interference. The party without a platform assaulted relentlessly, hammering away at the most vulnerable in our society.

Well, drink up folks. We’ve got from now until October to drown our sorrows and steel ourselves for the Court’s next term, which will undoubtedly continue to scorch the soul of our nation and strengthen the grip of religious rule in America.

Welcome to the age of the American Taliban.

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Jeff Berkowitz: The Governor is running on IL being the abortion capitol of the country… Pritzker wants to subsidize abortion travel expenses to IL for out of state residents…far left idea that [doesn’t] sell well to IL …Again, an opening for Senator Darren Bailey.

Berkowitz: The Gang of Four [Led by Mike Z]: How bad the choice was of Richard Irvin to be the GOP candidate for Governor.  Mike Z will never work in IL again…

Berkowitz: The campaign of Richard Irvin: poorly conceived, poorly executed, everything about it was wrong, and it didn’t get any better when you went down ballot [to SOS and AG]: …every bit of this campaign …What were they thinking? 

Watch 24/7 this week’s Public Affairs’ analysis of the election’s key results and implications by clicking here.

or Watch the show on Cable:

In Chicago, Ch 21 (CAN TV), tonight, 8:3O pm and midnightIn Chicago, Ch. 21, this Tuesday, 9:04 pmIn Aurora, Ch 10 (ACTV-10), Wed, Saturday & Monday at 6 pmIn Rockford, Ch 17, Thur, 8:30 pmAround the State, as the lead segment of this week’s IL Channel, two hour package

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Jeff Berkowitz and Terry Martin dissect the key results in Tuesday’s primary and take a look at the Pritzker-Bailey match up for Governor and the Duckworth-Salvi match up for U. S. Senate.

Berkowitz and Martin discuss how Kathy Salvi, now the GOP nominee to take away Duckworth’s Senate seat, could overcome a huge financial disadvantage. The focus likely will be on opportunities created by Biden’s inflation, a 40-year high; complete failure to control our borders; lack of attention to crime, brown-outs and skyrocketing energy costs; and foreign policy failures.    

Similarly, Berkowitz and Martin discuss how Bailey could catch and overtake Pritzker. In getting ready over the last 2 1/2 years for the “2024 Dem Presidential sweepstakes,” Pritzker moved to the far left and Bailey can collar him nicely with Biden’s left wing woke policies that get him a “ D top F” grade, with a 40%- 45% approval rating, at best among mainstream America.

The Biden policies that could be a huge ring around Pritzker’s collar: Gigantic federal spending that JB begged for, $5 or $6 dollar/gallon gas that Pritzker cheered for with his desire to shut down all efforts to expand oil production in the U S, and his obsession to shut down coal & natural gas and eventually nuclear; 10% food inflation, Shortage of  Infant baby formula & empty grocery shelves; lack of attention to violent crime, failed national defense policies in Afghanistan and Ukraine, just to name a few.

And, then there’s Pritzker own obsession with abortion, while ignoring the loss of more than a year’s learning in schools caused by his close cooperation with teachers’ unions to replace in-person learning with useless remote learning or even worse, closing the schools while teachers vacationed in Puerto Rico. The parents haven’t forgotten. These are big-time openings for Bailey, which he has been developing for more than two years, with his AG candidate- Tom DeVore.

************************************        

The Governor is running on IL being the abortion capitol of the country…Pritzker wants to make sure abortions are available to the folks in Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana…apparently Pritzker wants to subsidize abortion travel expenses for out of state residents…this is a  far left idea that doesn’t sell well [to taxpayers], especially not with independents, not with Republicans and there are a number of so-called moderate Dems who are not thrilled with this emphasis of Pritzker…Again, this is an opening for Senator Darren Bailey [14:25-16:05]

The Gang of Four: How bad of a choice Richard Irvin was to be the GOP candidate for Governor. What were they thinking? The Gang of Four, led by Mike Z [Zolnierowicz]. Mike Z will never work in IL again…

Such a disaster, [people] will wonder why [Mike Z] was hired for this campaign…I am sure he is a nice enough guy but…it was just a disaster of a campaign, especially the Gov campaign of Richard Irvin: poorly conceived, poorly executed, everything about it was wrong, and it didn’t get any better when you went down ballot: Secretary of State, what is that? Almost a 4 to 1 margin [State Rep. Dan] Brady is beating Milhiser…every bit of this campaign [by the Gang of Four] you say: What were they thinking? Steve Kim? He got whacked for [for Attorney General] by nine points…DeVore is somebody who was running for the last two years [without knowing it] [9:45-21:15]

From “Public Affairs” with Berkowitz and Terry Martin, taped June 30, 2022.         

While watching Joey Chestnut slobber and drool and masticate his way to another Mustard Belt in the great Coney Island Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, pounding down 63 damp and unappealing dogs, a singular question struck me.

How many grilled and lovely hot dogs will Americans gobble down on this most American of holidays? I checked with the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, and it provided the estimate of 150 million hot dogs. The Council then provided what I think is a rather pedestrian statement: “That’s enough hot dogs to make a line from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles more than five times.”

I wanted to go further. Especially as an American. I wanted to reach for space. “Ad Astra Aspera” and all that! Reach for the stars! I began to imagine a line of hot dogs going all the way to the sun! Of course, they’d have to be spaced out a little, as the sun is only 93 million miles away.

It comes to about a hot dog every half mile or so – more like 0.6 miles. Each dog might even be visible in the darkness of space – visual aids to keep a hungry and intrepid traveler going. And there would even be the added benefit of having the sun begin to cook the dogs the closer you got to it.

And imagine how roasted they would be a few million miles from the sun, before things just vaporize or start looking like 7-11 Big Bites left too long on the rollers.

My mind wandered to other Fourth foods. Potato salad takes first place in this year’s most Googled food, being the number one search in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Baked beans came in second, Googled a lot in Michigan, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Washington state.

Which leads us to the beauty of the hot dog. Who on earth needs to Google how to prepare a breathtakingly gorgeous, smokey and sultry hot dog? Who among us has not masterfully prepared the same countless times?

For dogs, we don’t rely on our old Aunt Tess’s secret recipe. We’re Americans! We strike out on our own in this journey!

For me, it happened as a high school sophomore. I had long admired my father’s butter burgers, cooked in copious tablespoons of butter, the edges as crispy as any smash burger, with a fresh slice of tomato on it, and if he was feeling jaunty, a Kraft American single. Tucking into one of those with an episode of “Bonanza” starting up was a singular pleasure. I discovered entrepreneurial hot dogs years later.

For my inaugural dog, I discovered no buns in the house. No problem. I buttered a frying pan, and pressed two slices of bread onto it. When they toasted, a nice, greasy sheen of yellow on one side, I placed them on the side. I sliced two hot dogs right down the middle, leaving a hinge, and pressed them down onto the pan as steam rose. I added a swirl of yellow mustard, and done! Fried bologna on steroids!

A love affair had begun. I was fourteen.

In my revery, I began to think of myself in a kind of Willy Wonkian space vessel, grabbing another dog every half mile or so and cranking up the air conditioning the closer I got to the sun.

The Fourth of July should be a time to dream.

Hope you had fun.