Baseball Costumes

Two part post. (If you don't like sports, just skip to the second part of the post)

First: Apparently the Umpires in the Angels/Yankees games are normal people disguised as umpires. "I'm not an Umpire but I play one in the post season."

The situation was runners on 1st and 2nd with two out. Full count on the batter and the runners were stealing with the pitch. Ball four, wild pitch. The ball careens off of the catcher and into the stands. The umpires only award the runners the bases they would have gotten due to the walk. I guess nobody read their rulebook today. MLB Rule 7.05h states:

[Runners shall be awarded] One base, if a ball, pitched to the batter, or thrown by the pitcher from his position on the pitcher’s plate to a base to catch a runner, goes into a stand or a bench, or over or through a field fence or backstop. The ball is dead;
APPROVED RULING: When a wild pitch or passed ball goes through or by the catcher, or deflects off the catcher, and goes directly into the dugout, stands, above the break, or any area where the ball is dead, the awarding of bases shall be one base. One base shall also be awarded if the pitcher while in contact with the rubber, throws to a base, and the throw goes directly into the stands or into any area where the ball is dead. (emphasis added)

The runners had already advanced due to the steal/walk. They then should have been awarded one base because of the passed ball: runner on 3rd scores, 2nd moves to 3rd and 1st to 2nd.

This is key because the pitcher then threw another wild pitch. In the game it allowed the tying run to cross the plate. He should have scored on the walk and this wild pitch should have allowed the runner who was on 2nd to score the go ahead run. But it's the Yankees and they get a little bit of favoritism.

Think I'm just jealous? This runner was called out: Need some more proof? Here it is nice and big for you: (As if I needed more ammunition for my argument. The "proximity out" (which has driven me crazy my entire baseball life) is apparently only an out every time in every game... unless it's extra innings in the post season in favor of the Yankees.) (Ok, sports ends here)

Second: There seems to be a bit of hoopla about this year's Halloween Costume. An alien, wearing an orange jump suit that says "Illegal Alien" on it. People have written to the stores carrying this and to its manufacturers calling it "distasteful, mean-spirited, and ignorant of social stigmas and current debate on immigration reform." Really? Does "Immigration reform" include allowing people to cross the boarder illegally? I must have missed that paragraph in the new laws being proposed. "Mean-spirited?" I know. How dare anyone poke fun at felons. We need to remove the Bernie Madoff mask this year, (Anyone else find it slightly humorous that he "Made Off" with billions?) and how could we have possibly carried the Ted Kazinski costumes? Oh, wait, those people broke laws that we agree with? I see. What's that? Oh, it's because it's a large group that's being offended? Well, every space alien that I've spoken to doesn't seem to mind.

Truth be told, the "Green card" may be crossing the line. If they have a green card they are not an illegal alien unless they've over stayed their welcome. Get rid of the accessory and you've got yourself a funny, poignant, timely costume.