Baseball metaphors ain't cricket.

"Will Barack Obama be able to restore the public trust in our government after the disastrous tenure of George Bush?"

That question is capable of making this deeply unreligious man pray: "Please, God, let it be so!"

That America could produce such a man, and then recognize that he is the one to lead us, that gives me hope that we can redeem ourselves from our lazy thinking and self indulgence.

It is a very masterful depiction of the White Sox (Black Sox) scandal. An awesome period piece on par with The Sting.

Bad analogy.

The Black Sox were players and they were good. They took bribes to play bad.

Bush was inb the owners box, picking his nose and trading Sammy Sosa to those same named Sox.

In the first hours of his presidency, President Obama directed an immediate halt to the Bush administration’s military commissions system for prosecuting detainees at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

that move was babe(ruth)-alicious.

that was a fucking great opening move to help restore this guy's trust...

when do we get to ban anyone from the bush admin from participating in public "service" ever again?

"...an intelligent individual who is honest to the core, and one who can deliver the goods."

If we can't make these qualities an absolutely required qualification for all future presidents, we deserve more like George Bush and Dick Cheney.

Why the reference to what is essentially a children's game in order to provide a framework for a serious question? The Popular Media can only deal with very simplistic descriptions and analyses of national and world events and, not surprisingly, gravitate toward 30 second sound bites, one-liners and "what is hot". All reflect an adolescent perspective. The truth of the matter is that it is Congress and not the President who are the representatives of the people and it is they and not the individual who occupies the White House who should be "righting the ship" after the disastrous and criminal Bush administration. Unfortunately, they have abdicated their constitutional responsibilities and have become indifferent, complacent and likely corrupt in many cases. The fawning over the new President and the expectation that he and he alone will "make things right again" is a return to the age-old tendency of primates to look to a father figure. The priest, the shaman, the feudal lord, the king, the saviour . . . It's more a religious delusion in secular form and an unsettling desire to return to the European modle of the monarchy and the ever-present courtiers/aristocrats/corporatists. That is, it's a shift of power from the citizens and their representatives to a small group of elites. "Hope" or "Change" isn't the solution. A strong congress working within the framework of the constitution is the more enlightened way. Besides, almost anything that Obama can do Congress could do also.

there are baseball scholars who til today still argue that the sox really didnt throw the series

in fact, the reds won more games during the season then the sox did...and caminski was known for abusing his players, to the point that they may very well have run out of steam by series time

furthermore, the babe only saved the game, because the press, who was merciless in dealing with the sox, gave the babe a total pass

refusing to report on his womanizing, neglecting to tell anyone about his "trick bat" (the rule against corking a bat came about because of the babe)

let us hope the press does not give obama a pass if he effs up...that kinda stuff helped lead us into an immoral and illegal war

More my speed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52scMVXF2mc

And I'll cry if I want to.

Good lord what's wrong with people. How can this even be remotely considered anintelligent thought or reflection? There is so much that had to happen for the Babe to make baseball relevant again and some of that effort was mirrored by the last administration. Some of the commentors have touched upon the many vices that Ruth had. They are right, these were glossed over. I am not positive about the corked bat but sure, maybe that happened and that only adds to the fact that Ruth was a figment of the press's imagination and not who really existed. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Jesus anyone? Along with rule changes that did make for more offense in the game the press took it upon themselves to invent a persona for the "jolly big man" that essentially did not exist. These were people that i guess cared about the game (more their livelihood) and used this imagery to help play up a game that had been sorely tarnished by the scandal. Not unlike the hero myths we are accustomed to from the past or even the endless stories recounted as fact about many if not all of our saints and other holy individuals of note.

Is this what you want for the President? Again this was actually attempted and is still being attempted by the folks who just left the office. They look at the so called positives from his administration and try to construct a legacy for the future that other's might deem a lot more successful than we would recall. Obama will need his failures and struggles visible and we pray that they are not as significant as the past President's. People need to stop attaching such reverance to this post. It calls for a healthy amount of respect already, the rest is earned.

Lastly, a lot of people had to reinvest in the game back when Ruth was around. They had to put their faith in the game, that it was worth the devotion of their time. They made Ruth. While they trumpeted some of the less than honest accounts of his image, they also rebuilt the game through their dedication. This is the task ahead of America. The staggering image I have of the last year is not of the man, but the movement. He may have inspired it, but it was built as he so clearly said on the backs of Americans who believed what he believes and can only continue to exist with the assistance of everyday Americans. It's all of your responsibility to restore the lost lustre and respect for America that has been lost not just one man. He can help lay the groundwork but ultimately whether you succeed or fail is up to all of you.

Joe Jackson played that series by the book. He was framed. They destroyed his career. It's one of the greatest travesties in baseball history.