It's no surprise that MLB owners and Bud Selig would support -- or at least stick their heads in the sand when it comes to publicly responding -- the controversial and hateful Arizona immigration law, SB1070. It's also refreshing when a player or manager speak out about an issue too, no matter which side of the fence they come down on. Many people have said, "I don't like mixing politics with sports," and believe me I feel that way for the most part. But when a xenophobic law based on racial profiling -- profiling that will affect, among other people, hundreds of professional baseball players -- is passed with the help of a notorious Republican vote cager like Kris Kobach, then all bets are off.

Tony La Russa, who manages several Latino players on his team including the great Albert Pujols, is supportive of SB1070 and said so.

ESPN:

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa says he supports Arizona legislation calling for tougher enforcement against illegal immigrants. Opponents of the law have called for Major League Baseball to move the 2011 All-Star Game out of the state.

La Russa says Arizona has a problem that the national government has failed to remedy. The manager, who lives in northern California, spoke this week before a game in St. Louis between the Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I'm actually a supporter of what Arizona is doing," La Russa said. "If the national government doesn't fix your problem, you've got a problem. You've got to fix it yourself. That's just part of the American way." Gov. Jan Brewer signed a state law in April requiring police officers to question a person's immigration status if there's reasonable doubt he or she might be in the country illegally.

Dozens of St. Louis Tea Party members were at Busch Stadium to show their support of the Arizona immigration law, prompting La Russa to touch on the subject.

La Russa told reporters he encouraged the presence of different points of view, and said he believed the Tea Party's stances were "correct" on "a lot of things."

I wonder how Albert feels about that? But what was interesting to me almost as much is that La Russa then thinks the Tea Party's are correct on a lot of things. What things are they?

* Does La Russa believe just like the 'Birthers' do that President Obama is not an American citizen?

*Does La Russa believe that President Obama is a socialist-Marxist-Nazi-Facsist?

*Does La Russa believe that President Obama looks like The Joker?

*Does La Russa believe that there are FEMA camps imprisoning US citizens?

*Does La Russa believe that Obama is trying to make us part of a New World Order?

*Does La Russa believe that Social Security should be privatized?

*Does La Russa believe that Medicare and Medicaid should be privatized?

*Does La Russa believe in a woman's right to choose,
FinnReg, Glass Steagall act, extending unemployment benefits?

You see where I'm going here. I hope a reporter will ask Tony La Russa to clarify his position so that we know what he believes the Tea Party people are correct about. He could have just made his case supporting Gov. Brewer alone, but bringing the Tea Partiers into this opens up a whole other can of worms.

I don't normally get involved in media inside baseball, because 1) it's even more boring to readers than it is to me and 2) "old" media is so last season's Prada shoes, you know?

But since we're on a roll here today, what with Amato wondering why the media never bothered to cover Gen. McChrystal's cover-up of Pat Tillman's death and me writing about the self-censoring media, this fits right in.

Far too often, Beltway journalism resembles nothing so much as a high-school lunchroom. That's why, when Washington Post blogger Dave Weigel turned in his resignation yesterday, the Post eagerly accepted. (Morons.)

Weigel is a really good journalist who, although he's a libertarian, doesn't let ideology get in the way of his work. (Sorry, Dave. You have to know you're unusual, right?)

The Post brought him on to cover the Tea Party movement, and he's done an excellent job. So why is he being shown the door? Did he regurgitate false information and start a war? Plagarize? Make racist or anti-Semitic comments? Heck, no. Those things get you your own cable show!

He did the worst thing of all: He made the conservatives cry.

Remember what I said about high school? Like, omigod!

"Okay, like, there's this email list? Called Journolist? And like, this one girl named Betsy Rothstein, who is like, slaving away in a basement and probably really a little J-E-L of Dave Weigel, pumped up her hit count by posting a bunch of emails where Dave trashed some famous conservatives, including that perv Rush Limbaugh. Which got her a link from that icky Matt Drudge, and got Dave a bunch of hate mail from the right-wing whatevers.

"Okay, so Dave's ticked off and tweets something about how Matt Drudge should handle his personal issues by being more responsible, like maybe by publicly setting himself on fire. I mean, a joke, right? Funny! But okay, Dave apologizes to Drudge and Drudge responds by sending the flying monkeys after him again!

"Tucker Carlson, that smarmy little frat boy who used to wear the bowties? Yeah, I know, right? Short! Anyway, he got mad because that guy Ezra wouldn't let him on JournoList and so he decided to publish Dave's emails on his site. You'd think a grown man would have something better to do. I mean, he reproduced and all, maybe he should be home nurturing his clones, or something.

"Okay, okay, okay. Anyway! So Dave turns in his letter of resignation, and that Poindexter over at the Atlantic, Jeff Goldberg - I think he's that guy who picks his nose and eats it, or was that the kid from The Simpsons? Anyway, he, like, totally disses him.

"How could we destroy our standards by hiring a guy stupid enough to write about people that way in a public forum?" one of my friends at the Post asked me when we spoke earlier today. "I'm not suggesting that many people on the paper don't lean left, but there's leaning left, and then there's behaving like an idiot."

I gave my friend the answer he already knew: The sad truth is that the Washington Post, in its general desperation for page views, now hires people who came up in journalism without much adult supervision, and without the proper amount of toilet-training. This little episode today is proof of this. But it is also proof that some people at the Post (where I worked, briefly, 20 years ago) still know the difference between acceptable behavior and unacceptable behavior, and that maybe this episode will lead to the reimposition of some level of standards.

"And like, clearly what the Carlton Banks-wannabe means is, oh, Mr. Washington Post, sir, I would never disrespect my elders or color outside the lines. Why would you hire him instead of rehiring MEEEEE???

"Um, everyone knows Jeff's, like, a total tool? Who's more of a stenographer than a journalist, and like, a lot of Iraqi civilians are dead because of his total d-baggery. Like, dead babies and stuff.

"Which you might think would bother him, but apparently not.

"But omigod, they keep wondering why we don't want to read them! Duh!

"Oh hey, what are you wearing to the party tonight?"

Bud Selig is using the "Best of Interests" of baseball clause to force the Texas Rangers "lenders" to sell the team to a group led by Nolan Ryan and he's threatening to virtually take the team over to do it.

Last month he cited his “best interest” powers to outsiders — lenders to the Texas Rangers — in a letter telling them he expected them to accept the estimated $575 million bid for the team by a group led by Nolan Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher and team president, and Chuck Greenberg.

In essence, he said he could invalidate the liens that the lenders hold on the team to put the Greenberg group in place. Gabe Feldman, director of the sports law program at Tulane University, said Selig was testing the breadth of his vague powers. “He’s saying to lenders, ‘If you don’t agree to the sale, I’ll take over the team, and my gaining control will impact you,’ ” he said. He added, “It’s consistent with the views of commissioners and leagues that they get to decide who their owners will be.”

But lenders have their own view: some think that Selig is using his powers to abrogate their loans and damage their bottom lines. So they spurned Selig’s power play — and await his next salvo.

These lenders have turned into angry creditors. Hicks Sports Group, the holding company for the Rangers and the Dallas Stars of the N.H.L., defaulted on $525 million in loans in March 2009. Lenders have received no interest payments since and think that two bidders would pay more than the Greenberg group.

If Selig were to break the stalemate to permit new bidding, the lenders insisted they would receive more from the proceeds after the Rangers’ owner, Thomas O. Hicks, took his cut. If those higher offers did not materialize, Andrew Herenstein, the managing principal of the lead lender, Monarch Alternative Capital, said he was prepared to close the deal with Greenberg.

But, until then, Herenstein wrote in a letter to owners this week, “the lenders are not willing to allow a sale of the team to the Greenberg group at a price below fair market value.”

In 1994, Bud Selig had a different view of "Best Interests,"which has always been to protect it from outside issues like gambling to ensure the sports' legitimacy.

In 1994, as the acting commissioner, Bud Selig wrote a commentary in The New York Times in which he declared that the “best interests” powers were inherently narrow and created to ensure the integrity of the game. “The notion of an almighty commissioner directing the business of baseball is incorrect,” he wrote.

Selig’s legal thinking has evolved, and his interpretation of “best interests” has expanded.

How does forcing the sale to Nolan Ryan's group fall under the umbrella of MLB's best interests? It doesn't and if he cared that much about the game he would take action to help the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been seriously damaged by an ongoing divorce that has forced the team to dramatically cut their payroll and made them a laughing stock.

If he's going to use the "Best Interests of Major League Baseball" clause here, then why won't he use the same argument to protect his players from the hateful Arizona immigration law, which is beginning to unravel for him as we speak?

Bud Selig bobbed and weaved. He zigged and zagged. But he never really answered the question when asked about calls to move next year's All-Star Game from Phoenix's Chase Field because of Arizona's new immigration law.

The Major League Baseball commissioner, speaking to reporters Thursday after an owners meeting at- MLB's Park Ave. offices, offered a lengthy and spirited defense of his sport's minority hiring record and its role in sparking the civil rights movement. But he refused to say if he will heed demands to relocate the Midsummer Classic.

"We've done well. And we'll continue to do well. And I'm proud of what we've done socially, and I'll continue to be proud of it," Selig said. "That's the issue, and that's the answer."

We know why. He's waiting it out like he does everything else. He waited out steroids until it couldn't be covered up any longer which cast a shroud of illegitimacy on the the "sacred records" that the sport holds so dear. Well, we'll see how that works out for him.

More to come...

We had an awesome turnout on today's press conference dealing with Bud Selig and Major League Baseball's silence on Arizona's xenophobic immigration law, SB 1070.

Here is the list of people who have signed on to the letter that I helped co-write to Bud Selig and MLB.

John Amato, Founder & President, CrooksandLiars.com

Clarissa Martinez, Director, Immigration & National Campaigns, National Council of La Raza (NCLR)

Roberto Lovato, Co-Founder, Presente.org

Doug Gordon, Co-Founder, MovetheGame.org, Vice President, Fenton

Frank Sharry, Founder and Executive Director, America's Voice

Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO

Eliseo Medina, International Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Markos Moulitsas Zúñiga, Founder and Publisher, Daily Kos

MoveOn.org Political Action

Julio Pabon, Publisher, LatinoSports.com

Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director, National Day Laborer Organizing Network

Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition

Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director, Center for Community Change

Michael Keegan, President, People For the American Way

Howie Klein, Founder and Treasurer, Blue America PAC

Digby, Founder and Publisher, Hullaballoo

Manuel Guzmán, Founder and Publisher, Latino Politico

Rick Jacobs, Founder and Chair, Courage Campaign

Inez Gonzalez, Executive Vice President, National Hispanic Media Coalition

The Rev. David L. Ostendorf, Founder & Executive Director, Center for New Community

Hector Sanchez, Executive Director, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement

Leone Jose Bicchieri, Executive Director, Chicago Workers Collaborative

Josh Norek, Deputy Director, Voto Latino

Jehmu Greene, President, Women's Media Center

Jorge Mursuli, President and CEO, Democracia USA

Marisa Treviño, Founder and Publisher, LatinaLista.net

Maegan "la Mamita Mala" Ortiz, Co-Founder, VivirLatino.com

Jennifer Allen, Executive Director, Border Action Network Enrique Morones, Executive Director, Border Angels (Former VP of Latino Marketing, San Diego Padres)

Along with our action, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) has issued a boycott to the state of Arizona over the new law.

BOYCOTT/INTOLERANCE

Presente.org partnered with Fenton Communications to design a website and petition drive to move the 2011 All Star game from Arizona called:

Move The Game.

They've already collected over 100,000 signatures for their petition and are preparing to deliver them to MLB.

Bud Selig and MLB have tried to hide behind a wall of silence. That won't fly any longer.

Please call MLB and ask Bud Selig to respond on this important issue.

English: 866-956-3902

Spanish: 866-587-3023

Only with continued pressure coming from you will the commissioner of baseball ever take a principled stand on the Arizona law that is already spreading from state to state.

Here's the letter in html form:

Dear Commissioner Selig:

As you know, the Governor of Arizona recently signed a controversial new law that forces police to ask for the papers of any person who looks “reasonably suspicious” in the course of enforcing any law or city ordinance. The new law, SB 1070, has come under nationwide criticism for the threat it poses to the civil rights of Hispanics living in or visiting the state.

We are writing you today to ask that you denounce the new state law, cancel the 2011 Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in Phoenix, and to pressure teams to relocate all Arizona winter and spring training games while this state law is in effect.

Continue reading »

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The draconian Arizona law SB 1070 is finally reaching the players of MLB. San Diego's slugging starter Adrian Gonzalez has come out publicly and said that he will not play the 2011 All Star game if the law goes into effect. The outrage that we've felt over this barbaric law has filtered down to into The Sports Villagers now, because on ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning radio show they spent a lot of time discussing this topic, and it is raging.

The time is a-coming for Bud Selig to take a stand on this issue. Baseball has already proven that it can be a leader in advancing civil rights in America, so this should be right up their alley. The MLB have a hugely profitable Cactus League in Arizona where 15 teams us their facilities for Spring Training games, and they also host Arizona fall-league games. It's a yearlong operation. Studies have shown that the MLB is comprised of as much as 27 percent Latino players, and the league's 9 percent African Americans could be targeted by the new law as well.

It's even more pronounced among the minor league teams playing in Arizona. Mike Golic reported that the minors are made up of about 48 percent Hispanics. Baseball is a year-round proposition for Arizona and MLB. Mike and Mike brought on ESPN's baseball resident expert, Buster Olney, to discuss it:

Mike: There's a law in Arizona that allow a law enforcement official to question the immigration status of a person and if they suspect that person is in the country unlawfully. It's a highly controversial law and certainly people feel strongly perhaps on both sides of the that issue.

There are a lot of people in baseball who feel very opposed to the law and are making public stand against the law. Including Adrian Gonzalez, who says if the All Star Game, which is scheduled in Arizona next year, is played here, he won't play there. Ozzie Guillen spoke against it. The Players Association has spoken publicly and I have seen there is some pressure on the commissioner, Bud Selig, to consider moving the All Star Game from Arizona if nothing is done about it. Buster, what are you hearing around baseball and how big an issue does this become for the sport in the coming days and weeks?

Olney: I think it absolutely will become a big issue and the drumbeats of change will get a lot of help from the players. As guys like Adrien Gonzalez come out and say this something that is important to him and they talk about it, this is something that Bud Selig is going to have to consider. And knowing how he handles these issues -- first off, he'll take a strong look at the thing. He'll look at both sides and he's someone who will listen to the voices of the people of the game.

So I do think that as weeks go by this will be something we'll be talking about more, about the possibility that the All Star Game being moved out of Arizona.

Golic: Do you think a sport should care about what's going on outside the world of sports and that that would impact their decision?

Olney: well I certainly think its a big issue for them. Players are simply not going to play in the game if they're going to refuse to play in the sport, it's something they have to take a strong look at. And for that reason alone I think it's something that they have to consider.

This issue is not going away and Selig has a chance to make a bold move and denounce the law. More and more players will begin to speak out. They should understand that they will be threatened endlessly by the movement conservatives and teabaggers for their brave choice. The players should know that we have their backs. Can you image what Jackie Robinson would have faced had here been the right-wing noise machine of 2010 aimed at his face? The racist abuse he took to open the door for the next player to pass through was insane and costly.

Mike Lupica writes a great column in the NY Daily News about this situation.

<

blockquote>Arizona's idiotic new immigration law does not officially go into effect until August, 90 days after the current legislative session ends in that state. That means for the next three months, a big new sport in this country will be watching big politicians try to run away from this issue, starting with the President of the United States. Maybe all of them are waiting for the whole thing to end up in front of the Supreme Court.

In the short run, however, the only way to stop a political hustler like Ariz. Gov. Jan Brewer is for other politicians in her state - and that ought to start with Sen. John McCain - to come to their senses about a bad law that invites racial profiling even though Brewer insists it will not.

And if it can't be stopped, if it does go into effect three months from now, then Major League Baseball ought to announce that a sport in which 30% of the players are Hispanic will not hold the 2011 All-Star Game at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Selig has a perfect right to say that if the law stands, then the All-Star Game goes somewhere else.

"Major League Baseball needs to revisit the issue of whether the All-Star Game, one of America's greatest exports to Latin America, should be played in a state that doesn't show any respect to Latinos," Jose Serrano (D-Bronx) said to the Daily News' Juan Gonzalez the other day.

There is a historical precedent to all this, of course, and it involves another dim-bulb governor of Arizona and voters who backed his play. The governor was the late Evan Mecham, who decided that Martin Luther King Day had been "illegally certified" as a national holiday, and refused to acknowledge it as such in his state. Mecham, by the way, would be impeached and removed from office a year later, the impeachment charges against him including obstruction and misuse of government funds.

Another Arizona political legend.

Legislation to establish the King holiday in Arizona was passed by the Arizona legislature in 1989, but opponents managed to create a ballot initiative the next year. It was voted down. And after it was, the National Football League pulled the 1993 Super Bowl from Arizona, what was to be the first Super Bowl in the history of the state, and moved it to the Rose Bowl

.

Nobody is saying that all law enforcement officers in Arizona will now consider themselves empowered to harass illegals for sport. We keep hearing that the definition of "reasonable suspicion" does not include pinching Latinos for sport. But Gov. Jan Brewer and her supporters are not living in this world if they don't see the whole thing as an open invitation to racial profiling. One that does nothing to solve the growing immigration problem in this country.

Though it sure does gives white politicians a chance to look good and tough here, and more patriotic than the Pledge of Allegiance.

Brewer, of course, is the same governor who recently signed Senate Bill 1108 into law in Arizona. That one eliminates the requirement for a concealed-carry weapons permit in her state. You wonder which of these two laws she really thinks makes Arizona a safer place, that one or the one where you are now in a bit of peril for being brown

Though it sure does gives white politicians a chance to look good and tough here, and more patriotic than the Pledge of Allegiance.

Brewer, of course, is the same governor who recently signed Senate Bill 1108 into law in Arizona. That one eliminates the requirement for a concealed-carry weapons permit in her state. You wonder which of these two laws she really thinks makes Arizona a safer place, that one or the one where you are now in a bit of peril for being brown.

Obviously, with as many as a half-million undocumented immigrants in Arizona alone, the state is facing a serious problem, one that seems to get worse by the day. Obviously there is an urgent, pressing need for immigration reform in this country. Obviously Obama thought that the economy and health-care were more important.

--

Bud Selig is a student of history with a passion for politics, anybody who knows him at all knows that. Here is a chance for baseball to be out front. The commissioner doesn't have to pull the All-Star Game out of Arizona now. He can wait to see if other politicians in that state can come to their senses even if Jan Brewer won't. He can wait to see if the people being polled in Arizona, the 70% who say they are in favor of the new law come to their senses.

For now, all he has to do is give Arizona a deadline. Lay it out so even Jan Brewer understands. If that law really does go into law in a few month, the All-Star Game goes, too.

For those of you who follow baseball, Ozzie Guillen is not shy about expressing his feeling or calling out his players performance and using colorful language to do it. He'll even tell you what he feels about other team's players so I was hopeful that he'd have something to say on SB 1070.

KO tweeted this earlier today:

KeithOlbermann

I am advised by my dear friend @JoeLaPointe of NYT that Mgr Ozzie Guillen of Chi White Sox, just went OFF at Yankee game on new AZ law.

This is great news people. It's awesome how quickly we've been able to get our message across to the grassroots, the MLBPA and now to MLB directly on this xenophobic law that Arizona seems so proud to have sponsored.

Heck, Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.)calls the law Gestapo-like.

"This law of 'frontier justice' – where law enforcement officials are required to stop anyone based on “reasonable suspicion” that they may be in the country illegally – is reminiscent of a time during World War II when the Gestapo in Germany stopped people on the street and asked for their papers without probable cause," said Mack in a statement. "It shouldn’t be against the law to not have proof of citizenship on you."

UPDATE: Here's what Ozzie had to say:

"We're going to keep moving around," said Guillen, who possesses dual citizenship in the United States and his native Venezuela. "We're not leaving because we didn't do wrong here. We just work. We just come here to work. ... We got to support baseball, and that's what it is. I know there are people upset about it. I'm upset about it and wish I could do more about it than what I'm doing."

Guillen admitted "this is a very tough situation for myself because I'm an immigrant. I was an American citizen a couple years ago. One thing about it, people have to be careful what they're doing, the way they talk and say and what they agree." But Guillen pointed to the number of immigrants who help support the country with their work ethic.

"Nobody sees those guys getting up at 4 a.m. to go to work on the farm, picking all kinds of stuff and leaving at 6 o'clock in the afternoon," Guillen said. "Nobody complains about that. Leave those guys alone. Help them. Put a law like a working visa and try to do something different to maintain those guys here. As soon as you do that, there are less immigrants, less illegal people here because they help each other."

"They cannot live without us (immigrants). Put it that way. They're workaholics. And this country can't survive without them."

Guillen added later: "There's a lot of people from this country who are lazy. We're not. Prove me wrong. A lot of people in this country want to be on the computer and send e-mails to people. We do the hard work. We're the ones who go out and work in the sun to make this country better."

It also appears now in NJ.com: White Sox manager disappointed at anti-immigrant Arizona law

The MLBA has finally issued a statement on Arizona's Gestapo like immigration law:

New York, NY, Friday, April 30, 2010 … The following statement was issued today by Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner regarding the immigration law recently passed by the state of Arizona.

“The recent passage by Arizona of a new immigration law could have a negative impact on hundreds of Major League players who are citizens of countries other than the United States. These international players are very much a part of our national pastime and are important members of our Association. Their contributions to our sport have been invaluable, and their exploits have been witnessed, enjoyed and applauded by millions of Americans. All of them, as well as the Clubs for whom they play, have gone to great lengths to ensure full compliance with federal immigration law.

“The impact of the bill signed into law in Arizona last Friday is not limited to the players on one team. The international players on the Diamondbacks work and, with their families, reside in Arizona from April through September or October. In addition, during the season, hundreds of international players on opposing Major League teams travel to Arizona to play the Diamondbacks. And, the spring training homes of half of the 30 Major League teams are now in Arizona. All of these players, as well as their families, could be adversely affected, even though their presence in the United States is legal. Each of them must be ready to prove, at any time, his identity and the legality of his being in Arizona to any state or local official with suspicion of his immigration status. This law also may affect players who are U.S. citizens but are suspected by law enforcement of being of foreign descent.

“The Major League Baseball Players Association opposes this law as written. We hope that the law is repealed or modified promptly. If the current law goes into effect, the MLBPA will consider additional steps necessary to protect the rights and interests of our members.

“My statement reflects the institutional position of the Union. It was arrived at after consultation with our members and after consideration of their various views on this controversial subject.”

Good for the players to speak out over this issue. Like so many athletes before them, they refuse to put themselves in the middle of a political debate, but this one really has consequences for them. I think the pressure we've all been putting on baseball so far is working. Keep it up.

I've also contacted the Angels' owner, Artie Moreno, who is from Arizona for comment and so far he is ducking me.

Here's more reaction from MLBers since non-U.S. players don't even bring their "papers" with them:

“There’s no distinguishing characteristic between an undocumented alien and someone who’s here legally,” said Glen Wasserstein, a partner with the Immigration Law Group in Washington. “How do you possibly have reasonable suspicion? Everybody of Hispanic orientation will be scrutinized.

“Why would you bring your passport and visa with you?”

Currently, players don’t. One major league executive said his team’s director of minor league operations collects the passports of foreign players and keeps them in a safe at the team’s minor league facility. The policy is in place so the teenage players don’t lose the paperwork, which includes a P Visa that the government issues to “internationally recognized entertainers or athletes.”

Nice, they don't even carry their "stinking papers." Also there's a push to have MLB move the 2011 All Star game out of Arizona until they change the law.

Faceboook contact here.

Twitter here.

Remember, the NFL forced Arizona to recognize MLK Day in order to host a Super Bowl.

The league gave Arizona a provisional bid to host the Super Bowl in 1993 with one stipulation: Make Martin Luther King Jr. Day an official state holiday. Voters, put off by the request, rejected the plan. The NFL yanked the Super Bowl and didn’t return until 1996 – by which time the King vote had passed.

Here's the first look at video that was shot at the Wrigley Field immigration protest.

Protesters are upset over Arizona's new immigration law that makes it a crime to be in the U.S. illegally. The law is slated to take effect this summer.

Activists nationwide have called for a boycott of Arizona tourism and of state businesses, including its athletic teams.

Boycott Baseball Arizona Diamondbacks Style. And here's a key phrase that should be said at every rally we help orchestrate:

"Reform not racism."

They did a really great job in Chicago. We're telling Arizona that their new draconian law is unforgivable.

Twitter it, Facebook it, email it, talk about it and scream about it.

The White House is engaging and has issued a statement about the immigration problem:

What has become increasingly clear is that we can no longer wait to fix our broken immigration system, which Democrats and Republicans alike agree doesn’t work. It’s unacceptable to have 11 million people in the United States who are living here illegally and outside of the system...read on

Aspects of the Senate bill are not perfect by any means, but it's a start.

Rep. Grijalva released a statement about the Arizona problem also via press release:

For myself, I know I am going to keep the pressure up on the White House, on the Leadership in my Party, and on the Members across the aisle. We need to get a bill passed this year. If we lose hope or lose momentum or lose sight of our goal, disasters like the Arizona bill are the result. We cannot afford to let the American people down and we cannot afford to allow the continued assault on immigrant families that we are seeing from coast to coast.

Ironically, the actions of Republicans in Arizona have lit a fire in immigrant and Latino neighborhoods and have galvanized national support for a serious immigration overhaul. We have been flirting with immigration reform for years, but I think if we keep the pressure up in this political year, we can enact reform that respects working people, reunites families, secures the border, and ends illegal immigration.

Keep the pressure up. Check Arizona's schedule and stay involved. Please help get a protest off the ground so it will spread from city to city.

And remember my Hispanic friends. "Not One More Dime" should be spent in Arizona on the Diamondbacks. We're starting slowly and this will expand with your help.

Happy Easter to all!

Some quick thoughts.

Today also happens to be the beginning of the 2010 MLB season and that's always a good day. ESPN is featuring the Yanks vs Red Sox tonight, (one of the best rivalries in sports) as the season opener. That means I get to listen to Miller and Morgan butcher the facts as they usually do. I thought the Yanks would have signed either Matsui or Damon, but Cashman let them both walk away. It'll be weird seeing the WS MVP in an Angels uniform, but he read the market right and jumped on a contract fast.

If the Rays get good starting pitching, the AL East will be a three way race. By the way, have you ever wondered why they changed their name from the Devil Rays? The word Devil wasn't a popular word for some in Florida.

The Phillies are my pick to go to the World Series again unless Lidge can't rebound and they don't trade for a closer in July from the NL. I'll be rooting for the crazy Dodgers to win their division and then beat the Phillies, but the Rockies are strong too and could edge out LA. The idiot pundit class seems to have forgotten that the Dodgers owned Colorado last year in head to head play. I dislike the Mets almost as much as the Red Sox, but I kind of felt sorry for them a little with all the injuries they had last year. I think the pundits are too giddy over the Braves too. How does Florida always develop such great talent?

Will the Cubs finally get back to the big dance or even make the playoffs? The Cardinals will be tough to beat in that division.

The Twins need to replace their injured closer or the White Sox will beat them out, but that team is always competitive and they do have a great offense this year and a new ball park. The Dome will be missed.

And I never underestimate the Angels. The Mariners improved their team immensely, but still are lacking in the hitting department. I'm not sure what to make of Texas. They are a good team and will be in the mix, but the heat during the summer is a killer.

Who do you root for and what do you expect? I know I missed writing about a lot of teams.

(graphic by Terry Colon)

I know the Philly bloggers are against me, but that's OK. I'm up for betting a few bags of Cheetos with my Philly faithful.

Much respect to them. Email me (crooksandliars@gmail.com) if you want to get it on...Because of the idiot, Bud Selig we have baseball that will go into November so the weather is a big issue. I'm a typical "Obsessed Fan," when it comes to sports and the playoffs and I love to call pitches like a catcher and manage the game. I will be working on the further adventures for the Obsessed Fan in the future, but for right now it's all baseball.

I'm live blogging the game on The Huffington Post right now. I hope I don't break my laptop because of a call from the umps. And I am very superstitious. OK, on to the series...

Here's the breakdown as I see it

1B) Howard vs Teixeira

Howard has a monster bat, but his glove doesn't equal Tex's. Mark needs to have a good hitting series because they will pitch around A-Rod all series long. I do believe that Mark will have an impact on the field throughout, but it's really close.

Edge: Even

2B) Utley vs Cano

Utley is a far better hitter than Cano, drives in more runs and batting in the middle of the potent Philly lineup proves the point, but Cano did hit .320 and played excellent defense.

Edge: Utley

SS) Jeter vs Rollins

This is an intriguing match-up because Rollins won the MVP last year for the NL, but if we look at comparing them in 2009, Derek had a much better year offensively. Rollins hit just .250 with an OBP of .296. Jeter hit .334 with an OBP of .406, but Rollins can still be deadly and he has more range than Jeter. However, Jeter has shown an incredible feel for the game especially in the playoffs that I have never seen before. His instincts are scary.

Edge: Jeter

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