Dapper Dave

I guess some folks think highly of former KTRK-TV anchor Dave Ward. I guess.  As a Democrat, let me thank the folks who put together the Dave Ward endorsement ad for GOP Harris County Judge candidate Alex Meaner.  Let me also thank Crime Stoppers.  Ward is wearing the same gear in a Crime Stoppers ad with Mattress Mac.  I would have put Ward in a sport coat and tie.  He looks like he just got out of bed.  Lousy ad, if you ask Commentary.

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Arsehole Gov. Greg Abbott’s border adventure is one big mess.

This is the lead headline in today’s Chron hard copy:

Prosecutor: Border effort wasteful

Here is from the Chron today:

An attorney representing a Texas border county participating in Gov. Greg Abbott’s border crackdown called the operation “a waste of time and money” in court on Wednesday, adding that he sees “very little logic” in the state’s move to pursue criminal charges against migrants after they’re deported.

The comments from David Schulman, a private attorney on contract with the Kinney County Attorney’s Office, came during a routine hearing before Texas’ Fourth Court of Appeals, which is weighing whether local officials can continue to prosecute defendants — in this case, migrants accused of trespassing on private property near the border — even after federal authorities have removed them from the country.

And this from the Trib:

Texas National Guard troops deployed to the border by Gov. Greg Abbott could be stuck paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected federal taxes for their work on Operation Lone Star because of a payroll error made by state officials.

On Thursday, officials with the Texas Military Department acknowledged that the payroll system they used for the mission has withheld too little in federal taxes from service members’ paychecks since October 2021, when Abbott ramped up the number of troops on the mission from 2,500 to a peak of 6,500 in November. Many of those called up after November came to the mission involuntarily.

And this:

The tax blunder is the latest strike against a state bureaucracy that has been strained under the weight and haste of Abbott’s border mission. Previous missteps in 2021 included widespread problems in which soldiers were paid late, too little or not at all for months. Guardsmen have also complained about financial strains due to the unprecedented length of the deployment, which has prevented some members from being able to keep their civilian jobs.

What a mess.

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if Donald Trump had pardoned those who had been convicted of possession of marijuana, the GOPers who are criticizing President Joe Biden would have either cheered Trump or stayed silent.  Trump pardoned a few scoundrels and these GOPers said absolutely nothing. Shut up!

Commentary is going to say it. Hunter Biden is a mess. There are reports he may be charged with a federal crime or two. The only thing to say about this. If they charge Hunter, then it will be easier to charge Donald Trump. Just saying.

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It is playoff time baby!

Today’s Chron sports section devoted three, I said three, full pages including photos to Jose Altuve.  Nice.

MLB.com put out the top 50 players in the playoffs that start today. Six Astros are on the list. Here they are:

7. Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros: Fine, fine, so he doesn’t play the field. You’re not going to be thinking about how he doesn’t play the field when he’s up against you this October with the bases loaded. Or, really, with the bases empty: He’s an instant rally.

12. Justin Verlander, RHP, Astros: Crazy fact: the Astros have lost the last three postseason games Verlander has started. I wouldn’t get too attached to that statistic, though. A resurgent Verlander, if healthy, remains built for October.

15. Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros: Whatever your lingering feelings about the Astros are, Altuve is having a fantastic year, a resurgent year (.921 OPS), the sort of year that reminds you that until that little scandal a couple of years ago, he was considered to be well on his way to an open-and-shut Hall of Fame case.

19. Kyle Tucker, RF, Astros: Perpetually underrated, one of these days he’s going to have an October moment that finally makes everyone understand (and remember!) that he’s one of the best players in the sport.

34. Framber Valdez, LHP, Astros: In an age when the starting pitcher sometimes feels like an endangered species, here’s Valdez setting an all-time consecutive quality start record.

37. Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros: Bregman was an MVP candidate a few years ago before having a couple of down seasons. But he has returned to something nearing his former form this year, posting a 134 OPS+, his best since 2019.

Yordan has played plenty of left field this season.

Here is from Tags on why the Astros will win it all.

ASTROS: Experience and pitching

There are a lot of reasons to think the Astros can win their first World Series title since 2017, including a wealth of postseason experience. The Astros have played 79 playoff games since the start of the 2015, which is twice as many as any other team not named the Dodgers, who have played in 82 in that span. The Astros have also played in five consecutive AL Championship Series and won three pennants. Jose Altuve has played in all 79 of those postseason games, with Yuli Gurriel and Alex Bregman appearing in 73 games each. Even Martín Maldonado (43 games), Kyle Tucker (38) and Yordan Alvarez (34) have extensive postseason experience. The Astros also boast the deepest rotation in the AL with six quality starters, led by Cy Young Award candidates Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez. A couple of other starters could move to the bullpen, which already has the best ERA in the Major Leagues. — Brian McTaggart

Commentary really doesn’t care who we play in the playoffs. If we are playing good baseball, it won’t matter.  If you make it to the playoffs, you are a pretty good team. 18 teams are done for the year. 

There are four Wild Card series games being played today. I guess I will check in on the Mariners at Blue Jays since we will face the winner next Tuesday at The Yard. They get going today at 3 pm on ESPN.

I forgot to mention, we were 4-1 in October for the regular season.  We like playing and winning in October.