{"id":11353,"date":"2026-08-29T11:05:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T15:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/?p=11353"},"modified":"2026-08-29T11:05:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T15:05:29","slug":"stick-to-baseball-8-29-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/2026\/08\/29\/stick-to-baseball-8-29-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Stick to baseball, 8\/29\/26."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over on the Athletic this week, I had a new minor-league scouting notebook, covering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7540735\/2026\/08\/26\/mlb-prospect-scouting-jefferson-rojas-chris-hacopian-enddy-azocar\/\">some Mets, Orioles, Nats, and Phillies prospects<\/a>, including two guys the Mets just acquired at the deadline. I\u2019ll have another one early next week. I\u2019m not bylined but I did contribute to this newser <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7542336\/2026\/08\/27\/walker-jenkins-twins-mlb-debut-prospect\/\">on Walker Jenkins\u2019 first callup<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You should sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/keithlaw.kit.com\/\">my free email newsletter<\/a>, which I\u2019m hoping to get back to on Monday. For socials, I\u2019m still mostly on <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/keithlaw.bsky.social\">Bluesky<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/mrkeithlaw\">Instagram<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/tiktok.com\/@keith_law\">TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And now, the links\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Longreads first: This <em>New York<\/em> cover story on <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/youth-sports-private-equity-travel-leagues.html?utm_medium=s1&amp;utm_campaign=nym&amp;utm_source=bluesky\">the proliferation of travel teams for young athletes<\/a>, and the harm it\u2019s doing to our kids (at great cost to the parents), is a must-read for anyone interested in sports, even professional ones, because this is how we fumble our future and create leagues full of the privileged at the expense of anyone unable to access this narrow pipeline. I have long had a personal policy to avoid pay-to-play events, but it\u2019s a little easier for me because the amateur players I\u2019m seeing are the best of the best.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>German actress\/journalist Collien Fernandes was being stalked and impersonated online by someone sending men explicit images and videos purporting to be of her. It turned out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/23\/magazine\/collien-fernandes-impersonators-germany-metoo.html?campaign_id=190&amp;emc=edit_ufn_20260827&amp;instance_id=181066&amp;nl=from-the-times&amp;regi_id=89697358&amp;segment_id=225535&amp;user_id=ba9f07c203681758f0ae0ccef2be0bea\">her assailant was her husband<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A Christian cult in Idaho called Followers of Christ keeps killing its babies by \u2018praying\u2019 instead of seeking medical care, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/faith-healing-idaho-deaths-followers-of-christ\">Idaho law lets them do it<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Music journalist Natalie Weiner writes <a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/article\/214774\/dolly-parton-never-wavered\">about Dolly Parton\u2019s lifelong commitment to her values<\/a>, whether in the arts, literacy programs, or general human kindness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Houston Chef Adrian Torres won a James Beard Award this year, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texasmonthly.com\/food\/adrian-torres-chef-maximo-houston\/\">almost missed the ceremony because Trump tried to deport him<\/a>. He\u2019s here under the DACA program, which Republicans have been trying to kill for no reason I can find beyond pure racism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The Guardian<\/em> and the Associated Press obtained documents that show that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/27\/rfk-jr-senate-confirmation-hearing-testimony-vaccines?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other\">RFK Jr. lied to the Senate during his confirmation hearings<\/a> when he claimed his visit to Samoa \u2013 which prompted a measles outbreak that killed 83 people \u2013 had nothing to do with discouraging vaccinations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Epidemiologist Dr. Tara Smith writes for MS NOW how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ms.now\/opinion\/rfk-jr-measles-us-outbreak-vaccines\">RFK Jr. has caused this measles epidemic and is making it harder for us to stop it<\/a>, which is going to mean more deaths, more health problems, and a growing dent in our economy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There\u2019s been a lot of attention over the two reported deaths from measles in Pennsylvania, but that\u2019s the tip of a giant iceberg. There\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/wisconsinexaminer.com\/briefs\/measles-spread-in-wisconsin-almost-everyone-made-ill-is-unvaccinated-health-officials-say\/\">an outbreak in Wisconsin now<\/a>, almost entirely among unvaccinated people, with 41 reported cases.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A federal judge ruled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlrn.org\/government-politics\/2026-08-23\/federal-judge-says-fiu-violated-first-amendment-rights-of-anti-ice-student-protesters\">that Florida International University violated the First Amendment rights of students<\/a> when it required those protesting the school\u2019s collaboration with ICE to record two-minute videos \u2018reflecting\u2019 on their conduct.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), who is running for Iowa\u2019s open Senate seat, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/congress\/ashley-hinson-husband-iowa-insurance\">has failed to disclose that her husband is a lobbyist<\/a> who arranged meetings between his clients and four Iowa representatives, including Hinson.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Victor Marx, the Republican candidate for Governor in Colorado who has made fantastical claims of killing people and performing exorcisms, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.9news.com\/article\/news\/politics\/victor-marx-encourages-supporters-money-his-company\/73-14794d03-eb16-4322-9f2f-d720aae0cafb\">appears to be selling campaign merch and taking the profits for himself<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who is up for re-election, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sacurrent.com\/news\/politics-and-elections\/lt-gov-dan-patrick-says-texas-is-coming-for-the-books-in-public-school-libraries\/\">threatened schools that won\u2019t remove books the state\u2019s theocrats deem objectionable<\/a>, saying \u201cwe\u2019re coming for the books.\u201d These book bans are much more about targeting anything LGBTQ+ or otherwise un-Christian, despite the schools being publicly funded.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/18\/us\/texas-tech-artificial-intelligence-ideology-brandon-creighton.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7FA.UHK6.hoft-oXua7WR&amp;smid=bs-share\">Texas Tech leadership is using AI as a pretext to cut so-called \u201cleftist\u201d content from its curriculum<\/a>. I do not understand anyone from out of state sending their kid to college there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Israeli commander who ordered the airstrike that killed an Australian volunteer working for World Central Kitchen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2026-08-27\/idf-colonel-in-gaza-wcf-convoy-strike-defends-decision\/107071348\">stands by his decision and said he\u2019s not sorry<\/a>, claiming WCK had a \u201cconnection with Hamas.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Finland had set a goal to end homelessness by 2027, and was well on its way there until a right-wing government took power in 2024 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2026\/aug\/23\/finland-tried-to-end-homelessness-what-can-we-learn-from-its-runaway-success-and-recent-failures?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other\">started cutting social welfare programs<\/a>, reversing a long-standing decline in the country\u2019s homelessness rate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A civilian engineer who alleges she was raped in her own bed on a Navy transport ship sued the federal government, and this week <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/branches\/navy\/2026-08-25\/lawsuit-workers-comp-sexual-assault-navy-ship-22658787.html\">a federal judge threw out her lawsuit by arguing it\u2019s a worker\u2019s compensation issue<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rep. Max Miller made a writer delete a tweet that said he had broken his toddler daughter\u2019s collarbone. She did so, because this remains an allegation, and in response she wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/amandalitman.substack.com\/p\/rep-max-miller-made-me-delete-a-tweet\">about a bunch of violent things he\u2019s done to women<\/a> that are not mere allegations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What remains of <em>The Washington Post<\/em> fired Karen Attiah last September for her social media posts in the wake of the death of Charlie Kirk. An arbitrator ruled that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/24\/business\/washington-post-karen-attiah.html\">the firing violated the paper\u2019s CBA with its union and that the <em>Post<\/em> must re-hire her<\/a>. Heh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over on the Athletic this week, I had a new minor-league scouting notebook, covering some Mets, Orioles, Nats, and Phillies prospects, including two guys the Mets just acquired at the deadline. I\u2019ll have another one early next week. I\u2019m not bylined but I did contribute to this newser on Walker Jenkins\u2019 first callup. You should [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[844,1532,1387,1456,1004,1109,190,961,1315,852,766,855,870,477,940,807],"class_list":["post-11353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-economics","tag-finland","tag-gaza","tag-immigration","tag-iowa","tag-israel","tag-links","tag-longreads","tag-measles","tag-music","tag-religion","tag-sports","tag-stick-to-baseball","tag-texas","tag-the-swamp","tag-vaccines","entry"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11353"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11354,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11353\/revisions\/11354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}