1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,795 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Two 2 00:00:21,915 --> 00:00:27,555 Speaker 1: Republican leaders know where the fugitive foreign agent goll Looft is? 3 00:00:28,555 --> 00:00:32,035 Speaker 1: Does Senator Ron Johnson demanding immunity for Looft so that 4 00:00:32,115 --> 00:00:36,715 Speaker 1: this multinational con man can testify to the House of Representatives? 5 00:00:36,835 --> 00:00:41,235 Speaker 1: Does he know where gall Looft is? Does Chairman James 6 00:00:41,355 --> 00:00:46,195 Speaker 1: Comber still insistingof must testify despite the damning revelation that 7 00:00:46,235 --> 00:00:48,435 Speaker 1: he has been under indictment in this country for twenty 8 00:00:48,475 --> 00:00:52,395 Speaker 1: months for allegedly bribing a Trump advisor on behalf of 9 00:00:52,515 --> 00:00:57,715 Speaker 1: Chinese interest. Does Chairman Comber know where gall Looft is? 10 00:00:58,515 --> 00:01:03,115 Speaker 1: Does Congresswoman Nancy Mace still on board this sinking Loofed 11 00:01:03,235 --> 00:01:06,835 Speaker 1: ship and calling him quote our witness and promising we 12 00:01:06,875 --> 00:01:08,875 Speaker 1: are going to work as hard as we can and 13 00:01:08,955 --> 00:01:11,395 Speaker 1: deliver as much evidence as we can to the American 14 00:01:11,435 --> 00:01:14,875 Speaker 1: people so that they can decide whether or not Joe 15 00:01:14,915 --> 00:01:20,875 Speaker 1: Biden should be in prison? Does Representative Mace know where 16 00:01:21,355 --> 00:01:26,115 Speaker 1: gall Loofed is? Because if the answer to any of 17 00:01:26,155 --> 00:01:29,315 Speaker 1: these questions is yes, or if the answer to the 18 00:01:29,355 --> 00:01:31,595 Speaker 1: question do any of them know how to reach him 19 00:01:31,635 --> 00:01:36,035 Speaker 1: through intermediaries is yes? Then why have they not communicated 20 00:01:36,075 --> 00:01:39,715 Speaker 1: to the proper authorities, the whereabouts of this fugitive from 21 00:01:39,755 --> 00:01:44,035 Speaker 1: the American justice system. Who is a foreign spy? And 22 00:01:44,115 --> 00:01:47,995 Speaker 1: why has the Department of Justice not interviewed them about 23 00:01:47,995 --> 00:01:50,435 Speaker 1: what they know about Galllooft and how long they have 24 00:01:50,595 --> 00:01:54,795 Speaker 1: known it? Drag Johnson, Comer and Mace in for questioning 25 00:01:55,075 --> 00:02:01,075 Speaker 1: and do it now. The Republican hunter Biden's scandal fairytale 26 00:02:01,835 --> 00:02:04,355 Speaker 1: has now escalated to the point where it is no 27 00:02:04,435 --> 00:02:10,635 Speaker 1: lawnger possible to trust Chairman Comer, Representative Mace, Senator Johnson 28 00:02:10,955 --> 00:02:15,435 Speaker 1: and others in their confounded party with access to any 29 00:02:15,475 --> 00:02:20,355 Speaker 1: sensitive or secure information about the United States of America. Moreover, 30 00:02:20,435 --> 00:02:23,635 Speaker 1: their continuing presence in the House and the Senate today 31 00:02:24,075 --> 00:02:27,515 Speaker 1: may endanger the safety and security of this country. They 32 00:02:27,555 --> 00:02:32,755 Speaker 1: are figuratively in bed with a foreign spy. Those three 33 00:02:33,195 --> 00:02:37,035 Speaker 1: and others are not just publicly following down an endless 34 00:02:37,075 --> 00:02:42,955 Speaker 1: trail of deceit, defamation, and international espionage. The discredited quote 35 00:02:42,995 --> 00:02:46,395 Speaker 1: missing Biden witness unquote now under indictment on one charge 36 00:02:46,395 --> 00:02:48,915 Speaker 1: of bribing a Trump transition team official on behalf of 37 00:02:49,035 --> 00:02:52,435 Speaker 1: Chinese interests, on another charge of breaking the Iran embargo, 38 00:02:52,675 --> 00:02:55,835 Speaker 1: on four charges of brokering illegal arms deals and of 39 00:02:55,875 --> 00:02:59,715 Speaker 1: being a fugitive from justice from this country. That would 40 00:02:59,715 --> 00:03:02,475 Speaker 1: be bad enough if they were just doing that, but 41 00:03:02,675 --> 00:03:08,435 Speaker 1: Johnson wants immunity for fugitive to testify to Congress. Mace 42 00:03:08,595 --> 00:03:13,515 Speaker 1: calls a fugitive hour witness Comer continues to push the 43 00:03:13,595 --> 00:03:18,355 Speaker 1: lie that a foreign agent was indicted because he had 44 00:03:18,435 --> 00:03:22,355 Speaker 1: quote information on the Bidens. Gall Loof was in fact 45 00:03:22,355 --> 00:03:26,115 Speaker 1: indicted first and then made his false claim of Biden 46 00:03:26,195 --> 00:03:30,835 Speaker 1: information later. It turns out Looft was indicted under seal 47 00:03:31,395 --> 00:03:35,755 Speaker 1: on November one, twenty twenty two. I was mistaken here 48 00:03:35,835 --> 00:03:39,315 Speaker 1: yesterday when I said he was indicted in February. February 49 00:03:39,755 --> 00:03:42,955 Speaker 1: was when he was finally apprehended and arrested, and it 50 00:03:42,995 --> 00:03:46,355 Speaker 1: was April when he became a fugitive by skipping bail. 51 00:03:48,395 --> 00:03:53,435 Speaker 1: Apart from the stark reality, gall faces one hundred years 52 00:03:53,475 --> 00:03:56,915 Speaker 1: in prison for crimes against the United States of America, 53 00:03:57,635 --> 00:04:00,555 Speaker 1: about which he left a trail a mile wide at 54 00:04:00,595 --> 00:04:03,995 Speaker 1: one thousand miles long. He is charged with bribing an 55 00:04:04,035 --> 00:04:07,635 Speaker 1: advisor to then President elect Trump on behalf of Chinese interest. 56 00:04:07,675 --> 00:04:10,515 Speaker 1: He is an Israeli agent. He is an accused gun 57 00:04:10,595 --> 00:04:14,235 Speaker 1: runner It's so bad that even the Wall Street Journal 58 00:04:14,675 --> 00:04:18,795 Speaker 1: has described Looft as on the lamb and said he 59 00:04:18,915 --> 00:04:24,395 Speaker 1: had absconded. Apart from all that, James Comer, Ron Johnson, 60 00:04:24,515 --> 00:04:27,635 Speaker 1: Nancy Mace, and the others have jumped fully and irredeemably 61 00:04:27,675 --> 00:04:31,235 Speaker 1: into this bottomless pit of con man guilt with him. 62 00:04:32,635 --> 00:04:37,235 Speaker 1: Besides all that, there is something subtler and far more dangerous. 63 00:04:38,195 --> 00:04:42,875 Speaker 1: Comer still wants him to testify. Mace still wants him 64 00:04:42,875 --> 00:04:47,395 Speaker 1: to testify. Johnson wants to give him immunity for his 65 00:04:47,595 --> 00:04:55,395 Speaker 1: crimes to testify. Do they know where he is? How 66 00:04:55,475 --> 00:05:02,635 Speaker 1: would Comer and Johnson arrange for gall Luft's testimony when 67 00:05:02,675 --> 00:05:08,075 Speaker 1: his whereabouts are unknown and he is considered a fugitive 68 00:05:08,115 --> 00:05:11,915 Speaker 1: from justice in two countries. Do they know where he is? 69 00:05:13,635 --> 00:05:16,035 Speaker 1: If so, why are they not fulfilling their obligations to 70 00:05:16,075 --> 00:05:19,915 Speaker 1: the Constitution, their obligations as Americans, their obligations under the law. 71 00:05:21,675 --> 00:05:25,475 Speaker 1: If any of them knows where Galllooft is or how 72 00:05:25,515 --> 00:05:28,795 Speaker 1: the process to bring him to Washington to testify to 73 00:05:28,915 --> 00:05:32,115 Speaker 1: Congress would even begin, and they have not turned this 74 00:05:32,235 --> 00:05:36,235 Speaker 1: information over to the authorities, shouldn't the Department of Justice 75 00:05:36,275 --> 00:05:39,715 Speaker 1: be examining their conduct, and whether they are in fact 76 00:05:39,995 --> 00:05:46,475 Speaker 1: shielding directly or indirectly a fugitive. The Department of Justice 77 00:05:46,475 --> 00:05:49,915 Speaker 1: and the FBI must open investigations into Comer Johnson and 78 00:05:50,035 --> 00:05:54,355 Speaker 1: Mace today. Their remarks about gall Looft were not made 79 00:05:54,355 --> 00:05:57,635 Speaker 1: as protected speech on the House floor or the Senate floor. 80 00:05:57,835 --> 00:06:01,715 Speaker 1: They were made as each preened and pranced and pretended 81 00:06:01,955 --> 00:06:05,675 Speaker 1: in the lights of television studios. If they have no 82 00:06:05,835 --> 00:06:09,715 Speaker 1: knowledge of the whereabouts and are merely being grand standing 83 00:06:09,755 --> 00:06:14,075 Speaker 1: Republican amateurs, they can quickly clear themselves and their party 84 00:06:14,715 --> 00:06:17,835 Speaker 1: from what is otherwise going to take the shape of 85 00:06:17,875 --> 00:06:27,555 Speaker 1: a conspiracy with this alleged criminal gall Loofed and yes, 86 00:06:28,035 --> 00:06:33,635 Speaker 1: grand standing Republican amateurs. I appreciate how redundant two of 87 00:06:33,675 --> 00:06:39,115 Speaker 1: those three terms are. Also, Jack Smith is back at work. 88 00:06:39,835 --> 00:06:43,635 Speaker 1: We have basically no other details. An NBC reporter staked 89 00:06:43,635 --> 00:06:46,955 Speaker 1: out the Preddiman Courthouse yesterday in the Washington Jet exhaust 90 00:06:46,995 --> 00:06:51,355 Speaker 1: heat and saw Thomas Wyndham enter and Thomas Wyndham is 91 00:06:51,435 --> 00:06:57,155 Speaker 1: perhaps Jack Smith's MVP most Valuable prosecutor. The implication is 92 00:06:57,195 --> 00:07:00,235 Speaker 1: that since the Smith grand jury hearing testimony about the 93 00:07:00,275 --> 00:07:02,795 Speaker 1: Trump led efforts to stop the transfer of power that 94 00:07:02,835 --> 00:07:07,275 Speaker 1: would be fake elector schemes and January sixth coup. Since 95 00:07:07,315 --> 00:07:10,835 Speaker 1: that grand jury meets there and Wyndham is working with 96 00:07:10,955 --> 00:07:14,475 Speaker 1: that grand jury, the implication is that grand jury met yesterday, 97 00:07:14,475 --> 00:07:18,115 Speaker 1: but no recognizable witnesses were seen entering or exiting the 98 00:07:18,115 --> 00:07:21,515 Speaker 1: buildings of That is literally all we have. We do know. 99 00:07:22,635 --> 00:07:26,675 Speaker 1: The Fannie Willis Grand Jury has been impaneled, two of 100 00:07:26,715 --> 00:07:30,435 Speaker 1: them actually under the guidance of the fill in judge 101 00:07:30,515 --> 00:07:35,195 Speaker 1: Robert McBurnie, and Robert McBurney oversaw the special Fulton County 102 00:07:35,235 --> 00:07:37,795 Speaker 1: grand Jury for eight months. Is he the only judge 103 00:07:37,795 --> 00:07:42,035 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. Two sets of twenty three grand jury members 104 00:07:42,435 --> 00:07:45,875 Speaker 1: were chosen yesterday. One will hear the Trump Georgia Find 105 00:07:45,875 --> 00:07:49,635 Speaker 1: Me Votes case and the other won't. McBurnie revealed that 106 00:07:49,675 --> 00:07:52,515 Speaker 1: whichever one is the real grand jury and whichever one 107 00:07:52,555 --> 00:07:55,675 Speaker 1: is the placebo group, we'll meet secretly two days a 108 00:07:55,675 --> 00:07:57,595 Speaker 1: week for two months, and we'll decide what to do 109 00:07:57,675 --> 00:08:01,555 Speaker 1: with the evidence produced by the special grand Jury. The 110 00:08:01,595 --> 00:08:06,755 Speaker 1: Atlanta Journal Constitution provides this spectaculor aside. Among the one 111 00:08:06,795 --> 00:08:10,515 Speaker 1: hundred or so citizens in the pre selection pool yesterday 112 00:08:11,035 --> 00:08:17,555 Speaker 1: was quote someone who described himself as an explosion prevention 113 00:08:17,835 --> 00:08:24,635 Speaker 1: dispatcher and boom goes the dynamite. By the way, Anna 114 00:08:24,795 --> 00:08:28,795 Speaker 1: Bower of Lawfare Media has provided the best explanation yet 115 00:08:29,155 --> 00:08:32,275 Speaker 1: of why there was a special Georgia Trump grand jury, 116 00:08:32,275 --> 00:08:35,035 Speaker 1: and now there is a I guess not so special 117 00:08:35,075 --> 00:08:37,555 Speaker 1: Georgia Crump grand jury. And I'll just read what she 118 00:08:37,795 --> 00:08:41,955 Speaker 1: threaded quote long story short. Special grand juries are used 119 00:08:41,995 --> 00:08:47,035 Speaker 1: to investigate complex issues of inquiry, like organized crime or 120 00:08:47,475 --> 00:08:51,155 Speaker 1: a multi state plot to overturn a presidential election. Under 121 00:08:51,235 --> 00:08:55,635 Speaker 1: Georgia laws, special grand juries can't return indictments. They can 122 00:08:55,755 --> 00:08:59,875 Speaker 1: only recommend indictments unquote. And we know that this one did, 123 00:09:00,235 --> 00:09:02,875 Speaker 1: and we know that it believed it witnessed perjury, and 124 00:09:02,995 --> 00:09:07,275 Speaker 1: we just don't know any details. And while justice takes 125 00:09:07,315 --> 00:09:11,515 Speaker 1: two small steps forward, the Department of Justice, as always, 126 00:09:11,995 --> 00:09:16,035 Speaker 1: continues to frequently pull society backwards towards the gaping maw 127 00:09:16,475 --> 00:09:19,875 Speaker 1: of another round of Trump fascism, one that would not 128 00:09:19,995 --> 00:09:23,795 Speaker 1: be so easy to escape from as last time. Incredibly, 129 00:09:24,315 --> 00:09:28,035 Speaker 1: DOJ lawyers are asking a federal appeals court to block 130 00:09:28,155 --> 00:09:31,675 Speaker 1: the order from Judge Amy Berman Jackson that Trump must 131 00:09:31,715 --> 00:09:35,715 Speaker 1: be deposed. In the Peters struck Lisa Page lawsuit. It 132 00:09:35,875 --> 00:09:41,155 Speaker 1: is the DOJ's position that a president can abuse his power, 133 00:09:41,475 --> 00:09:44,915 Speaker 1: meddle with the management structure of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 134 00:09:45,595 --> 00:09:49,675 Speaker 1: slander its employees, defame and try to get irs audits 135 00:09:49,715 --> 00:09:53,435 Speaker 1: of anybody who works for him as long as he's president, 136 00:09:54,035 --> 00:09:59,035 Speaker 1: and you can't sue him and depose him. It's stupid. 137 00:09:59,795 --> 00:10:04,715 Speaker 1: It's goddamned stupid. When you step back from the the 138 00:10:04,835 --> 00:10:09,355 Speaker 1: last eight years of American pre fascism and you ask 139 00:10:10,315 --> 00:10:15,115 Speaker 1: how the hell could we have possibly gotten here, the 140 00:10:15,155 --> 00:10:19,355 Speaker 1: answer is nonsense. Like this quote from the DOJ motion 141 00:10:20,115 --> 00:10:24,395 Speaker 1: in defense of Trump, that this case involves the deposition 142 00:10:24,475 --> 00:10:28,395 Speaker 1: of a former president rather than a sitting president does 143 00:10:28,435 --> 00:10:33,635 Speaker 1: not diminish the separation of powers concerns. It is exactly 144 00:10:33,715 --> 00:10:39,075 Speaker 1: the same logic and loyalty to the written word instead 145 00:10:39,075 --> 00:10:41,915 Speaker 1: of the meaning of the written word that led the 146 00:10:41,955 --> 00:10:45,315 Speaker 1: Weimar Republic to let Hitler out of prison nine months 147 00:10:45,355 --> 00:10:51,435 Speaker 1: into his five year sentence. Trump lives and dies and 148 00:10:51,515 --> 00:10:57,315 Speaker 1: those around him live and die by manipulating the law. 149 00:10:58,835 --> 00:11:03,875 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, we must manipulate it back at him. He 150 00:11:04,075 --> 00:11:08,755 Speaker 1: is himself elf, a personal, one man cold civil war, 151 00:11:08,915 --> 00:11:13,395 Speaker 1: and he must be treated as such at every opportunity, 152 00:11:14,835 --> 00:11:18,955 Speaker 1: and this is one of those opportunities, as is this 153 00:11:18,995 --> 00:11:22,715 Speaker 1: one the obvious play. Trump waiting until literally thirty minutes 154 00:11:22,715 --> 00:11:25,635 Speaker 1: before the deadline to file it Tuesday night to make 155 00:11:25,675 --> 00:11:29,075 Speaker 1: his demand that the judge he appointed grant him a 156 00:11:29,155 --> 00:11:33,435 Speaker 1: postponement of his Miami Classified Documents trial, probably until after 157 00:11:33,515 --> 00:11:36,675 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty four election, because he lives and dies 158 00:11:36,715 --> 00:11:40,195 Speaker 1: by manipulating the law. And if he is not elected 159 00:11:40,235 --> 00:11:43,515 Speaker 1: president again, he will be in the penitentiary. If he 160 00:11:43,675 --> 00:11:47,115 Speaker 1: is elected president, he will manipulate the law. He will 161 00:11:47,155 --> 00:11:51,035 Speaker 1: free himself, or he will get the charges dropped, or both. 162 00:11:53,035 --> 00:11:56,235 Speaker 1: And before you recoil at the idea of making the 163 00:11:56,315 --> 00:12:03,435 Speaker 1: law just this elastic, you know, rule against the clear 164 00:12:03,555 --> 00:12:07,875 Speaker 1: and present danger to all of our futures. Now and again, 165 00:12:08,635 --> 00:12:15,795 Speaker 1: go anti domestic terrorists, just occasionally before you worry that, well, 166 00:12:15,915 --> 00:12:18,075 Speaker 1: that will stretch the law out of shape. And what 167 00:12:18,235 --> 00:12:22,275 Speaker 1: happens when the other side gets the duj Just remember 168 00:12:22,875 --> 00:12:27,755 Speaker 1: what President Lincoln did during the actual Civil War, the 169 00:12:27,795 --> 00:12:30,835 Speaker 1: only other threat in our history as great as Trump. 170 00:12:31,875 --> 00:12:36,315 Speaker 1: President Lincoln decided that to keep the country in one piece, 171 00:12:36,395 --> 00:12:41,075 Speaker 1: he needed emergency powers, so he granted them to himself. 172 00:12:41,715 --> 00:12:44,435 Speaker 1: Then he used them to do a lot of things, 173 00:12:44,795 --> 00:12:48,115 Speaker 1: including the suspension of habeas corpus. He used them to 174 00:12:48,195 --> 00:12:51,675 Speaker 1: free the slaves, He used them to ignore the Supreme Court. 175 00:12:51,835 --> 00:12:54,635 Speaker 1: What the hell are we asking here? We're not suspending anything, 176 00:12:54,955 --> 00:12:58,915 Speaker 1: freeing anyone, ignoring any court. Just don't let a judge 177 00:12:59,235 --> 00:13:02,275 Speaker 1: with a record of actually presiding over cases like gun 178 00:13:02,355 --> 00:13:06,075 Speaker 1: possession and assaulting a prosecutor who has been in charge 179 00:13:06,075 --> 00:13:08,955 Speaker 1: of a courtroom for a total of fourteen days in 180 00:13:09,035 --> 00:13:11,875 Speaker 1: her life, and who was appointed by Trump rule in 181 00:13:11,995 --> 00:13:14,875 Speaker 1: Trump's favor in order to let him get away with 182 00:13:14,995 --> 00:13:20,235 Speaker 1: crimes that threaten and continue to threaten representative government in 183 00:13:20,435 --> 00:13:29,595 Speaker 1: our country. Also of interest here, if you did not 184 00:13:29,875 --> 00:13:33,755 Speaker 1: watch the Baseball All Star Game last night, you got 185 00:13:33,795 --> 00:13:37,835 Speaker 1: a lot of company. Forty three years ago, when the 186 00:13:37,915 --> 00:13:42,155 Speaker 1: population was one third smaller than it is now, five 187 00:13:42,715 --> 00:13:46,635 Speaker 1: times as many people watched the Baseball All Star Game 188 00:13:46,715 --> 00:13:50,995 Speaker 1: on TV as did last night. Well, if you did 189 00:13:50,995 --> 00:13:54,435 Speaker 1: not watch, that means you missed the worst uniforms in 190 00:13:54,595 --> 00:14:01,235 Speaker 1: baseball history. But you also missed a very fast, very 191 00:14:01,275 --> 00:14:05,395 Speaker 1: subtle game highlight that was made not by any player, 192 00:14:05,515 --> 00:14:08,395 Speaker 1: not by any manager, not by any announcer, but by 193 00:14:08,475 --> 00:14:16,115 Speaker 1: the fans in the stands in Seattle chanting something. What 194 00:14:16,275 --> 00:14:22,475 Speaker 1: did they chant? They chanted? That's next. This is an 195 00:14:22,515 --> 00:14:28,195 Speaker 1: all new edition of Countdown. This is Countdown with Keith Alberman. 196 00:14:40,515 --> 00:14:46,915 Speaker 1: This is Sports Center. Wait, check that not anymore. This 197 00:14:47,755 --> 00:14:54,075 Speaker 1: is Countdown with Keith Alberman in Sports Okay, fans, what 198 00:14:54,155 --> 00:15:01,235 Speaker 1: do these ten players comprise? Shane Bieber, Alex Bregman, Milkie Cabrera, 199 00:15:01,475 --> 00:15:06,355 Speaker 1: Robinson Cano, Elias Diaz, Vladimir gar Zero, Junior, Eric Hosmer, 200 00:15:06,395 --> 00:15:11,595 Speaker 1: Marianna Rivera, gen Carlos Stanton, Mike Trout. After the Colorado 201 00:15:11,635 --> 00:15:14,195 Speaker 1: Rockies catcher Diaz Pinch hit a two run homer off 202 00:15:14,195 --> 00:15:17,195 Speaker 1: Felix Bautista in the eighth inning at Seattle to lead 203 00:15:17,235 --> 00:15:19,155 Speaker 1: the National League to a three to two win over 204 00:15:19,195 --> 00:15:21,915 Speaker 1: the American League in the All Star Game last night. 205 00:15:22,235 --> 00:15:25,995 Speaker 1: Those are the Baseball All Star Game most valuable players 206 00:15:26,035 --> 00:15:31,195 Speaker 1: since twenty twelve. Two Hall of Famers, a maybe, and 207 00:15:31,275 --> 00:15:35,875 Speaker 1: a lot of nos. No knock on Elias Diaz. Unsung 208 00:15:35,955 --> 00:15:38,435 Speaker 1: heroes are great, and he told his friends yesterday he 209 00:15:38,555 --> 00:15:41,195 Speaker 1: was going to be the All Star MVP, which is 210 00:15:41,355 --> 00:15:45,515 Speaker 1: either clairvoyance or annoying over confidence. But this is his 211 00:15:45,715 --> 00:15:49,115 Speaker 1: ninth season, he has fifty one career homers, and he's 212 00:15:49,155 --> 00:15:52,435 Speaker 1: a two forty eight career hitter. From nineteen sixty three 213 00:15:52,475 --> 00:15:57,275 Speaker 1: to nineteen seventy, the All Star MVPs were Johnny Callison 214 00:15:58,315 --> 00:16:03,075 Speaker 1: and Juan Mareschal, Willie Mays, Willie Mays again, Willie McCovey, 215 00:16:03,155 --> 00:16:07,795 Speaker 1: Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, and carl Yastremsky. 216 00:16:08,395 --> 00:16:11,515 Speaker 1: Eight Hall of Famers out of nine guys, one of 217 00:16:11,515 --> 00:16:14,755 Speaker 1: them twice. The National League ends the American League's nine 218 00:16:14,755 --> 00:16:17,475 Speaker 1: game winning streak, and the AL is still twenty one 219 00:16:17,675 --> 00:16:20,475 Speaker 1: four and one since nineteen ninety seven. And it really 220 00:16:20,515 --> 00:16:22,675 Speaker 1: wasn't much of a game. In a moment, I'll tell 221 00:16:22,675 --> 00:16:25,315 Speaker 1: you why it will never be much of a game again, 222 00:16:25,675 --> 00:16:28,275 Speaker 1: and why the TV audience is about a fifth of 223 00:16:28,315 --> 00:16:31,355 Speaker 1: what it was in nineteen eighty. In fact, the highlight 224 00:16:31,995 --> 00:16:36,355 Speaker 1: was supplied not by the players, nor camaraderie, nor Elias Diaz, 225 00:16:36,435 --> 00:16:39,715 Speaker 1: nor anything else, but by something that usually has no 226 00:16:39,835 --> 00:16:42,115 Speaker 1: factor whatsoever in the All Star Games, everything that is 227 00:16:42,195 --> 00:16:46,315 Speaker 1: usually too quiet to believe. The crowd in the stands 228 00:16:46,395 --> 00:16:50,675 Speaker 1: at Seattle provided the highlight when the impending free agent 229 00:16:50,755 --> 00:16:54,795 Speaker 1: and by definition most valuable player. He's two players. He's 230 00:16:54,835 --> 00:16:57,915 Speaker 1: a hitter and a pitcher, So how valuable is he 231 00:16:57,915 --> 00:17:01,715 Speaker 1: He's worth any other two players combined? Show Hey Otani 232 00:17:01,955 --> 00:17:04,555 Speaker 1: soon to be free agent. When he came to the play, 233 00:17:04,755 --> 00:17:07,555 Speaker 1: the Seattle crowd, which made a home for Eachiro Suzuki 234 00:17:07,875 --> 00:17:12,235 Speaker 1: for fourteen years, started to chant at Otani, come to Seattle, 235 00:17:12,715 --> 00:17:18,075 Speaker 1: Come to Seattle. They were my MVPs. I'll drop this 236 00:17:18,155 --> 00:17:20,235 Speaker 1: because you already know more about this game than you 237 00:17:20,355 --> 00:17:24,195 Speaker 1: need to, But I have to mention the uniforms. The 238 00:17:24,235 --> 00:17:26,915 Speaker 1: tradition is over and the players are not wearing their 239 00:17:26,955 --> 00:17:30,675 Speaker 1: regular season, regular team uniforms. They were wearing special generic 240 00:17:30,715 --> 00:17:35,355 Speaker 1: American League and National League jobs. Players wore genuinely ugly 241 00:17:35,595 --> 00:17:38,795 Speaker 1: sick green caps that were the worst in baseball history, 242 00:17:39,315 --> 00:17:42,195 Speaker 1: at least since the awful brief rage for those white 243 00:17:42,395 --> 00:17:45,995 Speaker 1: topped Baker's caps of the nineteen nineties Mets and Royals 244 00:17:46,035 --> 00:17:49,875 Speaker 1: and Orioles. The National Leaguer's pants apparently never showed up 245 00:17:49,875 --> 00:17:51,915 Speaker 1: to Seattle for the game, so they seemed to be 246 00:17:51,955 --> 00:17:56,355 Speaker 1: wearing black chinos, and the American League shirts seem to 247 00:17:56,355 --> 00:18:02,275 Speaker 1: have been cut from discarded creased shark skin suits. More importantly, 248 00:18:02,395 --> 00:18:04,595 Speaker 1: even if the uniforms had been great, even if they'd 249 00:18:04,595 --> 00:18:07,875 Speaker 1: been the best of all time, what please, is the 250 00:18:07,995 --> 00:18:12,235 Speaker 1: point of making sure there is an All Star player 251 00:18:12,715 --> 00:18:18,155 Speaker 1: from every team if you can't see what team every 252 00:18:18,235 --> 00:18:36,395 Speaker 1: player is from. Thank you, Nancy Faust. If you are 253 00:18:36,555 --> 00:18:39,355 Speaker 1: less than fifty years old, I would like to offer 254 00:18:39,395 --> 00:18:41,395 Speaker 1: my condolences to you on the fact that you did 255 00:18:41,395 --> 00:18:44,755 Speaker 1: not get to see the Baseball All Star Game when 256 00:18:44,795 --> 00:18:48,035 Speaker 1: it was at worst the third biggest sporting event of 257 00:18:48,075 --> 00:18:51,075 Speaker 1: the year behind the Super Bowl and the World Series 258 00:18:51,715 --> 00:18:55,595 Speaker 1: in the time before televised ubiquity and interleague play. It 259 00:18:55,635 --> 00:18:59,155 Speaker 1: really was that it was breathtaking to know that you 260 00:18:59,235 --> 00:19:02,475 Speaker 1: were watching a field full of Hall of famers, and 261 00:19:02,515 --> 00:19:05,275 Speaker 1: that a National League Hall of Fame pitcher like Fergie 262 00:19:05,355 --> 00:19:07,755 Speaker 1: Jenkins would be facing an American League Hall of Fame 263 00:19:07,795 --> 00:19:11,995 Speaker 1: batter like Mickey Mantle for the only time in their lives, 264 00:19:12,515 --> 00:19:15,475 Speaker 1: and that year after year you would see literally dozens 265 00:19:15,515 --> 00:19:19,035 Speaker 1: of matchups that would never happen again, and teammates who 266 00:19:19,035 --> 00:19:22,195 Speaker 1: would never be teammates again and had never been teammates before, 267 00:19:22,355 --> 00:19:25,035 Speaker 1: and players who wouldn't be on national TV again until 268 00:19:25,035 --> 00:19:28,515 Speaker 1: sometime next year, to say nothing of a game the 269 00:19:28,555 --> 00:19:31,955 Speaker 1: outcome of which actually mattered to every player on the field. 270 00:19:32,915 --> 00:19:36,675 Speaker 1: Technology killed off a lot of that. Thirty six million 271 00:19:36,755 --> 00:19:40,195 Speaker 1: people watched the nineteen eighty All Star Game. If the 272 00:19:40,275 --> 00:19:44,155 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two ratings held, seven and a half million 273 00:19:44,195 --> 00:19:48,195 Speaker 1: people watched the One last night. That's largely because today 274 00:19:48,195 --> 00:19:53,155 Speaker 1: you can see every player every night everywhere. You are 275 00:19:53,275 --> 00:19:57,315 Speaker 1: now your own sports center. But the rest of it, 276 00:19:58,195 --> 00:20:01,195 Speaker 1: the rest of it, Baseball threw away out of greed 277 00:20:02,075 --> 00:20:05,515 Speaker 1: alone among the All Star Games, just as among the 278 00:20:05,595 --> 00:20:09,515 Speaker 1: major sports championships, there was no artifice, no conceit in 279 00:20:09,555 --> 00:20:12,395 Speaker 1: the Baseball All Star Game. Just as there were no 280 00:20:12,475 --> 00:20:15,715 Speaker 1: regular season games between the American and National League teams 281 00:20:15,835 --> 00:20:20,195 Speaker 1: until nineteen ninety seven, there was also no love lost 282 00:20:20,315 --> 00:20:24,315 Speaker 1: between the American and National leagues. There were American League 283 00:20:24,315 --> 00:20:28,435 Speaker 1: fans and there were National League fans, and although this 284 00:20:28,635 --> 00:20:32,675 Speaker 1: was lessening with time, part of being an American League 285 00:20:32,715 --> 00:20:37,955 Speaker 1: fan was hating the National League and vice versa. And 286 00:20:37,995 --> 00:20:40,795 Speaker 1: this was not the result of some brilliant marketing strategy. 287 00:20:40,875 --> 00:20:45,715 Speaker 1: This was organic. My grandfather lived until nineteen eighty six, 288 00:20:46,155 --> 00:20:49,955 Speaker 1: and he died hating the American League, in large part 289 00:20:49,995 --> 00:20:52,955 Speaker 1: because when he was just a boy, the National League 290 00:20:53,315 --> 00:20:56,715 Speaker 1: was all there was in baseball, and then in nineteen 291 00:20:56,755 --> 00:20:59,555 Speaker 1: oh one, the American League came along and stole nearly 292 00:20:59,675 --> 00:21:03,195 Speaker 1: all the National League stars one hundred and eighty five 293 00:21:03,315 --> 00:21:06,555 Speaker 1: guys on opening day American League rosters in the year 294 00:21:06,675 --> 00:21:09,235 Speaker 1: nineteen oh one, one hundred and eighty five. One hundred 295 00:21:09,275 --> 00:21:11,995 Speaker 1: and eleven of them had played in the National League 296 00:21:11,995 --> 00:21:16,115 Speaker 1: the year before, total chaos. National League lineups that had 297 00:21:16,155 --> 00:21:19,875 Speaker 1: been intact for a decade were destroyed by the American League, 298 00:21:19,875 --> 00:21:22,595 Speaker 1: and though the leagues ended their player war in nineteen 299 00:21:22,635 --> 00:21:28,955 Speaker 1: oh three, nobody, nobody forgave or forgot, I mean the 300 00:21:29,115 --> 00:21:33,035 Speaker 1: next year, my grandpa's team, the New York Giants, won 301 00:21:33,115 --> 00:21:37,235 Speaker 1: the National League pennant, but refused to play in the 302 00:21:37,275 --> 00:21:40,755 Speaker 1: World Series against the American League champions because their manager, 303 00:21:40,835 --> 00:21:43,315 Speaker 1: John McGraw, hated the president of the American League and 304 00:21:43,395 --> 00:21:45,715 Speaker 1: John McGraw still did not believe the American League was 305 00:21:45,715 --> 00:21:49,755 Speaker 1: a major league. When the All Star Game began in 306 00:21:49,835 --> 00:21:53,595 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty three, John McGraw was brought out of retirement 307 00:21:53,635 --> 00:21:56,755 Speaker 1: to manage the National League All Stars, and the rumors 308 00:21:56,795 --> 00:22:00,915 Speaker 1: began of off the record bonuses offered to players if 309 00:22:00,955 --> 00:22:03,995 Speaker 1: the National League won, or if a National League pitcher 310 00:22:04,075 --> 00:22:06,355 Speaker 1: knocked in an American League, battered down with a pitch 311 00:22:06,435 --> 00:22:08,955 Speaker 1: during the game, or injured an American League player on 312 00:22:08,955 --> 00:22:12,555 Speaker 1: the field. It wasn't just his own demons that drove 313 00:22:12,635 --> 00:22:16,435 Speaker 1: Pete Rose to knock over American League catcher Ray Fosse 314 00:22:16,555 --> 00:22:19,875 Speaker 1: and fracture Fosse's shoulder in order to score the winning 315 00:22:19,955 --> 00:22:22,395 Speaker 1: run in the nineteen seventy All Star Game. That's the 316 00:22:22,475 --> 00:22:27,595 Speaker 1: way they played the All Star Game. I mentioned before 317 00:22:27,795 --> 00:22:31,075 Speaker 1: that this organic affection for one league and hatred for 318 00:22:31,155 --> 00:22:35,075 Speaker 1: the other gave almost every baseball fan a rooting interest 319 00:22:35,475 --> 00:22:37,755 Speaker 1: not just in the All Star Game, but in the 320 00:22:37,755 --> 00:22:42,035 Speaker 1: World Series, a rooting interest that no longer exists. The 321 00:22:42,075 --> 00:22:46,515 Speaker 1: American Leagues and National League don't exist anymore. They have 322 00:22:46,595 --> 00:22:51,715 Speaker 1: been reduced to bookkeeping formalities adjusting for growth in population. 323 00:22:51,835 --> 00:22:55,155 Speaker 1: The TV audience for the World Series is now about 324 00:22:55,635 --> 00:22:58,875 Speaker 1: a quarter of what it was in nineteen eighty, largely 325 00:22:58,915 --> 00:23:01,755 Speaker 1: because if your team is not playing, why should you care. 326 00:23:02,395 --> 00:23:04,955 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty he rooted for the Philadelphia Affillies because 327 00:23:04,955 --> 00:23:07,755 Speaker 1: you were a National League fan, or maybe you rooted 328 00:23:07,795 --> 00:23:10,435 Speaker 1: against the Phillies and for the Kansas City Roads, because yeah, 329 00:23:10,435 --> 00:23:11,955 Speaker 1: you were a National League fan, but you were a 330 00:23:11,955 --> 00:23:14,035 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh fan or a Mets fan, and you hated the 331 00:23:14,035 --> 00:23:20,675 Speaker 1: Phillies and you were watching to watch them lose. When 332 00:23:20,755 --> 00:23:24,075 Speaker 1: was the last time you met a National League fan? 333 00:23:25,835 --> 00:23:28,955 Speaker 1: One more point and then I'll stop the Hey you kids, 334 00:23:28,955 --> 00:23:32,355 Speaker 1: get off my lawning. Here, I could list one thousand 335 00:23:32,475 --> 00:23:36,115 Speaker 1: things on the field that could illustrate the history of 336 00:23:36,155 --> 00:23:40,435 Speaker 1: a wonderful, vivid, punch throwing enmity between the two baseball 337 00:23:40,515 --> 00:23:42,915 Speaker 1: leagues that animated the World Series in the All Star 338 00:23:42,995 --> 00:23:46,035 Speaker 1: Game until Baseball killed it off because Baseball could make 339 00:23:46,075 --> 00:23:50,875 Speaker 1: an extra thousand dollars selling Subway Series caps or Freeway 340 00:23:50,995 --> 00:23:56,075 Speaker 1: Series windshield a visors that came with interleague play. But 341 00:23:56,275 --> 00:24:00,115 Speaker 1: actually it's two off the field battles that really emphasized 342 00:24:00,195 --> 00:24:05,435 Speaker 1: just how wonderful and wonderfully petty the hatred of American 343 00:24:05,515 --> 00:24:09,635 Speaker 1: League for National League used to be. In the winter 344 00:24:09,715 --> 00:24:13,595 Speaker 1: of nineteen nineteen, a dispute over a player trade in 345 00:24:13,635 --> 00:24:16,715 Speaker 1: the American League that previous season got so heated that 346 00:24:16,755 --> 00:24:19,715 Speaker 1: the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, and the 347 00:24:19,795 --> 00:24:24,915 Speaker 1: Chicago White Sox actually resigned from the American League and 348 00:24:25,195 --> 00:24:28,955 Speaker 1: joined the National League. They left the American League, which 349 00:24:28,995 --> 00:24:33,275 Speaker 1: only then had five teams, and created a super league 350 00:24:33,315 --> 00:24:37,355 Speaker 1: in the National League. Obviously, this was resolved before the 351 00:24:37,395 --> 00:24:39,955 Speaker 1: season started and they never took the field this way, 352 00:24:40,155 --> 00:24:43,515 Speaker 1: but it happened. Try that bit of trivia on a 353 00:24:43,555 --> 00:24:45,875 Speaker 1: Red Sox or Yankee fan, remember when you guys were 354 00:24:45,875 --> 00:24:50,235 Speaker 1: in the National League. The second event was forty years later, 355 00:24:50,275 --> 00:24:53,035 Speaker 1: and it was far more subtle, but maybe more telling. 356 00:24:53,515 --> 00:24:58,195 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty nine, nineteen fifty nine, fifty six years 357 00:24:58,195 --> 00:25:01,115 Speaker 1: after the supposed peace agreement between the two leagues, a 358 00:25:01,195 --> 00:25:05,035 Speaker 1: joint committee met and voted to end a rule about 359 00:25:05,075 --> 00:25:08,435 Speaker 1: trading players between American League teams and National League teams. 360 00:25:08,635 --> 00:25:13,195 Speaker 1: The rule was you couldn't trade players between American League 361 00:25:13,235 --> 00:25:15,675 Speaker 1: teams and National League teams. Until nineteen fifty nine, it 362 00:25:15,715 --> 00:25:20,715 Speaker 1: was literally illegal within baseball for say, the New York Yankees, 363 00:25:20,755 --> 00:25:23,795 Speaker 1: to exchange players with the Los Angeles Dodgers or any 364 00:25:23,835 --> 00:25:27,475 Speaker 1: other National League team without first offering to sell those 365 00:25:27,555 --> 00:25:31,595 Speaker 1: players that they wanted to trade to every other American 366 00:25:31,675 --> 00:25:35,955 Speaker 1: League team for the waiver price ten twenty thousand, fifty 367 00:25:35,995 --> 00:25:39,315 Speaker 1: thousand dollars, depending on the year before you could be 368 00:25:39,475 --> 00:25:43,835 Speaker 1: traded from one league to the other, every other team 369 00:25:43,955 --> 00:25:46,715 Speaker 1: in your league had to say, nah, we don't want them. 370 00:25:47,195 --> 00:25:52,155 Speaker 1: So star players were never traded from one league to 371 00:25:52,235 --> 00:25:55,915 Speaker 1: the other until nineteen fifty nine. This went on for 372 00:25:56,035 --> 00:26:01,755 Speaker 1: fifty six years, and when they finally voted to eliminate 373 00:26:01,835 --> 00:26:05,355 Speaker 1: that rule, there were only sixteen teams than eight in 374 00:26:05,475 --> 00:26:10,195 Speaker 1: each league, and four of sixteen teams still voted against 375 00:26:10,235 --> 00:26:14,995 Speaker 1: the rule. And when they finally approved this interleague trading, 376 00:26:15,035 --> 00:26:18,955 Speaker 1: they only made it legal for a limited interleague trading 377 00:26:19,235 --> 00:26:22,915 Speaker 1: period around Thanksgiving, and the length of the period that 378 00:26:22,955 --> 00:26:29,315 Speaker 1: they all agreed to was twenty six days. Twenty six days, 379 00:26:29,355 --> 00:26:31,675 Speaker 1: the other three hundred and thirty nine days no trade 380 00:26:31,755 --> 00:26:35,355 Speaker 1: between the leagues. So when did they get rid of 381 00:26:35,355 --> 00:26:41,155 Speaker 1: that limitation? Not until nineteen eighty six, And that's why 382 00:26:41,195 --> 00:26:44,315 Speaker 1: the Baseball All Star Game is not a big deal anymore. 383 00:26:57,635 --> 00:27:00,275 Speaker 1: Still ahead on this all new edition of Countdown. Baseball. 384 00:27:00,315 --> 00:27:02,595 Speaker 1: In fact, used to matter so much that local TV 385 00:27:02,675 --> 00:27:08,355 Speaker 1: sportscasters used to make stories, I mean big stories, make 386 00:27:08,435 --> 00:27:11,715 Speaker 1: them up to try to get ratings and attention. I mean, 387 00:27:11,755 --> 00:27:13,755 Speaker 1: I saw one guy in LA when I was there 388 00:27:13,835 --> 00:27:16,515 Speaker 1: go on a TV newscast and claim that a home 389 00:27:16,635 --> 00:27:19,715 Speaker 1: run that kept the Dodgers out of the World Series 390 00:27:19,715 --> 00:27:22,995 Speaker 1: one year, that home run didn't count, and the Dodgers 391 00:27:23,035 --> 00:27:26,275 Speaker 1: should show up at the World Series anyway and demand 392 00:27:26,395 --> 00:27:30,835 Speaker 1: to play. He said this on live television. The story 393 00:27:30,875 --> 00:27:33,515 Speaker 1: next in Things I promised not to tell first time 394 00:27:33,515 --> 00:27:35,355 Speaker 1: for the daily roundup of the miss Grants, morons and 395 00:27:35,435 --> 00:27:39,275 Speaker 1: Dunning Krueger effects specimens who constitute today's worse persons in 396 00:27:39,315 --> 00:27:43,835 Speaker 1: the world. The runner up, Senator Tommy I'm just gonna 397 00:27:43,915 --> 00:27:49,155 Speaker 1: keep digging here. Tubberville of Alabama, the former Auburn football coach. 398 00:27:49,195 --> 00:27:52,755 Speaker 1: Tubberville is a flat out racist slime who last week 399 00:27:52,835 --> 00:27:56,035 Speaker 1: wondered if teachers in inner city schools can read and write, 400 00:27:56,715 --> 00:27:59,795 Speaker 1: and he keeps defending white nationalists, and then yesterday suddenly 401 00:27:59,835 --> 00:28:04,595 Speaker 1: blurted quote, white nationalists are racists, and somebody quipped on law, 402 00:28:05,595 --> 00:28:08,715 Speaker 1: was there a football joke in there somewhere? And I said, 403 00:28:08,915 --> 00:28:12,555 Speaker 1: Tubberville's only football jokes were his teams. This is so 404 00:28:12,755 --> 00:28:16,555 Speaker 1: bad now that Senator Tuberville's brother, Charles, who is a 405 00:28:16,675 --> 00:28:20,795 Speaker 1: rock guitarist, felt compelled to issue this statement about his 406 00:28:20,875 --> 00:28:24,475 Speaker 1: own brother quote due to recent statements by him promoting 407 00:28:24,555 --> 00:28:28,795 Speaker 1: racial stereotypes, white nationalism, and other various controversial topics. I 408 00:28:28,915 --> 00:28:34,675 Speaker 1: feel compelled to distance myself from his ignorant, hateful rants. 409 00:28:34,795 --> 00:28:40,955 Speaker 1: Unquote the Tubberville Brothers, everybody the runner up Congressman Jim, 410 00:28:41,035 --> 00:28:44,355 Speaker 1: what do you mean my witness is a Chinese spy? Jordan? 411 00:28:45,315 --> 00:28:49,395 Speaker 1: Jim has had another brainstorm. The Wall Street Journal reports 412 00:28:49,475 --> 00:28:52,155 Speaker 1: Jordan will try to gut funding for the FBI unless 413 00:28:52,155 --> 00:28:54,675 Speaker 1: the bureau agrees to build its new headquarters not in 414 00:28:54,715 --> 00:29:01,235 Speaker 1: the suburbs of Washington, DC, but in Huntsville. Abavamma, so 415 00:29:01,275 --> 00:29:04,435 Speaker 1: it can be closer to Tommy Tuberville. Why not was 416 00:29:04,475 --> 00:29:09,195 Speaker 1: so Alaska? Jim, remember with Scilla, Alaska? But our winner 417 00:29:09,355 --> 00:29:13,675 Speaker 1: Doug Burgham. Doug is the pair of eyebrows currently serving 418 00:29:13,675 --> 00:29:15,675 Speaker 1: as governor of North Dakota, and he is running for 419 00:29:15,675 --> 00:29:19,875 Speaker 1: the Republican nomination. A with mine, I'm allowed to mock 420 00:29:19,995 --> 00:29:23,355 Speaker 1: eyebrows and b you gotta give him credit. He at 421 00:29:23,435 --> 00:29:26,155 Speaker 1: least recognizes that his odds of getting the nomination are 422 00:29:26,235 --> 00:29:29,715 Speaker 1: kind of small, small enough that Doug Burgham is willing 423 00:29:29,755 --> 00:29:32,675 Speaker 1: to buy the nomination and not just buy it, mind you, 424 00:29:32,755 --> 00:29:37,875 Speaker 1: but pay you to donate to his campaign. How does 425 00:29:37,915 --> 00:29:43,355 Speaker 1: that work? Volume volume volume. The GOP will give a 426 00:29:43,395 --> 00:29:46,515 Speaker 1: spot on its first debate stage to anybody who gets 427 00:29:46,555 --> 00:29:51,275 Speaker 1: at least fifty thousand donations of at least one dollar each. 428 00:29:52,235 --> 00:29:54,955 Speaker 1: So Doug Burgham says he will give his first fifty 429 00:29:55,035 --> 00:30:01,075 Speaker 1: thousand donors a Visa or MasterCard gift card of twenty dollars. 430 00:30:01,755 --> 00:30:07,515 Speaker 1: You give him one dollar, he gives you twenty dollars. Volume, volume, volume, 431 00:30:09,075 --> 00:30:14,235 Speaker 1: talk about buying votes, Governor Doug Bergham, Hey, Doug, I'll 432 00:30:14,235 --> 00:30:16,155 Speaker 1: give you twenty bucks. You got a pro to go, 433 00:30:16,235 --> 00:30:37,795 Speaker 1: trim your eyebrows, Today's worst eyebrows and the world here 434 00:30:37,915 --> 00:30:40,075 Speaker 1: the number one story on the Countdown now, and things 435 00:30:40,075 --> 00:30:42,435 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell. And a personal saga of 436 00:30:42,515 --> 00:30:46,715 Speaker 1: how important baseball used to be. I had only been 437 00:30:46,755 --> 00:30:49,595 Speaker 1: the local sportscaster on Channel five in Los Angeles for 438 00:30:49,635 --> 00:30:52,595 Speaker 1: about six weeks when I saw one of my rivals 439 00:30:52,635 --> 00:30:57,395 Speaker 1: do something I could not believe. Nearly thirty eight years 440 00:30:57,875 --> 00:31:01,195 Speaker 1: have since passed, and it's even harder for me to 441 00:31:01,195 --> 00:31:05,875 Speaker 1: believe it now. In Game five of the nineteen eighty 442 00:31:05,915 --> 00:31:09,195 Speaker 1: five National League Championship Series between the LA Dodgers and 443 00:31:09,235 --> 00:31:11,955 Speaker 1: the Saint Louis Cardinals winner goes to the World Series. 444 00:31:12,435 --> 00:31:14,915 Speaker 1: Ozzy Smith, the famous shortstop of the Cardinals, hit a 445 00:31:14,915 --> 00:31:16,955 Speaker 1: home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to 446 00:31:16,955 --> 00:31:20,315 Speaker 1: beat the Dodgers three to two. Smith was a switch hitter. 447 00:31:20,515 --> 00:31:22,515 Speaker 1: He could bat left handed or right handed, but he 448 00:31:22,555 --> 00:31:25,995 Speaker 1: had never hit a home run right handed until then. 449 00:31:26,715 --> 00:31:30,235 Speaker 1: The ball hit some brick or concrete behind the foul 450 00:31:30,275 --> 00:31:32,635 Speaker 1: pole and Saint Louis bounded back onto the field, and 451 00:31:32,675 --> 00:31:35,035 Speaker 1: the Dodger right fielder Mike Marshall picked it up and 452 00:31:35,075 --> 00:31:39,315 Speaker 1: threw it back to the infield just cause, like why not. 453 00:31:40,515 --> 00:31:44,795 Speaker 1: Two days later, back in Los Angeles, in an infamous 454 00:31:44,835 --> 00:31:49,035 Speaker 1: sequence that older Dodger fans still grumble about nightly, the 455 00:31:49,075 --> 00:31:53,075 Speaker 1: Dodgers lost that series on another home run by Jack 456 00:31:53,115 --> 00:31:56,435 Speaker 1: Clark of Saint Louis. And the night after that, I 457 00:31:56,515 --> 00:31:58,835 Speaker 1: was sitting with my new colleagues at Channel five and 458 00:31:58,875 --> 00:32:03,835 Speaker 1: we had the rival newscast from Channel nine KHJTV on 459 00:32:03,835 --> 00:32:06,035 Speaker 1: one of our TV nitors in the sports office, and 460 00:32:06,115 --> 00:32:09,875 Speaker 1: for some reason their sportscaster was on at the start 461 00:32:10,395 --> 00:32:13,635 Speaker 1: of their newscast at ten o'clock. I have important breaking news, 462 00:32:13,675 --> 00:32:16,875 Speaker 1: he yelled. His name was Scott Saint James and he 463 00:32:16,955 --> 00:32:21,075 Speaker 1: was always yelling, but this was different. Careful forensic analysis 464 00:32:21,115 --> 00:32:23,835 Speaker 1: of the videotape by the Channel nine Sports department proves 465 00:32:24,155 --> 00:32:27,075 Speaker 1: that Ozzy Smith's so called home run against the Dodgers 466 00:32:27,115 --> 00:32:29,795 Speaker 1: in Game five was actually not a home run but 467 00:32:29,835 --> 00:32:34,035 Speaker 1: a double. Look Saint James shouted, then played the same 468 00:32:34,155 --> 00:32:37,875 Speaker 1: videotape every station in America had, showing the same angle 469 00:32:38,355 --> 00:32:41,995 Speaker 1: of the same Smith home run, landing fair and beating 470 00:32:41,995 --> 00:32:44,235 Speaker 1: the Dodgers and then bouncing back off the wall onto 471 00:32:44,275 --> 00:32:45,915 Speaker 1: the field and the Dodger right field are kind of 472 00:32:45,995 --> 00:32:48,115 Speaker 1: a half hearted we throwing the ball back into the 473 00:32:48,115 --> 00:32:52,995 Speaker 1: infield just cuz that Saint James bellowed was just a double. 474 00:32:53,795 --> 00:32:55,955 Speaker 1: Mike Marshall's throw proves it beyond the shadow of a 475 00:32:56,035 --> 00:32:59,235 Speaker 1: legal doubt. Channel nine Sports urges the Dodgers to file 476 00:32:59,315 --> 00:33:02,995 Speaker 1: lawsuits against Major League Baseball to obtain a restraining order 477 00:33:03,035 --> 00:33:06,555 Speaker 1: against this travesty, then urged the Dodgers to report to 478 00:33:06,635 --> 00:33:09,955 Speaker 1: Kansas City in order to play in tomorrow night's first 479 00:33:09,995 --> 00:33:13,075 Speaker 1: game of the nineteen eighty five World Series as the 480 00:33:13,155 --> 00:33:18,555 Speaker 1: rightful representatives of the National League. I don't have a 481 00:33:18,635 --> 00:33:22,435 Speaker 1: tape of this, so my version of what this buffoon, 482 00:33:22,555 --> 00:33:27,835 Speaker 1: Saint James said, is recreated from memory as faithfully as possible. 483 00:33:29,395 --> 00:33:31,915 Speaker 1: It is burned into my memory. And if it's not 484 00:33:32,115 --> 00:33:35,115 Speaker 1: one hundred percent accurate word for word, trust me, I 485 00:33:35,315 --> 00:33:41,435 Speaker 1: just improved it. Over at Channel five, we laughed. The 486 00:33:41,435 --> 00:33:43,355 Speaker 1: phone rang. It was one of the sports producers at 487 00:33:43,395 --> 00:33:46,555 Speaker 1: Channel two, friend of all of ours. He was laughing. 488 00:33:47,435 --> 00:33:50,835 Speaker 1: On Channel nine, they were not laughing. They did I 489 00:33:50,915 --> 00:33:54,795 Speaker 1: think this quote story unquote twice in their newscast that night, 490 00:33:54,835 --> 00:33:57,915 Speaker 1: and they continued to ride this idea that the home 491 00:33:57,995 --> 00:34:02,515 Speaker 1: run did not count and the Dodgers should sue right 492 00:34:02,595 --> 00:34:05,235 Speaker 1: up until the nineteen eighty five World Series, which the 493 00:34:05,275 --> 00:34:09,235 Speaker 1: Dodgers did not play in, ended a week later. But 494 00:34:09,355 --> 00:34:12,635 Speaker 1: that's not where the story ended, as if the Saint 495 00:34:12,795 --> 00:34:15,715 Speaker 1: James thing had cursed the nineteen eighty five World Series, 496 00:34:16,595 --> 00:34:20,075 Speaker 1: and nobody ever really knew if he really believed the story, 497 00:34:20,115 --> 00:34:22,235 Speaker 1: he was just trying to get eyeballs on a sportscast. 498 00:34:22,315 --> 00:34:27,115 Speaker 1: Nobody watched the guys who managed the World Series teams 499 00:34:27,195 --> 00:34:29,635 Speaker 1: get to manage their league's team in the All Star 500 00:34:29,715 --> 00:34:32,475 Speaker 1: Game the next year, so Dick Houser, manager of the 501 00:34:32,515 --> 00:34:35,635 Speaker 1: World champion Kansas City Royals, of nineteen eighty five was 502 00:34:35,675 --> 00:34:38,075 Speaker 1: the manager of the nineteen eighty six All Star Game, 503 00:34:38,115 --> 00:34:42,035 Speaker 1: played on July fifteenth at the Astrodome in Houston. That year, 504 00:34:42,075 --> 00:34:45,235 Speaker 1: the California Angels, whose games were carried on my station 505 00:34:45,395 --> 00:34:47,875 Speaker 1: Channel five, had one of their players produced one of 506 00:34:47,915 --> 00:34:50,835 Speaker 1: the great rookie seasons of all time. His name was 507 00:34:50,835 --> 00:34:53,955 Speaker 1: Wally Joyner. He was this kind of goofy first baseman. 508 00:34:54,275 --> 00:34:55,995 Speaker 1: He was a friend of mine, and even though he 509 00:34:56,075 --> 00:34:58,355 Speaker 1: was not on the fans All Star ballots, he was 510 00:34:58,475 --> 00:35:03,075 Speaker 1: voted in written in as the starting American League All 511 00:35:03,075 --> 00:35:06,555 Speaker 1: Star first baseman. He won with write in votes didn't 512 00:35:06,555 --> 00:35:09,395 Speaker 1: happen too often. So at the nineteen eighty six All 513 00:35:09,395 --> 00:35:12,515 Speaker 1: Star Game, Joyinner is the starting first baseman, and he 514 00:35:12,555 --> 00:35:14,595 Speaker 1: comes up in the second inning and he pops up. 515 00:35:15,155 --> 00:35:17,515 Speaker 1: But per All Star etiquette, he'll get at least one 516 00:35:17,555 --> 00:35:19,675 Speaker 1: more at bat, probably two. All the starters get two 517 00:35:19,675 --> 00:35:23,035 Speaker 1: at bats except in the fourth inning, when it's Joiner's 518 00:35:23,075 --> 00:35:27,315 Speaker 1: turn to hit again. All Star manager Dick Hauser pinch 519 00:35:27,395 --> 00:35:30,555 Speaker 1: hits for Joiner, sends up Don Mattingly of the Yankees 520 00:35:30,595 --> 00:35:33,675 Speaker 1: to bat instead of Joiner. Well, this did not go 521 00:35:33,755 --> 00:35:36,835 Speaker 1: over well in Southern California. Some of us were wondering 522 00:35:36,835 --> 00:35:39,275 Speaker 1: if Wally Joyner was hurt or if there was something 523 00:35:39,275 --> 00:35:42,715 Speaker 1: else going on. But over at another of our rival 524 00:35:42,795 --> 00:35:47,795 Speaker 1: sports departments at KABC Channel seven, that's not where their sportscaster, 525 00:35:47,915 --> 00:35:51,235 Speaker 1: Ted Dawson took it. He went on that night blistering 526 00:35:51,275 --> 00:35:55,235 Speaker 1: Dick Hauser for insulting Joiner and insulting the Angels and 527 00:35:55,275 --> 00:35:59,315 Speaker 1: Los Angeles and Anaheim and God and the flag. And 528 00:35:59,395 --> 00:36:03,475 Speaker 1: he told his viewers to call the hotel in Houston 529 00:36:03,915 --> 00:36:07,195 Speaker 1: that Dick House was staying at and ask for his 530 00:36:07,315 --> 00:36:10,675 Speaker 1: room and yell at him. I think they put up 531 00:36:10,715 --> 00:36:14,715 Speaker 1: a graphic with the hotel phone number. Mind you, by 532 00:36:14,755 --> 00:36:16,795 Speaker 1: the time Ted Dawson did this, it would have been 533 00:36:16,995 --> 00:36:21,275 Speaker 1: one fifteen in the morning in the Houston hotel. Whatever 534 00:36:21,355 --> 00:36:26,035 Speaker 1: Hauser had done, what Dawson did was far worse. We 535 00:36:26,075 --> 00:36:28,595 Speaker 1: could not have imagined at the time how far worse. 536 00:36:29,395 --> 00:36:32,875 Speaker 1: The next day, the Kansas City Royals announced that Dick 537 00:36:32,915 --> 00:36:36,155 Speaker 1: Hauser had been admitted to the hospital after several weeks 538 00:36:36,155 --> 00:36:39,555 Speaker 1: of neck pain, and the day after that, through tears, 539 00:36:39,955 --> 00:36:42,555 Speaker 1: a spokesman announced that dick Hauser was taking a leave 540 00:36:42,595 --> 00:36:46,355 Speaker 1: of absence as manager of the team immediately because he 541 00:36:46,475 --> 00:36:49,995 Speaker 1: had a brain tumor. In fact, Dick Hauser would die 542 00:36:50,035 --> 00:36:52,635 Speaker 1: about eleven months later at the age of just fifty one. 543 00:36:53,475 --> 00:36:56,355 Speaker 1: The nineteen eighty six All Star Game was the last 544 00:36:56,395 --> 00:37:00,795 Speaker 1: game Howser ever participated in, and Ted Dawson had told 545 00:37:00,795 --> 00:37:02,995 Speaker 1: his viewers to call Hauser up late at night in 546 00:37:03,035 --> 00:37:06,555 Speaker 1: a hotel and yet at him over an insult to 547 00:37:06,595 --> 00:37:10,155 Speaker 1: a player. I've done a lot of stupid stuff on 548 00:37:10,235 --> 00:37:11,995 Speaker 1: TV in my life, a lot of stuff I should 549 00:37:12,035 --> 00:37:15,075 Speaker 1: have just left alone. In most cases, I've been able 550 00:37:15,115 --> 00:37:18,995 Speaker 1: to apologize or at least make fun of myself or 551 00:37:19,035 --> 00:37:21,355 Speaker 1: make it up to the people involved with these two guys. 552 00:37:21,835 --> 00:37:25,235 Speaker 1: Saint James was fired the next year, I think, and 553 00:37:25,275 --> 00:37:28,875 Speaker 1: then Dawson. And then Dawson got hired in Dallas, and 554 00:37:28,915 --> 00:37:30,795 Speaker 1: the next thing we heard in LA was he was 555 00:37:30,835 --> 00:37:32,755 Speaker 1: living with some rich older woman who had bought him 556 00:37:32,755 --> 00:37:35,595 Speaker 1: a helicopter. Last thing I saw about him was in 557 00:37:35,595 --> 00:37:38,995 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, he retired after several years as the sports 558 00:37:39,075 --> 00:37:46,755 Speaker 1: director of station KBZK in Bozeman, Montana. Sometimes life punishes 559 00:37:46,795 --> 00:37:49,635 Speaker 1: you first, then you screw up, rather than the other 560 00:37:49,675 --> 00:37:52,995 Speaker 1: way around. It dawned on me after Dick Hauser died 561 00:37:53,635 --> 00:37:57,075 Speaker 1: that years earlier. In nineteen eighty, the ABC station in 562 00:37:57,115 --> 00:38:00,555 Speaker 1: my hometown here in New York needed a new sportscaster, 563 00:38:00,675 --> 00:38:05,115 Speaker 1: and they tried out literally every sportscaster on every big 564 00:38:05,155 --> 00:38:08,355 Speaker 1: ABC station in the country. One week they had the 565 00:38:08,395 --> 00:38:11,275 Speaker 1: guy in from Detroit, the week after that it was 566 00:38:11,315 --> 00:38:13,875 Speaker 1: their guy from their station in Syracuse, and one week 567 00:38:13,915 --> 00:38:17,715 Speaker 1: it had been Ted Dawson from KABC in Los Angeles, 568 00:38:17,755 --> 00:38:20,355 Speaker 1: the guy who would tell his viewers to call up 569 00:38:20,395 --> 00:38:23,195 Speaker 1: and use the manager in the middle of the night. 570 00:38:24,555 --> 00:38:28,315 Speaker 1: Ted Dawson's on air style was breathless, and I mean 571 00:38:28,395 --> 00:38:30,995 Speaker 1: that literally. He shouted at the top of his lungs. 572 00:38:31,035 --> 00:38:32,755 Speaker 1: Had he read his script as fast as he could. 573 00:38:34,035 --> 00:38:37,035 Speaker 1: I mean, I can't even recreate it without causing myself 574 00:38:37,075 --> 00:38:39,995 Speaker 1: a coughing fit. While I happened to be watching the 575 00:38:40,075 --> 00:38:42,635 Speaker 1: night of his first audition show on the New York station, 576 00:38:43,195 --> 00:38:46,875 Speaker 1: Ted Dawson screamed for about three minutes, finished and panting, 577 00:38:47,315 --> 00:38:50,755 Speaker 1: threw it back to the veteran deadpan WABC Channel seven 578 00:38:50,795 --> 00:38:57,755 Speaker 1: news anchorman Roger Grimsby. Roger back to you, and they 579 00:38:57,835 --> 00:39:00,715 Speaker 1: cut to Grimsby. He was staring to his right towards 580 00:39:00,715 --> 00:39:06,435 Speaker 1: where Dawson was sitting wordlessly, turned back to face the camera, 581 00:39:06,555 --> 00:39:09,595 Speaker 1: and with no hint of emotion, Roger Grimsmy simply said, 582 00:39:11,275 --> 00:39:29,115 Speaker 1: we shall now resume the news. Wow, we shall now 583 00:39:29,195 --> 00:39:32,275 Speaker 1: resume the news. I've done all the damage I can 584 00:39:32,315 --> 00:39:34,195 Speaker 1: do here. Thank you for listening. Here are the credits. 585 00:39:34,195 --> 00:39:36,955 Speaker 1: Most of the music was arranged, produced and performed by 586 00:39:36,955 --> 00:39:39,675 Speaker 1: Brian Ray and John Phillips Shanel, who are the Countdown 587 00:39:39,755 --> 00:39:42,995 Speaker 1: musical directors. Guitar is bassed and drums by Brian Ray, 588 00:39:43,355 --> 00:39:46,555 Speaker 1: all orchestration and keyboards by John Phillips Shanel, produced by 589 00:39:46,595 --> 00:39:50,275 Speaker 1: Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed 590 00:39:50,275 --> 00:39:53,315 Speaker 1: by the group No Horns Allowed. Sports Music is the 591 00:39:53,355 --> 00:39:56,275 Speaker 1: Olderman theme from ESPN two and it was written by 592 00:39:56,315 --> 00:39:59,835 Speaker 1: Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. Musical comments by 593 00:39:59,915 --> 00:40:03,235 Speaker 1: Nancy Fauss. The best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer 594 00:40:03,235 --> 00:40:06,275 Speaker 1: today was my friend Kenny Maine. Everything else is pretty 595 00:40:06,315 --> 00:40:09,995 Speaker 1: much my fault. Don't forget. Countdown now also available on 596 00:40:10,035 --> 00:40:14,835 Speaker 1: YouTube with the cute little animated me. Subscribe there as well, 597 00:40:14,875 --> 00:40:18,275 Speaker 1: give yourself options. That's countdown for this The nine hundred 598 00:40:18,315 --> 00:40:21,555 Speaker 1: and eighteenth day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against 599 00:40:21,595 --> 00:40:24,635 Speaker 1: the democratically elected government of the United States. Arrest him 600 00:40:24,635 --> 00:40:27,595 Speaker 1: again while we still can. The next schedule countdown is 601 00:40:27,635 --> 00:40:31,635 Speaker 1: tomorrow bulletins as the news warrants till then, I'm Keith Olberman. 602 00:40:31,715 --> 00:40:51,555 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. Countdown with 603 00:40:51,715 --> 00:40:55,955 Speaker 1: Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 604 00:40:55,995 --> 00:41:00,755 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 605 00:41:00,795 --> 00:41:02,355 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.