OUTspoken’s Top Blog Posts for 2019

The end of the year means another list somewhere, and this blog is no exception. Since this blog is a mix of LGBT, Politics and Arts, the top 5 posts for 2019 according to page views are listed by category below. In addition, I returned to my roots with sports commentary and posted articles during the Washington Nationals’ historic championship run in October.   You may click on the title of each to access the full post.

LGBTQ

1.     Gay Christian Delivers Heavenly Performance on ‘Idol’ (March) -  Son of Christian pastor comes out as gay to national audience during audition for American Idol. Not only was this post the most viewed in the category but it was also the most viewed post of the year.

2.     A Prideful First for Howard County (April) - The first ever Pride celebration in Howard County is set to go.

3.     Straight Pride: Another Way to Mock LGBTQ Folks (June) -  Anti-LGBTQ people think they deserve to hold a “straight pride” event. Why this is wrong.

4.     Howard County H.S.Students to Hold First Rainbow Conference (July) -  First student-led LGBTQ conference in Howard County to be held in May 2020.

5.     Jumel Howard:Leading Howard County to Pride (May) - A profile on the man who started with a vision and helped bring LGBTQ Pride to Howard County for the first time.

Politics

1.     The Resume Myth (December)

Pete Buttigieg has been criticized for his lack of experience but recent elections show that the resume will not necessarily win an election.

2.      Trump’s Shutdown: Another Losing Bet (January) – https://stevecharing.blogspot.com/2019/01/trumps-shutdown-another-losing-bet.html

As had been the case throughout Trump’s career, the government shutdown he brought on his own, is destined to fail politically.

3.     Going on the Offense (May) - https://stevecharing.blogspot.com/2019/05/going-on-offense.html

For Dems to succeed, they must take it to Trump.

 

4.     Trump is Not as ‘Sharpie’ as He Thinks (September) - https://stevecharing.blogspot.com/2019/09/trump-is-not-as-sharpie-as-he-thinks.html

Trump’s use of a sharpie to falsify a hurricane warning demonstrates his profound degree of dishonesty brought attention to his other exaggerations and lies.

5.     Why Not, For Pete’s Sake (April) – https://stevecharing.blogspot.com/2019/04/why-not-for-petes-sake.html A case made for the candidacy for president of Mayor Pete Buttigieg right after he formally announced and his contrasts with President Trump.

Theatre

1.     Curtain Up! Light the Lights! Gypsy Comes Up Roses at Toby’s (February)- “Cathy Mundy’s ... acting is top-notch; full of passion and conviction and portrays the loud, single-minded stage mother to the hilt.”

2.     With Cabaret at Olney, Even the Orchestra is Beautiful (September) - “…An intricately staged, brilliantly costumed spectacle…”

3.     A First Class ‘Pygmalion’ on Display at Spotlighters  (February) - “In a superb presentation at the Spotlighters Theatre, Shaw’s views through Pygmalion come to life with a potent drama laced with razor-sharp wit and humor.”

4.     Hitting the Right Notes More Than ‘Once’ at Olney (February) - “Once is a different type of musical from what we’re accustomed and… features a tender romantic story of looking back at what has been, how to bounce back from despair and to try anew while beautiful songs fill the theater.”

5.     ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame' at Toby’s is a Bell Ringer (April) - “... An extraordinary production that captures your imagination from centuries past while serving as a reminder that many of the same human issues exist today.”

Sports

1.     The Pressure is More on the Dodgers in Game 5 (October 8) -  Facing elimination once again, the LA Dodgers were feeling more pressure than the Nationals.

2.     In Defense of Kershaw (October 10) -  Dodger fans blamed the Game 5 loss on Clayton Kershaw for blowing a lead, but there was plenty of blame to go around.

 

3.     How Sweep It Is (October 16)- The Nats exorcised past demons from the 2012 series with the St. Louis Cardinals to sweep their old nemesis in the 2019 NLCS.

4.     Kings of the Road (October 31) –  The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals set a Major League Record for winning all the away games in a 7-game World Series. Fortunately for the Nats they played one more of those games than the Astros.

5.     Nationals ‘Managed’ Historic Win in Wild Card (October 2) -  Nats manager Davey Martinez pulled all the right strings as the Nats won their first postseason series—the National League one-game Wild Card match over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Blasts from the Past

Besides those popular posts from 2019 (above), below are several posts from previous years still garnering many views in 2019 (in no particular order):

‘Boys Will be Boys’ on Sizzling Atlantis Cruise (February 2009) 

Baltimore LGBT Ally Surprised at‘Ellen Show’ (October 2017) 

‘Everwood’s’ Coming Out Scene Hits the Mark (April 2006) 

From Bally’s to Ballyhoo (July 2009) 

Sadness, Resignation Linger One Year After Hippo’s Closing (October 2016) 

Why Trump’s Purple Heart Comment is the Most Disqualifying(August 2016) 

Kings of the Road

The Washington Nationals defied the odds, questionable calls, and history to notch their first world championship.

In an astounding World Series, the Washington Nationals prevailed 4 games to 3 by defeating the heavily favored Houston Astros 6-2.  As such, this team managed to win the World Series without any victories on their home field. In fact, the Astros didn’t either, and since 4 games were played at Minute Maid Park, that is why the Astros fell short.

Actually, no team in the history of playoffs in Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association or the National Hockey League experienced a 7-game series where the visiting team won all the games. This was the first time, and celebrations in local bars were scant.

In the words of Vin Scully who famously called Kirk Gibson’s epic walk-off home run in 1988, “In the year of the improbable, the impossible just happened.” It should apply to this situation.

As I  previewed Game 5 of the National League Champion Series between the Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Nats appeared to be a “team of destiny” having survived the Wild Card game against the Milwaukee Brewers in come-from-behind fashion to move on.

The Nats, the oldest in baseball, were getting some breaks along their journey until the bats cooled off and were outscored 19-3 to Houston in the 3 games at rocking Nationals Park. Game 5 may be more remembered for the thunderous booing of President Trump in attendance than anything else.  A disappointing performance by the team  to be sure, but the fans still believed they had a chance, albeit not a great one, against the 107-win Astros. 

But they did because, yes, they were returning to the road again. The Nats prevailed in Game 6 behind the magnificent Stephen Strasburg despite an absolute horrendous call by umpire Sam Holbrook on a play wherebyTrea Turner was called for interference while legging out what should have been an infield hit. 

In Game 7 they again came from behind after being shutout for 6 innings on one hit and eventually won 6-2 to seal the deal.

The Nationals were 5-0 in elimination games during this post-season and were behind in all of them. It was an amazing run, and succeeding as they did on the road, winning the last 8 games as visitors, will be a subject of conversation in the coming weeks and months.

A year and a half removed from the Washington Capitals spectacular quest for the Stanley Cup (also with dominance on the road), the Nats' success in the World Series has given the area yet another lift and a well-deserved one at that.

In Defense of Kershaw

There was plenty of blame to go around in yet another Dodgers elimination.

Photo: Star Tribune

Following the Washington Nationals’ stunning comeback victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the final game of the best-of-five National League Divisional Series, the blame game ensued in full earnest.  Much of the blame by annually disappointed Dodger fans and media has been directed towards manager Dave Roberts but the remainder appears to be aimed at future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw.

Indeed, Kershaw whose performances in post-season are far less successful than his regular season stats (he has a 2.44 ERA during his career, but in 158 ⅓ career postseason innings, he has a 4.33 ERA), served up back-to-back home runs in the 8^th inning that nullified Walker Buehler’s scintillating effort after he came in to relieve. Kershaw dispatched Adam Eaton on 3 pitches to end the rally in the 7^th inning only to return in the 8^th.

On the second pitch to Anthony Rendon, a notorious low ball hitter, Kershaw threw a slider down at the knees—a good pitch to a more mortal batter—and Rendon, in his walk year, reached down and yanked the ball over the left field wall.  The next pitch was a cookie slider to Juan Soto, 20, a budding super star in the league, crushed it 449 feet in the right center pavilion to tie the game.

So, based on Kershaw’s mediocre record in post-season games, the finger pointing headed Kershaw’s way—an inescapable occurrence that Kershaw acknowledged.

“When you don’t win the last game of the season and you’re to blame for it, it’s not fun,’’ he said following the loss to the Washington Nationals. “…Yeah, it’s just a terrible feeling.’’

“There’s no excuses. Just didn’t make pitches,’’ Kershaw said and later added, “Everything people say is true right now, about the postseason. I understand that.’’

Those two pitches only tied the game at 3-3.  Why is he blamed for the loss?  The Dodgers had every opportunity to break the tie in the bottom of the 8^th and 9^th innings but failed to do so. In the 10^th the underappreciated Nationals, with their own post-season miseries until this year, had shocked the baseball world with veteran Howie Kendrick blasting a grand slam over the center field fence to give the Nats a 7-3 lead, which held up for the win.

Davey Martinez, the Nats manager, always said as most managers do, that it takes 25 players to contribute to team’s success. It’s not about one guy or two guys. Everyone has a role to play and they all need to step up.

Howie Kendrick blasts game winning grand slam.
Photo: Los Angeles Daily News

Clayton Kershaw is only one of the Dodgers’ 25 man roster. He’s getting the blame for allowing the game to be tied but some of the other players need to be called out. 

For one thing, Joe Kelly loaded the bases in the 10^th including a dubious intentional base on balls then delivered the game winning gopher ball to Kendrick.   MVP candidate Cody Bellinger batted .211 in the series with zero RBIs. AJ Pollack went 0-13 with 11 strikeouts, an amazingly horrendous performance. Corey Seager batted .150.  Rookie catcher Will Smith hit .077. Chris Taylor .125…I can go on. Except for the outlier game, a 10-4 thrashing of the Nats in Nationals Park in Game 3, the Dodgers were extremely feeble with men in scoring position.

Roberts, for his part, is getting eviscerated in the press and on social media for his in-game decision making. Much of the second guessing regarding the usage or lack thereof of the bullpen is legitimate.  In addition, I found two instances whereby he blew it and I said so prior to the consequences from those decisions.

The first is not having veteran catcher Russell Martin start in this key game when he was so potent in Game 3.  The other was giving the intentional pass to Soto in the 10^th.  Left-handed specialist Adam Kolarek should have faced Soto again as the young phenom had been 0-3 against him in the playoffs. If successful, Roberts could then choose to intentionally walk Kendrick setting up a double play possibility with Kenley Jansen coming in to face a DP-prone Ryan Zimmerman.

Regardless of the second guessing and finger pointing, there was a ton of blame to go around, but Clayton Kershaw cannot and should not be considered the reason the Dodgers lost.

Baseball is a team sport.

The Pressure is More on the Dodgers in Game 5

Any elimination game in a playoff series regardless of the sport is a pressure cooker for sure.  The 2019 NLDS is no exception as both the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers face different types of pressure in the win-or-go-home scenario.

The final game of the best of 5 series on October 11 will feature two of the league’s most formidable starting pitchers: seasoned veteran Stephen Strasburg of the Nats, who was lights out in game 2 winning 4-2 to even the series in LA, and young Walker Buehler, who was even more dominating in a 6-0 blanking, yielding only 1 hit in 6 innings in the opener, will face off in what should be a tension-packed, epochal finale.

For the Nationals, they are seeking to escape the NLDS for the first time in five tries. The team has failed in previous attempts despite their gaudy records during the regular season. 

Three of the four eliminations occurred on their home field as the dismayed and disappointed fans endured the inglorious experience of watching the opposition (Cardinals, Dodgers and Cubs in 2012, 2016 and 2017, respectively) celebrating on the infield at Nationals Park.

There is added pressure to finally move on to the League Champion Series and beyond as the Nats are facing a future that will likely not include free agent star 3^rd baseman Anthony Rendon and maybe Ryan Zimmerman—the  original Nat and considered the face of the franchise—among others who will probably depart.

The Dodgers have a different story and have felt the mounting pressure to win.  They have not won a World Series since the Kirk Gibson-Orel Hershiser-Mickey Hatcher phenomenon in 1988. Dozens of playoff games had ensued during these three decades including two World Series appearances (2017 and 2018) without a ring despite the team’s high payroll for many of those seasons.

In the World Series elimination games, both at Dodger Stadium, the opposition scored early that succeeded in deflating the crowd’s energy, and both the Astros and Red Sox never looked back. 

Angelinos were forced to witness the victors exchanging their uniform shirts and caps for World Champion t-shirts and caps right in front of them as the Dodgers despondently meandered to the clubhouse from the third base dugout.

The feeling in LA, as I have read, is this better not happen again this year.  Holding a 2-1 advantage, the Dodgers had the chance to put the Nats and their rightfully maligned bullpen away. But fiercely competitive Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young award winner, would have none of it. And Zimmerman, perhaps playing his final home game as a National, struck the decisive blow in a 6-1 Nats victory, forcing game 5.

The Nats Stephen Strasburg will try to help advance the team
to the next round

The Dodgers are the better team with a deeper bench and jaw-dropping defensive versatility. Their 106-56 record in the regular season attests to their superiority as a club, and they ran away with the Western Division by a record 21 games. They possess strong starting pitching, a powerful line-up and more options in the bullpen than the Nats have. The Dodgers, an offensive juggernaut, broke a National League record for home runs in a season with 279.

The Nats, however, appear to be taking on the proverbial “team of destiny” mantle.  Starting the season 19-31, they managed to finish with a 92-69 record despite the worst bullpen in the league, closing with an 8-game winning streak that grew to 9 after the amazing, improbable comeback victory over the Brewers in the Wild Card game.

Their good fortune surfaced again in game 4 of the current series as a gust of wind intercepted a Max Muncy deep drive to center in mid-air and was caught easily instead of leaving the park. And later in the game with the bases loaded, Joc Peterson’s smash down the right field line was foul by an inch. Had the ball been fair, the hit would have cleared the bases and changed the complexion of the game in a major way.

So it comes down to what should be an exciting game 5 on Wednesday. The Dodgers’ longer history of not capturing the title puts them in a position where the pressure will be intense. The Nats feel the pressure, too, but in a different way.  Playing at home, the Dodgers will feel it more.

One thing is for sure: one of these teams will be celebrating on the infield and donning NLDS championship shirts and caps and popping champagne in the clubhouse and will move on to the next round.  The other will ponder what might have been and go home to face the media and a disappointed fan base yet again.

Nationals 'Managed' Historic Win in Wild Card

The Washington Nationals celebrate following 4-3 win over Brewers

There’s an old adage in baseball: managers can’t win games; they can only lose them. In the case of second year manager of the Washington Nationals, Davey Martinez, he proved clearly in the Wild Card game of this improbable major league baseball season that managers can, in fact, win games. It was the first time in the Nats history since they moved to Washington from Montreal in 2005 that they ever advanced in the postseason  

It is rare to see a situation whereby a manager can push all the right buttons at the right time.  Yet, in the National League Wild Card game on October 1 before an uncharacteristically raucous crowd at Nationals Park in which the home team came from behind to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3, Martinez did just that.

The magic that Martinez demonstrated actually began in late May when the Nats sunk to 12 games under .500 through the first 50 games—nearly a third of the season had transpired. He faced severe criticism from fans on social media and in the press for his managing of a frustratingly incompetent bullpen in which viable options were scarce.

Undaunted he guided the team—a blend of veterans and young players including 20 year-old phenom Juan Soto and eventual hero of the Wild Card game—to finish second in the Eastern Division and not only sealed a Wild Card berth but secured home field for the do or die game. The team finished the season with a flourish winning their last 8 games.  The victory in the Wild Card extended that streak.

Martinez skillfully crafted the 25-player roster for this game envisioning all the likely scenarios in a win or go home proposition.  He kept more bench players than usual to insert them in key spots, such as pinch running, pinch hitting or defensive replacements while paring the usual bullpen contingent in favor of as many as three starting pitchers that may be needed in relief.  There was no margin for error.

He assembled a batting order that was the best he could have used. Martinez opted to play Howie

Nationals manager Davey Martinez could not have done better.

Kendrick, a consistent hitter all season long in favor of Ryan Zimmerman, the longest-tenured National. Starting Zimmerman would have been a sentimental choice given the first baseman’s iconic position with the team. But Kendrick, who batted .344 during the season, was the correct pick.

For his part, Zimmerman would come off the bench when the situation warranted.  In a couple of spots Zimmerman was slated to pinch hit, but Martinez pulled him back in favor of other batters. In the eighth inning when the Nats rallied for 3 runs to take the lead, Zimmerman finally had his chance, and he came through with a broken bat single to center that kept the winning rally going.

As it turned out, all three pinch hitters selected by Martinez reached base safely and the one pinch runner he inserted scored.  You can’t do any better than that.

The pitching side of the ledger was also well-managed by Martinez. Starting the fiercely competitive Max Scherzer was the correct decision despite the right hander’s rather unsuccessful past post-seasons and a troublesome injury he endured a couple of months ago. Yet, Martinez was not about to allow Scherzer, who served up two home runs for the Brewers 3-0 early lead,  to stay in the game past the fifth inning (there is nothing to suggest that Scherzer protested his removal but Max never wants to leave a game he starts).

Instead, Martinez gave the ball to Cy Young candidate Stephen Strasburg, who completed three scoreless innings in smooth fashion and ultimately was credited with the win.

Juan Soto striking the decisive hit in the 8th inning

The ninth inning save opportunity was afforded Daniel Hudson, a trading deadline acquisition who was arguably the most consistent reliever on the staff, to seal the deal. The manager could have easily gone to southpaw starter Patrick Corbin but decided (again correctly) to allow Hudson to close out the game thereby saving Corbin for the opener in Los Angeles.

Another option was the heretofore regular Nats closer Sean Doolittle, but his performance has been erratic, and his recent injury appears to have had an effect on him. With no margin of error   Martinez made the right move one more time.

It is unclear how the Nats will fare against the powerful Dodgers in the Divisional Series as that team has one of the most potent line-ups in baseball and three previous and potential Cy Young starters taking the hill. But one thing is for sure, the Washington Nationals appear to have one heck of a manager to guide them through what comes next.

Oh Dear, Homophobe Daniel Murphy is at it Again

Daniel Murphy adding more fuel to the fire.

I pictured newly acquired Chicago Cub Daniel Murphy standing at home plate at Wrigley Field this Sunday in front of a mic during the Out at Wrigley event.  My dream, perhaps delusion, would be that Murphy would address the crowd, Lou Gehrig-like, and walk back his homophobic comments from three years ago, which angered LGBTQ folks and allies around the nation.

Those words were stated while as a New York Met at a time when many people were tricked into thinking that homophobia was on the wane following the Supreme Court’s decision making marriage equality the law of the land.  Murphy was asked a question about Major League Baseball’s Ambassador for Inclusion, Billy Bean, a former major league baseball player who came out as gay following his career.

“I disagree with his lifestyle,” Murphy said, citing his faith. “I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn’t mean I can’t still invest in him and get to know him. I don’t think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect.” Since then, Murphy had become friends with Bean.

In a commentary in The Guardian on August 23, Parker Molloy, who is lesbian, wrote: “The truth is that saying you ‘disagree with the fact that [somebody] is a homosexual’ is homophobic. It’s like somebody saying ‘I disagree with your hair,’ ‘I disagree with your race,’ or ‘I disagree with your gender’. In all three examples you can say that you don’t like someone’s hair, race or gender; but it’s not exactly yours to disagree with in terms of existence. The same goes for the statement, ‘I disagree with his lifestyle’.

Molloy adds, “Being gay is no more of a ‘lifestyle’ than being straight is, and treating it as such is honestly pretty demeaning to those of us in the LGBT community. It suggests that we’re lesser, that we’re broken, that we’re wrong for being who we are. It’s hurtful, plain and simple.”

But any aspiration that Murphy, 33, would show that he evolved and perhaps backed off from those comments was dashed when he was told at a presser that Cubs fans are unhappy he joined the team because of his anti-gay stance and would not root for the team.

In a mocking tone, he said, “Oh dear. I would hope you would root for the Cubs.”

Those comments are shown below.

Daniel Murphy on his relationship with Billy Beane and LGBTQA #Cubs fans pic.twitter.com/68WivcVTSr

— Laurence Holmes (@LaurenceWHolmes) August 23, 2018

Cyd Zeigler of OUTsports, a website that discusses the intersection of sports and the LGBTQ community, opined: “'Oh dear,' he said, as he looked off dismissively into space. In other words: These gay people are just so damn overly sensitive when Christians like me say they bad things about them.”

Added Zeigler, “He went on with a I-couldn’t-care-less-what-those-gays-think answer about how gay fans should continue to cheer for the Cubs.”

After being unsigned by the Mets, Murphy was picked up by the Washington Nationals—a team which benefited from Murphy’s strong batting—and who holds annual Nights Out at the Ballpark.  Though the controversy regarding his homophobic comments did not overtly surface in the district, which has the highest percentage of LGBTQ people in the nation, and no other similar public comments were made during his tenure in D.C., some were still wary at the outset.

“We expressed our concerns to the Nats about this as well as when Yunel Escobar was traded to the team a couple of years before,” said Brent Minor, Executive Director of Team DC, the organizers of Night Out.  “During one Night OUT game, we worked with MLB to have Billy Bean come and speak to the team about diversity and inclusion.

Minor indicated that he had a conversation with Bean in which he was told that Bean spoke directly to Murphy and while acknowledging he still held deeply religious views on the topic, felt he was heard and respected.

Minor went on to tout the Nationals and their support of Team DC and the Night Out series.

“They even had the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington ‘sing’ their holiday card that is sent to all season ticket holders a few years back.” He also saluted pitchers Max Scherzer and Sean Doolittle for their vocal support of the LGBTQ community.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer reached out to Billy Bean prior to the trade and the Cubs was satisfied with his response.

It will be interesting to see what the fans’ reaction may be upon Murphy’s introduction during Out at Wrigley on August 26. The second such event held this year at Wrigley, and which bills itself as “The Nation’s Original MLB Gay Day,” is intended to celebrate the LGBTQ community. Wrigley Field is just outside the iconic gay “Boystown” neighborhood and the Cubs is the only MLB team with openly gay owner in Laura Ricketts.

I would suspect that many fans would back Murphy because they see the LGBTQ community in the same light. Others clearly would be angered. 

But oh dear, don’t expect him to apologize.  

Some Sportscasters Not Onboard with the Gay Thing

Ah those loveable Chicago Cubs!  One of the most futile franchises in professional sports may not raise eyebrows on the field but inadvertently managed to raise some issues regarding gays and sportscasting.

Chicago Pride

On June 29, for the first time in 82 years, the Cubs did not schedule a Sunday game at Wrigley Field.  The reason for this anomaly is that traffic congestion and gridlock would cause a commuting nightmare near the venerable ballpark due to the fact Chicago is holding its  annual LGBT Pride parade in the area.

The Washington Nationals—one of my favorite teams—played the weekend at Chicago and were the recipients of this rare Sunday off (as were the Cubs, of course).  The Nats’ TV announcers, Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo pointed out several times from the series leading up to the Nats’ date with the Cubbies into the weekend itself that a game would not be played on Sunday because of a “pride parade.” 

There was no further explanation provided.  It wasn’t described as a “gay pride parade” or maybe an “LGBT pride parade,” just a generic, non-controversial “pride parade.”  Santangelo did admit he understands the reason for not scheduling the game but all he offered was his lament that he cannot spend a Saturday night out in the Windy City.

The avoidance by this broadcasting duo to impart the true reason for the non-scheduling of the Sunday game came as no surprise given that they never mentioned, to my knowledge, the semi-annual Night Out with the Nationals events.

But wait.  The second game of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday was telecast over Fox.  An opportunity between pitches existed for play-by-play man Kenny Albert, a son of sportscasting legend Marv Albert, and the aforementioned F.P. Santangelo doing the color for the telecast to explain to perhaps to a different audience why the Sunday game was not scheduled.  Albert described it as a “pride parade” but he hesitated before “pride.” 

It was almost like he wanted to say “gay pride” or something like that but caught himself as if he was about to drop the “f-bomb.”  It may have been an equivalent the way he paused.

At least the word “pride” was used during the week and the hope that most people would be sufficiently knowledgeable so that the dreaded “g-word” would not have to be uttered.   

The Orioles telecast on Sunday presented another opportunity.  But instead of chalking up the scheduling matter in Chicago as some form of pride event, Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne threw “pride" under the bus.  He avoided it altogether referring to the traffic snarls being caused by a Wrigleyville parade.  Good gracious! 

Famed sports broadcaster Howard Cosell always believed that people in that profession are journalists and should report events factually and truthfully: "telling it like it is," he used to preach.  The reluctance to utter "gay pride" by these announcers failed the Cosell test.

One cannot draw any conclusions from this nonsense because we don’t know what the producers want their announcers to say or avoid saying.  Nonetheless, it demonstrates that if the subject of a gay baseball player surfaces for whatever reason, there is still discomfort in the booth, and that’s something to which we should pay attention.