Yesterday, Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa attended a rally sponsored by Glenn Beck, who, if I'm reading this fact sheet correctly, is the bestselling author of The Overton Window. At Viva El Birdos, which is as much about breaking news as it is floor hockey (which is to say we write about breaking news once or twice a month), we follow a strict no-politics policy in the comments. Why, you might ask, is that?
↵Because politics lead to rallies and counter-rallies, in this case in Washington D.C. at the distinctly uninteresting Restoring Honor Rally and at the distinctly unattractive Stan Musial statue at Busch Stadium, respectively. (And if there's one place where rallies and counter-rallies are more unwieldy than the Stan Musial statue, it's threaded comments.)
↵Pujols was in Washington to be honored for his charity work, which, for rallyers and counter-rallyers alike, is indeed honorable. Here's Bill Lambrecht on the scene:
↵↵↵Not everyone believed the event was not about politics. About 30 people gathered Saturday near the Stan Musial statue outside Busch Stadium to speak against La Russa and Pujols attending the Washington rally. The protest was organized by Metropolitan Organizations Strengthening and Empowering Society.
↵"I'm fed up that politics has to invade every aspect our lives," said Chris Andoe, a Cardinals fan who carried several signs, including one that said "I had a dream baseball wasn't political," a reference to King's speech.
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(I can only hope the confirmation that "I had a dream" was indeed a King reference was added to the article in editing.) Pujols and particularly La Russa are quick to point out their own apolitical involvement in the rally, and I think highly enough of Pujols, at least, to buy that.
↵But I think in the end it might have been a good time for the two faces of the Cardinals—especially La Russa, who describes himself as the go-between in this situation—to heed Michael Jordan's famous admonition that Republicans (or in this case, Democrats and Republicans who are not fond of Glenn Beck, bestselling author of The Christmas Sweater) buy sneakers, too.