… but, in my defense, I was only 9 years old at the time.
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Flashback many years to my earliest little league baseball days.
In our first game, the coach told us that — just like in the big leagues — he’d be flashing secret signs to us when we were batting:
If he touched his cap, the sign meant “take the next pitch” … don’t swing at it.
If he brushed his chest, it meant “swing away”.
Simple enough…
Here’s what happened…
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On my first at bat …
The count went to to 3 balls and 2 strikes.
The next pitch bounced about 10 feet in front of the plate but I swung at it.
“STRIKE 3. You’re out !”
Between innings, the coach took me aside and asked:
“Kenny, why the $%#@ did you swing at that pitch?”
“Because you gave me the sign to swing away”
The coach then gave me a rule-for-life that has guided me ever since…
His message:
“Kenny, ‘take’ is something you must do. But, “swing away” is something you may do if you get a good pitch. Do you understand the difference?”
“Yes, coach”
I heard him loud and clear.
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What’s that got to do with Gov. Cuomo?
He treats “science & the data” like they’re my coach in my first at bat in my first little league game.
If the coach signaled ‘swing away’. I did so — even if the pitch was destined to soar over the backstop.
For Cuomo, if the data modelers say the answer is 40,000 ventilators, mobilize the nation to provide them.
If the pitch sails over the backstop, blame the coach.
If 40,000 proves to be a ridiculous number (just like Pres. Trump said it was), just blame the modelers.
If the CDC says it’s OK to let C-19 patients return to nursing homes, do it.
Just ignore the part about “when recovered, if the homes can accommodate them.”
Even if the pitch goes over the backstop, swing at it and blame the coach signaling “swing away”.
Even if dropping a highly contagious patient into a cluster of the most vulnerable elderly people is an obviously moronic dictate, just do it and blame the CDC.
Cuomo considers it to be the ultimate defense: “plausible deniability”.
“I was just following the science and the data”
If he had played for my coach in little league, he would realize that it’s really “abdication of responsibility”.
The morale of my story: “advice” from experts (think: coaches) doesn’t relieve players from the responsibility to make good decisions.
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P.S. The coach was my dad -far left in the photo. I’m far right in the front row.
P.P.S. Don’t call me Kenny !!!
The Homa Files 
June 12, 2020 at 10:00 am |
[…] I made the same mistake that Gov. Cuomo is making … but, in my defense, I was only 9 years old at the […]