The 70^th anniversary of the flight of the Enola Gay

Seventy years ago this week, Col. Paul Tibbets and a courageous crew of 11, flew the world’s first nuclear mission, dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It was just over a year ago that the last of the heroic crew, Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk passed away. Today, the Enola Gay, which also flew on the second nuclear mission to Nagasaki as a forward weather recon plane, sits in the Smithsonian Museum complete with somewhat apologetic signage calling President Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb “controversial”. Doubt it seemed controversial to the 250,000 to 500,000 troops it was estimated would lose their lives if the Allies had to invade the Japanese homeland – not to mention an estimated one million Japanese deaths. Truman’s decision was just as courageous as the flight of those 11 airmen. A decision, we hasten to point out, that had to be made less than four months after HST assumed the presidency. One wonders how that decision would have been handled in today’s White House.

Around the bay:

1. In stories reported at virtually the same time last week, (a) two people killed in a crash on Courtney Campbell Causeway and (b) speed limit to increase on the Courtney Campbell. What’s wrong with this picture?

2. In a touching final tribute, about 50 family and long-time marina friends said goodbye to David Rulison, the “Can Man”, (see RANTS July 12^th) as his ashes were scattered over the Gulf of Mexico from the Double Eagle III last Wednesday evening. The marina and the environment have lost a good friend.

3. Speaking of the marina, an update on the new Mexican restaurant that we guess somebody wants to see and the old Marina diner that everyone wants back - there is no update.

4. More on restaurants - kids are about to go back to school, locals can reclaim their restaurants for a few months. One kind of hidden away place to check out if you have not, is Keegan’s on Indian Rocks Beach - hard to go wrong with anything on their menu.

5. And more - you’ve lived in Clearwater a long time if you remember the Howard Johnson’s restaurant (later the Beach Diner) at the end of the Memorial Causeway.

The diamond, the media and other stuff:

6. Our Rants and raves focus group (comprised of three old, cranky people) remembers when they could recite the starting eight of virtually every one of the 16 major league teams. Today, they’re not sure they could recite the names of MLB’s 30 teams.

7. In a related note, you are a long time baseball fan if you can remember when the “up the middle” of the Go-Go White Sox was Sherm Lollar, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio and Jim Landis. Or the miracle Pirates of the same era with Smoky Burgess, Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat and Bill Virdon. (Footnote – Burgess’ given name was Forrest and he was part of a lopsided Reds-Pirate trade that brought himself, Harvey Haddix and Don Hoak, three anchors of the ’60 champs, in exchange for veteran outfielder Frank Thomas and little else).

8. Remember all the young Turks flashing on to the baseball scene the last ten years or so? There was Beane, Epstein and Freidman to name just three. Now teams seem to be going in the other direction with seasoned guys like John Hart (Braves) and Andy MacPhail (Phillies) being brought on board. The Hart experiment seems to have worked fairly well so far. MacPhail won’t officially be on board for the Phils till the end of the season – replacing another seasoned vet – Pat Gillick.

9. WNBA star alleging her same sex partner cheated on her with a man; all the confederate flag stuff and Donald Trump running for president. Don’t you wish the late, great Lewis Grizzard were still around to write about all this?

10. Best trade not made (but nearly made) at the deadline, the Mets backing off a trade to send Zack Wheeler, who has an upside to be one of the 10 best pitchers in baseball, to Milwaukee for outfielder Carlos Gomez, a toxic troublemaker, who recently was voted one of the three least liked players in the game (along with A-Rod and Bryce Harper). By the way, good luck Astros.

Our National Pastime is virtually indestructible

When you think of all the bullet wounds (mostly self-inflicted) the great game of baseball has suffered over the years, the game is the equivalent of a medical miracle.Just to name a half dozen near mortal wounds, there has been the Black Sox scandal, steroids, a couple strikes, the joke the All-Star game has become, free agency which strained any home town allegiances and the designated hitter (okay, it was good for about 15 old, fat guys who can’t run or field anymore). But even the heartiest of patients can only take so many setbacks. The commissionership of Rob Manfred may be the most critical in the history of the game since that of Judge Landis.