Is MLB falling behind under this commissioner?
Manhattan: Re “Yankees’ AL East woes loom large with Blue Jays now tied for division lead” (July 3): The Yankees and Mets had a bad June, but we’ve got bigger problems. Major League Baseball is not doing well after the ratings bumps from Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, and it’s past time to change commissioners.
Rob Manfred Jr., who did increase attendance at games, has hit his ceiling after 10 years. The situation with the Athletics and Rays stadiums aren’t unforeseeable local problems. It’s bush league. The Oakland Coliseum and the Tropicana Field roof were languishing for years.
Manfred floated the “golden at-bat” rule and then abandoned it. He promised two new expansion teams, leading investor groups on in Nashville, Portland and Salt Lake City, then punted. Whether or not you agree with Pete Rose’s posthumous reinstatement, the process was flawed because Manfred reportedly did not consult the surviving family of former Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti. The TV media rights deal has been dysfunctional. Joe Torre, the former MVP and Hall of Fame manager, would be a strong choice (if he even wants it). He’s an honorary coach for the 2025 All-Star Game. Or a new face from the next generation.
Some of the league’s woes are due to arm injuries to star pitchers, including Gerrit Cole. There may be no solution to this, but it should be addressed asap. Game times are shorter and stolen base attempts are up under Manfred. There are strict rules for defensive shifts. Now it’s time to say thanks and move on if baseball wants to compete and grow. Adam Silbert
Irredeemable
Staten Island: Casmine Aska sexually abused a 9-year-old and then tried to kill him by throwing him off a roof. He only got an eight-year sentence for that horror, and upon release, almost immediately raped another child. I eagerly await the chorus of Democrat nonsense about root causes, mental health, restorative justice and lack of computer classes or midnight basketball. How many more lives does he get to ruin? Put this pervert in solitary 24/7. John Colella
A national shame
Manhattan: It was difficult for me to celebrate our nation’s birthday as ICE agents randomly remove Americans from immigration courts and businesses. What happened to due process? Who will be next? Neil J. Pollicino
Voter backlash
Howard Beach: Do the House and Senate Republicans think Americans are going to forget about their votes to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill? Even though most of the major cuts will not take place until after the 2026 midterm elections (how devious of them), Democrats will be out campaigning about the devastation that is coming our way. These Republicans may have caved to President Trump’s bullying, but the voters will have the last say. Barbara Berg
Free tax breaks
Brooklyn: When Trump refers to Zohran Mamdani as a democratic socialist, he seems to use it as a pejorative term. The truth is that Mamdani is asking for a just, fairer and more equitable economic system in which all citizens get an equitable share of the pie. On the other hand, I don’t hear Trump (a billionaire) referring to his billionaire supporters as crony capitalists. It’s these capitalists who actually bleed the treasury dry by demanding lower taxes and more breaks for their businesses. Furthermore, citizens in Scandinavian countries that function under a democratic socialist economic system are among the happiest people in the world because they are fully supported by their governments. Unless they’re wealthy, Americans can only dream of living under such a system. Herman Kolender
Cries of the selfish
Brooklyn: Sure, you’re a (politically) middle-of-the-road publication. I appreciate that in a world filled with extreme views from both sides. But why would you give precious editorial space to a hack like Luka Ladan (“N.Y.’s Mamdani loss is Florida’s gain,” op-ed, July 5)? I get his backstory — he “escaped” from communism in the former Yugoslavia (actually, it looks like he escaped the breakup of Josip Broz Tito’s rule, which was not communist). He’s got his point of view, fine. But do you want him broadcasting the same fear-mongering message in your publication? Please stop demonizing Mamdani because he wants our city to be more affordable. And the folks moving to Florida (I love that the N.Y. Post’s Karol Markowicz takes her exit from NYC as a badge of courage — good riddance!) are not New Yorkers. They’re self-interested, self-involved parasites who only want what’s theirs and are not concerned about making our city great. Michael Randazzo
He’s no dummy
Washington: To Voicer Jake Pickering: National Review editor Rich Lowry is no “minuscule moron.” Mort Zuckerman, former publisher of the Daily News, was also a panelist on “The McLaughlin Group.” While I may disagree with Lowry and Zuckerman, they are not “dumb, delusional dimwit” material, as you claim. The political divisiveness in our country is heightened whenever Voicers like you are given a platform to spew hate and misinformation. James E. Patterson
Loud and clear
Williamsville, N.Y.: Re “Ignoring Palestinian voices harms peace” (op-ed, July 5): Palestinian voices have not been ignored. To the contrary, the world is flooded with broadcasts featuring their mendacious statements and positions. Their sympathizers regularly riot in the streets. The Palestinians have been offered a state of their own many times, but they have refused those offers. Why? Because those offers would have required them to recognize and coexist peacefully with Israel, something the Palestinians have sworn never to do. Despite all of this, the Palestinians are regularly given propitiating offers by the international community, which bends over backwards to give them land and peace. So Palestinian voices have not been ignored. What has been ignored is their actions, which are violent and rejectionist. Any hopes for peace would require a sea change in Palestinian actions so that peace with the Jewish state of Israel becomes a prime directive for them. Daniel H. Trigoboff
Chorus for conflict
Manhattan: Intifada after intifada, atrocities committed on Oct. 7, the never-ending terror coming from groups in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Palestinian Authority security forces collaborating with terror groups, daily headlines about Hamas and anti-Israel rhetoric and inflammatory and false information about Israel are the voices that harm peace. It seems that every day, the IDF is finding weapons caches and Israel is facing terrorist attacks. Palestinian leadership has endorsed terrorism. These are the mainstream Palestinian voices and we hear them; they are not cries for peace. Their message is carried by Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Summer Lee and Jamaal Bowman. There are Palestinian voices for peace, but we rarely hear them. Unfortunately, they’re a tiny minority and they are not in charge. Maybe if you and the media in general condemned the hate speech and instead promoted people who want peace, we might get it someday. Holly Rothkopf
Still rockin’
Manhattan: Yesterday, Ringo Starr turned a hard-to-believe 85! After a 60-plus year career, he is still going strong with his humor, wit and kindness intact. He looks great, and his terrific new country album “Look Up” is the best of his solo records. Amazing! Sir Ringo and his “brother” Sir Paul McCartney have given the world so much joy these many years and are showing us all how to age gracefully, and with their wisdom and creativity, how to stay fully engaged in life. So, happy birthday, dear Sir Ringo. Peace and love, indeed! Jeff H. Woods
Road repair
Piermont, N.Y.: I just returned from a two-week driving trip around France, from Paris to Provence. Being a regular driver on our tristate roads, I was incredibly impressed by the condition of all the roads I drove on. On virtually every one, from high-speed to local to rural, the manhole covers were at the same level as the pavement. In our area, I spend most of my driving time looking for these man-made potholes to avoid the jolt of hitting a manhole cover that’s 1-3 inches below pavement level. I find this condition even on recently repaved roads. Secondly, when a repair has been made following utility work, the repair is as smooth as the original road — not a sunken or bumpy area to carefully tread over. Why can’t our road crews give us these results so our driving is more pleasurable and much less stressful? Bruce Hanson
