Those darn politically incorrect Canadian baseballers

They do play baseball in Canada. Although there's nary a Canadian on the Toronto Blue Jays, there are several handsful on other pro teams, both major and minor league, and 1000s of kids play the game in Canada's summer. [That would be from July 1st to July 8th. Ed.]

There are Canadian teams playing in American leagues, including the newly-formed Frontier League. If you check out the website, you'll see an organization (?) called London Professional Baseball. Although the coordinates seem to point to, errr, Waterford MI [wherever that is. Ed.] the intended home of the team appears to be London. London ON that is, not the real London across the pond.

Since the website was updated, the team has acquired a name -- the London Rippers -- and a logo, featuring a character in a top hat about to "rip" the hide off a baseball. I guess. Certainly there couldn't be any connection with the real London and the Duke of Clarence or whoever it was who kept disemboweling whores in the late 19th century.

The name and logo have been in existence for mere hours, but already the outcry from the lamestream media, progressive thinkers and Forces for Good in the Community is heard loud in the land. "Beach Bums", "Slammers" and "Wild Things" are no problem, it seems, but "Rippers"? Ohhhhh nooooo! That name glorifies violence and the oppression of the lower classes!

Let's see if, when the ice melts and the new league gets under way, the London team will sport a new politically correct moniker. Walt hopes they keep this one. After all, there are other meanings for "Ripper". To wit, a violent and noisy type of flatulence.