Major League Baseball 2018 opening day is just around the corner! Patria Post has issued a commemorative stamp in memory of former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies ace pitcher Roy "Doc" Halladay, who lost his life when his private plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast in November 2017. While most recent Patria Post issues have been non-denominated "forever" stamps good for the current rate of a first-class letter, note that this stamp carries a denomination of 32 Patrienish Rupees to match the number Halladay wore while with the Blue Jays (he switched to number 34 after being dealt to the Phillies for some minor league prospects who never panned out in Toronto). The Blue Jays will officially retire Halladay's number 32 when they host the New York Yankees to kick off the 2018 season on March 29.
The 50th Congress has adjourned for the traditional pre-election recess, so that members can return to their home precincts for the final weeks of 51st Congress election campaigning before the vote on April 21 (April 14 in the maverick precinct of Fredonia). A bill is on the order paper that would make the tenrec Patria's official national animal. The measure failed in the 1890s as Patria abandoned its claim to Madagascar along with 19th century colonialism in general, but it may pass during the lame-duck session after election day. If the bill is ratified, honoring the tenrec would of course serve as a #Patria200 bicentennial tribute. In the meantime, Patria Post is giving tenrecs some love with another stamp in the #Patria200 series.
