We remember Trini Lopez (1937-2020)

Trini Lopez was born in Dallas in 1937 and died apparently of COVID in 2020.  We should add that Trini had been sick for some time.  He became a very popular singer in the 1960’s.   One of his best songs was “If I had a hammer”, a # 3 song from 1963.

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Happy # 73 George Brett

We say happy birthday to George Brett who was born in West Virginia on this day in 1953.

Brett broke with the Royals in 1973, became a regular in 1974 and the rest is history:  .305 career batting average, 3,154 hits, 1,596 RBI & 3 batting titles.

His best season was 1980:  .390 average, .454 on base average, 118 RBI & the AL MVP.

Brett hit .337 in 9 post-season series, including .370 when the Royals won the 1985 World Series.    

He joined The Hall of Fame in 1999.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

May 15, 1941: The streak began!

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It started on May 15, 1941 with a single against the White Sox in a 13-1 Yankees loss.   

How remarkable was DiMaggio's streak?

First, no one has come close: Pete Rose got to 44 in 1978, Paul Molitor got to 39 in 1987 and Jimmy Rollins got to 38 in 2005-06!

Second, he didn't just hit safely in 56 games.    From May 15 to July 17. DiMaggio hit .408  (91-for-223), hit 15 home runs and drove in 55 runs.

Unbelievable is not enough!

Yes, I agree with my late father that DiMaggio's 56 game-hitting streak and Nolan Ryan's 7 no-hitters will never be surpassed.  

May 15, 1972: George Wallace was shot

(My new American Thinker Post)

Fifty years ago, Joe Biden was running for the U.S. Senate, Jimmy Carter was governor of Georgia, Ronald Reagan was governor of California, George H. Bush was swimming uphill in still Democrat Texas, Gerald Ford was the House minority leader, and President Nixon was promoting his foreign policy credentials and wondering whom he'd run against.

Then the stuff hit the fan.  On this day in 1972, George Wallace was shot during a campaign rally in Maryland.  It was a shocker!

Wallace will always be remembered as the man who may have made the Nixon presidency possible.  We don't know for sure, but many of those Southern states (46 electoral votes) would have probably voted for V.P. Humphrey, as Texas did in 1968.  Who knows what other states outside the South would have gone to Humphrey without Wallace?

The final 1968 Electoral College vote was Nixon 301, Humphrey 191, and Wallace 46.  The popular vote was also very close: Nixon 43%, Humphrey 42%, and Wallace 14%.

In 1972, Wallace was running on the same themes but inside the Democrat party.  I don't think he would have won the nomination, but he could have forced the party to nominate a more centrist candidate, such as a rerun of Vice President Humphrey or Senator Scoop Jackson of Washington.  A Jackson or Humphrey would have made it more difficult for President Nixon.  He would not have run against a liberal like George McGovern or carried 49 states.

So the man shot fifty years ago had a lot to do with Nixon winning in 1968 and a landslide re-election in 1972.

George Wallace recovered and returned to Alabama politics.  In the 1980s, Mr. Wallace renounced his segregationist ideology and reconciled with many civil rights leaders.  In 1982, he sought a new term as governor and won the election with substantial support from Black voters.  He died in 1998.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

 

May 15, 1973: The first of Nolan Ryan's 7 no-hitters!

We recall the first of Nolan Ryan's 7 no-hitters.   It happened in Kansas City and Ryan had 12 K's to go with the no-hitter.   

Ryan threw another in July 1973 against the Twins, the Tigers in 1974 and then Orioles in 1975.   He threw #5 against the Dodgers in 1981, #6 against the A's in 1990 and #7 against the Blue Jays in 1991.

P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

 

CIA and Mexico, Trump in China and Lewis/Clark 1804

Who killed Francisco?

Who killed Francisco?:

Another narcoterrorist gets removed from the board.

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/who_killed_francisco.html

1804: Lewis and Clark started the exploration of the Western lands

The Louisiana Purchase was completed in 1803.    A year later, Lewis & Clark began their mission to explore the lands of the West.   
The men returned on September 23rd, 1806, after almost two and a half years.  They brought back tremendous information that led to the settlement of the West. 

It must have been an eye popping trip for the men in that mission.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

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Happy # 72 to Dennis Martinez

(P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.)

We say happy birthday to Dennis Martinez who was born in Nicaragua on this day in 1954.  

From 1976 to 1997, Dennis was a very successful major league pitcher:  245 wins, 3.70 ERA, 122 complete games and a perfect game in 1991.

Dennis broke with the Orioles in 1976 and played for Baltimore in the 1979 and 1983 World Series.   

He was eventually traded to Montreal where he enjoyed some very good years with the Expos:  100-72 with a 3.06 ERA.

His 245 wins are # 2 among Latino pitchers.

 

Happy # 84 Tony Perez

(P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.)

We remember today Atanasio (Rigal) Perez, the pride of Ciego de Avila and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.  He was born in 1942. 

Tony broke with the Cincinnati Reds in the summer of 1964.   He went on to have a wonderful major league career:  2,777 games, 2,732 hits, 379 HR, 1,659 RBI and a very good .279 career batting average. 

Tony’s career was more than numbers. He was the steady bat in a Reds’ team that won 4 NL titles and the World Series in 1975 and 1976. 

Willie Stargell spoke for many of his fellow players:  

““With men in scoring position and the game on the line…Tony’s the last guy an opponent wanted to see.”” 

Tony had many big hits for the Reds Machine in the 1970s.   He is best remembered for a big homer in game 7 of the 1975 World Series.    After playing, Tony was a coach and baseball executive.