"I remember asking Milton, a year or so before his death, during one of our semiannual dinners in downtown San Francisco: What can we do to make America more prosperous? "Three things," he replied instantly. "Promote free trade, school choice for all children, and cut government spending."How much should we cut? "As much as possible.""
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - President Ronald Reagan
Friday, July 31, 1970
We remember Milton Friedman (1912-2006)
We remember Curt Gowdy (1919-2006)
We remember Curt Gowdy who was born in Wyoming on this day in 1919.
A few days ago, I caught an audio clip of Curt Gowdy doing a World Series game many years ago. What a treat to hear that voice again!
Most of us grew up watching the NBC Saturday afternoon baseball game of the week and listening to Gowdy's voice. I recall many World Series games, too. He was also the voice of the Super Bowl and the famous Heidi game, when NBC cut off the Jets-Raiders game to broadcast the Disney movie.
In '84, Gowdy was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. Curt Gowdy died in 2006. He was a gem calling baseball and football.
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Thursday, July 30, 1970
"In God we trust" signed into law in 1956
President Eisenhower made it legal in 1956:
"On this day in 1956, two years after pushing to have the phrase “under God” inserted into the pledge of allegiance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a law officially declaring “In God We Trust” to be the nation’s official motto. The law, P.L. 84-140, also mandated that the phrase be printed on all American paper currency. The phrase had been placed on U.S. coins since the Civil War when, according to the historical association of the United States Treasury, religious sentiment reached a peak."It was a good day for the US.
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We remember Joe Nuxall (1928-2007)
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Wednesday, July 29, 1970
We remember Peter Jennings (1938-2005)
Time flies and we remember that Peter Jennings was born on this day in 1938 and died in 2005.
Jennings looked like a guy who could play James Bond in a movie. He was handsome, sharp and great with words.
Back in the 1980's, ABC had the best news lineup on TV. There was David Brinkley, George Will, Cokie Roberts and Sam Donaldson. They were good and my favorites for election night coverage.
Add Ted Koppel's "Nightline" and they were good.
Time took its toll on ABC News. Brinkley died. Donaldson and Roberts moved on and replaced by Stephanelous on Sunday. "This Week" is not the same without Brinkley, Donaldson, Roberts or Will.
I still miss Peter Jennings at 5:30 pm in my little office TV.
1970: “Close to you" was # 1 this week
"Close to you" was their first # 1 song and became one of the biggest hits of the 1970's.
Have you listened to the radio lately? It is still one of the most requested pop songs on the radio.
'Close to you" turned out to be one of the most popular songs of 1970 and the entire decade. It's still a popular selection in various radio formats, from oldies to Top 40 to soft-rock. This is one of those pop songs that you need to download!
Tuesday, July 28, 1970
We remember Vida Blue (1949-2023)
He broke with the A's in 1969 at age 19 and then became the pitching story of 1971: 24-8, a 1.82 ERA, 8 shutouts & 301 Ks. It earned him a Cy Young Award & MVP!
Overall, he won 209 with 143 complete games and pitched with the A's in the postseason, 1971-75.
I saw Vida shutout the Orioles in game 3 of the 1974 ALCS, a dominating 2-hit shutout! He beat Jim Palmer, 1-0 with Sal Bando hitting a home run for the only run of the game.
We remember Jackie Kennedy (1929-1994)
Jacqueline Bouvier was born in New York on this day in 1929.
We remember her as the very elegant First Lady Jackie Kennedy.
She died in 1994.
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Monday, July 27, 1970
We remember Leo Durocher (1905-1991)
The legendary Leo Durocher was born on this day in 1905.
Leo broke with the Yankees in 1925 but did not start playing on a regular basis until 1928 when he hit .270 in 102 games.
Durocher had a pretty good career with the Yankees, Reds, Cardinals and Dodgers. He was primarily a short stop and finished with a .247 career average.
As a manager, Durocher won 2,008 games, 3 NL Pennants and the World Series with the 1954 Giants.
In the spring of 1947, Leo and the Brooklyn Dodgers took their spring training camp to Havana. It was a real treat for Cuban fans to catch major league exhibition baseball games.
We remember him as a very colorful figure on and off the field.
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July 27, 1940: Hello Bugs Bunny
We take a minute today to say happy birthday to Bugs Bunny:
“The Warner Bros. icon everybody knows and loves first appeared on July 27, 1940 in “Wild Hare,” a cartoon short directed by Tex Avery. The clip features a wily Bugs Bunny outsmarting Elmer Fudd, who hunts for a “silly wabbit” in vain. Warner Bros. made several rabbit cartoons in earlier years, but they were not the same as the distinctive cotton-tailed “Bugs” featured in July of 1940.Bugs Bunny was an “instant star,” He became one of the world’s best-known cartoon characters, starring in more than 175 films, receiving three Oscar nominations, one Academy Award, and appearing in comic books, TV specials, and video games, as Parade Magazine reported.”
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In the early hours of July 26, 1960
From 1954 to 1960, Havana had a AAA franchise in what they used to call the International League. It included Toronto and Montreal. The Havana team was the Reds' AAA franchise at the time. Therefore, Cuban fans had a chance to see young future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who broke into the majors in 1958.
It's worth noting that having an AAA franchise in the late 1950's meant more than a passion for baseball. It was further evidence that the island's economy could support a minor league team with ticket sales, radio and TV programming. Remember that Havana had to compete with other U.S. cities for that franchise.
In the early hours of July 26, 1960, my father and lots of Cuban fans were caught up in an extra inning game between Havana and Rochester. The game included future major leaguers like Mike Cuellar, Luis Arroyo, Leo Cardenas, Elio Chacon, and Cookie Rojas.
This is what happened:
It was over for the Havana Sugar Kings. They eventually moved to Jersey City. The professional league played one more winter season but professional baseball ended that night.Shortly after midnight the morning of July 26, while the Sugar Kings and Rochester Red Wings were in the 11th inning of a game at Gran Stadium, demonstrations began in the streets of Havana, marking the anniversary of the 1953 attack on the Moncada army garrison in Santiago de Cuba by a band of rebels led by Fidel Castro, an event viewed as the conception of the eventual revolution.
During the course of this observance, a wild burst of gunfire broke out, and a pair of stray bullets found their way into the ball park, striking Rochester’s Frank Verdi, who was coaching third at the time, and Havana shortstop Leo Cardenas.
Neither Verdi nor Cardenas were seriously injured, but the incident nearly ended professional baseball in Cuba. The Red Wings left the country immediately, refusing to play the final game of the series, and they and other International League teams expressed fear and reluctance at returning to Cuba.
What was my father thinking that night? He was not thinking about leaving Cuba and settling in the U.S. Like most Cubans, he thought that the storm would pass and things would settle down.
A few years later, we landed in the U.S. My brother and I then started collecting baseball cards, including many of those who were playing that night.
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).
Sunday, July 26, 1970
1965: The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" was # 1 this week
"Satisfaction" was released in the "Out of our heads" LP. It was also included in various compilations LP's, specially "The singles".
It is not my favorite song by The Rolling Stones. Frankly, I'd rather hear "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Nevertheless, "Satisfaction" was huge.
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"El Moncada 1953" and a few other thoughts with Jorge Ponce
"El Moncada 1953" and a few other thoughts with Jorge Ponce.....click to listen....
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We remember Marjorie Lord (1918-2015)
It was a great era of American TV.
The 1950s TV shows were a lot of fun, as we can now see in these reruns. It was a time of wholesome families and hilarious comedy.
Marjorie Lord was Danny Thomas' wife on "Make room for daddy".
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.
Saturday, July 25, 1970
July 25, 1956: Roberto Clemente inside the park walk off grand slam!
Clemente broke with the Pirates in 1955 and was killed in a plane crash at the end of 1972. He was travelling to Nicaragua to deliver supplies for the victims of a terrible earthquake.
Clemente won 3 batting titles and left the game with 3,000 hits and a .317 career average,
On this day in 1956, Clemente hit the only walk off inside-the-park grand slam in the history of Major League Baseball.
According to news reports, the fans at Forbes Field went crazy. No one had ever seen this before or since.
Amazing Clemente!
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July 1965: Dylan from acoustic to electric guitar
Maybe we can say that Dylan moved rock and folk music closer together by going electric.
Friday, July 24, 1970
We remember Willie Davis (1934-2020)
We remember Willie Davis who was born in Louisiana on this day in 1934.
As a teenager growing up in Wisconsin, I had to learn about pro football.
We did not play it in Cuba. Nevertheless, I fell in love with the Green Bay Packers, the dream team of the pre-Super Bowl days.
Before the Steelers, 49ers and Patriots won Super Bowls, the Packers won a bunch of NFL titles.
They had a great coach in Vince Lombardi, a great QB in Bart Starr and a great running back in Jim Taylor. The Pack even had great rookies, like Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski. I remember Leroy Williams, who used to run back kickoffs. He ran one back for almost 100 yards against the Rams!
What a great team. It was easy to fall in love with a team like the Packers.
Willie Davis was also on those teams and a great fan favorite. After football, Davis became a successful businessman, author and speaker.
"Doo wop" and the chapter of "wonderful harmonies" in rock music!
"Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which was started in the black community and became popular in the 1950s to the early 1960s."
My third selection is "You belong to me" by The Duprees".
The next selection is one of my real favorites. It is "This I swear" by The Skyliners.
The Four Seasons came around a little bit later. They borrowed many of the vocal arrangements from the previous "doo wop" groups. This is "Rag Doll".
The Platters were the best of the "doo wop" groups. They were so elegant and recorded songs like "My prayer".
As I wrote before, the "doo wop" chapter was way before my time. Nevertheless, I loved the sounds and the arrangements. They were great songs!
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1958: "La violetera" with Sara Montiel
Sara died in 2013 and left behind quite a legacy of movies and recording, including "Vera Cruz" (1955) with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster and "Run of the Arrow" (1957) with Rod Steiger.
It's a nice movie.
Thursday, July 23, 1970
July 23, 1960: The all-Cuban triple play in baseball
July 23, 1964: Campy's super debut in the big leagues
On this day in 1964, A's rookie Bert Campaneris hit 2 home runs in his Major League debut.
This is how SABR remembered the day:
After an overnight plane trip, he arrived in Minneapolis the next day two hours before the start of the A’s game against the Twins, and had an unforgettable major-league debut. Playing shortstop and batting second, he sent a pitch by the Twins’ Jim Kaat over the left-field fence in his first at-bat. In the seventh inning he hit another home run. He turned in a brilliant defensive play, singled, and stole a base in the A’s 11 inning victory. Campaneris became the second major leaguer to hit two home runs in a debut game, after the St. Louis Browns’ Bob Nieman, who did it in 1951.Campy became one of the best players in the AL and a key component of the A's who won the World Series in 1972, 1973 & 1974.
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We remember Pee Wee Reese (1918-1999)
Pee Wee Reese hit .269 with 2,170 career hits & 1,338 runs scored. He missed 3 full seasons to military service.
Reese's greatest contribution was his leadership in bringing Jackie Robinson along as the first black player in major league baseball. In 1947, Pee Wee embraced Jackie in front of Cincinnati fans who were yelling obscenities at him. It showed everyone that Pee Wee was also a great player and a man of character.
Reese was inducted to The Hall of Fame in 1984 and died in 1999.
By the way, one of the greatest books about those legendary Brooklyn Dodgers is "Wait till next year" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Tuesday, July 21, 1970
We remember Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
Ernest Hemingway was born in Illinois. Along the way, he lived in Spain and Cuba. In 1961, Hemingway committed suicide.
His time in Cuba in the late 1950's and experiences during the Spanish Civil War inspired two of his greatest novels.
We remember Mike Hegan (1942-2013)
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We remember Don Knotts (1924-2006)
We remember Don Knotts who passed away in 2006 at age 81.
Over the years, I've had my share of laughs over Barney in Mayberry and the funny landlord in "Three's company". As I remember, he was a pretty funny character in Disney movies, too.
Overall, a very good acting career. We will miss Don Knotts!
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.
Monday, July 20, 1970
Watching Apollo 11 and wondering if our family was watching it in Cuba
July 20, 1969: Another year to remember Apollo 11
July 20, 1969: It was great to be alive on the day that Apollo 11 landed on the moon!
Like most families, we sat around the TV and watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon.
I can remember much of it, from Walter Cronkite's countdown to the lunar landing to President Nixon's speech to the astronauts.
We remember Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins and congratulate the crew and everyone down here who made this amazing mission possible.
And I love The Moon We Left Behind by Charles Krauthammer.
Wonder whatever happened to that US flag and landmark that we left up in the moon?
Wonder what the next visitors will say about us?
No matter what: I was very lucky to be alive and experience one of the greatest days in world history!
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Sunday, July 19, 1970
July 19, 1964: Luis Tiant beat Whitey Ford, 3-0
Tiant progressed through the Indians farm system and got the call to the big club after a 15-1 record at Triple-A Portland. On, July 19, 1964, Tiant debuted with a four-single, 11 strikeouts, 3–0 shutout victory against the defending AL Champion New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The losing pitcher was future Hall of Famer Whitey Ford. Tiant finished his rookie season with a 10-4 record, 105 strikeouts, and a 2.83 ERA in 19 games.
July 1969: Junior Walker, "Honky Tonk Women" and Apollo 11
It's July again and time to remember some of our younger days.
Back in the middle of July 1969, everybody was talking about Apollo 11. We were glued to the TV for the launch, the moon landing, Neil Armstrong walking on the moon and the successful return to earth. It was so exciting to be alive that week.
Of course, there was also some pretty good music to keep us busy down on the earth.
My favorite songs from that summer were "What does it take" by Junior Walker & The All Stars and "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones.
Saturday, July 18, 1970
July 18, 1970: Willie Mays # 3,000
He broke with the Giants in 1951 and the rest of the story is one of the greatest careers in baseball history: .302 career average, 3,283 hits, 660 HR, 1,903 RBI, & the first 30 HR-30 stolen bases player ever.
In my book, the greatest CF ever and one of the top players of all time.
He could do everything: NL Rookie of the Year award in 1951, 20 All-Star teams, won two NL MVP & 12 straight Gold Gloves 1957-68.
And he made arguably the greatest catch in history in the 1954 World Series.
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.