Sunday, December 28, 1980

We remember "super glove man" Aurelio Rodríguez (1947-2000)


We remember Aurelio Rodriguez.   He was born in Mexico on this day in 1947 and died tragically in 2000.
Aurelio broke with the Angels in 1967.    He hit 19 HRS with 83 RBI in 1970.  
After that, he was better known for his incredible glove at third base.   He finally won the Gold Glove in 1976 after Brooks Robinson of the Orioles won 16 in a row.
Overall, he hit .237, 124 HR & 648 RBI in 2,017 games.   He was a great defensive third baseman and that's why he played such a long career with the Angels, Tigers & Yankees.  
 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
 

Thursday, December 25, 1980

We remember Rod Sterling (1924-1975)


Image result for rod serling images
We remember Rod Sterling who was born in Syracuse, NY, on this day in 1924.  He died in 1975.

Most of us grew up watching "The Twilight Zone", one of my all-time favorite TV shows.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.








Tuesday, December 23, 1980

We remember Tim Hardin (1941-80)




Image result for tim hardin images
We remember Tim Hardin, who was born in Eugene, Oregon, on this day in 1941 and died in 1980.     His life was cut short by some personal problems, specially an addiction to heroin.

His songs include "Reason to believe", recorded by Rod Stewart and The Carpenters,  and "If I were a carpenter", a big hit for Bobby Darin and recorded by many others.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.










1860-64: Christmas and President Lincoln


Over the years, I’ve enjoyed reading presidential Christmas proclamations. Some are more prominent than others.   
President Washington always stands out because he set the table for others to follow.    
Then there is President Roosevelt in 1941 after Pearl Harbor.   
President Truman in 1945 or the first peace time Christmas in a few years.   
More recently, President Bush in 1991 or President GW Bush after 9-11.
They are all significant and a reminder that Christmas is a lot more than a day off or a vacation day for federal employees. There is a religious meaning to the season no matter how much we try to replace it with secular messages. 
We think of Lincoln as the greatest president. How did Lincoln spend Christmas week as president and president-elect? Let’s remember:
“In 1860, as President-elect, Lincoln received callers such as Thurlow Weed in Springfield, Illinois, and dealt with Cabinet issues. He was especially concerned that federal forts had been taken in the South. 
On December 20 he received the stunning news that South Carolina had seceded from the Union. 
In 1861 President Lincoln was deeply involved in Civil War problems such as the Trent affair, but found time on December 22 to attend services at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.
On Christmas morning he held an important Cabinet meeting, but was able to entertain a large number of dinner guests by evening.
In 1862 President Lincoln again was absorbed with military matters and was preparing the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.
On December 23 he wrote to Fanny McCullough, whose father had been killed in action and had been a long-time friend of his. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln visited Washington hospitals on Christmas Day.
In 1863 President Lincoln reassured the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society he had no intention of retracting the Emancipation Proclamation.
On Christmas Day he discussed the constitutionality of the draft with John Hay, one of his private secretaries.
In 1864 President Lincoln received the following dispatch from General Sherman, who had captured Savannah, Georgia:
“I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah with 150 heavy guns & plenty of ammunition & also about 25000 bales of cotton.”
On December 26 Lincoln gave a Christmas reception at the White House.”
Christmas 1860 must have been especially troubling as the President elect could see some very hard times ahead.  
Merry Christmas or Feliz Navidad, as I grew up saying!
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

Monday, December 22, 1980

We remember Robin & Maurice Gibb today

Robin and Maurice, Barry's younger twin brothers, were born on this day in 1949.  Unfortunately, Maurice died suddenly in 2003 and Robin from cancer in 2012.

I love their 3-part harmonies and songwriting skills.   

From 'New York Mining Disaster 1941" in the spring of 1967 to "This is where I came in", their last LP in 2001, the Brothers Gibb recorded and wrote some of the best songs of the last 50 years.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.




Saturday, December 20, 1980

1957: Elvis and the draft

During the GOP debate a few days ago, some candidates avoided the draft question.  In other words, they want to send troops to the Middle East but continue to do so with a volunteer army.
For the record, my son served as a volunteer in the U.S. Army.  I am very proud of him.  Also, our volunteer army performed admirably in recent wars, from the Gulf War of 1991 to Iraq to Afghanistan.
A lot of people have forgotten that we used to have a draft, or required service in the U.S. armed forces.  The draft ended in 1973.
On this day in 1957, Elvis Presley got his draft notice:
After six months of basic training–including an emergency leave to see his beloved mother, Gladys, before she died in August 1958–Presley sailed to Europe on the USS General Randall. For the next 18 months, he served in Company D, 32nd Tank Battalion, 3rd Armor Corps in Friedberg, Germany, where he attained the rank of sergeant. 
For the rest of his service, he shared an off-base residence with his father, grandmother and some Memphis friends. After working during the day, Presley returned home at night to host frequent parties and impromptu jam sessions. At one of these, an army buddy of Presley’s introduced him to 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whom Elvis would marry some years later. 
Meanwhile, Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, continued to release singles recorded before his departure, keeping the money rolling in and his most famous client fresh in the public’s mind. Widely praised for not seeking to avoid the draft or serve domestically, Presley was seen as a model for all young Americans. 
After he got his polio shot from an army doctor on national TV, vaccine rates among the American population shot from 2 percent to 85 percent by the time of his discharge on March 2, 1960.
I remember telling my sons a few years ago about Elvis getting drafted.  They said, What?
The draft should be brought back.  It makes your armed forces more representative of the population.  It will also force some young people to understand that there are unique responsibilities to being a superpower, such as defending our way of life.
 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Friday, December 19, 1980

2013 show: Cuban food for the holidays with Marta Darby & Sonia Martinez


Image result for mother cooking images

Guests:  

Marta Verdes Darby, (My big fat Cuban family)

and Sonia Martinez, author of "Tropical taste".

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.


We remember Walt "No neck" Williams (1943-2016)


We remember Walt Williams who was born on this day in 1943.  He died in 2016.

In the early 1970s, it was a treat to watch the Chicago White Sox play the Milwaukee Brewers at the old County Stadium.

During that time, the White Sox had a stocky outfielder (5'6" & 165 lbs) with one of the greatest nicknames in baseball, or "No neck" Williams.   His wife said that he got the nickname in his first year of baseball.   

"No neck" played for several years with Chicago, Cleveland and New York Yankees.   His best season was 1969 when he hit .304 with 133 hits.    Overall, he retired with a very respectable .270 career batting average.

Walt "No neck" Williams.    I loved the nickname and very aggressive style on the field.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.


We remember Tony Taylor (1935-2020)

Image result for tony taylor phillies images
We remember Tony Taylor, who was born in Central Alava, Matanzas, Cuba.   He was born in 1935 and died today in 2020.
Tony broke with the Cubs in 1958 hitting .235 in 140 games.  
He was traded to the Phillies and enjoyed a very good career:   2.007 hits, a .261 average, 234 stolen bases and 1,005 runs scored.    Tony had a couple of seasons with 700-plus plate appearances, a test to his durability. 
Taylor retired in 1976.   Tony is one of a handful of major leaguers who played in the pre-Castro winter league and the majors. 
 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Al Kaline (1934-2020)


We remember Al Kaline who was born in Baltimore in 1934 and died in 2020.    

Kaline broke with the Detroit Tigers in 1953.

In 1955, he won the AL batting title, the youngest champion ever at age 20.  

Kaline played right field for the next two decades and finished in the top 3 of AL batting leaders five more times.  He also hit 399 HR and won 10 Gold Gloves.

In 1974, he retired with 3,008 hits and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1980.

One of my all time favorites.   I saw him play several times.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.




Wednesday, December 17, 1980

Remembering the Cuban Christmas and "Los Reyes Magos"

Image result for the 3 wise men images

Guests:

Marta Sosa (Cubanarama on the radio);

Tersi Bendiburg (storyteller)

Fernando Hernandez ("The Cubans, our footprints...") and,

Amarilys Gacio Rassler ("Cuban American.....")




 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember William Safire (1929-2009)


Image result for william safire images
We remember William Safire, who was born in New York City on this day in 1929 and died in 2009.

Safire was associated with President Nixon, including the famous "Kitchen debate" from 1959.  Later, he wrote several books and a column.  

His books were great.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.







Tuesday, December 16, 1980

1773: A little Tea Party history




Once upon a time, colonists threw tea into the water of Boston harbor.     


Our own "tea party" these days is also based on taxation and the sense that the government is out of touch with the governed.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.


Sunday, December 14, 1980

We remember Patty Duke (1946-2016)


We remember that Patty Duke was born in Queens, New York, on this day in 1946.  She died in 2016.

Patty had a very popular TV star in the 1960's, or the kind of program that millions of girls would watch every week to catch up with her antics.   

She was very talented and worked on many other movies as well.

We remember Bill Buckner (1949-2019)







Bill Buckner was born in Vallejo, CA on this day in 1949 and died after a battle with cancer in 2019.  


He hit .289 with 2,715 hits and a .408 on-base average.    Buckner was a tough out, a great competitor and the kind of guy that you wanted on your team.   Indeed, a great major league hitter.



Thursday, December 11, 1980

1951: Joe DiMaggio retired from baseball

The great Joe DiMaggio officially ended his baseball career on this day in 1951.   

He began with the Yankees in 1936 when he was 21.   We remember him for the 56-game hitting streak and a .325 career batting average.  

He also played in 10 World Series, including 4 in a row (1936-39) and won the MVP 3 times. (1939, 1941 & 1947).

Was he the best?   Let's say that he was one of the best!    

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Monday, December 08, 1980

We remember John Lennon (1940-80)


It's hard to believe but John Lennon was killed on this day in 1980.   Where did the time go?  

Yes, it was a shocking act, as Howard Cosell said on TV, when he broke the story during the football game.

Most of the country heard the story during the aforementioned game.  I fell asleep during the game and heard the news the morning after.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.



World War II right after the attack on Pearl Harbor with Barry Jacobsen



Pearl Harbor attack | Date, History, Map, & Casualties | Britannica
Guest:  Barry Jacobsen, blogger and military historian........
.we will look at World War II right after the attack on Pearl Harbor.........the US declared war and now must organize a military response...........and other stories.......

Click to listen:

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.




Tuesday, December 02, 1980

1961: The day that Fidel Castro said: “Yo soy un Marxista Leninista”!



 

For much of the first two years of the so called “revolution,” Fidel Castro denied that he was a communist.  In fact, he did it on “Meet the Press” when he visited the U.S. in 1959.     Nevertheless, there were many people who had serious doubts, from Vice President Richard Nixon to many Cubans in the island.

On this day in 1961 Fidel Castro made it official:    

“”I am a Marxist-Leninist and shall be one until the end of my life.”He went on to state that, “Marxism or scientific socialism has become the revolutionary movement of the working class.”He also noted that communism would be the dominant force in Cuban politics:“There cannot be three or four movements.””   

And that was it!   It happened about seven months after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and ended any hopes of a multiparty election or restoration of the freedoms that the regime had eliminated by executive decree.  

Last, but not least,  Cubans were thrown in jail or executed in 1959-61 for calling Castro un “comunista.”   None of those people were ever released after Castro confirmed that he was “un communista.”  They stayed in prison, along with thousands of others.  

As my late father used to say, communists lie and then lie so more!  

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1823: The Monroe Doctrine


 
It all started as a message to Congress and became one of the most important foreign policy doctrines in US history.   We know it as The Monroe Doctrine.   

The declaration, drafted by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams intended to keep European powers from colonizing territory in Central and South America.   The US was also looking westward and did not want to compete with Europeans in North America.

"America for Americans" was the message.    Naturally, it had its critics and supporters over the years.   On balance, it worked well and kept European powers out of America, from North to South.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.




Sunday, November 30, 1980

1963: The UK version of "I want to hold your hand" was released by The Beatles

Image result for the beatles uk i want to hold your images
In late November 1963, "I want to hold your hand" was released in the UK.   A few weeks later it was heard in the US.   

By mid-January, the song was # 1 on Billboard and "Beatlemania" was off and running.     The group appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th and you know the rest of the story.

In the UK, the B-side was "This boy".   In the US, it was "I saw her standing there".    

A few weeks later, "Meet the Beatles", the first Capitol LP was also released.  

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Dick Clark (1929-2012)

Image result for dick clark images

We remember Richard Wagstaff Clark who was born in Mt. Vernon, NY, on this day in 1929.   On April 18, 2012, Dick Clark died of a heart attack.  He was 82.

Dick Clark's American Bandstand was on the air until the late 1980s.  He went from one generation to the other, from Elvis to U2.  I guess that he connected so well because he never "aged".  He looked as young in 1987 as he did in 1967 when we used to watch those Saturday shows.

Dick Clark was great and we thank him for all of the memories.  I used to love that "rate the record" segment and the interviews.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Friday, November 28, 1980

We remember Gato Barbieri (1923-2016)

Image result for gato barbieri images
He was born Leandro Barbieri in Rosario, Argentina, on this day in 1923.  He died in 2016.

Leandro got the nickname "Gato" because he would go from one club to another in Buenos Aires.   

Over time, he recorded over 30 albums and won many awards, including a Latin Grammy lifetime achievement.

Your music was excellent!  By the way, he composed the music for "Last tango in Paris".

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.






Wednesday, November 26, 1980

Charles Schulz (1922-2000), the man who gave us Charlie Brown

Charles Monroe Schulz was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on this day in 1922. He died in 2000. Schulz created Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts Gang.

Back in the early days of “el exilio”, we learned English going to school, playing baseball with our new friends and watching TV. I don’t want to show my age but TV circa 1970 was “mucho mejor” than what we have today. Back then, we had 3 or 4 channels and something worth watching. Today, we have 300 channels and “mucha basura” as my late mother used to say.

We loved Mr. Schulz’ characters so much that we watched them on TV and holiday specials. What would Thanksgiving be without Charlie and the gang planning their celebration? What would a Christmas’ playlist be like without “Snoopy’ Christmas”?

Happy San Giving and catch Snoopy this weekend.

P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.


Friday, November 21, 1980

1980: Who shot J R Ewing of the Dallas TV series?


The "Dallas" TV series was a huge success in the 1970's.  

On March 13, 1980, the season ended with someone shooting JR Ewing, the character that everybody loved to hate.  

The show's fans, and a few others spent most of the summer wondering "Who shot JR"?

On this day in 1980, millions of people around the world tuned in to answer the question:  Who shot JR?  

83 million people in the country saw the show or an amazing 76% of all of the TVs in the US.

As I recall, it was Kristin who shot him!





Monday, November 17, 1980

1980: John Lennon's "Double Fantasy" released in the US


Image result for john lennon images

John Lennon released "Double Fantasy" on this day in 1980.  It turned out to be his last LP because John was killed a few weeks later.    I guess that I must be getting old because I remember the new LP and the night he was killed like it was yesterday.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.


Thursday, November 13, 1980

We remember Buck O'Neill (1911-2006)



The great Buck O'Neill was born in Florida on this day in 1911.  He died in 2006.

Most baseball fans were introduced to the late Buck O'Neill in Ken Burns' baseball series. Buck related so many stories of the old Negro Leagues.

O'Neill was a pretty good player in the Negro Leagues' greatest team, the Kansas City Monarchs.

O'Neill won't get in the Hall of Fame because of stats. He did not hit titanic home runs like Josh Gibson or cut down batters like Satchel Paige.

Buck gets my vote because he became a wonderful ambassador for baseball with kids.    For example, he came to Dallas and spoke to inner city kids about integrity, character, and even playing baseball for a living.   It's hard to think of a greater spokesman for the game than the late Buck O'Neill!

Let's hope that the writers put him in next year!

I should add that baseball created The Buck O'Neill Award in 2008.  


 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.






We remember Mel Stottlemyre (1941-2019)

Image result for mel stottlemyre images

We remember Mel Stottlemyre who was born in 1941 and pitched for the Yankees, 1964-74.   He died in 2019.

Stottlemyre pitched during a very difficult time for the Yankees.   He came up in 1964 and pitched very well for the AL Champs.   Unfortunately, he never pitched for another contender after that.    In fact, the Yankees did not return to the post season until 1976. 

Stottlemyre won 164, completed 152, threw 40 shutouts and retired with a fantastic 2.97 ERA.   Wonder how many games he'd won with better Yankee teams?   It's hard to say but 250 is a real possibility.   

After baseball, Mel served as pitching coach for the Yankees.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
 



Saturday, November 08, 1980

We remember Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949)

Image result for margaret mitchell images
We remember Margaret Mitchell who was born on this day in 1900.  Her classic "Gone with the wind" was published in 1936.   

Mitchell died in 1949.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

 

Friday, November 07, 1980

What a weekend to remember Reagan!


Related image
Back in November 1980, I was almost packed to move to Mexico.  My company was transferring me to the bank branch in Mexico City.  It was an exciting time, especially as I went through the last details of my Mexico work visa and other matters related to the change.
I was also a volunteer on the Reagan-Bush team.  On Friday night, I recall working a phone bank and hearing all the senior people talking about a close election.  A few days before, we had seen Mr. Reagan debate President Carter, but the impact of “there you go again” was still unclear.  I guess we did not see the impact of that debate until election day.
On election day, I voted early, went to work, and then listened to the radio for any detail I could find.
At 7:00 P.M., I tuned in to the TV, expecting to stay up all night, as I had in 1976, when the Ford-Carter election literally went into early morning.
Around 7:00 P.M., the Eastern results came in, and Carter looked weak.  By 9:00, the Southern results started projecting a Reagan victory.  By 11:00, the Western results made it a landslide.  
The Reagan-Bush team got 489 electoral votes and almost 44 million votes.  It was amazing, to say the least.
Of course, the next part was even better.  The GOP picked up Senate seats and ended up with a majority for the first time in years.
The GOP won open seats in Alabama, Alaska, and Florida.  The real fun was defeating our favorite liberals, such as Frank Church of Idaho; Birch E. Bayh II of Indiana; George S. McGovern of South Dakota, the 1972 party nominee; and Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.  It was not a good night to be a liberal Democrat between the coasts!  I guess we were seeing the beginning of what we would later in the red states!
Over time, I’ve tried to read as much as possible about that election of 1980, especially the last week, where millions of votes moved to Reagan.  Victor Davis Hanson explained it in a good post back in 2012:
Finally, in late October, Reagan capitulated to Carter’s preconditions and met him one time, face to face, without Anderson present.
In other words, until the very last week of the campaign, Reagan had an uphill fight. True, he eventually won a landslide victory in the Electoral College (489 to 49) and beat Carter handily in the popular vote. Yet Reagan only received a 51-percent majority.
What had saved Reagan from a perfect storm of negative factors – gaffes, additional conservative candidates on the ballot, a single debate, and a biased media – was not just the debate. Voter turnout was relatively low at only 53 percent. If Reagan’s conservative base was united and energized, Carter’s proved divided and indifferent.
One way or another, millions of voters that year made up their minds late.  In the end, I had a wonderful time celebrating the results and watching some of those liberals like Church and McGovern go down!
A few days later, everyone in Mexico was curious as to how Reagan did it.  I had a lot fun explaining the victory south of the border.
 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.


Search This Blog