We remember Pearl Harbor!

Most of us read about it.   My parents remember listening to the news on the radio. 

Today, we remember Pearl Harbor and everyone who fought in World War 2!

Good movie about "Pearl Harbor"?   My favorite is "Tora, tora, tora", a very serious film with very good dialogue.

1981 and Steve Carlton set NL mark for K's

The great Steve Carlton made some National League history on this day in 1981.   Carlton set the NL mark for K’s!

Over an amazing career, Carlton 329 games with a 3.22 ERA.   He also completed 254 games with 4,136 strikeouts.   His best season was 1972:  27-10, a 1.97 ERA, 30 complete games, 8 shutouts and 320 strikeouts.   The amazing thing is that he pitched for a team that won 59 games.   It may have been the greatest pitching performance ever.

Great pitcher.   Maybe the best lefty after Koufax with all due respect to Randy Johnson!

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We remember Hugo Montenegro (1925-81)

Hugo Montenegro was born in New York on this day in 1925.   He spent some time in the US Navy and then started writing and arranging music in the 1950’s.     We remember him for all of those Western film themes, such as “The good the bad and the ugly”.

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Leadership Reagan style and the air controllers

Like many of you, I am yearning for presidential leadership.  I want a president who leads and sets the tone.

32 years ago yesterday, President Reagan once again demonstrated that he understood leadership and presidency:

"On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan begins firing 11,359 air-traffic controllers striking in violation of his order for them to return to work. The executive action, regarded as extreme by many, significantly slowed air travel for months.

Two days earlier, on August 3, almost 13,000 air-traffic controllers went on strike after negotiations with the federal government to raise their pay and shorten their workweek proved fruitless. The controllers complained of difficult working conditions and a lack of recognition of the pressures they face. Across the country, some 7,000 flights were canceled. The same day, President Reagan called the strike illegal and threatened to fire any controller who had not returned to work within 48 hours. Robert Poli, president of the Professional Air-Traffic Controllers Association (PATCO), was found in contempt by a federal judge and ordered to pay $1,000 a day in fines.
On August 5, an angry President Reagan carried out his threat, and the federal government began firing the 11,359 air-traffic controllers who had not returned to work. In addition, he declared a lifetime ban on the rehiring of the strikers by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On August 17, the FAA began accepting applications for new air-traffic controllers, and on October 22 the Federal Labor Relations Authority decertified PATCO."

Don't you miss presidential leadership?

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1981: Leadership Reagan style and the air controllers

A few years ago, President Reagan once again demonstrated that he understood leadership and the presidency.    

On this day in 1981, President Reagan "fired" 11,359 air-traffic controllers on strike.  It was a tough call but President Reagan was right.  It was also one of the first times that a leader of a democracy stood up to a public sector union and prevailed.

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March 30, 1981: President Reagan was shot!

On March 30 1981, I was having lunch in Mexico City with a British friend and the phone rang.  It was my mother calling from Dallas saying that President Reagan had been shot.

Reagan nearly died. He was clearly affected by the shooting, physically and emotionally.

Looking back, we remember some great Reagan lines:

“Honey, I forgot to duck” (The President’s words to the First Lady)

”Please tell me you’re Republicans.” (The President greets the surgeons)

Reagan survived and went on to have two very successful terms.  Nevertheless, we remember that sick feeling hearing that the President had been shot in Washington DC.

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1981: Bob Gibson elected to Hall of Fame

In 1981, Bob Gibson was the only player elected to the Hall of Fame.   

As a young man in Omaha, Gibson excelled at baseball and basketball in high school.   He played college basketball at Creighton University and had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters.   

In 1957, he signed with the Cardinals, and made his big-league debut in 1959.

His 17 years with St. Louis were awesome:  251 victories, 255 complete games, 3,117 strikeouts, 56 shutouts, and an ERA of 2.91.        His 1968 season may have been the greatest modern pitching performance:   22-9, 13 shutouts, 28 complete games and an unbelievable 1.12 ERA!  And he won game 7 in the 1964 & 1967 World Series!

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