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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January 28: Remembering Jose Marti (1853-95)

Jose Marti was born on a day like this in 1853.  He died in 1895 during a confrontation with Spanish troops in the long and very costly Cuban War of Independence.

Back in 2013, we chatted with Jorge Ponce, a Cuban American who left the island as a youngster with his parents, and Alfredo Cespero from Miami.   They joined me for a discussion of Jose Marti's life and what it means for those of us who grew up in the US.  

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1981: What were you doing when Governor Reagan became Pres Reagan?

It was 1981, or the day that Ronald Reagan became the 40th president of the US.   He succeeded President Carter who served one term.

Do you remember what you were doing that sunny January day in 1981?

I was driving some colleagues between Saltillo and Monterrey in the north of Mexico.  It was an isolated road but ideal for picking up the ceremony and speech over WOAI-AM of San Antonio, Texas.   It came in clearly in our car radio!

Later, we got to the hotel in Saltillo and heard that the Iran hostages had been released.

Quite a morning, from the new president to the release of the hostages.

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1981: President Reagan took over

On January 20th 1981, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president of the United States. A few minutes later, the 52 hostages held at the U.S. embassy in Iran were released......ending the Iranian Hostage Crisis......it was the first day of a very impressive two term presidency.....

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1981: The Iran hostages released

On this day in 1981, Governor Reagan became President Reagan.   Shortly after, the Iranian hostages were released.    

Was there a connection?   We will never know but my guess is that the Iranian understood that a President Reagan would act differently than President Carter.

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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!

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