Sunday, July 31, 2022

Oliva & Minoso in the Hall of Fame


 (My new American Thinker post)

Last Sunday, Tony Oliva and Minnie Minoso finally made it to Cooperstown.  I got to see it on TV.  My late father, and lots of Cubans, probably got to see it up in heaven.

As a very little boy in Cuba, my father used to take us to watch baseball games.  It was the four-team Cuban winter league, or the cream of the crop in Caribbean baseball.  My father saw a young Brooks Robinson, Lefty Tommy Lasorda, and aspiring Major-Leaguers who knew that a good Cuban winter league session would get them noticed in spring training.

It was also the league to catch the Cuban stars like Minoso, Camilo Pascual, Pedro Ramos, Cookie Rojas, etc.  I don't remember all of the details, but there was a lot of cigar smoke in the air and intensity whenever Orestes "Minnie" Minoso would come to the plate.  Later, my father told me that Minoso was booed if he didn't slide hard or dive for an outfield fly ball.  Cuban fans heard about his stolen bases up here and wanted the same down there.  My guess is that the White Sox did not really want to see their star player play winter ball in Cuba, but the pressure on Minoso was overwhelming.

Years later, our family took a weekend trip to Minneapolis to watch Oliva and the Twins.  They were a great team and had four Cuban players: A.L. MVP Zoilo Versalles, the great curve ball artist Camilo Pascual, back-up outfielder Sandy Valdespino, and Oliva.  It was such a treat to catch our first Major League game and see Tony Oliva hit a line drive to the wall.

They are now in Cooperstown, and that's exactly where they need to be.

Saturnino Orestes Armas Miñoso was born in Perico, Cuba, a sugar plantation.  It was very common for plantations to have baseball teams in pre-Castro Cuba, and the rest is history:

The White Sox quickly put Miñoso in their everyday lineup, where he finished the season with a .326 batting average, 112 runs scored and an American League-best 14 triples and 31 steals. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year vote to Gil McDougald of the Yankees, and fourth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.

Miñoso quickly demonstrated he could play baseball as well or better than almost anyone else around. Between 1951 and 1957, Miñoso led the league in triples three times, stolen bases three times, scored 100 or more runs four times and recorded at least 100 RBI three times. In those seven years, he was named to five All-Star teams, finished in the top 10 of the AL MVP voting four times and won a Gold Glove Award for his play in the outfield in 1957 — the first year Gold Glove Awards were presented.

Pedro Tony Oliva was born in Pinar del Rio and learned to play baseball on his father's farm.  He was spotted by a Twins scout, and they got him of Castro's Cuba with his brother's passport.

In 1964, our family arrived in the U.S., and the legend of Tony Oliva began:

He played a handful of MLB games at the end of the 1962 and 1963 seasons before earning a starting job in 1964.

That year, Oliva was the runaway winner of the American League Rookie of the Year after hitting a league-leading .323 with 32 home runs and 94 RBI — to go along with AL-highs in runs (109), hits (217) and doubles (43) while totaling 374 total bases, tying the rookie record.

His knock-kneed stance and golf-like swing left some wondering how Oliva produced his impressive totals, but the results spoke for themselves.

Oliva won another batting title in 1965 when he hit .321, becoming the first player ever to win batting crowns in his first two full seasons. Oliva finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player voting that year, leading the Twins to the AL pennant with 16 homers, 98 RBI and a league-best 185 hits.

In 1966, Oliva led the AL in hits for the third straight year (191) while winning a Gold Glove Award for his play in right field. His batting average dropped to .289 in both 1967 and 1968 as pitchers dominated play, but he rebounded with a .309 average and a league-best 197 hits in 1969 while leading the Twins to the first AL West title. He was even better in 1970, hitting .325 with 23 homers and a career-high 107 RBI along with his fifth AL hits crown (204) en route to another second-place finish in the MVP race. The Twins again won the AL West crown.

But in 1971, a play in the field forever altered Oliva’s career. On wet grass in Oakland, Oliva dove for a fly ball and injured his right knee. He finished with season batting .337 — good for his third AL batting crown — then missed all but 10 games the following year while rehabbing the knee.

He returned as a designated hitter from 1973-75, then spent 1976 as a coach/pinch-hitter in his final season.

The knee injury probably kept him from reaching 3,000 hits and a couple of more batting titles.

They are now enshrined in Cooperstown, and future generations will read about them.  I guess I was the lucky one because I saw them both with my father.  What a great memory.

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Saturday, July 30, 2022

Hey, Democrat parents, did you vote for this?


 (My new American Thinker post)

Here we go again, or more tales for the moderate.   

Check this out specially if you have a daughter in school:   

At least, for now. If the Biden administration gets its way, schools could force biological female students to live with biological men who identify as women and vice versa.

The Department of Education has proposed a new Title IX rule that demands that colleges treat students in line with their gender identity, not their biological sex. That means that people who identify as women would live with people who identify as women, and people who identify as men would live with people who identify as men.

Wait, but there is a condition:    

A biological man who began identifying as a woman at age 13 could be treated the same as a biological man who began identifying as a woman an hour ago. Both could be allowed to room with a woman who has no say in the matter, nor could the school be obligated to alert her in any way that her roommate is not, in fact, biologically female.

Thank you for saying that the man must have begun identifying as a woman by age 13.   I'm sure that parents out there between the coasts are relieved to know that their daughter's male roommate "converted to feminism" years ago.  Don't worry, mom and dad, your daughter's roommate has been playing with dolls since he discovered his feminine side or chose his gender.  In other words, it's a girl even if he is not.

Sorry, but this is obscene, and every Democrat should get a question about it.  Don't bet on it, but they should get a question about it.  

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Friday, July 29, 2022

Beto and Soros, The latest from South Texas and more with George Rodriguez




Friday's video: Recession and inflation and Biden looks silly.....Gallup and confidence ...


Friday's video:    
Recession and inflation and Biden looks silly.....Gallup and confidence ...

Recession and inflation and Biden looks silly.....Gallup and confidence in the media.....DC Mayor wants The National Guard to help with immigrants arriving by bus...........and other stories...

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.


 

Say it ain't so, Joe


 (My new American Thinker post)

Senator Joe Manchin has decided to revive "Build Back Better."   He calls it the "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022."  This is how Senator Manchin explained it:    

“I have worked diligently to get input from all sides on the legislation my Democratic colleagues have proposed and listened to the views of my Republican friends to find a path forward that removes inflationary policies so that Congress can respond to Americans’ suffering from high prices. 

Based on that work, I now propose and will vote for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. 

Rather than risking more inflation with trillions in new spending, this bill will cut the inflation taxes Americans are paying, lower the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs, and ensure our country invests in the energy security and climate change solutions we need to remain a global superpower through innovation rather than elimination. 

Whether it is the threats to our energy security, high inflation, exploding national debt, persistent income inequality, supply chain chaos or the emergence of a new Cold War, it is time to put away the partisan swords and advance legislation that is in the best interests of the future of this nation and the American people we all represent -- not just one party.

He worked hard to get input from both sides? What GOP senator is cosponsoring this? It sounds to me that this is going down on a 50-50 basis and VP Harris will break the tie. Any GOP Senators on that list? I don't see one.

Senator Manchin's timing ran into the new GDP report on the the recession news. You picked a bad day to propose a tax increase, Senator Manchin!  Did Manchin hear about The Fed hike to fight inflation?  Again, you picked a day to revive a deal that you pronounced dead not long ago.

So why is Manchin cutting a deal with Schumer?  He once said that he couldn't vote for something that he couldn't explain to his voters in West Virginia.  How is he going to explain this one back home?  Did Schumer suddenly become popular in "Almost heaven" West Virginia?  Or is Manchin a Democrat trying to give his party's president a victory before the mid-terms?

 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.

Thursday, July 28, 2022

GDP and recession, Sen Manchin new deal, Moderate Biden?....and other stories




GDP and recession, Sen Manchin new deal, Moderate Biden?....and other stories 07/28 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics

GDP and recession.....Sen Manchin new deal.....Moderate Biden?....
and other stories...click to listen:

Thursday's video: GDP and recession, Sen Manchin new deal, Moderate Biden?....and other stories...


Thursday's video: 
GDP and recession, Sen Manchin new deal, Moderate Biden?....and other stories...

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.

 

More 'woke tales' from the moderates


 (My new American Thinker post)

The latest from "the moderate's administration" is that lunch money is tied to gender ideology. Let's check this out from Briebart:   

As Breitbart News reported, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last month announced in order for schools to receive funds for student lunches, breakfasts, and other food items, they must comply with its interpretation of the ban on discrimination based on sex in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and other food-related programs, which includes sexual orientation and gender identity.   

“USDA is committed to administering all its programs with equity and fairness, and serving those in need with the highest dignity,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release.

“A key step in advancing these principles is rooting out discrimination in any form -- including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Well, we're happy that USDA is committed to rooting out discrimination, but what does tying lunch money to gender ideology has to do with that?

Furthermore, who voted for this?  Joe Biden was presented to us as the moderate or the calming influence to the Trump storm. What we are learning every day, from open borders to the war on fossil fuels to boys competing with girls, is that the whole "moderate" label was Exhibit A of deceptive advertising. He was never really a moderate and tying lunch money to gender ideology is just the latest example.   

My post has a happy ending. President Biden has lost the battle of public opinion, a sign that more people have Biden-remorse.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2022

DOJ vs Trump plus The View and Nazis



The View and Nazis....The DOJ vs Trump....Dems and 2024....Home sales dropping...Korean War 1953....
and other stories...

Wednesday's video: DOJ vs Trump plus The View and Nazis


Wednesday's video: 
DOJ vs Trump plus The View and Nazis

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The first report of the week does not go well for President Biden

 

(My new American Thinker post)

As we know, this is the week of economic reports.  We will wait for the GDP number on Thursday, but the first one is not good news for the Biden administration. This is the summary:    

US consumer confidence declined in July to the lowest level since February 2021 on dimmer views of the economy amid persistent inflation.    

The Conference Board’s index decreased for a third month to 95.7 from a downwardly revised 98.4 reading in June, data Tuesday showed. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a decline to 97.    

The steady weakening in sentiment risks causing consumers to cut back on discretionary purchases at a time when the economy is struggling for momentum. Inflation has dented confidence and forced the Federal Reserve to pursue aggressive interest-rate hikes geared at curbing demand.

There you have it.  Honestly, did we need a report to confirm that?  We are all seeing with our own eyes and talking to neighbors and family about it.

We can hear about layoffs and a softer job market.  It's happening all around us and the report just confirms what we know firsthand.

And to make matters worse, half of all Americans are falling deeper into debt as inflation continues to boost costs.  I've spoken to people who are using their credit cards to buy gasoline or food. It's a bad idea but they need to eat and drive to work.  

At our church, we have a pantry that feeds many people and many are also calling with requests for money to pay the rent.  Thankfully, the parishioners keep the pantry full of food for the needy but the rent requests are tough to meet.

That's the way it is in the summer of 2022. They may not call it a recession but these technicalities matter little to people asking for help. And more and more are asking for help.

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.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Week of economic reports plus Tony Dow & Mick Jagger




Week of economic reports plus Tony Dow & Mick Jagger 07/26 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics

Week of economic reports...Consumer Confidence Index.....GDP second quarter......RIP Tony Dow.......Hunter Biden investigation....Happy # 79 Mick Jagger....and other stories......
click to listen:

Tuesday's video: Week of economic reports plus Tony Dow & Mick Jagger


Tuesday's video: 
Week of economic reports plus Tony Dow & Mick Jagger

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'I see the bad moon a-risin' I see trouble on the way


 (My new American Thinker post)

By Friday, we will know a lot about the U.S. economy.  We will have a better idea of what John Fogerty meant by "I see the bad moon a-risin'." Maybe we won't see "earthquakes and lightnin'" but bad economic reports are apparently coming.  Of course, if we see earthquakes and lighting then they'll blame that on fossil fuels.

My guess is that bad news is coming, as CNN is telling us:   

Expect several key reports this week on US economic health and consumer prices to offer a glimpse of how bad things could get. 

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve is also expected to raise interest rates again in an attempt to tame inflation, though some experts think the Fed's new aggressive strategy came too late and risks tipping the economy into a recession.

And there's more:    

The latest Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board is due to be released Tuesday, after last month's report showed souring confidence in the face of high gas and food prices and rising recession risks. Another closely watched snapshot of data -- the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, which charts changes in the prices of goods and services bought by US consumers -- is out on Friday.

And then there is the GDP report coming on Thursday. According to the experts, this is the report that will confirm whether or not we are officially in a recession.   I'm sure you remember your old economic professor saying that two consecutive quarters of negative growth equals a recession. We may have that dreaded R word in the newscasts soon.    

Of course, The White House is dancing around the experts and saying that this recession is different. In other words, they want to create a new definitionbecause two consecutive quarters of negative growth does not apply to our situation today.

In the meantime, some mom is fuming at the grocery store because the money just does not buy as much as it did when the "tweeter" was in office.

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Monday, July 25, 2022

The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda



The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda 07/25 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics

Guest: Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda.....President Biden and COVID.....Electric vehicles and energy....January 6 committee.....Former VP Al Gore and Uvalde.....VP Harris on abortion and slavery.....Hunter Biden story....and other stories.....
click to listen:

Monday's video: Climate change, abortion and the 2022 Hall of Fame


Monday's video: 
Climate change, abortion and the 2022 Hall of Fame......

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.

                                   

Uvalde and climate change courtesy of the one and only Al Gore


 (My new American Thinker post)

At some point, the serious people in the climate change debate need to take time out and regroup.  It's one thing to point out some facts about the climate changing.  I can listen and deal with that. It's quite another for former VP Gore to bring up Uvalde. This is from Fox News:    

Former Vice President Al Gore made a stunning comparison, saying climate change skeptics are similar to the law enforcement officers who botched the response to the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

"Climate deniers are really in some ways similar to all of those almost 400 law enforcement officers in Uvalde, Texas, who were waiting outside an unlocked door while the children were being massacred," Gore said during a pre-taped "Meet the Press" interview airing Sunday.

"They heard the screams, they heard the gunshots, and nobody stepped forward," he continued. "And God bless those families who suffered so much. Law enforcement officials tell us that's not typical of what law enforcement usually does."

God bless America that this man did not carry his home state of Tennessee and win the presidency. The state slogan is ""Tennessee -- America at its best."  Our friends in Tennessee were at their best the first Tuesday of November 2000.

Wonder how the families of these kids feel about an irresponsible comment like this?  Yes, there were serious mistakes that day, from unlocked doors to careless parents to terrible execution by police officers. But why bring climate change into this?  I did not see the Meet the Press interview but did Mr. Todd challenge this outrageous statement.?

Like the abortion crowd, who get more hysterical by the minute, the climate change brigade needs to get away from opportunists like Al Gore and start talking sensibly.

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Saturday, July 23, 2022

Will the wokies force us to bring back the draft?

 


(My new American Thinker post)

They destroy everything that they touch, from Disney movies to works of literature to historical statues to now the U.S. armed forces.  I'm talking about "the wokies" who are bent on destroying the country and culture that they hate so much.

The latest is the armed forces, as Glenn Reynolds wrote:  

The Army’s No. 2 officer told Congress Tuesday that the service has no choice but to reduce total force strength by 10,000 for the fiscal year starting in September, with the next year looking even bleaker: By the end of fiscal 2023, it could be up to 28,000 soldiers short of its 476,000-troop target. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth’s spokeswoman said it’s met only half of its recruiting goal so far this fiscal year -- with just 2½ months left.

Why is this? There are several potential explanations. One is that the new “woke” Army isn’t all that appealing to the kinds of people who traditionally join the military. 

Yes, wokism is bringing down another symbol of U.S. history.

After 9/11 and the war on terror that included Iraq, young men ran to sign up. They were inspired to defend the country they love. They wanted to do their part as their fathers and grandfathers and great grandfather had done before. They saw those photos of the last generation wearing the country's colors and they wanted to be a part of it.

So they went to places like Afghanistan and Iraq in much the same that their fathers and grandfathers went to Iwo Jima or the Mekong Delta.   

Then President Biden unleashed the wokies and now no one wants to sign up. They hear of "toxic masculinity" and "white rage" and every terrible thing that their country has done. Why sign up and risk your life?   

They're uninspired, and who can blame them?  This is not their dad's military anymore, to recall the popular Olds commercial of years ago.   

The good news is that it will change. New leadership will return the armed forces to their place of honor. The bad news is that President Biden, or Harris, may have to bring back the draft to fight an unexpected war in one of those many places where our interests may be threatened.    

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 recorded this podcast with Barry Jacobsen about the state of the military:

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