Friday, May 17, 2024
Come Mister Alvin, tally me banana
Click to read:
Come Mister Alvin, tally me banana - American Thinker https://t.co/Ra6uchvDdh
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) May 17, 2024
We remember Cool Papa Bell (1903-1991)
(You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.)James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell was born on May 17. 1903 and played his entire career in the Negro Leagues.
He was one of the fastest men ever to play baseball. Satchel Paige once said this about him:
Like many Negro League stars, he played in Mexico and Cuba.
Bell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 when many of the Negro League greats were added.
He was one of the fastest men ever to play baseball. Satchel Paige once said this about him:
He was part of the greatest Negro League teams. Bell won many championships with the St Louis Stars, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, and the Homestead Grays. The 1935 Crawfords featured five future Hall-of-Famers: Bell, Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson and Satchel Paige.“One Time he hit a line drive right past my ear. I turned around and saw the ball hit him sliding into second.”
Like many Negro League stars, he played in Mexico and Cuba.
Bell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 when many of the Negro League greats were added.
We remember Maureen O’Sullivan (1911-1998)
In 1932, Maureen played "Jane" in a "Tarzan" movie along Olympic medal winner Johnny Weissmuller. It was a smash and several more movies followed.
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, May 16, 2024
Thursday's podcast: CNN and the debate, The Hur report, Mayor Adams and swimmers plus more stories
Thursday's podcast:
CNN and the debate, The Hur report, Mayor Adams and swimmers plus more stories...
Great shortstops and now swimmers?
Click to read:
Great shortstops and now swimmers? - American Thinker https://t.co/qo7Q3OOAHa
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) May 16, 2024
1966: “Pet sounds” released by The Beach Boys
(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.)Once in a while, you need to get away from current events and check out some good music.
How about listening to The Beach Boys' “Pet Sounds”, released on this day in 1966?
How about listening to The Beach Boys' “Pet Sounds”, released on this day in 1966?
It ranks as one of the best albums in rock history. (In fact, it is ranked #2 in Rolling Stone’s Top 500 rock albums!)
“Pet Sounds” was way ahead of its time. It included songs and arrangements that defined Brian Wilson’s awesome talents and skills. My favorite is a tie between "God only knows" and "Wouldn't it be nice".
The Beach Boys were Brian Wilson (bass and vocals) and his brothers Carl (guitar & vocals) & Dennis (drums). The other members were Mike Love (vocals) and Al Jardine (guitar). Bruce Johnston also sang vocals in this album.
Most pop albums do not get better with age. In fact, they usually end up in a basement box or closet!
“Pet Sounds” gets better and better with age. It is not your usual 1960's LP, or a couple of hit singles and less memorable tracks thrown together to release an album.
Get a copy, put it in your CD player and you will see what I mean. Or better than that, check it out in a digital format.
Happy # 69 Jack Morris
(You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.)
Morris came up with Detroit in 1977. He won 17 in 1979 and his career really took off after that.
Overall, he was a workhorse: 254 wins, 3.90 ERA and 179 Complete Games.
He pitched 2 complete games in the 1984 World Series when Detroit beat San Diego.
We remember him for pitching a classic 1-0 10-inning shutout for Minnesota in game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
He came back and helped Toronto win it all in 1992.
A great pitcher, specially in the post-season: 7-4 and 5 complete games.
A workhorse of a pitcher! One of my favorites!
Morris was inducted into The Hall of Fame in 2018.
May 1965: "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits was # 1 this week and the story of my sister's canary
They had a long list of hits in US radio, from "Mrs. Brown you've got a lovely daughter" to "There's kind of hush".
My sister was one of their biggest fans with pictures and photos of Peter Noone on her bedroom wall. In 1968, our parents gave her a canary and she named him "Herman".
She was very fond of Herman The Canary and all of the band's tunes. Unfortunately, Herman collapsed one day and that was it!
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Wednesday's podcast: The big debate, Mayor Adams and swimmers, Hunger-strikers & more
Wednesday's podcast:
The big debate, Mayor Adams and swimmers, Hunger-strikers & more....
2024 like 1980?
Click to read:
2024 like 1980? - American Thinker https://t.co/ZV9n6QdWvt
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) May 15, 2024
We remember Trini Lopez (1937-2020)
Trini Lopez was born in Dallas in 1937 and died apparently of COVID in 2020. We should add that Trini had been sick for some time. He became a very popular singer in the 1960’s. One of his best songs was “If I had a hammer”, a # 3 song from 1963.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.
May 15, 1973: The first of Nolan Ryan's 7 no-hitters!
Ryan threw another in July 1973 against the Twins, the Tigers in 1974 and then Orioles in 1975. He threw #5 against the Dodgers in 1981, #6 against the A's in 1990 and #7 against the Blue Jays in 1991.
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.
May 15, 1941: The streak began!
(You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.)
It started on May 15, 1941 with a single against the White Sox in a 13-1 Yankees loss.
How remarkable was DiMaggio's streak?
First, no one has come close: Pete Rose got to 44 in 1978, Paul Molitor got to 39 in 1987 and Jimmy Rollins got to 38 in 2005-06!
Second, he didn't just hit safely in 56 games. From May 15 to July 17. DiMaggio hit .408 (91-for-223), hit 15 home runs and drove in 55 runs.
Unbelievable is not enough!
Yes, I agree with my late father that DiMaggio's 56 game-hitting streak and Nolan Ryan's 7 no-hitters will never be surpassed.
First, no one has come close: Pete Rose got to 44 in 1978, Paul Molitor got to 39 in 1987 and Jimmy Rollins got to 38 in 2005-06!
Second, he didn't just hit safely in 56 games. From May 15 to July 17. DiMaggio hit .408 (91-for-223), hit 15 home runs and drove in 55 runs.
Unbelievable is not enough!
Yes, I agree with my late father that DiMaggio's 56 game-hitting streak and Nolan Ryan's 7 no-hitters will never be surpassed.
May 15, 1972: George Wallace was shot
Fifty years ago, Joe Biden was running for the U.S. Senate, Jimmy Carter was governor of Georgia, Ronald Reagan was governor of California, George H. Bush was swimming uphill in still Democrat Texas, Gerald Ford was the House minority leader, and President Nixon was promoting his foreign policy credentials and wondering whom he'd run against.
Then the stuff hit the fan. On this day in 1972, George Wallace was shot during a campaign rally in Maryland. It was a shocker!
Wallace will always be remembered as the man who may have made the Nixon presidency possible. We don't know for sure, but many of those Southern states (46 electoral votes) would have probably voted for V.P. Humphrey, as Texas did in 1968. Who knows what other states outside the South would have gone to Humphrey without Wallace?
The final 1968 Electoral College vote was Nixon 301, Humphrey 191, and Wallace 46. The popular vote was also very close: Nixon 43%, Humphrey 42%, and Wallace 14%.
In 1972, Wallace was running on the same themes but inside the Democrat party. I don't think he would have won the nomination, but he could have forced the party to nominate a more centrist candidate, such as a rerun of Vice President Humphrey or Senator Scoop Jackson of Washington. A Jackson or Humphrey would have made it more difficult for President Nixon. He would not have run against a liberal like George McGovern or carried 49 states.
So the man shot fifty years ago had a lot to do with Nixon winning in 1968 and a landslide re-election in 1972.
George Wallace recovered and returned to Alabama politics. In the 1980s, Mr. Wallace renounced his segregationist ideology and reconciled with many civil rights leaders. In 1982, he sought a new term as governor and won the election with substantial support from Black voters. He died in 1998.
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.
Happy # 71 George Brett
We say happy birthday to George Brett who was born in West Virginia on this day in 1953.
Brett broke with the Royals in 1973, became a regular in 1974 and the rest is history: .305 career batting average, 3,154 hits, 1,596 RBI & 3 batting titles.
His best season was 1980: .390 average, .454 on base average, 118 RBI & the AL MVP.
Brett hit .337 in 9 post-season series, including .370 when the Royals won the 1985 World Series.
He joined The Hall of Fame in 1999.
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, May 14, 2024
Tuesday's podcast: Biden's bad polls, 1980 & 2024, Frank Sinatra 1998 plus more stories
Tuesday's podcast:
Biden's bad polls, 1980 & 2024, Frank Sinatra 1998 plus more stories.....
Bread way up, Biden way down
Click to read:
Bread way up, Biden way down - American Thinker https://t.co/bBh0ZGljbT
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) May 14, 2024
We remember Jack Bruce (1943-2014)
We remember Jack Bruce who was born on this day in 1943. He died in 2014.
CREAM was one of the super groups of the 1960s. They were Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.
The band had a great sound and recorded two of rock's super songs: "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love".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.
1998: We remember the day that Frank Sinatra died
Where did the years go? Frank Sinatra died on this day in 1998 at age 82.
Sinatra was one of the biggest male vocalists of the 20th century. He was still recording and performing at the end of his life.
His life was like that song, "My way":
Sinatra was one of the biggest male vocalists of the 20th century. He was still recording and performing at the end of his life.
His life was like that song, "My way":
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.
Happy # 70 to Dennis Martinez
(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 say happy birthday to Dennis Martinez who was born in Nicaragua on this day in 1954.
From 1976 to 1997, Dennis was a very successful major league pitcher: 245 wins, 3.70 ERA, 122 complete games and a perfect game in 1991.
Dennis broke with the Orioles in 1976 and played for Baltimore in the 1979 and 1983 World Series.
He was eventually traded to Montreal where he enjoyed some very good years with the Expos: 100-72 with a 3.06 ERA.
His 245 wins are # 2 among Latino pitchers.
From 1976 to 1997, Dennis was a very successful major league pitcher: 245 wins, 3.70 ERA, 122 complete games and a perfect game in 1991.
Dennis broke with the Orioles in 1976 and played for Baltimore in the 1979 and 1983 World Series.
He was eventually traded to Montreal where he enjoyed some very good years with the Expos: 100-72 with a 3.06 ERA.
His 245 wins are # 2 among Latino pitchers.
Happy # 82 Tony Perez
(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 remember today Atanasio (Rigal) Perez, the pride of Ciego de Avila and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was born in 1942.
Tony broke with the Cincinnati Reds in the summer of 1964. He went on to have a wonderful major league career: 2,777 games, 2,732 hits, 379 HR, 1,659 RBI and a very good .279 career batting average.
Tony’s career was more than numbers. He was the steady bat in a Reds’ team that won 4 NL titles and the World Series in 1975 and 1976.
Willie Stargell spoke for many of his fellow players:
““With men in scoring position and the game on the line…Tony’s the last guy an opponent wanted to see.””
Tony had many big hits for the Reds Machine in the 1970s. He is best remembered for a big homer in game 7 of the 1975 World Series. After playing, Tony was a coach and baseball executive.
Monday, May 13, 2024
Monday's podcast: The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda
Monday's podcast:
The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda...
Alvin, shut it down for the sake of the party!
Click to read:
Alvin, shut it down for the sake of the party! - American Thinker https://t.co/A3ZYHsZzU7
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) May 13, 2024
Happy # 74 Stevie Wonder!
(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.)
From "Fingertips" to "My Cherie Amour" and so many others, Stevie Wonder was on the charts all of the time.
It's hard to pick a song.
It's not hard to pick an album.
"Songs in the key of life" was released in 1976 and belongs in every popular music collection. It sounds good so many years later.
My favorite tune from the album was: "Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing"!
It's a wonderful ballad in 3 languages, although I must confess that I don't understand the first one. The second and third verses are in Spanish and English, respectively:
We remember Mary Wells (1943-1992)
Motown had 32 # 1 hits. Who recorded the first one?
The answer is Mary Wells who was born on this day in 1943. She died in 1992.
Back in 1964, she recorded "My guy", a song that later showed up in the soundtrack of "Sister Act".
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.
Remembering Ritchie Valens (1941-59)
His story was also part of Don McClean's "American Pie", a song written in the early 1970's about the crash that killed Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper & Ritchie Valens.
He was 17 when he died in February 1959. Ritchie was not around too long but did record hits like "La Bamba", "Donna", "Come on let's go" and "We belong together".
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.
1917: Our Lady of Fatima
We remember Our Lady of Fatima today..........the movie "The miracle of our Lady of Fatima" is very good.
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.
1981: What were you doing the day that Pope John Paul II was shot?
Do you remember what you were doing when you got the news that John Paul II was shot?
I was working for a US company in Mexico City and my desk phone rang: It was my mother from Dallas telling me that John Paul II had been shot in Rome.
It was an eerie feeling. She had called me weeks before: “Reagan was shot” said my mom.
As with President Reagan, the early reports were confusing. There were unconfirmed stories that the Pope had been killed. I remember turning to a senior partner in the office and asking the obvious question: Has any Pope been killed before? No one knew the answer.
Thankfully, Pope John Paul II survived and played a major role, along with President Reagan and PM Thatcher, in the fall of communism.
I always felt very close to John Paul II, from the moment that he was announced in 1978.
My connection with John Paul II was rooted in our mutual experience of having lived through communism and knowing its ugly side. Of course, Pope John Paul II lived under the Nazis too. I always told my friends that John Paul II saw the two great evils of the 20th century, the Nazis and the communists.
Over the next 24 years, or until his graceful death in 2005, I always looked at John Paul II on TV and asked myself several questions:
What if he had been killed that fateful day in 1981?
How different would events in Poland had turned out? Don’t we all remember the reception that he got in Poland?
Who would have made all of those trips to every corner of the world? No one did it better than John Paul II!
Yes, we can see now that John Paul II made mistakes in how the “priest scandal” was solved. It was a stain on his record. However, he still stands in my mind as one of the great figures of the 20th century, a man admired and loved by more than just Cathoics.
It was many years ago but it still feels like yesterday when I heard my mom’s emotional voice on the phone.
I was working for a US company in Mexico City and my desk phone rang: It was my mother from Dallas telling me that John Paul II had been shot in Rome.
It was an eerie feeling. She had called me weeks before: “Reagan was shot” said my mom.
As with President Reagan, the early reports were confusing. There were unconfirmed stories that the Pope had been killed. I remember turning to a senior partner in the office and asking the obvious question: Has any Pope been killed before? No one knew the answer.
Thankfully, Pope John Paul II survived and played a major role, along with President Reagan and PM Thatcher, in the fall of communism.
I always felt very close to John Paul II, from the moment that he was announced in 1978.
My connection with John Paul II was rooted in our mutual experience of having lived through communism and knowing its ugly side. Of course, Pope John Paul II lived under the Nazis too. I always told my friends that John Paul II saw the two great evils of the 20th century, the Nazis and the communists.
Over the next 24 years, or until his graceful death in 2005, I always looked at John Paul II on TV and asked myself several questions:
What if he had been killed that fateful day in 1981?
How different would events in Poland had turned out? Don’t we all remember the reception that he got in Poland?
Who would have made all of those trips to every corner of the world? No one did it better than John Paul II!
Yes, we can see now that John Paul II made mistakes in how the “priest scandal” was solved. It was a stain on his record. However, he still stands in my mind as one of the great figures of the 20th century, a man admired and loved by more than just Cathoics.
It was many years ago but it still feels like yesterday when I heard my mom’s emotional voice on the phone.
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.
May 13, 1967: Mickey Mantle hit # 500
He finished his career with 536 HR & 1,509 RBI. The Mick also hit 18 in World Series games.
1981: We almost lost Pope John Paul II
Do you remember what you were doing when you got the news that John Paul II was shot?
I was working for a US company in Mexico City and my desk phone rang: It was my mother from Dallas telling me that John Paul II had been shot in Rome.
It was an eerie feeling. She had called me weeks before: "Reagan was shot" said my mom.
I walked out of the office and saw people filling up churches to pray for the Pope. I remember several nuns in tears praying the rosary. The Spanish news reports were very grim. I found the Voice of America and BBC in my little short wave radio and heard flashes from the Vatican. Several people in the office turned on the TV and we watched the video of the shooting for the first time.
As with President Reagan, the early reports were confusing. There were unconfirmed stories that the Pope had been killed. I remember turning to a senior partner in the office and asking the obvious question: Has any Pope been killed before? No one knew the answer.
Thankfully, Pope John Paul II survived and played a major role, along with President Reagan and PM Thatcher, in the fall of communism.
I always felt very close to John Paul II, from the moment that he was announced in 1978.
I never felt that connection with Paul VI or John 23rd. (I'm growing very fond of Pope Francis. I love his sincerity although we need to work on his views about wealth distribution.)
My connection with John Paul II was rooted in our mutual experience of having lived through communism and knowing its ugly side. Of course, Pope John Paul II lived under the Nazis too. I always told my friends that John Paul II saw the two great evils of the 20th century, the Nazis and the communists.
Over the next 24 years, or until his graceful death in 2005, I always looked at John Paul II on TV and asked myself several questions:
What if he had died that day?
How different would events in Poland had turned out? Don't we all remember the reception that he got in Poland?
Who would have made all of those trips to every corner of the world? No one did it better than John Paul II!
Yes, we can see now that John Paul II made mistakes in how the "priest scandal" was solved. It was a stain on his record. However, he still stands in my mind as one of the great figures of the 20th century, a man admired and loved by more than just Cathoics.
It was 33 years ago but it still feels like yesterday when I heard my mom's emotional voice on the phone.
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.
I was working for a US company in Mexico City and my desk phone rang: It was my mother from Dallas telling me that John Paul II had been shot in Rome.
It was an eerie feeling. She had called me weeks before: "Reagan was shot" said my mom.
I walked out of the office and saw people filling up churches to pray for the Pope. I remember several nuns in tears praying the rosary. The Spanish news reports were very grim. I found the Voice of America and BBC in my little short wave radio and heard flashes from the Vatican. Several people in the office turned on the TV and we watched the video of the shooting for the first time.
As with President Reagan, the early reports were confusing. There were unconfirmed stories that the Pope had been killed. I remember turning to a senior partner in the office and asking the obvious question: Has any Pope been killed before? No one knew the answer.
Thankfully, Pope John Paul II survived and played a major role, along with President Reagan and PM Thatcher, in the fall of communism.
I always felt very close to John Paul II, from the moment that he was announced in 1978.
I never felt that connection with Paul VI or John 23rd. (I'm growing very fond of Pope Francis. I love his sincerity although we need to work on his views about wealth distribution.)
My connection with John Paul II was rooted in our mutual experience of having lived through communism and knowing its ugly side. Of course, Pope John Paul II lived under the Nazis too. I always told my friends that John Paul II saw the two great evils of the 20th century, the Nazis and the communists.
Over the next 24 years, or until his graceful death in 2005, I always looked at John Paul II on TV and asked myself several questions:
What if he had died that day?
How different would events in Poland had turned out? Don't we all remember the reception that he got in Poland?
Who would have made all of those trips to every corner of the world? No one did it better than John Paul II!
Yes, we can see now that John Paul II made mistakes in how the "priest scandal" was solved. It was a stain on his record. However, he still stands in my mind as one of the great figures of the 20th century, a man admired and loved by more than just Cathoics.
It was 33 years ago but it still feels like yesterday when I heard my mom's emotional voice on the phone.
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.
Sunday, May 12, 2024
Sunday's podcast: Argentina and Milei, The college protests, Mother's Day plus more
Sunday's podcast:
Argentina and Milei, The college protests, Mother's Day plus more....
Let's hear it for June Cleaver
…..
click to read:
Let's hear it for June Cleaver - American Thinker https://t.co/e8tzzU9rjW
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) May 12, 2024
May 12, 1932: The police found the body of the Lindbergh baby
On May 12, 1932, the police found the body of the missing Lindbergh baby. He was kidnapped on March 1st and many believe that the baby died that same night.
It became "the crime of the century". A man was eventually convicted for the crime but there are still doubts about who did it.
It became "the crime of the century". A man was eventually convicted for the crime but there are still doubts about who did it.
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.
Happy # 89 Felipe Alou
We remember Felipe Alou who was born in The Dominican Republican on this day in 1935.
As a player, Alou was one of the most consistent hitters in the National League: .286, 206 HR, 852 RBI & 2,101 hits.
He broke with the Giants in 1958, was traded to Milwaukee (1964-65) and then had some great years in Atlanta (1966-69). Later, he played with the A's, the Yankees, Expos & Brewers.
Along the way, Alou led the NL twice in hits, i.e. 1966 & 1968.
His best season was probably 1966: .327 average, 31 HR, 74 RBI, 122 runs & 218 hits. He finished # 5 in the NL MVP vote.
As a manager, Alou was 691-717 with the Expos and later the Giants. His Expos had the best record in baseball (.649) the year of the 1994 strike. Wonder how deep those Expos would have gone that year?
Alou's two brothers, Matty & Jesus, also played in the majors.
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.
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