Tuesday, July 23, 2024
She’s always Kamala to me
She’s always Kamala to me: It’s official now and VP Kamala Harris is heading to Chicago to pick up the nomination. We will follow her trip and see if the vice president can persuade Democrats that she is the one to beat President Trump. Some have doubts.
Click to read:
She’s always Kamala to me - American Thinker https://t.co/ASEPbFg5nG
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) July 23, 2024
July 23, 1960: The all-Cuban triple play in baseball
A little baseball history to distract us from the horrific stories coming out of Cuba.
On July 23, 1960, 3 Cubans playing for the Washington Senators made baseball history. They were involved in the only Cuban to Cuban to Cuban triple play. I’m sure that it is the only “all latino” triple play too. I couldn’t find any other example of 3 latinos turning a triple play.
The 3 players were pitcher Pedro Ramos, shortstop Jose Valdivielso and first baseman Julio Becquer. Whitey Herzog, future manager with the Kansas City Royals and St Louis Cardinals, hit the ball back to Ramos, who went to first and then second.
A little more about the game. The Senators became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. The Kansas City A’s moved to Oakland in 1968.
Ramos won 117 games but pitched for very bad teams. I wrote a post about him earlier when he turned 80. Becquer had a fine glove but hit only .244 with the Senators and later the Twins. Valdivielso hit .219 and was primarily a part-time player.
Another Cuban, Camilo Pascual, watched the proceedings from the dugout.
My thanks to Fernando Hernandez, author of “The Cubans” for bringing this to my attention. By the way, his book is full of stories of Cubans in the US, from Celia Cruz to Desi Arnaz to lots of other less known Cubans who left their footprints.
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July 23, 1964: Campy's super debut in the big leagues
On this day in 1964, A's rookie Bert Campaneris hit 2 home runs in his Major League debut.
This is how SABR remembered the day:
After an overnight plane trip, he arrived in Minneapolis the next day two hours before the start of the A’s game against the Twins, and had an unforgettable major-league debut. Playing shortstop and batting second, he sent a pitch by the Twins’ Jim Kaat over the left-field fence in his first at-bat. In the seventh inning he hit another home run. He turned in a brilliant defensive play, singled, and stole a base in the A’s 11 inning victory. Campaneris became the second major leaguer to hit two home runs in a debut game, after the St. Louis Browns’ Bob Nieman, who did it in 1951.Campy became one of the best players in the AL and a key component of the A's who won the World Series in 1972, 1973 & 1974.
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July 23, 2009: Mark Buehrle and the perfect game
Mark Buehrle was an outstanding pitcher: 214 wins & 3.81 ERA.
He threw a no-hitter against a very tough Texas lineup in 2007.
Back in July 2009, he threw a perfect game against the very good TB Rays.
Every perfect game has its moments. (In 1994, I remember watching Rusty Greer saving Kenny Rogers' perfect game with a diving catch!)
Around the 7th inning, one of the Rays hit a shot down the left field line. It was foul by an inch!
In the 9th inning, Dewayne Wise made one of the greatest catches in major league history.
How in the world did this guy catch-up with the line drive, jump over the fence and hold on to the ball?
Congratulations to Mark Burhle for pitching the 18th perfect game in MLB history on this day in 2009.
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 Pee Wee Reese (1918-1999)
Pee Wee Reese hit .269 with 2,170 career hits & 1,338 runs scored. He missed 3 full seasons to military service.
Reese's greatest contribution was his leadership in bringing Jackie Robinson along as the first black player in major league baseball. In 1947, Pee Wee embraced Jackie in front of Cincinnati fans who were yelling obscenities at him. It showed everyone that Pee Wee was also a great player and a man of character.
Reese was inducted to The Hall of Fame in 1984 and died in 1999.
By the way, one of the greatest books about those legendary Brooklyn Dodgers is "Wait till next year" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
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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