"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - President Ronald Reagan
On this day in 1967 millions watched on TV one of the greatest All Star Game pitching duels ever. The final score was National League 2, American League 1 in 15 innings.
In this game, all three runs came on solo homers by third basemen: Dick Allen, Brooks Robinson and Tony Perez. It was also the longest game in All-Star history, a mark tied in 2008.
The 1967 rosters included 21 future Hall of Famers: Tony Perez, Tom Seaver, Don Drysdale, Ferguson Jenkins, Bill Mazeroski, Jim Hunter, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Joe Torre, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Lou Brock, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Rod Carew, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Tony Oliva, Al Kaline and Carl Yastrzemski.
It was a great night for Tony Perez of Ciego de Avila. Tony replaced Dick Allen in the 10th. He struck out against Catfish Hunter in the 12th, then hit the game-winner to deep left field with one out in the top of the 15th.
Along with Perez, there were two other Cubans: the aforementioned Tony Oliva and Mike Cuellar.
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 that Earl Weaver became the Orioles manager on this day in 1968. He went on to win 4 AL pennants (1969, 1970, 1971 & 1979), 1 World Series in 1970 and 2 AL East titles in 1973-74. Weaver won 1,480 games with an excellent .583 winning percentage.
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.
George Herman "Babe" Ruth made his major league debut on this day in 1914. Ruth pitched 7 strong innings to lead the Red Sox to a 4-3 victory against the Indians. The Babe was sold to the Yankees and turned into an outfielder in 1920. The rest is major league history and 714 home runs.
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.
Someone left the dope out in the rain: MacArthur Park in Los Angeles is in the news these days. Once upon a time, this park inspired Jimmy Webb to write that song about the girl in her yellow dress sitting on a bench. There were two hit versions: Richard Harris and Donna Summer....
The "monkey trial" began on this day in 1925. It started when John Thomas Scopes, a young high school science teacher, was accused of teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee state law. The trial consumed the country. At the end, Adam & Eve won. Later, in 1968, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a similar Arkansas law on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment. It did give us a great movie, "Inherit the wind" from 1960.
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.
The second All Star game was played on this day in 1934. Future Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell struck out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx in the first inning. Then Al Simmons and Joe Cronin to start the second! It must have been something to watch!
Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Great Britain was fighting Germany over in Europe. On this day in 1941, the British scored an important victory away from the battle field. This is the story:
"Now, with the German invasion of Russia, the Allies needed to be able to intercept coded messages transmitted on this second, Eastern, front. The first breakthrough occurred on July 9, regarding German ground-air operations, but various keys would continue to be broken by the Brits over the next year, each conveying information of higher secrecy and priority than the next. (For example, a series of decoded messages nicknamed “Weasel” proved extremely important in anticipating German anti-aircraft and antitank strategies against the Allies.) These decoded messages were regularly passed to the Soviet High Command regarding German troop movements and planned offensives, and back to London regarding the mass murder of Russian prisoners and Jewish concentration camp victims."
It was a great victory for the British!
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.
Yep -- it was Obama: Over the last few years, I've asked myself the question: Why are the Democrats so bent on locking up Trump? They tried everything, from Russia hoaxes to unleashing Fani to sham trials in New York City to feeding friendly newsmen negative…
For our generation, "Daniel Boone" was a must. We loved the show and the characters, specially Ed Ames as "Mingo". We say Happy birthday to the wonderful Ed Ames....born in Massachusetts on this day in 1927. Did you know that he could sing like this? He died in 2023.
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.
"Dylan's recording of "Blowin' In The Wind" would first be released nearly a full year later, on his breakthrough album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
This was not the version of the song that most people would first hear,
however. That honor went to the cover version by Peter, Paul and Mary—a
version that not only became a smash hit on the pop charts, but also
transformed what Dylan would later call "just another song" into the
unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement."
Dylan was a great songwriter but his recordings are OK. I am not one of those who pops a Dylan CD and enjoys the whole thing.
It is still a great song 50-plus years later specially when Peter, Paul & Mary sing it. It is the best version of the song but Joan Baez is a close second.
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 Ken Sanders who was born in St. Louis, MO, on this day in 1941. Ken broke with the A's in 1964 and won 6 games in 1966. However, his career really took off in Milwaukee in 1970. In 3 seasons with the Brewers, Ken became one of the best bullpen men in the game: 61 saves & 2.21 ERA. All together, Ken pitched 10 seasons and played for various teams. His best 3 years were with Milwaukee, 1970-72.
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 spoke with Cástulo Gregorisch about his poetry. Castulo has written over 600 poems about Cuban his immigrant experience. They are beautiful and emotional. Let me share "Aquella triste manana":
Aquella triste mañana de Cuba me despedÃa,
Aquella triste mañana de su regazo partÃa.
Aquella triste mañana mi alma se deshacÃa,
Aquella triste mañana de carbón y de cenizas.
Aquella triste mañana de mi tierra yo me iba,
Aquella triste mañana sin saber si volverÃa.
Aquella triste mañana una muy triste en mi vida,
Aquella triste mañana la que nunca olvidarÃa.
Aquella triste mañana a tierra extraña me irÃa,
Aquella triste mañana huyendo de la injusticia.
Aquella triste mañana con mi esposa y con mi hija,
Aquella triste mañana nuestros padres no venÃan.
Guest: George Rodriguez, South Texas conservative. Floods and death in central Texas. ICE opearations in LA. Shooting at the US border. Plus other stories....
Guest: Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda....We will discuss the Middle East situation, the PM of Israel visiting with President Trump, the latest from New York Cty's eections, partisan attacks after the tragedy in Texas plus other stories.....
Guest: Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda....We will discuss the Middle East situation, the PM of Israel visiting with President Trump, the latest from New York Cty's eections, partisan attacks after the tragedy in Texas plus other stories.....
Bye bye, Jews: It didn't start with the nomination of Zohran Mandami last Tuesday, but his victory continued the trend. The Dems and the Jews are not one anymore. Let's check this out from Gregory Lyakhov:
No matter what happens, the Democrats are screwed and you will see more Mamdani disciples in other blue cities. It’s what happens when you let anyone into your party just because they hate Trump.
We say happy birthday to Bill Melton who was born in Mississippi on this day in 1945. He died in 2024. Question: What sluggers won AL HR titles in the 1970's? The answer is Frank Howard, Dick Allen (twice), Reggie Jackson (twice), George Scott, Graig Nettles, Jim Rice (twice), Gorman Thomas and Bill Melton. Wonder how many of you named Bill Melton of the Chicago White Sox? Bill Melton broke with the White Sox in 1968 and showed some power with 23 HR & 85 RBI in second year. He led the AL in HR in 1971 with 33 HR. His numbers fell off after that and he retired with 160 HR & 591 RBI. Melton played third for most of his career. 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.
Over time, many questioned Mary Surratt’s execution. Some suspected that she was executed in the panic following President Lincoln’s death. At the same time, she was "associated" with John Wilkes Boothe and his group.
Maybe President Johnson should have stopped her execution. However, his order never came and Mary Surratt became the first woman executed in the US.
Happy birthday to Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) who was born on this day in 1980 and turns 83 today. Ringo is one of the two surviving members of what we used to call “The Fab Four.“ The band stopped recording 50-plus years ago and we are still talking about it. I guess that's impressive.
Ringo will probably go down in history as one of the luckiest men ever born. Talk about “being in the right place at the right time” or winning the biggest lottery of all time. "The luck of Ringo" or something like that.
In the summer of 1962, The Beatles, and new producer George Martin, walked into a studio to record their first single. Martin settled on “Love Me Do,” a Lennon-McCartney tune, and it did reach the top 20 in the UK. It did not chart in the US. The B-side was “P.S. I Love You”, one of their most underrated songs!
The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say, is that Martin replaced drummer Pete Best, an original member of the band and lifelong friend from Liverpool. Martin replaced Pete with Ringo. Martin's decision was all business. Pete just wasn't up to the task of being the drummer in a recording. I recall Martin in a documentary saying that they could keep Pete but that he'd use a studio musician to play drums on the record. Martin understood the friendship dynamics of the band but he had a job to do and a record to make and subsequently play.
Pete Best was out. Ringo Starr was in. Pete ended up with 9 to 5 job and sadly no one will write an AT post about his birthday. Ringo has a big mansion and everyone remembers his birthday.
Within a year of the roster change, the Beatles had two # 1 songs in the UK: “Please Please Me” and “She Loves You.” Eighteen months later, Ringo and his pals were on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and their songs dominated the U.S. charts.
In a few months, Ringo went from being a Liverpool drummer to playing behind John Lennon and Paul McCartney. We call that a promotion or better, "the luck of Ringo."
He had a great sense of humor and the media loved him. Ringo had critical roles in the Beatles’ movies, such as his “ring” in Help and that funny walk to “This Boy: Ringo’s theme,” in A Hard Day’s Night.
Ringo did a couple of “lead vocals”, such as the # 1 song: “Yellow Submarine.” However, his greatest contribution was being a professional drummer, exactly what George Martin had in mind back then.
We remember Ringo’s birthday and I hope that he is doing well. By the way, Pete Best will turn 82 in November and you can send him a card if you are a charitable mood.
Can anyone imagine Pete Best singing "Yellow Submarine" or "Act Naturally"? I can't.
As my late parents commented when they missed a big lottery ticket by one number, it wasn't meant to be. It was not. I told my parents on the phone that they didn't have the luck of Ringo. They had no idea of what I was talking about. A few days later, I told them the story of Ringo and they understood my reference.
What would Jefferson tell Harvard?: Can you imagine a heavenly gathering of our Founding Fathers? They’d be up there somewhere, looking down and feeling pretty good about what they started. After all, how often does a country celebrate 250 years of governance? It’s rare, to...
We say happy birthday to President Bush today. As I've said many times, we were very fortunate that Mr. Bush was president on 9-11. His leadership was essential after that terrible day. President Bush has kept a very low profile since leaving office, except for those trips to watch the Rangers play baseball. He's written two very interesting books since leaving office and created the Bush Freedom Center at SMU. Happy birthday and enjoy your day.
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.
Sixty-seven years ago, we had Sputnik, the start of the second Eisenhower administration, the last "I love Lucy" episode, the first "American Bandstand" on TV, Viet Cong guerrillas attacked a place called South Vietnam, the National Guard was sent to Little Rock, Arkansas, a movie called "Jailhouse Rock" and a number one hit about two kids who fell asleep at the movies, i.e. "Wake up little Susie."
Across the Atlantic, something else happened that no one heard about. On this day in 1957, Paul McCartney saw John Lennon standing there and they started to travel on the long and winding road. John was 16 and Paul had just turned 15.
In the afternoon the Quarrymen skiffle group played at the garden fete of St Peter’s Church, Woolton, Liverpool. The performance took place on a stage in a field behind the church. In the band were Lennon (vocals, guitar), Eric Griffiths (guitar), Colin Hanton (drums), Rod Davies (banjo), Pete Shotton (washboard) and Len Garry (tea chest bass).
The group arrived on the back of a lorry. As well as music, there were craft and cake stalls, games of hoop-la, police dog demonstrations and the traditional crowning of the Rose Queen. The fete was a highlight of the year for the residents of the sleepy Liverpool district.
The entertainment began at two p.m. with the opening procession, which entailed one or two wonderfully festooned lorries crawling at a snail’s pace through the village on their ceremonious way to the Church field. The first lorry carried the Rose Queen, seated on her throne, surrounded by her retinue, all dressed in pink and white satin, sporting long ribbons and hand-made roses in their hair. These girls had been chosen from the Sunday school groups, on the basis of age and good behaviour.
The following lorry carried various entertainers, including the Quarry Men. The boys were up there on the back of the moving lorry trying to stay upright and play their instruments at the same time. John gave up battling with balance and sat with his legs hanging over the edge, playing his guitar and singing. He continued all through the slow, slow journey as the lorry puttered its way along. Jackie and I leaped alongside the lorry, with our mother laughing and waving at John, making him laugh. He seemed to be the only one who was really trying to play and we were really trying to put him off! That evening the group were due to play again, minus Colin Hanton, this time at the Grand Dance in the church hall on the other side of the road. They were due on stage at 8pm, and admission to the show, in which the Quarrymen alternated on stage with the George Edwards Band, was two shillings.
Seven years later, thousands of fans in the U.S. paid a lot more than 2 shillings to watch them in concert and buy their many records. And in September 1964, I saw them on TV and it was love eight days a week.
The Beatles had their first U.K. hit in October 1962 and the rest is history.
The moral of the story is that there is always something going on elsewhere in the world that impacts our lives. I doubt that anyone in that church party in Liverpool had a clue of what that meeting would turn into, or the Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo that dominated the music charts.
P.S.: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
New polls suggest that some Americans are not proud of their country. It's unfortunate and we can blame our education system for teaching all of the wrong things about the country.
Let's cheer for another 250: July 4th is a good day to remember my late parents. I'm so grateful that they made the decision to leave Cuba, endure the hardships of starting over and giving me a chance to grow up here. To say the least, my life would have been different down ...
On this day in 1921, the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing World Series.
Back in 1989, we watched "Eight men out". It is a great movie about a bunch of players who got caught up in something very bad. Nevertheless, I walked away from the movie feeling very sad, specially for Shoeless Joe. The book and the movie work well together. Read the book first and catch the movie later.
Let's look back at The Bee Gees and their "FIRST" LP released July 1967! What did we learn from that debut LP? For one thing, there were 5 Bee Gees back then. It was the 3 brothers and a couple of friends from Australia. Eventually, the friends dropped off and it was The Brothers Gibb the rest of the way. Barry, and his late brothers Robin & Maurice Gibb, were great songwriters. It was the opening chapter for one of the greatest songwriting trios in modern pop music. FIRST's songs were catchy, beautiful and always thoughtful.
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.
