Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, the city was brought to a halt by protesters waving Mexico's flag.
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
We remember Marcelino Lopez (1943-2001)
Marcelino Lopez was born in Havana, Cuba on this day in 1943. He died in Miami in 2001. In 1965, 21-year old Marcelino was second in the AL Rookie of the Year vote. He won 14, lost 13 and finished the year with a 2.93 ERA. It was a great season for the young Cuban lefthander.
A few years later, Marcelino played with the Orioles and pitched in the post-season. In 1971-72 , he was a bullpen specialist with the Brewers and Indians. His career ended in 1972 and I’m not sure what he did in the Miami area after baseball.
We remember the Cuban lefty who shared the Los Angeles sports pages with Sandy Koufax in 1965. He was an exciting story in the early days of the LA Angels.
1957: Hank Aaron HR gives Milwaukee its first NL pennant
From 1954 until 1976, Hank Aaron was one of the best players in baseball. He was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.
In 1957, Aaron led the Braves to the NL pennant. On this day, he hit the extra inning HR at County Stadium to clinch it.
The "walk off" was one of the greatest moments in Milwaukee baseball history. A few weeks later, Milwaukee beat New York in the World Series and it was quite a celebration.
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.
1969: "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" debut in the US
On this day in 1969, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as a team of bank robbers in the Old West, opened in theaters around the United States.
It was a great movie and huge commercial success. My favorite scene is Paul Newman and Katharine Ross on the bicycle with B J Thomas singing in the background.
The story was based on the lives of the two outlaws down in Bolivia...
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
We remember Ray Charles (1930-2004)
-------------------------
We remember Ray Charles, who was born in Georgia on this day in 1930. He died in 2004.
In 1962, “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” topped the U.S. pop charts.
Over the years, we've grown accustomed to his style and music. And nobody sings "American the beautiful" like Charles.
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, September 22, 2026
The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda
The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda, President Trump at the UN and the media "ban" controversy....
A word about 'the ban'
No one is shutting down TV networks or websites.
For the record, President Trump picked an unnecessary battle banning CNN and a couple of other networks from the White House. In other words, the voters have figured out that CNN et al are not fair. And they show their feelings by not watching that network.
1966: Orioles clinch the AL pennant in KC
On this day in 1966, the Baltimore Orioles clinched their first AL pennant with a 6-1 victory over the A’s in Kansas City. It was an amazing year for a very good team, as remembered by The Sun:
Yet when they formally clinched the pennant in Kansas City on Sept. 22 — Palmer beat the Athletics, aided by a sensational diving catch by outfielder Russ Snyder — they did not take the moment for granted.The victory touched off a celebratory food fight that lasted more than an hour. Egg salad, chocolate milk and shaving cream filled the air. Players tossed fully clothed teammates, and owner Jerry Hoffberger, into streaming showers and swirling whirlpool tubs. A champagne-addled Johnson, who’d go on to manage the Orioles 30 years later, nearly drowned in 8 inches of water.Powell cut off announcer Bill O’Donnell’s pants at the knee. An upended buffet table landed on reserve Charley Lau’s head.“Most outlandish thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Watt says.
Baltimore swept the LA Dodgers in October. They returned to the World Series in 1969, 1970 & 1971. The same team won the 1973 & 1974 AL East but lost to the A’s in the ALCS.
The 1966 Orioles started something that lasted over 10 years.
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 Tommy Lasorda (1927-2021)
Lasorda broke with the Dodgers in 1954 and played a couple of seasons. His overall record was 0-4.
We remember him as the manager of the Dodgers: 1,599 wins, World Series champs in 1981 & 1988, NL champs in 1977 & 1978 plus NL West divisional champs in 1983 & 1985.
Lasorda was one of the game's greatest ambassadors.
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.
1993: Nolan Ryan’s last game
What a game and I heard it on the radio. Nolan Ryan pitched to a few Mariners, hurt his elbow and walked off the mound for the last time. He couldn’t get out of the first inning! He threw a 2-0 strike and he heard something pop. And he knew it was over.
And I heard it on the radio! Mark Holtz went down to the dugout and spoke with Ryan during the game. It was that important of a moment.
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.
Monday, September 21, 2026
I ‘left’ New York is the new refrain
In 2026, the old “I Love New York” campaign would be a total failure because the place is too expensive to keep people’s love alive.
Happy # 84 to Sam McDowell
We say happy birthday to Sam McDowell, who threw as hard anyone ever did. He was born in Pittsburgh, PA, on this day in 1942.
Sam broke with the Indians in 1961 and enjoyed some great seasons, such as in 1965 when he led the league with a 2.18 ERA and 325 K’s.
He had more great seasons in the late 1960’s and finished with 141 wins, an excellent 3.17 ERA and 2,453 K’s. I saw him pitch in Milwaukee circa 1970 and he was awesome fast!
He is in the top 10 for lefthanders in K’s!
September 21, 1970: Who remembers the debut of Monday Night Football?
It quickly became one of the most popular events on TV. The Browns (now in Baltimore) beat the Jets, 31-21.
In late 2005, Monday Night Football said goodbye to ABC and moved to ESPN.
Sunday, September 20, 2026
CANTO TALK podcasts from last week
Check the shows from last week.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
The Ripken streak ended after 2,632 games
Today is the anniversary of a remarkable feat in sports.
It started on May 30, 1982, and it ended September 20, 1998, when Cal Ripken decided to take a night off. He just went to the manager and said it’s time, and so the streak stopped.
Happy # 92 Sophia Loren
Let me say Happy birthday to Sophia Loren. She was born in Rome on this day in 1934 and looks great in her later years. Her movies with Marcello Mastrionni were absolute classics. They had great chemistry on screen! Overall, one of the most beautiful women of the 20th century!
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.
September 20, 1968: Mantle hit # 536, his last HR
Mickey Mantle hit # 536 on this day in 1968 off of Jim Lonborg of Boston and at Fenway Park. It was # 18 for the season. Mantle played his last game at Yankee Stadium on September 25th. The Yankees did not formally say goodbye until 1969 when Mick retired.
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.
September 20, 1998: The Ripken streak ended after 2,632 games
It started on May 30, 1982 and it ended September 20, 1998. Cal Ripken decided to take a night off. He just went to the manager and said it's time and so the streak stopped. Ripken retired after the 2001 season.
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.
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Maybe we should go back to the "vape-filled" rooms
We used to select candidates in smoke-filled rooms where mysterious men smoking cigars looked at candidates and picked one.
We remember Joe Morgan (1943-2020)
We remember Joe Morgan, another member of The Baseball Hall of Fame. He was born on this day in Bohnam, Texas and died in 2020.
Morgan broke with the expansion Houston Colt-45 in 1961 now the Astros. He was traded to the Reds before the 1972 season and enjoyed incredible success: MVP 1975 & 1976. In 1990, Morgan was selected for The Hall of Fame: 2,517 hits, 1,650 runs scored, 268 home runs, 689 stolen bases and 1,865 walks!
Without question, one of the best second basemen in the game's history. After baseball, he turned into a fabulous baseball TV analyst. We will always his leadership role with The Big Red Machine.
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 # 86 Sylvia Tyson
We say happy birthday to Sylvia Tyson who was born in Ontario on this day in 1940.
She was the other half of the wonderful Canadian duo "Ian & Sylvia".
Happy # 86 Paul Williams, great songwriter
We remember Paul Williams who was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on this day in 1940.
Paul Williams won "the lottery" when Richard Carpenter heard one of his songs. Richard played it for Karen and we know the rest of the story.
"We've only just begun" was The Carpenters' 2nd big song and included in their "Close to You" album. It become The Carpenters' signature song and a very popular tune for newlyweds.
The Carpenters also recorded "Rainy Days and Mondays", a truly magnificent vocal performance by Karen Carpenter.
Three Dog Night kept the streak going with "An old fashioned love song", my favorite song by that group.
Last, but not least, Kermit the Frog also recorded one of Williams' songs. It was "Rainbow connection".
Enjoy them because they are wonderful songs from a great songwriter.
Happy # 77 Twiggy
We say happy birthday to Twiggy, a face from the 1960's. She was born Dana Lesley Hornby in England on this day in 1949.
As I recall, she was a famous model and became more than that.
Does anyone remember that 1971 movie "Boy Friend"? What about those TV appearances?
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 Mama Cass (1941-1974)
Ellen Naomi Cohen was born in Baltimore, Maryland on this day in 1941. We remember her as Mama Cass of the Mamas & Papas.
How about this little fact? She and Jim Morrison attended George Washington High School in Virginia. Wonder if they knew each other?
How about this little fact? She and Jim Morrison attended George Washington High School in Virginia. Wonder if they knew each other?
In the 1960’s, Cass joined John Phillips, Denny Doherty, and Michelle Phillips and became The Mamas & Papas. In 1968, Cass went solo and had some hits until her death in 1974.
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 David McCallum. (1933-2023)
We say happy birthday to David McCallum who was born in the UK on this day in 1933. He died September 2023.
Many of us remember him as Illya Kuryakin in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
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.
September 19, 1985: The Mexico City earthquake
Where did the years go? It seems that it was only yesterday that we heard about the Mexico City earthquake of 1985.
It started at 7:18 local time and centered around 250 miles west of the city. It lasted 3 minutes. After the fact, 3,000 buildings in Mexico City were demolished and another many more suffered serious damage.
Sadly, thousands died and were injured.
Days later, groups in Dallas raised funds and medical supplies for the victims. It was nice such an outpouring of love and support for the victims of Mexico City.
Again, where did so many years go?
Friday, September 18, 2026
GOP Dallas 2026 plus quick look at polls & Happy # 86 Frankie Avalon
GOP Dallas 2026 plus quick look at polls & Happy # 86 Frankie Avalon...........
Yes, people did watch
The GOP tried something different in 2026 and held something called a "midterm convention" in Dallas, TX.
Happy # 86 Frankie Avalon
We say happy birthday to Frankie Avalon, one of the greatest teen idols of all time. He was born in Philadelphia on this day in 1940. His big hit was “Venus” and then he made a bunch of movies with Annette Funicello. Great talent and loves cooking too.
Castro arrived in New York in the middle of the 1960 presidential election
Castro delivered a long speech at the UN focusing on US "aggression" and "imperialism."
A few months later, or January 1961, the Eisenhower administration broke diplomatic relations with Cuba.
Cuba also became a hot topic in the Kennedy-Nixon debates. Kennedy took a very tough posture toward Castro.
Unfortunately, President Kennedy did not support the men of Brigade 2506 at The Bay of Pigs. It turned into a huge victory for the Castro regime and the invasion was followed by severe repression against anti-Castro Cubans in the island. The Missile Crisis followed 18 months later!
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.
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.
1960: A visitor to the UN became an issue in the presidential election
By mid-September 1960, the Nixon-Kennedy presidential campaign was underway but everyone was talking about a certain visitor to the UN.
Fidel Castro turned the visit to the UN into a first-rate show. First , he stayed at the Theresa Hotel in Harlem and met with Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam and the poet Langston Hughes. Then he spoke for almost four hours and delivered an attack on US “aggression” and “imperialism”.
Cuba also became a hot topic in the Kennedy-Nixon debates. Senator Kennedy took a very tough posture toward Castro and criticized the Eisenhower policy. VP Nixon, on the other hand, could not reveal existing plans. I recall that my parents, and many Cubans, followed these debates with keen interest. Cuba had never seen such an important issue in a U.S. presidential election.
Unfortunately, President Kennedy did not support the men of Brigade 2506 at the Bay of Pigs. It turned into a huge victory for the Castro regime and the invasion was followed by severe repression against anti-Castro Cubans on the island. (My father’s cousin was arrested at that time)
The Missile Crisis followed 18 months later and you know the rest of the story.
My guess is that no one years ago thought that the bearded Cuban would become such a headache for the winner of the election.
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.
1960: A visitor to the UN became an issue in the presidential election
(My new American Thinker post)
A post from 2016......
A post from 2016......
President Obama, and other world leaders, will be making their visits and speaking before the UN.
In 2007, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela came and caused quite a controversy calling President Bush ‘the devil”. Not long ago, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of Iran came to New York and said some rather bizarre things.
By mid-September 1960, the Nixon-Kennedy campaign was underway. Everyone was talking about the debates around the corner. And both candidates were talking about a visitor to the UN.
Cuba’s Fidel Castro arrived in New York on September 18, 1960:
“In September 1960, Castro led a delegation to New York City to address the United Nations General Assembly. He and his entourage caused an immediate sensation by deciding to stay at the Theresa Hotel in Harlem. While there, Castro met with a number of African-American leaders, including Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam and the poet Langston Hughes.On September 26, Castro delivered a blistering attack on what he termed American “aggression” and “imperialism.”For over four hours, Castro lambasted U.S. policy toward Cuba and other nations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The United States, he declared, had “decreed the destruction” of his revolutionary government.Castro’s visit and lengthy public denunciation marked the final breaking point in relations between the U.S. and Cuba.In January 1961, the Eisenhower administration severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba.”
Cuba also became a hot topic in the Kennedy-Nixon debates. Kennedy took a very tough posture toward Castro and criticized the Eisenhower policy. I recall that my parents, and many Cubans, followed these debates with keen interest. Cuba had never seen such an important issue in a U.S. presidential election.
Unfortunately, President Kennedy did not support the men of Brigade 2506 at the Bay of Pigs. It turned into a huge victory for the Castro regime and the invasion was followed by severe repression against anti-Castro Cubans on the island.
The Missile Crisis followed 18 months later!
My guess is that no one years ago thought that the bearded Cuban would become such a headache for the winner of the election.
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.
September 1964: Memories of The Beatles in Dallas
On September 18, 1964, The Beatles played in Dallas, as Robert Willonski reports in The Dallas Morning News:
"Jan Howes, who was 10 at the time but already deeply in love with The Beatles, did not see the band when it played Dallas on Sept. 18, 1964, but her father did.It was, after all, his job: John Mazziotta was chief photographer at the Dallas Times Herald, assigned to cover John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr from Love Field arrival to Memorial Auditorium blastoff."Mr Mazziotta's photos will go on auction soon and the world will get to see them! It's a cool Dallas memory of the one and only visit by The Beatles to Dallas.
In 2014, we spoke with Dave Michaels about The Beatles in Dallas and their influence on US radio.
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, September 17, 2026
What's going on in Minnesota?
Minnesota in play for the GOP?
We will wait for more polls. My guess is that Senator Klobuchar will win because she always does. She is a "vanilla" type Democrats who talks nice but always votes with Senator Schumer. The U.S. Senate race may indeed be a surprise because of the candidates. On one hand, you have the Minnesota version of Talarico, Lt. Governor Flanagan. She is weird, as a friend in Minnesota told me. On the other hand, newcomer Michelle Tafoya has the message down and presents the kind of alternative that may just flip the Senate seat.
Keep an eye on Minnesota. A surprise may be coming,
1955: Brooks Robinson got his first 2 hits
On this day in 1955, Brooks Robinson went 2 for 4 in his major league debut against Washington. He was 18 and would go on to play the next 22 seasons in Baltimore. Robinson won the 1964 AL MVP, the 1970 World Series MVP and Hall of Fame 1983.
We remember Orlando Cepeda. 1937-2024)
We remember Orlando Cepeda, one of the greatest players from Puerto Rico, who was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on this day in 1937. He died in June 2024.
Cepeda broke with the Giants in 1958 and was NL Rookie of the Year: .312 average, 25 HR & 96 RBI. He followed that with some great seasons, including leading the NL with 46 HR & 142 RBI in 1961. Cepeda played with St Louis and was selected as the 1967 NL MVP. Later, Orlando was traded to Atlanta and finished with Boston in 1974. Overall, he hit .297 with 379 HR, 1,365 RBI over 2,124 games.
Cepeda was inducted to The Hall of Fame in 1999.
Cepeda was inducted to 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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)