The Three Wise Men make the Christmas season a bit longer

It's crazy but the Christmas music around here stopped on December 26th.  I joked with a fellow usher at the January 1st mass ("day of obligation as my parents say") that our church was the only place in town singing about Christmas.

I guess that Christmas for me runs longer than December 26th.  It’s hard to change old habits.

We don't celebrate January 6th -- the Epiphany -- the way we did as kids. Back in Cuba, we would go to bed early on January 5th and wait for The Three Wise Men to leave us some gifts.  Once in the U.S., we kept the tradition but didn't go to bed early anymore.  We just exchanged some gifts in the morning and enjoyed a family breakfast.  

Why do so many kids all over the Spanish-speaking world wake up on January 6th and look for their presents?

First, it's what our ancestors brought to Cuba from Spain. As my grandfather from Asturias, Spain, used to say, we had a big meal on December 24th, went to midnight mass and then ate again on December 25th.  And then we got ready for "Los Reyes" or the Three Wise Men.

Second, it is a story right out of the Bible:

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

This is not a cheap shot at Santa Claus, but it was the "wise men" who brought gifts to the baby Jesus.

Don't misunderstand.  I have nothing against Santa Claus, "Jingle Bell Rock" or Christmas office parties.  I love them too.  

I'm just saying that the story of The Three Wise Men is about the baby Jesus and that's what Christmas is really all about. This is why I love the Three Wise Men story so much.   This is why I'm thankful that I grew up hearing the story.

Happy January 6th to all of my Spanish friends who grew up opening their gifts today.

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1975: The era of baseball free agency begins!

On this day in 1975, a landmark decision made Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith a couple of free agent players.    

McNally retired after the decision and Messersmith signed with the Dodgers.     McNally was traded by Baltimore after the 1974 season.   Messersmith had pitched for the Braves.  

Neither man benefited much from free agency but they did challenge the rule and won in the courts.

The real free agent class came after the 1976 season, when Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Don Baylor and others negotiated their own contracts.

It was a big day for the players and vindication for Curt Flood who sat out an entire season in protest of the reserve clause.

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Christmas 1967: "Hello Goodbye" was # 1 for The Beatles

The Beatles and "Hello Goodbye) was # 1 song this week of Christmas 1967.   It was from the LP "Magical Mystery Tour" but did not appear in the TV special by that name.    

You can click HERE to buy the album.

HELLO GOODBYE

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1975: Fred Lynn MVP & Rookie of the Year

Fred Lynn set the baseball world on fire in 1975.   He was voted Rookie of the Year and MVP.   His numbers were awesome:  .331 BA with 21 HR and 105 RBI.    

Lynn was the first player to win both awards in one season.    He was also a key player in Boston winning the AL pennant.   Cincinnati beat Boston in a dramatic 7-game series.   

Lynn had a pretty career beyond that rookie year.  He won a batting title in 1979 plus some great numbers over 17 seasons: .283 average, 306 HR, 1,111 RBI, 1,960 hits in 1,969 games.

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Truman 1948, an amazing campaign

This is a good time to remember another anniversary of Truman vs Dewey, the biggest upset in presidential election history.   Or should I say, the biggest upset until Trump in 2016.  

On election day 1948, most experts picked Governor Thomas Dewey of New York over President Harry Truman.  It turned out to be different.   Let’s see if this sounds familiar:  

He traveled to America’s cities and towns, fighting to win over undecided voters by portraying himself as an outsider contending with a “do-nothing” Congress. 

It was a shock, an upset!  I’ve heard stories that people went to bed thinking that it was over and woke up to the shocker.

The Chicago Tribune was so certain that they went to print with the headline: “Dewey beats Truman.”  It produced one of the greatest photos of the 20th century.

What is the lesson of 1948?  I see a few:

First, wait until all of the votes are counted.  It sounds silly but it’s true;

Second, there is something about a man who works hard and goes from rally to rally asking people for their votes.  I admire that.  

1948 a great surprise!

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1975, Game 6 and that late night Fisk homerun!

We remember today another anniversary of Carlton Fisk’s 12th inning home run to win game 6 of the 1975 classic between Boston and Cincinnati.

I stayed up and watched the homer, the celebration, the post game interviews and then hit the pillow to wake up at at 6 am!

The Reds won game 7 the next night!

Game 6 had so much drama, from that 8th inning home run to tie the game, the bottom of the 9th double play to kill a Red Sox rally, the catch in right field, great pitching and that 12th inning homer.

It was great baseball, just great baseball! 

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August 21, 1975: Rick And Paul Reuschel combined for a shutout

We've seen brothers play together on major league teams.   The Ripkens played with the Orioles.   Paul & Dizzy Dean pitched with the Cardinals.

On this day in 1975, the Reuschel brothers pitched a shutout.    Rick pitched into the 7th and brother Paul came in to finish the shutout.

Brothers make history?  I guess there's always the potential for a little history when you go to the ball park.

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How a "bridge" inspired "Jive talkin'" by The Bee Gees

Back in the summer of 1975, I was driving between Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I had my left hand on the steering wheel and the other searching for WLS Chicago, the big top 40 station of the Midwest.  

And then I heard "Jive talkin'" for the first time.

My first reaction was that they were saying "child talking".

Second, I knew that it was The Bee Gees because I instantly identified Barry's voice.

Third, I knew that this was a very different sound from the Gibb brothers.

A week later, I got my hands on the 45 and it is still one of my favorite tunes from the 1970's.

According to song facts, the very unique intro was inspired by the sound of crossing a bridge in Florida. 

Great song and one of their many #1 songs!

Click here for the digital version of the song and the "Main course" LP.

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"Country lanes", one of the best ones from The Bee Gees

"Country Lanes" was released June 1975 as one of a dozen new tunes from the Main Course album.   

It was the B-side of "Fanny, be tender with my love", released as the 3rd top 10 single out of that great album. I recall playing it many times at the school cafeteria jukebox.

Unfortunately, it was buried along big hits like "Jive Talkin" and "Nights on Broadway".

There were so many great songs on Main Course, including "Come on Over" which was recorded by Olivia Newton-John, "Wind of Change", and "At the edge of the universe".

Years later, "Country Lanes" is still one of my favorite Bee Gees' songs.

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June 1975: "Main Course"....Bee Gees....... https://t.co/RpfXQsz0KZ via @amazon

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) June 6, 2017

May 20, 1902: Happy Cuba Independence Day

(My new AT post.  See the post for links and references)

It was 119 years ago today that the Cuban flag went up in the island after the four-year U.S. occupation and 400 years of Spanish rule.   By the way, both of my paternal grandparents were born in 1892, and their birth certificates showed that they were citizens of the Spanish Crown, or whatever was left of it by that time.  Let's just say that the late 19th century was not the highlight of Spain's history.  They lost most of Latin America to independence and hung on to Cuba by a bit.

This is also a good day to remember what my late parents told me about Cuba.  

They recalled the elegance of Havana and how nice the country was. 

They never said that it was perfect, but certainly not "the underdeveloped country" narrative that Castro & the left have been preaching for years.  

That was pre-Castro Cuba, as Mark Milke wrote:   

Of the many myths that some offer up about Fidel Castro's Cuba, one tale is that despite Mr. Castro's repression, he improved a few social programs.

Thus, in his statement on Mr. Castro's death, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted "significant improvements" in Cuban health care and education under the totalitarian tutelage of Fidel Castro.

An inconvenient fact: Pre-Castro, Cuba was already better off than most Latin American countries on such indicators. 

Also, Mr. Castro's rule knocked Cubans to the near-economic bottom of all Latin American countries, with subsequent negative effects on Cuba's much-vaunted social model.

In other words, pre-Castro Cuba was a much better place to live than post-1959.

On behalf of the many who have died in political prisons or were executed by the Castro regime, let me say that we are looking forward to another independence day.   

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