Manias & More
RIP MLB stalwart Fernando Valenzuela, 63, who succumbed to cancer. Born south of the border, the youngest of 12 children, he was signed out of the Mexican League by the Dodgers in 1979. He made his big-league debut late in ’80. He won his first eight starts in ’81, inciting Fernandomania, the Latino community particularly enraptured. He is the only player ever to win both the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year award in the same season. Here are other individual accomplishments: six-time All-Star, World Series champion (1981, 1988), Gold Glove Award, two-time Silver Slugger Award, NL wins leader (1986), MLB strikeout leader (1981), no-hitter 5/29/’90, Los Angeles Dodgers #34 retired. Overall, he was 173–153, ERA 3.54. He was 9–5, 1.98 ERA in the post season. He also pitched for the Angels, Orioles, Phillies, Padres & Cardinals. He was a threat at the plate too, 187 hits in 936 at-bats, career average .200, 10 homers, 26 doubles, 84 RBIs. He was even used on occasion as a pinch-hitter, batting .368 (7-for-19). After retiring he did color commentary for National League West games in the Spanish-language booth. He also served on the coaching staff of Team Mexico during the 2006 World Baseball Classic, 2009 World Baseball Classic, 2013 World Baseball Classic and 2017 World Baseball Classic. He is a member of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame and Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals. He is the subject of the documentary Fernando Nation. He became a U.S. citizen in 2015. Married since 1981, he was the father of four. Marveloso, Senor. Gone much too soon. Photo from Google Images:
I’m sure those suffering Trump Derangement Syndrome believe he is a fascist, but does anyone else? Only the undecideds matter.
Good news, headline from nypost.com: “Massive lithium deposit found across southeastern US could end reliance on imports.” Just keep the batteries in an isolated area outdoors.
I doubt there will be a more amusing headline than this in today’s news. From NYP: “Woman, 105, reveals secret to long and happy life: ‘Drink Guinness and don’t marry’.” Skoal.
Interesting proposal, from NYP: “Trump says car loan interest deduction will only apply to US-made vehicles: ‘Don’t want it to benefit other countries’.” Seems to define “thinking outside the box.”
Headline from newsmax.com: “Biden Takes Aim at Trump Again: ‘We Gotta Lock Him Up’.” Maybe Quid Pro Joe should change his last name to Stalin.
From NM: “More Republicans Vote Early, Helping Break Records; Over 17M Ballots So Far.” Great, but will the overall Republican tally increase from 2020? If it doesn’t, it likely will not make a difference in the outcome.
From NM: “Russia, Iran, China Could Stoke Post-election Violence: US Intel.” I expect it, especially if DT wins.
More evidence WWIII is underway, headline from foxnews.com: “Pentagon sounds the alarm after Kim Jong-Un sends troops to Russia.”
These guys have to be among the bravest on the planet. From FN: “Mexican troops kill 19 suspected cartel members, suffer no casualties: officials.” Blessings, Muchachos. Be on high alert.
There are many celebrations each day. A lot are odd. Few are negative, unlike this one: It’s National Slap Your Coworker Day. We probably all have been tempted, but…
Another gorgeous day and business was solid at the Anti-Inflation Book Shop. My thanks to Sophie, who chauffeured her husband Wolf to the nook, where he went on a buying spree, taking home Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and The Producers (2005) on DVD, and Time Bomb and Therapy by Jonathan Kellerman, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and six Russian DVDs, including a box set of Sherlock Holmes; and to Steve, poet laureate of Sheepshead Bay, who purchased a DVD box set of pianist Glenn Gould recitals, and Ronin (1998) and Chocolat (2000); and to the gentleman who chose another Russian translation of Danielle Steel; and to the woman who donated a paperback in Russian.
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