Day: December 22, 2008

December 22nd

Today is the birthday

… of Hector Elizondo. Better-known for Chicago Hope, NewMexiKen remembers this fine character actor best as the gracious hotel manager in Pretty Woman. He’s 72.

… of Steve Carlton. Lefty is 64.

Steve Carlton was an extremely focused competitor with complete dedication to excellence. He thrived on the mound by physically and mentally challenging himself off the field. His out-pitch, a hard, biting slider complemented a great fastball. He won 329 games – second only to Warren Spahn among lefties – and his 4,136 strikeouts are exceeded only by Nolan Ryan. Lefty once notched 19 strikeouts in a game, compiled six 20-win seasons, and was the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards.

National Baseball Hall of Fame

… of Diane Sawyer. She’s 63.

… of Robin Gibb. The twin of Maurice (d. 2003) and brother of Barry and Andy (d. 1988) is 59.

… of Ralph Fiennes. The actor, twice nominated for the best actor Oscar, is 46.

Claudia Taylor Johnson was born on this date in 1912. NewMexiKen worked at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library in the mid-1970s where I met and occasionally chatted with Mrs. Johnson. She was a warm, impressive and attractive woman.

Best thoughts of the day, so far

While it is currently 5 degrees out — so cold the dogs prefer barking at squirrels through thermopane glass rather than going outside and actually chasing them — I’d like to point out that as of yesterday, the days are getting longer. Ah, yes, the Winter Solstice, something I didn’t fully appreciate until I moved back to the lower midwest from blandly sunny California. Now, I’m totally on-board the pagan train, and when the sun starts moving back north I’m lighting fires and painting myself blue in the hope that godless ritual will bring spring more quickly. And if the cold isn’t enough to do it my recent gas bill is.

I note as well that every day brings us one day closer to the opening of spring training, when the simple knowledge that grown men have gone south to practice a boy’s game warms me to my marrow. There are only 52 days until pitchers and catchers report. …

Funtional Ambivalent has more you should read.