Saturnino Orestes Armas “Minnie” Miñoso Arrieta is 87 today. Miñoso played for the Indians, the White Sox, the Cardinals and Senators from 1949-1964. He also played for the White Sox in 1976 (3 games) and in 1980 (2 games). At 54 in 1980, Miñoso was the second oldest ever to come to bat. More significantly, he was a 9-time All-Star and had a career BA of .298.
Vin Scully is 85 today. Scully started broadcasting Dodger games in Brooklyn in 1950. Seems unlikely now, but Scully called NFL games for CBS 1975-1982.
John Mayall is 79. He should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his influence alone — Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie among those once in the Bluesbreakers. That’s Mayall in 2004 in the photo and with Clapton for his 70th birthday the year before. Crank it up.
Diane Ladd is 77. Ladd has appeared in more than 100 films and television programs and has been nominated for the best supporting actress Oscar three times including her portrayal of Flo in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and in a film with her daughter Laura Dern, Rambling Rose.
Chuck Mangione is 72.
The outstanding Tigers catcher (1961-1976) Bill Freehan is 71.
Garry Shandling is 63.
Joel Coen, the Joel of the Coen Brothers, is 58. (Ethan was 55 in September.) Films by the brothers include O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy, Miller’s Crossing, Blood Simple, The Man Who Wasn’t There, No Country for Old Men, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man and True Grit.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is 55 today.
Don Cheadle is 48. Cheadle was, of course, nominated for the best actor Oscar for his performance in Hotel Rwanda.
Mariano Rivera is 43 today.
Gregory Byrne, the athletic director at the University of Arizona since May 1, 2010, is 41. Not bad for an ASU grad.
C.S. Lewis was born on this date in 1898. He’s the author of the seven-volume children’s series The Chronicles of Narnia.
Louisa May Alcott was born on this date in 1832.
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
“It’s so dreadful to be poor!” sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
“I don’t think it’s fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all,” added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
“We’ve got Father and Mother, and each other,” said Beth contentedly from her corner.
The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words.
The Library of Congress’s Today in History has a lot about Alcott.
The first Army-Navy football game was 122 years ago today (1890). Navy won 24-0.