What Impacts Us

Its funny to think of the people who made an impact on us as we were growing up. When I was in high school I got a chance to go to a National Baseball Hall of Fame camp that included hitting instruction from Johnny Bench, baserunning tips from Lou Brock, and even a dream come true of taking ground balls from Brooks Robinson. Those memories and lessons were something I will not soon forget. With that being said, there was one man who created a lasting impact on my life that day.

John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil was someone I had never heard about until that steamy July afternoon, but someone I will never forget. He was an above-average player, but not good enough to enter the Hall of Fame when the committee made a special election of 17 individuals from the Negro Leagues in 2006. It was widely thought that Buck would be included on this list of people because of the impact he had on the game off of the field, and that he was a shoo-in to be enshrined with the other immortals of America's pasttime.

Buck's Hall of Fame story doesn't end with him being excluded however. When he found out he didn't make it he immediately asked who got in (which is a natural feeling). Then he heard that those 17 individuals from the Negro Leagues had all deceased, and he asked if he could represent them in Cooperstown. Not because he wanted a piece of their glory, but because he wanted those who made it through some of the worst times America to be properly honored. His speech from that day is below, and hearing him speak automatically brings me back to that day all those years ago, listening to Buck talk to us, and singing his favorite song...

The Vacation of a Lifetime - Part One

There are a few ways that you can have the vacation of a lifetime. One would be to go to an exotic place that you've never been (maybe you'd always dreamed of going there) and having an amazing time. Some of my friends have gone to Europe, Hawaii, the Caribbean... you get my point. Another would be to get the family together and go to Disneyworld. Sorry to those out there who don't believe in the magic of Disney, but I do. One of my most memorable vacations to date was going to Disneyworld with my family and seeing my little cousins' eyes light up at each new character, ride, shop, etc. that they would see.

My 2014 vacation, and the one I'm going to spend the next two days writing about (it was THAT amazing!), was neither of these. In fact, if I put my vacation at its core up next to the two I previously mentioned, I'd probably get laughed at. My wife and I spent the better part of June in the great state of Ohio, the Heart of it All!

After spending the first few days at my in-laws, I finally got back to Fort Loramie, my hometown. I could probably spend another blog talking about the impact this little town has had on my life. Most days I'm glad I got out, but only because my career isn't really possible there. It was great to be home, and I was fortunate enough to get together with some of my high school buddies and it was like nothing had changed. I am proud to call Fort Loramie my hometown, and always will.

But the reason this vacation was so amazing was revealed shortly after I got to my parent's house. Included in my birthday card was a pass to the Cleveland Indians' Hall of Fame luncheon the next Saturday. This was amazing for multiple reasons. 1) The 2014 Indians' HOF inductee was Omar Vizquel, my favorite player of all time. 2) The other guests at the luncheon included Kenny Lofton, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, and Charles Nagy. These men probably had the most influence on my Cleveland fandom other than my dad. 3) My dad and my sister were coming too.
I knew my dad had bought us tickets to the game that day before I came home, but this extra gift was unbelievable. The Tribe Hall of Famers sat and talked about each other, the 90's teams, and just about everything under the sun for nearly two hours, and I could have spent another 10 just listening. The outcome of the game that evening really didn't matter to me after that experience, which is a good thing because the Indians lost in extra innings.

(This was my view for the whole luncheon. Not too shabby.)

This memory alone would have made for an ultimate dream vacation, but it would get a little bit better in an unexpected way soon.

Tony Gwynn

In 2008 my parents took me to Cooperstown, N.Y. to visit the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. We were in Cooperstown the week before the '08 induction ceremony and I wanted to makes sure that I got my picture taken with the Class of 2007 before the new faces were added. I remember being excited because Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were at the top of my list as my all-time favorite non-Cleveland baseball players. Even though I missed the beginning of both of their careers, I had been alive and remembered some of their biggest milestones. When Gwynn was poised to hit over .400 in the strike-shortened 1994 season (.394 when the strike hit, raising his batting average from .386 on June 16th, he WOULD have done it) he became one of my favorite players. Maybe part of it was his rounded figure, or the fact that I had a Swingaway in my basement that he endorsed, but I started to try and be more like him in my approach every day. No, I would never swing from the left side and pepper the hole between short and third with precision as he did, but I would hit three buckets of balls to the opposite field off the tee before I started hitting. And I'll always remember the words he was known to say and play by when he said, "Remember these two things: Play hard and have fun."

Listening to Gwynn talk about hitting was fascinating. Not just because he was so knowledgable about the his craft or the fact that he was about as scientific about his approach as Ted Williams, but because he had that distinctive voice. I could listen to Tony talk about hitting for hours.

When we left the Hall of Fame that day I made it my mission to find a Tony Gwynn Padres shirt. I'm glad to say that I did. I'm also glad that I was able to spend the first part of my baseball fandom rooting for one of the best men to play the game. Today my heart is with the many Padres fans who mourn the loss of their legend. Like Williams for Red Sox, Gary Carter for the Expos, and Bob Feller for the Indians, Gwynn stood for many things that go far beyond the game of baseball and meant more to San Diego than anyone else.

Thank you Tony Gwynn, for all the memories.

** For your listening pleasure here is Ted Williams and Tony Gwynn talking hitting. I'm hoping that these conversations are continuing in heaven **