On Fixing The Indians Offense: How To Rebuild A Team While Simultaneously Contending On A Tight Budget

The Indians are headed into their most important off season in quite some time. This season has shown what many of us already knew, that you can’t win with pitching alone. The Indians have become the talk of baseball for their development of starting pitching these last five to seven years. They have either drafted, or acquired via trade, young arms and then used their farm system to develop them into high quality pitchers. So much so, that they have traded three of them over the past two seasons and seemingly not missed a beat as young arms like Shane Bieiber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac and Triston McKenzie have emerged taking over for traded aces like Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger. The four listed above will anchor this team for a few years to come. Logan Allen, Scott Moss, and Jefry Rodriguez are still down in Columbus developing as well. Carlos Carrasco may be traded this winter along with Francisco Lindor to try and infuse additional young hitters into the organization. More thoughts on that in a bit. 

That leads us to why this off season is so important, this winter the Indians need to take a serious evaluation of their developing hitters. They need to single out at least six or seven of these young men between all of their minor league levels and give them individualized attention next year with coaching. There has been such an emphasis on pitching that I feel the development of good, smart hitters has kinda fallen by the wayside. Hitters should also be the focus of next year’s draft the way pitching was in 2016, the draft that netted the Tribe Civale, Bieber and Plesac. 

Secondly, the time has come to trade Francisco Lindor. Yes, I know he is an exciting player, and yes I know we all wish we could afford to keep him, but with the small market being even smaller in 2020 due to lack of fans being allowed to attend games, there is no way the Indians can afford to keep him. The same is true of free agents Carlos Santana, Brad Hand and Cesar Hernandez. Lindor however, will at least allow them to get players in return via trade. The Indians need to focus on acquiring as many solid hitting prospects as possible in exchange for their star shortstop. 

As previously mentioned, I have read they may try and shop Carlos Carrasco as well, due to his somewhat expensive contract, and his overall impressive comeback season in 2020 after successfully battling leukemia in 2019. It likely depends on how hot the trade market will be this offseason as to whether or not both Lindor and Carrasco are dealt, but I think the Indians will at least take inquiries on Carrasco to see what he could net them in a trade. If some young hitting prospects are offered, the Indians should probably listen, as that is their big area of need.

However, they shouldn’t depend on trades alone to solve the offense woes. They should also select players from down in Columbus and give them a hard look in Spring Training. These are the five main guys I think deserve extended looks and some individualized coaching: Ka’ai Tom, Bobby Bradley, Nolan Jones, Daniel Johnson, and Yu Chang. Now three of these four have had limited major league experience, and it admittedly hasn’t been great, but if these players are willing to work, and I am sure they are, and we are willing to put some focused hitting coaching behind them, the potential they have shown in the minors could easily begin to translate to the majors. 

Bobby Bradley has been a minor league monster power hitter and decent first baseman. He is the heir apparent to first base with Carlos Santana leaving via free agency again. With Lindor likely being traded, Yu Chang emerges as the most likely replacement at short, and he hit with incredible power this year at summer camp, so the potential is there. Chang starting 2021 at shortstop will likely be determined by if the Indians acquire any other potential replacements in trading Lindor, and/or possibly Carrasco. Regardless though, he has potential to be a good hitter and should be given some focused attention this off season. Both Ka’ai Tom and Daniel Johnson are outfielders who have hit for good averages in Columbus as well as shown power. If we can help them not be overwhelmed by big league pitching I think they could become legitimate corner outfielders. Nolan Jones is the apparent third baseman of the future, but with MVP candidate Jose Ramirez being locked in there for at least two more seasons, it is likely Jones will get time in the outfield in winter ball this year to make him more versatile. I would even see if he could play second base, since there will more than likely be an opening there in 2021 as well. 

Of course ss has already been stated, all of this depends on what type of prospects we get for Lindor and/or Carrasco, and also what kind of spring Jake Bauers has next year, after he was left at the alternative training site in Eastlake for the entire 60 game 2020 season. Bauers can play both first base and the outfield, so he has some versatility on his side. There is also Josh Naylor whom the Tribe received in the Mike Clevinger deal, who admittedly was unimpressive in his final month of the year here, though he was very impressive in the quick two game playoff series with the Yankees. He seems to have potential to be a good contact hitter, but I would like to see him get some coaching on driving the ball more consistently, like he was doing in that brief playoff sample. The other two main hitting prospects they received from the Clevinger deal were infielders Gabe Arias and Owen Miller, who are probably not going to be ready until 2022-2023, so the Indians should evaluate them next year down in Akron and determine what kind of extra coaching they should receive. My understanding is they both have shown hitting and power potential, so it would behoove them to give them some extended looks. 

Basically to sum up all of this, the Indians need to put a conscious and intentional focus on offensive acquisition and development over the next two to three years, both in house and via trade. All of our young pitchers aren’t going anywhere and will continue to improve at the big league level, so there is time to shift focus to a glaring need in this area of team development. I truly believe this is one of the best run organizations in professional sports, so they should be able to accomplish this with a commitment to focus on offense development. Don’t count them out. 2020 was a frustrating season in a tremendously difficult year in many ways, but good years are still ahead!

We Somehow Made It Here: My Thoughts As A Most Unique 2020 MLB Season Kicks Off

It has been a long four months for our country. There has been a lot of unrest and general low morale among most of America’s citizens. Throughout our history we have had times of great turmoil and upheaval, and sports, especially baseball have always been there to help us heal. Due to the nature of one of the main sources of turmoil, the Coronavirus, sports have been unable to create some semblance of normalcy and unity this time around, and that has made 2020 extra challenging. There was much doubt any sports seasons would be able to resume or get off the ground. However, baseball is set to usher in the return of sports, though one unlike any other, as any major sporting events this year will more than likely be without any fans in stadiums and ballparks.

As we are set to finally begin the 2020 Major League Baseball season, it would be almost an understatement to say it has been a long, eventful, and unprecedented off season. In fact, it has probably been the most controversial and news making offseason since the 1994-1995 offseason that saw the players’ strike cancel the playoffs and World Series in 1994 and spill into the canceling of 18 regular season games in 1995. Fans were angry and outraged and for understandable reasons. This year, as we all know, we have had the first suspension of games at the start of the season for the first time since 25 years ago, and man it was a long suspension due to multiple factors, the main one being the Coronavirus. More on that later.

This off season was initially shrouded in the 2017 Houston Astros scandal and fans were, and are still, really angry and justifiable so. Yet, this time, and in this instance, unlike in 1995, not only are the fans angry, but the players on just about every other Major League club are ticked off, and many haven’t been shy about saying so! Despite Commissioner Rob Manfred’s warning that any pitcher that umpires deam intentionally through at an Astros batter will be suspended and fined, it is easy to anticipate some pitchers won’t care and will chuck pitches in the general direction of many Astros hitters. While there no longer will be fans in attendance at games this year, one wonders if pitchers will still ignore Manfred’s warning. It will be something to keep an eye on, especially early on. Will the Astros get off easy due to the long delay due to COVID19, or will they have to take their lumps? Only time will tell.

There is also the scandal associated with the 2018 Boston Red Sox cheating in similar manners, and the fallout from that, which some feel Manfred’s punishment was too lenient on them, as their replay guy J.T. Watkins took most of the fall on their behalf, along with the loss of a draft pick. Will they also have some backlash from pitchers? Again a storyline to follow as things get underway.

Then of course there is the biggest story, the Coronavirus epidemic that hit our country in early March, with the first confirmed cases in Ohio coming to light on March 9th. March 12th is a day that will live in the history books as the day the sports world and general entertainment industry as a whole came to halt. Following the example of the NBA on the evening of March 11th, MLB, the NHL and the MLS suspended their seasons. For baseball specifically, it meant the cancelling of the rest of Spring Training and the first three and half months of the regular season’s scheduled games. The Indians had already been off since sweeping a split squad set of games on March 9th due to a scheduled off day and back to back rainouts of exhibition games.

Once it was determined in May that MLB wanted to try and get as many games played as possible, a well documented fight between the Commissioner’s Office and Players Union began. I don’t need to rehash all that here, but I will say both parties embarrassed themselves as they squabbled over money and amount of games to be played, with an original plan to get the season started by July 4th with an 82 game schedule scrapped, and things coming down to Rob Manfred setting a schedule of 60 games, per his allowance in the March agreement all parties signed when the virus first halted Spring Training.

The fallout from these horrific negotiations will linger as a new bargaining agreement will be needed after the 2021 season, yet, if history teaches us anything, it is that baseball will survive that and come out the other side. It has survived many scandals and challenges in it’s now 119 years of professional status. It made it through the Black Sox Scandal, two world wars, multiple players strikes, and the steroid era, just to name a few. It survived those and it will survive this too.

This season, at least initially, will also be without fans in the stands, and that too is unprecedented. While teams are piping in crowd noise and blasting music over the PA system, as if fans were in attendance, things will still look a bit odd on TV. On a personal note, this will be the first baseball season I haven’t attended at least one Indians game since 1997. A 22 year streak will likely come to and end this year.

However, despite all these unique circumstances, when the umpire yells ‘play ball’ at all 15 major league ballparks between tonight and tomorrow, weather permitting of course, it will signal it is officially time to put the tumultuous off season in the rearview mirror, and look instead forward to a three hour distraction from ongoing challenges we are facing. The 2020 season should most assuredly bring a much needed break from the constant news! A 60 game sprint is about to take off! Hang on tight fans!

Remembering The Summer Of 1995: A collection of national and local news stories interplayed with personal stories about one of the great eras of Northeast Ohio's history

When I first began assembling this list back in January, I had no idea what was about to descend upon our country. I had no idea that a then mostly unknown virus would wrap it’s invisible hands around the world and cause it to come to a screeching halt in mid-March.I had no idea that the dawning of the Summer of 2020 would arrive Memorial Day weekend in Ohio and most of the country would still be on a semi stay at home order, and no Major League Baseball games would be taking place. Yet, here we are. On the precipice of a summer that will mark 25 years since the legendary Cleveland summer of 1995.

In the summer of 1995 I was eight years old and playing T-Ball in Parma’s Recreational Summer Little League. My sister was five and playing her first summer of T-Ball. Her games were in the morning and evening and my games were in the afternoon and evening. They somehow coordinated schedules for families so no two children had games at conflicting times.

I truly began to develop a love for morning hours that summer, as my sister had games at 9am, so I spent time outside in the earlier morning sunshine while accompanying my mother and sister to her games. I distinctly remember walking over to one of the empty ball fields in the Nike Park complex and sitting in the empty bleachers simply being thrilled to be outside and enjoying the warm summer sun when I saw a deer deep out in the outfield run across the grass. Back then, deer were a far rarer site in Parma than they are now.

Below begins a list by date of both historical news stories, and personal memories that I have, from that summer in Cleveland, Ohio. I hope you enjoy it and perhaps it jogs some memories of your own. Please share any stories you have from that summer in the comments section below. I would love to hear your stories!

May 28th- A Memorial Day Weekend storm blows through Bagley Rd in Berea. It rips the roof off of a section of Crest Apartments, and does heavy damage to the intersection of Eastland and Bagley Roads. No reports of any tornados touching down surface, but funnel cloud activity was in the area.

June 12- The Indians sellout streak of 455 straight games begins. It lasts until April 3rd of 2001.

June 13th- I attended my first ever Indians game with my parents and grandfather. The Indians beat the Orioles and Mike Mussina 11-0. Jim Thome and Albert Belle blasted home runs, while Dennis Martinez pitched a complete game. At the time, the game set the attendance record in the brief history of Jacob’s Field.

The OJ Simpson Trial runs from January 24th, and all summer (where the famous ‘glove incident’ happened on June 15th) until a ‘not guilty’ verdict reached October 3rd. The news coverage was a daily part of every cable news network.

The City of Cleveland has a ton of Ozone Action days due to several heat waves that slam the city hard (June 17th-June 21st, July 12th-July 17th, July 26th-August 4th, and August 11th-21st) This summer goes down as of the hottest summers in Cleveland history. I remember playing some afternoon T Ball games that umpires shortened to three instead of four innings because of the heat. Honestly, I wasn’t bothered by it too much. I drank water and dumped it in my hat periodically and was fine.

June 22nd- The still new collaboration between Major League Baseball and NBC and ABC known as “The Baseball Network” is dissolved due to both TV networks losing so much money in 1994 due to the MLB strike, and their desire to extend the six year deal an extra season into 2000, to make up for the strike. MLB refused to agree to that and thus the networks agreed that they would quit televising baseball after the 1995 World Series. Thus the 1995 MLB Playoffs and World Series would be one and only year these two networks had postseason coverage, and most were glad about that, as all playoff games started at the same time and were broadcast regionally, so for example in Cleveland, one could watch the Indians (yay!) but couldn’t see any of the other playoff games being played. The deal worked fine during the regular season, when a game either on Saturday night, Monday night or Friday night was aired on ABC or NBC, as most people just want to see their local team during the regular season, but to stick to that format for postseason play was proved to be a mistake.

June 23rd- Federal and state agents surround a home on Stratford Avenue around 7pm in Parma to question a man. The man answers the door in the company of a large dog and states he will comply with agents requests after securing his dog. He shuts the door and never comes back. Officers keep the house surrounded throughout the evening until it is determined the man is no longer in the house, having apparently slipped out the back door and crawled through a hole in the fence. Four years later the man, Michael R. Stedman is arrested in Bangkok by Thai police, having taken on a new alias of Duncan Robert Allen Smith, in connection with a two separate 1994 Cleveland crimes; a murder and an arson.

June 25th- Akron native cartoonist Tom Batiuk stirs local and national controversy when he portrays an attempted teen suicide in his comic strip “Funky Winkerbean.”

June 30th- Eddie Murray reaches the 3,000 hit plateau in a 4-1 Indians win in Minnesota. Many fans are downtown for the annual Cleveland Orchestra “Stars and Stripes Forever” performance, taking place the weekend before the Fourth of July, are watching the game on portable televisions or listening on transistor radios

July 1st- I witness a child get bit by a dog for the first time at my church’s Fourth of July weekend cookout. This caused me to develop a bit of a fear of dogs for the next couple of years, until I met other friends’ dogs who were friendly. Now I love dogs.

July 4th- Bob Ross, famous for his syndicated painting instructional program “The Joy Of Painting” passes away due to Lymphoma, an illness he had battled privately for a few years. Amazingly, Ross has become even more popular among Millennials today, who value his calm demeanor and love for nature in his artwork. Clips from “The Joy of Painting” episodes get millions of streams on YouTube each week.

July 5th- A Massive Thunderstorm hits town. Channel 19 loses it’s broadcast signal halfway through “Christie” episode, and the Indians 2-0 victory over the Texas Rangers is delayed twice by rain, and Jacob’s Field also suffers a power outage after a lightning strike near the stadium.

July 7th- The Wyndham Hotel opens to much fanfare in Playhouse Square on Euclid Avenue. The hotel still stands now 25 years later and is considered one of the finest in the city.

July 7th-9th- Steve Taylor headlined “Alternafest” a three day Christian alternative rock concert at Norwalk Alliance Church in Huron OH. Artists who performed included Steve Taylor, Starflyer 59, The 77’s, The Throes, The Prayer Chain, Sixpence None The Richer and Hoi Polloi. Boy I was I had been older than age eight and familiar with these artists back then. This had to be quite a festival! Sadly from what I can find, this was the first and last Alternafest.

July 9th- Vincent Drost, a Lakewood man who was a composer and musician, is stabbed and killed by five youths who were bored and looking for “something to do.” The horrific and senseless murder stirs fear in what was then, and still is now, considered to be a safe city. The teens responsible are all tried and found guilty of murder and manslaughter, and served time or a still serving time for their actions.

July 13th- The now famous and well documented midwest “Right Turn Derecho” slams NE Ohio out of the blue, coming off Lake Erie, wiping out power everywhere including my Parma home where it went out while my sister and I were watching an episode of the Three Stooges, (“Flat Foot Stooges”) I had recorded from Channel 55 the previous weekend. It also wiped out the Indians game versus Oakland downtown that night in the third inning of a 2-2 tie. This would be the only rainout in Cleveland that entire summer; though many games had long rain delays.

July 17th- On Bader Ave in Old Brooklyn, a home owned by William Cristwell explodes around 10:32am, damaging over 20 houses on the street. Cristwell survived despite suffering burns to over 90 percent of his body and spending months in the hospital. Investigations later pinpointed a gas leak in Cristwell’s home being the cause, and some still felt it was a suspicious explosion, perhaps intentionally set by the man himself, who had at the time recently suffered from depression. Cristwell was never charged with anything and eventually moved down to Florida to be near family.

August 1st-15th- Heather McLaughlin, a three year old on Cleveland’s West Side is murdered by the roommate and friend of her mother Misty McLaughlin, after she was put to bed on August 1st. After a two week long search, her body is found in a revine a mile from her home. The story captivated the local West Side community with many volunteers pitching in time to aid in the search.

August 9th- Jerry Garcia, leader of classic rock band The Grateful Dead dies from heart complications, ending the yearly run of touring the band had done since the 1960’s.

August 12th-26th- My first family car caravan road trip with my parents and grandparents to Colorado and back to Ohio takes place. We travelled to visit my Uncle, Aunt and cousin in the Denver area. It was a lot of fun, as I took turns riding in our family’s Dodge Caravan, and my grandparents Toyota, with my trusted cassette player next to me to listen to my favorite tunes on. We encountered a thunderstorm driving at night in Nebraska that featured some of the most majestic cloud to cloud lightning I have ever seen! It was epic! We would do this whole trip again in the same manner in 1998, and it also was fun, but there was nothing like this first one for me!

August 22nd- The first Wal-Mart in Cuyahoga County opens in Strongsville. Yes, you read that right! It is hard to believe that Wal-Mart really has only been the main Big Box store in America for the last 15 years or so.

August 31st- Miller’s Dining Room, the popular Lakewood family restaurant, burns down in the wee hours of the morning. The investigation seems to indicate a problem with the furnace in the basement of the building was the cause of the blaze. Sadly, the owners were never able to rebuild the restaurant, and apartments that were above, and the burned out building was eventually turn down, and an Auto Zone now sits on the site today.

September 1st- The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Opens and a full Labor Day weekend of rock concerts take place at Cleveland Municipal Stadium to commemorate the occasion including Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney and many others.

September 6th- Cal Ripken officially breaks Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak as he plays in his 2,131st straight baseball game. A sellout crowd at Camden Yards gives him a nearly 20 minute ovation after the top of the fifth inning when the game became official. Ripken reluctantly at the encouragement of his teammates took a victory lap around the ballparks periphery as Whitney Houston’s classic “One Moment In Time” player over the PA system. Many credit this as a major healing moment for players and fan relations still strained from the players strike that cancelled the 1994 playoffs and World Series, which had also bled over into wiping out 18 games of the 1995 season.

September 8th-Indians clinch first division in 41 years. The city celebrated jubilantly, and many home videos from folks who attended that night exist on YouTube.

Autumn then arrived, where the Indians marched to the World Series, the Browns opened what would become their final season in Cleveland before Art Model sold them to Baltimore, and I started third grade. That summer though was spectacular, and one that’s good fortune helped carry this town to the much finer reputation it has today.

Once again, any stories and memories you have from the summer or 1995 are ones I would love to hear! Maybe you were at one of the 12 walk off wins the Tribe had that year, or maybe you remember taking part in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame corranation celebration. Maybe you were a high school or college graduate that year or perhaps you got married over that amazing summer or remember some of the events I have listed. I would love to hear about it from your perspective! Any story is welcome! Share them if you are so inclined.

50 years ago today: A Victory American's Desperately Needed

Hard to believe that 50 years ago today, one of the coolest accomplishments in the history of our country took place. It was 1969 and it was a difficult time. The Vietnam War and the United State’s involvement in that war was extremely controversial. Anti War protests were everywhere and racial discrimination and bias was still extremely high. The country needed a source of hope, and a source of pride in winning something, anything really. 

Cue the space race with Russia! The Cold War was also still burning hot on paper in the 1960’s and as the US fought to keep up with the Russian space program. Russia was the first to put a man in outer space, and throughout the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects, NASA sought to beat Russia to the bigger prize, landing a man safely on the moon and bringing him back to Earth in one piece. This had been the goal since John F. Kennedy stated so in 1962. Apollo 11 was the mission that would accomplish this feat as the three man crew of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins would make their names in history.

That Sunday, July 20th, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the lunar module, Eagle, on the surface of the moon. Michael Collins remained on the shuttle Columbia orbiting the moon. Initially Armstrong was supposed to rest and wait to make the historic walk, but naturally he was too excited to wait. So at 10:39pm EST, Armstrong opened the hatch and began to descend the ladder to the  moon. At 10:56pm he planted his foot on the powdered surface and said the famous words “that’s one small step for a man and one giant leap for mankind” 

Aldrin joined him down the surface at 11:15pm where they planted the US flag, took some pictures and ran some scientific tests and spoke with President Richard Nixon via Houston. Finally a great joy could be felt back home on the soil of America! We had beaten the Russians to the moon! A time when our nation so badly needed a win, so badly needed a sign of hope that better days would be ahead of us, the crew of Apollo 11 did all of that with the ‘giant leap’ by an American Astronaut. 

Neil Armstrong also made Ohioans everywhere proud, as he was from the small town of Wapakoneta in west central Ohio. While I wasn’t alive back in 1969, I have heard the stories of those who were, and the tremendous excitement and wonder his steps gave folks. I also have always loved the fact that we did explore outer space. As a Christian, I believe God wants us to explore the vastness of the universe so we can see and marvel at how big He is, and how small we are. While it had it’s share of controversy in the 1960’s as many felt we could spend millions of dollars in better ways, and they had some legitimate points, I maintain that those resources were still well spent, and the landing on the moon was exactly the source of hope that each American needed to see at that point in history. 

One lesser known fact, Buzz Aldrin, a quiet but strong Christian and elder in his church, took communion privately on the moon from a kit given to him by his pastor. He felt there was no better way to show his thanks to God, for the opportunity to take part in something so amazing! NASA had stated they didn’t want any religious affiliated words spoken since the Apollo 8 crew had read the first chapter of Genesis during their televised trip around the moon on their mission, so Aldrin honored that at the time, but wrote about this in his autobiography. 

Another lesser known fact with an Ohio connection is then up and coming English rock band Led Zeppelin performed a show at a small venue in Warrensville Heights called the Musicarnival that Sunday evening. Cleveland based blues band The James Gang opened for them. After the show, the band went into a small building located on the site grounds and watched the moon landing together, sharing in the wonder of the historic event!

In recent times, President Trump has quietly restarted the Space Program and wants to begin exploring the reaches of our galaxy, with rumors of a goal of a manned flight to Mars in 2033. I hope that I live to see the day that happens. For today though, let’s reflect on the joyous event of 50 years ago, and remember the three gentlemen who made history, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

“This Is Us has a lot to teach us: Lessons on Fatherhood from fine fictional characters

In recent weeks, it has been nearly impossible to not come across an article or people at the office, at the store, or at your local church discussing perhaps what may go down as one of the most iconic television dramas of the decade, if not multiple decades. That program I am referring to is NBC”s “This Is Us.” When a program like this becomes so popular it is often it seems due to controversial and radical content that pushes boundaries. It also is generally on HBO or Showtime. The old adage of sex sells is often a large part of a program’s success nowadays, as well as a large amount of violence and foul language. 

That is why the success of “This Is Us” initially seems so surprising. Here is a program that while, yes, does have some sexual references and mildly suggestive scenes, though often in the context of marriage, doesn’t use excessive amounts of it to draw viewers in. No, this show uses a forgotten art at times nowadays, good old fashioned tight script writing. It also has developed some of the finest characters I have ever seen in a television series. Each character experiences growth and arcs nearly each episode. 

However, I dare to say, I think perhaps the biggest reason this show is so successful and so popular especially among those in my age group (18-40) is because it has given us something few other programs do nowadays, it gives us positive father role models. My generation has been said by many psychologists to be the least fathered generation in American history. Well known Christian author and speaker Donald Miller was even asked by former President Barack Obama to partner with a government funded non profit organization known as the Fatherhood Initiative, which works to find mentors for young men who don’t have a father in their life. Miller was deeply honored to do this, due to his lack of a father in his own life growing up. 

In “This Is Us” Jack Pearson, the patriarch of the Pearson family, is an incredibly committed family man who has raised three children, two of whom were his own biological children, and one adopted son, all born on the same day. Jack is an incredibly loving and protective man, but also a man who battles alcoholism throughout his life. He handles this struggle with humility and grace, but the writers don’t shy away from the constant struggle he has. However, we see in that struggle that small victories can happen each day, and that Jack is a still a fine, loving man, who as we have recently learned (SPOILER ALERT) ultimately died from complications while helping to save his family from a house fire back in 1998 as we see in the flashback sections of the series. He even went back into the inferno to save the family dog and some of their ‘important stuff’ like photo albums and home video tapes. Jack is self sacrificing and flat out selfless in how he loves and leads his family. 

His adopted son Randall, in the current timeline of the series, is also an incredibly committed family man, no doubt influenced strongly by his father. Randall loves his wife and two young daughters sacrificially and deeply, and also has stepped out this season to function as a foster father along with his wife Beth, to teenage children in need. It isn’t hard to see how much of an impact Jack’s strong family leadership had on young Randall growing up, and how he has taken the cue from his adopted father’s example and done his legacy proud. 

It is my firm belief that our culture right now needs a fresh infusion of strong husbands and fathers. It is my prayer that my fellow millennials and I will be able to stop the trend of divorce and irresponsibility that is currently plaguing our culture, and be those strong husbands and fathers. We can learn while watching “This Is Us” what that tangibly looks like, especially those who unlike me, didn’t have a strong paternal presence in their lives growing up. I was blessed to see this played out often growing up with my own father, and learned a lot from those times of observation and interaction. 

If you haven’t watched this show yet, I highly recommend you hop on Hulu and start streaming it from the first episode. You will be glad you did. Season two just wrapped a couple of weeks ago.  Both seasons are on Hulu in their entirety. I recommend a summer binge watching spree!

Unique Grief: Thoughts On What We Feel When A Musician We Never Knew Personally, Dies

I have been thinking about this topic for quite some time over the last few months. It started when the news broke back in May that Chris Cornell had committed suicide. Cornell was, for those who may not know, the lead guitarist and vocalist for both Soundgarden and Audioslave. He was an incredible guitarist, and solid lyricist, and one of the men who helped found the Seattle based grunge movement of the 90’s alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice In Chains. The news sent off the usual waves of Facebook posts, Tweets and Instagram shares by so many expressing grief over the tragic sudden loss.

As the spring turned into summer we learned of another tragic suicide. This time it was Chester Bennington of LInkin Park who took his own life on July 20th. For the millennial generation, this  may be the first loss of a musician whose songs became popular during our high school and middle school years. Again a ton of shock and grief was expressed via social media, as the second musician death to suicide occurred within two months of each other. It raises awareness of just how dark the world becomes for so many, wealthy or poor, rich or famous, no matter one’s life circumstance.

As Autumn hit, news of the death of Tom Petty due to a massive heart attack, stunned the music world for a third time in six months. Petty was easily one of the most popular artists of the last four decades. His songs have become iconic, Americana influenced, stories of life and love. In his lifetime he, along with his band The Heartbreakers toured and performed thousands of concerts. In fact, he had just concluded the 40th anniversary tour of his band’s debut.

Loss has now become a theme in the music industry in 2017. It is a unique grief those of us who love these musicians, and the bands they fronted, feel. Not everyone feels it, and those of us who do probably don’t fully understand why either. As I attempted to explain to one of my close friends why so many of us feel a unique sadness about the passing of a beloved musician, I realized something that contributes to it. First off, death as a whole grieves us, period. Death was not a part of God’s original plan for humankind. Before sin entered the world, we were meant to live forever. Our heart’s still grieve when someone dies because of this.

However, it seems for musicians, we feel a specific loss that is slightly different than when an actor or an athlete passes. Here is my thought: musicians are blessed with a unique gift to write something amazing using a musical instrument, and often also compose poetry to go along with that music. They take that instrument and those words and create something with them that is unique and truly all their own. Then, they take that gift and record it onto magnetic tape, preserving not only for themselves, but for all of us to enjoy and be moved by in a unique way within our heart. They share their gift with us all. Most musicians then take their creation and play it in front of thousands of people night in and night out for weeks at a time, once again sharing their gift with anyone willing to listen. Writing music is a gift given to overall few, but selflessly shared with millions who come to appreciate it.

This is why our grief is unique when a musician dies. Our minds and hearts know this means that they have now ceased to be able to selflessly share their gift with us still living in this world.  That personal heart connection they offered us through their music is now silenced. No longer will we hear a new guitar lick from Chris Cornell. Never again will we hear a angsty lyric from Chester Bennington and find ourselves resonating with the uncertainty he too wrestles with in life. Tom Petty will never again go on tour to belt out “American Girl” or “Into the Great Wide Open” for us as an audience.

Thankfully, the audio journals and documentaries of their writings left behind in the form of albums are still here for us to enjoy. They were kind enough to share them with us, and preserve them so they will last after we too have passed onto the next world. Any musician could choose to keep their gifts and talents to themselves, but they don’t, they instead share them with us. Oh sure, one can argue that they get paid a lot of money to do so, and that is true, once they have become famous of course. However, it is important to remember every great musician and songwriter was once an unknown who took a risk of sharing their songs with us, risking rejection along the way. We recognize and appreciate those who take that risk, because we all know that deep down, taking a risk is a part of each of our lives, and we find inspiration in those who dare to take such risks, because it motivates and encourages us to have that kind of courage as well.

Loss is a part of life. Death is a part of life. Sadly it is a cycle that wasn’t, as I said earlier, initially originally in God’s plan. When anyone dies, our souls ache in varying degrees, depending of course on how close we were to the person. With musicians, we feel close to them because of the nature of their craft; music resonates in our hearts in a unique way. Therefore when one whose music we particularly enjoyed passes away, we feel it in our soul. So while we may not have known them personally as a friend, their songs touched a similar part of us that a friendship does, and we feel the now vacancy of that part of our soul and heart. Thus, I believe it is right to find a way to mourn that loss. Play their songs as you go about your day. Belt them out at the top of your lungs while driving in the car. Or maybe do the opposite, don’t listen to the songs for a while, and instead listen to other music of alive musicians while you heal. Whatever response you have, it isn’t wrong. So jam out to those tunes you love, or don’t for a while. But give yourself permission to grieve. Music is a gift. The musicians who give us the music are a blessing. Enjoy them while they are here, remember them when they are gone.

The Streak: When History Intersects Everyday Life: A Chronicle

These past three weeks have been historic for the Indians. A 22 game winning streak! Breaking last year’s record setting run of 14 straight victories, this team ran off a string of victories that was even more impressive, not just because they had won more games, but because in winning those games they so often were dominating the opposition. There weren’t a lot of one run or even two run victories. Many of the games were flat out slaughters. Seven of them were full out shoutouts. The Indians basically couldn’t not have hit or pitched any better than they did over the last three weeks.

Now, I will never forget this streak for the sheer baseball lover that I am. However, what I will also remember is the way my regular everyday life has run and intersected with this winning streak. Since the Indians last lost a game on August 23rd, I have sat outside in my church parking lot with friends watching a movie projected onto a giant inflatable screen, freezing our butts off due to the unseasonably cold August night as the Tribe won the second game of the streak. I attended the third game of the streak with my parents. As I completed my final day at my old job, the Indians were polishing off their eighth straight win while I tuned in on my small alarm clock office radio. That evening I hung out with one of my best friends, who though not a big sports fan, watched the second game of the double header with me, which was the Tribe’s ninth win in a row.  As they polished off win number 12 my parents and I hosted our annual Labor Day cookout for friends and family. The day of the record tying 14th win, was my first full time day at my new position. Win number 16 was spent in the presence of some fine folks from my church who invited me over last minute. For win number 18, one of the rare close one run victories, I hosted a watch party for 10 of my friends at my apartment as the Tribe kept the run going on the nationally televised Sunday Night Baseball game of the week. The nineteenth win, yet another shutout, was viewed from the home of one of my oldest and dearest friends, as we marveled at how this could be happening!

Win number 20 was enjoyed at home where my roommate joined me in viewing the second half, while number 21, as one of my favorite memories was a day game, that went on during a meeting I had with my boss where we checked the scores periodically on our smartphones. As the game headed to it’s final frames, I was actually doing an assessment with a client, who told me he had no problem with me having my radio on during our discussion, as he too wanted to hear the game!

One thing about life is, as Rick Warren once stated, we often have  ‘two trains running side by side. A train of great joy, and a train of great sorrow” The train of joy these past three weeks, by far has been this streak, but in the life of some very dear friends of mine, there has been a train of pretty great sorrow, for which I feel deep sorrow too. During what became the final win of the streak, a thrilling down to the last strike rally to tie and then later win number 22 in a row, I wasn’t watching, I was talking and attempting to bring comfort to a couple of those friends. My mom texted me with the joyous news, and I was thrilled, but also recognized that a person is always more important than a seeing a baseball game.

Anyways

This streak will forever be embedded in my life as the backdrop to what has been a remarkable personal three weeks in my life. It became a national story, racking up happy headline after happy headline, providing a brief interlude and break in the sad news of the hurricane wreckage and usual political unrest that peppers every news story nowadays. For a magical run that likely will never happen again in the history of the game, a baseball team from Cleveland Ohio played at a level of dominance that truly seemed other worldly, and they did it while maintaining a humbleness that is rarely seen in professional sports.

As the final out was made last night, resulting in the first Indians loss since August 23rd, the fans rose to their feet and cheered. It was an appropriate response to acknowledge the fact that this city understands that we all witnessed something during this run that only one other city in America can ever claim to have witnessed, and that was 101 years ago when the then New York Giants won 26 straight games, though that run featured a tie between wins 12 and 13. The especially cool thing though was that the players all came out of the dugout and took their hats off to the fans, thanking them for coming out and rallying behind them for three weeks! A truly awesome moment between fans and players, who are both excited and ramped up for October playoff baseball, which the Indians officially clinched a place in after win 22, and are looking to clinch the Central Division here before the weekend is out.

What a run! Cleveland is now more fired up and ready for the playoffs, and the team is poised to deliver! We certainly know that once the playoffs begin anything can happen, but boy the Indians look poised for another great run to the World Series!

This time we hope they can finish the deal, and I look forward to the way my life will intersect with the Indians playoff games. There will be watch parties to host, friends to spend time with, and life to be lived. What a great time to be living in Cleveland!