Most communities have sons and daughters who’ve gone on to great success on the national scene.
The hope is that the success these talented people enjoy reflects well on the community. That’s not always the case. Often success inflates egos, waylays integrity and makes people lose track of their roots. Other times, blessedly, those who’ve gone big time manage to remain levelheaded and mindful of the community that helped nurture their success.
Former Highland baseball standout Adam Lind is proving himself to be in this second group.
Lind, 26 and in his first full year of Major League Baseball, is having a breakout season with the Toronto Blue Jays. Monday was his biggest day yet as a pro. He hit two home runs — including a grand slam — and drove in eight runs, helping the Blue Jays defeat the Texas Rangers. Lind’s eight RBIs were the most by an American League player in two years.
Lind’s big game is getting a lot of media coverage, but it wasn’t just one lucky night. He ranks among the league leaders this season in several statistical categories, including home runs, RBIs and batting average. Not since Carl Erskine pitched for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1950s has an Andersonian had this sort of success in professional baseball.
Adam Lind, as they say in baseball lexicon, can flat out hit. And the community can be proud that it has produced such an exceptional baseball player.
But Lind, like Erskine, is so much more than that as a representative of Anderson. He’s quiet, soft-spoken and appreciative. He remembers where he came from, as evidenced by his accessibility to the newspaper and its readers. And, above all, he’s hard-working and has a good attitude.
“He’s very, very, very coachable,” Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said in a recent article on MLB.com. “Everybody’s not like that.”
The litany of spoiled professional athletes became tiresome long ago, as did the chest-beating of big-time stars. But you won’t see Lind loafing after a fly ball or dancing around the bases.
He treats baseball like a job — a job that he loves. And whether he strikes out or hits it out of the park, Anderson can be proud of that.
In Summary
Highland product Adam Lind, now playing baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays, is easy to root for.
Editorials
Editorial: Lind's success reflects well on his hometown
- Editorials
-
-
Editorial: If bullying tale is true, APA right to release headmaster
The recent accusations leveled against the headmaster at Anderson Preparatory Academy illustrate how bullying can be perpetuated by administrators who become enablers.
-
Editorial: Get permission before school pranks
Anderson High School decided to show some solidarity with their Cascade peers and filled up the school with post-it notes, all in good fun. This prank was also done after hours but with a big difference: The students had requested and received permission to imitate Cascade.
-
You Said It: About fundraiser, missing woman, building preservation
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com.
-
Editorial: Memorial Day helps put face on wounded warriors
This is the perfect weekend to thank a veteran, an active duty service member or a wounded warrior for his or her service. Our positive, encouraging response goes a long way in defining our society.
-
Editorial: Honor those who fought, and celebrate our freedom
This weekend, keep in mind the reason for Memorial Day — to remember those who have been so important in our lives, especially those who made the supreme sacrifice in military service.
-
Editorial: Governor candidates offer conservatism, moderation
The jockeying for position has begun in what is basically a two-horse gubernatorial race. Each offers voters a legitimate option. The November outcome may offer a simple referendum on the mindset of voters: Are they most persuaded by Mike Pence’s conservatism or by John Gregg’s moderation?
-
Editorial: Keep up the chorus against the landfill
Occupy Anderson has joined the ever-growing chorus against the proposed Mallard Lake landfill. Sam Mudd, a member of Occupy, is taking his studies on how the landfill might pollute Anderson’s water to areas of the county to drum up support against the landfill.
-
Editorial: Find a buyer for former school or tear it down
If a buyer wants the former Pendleton Heights Middle School, fine, but put no more taxpayer money into it.
-
Editorial: Libraries must adapt to serve communities
Certainly, the Friends of the Anderson Public Library needs space to store and sell used books, records, DVDs and other material. But library supporters and staff must be flexible in this ever-changing world to keep public facilities relevant.
-
You Said It: About Walking Men, the Queen of Disco and settled lawsuits
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
Editorial: If bullying tale is true, APA right to release headmaster
