Sports
Related Photos
-
John P. Cleary
-
Duane Burleson
Related Links
Discussion
George Bremer: Good news for a change
Lind wins Edgar Martinez award as best DH
Adam Lind was lying on his back last Tuesday, playing fetch with his dog in center field at the Rogers Centre when his cell phone rang.
A Toronto Blue Jays public relations staffer was on the other end with news Lind had won the Edgar Martinez Award as the best designated hitter in the majors.
The story here isn’t that Lind has added another trophy to his stable of offseason honors, nor that he happened to be in Toronto when he received word.
The story is the reason why he was in Toronto to begin with.
The sports world is filled with bad news these days. The Tiger Woods scandal. The sudden death of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry.
The next drug scandal or major college rules violation can’t be too far away.
That’s what makes Lind’s story so refreshing.
The Highland High School graduate enjoyed a breakout season with the Blue Jays this summer.
He hit .305 with 35 home runs and 114 RBIs. In addition to the DH award, he also won a Silver Slugger Award given to the best offensive player at each position.
But the really good news, the heart-warming kind, comes off the field.
Lind, who still maintains an offseason residence in Anderson, was in Toronto in large part to attend the 26th Annual Special Olympics Festival Gala.
It’s the organization’s biggest fundraising event in Canada.
Lind was there as a celebrity guest, a status that left him more than a little uncomfortable.
“I had to wear a tuxedo,” he said, a grimace recognizable even over the cell phone. (For photographic evidence log on to www.dolcemag.com/events/the-26th-annual-special-olympics-festival-gala ).
But this clearly is one part of his burgeoning celebrity the major leaguer can enjoy.
Lind sat with other luminaries from the Canadian sports, business, entertainment and political fields.
And he watched in awe as they bid five figures for high-ticket auction items to aid the Special Olympics.
But what really touched him were the personal stories from the athletes. One in particular seemed to melt Lind’s heart.
The female athlete of the year award recipient is a figure skater from a small town.
She explained she fears she’s reached the limits of her potential because her hometown can’t afford proper training facilities.
It made Lind think of his home and the needs of local athletes.
“It was really special,” he said. “It made me want to get involved.”
And that’s just what he plans to do soon after he returns to Anderson.
It’s another way he’s following in the path blazed by Anderson legend Carl Erskine, a longtime Special Olympics supporter.
It’s also a reminder not all the news from the sports world is bad and one more reason to cheer for Anderson’s newest hometown hero.
Contact George Bremer: 640-4831, george.bremer@heraldbulletin.com
- Sports
-
-
All-Stars remember the best of times
Everybody, it seemed, remembers something different; no two stories were exactly the same.
But all the players on the 1960 Anderson American All-Star team agreed on one thing: the Babe Ruth World Series experience was one they will never forget. -
Proctor wins Boys State Junior Championship
Colin Proctor’s final drive Friday was well off-target, settling into a bunker to the left of the fairway.
With a one-hole lead in the final round of the Boys State Junior Championship, the Pendleton Heights rising freshman knew he needed only a par to bring home the title. -
Cottrell aiming for state run
Sometimes whether an athlete likes it or not, lofty goals are placed upon them. That might very well be the case for incoming Pendleton Heights speedster, Kiawna Cottrell. Off the track she is shy and quiet by nature, but on the track she has big goals that she wants to attain before she closes out her high school career.
-
Stewart wins pole at Pocono
Tony Stewart unbuttoned the top button on his racing suit and let out a sigh.
Qualifying for the pole always makes a trip to Pocono Raceway more fun. Stewart zipped his No. 14 Chevy for a qualifying lap Friday of 171.393 mph around the 2.5-mile triangle track to start from the top for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500. -
Fever fall to Mystics 77-73
Lindsey Harding scored a career-high 33 points, including Washington’s final 13 of the game, to lead the Mystics to a 77-73 victory over the Indiana Fever on Friday night, snapping their three-game losing streak.
-
Thoroughbreds return
For the first time in Indiana thoroughbred racing history, over $1 million in purses will be on the line in a single day at Hoosier Park this season.
-
Proctor makes final four of boys state
15-year-old Colin Proctor has reached the final four of the Boys State Junior Golf Championship at Kampen Course.
-
Former Arabian among BSU elite
Perhaps no one was more surprised by Sarah Steele’s inclusion on a recent list of top Ball State athletes than the former Pendleton Heights star herself.
-
Colts sign second-round pick as camp nears
The Indianapolis Colts signed second-round draft choice Pat Angerer on Thursday, leaving team president Bill Polian free to concentrate on getting a deal done with first-round choice Jerry Hughes.
If Polian can also get things smoothed over with Pro Bowlers Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis the Colts should have everyone reporting to camp on time Sunday. -
CRA's set for finale Saturday
The Howe CRA Late Model Sportsman Series will return to Anderson Speedway on Saturday, July 31 for the final appearance of the 2010 season. The WMDH ThunderCars, Street Stocks and Front Wheel Drive Figure 8’s will also be in action on Saturday night.
- More Sports Headlines
-
