Two Statues

With the advent over the past 20 years of extreme media growth especially Cable TV, we have become a country seemingly in the "creating hero's" business. Fact is, most of the hero's ESPN, E, MTV, and countless other acronyms would like you to worship are really not worthy. And most not by a long shot.

But that's what they do. Try to convince us that many average athletes, teams or sort of stars, are actually better at what they do than they are, or who they are so you will watch and be impressed. Examples being, Tiger Woods, and Lindsay Lohan come to mind right away. Examples here yes, but hardly examples. It is becoming harder as we go on to recognize real hero's and real people worth emulating.

This spring, we said goodbye to two hero's from an era gone by. The era, of not being right, but doing right. In Cleveland we said good bye to Cleveland Indians legend Bob Feller. The record setting pitcher, who once he started pitching for the Indians in the late 1930's ,remained an Indian in one way or another for the next 70 years. He left the Indians in the middle of his Hall Of Fame career to enlist in World War II. Came back 5 years a later and won the last World Series the Indians have won - 1948. Feller remained with the Tribe till he died. Amazing.

And this week, Minnesota Twins legend, Harmon Killebrew died after a long illness. He was with the Twins (and the Washington Senators before they moved to Minneapolis) for virtually all of his career starting in 1954. He retired 5th on the all time home run list in 1975 with 573. He is now 11th. 4 out of the 5 who have passed him have admitted to, or have been accused of steroids. Killebrew was an overachiever, short and stocky and unassuming. A gentle, humble hero, that simply played a game, and did the job he was paid to do. A true gentleman.

Two old-schoolers who have passed on. And they world is not a better place without them. Both represented their city with honor, dignity, class and pride. Neither was from the city they did so proud. Feller from Iowa, Killebrew from Idaho. Both from humble beginnings and spent their lives in salt of the earth, hard working Midwestern cities. Both in the hall of fame. Both have statues in front of their cities newer ball parks. And both should.

Good to see that both cities got it right before these guys passed on. For yes.. true, they played a game. But they did so much more. It's one thing to play a game right. But it's quite another thing to get life right. To understand that young eyes were watching the way it was played. And older eyes were watching the way it all played out. These two hero's were not invented by a runaway Cable TV franchise, they created their own heroics in two common sense, heart of America cities, all the while not realizing they were doing so. That's the best kind of hero.

And Two Statues say it's so.