Cleveland Springtime In Play

“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.” (Bob Feller).

Ruth and I have driven close to 10,000 miles for over seven weeks on our latest road trip from Fort Lauderdale with few weather interruptions. But as we exited Nebraska a week ago on our easterly track to the Upper Midwest, I-80 again became dangerously slickened by winter snow/wind blast conditions. Other then making two brief diversions to a suburban Costco for clothes shopping and a carb-filled dinner at “Big Boy”, we therefore felt little motivation to venture outside during this weather stressed, driving period. Driving slowly and steadily, we somehow managed to stay on schedule for our three day Cleveland, Ohio stopover this week.

On the way to Ohio, I did feel compelled however to make a brief stop at the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa to pay my respects to arguably the greatest pitcher in Cleveland Indians baseball history. You see Mr. Feller represents to me one of those iconic sports heroes with hometown Cleveland connections that passionately consumes my life to this day. For like Lebron James, and Jim Brown, Feller represents a “larger than life” role model for me beyond his athletic achievements Consider for example, how the Feller pitching portrayal at this museum of him fearlessly “rearing back and letting go” the baseball in strikeout mode, inspires my will to act more assertively” in making critical life decisions. I invite you to click on the website below for a more complete story of Bob Feller’s memorable life.

https://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quofllr.shtml

Know then that regardless of such frigid conditions at this late point in our trip, I’m grateful to feel a sense of home here in Cleveland once again. I’m also hopeful that better weather days will follow us during our visit with the stubborn arrival of Northeast Ohio’s annual springtime unfolding. Later this week, I will likely venture south to nearby Cuyahoga Falls and Akron, hoping to find some signs of positive childhood remembrance. I’ll let you know what I discover in my next road trip blog. Enjoy the photos.