Cleveland Baseball

Even though I grew up in Rochester, NY, my family has Cleveland roots. On clear nights, if you turned the radio dial just right, you’d hear Tom Hamilton’s booming voice across the airwaves from the heart of Cleveland. While my Dad never saw a World Series brought to Cleveland, but I think the Indians/Guardians gave him some of his greatest happiness, and some of his greatest bonds with his kids. This video was used by Cleveland in 2020 on the team's social media accounts and in Kendall Baker's Axios Sports newsletter.

In early 2019, I had the idea to bring this story to life in a video. Along with my family, I spent countless hours this year going through family pictures and videos. I managed to find the audio from Tom Hamilton, the Indians play-by-play announcer, who had mentioned my dad on air during a game. And when I shot video of Kelly in our front yard, we even dusted off my Dad’s trusty old catcher’s mitt – the same one he used to play catch with me and all of my siblings growing up. For me, the shared bond and the shared memories with my Dad make being a baseball fan so special. Plus, “There's always next year," as Cleveland fans know well.