Town Ball Tour: Paynesville coaches talk about playing and the grandstand
The Paynesville Pirates coaches talk about the new grandstand and playing in Town Ball.
(FOX 9) -The FOX 9 Town Ball Tour headed to the Paynesville Grandstand on Wednesday, June 29, home of the Paynesville Pirates.
Paynesville is a relatively newer team when it comes to town ball, starting in the early 1990s. The current coach was on the very first team. Since then, Paynesville has become a baseball town with teams at a variety of ages, and many on the town ball team growing up playing together.
Last year, the Pirates went to state for the first time.
Meanwhile, the Paynesville Grandstand was renovated in 2015 thanks to $600,000 donations from the community. It hosts more than 100 games a year, and the Grandstand has a storm shelter underneath that serves as a practice space in the winter.
The City of Paynesville is located in Stearns County and has a population of fewer than 3,000 people.
Town Ball Tour: Paynesville baseball coach and Grandstand renovations
During Town Ball Tour, we talk to the Paynesville High School baseball coach and see the inside of the Grandstand storm shelter that doubles as a practice space.
Town Ball Tour: The start of the Paynesville Pirates
During our seventh stop on Town Ball Tour, we learn how the Paynesville Pirates became a team.
Town Ball Tour: 3 brothers play with dad as coach
During our seventh stop on Town Ball Tour, we talk to three brothers playing together for the first time on the Paynesville Pirates with their dad as their coach.
Nobody was going to mess with Tucker Enthoven. After “pivoting” during her tenure as 2020 Crystal Charity Ball chair, she knew how to deal with challenges. And the threat of stormy weather on Thursday, May 5, wasn’t going to dampen her and husband Rich Enthoven’s hosting 2022 CCB Susan Farris’ theme announcement underwritten by Tolleson Wealth Management.
Still willy-nilly weathercasters dropping words like hail, tornadoes and the usual North Texas weather threats about the day’s forecast. But Tucker, Susan and the CCB staff remained flexible and hopeful.
And what do you know it worked out. After a heavy duty storm just past noon, not only did the skies clear up but the temperatures were perfect for the Enthoven estate’s beautiful grounds to be the perfect setting for the event.
John Farris and Rich EnthovenZach Hess and Thiago Nascimento
But before the first guests arrived, Dallas Opera tenor Zach Hess and pianist Thiago Nascimento rehearsed on the terrace and catering czarina Cassandra prepped a buffet that would not be revealed until after the announcement.
But even before all that happened, there was the crowd of nearly 100 including John Tolleson, Melinda and Mark Knowles and a posse of gals — Shannon Graham, Lynn McBee, Victoria Snee and Kimber Hartmann — making it fresh from the Equest Woman’s Auxiliary’s Fashion Show kick-off party at Lela Rose in Highland Park Village.
John TollesonMark and Melinda KnowlesTucker Enthoven and Angie KadeskyAnne McPhersonPaige LockePam Busbee and Christie CarterGreg and Kim HextJeremy and Anne Besser
The fashion of the night ranged from poofy dresses to flowery prints. Tucker proudly wore her newest acquisition — a Patti Flower orange gown that just a couple of days before had been on the Salvation Army Fashion Show runway.
Pete Foster reported that his birthday gift to himself — a red, hot Corvette — had just passed the 500-mile mark, so he could really see how it performed.
Lindsay Ballotta admitted that this was her first theme announcement event and hadn’t prepared husband Ray Ballotta for the coat-and-tie affair. Someone admitted that the rest of the gents probably envied Ray’s not having to so buttoned up.
Ray and Lindsay BallottaTim Ishii2022 Crystal Charity Ball theme announcement
As for the announcement, the crowd of guests were called to the backyard terrace where Susan recognized the ensemble of talents who would be involved in creating the event including designer Tom Addis, Garden Gate’s Junior Villanueva, Lamberts’ Tracey and Paul Fields, entertainment agent Curtis Butt, Curtis Moving and Storage’s Jamie Furrate, orchestra conductor Tim Ishii, Lawson Rentals and Events’ Cassie Lawson and Hilton Anatole’s Beverly Anderson, Roberta Robinson and Bruce Roy.
In a tip of the hat for the evening’s underwriter, Susan had Tolleson Wealth Management President Richard Joyner address the group telling how proud the company was to be associated with the women’s organization that for 70 years has helped the children of Dallas County.
It was now time for the great reveal of the 2022 CCB theme for the black-tie fundraiser at the Hilton Anatole on Saturday, December 3. But just before announcing the theme “Splendido Italiano” to the crowd, Zach suddenly appeared from the living room door and preparing to break into song. Before a second note was sung, he backed off pretending to have missed his cue to perform. Following the news of the theme, Zach and Thiago performed to the delight of all.
Susan FarrisSusan’s purse
As for the backstory on Susan’s picking “Splendido Italiano,” it was heartfelt due to her being “51% Italian and wanted to honor my mother’s family, The Capuzzis which means ‘boss’ in Italian. There are so many wonderful regions in Italy, it was hard to choose just one, so the 2022 Ball will feature the five main areas of Italy; each area boasts its own culinary treasures and traditions mostly based on local climate and natural resources. No matter where you are in Italy, you will find some handmade pasta, locally produced gelato, a glass of Chianti wine and a friendly smile waiting for you.”
Even before the announcement was made, Susan’s attire hinted at the theme — a purse reading “Milano” thanks to husband John Farris.
Holt Haynsworth and Gary FerraroNick Sanders
As guests departed, they were chilled with servings of gelato and checked out Nick Sanders‘ and Holt Haynsworth‘s vespas.
WASHINGTON - As the summer begins to heat up, 11 GW baseball members have been keeping loose, taking part in various summer leagues across the country.
Harrison Cohen is spending his time in the prestigious Cape Cod league, where he has thrown nine scoreless innings to start the season with the Cotuit Settlers.
Meanwhile, five Colonials have seen action in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). Connor Harris, Eddie Micheletti Jr., and Logan Koester are all teammates for the Mystic Schooners, while Steve DiTomaso and Chris Kahler have teamed up on the Vermont Mountaineers.
Offensively, DiTomaso is hitting .317 with 10 RBIs in his first 11 games, while Micheletti has four hits in four games. On the mound, Chris Kahler has struck out 14 batters across three appearances, Connor Harris took home a win against Danbury last week, and Logan Koester is pitching to a 3.00 ERA.
Elsewhere in New England, Benny Wilson has struck out six across 5.2 innings for the New Britain Bees of the Futures League.
Meanwhile, Logan Leax has seven hits in his first three games for the Boone Bigfoots, while rising sophomores Tim Nicholson and Ty Acker will go head-to-head in the Appalachian League for the Bluefield Ridge Runners and Danville Otterbots, respectively.
Additionally, Anthony Frechette has brought his offensive stroke to the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders of the Northwoods League. Frechette has clubbed a pair of homers and driven in 10 RBI across 16 games this year.
Keep tabs on all 11 Colonials in action this summer via the links below:
A celebration took place at the COX Science Center in West Palm Beach on Saturday.
"Of course everybody is bedazzled and sparkly and electric," said Sean Conklin with the Human Rights Council.
This as the Compass Community Center hosted it's Stonewall Ball event bringing together LGBTQ+ members and their allies.
"When people come together and love each other like this it creates hope," said Tina Louise Slater who attended the event. "Being around the people that I feel are like me and everybody expressing themselves like our outfits and every being themselves and celebrating that and the diversity and everybody's different ways of being themselves."
The event celebrates their Stonewall Ball's 20 years of advocating pride within the community.
"It's a huge staple for us, this represents the movement. The name in itself, Stonewall Ball, represents the Stonewall riots that happened in 1969 and that anniversary means a lot," said Julia Murphy with the Compass Center.
The ball comes a day after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving people to worry if LGBTQ+ rights may be next.
"The reality is that equality marriage could be taken away and it's rights that this community has earned and fought for a long time. There's a lot of fear around that," said Murphy.
"I've spent the last couple of days being really sad and scared and afraid and being here is actually really up lifting," said Slater.
The goal of the Stonewall Ball is to promote an inclusive future for the community by working alongside elected officials, organizations, and advocates.
"We have a large coalition of people who are going to be able to come together to be sure that we can do whatever we can locally to protect our community from any of those attacks that may come," said Conklin.
The Compass Center has been in the community for 34 years and said their efforts have only grown stronger as Palm Beach County grows more inclusive.
"We're here and we're going to continue, we're going to continue youth services, family services, elderly services, we are not going anywhere, and our community will support those efforts," said Murphy.
Attendees said it's now more important than ever to support advocates at a local, state and national level that can help the LGBTQ+ community fight for it's rights.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - The 9th annual Phenix City Mayor’s Ball returned in-person Saturday for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ball is a fundraising event to sponsor the scholarship fund for graduates of Central High School, Glenwood School along with Russell County High School.
It also sponsors the scholarship fund for the dual enrollment students and awards funds to nonprofit agencies.
“The Phenix City Mayor’s Ball means an incredible amount to the community,” an event official said. ”We have given away scholarships to hundreds of individuals”.
The mayor’s ball began in 2014 from the vision of the Phenix City Mayor Eddie Lowe. Over the years, the ball has raise more than $100,000 - with $70,000 raised just last year.
Well, can we put down Jason Kokrak as one of the next PGA Tour players to announce that he's a jumping to LIV Golf? Or did he, rather strangely if true, simply decide to put a bad round to bed early?
Those who follow the tour at a loss on Friday to understand the utterly bizarre and memorable way in which the 37-year-old Kokrak—previously rumored for some time to be destined for LIV—exited the Travelers Championship.
ShotLink tells the story from the second round in Cromwell, Conn. Kokrak teed off on his final hole of the day, the ninth at TPC River Highlands. He’d shot 67 in the first round but was four over in the second following his second double bogey of the day (the first came on a five-putt). He hit the tee shot 327 yards on the dogleg right par 4 into the left rough. He had only 43 yards to hole. And then Kokrak proceeded to blast (skull?) that shot over the green and across a road. Or as ShotLink put it, "87 yards into the unknown."
Then, after apparenlty spending some time to look for his ball, Kokrak walked right off the course. As noted in the last line of the tour’s second-round media notes: "Jason Kokrak was disqualified during round two for failing to record a score on his final hole and subsequently failing to return a scorecard."
Was it Kokrak saying his goodbye to the PGA Tour in his own special way? Or simply a misunderstanding of the situation? Writer Jason Sobel tweeted that he traded texts with Will McGirt, who was in Kokrak's group, and McGirt said that by the time Kokrak figured out where to drop after the errant shot, the group behind them was waiting. So threw up the white flag and chose to not finish, since he wasn't going to make the cut. A good deed then?
As for Kokrak, who is ranked No. 33 in the world, he hadn't chosen to comment on social media as of late Friday night, and there is no official confirmation of him moving on to LIV either.
MLB's baseballs have been rubbed with a special mud from the Delaware River for decades to improve their grip. Now, the procedure for doing so will become universal.
Driving the news: The league sent a memo to all 30 teams this week detailing how balls must be prepared in an attempt to improve consistency. A minimum of 13 dozen are readied for each MLB game.
The new process: Mud must be applied to each ball on the day it will be used for a minimum of 30 seconds, with the same mud-to-water ratio, to ensure it's worked thoroughly into the hand-stitched leather.
Balls must also be stored in a humidor for a minimum of 14 days before use and must remain there until roughly 30 minutes before first pitch, removed only for mud application.
Posters depicting what a properly mudded ball should — and shouldn't — look like already hang in every clubhouse.
State of play: The baseball has been a talking point all season, as has become the norm. Players have complained about slickness differing from ballpark to ballpark, and MLB says clubhouse video confirmed that teams were applying their mud differently.
The backdrop: Baseballs have always come out of the package too glossy to be thrown reliably, so pitchers have long sought ways to improve their grip — shoe polish, dirt, tobacco juice, any substance they could find.
In the 1930s, a coach for the Philadelphia A's found some mud near his home in New Jersey, rubbed a small dab on the ball and found it had the perfect, pudding-like consistency to improve grip.
By the 1950s, every team was using this "Magic Mud" and one family, the Bintliffs, have been harvesting it ever since from the banks of a secret stretch of a Delaware River tributary.
The last word: Jim Bintliff, 65 — the third generation to harvest the mud — has always appreciated how clubhouse attendants apply the mud in their own unique way. But standardization is also good for business:
"The fact that they're trying to get a uniform process with the mud tells me that they know they need it."
This week we are going to go in the opposite direction and turn our attention to some pitchers who generate many fly balls.
These hurlers tend to be riskier than ground-ball pitchers, as they have the potential to give up runs in bunches via the long ball. But because fly balls are easier for defenders to handle than grounders, these pitchers can also produce an exceptional WHIP when they are on top of their game. Justin Verlander is a great example of a pitcher who has made a career out of generating plenty of fly balls and strikeouts while also limiting walks.
No one in this article is likely to eventually join Verlander in the Hall of Fame, but they all have the potential to help your fantasy team.
Cristian Javier (SP/RP, Houston Astros)
Javier has the highest fly-ball rate (57.9 percent) among pitchers who have thrown at least 30 innings this year. His current rate is the highest of his three-year career, but the right-hander has always generated more than his share of fly balls. Javier also has a strong strikeout rate (29.3 percent) and most of his ERA indicators are in line with his actual 3.07 mark.
Fantasy takeaway
Javier has a career 1.13 WHIP that includes a 1.17 mark this season. He doesn’t allow oodles of hard contact and could have a slightly lower BABIP than the .288 mark he has right now. Javier needs to go deeper into starts to take his game to the next level, but he is already a good trade target for those who seek a mid-level starter that can stabilize their WHIP.
Triston McKenzie (SP, Cleveland Guardians)
McKenzie is an anomaly among starting pitchers in terms of his ability to generate plenty of easy outs. The right-hander leads all qualified pitchers in fly-ball rate (54.5 percent), which has contributed to a 1.01 WHIP that ranks 13th in baseball. Those who believe that McKenzie has been especially lucky this year (.216 BABIP) should take a deeper look, as he has produced a career .222 BABIP across 227.2 innings.
Fantasy takeaway
Because he generates so many fly balls McKenzie will never be someone whom the ERA indicators love. But he is a stud in the WHIP category (career 1.08 mark) who has shown improved control skills this year. I put him at the top of the list of trade targets for WHIP-needy team that can’t acquire an ace.
Greene is tantalizing fantasy managers and Reds fans with his elite heat that includes an average fastball velocity of 98.5 mph. The rookie has produced an outstanding 30.1 percent strikeout rate but a 9.9 percent walk rate that could be a bit better. And Greene has generated fly balls at a lofty 56.0 percent fly-ball rate. A hard-throwing righty who was drafted second overall in the MLB draft and generates plenty of whiffs and fly balls — the Verlander comparisons are obvious.
Fantasy takeaway
After throwing so many compliments toward Greene in the preceding paragraph, I’m going to toss some cold water on his trade value for this season. The 22-year-old has been inconsistent so far, and I expect that pattern to continue. Greene has an ugly 5.26 ERA, which may make him reasonably valued on the trade market for those who need to acquire strikeouts.
Hunter Greene's inconsistency could cap his fantasy value. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Giovanny Gallegos (RP, St. Louis Cardinals)
Gallegos has always generated plenty of fly balls and strikeouts, which has made him a WHIP stud throughout his career, logging a 0.93 mark. And this year he has generated his best fly-ball rate ever (56.9 percent) while continuing to log an elite whiff rate (31.1 percent). Gallegos will be even more productive when his .286 BABIP moves closer to his lifetime .257 mark.
Fantasy takeaway
The Cardinals continue to share save chances, and they have given Ryan Helsley more opportunities than Gallegos in recent weeks. Gallegos remains one of baseball’s best pitchers, but his current role caps his value at being a mid-tier reliever in mixed leagues.
Joe Ryan (SP, Minnesota Twins)
Ryan didn’t need long to establish himself as a quality Major League starter, posting a 3.35 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP across his initial 15 career starts. His lifetime .233 BABIP is an incredibly low mark, but he has earned some of that luck by inducing fly balls at an elite rate while also limiting hard contact.
Fantasy takeaway
Ryan could be a long-term fantasy star by maintaining his batted-ball tendencies and making small gains on the 25.8 percent strikeout rate he has logged this year. I see him as a great trade target for those who need WHIP improvements.
Bailey Ober (SP, Minnesota Twins)
Ober combines with Ryan to keep the Twins outfielders busy. The lanky right-hander offers a great combination to keep the bases clean, as he induces many fly balls (career 46.8 percent) and limits walks (career 5.0 percent). Making strides with his 24.0 percent strikeout rate is the next step.
Fantasy takeaway
Unless the discount is substantial, I wouldn’t try to trade for Ober in deep leagues right now. He should be fine in the WHIP category, but his ERA may be volatile. My plan for Ober in shallow leagues is to watch him on the waiver wire and be ready to pounce when he returns. He is currently 22 percent rostered.
Building off the work and recommendations already made by the LGBTQ Workgroup, the commission will be made up of at least 13 members who are from the gay and transgender community or are representatives of regional LGBTQ organizations.
The commission will have the following responsibilities:
Support efforts to organize, educate, and mobilize the LGBTQIA+ community through coalition building and coordination with allied individuals, groups andorganizations;
Identify best practices to affirm members of the gay and transgendercommunity;
Recommend initiatives to support LGBTQIA+ families and children; and
Advise the County on policy and programs that impact our gay and transgender community, and on how to improve outcomes for underserved and at-risk members of the LGBTQIA+ population.
Support, plan, and execute events, like PRIDE, to celebrate and affirm the community.
The commission will also submit an annual report to the County Council and County Executive. Legislation for the commission is expected to be filed in July.
“This is not Texas. This is not Carroll County. This is Howard County. Today, we are saying loud and clear that queer voices will be heard, we will have our say in our government, and we will have a seat at the table,” said Register of Wills Byron MacFarlane, the first openly gay elected official in Howard County. “We are sending a message, especially, to our young people, who need now more than ever to hear from those of us in positions of leadership, that we see them and will do everything we can to give them a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment to grow and achieve their potential.”
“County Executive Ball listened to the workgroup members and understood the importance of establishing a permanent body in County Government to continue addressing the needs and services of our LGBTQIA+ residents,” said Office of Human Rights and Equity Administrator Yolanda Sonnier. “The work that is needed could not be concluded in 18 months. In fact, the quest to equality, eradicating discrimination and having equitable outcomes cannot be put on a timeline and having a permanent commission will allow the commissioners to address the evolving needs and concerns of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
"Having a LGBTQ+ focus as part of the county’s government would raise awareness and would hopefully lead to measures to stem the tide of hate and inequality,” said Human Rights Commissioner Bob Ford.
“In the LGBTQ community, there is a sense of labeling us as other, but that’s not always true. We’re your students and your teachers. We’re business owners, family members, and friends. We’re in the community that you live in as well,” said Jumel Howard, President of PFLAG Howard County. “At the end of the day, we deserve to have not just a seat at the table, but our own table to sit at. A community like Howard County being able to provide the resources and support for people in the LGBTQ community to build that table and have this Commission and share what our actual concerns are with the community – rather than have the community decide what to deal with regarding us – it’s a very different feeling and a very positive feeling.”
“What I hope to elevate is a better understanding that our identities as parents are not just about our sexual orientation, but sexual orientation is a key piece of our identity that should be recognized,” said community member Becki WeissVivrette. “It is about teaching our children that love islove,that everyone deserves to give and receive love, and that they deserve to hear and read stories about families that look just like theirs. That our family should never feel ashamed for being proud of who we are.”
UNITED NATIONS -- A Google executive warned the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that cyberattacks, disinformation and other forms of information warfare being waged in Ukraine are a “crystal ball" for future problems elsewhere.
“States must find a way to turn the volume down and settle on some kind of deterrence doctrine for the cyber domain,” Jared Cohen said at a council meeting on hate speech, incitement and atrocities in Ukraine.
He argued that while tech companies have needed expertise, “there is no magical algorithm or single fix for this," and finding a solution will take a lot of experimentation.
Cohen heads Jigsaw, a part of Google that aims to build technology to combat disinformation, censorship and extremism online.
He said Ukraine “has been disproportionately targeted” by advanced cyberattacks since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, adding: “It is essentially our crystal ball for what is likely to come.”
The war in Ukraine upped pressure on tech companies to work harder to combat hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content online. The European Union is working on sweeping new rules that would require Google, Facebook parent Meta and other tech giants to police their platforms more strictly.
Western powers on the Security Council have accused Russia of a campaign of propaganda, disinformation and hate directed at undermining Ukraine. A recent report from Mandiant, a cyber security firm, found that Russia used disinformation, fear and propaganda to demoralize Ukraine and divide its allies.
“Hate speech can also be a war crime,” British deputy U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki said Tuesday, calling on Russia to “stop making such statements.”
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia repeated his country's counterclaims that Ukrainian authorities' rhetoric has poisoned citizens against Russia and Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine, with Western encouragement.
“We see, from our side, a real incitement to violence and Russophobia in Ukraine,” he said.
Albania, which currently holds the council's rotating presidency, called for Tuesday's meeting.
Major League Baseball is now requiring teams to "muddy" baseballs before games using the exact same technique, according to a league memo sent to all 30 teams on Tuesday and obtained by ESPN.
Muddying is the process of removing gloss from new baseballs to give pitchers a better grip. It's been used in the game for decades and is as important as ever considering the league's crackdown on the use of foreign substances over the past 12 months.
In past years, muddying involved clubhouse attendants preparing baseballs by rubbing Delaware River mud -- which comes in a can -- days before each game. Moving forward, they'll be required to continue to muddy balls on game day only and all with the same technique.
After reviewing videos of clubhouse attendants from around the league, officials found a wide variety of muddying techniques.
The proper technique involves "painting" the full surface of the ball with mud using two fingertips. Then comes a very precise rubbing motion with the ball in between both hands to get mud into the pores of the leather. Muddying each ball is a 30- to 40-second process.
The league memo is another attempt to reach as much uniformity as possible for the dozens of balls used throughout major league parks every night.
The move comes after the league garnered feedback from players over the past two months and is not in response to the latest on-field incident after Angels pitcher Michael Lorenzen hit Seattle Mariners outfielder Justin Upton in the head with a pitch Friday. Lorenzen indicated that the ball slipped out of his hands. The decision to use a uniform muddying technique has been in the works for weeks.
In addition to the specific technique required to muddy baseballs, the memo informs teams of standardized handling and storage of the balls:
All baseballs to be used in a specific game must be mudded within 3 hours of all other baseballs being used in that game.
Once the muddying process is completed, all balls should be placed back in the Rawlings boxes with dividers, and the boxes should then be placed in the humidor. In the past, balls were allowed to go directly into the humidor.
When taken out of the humidor for that day's game, only eight dozen balls at a time should be placed in a ball bag. In the past, there was no limit to how many balls could be in the bag but players felt the ones at the bottom felt too "chalky." Additionally, the inside of the ball bags will be required to be cleaned thoroughly by wiping with a damp cloth and then with a dry cloth to make sure there is no excess residue, dust or moisture.
Each team will be provided a poster showing the acceptable range of appearance for a mudded baseball. (dark/light)
All game balls must be stored in humidors for a minimum of 14 days before being taken through the muddying process.
The league admits there's no perfect solution to every ball having the same feel but hopes the standardized handling and storage of them will be a successful attempt to "improve the consistency within the baseballs," according to a league source.
The updated guidelines will go into effect Wednesday after Michael Hill, senior vice president of on-field operations, speaks with each of the 30 teams.
LaMelo Ball is one of the most exciting young players that the league has to offer. Since being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, Ball has continued to improve his all-around game, winning Rookie of the Year in 2020-21 before making it to the All-Star game last season. And as such, Ball is coveted by companies thanks to him being a very marketable and exciting young NBA star.
LaMelo signed a deal that was reportedly worth $100 million with Puma when he entered the league as the 3rd overall pick in the draft and some consider him to potentially be the next face of the NBA. And while he does ply his trade in Charlotte, for now, Ball recently acquired an amazing mansion for himself out in Los Angeles. Supposedly worth $20 million, the mansion is incredible and has all the amenities and luxuries most people can only dream of.
The multi-story house is filled with amazing design and decor, with plenty of epic rooms, including a theater room, a cigar lounge, and a classy bar. The house has indoor and outdoor gyms, a swanky pool, as well as a garage for a bunch of LaMelo's amazing cars. It is a ridiculously decked-out crib, showing that LaMelo is quite serious about the way he likes to live his life.
There will be those that ask why a 20-year-old athlete would need a house like this, but it's nothing that any person wouldn't get for themselves if they had the means to make it happen. An 8-bedroom, 11-bathroom house may seem excessive, but the rules are different when you have $100 million in your bank account and potentially multiple max contracts in your future.
LaMelo will know that all this is a result of being able to perform at the highest level, though, and the priority will be to take another leap next season. He is on the cusp of superstardom and the Hornets have been so close to making the playoffs that if he can continue to improve, things will start looking even better for him going forward.
The Rev. Wayne Pavela stands in front of his 10-acre garden east of Columbus last week. Pavela, who gives all the produce away to the poor and needy, is also a Chicago Cubs season ticket holder who was recently honored by the team before a game as the game ball deliverer.
NATE TENOPIR, THE COLUMBUS TELEGRAM
What happened to the ball the Rev. Wayne Pavela placed on the mound at Wrigley Field? Well, based on the average lifespan of a baseball, it likely didn't make it more than a few pitches.
The first ball out there, it might not have even made it past the warmup tosses Chicago starter Drew Smyly took ahead of his four-plus innings of work last month. Whatever happened, Pavela never witnessed just how much usage came out of his short trip between the lines of the friendly confines.
"I really have no idea," Pavela said. "I was on my way back to my seat so who knows how long that ball was out there - probably not very long. It probably didn't even make the game."
Ordained to the priesthood 1977, formerly assigned to Scotus Central Catholic for 16 years and most recently in Humphrey for the last 24, Pavela is now retired but still going strong as a grower and a baseball fan.
He's had an extensive garden east of Columbus for 30 years. His land, which includes every imaginable crop over 10 acres, is his way of living the ministry of Jesus and giving back to the poor all over eastern Nebraska.
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Some goes to Simon House here in town, others to food banks across the region, senior centers, nursing homes, food pantries, rescue missions and the Salvation Army.
And while he tends to the garden mostly all on his own, it requires occasional help. When the Cubs are home at Wrigley Field, there's a pretty good chance Pavela is out of town.
He's in Chicago right now to watch a Cubs homestand that included the San Diego Padres earlier in the week and the world champion Atlanta Braves this weekend. Chicago is well below .500, fourth in the Central Division and in the midst of a rebuild six years after ending a 108-year championship drought.
But it's never been about the winning, it's just about baseball.
Since 2010 he's been a season ticket holder who makes it to the Windy City for 20 to 30 games per year. He saw all three World Series games in 2016 and, if he recalls correctly, might have gone on his first trip to see the Cubs after purchasing a ticket package from the Scotus gala.
He's been invited to Cubs autograph events and been acknowledged a time or two before in front of the home crowd. None of that, he says, compared to May 18 when he was the honorary game ball deliverer.
"In 2018 I was the season ticket holder of the game, walked on the field for the game and waved. I've had something special like this happen a couple times," Pavela said. "This is the most recent, and this was bigger than that."
The Rev. Wayne Pavela is featured on the Wrigley Field big screen before delivering the game ball out to the mound May 18 against Pittsburgh.
NATE TENOPIR, THE COLUMBUS TELEGRAM
Pavela started out as a Mets fan who gradually found a love for Chicago because the Cubs were always available on TV through WGN. That plus the attraction of maybe someday going to Wrigley, which is much more local to Nebraska than New York, turned him into a Chicago supporter.
Initially, in his professional life he wanted to be an athletic trainer and found his way into the Braves organization. He wasn't needed in Atlanta and assigned to a minor league affiliate in Twin Falls, Idaho. But while he was on the right track, something was missing.
Pavela answered the call and began seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota; and went on to study Theology in Denver at St. Thomas Seminary. After Holy Orders he started at St. Bernard's in Omaha and taught at Elkhorn Mount Michael. In 1981 he was transferred to Scotus where he won an auction at the gala in 1985.
He, Jim and Gary Puetz and Vern Younger held football practice one Saturday morning that late summer, made the trip to Chicago and saw a ballgame the Sunday before Labor Day. The Cubs won that one over the Braves 15-2. According to baseball-reference.com, the victory included a three-hit, four RBI day by third baseman Keith Moreland.
Since then he's witnesses such moments as a 16-inning win over the Colorado Rockies in 2014, a no-hitter by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels in 2015 and a pitching duel between San Francisco's Johnny Cueto and Chicago's Jon Lester in the first game of 2016 NLDS. The Cubs won 1-0 on a Javier Baez eighth-inning home run on their way to the title.
The Rev. Wayne Pavela takes a photo alongside Cubs Hall of Famer Lee Smith during an autograph session before the game in Chicago on May 18.
COURTESY PHOTO
"At 11 o'clock somebody brought us pizza, and then at 1 they brought doughnuts," Pavela laughed as he remembered the win over the Rockies that clocked in at 6 hours and 27 minutes. "We didn't leave Wrigley until quarter to two when the game got over."
And, of course, he was there for the three home games of the World Series in 2016. The Cubs ended a century-plus of misery after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit, but, naturally, lost two of three in front of the home crowd.
"I told the priest up at St. Francis that, 'World Series, I'm going,'" Pavela recalled. "Gary (Puetz) asked me, 'What would you do if you were walking to the stadium and somebody came up to you and said, 'Father, I'll give you $10,000 for that ticket?' ('I told him) I wouldn't sell it.'"
The best he's ever seen included a home run by Barry Bonds in 2007 and Greg Maddux on the mound as a Cub both early and late in his career.
This summer, the Cubs are back to being the lovable losers. Chicago was in the midst of a nine-game losing skid after Wednesday's 19-5 hammering by San Diego.
When Pavela decided to convert from a game-by-game ticket buyer to a season-ticket holder he was first denied. Based on his area code, it didn't seem the Cubs were too fond of selling to someone who might not be close enough to attend all 81 home games.
A letter to Frank Maloney, a former college football coach at Syracuse who had joined the Cubs management team later in life, helped change his luck. A prior relationship with a priest who taught Pavela in Denver earned him a place to stay without shelling out money for a hotel. That priest moved on to DePaul University, just about two miles from Wrigley, and the college became Pavela's home away from home. For the 50-60 games he can't attend, priests and staff at DePaul have access to his ticket.
He sits in left field general admission. There are no assigned seats in the bleachers, which sometimes requires camping out ahead of time to ensure he finds his regular spot. That's not much of a problem these days, "because they're so bad," Pavela joked.
These days he goes early to spend time with the group he spends time with out in left field.
"We go to the ballpark early cause you're let in five minutes early (as a season ticket holder," he said. "Sometimes, depending on what the game is, we wind up going and sitting outside the ballpark four hours ahead of time. If there's a 7 o'clock game, I might be there at 2:30.
"We really don't have to be there that early; it's just, there's a bunch of us that like to stick together and sit out there and talk. It's kind of camaraderie."
There were some cheers from the left field bleachers that evening when he was displayed on the big screen and made the short journey out to the mound. Before the game he was part of an autograph signing with former relief pitcher and Cubs Hall of Famer Lee Smith.
He was also given an official "Game Ball Deliverer" certificate and a pack of baseball cards only available to fans with season tickets.
It would be a better story if the Cubs knew about Pavela's gardening efforts and rewarded his hard work, but in reality, the ceremony is part of a normal rewards program the team holds for those with season tickets.
Regardless, from his perspective there was more to it than a simple random selection.
"(My ticket rep) didn't really have to convince me. I was dumbfounded because I thought, 'This is a big deal,'" he said. "To be asked to do that was kind of humbling."
Chicago won the first two of the three-game set with the Pirates but lost 3-2 the night Pavela delivered the ball. They then lost the next four in a row to Arizona, although he was headed back to Columbus for the final game of the homestand.
Before he had his moment he was sure to watch the same ceremony in the days leading up to his moment and get it right.
So what was on his mind as he stepped onto the hallowed grounds of Wrigley? After 40 years as a fan, what kind of emotions were rushing through his heart? Was this, in some way, a small taste of heaven?
It was much simpler than all that: "I put it down on the rubber," he said, "and made sure the sucker didn't roll off."
The Rev. Wayne Pavela comes off the field with a member of the Cubs support staff after placing the ball on the mound before a home game against Pittsburgh on May 18.
COURTESY PHOTO
Nate Tenopir is the sports editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at sports@columbustelegram.com.
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