Stories of Inspiration-Volume 4

Never Say Quit-The Story of Tommy John

I have always been a huge baseball fan.  Occasionally as I look at biographies of players famous and not so famous, I find inspiration.  As a wannabe left-handed pitcher in Little League in the 1970’s, I had, of course heard of Tommy John.  What I didn’t know until recently was the inspiration of his story.  Thomas Edward John Jr was born in Terre Haute, Indiana on May 22, 1943.  He developed into a talented left-handed pitcher and was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1961.  Tommy, as he was most frequently called, made his major league debut at age 20.  He was clearly not ready, but with the woeful Indians any healthy arm was brought up to the major league level.   Tommy John was winless in his first partial season with the Indians and had a disappointing record of 2 wins and 9 losses during the 1964 season.  Not seeing the potential in the young left hander, the Indians traded John to the Chicago White Sox.  Over the next several years, Tommy John was a stable, if not spectacular pitcher for the White Sox, helping them to get within three games of the World Series in 1967.  John’s six shutouts were tied for the league lead, and only a last week fade prevented his team from reaching the World Series.  John continued pitching for the White Sox until 1971 when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  John had two very good seasons with the Dodgers and was well on his way to the best season of his career when in July 1974, he permanently damaged the ulner nerve in his elbow. In 1974, this meant the end of a baseball career.   Now Tommy John certainly did not have a poor career to this point.  He had won 124 major league games against only 106 losses.  He was an All-Star once and was a sturdy performer on the improving Los Angeles Dodger teams.  At this point, Tommy John was certainly an inspiration to many young athletes growing up in his hometown of Terre Haute, but he wasn’t the inspiration that he was to become.  Tommy John tried several alternate therapies to come back from arm trouble.  He was determined to pitch in the big leagues again. “A lot of players thought I was wasting my time,” said John. “Be that as it may, I wanted to play ball. I would have done whatever it took to play again.”

Tommy John would not accept that the damage to his ulner nerve was the career ending injury that it was widely accepted to be.   He said he would learn the knuckleball if his fastball would not come back, whatever it took to make a return to the mound.  It was then that Dr Frank Jobe, the orthopedic consultant to the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1964, suggested a radical new surgery.   Dr. Jobe suggested that by taking a tendon from John’s right wrist area, he could strengthen the elbow to pre-surgery strength.  Dr. Jobe’s belief in the procedure and Tommy John’s vow to pitch again forever linked their names together.  On September 25, 1974, John underwent what columnist Will Carroll called the “improvised surgery”.  “To this day there are few variations to what he (Dr. Jobe) improvised off the top of his head.  It was so close to perfect; I can’t picture anyone even trying to change it”.   So what happened to Tommy John you may ask?  Well, he took the 1975 baseball season to rehabilitate his arm.  He surprised fans and teammates alike by being a part of the Dodgers rotation in 1976.  Was he effective, you may ask?  Tommy John was 10 and 10 and won the Hutch award given to the ballplayer best exemplifying the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Fred Hutchinson, a baseball manager who bravely battled cancer before succumbing at age 45 in 1964.   1976 was just a taste of what John had in store for 1977 and beyond.  After the surgery, Tommy John had three 20 win seasons, pitched another 13 years and retired with 288 career victories, 164 of them AFTER surgery.  He retired in 1989 with just 17 men having pitched more innings than him, and he is the winningest pitcher not yet elected to the Hall of Fame.  The return to the pitching mound and the success that Tommy John had is certainly an inspiring story to not give up, to stand by your desire and be courageous in the face of the unknown.   Tommy John’s story inspired me even more deeply when I learned that the surgery, experimental in 1974 has become known as “Tommy John” surgery and has been performed hundreds of times with an 85% plus success rate.  It is estimated that between 75 and 100 current major leaguers have undergone surgery and have come back to very successful careers.

Today, Tommy John is a minor league baseball manager.  He is also an advocate for eradicating ALS, the neuromuscular disease named after another ballplayer, Lou Gehrig.  John became inspired himself to become a volunteer for the ALS Association through his former teammate Jim “Catfish” Hunter who John played with on the New York Yankees and who succumbed to ALS in 1999 at age 53.  Had Tommy John never had the surgery that resurrected his career, he would not have befriended Catfish Hunter and become so valuable to the ALS community.  Sometimes, inspiration leads to greater inspiration and if we are looking for it in our lives, we will find it.    Tommy John inspires through his perseverance, his outreach and his excellence on and off the mound.

DON’T MISS IT!

1.         Never say quit… had Tommy John retired in 1974 he would have had an above average, but not spectacular career.  Instead he retired ranked 23^rd all time in victories.  What hurdle are you facing that may need an “experimental” solution?

2.        Do not give up on your dreams. Tommy John did not give up on his dream.  To get back to pitching he would have learned  new pitches, tried alternative therapies and underwent whatever surgery necessary. He employed what motivational speakers call the “ant philosophy”.  To get where they want, ants will go under, over or around any obstacles.

3.     If you have an opportunity to see the 1977, 1978 or 1981 World Series on video, you can see Tommy John at his best.

4.    One of Tommy John’s favorite awards was the Hutch Award he won in 1976.  Go to www.fhcrc.org to learn about Fred Hutchinson, the award named after him and the Cancer Center that bears his name.

5.       Visit Tommy John’s website, www.tommyjohn.com , to read more of his inspiring story.

6.      Consider this quote by Tommy John: “ Always give 100 percent and you’ll never have to second guess yourself”.  I call this the “mirror” test.  When you look in the mirror each night, you can face yourself, knowing that you gave your best that day.Be inspired by Tommy John’s work ethic.  “You know what I’m most proud of?  What I’m most proud of and I don’t know if anyone from the surgery can say this, but I pitched 13 years after the procedure and never missed a start. I had not one iota of trouble.  I would like people to remember that about me, too”.

You may not be a major league pitcher or be facing an experimental surgery, but you can be well served by using Tommy John’s “no matter what” philosophy to overcome whatever it is that you are facing.

Stories of Inspiration- Volume 3

Courage Overcoming Fear-The Red Badge of Courage

 

Stephen Crane’s moving short story of Henry Fleming and his experience during the Civil War is a training book of lessons on fear, temporary defeat and, ultimately, courage overcoming fear.  Written in 1895, The Red Badge of Courage is a modern masterpiece written by a man who never experienced a battle, but who packed a full compliment of adventures into his brief 29 year life.  The hero, Henry Fleming is a northern boy who is sent off to war by his mother who worries about his safety, but also worries about Henry standing up to courage in the face of danger.  His mother tells Henry, “Never do no shirking on my account, if the time comes when you have to be killed or do a mean thing, why Henry don’t think of anything cept for what’s right because there’s many a woman that have to bear up under such things these days.  The Lord will take care of us all.”  We don’t learn about Henry’s background and we don’t learn about what he does after the war.  What we experience and what we can be inspired about in Red Badge of Courage is Henry’s very real fears, his very frank self-talk and his internal struggle to do the right thing.  Each of us has this same self-battle that goes on inside our head when it comes to business and relationships.  The book opens with Henry going off to join the Union army and after a period of boredom, engaging in his first action.  Although initially strong, a second Rebel advance scares Henry and he flees behind the lines.  When confronted by other Union soldiers, they assume he is injured.  He runs into his comrade Jim Conklin and watches him die. The soldiers talked about a “red badge of courage” a wound sustained in battle as the mark of a hero.   Through a confrontation with another fleeing soldier, Henry receives his “red badge of courage”, though through a hit to the head rather than a bullet.  Eventually, Henry is reunited with his regiment, and creates a fanciful story that increasingly becomes enriched as his regiment brags about his bravery.   As Henry recovers, he and his friend Wilson overhear the general talking of plans to send his regiment, the 304^th into battle the following days in what the general essentially thought would be a sacrificial effort.  Hearing that the general considered the 304^th an unprofessional unit, Henry and Wilson were determined to prove the general wrong.  During the ensuing battle, the two comrades captured the Rebel flag.  After the battle, the praise rung out for Fleming and Wilson and Henry is exemplified as the ideal fighting man, an irony that is not lost on Fleming.  Now, however, his shame is gone and his courage deserved.  The inspiration of overcoming negative self-talk, standing up in spite of fear and ultimately demonstrating courage over fear make The Red Badge of Courage a great read for anyone looking to do the right thing.

DON’T MISS IT!

1. Mark Twain said “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.  Take a step today to overcome a fear.  Make a difficult phone call, have a difficult conversation, try something that you have been afraid of.  The first step, once taken will take a huge chunk of the fear.

 

2.      Never let negative self-talk sabotage your dreams and goals.  Immediately after setting a goal, negative self-talk will present dozens of reasons why the goal is not attainable.  Expect this reaction from yourself, but counter it by immediately listing the motivation behind the goal and the methods that you will use to reach the goal.

3.    Look for opportunities to be courageous.  Step up and speak the truth     in love when necessary.  Each courageous act brings a greater self-confidence and builds a foundation of self-respect.

4.   An excellent radio adaptation of The Red Badge of Courage is available for download from www.mysteryshows.com.  It was performed in 1949 by the NBC University players.

5.    Purchase a copy of Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.  Read it with your children and talk to them about courage.  They confront situations in school everyday where courage is needed.

 

6.      Use the buddy system.  Wilson was Henry’s support system and that support strengthened both men.  Who can you rely on to help you through your fears?       

Courage doesnt always roar.  Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.                                           -Mary Ann Rademacher

Stories of Inspiration-Volume Two

The Secret keeper of Presidents- The Story of Ike Hoover

On September 17, 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt sent a telegram to the widows of former Presidents Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and to former President Herbert Hoover.  The country was in the midst of the Great Depression and President Roosevelt certainly had a lot on his plate.  What was the reason for the telegram?  President Roosevelt was sharing his grief over the death of “Ike” Hoover, who for 42 years was the chief usher of the White House.  This was a man who these presidential families knew and respected a great deal.   According to FDR “It was Ike Hoover who met me at the door when I first came into the White House as my home…his passing is a  tremendous personal loss…The nation, too, has lost a true and faithful public servant.”

 Irwin Hood Hoover was born in 1871 and began his career as an electrician working for Thomas Edison.  In 1891, he was sent by Edison to assist in installing electricity in the White House.   Electricity in homes was still a relatively untested and unknown improvement in 1891 and President Benjamin Harrison and his wife Caroline were afraid of this new technology.  They were so afraid, in fact, that they asked Hoover to stay at the White House to help with the transition to electric power.  Over the next few years his responsibilities increased until President William McKinley named him chief usher.   What does a chief usher do?   Among Hoover’s responsibilities were the running of all social functions of the house, the presentation of credentials from foreign dignitaries, the arrangement of seating at White House dinners and he is generally the man seen holding the Presidents umbrella.   Time Magazine in its March 4, 1929 issue describes Hoover as “…he who inspects all callers, engineers all receptions, arranges all of the First Lady’s teas and sends the White House motor hither and yon”.  The magazine described Hoover as tall and dignified, but what struck me as inspirational about Ike Hoover was not his dignified look, but his consistently dignified character throughout his 42 years of service.  Through the administrations of nine presidents, I am sure Hoover overheard more than his share of “presidential secrets”.   It is rumored that he was offered $50,000 to write a “tell-all” book about his White House experience, which he turned down.  “When I pass out, everything goes with me”, Hoover calmly explained.

At some point, Hoover did record his memoirs, which were published the year after his death.  These memoirs, however, were a witty perspective of the American landscape over his years of service, and not the scandalous gossip sheet that they could have been.  His commentaries on the presidents that he served ranged from his colorful descriptions of Theodore Roosevelt’s children turning the White House upside down with activity after William McKinley’s quiet, dignified tenure, McKinley’s constant cigar smoking and a touching description of the devastation of the stroke that disabled President Woodrow Wilson in 1919.

Some of his duties were humble and he was treated with varying degrees of respect by different administrations.  He oversaw the weddings of both Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter Alice and Woodrow Wilson’s daughter Eleanor.  He was privy to the courtship of President Wilson with his second wife Edith Galt after the death of Wilson’s first wife Ellen in 1915.  Some leaders, however, were less friendly.   President Herbert Hoover (no relation) resorted to not speaking to most of the White House staff during the onset of the Great Depression in 1929.  Nonetheless from the early 1890’s to the beginning of Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency in 1933, Ike Hoover ran the White House like a smooth machine.  Democrat or Republican, it made no difference to Hoover.  This is the inspiration I found in Hoover.  Here is a man who did his best work behind the scenes, who was obviously excellent at what he did and who displayed discretion and respect both for the office of President and for the men who held the office and their families.  He can be held as an excellent example of work ethic, discipline and devotion to duty.

DON’T MISS IT!

For an intimate look at the life of White House servant staff, view the DVD Backstairs at the White House, a 1979 mini-series based on Lillian Rogers Park’s memoir My Thirty Years at the White House.   In the movie, Ike Hoover is portrayed by actor Leslie Nielsen. 

 

2.     Although out of print, copies of Ike Hoover’s memoir  Forty-Two Years in The White House are available at used bookstores and large excerpts are available online.

 3.        The White House usher is often seen holding the President’s umbrella.  It a humble job, but important.  Whose umbrella do you hold?  Become an umbrella holder, do something out of the limelight because it is the right thing do to, without seeking the credit for it.

      4.   There is a common saying “Loose lips sink ships”.  Imagine the discretion and self-discipline that Ike Hoover must have possessed. Are   you as trustworthy?  Begin today to be a person that others can trust. 

5.      Ike Hoover was originally hired to wire the White House, a six month job.  He stayed for 42 years.  You never know where today’s adventure will lead.  No matter what you do, put your stamp of excellence on it and you may find yourself invited to stay on longer than you ever expected.

Stories of Inspiration- Volume One

  A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words- The Edward Hopper Story

On the wall of the Art Institute of Chicago is a painting that has become an American icon.   As you stand in front of the painting, you cannot help but immerse yourselves in speculation about the characters in the painting.  It is a simple canvas with several non-descript customers sitting at an all night diner.

We are viewing their night through the front window of the diner and we wonder what conversations are taking place, what stresses each of the diners have dealt with that day and how just taking a load off at this diner is relieving that stress. We imagine conversations; we give meaning and depth to the bleakness of the all night diner. The painting is called Nighthawks and was painted by the American artist Edward Hopper in 1942.  It is the most famous of Hoppers’ works and depictive of his simple, scarcely populated paintings that nonetheless awaken our imaginations.  It has been parodied, re-populated and animated. It’s most famous parody was the replacement of the obscure characters with Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart and Elvis Presley.  The parody is called Boulevard of Broken Dreams and like the original Nighthawks has become a part of our American landscape.  

Edward Hopper was born July 22, 1882 in Nyack, New York.  He was a prolific painter with over 3000 canvasses painted, however, what inspires me most about Edward Hopper is first, his ability to say so much with so little, and his ability to overcome years of obscurity to finally, become an “overnight success” at age 41.    A person only has to study some of Edward Hopper’s most famous paintings to see how much he “says” with a seemingly empty landscape.   Hopper began studying art in 1899, first at the New York School of Illustrating and then at the New York School of Art.  He studied under Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase, who in turn was educated by famous American painter John Singer-Sergeant.  Hopper remained at the NY School of Art for seven years as he was considered a slow learner.  In 1906, he left for Paris and was to spend most of the next six years abroad.  At age 31, in 1913, he finally sold one of his paintings Sailing.  He could not support himself with the sales of his oils or his watercolors and spend the next several years as a commercial illustrator to make ends meet.  In 1920, The Whitney Studio Club offered Hopper his first solo exhibition and Hopper contributed 16 paintings, but did not sell a single one.

Finally, in 1924, two things happened that would change Edward Hopper’s life and help him become the inspiration that he is.  First, he married a fellow artist Jo Nivison, who herself was an inspiration to Hopper.  Next, he had his second solo exhibition at the Rehn Gallery and this time his exhibition sold out.  He was 42 and suddenly people couldn’t get enough of Edward Hopper.  Often what is seen as overnight success is actually years of toiling in obscurity waiting for a breakthrough.  Over the next 20 years, painting after painting appeared that piqued the interest of critics and the public alike.  Paintings such as House By the Railroad (1925), Chop Suey (1929), Early Sunday Morning (1930) and Gas (1940) are still discussed by art students today.  He has been described as a “prophet of loneliness” and a pictorial poet who recorded the starkness and vastness of America.  Hopper never gave up on his dreams and from 1925 until his death in 1967, enjoyed his place as a celebrated American artist, probably the most well known of the American realist painters.  He is an inspiration to young artists and to middle age businessmen chasing their dreams to not give up, to continue to work hard and to achieve the object of their goals.  As Susan Goldman Robins, author of Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow wrote, “Hopper’s is a story of determination, hard work and success.”

Don’t Miss It!

1.      Visit the Art Institute of Chicago to see Nighthawks.  Sit in front of it with a notebook for a good 15 minutes and record everything that comes to mind about the painting.  Think about the relationship between the man and woman at the counter.  Think about the day the lonely businessman has had, imagine the thoughts of the waiter.  The key here is to get your imagination running and slowing your pace down enough to pull observations from the seemingly vacant painting.

 2.  Visit an excellent website on Edward Hopper www.edwardhopper.com where you can purchase reproductions of his prints, books on his life, and view many of his most famous works. 

3.    Never give up on your dreams.  At 41, Edward Hopper had painted over 20 years, sold one painting and had to make a living as a commercial illustrator, something that by all accounts he hated.  At 42, he was newly married, and had an entire exhibition of his work sell out at the Rehn Gallery. From that point forward, finances changed and Hopper was able to paint what he wanted, when he wanted.

 4.    If you have a budding artist in your house, purchase the book Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow by Susan Goldman Robins, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers.  It outlines the story of Edward Hopper in an especially inspirational way for young artist.

5.     Edward Hopper said “The man is the work.  Something doesn’t come out of nothing.”  Does your work reflect who you are as a person?  Does the quality match the quality you want to display to the world?  Is your signature on all that you do and is that signature distinguished?