Hope springs eternal

Growing up in St. Louis, a Midwestern city where baseball is basically religion, I know of no more gratifying words in early spring than “pitchers and catchers report.” Far more significant than any silly rodent not seeing its shadow, the news about pitchers and catchers signals the coming of spring. Snow may be on the ground, we may have not seen the sun for weeks, the mornings might seem like they’ll never warm up. But when the boys of summer head down to Arizona or Florida, it reminds us winter can’t last forever. Soon the summer afternoons will be filled with that familiar crack of the bat.

Coming with the arrival of spring, baseball brings a myth and magic that doesn’t really exist with other sports. Perhaps it’s simply the season, a time of rebirth and renewal, which gives baseball an air of hope and infinite possibility. It could be the game’s long history and pastoral feel, played on a diamond in a park. Or perhaps it’s the schedule of nearly daily games and the idea of teams playing a series of games over three or four days. With a hundred and sixty two games in a season and the next game inevitably coming the next day, no sense of loss lasts for long. The next day brings another chance to play, another shot at the thrill of victory. It’s easy to have a short memory in baseball because another pitch, another hit, another game is coming soon.

The mythology of baseball extends through the poetry and prose of the nation, memorialized in columns and stories and novels and films. From the timeless song Take Me Out to the Ballgame to the classic short poem “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer to timeless movies like Field of Dreams, baseball is a sport filled with stories, and many are grounded in hope and redemption. At the beginning of the classic baseball movie Bull Durham, Annie Savoy, the part-time English professor and full-time baseball fanatic played by Susan Sarandon, talks about belonging to the church of baseball, for the game makes far more sense to her than any of the world’s major religions. Later she recites the words of Walt Whitman: “I see great things in Baseball. It’s our game, the American game. It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us.”

This year brings a bit more of a spring in the step of baseball fans. It’s a new era in baseball with the recent changes including a pitch clock and the banning of the infield shift. Of course, it’s not really new – it’s a return to the old era of baseball played the way the game was meant to be. The average time of a game this year in spring training was two hours and thirty-five minutes. That’s an improvement of almost forty-five minutes over what games had stretched to in recent years. And with players back to playing their positions as originally intended, the screaming grounder up the middle is a hit again. The base paths are alive with fast players just itching to swipe a base now that pitchers can’t throw over endlessly.

The traditionalist in me struggles with some of the new “rules,” but I’m reminded these changes are just returning the game to its roots.

As of this writing, the Colorado Rockies are 2-2, having split a road series against the near billion-dollar payroll of the San Diego Padre$. The Rox still have a chance for a winning record. They can still win the division, make the playoffs, bring home a pennant, and achieve their first franchise world championship. It could happen. Because in baseball, hope springs eternal. Writers from Roger Angell of the LA Times to George Will of the Washington Post to Jayson Stark of the Athletic remind us of the magic of baseball. And perhaps the best description comes from the

James Earl Jones speech at the end of Field of Dreams:

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game – it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”

So, this spring take yourself out to the ballgame, and let’s “Play ball!”Michael P. Mazenko is a writer, educator, & school administrator in Greenwood Village. He blogs at A Teacher’s View and can be found on Twitter @mmazenko. You can email him at mmazenko@gmail. com street sweeping

Having been in the Arapahoe County community for over four-decades The Villager staff has observed many great citizens, public servants, health care providers, city council members, county commissioners, schoolteachers and administrators, chamber members, and service club leaders.

There have been two visionary community builders that stand out over the past 40 years. George Wallace on the DTC side of I-25 and John Madden on the West side. Wallace now gone, but not forgotten, will be remembered for his development of a business center located close to an airport with excellent housing and schools. A pilot, Wallace would take his twin-wing biplane and do loops over vacant lands surrounding now Centennial Airport. My last luncheon with George, in his office, found him on oxygen smoking a cigarette and expounding on how dangerous it was for him to travel to downtown Denver.

Across I-25 we have the last visionary of the past century of our communities located in Greenwood Village. The Madden footprint is far and wide, deeply imbedded in area history. John Madden is back home after rotating time between Greenwood Village and Florida. He celebrates his 94th birthday April 12. The Villager newspaper has been a good neighbor with Madden for over four decades. We have had countless headlines about his good works; his leadership for The Boy Scouts of America, his support for The University of Denver, gifting them major portions of his prized art collection.

We have the Museum of Outdoor Art now located back near Fiddler’s Green in Greenwood Village from a former location in Englewood. John’s family has been instrumental in all of the growth and development of the Madden Corporation.

The new entertainment district, established in Greenwood Village and located directly west of I-25 is fast becoming a hub of entertainment, recreation, and dining facilities, all encircling the Madden created Fiddler’s Green concert facility. Decades ago, Villager photographer Jim Pilon, and I, strolled around massive grassy hillsides that would become Fiddler’s Green. It was John’s vision to build this entertainment complex surrounded by many of his majestic buildings. We were honored to print the early day Fiddler’s Green programs for award-winning concert promoter, Barry Fey, who lived in nearby Cherry Hills Village. Villager staff member Freda Miklin relates that as a young women she worked as an accountant in Barry Fey’s Fiddler’s Green onsite office and baby sat one of his sons in a corner playpen. Barry’s son, Jeremy, is now serving his second term as mayor of Central City. Jim Dixon, revered minister of Cherry Hills Community Church, held his Easter Services in the Madden facility for two decades. We marveled how Jim could recite those lengthy bible verses by memory.

The Greenwood Athletic Club, now Club Greenwood, is another creation of the Madden company and is one of the finest athletic clubs in America. The club presently expanding the food and beverage department. This facility is the hub for area residents to stay healthy and enjoy suburban lifestyle among friends.

In very recent years John Madden was participating in an effort to restore his magnificent Metropolitan Club that he founded in the 1980s, which was managed by the marvelous Jan Top, who knew the first names of the 1000 club members. The Italian marble floors were unique, the Italian decorum special, and holiday buffets were magnificent. Mort and Edie Marks, board members, would have a special table for their friends and family. The club eventually befell victim to new greedy landlords who raised the rent to intolerable levels. The club closed after decades of enjoyment for members and guests.

The recent effort to restore the Metropolitan Club almost became a reality, but the economy, changes in the Madden company, and lack of membership support and participation halted the project. We extend our extreme thanks to Scottie Iverson, who worked so diligently to restore the club. She once worked for John and has authored our section to honor John’s accomplishments.

Madden spent some winters on St. Isabel Island in Florida, He had recently decided to move back full time to Denver. On the day that his home was to be sold a hurricane wrecked the island and his residence.

Now, headquartered in his penthouse in Greenwood Village, he conducts daily business there and with his assistant Kathi. He is surrounded by caring family members and is in good health.

On occasion, Madden, his assistant Kathi, and myself will enjoy a martini and a good lunch together. We love to talk about the good old days, his two dogs, Mayor Nancy Sharpe’s great leadership, and many of his lifetime projects. Most recently he assisted CEO Robin Wise in finding a new home for Junior Achievement and making a generous land concession to make her new building successful on former Madden property. JA teaches high school students about free enterprise and business acumen - traits of Madden that led The Villager to name John Madden “Our Man Of The Century.”

Happy Birthday John!

PUBLISHER

EDITOR

Gerri Sweeney gerri@villagerpublishing.com

PUBLISHER Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com

CREATIVE MARKETING DIRECTOR

Susan Sweeney Lanam 720-270-2018 susan@villagerpublishing.com

VICE PRESIDENT/MARKETING

Sharon Sweeney sharon@villagerpublishing.com

LEGALS

Becky Osterwald legal@villagerpublishing.com

NEWS EDITOR Gerri Sweeney 720-313-9751 gerri@villagerpublishing.com

GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

Freda Miklin fmiklin.villager@gmail.com 303-489-4900

REPORTER

Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com

FASHION & LIFESTYLE

Scottie Iverson swan@denverswan.com

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Tom McTighe production@villagerpublishing.com

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Sharon Sweeney — 303-503-1388

Gerri Sweeney — 720-313-9751 gerri@villagerpublishing.com

Scottie Iverson swan@denverswan.com

Linda Kehr — 303-881-9469 linda@villagerpublishing.com

Valerie LeVier — 303-773-8313 valerie@villagerpublishing.com

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Susan 720-270-2018

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Stefan Krusze — 303-717-8282 octaviangogoI@aol.com

EDITORIAL COLUMNIST

Robert Sweeney bsween1@aol.com

The Villager is an award-winning, locally owned, independent newspaper. All letters to the editor must be signed. The contributor’s name, hometown and phone number must also accompany all letters to the editor for verification and we reserve the right to edit contributions for space. We attempt to verify all matters of fact but hold contributors liable for the content, accuracy and fairness of their contributions. All submissions become the property of The Villager and may be reused in any medium.

Reverend Martin Niemoller “In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists and didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics and didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak for me!”

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