How John Adams went from drummer to hero for Cleveland and the Guardians

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A metropolis picks its heroes in peculiar methods. It could possibly be a ballplayer, a politician, a mobster or an actor.

Cleveland picked a drummer, John Adams.

For almost 50 years Adams confirmed up on the ballpark, Municipal Stadium or Progressive Discipline, to bang his bass drum for the Indians and the Guardians. He’d sit within the bleachers and pound away, attempting to awaken a rally within the hometown staff.

Friday they held a wake for Adams, who died Monday at 71 after an extended sickness. It was 11 levels outdoors, however heat with laughter and polka music inside Ferfolia’s Funeral Dwelling in Sagamore Hills.

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The very first thing these coming to pay their respects noticed once they walked within the door was Adams’ bass drum with two mallets on high of it. He purchased the drum for $25 and have become a legend, an extension of a baseball staff that has referred to as Cleveland dwelling since 1901.

Adams in his will left the drum to the Guardians. They haven’t determined the place it would relaxation at Progressive Discipline as a result of the ballpark will bear intensive renovations beginning after the 2023 season. However one pair of Adams’ mallets will likely be despatched to the Corridor of Fame in Cooperstown.

If Adams was an extension of the Guardians, the followers had been his household.

“After I was a bit child on the ballpark, sitting within the bleachers, John would cease and discuss to me and take photos each time,” mentioned Jerome Petukauskas, who got here to the wake together with his good friend Frank Wrick. “We’re simply followers. He wouldn’t know who I used to be, however sincere to God I felt I needed to come to pay my respects as a result of he was such a pleasant man.”

Subsequent to the bass drum was an indication that mentioned, “Out of respect, please don’t contact. Thanks.”

The signal appeared misplaced.

When Adams was alive, it was arduous to find out whether or not extra Indians/Guardians followers had banged that drum or gotten an autograph from Cleveland Corridor of Famer Bob Feller. Each Cleveland icons had endurance.

Marvin and Donna Cooper sat within the bleachers at Progressive Discipline beneath the place Adams would drum. Donna Cooper, sporting a John Adams 3,000 (video games) and counting T-shirt, couldn’t bear in mind the circumstances through which they first met. She merely mentioned, “Everyone is aware of John. He is available in, ‘Hey, how’s everyone doing? What did you consider the sport final evening?’ The connection constructed as a result of we noticed one another each single day.”

A couple of occasions the Coopers climbed to the highest of the bleachers and sat subsequent to Adams as his bass drum thundered.

“It was like, ‘Oh, my, gosh. It’s an entire completely different sound stage up right here,’” mentioned Donna Cooper. “Your butt is being actually shook off the bench. But it surely was a beautiful expertise.”

Whereas Adams introduced pleasure to followers, each every now and then they returned the favor.

After the Ohio State Buckeyes received the nationwide championship in 2002, the Guardians referred to as Duane Smith, chair of OSU’s alumni band. They needed to have an OSU day on the ballpark to rejoice throughout the 2003 season.

“We ended up having 60 OSU band members enjoying a pregame live performance on the Jake (Progressive Discipline),” mentioned Smith. “We had the OSU soccer gear truck parked outdoors and the cheerleaders had been right here.

“John was strolling by headed for his seat and he stopped and watched the live performance. I used to be standing proper subsequent to him and mentioned, ‘You recover from there the place you belong (motioning to the drum part of the band). John mentioned, “Can I?’”

When the OSU band marched out to middle subject, they had been decked out in pink uniforms count on for the one man in a blue shirt with a bass drum.

“John referred to as me that evening and we talked for two 1/2 hours,” mentioned Smith.

Adams may do greater than pound a bass drum. He often sat in and performed drums with the Chardon Polka Band. Which explains why Jake Kouwe was on the wake enjoying “The Beer Barrel Polka” on his accordion.

“We performed on the Dyngus Day Pageant in entrance of some thousand folks,” mentioned Kouwe. “And we’d say, ‘We’re going to get a particular performer to return up and play with us.’ We thought we had been massive information at that competition and John would rise up there and other people would simply go nuts.

“He’d come on and play two or three songs with us on the total drum package. Then he’d exit within the crowd and for the subsequent two hours you’d see him speaking to folks and taking photos.”

Adams initially introduced his bass drum to Municipal Stadium on Aug. 24, 1973. He hardly ever missed a day after that till 2020 when the pandemic prevented followers from attending video games.

Cy Buynak, 86, was the Indians’ clubhouse supervisor when Adams hit the drum for the primary time. He additionally occurred to be Adams’ basketball coach at Nativity Catholic Grade Faculty.

“He requested me what I assumed concerning the drum,” mentioned Buynak, who attended the wake. “I mentioned, ‘I suppose it’s OK so long as they don’t kick you out.’”

In these days the Indians wanted each fan they may discover, drum or no drum. Actually, in 1973 they connected an awning to the bleacher wall to guard Adams from the weather.

“We referred to as within the Adams Awning,” mentioned Carl Fazio, former Indians director of gross sales and advertising in 1974, who additionally attended the wake. “It was one thing to see that sort of dedication and enthusiasm out of anyone. In these days, it was powerful to attract.”

When followers had been capable of attend video games once more in 2021, Adams was absent due to sequence of great well being issues. He finally needed to go away his dwelling and transfer right into a nursing dwelling.

Curtis Danburg, Guardians vp of communications, lived close by Adams’ nursing dwelling and would usually convey him lunch or dinner.

“It was both Chinese language or a corn beef sandwich,” mentioned Danburg. “On the finish of each go to, John would say, ‘Go Tribe and go, go, go Guardians.”

When the Guardians inducted Adams into their Distinguished Corridor of Fame final yr, they eliminated his bench from the highest of the bleachers, forged it in bronze and positioned it in Heritage Park, their Corridor of Fame, behind the middle subject wall.

The bench has not been changed. It ought to keep that means.

Listed below are some feedback about John Adams from our Subtext subscribers:

“I’m an enormous baseball fan and clearly John Adams is the soundtrack to my reminiscences. However I want extra folks talked about how good of an individual he was outdoors of banging a drum. We do the OROC Cleveland fundraiser yearly and he staffed one of many turns greeting everybody. He was so gracious and pleasant with my younger son. I’m positive many others bear in mind him for his kindness outdoors of the ballpark.”— Joe Levstik.

“It was a snug feeling understanding he was there and listening to that heartbeat-like rhythm.” — Gary Seng.

“John Adams was the epitome of a real sports activities fan(atic)!,” — Dale Hopkins.

“I met him on enterprise as soon as at ATT. You felt how heat he was and humbled by his notoriety.” — Richard Buffington.

“About 10 years in the past I used to be at sport with my 6-year-old an identical twin granddaughters. I used to be sitting behind the plate. They had been getting a bit antsy. So I mentioned I’m going to take you to see John Adams. They each mentioned “the President”? I and throughout us laughed. I mentioned “No not the President!” Someone extra well-known. We then went to see John. In fact he let women bang the drum. I and the women will always remember that day! RIP, John.” — Hugh Morgan.

“My dad used to take me and my sister to lots of video games within the 1980′s. We at all times sat within the bleachers to catch home-run balls. The “drummer man” was at all times there. (I assumed he lived within the stadium.) We’d sit close to him and cheer. We realized to like the heartbeat of the sport from his enjoying. I bear in mind going to an Indians’ sport in Detroit towards the Tigers. I used to be about 8. The “drummer man” was in Detroit. How was that even doable when he lives within the stadium?” — Laura McGraw.

When you or a beloved one has questions and wishes to speak to an expert about playing, name the Ohio Drawback Playing Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the Nationwide Council on Program Playing Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or go to 1800gambler.web for extra info. 21+ and current in Ohio. Playing downside? Name 1-800-Gambler.