A 12-year-old baseball fan visiting New York from Indiana struck out making an attempt to get slugger Aaron Decide to signal a baseball — however he bought his want due to an opportunity encounter in a neighborhood pizzeria.
Samir Myers and his dad Andy had been grabbing a slice at Nick’s Pizza on Gun Hill Highway within the Bronx after a July Yankees sport after they met one of the vital highly effective elected officers within the Empire State who simply occurred to have an in with the Bronx Bombers.
Samir, of Carmel, Indiana, had simply seen his first Yankees sport on July 31 — a loss to the Kansas Metropolis Royals — when he and his dad met a mysterious man who turned out to be state Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie (D-East Bronx).
“What would you do if I bought you an Aaron Decide autograph?” Heastie mentioned. Samir had simply tried unsuccessfully to get Decide’s autograph on the sport.
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“I didn’t count on anybody to really like, do one thing that good … I believed he was yanking my chain,” Samir advised The Publish concerning the surprising twist throughout his go to to the 5 boroughs in celebration of his commencement from elementary faculty.
The Bronx powerbroker adopted up the following day by calling Samir and Andy to say the Yankees had been already on the case whereas they continued the 11-hour drive again dwelling to Carmel.
Samir and Andy Myers on the Yankees-Royals sport in July.Andy Myers
“It’s like: ‘Wow, yeah, he may really do it,’” Samir mentioned.
Whereas declining to call who particularly helped fulfill the request, Heastie advised The Publish that serving to Samir got here after years working with the Yankees on a variety of native points, together with the development of a brand new stadium that opened in 2009.
“I didn’t converse to Aaron Decide, however I spoke to a few of the executives [and] all of the groups right here in New York are fairly good if you ask them to do issues community-wise,” mentioned Heastie, who first detailed his effort on behalf of Samir in a Twitter thread post Saturday.
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Fulfilling the request took months, however the Bronx pol added that contacts he developed over his profession in politics ultimately got here by means of, with an categorical mail package deal with the baseball arriving on the Myers’ doorstep final Monday.
“It’s nearly being good to someone,” Heastie defined concerning the effort that started after he stopped into Nick’s, a favourite pizza joint of his within the district he has repped since 2001.
Speaker Carl Heastie met Andy and Samir at Nick’s Pizza the place the Assemblyman talked with the boy about getting an Aaron Decide autograph.LightRocket through Getty Photographs
Heastie was hardly the one aggressively pleasant New Yorker who left an impression on the Myers throughout their time away from the Midwest, with the father-son duo additionally encountering an Airbnb host who virtually begged to drive them to decrease Manhattan to see the websites all the best way from the Bronx.
A baseball autographed by Aaron Decide is a scorching merchandise following a season when the now-free agent broke an American League report by smacking 62 dwelling runs this season, with costs starting from a whole lot to tens of millions of {dollars} – relying on the story hooked up to it.
However Andy Myers, the price range director at Butler College, says he and his son bought one thing actually priceless after that probability encounter at Nick’s Pizza with a political huge shot who wished to unfold some happiness round his district and past by serving to a boy get a baseball inked by his 6’7 hero.
“There’s at all times that type of gruff and hurried status of the individuals who stay in New York Metropolis,” he mentioned. “That was not the expertise that we had. It was an eye fixed opener for me.”
Indiana Pacers (9-11, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (13-7, fourth in the Western Conference)
Memphis, Tennessee; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Memphis will try to keep its four-game home win streak intact when the Grizzlies face Indiana.
The Grizzlies are 9-3 on their home court. Memphis leads the Western Conference with 59.0 points in the paint led by Jaren Jackson Jr. averaging 11.7.
The Pacers are 2-8 on the road. Indiana has a 4-3 record against opponents over .500.
The Grizzlies’ 12.9 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.4 fewer made shots on average than the 13.3 per game the Pacers allow. The Pacers are shooting 48.6% from the field, 4.7% higher than the 43.9% the Grizzlies’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jackson is averaging 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Grizzlies.
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Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 17.5 points and 8.7 assists for the Pacers.
LAST 10 GAMES: Grizzlies: 7-3, averaging 122.3 points, 48.9 rebounds, 30.6 assists, 9.2 steals and 8.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.
Pacers: 4-6, averaging 112.5 points, 40.4 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 9.6 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.4 points.
INJURIES: Grizzlies: Zach Edey: out (ankle), Vince Williams Jr.: out (ankle), GG Jackson II: out (foot ).
Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: out (ankle), Andrew Nembhard: out (knee), Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), James Wiseman: out for season (calf), Ben Sheppard: out (oblique).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Families are invited to dive into the allure of the holiday season as Celebration Crossing returns to the Indiana State Museum.
“We had visitors lined up and ready to go before the museum opened this morning. We see families that come back year after year, and they want to be part of our opening day festivities because it has that ‘wow’ factor!” said Indiana State Museum and Historical Sites director of communications Carla Knapp.
Santa came from the North Pole by helicopter to welcome visitors at the museum.
Mr. and Mrs. Claus, along with holiday singers, welcomed families inside to light the stunning 92 County Tree, the centerpiece of the festivities. The 25-foot wonder showcases handcrafted ornaments representing each Indiana county’s nature and cultural wonders.
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“Celebration Crossing is a tradition that goes back over 30 years for us here at the Indiana State Museum. There are pieces throughout the museum today that you’ll see that were a part of that experience way back in the beginning. You’ll see the Santa Claus Express, the original train people rode at L.S Ayres in downtown Indianapolis,” said Knapp.
Families can enter Santa’s whimsical house and the 18-passenger train ride that transports guests through a snowy forest.
“Visitors can ride that through a wintery wonderland and see magical holiday creatures that live in the forest. There’s movement, dancing, music, and then it snows!” Knapp said.
A new addition to this year’s festivities is the Kwanzaa community festival.
At this festival, visitors can immerse themselves in the rich cultural traditions of Kwanzaa, featuring African music, dance, vendors, and a community worship service.
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“The Indiana State Museum is for all Hoosiers. We try to bring elements of the holidays that everyone can celebrate and be part of. So, whether it’s Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukah, or other holidays that you’re celebrating … you can come here and see it reflected through Celebration Crossing,” Knapp said.
Celebration Crossing will run from Nov. 29 – Jan. 5, 2025, with a break on Dec. 25.
On Wednesday afternoons, the Indiana Hoosier swim team puts on racing suits and goes off the blocks. This “Lactate workout” is meant to create and help the body practice dealing with lactic acid.
There were three different lactate groups today: Longer, middle, and sprint.
The sprint workout (which included US Olympian Matt King) was:
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2×75 @ 10:00 (275+ cooldown)
2×50 @ 7:00 (200+ cooldown)
4×25 @ 3:00 (75 cooldown)
The middle workout (which included Olympians Josh Matheny, Tomer Frankel, and Rafael Miroslaw) was:
1×150 @ 10:00 (300+ cooldown)
1×75 @ 10:00 (275+ cooldown)
2×50 @ 7:00 (200+ cooldown)
4×25 @ 3:00 (75 cooldown)
The longer workout (which included US Olympian Anna Peplowski) was:
