Indianapolis, IN
Stumped on Black Friday? IndyStar’s poll and local shopper’s guide is here to help
See inside the 2024 Carmel Christkindlmarkt and try the food with us
The award-winning Christmas market in Carmel is underway again! See inside this year’s version with IndyStar’s Madyson Crane.
My most vivid memory of Black Friday was quickly retreating from the bargain sock bin at my hometown Fred Meyer store while two moms escalated their war of words over who grabbed that pack of discounted Nike youth tube socks first.
I was maybe 12 or 13 on that day when I realized that I didn’t want anything that bad. And while I’ve been back to disperse doughnuts to hungry shoppers for service projects and to report on the annual shopping spree, I haven’t bought anything before noon on the Friday after Thanksgiving since.
Still, passions about Black Friday run deep, rooted in family traditions and stances on capitalism, consumerism and commercialism of the holidays. Whether you plan to be in line for doorbusters today and Friday, do all your holiday shopping online, or rely on a Christmas Eve sprint for C-store gift cards, IndyStar has resources (and a poll for fun) for your holiday shopping needs.
IndyStar poll: When do you start your holiday shopping?
Let’s start with the fun. As a Target checker told my wife earlier this week, “The deals are the deals. I tell people to shop now.”
Black Friday doesn’t hold the same sway on retailers’ bottom lines and shoppers’ holiday budgets as it did in pre-internet, pre-pandemic times. With shoppers’ spending spread across a broader timeline and set of online and brick-and-mortar retailers, we figured we’d check in on Indy’s shopping habits. Take the poll below to weigh in on your holiday shopping plans:
IndyStar Black Friday 2024 guide: Store hours, Small Business Saturday and more
If you need some holiday shopping ideas, IndyStar has a lot to offer. Check out these stories for store hours, gift ideas and much more:
Finally, show your favorite news source some love with IndyStar merch
Here’s a little-known fact: IndyStar can help you show off your Indianapolis pride with a wide variety of merchandise. From T-shirts and tote bags to hats, mugs and more, you can rep the Circle City and the 317 in style.
Visit usatodaystore.com/overview/lookbooks/indianapolis-star to browse, and check out some highlights below.
‘Greetings From Indianapolis’ tee
Send a little Hoosier hospitality with our “Greetings from Indianapolis” tee — classic and as friendly as the city itself. Available for $28.75 in a variety of styles and colors. >>Purchase Here
‘Icons of Indianapolis’ tote bag
Carry a piece of Indy pride with our tote, featuring iconic images that celebrate everything we love about the Circle City. Available for $26.25 in a variety of styles and colors. >>Purchase Here
‘Indianapolis Image Search’ jigsaw puzzle
Piece together the heart of the Circle City with our Indianapolis puzzle — perfect for fans of Indy and a fun challenge! Available for $43.75. >>Purchase Here
Indianapolis, IN
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, opens season in Indy with Indians
INDIANAPOLIS — For the second time in three years, the biggest draw in minor league baseball has landed at Victory Field.
Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, nearly made Pittsburgh’s Opening-Day roster at the tender age of 19 years old, sparking the imagination of Pirates fans when he launched two home runs in the same Grapefruit League game in late February.
By all accounts, Pittsburgh considered bypassing the Triple-A level with Griffin altogether, keeping the young shortstop in major league camp until the final weekend of spring training.
But the Pirates ultimately decided Griffin needed to open the season with the Indians when they take on St. Paul at 6:35 p.m. Friday at Victory Field, turning Pittsburgh’s loss into a big gain for Indianapolis for the second time in three seasons.
Two years ago, the Pirates decided to ramp up superstar pitching prospect Paul Skenes slowly, a decision that gave fans in Indianapolis seven starts to see a pitcher who would almost immediately turn into one of the best pitchers in the game.
For longtime Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman, the chance to see Skenes and Griffin in Indianapolis uniforms in a span of three short years brought to mind the 1989 season, when future Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Larry Walker played on the same Indians roster.
Griffin and Skenes obviously won’t play in Indianapolis together.
Their presence leaves an impact.
“That means a great deal,” legendary Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman said. “You’re looking at the stars of tomorrow.”
Griffin’s path to Indianapolis wasn’t like the one Skenes took to Victory Field.
Skenes was already battle-tested, a star who’d made his name pitching LSU to a College World Series title and a pitcher everybody knew was ready for the big leagues. The Pirates sent Skenes to Triple-A as part of an effort to ramp him up slowly, limiting the young pitcher’s innings in his rookie year.
Griffin still has something to prove.
Drafted out of high school with the No. 9 pick in 2024, Griffin shot up the prospect rankings by batting .333 and slugging .527 while going from Low-A Bradenton to High-A Greensboro to 21 games with Double-A Altoona to end the 2025 season.
The raw tools are undeniable. The power that got the baseball world talking in February is accompanied with speed, good defense at shortstop and every other tool a team could want.
“Tremendous young man, very mature for his age, goes about his work the right way, goes about the game the right way, great with his teammates,” Indians manager Eric Patterson said.
But Griffin still has to improve his pitch recognition. Frustrated by the insane amounts of spin that big-league pitchers put on the baseball, Griffin hit .148 with 11 strikeouts in his final 10 games, 27 at-bats in total.
He wanted to make the big-league team, and he probably pressed a little.
“I’m at my best when I’m playing freely, playing fun, having a good time,” Griffin said. “I’m trying to get back to that, not worrying too much about the pressure outside.”
Griffin is also adjusting to life as baseball’s top prospect, a level of attention that essentially changed overnight. While he was obviously a top-10 pick in 2024, there were eight players taken ahead of him, including Oakland’s Nick Kurtz, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award.
A high school pick like Griffin is supposed to take a couple of years to develop into a top prospect, attention building along the way.
Griffin essentially went from a relative unknown to carrying the weight of Pittsburgh’s expectations in a span of about six months, although he’s adamant that the increased attention doesn’t affect him.
“It’s definitely internal,” Griffin said. “I don’t worry too much about the outside noise. I have high expectations for myself.”
Whatever the reason for Griffin’s slide in the final two weeks of spring training, he knows what he needs to change.
“Being thrown into the fire, facing those big-league arms, that was a good experience for me,” Griffin said.
Big-league pitchers are going to take advantage of a hitter who chases too many offerings outside the strike zone, and Griffin was swinging too much, uncharacteristic of a player whose on-base percentage was .415 across three levels last season.
“Take your walks, get on base, affect the game,” Griffin said. “Being patient, getting the right pitches to hit, not trying to do too much every time I go up to the plate.”
The paths Skenes and Griffin took to get to Indianapolis are different.
The goal, now that they’re here, is the same. Skenes was called up to the big leagues on May 8; Griffin wants to force the Pirates to bring him up to Pittsburgh as soon as possible.
“For all of these guys, you’re an injury away from the big leagues, you’re a sneeze off the field away from the big leagues,” Patterson said. “It’s about preparing these guys for when they get the call.”
The entire baseball world thought Griffin would get the call before his 20th birthday.
And there’s still time. Griffin doesn’t turn 20 until April 24th.
Better get out to Victory Field to catch a glimpse of baseball’s No. 1 prospect while he’s still here.
Indianapolis, IN
Recorder Rewind; Indy Eleven defeats Detroit FC 2-1 (Photos) – Indianapolis Recorder
Indy Eleven got the win over Detroit FC 2-1 on March 21 in Indianapolis. Check out photos froms Walt Thomas below.
For Indy Eleven tickets, visit indyeleven.com/tickets.
Multimedia Reporter Noral Parham compiled this gallery. Contact him at 317-762-7846 or email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on X @3Noral.
For more Indy Eleven coverage, visit indianapolisrecorder.com.
Noral Parham is the multi-media reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (WISH) — WISH-TV Sports Director Anthony Calhoun is in San Jose covering Purdue basketball in the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue will play Texas in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. If it wins that game, it will play the winner of Arizona and Arkansas in the Elite 8, with a chance to advance to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Tune in to WISH-TV for live coverage starting on Wednesday in San Jose.
The Boilermakers are in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season. Tipoff against the Longhorns is scheduled for 7:10 ET on Thursday.
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