Random Act Of Kindness

The past few weeks have put baseball and the steroids issue in the spotlight -- much to the dismay of the Baltimore Orioles.

First baseman Rafael Palmeiro failed a steroid test, months after testifying before Congress that he never took steroids in his career. In a statement after the failed, Palmeiro said he never intentionally took steroids.

Let the parsing begin.

Many fans and non-fans have jumped up and down on Palmeiro and other sluggers for allegedly drugging up throughout their career. Baseball itself has suffered yet another black eye as congressional leaders possibly move to clean up the game.

And yet, for all the publicity that this has created, there was an even bigger story that didn't get nearly the same play.

Last Wednesday, a 6 year-old boy and his grandfather went to a ballgame in Cincinnati to watch the Reds play the Atlanta Braves. Sometime during the game, the grandfather collapsed in the stands and died.

While emergency crews worked to save the man, a security guard took the boy to the Reds bullpen. The boy sat with the players for the rest of the game while his parents were summoned to the ballpark.

When the game ended, outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. went and got him. The boy took part as players exchanged high-fives to celebrate their 8-5 win over Atlanta. Then he then joined them in the clubhouse, where the players showered him with gifts and entertained him until his parents arrived.

“We just tried to make a bad situation a little better,” outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We play a game. What he was going through doesn’t compare. It was important that the little guy not be by himself.”

So many times, random acts of kindness catch us off guard so badly that we don't realize how magnificent they really are until much later. The Reds didn't have to do anything, yet they reached out to the youngster with so much compassion and understanding that it boggles the mind.

It wasn't about a scheduled activity or a public relations ploy to win over fans. It was about reacting to the situation and having the understanding of the moment.

Baseball isn't about hits, runs, steroids or over-inflated salaries. It is about players and families coming together to enjoy a game.

As Griffey said, "We play a game. What he was going through doesn’t compare."

We could do with more stories of compassion, coming together and understanding.

One more time: just because the tornado isn't directly aimed at your house doesn't mean you get to blast the television station because we are warning those people in the path.

A tornado warning, which means a tornado has actually been sighted or is indicated by radar, was issued this weekend and my television station did what it is supposed to -- break into programming to warn those people who might get hit by the tornado to get out of the way.

It is a station's community responsibility to alert residents to get out of the way of tornadoes to prevent loss of life. Stations don't break into programming just for fun or just to upset your daily routine.

So to the people who decided to swear, belittle and flame the station for the decision to warn people about a tornado that was spotted by the National Weather Service -- the next time a storm comes, don't turn on your television or radio. Let's see if you want to find out about the storm then.

"I am Bloo! And you are my minions!!!"

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