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We had the good fortune of lining up three fantastic guests on a variety of topics this month. We first brought in Dr. Sam Maiser, from Hennepin County Medical Center, to explore the benefits of palliative care following an ALS diagnosis. That was followed by a heartwarming phone conversation with Minnesota Twins icon, Kent Hrbek — where he opened up about his family’s experience with the disease. And the episode wraps up with some valuable firsthand insight from Stacy Lufkin about her journey as an ALS caregiver and fierce advocate for the cause. This episode was produced by Garrett Tiedemann and is brought to you by the Connectivity Center at the ALS Association MN/ND/SD Chapter.

Transcript:

Stacy Lufkin: For me, it goes back to the idea that we need to be active in our government and in our society. That if we don't speak up, then who will?

Mike (narration): Hello everyone and welcome to episode 3 of Connecting ALS. I am your host Mike Stevenson from the Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota Chapter of the ALS Association.

We had the good fortune of lining up three fantastic guests on a variety of topics this month. We first brought in Dr.Sam Maiser to explore the benefits of Palliative Care following an ALS diagnosis. That was followed by a heartwarming phone conversation with Minnesota Twins icon Kent Hrbek, where he opened up about his family's experience with the disease. And the episode wraps up with some valuable first-hand insight from Stacy Lufkin about her journey as an ALS caregiver and fierce advocate for the cause.

Dr. Samuel Maiser is a neurologist who is as highly regarded for his compassionate communication as he is for his technical expertise.I asked him to explain why Palliative Care can be an effective addition to an ALS care plan,and here's what he had to say.

Mike (in-studio): I am joined in studio by Dr.Sam Maiser, the medical director of the ALS Center of Excellence at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis. Dr. Maiser, welcome to Connecting ALS and thanks for being here today.

Dr. Maiser: Thank you for having me.

Mike: In addition to leading one of the most respected clinics in the Midwest, Dr. Maiser is a well-known expert in the field of Palliative Care, and that's what we'd like to discuss during our time today. Dr. Maiser, for any of our listeners who may not be familiar with that term, could you first explain the concept of Palliative Care?

Dr. Maiser: Sure, yeah, Palliative Care is a medical specialty just like any other specialty, like neurology or cardiology, and it's a specialty that sees and takes care of any patient with a serious illness. So the serious illness can be cancer, heart failure, a stroke, or of course ALS. And Palliative Care is most optimally delivered in a multidisciplinary fashion, just like the ALS clinics are.

And so members of the team are the physicians, nurses,physician assistants, nurse practitioners , social workers, chaplains,psychologists. And what we do for patients with serious illness is we provide an extra layer of support. And what do I mean by support? I mean, we can do symptom management, more complex symptom management. Pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, and the other main thing that we do in Palliative Care is we help navigate someone's serious illness, by having a serious illness conversation or conversations.

And so that might include delivering difficult news or delivering bad news, or making sure they understand their illness, their prognosis,what to expect in the future. And at the heart of all this really get to know the person with the illness, what matters most to them. And help them navigate sometimes difficult decisions for the future or for the present in the setting of their serious illness.

And sometimes this revolves around medical documents, like healthcare directives, living wills, or the POLST form, the provider order for life-sustaining treatment. And the thing that we're not: we're not just end-of-life. Palliative Care's not end-of-life only. We see anyone with a serious illness at any stage of the serious illness. But I shouldn't hide the fact that we know hospice very well, too.

And so it's helping decide when that might be helpful to a patient and their family. So that's a long answer, but it's a complex field.

Mike: That's a great answer. You really got into some depth there that I wanted to ask you about. And you mentioned hospice. I get the impression that there is some anxiety around the term Palliative Care. When some people hear it they maybe assume that end-of-life is very near, and that there is some confusion with hospice care. Can you talk a bit about the differences between those two?

Dr. Maiser: So it's easier to start with hospice. Hospice is a very specific entity. It's driven by insurance, a lot of times. It's defined by insurance. And so it is for patients where the doctors taking care of them think they may have six months of life left. In an estimate. From whatever their disease might be. And it's a philosophy of care that says, "We're gonna focus on your quality of life, and your symptom management, trying to maximize your function, knowing that time is getting short. Because we think it’s less than six months or so, and we're gonna optimize your quality of life, and not do things to you that are just to prolong life, for example." And so it is determined by insurance and it comes with a philosophy. That's hospice.

Palliative Care is different in that hospice is a part of Palliative Care. But, Palliative Care can happen when someone has a serious illness that cure might be a possibility, or that they're doing life-prolonging treatments. You know, going through chemotherapy or getting a ventilator or whatever it might be. Things that are prolonging their life. And so Palliative Care can be at any stage of this disease, and in my opinion, especially in a disease like ALS, Palliative Care kind of starts at the beginning. You know, until we get the cure that we're all hoping for and waiting for for ALS, because the nature of ALS, Palliative Care really can or should begin at the very very beginning, and support them along the way, and then help recognize when hospice is appropriate.

So, it is a scary term and people shouldn't be afraid of it. We're generally nice people that really care about our patients, but there is this social understanding that it is: time is near, people are giving up on you, that kind of thing.

Mike: That was actually my next question about when it's appropriate to introduce Palliative Care, and you go into initial visits with some of your patients who are living with ALS, thinking like we're going to start this conversation now, or does it depend on the individual and where they're at in their progression that you kind of gauge when it makes sense to have that conversation?

Dr: Maiser: Yeah, so it is very much individualized and personalized. You do have to read the room and let the patient guide you. Sometimes they will ask or I'll ask them how much they want to know and the timing of the conversation. But almost always I start some of the really serious conversations earlier in the disease, to start a road map. And so,you know, sometimes the first visit that I meet them, or the second or third visit, we start introducing these concepts of advanced directives, and planning for the future. Meanwhile recognizing that Palliative Care is not only just symptom management, but a lot of communication skills around difficult conversations, and so, in many ways, at least in my clinic, I'm starting to use my Palliative Care skills almost immediately when I meet them. But the fundamentals of Palliative Care, like the advanced directives and having a serious illness conversation is very individualized and you have to kind of meet the patient where they are.

And that's what I like about Palliative Care. It's really trying to know the person in front of you, and their family and trying to individualize it to them.

Mike: You knew obviously that you were going to go into a neurological field. What was it that led you down this path in medicine, Dr. Maiser? Why did you decide to pursue a specialty like Palliative Care?

Dr. Maiser: Yeah, I think... It was in training, where I love neurology. I love the brain. It's fascinating and more importantly I love the people that have the diseases, and trying to get to know them and take care of them. And I recognized there were conversations happening with patients and their families. And sometimes they went well, and sometimes they didn't go well. And I would try to reflect why did that conversation go well? And why did this conversation not go well? And what I started to learn is that when the conversations were going well, it was usually by a physician or a provider that had some skills with communication. They knew how to have these conversations.

And once I realized that that's the bulk of Palliative Care training, I realized if I'm gonna take care of patients with neurologic diseases, especially serious ones like ALS, then I owe it to my patients and their families to get those skills. And so then I knew, I had to do, you know, a year of fellowship in Palliative Care, where I would learn how to have these conversations. How to talk about the serious things, so that I can match that with my my career in neurology.

Mike: Yeah. Well it's a really noble choice and I know one that not a ton of doctors make, so kudos to you for making that decision, particularly as a young doctor. We had Dr.Tiryaki on our last episode, and she not only spoke highly of your practice, but also expressed her belief that Palliative Care really should be a part of all ALS clinics. I imagine you agree with her on that front. But, can you say a little bit more about specific benefits of including this type of care and plans for those living with ALS?

Dr. Maiser: Yeah, so I think what Dr. Tiryaki is referencing is some of what I've talked about so far, which is knowing how to start these conversations. And what, I guess what I mean about that, diving into more detail, is when you have ALS or are being told you have ALS, you can imagine that it comes with so much emotion.You're afraid. You might be angry. You're sad. You might feel guilty. Whatever it might be. And Palliative Care I think turns the framing and the thinking about the physician-patient relationship. Because I think there are a lot of physicians, and it was me early in my training, where if someone was crying or upset, sort of the first thing you want to do is get them to stop, so you can leave the room, right? Because it makes us uncomfortable. And what Palliative Care does, it says, "Well, I'm gonna do everything I can with my skills to stay in the room with the person. Because they need me now." I need to sit in there. I want them to fully explain and explore and express their emotions. Because I'm not going to be able to get to the meat of the conversation about what we actually do for ALS, until we talk about this.

And, I don't mean to say I understand what it's like to have ALS. I can't imagine how hard it is to hear it. But I want them to feel safe.

And so that that's one part of it, is sort of taking that and sort of spreading it out throughout the whole course of their illness. Saying let's talk about what's happening now. What are the challenges and what it's like to live with ALS. Hear about it, maybe the emotions behind it. And then, we can continue to move on in the conversation. So that's one piece of it.

And I think that's really important when dealing with a serious illness like ALS, to be able to respond to their emotion. And then be able to try to explain the disease in a way that makes sense.That's one other piece.

And the other thing, which I think is really hard to do but really important, is for the physicians taking care of these patients to help make recommendations. And the only way to make recommendations is to fully understand the person behind the disease.You know, what matters most to them? What are they worried about? What are they hoping for? And then when they're facing really complex decisions like feeding tubes and breathing tubes, how do we then help guide them make these decisions? And that that's sort of, even outside of ALS, sort of the bread and butter of what we do, and we kind of refer to it as goals of care.

And that what you do is you take the medical reality, and what's happening to the person, match it with their values and their wishes and their fears and their hopes, and then come up with a medical plan and recommendation that makes sense for them. And I think that's a huge part.

I think the other thing, and I think Dr.Tiryaki talked about this, which I really agree, and so the individualized and personalized part of medicine, the place we're lacking is getting Palliative Care more into the community. Because I can do it in the clinic, but I'm just in the clinic. I don't leave. I don't have the team that leaves. I think that's sort of the future that I would like to see, is more community presence.

Mike: Palliative Care falls under a larger umbrella of medicine known as compassionate care. And, clearly I don't have to tell you how important compassion is to families facing a neurological disease like ALS, but I met a number of individuals who have visited with you in your clinic and it's almost always the first thing that they mention describing both the kind of doctor and the kind of person that you are, Dr. Maiser. You must really value compassion in your work. And is that something that you talk to your clinicians about, so that there's kind of an overall philosophy there? And saying here's how we're going to treat people. Here's how we're going to meet them on their journey living with ALS. So that you have kind of that holistic vibe, I guess, in your clinic?

Dr. Maiser: I don't think I could take credit for the clinic. I think the people that I work with I'm so fortunate for, it's part of the job I love the most. I think what I can do is try to do my part, because I think if we're all in it together, meaning the team, taking care of patients. And so, I think if I display that compassion and talk about things with compassion, and they do the same, then that becomes sort of the accepted or expected way to take care of our patients .And so, it's certainly a culture that I enjoy. I mean, being an ALS neurologist is the greatest job that I love and hate at the same time. And I love it because of the the patients and families I get to meet, and I love it because of the the team I work with. Because I think they all do have their heart in it and they're compassionate. And I think I play my role as the physician, and then they play their roles as the other members of the team, and I think we have a shared, sort of, compassion. It may not be, you know, something we talk about, necessarily, but I think it just shows in our words and our team meetings, and in the way we take care of patients.

Mike: It very much seems to be ingrained in that clinic and the folks that you work with. One of my last questions for you is related to telehealth and it’s a topic we've kind of danced around quite a bit here on Connecting ALS and we'll probably address in an upcoming episode in real depth, but we've outlined some of the benefits of telemedicine as well as some of the limitations, things that simply can't be accomplished during a telehealth visit as well as some that can, but I imagine a lot of what goes into Palliative Care can probably be achieved through a video conference type environment. Is that accurate?

Dr. Maiser: I think so. Yeah, I mean Palliative Care is very relationship-based. And so I think the biggest barrier to Palliative Care, doing Palliative Care through telehealth, is if you're meeting someone for the first time over a computer screen, because we're so relationship-based. But, we've been doing telehealth visits at Hennepin for a couple years now. And the times where it's most successful, especially if I'm having hard conversations with families, you know, they benefit 'cause they're in their kitchen and I get to see them in their normal living situation, but we're having a serious conversation about hospice and death and dying. And it's worked, because I have that relationship with them. And so I think telehealth and Palliative Care go very nicely together, actually. I think we could reach a very broad range of people in the rural community or urban community,who have the limited mobility, to have these serious conversations, these serious illness conversations, and having it be meaningful. The thing that we don't get is sort of the personal touch, you know, being able to just, whatever that feels comfortable to you. But, the times we've been doing it at Hennepin it's worked, and we've had reasonably good feedback saying, "Yeah,it was an acceptable alternative to having to come into the clinic." And so, I think telehealth is the future, and I think Palliative Care is a natural place to utilize that technology.

Mike: Sure. In talking about those telehealth visits, is there anything that you do to kind of break down those barriers of being on a video call, knowing that you're not in the room with them and you don't have that same quite as intimate experience? Is there anything you kind of think about going into that? Like here's how I'll address that?

Dr. Maiser: Yeah, I think some of it's very practical, such as looking into the camera. Right? So, I can see myself, and if I'm looking at my computer screen, 'cause I'll often have their medical record open, so that I can remember things and be accurate, but then what they see is me looking off to the side. And so something simple would be being very mindful of actually looking at the camera. So I appear as if I'm looking at them. Right?

I think it's important to make sure that whoever needs to be in that conversation is there. So if there's a family member who's living out of state, how can we use the technology to get them into the visit, right? So even though they aren't in the same room, but getting the key players of the family into the same visit is really important. And then, I guess it's, yeah it's something similar to what I always do is using the same sort of relationship-based communication skills, just being mindful of how I appear on, sort of on camera, on their screen, to try to have it still feel like an intimate experience.

Mike: Sure. That was great. Thank you. My last question, related to the evolution of Palliative Care. So,oftentimes when we're speaking to neurologists about the future of ALS, and how, obviously, we're hopeful that new treatments are coming down the line soon, and that people living with the disease will have longer periods of higher quality of life in the near future, how do you think Palliative Care will evolve? Will there be any kind of dramatic changes you think in the coming years? Assuming that we're going to be living with treatments that will extend the lives of people living with ALS?

Dr. Maiser: Yeah, I think if there is... I mean, it's already needed right now. But as you allude to, if we have treatments that can really extend the length of life, all the more important to realize that if they have more life it needs to be good quality of life.Their function and their quality. And so to make that feasible, or to make it happen, what we need is community-based Palliative Care.

And it's starting, some places do it better. And what I mean by that is using this multidisciplinary team of Palliative Care like I talked about earlier, not only in the clinic or the hospital, but where the person is most of the time: in their home. And having some of the members of the team actually go there, maybe using telehealth, but actually having some physical members going to the team. And it's not necessarily Palliative Care, but it's sort of this homecare idea. How can we actually give more care in the home? To the patient and also their caregivers. Because there's so much stress on the caregivers and that is exactly what Palliative Care likes to focus on, too, is the effect on the people around the person with the disease. So the caregiver stress and burnout.

And I feel like, if patients are living longer, but even now, we could do a better job providing more care in the community, in their homes, or closer to their home, in a way that focuses on symptom management and giving some help to the family, and still having these difficult conversations, knowing that maybe it's going to be more spread out, if they are, what we're hoping for, living longer in a meaningful way.

So I feel like that's sort of the future. Because I think in the hospital we have it pretty set. In the clinics I think we do need more of it, like Dr.Tiryaki alluded to. In more clinics having it either in the clinic or having it very accessible, but the hardest, but one of the most important next steps has to be in the community.

Mike: Sure. Dr. Maiser thank you very much for shedding some light on a very important subject in this segment. We really appreciate you taking the time and for being with us today.

Dr. Maiser: It was my pleasure. Thank you.

Mike (narration): Baseball fans and Twins fanatics in particular remember Kent Hrbek as the big swinging lefty 1st baseman who was one of the stars of the World Series teams of '87 to '91. And if you're familiar with our chapter of the ALS Association, you've probably seen or heard Kent advocating for the cause at some point over the last several decades. But not everyone is aware of just how large of a role he has played to this organization, and how many lives he is impacted in the ALS community. He graciously agreed to spend some time looking back at his own experiences, and expressing his hope for the future.

Mike (in-studio): We are thrilled to be joined on the phone this morning by Twins baseball great and state of Minnesota legend, Mr. Kent Hrbek. Good morning, Kent. Thanks for being here on Connecting ALS.

Kent: Yeah, great to be on and happy to talk about whatever we want to go after today.

Mike: Sure. Sure. We'll get into a few things. I know many of our listeners are huge Twins fans, and would probably be upset with me if I didn't ask for your thoughts on the fantastic first half of the season, but I think we'll save that for the end of the segment because I want to get into your involvement obviously with this cause, and why ALS has played a significant role in your life.

I'm not sure how many folks are aware, but you actually lost your father to this disease back in 1982. Can you tell us what you remember about that time and learning about your dad's diagnosis?

Kent: Yeah. Well, first of all, you know playing baseball and you know, it becoming my career at the time, I signed with the Minnesota Twins back in 1978 after I graduated from high school, so knowing the baseball connection with Lou Gehrig and knowing and hearing about Lou Gehrig's disease, and in 1981, I was playing in Visalia, California on the Twins minor league team and I was called by them in May, by my parents, in May of 1981, and was told that my father was diagnosed with ALS. Because me not being home, I had no idea what was going on, but he had start having some problems with some walking issues and talking issues and, you know, stumbling once in a while, slurring his speech a little bit. and they wanted to find out what was going on.

They found out through a couple different tests that he had come down with ALS and, you know, they of course, they really never called it ALS back then, they more or less called it Lou Gehrig's disease, which now we call it ALS because people could become more familiar with it, but. So yeah, that was the first time I heard it and you know, I was playing in the minor leagues at the time, and I told them "I'm coming home" and my dad said right away, "No you're not. You're staying out there to play baseball because that's, you know, what you wanted to do and I want you to continue doing that."

So, I really didn't read up much on it. I kind of knew about Lou Gehrig's struggles back in his day. You know, he was the Iron Man. Played so many games and all of a sudden this disease just cut his career short, and then eventually aided in his passing at an early age. So, I knew it wasn't good.

My father and mother and sister, at the time, had come out then, and I think it was June, late June, I think it was, they came out to see me play out in Visalia, California. So, I got to see what my father was going through and this and that, and then, you know, I got lucky enough to get called up in 1981 in August, and came back home, and you know started my career with the Minnesota Twins, and was happy to get home, but then again saddened for the fact that I knew my father was, you know, had been diagnosed with ALS and you know, it's inevitable that sooner or later the person dies from ALS. So I was kind of in two...having such a high for making to major leagues, but also finding out that my, and knowing that my father was passing away from ALS. So no, it was definitely a kind of a tough thing to go through, and I was at a high because I made it but still upset and sad because my father's diagnosis.

So, he got to see me play that year. I stayed with the Twins in '82 and then in September '82 my father passed away. So.

And then, kind of, there wasn't a really a lot for him to do. There was a couple, as far as treatment, and this and that. At the time at the University of Minnesota, there was a support group, and that was about it. And people didn't really know. There was really no place to go or nobody to get a hold of other than that little support group. It was a very tiny group of people. So I guess we kind of... I didn't take it upon myself. I just had talked to a few people that I bumped into at different ALS events, or not events, but some national people. And we started the golf tournament. I decided to try to do a golf tournament to raise some money for it. Because, like I said, there was really no fundraising efforts at all, at the time.This was back in, I think was '84, I believe was our first golf tournament. '84 or '85. And from that day forward, we've done a lot of fundraising programs for ALS.

And, so it's, yeah it was kind of a... not that I wanted to help fight ALS. And not that I was guilted into doing it, because of my father, but I wanted to do something and that's kind of how the whole thing started.

Mike: Yeah, and that experience, Kent, watching your dad go through that and face those challenges without the kind of supportive services and programs that are available today, that clearly informed your decision to help found this chapter of the ALS Association, here in Minnesota and now serving the Dakotas as well. I mean the chapter's founded back in 1993. We just last year recognized our 25th anniversary. And you spoke a little bit about it, but what do you recall about those early conversations and really kind of the beginning of what would become this chapter of the ALS Association, here in the Twin Cities?

Kent: You know, just by our fundraising events and getting different people involved or chatting with different people all along and in the 80's, during my golf tournament, and bumping into different people. Most of the people I talked to were probably from the New York area. I had gone to a couple of events out in New York. They were fundraising events. I know my father had lost his speech and he really had a hard time with that, because he couldn't communicate. And I met a gentleman here Larry Sing, in Minneapolis at the time, and he and a couple other people were talking about, you know, the computers to do some sort of, you know, help talking, and started up the Hrbek-Sing Communication Program, which some of our money being raised was going to help out and get some computers made so, you know, they would be able to help people speak, because that was what really bothered my father so much, I guess, was his inability to speak. And just by talking with different people, we said, you know, let's...Some people came to me. We just decided to hey let's let's start up a chapter and try to get someplace where people can get some help and you know someplace for our money that we were raising here locally could stay and start something up and we proceeded to do that. And, you know, it's grown in leaps and bounds.

You hate to see it grow because you want to find the cure for ALS. I keep saying that every time I go to an event or whatever, we don't want to have anymore because that means that we found a cure, but you know, we're still going at it, and that's kind of the whole thing I guess in a nutshell. And it's grown into such a great organization right now. It's raised millions of dollars with different fundraisers every kind of fundraiser you can think of. Fishing, golfing, walks, snowmobile rides. You name it, they're doing it to raise money, and everybody that was involved with getting this thing started should be very proud of what they accomplished.

Mike: Yeah. And you have been such a big part of that, Kent, and you mentioned the Hrbek-Sing Communication and Assistive Device Program. It was of course named in honor of your family as well as the late Larry Sing. And that program providing communication assistive devices free of charge to individuals living with ALS. The way that that program in particular has evolved, now offering smart home technology,environmental controls, and sophisticated methods of voice banking. Has it been encouraging to see that particular program area that you helped create grow in that way?

Kent: Oh, yeah, because I understand where these people are coming from when they talk about not being able to communicate. We have definitely made it a lot easier for people to do it. The first computers and stuff that we worked were a little, I don't want to say that they were caveman-ish, but it was compared to what they are now. They have made great strides in that too. Along with other, you know, different health needs that people need with ALS. And, you know, the respite care for people who need help to take care of people with ALS. And I think, Mike, the biggest thing is I think I've got out of this whole deal is now when when somebody says the three letters "ALS" it's almost common to hear people talk about it and know exactly what it is right away, which is kind of what we tried to accomplish to get the word out, and it's a feather in their cap to know that these people have done what they've done. And we're happy and like I said the only thing we're looking forward to next is finding a cure.

Mike: That's right and raising that awareness has been so paramount to the efforts of the chapter. And again, you're such a humble person, Kent, but you have really done amazing things for awareness in this state and throughout the Midwest. Making various media appearances, and the events that you talked about. Things like the Black Woods Blizzard Tour and the Kolar Toyota ALS fishing tournament. It really means a ton to have your influence involved with those and the way that you keep showing up and, excuse the pun, but you keep going to bat for this community, and I'm sure that you hear from families all the time about what it means to have you on their side in this fight.

Kent: I hear probably every time I'm at the ballpark if I bump into somebody or maybe if somebody asked me for an autograph or something at the ballpark or any place. Not even just at the ballpark. I hear at least once or twice a week from somebody, you know, thank you so much for continuing the fight against ALS. And I know that we made a difference and it's mattered, and I don't want to say I'm patting myself on the back for it, but it makes me feel good warm feeling inside that we have helped these people and they have had someplace to go. And our organization has made that possible.

Mike: Yeah, and you should you should feel great about that. And I've heard you mention a few times before that Dave St.Peter of the Twins organization, has promised you that the Twins will host the party at Target Field when we are finally able to put an end to this disease, and I know that you're going to hold him to it.

Kent: I definitely am. It was something that Dave had told me back then at the dome and said when we find a cure for this thing I'm gonna open the dome up to you and you're gonna have one heck of a party and the domes no longer but he has passed along that Target Field is definitely ready to have that kind of party. So we moved it from a dome over at the Target Field, when we do find a cure for this thing. And I think we will in my lifetime. I think it's close. It's out there. Along with the other help from other organizations, you know the Alzheimer's and this and that, I think they're somewhat related in a way, that's just my gut. And I think once we find a cure for one of those, we're all going to have one big celebration at Target Field.

Mike: That's right. You're absolutely right. And the progress that has been made across neurological research is encouraging and we're inching closer every day and you have been such a big part of that effort. So on behalf of all those families as well as the organization, we want to thank you, Kent, and,before I let you go, like I said,I would be remiss. We've got a bunch of Twins fans that listen to the podcast. And they're fired up about their first place ball club, and the success the team has found this year. It must be fun for you to see the bats kind of come alive and watch this offense carry the team the way it has the first half of the season.

Kent: Oh, it's been awesome. It's been a fun summer to flip the ballgame on and watch these guys play. It's always great to be at the top. I was lucky enough to be on a couple World Series Teams myself and you see the fans and how much they enjoy it and how much they follow along, and it's amazing just the people wearing the Twins hats and talking Twins baseball. It's nice to see that again.

And, you know, I know, like you said, Dave St. Peter and the Twins, they have been so helpful in this fight for us too, with ALS. They have been huge huge supporters, and continue to this day to be huge supporters of ALS. So they're getting their calling.They're getting their do. They're playing well, it's so fun to watch. And this offense that they've got is... And their pitching staff is doing a tremendous job too. You gotta have both. You can't just have one.And it's been a great ride. And I've enjoyed every minute of it so far.

As sports fans here in Minnesota we always seem like we get let down a little bit later on the season, but I'm hoping these guys can keep it going and stay hot all year and can bring us another championship. Or you know get us into the playoffs, and get us to a World Series. And making it fun around here to watch baseball.

Mike: Yeah, that's right. It is. It's always more fun in the Twin Cities and really across the region when the Twins are playing well, and it brings a little excitement to the summer. And I'm glad you mentioned the Twins organization and the support that they've given the ALS Association and our cause. Major League Baseball has been so great to us and they really helped us in raising funding and awareness for the disease.

Kent: Exactly. Yes, they've been they've been huge. Huge huge huge. Like I said, I want to thank not only the volunteers and everybody that's helped in all different events, but you know people up in Duluth, the caucus people, that whole crew. And thank the Twins organization. And this and that. But just the people of Minnesota have jumped on and helped us raise a ton of dough for this disease. Where... who knows? We might not ever have had any kind of organization like this if it wasn't for the Twins organization and them helping me get my golf tournament started and it snowballed from there. So it's... a thank you to them.

Mike: Well, that's true. And without you and the Twins and what you've done for this cause, who knows where our chapter would be and what the state of ALS care would be like in Minnesota? So again, thank you Kent.

I'd love to keep you on the line and chat ball all day, but I know you're a very busy guy. So thanks again for taking the time and in sharing your story with us on Connecting ALS, Kent. It was great talking to you.

Kent: Alright. Thanks, Mike and like I said, I'm ready for that party to begin, at Target Field, any day.

Mike: We all are. We all are. Thanks, Kent.We'll talk to you soon.

Kent: Alright. Thanks, Mike.

Mike (narration): It was great to connect with Kent, and despite his efforts to give everyone else the credit, to try and illuminate the incredible things he has done for the cause over the years.

For our final segment, we sat down with Stacy Lufkin who is among the most passionate and thoughtful ALS advocates and care givers you will ever meet. She and I spoke about her family's most recent trip to Washington D.C., and what she believes is necessary from a legislative standpoint at both the state and federal levels.

Mike (in-studio): I am joined in studio today by Stacy Lufkin. Stacy is an educator who has spent her career molding young minds in the Twin Cities. She's also a mother of two, and a few years ago was cast into the role of ALS caregiver, following her husband Steve's diagnosis. Good morning, Stacy. Thanks for being here today.

Stacy: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

Mike: How are things? Do you have a bit of a break now that school's out? Are you working the summer as well?

Stacy: Well, I'm working some, but it's been busy so far. I think part of the reason we're here today is part of why I've been so busy: that trip to DC was like the day after school got out, so now we haven't had a lot of break yet, but there's still half of a summer left, right?

Mike: That's right. That's right. I know. That it's July already is a little bit scary. But, here we are. I mentioned at the top that Steve was diagnosed a few years ago, was that 2014?

Stacy: Yeah, he was diagnosed in February of 2014. So about five and a half years ago now.

Mike: Does it feel like that much time has passed?

Stacy: You know, there are days when it feels like it's just yesterday that he was walking and life was pre-ALS. And there's other days where it's just hard to even remember him walking. You know what? Life is good, though. I think that's one of the biggest things we've taken away, is that life can still be good.

Mike: Your positivity has always been amazing to me and the bond that you and Steve have, I think it inspires a lot of families and couples that are living with ALS.

Stacy: Well, thank you.

Mike: Steve, of course, was also a celebrated school teacher. And a few years back when he made the difficult decision to stop working, your son Isaiah stepped in to help with the caregiving responsibilities so that you could continue to teach and support your family. What has that meant to have both of your sons really rise to that moment and assist with their dad's care?

Stacy: Yeah, I think it means different things on different levels. As a mom who raised her kids to be independent and hard-working, and just caring and thoughtful people, it makes me so gall-darn proud. They are...Just they're wonderful young men.They care about their dad. The fact that they are willing to step in and to provide care that none of us probably at 22, 24, 25, thought we'd ever have to do for a parent, is pretty darn amazing.

And then from the financial side. The fact that Isaiah graduated from college and three months later stepped into a full-time caregiving role for his dad and has done that for three years has been a financial lifesaver for us. I don't know what we would do if it hadn't been for him being able to help out like that.

Mike: Yeah, and amazing is the right word seeing Isaiah and Zac, the way that they care for their dad and and are helping with his day-to-day needs, really really impressive. You obviously knew what you were doing and raising those two.

Stacy: We got a lot of things right but of course a lot of it has to do with them and just who they are as people themselves, right?

Mike: Well, the main reason we wanted to have you on today was to talk about your reputation as a successful and determined ALS advocate. You and Steve are recognized in the ALS community, both locally, and now nationally, as a couple that really gets things done in that arena. When did you make the decision that advocacy was going to be a focus for the two of you?

Stacy: I think it was almost immediately. And that was mainly because of Steve. Steve started researching, you know, the very next day. And trying to figure out what can I do? What can be done? Who's out there working on this issue? Who can we turn to? And we ended up going out east and Steve participated in a research study with ALS TDI. And that really opened my eyes to what people are doing in the lab. How much work was going into research for ALS, and how important it was that people with ALS and their family members get involved.

Because this disease is so rare, people don't always know about it. They don't know what it means when you get that diagnosis. And unfortunately, even more, they don't understand that people can live a quality life with ALS. It's ever-changing. It becomes more difficult. But it can be done. And that has driven a lot of what we wanted to let people know.

And I think as educators the natural part for us was the sharing and talking to people about ALS, and talking about how it was changing our lives.

Mike: Mm-hmm and sharing a story is such a big part that advocacy effort. Has there been a particular issue or set of issues that you felt especially passionate about? That you wanted to address head-on?

Stacy: I guess, you know, there have been several big issues. One of the biggest things for us is the amount of research dollars being generated. And the fact that there are so many worthwhile causes out there. And everybody who's affected by something thinks that thing is the most important thing in the world to them, right?

Yet there is a scarce amount of resources to go around, and we have felt very strongly that the government needed to put more money into research for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases and that's been one of the big things that we've pushed for when we been in D.C. for the last four years now.

Mike: Yeah, and you've been a part of that contingent of advocates that has gone to Washington D.C. for ALS Advocacy Days, and it recently returned from another trip with the whole family. That's not an easy trek to make when you factor in the difficulties of traveling with ALS, the equipment and safety considerations. Why do you think that it's been so critical for you personally to make that journey and for you and Steve to be heard on the hill?

Stacy: For me, it goes back to the idea that we need to be active in our government and in our society. That if we don't speak up, then who will? And I think that's part of what drives me as a social studies teacher and teaching kids about our government and how it works. And just realizing that the people we elect are accountable to us, and that they need to hear from us, and it's really important that we take that time. That we go there, whether it's their office in Washington, or here in the Twin Cities, or at the Capitol in St. Paul, that we take time to go, because when they see a face it's a lot different than getting a handwritten letter, an email, or a phone call. And it's more likely that they're actually gonna listen to you, and to put a face with the name and with the issue at hand. And It makes a lot of difference.

Mike: And you mention and the work being done locally as well. And that's just as important. I mean you have to meet with them here and their offices so that they know that you're one of their constituents. That you are putting them in office and, like you said, they're accountable to you. So I know that you and Steve have done a lot here in the Twin Cities in the state of Minnesota,that sets up what you do in D.C. Do you talk about that as a group of ALS advocates saying, “You know? We've kind of got to do it on the local side before we come here.”

Stacy: That's a great question. You know, I don't know that we've done a lot specifically about that, but as caregivers in our support group, a lot of times, we were talking about the stresses we face and the issues that are at hand. And for a lot of people, you know, it's the insurance--health insurance issue. It's how do we deal with unemployment? How do we deal with getting on Social Security? What does that mean for our family? What other services are out there?

And a lot of that boils down to what are our local county governments, what our state government can provide. And then obviously on the national level, you know bigger scale. But yeah, it is important to start at home.

Mike: Right. And in D.C. when you're with that large group of ALS advocates and their families, does it give you strength to see that many people come together for that cause and are you able to spend some time connecting with and catching up with families that you've met out there?

Stacy: Yeah, it--it's powerful. It is so powerful to be there and to be with hundreds of families, and a couple hundred people with ALS. In all stages, from being recently diagnosed to having had ALS for 10, 12, 15, a couple of people 20 years that are out there, and to understand, like right in front of your face, that this disease hits different people different ways, and it gives people hope.

And I think one of the really cool things is to watch the people with ALS communicate with one another and share the different resources that they have. And it's fun. You can see them, you know, looking at each other's wheelchairs, and then asking each other, "Where did you get that?" or "How does that help you?" Even stopping to say, "Oh, how did you attach that to your wheelchair?" And then there are vendors there as well, and so you'll see people check out a piece of equipment, and then turn around and head back to the vendor that is there repping their type of wheelchair and asking about that headrest or that hook that mounts something on their wheelchair. And it's empowering.

It's fun. It's amazing to see just how accessible that area of D.C. can be. And getting to the capital and that you can get in, you can get around. It's a little bit of work, but that's where it really helps to have people who have been there before, too, because they know the ins and the outs, and they understand that, you know, if you think ahead, you don't have to go back outside the buildings and go all the way around, and go back through security. That there is a tunnel and there's a train underneath, and you could take that if you need to. And that that saves a lot of time. So yeah, it's wonderful to be out there and be there with that many families and people with ALS.

Mike: And it can also be kind of an intimidating experience to be in those Senate chambers, and not just in D.C., but locally as well, be telling such a personal story with those intimate detailsm and asking for their support for something that's so close to you and your family. As someone who has been through it now, a number of times, what advice do you have for people who are maybe new to the advocacy scene and do want to get involved but are unsure of where to start?

Stacy: That's a great question as well. I think one of the biggest things is just doing a little bit of reading ahead of time. Particularly if you are in D.C. and you're going out and asking for some pretty big asks from the national level, thinking about legislation that's gonna impact our daily lives, and just reading up on things a little bit and having a basic understanding, but then connecting it to your own life. And what does it mean for you? What does it mean for the person with ALS? How would your life be different if this legislation doesn't go through? And then just telling your own story, and making that connection. Or referencing back people that aren't there in D.C. with you. And the fact that there are more people back home, who have this disease.

Whether it's about research for people who have a genetic form of ALS that's hereditary and could be passed down to their children, or if it's about, you know, equipment, you know, their wheelchairs and the potential those being out for a competitive bid, or people's ventilators being out for competitive bid and how that might impact the quality of care and the equipment that we get here in Minnesota.It's important to just have a little bit of an idea.

But then it's: tell your truth. Tell your story. Talk about your walk with ALS, because that makes a difference to them. And it's a disease that has so many different facets to it, in terms of how it impacts your life. And they need to know that. They need to hear that. Um, 'cause it's not just ALS, right? It's us and other people with neurodegenerative diseases.

All these things kind of come together, and they need to know that there are a lot of people out there. When you combine all those diseases,there are a lot of people with these issues.

Mike: And like you said it means so much for them to put a face to the issue. Not to say that the phone calls and emails and letters don't help, they certainly do. But it's so impactful to be in their office and to say this is what I'm going through, and, like you said, this is my truth. That's gonna resonate with them.

Stacy: Yeah, I think it really does and as I sit here in your recording studio, there's an image on the wall of one of the men who's been with us a number of years, and to see him and his children... Wow, like I can't even put into words the power of having our children there. And for our children to speak up. You know, and they're not there for any political purpose. They're not there because they understand the legislative requests that were asking, right? They're there because their person has ALS, and they've seen it and they've watched it and they don't want to see anybody else have it again. And they have hope. They see the things that are coming out and they have hoped that someday, some other child won't have to do this. And that's powerful.

Mike: It is, that's a really powerful message. This past few years have been an unquestionably divisive time in American politics with supporters on both sides of the aisle shouting each other down on a daily basis. The thing about ALS is it's a human issue. It should not matter which side you're on. If you're a human being, you should want to bring an end to this disease.

Has that been kind of a selling point for you in those meetings? To say, listen, I know your Republican, and I know you're a Democrat, that shouldn't matter for this.

Stacy: Absolutely. I think that people on both sides of the aisle need to understand that this is a disease where understanding it is within our grasp. It's right there. And for many of them, they don't understand that we don't know why this disease happens to some people and not to others. They don't know, often until we tell them, that military veterans are twice as likely to get ALS, and that we do not know why.

That is not a political issue. That is the men and women who serve our country. And they're twice as likely to get this disease. And right now we can't differentiate by gender, by branch of military, by active service overseas and in conflict, we don't know. And when you start putting those pieces together, and you say these are real people.These are people who, prior to ALS, and maybe even with ALS for several years, maybe more than just several years, are contributing to our workforce. They are paying taxes. They are contributing to their communities in ways that are maybe even more powerful than they were before they had ALS.

These are real people that have real issues and it isn't a red, a blue, a donkey, an elephant. It's people and it's American people, and I think that goes back to, you know, it's about the common good. It's about promoting the general welfare. We have people who need our help. And our people in office need to hear that.

Mike: Pretty easy to see why you're such an effective ALS advocate, Stacy, just talking to you now. And I'm sure that's coming through to our listeners. The way that you talk about your experience in your story and how we need to come together on this is... it's obvious. Stacy, has this impacted the way that you teach, the way that you address your students? You mentioned social studies has been part of your career. Do you tell them about your experience with government and how powerful it can be to be an advocate?

Stacy: Yeah, I do. And, you know, that's something that's been important to me my entire career, is helping kids get involved and to make a difference, and just sharing with them the experiences I had, I think makes it more real for them, and when you can talk about Washington D.C. and you can explain what it looks like in the Senate chambers, if, you know, when you're on the floor of the house, what it's like.That's makes it real to kids.

And they need to see people going there doing real things, and I think one of the other things is that ALS has given me the opportunity to just really be real with my students, and to be honest about life is hard. Right? And it's hard for everybody at times. And understanding that every day is a gift, right? And we've got to come to school and do our best, even though we've got stuff going on in our lives. How do we do that? And it's allowed me to really be there for some kids that have had other issues, and help them understand that you can get up and come to school. We can do this. If I can do it you can do it.

And, you know, I've also been able then to meet several other people whose families have been impacted by ALS, but I never would have known it, if it hadn't been for my family being impacted. And that network is pretty neat to have.

Mike: Yeah. Well, and as I said, the work that you and Steve have done in the community and that you've been willing to be faces and voices for the cause, has inspired so many, not just in the Twin Cities, and I know that when you attend ALS events, there are people coming up to you and saying thank you, and being appreciative of what you've done. You've really led the charge on so many fronts, and we can't thank you enough in that regard, Stacy.

Stacy: Thank you.

Mike: On to a lighter topic. For you and Steve, for the rest this summer, a number of us really enjoyed following along with you and your family on your tour of major league baseball stadiums, as Steve is such a huge baseball fan and a huge Twins fan. We had Kent Hrbek on the podcast this month, and I know he and Steve have a good relationship. Is there any more travel planned, baseball or otherwise, for you, the next couple months?

Stacy: You know, I'm not sure how much baseball we're gonna get in. I know that Steve would really like to get to North Carolina. He's got a friend in, "Sweet Music" Frank Viola, And he is coaching in North Carolina right now. And Steve would really like to get there.

I don't know if that'll happen. We did get to see him coach a game in Pennsylvania on our way back from D.C. So that was wonderful. And the boys hit Philadelphia on their way out to D.C. So they've already gotten a couple, you know, an independent league park in, they've gotten a new major league park in, and if we happen to get into North Carolina we do, but otherwise I think really, hopefully getting up to the Brainerd Lakes area again this summer, to where my dad and my stepmom live would be an awesome thing to be able to do. And then we hope to head down into the Ozarks the end of August. And just spend some time in the Ozarks and just relaxing and by the water and playing mini golf. That's our thing.That's about it.

Mike: Good good. Thank you again, Stacy, for joining us today and for all that you do to advocate for those living with ALS and their families. We really appreciate it.

Stacy: Thank you for having me.

Mike (narration): That will put a bow on our content for episode three. I want to thank each of our guests for connecting with us. And as a reminder: new episodes are released on the second Thursday of each month, and you can subscribe wherever you get podcasts by visiting ConnectingALS.org.

You can also email us at [email protected] with any feedback or questions you have. We'd love to hear from you that way, or on our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter.

Connecting ALS is produced by Garrett Tiedemann from the headquarters of the ALS Association’s Minnesota, North Dakota South Dakota chapter in St.Paul, Minnesota. Thank you for listening.

#Healthcare #alsadvocacy #advocacy #washington #policy #minnesota twins #baseball #Kent Hrbek #Hennepin County Medical Center #palliativemedicine #palliativecare #caregiver #caregiving

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dubsism · 5 years ago

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Today’s Movie: Dog Day Afternoon

Year of Release: 1975

Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale (#25 on my list of favorite actors), Penelope Allen

Director: Sidney Lumet

This movie is on my list of essential films.

NOTE: This installment of Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies is not being done as part of a blog-a-thon. Instead, this is a monthly event hosted by MovieRob called Genre Grandeur. The way it works is every month MovieRob chooses a film blogger to pick a topic and a movie to write about, then also picks a movie for MovieRob to review. At the end of the month, MovieRob posts the reviews of all the participants.

For June of 2020, the honor of being the “guest picker” went to Paul of Silver Screen Classics. The topic is “New York Films of the 70’s.” Not only does my choice fit the theme, but it also takes place on Halloween.

The Story:

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On a hot August afternoon in the “dog days” of summer, three first-time stick-up men attempt to knock over a Brooklyn bank. Sonny (played by Al Pacino), Sal (played by John Cazale), and Stevie (played by Gary Springer) enter the First Brooklyn Savings Bank. But the plan quickly hurtles off the rails when Stevie flees before the three even enter the bank. Things get even worse when after they are past the point of no return (they’ve already produced their weapons and declared this to be a robbery), Sonny discovers they have arrived after the daily cash pickup. In other words, they are risking at least 25 years in prison and/or getting into a shoot-out with the police for slightly more than $1,000.

Trying to salvage their now-obviously poorly-planned operation, Sonny grabs the bank’s traveler’s checks (Who remembers those?) and burns the register, but the smoke from the burning garbage arouses suspicion outside which results in the bank being surrounded by the police. Sonny and Sal panic and take the bank employees as hostages.

Now that the stand-off is set, Detective Sergeant Eugene Moretti (played by Charles Durning) calls the bank, at which point Sonny tells him he is willing to kill the hostages. Sal assures Sonny that he is ready to kill if necessary, not knowing the Sonny really doesn’t want to kill anybody. The proof of that is when a security guard suffers an asthma attack and Sonny releases him as a bargaining chip. Eventually, Moretti convinces Sonny to step outside, which he does.

While using the head teller as a shield, Sonny begins a dialogue with Moretti. But a large crowd has gathered around the bank, and this stand-off is being broadcast on live television. In what may be the signature scene of the movie, Sonny launches into a chant of “Attica! Attica!”; a reference to the infamous 1971 riot in the state prison in Attica, New York. The crowd cheers for Sonny.

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Now it’s time to get out of the bank. Sonny demands a vehicle so he can drive to the airport with Sal to board a jet out of the country. Other demands include pizza delivery for the hostages, and that his estranged wife Angie (played by Susan Peretz) be brought to the bank. But in the plot twist to end all plot twists, Sonny’s new partner shows up at the bank. Since I already have to use a “spoiler” at the end, I’m not going to divulge a) the identity of Sonny’s partner and b) the motive for the robbery which is revealed. Doing so would destroy the first-time viewer’s discovery of why this is not just another “heist” film.

As darkness falls, command of the police response is now in the hands of FBI Agent Sheldon (played by James Broderick). He cuts the power to the bank and refuses to give in to any more of Sonny’s demands. Sheldon does allow a doctor to enter the bank after the manager Mulvaney (played by Solly Boyar) goes into diabetic shock. The fact Sonny requested the doctor is yet more proof that Sonny doesn’t want to harm the hostages.

Knowing the Sonny is reluctant to harm anybody, Sheldon convinces Sonny’s partner to talk to him on the phone in an attempt to get Sonny to surrender. This fails, but it is revealed that Sonny’s partner has been at Bellevue Hospital undergoing psychiatric evaluation after a suicide attempt brought on by being abused by Sonny. In an act of atonement, Sonny offers to include his partner in the escape plan, but the offer is rejected. This necessitates Sonny telling the police that his partner had nothing to do with the robbery.

Meanwhile, Sonny allows let the seriously ill Mulvaney leave, but he will not abandon his employees. In a last ditch attempt to talk sonny out, the FBI enlist the aid of his mother. Again, this fails, and now Sonny realizes the end is coming. As such, he writes out a will leaving money from his life insurance to Angie and his partner.

The previously requested limousine arrives; the plan is now to use the limousine to take Sonny, Sal, and the hostages to Kennedy Airport, but the catch is the car has to be driven by an FBI agent. Sonny selects Agent Murphy (played by Lance Henriksen) to drive as Sonny inspects the car for hidden weapons or booby traps. Murphy gets behind the wheel, and Sonny sits next to him in the front seat. Sheldon and Sal are in the back. Sal has a gun held on Murphy, who repeatedly asks Sal to point his gun at the roof so he won’t accidentally shoot him.

As they wait for the escape aircraft to taxi into position, Murphy again asks Sal to aim his gun away. Sal does, but the minute that happens, Sheldon grabs Sonny’s weapon and Murphy produces a pistol hidden in an armrest and shoots Sal point-blank in the head, killing him instantly. Sonny is immediately taken into custody, the hostages are freed, and the film ends with the fates of Sonny, his partner, and Angie revealed in subtitles as Sonny watches Sal’s body being taken from the car on a stretcher.

The Hidden Sports Analogy:

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If you’ve seen “Godfather II,” you knew what was going to happen to Fredo Corleone well before he did. His fate was sealed the minuted Michael Corleone said to one of his henchmen “nothing happens to him as long as my mother is alive.” Once you saw Mama Corleone in her casket, you knew Fredo wasn’t far behind. If you were like me, you were yelling to Fredo through the screen “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T GET IN THE BOAT!”

I felt the same way about “Sal” in “Dog Day Afternoon.” You just knew he was going to be the guy to pay the price after doing a lot of somebody’a “dirty work.” Sal did the “heavy lifting” for Sonny, even after it became somewhat obvious he didn’t know what the real motive for the robbery was, and what was his reward? He got his brains blown out.

The sports world has plenty of “Sal”-type guys; guys who show up every day, do the “dirty work,” and get nothing for it. The first time I noticed that phenomenon was when the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1987. That was a huge part of my own best personal year in sports. But was also the year I discovered the sports version of “Sal.”

To understand this, you have to know the Minnesota Twins spent the majority of the 1970’s and 80’s as one the worst teams in baseball. As a kid in Southern California, I came to be a fan of the Twins as they were essentially a “farm team” for my hometown California Angels.

Calvin Griffith was the owner of the Twins at the time, and he could pinch a penny so hard he could make Abe Lincoln fart. That meant he was usually willing to sell/trade players at bargain basement prices so he didn’t have to pay them. One of his frequent trading partners was the Angels’ owner…none other than Gene “The Singing Cowboy” Autry.

That’s how Autry’s Angels won the American League West division three times between 1979-1986; with players from the “Griffith Express” such as Lyman Bostock, “Disco” Dan Ford, Rob Wilfong, Geoff Zahn, Dave Goltz, and Hall of Famer Rod Carew. Meanwhile, the Twins were growing their own prospects down on the farm.

Trading established players for prospects is a time-honored tradition in baseball. Prospects are the “seed corn” for nay major-league club trying to flesh out it’s roster, and the Minnesota Twins were doing just that with all the prospects they received in their plethora of deals with Autry and his Angels. By the early 1980’s, the Twins were beginning to reap what they had sown in the minor-leagues. In 1982, while the Twins were on their way to a 100-loss season, one of their rookies made the cover of Sports Illustrated. Kent Hrbek was literally the “hometown hero” having been born and raised in the Twin Cities area.

Hrbek finished second to baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr. for the 1981 American League Rookie of the Year voting, but finished ahead of future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. Hrbek became a fixture at first base for 14 seasons.

By 1984, the Minnesota Twins found themselves a s surprising contender for the division title, but just like a young racehorse that hasn’t yet learned how to run, they ran out of gas at the end, finishing tied for second-place three games behind the Kansas City Royals. But the really important thing that happened for the Twins that year came on May 8th. This marked the major league debut of Kirby Puckett. That night against the California Angels, Puckett notched four hits in five at-bats and scored a run. I remember not believing what I was seeing in this guy; I thought there was no way he could stay in the big leagues.

So many times, new players get a “honeymoon;” the time between they arrive in the “bigs” and when major-league pitchers them him out. In other words, new guys can rip through the league in their first go-round, but the second time around proves a bit tougher once pitchers get “the book” on them.

Who was the fastest guy to reach 2,500 major league hits? You’re looking at him.

Simply put, Kirby Puckett just didn’t look the part of a major-league center fielder. Most guys who cover the largest expanse of a baseball outfield are long, lean guys who run like a gazelle. Puckett was a short, stocky guy who ran like a penguin with a pulled hamstring. On top of that, he had the worst plate discipline I’d ever seen. He swung at the worst pitches…he took his cuts at balls in the dirt, balls nearly over his head; in short he looked terrible. I was convinced that his early success would end with a bus ticket back to the minor-leagues. But the more major-league pitchers tried to confound him, the more Puckett hit.

At the end of 1984, Puckett had notched a batting average of .296 and ranked fourth in the American League in singles. In 1985, Puckett convinced me how wrong I was when he hit .288 and finished fourth in the league in hits, third in triples, second in plate appearances, and first in at-bats. In 1987, Puckett ascended to one of the highest days on the Dubsism Liturgical Calendar:

The Feast of Kirbius Maximus – August 29th – Reflection of “The Weekend in Milwaukee” In two games against the Brewers, Kirby Puckett went 10 for 11 with 6 RBI and robbed future Hall of Famer Robin Yount of a game-tying home run. The Twins never relinquished their lead in the AL West on their way to a World Series Championship. This marks the day I accepted Kirby Puckett as my lord and personal savior.

From 1984 to 1995, Puckett was consistently among the leaders in the American League in offensive categories like games played, at bats, singles, doubles, and total bases. With the glove, he was always among the tops in put-outs, assists, and fielding percentage for center fielders. In other words, Puckett was one of the greatest to ever play the game.

But the “star” power of Kent Hrbek and Kirby over-shadowed another key component of rising Minnesota Twins of the mid-1980s. Another product of the “Griffith Express,” right fielder Tom Brunansky was originally drafted by the California Angels in the 1st round of the 1978 draft. He made his major league debut with the Angels in 1981. Brunansky looked to be head back to the minors for the 1982 season as the Angels had just signed free-agent and future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. But in yet another swap Calvin Griffith and Gene Autry, Brunansky was sent to Minnesota in exchange for pitcher Doug Corbett and second baseman Rob Wilfong.

Brunansky made an immediate impact with the Twins batting .272 with 51 extra-base hits. He had his first 30 home run season for the Twins in 1984 and was named to the American League All-Star in 1985. But it was that championship season of 1987 when Brunansky came into his own as a force in the Twins line-up. On the way to the Minnesota Twins capturing the World Series title, Tom Brunansky contributed a .259 batting average along with 32 home runs. It was arguably his greatest season as Twin.

It was also his last.

April 22, 1988…the day the Minnesota Twins sent Tom Brunansky to go fishing. After becoming a pillar of the defending World Champions, Brunansky was rewarded by being shipped off to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The problem was simple. In 1987. the Minnesota Twins had three guys who hit 30+ home runs – Hrbek (34), Brunansky (32), and third basemen Gary Gaetti (31). They also had arguably the best player in the game at the time in Kirby Puckett. On other end, the pitching staff features an emerging star Frank “Sweet Music” Viola, a future Hall of Famer and soon-to-be free agent Berft Blyleven, and a big-time Jeff Reardon. The problem was money.

Griffith and Pohlad. Long arms when signaling #1. Shortest arms ever when reaching for a dinner tab.

Even though the notorious penny-pincher Calvin Griffith has sold the Minnesota Twins in 1984, the new owner wasn’t any of a spend-thrift. Carl Pohlad was the owner of U.S. Bank when he bought the team, and like Griffith, he got rich by tossing nickels away like they were manhole covers. The term of the day was “small-market team;” the idea being that teams in smaller cities like Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and Kansas City (to name a few) couldn’t complete with those in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

How truthful that was is still open for debate; lots of “small-market” have won in the “Mega-money” era. Conversely, lots of team have spent huge coin to be terrible. What’s inarguable is that it was a “green-light” for some owners to be “Scrooge McDuck”-level cheap.

The bottom line is as the old proverb goes, money is not only the root of all evil, it’s at the core of every player personnel decision in all major-league sports. It all came down to this. Brunansky may have been part of the Twins’ family, and he may have done a lot of the “heavy lifting” for that team’s run to the 1987 world Series, but when it came time for somebody to take a bullet, he still got sent to go fishing.

The Moral of The Story:

Whether you’re a bank robber or right fielder, get your money when you can. And…FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T GET IN THE BOAT!

BONUS: This isn’t the only sports analogy hidden in a classic movie about the Minnesota Twins.

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Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies – Volume 82: “Dog Day Afternoon” Today's Movie: Dog Day Afternoon Year of Release: 1975 Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale (#25 on my list of favorite actors…

#Classic Movies #Genre Grandeur #Kent Hrbek #Kirby Puckett #Minnesota Twins #Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies #Tom Brunansky

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