Grady Sizemore (left) stands with Bobby, Linda, Bill and Tommy Fogle. The family played wiffleball with the Indians All-Star. (West Life photos by Larry Bennet)

Fogles’ yard becomes 'Field of Dreams'
By Matt Pawlikowski
Sports
Published Aug. 15, 2007

In the movie “Field of Dreams,” Terance Mann told Ray Kinsella, “People will come, Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.”

Westlake isn’t Iowa, but on Monday, people came, turning a pristine neighborhood into a parking lot, but more importantly transforming three children’s backyard into their own “Field of Dreams” as Indians All-Star outfielder Grady Sizemore made a visit to the Fogle residence for a game of wiffleball.

Sizemore plays Wiffle ball with neighborhood kids in the Fogles' yard.

The family were winners of Direct Energy’s “Backyard Challenge with Grady Sizemore” and lived every kid’s (and for some in attendance, adult’s) dream.

Bill Fogle, an RN at St. John Westshore Hospital, said that his wife entered the contest and signed his name to the entry. But they kind of forgot about it, so when his wife told him that Grady was coming to their home, he thought she was joking.

“I didn’t believe her, and said, ‘Grady, what?’” said Bill Fogle. “So that’s how I found out. Then it was pretty quiet until some newspapers started calling and reminding us.”

Asked if he was ever this close to a professional athlete in his life, Fogle laughed.

“Man, is it real exciting,” he said. “I never met a pro player before. But there was one time when I saw Carlos Baerga at the airport before. This doesn’t compare. It’s really nice because Grady is a guy that you can look up to. Not only is he a good player, but he also is a good character.”

Sizemore signs a jersey for a young Tribe fan.

For six-year-old Eric, although shy, he said it was like Santa coming, only that he got to see Grady. But in all his excitement, he also was quick to quip that it would have been nice if Tribe catcher Victor Martinez was also there.

“My mom told my dad, and then my dad told me, and I couldn’t believe it,” Eric Fogle said. “I like Grady, but…I wish Victor were here. I think today is better than Christmas. You don’t get to see Santa, but I got to meet Grady. Still, I wish Victor was here.”

If you think a Randy Johnson fastball is rough on a major leaguer, the kids in the neighborhood wasted no time trying to show Sizemore who was boss, especially when he was at bat. One of the first pitches down the middle to him was a strike.

“One of the neighbor kids threw slider down the middle,” Sizemore joked after being asked by media about his whiff. “I wasn’t ready for it; just don’t show Eric (Wedge) the film.”

Then it was the kids’ turn to bat. When eight-year-old Bobby Fogle got his shot at facing Sizemore, you could tell the adrenaline was pumping. Looking like a Big Leaguer, he knocked a fastball out of the park.

Three-year-old Tommy Fogle even got his chance and drew all sorts of smiles after his first at bat, when the ball went up and into his face. But Sizemore was no match for the mighty mite, as on his third attempt he belted one past the Tribe All-Star.

Like Fogle, another neighborhood kid, T.J. Withers, actually spooked Sizemore after his deep hit.

“That kid scared me with his swing,”  Sizemore said of Withers.

Playing a game of wiffleball or baseball in general against one of your heroes is a dream come true. Most kids dream of summer vacation, but not the Fogles.

“It used to be that summer vacation was the high point,” said Linda Fogle. “But this will be hard to beat.”

Her husband Bill joked that the kids will really have something to talk about come show and tell time.

“I’d like to see someone top that,” he said with a laugh. “What, they went fishing with someone. This was incredible for everyone, and something to always remember.”

Sizemore, who is still a young boy at heart, had fun with the kids and it was 100 percent genuine, which was something noted by all in the crowd.

“They were kind of shy,” said Sizemore. “I think this is important. It’s great to be out in the community. I am still a boy at heart and can just imagine what it is like for the kids. I used to watch guys like Ken Griffey Jr. growing up, and when I met him at the All-Star game, I sort of got star struck, but he was cool to me and it was fun.”

After the game, all the kids got a chance to eat a great picnic lunch which was provided by Villa diBorally and Casa diBorally Catering from Richmond Heights. Grady was more than willing to sign even more autographs before riding off.

“We’ve had a partnership with the Indians for two years now, and have been looking for ways to continue increase our presence in Ohio and to give back to the community” said Mike Beck, vice president of sales and marketing. “Grady Sizemore seemed like a good fit, and the fans’ response was great. It feels good to have something like this.”