Goat Post: Issue 11

Forty seven years ago today, Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, about half an hour from Goatnet headquarters. Kobe and his daughter Gianna were two of the nine people taken too terribly soon in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

Kobe, an indisputable great of all time, played 20 seasons in the NBA, a first for any guard. And now two goats of football are part of the team that has green lit a movie about Kobe’s life.

It’s called, “With the 8th Pick”, and the production company connected to Tom Brady and Michael Strahan, Religion of Sports, has partnered with Warner Bros. on the film.

If it’s half as entertaining as this Shaq quote delivered in Kobe’s honor, they’ve got a blockbuster on their hands.

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Today’s Goat Post isn’t about obvious greats. Goatnet, for that matter, exists to make great storytelling accessible and unforgettable for the goats in your lives. The ones down the street, the ones getting the field ready, the ones here today, the ones who’ve gone away and the ones with tbd arrival times.

Let’s take Lou Collier, for example. People who know him, who’ve played with him — he wore five Major League teams’ uniforms — or been coached by him, realize he’s a super human. Lou is powered by love for his Mom and the drive to be the kind of Dad his father, a Veteran who wasn’t ever fully the same after Vietnam, wanted to be.

We have two clips for you from Lou, one about his approach to helping kids, and another about his parents. We’ll get to his son Cam, a rising star in the Reds organization, another time.

We introduced Lou here because he’s part of the phenomenal greater Atlanta amateur baseball scene, helping many kids who come from challenging circumstances.

The truth is, Atlanta — with the generosity of the Braves, the prowess of East Cobb Baseball, the legends from Hank Aaron to Chipper Jones, the stories and successes of Marquis Grissom, Marvin Freeman and royalty rolling like the Chattahoochee, first-class facilities a la LakePoint — arguably is the most vibrant landscape for player development in the country.

Let’s take a look at one of the greatest reasons why.

Gresham Park. Its history. Its staying power. Everything it represents. Goatnet had the honor of connecting with Clarence Johns, Greg Goodwin, Manny Upton and 27 difference-making others as part of a definitive episodic series, “Oh Yes We Do,” to record the real narratives around baseball in communities that for too long haven’t gotten deserved publicity.

Yet for 20 years and counting, thanks to MVP — Mentoring Viable Prospects — kids from Georgia, Florida, Chicago, North Carolina, on and on, have not only been drawn to Gresham Park, they’ve blossomed from the experience.

This is the epicenter of a movement that has an indisputably authentic foundation. The diamond’s outfield fence, if it wouldn’t be too weird for outfielders, should be shaped like the top of a heart.

There’s so much love and laughter at Gresham Park during MVP’s Jewel Event you’d think the glory days of baseball for people of color were back and better than ever.

But thanks to MVP and players who’ve shown up — prospective, current and retired — genuine avenues and trajectories ARE present. College coaches. Front offices. Brian Jordan. Marlon Anderson. Nico Goodrum. MLB representatives. Rise 2 Greatness.

As a teenager, Jason Heyward gave scouts a headline prospect to see, back in the day. Michael Harris II did, too.

And best of all, MVP and Gresham Park are springboards for a growing wave of aspiring role models. If ever they need a reminder of how it’s done best, this is the place. Here’s a trailer for what we’re facilitating.

Getting kids to college is the prize.

The players in this setting? Their wins are bigger than sports. They’re all potential mentors of tomorrow.

We close this week with a grateful look back at last Sunday, the culmination of Hall of Fame weekend at Daikin Park in Houston, where Billy Wagner’s number 13 was raised to the rafters.

It isn’t Billy we’re covering right now. It’s Goatnet’s adaptive route guidance.

Goatnet doesn’t go anywhere without focus on community and the path to great results. I happened to be in the presence of the late Bob Watson’s family, the late Jimmy Wynn’s family, the late Ken Caminiti’s family, the late Don Wilson’s family and the late J.R. Richard’s family.

It became immediately clear. We’re going to assemble the stories they want to share, efficiently and poignantly. And of course, with great energy.

You need that, for one, if you’re going to keep up with Jimmy The Toy Cannon’s grandson. Catch him if you can.

This is Denise, daughter of Don Wilson. Don passed away under devastating circumstances in 1975, succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning in the garage at his residence. It was worse. His 5 year old son, Alex — sleeping inside the home above the garage — also died.

Denise suffered hearing loss and was in a coma as a result of the fumes.

All these years later — 50 — to meet Denise, her Mom and then, Denise’s son, I was overcome by awe, by love and appreciation for their strength.

Then, Denise introduced me to her adult son, a promising student and aspiring engineer.

She called him over and said, “This is Alex.”

Denise named him after her brother. We just hugged, held hands, then wiped our eyes.

It was time to say goodbye, and that’s when she showed me her father’s watch.

The man pitched two no-hitters for the Astros.

But nothing was as out of this world as his widow, his daughter and how time travel was real in their company.

Love your people, cherish the stories — and know you’re a director and part of the cast even after the credits roll.

Goat Big!