Cleveland Loses a Legend

Today is a sad day for Cleveland sports. Today is sadder for me than the loss of the '97 series. Today is probably sadder for my father than The Drive or The Fumble or any other countless Cleveland Sports tragedies. Today we lost Hal.

I grew up with Hal Lebovitz. His columns were some of the first I read after I learned phonics. Every Sunday morning my dad and I would rush to see who could get the News-Herald sports section so we could read Hal's column first. In later years, I became more interested in the politics section of the paper, but I always got around to reading Hal. Hal was a part of life.

My father and Hal conspired to instill a passion within me for Cleveland, sports, and fair play. With Hal's death, I feel as though a part of my childhood died. Sunday mornings will never be the same.

Hal was a staple of the Cleveland Sports scene since the 1940's. In 2000, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Hal, we miss you dearly.

Stay well and see you somewhere soon, I hope.