Finals notebook: Around the world, fans are watching

125802869_web1_TTL101118Cartwright1-copy

Cartwright introduces legislation to end reliance on China for PPE supply

HAZLETON &mdash; Joe Maddon drove his RV for five days across the country to return to his hometown and raise money for his Hazleton Integration Project.
				Maddon arrived in town Tuesday night to be here in time for his annual golf tournament.
				During a ZOOM conference Friday morning prior to teeing off at Valley Country Club in Drums, Maddon was asked about not managing in the Major League Baseball playoffs for the second straight year &mdash; the first as skipper of the Los Angeles Angels.
				&ldquo;It stinks not being in the postseason,&rdquo; Maddon said. &ldquo;I would rather be in Texas or California right now, but this is a spectacular consolation prize. Beautiful day here on the course for our annual Try Not to Suck in the Valley Golf Tournament with an opportunity to see friends and raise money for the Hazleton Integration Project.&rdquo;
				Maddon said the Hazleton Integration Project is about combating social injustice.
				&ldquo;What we are doing now has never been more important,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I feel like we are at the forefront of a lot of this stuff, especially now and especially in the smaller communities throughout the country.&rdquo;
				Maddon said the big urban centers have to develop the same kind of concepts within pockets of the big city.
				&ldquo;We can actually create this organization where you can see the impact by the borders of the city,&rdquo; Maddon said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re seeing it. I&rsquo;m seeing it. I&rsquo;m really proud of what we have done here. We have always wanted to set an example for a lot of other communities and I think we have.&rdquo;
				Maddon said when the Hazleton Integration Project first began, he was met with some resistance.
				&ldquo;And now it could not be more important to do what we are doing,&rdquo; Maddon said. &ldquo;And yes, some people who were opposed to this are now becoming friends. I could not be more proud of what we have done and yes we need more of it.&rdquo;
				Maddon said from the beginning, the HIP has been open to consulting with other communities in an attempt to do the same thing. HE said he has been doing this throughout Pennsylvania where you put a HIP center or the equivalent near universities and colleges and make it part of the curriculum where you get students involved within the college and they get credit for it.
				&ldquo;The thing that can happen, sometimes, is there is an elitist feeling for the school versus the community,&rdquo; Maddon said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s exactly what you don&rsquo;t want to to create. It takes time and effort and follow through.&rdquo;
				About the HIP
				Since April, HIP&rsquo;s Food Distribution Network has provided food for 500 families per week.
				To supplement the food boxes HIP receives from the Weinberg Food Bank, Respect 90 has provided additional items.
				The food boxes provide a family of four enough food for four days.
				Respect 90&rsquo;s donations allow HIP to add food items like large cans of soup, fruits, rice and beans, items that can stretch what the families receive in the boxes.
				This will likely continue through October. HIP is also considering how to do their annual Thanksmas Meal event this year. The plan is to provide a holiday box for needy families that would include a ham or turkey.
				HIP is currently accommodating 30 students who need internet or computers to do their daily work. The students are currently at HIP from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. and practice social distancing These students are literally accessing their school through HIP. They have little or no access to the internet without HIP. HIP is hoping to receive a donation next week that will allow them to expand to 40 computers.
				&ldquo;Everything we do is our maximum effort, but often we are just scratching the surface,&rdquo; said Bob Curry, HIP director. &ldquo;The donations are huge.&rdquo;
				Richard L. Vaughn is the executive director of the Respect 90 Foundation.
				Talking baseball
				Maddon predicted that the 2020 World Series will be between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, the team he managed for years before going to the Chicago Cubs and winning the 2016 World Championship.
				As far as the Angels, Maddon said, &ldquo;We have to get better. We have to play tom win and get to the playoffs. It&rsquo;s just the way I&rsquo;m wired.&rdquo;
				Maddon, a St. Louis Cardinals fan since childhood, talked about the recent deaths of Lou Brock and Bob Gibson, two cardinal legends, along with baseball greats Tom Seaver and Al Kaline.
				&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve met all of those guys,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Brock and Gibson were childhood heroes. I once sat in the dugout with Gibson and Tim McCarver. We talked for more than an hour. I&rsquo;ll never forget that.&rdquo;
				Maddon said the 2020 season was &ldquo;just different&rdquo; because of the pandemic. He said the absence of fans was odd, to say the least.

Maddon returns home to raise funds for Hazleton Integration Project