Just the Facts
Full Name: Joe Miller
DOB: 7/13/1965
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
Teams: Lake County Captains, Giant Eagle (Mentor on the Lake)
Favorites: Washington Redskins
Food: Seafood
Musician: Oakridge Boys, Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse
Baseball players: Kevin Kouzmanoff
Activity: Church
Hero: God
BY TIMOTHY W. SHIRER
SPORTS EDITOR
On July 13, 1965 the King of Classic Park, Joe Miller was born 38 years before Classic Park opened. You see Joe is more then a worker at Classic Park home of the Lake County Captains, Joe is the King of Classic Park. He is perhaps the Captains biggest fan.
Joe also works at Giant Eagle in Mentor-On-The-Lake. When I commented to Joe that Giant Eagle was his real job. Joe said no, his job with the Captains is his real job. Joe truly loves being at the ball park around the fans and the players. Joe often sits in the press box on his days off and add's great atmosphere to the box.
I did not know Joe before this year and one day when I got to Classic Park a couple hours before the game I was getting my laptop set up and the press box intern, Tim O'Brien said, "Did you hear Jared Goedert is going to get called up to Kinston." "I said
"Oh yeah who told you." And Tim said, "Joe". Well from then on I realized when something happened at Classic Park or with the Captains was going to happen, Joe was the man who would know.
Joe loves baseball and particularly the Captains. Joe says his favorite Captains of all-time is Kevin Kouzmanoff. He says Kouzmanoff is a nice person and whenever he saw him away from classic park he would talk to him. Joe's greatest sports memory is a Captains memory too. The memory happened when Matt Knox hit two home runs to help the Captains win a game in 2003. Joe also Says that Luis Rivera is his favorite Captains manager. He says Rivera knew the skills of baseball and ran the game the right way. Joe went on to say the Captains played as a team when Luis Rivera was the manager.
There is much more to Joe then Classic Park, The Captains and Giant Eagle. Joe is a huge fan of minor league baseball overall. Joe has traveled to see many other minor league teams including the Toledo Mud Hens, Buffalo Bisons, Akron Aeros and Erie Sea Wolves. If you ask Joe the nickname of a minor league team it take only seconds and he will tell you..
Joe also loves the Indians. He thinks the trade for Kenny Lofton was a bad deal because giving up Max Ramirez was to much to give up. He believes Ramirez will be a great Major League catcher. Joe says that his favorite all time Indian player is Ray Fosse. His favorite current Indian is Fausto Carmona, go figure a former Captain.
Joe is a graduate of Mentor High School. While at Mentor Joe served as the manager for both football (2 years) and basketball (1 year). Joe still does statistics for Cardinals basketball during the winter.
During the summer Joe also has another interest besides baseball, NASCAR. Joe says when he first got interested in NASCAR he enjoyed watching the cars go around the track and his interest grew from there. Joe said he was very said when Dale Earnhardt got killed. His favorite driver now is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He says he is not like other people he liked him before his father was killed.
I asked Joe what he likes to do when he is not watching sports. He said he like watching television he loves Wonder Woman and said when he was younger he was infatuated with Linda Carter. He also enjoyed watching Cheryl Ladd on Charlie's Angels. But maybe the most important thing beside sports to Joe is Church. Joe said when I asked him who is hero was he told me simply, God. I think this says allot about Joe. Joe Miller is truly a diamond in the rough. When your at Classic Park next time say hi to Joe. He probably will be the nicest person you will ever meet.
POSTED 08/12/2007 02:45
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