Game of Inches: A love letter to the Cleveland Indians from a girl and her dad

A love letter to the Cleveland Indians from a girl and her dad. Thanks for the memories, Cleveland. In memory of my dad, Gary B. Smith. In 2017, my younger sister, Kelly, submitted an essay to the Indians’ fan site, Let’s Go Tribe: https://bit.ly/2rsFwYB

Dad was a fan his entire life, through the ups and the downs, and he passed that on to his six kids. He never saw a World Series brought to Cleveland, but I think the Indians gave him some of his greatest happiness, and some of his greatest bonds with his kids. He was buried, of course, with a Tribe hat – always their biggest fan.

In early 2019, I had the idea to bring this story to life in a video. Along with my family, I spent countless hours this year going through family pictures and videos. I managed to find the audio from Tom Hamilton, the Indians play-by-play announcer, who had mentioned my dad on air during a game. And when I shot video of Kelly in our front yard, we even dusted off my Dad’s trusty old catcher’s mitt – the same one he used to play catch with me and all of my siblings growing up.

I know my dad isn’t the only Indians fan to endure a lifetime of “what ifs” and “oh-so-close” moments. But despite enduring so many disappointments, there’s something more to being an Indians fan – or a sports fan, for that matter. For me, the shared bond and the shared memories with my Dad make being an Indians fan so special. Plus, “There's always next year," as Indians fans know well. Special thanks to my sister, Kelly, and my family for helping with this project.

My Instagram:   / k6creative  
My portfolio: https://www.k6creative.net

Edited in Adobe Premiere Pro
Shot with a Canon 6D
70-200 f/2.8

Music licensed by MusicBed. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
In Time by Steven Gutheinz
A Past Life by Yoe Mase

#GoTribe #RallyTogether