This day, 45 years ago

I wish I could have witnessed this.



I like Cleveland almost as much as I am comforted by my hometown.  Why?  It's neat!  It's got that great river valley through it, it's a food town, I love metal industry, it has a water horizon. It was in Christmas Story.

There is a city I dream about.  A recurring dream. It doesn't match DC or Cleveland, it is more of a combination of both.  Maybe with a touch of New York thrown in, thanks to Sesame Street.  And it comes accidentally.  I have dreamed of this city long before I ever visited Cleveland.  But it matches more than most real towns, this fake town in my head.  That is stuck in 1955, with cars from 1970.

Which is why witnessing the 10 Cent Beer Night Baseball Riot would have been a hoot.  Hey, I like Stroh's...

Cleveland is a small big city. You can get around it. Not like LA or Texas big towns. Chicago. And you can move while in it. Not like New York or DC or Philly with their traffic headaches.

"You like it because of a riot? You know the river burned there, T-Bolt?"

Yes, I know. I like the town, warts and all. Sometimes BECAUSE of the warts.