Growing up in St. Louis, Cardinals baseball was more of a religion than just our national pastime.  The “sea of red” at games is envied around the league, and the history of the organization – from Stan Musial and Bob Gibson to Ozzie Smith and Yadier Molina – have yielded 11 World Series titles (second only to the infamous Yankees).

Being a child in the 80s, only a handful of games were televised, which meant we followed our Redbirds on the radio (which is the best medium to consume baseball). And we were spoiled having the best announcer in sports as our guide:  Jack Buck.

His voice was behind some of the most famous moments in sports.  Here are just a few of his memorable calls:

As good as he was behind the mic (as a baby his voice was the first person other than my parents that I recognized), it’s what he did away from the airwaves that made him one-of-a-kind.

He embodied St. Louis, which meant he did absolutely everything he could to give back to the community.  From hosting charity events to random acts of kindness, he was more than just the voice of our beloved Redbirds – he was the ambassador of St. Louis.

In 2002, I vividly remember standing in the Casa Gallardo restaurant at Union Station and hearing the news from my good friend Jenny that he had passed away.  For nearly 48 hours, KMOX – the 50,000 watt radio station which broadcast the Cardinals – veered away from their planned content and had an uninterrupted tribute to Jack.

People called in – from celebrities to everyday people who’d randomly met him once – to voice their connection to the legend and share their sadness for the loss of a friend.  The stories all had one common theme:  he genuinely cared more about those around him than himself.

Tommy
One caller told a story of a boy who had a mental disability who worked at Busch Stadium.  He was being bullied by the kids in his neighborhood and Somehow Jack got word of this.  Not only did he come to the community to make sure he wasn’t bullied anymore, he began picking the boy up before and taking him home after every Cardinals home game.

Joe Buck – Jack’s son and the voice of the NFL, MLB and PGA on Fox – called in to confirm the story saying, “Yep, that was Tommy.  Dad picked him up before every game and Tommy would wait around until he was done with all of his radio duties to get a ride home.”

This was just one of the thousands of stories that people across the community told after his passing.

Giving Back
During an interview he was once asked, “what will you ask God when you meet him one day?”  In the genuine and humble way only he could, he responded, “Why have you been so good to me?”

To me the answer to that question is pretty simple:  because he was so good to others!

As entrepreneurs we are given many opportunities that most people don’t.  I believe it is our duty to give back to our community and to those around us.

I know our company, My One Resource, is going to be a huge, life-changing success.  From the lessons I learned from Jack (and of course the ones my parents taught me), I have a responsibility to do more and leave the Orlando community a better place for those who come after me.  I’ve already started doing this in small ways, but I know my responsibilities will grow as our company grows.

I can never be to Orlando what Jack was to St. Louis, but if I can be a small fraction of the person he was, I know I will have fulfilled my mission.