Gary Middendorf

I’m done with whatever the name of this app is. Only 5% of my thread are people I actually follow. I’ll be posting my photos on the Herald-News and my personal Instagram account. Bye 👋

I'm covering Lollapalooza Thursday August 3rd for the Herald-News and what to give it a local connection. Is anyone going or know someone going? If so message me, please. Thanks.

Lincoln-Way East is excited to announce the hiring of John McCarthy as our Head Baseball Coach. Coach McCarthy has previously led the programs at Brother Rice and Homewood-Flossmoor. Welcome to John, his wife Meghan, and their three kids!

@ColinSeanKing They could strike for 3 years and I still wouldn’t catch up on all the show I have on my watch lists.

I heard that Hollywood actors are planning to join their Hollywood writers on strike. Looks like TV shows and movies are going to face some serious delays. I guess now we'll finally have time to catch up on all those books we've been meaning to read. Who needs actors when you've got an overstocked bookshelf, right?

Ok, seriously, how the hell did Crash Davis not make it in the show? Great power, called a hell of a game behind the dish, plus intangibles, grounded in reality, solid lover. I call bullshit.

Photos from today's 11 on 11 scrimmage between @HilltoppersFB and @PNTigerFootball. @HeraldNewsSport @FNDrive

Johnson pulls out of Northwestern amid scandal.

Congratulations to 2018 Porter Baseball Alum, CJ Weins, on being selected in the 2023 MLB Draft! CJ had his name called in the 6th round by the Boston Red Sox. Way to go CJ!!! #PorterPride

Congratulations to Hilltopper grad Christian Knapczyk ‘20 on being selected in the 5th round of the @MLB Draft by the @CleGuardians. Knapczyk is the 40th Hilltopper since 1968 to play professional baseball and is seeking to become the tenth major leaguer in program history.

The MLB Draft starts today. I was the 9th overall pick in 2009. What you don’t hear about the draft, signing for millions, and professional sports: 1. YOU ARE FLYING BLIND The MLB draft is like Houdini’s black box. You never know what is going to happen. Teams know everything, agents know pieces, and players know nothing. 2. NEED TO KNOW ONLY Professional sports = Business first. MLB teams turn into professional stalkers, keep your circle small. Assume everything you say is public information. 3. LEVERAGE IS EVERYTHING To get paid in the draft you MUST craft a story that exudes leverage. Teams negotiate on nostalgia, emotion, and a little boy’s dream coming true. To get paid ignore the noise and create leverage. 4. THE RED CARPET LASTS TWO DAYS Draft euphoria will last 48 hours. I went from high schooler to big leaguer (so I thought) to rookie league ball boy in the time it took my first check to clear. 5. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS CHANGES EVERYTHING AND NOTHING I got my first check for $1,200,000 in 30 days. It changed everything, yet I woke up on day 31 feeling the same. Money is a tool we all need in life but putting it in the proper perspective is key. 6. ATHLETES PAY A LOT OF TAX There is no debate that athletes certainly pay their fair share. I paid roughly $2,000,000 to Uncle Sam from my bonus. The contract number shown is a mirage, cut that by 50% and you will find reality. 7. YEAR 1 MONEY TRAP Year 1 money is rolling in and your career will "never end." Just remember at some point the playing career ends and so do the big checks. 8. TRAVEL GRIND Baseball travel is nothing like the LIV golf jet. The minor league travel schedule is intense and features the worst flight times, long bus rides, and motel accommodations. 9. THERE ARE NO EMOTIONS Imagine doing your job only to hear your boss trying to find a replacement. My “no emotion” night came after struggling against my hometown team the St. Louis Cardinals. A few hours after celebrating my family being there, I was sent down to AAA. 10. WINNING TRUMPS EVERYTHING If you produce, you play and if you play you get paid. The fact is teams do not care “how you get it done” as long as you are “getting it done.” The truth is winning on the field trumps everything. A note to all the players getting drafted tonight: I hope you thank the people in the room with you, it doesn't happen without them. I hope you embrace the moment, it is something you will cherish for the rest of your life. I hope you take this as just the first step, the draft is the starting point, not the end game. You earned it, enjoy it.

@Super70sSports 😂😂😂

I pounded these motherfuckers like Tic Tacs throughout my childhood and am now immune to all diseases.

Today’s eNews photo page. All summer I will be highlighting the 22-23 season of the schools in our coverage area. Joliet Central is highlighted this week. Last week was Joliet West and next week will be Lockport. @JolietCentralAD @HeraldNewsSport

@historyinmemes One of the best concerts I saw was Pearl Jam at Lollapalooza ‘92 at Alpine Valley. Eddie climbed to the top of the side scaffolding, guess that was his thing on tour that year 😂

In September of 1992, Pearl Jam celebrated their seemingly overnight success by staging a free show in Seattle's Magnusson Park, drawing a crowd of over 70,000 people. During the show, Eddie Vedder, the lead singer, embarked on a death-defying feat. He climbed the stage scaffolding with 100 feet of microphone cable trailing behind him, looped it over the top, rappelled down, and swung out over the audience. "I was channeling something different," Eddie once reflected on his onstage escapades. "I reached that place you hear about where a mother lifts a car off her two-year-old child. It was that kind of adventure. At that point in my life, finally having the opportunity to perform for larger crowds, I genuinely felt like I had nothing to lose. I wasn't thinking about what might await me in the future. It was all about the present moment. This mindset aligned with the message we, as a group, wanted to convey to the audience at that particular time. Risking my safety to evoke such emotions became part of the performance." These photographs captured the intense rage and fury embodied by Eddie and the band during that period. In retrospect, it was a reckless act, as his career and life could have ended tragically. The anxiety of the 70,000 fans in attendance was palpable in the air. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a glorious rock and roll moment, contributing to their long and illustrious career.

No surprise here as Lemont's Sage Mardjetko is named the Herald-News 2023 Softball Player of the Year. Here is my photo art trading card of Sage. @HeraldNewsSport @Lemont_Softball

Sage Mardjetko led Lemont to its second consecutive Class 3A title and did not allow an earned run all season and capped it off with a 24-strikeout no-hitter in the championship game. shawlocal.com/the-herald-new…

@LWEastBaseball I accidently identified the third base coach as you, Brauer. Could you reply his name or DM me? For file photo, thanks.

After accumulating 458 wins over a coaching career that for the past six years has seen him average 27 wins a season at Lincoln-Way East, Eric Brauer has announced his retirement from coaching varsity baseball. shawlocal.com/the-herald-new…

Eric Brauer announced that he will be stepping down as head coach for Lincoln-Way East to focus on family. Wishing you the best coach. @HeraldNewsSport @LWEastBaseball @LWEastAthletics

Here is my trading card art of Joliet Catholic's TJ Schlageter who is named the Herald-News 2023 Baseball Player of the Year. @HeraldNewsSport @JCABaseball

@brookhoops Message me please