Perhaps it was fitting that in an old historic ballpark, Harmon Killebrew became a real man to me.

I was working for WFIE-TV in Evansville, Ind., and Killebrew was in town promoting hospice care. At the time, I had no idea what hospice was or why someone would travel from town to town speaking of it. All I knew was that this young memorabilia collector had a baseball or two to get signed.

]]>Tell OGS Where To Gohttp://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/17/tell-ogs-where-to-go.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-17T20:28:13Z One Great Season

As you know, we're locking the doors on OGS here pretty soon and there will be no new content after mid-June.

In the meantime, we've got a couple of requests for you, especially if you're among our New York readers or you're in some way savvy about the city:

+ I have about two weeks left here. Recommend a restaurant, particularly a specific dish, suggest a bar where I can down a Guinness or a cocktail and of course tell me what I can photograph before I leave. I've covered a lot of ground and shot most NYC landmarks, but if there's something you haven't seen on my photography site, please please please share your tips. If I follow your advice and deem it to be good, of course, I'll send you a free poster of your choice of any of my New York prints (some are here; others are here).

+ Also, I'm trying to build up the People page on my photography site. Do you want your portrait taken? Let me know and we'll try to work something out quickly.

+ Lastly, since we're talking about my photography site so much today, why not visit it and click one of those "What's On Sale?" links in the upper right corner of the home page? I could use a few bucks to help with the move. And I've seen your apartment; you could certainly use a new look on your walls. That Breakfast of Champions poster is getting old.]]>OGS Is Moving Onhttp://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/13/ogs-is-moving-on.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-13T18:18:54Z One Great Season

I'm very excited to announce I'll be returning to the daily buzz and excitement of a local television newsroom.

I've accepted the job of Digital Media Manager at WPBF-TV in West Palm Beach, Fla.

This is a great opportunity for me, as WPBF was looking for an experienced day-to-day leader who could also tackle big-picture goals with creativity and passion. Having spent the last 22 months rocking One Great Season, I think showed them that, and then some. It didn't hurt that I have a strong interest in social media, and I'm looking forward to growing WPBF's presence in that space as well.

I'll begin there in mid-June, which means I only have a couple of weeks left to enjoy New York.

I'll try to mix in some fun as I pack up and plan my move, which should happen around the first of the month. I'm still trying to figure out if I'll be able to visit family and friends in Cleveland and/or Cincinnati and/or Louisville before I make my way south.

I do need to buy a car.

I'll also be selling off many of things, including my photography.

For those of you considering a trip to South Florida for the OSU-Miami game in September, we should talk about that. West Palm Beach is 90 minutes away from South Beach.

I will no longer be writing for One Great Season. Eventually I'll move this site over to Wordpress so I don't have to pay for it, but it will function essentially as an archive, as there will be no new content.

Also, some of you may know that I have two Twitter accounts — @onegreatseason and @johnpwisephotog. Here's how I'll handle that transition:

+ Shut down the @johnpwisephotog account
+ Change the @onegreatseason handle to @johnpwisephotog
+ I'll Tweet about sports, media, photography and other silliness. I hope you continue/start to follow me.

When I was asked if I'd be comfortable putting OGS on hold, at first I was hesitant and I did put up a fight. But the bottom line is that this is a great opportunity for me and I'm excited to discover new passions in Florida. WPBF.com is my new focus. I hope you'll check in from time to time.

Lastly, I'll publish a more proper thank-you in a few days. I just wanted to get this news out quickly in case you were wondering why nothing has been published here this week.]]>Kentucky Derby Recipes From The OGS Culinary Teamhttp://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/7/kentucky-derby-recipes-from-the-ogs-culinary-team.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-07T18:32:12ZTailgate Recipes One Great Season

Surely you've read about My Mom's Chili a time or two on these pages. Perhaps you've even watched the video.

But if you're looking for some smaller snack foods for your Super Bowl Final Four Kentucky Derby party, the OGS Culinary Team has a few ideas for you, especially if you're in a pinch for easy-to-make, last-minute recipes this afternoon:

Here's what you do:
+ Slice cucumber (thin slices)
+ Spread goat cheese over each slice (best to leave the cheese out at room temperature before preparing so it's easier to spread)
+ Cut red peppers (or sun dried tomatoes) so they're small enough to fit on each slice

]]>Survey: What's So Great About The Kentucky Derby?http://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/5/survey-whats-so-great-about-the-kentucky-derby.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-05T17:56:54Z

Mark Ennis, College Football Blogger — The best thing about the Derby is its connectedness to tradition. The Derby is still for the same aged horses on the same track at the same time every year and people embrace it by singing the same song (sans racist line) and wearing the same outfits. It's one of the few things you can do that is exactly the same as it was as far back as the 1880s.

]]>5 Things We Hate About The Kentucky Derbyhttp://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/5/5-things-we-hate-about-the-kentucky-derby.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-05T13:52:18ZBen Jackey Kentucky Derby

The Weather — Ask anyone in Louisville about Derby weather and you'll either get a roll of the eyes or a laugh. It could be 70 and sunny all week long, but on the first Saturday in May, picturesque weather is a long shot. We've endured sleet, snow and even tornado warnings ... and that's just within the last 10 years! It's a shame that at an event so widely known for its stylish spectators, the clothing of choice often becomes a parka or poncho.

]]>The Daily Q: Wednesday, May 4, 2011http://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/4/the-daily-q-wednesday-may-4-2011.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-04T21:51:14ZThe Daily Q

]]>90 Seconds: Tuesday, May 3, 2011http://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/3/90-seconds-tuesday-may-3-2011.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-03T15:58:11Z90 Seconds

]]>In Pictures: Revelers Celebrate At Ground Zerohttp://onegreatseason.com/home/2011/5/2/in-pictures-revelers-celebrate-at-ground-zero.htmlJohn P. Wise2011-05-02T16:56:19Z

That's exactly what I did and while I know the news of Osama bin Laden's death and the subsequent celebration that followed at Ground Zero have nothing to do with sports, they add up to one of those moments that we'll never forget. I remember asking my mom where she was when she learned that JFK was shot, and I'm not trying to compare things here, but I'm pretty sure this is one of those slivers of history with which I'll always associate my Brooklyn apartment, the Mets-Phillies game, the decision to trek over to Ground Zero and of course, the several hours I spent there.

After shooting the madness from about 2 a.m. to nearly 5 a.m., I felt like my photo opportunities were fading, so I ducked into a crowded bodega right in the middle of the chaos and bought a couple of tall-boy cans of beer. As I started sipping on one of them, I bumped into some news friends like Michelle Frantzen, John Huddy and Tim Daughtry. With beer in hand, cameras over shoulders and fatigue setting in, I realized a short time later it was time to call it a night.

By the time I got to my stop after 5:30 a.m., it was starting to get light out. Birds were chirping and I was still nursing my beer. I vowed to post my pictures, but once I got into my apartment and settled in, I was pretty wiped out. I had been awake for 21 straight hours and already done an 11-hour shift for my weekend employer.

Anyway, I finally got my pictures posted on the OGS Photos page. Here's to never forgetting.]]>