🇺🇸 Most Badass Americans You Don’t Know D-Day Edition: John J. Pinder Jr. Technician Fifth Grade John J. Pinder Jr. landed on Omaha beach on his birthday. He didn’t make it off. Born June 6, 1912, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, Joe Pinder was the oldest of three children. His father worked in the steel industry. He graduated as valedictorian of Butler High School in 1931. Pinder spent the next several years as a right-handed pitcher in the minor leagues. He played six seasons in the farm systems of the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Washington Senators, and Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1941 he won 17 games and was still chasing a shot at the major leagues when the war came. He entered the Army in January 1942 after Pearl Harbor. Assigned as a radio operator with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, he fought in North Africa and Sicily. In Sicily he earned a Bronze Star for staying at an observation post under fire. On June 6, 1944, Pinder landed with the first waves on Omaha Beach on his birthday. Communications were shattered. His job was to get a working radio ashore. He made it off the landing craft. They were 100 yards off the beach. Then he was hit. A round tore into his face after only a few steps off the boat. Pinder held the torn flesh of his face together with one hand, carried the radio with the other, and delivered the radio to his unit, while wading thru waste deep water. That should have been enough. It wasn’t. Weakened and bleeding, he turned around and went back into the surf and fire three more times to salvage communication equipment. He even recovered another workable radio. On the third trip machine gun fire hit him again, this time in the legs. Still he kept going. Weakening but exposed on the beach, he helped get the radios working so the men around him could call for support. While doing so, he was hit for the third time and killed. Medal of Honor. Posthumous. It was presented to his father on January 26, 1945. Pinder was initially buried in Normandy. In 1947 his family brought him home to Grandview Cemetery in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. He was the only professional baseball player awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II. John Pinder is an American Badass Thank you, John! 🫡🇺🇸

Throwback to when we did Avon's Got Talent during the COVID year. @mpace_music

Winning is a good feeling, but it passes, and what lasts is what you’ve learned. Winning is not the point. Wanting to win is the point. Not giving up is the point. Never letting up is the point. Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point. – Pat Summitt

Happy Mother's Day to the mom of 2, grandmother of 1, Future grandmother of another and the mom-away-from-home to 400. We love ya!

Cristiano Ronaldo is the kindness player I've ever seen

The Standard!

The Sound of a Losing Culture. I hear it in the dugout during games. A player strikes out looking on a borderline pitch. He walks back to the bench tosses his bat and starts the script: "Blue has a flight to catch," or "The sun was right in my eyes." The coach nods just to stop the noise. The teammates shrug because they do it too. But the standard of the program just dropped another inch. You think you’re just "venting." Everyone else sees a player who is too soft to own his failure. The 3 Lefts Mental Audit: • The Excuse Subsidy: Every time you blame the umpire, the sun, or the mound you are paying a tax on your own development. If it’s someone else’s fault you don't have to fix anything. And if you don't fix anything you stay exactly where you are Average. • The "Main Character" Delusion: The sun is hitting the pitcher’s eyes too. The umpire is missing calls for both sides. The game isn't out to get you it just doesn't care about you. Stop acting like the world is conspiring against your batting average. • The Respect Gap: You want your teammates to trust you in the 7th inning. Then stop acting like a victim in the 2nd. Real leaders don't look for someone to blame they look for a way to adjust. The game doesn't reward the player with the best reason It rewards the player who makes the most adjustments. If you want to be treated like an elite ballplayer, start acting like one when things go wrong. High-level players don't have bad luck they have short memories and a plan for the next pitch. Average players want the world to be fair. Ballplayers realize the dirt is dirty and they keep digging anyway. Stop auditioning for the victim role. Nobody is buying tickets to that show. #3LeftsBaseball #BaseballIQ

Congratulations to Brendan Fennell, the accolades keep rolling in! #MelrosePS gotuftsjumbos.com/news/2026/…

Some photos from our first few days in FL.

AOF alums in action: Team Captain James Morr '22 pitching to George Proffitt '25 for SLU in recent action. Note Morr's strong command while George fires another strike to first to nab a runner.

First full day of baseball in Florida was a success.

Good footwork is the key for all of our athletes. Coach Crozier (@C5telitesports) breaks down how to apply it with our outfielders 👊

No words, just pictures and some tears thinking of JTG and Pags #jtg #pags #everybodyrides

Starting the week strong with some reps! 🔥

📽️ Parking Lot Postgame Avon Old Farms wins the Elite 8 Championship #PLPG #NEPrepped

As an athlete, you play your best when you stop trying to control the outcome, and instead, you relax and let your instincts take over.