Chamberlain joins Oneida Thanksgiving float

The Yankees’ Joba Chamberlain Will Join Oneida Indian Nation’s “True Spirit of Thanksgiving” Float in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day ParadeNew York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, Winnebago, will be joining the Oneida Indian Nation’s spectacular True Spirit of Thanksgiving float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this Thursday. Chamberlain, who Indian Country Today Media Network interviewed for a feature article this past April, is a man who knows all about being thankful. As we reported in our piece, Joba’s father, Harlan, was born on the Winnebago reservation in Nebraska and contracted polio as a baby, which forced him into long hospital stays. Still, despite the crippling disease that left him unable to walk, deaf in one ear and with diminished use of his left arm, he raised Joba and Tasha (Joba’s sister) as a single parent. Joba has told of his dad still playing catch with him—with one arm—and of the entire neighborhood playing baseball at the Chamberlains’ home.

This marks the fourth year that the Oneida Indian Nation’s float, True Spirit of Thanksgiving, will be making its way from Central Park to Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan. This year marks the 85th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will be broadcast nationally on NBC, per usual, with the parade starting at 9am.Comment:  For more on Joba Chamberlain, see Chamberlain Pleads Guilty to DUI and Joba Goes to Disney World.

3rd Indian baseball player in majors

Perseverance pays off for Florida Marlins reliever Brian Sanches

His heritage and stats are noteworthy, but Brian Sanches probably is most proud of the determination it took to reach the majors.

By Clark SpencerThe only American Indian in the National League has the lowest ERA in the majors.

Marlins reliever Brian Sanches is proud of his heritage and pleased with his success. But what's even more gratifying to him has been his perseverance, reaching the majors when there were many times he wanted to give up.

"There were countless times where I thought enough was enough, how much can a person take of this?" said Sanches, who turns 31 on Saturday and spent most of his professional career bouncing around the minors. "But I'd step back and regroup and keep inching along."

Perhaps it's in his blood.

Sanches is believed to be one of only three players in the majors classified as American Indian. The others are Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and the New York Yankees' Joba Chamberlain.

Sanches, who hails from Texas, is part of the small and obscure Caddo tribe.

He has dressed up in tribal costume for annual pow-wows and proudly checks the box on registration forms proclaiming him as American Indian.

Not Hall-Bound

The Baseball Almanac lists 50 full-blooded American Indian players who have played in the majors over the years. Seven of them are nicknamed "Chief." Two of them--Chief Bender and Zack Wheat--are in the Hall of Fame.

It's safe to say that Sanches probably won't be headed for the Hall when his career is finished. He didn't reach the majors until he was 26 and has only four victories.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  "The Florida Marlins' Brian Sanches pitches in the ninth inning in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens, Monday, June 1, 2009. Sanches' 0.95 ERA is the lowest among all major-league pitchers with at least 25 innings thrown this season." (Joe Rimkus Jr./Staff Photo)

Chamberlain pleads guilty to DUI

Joba Chamberlain pleads guilty to DUI, gets probationNew York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain pleaded guilty in Lancaster County Court on Wednesday to first-offense DUI.

Chamberlain, 23, stood before Judge Laurie Yardley with his hands in the pockets of his pin-striped suit as she asked him how he wanted to plead to the charge.

“Guilty,” he said.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Chamberlain Loses License Over DUI and Chamberlain Arrested for DUI.

Joba goes to Disney World

Joba shows Lincoln girl wonderful world of DisneyEvery year Joba Chamberlain (center), who pitches for the New York Yankees, selects a school and then selects a student to share a weekend with. This year he chose Clinton Elementary in Lincoln. He visited with the principal, and Jazmin Meyer-King was selected.

They spent last weekend in Orlando.

Joba, in Tampa for spring training, paid for everything: The air fare; the SUV and the driver awaiting them at the airport; the deluxe rooms at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge overlooking the beach; the VIP treatment, front of the line on every ride; the private escort lady who took them anywhere they wanted to go and paid for anything they wanted to eat.Comment:  Nice gesture. But as the person who questions everything, I have to wonder. If it were me, I'd follow up a year later to make sure the youngster stayed on the right path. I'd consider taking poor or troubled kids rather than well-off or untroubled kids. I'd analyze how effective it was to spend all that time and money on one child rather than, say, a classroom of children. But that's just me.

For more on the subject, see Chamberlain Loses License Over DUI, Jocks Aren't Good Role Models, and Chamberlain Gives Baseball Cards.