Mitch chose wisely this time

It probably wasn't a big deal when Gov. Mitch Daniels announced early in his first term that he was going to take a different approach to the gubernatorial honor known as Sagamore of the Wabash.

The governor's concern was that a once-meaningful honor had lost some of its currency by becoming almost commonplace. On top of that, record-keeping on Sagamores was so casual that some folks ended up receiving more than one from two different governors.

The Daniels solution was to create three distinct levels of honor: Distinguished Hoosier, Sagamore, and Sachem.

The first was to make sure that worthy citizens continued to win recognition. The second was to make Sagamore status more meaningful by making it more rare.

And the third was to establish the highest level of civilian distinction the governor could bestow. Only one Sachem would be honored each year.

This week, with the 2010 award, Gov. Daniels hit a home run and made abundantly clear the sort of qualities that deserve this highest of honors.

The recipient was Carl Erskine, legendary baseball pitcher, banker, coach, civic leader, and all around remarkable human being. Erskine, whose friendship with Jackie Robinson on the Brooklyn Dodgers helped ease the integration of baseball, is an inspiration to all who have ever met him or heard him speak.

If he's the standard that defines what a Sachem is, then it is a high honor indeed.

Or as Gov. Daniels put it this week, "Next time you get that question we all get from time to time: 'What the heck's a Hoosier?' Tell them that man there, Carl Erskine (is the) best we've got." - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]