Tom Rinaldi Presents: Sacred Acre
Step into the world of Sacred Acre with Tom Rinaldi, who's back for Season 2 as he uncovers the profound story of Ed Thomas, the legendary high school football coach from Parkersburg, Iowa. In this gripping 6-part series, Rinaldi takes you back to explore Thomas’s remarkable journey—from his acclaimed role as the 2005 NFL High School Coach of the Year to his pivotal role in rebuilding Parkersburg after a devastating EF-5 tornado. Just a year later, Thomas's life was tragically cut short when he was murdered by a troubled former player. Experience the impact of Thomas’s values of Faith, Family, Football, and Forgiveness through intimate interviews with those who knew him best. Each episode reveals how his legacy continues to shape and inspire his community even fifteen years after his death. New episodes of Sacred Acre drop every Thursday. Follow & Subscribe to never miss an episode.
Episodes
July 1, 2022 • 4 mins
In the more than 150 year history of Major League Baseball, only one player has ever been murdered during a season.
That player is Lyman “Wesley” Bostock Jr, a budding star for the Angels in the 70's, who was murdered by a man who would go free just months later.
In an 8-part series, Tom Rinaldi explores Lyman's incredible life, his tragic death, and the miscarriage of justice that let his killer go free.
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July 18, 2022 • 31 mins
To his family, he was simply “Wesley.” But to all in Major League Baseball, Lyman Wesley Bostock Jr. was a master with a bat. A career .311 hitter, greats of the game like George Brett and Rod Carew believed Bostock had the potential for 3,000 hits, and a possible Hall Of Fame career.
Long before signing a massive contract with the Angels, Lyman was born the son of a Negro Leagues player. Father and son had little contact in the b...
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Mark as Played
July 18, 2022 • 27 mins
Bostock spent part of his childhood in Gary, Indiana: the murder capital of the United States.
The city helped shape Bostock, and with his family ties there, its grip lasted throughout his life… with tragic result.
Bostock’s other home was California. His first week in college in the San Fernando Valley, he meets his future wife, Youvene. And in his first semester there, his role in a student protest (sparked by a white coach ass...
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Mark as Played
July 25, 2022 • 31 mins
Motivated by what he believes are scouts who misjudge him based on his “trouble” in college, Bostock is motivated more than ever to make it.
He makes the decision to enter the MLB draft. Selected 595th overall, he rises more rapidly than anyone expects--but there are hard lessons along the way. Especially when it comes to the business of baseball, and how the Minnesota Twins value players.
He forms a bond with a veteran teammate, w...
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Mark as Played
July 25, 2022 • 30 mins
Bostock breaks out in Minnesota, becoming one of the best hitters in the league. After playing out his contract and betting on himself, he’s recruited by more than half a dozen teams, including Reggie Jackson, George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees.
Lyman ultimately lands one of the richest contracts in all of sports when he decides to go home to Southern California to play for the Angels.
He starts his time there in the wor...
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Mark as Played
August 1, 2022 • 33 mins
By September 1977, Lyman is in the top 10 in the AL in hitting after starting his first season with the Angels in a huge slump. With the Angels in playoff contention during a late season series against the White Sox, he returns to Gary to spend the night with family after a game in Chicago.
Youvene thought about surprising him on the trip, but decided against it.
Visiting Gary was Lyman’s ritual whenever he played in Chicago, b...
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Mark as Played
August 1, 2022 • 37 mins
Family, friends and all in baseball are in shock over Lyman’s murder. Yet the Angels play their scheduled game the next day. The game includes a moment that brings Carney Lansford and his other teammates to tears.
Later that week back in California, players join Yuovene and nearly a thousand other mourners at an emotional funeral in L.A. A young reporter named Skip Bayless covers the funeral, and remains moved to this day by what h...
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Mark as Played
August 8, 2022 • 33 mins
Leonard Smith, the man who admitted to killing Lyman Bostock in a jealous rage, a man arrested more than half a dozen times, receives the jury’s verdict. The decision stuns the courtroom, and the country. And leads to thoughts of vengeance.
Years after the verdict, we tried to find Smith, to ask him about his life after the murder. He was living back in Gary, 6 blocks from where he killed Bostock.
The encounter still echoes for Tom...
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Mark as Played
August 8, 2022 • 37 mins
We make the drive with Yuovene to Inglewood Park Cemetery, to return to Lyman’s grave. She hadn’t allowed herself to visit in more years than she could remember, as she tries to reconcile his loss, and her memories of their time together.
We hear from those Wesley touched, as they consider his life and its legacy.
We also return to Gary to see what became of the man who killed Leonard Smith and Tom tries to come to terms with th...
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Mark as Played
September 13, 2024 • 3 mins
Tom Rinaldi is back with Season 2 of Tom Rinaldi Presents: Sacred Acre as he delves into the inspiring legacy of Ed Thomas, the revered high school football coach from Parkersburg, Iowa.
This 6-part series chronicles Thomas’s journey from being the 2005 NFL High School Coach of the Year to his heroic efforts in rebuilding his community after an EF-5 tornado. Tragically, Thomas's life was cut short when he was murdered by a former...
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Mark as Played
September 19, 2024 • 34 mins
Episode One explores the life and legacy of Ed Thomas, a legendary football coach from Aplington-Parkersburg, Iowa, who was tragically killed. Over 36 seasons, he led his team to two state titles and helped four players reach the NFL, all from a town of just 2,000.
Hear from NFL alumni Casey Wiegmann, Brad Meester, Jared DeVries, and Aaron Kampman as they share their experiences with Coach Thomas. We examine why he was named the N...
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Mark as Played
September 19, 2024 • 34 mins
Episode Two explores Ed Thomas's early years as head coach in Parkersburg, focusing on his first captain, Dave Becker. A standout player who set multiple tackling records, Becker formed a strong bond with Thomas, who even helped him meet his future wife, Joan.
We delve into the Becker family's story and their connection to Ed and the football program. Additionally, we address the challenges faced by their son, Mark, as he navigat...
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Mark as Played
September 26, 2024 • 37 mins
In May 2008, An EF-5 ravaged Iowa and tore up most of the town of Parkersburg. The damage was near atomic. The Thomas family lost their home. Applington-Parkersburg High School was unrecognizable.
But the recovery happened immediately.
Ed Thomas was undeterred in his goal of getting the football field ready for play within 100 days. His leadership would be covered by media outlets throughout Iowa and the nation. Thomas had become h...
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Mark as Played
October 3, 2024 • 40 mins
*Producer's Note: Please be advised that there are graphic descriptions of gun violence in this episode. Listener discretion is advised.
Episode 4 reveals the origins of Mark’s struggles with the law and his mental health. We take you through the fatal day on June 24th, when Ed Thomas was murdered.
Eyewitness testimony from the scene reveals the drama in rich detail. We hear the shooter, Mark Becker, in a psychotic state after t...
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Mark as Played
October 10, 2024 • 37 mins
In Episode 5, we explore the aftermath of Ed Thomas' tragic killing and how the Parkersburg community struggled to reconcile with the devastating circumstances. Through heartfelt interviews with friends, former players, family, and even local politicians, we capture the profound impact Coach Thomas had on those around him.
This episode also delves into the extraordinary grace and forgiveness extended by the Thomas family to the Be...
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Mark as Played
October 17, 2024 • 33 mins
In the final episode of 'Sacred Acre,' we return to Parkersburg to see how Ed Thomas is still impacting the town and the football program. A new interim head coach carries on the traditions, including an inspirational pregame speech.
Earlier in 2024, another school shooting in the state, this time in Perry. The circumstances, and the victims, hit close to home with the Thomas family.
And those closest to Ed Thomas reflect on hi...
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Mark as Played
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