Trussville, Ala., is a typical southern U.S. city. Spread out along the Cahaba River with scenic streets lined by trees that help form a picturesque escape in the northern half of the state.
Most in Osaka have never heard of the sleepy town that sits in the shadow of the much bigger Birmingham, a sprawling city that houses remnants of the steel industry that spurred its initial growth decades ago.
Jason Standridge is not among those people. The Hanshin Tigers pitcher may live in Osaka now, but he grew up around Birmingham and Trussville. So the news of the devastating tornadoes that ravaged the area last week jolted him a little bit.