July 21, 2025 • 42 mins
Kelly Robinson shares his deep connection to baseball as a family tradition dating back to 1900 when the White Sox began, revealing how the sport has shaped his identity, relationships, and most meaningful life moments.
• First baseball memory at age three at Comiskey Park seeing Harry Carey sing
• White Sox family tradition spans multiple generations, unifying family members regardless of different beliefs
• How Twitter and social media connected him with fellow minor league baseball fans during 2020
• Experiencing the White Sox 2005 World Series victory after a personally difficult year
• Getting married with a vintage 1953 baseball theme outside Guaranteed Rate Field
• Baseball traditions including scoring every game since 2012 and walking the full concourse
• The consistency of baseball's schedule providing comfort and structure unlike other sports
• Finding happiness immediately upon entering any ballpark regardless of previous mood
Follow Kelly on https://www.threads.com/@theminorleaguenerd and check out his Minor League Nerd YouTube channel and podcast to explore more baseball content.
Make sure to follow the Dad Hat Chronicles: https://linktr.ee/TheDadHatChronicles
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's straightforward as long as it takes.
If it's 20 minutes, it's 20minutes.
If it's 30 minutes, it's 30minutes.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'll talk real slow.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Right, super slow, all right.
Well, welcome everybody to.
(00:31):
I guess I'm calling this rightnow, five questions.
Uh, a baseball fan should know,right, like you know, you know
five questions to ask a baseballfan, right?
So, uh, and with me is my goodfriend kelly robinson.
I Guys, I have to say that onmy phone I have him as Kelly
Baseball.
It goes from when we first met.
I honestly didn't know his lastname, so I just put him as
(00:51):
Kelly Baseball and then it stuck.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You even mailed the packages that said Kelly
Baseball.
I do.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So it is Kelly Baseball.
So, kelly, you are the minorleague nerd.
How are you doing, my friend?
I am good, happy to be here,glad to be on, all right,
awesome, awesome, all right, myfriend.
So let's get started.
Let's just jump right in myquestion to you, and then this
(01:19):
one is really cool, becauseeverybody has their own story.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So for you, kelly, when did you fall in love with
baseball?
It was definitely when I wasreally young.
I can't.
I can't pinpoint the exactmoment, but I do know my I the
very first.
It's funny because virgil saidhe can't say that it was when he
was three years old and it'slike, right, I can.
It was.
I was three years old the firsttime my parents took me to
comiskey Park to see a White Soxgame.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Unreal.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Unfortunately I don't know the exact date.
The oldest date I can go backto was a doubleheader against
Detroit in 1980.
Man, but my family have beenWhite Sox fans going back to
1900, when the team started.
Oh dude, so this is liketradition here.
Yes, yeah, this is familytradition.
(02:09):
It's more my mom's side of thefamily, my dad's side.
My dad was a baseball fan, butmy dad was more of a Bears fan.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Also, he was a football fan more than anything
else.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
He was more a football fan than baseball.
My mom absolutely loved theWhite Sox.
I mean, I had friends in the90s who only knew my mom as
sitting in the front room in thedark watching White Sox games
Wow, so it's like my mom's sideof the family.
We can have different politicalbeliefs, different tastes in
(02:42):
movies, music, but the oneconstant with the entire family
is the white socks.
That's cool man, yeah, andwhich which?
Which is what makes everythingthat's been going on the last
several years hurt even more,cause it's it's not just me,
it's it's a family tradition.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, and I do feel bad for a lot of White Sox fans.
I mean, obviously we're on thesame division.
I'm a Cleveland fan, rightRight.
But to see what has been goingon with that team, it's sad to
see.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
To be honest with you , it all comes down to Jerry
Reinstorf, and nothing is goingto change until he's no longer
with the team, which at theearliest will be 2029, which
isn't soon enough, but at leastwe have a path at least you have
something.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yes, right, yeah, but you know it could be, could be
sooner, could be sooner, itcould be, you know.
So we'll see, at least you,you've won a World Series in
your lifetime.
Yes, I am still waiting.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yes, and it's funny because 2005 started off as a
terrible year for me.
Mm-hmm.
End of an eight-yearrelationship and I thought it
was going to be a horrible year,and then it turned out to
actually be one of the bestyears of my life and baseball
was there was like home up here.
(04:09):
I got you home, boy, exactlyit's, and it's funny because I'm
I'm, I'm not superstitious, I'ma little stitious.
No, I'm not superstitious we'renot superstitious, but we're a
little stitious yeah, you'reright, but, but like you know,
like most baseball fans not notas bad as paul, but like most
baseball fans there's you knowcertain things you don't say,
(04:30):
you don't when.
So I went to socks fest in 2005.
It was my first socks fest um,which is just their their fan
convention usually in januaryand I went with my sister and I
and when I left I'm like I havea good feeling but I didn't tell
anyone.
It's like I'm not saying we'regonna win the world series, but
(04:53):
which will be there, I thinkwe'll go far, but did not.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Did not say anything you want to jinx it.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
You didn't want to jinx it no, no, I, because I
know don't don't ever jinx it.
I don't talk about a no hitter,or don't talk about a perfect
game correct until it it's doneright or it it's broken right
and don't say how about thosephillies to paul on opening day?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
absolutely, absolutely, don't ever say that.
That's just crazy talk.
No, so all right.
Here's's question number twohow, up to this point, you know
being 2025 right now, right?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
But you know, how has baseball changed your life?
It's, it's one of those things.
It's funny Cause you you askedthat with Virgil.
It's like I know the answer,but it's just it's.
It's affected my life in somany ways.
It's like I know the answer,but it's just it's.
It's affected my life in somany ways.
It's like you know.
First off, you know, I said I'veI've been a fan of of baseball
since I was three years old.
So we're going on what, almost50 years of just baseball being
(06:00):
important.
You know, there there was apoint after the strike where it
kind of faded back a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, just out of anger,but out of anger, but also just
like with a lot of people, youknow, you, you get older, you
start getting new interests.
Yep, you do other things, butin in 03 is when I finally
started going back um, but withwith my wife, with christina.
(06:21):
She, fortunately, when we metshe was already a baseball fan.
Oh, that's good.
And she likes to travel.
Oh my God, check, check, yes,perfect.
So, like the year before sheand I met in in in, we met in 06
.
So in 05, I took my firstbaseball road trip.
So, like so many people talkingon other podcasts or just in
(06:44):
general.
I got I've gotten to see somuch of the country that I
probably wouldn't have gone tosee if it wasn't for baseball
yeah like you know, the sawmillmuseum in clinton, iowa.
I never would have gone to that,but I'm going to clinton to see
the lumber kings, so why not?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
let's not make it stop there, yeah right, so.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
So so something for christina and I can do, because
you know she loves to travel,she loves baseball, I love to
travel, I love baseball, so thatwas great right there.
And then, like, even when I wassaying with before, about with
my family, is you know, we might, you know that might not really
have much to talk about, but wecan always talk about the white
socks, even if it is tocomplain about jerry which is
(07:25):
you know it's a, it's a unifyingthing, right?
Speaker 1 (07:27):
exactly?
I mean I, I for for us is thedolan's.
You know we can, it's what wedo, yeah uh, but then in more
recently.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
so when I I first joined and I'm still gonna call
it twitter I first joinedtwitter in in 2010, but didn't
really use it much for like thefirst eight years, and so then,
come 2019, I'm like you knowwhat.
I'm going to start using itmore because I want to connect
with more White Sox fans, and Iconnected with some really cool
ones, but I also was connectingwith a lot of like the type of
(08:03):
fans I don't really like tobegin with, and it's like I
don't like what you at theballpark, I don't know, and I I
kind of feel bad saying this,but they're not going to see
this anyway.
But it wasn't really until 2020, which which first, you know,
for all of us, was just freakingterrible.
(08:24):
It was the shit show, yeah, butone good thing came out of it,
and is that so many of us whoare actually huge baseball fans,
focusing more on the minorleagues, all started to meet.
So so it's like back in 2004, Ihad an explosion of friends when
I started on LiveJournal, whichpre-Facebook yeah, like I can
(08:49):
point so many friends of minethat came from LiveJournal, and
now, in 2025, I can look andpoint at so many friends that
I've met through Twitter becauseof my love of minor league
baseball.
That's when Twitter really tookoff for me, which makes what
happened to it even worse.
Yeah, it's like it's all justcomes back to negativity, but
(09:11):
but it's like I so many friendsI mean, I can't even tell you
how many new phone numbers I'vegotten in my phone in the last
five, six years.
Different area codes, differentarea codes yeah.
area codes, different area codesyeah and so it's like so
baseball has opened a whole newworld of friends and and then
it's, you know, creating theminor league nerd youtube
(09:34):
channel and podcast, and thencoming on with curb media just
over a year ago yeah, it's been,it's been a.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
It's same with bees.
Like since 2020, it's been aone hell of a ride so far, yeah,
and it's amazing.
And then you know, at the timeof this recording right like um,
we're just mere days away fromour current media meetup, which
is going to be, up to this point, the the largest one that we've
(10:01):
had.
You know what I mean because,like, we've had a lot of people
we started with, like I thinkit's like less than 10 people
the first time that we did itright, and now look at us, it's
like this is amazing we got 30people for the dogs on saturday
that's, that's you know howawesome that sounds and 23 for
the boomers, but that's just.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Certain people just can't make it.
Yeah, and I get it, Iunderstand, but yeah, I, it's
like I I'm like I was likehoping, like hope we can at
least get 20, just because thenit looks a bit happy with 20
with the team, and then all of asudden it just kept people just
kept coming and coming andcoming and then it's like and
it's just great, because it'snot just people from out of town
, it's local chicago people too.
Yeah, so, which is great.
(10:41):
Yeah, my sister andbrother-in-law are going to be
there, but they have dog ticketsfor that night.
Anyway, friends of mine whoknow nothing really about curved
brim, they're going to be there.
So it's going to be a greattime, that's going to be amazing
.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
You can't wait.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's just so much positivity on top of positivity
on top of positivity, which iswhat we need right now.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Which is what we need right now?
We need right now.
Which is what we need right nowexactly um?
All right, question number tres.
All right, here we go um.
Give me, you know, give me acouple of your favorite baseball
memories okay, so the oldestmemory I have is with baseball.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I again I can't place it exactly, but it's definitely
in the late seventies, right,when we would go to White Sox
games.
We usually went on Sundays fordouble headers.
Back when, you know, almostevery Sunday, almost every other
Sunday, was a double headerBecause my dad figured, if I'm
taking a family of well at thatpoint, four, soon to be five, I
want to get my money's worthAbsolutely.
(11:47):
So we used to sit in the upperdeck right Either I can't
remember if it was over our leftshoulder or right shoulder we
would see Harry Carey.
Oh.
So it's like so my oldest memoryis looking and seeing him
singing, just broadcasting andthen singing.
Take me out to the ball game.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And people only think that Harry Carey was Cubs.
Yeah, you know, he wasn't hestarted with.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
He was in Chicago.
He started with the white socksin Chicago.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
That's what I mean In Chicago.
He started with the white socks.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, yeah, it was long time with the, the st louis
cardinals until he got let gofor.
Uh, just not getting along withaugie bush, yeah I mean yeah,
but one one funny thing is.
so when, when I was a kid, Iremember sitting at a game
wondering where the park wasbecause we're at comiskey park
(12:39):
and I wanted to go play at thepark, me thinking a park was
like a playground because you,my mom, would say, oh, I'm
taking play at the park.
Me thinking a park was like aplayground Cause you, my mom,
would say, oh, I'm taking you tothe park.
Yeah.
And we'd go to the park and youknow there's all the rides and
everything on.
So I remember sitting up therelooking around like maybe it's
out there, pointing at thebullpen or maybe it's somewhere
around here, it's somewherearound here, I don't know, I don
(13:07):
park kind of a letdown.
But then you're like, I get it,yeah, but I got to see baseball,
so it was okay.
Um, but I'd say, probably likefor me personally, like just
with me and and my sister and mydad, because, uh, even though
my dad, my mom, was the biggerwhite socks fan, my dad went to
more games, but, like I said,2005 was definitely a great
season.
Um, opening day, a guy we'relike I think we're the second
(13:29):
row in the upper deck guy and onfirst base side a guy hits a
foul ball.
A fan catches it right by us,holds it up and says we're going
to the world where we'rewinning the world series this
year, and everyone's like, oh,yeah, sure, whatever, dude.
And well, you know, nine monthslater he was right, yeah, yeah.
(13:51):
But then from that season therewas a game it was a Saturday
night against the Dodgers, uh,where AJ persinski hit a
walk-off home run to win.
Actually it wasn't, it wasn't.
It wasn't a walk-off, it was ago-ahead home run to win.
And that was like when both mysister are like neither one
looking at each other, likeneither one of us wanted to say
(14:12):
it, but we're both like I thinkwe're going to win the World
Series this year, right, andthen obviously just winning the
World Series.
I wasn't able to get tickets tothe World Series, even though I
tried at one point at my job Ihad five computers going and
couldn't get tickets oh my godfor for game four, the bowls or
(14:35):
the united center, uh, showed itthere on on the big screen and
so it's like the club level.
And then when they ran out ofspace in the club level, they
started going downstairs.
So I went there with with mydad, my sister, a friend of mine
, my boss at the time, and hisson, and it was it really was
unbelievable, it's like you knowthat's cool but just just
(15:00):
experiencing it with my dad andmy sister was just amazing.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
I bet dude, I love it .
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
But then just traveling around with Christina
just too many memories to list.
Like I said, we're travelingall around the country seeing
places when we first started.
Like I said, I did it first in2005.
She and I have been doing itsince 2007 and have done it
every year except 2020.
And it started off with friendsat first.
Like wait, you're justtraveling around to watch
baseball games.
Like no, no, no, no, we'regoing to baseball games.
(15:35):
That's the point but there'sother things to do.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We're stopping at museums.
We're stopping at weirdroadside attractions.
We're going to the Vac vacuummuseum in portland, oregon.
We're going to this coolrestaurant, these, this awesome
bar.
We're going hiking you name it.
We're doing it, we're doing it,and then, yeah, then it's funny
, just you know, finally meetingmore and more people who do the
(15:59):
same thing that's true.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
now there is and I'm surprised you haven't said it
which is the story that you toldme of your which.
I'm sure you know this, but,like your wedding, oh yeah,
that's a cool, you know, causeit's tied to baseball.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, yeah.
So we we had a vintage stylewedding circa 1953.
So our we, actually we gotmarried on leap day.
Uh, we wanted to do it insidethe ballpark at guaranteed rate
at the time, but I just had.
(16:39):
It was just about a year off ofa long bout of unemployment
year, and a half thanks.
You know, 2008 crash, um, and itwas just it's really expensive
to get married in the ballpark,so, and it was leap day, so it's
like it wasn't even a baseballgame going on.
(17:00):
So we got married in front ofthe ballpark, out in front of
guaranteed rate or rate fieldNow there's a monument to the
2005 world series, so the planwas to get married right there,
but it was so incredibly windythat day we had all four seasons
in one day.
(17:20):
Yeah.
And it was so windy Christina'sVal was just flying all over the
place.
So we went around the cornerinto the shade and air out of
the wind and it was just a smallceremony.
It was.
It was us both my parents, hermom, my brother and sister, my
niece and nephew, um, mybrother's wife, and then one of
(17:43):
my aunts and, uh, andChristina's mom were all there.
And so a friend of ours marriedus in front of the stadium and
it was right in front of theticket booth for the socks,
which tickets are on sale.
And as we're finishing up, guyfrom the ticket booth is like oh
, you should go inside and get apicture with the world series,
(18:05):
yeah, because with the worldseries trophy, because the, the,
the entrance in is like rightthere.
So we walk in and it's like youwalk in, there's the desk out
in front of you and over to theleft there's a a case with the
world series trophy in there andthe American league
championship trophy.
And we walk in and said to thewoman working there's like we
(18:29):
just got married out in front,can we take a few pictures?
And she's like oh sure, noproblem, married out in front,
can we take a few pictures andshe's like, oh sure, no problem.
So we, we took pictures, myfamily, everyone, we're all
taking turns taking pictures andthey have off next to it seats
from old comiskey park oh sochristina and I are sitting in
there and the woman comes up andshe's like, do you want to go
on the field?
(18:50):
like, uh, yeah.
She's like, yeah, you know youcan't go on the actual field,
but you can stand on the warningtrack, which is something that
you would actually have to payfor if you're getting married
there.
And so, yeah, we got to spendlike 20 minutes on the warning
track taking pictures showingeveryone where our season
tickets were at the time and,yeah, for nothing, nothing
(19:15):
that's amazing and that's a coolstory.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I tell everybody, like man, if you want to know a
cool baseball story, you got totalk to my good friend, uh uh
kelly he'll.
He has a good story for you.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
When a baseball and wedding related yeah, and it it
wasn't just me, it's allchristina as well yeah,
absolutely, christina was likeobviously he was there.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Yeah, right, so you got to talk to kelly and
christina.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You guys are not going to regret that and then
then two days later is when weactually had our reception,
because leap day was on, uh, ona wednesday that year, and so
what we did is around the wallwhere we had our reception there
were, they were like hooks.
So we put all uh 16 capsactually 15, because I don't
have a cubs cap we did the 15.
(19:57):
We did the 15 caps in order ofhow they finished that year.
So, like the yankees won theworld series, so they were up
top and I don't remember in 53,I do don't remember who won the
nl pennant, but they were kindof lower and then, like american
League was all on one side andthe National League was on the
other side, and then ourcenterpieces we actually had on
(20:20):
a stick like a little card thathad the team's logo from about
that time and time on one sideand on the back like the
ballpark.
They played in the pennants.
They won in the World Series.
They won.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
This is a very much a Kelly and Christina type of
deal.
It really is.
You guys.
I mean, there's no other way ofputting it.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
It's definitely you guys and our invitations were
copied from the 1933 All-StarGame, the first All-Star Game
which was held at Comiskey Park.
There you go I found an oldticket.
A friend of mine designed itfor us.
Uh, we had a website full ofall kinds of pictures, of
baseball pictures, and anotherfriend did that.
(21:03):
So, yeah, I mean in and we, werickrolled everyone at our
wedding.
Love it, christina.
Christina came out to a, uh, acello version of never going to
give you up, nice, and and itwas great because you could hear
the laughter when, when it hitpeople, yeah, what it was like,
(21:26):
as it's laughed, the rollingthrough, laughing other people
like what's so funny, and andit's like this is, you know,
never going to give up.
And so there's a great pictureof, like, the two of us laughing
with our, our officiant, sean,like looking at us, like he's
going to kill us both for doingit.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
That's amazing, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, it truly was a great time.
I love it, and, and, and we hadhot dogs at our wedding.
That's what I'm talking abouthad hot dogs at our wedding,
that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Yeah, we had hot dogs and uh and middle eastern wraps
, hey, so I like that an actualhot dog, stand a cart.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
There was a cart there umbrella everything.
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah, it was a great time, all right question number
four give me some baseballtraditions or rituals for you
okay, so one of them.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I'll start just from the beginning.
One of them is we always buywhen we're traveling somewhere,
going to someplace that's notyou know where we have tickets
for.
We always buy our tickets inadvance and we always usually
try to avoid day games, but ifwe do go to a day game, it's
always in the shade.
Um, I score every single gameyes, you do yeah, I and uh I.
(22:49):
I've been scoring since everygame since 2012,.
But I took it a step furtherbecause I, in 2012, I actually
started and I this is done Iscored every single game I went
to before then that I didn'tscore, going all the way back to
(23:09):
the seventies.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Jesus, dude, that took, that must've taken you.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
And yeah, it, it.
It took quite a while, but theworst is, at one point I forgot
we were up in, uh uh, the johnhancock and I forgot my backpack
in there and it I didn't get itback and they had a whole bunch
of scorecards in there so I hadto start over.
Yeah, yeah, it sucks.
Yeah that I took a long breakafter that Cause I was so
(23:33):
frustrated, but, but on thetradition, so, yeah, we buy our
tickets in advance.
So if it's, if it's a newballpark we haven't been to, or
even one that we don't go toregularly, like we don't, we
typically do it like white socks.
When we our first white socksgame, we'll always walk the
concourse.
Anytime we go, the first thingwe do is we get in.
(23:56):
I usually try to get there whengates open, at least for minor
league parks, which is typicallyan hour.
Get there and usually the firstplace we go to the team store,
figure out what caps going toget and whatever mascots for
Christina, maybe a jersey, anyother merch and then, after
we're done with that, then we wewalk the concourse.
(24:18):
360s are always the best,absolutely.
Um, and as we're walking theconcourse, we're looking at the
food, which typically becauseI'm a pescatarian, so I eat a
vegetarian who eats seafoodisn't always the best choices
for me, like I'm lucky.
(24:39):
You know, cheese pizza tends tobe the big one, and it's.
It's great when you gosomewhere that has a lot more
option, but Christina isstopping at every stand to see
because she wants to make sureshe gets exactly what she wants
and what she's going to becraving, and so after we get our
food, we go to our seats, andwhich actually will usually
(25:01):
check and see where our seatsare at the beginning, just so we
know.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Just to have a general idea.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Right, right and so, yeah, so after we get our food,
we're in our seats and usuallythere before the game starts.
At that, that's something thatmy dad did when we were kids.
You go there, you get your food, you sit, you eat and you're
ready for the game.
True, it's like I know, likeother people like to, to walk
(25:26):
around during the game, getdifferent perspectives, which I
can totally yeah, I can totally,I can totally appreciate that.
Or people like you know, markVick as, or or Spencer Collins,
who do travel videos.
It's like I would love to dothat, but I want to sit in my
seat and watch the game andscore.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm the.
I'm that guy Like I like to sitdown for a couple of innings
Right, and then I need to walkaround, I need to sit and look
from different point of views,and things like that.
Usually, the berm is where Ilike to be at.
Yeah, the berm is my, that's myspot.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Right, yeah, it's like, it's not that I never get
up.
No, no, no, no, no I'll go geta snack, or go take a snack, or,
or you know, go take a pictureor go to the bathroom, and the
great thing is that when I doget up, christina knows how to
score.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
So so you guys can switch.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
She can take, she can take over.
Typically also, I'll take likean inning or a half an inning
break anyway, yeah, and she'llscore there.
Might you know, if I'm gonethere'll be like sometimes
she'll be like I don't know whathappened.
You're going to have to lookthat up and that's what the app
is for.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
The app is for and that's what you come in and
you're like all right, let meyou know like you can go back
later on that day or whatever,when you get home.
And then let me review thisreal quick and exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
That's what happened in 2016.
The White Sox had three tripleplays and we were there for all
three of them Nice dude and thefirst one happened.
I went to the bathroom, I cameback and she's like I don't know
what happened.
There was a triple play and Idon't remember the exact order,
but it's a triple play that hadnever happened before in the
(27:09):
history of baseball.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
So and and it's always great too when, like,
she's scoring, and someone walksby usually a guy and they'll
comment like to their friendlike dude, did you see that that
woman is scoring?
And that's wild.
I mean it's because you knowmost people you don't see it
anyway, and then typically youdon't don't tend to see a lot of
(27:32):
women.
I mean there are women who doit.
I mean I, yeah, I have friendswho do it that are that are
women, uh, but typically, yeah,you don't don't tend to see a
lot of women.
I mean there are women who doit.
I mean I, yeah, I have friendswho do it that are that are
women, uh, but typically, yeah,you don't, you just you don't
see it, and if you do, it'susually not a woman, so it's
people are blown away when ithappens it's true, that is true,
but she wouldn't.
She wouldn't do an entire game.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
No, she's like no, no see, I and I tried to do it.
Don't get me wrong, I did, Itried.
It's just my attention spandoes not allow for me to be
sitting there the full nineinnings.
I gotta look, I gotta walkaround, because I'm more of a.
I like to see what's going on.
You know, like the, uh, the,the players, what they're doing.
(28:12):
All of that, that's just Ican't good for you man, I I have
nothing but respect for peoplewho actually can't sit there and
do that see the thing.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
For me is it also it.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
It forces me to pay attention more, not true, very
true, not that I was, you knowam not, but it's like no, no, no
right, because you don't needto know every pitch and all that
like lat at last year's meetup,I, I, I didn't, I.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
I tried scoring holly springs, I couldn't.
It was just there was just toomuch going on too much going on,
too much going on and it youknow, there weren't that many
people there, so we were able tospread out and joke around.
We were talking, yeah yeah, butin the war was wonderful yeah,
they, they asked for volunteerand christina signed us up.
I'm totally okay with this, uh.
(28:56):
But then, yeah, then, likedurham, it's like we're, you
know, we couldn't move around asmuch, we were all like stuck,
so true, it was easier.
And then, uh, in zebulon, withthe, uh, the mud cats, it's like
, well, this is where the shadeis.
I'm not leaving the shade, nobut it was hot as all get out
too.
Yeah, I know, I know you didn't, did you?
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I know donnie went upstairs and said it was I stood
, I I had no, I couldn't do goupstairs because it was like the
sun was hitting it and I knewbetter than that.
I, uh, I said I stood back inthe uh, in that section right up
right below you guys, where wewere at, so I wasn't too far,
it's just I had to stand upbecause there's just there's no
airflow whatsoever no, no, Imean, and that's the thing it's
(29:35):
like, I know everyone wasconcerned about getting shade.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
It's like, don't worry, I'm on it because because
that was that was our concerninitially about going.
It's like there's no waychristina could be in the sun
that long.
I couldn't take it either, butshe would overheat in like two
minutes and pass out.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Yeah, it's just, I get it, my friend.
All right, here you go.
You ready for the last question, number five?
Question number five, numerocinco All right, kelly, why
baseball dude Like?
Why?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
So it's funny when you ask Virgil this question,
I'm like I know the answer.
I figured the answer out like15, 16 years ago, so there's
many reasons.
It's just, of course, it's justthat it makes me feel happy.
(30:33):
It makes me feel happy and it'slike I said this on on John
Southie's YouTube channel whenwe went it's like and it used to
be this way with the whitesocks, but for many reasons it's
changed, not just Jerry, butit's this way with the dogs Like
if I have a terrible day, I'mas soon as they scan my ticket
(30:56):
and I go into impact field, Ijust get a big smile on my face
and I just feel happy and athome.
And it's the same whenever wetravel and go to another
ballpark.
Like you know, it could havebeen traffic getting there, it
could have been hell and I, youknow.
But as soon as they scan theticket, all changes and I walk
in.
It's like this is where I needto be, this is my home.
(31:21):
I figured out.
My happy place is traveling thecountry with christina seeing
baseball games.
That's amazing, um so.
And then there's just like theyou know, it's the connection
with my family, knowing that myfamily has loved baseball since
at least 1900.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
that's amazing, like you have family members doing
like the black socks, you know,like, yeah, that that was.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
That was that experienced that my, my dad, was
born in 1945.
He remembers going to white hisfirst white sox game.
I think he said it was in like1948, 1949, and he remembers
there used to be a bar acrossthe street and my parent, my
grandparents, would go in therefor a drink at they'd sit at the
bar, my dad would sit at atable having his coke.
(32:09):
Yeah, and he, like he, clearlyremembers that that's you see,
that's why, why baseball rightthere, right.
That's why but then another notas like as a big reason is I
figured this out in in 2008,2009.
So I I grew up, I was a hockeyfan, but I wasn't a blackhawks
(32:33):
fan, because you could not watchBlackhawks games in Chicago.
Of course.
Bill Wurtz thought, oh, if Iput like a lot of the old owners
or if it's on TV no one willcome.
Yeah, just like when, whenCharlie Finley owned the
California golden seals and heput names on the back of his
(32:55):
players jerseys, the otherowners resisted because they
thought, if the names were onthe jerseys, we're not going to
sell programs.
Jesus, yeah, you know the 50cent program, um, so, like,
blackhawks were not on tv untilafter bill wirfs died, and so
(33:15):
when he died, I was like youknow what time I think things
are going to start changing.
Things are going to happen.
So in the 2008 2009 season, wegot blackhawks tickets.
It was a nine game plan, um,but one day, while going to the
game, I realized, like, one ofthe reasons it's baseball and
(33:38):
then then hockey and then thensoccer, is because, like, right
now, I know who's playing andit's like it's you know.
So, like right now, the dogsare off.
Today, tomorrow, wednesday andThursday, they're in Milwaukee
(33:59):
playing the the milkmen.
Saturday, friday, saturday,sunday, they're at home playing
gary.
You know the white socks.
I don't know who they'replaying next, but actually, no,
yeah, right now, the white socksare off.
Tuesday, wednesday, thursday,they're playing st louis.
It's the consistency, it's theseries, yep, yep, it's like you
know, hockey or full football.
(34:20):
You know, it's sunday, sunday,which is, you know, sunday and
then thursday, and it's like I,when I was younger, I was more
into football, but as I gotolder I kind of fell out of it.
I'm more more into the historyof football still.
Yeah, um, but it's like, yeah,it's every sunday and like
that's cool because you knowpeople get together and they
(34:41):
have parties or they go to thegame.
It's an event, it's an, it's atotal event.
Well, for me it's like it's notgreat knowing that that event
is going on six, seven days aweek with my team.
And then then, just in general,I mean, yeah, we don't get
affiliated ball on Monday, butwe get minor league,
occasionally independent, we getcollegiate summer league.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
So it's the consistency of you have seven
days a week if you want it RightAgain.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Right, right Hockey.
It's like yeah, ok, you'replaying two, three, maybe if
you're four times a week, that'sgreat.
And then like soccer again it'sonce a week, four times a week,
that's great, and then likesoccer again, it's once a week,
occasionally twice a week,depending.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
If there's any, like you know, any tournaments going
on or something like that, thenyou may get a couple of games,
but other than that, yeah,you're right.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Right, or like lower divisions, especially in england
.
You know you play saturday andyou play tuesday, yep, so it's
it's knowing and that that thatwas.
It was that day, while drivingto a baseball game, and I
remember talking or texting afriend of mine about it Actually
the friend who married us, myfriend Sean and like saying, you
know, I realized why I likebaseball so much.
(35:48):
It's the consistency of theschedule, it's the series, it's
knowing that this, this is whothey're playing for, these, you
know, sometimes two games,sometimes three, sometimes four
days, yep, and now the terribleminor league schedule of six
games.
I hate the minor league scheduleyour your poll from like a few
weeks ago.
I didn't see it until after itended.
Yeah.
(36:09):
And I put on yeah, yeah, yeah,and I it's like when I saw that
people's like, the majority ofpeople said they liked it it's
like like what?
Speaker 1 (36:15):
the hell are you talking about?
Do you even know exactly?
Like, yeah, I, and I don'tthink people really understood,
like I said, minor leaguebaseball.
Some people were talking aboutmajor league baseball.
It's like no, no, no, no, no,not, not major league, like
major league has its own.
Yes, m-i-l-b, yeah, m-i-l-b,minor league baseball, right,
and um, you know, people havetheir love for it, but it is
what it is yeah, I, I and I sawsomeone comment like I couldn't
(36:37):
imagine being a season ticketholder and seeing the same team
six days six days.
It's just, it's just.
And they, they're saying it forthe sake of like, you know, the
sake of like saving money orwhatever I'm.
I'm not too keen on that, butwhatever.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
No yeah, well, if they're, if it's to save money,
why are they doing interleagueplay like, why did?
Why did uh durham open?
Uh on the west coast?
Speaker 1 (37:02):
right, exactly like all the way over the in the west
.
You know what?
Never mind.
Yeah, we don't want to diveinto that this is a different
podcast wrong show yeah, yeah,yeah, uh, make sure you follow
the uh dsc sports show tuesdayand thursdays, 9 pm eastern time
.
We'll talk about that there,kelly.
Thank you so much, my friend.
I really appreciate you comingon and giving us a little bit of
time and talking about thesefive questions.
(37:25):
Where can people find you onthe socials?
Speaker 2 (37:28):
So my personal stuff I'm on.
Pretty much the only thingthat's really public is my
Twitter, which is justCalibration, but then for Minor
League Nerd, so it's a YouTubechannel and a podcast.
Youtube channel is just minorleague nerd.
Same with the podcast.
It's a podcast, is it'sbasically the same, just audio
(37:48):
format only just audio formatonly.
It's just search minor leaguenerd.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
It's on all platforms and all the social media
handles are minor league nerdthere you go and uh, as far as
myself, uh, same thing I justlook for uh, the dad hat
chronicles um soldiers.
Make sure that you catch uh,like I said, the dad hat
chronicle sports show tuesdayand thursdays, 9 pm eastern time
.
You know, we talk all sports,not just baseball.
(38:13):
Uh, some football, some hockey,collegiate wood pad.
We talk all of that stuff, guys.
So make sure you guys uh followmy good friend kelly and uh we
will see you guys on the nextepisode.
All right, thanks for having me.
Absolutely, my friend.
It's straightforward as long as it takes.
If it's 20 minutes, it's 20minutes.
If it's 30 minutes, it's 30minutes.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'll talk real slow.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Right, super slow, all right.
Well, welcome everybody to.
(00:31):
I guess I'm calling this rightnow, five questions.
Uh, a baseball fan should know,right, like you know, you know
five questions to ask a baseballfan, right?
So, uh, and with me is my goodfriend kelly robinson.
I Guys, I have to say that onmy phone I have him as Kelly
Baseball.
It goes from when we first met.
I honestly didn't know his lastname, so I just put him as
(00:51):
Kelly Baseball and then it stuck.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
You even mailed the packages that said Kelly
Baseball.
I do.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
So it is Kelly Baseball.
So, kelly, you are the minorleague nerd.
How are you doing, my friend?
I am good, happy to be here,glad to be on, all right,
awesome, awesome, all right, myfriend.
So let's get started.
Let's just jump right in myquestion to you, and then this
(01:19):
one is really cool, becauseeverybody has their own story.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So for you, kelly, when did you fall in love with
baseball?
It was definitely when I wasreally young.
I can't.
I can't pinpoint the exactmoment, but I do know my I the
very first.
It's funny because virgil saidhe can't say that it was when he
was three years old and it'slike, right, I can.
It was.
I was three years old the firsttime my parents took me to
comiskey Park to see a White Soxgame.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Unreal.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Unfortunately I don't know the exact date.
The oldest date I can go backto was a doubleheader against
Detroit in 1980.
Man, but my family have beenWhite Sox fans going back to
1900, when the team started.
Oh dude, so this is liketradition here.
Yes, yeah, this is familytradition.
(02:09):
It's more my mom's side of thefamily, my dad's side.
My dad was a baseball fan, butmy dad was more of a Bears fan.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Also, he was a football fan more than anything
else.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
He was more a football fan than baseball.
My mom absolutely loved theWhite Sox.
I mean, I had friends in the90s who only knew my mom as
sitting in the front room in thedark watching White Sox games
Wow, so it's like my mom's sideof the family.
We can have different politicalbeliefs, different tastes in
(02:42):
movies, music, but the oneconstant with the entire family
is the white socks.
That's cool man, yeah, andwhich which?
Which is what makes everythingthat's been going on the last
several years hurt even more,cause it's it's not just me,
it's it's a family tradition.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, and I do feel bad for a lot of White Sox fans.
I mean, obviously we're on thesame division.
I'm a Cleveland fan, rightRight.
But to see what has been goingon with that team, it's sad to
see.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
To be honest with you , it all comes down to Jerry
Reinstorf, and nothing is goingto change until he's no longer
with the team, which at theearliest will be 2029, which
isn't soon enough, but at leastwe have a path at least you have
something.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yes, right, yeah, but you know it could be, could be
sooner, could be sooner, itcould be, you know.
So we'll see, at least you,you've won a World Series in
your lifetime.
Yes, I am still waiting.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yes, and it's funny because 2005 started off as a
terrible year for me.
Mm-hmm.
End of an eight-yearrelationship and I thought it
was going to be a horrible year,and then it turned out to
actually be one of the bestyears of my life and baseball
was there was like home up here.
(04:09):
I got you home, boy, exactlyit's, and it's funny because I'm
I'm, I'm not superstitious, I'ma little stitious.
No, I'm not superstitious we'renot superstitious, but we're a
little stitious yeah, you'reright, but, but like you know,
like most baseball fans not notas bad as paul, but like most
baseball fans there's you knowcertain things you don't say,
(04:30):
you don't when.
So I went to socks fest in 2005.
It was my first socks fest um,which is just their their fan
convention usually in januaryand I went with my sister and I
and when I left I'm like I havea good feeling but I didn't tell
anyone.
It's like I'm not saying we'regonna win the world series, but
(04:53):
which will be there, I thinkwe'll go far, but did not.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Did not say anything you want to jinx it.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
You didn't want to jinx it no, no, I, because I
know don't don't ever jinx it.
I don't talk about a no hitter,or don't talk about a perfect
game correct until it it's doneright or it it's broken right
and don't say how about thosephillies to paul on opening day?
Speaker 1 (05:15):
absolutely, absolutely, don't ever say that.
That's just crazy talk.
No, so all right.
Here's's question number twohow, up to this point, you know
being 2025 right now, right?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
But you know, how has baseball changed your life?
It's, it's one of those things.
It's funny Cause you you askedthat with Virgil.
It's like I know the answer,but it's just it's.
It's affected my life in somany ways.
It's like I know the answer,but it's just it's.
It's affected my life in somany ways.
It's like you know.
First off, you know, I said I'veI've been a fan of of baseball
since I was three years old.
So we're going on what, almost50 years of just baseball being
(06:00):
important.
You know, there there was apoint after the strike where it
kind of faded back a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, just out of anger,but out of anger, but also just
like with a lot of people, youknow, you, you get older, you
start getting new interests.
Yep, you do other things, butin in 03 is when I finally
started going back um, but withwith my wife, with christina.
(06:21):
She, fortunately, when we metshe was already a baseball fan.
Oh, that's good.
And she likes to travel.
Oh my God, check, check, yes,perfect.
So, like the year before sheand I met in in in, we met in 06
.
So in 05, I took my firstbaseball road trip.
So, like so many people talkingon other podcasts or just in
(06:44):
general.
I got I've gotten to see somuch of the country that I
probably wouldn't have gone tosee if it wasn't for baseball
yeah like you know, the sawmillmuseum in clinton, iowa.
I never would have gone to that,but I'm going to clinton to see
the lumber kings, so why not?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
let's not make it stop there, yeah right, so.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
So so something for christina and I can do, because
you know she loves to travel,she loves baseball, I love to
travel, I love baseball, so thatwas great right there.
And then, like, even when I wassaying with before, about with
my family, is you know, we might, you know that might not really
have much to talk about, but wecan always talk about the white
socks, even if it is tocomplain about jerry which is
(07:25):
you know it's a, it's a unifyingthing, right?
Speaker 1 (07:27):
exactly?
I mean I, I for for us is thedolan's.
You know we can, it's what wedo, yeah uh, but then in more
recently.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
so when I I first joined and I'm still gonna call
it twitter I first joinedtwitter in in 2010, but didn't
really use it much for like thefirst eight years, and so then,
come 2019, I'm like you knowwhat.
I'm going to start using itmore because I want to connect
with more White Sox fans, and Iconnected with some really cool
ones, but I also was connectingwith a lot of like the type of
(08:03):
fans I don't really like tobegin with, and it's like I
don't like what you at theballpark, I don't know, and I I
kind of feel bad saying this,but they're not going to see
this anyway.
But it wasn't really until 2020, which which first, you know,
for all of us, was just freakingterrible.
(08:24):
It was the shit show, yeah, butone good thing came out of it,
and is that so many of us whoare actually huge baseball fans,
focusing more on the minorleagues, all started to meet.
So so it's like back in 2004, Ihad an explosion of friends when
I started on LiveJournal, whichpre-Facebook yeah, like I can
(08:49):
point so many friends of minethat came from LiveJournal, and
now, in 2025, I can look andpoint at so many friends that
I've met through Twitter becauseof my love of minor league
baseball.
That's when Twitter really tookoff for me, which makes what
happened to it even worse.
Yeah, it's like it's all justcomes back to negativity, but
(09:11):
but it's like I so many friendsI mean, I can't even tell you
how many new phone numbers I'vegotten in my phone in the last
five, six years.
Different area codes, differentarea codes yeah.
area codes, different area codesyeah and so it's like so
baseball has opened a whole newworld of friends and and then
it's, you know, creating theminor league nerd youtube
(09:34):
channel and podcast, and thencoming on with curb media just
over a year ago yeah, it's been,it's been a.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
It's same with bees.
Like since 2020, it's been aone hell of a ride so far, yeah,
and it's amazing.
And then you know, at the timeof this recording right like um,
we're just mere days away fromour current media meetup, which
is going to be, up to this point, the the largest one that we've
(10:01):
had.
You know what I mean because,like, we've had a lot of people
we started with, like I thinkit's like less than 10 people
the first time that we did itright, and now look at us, it's
like this is amazing we got 30people for the dogs on saturday
that's, that's you know howawesome that sounds and 23 for
the boomers, but that's just.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Certain people just can't make it.
Yeah, and I get it, Iunderstand, but yeah, I, it's
like I I'm like I was likehoping, like hope we can at
least get 20, just because thenit looks a bit happy with 20
with the team, and then all of asudden it just kept people just
kept coming and coming andcoming and then it's like and
it's just great, because it'snot just people from out of town
, it's local chicago people too.
Yeah, so, which is great.
(10:41):
Yeah, my sister andbrother-in-law are going to be
there, but they have dog ticketsfor that night.
Anyway, friends of mine whoknow nothing really about curved
brim, they're going to be there.
So it's going to be a greattime, that's going to be amazing
.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
You can't wait.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
It's just so much positivity on top of positivity
on top of positivity, which iswhat we need right now.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Which is what we need right now?
We need right now.
Which is what we need right nowexactly um?
All right, question number tres.
All right, here we go um.
Give me, you know, give me acouple of your favorite baseball
memories okay, so the oldestmemory I have is with baseball.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I again I can't place it exactly, but it's definitely
in the late seventies, right,when we would go to White Sox
games.
We usually went on Sundays fordouble headers.
Back when, you know, almostevery Sunday, almost every other
Sunday, was a double headerBecause my dad figured, if I'm
taking a family of well at thatpoint, four, soon to be five, I
want to get my money's worthAbsolutely.
(11:47):
So we used to sit in the upperdeck right Either I can't
remember if it was over our leftshoulder or right shoulder we
would see Harry Carey.
Oh.
So it's like so my oldest memoryis looking and seeing him
singing, just broadcasting andthen singing.
Take me out to the ball game.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And people only think that Harry Carey was Cubs.
Yeah, you know, he wasn't hestarted with.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
He was in Chicago.
He started with the white socksin Chicago.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
That's what I mean In Chicago.
He started with the white socks.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, yeah, it was long time with the, the st louis
cardinals until he got let gofor.
Uh, just not getting along withaugie bush, yeah I mean yeah,
but one one funny thing is.
so when, when I was a kid, Iremember sitting at a game
wondering where the park wasbecause we're at comiskey park
(12:39):
and I wanted to go play at thepark, me thinking a park was
like a playground because you,my mom, would say, oh, I'm
taking play at the park.
Me thinking a park was like aplayground Cause you, my mom,
would say, oh, I'm taking you tothe park.
Yeah.
And we'd go to the park and youknow there's all the rides and
everything on.
So I remember sitting up therelooking around like maybe it's
out there, pointing at thebullpen or maybe it's somewhere
around here, it's somewherearound here, I don't know, I don
(13:07):
park kind of a letdown.
But then you're like, I get it,yeah, but I got to see baseball,
so it was okay.
Um, but I'd say, probably likefor me personally, like just
with me and and my sister and mydad, because, uh, even though
my dad, my mom, was the biggerwhite socks fan, my dad went to
more games, but, like I said,2005 was definitely a great
season.
Um, opening day, a guy we'relike I think we're the second
(13:29):
row in the upper deck guy and onfirst base side a guy hits a
foul ball.
A fan catches it right by us,holds it up and says we're going
to the world where we'rewinning the world series this
year, and everyone's like, oh,yeah, sure, whatever, dude.
And well, you know, nine monthslater he was right, yeah, yeah.
(13:51):
But then from that season therewas a game it was a Saturday
night against the Dodgers, uh,where AJ persinski hit a
walk-off home run to win.
Actually it wasn't, it wasn't.
It wasn't a walk-off, it was ago-ahead home run to win.
And that was like when both mysister are like neither one
looking at each other, likeneither one of us wanted to say
(14:12):
it, but we're both like I thinkwe're going to win the World
Series this year, right, andthen obviously just winning the
World Series.
I wasn't able to get tickets tothe World Series, even though I
tried at one point at my job Ihad five computers going and
couldn't get tickets oh my godfor for game four, the bowls or
(14:35):
the united center, uh, showed itthere on on the big screen and
so it's like the club level.
And then when they ran out ofspace in the club level, they
started going downstairs.
So I went there with with mydad, my sister, a friend of mine
, my boss at the time, and hisson, and it was it really was
unbelievable, it's like you knowthat's cool but just just
(15:00):
experiencing it with my dad andmy sister was just amazing.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
I bet dude, I love it .
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
But then just traveling around with Christina
just too many memories to list.
Like I said, we're travelingall around the country seeing
places when we first started.
Like I said, I did it first in2005.
She and I have been doing itsince 2007 and have done it
every year except 2020.
And it started off with friendsat first.
Like wait, you're justtraveling around to watch
baseball games.
Like no, no, no, no, we'regoing to baseball games.
(15:35):
That's the point but there'sother things to do.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We're stopping at museums.
We're stopping at weirdroadside attractions.
We're going to the Vac vacuummuseum in portland, oregon.
We're going to this coolrestaurant, these, this awesome
bar.
We're going hiking you name it.
We're doing it, we're doing it,and then, yeah, then it's funny
, just you know, finally meetingmore and more people who do the
(15:59):
same thing that's true.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
now there is and I'm surprised you haven't said it
which is the story that you toldme of your which.
I'm sure you know this, but,like your wedding, oh yeah,
that's a cool, you know, causeit's tied to baseball.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, yeah.
So we we had a vintage stylewedding circa 1953.
So our we, actually we gotmarried on leap day.
Uh, we wanted to do it insidethe ballpark at guaranteed rate
at the time, but I just had.
(16:39):
It was just about a year off ofa long bout of unemployment
year, and a half thanks.
You know, 2008 crash, um, and itwas just it's really expensive
to get married in the ballpark,so, and it was leap day, so it's
like it wasn't even a baseballgame going on.
(17:00):
So we got married in front ofthe ballpark, out in front of
guaranteed rate or rate fieldNow there's a monument to the
2005 world series, so the planwas to get married right there,
but it was so incredibly windythat day we had all four seasons
in one day.
(17:20):
Yeah.
And it was so windy Christina'sVal was just flying all over the
place.
So we went around the cornerinto the shade and air out of
the wind and it was just a smallceremony.
It was.
It was us both my parents, hermom, my brother and sister, my
niece and nephew, um, mybrother's wife, and then one of
(17:43):
my aunts and, uh, andChristina's mom were all there.
And so a friend of ours marriedus in front of the stadium and
it was right in front of theticket booth for the socks,
which tickets are on sale.
And as we're finishing up, guyfrom the ticket booth is like oh
, you should go inside and get apicture with the world series,
(18:05):
yeah, because with the worldseries trophy, because the, the,
the entrance in is like rightthere.
So we walk in and it's like youwalk in, there's the desk out
in front of you and over to theleft there's a a case with the
world series trophy in there andthe American league
championship trophy.
And we walk in and said to thewoman working there's like we
(18:29):
just got married out in front,can we take a few pictures?
And she's like oh sure, noproblem, married out in front,
can we take a few pictures andshe's like, oh sure, no problem.
So we, we took pictures, myfamily, everyone, we're all
taking turns taking pictures andthey have off next to it seats
from old comiskey park oh sochristina and I are sitting in
there and the woman comes up andshe's like, do you want to go
on the field?
(18:50):
like, uh, yeah.
She's like, yeah, you know youcan't go on the actual field,
but you can stand on the warningtrack, which is something that
you would actually have to payfor if you're getting married
there.
And so, yeah, we got to spendlike 20 minutes on the warning
track taking pictures showingeveryone where our season
tickets were at the time and,yeah, for nothing, nothing
(19:15):
that's amazing and that's a coolstory.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I tell everybody, like man, if you want to know a
cool baseball story, you got totalk to my good friend, uh uh
kelly he'll.
He has a good story for you.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
When a baseball and wedding related yeah, and it it
wasn't just me, it's allchristina as well yeah,
absolutely, christina was likeobviously he was there.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Yeah, right, so you got to talk to kelly and
christina.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You guys are not going to regret that and then
then two days later is when weactually had our reception,
because leap day was on, uh, ona wednesday that year, and so
what we did is around the wallwhere we had our reception there
were, they were like hooks.
So we put all uh 16 capsactually 15, because I don't
have a cubs cap we did the 15.
(19:57):
We did the 15 caps in order ofhow they finished that year.
So, like the yankees won theworld series, so they were up
top and I don't remember in 53,I do don't remember who won the
nl pennant, but they were kindof lower and then, like american
League was all on one side andthe National League was on the
other side, and then ourcenterpieces we actually had on
(20:20):
a stick like a little card thathad the team's logo from about
that time and time on one sideand on the back like the
ballpark.
They played in the pennants.
They won in the World Series.
They won.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
This is a very much a Kelly and Christina type of
deal.
It really is.
You guys.
I mean, there's no other way ofputting it.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
It's definitely you guys and our invitations were
copied from the 1933 All-StarGame, the first All-Star Game
which was held at Comiskey Park.
There you go I found an oldticket.
A friend of mine designed itfor us.
Uh, we had a website full ofall kinds of pictures, of
baseball pictures, and anotherfriend did that.
(21:03):
So, yeah, I mean in and we, werickrolled everyone at our
wedding.
Love it, christina.
Christina came out to a, uh, acello version of never going to
give you up, nice, and and itwas great because you could hear
the laughter when, when it hitpeople, yeah, what it was like,
(21:26):
as it's laughed, the rollingthrough, laughing other people
like what's so funny, and andit's like this is, you know,
never going to give up.
And so there's a great pictureof, like, the two of us laughing
with our, our officiant, sean,like looking at us, like he's
going to kill us both for doingit.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
That's amazing, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, it truly was a great time.
I love it, and, and, and we hadhot dogs at our wedding.
That's what I'm talking abouthad hot dogs at our wedding,
that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Yeah, we had hot dogs and uh and middle eastern wraps
, hey, so I like that an actualhot dog, stand a cart.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
There was a cart there umbrella everything.
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah, it was a great time, all right question number
four give me some baseballtraditions or rituals for you
okay, so one of them.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I'll start just from the beginning.
One of them is we always buywhen we're traveling somewhere,
going to someplace that's notyou know where we have tickets
for.
We always buy our tickets inadvance and we always usually
try to avoid day games, but ifwe do go to a day game, it's
always in the shade.
Um, I score every single gameyes, you do yeah, I and uh I.
(22:49):
I've been scoring since everygame since 2012,.
But I took it a step furtherbecause I, in 2012, I actually
started and I this is done Iscored every single game I went
to before then that I didn'tscore, going all the way back to
(23:09):
the seventies.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Jesus, dude, that took, that must've taken you.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
And yeah, it, it.
It took quite a while, but theworst is, at one point I forgot
we were up in, uh uh, the johnhancock and I forgot my backpack
in there and it I didn't get itback and they had a whole bunch
of scorecards in there so I hadto start over.
Yeah, yeah, it sucks.
Yeah that I took a long breakafter that Cause I was so
(23:33):
frustrated, but, but on thetradition, so, yeah, we buy our
tickets in advance.
So if it's, if it's a newballpark we haven't been to, or
even one that we don't go toregularly, like we don't, we
typically do it like white socks.
When we our first white socksgame, we'll always walk the
concourse.
Anytime we go, the first thingwe do is we get in.
(23:56):
I usually try to get there whengates open, at least for minor
league parks, which is typicallyan hour.
Get there and usually the firstplace we go to the team store,
figure out what caps going toget and whatever mascots for
Christina, maybe a jersey, anyother merch and then, after
we're done with that, then we wewalk the concourse.
(24:18):
360s are always the best,absolutely.
Um, and as we're walking theconcourse, we're looking at the
food, which typically becauseI'm a pescatarian, so I eat a
vegetarian who eats seafoodisn't always the best choices
for me, like I'm lucky.
(24:39):
You know, cheese pizza tends tobe the big one, and it's.
It's great when you gosomewhere that has a lot more
option, but Christina isstopping at every stand to see
because she wants to make sureshe gets exactly what she wants
and what she's going to becraving, and so after we get our
food, we go to our seats, andwhich actually will usually
(25:01):
check and see where our seatsare at the beginning, just so we
know.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
Just to have a general idea.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Right, right and so, yeah, so after we get our food,
we're in our seats and usuallythere before the game starts.
At that, that's something thatmy dad did when we were kids.
You go there, you get your food, you sit, you eat and you're
ready for the game.
True, it's like I know, likeother people like to, to walk
(25:26):
around during the game, getdifferent perspectives, which I
can totally yeah, I can totally,I can totally appreciate that.
Or people like you know, markVick as, or or Spencer Collins,
who do travel videos.
It's like I would love to dothat, but I want to sit in my
seat and watch the game andscore.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm the.
I'm that guy Like I like to sitdown for a couple of innings
Right, and then I need to walkaround, I need to sit and look
from different point of views,and things like that.
Usually, the berm is where Ilike to be at.
Yeah, the berm is my, that's myspot.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Right, yeah, it's like, it's not that I never get
up.
No, no, no, no, no I'll go geta snack, or go take a snack, or,
or you know, go take a pictureor go to the bathroom, and the
great thing is that when I doget up, christina knows how to
score.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
So so you guys can switch.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
She can take, she can take over.
Typically also, I'll take likean inning or a half an inning
break anyway, yeah, and she'llscore there.
Might you know, if I'm gonethere'll be like sometimes
she'll be like I don't know whathappened.
You're going to have to lookthat up and that's what the app
is for.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
The app is for and that's what you come in and
you're like all right, let meyou know like you can go back
later on that day or whatever,when you get home.
And then let me review thisreal quick and exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
That's what happened in 2016.
The White Sox had three tripleplays and we were there for all
three of them Nice dude and thefirst one happened.
I went to the bathroom, I cameback and she's like I don't know
what happened.
There was a triple play and Idon't remember the exact order,
but it's a triple play that hadnever happened before in the
(27:09):
history of baseball.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
So and and it's always great too when, like,
she's scoring, and someone walksby usually a guy and they'll
comment like to their friendlike dude, did you see that that
woman is scoring?
And that's wild.
I mean it's because you knowmost people you don't see it
anyway, and then typically youdon't don't tend to see a lot of
(27:32):
women.
I mean there are women who doit.
I mean I, yeah, I have friendswho do it that are that are
women, uh, but typically, yeah,you don't don't tend to see a
lot of women.
I mean there are women who doit.
I mean I, yeah, I have friendswho do it that are that are
women, uh, but typically, yeah,you don't, you just you don't
see it, and if you do, it'susually not a woman, so it's
people are blown away when ithappens it's true, that is true,
but she wouldn't.
She wouldn't do an entire game.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
No, she's like no, no see, I and I tried to do it.
Don't get me wrong, I did, Itried.
It's just my attention spandoes not allow for me to be
sitting there the full nineinnings.
I gotta look, I gotta walkaround, because I'm more of a.
I like to see what's going on.
You know, like the, uh, the,the players, what they're doing.
(28:12):
All of that, that's just Ican't good for you man, I I have
nothing but respect for peoplewho actually can't sit there and
do that see the thing.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
For me is it also it.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
It forces me to pay attention more, not true, very
true, not that I was, you knowam not, but it's like no, no, no
right, because you don't needto know every pitch and all that
like lat at last year's meetup,I, I, I didn't, I.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
I tried scoring holly springs, I couldn't.
It was just there was just toomuch going on too much going on,
too much going on and it youknow, there weren't that many
people there, so we were able tospread out and joke around.
We were talking, yeah yeah, butin the war was wonderful yeah,
they, they asked for volunteerand christina signed us up.
I'm totally okay with this, uh.
(28:56):
But then, yeah, then, likedurham, it's like we're, you
know, we couldn't move around asmuch, we were all like stuck,
so true, it was easier.
And then, uh, in zebulon, withthe, uh, the mud cats, it's like
, well, this is where the shadeis.
I'm not leaving the shade, nobut it was hot as all get out
too.
Yeah, I know, I know you didn't, did you?
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I know donnie went upstairs and said it was I stood
, I I had no, I couldn't do goupstairs because it was like the
sun was hitting it and I knewbetter than that.
I, uh, I said I stood back inthe uh, in that section right up
right below you guys, where wewere at, so I wasn't too far,
it's just I had to stand upbecause there's just there's no
airflow whatsoever no, no, Imean, and that's the thing it's
(29:35):
like, I know everyone wasconcerned about getting shade.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
It's like, don't worry, I'm on it because because
that was that was our concerninitially about going.
It's like there's no waychristina could be in the sun
that long.
I couldn't take it either, butshe would overheat in like two
minutes and pass out.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Yeah, it's just, I get it, my friend.
All right, here you go.
You ready for the last question, number five?
Question number five, numerocinco All right, kelly, why
baseball dude Like?
Why?
Speaker 2 (30:12):
So it's funny when you ask Virgil this question,
I'm like I know the answer.
I figured the answer out like15, 16 years ago, so there's
many reasons.
It's just, of course, it's justthat it makes me feel happy.
(30:33):
It makes me feel happy and it'slike I said this on on John
Southie's YouTube channel whenwe went it's like and it used to
be this way with the whitesocks, but for many reasons it's
changed, not just Jerry, butit's this way with the dogs Like
if I have a terrible day, I'mas soon as they scan my ticket
(30:56):
and I go into impact field, Ijust get a big smile on my face
and I just feel happy and athome.
And it's the same whenever wetravel and go to another
ballpark.
Like you know, it could havebeen traffic getting there, it
could have been hell and I, youknow.
But as soon as they scan theticket, all changes and I walk
in.
It's like this is where I needto be, this is my home.
(31:21):
I figured out.
My happy place is traveling thecountry with christina seeing
baseball games.
That's amazing, um so.
And then there's just like theyou know, it's the connection
with my family, knowing that myfamily has loved baseball since
at least 1900.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
that's amazing, like you have family members doing
like the black socks, you know,like, yeah, that that was.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
That was that experienced that my, my dad, was
born in 1945.
He remembers going to white hisfirst white sox game.
I think he said it was in like1948, 1949, and he remembers
there used to be a bar acrossthe street and my parent, my
grandparents, would go in therefor a drink at they'd sit at the
bar, my dad would sit at atable having his coke.
(32:09):
Yeah, and he, like he, clearlyremembers that that's you see,
that's why, why baseball rightthere, right.
That's why but then another notas like as a big reason is I
figured this out in in 2008,2009.
So I I grew up, I was a hockeyfan, but I wasn't a blackhawks
(32:33):
fan, because you could not watchBlackhawks games in Chicago.
Of course.
Bill Wurtz thought, oh, if Iput like a lot of the old owners
or if it's on TV no one willcome.
Yeah, just like when, whenCharlie Finley owned the
California golden seals and heput names on the back of his
(32:55):
players jerseys, the otherowners resisted because they
thought, if the names were onthe jerseys, we're not going to
sell programs.
Jesus, yeah, you know the 50cent program, um, so, like,
blackhawks were not on tv untilafter bill wirfs died, and so
(33:15):
when he died, I was like youknow what time I think things
are going to start changing.
Things are going to happen.
So in the 2008 2009 season, wegot blackhawks tickets.
It was a nine game plan, um,but one day, while going to the
game, I realized, like, one ofthe reasons it's baseball and
(33:38):
then then hockey and then thensoccer, is because, like, right
now, I know who's playing andit's like it's you know.
So, like right now, the dogsare off.
Today, tomorrow, wednesday andThursday, they're in Milwaukee
(33:59):
playing the the milkmen.
Saturday, friday, saturday,sunday, they're at home playing
gary.
You know the white socks.
I don't know who they'replaying next, but actually, no,
yeah, right now, the white socksare off.
Tuesday, wednesday, thursday,they're playing st louis.
It's the consistency, it's theseries, yep, yep, it's like you
know, hockey or full football.
(34:20):
You know, it's sunday, sunday,which is, you know, sunday and
then thursday, and it's like I,when I was younger, I was more
into football, but as I gotolder I kind of fell out of it.
I'm more more into the historyof football still.
Yeah, um, but it's like, yeah,it's every sunday and like
that's cool because you knowpeople get together and they
(34:41):
have parties or they go to thegame.
It's an event, it's an, it's atotal event.
Well, for me it's like it's notgreat knowing that that event
is going on six, seven days aweek with my team.
And then then, just in general,I mean, yeah, we don't get
affiliated ball on Monday, butwe get minor league,
occasionally independent, we getcollegiate summer league.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
So it's the consistency of you have seven
days a week if you want it RightAgain.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Right, right Hockey.
It's like yeah, ok, you'replaying two, three, maybe if
you're four times a week, that'sgreat.
And then like soccer again it'sonce a week, four times a week,
that's great, and then likesoccer again, it's once a week,
occasionally twice a week,depending.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
If there's any, like you know, any tournaments going
on or something like that, thenyou may get a couple of games,
but other than that, yeah,you're right.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Right, or like lower divisions, especially in england
.
You know you play saturday andyou play tuesday, yep, so it's
it's knowing and that that thatwas.
It was that day, while drivingto a baseball game, and I
remember talking or texting afriend of mine about it Actually
the friend who married us, myfriend Sean and like saying, you
know, I realized why I likebaseball so much.
(35:48):
It's the consistency of theschedule, it's the series, it's
knowing that this, this is whothey're playing for, these, you
know, sometimes two games,sometimes three, sometimes four
days, yep, and now the terribleminor league schedule of six
games.
I hate the minor league scheduleyour your poll from like a few
weeks ago.
I didn't see it until after itended.
Yeah.
(36:09):
And I put on yeah, yeah, yeah,and I it's like when I saw that
people's like, the majority ofpeople said they liked it it's
like like what?
Speaker 1 (36:15):
the hell are you talking about?
Do you even know exactly?
Like, yeah, I, and I don'tthink people really understood,
like I said, minor leaguebaseball.
Some people were talking aboutmajor league baseball.
It's like no, no, no, no, no,not, not major league, like
major league has its own.
Yes, m-i-l-b, yeah, m-i-l-b,minor league baseball, right,
and um, you know, people havetheir love for it, but it is
what it is yeah, I, I and I sawsomeone comment like I couldn't
(36:37):
imagine being a season ticketholder and seeing the same team
six days six days.
It's just, it's just.
And they, they're saying it forthe sake of like, you know, the
sake of like saving money orwhatever I'm.
I'm not too keen on that, butwhatever.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
No yeah, well, if they're, if it's to save money,
why are they doing interleagueplay like, why did?
Why did uh durham open?
Uh on the west coast?
Speaker 1 (37:02):
right, exactly like all the way over the in the west
.
You know what?
Never mind.
Yeah, we don't want to diveinto that this is a different
podcast wrong show yeah, yeah,yeah, uh, make sure you follow
the uh dsc sports show tuesdayand thursdays, 9 pm eastern time
.
We'll talk about that there,kelly.
Thank you so much, my friend.
I really appreciate you comingon and giving us a little bit of
time and talking about thesefive questions.
(37:25):
Where can people find you onthe socials?
Speaker 2 (37:28):
So my personal stuff I'm on.
Pretty much the only thingthat's really public is my
Twitter, which is justCalibration, but then for Minor
League Nerd, so it's a YouTubechannel and a podcast.
Youtube channel is just minorleague nerd.
Same with the podcast.
It's a podcast, is it'sbasically the same, just audio
(37:48):
format only just audio formatonly.
It's just search minor leaguenerd.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
It's on all platforms and all the social media
handles are minor league nerdthere you go and uh, as far as
myself, uh, same thing I justlook for uh, the dad hat
chronicles um soldiers.
Make sure that you catch uh,like I said, the dad hat
chronicle sports show tuesdayand thursdays, 9 pm eastern time
.
You know, we talk all sports,not just baseball.
(38:13):
Uh, some football, some hockey,collegiate wood pad.
We talk all of that stuff, guys.
So make sure you guys uh followmy good friend kelly and uh we
will see you guys on the nextepisode.
All right, thanks for having me.
Absolutely, my friend.
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