Nearly two hours before the first pitch Tuesday night, Chris James was wearing a Jumbo Shrimp shirt and already getting warmed up.
James isn’t a pitcher, infielder or outfielder for Jacksonville’s Triple-A ballclub. His position for the past five years has been near the Home Plate Gate entrance, playing his acoustic guitar until game time for about a dozen Shrimp dates each season.
Like everyone else who showed up at 121 Financial Ballpark for the 2021 season opener against the Norfolk Tides -- the first game in 617 days due to last year’s COVID-cancelled season – James felt rejuvenated by the return of minor-league baseball.
“It feels awesome,” said James. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. I’m supposed to play for an hour and a half, but I got here early because I love it so much.”
So does Danny Gillespie, who was so enthralled about this particular Jumbo Shrimp opener that he went to the mall a few days ago and bought a New York Knights jersey, as well as a Knights’ cap with the name “Hobbs” embroidered on the back.
Given the Jumbo Shrimp’s return after a 21-month hiatus, the five-year season ticket-holder thought it was a good time to pay homage to the popular 1984 baseball movie, “The Natural,” and mythical slugger Roy Hobbs, played by actor Robert Redford.
“I just figured it was the best way to celebrate Opening Day,” said Gillespie. “I could have been the best that ever was. Remember that line [from the movie]?”
Gillespie normally comes just for Friday night home games and the fireworks show, but he wasn’t about to miss this historic day, Jacksonville’s first as a Triple-A franchise since 1968.
But that’s not the only thing that made the Shrimp’s 11-5 victory over Norfolk memorable for Gillespie. It was also the first outing for the 63-year-old cab driver since he was diagnosed with COVID-19 in November. He spent 59 days in the hospital, including 49 in the intensive care unit.
Gillespie went back to work in March and only recently felt his sense of taste and smell getting back to normal. While waiting to enter the ballpark, he pointed to the corner of Georgia and Duval Street, saying: “When I hit that sidewalk where I could see the ballpark, the excitement just hit me.”
That was the prevailing emotion for much of the sold-out crowd, albeit limited to 45 percent capacity due to COVID protocols. Everybody was ready to get back to baseball. It never felt so good to be standing in long concession lines at the Dog House, Southern Fried Freebird or Sausage Fest-uuuval.
“You never thought you’d be thankful for waiting in line,” said Steven Amos, who was standing with his 6-year-old son, Luke, to buy nachos and had about 10 fans in front of him. “It’s not normal yet, but it’s as close to normal as we’re going to get for now.”
Kyle McClung -- accompanied by his wife, Aine, and sons Nolan (6) and Liam (3), along with friend Dan Flynn and 6-year-old son, Jack – felt a similar sense of exhilaration as Gillespie. He, too, tested positive for the coronavirus last summer. First, he lost his job on Father’s Day, then wondered three weeks later if he was going to lose his life.
He twice drove himself to Mayo Clinic because Aine was in isolation with their kids. He was never admitted, though his temperature soared to 104 degrees and he was up to 20 breaths a minute, more than double his normal output.
Having waited six weeks for his coronavirus symptoms to subside, you can imagine how Kyle felt with six Jumbo Shrimp tickets in hand, waiting to enter the ballpark.
“Nothing beats America’s national pastime,” said Kyle. “Things are good now. I’m Mr. Mom and enjoying life.”
So were thousands of baseball-starved fans, many yearning for the return of the more affordable minor-league version.
A wheelchair-bound Jerry Canerday, who suffered a stroke in 2008 and is vacationing here from Arkansas, came to the game with his wife of 61 years, Nancy, and other family members. Preston Scott and his wife, Leah, bought Jumbo Shrimp season tickets three years ago because they wanted something to do to get them out of the house.
“It was frustrating, depressing, not being able to go to games last year,” said Preston. “This feels normal, the way it should be.”
Ray Nicks showed up at the ballpark with his two sons, 5-year-old Howard and 4-year-old Bryan, who had Jumbo Shrimp gloves. Nicks came thinking he could buy tickets at the door, not realizing the game was sold out.
At 5:57 p.m., Nicks and his dejected boys turned around and headed home. The good news is Jumbo Shrimp owner Ken Babby found out about their disappointment, arranged for Nicks to have his cell number and invited them to a future game on his dime.
Babby just doesn’t advertise affordable, family fun. He lives it. Nobody feels more connected to baseball and family than Babby, who served as the Baltimore Orioles’ spring-training bat boy in 1993 and ’94 while his father, Lon, served as the team’s general counsel.
Aside from the monetary losses of the cancelled 2020 season, including for his Double-A Akron RubberDucks franchise, the greater pain for Babby was losing the game. That’s because the emotional connection to his childhood, and delivering a product for families to have a similar experience, will always mean more to him than any profit margin.
Sitting behind home plate an hour before the game, Babby said he still regrets not taking the opportunity to go to a Miami Marlins spring training game last year before COVID-19 shut everything down. He was never more grateful to be at the ballpark.
“It’s a surreal moment,” said Babby. “I love what we get to do every day and you don’t realize how special it is until it’s taken away.”
Jumbo Shrimp manager Al Pedrique, a former utility infielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets, has played or managed in 2,000-plus minor-league games. He could feel how special this night was from the opening pitch.
"The smell of the grass, the smell of the food. To watch the fans come in through the gates, it was awesome," said Pedrique. "We definitely felt the energy of the fans throughout the game."
Baseball and the Jumbo Shrimp are back. It feels as perfect as a broken-in glove.
gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540
The Link LonkMay 05, 2021 at 09:29AM
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Gene Frenette: Smiles all around for return of Jumbo Shrimp, minor-league baseball - The Florida Times-Union
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