Kyle Day Returns Home to Play
Posted on 11. Jun, 2009 by Corey in All, Dayton Dragons Baseball, General Baseball.
In professional baseball, and mainly the minor leagues, it is rare for a player to be able to go home during a baseball season, as most teams play a minimum of 140 games in all parts of the country. But for a player to be able to sleep in his own bed for 15 nights a year is unheard of. For Dayton Dragon Kyle Day, this is what he gets to look forward to throughout his first full season of professional baseball.
Day is from Fort Wayne, IN, home of the Tin Caps. Thanks to a lucky schedule, the Dragons are visiting Fort Wayne 15 times this season, giving Day the chance to stay at home with family and friends.
Heading into Spring Training in Sarasota, Day was planning on making the Dayton squad. He knew that Fort Wayne was also in the league and that he would have the chance to play at home a few times, but never snuck a peak at the schedule to see how many times. He began to receive calls from family members and friends telling him about the games for Dayton at Fort Wayne.
“What an awesome and really cool feeling to be able to play professional baseball in my home town in front of so many friends and family,” Day said. “I get to sleep in my own bed and have home cooked meals in the middle of my season. ” Day went on to tell me that it felt like travel ball as a kid, how he would be out for a bit, then back home for a bit.
Day is most excited for this trip to Fort Wayne, the Dragons third on the season already, because most of his friends will be home from college and have the chance to come watch him play. “That will be cool,” he said.
Growing up in Fort Wayne, Day told me how he used to attend the Fort Wayne Wizards games when they were an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. He remembers watching Tori Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins as they made their way to the big leagues. Fort Wayne has since changed their name to the Tin Caps, changed affiliates to the San Diego Padres, and just this year opened a brand new stadium.
Going home to Fort Wayne in the middle of the season all gives Day a chance to invite some friends and teammates over for dinner so they can get a home cooked meal also. He even grabbed his mom’s minivan during the last visit and took some of the Dragons players to see “X-Men: Wolverine” at the local theatre. He said his teammates have not been jealous of him being able to go home and see family and friends during the year, but instead have been excited.
Spending a few more nights in his own bed in Fort Wayne is just what Day is looking for this time of year, but he also hopes his team fares better on the field, as Dayton has yet to win a game in Fort Wayne during their first two visits.
