WEBVTT 00:00:04.419 --> 00:00:08.019 Hello and welcome to the latest episode of the 00:00:08.019 --> 00:00:11.480 Dan Time podcast. I'm your host, Dan McCardle. 00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:14.179 It's great to have you here. It's great to have 00:00:14.179 --> 00:00:17.260 you back. Or if you're a first time listener, 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:19.820 thanks for getting here however you arrived. 00:00:20.500 --> 00:00:24.100 In my quest to share with you the people and 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:26.879 the stories of the distinguished members of the 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:30.280 Daniverse and those in its orbit, I've highlighted 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:34.520 leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, creatives, 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:36.920 entertainers, you name it, and there will be 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.359 many more to come. But now, it is time to shine 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:44.140 the light on an organization and a community 00:00:44.140 --> 00:00:47.299 with the Dan designation, if you will. Today, 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:50.119 I introduce to you Ms. Jeannie Cook. Jeannie 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:52.740 is presenting to us some of the history, the 00:00:52.740 --> 00:00:55.359 significance, and the intrigue of the Danville 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:59.219 Dans Baseball Club. The Dans play in the Summer 00:00:59.219 --> 00:01:02.329 Prospect League. Jeannie is the first of what 00:01:02.329 --> 00:01:05.010 I hope will be many female guests on the DanTime 00:01:05.010 --> 00:01:07.909 podcast. She has been the general manager and 00:01:07.909 --> 00:01:10.909 co -owner of the Danville Dans in Danville, Illinois 00:01:10.909 --> 00:01:15.269 since 1989. Jeannie is also the executive director 00:01:15.269 --> 00:01:18.090 of the Danville Area Convention and Visitors 00:01:18.090 --> 00:01:20.670 Bureau. Not only will you hear about the great 00:01:20.670 --> 00:01:23.569 legacy of the Dans and Danville Stadium, which 00:01:23.569 --> 00:01:27.269 was built in 1946, but you'll hear about the 00:01:27.269 --> 00:01:30.480 culture, attractions, and charm the city of Danville 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:33.219 has to offer. Whether you're single, looking 00:01:33.219 --> 00:01:35.700 for a fun town, which is just two and a half 00:01:35.700 --> 00:01:38.700 hours south of Chicago, or if you've got young 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:41.760 kids, maybe looking to make a move, or maybe 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:44.620 you're nearing retirement age, whatever the case 00:01:44.620 --> 00:01:48.459 may be, Danville, Illinois may just be the destination 00:01:48.459 --> 00:01:52.260 for you. Along with her husband, JD, Jeannie 00:01:52.260 --> 00:01:55.040 was inducted into the Danville Area Community 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:58.359 College Hall of Fame in 2015. The Cooks have 00:01:58.359 --> 00:02:01.060 been longtime supporters of Danville Community 00:02:01.060 --> 00:02:03.900 College Athletics and are very active in the 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:07.980 annual NJCAA National Basketball Tournament. 00:02:08.539 --> 00:02:11.439 If you're a fan of baseball movies or John Goodman, 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:14.139 you might remember the movie The Babe, filmed 00:02:14.139 --> 00:02:19.379 in 1992 at Danville Stadium. Please visit danvildanz 00:02:19.379 --> 00:02:22.800 .org and to learn more about the city of Danville, 00:02:22.819 --> 00:02:25.180 whether you just want to take a quick trip there, 00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:28.020 a nice three -day weekend to Danville, Visit 00:02:28.020 --> 00:02:32.639 cityofdanville .org. That's D -A -N -V -I -L 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:35.240 -L -E. I think you're going to thoroughly enjoy 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.120 this conversation with Jeannie Cook. I cannot 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:41.520 thank her enough for making time for Dan Time. 00:02:42.460 --> 00:02:44.439 All right, without giving too much more away, 00:02:44.460 --> 00:02:48.340 let's get to the conversation. Folks, it is Jeannie 00:02:48.340 --> 00:02:52.180 Cook Time, presenting the Danville Dans and the 00:02:52.180 --> 00:02:54.759 City of Danville. Jeannie, thank you so much 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:57.680 for making time today. for this conversation. 00:02:58.219 --> 00:03:01.319 I'm happy to be here, Dan. Now the Danville Dans, 00:03:01.740 --> 00:03:03.780 this is a collegiate summer baseball league. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:07.039 They play in the Prospect League. And Janie, 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:09.300 am I correct in saying I know they're not one 00:03:09.300 --> 00:03:11.360 of the flagship teams, but this is one of the 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.139 longest running franchises in the Prospect League. 00:03:14.259 --> 00:03:18.379 Is that correct? Yes, by far it is the longest. 00:03:18.650 --> 00:03:21.009 I would say longest living team because it's 00:03:21.009 --> 00:03:26.969 alive and well. But we began in 1989. At that 00:03:26.969 --> 00:03:29.250 time, we were the Central Illinois Collegiate 00:03:29.250 --> 00:03:32.090 League. But through the years, we gained so many 00:03:32.090 --> 00:03:34.330 other states that we had to change the name. 00:03:34.789 --> 00:03:38.169 But for any old baseball historians, they would 00:03:38.169 --> 00:03:41.289 certainly recognize the Central Illinois Collegiate 00:03:41.289 --> 00:03:44.330 League. But it all came about, Dan, because of 00:03:44.330 --> 00:03:47.469 Danville Stadium. I grew up in a baseball family, 00:03:47.810 --> 00:03:51.210 so baseball was always near and dear to my heart. 00:03:51.789 --> 00:03:54.750 And my business partner came to me one day and 00:03:54.750 --> 00:03:56.710 said, hey, Jeannie, they're going to tear down 00:03:56.710 --> 00:03:59.469 Danville Stadium. I think maybe we ought to think 00:03:59.469 --> 00:04:01.370 about putting a team there, see if we can get 00:04:01.370 --> 00:04:04.789 a lease on that and do something. Well, here 00:04:04.789 --> 00:04:09.310 it is over 30 years later, and we're still there, 00:04:09.550 --> 00:04:13.150 still doing things. But it's been a work of love. 00:04:13.870 --> 00:04:16.550 Let me tell you just a little bit about the history 00:04:16.550 --> 00:04:21.250 of the Danville Stadium. It was built in 1945 00:04:21.250 --> 00:04:24.810 and how it got built is quite a historic story. 00:04:25.589 --> 00:04:28.209 Baseball fans know about the Black Sox scandal. 00:04:28.910 --> 00:04:32.810 There was cheating among players and that was 00:04:32.810 --> 00:04:36.430 a really, really black eye on baseball. People 00:04:36.430 --> 00:04:39.870 were leaving Major League Baseball in droves. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:43.600 and there was great fear that baseball wasn't 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:47.079 gonna survive that. At that time, all the owners 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:50.019 got together and made rules, and they decided 00:04:50.019 --> 00:04:53.319 they had to step away, which is where Major League 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.839 Baseball got their first commissioner. It was 00:04:56.839 --> 00:04:59.600 a gentleman named Kinosaw Mountain Landis, an 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:03.220 attorney out of Ohio. He came in and said, well, 00:05:03.300 --> 00:05:06.519 this is easy, I can fix this. If you play for 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:10.180 a specific major league team, they own you forever. 00:05:10.180 --> 00:05:13.600 You can never play with anyone else. Along came 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:16.680 Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He said, 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:19.120 you can't do that. That's not fair to people. 00:05:19.459 --> 00:05:22.399 And you just plain can't do it. Landis said, 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:27.500 it stands. So clever that he was, Mr. Rickey 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:30.060 started his own professional league, which is 00:05:30.060 --> 00:05:32.800 what we know today as the minor leagues. And 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:35.670 he went around the country looking for places 00:05:35.670 --> 00:05:39.170 to put a farm club and came upon a gentleman 00:05:39.170 --> 00:05:41.889 from Danville. They came to an agreement. The 00:05:41.889 --> 00:05:45.949 city of Danville citizens bought stock so that 00:05:45.949 --> 00:05:48.850 the stadium could be built. So it was built in 00:05:48.850 --> 00:05:52.769 45 to open in 46. The day they were supposed 00:05:52.769 --> 00:05:56.750 to open, there was no outfield fence. That morning, 00:05:57.470 --> 00:06:01.050 350 people from Danville came at 830, and by 00:06:01.050 --> 00:06:05.430 1130, we had a fence. And so the next day, the 00:06:05.430 --> 00:06:08.850 minor leagues that we know today began at Danville 00:06:08.850 --> 00:06:13.769 Stadium. In 1947, Mr. Rickey was so happy with 00:06:13.769 --> 00:06:16.769 the situation in Danville that when he sent the 00:06:16.769 --> 00:06:18.990 schedule, there was something special on it. 00:06:19.230 --> 00:06:22.209 And that was that the Brooklyn Dodger Major League 00:06:22.209 --> 00:06:26.389 team was coming to play the Danville Dodgers 00:06:26.389 --> 00:06:30.889 for an exhibition game. So they did come in 1947. 00:06:31.389 --> 00:06:34.509 And on that team was Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee 00:06:34.509 --> 00:06:38.589 Reese, Duke Snyder, and Carl Ferrello and all 00:06:38.589 --> 00:06:42.009 those guys they called the boys of summer. So 00:06:42.009 --> 00:06:44.730 that's what got us started. How can you throw 00:06:44.730 --> 00:06:48.290 away something like that? What a remarkable piece 00:06:48.290 --> 00:06:51.930 of history that Danville is able to lay claim 00:06:51.930 --> 00:06:56.750 to and for a stadium built almost 80 years ago 00:06:56.750 --> 00:06:59.670 to still be standing and I'm sure it's not just 00:06:59.670 --> 00:07:02.129 accidentally still standing. A lot of maintenance 00:07:02.129 --> 00:07:05.610 and upkeep goes on. But this must just be a very 00:07:05.610 --> 00:07:09.290 integral piece of the city and the people and 00:07:09.290 --> 00:07:11.550 the generations. I wanted to ask you, do you 00:07:11.550 --> 00:07:15.129 see a lot of grandparents, parents and little 00:07:15.129 --> 00:07:18.290 toddlers coming a bunch to the games or multi 00:07:18.290 --> 00:07:20.810 -generation families that you see at the ballpark? 00:07:21.569 --> 00:07:25.230 Absolutely. Absolutely. We see a lot of generations. 00:07:25.470 --> 00:07:28.389 from little children, from babies on up to great 00:07:28.389 --> 00:07:31.110 grandparents that come to the ballpark. On a 00:07:31.110 --> 00:07:33.709 good weekend night or a Tuesday night, which 00:07:33.709 --> 00:07:36.050 is our big weekend night, we'll have up to 5 00:07:36.050 --> 00:07:39.250 ,000 people in that little bitty town of Danville, 00:07:39.250 --> 00:07:42.649 Illinois, and the small county of Vermillion 00:07:42.649 --> 00:07:44.889 that come to the game. And they come from all 00:07:44.889 --> 00:07:47.470 over. Our players come from all over the country. 00:07:47.670 --> 00:07:50.629 They're in universities all over the United States 00:07:50.629 --> 00:07:54.040 and even Hawaii. So it's become the thing to 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:57.040 do. You're nobody if you don't come to Danville 00:07:57.040 --> 00:07:59.560 Stadium. And one of the things I was reading 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:02.639 about that I thought, hey, this really must be 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:05.959 something unique to the Danville Dans. And like 00:08:05.959 --> 00:08:08.560 you said, keeps people coming, keeps the history 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:11.199 going. You do some special things there where 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.339 when the national anthem is being played, everything 00:08:13.339 --> 00:08:16.259 basically comes to a stop as much as it can. 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:18.399 Even the vendors. And if you're in the middle 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:22.290 of getting a hot dog, you stop and And the autographs 00:08:22.290 --> 00:08:24.610 of the players making themselves accessible to 00:08:24.610 --> 00:08:27.509 give autographs, the kids being able to run the 00:08:27.509 --> 00:08:29.269 bases and that sort of thing. I thought that 00:08:29.269 --> 00:08:31.509 was really neat. And some people might think 00:08:31.509 --> 00:08:33.450 that you see that everywhere. You don't. You 00:08:33.450 --> 00:08:35.649 may see some version or a couple of those things. 00:08:35.769 --> 00:08:38.309 You don't see all that stuff at every ballpark. 00:08:38.710 --> 00:08:42.690 Well, you don't. And it starts with a live music, 00:08:42.929 --> 00:08:45.870 someone singing a barbershop chorus, singing 00:08:45.870 --> 00:08:48.950 an individual, singing someone from the area. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:51.980 is in front of a mic in front of the crowd singing 00:08:51.980 --> 00:08:54.840 the national anthem. It's hard to explain, but 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:57.480 if you're there, you understand how meaningful 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:01.440 that is. After the game, the players all stay 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.440 on the field. The gates are open. And anyone 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:07.460 who comes down, the children can all run the 00:09:07.460 --> 00:09:11.039 bases. They can talk and touch and feel those 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:14.720 ballplayers. They can get autographs. So it's 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.750 not just about the game. It's about how people 00:09:17.750 --> 00:09:20.070 feel when they're there. Many times I've had 00:09:20.070 --> 00:09:23.309 someone say, well, I really like baseball, but 00:09:23.309 --> 00:09:25.769 I come because I love the way I feel when I'm 00:09:25.769 --> 00:09:29.190 here. That's a really powerful statement. And 00:09:29.190 --> 00:09:31.289 it really, really touched me when you said that 00:09:31.289 --> 00:09:33.950 too, because there's something very special about 00:09:33.950 --> 00:09:36.809 baseball when it's also packaged well. And when 00:09:36.809 --> 00:09:39.169 you create those memories, people usually go 00:09:39.169 --> 00:09:43.230 back to places and events that are tied to a 00:09:43.230 --> 00:09:46.110 special memory. Whether that vacation destinations, 00:09:46.250 --> 00:09:48.049 people like to go to the mountains or they like 00:09:48.049 --> 00:09:49.929 to go to the coast because it reminds them of 00:09:49.929 --> 00:09:52.870 how they felt or some great experiences. They 00:09:52.870 --> 00:09:55.710 probably come back to the stadium there again 00:09:55.710 --> 00:09:58.549 and again because you all have been able to help 00:09:58.549 --> 00:10:01.409 create those lasting memories for them. Well, 00:10:01.830 --> 00:10:05.470 I have to say it wasn't really planned. It was 00:10:05.470 --> 00:10:08.840 planned to save the stadium. So over the years, 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:12.080 we've been able to understand how family generation 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:15.279 after generation that have the same experiences 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:18.740 and love makes it very, very worthwhile. And 00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:21.399 just to name Danville Danz, it's a real charming 00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:24.399 name. And you're starting to see across the minor 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:27.899 leagues a wave of creative names outside the 00:10:27.899 --> 00:10:30.500 box names. Pretty silly stuff in some cases. 00:10:31.299 --> 00:10:33.860 I think like the Thrillville Thrillbillies is 00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:35.740 one of the newest teams in the prospect league. 00:10:35.909 --> 00:10:39.769 Yes. There's a lot of really quirky names, but 00:10:39.769 --> 00:10:42.389 you look at the Danville Bands and it has something 00:10:42.389 --> 00:10:46.809 really dignified to it. It's clever, it's charming, 00:10:46.809 --> 00:10:50.269 but it's really a dignified name in minor league 00:10:50.269 --> 00:10:53.490 baseball. And it really sounds timeless. Well, 00:10:53.490 --> 00:10:56.769 we hope it does because Danville Stadium is timeless 00:10:56.769 --> 00:11:00.169 and long after we're gone, we hope it's that 00:11:00.169 --> 00:11:03.669 way forever. And I think with the love we see 00:11:03.669 --> 00:11:06.659 generated for that ballpark. that goal has been 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:09.100 reached. And I just want to say real quickly 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:12.019 the current manager for the dance, Eric Coleman, 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:16.120 reached a major milestone with 300 wins. He did. 00:11:16.580 --> 00:11:20.080 His teams have been real speedy teams. They've 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:22.639 led the league in stolen bases I think six out 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:25.370 of eight of the past eight seasons. Yes, if you're 00:11:25.370 --> 00:11:27.210 going to play for Coach Coleman, you better be 00:11:27.210 --> 00:11:29.450 ready to run because, you know, he's going to 00:11:29.450 --> 00:11:32.210 put the pressure on the other guys. He's an outstanding 00:11:32.210 --> 00:11:36.289 coach and outstanding person. And we're very 00:11:36.289 --> 00:11:38.370 fortunate to have him. And we're also fortunate 00:11:38.370 --> 00:11:41.470 for the last two years. And we're hoping this 00:11:41.470 --> 00:11:44.009 year as well, we have a very famous coach as 00:11:44.009 --> 00:11:46.450 an assistant. And that is Coach Ron Polk from 00:11:46.450 --> 00:11:49.350 Mississippi State. Wow. That's a big name and 00:11:49.350 --> 00:11:52.679 a big baseball program in its own right. I was 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:54.940 going to ask about the players they still have 00:11:54.940 --> 00:11:57.039 some college eligibility is that correct and 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:00.080 they when they play for the Dans it is a summer 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:01.679 league and then they'll resume they'll go back 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:04.980 to their college or university in the fall. Yes 00:12:04.980 --> 00:12:07.759 they do we are allowed to have a limited number 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:12.720 of incoming college players if they have proof 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:14.899 of graduate that they graduate from high school 00:12:14.899 --> 00:12:17.659 and they have their acceptance and their admittance 00:12:17.659 --> 00:12:19.740 into the university they're going to be going 00:12:19.740 --> 00:12:23.519 to. So we may have a couple of young ones on 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:26.419 any given year that fit the physical ability 00:12:26.419 --> 00:12:29.220 but also fit the rules of the prospect league. 00:12:29.740 --> 00:12:32.519 Well I also before we get too far along and I 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:35.080 may return to some Danville Dan's questions but 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:38.960 Jeanne the city of Danville itself is rich in 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:43.440 history you have very unique murals, museums, 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:47.299 theaters, Abraham Lincoln historical markers, 00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:49.960 and I just wanted to ask you a little bit about 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:53.039 the attractions in Danville. I'm a huge Abraham 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:56.240 Lincoln fan. I've got several books on him, and 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:58.980 I remember that he practiced law for a time in 00:12:58.980 --> 00:13:02.299 Danville. He did, except for Springfield, Illinois. 00:13:02.379 --> 00:13:05.539 He did more cases in Danville, Illinois than 00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:10.309 he did anyplace. He did over 200 cases in court 00:13:10.309 --> 00:13:13.470 in Danville. We are part of the Looking for Lincoln 00:13:13.470 --> 00:13:16.629 National Heritage Area, which is under the auspice 00:13:16.629 --> 00:13:19.710 of the National Park Service. Took a long time 00:13:19.710 --> 00:13:22.470 for us to get there. Worked in cooperation with 00:13:22.470 --> 00:13:24.990 Springfield and several other communities to 00:13:24.990 --> 00:13:28.309 see that that happens. The museum you spoke of 00:13:28.309 --> 00:13:31.750 is where Lincoln spent many nights at the home 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:34.690 of Dr. Fithian, who was a very good friend of 00:13:34.690 --> 00:13:37.450 his when he was traveling the circuit. The bedroom 00:13:37.450 --> 00:13:41.009 he slept in, the balcony he stepped out and spoke 00:13:41.009 --> 00:13:46.289 to, the crowd below is all intact in good shape, 00:13:46.629 --> 00:13:50.710 taken wonderful care of. So that's a great Lincoln 00:13:50.710 --> 00:13:53.710 stop. You're right. We have signs all over town. 00:13:54.190 --> 00:13:57.710 We also don't have a train there anymore, but 00:13:57.710 --> 00:14:00.549 the tracks are still there. Dan was the last 00:14:00.549 --> 00:14:04.450 place that Lincoln spoke in Illinois before he 00:14:04.450 --> 00:14:07.750 went to Washington. The train stopped, he went 00:14:07.750 --> 00:14:10.809 to the back of the train and said, if I have 00:14:10.809 --> 00:14:14.029 blessings at my disposal, old million will be 00:14:14.029 --> 00:14:16.870 in for a bountiful share. And of course, for 00:14:16.870 --> 00:14:21.509 a million is our county. So we have a wonderful 00:14:21.509 --> 00:14:24.990 war museum that is, they tell us, the state tells 00:14:24.990 --> 00:14:28.389 us that it is the best war museum in the state, 00:14:28.629 --> 00:14:31.809 military museum. It's absolutely fabulous. So 00:14:31.809 --> 00:14:34.330 we have a lot of unique history, but I have to 00:14:34.330 --> 00:14:37.950 mention, our parks, our surrounding parks in 00:14:37.950 --> 00:14:41.730 Danville. We have over 15 ,000 acres of public 00:14:41.730 --> 00:14:46.950 parkland, which is more per capita than any county 00:14:46.950 --> 00:14:50.590 in Illinois. They may have more acreage, but 00:14:50.590 --> 00:14:55.429 per capita we take that honor. We also have a 00:14:55.429 --> 00:15:00.029 new rail trail that goes across our nationally 00:15:00.029 --> 00:15:04.309 designated scenic river. 88 feet above the forest 00:15:04.309 --> 00:15:06.830 and the treetops, which is absolutely wonderful. 00:15:07.309 --> 00:15:11.450 It's a great, great new asset for our area. So 00:15:11.450 --> 00:15:14.289 there's a lot to do. And there's, besides baseball, 00:15:14.470 --> 00:15:17.610 there's a lot of sports there. We host the NJCAA 00:15:17.610 --> 00:15:20.929 Division II Men's National Basketball Championships 00:15:20.929 --> 00:15:24.509 every year. We host the American Legion State 00:15:24.509 --> 00:15:27.690 Golf Tournament, two -day tournament here. So 00:15:27.690 --> 00:15:30.429 you don't get bored in Danville, Illinois. And 00:15:30.429 --> 00:15:33.330 if you want to volunteer, I can assure you that 00:15:33.330 --> 00:15:36.549 we will take care of all of our volunteers because 00:15:36.549 --> 00:15:38.870 most everything is volunteer run and that says 00:15:38.870 --> 00:15:41.850 a lot for our community. Well, one thing that 00:15:41.850 --> 00:15:45.970 I return to on this podcast is the idea that 00:15:45.970 --> 00:15:49.649 it's never too late to make a change, to make 00:15:49.649 --> 00:15:52.889 a move. And if people are considering leaving 00:15:52.889 --> 00:15:55.970 their little nook that they've either been in 00:15:55.970 --> 00:15:58.350 too long or it's time to do something different. 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:03.159 I like to open up my listeners' ears and minds 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:06.639 to exciting locales that are really moving in 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:08.240 the right direction. I think Danville's a great 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:12.779 example. Do you see a lot of young families in 00:16:12.779 --> 00:16:15.700 Danville or let's say over the past 10 years? 00:16:16.100 --> 00:16:19.259 How has the city grown as far as your young families 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:23.620 or young professionals? Oh, it has grown tremendously. 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:27.409 It's grown in young families. Some who grew up 00:16:27.409 --> 00:16:29.570 here, others who did not that come from other 00:16:29.570 --> 00:16:32.889 places. They come to work in some of our industries. 00:16:32.889 --> 00:16:36.590 They come for a lot of reasons. Our downtown 00:16:36.590 --> 00:16:40.389 has seen a wonderful growth and change and additions 00:16:40.389 --> 00:16:44.789 cost me a lot of money, by the way. Wonderful 00:16:44.789 --> 00:16:48.889 shops and places to eat. And it's a wonderful 00:16:48.889 --> 00:16:52.509 time to be in Danville, Illinois. Now, if people 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:55.980 like music and music festivals. I was reading 00:16:55.980 --> 00:16:58.779 a little bit about summer sounds and the symphony 00:16:58.779 --> 00:17:01.419 concerts. Of course, there's the light opera. 00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:03.779 Do you have various events going on throughout 00:17:03.779 --> 00:17:07.740 the year? Oh my, yes. I would urge you to go 00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:11.759 look at Danville Area Info, the website there. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:15.380 We are every day. keeping up with the calendar 00:17:15.380 --> 00:17:17.700 of events. We try to keep that current and all 00:17:17.700 --> 00:17:20.359 the information and it's a pretty big job. We 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:22.579 could probably assign one person in our office 00:17:22.579 --> 00:17:26.140 to do that. So there's a tremendous amount to 00:17:26.140 --> 00:17:28.920 do and it's an artsy town. We have a wonderful 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:33.359 arts in the park event in our huge park, arts 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:36.220 and artists from all over the place. We have 00:17:36.220 --> 00:17:42.740 a theater that was built in 1898. and it's been 00:17:42.740 --> 00:17:47.740 renovated. It is absolutely stunning with perfect 00:17:47.740 --> 00:17:51.720 sound and two giant balconies. It's absolutely 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:55.480 magnificently beautiful. We have music downtown 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:58.720 on a Friday or Saturday evening. It's a very 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:01.960 vibrant community. That's wonderful because I 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:04.700 think that it's... I don't know if the interest 00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:07.700 has been sparked in the past generation or the 00:18:07.700 --> 00:18:11.670 past 10 or 20 years in arts and culture. and 00:18:11.670 --> 00:18:14.009 communities that take that seriously and have 00:18:14.009 --> 00:18:18.470 a lot of neat and restored buildings and architecture. 00:18:18.950 --> 00:18:21.089 It sure feels like that's where people are, they're 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:24.069 looking to move to communities that can boast 00:18:24.069 --> 00:18:26.750 a lot of those attractions. Yeah, I think I would 00:18:26.750 --> 00:18:30.009 call it real life. We have real life here. And 00:18:30.009 --> 00:18:32.349 when you talk about the arts, it swings back 00:18:32.349 --> 00:18:35.890 to our conversation about the national anthem 00:18:35.890 --> 00:18:40.640 and how it helps the format. how you feel at 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:45.119 Danville Stadium. We have a men's barbershop 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:49.359 course. It actually started 90 years ago, maybe 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:54.140 a long, long time ago. And they not only sing 00:18:54.140 --> 00:18:58.380 the national anthem for us, but every year they 00:18:58.380 --> 00:19:00.759 go down and do a national anthem for the St. 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:02.700 Louis Cardinals. And it's hard for me to say 00:19:02.700 --> 00:19:07.380 as a Cub fan, but... Oh, Cubs go. Oh boy, yes, 00:19:07.380 --> 00:19:11.849 for sure. And so, and we, when you talk about 00:19:11.849 --> 00:19:16.470 Cubs, we also have had a Dan Valdana or two on 00:19:16.470 --> 00:19:20.130 the Cubs. We have over 30 major leaguers that 00:19:20.130 --> 00:19:23.069 are or have played in the major leagues. Currently 00:19:23.069 --> 00:19:26.809 we have Josh Smith, who's an infielder with Texas. 00:19:26.829 --> 00:19:29.509 So we're very excited about him. Oh, Jeannie, 00:19:29.509 --> 00:19:31.990 I was going to mention Chris Coughlin. I'm glad 00:19:31.990 --> 00:19:35.630 you brought that up. He made a play that you 00:19:35.630 --> 00:19:38.250 may never see again, at least not for many, many 00:19:38.250 --> 00:19:41.430 years. As a big leaguer, I was a former Danville 00:19:41.430 --> 00:19:44.309 Dan, that leaping, I guess you just call it a 00:19:44.309 --> 00:19:48.190 leap into home plate. He jumped over Jan Molina 00:19:48.190 --> 00:19:52.849 on just an incredible play. But I saw that posted 00:19:52.849 --> 00:19:57.109 and he's a notable alumni for the Dan's. Oh, 00:19:57.289 --> 00:20:00.789 he is. I remember that play and I was thinking 00:20:00.789 --> 00:20:05.799 to myself, yeah, well, that's Chris. We had another 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:09.359 famous alumni. We have many, but another is John 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:12.099 Papelbon, who won the World Series for the Boston 00:20:12.099 --> 00:20:17.660 Red Sox. But we also have school teachers and 00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:21.599 coaches and dads, and it's wonderful that so 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:24.539 many kids keep up with us. I think part of the 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:26.819 reason is when they come here, they live with 00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:30.339 the host family. So they get to know the ballpark. 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:32.380 They get to know the community. They get to know 00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:35.789 the people that live here. So we make lifetime 00:20:35.789 --> 00:20:38.430 friends with the Danville Danes. Yeah, and that's 00:20:38.430 --> 00:20:40.710 right. These these are kids that are still in 00:20:40.710 --> 00:20:42.789 school. So they're obviously they're not being 00:20:42.789 --> 00:20:46.230 paid yet. And I imagine they're they're well 00:20:46.230 --> 00:20:48.950 taken care of by their host families and and 00:20:48.950 --> 00:20:52.509 well fed as much as they can. You know, the hospitality 00:20:52.509 --> 00:20:54.970 that you can provide. I have to imagine that 00:20:54.970 --> 00:20:56.869 they're they are in a good place. I always say 00:20:56.869 --> 00:20:58.769 that on this podcast. You're in a good place. 00:20:58.890 --> 00:21:00.950 And I feel like in Danville, that's probably 00:21:00.950 --> 00:21:06.400 true. That's our biggest goal, I think, as one 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:11.000 of the team owners. We want our players to be 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:14.720 our best recruiters. We want them not only about 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:18.900 other kids coming, but about our community. So 00:21:18.900 --> 00:21:21.319 when they leave, they're taking something with 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:24.380 them. And we really do our best to make sure 00:21:24.380 --> 00:21:26.619 it's something positive. Well, Jeannie, I just 00:21:26.619 --> 00:21:29.380 want to say, you know, that was a surprise. when 00:21:29.380 --> 00:21:31.259 you mentioned you're a Cubs fan. I'm a huge Cubs 00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:34.319 fan. So we will have to keep the connection open. 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:37.759 I may ask you back on for another episode during, 00:21:38.259 --> 00:21:40.099 well, whenever it's a good time for you to just 00:21:40.099 --> 00:21:43.039 talk some, some Cubs. But I got to say, I really 00:21:43.039 --> 00:21:45.039 like, I'm not just saying this, I really like 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:47.420 the Dan Dildan's color scheme with the forest 00:21:47.420 --> 00:21:50.140 green, the red and the white. Don't see that 00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:53.220 combination all the time. No, you sure don't. 00:21:53.380 --> 00:21:55.759 Our uniforms and our bats and everything we do 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.670 is from a company called Marucci. Marucci started, 00:21:59.670 --> 00:22:05.289 it's in the garage of a friend and one of the 00:22:05.289 --> 00:22:08.609 Danville Dan's alumni. His name's Kurt Ainsworth. 00:22:09.069 --> 00:22:12.309 Kurt has an Olympic gold medal. He was a first 00:22:12.309 --> 00:22:16.410 round draft choice, played until his arm gave 00:22:16.410 --> 00:22:22.089 out. So we're very proud of what our alumni have 00:22:22.089 --> 00:22:25.670 done with the rest of their lives. Marucci is 00:22:25.670 --> 00:22:28.970 the number one bat company in the world. And 00:22:28.970 --> 00:22:32.690 we're really proud of what our ballplayers do 00:22:32.690 --> 00:22:36.589 when they go out in real life. And some of them 00:22:36.589 --> 00:22:39.190 are involved in the game, true. Some of them 00:22:39.190 --> 00:22:42.710 are not. But it's like watching your kids. What 00:22:42.710 --> 00:22:45.109 happens to my kids when they grow up? And it's 00:22:45.109 --> 00:22:48.650 very, very rewarding. Absolutely. For everyone 00:22:48.650 --> 00:22:52.009 listening, if you go to danfielddans .org, you 00:22:52.009 --> 00:22:55.410 can go to the merchandise shop. and there's a 00:22:55.410 --> 00:22:57.349 really cool variety to choose from. If you can't 00:22:57.349 --> 00:22:59.930 make it to a game next season or you're not sure 00:22:59.930 --> 00:23:03.250 when you might get there, order a hat. You'll 00:23:03.250 --> 00:23:05.710 be the only one around your community, your town 00:23:05.710 --> 00:23:08.970 wearing this stuff. There's the logo. There's 00:23:08.970 --> 00:23:11.890 a red and green t -shirts with the Danville Dan's 00:23:11.890 --> 00:23:16.170 Stitch logo. There's the neon script shirt. Really 00:23:16.170 --> 00:23:19.170 cool shirt there. Trucker hat, bucket hat. Check 00:23:19.170 --> 00:23:21.990 that out. I'm going to be placing an order. Big 00:23:21.990 --> 00:23:25.869 surprise there. But Janie, this has been just 00:23:25.869 --> 00:23:28.910 spectacular. I really appreciate you joining 00:23:28.910 --> 00:23:31.930 the show. I'm glad to give some exposure to the 00:23:31.930 --> 00:23:33.569 Danville Dan's. There's got something really 00:23:33.569 --> 00:23:36.390 special going on there. And I hope to take my 00:23:36.390 --> 00:23:39.470 little ones to a game as soon as possible. Well, 00:23:39.569 --> 00:23:42.930 we would absolutely love that. I might even entertain 00:23:42.930 --> 00:23:45.210 the motion of you throwing out a first pitch. 00:23:45.450 --> 00:23:49.359 How's your arm, Dan? Well, it wasn't that long 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:52.440 ago when I played some rec softball, so I could 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:54.519 probably still throw a strike. All right. Well, 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:58.000 I'll count on that. All right. Well, I won't 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:03.220 turn that down. So. But this has been wonderful. 00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:06.440 Jeannie, I know talked about the city. We talked 00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:08.019 about the team. I feel like we could talk another 00:24:08.019 --> 00:24:09.920 30 minutes, but is there anything else that you'd 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:13.150 like to promote that we didn't cover today? No, 00:24:13.170 --> 00:24:15.450 I think if you get me started again, I might 00:24:15.450 --> 00:24:19.369 not stop, Dan. So I think a lot of things. Real 00:24:19.369 --> 00:24:21.569 quick, here's some notable alumni, some names, 00:24:21.950 --> 00:24:24.309 old and young that some of you may remember. 00:24:24.730 --> 00:24:28.349 Devon White, Dick Schofield, Pedro Guerrero. 00:24:28.549 --> 00:24:31.329 Definitely remember him as a kid. Carl Erskine, 00:24:31.730 --> 00:24:35.869 Cecil Cooper, Darren Fletcher, and Darryl Porter. 00:24:36.390 --> 00:24:38.309 Some big names in the past through Danville. 00:24:39.009 --> 00:24:44.119 We have over 200 major league players or coaches 00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:46.700 that have been rostered here. How about that? 00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:49.880 We also have the Negro leagues that played through 00:24:49.880 --> 00:24:53.180 here. So in our office at the stadium, there 00:24:53.180 --> 00:24:55.700 are a couple of posters of when they barnstorm 00:24:55.700 --> 00:24:59.220 through here. And beside one of the posters, 00:24:59.240 --> 00:25:02.279 we have a black and white photo of when Satchel 00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:04.880 Paige played here. You walk in, you just feel 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:08.079 its history and you just know it's there. I had 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:11.400 a chance to meet One of the Negro League players 00:25:11.400 --> 00:25:14.039 from there's a few other Danville's around the 00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:15.980 country. I think only one other with a baseball 00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:20.640 team, but James Cowboy Atterbury. I ran it to 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:23.940 him at the Rickwood Classic in Birmingham a few 00:25:23.940 --> 00:25:26.420 years ago. He's he's since passed away, but he 00:25:26.420 --> 00:25:28.519 was from Danville, Virginia, or at least lived 00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:32.380 there in his adult years. There are 27 Danville's, 00:25:32.460 --> 00:25:35.579 I think, in the United States. I'd love to learn 00:25:35.579 --> 00:25:37.940 the significance and, you know, we could dedicate 00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:40.730 an entire episode. just unpacking everything 00:25:40.730 --> 00:25:42.569 everything that there is to know about Danville 00:25:42.569 --> 00:25:45.150 Illinois and then all the other Danvilles but 00:25:45.150 --> 00:25:47.609 it would take a little more than one session 00:25:47.609 --> 00:25:53.730 I'm sure okay well I'll also put some links in 00:25:53.730 --> 00:25:56.609 the episode itself Jeannie this is wonderful 00:25:56.609 --> 00:25:59.269 thank you so much for making the time I have 00:25:59.269 --> 00:26:01.990 just thoroughly enjoyed our conversation well 00:26:01.990 --> 00:26:04.150 I've enjoyed it as well whenever you can talk 00:26:04.150 --> 00:26:06.769 to another baseball fan you've got to enjoy every 00:26:06.769 --> 00:26:09.970 minute that's right I wish we were ending with 00:26:09.970 --> 00:26:12.130 some talk about the Cubs maybe still being in 00:26:12.130 --> 00:26:14.269 the playoffs but of course we know that wasn't 00:26:14.269 --> 00:26:18.230 their fate this year. Well they gave us a pretty 00:26:18.230 --> 00:26:21.490 exciting last few weeks though. Yeah they did. 00:26:21.750 --> 00:26:25.589 It ended in true Cub fashion but that's okay. 00:26:25.990 --> 00:26:30.230 I remember being, I was 10 years old in 1989 00:26:30.230 --> 00:26:32.690 and that was the first year that I remember watching 00:26:32.690 --> 00:26:35.109 them in the playoffs and then making the exit 00:26:35.109 --> 00:26:39.279 that they lost the Giants that year. And my good 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:41.220 friend's mother, when the ball game was off, 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:43.119 we were turning the TV off. She said, well, boys, 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:46.039 just just wait till next year. I thought she 00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:47.759 was being nice. I didn't know that was actually 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:54.480 the thing. Yeah. So I did a lot of waiting till 00:26:54.480 --> 00:26:59.900 next year for another 10, 15 years. Yeah, I was 00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:05.339 hugely excited, but also a little bit stunned. 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:07.980 it's almost like I didn't expect them to actually 00:27:07.980 --> 00:27:11.740 do that and then they did so you know that's 00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:15.779 being a cut man that's right that's right okay 00:27:15.779 --> 00:27:19.700 folks well um that's it for this episode and 00:27:19.700 --> 00:27:22.500 remember even though baseball season is winding 00:27:22.500 --> 00:27:26.299 down it's never over in danville and if you're 00:27:26.299 --> 00:27:28.779 I mean you know the schedule ends and then that 00:27:28.779 --> 00:27:31.500 sort of thing but the spirit of the danville 00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:34.220 dance is something truly special And if you've 00:27:34.220 --> 00:27:36.700 got a chance to either take yourself out there 00:27:36.700 --> 00:27:39.200 if you're single or take your family, go visit 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:42.180 that community and spend a long weekend, spend 00:27:42.180 --> 00:27:44.200 a week there if you can and take in all that 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:47.279 they have to offer. And we will see you next 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:50.299 week. You guys have a great week and go and make 00:27:50.299 --> 00:27:52.960 a difference in somebody else's life. All right. 00:27:53.099 --> 00:27:55.359 Thank you, Jeannie. So great to talk to you today. 00:27:55.839 --> 00:28:03.059 Back at you. Thanks, Dan. Hey, if you loved that 00:28:03.059 --> 00:28:05.660 episode, tell a friend about it. I think every 00:28:05.660 --> 00:28:07.880 show probably asks you to leave a review, leave 00:28:07.880 --> 00:28:10.839 a rating, and I appreciate it if you do. But 00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:13.859 if nothing else, just talk about Dantime. It 00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:16.859 really helps the visibility of the program. You 00:28:16.859 --> 00:28:19.819 can find Dantime on all the social media pages 00:28:19.819 --> 00:28:23.799 and you can also reach me at dantimepod at gmail 00:28:23.799 --> 00:28:26.400 .com. Thanks so much for listening. I'll see 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:27.059 you next week.