Chasing a Major League Dream
Life in the Omaha Royals
means months away from home, a grueling schedule. . . and the chance to
fulfill a boyhood dream. Story by Tina King Photography by Alyssa Schukar |
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Four months of the year, Mike Jirschele works at a furniture store in Wisconsin,
attends his son’s basketball games and checks his wife’s honey-do
list. The rest of the year he’s in Omaha or on the road. He’s a
laid-back guy and a disarmingly honest one. He hasn’t earned material
wealth and his schedule is grueling for his family. But it seems to be worth
it because he loves baseball.
IT IS SPRINGTIME IN OMAHA and that means Jirschele is back in town. He arrived at Rosenblatt Stadium for his sixth consecutive season, managing the two dozen men of the ever-changing Omaha Royals minor league baseball team. There will be 143 games and 10 days off.
At the Class AAA level, players dream of being called up to next level, the majors. Sometimes they’re called up. Sometimes they’re sent down. Sometimes they decide to play in Japan.
In the 2007 season, Kansas City called up 21-year-old BillyButler and gave him playing time as a designated hitter and first baseman. He ended a great major league rookie season with a .292 batting average.
Other Omaha players’ success was less clear in this system where talent isn’t all it takes. “If you go out and do your job, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll go to the next level,” Jirschele said.
That’s how the season went for home-run hitter Craig Brazell, sometimes big-league catcher Paul Phillips, and hot pitching prospect Tyler Lumsden.
