Fine weather at Northbrook baseball registration
By Karie Angell Luc Contributor January 9, 2012 8:56AM
From left, Steve Dolins, Ira Mirochnick and Liz and Tony Forchetti confer with Bob Schwartz of Northbrook Baseball at the Chalet registration Jan. 7. | Karie Angell Luc~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 13, 2012 8:29AM
It wasn’t opening day for Northbrook Baseball but it could have been.
Near the Meadowhill velodrome — where the Chalet’s Alpine roof and evergreens typically offer a Currier & Ives January winter landscape – boys left their snow boots at home in favor of sneakers.
The Northbrook Park District didn’t need to salt the walking path from the parking lot near Northbrook Junior High School.
No one signing up their sons today for Northbrook Baseball would slip on January ice when it’s 42 degrees.
Come again — a temperature two degrees warmer than what Northbrook refrigerators should be set at?
“It makes you feel like it’s spring training,” laughed Tony Forchetti, checking his Smartphone for Northbrook’s weather.
Yep — 42 degrees alright. On their way to the Chalet registration, Forchetti and his wife Liz drove by a father and son playing catch.
“Get your gloves and your hats,” chuckled Forchetti, who signed up his son Matthew, 12, a NBJH sixth grader, for house league baseball.
“It’s time to go hit some balls.”
Families streamed into the chalet, where under cozy wood beams, neighbors said hello.
They talked baseball – all set to practice outdoors under balmy sunny skies.
“It’s awesome having a spring day in January so we could do spring training in the middle of January,” observed Northbrook’s George Grunditz.
Grunditz signed up his son George, 12, a NBJH sixth grader, for baseball in advance of Saturday, April 21 Opening Day.
“I just played baseball on that field over there,” said George Jr., his eyes glancing to the direction of O’Neill Field by Meadowhill.
Who did the younger George play ball with?
“My dad,” said the preteen. “We did ground balls and fielded.”
That was a grand slam to the ears of Gus Locallo, Northbrook Baseball player development and umpire director.
Locallo has volunteered for Northbrook Baseball since the 1980s and has three grown children, Mark, Eric and Lindsay.
“My sons played house league and travel in the eighties and nineties,” said Locallo, who played for Norridge and Chicago Sauganash/Edgebrook youth leagues.
“It’s my way of paying back for all the years and fun I had playing baseball as a kid,” said Locallo.
Michael Rosen, a Northbrook resident since 1991, gave the younger George Grunditz a high five.
“This is my first year as associate director but I coached for four years,” said Rosen, who has two sons, Charlie, 11, and Jack, 14.
Northbrook’s Kathi Kuhlman brought her son Jimmy, 13, a NBJH eighth grader.
“I signed up for Pony League,” announced Jim.
“Northbrook Baseball is great, the kids love it, I love baseball,” said his mom, an Oakton Community College purchasing specialist.
Last year, approximately 500 boys enjoyed Northbrook Baseball house league. The travel league and umpire training are popular.
“We train our kids, we give them clinics, we test them,” said Steve Scholl, who grew up in Northbrook. Scholl heads the umpire division, hiring umpires.
Stuart Spiegel, director of the travel league, nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
Northbrook Baseball umpires are recruited from its roster base, unique to North Shore baseball leagues.
“We have a lot of college kids,” said Spiegel, proudly, of students who appreciate seasonal positions.
“From seventh grade on down, they’re making money,” offered Scholl.
“It’s a great skill for a kid to learn, they learn job skills,” said Mark Malter, who assigns minor league umpires.
Near Malter’s table was Northbrook’s Michael Garibaldi, a longtime resident and volunteer, who answered parent questions.
Garibaldi’s son, Jack, 12, is a Wood Oaks Junior High School sixth grader.
“It’s a blast,” said Garibaldi, of registration days.
“You see the guys you haven’t seen all winter.”
Added Garibaldi: “It’s a very active board, at least half of them don’t have kids in the program anymore but they like the camaraderie.”
Time for customer assistance mode, Garibaldi helping the next person in line.
Then again, it’s Northbrook Baseball. Families receive customary white-glove treatment, offered in what’s typically an Alpine setting where baseball gloves are the preferred glove of choice during Chalet registration season.
Since the 1950s, winters have deferred to Northbrook Baseball.
Bob Schwartz, a retired medical products sales expert and 14-year Northbrook Baseball volunteer, maintains the website and oversees registration.
“Cooperstown,” Schwartz said, his arms going wide to encircle New York State baseball fields, “If you like baseball, it’s a dream place to be.”
The Northbrook Travel 12-year-old teams travel to Cooperstown. Costs are defrayed by fundraisers. Last year, one team sold homemade cookies.
“They call it Dreams Park for a reason, it’s a week of nothing but baseball,” said Schwartz, whose two sons Brad, 31, and Andy, 21, “both played Northbrook Baseball and at the high school.”
“A lot of fun, a lot of memories,” recalled Schwartz. “
That was their primary sport.”
But Schwartz remains in the moment, paying it forward today for other deserving youth.
Visit http://www.northbrookbaseball.org
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