Once an NFL prospect, Flyers boss chose baseball
New Schaumburg Flyers manager Mike Busch, who makes his home debut tonight at Alexian Field, faced a gut-wrenching career decision similar to longtime NFL safety John Lynch.
Lynch was pitching for the Kane County Cougars when drafted in the third round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993. Lynch quit baseball that day and became a likely Hall of Famer on the gridiron.
Busch, who grew up outside Davenport, Iowa, attended Iowa State on a football scholarship with hopes of becoming an NFL tight end. He joined the baseball team as a freshman but gave it up to focus on spring football.
"I thought baseball was over," Busch said. "I was going to have a career in the NFL."
In the spring of his senior year, Cyclones baseball coach Bobby Randall talked Busch into spending one more season on the diamond and he ended up batting .400.
Busch was drafted by the Buccaneers but not until the 10th round in 1990. So he accepted an offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers instead and has made a career in baseball ever since.
"It was a very difficult decision," he said. "I just thought with longevity, and the Dodgers gave me a better situation as far as signing bonus. It's funny how things work out."
Busch ended up playing 12 years of pro baseball, including 51 games in the big leagues with Los Angeles in 1995-96, and has been involved in the Northern League since 1999. He coached the successful Calgary Vipers the past four seasons, a franchise that switched to the Golden League a year ago.
Now Busch is trying to bring the Flyers back to respectability. The team struggled through a 30-66 campaign a year ago.
The Flyers started the Northern League schedule with a five-game road trip and went 1-4, but three of those losses were by 1 or 2 runs.
"I like my pitching staff, I like the bullpen, too, and the closer," Busch said. "So I've got a good pitching staff and I'm still working on the core guys. They've got to work together and expect to win."
A couple of newcomers head the pitching staff. Lefty Carmen Pignatiello (0-1) should be familiar to local fans, having spent time with the Cubs the past two seasons. He's likely to start Saturday's game against Joliet.
Former Purdue right-hander Dustin Glant (1-0), who pitched at Triple-A Tucson last summer, is expected to take the mound for tonight's opener. He threw 7 innings in a 6-1 victory at Joliet last week.
A couple of returnees in the field are third baseman Vince Harrison and first baseman Peanut Williams. Another notable is 44-year-old DH Felix Jose, a 12-year major-league veteran who played for Busch in Calgary last year and batted .391.
The Flyers are expanding their entertainment options this season. The Flyers dance team will be joined on the field by an acrobatic troupe. The kids' play area has been expanded and the team also wants to remind fans that the Schaumburg Club, sort of a sports bar inside the stadium, is open to anyone with a game ticket.
To benefit children with allergies, Opening Night will be peanut free. There will also be fireworks. Saturday's game features a postgame concert, while Sunday's contest will include an appearance by SpongeBob SquarePants.