The big question is what exactly is Ryan Ornstein going to do with all of those jerseys? He won’t need them where he is going.

“He must have at least 100 -150 different jerseys, if not more,’’ said Andy Strahan, Ornsteins’ baseball coach at Grayslake North.

A 2009 North graduate, Ornstein of Round Lake Beach, left for the city to get a degree from DePaul University. He graduates in June – and now he has a job waiting for him in sunny Florida. He’s in the world of professional baseball. He’s going to be a clubhouse/equipment  manager for the Gulf Coast Yankees. That’s a rookie team affiliated with the New York Yankees.

Ornstein is a Chicago White Sox fan. Well maybe not anymore. He now seems to be a Yankees historian.

“Words cannot justify how excited I am to begin working in the greatest organization in all of sports,’’ Ornstein said.  “There is no arguing or denying that. The numbers speak from themselves. Its 18 division titles, 40 AL pennants and 27 World Series championships, all of which are Major League Baseball records. Forty-four Yankees players and 11 Yankees managers have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. There just no organization that comes remotely close to this.”

So how did this former North athlete manage to secure a job in the competitive world of pro-baseball? His work for the DePaul University basketball team has certainly helped his cause. He’s the head student manager for the Blue Demons.

“I have been responsible for team equipment, laundry, setting up for team practices and games on campus and at the Allstate Arena,’’ he said. “I also assist with ordering/catering team meals for home games as well as road trips in the Big East Conference. I delegate work to other student managers  as well. I have been traveling with the team on all road games since my first year with the team.”

Still driving at the back of his mind is a love of baseball.

“Baseball has always been my passion,’’ Ornstein said. “I would have to give my credit for loving the game of baseball to my dad, Steve. My dad opened my eyes up to baseball at an early age.”

North football coach Steve Wood recalled a driven athlete when Ornstein played football for the Knights.

“His mom and dad were extremely supportive of him,’’ Wood said. “I can remember seeing them at every event. He was always a 100 percent effort guy. He was not the biggest, fastest, or strongest but he  always out-worked people.”

His playing career in Grayslake did not start with baseball or football for  that matter.

“I played floor hockey from first through eighth grade and played one season of baseball before entering high school,’’ Ornstein said.

Ornstein admits his North teams didn't exactly lead the league in wins during his stay.
"I didn't really have a whole lot of success during my four years at North,'' Ornstein said. "However I can say I was a member (and starter) on the football team to win the very first game in Grayslake North history. That is something special to have claimed to and not very many people can say that."

Naturally, the North community feels good about this graduate’s success.

“All of us here at Grayslake North are very proud of what Ryan has accomplished,’’ Strahan said. “Based on Ryan’s character, work ethic and his love of baseball, it’s no surprise that he will be a part of the Yankee  organization.”