Pistol Shrimp begin search for host families

“In an ideal world, host families enjoy the experience and want to be host families again. Then you get to the point where you have a lot of people that really want to be host families because they will follow that player, it’s just building that connection.”

—  John Jakiemiec, Pistol Shrimp owner

Now that the contract is signed and the Pistol Shrimp will call Veterans Park in Peru home for the 2021 season, there is an item that needs to be solved for the ball club: housing.

Traditionally, teams in the Prospect League will try to fill their roster with about 16 players who play at Division I or II programs but come from surrounding areas.

This gives hometown kids the opportunity to play in front of friends and family while creating opportunities to house the players whose families don’t live nearby.

“It makes a lot of sense from every way you look at it to have as many local guys that can play at the level we need them to play,” Pistol Shrimp Owner John Jakiemiec said.

With the short turnaround from signing to the beginning of the season, plus outside factors such as the pandemic, Pistol Shrimp officials will be searching for host families for the players to stay with throughout the summer.

To help provide for the need for player and employee housing, the team may look into renting a few houses in the area for players and coaches.

To help make it work, some players who are pitchers only and live in the Chicago area may be asked not to travel with the team for away games on days when they are not scheduled to pitch.

But the rest of the players will be needing host families for the season.

The host families must be able to provide the player a private bedroom, use of laundry facilities and food (within reason) and to communicate well with the player they are hosting.

Players will operate on a different schedule than most normal households with their baseball schedule from practices, games and long road trips that may result in them arriving home in the middle of the night.

The team will do its best to place players with families that may have similar food allergies, religions and transportation needs to help ensure the relationship is beneficial to all involved.

“We let the players know that you’re cleaning your room, [and] if your host family’s rules are to do your own dishes, you are doing your own dishes,” Jakiemiec said. “They are not there to do your laundry; you are doing your laundry. The players know the rules going in.”

Jakiemiec said they ask their families to allow the players to sleep to help recover from the long hours of playing and travel and to feed them what they are able.

The team will try to place multiple players in the same household when possible. This helps with the player’s transportation and gives them someone in the household who is going through a shared experience.

Jakiemiec said their host families are primarily empty-nesters or retired people who enjoy baseball.

“In an ideal world, host families enjoy the experience and want to be host families again,” Jakiemiec said. “Then you get to the point where you have a lot of people that really want to be host families because they will follow that player. It’s just building that connection.”

With opening day for the Pistol Shrimp just around the corner, the search for host families has begun. For information or to fill out an application to be a host family, visit the team’s website and view the FAQ page.