ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) — For Green Bay Rockers players, summer baseball means stepping onto the field in front of local fans — and stepping into the homes of strangers who quickly become like family.
The Rockers, part of the Northwoods League, rely on a network of host families to house players throughout the season. For Vice President and General Manager John Fanta, it's about more than just logistics.
“Players need to stay with host families as part of the league's protocol,” Fanta said. “And so, this is a big help for our organization and honestly, the player, just allowing them to pursue their ultimate dream of playing professional baseball.”
Right now, the team has 29 host families on board — but Fanta says the need is ongoing.
“We’ve got players that come in over the country and always looking for a warm, welcoming home to take our guys in that are coming here for the summer and make them feel like it's their home away from home,” he said.
That dream often begins in the living room of a Green Bay family.
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One longtime host couple said they got involved with the Rockers after already hosting players for the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team.
“They asked if we would wanna try to do it knowing that we're also hosting Gambler players,” Lori Roethlisberger said. “So we said, sure. We'll try it, see how that goes.”
Their first experience was eye-opening.
“It was fun,” Lori said. “I mean, these kids come from all different places across the United States and you bring them into your home and they stay with you for a while, but they're busy.”
Between games, workouts, and travel, players don’t spend much time at home, but the time they do spend is made to feel personal.
“You want them to feel accepted and feel good at your house when they're living with you,” Lori said.
Lori and her husband, Scott, go out of their way to make sure players feel welcome from the moment they pull into the driveway.
They hang the player's college flag on the mailbox and decorate their room with memorabilia from their school.
“I get the flags for them,” Scott said. “And I collect flags, so it's kind of a nice thing for me. But it's also when they come in and they see that their flag is out there and kinda brings them home a little bit.”
That simple gesture — hanging a flag from the player’s college — has become a tradition.
“They all take pictures outside with their flag, too,” Scott said. “So they stand out there and they take a picture and they send it to their family right away.”
Fanta says those small acts of hospitality make a big difference for players far from home, especially in a high-pressure environment.
“You don't have to love baseball to love making a positive impact in a young man's life,” Fanta said. “Being away from home for the first time for a lot of these people is a big deal and, again, can be kind of overwhelming and scary while they're also trying to perform on the field.”
The Roethlisbergers say what surprises them most is how quickly they form bonds with the players and their families.
“You just feel the warmth from them with how appreciative they are to us for opening up our home,” Lori said.
Even after the players leave Green Bay at the end of the season, many host families stay in touch.
“We're following them,” Scott said. “We keep in touch with them, maybe once every two weeks or so, we send a text, ask how everything is going, especially the younger guys that are just getting into the school. And we watch as many of their games that we possibly can.”
Fanta says those relationships sometimes extend far beyond one summer.
“I think the coolest ones are when one of the players makes it to the big leagues and the host family gets invited to their major league debut,” he said. “A lot of our families also travel around the country to watch their players when they're playing their spring seasons at their different various colleges.”
And as each new summer approaches, there’s anticipation for who might arrive next.
“To have somebody live with us adds a little bit more dynamics to the household,” Lori said.
This year, players arrive on May 23, and the season runs through early August. With 72 games in 77 days, players spend most of their time at the ballpark, but they still need a place to live.
“Just a place to stay is what we're looking for and providing some breakfast foods,” Fanta said. “They get pre- and postgame meals while they're at the ballpark… just that place to kinda lay your head down at the end of the night and get back at it the next day.”
To show appreciation, the Rockers provide host families with free season tickets, team merchandise discounts, gift cards, and off-season perks.
Fanta says they’re still looking for more families willing to open their homes to players this season — and in return, they’ll get a front-row seat to the dreams, stories, and friendships that define summer baseball in Green Bay.
