July 9 – Northwest Herald
Alumnus Dan Bellino featured:
The 32-year-old resident of Crystal Lake got the call in February, just before he left for spring training. It was the call of a lifetime as [Bellino] learned he was being promoted to full-time major league umpire. His wife, Katie, recalls they both shed tears of joy over the news.
“I’m very, very lucky. Very lucky,” Bellino said in the umpires’ room at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday afternoon before the White Sox hosted the Minnesota Twins. “To go [to the majors] in nine seasons, I’m very, very lucky. You put pressure on yourself to climb the ladder, and for me, the chips fell the right way. It was the perfect storm and a great opportunity, and I’m just blessed to have gotten it.”
Read more: It’s Good to Be Home