Title Page & Abstract
An Interview with John Jakiemiec
Part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project
Interview # T20-A-L-2022-048
John Jakiemiec, owner Valley Pistol Shrimps. Impact of Pandemic was interviewed on the date listed below as part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s Tumultuous 2020 Oral History project.
Interview dates & location:
Date: July 1, 2022 Location: Peru, Illinois
Interview Format: Digital audio
Interviewer: Philip Pogue, ALPLM volunteer
Total Time: 1:07 / 1.17 hrs
Accessioned into the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Archives on 08/01/2024.
The interview(s) is archived at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois.
© 2022 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
John Jakiemiec, owner and manager of the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimps, discusses how the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted the summer college wood bat league (Prospect League) during the 2020-2022 summer seasons.
Abstract
John Jakiemiec Tumultuous 2020 T20-A-L-2022-048
Biographical Information Overview of Interview: John Jakiemiec was born in Flint, Michigan. He went to Birch Run High School in Saginaw County Michigan. John participated in 3 sports (football, wrestling, baseball) as well as the Honor Society and the Debate Club. John then went to Dartmouth College majoring in Government with History as a minor. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1987. John worked for Prudential for many years both on the East and West Coasts. He became owner of a wood bat summer Prospect League team in 2019 first in Lisle and now in Peru, Illinois John currently also serves as the Manager of the Pistol Shrimps and is a member of the Prospect League Executive Board.
This interview looks at the challenges presented by COVID-19 to a summer college wood bat league (Prospect) having teams in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The oral history discusses the limited 18 game season in 2020, the restoration of a full season in 2021 with travel restrictions, and the current season 2022. Other topics discussed- why the team moved from DuPage County to LaSalle County (fan attendance restrictions), the selection of the college players, budget expenses per team, the financial impact of the wood bat league to local economies, and the unique field challenges of the Peru facility (no admission). The interview discusses the unique situation of the Pistol Shrimps in not getting any state or federal COVID funding since they were a new entity in 2019 and the importance of sponsors to help offset the loss of revenue. Finally, the interview talks about personal impact of COVID on one’s family (education, extra activities, and students returning home due to remote education).
Subject Headings/Key Words: IL Valley Pistol Shrimps; Prospect League; Central IL Collegiate League; Financial Operations; Summer Wood Bat League; Player rosters; Host families; DuPage County; LaSalle County; Moving to Peru; Questions raised community; Origin of Pistol Shrimps name
Note to the Reader: Readers of the oral history memoir should bear in mind that this is a transcript of the spoken word, and that the interviewer, interviewee and editor sought to preserve the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, nor for the views expressed therein. We leave these for the reader to judge.
COPYRIGHT
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