Pierogi Dash
FREEPORT — Oh, to be a pierogi.
For Freeport High School educational assistant Jamie Phillips, it's been a dream for more than a decade.
“I've been a baseball fan — a Pirate fan — all of my life,” said Phillips, 54, of Buffalo Township. “My father coached Freeport Little League for more than 30 years, and my three brothers all played.
“As we grew older, I was the one to stay with the sport. Watching Pirate games with my father (Al Ballina) are fond memories of mine. We enjoyed the pierogi races at the games. For years, I've wanted to get down on that field and be one of them.”
Last weekend, that opportunity finally arrived.
Freeport High's student council is attending today's Pirates-Chicago Cubs game as part of Student Council Day at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. As part of that promotion, a faculty/staff member of the participating high schools is offered a chance to be a pierogi during that game.
“There are no actual public tryouts to participate in the pierogi race,” said Dan Millar, promotions manager of the Pirates. “Various (Pirate organization) staff members run the races.
“We do have select few occasions where a guest may be out there.”
Today's game was one of those, and Phillips was chosen as Freeport's representative.
“Our principal, Mike Kleckner, thought of me,” Phillips said about the chance to be a pierogi. “He knew I'd go for it.”
But could she run fast enough?
The pierogi race covers 280 yards and only can last for a minute because it's run after the fifth inning of every game.Phillips' tryout consisted of running 300 yards while wearing one of the pierogi costumes. She had to cover the distance in 50 seconds.“I run three to four miles every day, but I'm about as fast as a turtle,” Phillips said. “And I had no time to train.”She said she received a call from the Pirates this past Friday, asking if she could report to PNC Park at 9 a.m. Saturday for her pierogi tryout.Her husband, Freeport High girls volleyball coach Tom Phillips, couldn't be there to lend moral support. He had to take the Freeport junior high team to a tournament.“I really wanted to be there,” her husband said. “But our whole team was behind her. All of the kids were encouraging her.“Running in a pierogi race was definitely on her bucket list.”Jamie admitted as much.“Less than 24 hours notice ... I still had to go for it,” she said.Phillips wanted to try out while wearing the Oliver Onion pierogi costume.“Purple is my favorite color, and he wears glasses like I do,” she said.“But once Dan saw how old I was, he suggested I wear the Cheese Chester outfit. He said Cheese Chester wears his hat backward and that aerodynamic might give me a better chance.”But it didn't. Phillips completed the run, but was 19 seconds over the qualifying time.“It's not easy,” Millar said of the tryout. “But she went after it hard. I felt bad for her.”But Phillips didn't feel badly for herself.“I got to wear a pierogi costume and run on the field at PNC Park,” she said. “There were a few stadium workers out there, and they were cheering me on.“If I ever get the chance to do it again, I will.”Also a singer, Phillips has a dream of singing the national anthem before a Pirates game.“I'm proud of her,” Tom Phillips said. “I applaud her effort. She had the guts and willingness to go down there and try.”As for singing the anthem, should the opportunity present itself?“I'm confident she'll make that cut,” he said.
