DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Ben Fawbush lives and breathes baseball. Always has. Always will.
But this summer, Fawbush has been handed the opportunity to live out his dream and be a part of professional baseball.
Over the next 12 months, Fawbush will follow the minor league affiliates of the Cincinnati Reds from rookie ball all the way through AAA Louisville, culminating with a trip to watch the big league club in 2024.
“I live such a busy life,” noted Fawbush, “between teaching full-time, teaching driver’s education and selling insurance, along with being a sheriff’s reserve in Adams County, I feel like this opportunity will allow me to slow down, breathe and immerse myself in every sight, sound, smell and taste associated with the sport I love.”
The opportunity comes as part of the Lilly Teacher Fellowship Grant, a program administered by the Lilly Foundation that allows teachers to refresh themselves and follow their passions, completely detached from their classroom.
As part of his adventure, Fawbush will be partnering with WZBD.com, sharing photos and stories throughout his trip with his hometown radio station.
There is no doubting Fawbush’s passion for the game. In his application for the grant, Fawbush describes himself as the oldest child of a single parent who didn’t have siblings until he was 10. Needing to find something to occupy his time, he fell in love with baseball and has never looked back.
“I would go outside, toss the balls up to myself, hit them as far as I could and then go chase them down and do it again,” he says.
By the time his mom could afford to put him in organized ball, Fawbush excelled. He worked hard and played in high school, but a torn labrum ruined any dream he may have had of playing college or professional baseball.
Instead, he went into coaching. He coached as a volunteer for several years before moving up to being a paid assistant. In his 15th year of coaching, Fawbush became the head coach of his alma mater Bellmont Braves. In 2012, he coached his team to the Final Four in 3A in Indiana.
After coaching for 20 years, Fawbush stepped down to focus on raising his kids.
His oldest son, Kolten, reminded Ben that nothing is out of the realm of possibility. Working hard to attain his dream of playing college baseball, Kolten became the first player at his college to ever walk on to the baseball team.
After hearing about the Lilly grant from other teachers at North Adams, Fawbush decided to give it a shot at working his way up to the majors.
Now he will live his dream
Using the connections that he made as a coach, Fawbush decided on following the Reds organization from the lowest level on up. Although he is a faithful Mets fan, Fawbush noted the proximity of the Reds’ affiliates as the perfect combination for his plan.
Fawbush will make travel to Daytona in Florida for the Low-A affiliate of the Reds at the beginning of August and later in the month he will make the short drive to Dayton, Ohio to see the High-A Dragons.
Many of the players he will see in his first two journeys will be part of Fawbush’s third journey-a trip to Arizona to be a part of the Arizona Fall League. The developmental league with players from every team in MLB will be Fawbush’s focus during Bellmont’s Fall Break.
When the 2024 season rolls around, Fawbush will head to Chattanooga for AA ball, Louisville for AAA and finally to Cincinnati to see the big league team.
At each of his stops, Fawbush will have access to players and an inside look at the clubhouse and stadium. He has worked extensively with officials from the organization, who are happy to partner with him on his interesting journey.
“This personal interaction with players on their way up the ladder is exactly what I am looking for,” says Fawbush. “I can’t wait to share their stories and follow their careers with an insider’s enthusiasm.”
The teacher in Fawbush never ceases to keep working and Ben will be bringing his experiences back to the classrooms at Bellmont, as well.
“I want to teach kids that following their dreams takes planning and budgeting,” he says. “I plan on using a lot of my experiences to create real-world problems for my math students.”
Follow WZBD on Facebook and check our website for updates on Ben’s travels and experiences.
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