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Fans, employees ready to make new memories during 2022 River Bandits season

The cold weather on Sunday couldn't stop the small crowd of fans from enjoying a day at the ballpark.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Sunday's chilly temperatures might not have been the most ideal baseball weather, but it didn't stop a small crowd of fans from coming down to Modern Woodmen Park to cheer on the Quad Cities River Bandits.

"There's so much to do here at this particular ballpark," said Denel Cooper who brought her three boys to the game. "It's good for those who maybe don't have the attention span and then those who are interested in baseball, so yeah, it's fun."

Her sons are 9, 8, and 5. The older two, Braden and Benjamin, play Little League.

Cooper said coming to the games is a great way to have fun as a family. Her husband is in the Army and was deployed several months ago, so she looks forward to opportunities to create memories with the boys and take their minds off his deployment.

Others at Sunday's game are long-time Bandits fans. Craig Nord has been coming to games since he was 5-years-old in 1955. 

He started working at the stadium when he was 10.

"I've worked down here doing concessions back in the old days when they carried the concessions through the stands with the vendors," Nord said. "Back in the old days with the old roof, I would sit up on the roof and throw foul balls back down that came up there."

He also was on the board of directors for the Fan's Association that used to run the ballpark.

Now, he's an usher.

"Getting paid to watch a baseball game, can't beat that job," he said. "I've been a baseball fan my entire life. I've played ball most of my life. I umpired for over 40 years of youth ball and high school and college. So I am a baseball fanatic."

This year, fans will be able to get autographs from the players and kids can run the bases after the games on Sundays.

The Bandits wrapped up a six-game homestand on Sunday, April 17, falling to the Cedar Rapids Kernels 6-2. They're back at home on Tuesday, April 26, facing off against the South Bend Cubs at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.

Who else is counting down the days? 🗓 🖨: https://bit.ly/3HUwS6u

Posted by Quad Cities River Bandits on Monday, January 10, 2022

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