It’s an extremely hot and muggy night at Jackie Robinson Park in Daytona Beach as the Daytona Cubs warm up for an
evening game. Surviving the sweltering heat, a man sits along the 3rd baseline in a front row box seat with a personal name tag attached to the back of it that reads, “Joe Rowe”.
A decade and a half ago on June 26, 1995, this baseball fanatic who is known more as “Front Row Joe” started an attendance streak for the Chicago Cubs Class ‘A’ affiliate that is reaching impressive numbers. Every game since that date , like clockwork, the scoreboard at Jack Park changes, reflecting that streak that stood at 1,038 on July 9, 2010.
We sat down for a Q & A session with the most familiar face at Jackie Robinson Park.
BTW, during the 2007 season FRJ’s streak was threatened when he collapsed on the field and had to be transported by ambulance, but Joe bounced back and made it to the park the following game to continue his fan “Iron Man” streak. Apparently, Joe had passed out due to low potassium levels.
FRJ last attended a MLB Chicago Cubs game during the 2008 season in the Windy City when he took in a weekend series then returned home to Daytona Beach to continue his streak.
Q: I see you have a Daytona Cubs tattoo on your arm, tell us the story behind that.
A: Many years ago the general manager Buck Rogers came up with a promotion that anyone who would get the tattoo would receive free general admission for life; so myself and 17 others took him up on it. The tattoo cost me $100.00 dollars and I do pay for the upgrade to have the reserved box seat, it costs me about $300 bucks for the year.
Q: Your streak of 1,038 games is amazing and shows a lot of commitment, have you ever caught a ball during a game?
A: Yes I have caught 5 or 6 balls, now the bat boy Chris hands ‘em to me.
Q: Do you collect memorabilia?
A: I sure do and my pride and joy has got to be my autographed Derek Jeter photo from the Danbury Mint it is one of just 1,500, and I’m also very proud of my Daytona Cubs Florida State League Championship ring from the 2004 season that was presented to me by the Daytona Cubs owner Andy Rayburn.
Q: Cal Ripken has the player’s Iron Man streak of 2,632 games played, is that number in your sights?
A: Yes it sure is, it will take some time but I have a goal to exceed that number. And when I do who knows where it will end.
Q: Tell me about your first Major League Baseball game that you attended as a youngster?
A: I don’t remember the year but it was at the old Yankee Stadium and it was the mayor’s trophy game between the Yankees and the Mets.
Q: Do you have any rituals or superstitions that you go through before during or after the game?
A: I do have a stuffed bear cub with a Cubs jersey and batting helmet that I hang on the fence right in front of me before every game.
Q: Do you have a favorite Daytona Cub’s player?
A: Yes, that would be Jake Fox who played here during the 2005-06 season and got called up to the bigs in ‘07, I do still follow him.
Front Row Joe said he was currently unemployed but when he was working he would actually take time off from work to attend day games to keep the streak intact. A laid back guy with a true passion for baseball, his attendance streak of 1,038 games makes him worthy of the title of FSL’s “Fan of the Decade.”
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