“Living the Dream”

Bethel alum pursues passion for sports working at Target Field.

by Megan Nickel

Some people may shy away from being the “go-to-person” at work, but not Minnesota Twins Ballpark Operations Assistant Chelsey Falzone. Having Target Field as your office may sound glamorous, but what most people don’t understand is that someone has to make it look that way. Falzone is that person. Whatever the ballpark needs, she does. If there’s an overflowing toilet, she solves the problem.  If Terry Ryan wants feedback on how the team is playing, she gives it.

“The word typical is not in my description at all,” Falzone said.

Everyday provides a new challenge. But Falzone she wouldn’t have it any other way.  n her eyes she’s living the dream, as well as honoring Christ. She serves the Twins with the same attitude that Jesus had serving others – a trait that she credits to her time as a student at Bethel.

“People hire good people and Bethel produces good people,” Falzone said.

This strong character and passion for the game is what has distinguished her from other workers. When Twins Batting Cage Pitcher Erik Lovdahl met Falzone, he was immediately struck by her love of the game.

“You could really tell that she had a passion for baseball,” Lovdahl said. “She has brought a real positive energy to the Twins.”

The fact that she spends sunrise to sunset at the stadium is ideal for Falzone. She’s at the ballpark so much that she said it’s starting to feel like her home. One morning she brushed her teeth with a coworker in a bathroom at Target Field because they had to be there so early. While the schedule is rather demanding, Falzone wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s exactly where I want to be,” Falzone said.

While she does perform several tedious tasks, there are some flashy jobs that she gets to do. One of which was being the stage manager during the 2014 All Star game. Meaning that she was able to be on the field to arrange all of the players in the correct position for their introductions. She then was able to hang around the field to watch the game. Do you know how many times Derek Jeter went to the bathroom during that game? Chelsey Falzone does.

From the fun days to the challenging days, Falzone’s hard working attitude remains the same. She works her hardest to get the stadium in perfect condition for game time. And if it’s not, damage control begins.

“Sometimes you go a little bit crazy when everything isn’t ready by game time,” Falzone said. “You just take a deep breath and remember that as long as the stadium isn’t exploding, everything is fine.”