Gino Marcello, of Rochester, NY received plenty of attention for being a part of the jubilant World Series crowd at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday night.
What made him stand out among the other 38,344 fans? He was the only guy there holding a sign saying “I Quit My Job 4 This”. Marcello’s boss told him that he could not have the time off to travel to the game, but that wasn’t an acceptable answer to Gino. He quit his job of over four years, and headed to Boston.
Inside Fenway, his sign quickly garnered attention, and in less than 24 hours later his story has been featured on MLB.com, NESN, The Huffington Post, Yahoo, and The Sporting News. He quickly became the poster-boy for just how crazy Red Sox fans can be in their relentless support of their team.
When I found out that he is a fellow Rochesterian, another Red Sox fan living behind enemy lines, I had to catch up with Gino and learn a little bit more about his story. Is his now former boss a baseball fan? Does he regret it at all in hindsight?
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Jack Keller: Since yesterday’s game, your picture and story have been all over Twitter and the internet. When you made the choice to quit your job so you could go to the World Series, did you ever imagine that all of this would happen?
Gino Marcello: In today’s world with social media stuff can blow up like that. I mean, it’s a truthful story. I told my boss I needed the time off, he said no way, and I said sorry man I am not coming in. I saw the Sox win a World Series game in Fenway though, so it’s something I got to cross off my bucket list. That’s a win in my book.
JK: How did you come to be a Red Sox fan in New York?
GM: My dad and his brother were Red Sox fans their whole lives, even growing up in New York. When I was born the first thing they did was put a Red Sox hat on my head, and I’ve been a Sox fan ever since.
JK: What is more painful, losing your job or being forced to watch Red Sox/Yankees game on the YES Network?
GM: Oh man, the YES Network definitely does suck. Losing my job isn’t that bad though, it’s alright, I’ll find a new job. This was worth it.
JK: Is your former boss a baseball fan? What’s his team?
GM: Yeah, he’s a big-time Yankees fan, and most of the other guys there are too.
JK: Do you think that factored at all into his decision to not give you the time off?
GM: Yeah, I think that factored into the decision a little bit, but at the end of the day the only decision was on my behalf. I knew if I went that I would lose my job, and that was a choice I made.
JK: Last question — would you do it all over again?
GM: In a heartbeat man. I got home from Massachusetts this afternoon and I wished that I stayed so I could be there tonight for game two. I would do it again every single time. Completely worth it without a doubt.
JK: Thanks for your time, I appreciate it. It’s a very cool story and I admire your commitment. Enjoy game two, Go Sox!
GM: Go Sox!