James Gilbertson – Rochester Community Technical College
2011 Rochester Honkers
Photo of James and his dog

What’s your favorite memory while playing for the Rochester Honkers?
JG: My favorite memory while playing with the honkers was everything.  Whenever I think about the Honkers so many thoughts come to my mind.  Road trips to games, working out and playing basketball at the RAC, and just hanging out with the guys on the field getting tips on pitches and goofing around.

What’s your favorite non-playing memory from your time with the Rochester Honkers?
JG: I had a lot of fun off the field.  Hanging out with my host family, the Testers (Dave, Jackie, Sabrina, and Nick), was always a blast!  Since I was going to school in Rochester after I played with the Honkers, they showed me around town, took to me the best restaurants and helped me get my bearings down on where stuff was and that helped a lot! Plus playing in the back yard with Nick and his friends was fun too! Other things I’ll always remember were hanging out with the guys, whether we went to the RAC or just drove around town.

Who was your favorite teammate when you played for the Rochester Honkers and why?
JG: There are too many guys to name!  Just playing with guys like Johnny Coy, Tony Kemp, Reid Roper, and everyone else was fun!  Not only did they make you better but they were eager to give tips and advice.  I learned things from these guys and others that I don’t think I would have learned anywhere else!

What has happened to you since you left Rochester and what are you doing now?
JG: Since playing with the Honkers I played one year of baseball at RCTC and graduated from there with a degree in Law Enforcement.  I have also graduated from a police academy in Wisconsin.  Right now I’m looking to be hired by a police department, while also playing ball and coaching high school baseball.

What was your biggest realization while playing for the Rochester Honkers?
JG: My biggest realization was how much work it takes to play at that level.  Its a long season and it takes a lot out of you mentally and physically.  I also learned that even though I played at a D3 junior college, there were a couple of times where I knew I could play with these D1 guys.

Do you stay in contact with former teammates? If so, who?
JG: I keep tabs on a couple of guys and send them a message once in a while.  Mostly through Facebook.