The Rockford Rivets are known for displaying great collegiate baseball in the Northwoods League, but the college guys that make up the Rivets roster are much more than just baseball players. Throughout the team there are many talents that exclude hitting balls far, running fast or making unbelievable plays.
 
Rivets outfielder Connor Perry is one of many examples of the hidden talents on the team. The Lackawanna Community College student is a magician with a passion for card tricks and has been a card trick connoisseur since he was 15 years old.  Perry discovered his talent for card tricks and magic when he sustained an injury his sophomore year of high school.

“I was vacationing in Mexico and I was on crutches because I split my knee open playing baseball and as I was going up the stairs I fell,” Perry said. “Next thing I knew, the magician who just performed was the one who was helping me up. He spent all night teaching me his tricks and ever since then I’ve loved it. He taught me all the card tricks he knew and from then on I’ve developed my own.”

Perry isn’t the only Rivet who inhabits a passion and impressive skill set outside of baseball. Texas Tech University infielder Ryan Long is an avid hunter and he and a few friends have their own guiding service back home in Texas. Long enjoys duck hunting but says all hunting seasons are equal in his book.

“I’ve been hunting since I was about in eighth grade and I guess you could say that’s where it all started,” Long said. “A few buddies and I just got really good at it and we come from small towns so everyone was willing to let us use their land. We would work for them and in exchange we could use all the land they owned. My friends started to reach out and network with people and companies started to request for us to endorse their hunting products. It just kind of happened.”

Outfielder Cory Wright creates artwork in his time away from the field.

“I started drawing at about 8 years old and it’s just something I enjoy in my free time,” Wright expressed. “When I was little I used to draw pictures of my older brother because I looked up to him and I kept drawing from there. I keep my drawings pretty sports oriented, so I kind of combine the two things I love to do.”