Recently Direct Sports had the pleasure of meeting twin baseball and softball fanatics, Bob and Ron Quarantino, at our site in Pearisburg, Virginia. During their visit, we were lucky enough to get to know a little about their lives on and off the field.
Born and raised in Kingston, New York, Bob started playing Little League Baseball in 1951. He later moved up through Pony League and on to fast-pitch in 1959. Per his brother’s guidance, Bob moved to Goodyear, Arizona in 2006 to play slow-pitch tournaments. In 2009 he made the switch from holding an infielder position to becoming a pitcher. While off the field, Bob spent 25 years working for IBM prior to his retirement.
Prior to his move to Goodyear in 2006, Bob played over 125 games for teams in both New York and Colorado. Since then, he’s played over 200 games and is currently active on three different teams. It’s obvious that his dedication and love for the game is something that will never change.
Like Bob, Ron – who goes by “Q” – grew up in Kingston, New York, but now calls Tucson, Arizona home. His love for the game started with stick ball in the streets and progressed in 1951 when Little League came to his town. Q later transitioned to PONY League and then played fast-pitch from 1959 to 1997. As if playing fast-pitch wasn’t enough, Q picked up slow-pitch in 1965 and still plays to this day. During his time away from the diamond, Q worked for IBM for 30 years and for the 1996 Olympic Committee.
Spending most of his baseball career as an outfielder, Q now enjoys his time on the pitcher’s mound and occasionally in the outfield. At 70 years old, Q reached a personal record of 324 games in a single year - averaging 200 games each year since 2000.
Fun Fact: Between 2015-2017, Bob and Q played for a team in Portland, Oregon where they won two world championships in Las Vegas and even received world championship rings. Bob was also honored with the MVP title and has accumulated seven All-Tournament Team patches.
Now that’s what we call dedication! These brothers prove that when you truly love the sport, it’s nearly impossible to put the bat down. Thank you Bob and Q for stopping by to see us and sharing your amazing story with us—we enjoyed every minute of it!
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DIRECT SPORTS CELEBRATES 30 YEARS IN NEW RIVER VALLEY
PEARISBURG, Va. (Feb. 26, 2018) – Direct Sports, Inc., a baseball and softball equipment supplier, is celebrating their 30th anniversary. Over the last 30 years, Direct Sports has grown from a small venture to one of the largest players in the game. 2018 will mark the company’s 30th year in business and excellence.
The company originally began in 1988 in Rich Creek, Virginia, a town in Giles County. They later relocated to Pearisburg in 1997 to the same building they are in now. Currently, their 30,000+ square foot building hosts their warehouse, customer service center and retail store. Direct Sports moves over $4 million in inventory per year with the help of their 14 staff members.
Direct Sports is family-owned and -operated. Started by Paul Wagner, a longtime New River Valley businessman, who was always intrigued by the mail-order concept. He tapped into the mail order idea with Mike Lively, and the two embarked on their new venture together with Mike’s extensive knowledge of the sport and Paul’s entrepreneurial spirit and funding. Today, Mike Lively is still the CEO of the company, with Paul’s son, Andrew Wagner, keeping the business alive as President.
“It’s amazing to look back on the past 30 years and realize we have been blessed to make our living doing something we all love” Mike Lively said. “So many people bought from us as little leaguers and now they are bringing back their kids to buy equipment for them.” A sentiment that the family-owned business thrives on.
In the beginning, the company made great strides through their catalog and telephone order system, quickly escalating them to be the number one catalog company in the industry. Over the last 30 years, the business model has adapted with the industry and technology. On the future of the company, Wagner comments, “I could see us taking on another sport, a fall sport, to compliment our springtime business.”
Andrew Wagner took over the company as President in 2007 after his father and founder Paul Wagner passed away. Since, the company has continued to grow, but their values stay the same—pride in hard work, integrity, and firm commitment to our customers.
“My father always had a ‘never say die’ attitude toward his business and I think you always have to keep that mentality to ensure that you’re pushing it forward” Andrew stated. “He would be proud that our values haven’t changed and that we all remain committed to taking Direct Sports to the next level.”
For more information, please contact Justin Ashwell at (540) 597 – 5716 or email at jashwell@theprimefactory.com.
About Direct Sports, Inc.
Direct Sports, Inc. is a baseball and softball equipment provider based in Pearisburg, Virginia. The company carries merchandise ranging from bats and bags to apparel and helmets. Starting as a mailed catalog in 1988, Direct Sports now continues that tradition and hosts a retail store in their Pearisburg location. The company boasts an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
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