Home Delivery

OMAHA — Bill Wyszenski’s been making home deliveries as a UPS driver for more than 25 years, but on Father’s Day he made his first delivery to home plate.

The longtime Glenwood resident was given the honor and responsibility of delivering the game ball to the home plate umpire at TD Ameritrade Park for Game 4 of the NCAA College World Series between Ole Miss and Virginia.

“It was an awesome experience. Being down on the field, it’s a whole different perspective looking up at the people in the stands,” Wyszenski said. “I was a little nervous. I can’t even tell you what the public address announcer said when he introduced me. I just know he said my name.”

Wyszenski learned he had been selected to deliver a game ball at the College World Series after being named to the UPS Circle of Honor in Omaha, a rare honor the company gives to drivers for 25 years of “safe driving.”  UPS is an official logistics partner of the NCAA and each year one or more UPS drivers are given the honor of delivering a game ball to TD Ameritrade Park for a CWS game. Wyszenski was told to wear his brown UPS uniform to the stadium and bring along his DIAD (Delivery Information Acquisition Device) he uses to get  signatures when making deliveries on his route.

“When I gave the ball to the umpire, I handed him my DIAD and told him he would have to sign for it,” Wyszenski said. “He just laughed and asked me where to sign.”

Wyszenski’s regular delivery route includes the southwest Iowa communities of Silver City, Carson, Macedonia and Oakland. Some of his regular customers happened to be in the crowd and quickly recognized their driver when the baseball presentation ceremony was shown on the large video screen in right field.

“I received texts from people saying things like, ‘Great job, Bill Wyszenski, delivering the game ball at the CWS,’” he said. “The NCAA provided us two seats for the game, so when Sandy (wife) and I went to sit down, people were giving me high fives and fist pumps.”
In addition to the complimentary game tickets, Wyszenski was given an official College World Series baseball. The evening made for a memorable experience.

“I’ve been to the College World Series when it was at Rosenblatt (Stadium), but I had never been in the new stadium,” Wyszenski said. “Sandy had never been to a College World Series game so she enjoyed the atmosphere.”

Sandy was unable to attend the ceremony in Omaha last month when Bill was inducted in the UPS Circle of Honor, so she especially enjoyed seeing her husband being the center of attention in front of more than 20,000 baseball fans.

“I don’t know much about baseball, but it was really a neat experience,” she said.