One-on-One with Midwest League President Dick Nussbaum

South Bend, IN -- For the first time in 30 years, the All-Star Game will be coming to South Bend.

Many are quick to thank long time resident and Midwest League President Dick Nussbaum for bringing the mid-summer classic here.

Nussbaum, a former Notre Dame baseball player, formed a bond with the city 50 years ago and hasn't looked back.

Growing up in Pittsburgh he had one dream: To play in the big leagues just like his childhood hero.

"My favorite was Roberto Clemente. The one thing that i’ve always tried to do was play like he did and try to claim his number. i was number 21 when i played baseball," said Nussbaum.

So when the opportunity presented itself to play with the Irish, he jumped at it.

"I played for the legendary Jay Kline. I played against some hall of famers. i played against Mike Schmidt. He robbed me of a hit once. but it was the experience of a lifetime. I had one dream to play in Major League Baseball, when it became evident that wasn’t going to happen i took the legal path," said Nussbaum. 

The steel city native had planned to go back home to law school, but life had other plans.

"On March the 18th in 1974, i met my wife at the airport. Ironically i had just been admitted to law school so i was pumped about it. then i met my wife Mary Pat, so maybe i ought to rethink this a little bit,"  said Nussbaum. 

A few months later he was accepted to Notre Dame Law School and started becoming a major player in the South Bend legal scene.

"The real break of marrying up my legal career and baseball was when Joe Kernan was elected mayor back in 1988. South Bend had just built a new stadium and Mayor Kernan asked the city attorney, which was me, to manage the relationship between the city, the owner of the South Bend Cubs franchise," said Nussbaum.

And just five years ago Nussbaum became the President of the Midwest League, a position that he had prepared for since 1993 when he first became a lawyer in the league.

"I’m very proud as president of the league and as a citizen of South Bend to see what South Bend has done and it’s really great to see the all star game here so that everyone around minor league baseball can see what we see night in and night out," said Nussbaum.

Dick and his wife Mary Pat just celebrated 43 years of marriage.

The couple has three children.

Their oldest son Matt also played at Notre Dame and is now a lawyer in Major League Baseball as well.