Former Atlanta Braves minor leaguer marries at Victory Field

INDIANAPOLIS — Fans witnessed a special moment at Victory Field Saturday that had almost nothing to do with baseball, and was 60 years in the making.

You’ve heard “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and maybe even brought a partner to a game. But few can say they sealed the deal and got married right on the field.

“It was my life,” Jack Crist said. “My heart was always in baseball.”

Crist, 77, now shares his heart with Janette Thompson, 78, his high school best friend. But it took the couple six decades to get there.

“I was her go-to guy,” Jack said. “She was my go-to guy. We fooled around together every day at school. Never any romantic feelings.”

The couple lost touch after graduation when Jack was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1966. He played six seasons as a minor league infielder, including four with the Braves’ Triple-A International League affiliate in Richmond.

Jack and Janette led separate lives until they reunited nine months ago. The rest is history.

“I was literally stunned to feel what I felt and to find out that she felt what she felt,” Jack said. “It was like two magnets that turned and started attracting each other. I traveled 2,100 miles to come here and be with her.”

The couple say it just made sense to get married.

“People will say that the time we spent together is not very long,” Jack said. “But we have a history. That’s very good.”

A ceremony in front of the dugout before an Indianapolis Indians game was a no-brainer for the couple.

“We’re really happy that things worked out this way,” Janette said. “We’re looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together.”

“If you feel what I did, what she did, and what we feel now, you’ll know it when you feel it,” Jack said. “I knew it immediately, and she knew it too. Go for it.”

Another piece of advice from the happy couple: if you have a chance to find love, take a chance, you might just succeed.