Once Jim got the chance, he didn’t disappoint. In 2001, he won the Minor League Baseball hitting title, hitting .354 over 122 games between High-A and Double-A with a career-best 21 homers. Then in 2002, after six years of working as a pizza delivery driver and a roofer and plenty of other side hustles to make ends meet, Jim got a call he would never forget. A call that told him he would make his Major League debut for the Milwaukee Brewers in front of his hometown at Wrigley Field. After his cup of coffee, Jim played at the highest level for a handful of years, sticking around in Triple-A and mentoring younger players, but it was time for a new journey—fatherhood. He traded in the glove and cleats—and plenty of summers of odd jobs for working, first driving a truck and now doing medical coding to spend more time with his family. Jim has three kids, two daughters, Kelly and Mia and his son, Milo. He named Milo after the owner of the San Diego pizza shop that he used to work at, Milo’s Pizza. “I worked a lot of odd jobs, but the pizza delivery job was the one that worked out the best for me and that I did the longest. The owner at Milo’s was just a really cool guy and I really liked him. He treated me really well—plus, you know, I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like a Milo,” the elder Rushford laughs. “I gave him my name as a middle name just in case.” And yes—the family heads back to San Diego about once a year and they get to enjoy Milo’s Pizza. One year, the owner even let Kelly, Milo and Mia in the back so they could learn how to make their own pizza. Jim has loved watching Milo go through his own journey—and from an early age, he wasn’t one to pressure Milo to go after baseball. It turned out that the younger Rushford was determined to play on his own, but his journey started in soccer. Jim recalls one of the first times Milo got on the baseball diamond. “He said he wanted to play soccer, but we ended up signing up for baseball. He had struck out and ended up swinging his bat around and he broke it,” Jim recalls. “He marched over to his mom and said, ‘I told you I wanted to play soccer!’ He was pretty upset after the first game, but then we told him that it was a doubleheader and he had to pitch the second game. He ended up pitching a seven-inning complete game shutout and did great. It was funny to see, even at that young age, the ups and downs of baseball.” Milo will tell you, it’s awesome having someone so close who has gone through the same process as him. “Our relationship is great. We talk every day. He watches all the games. Even when I was in Australia, he would stay up until 2 am watching my games and he always has feedback, so we talk constantly about baseball,” The younger Rushford explains. “I think it helps a lot because you have someone who’s personally there for you and always rooting for you. And it’s someone who has a lot of knowledge because he played for a long time and has a lot of different things he went through, so he’s seen it all and figured it all out.” This has been Milo’s first season in full-season baseball and with that has come some adjustments that he’s had to make for the first time. Last year, the outfielder hit .333 with three round trippers in 32 games. And while those numbers look a lot like Jim’s did when he made his affiliated debut, Milo will tell you that it’s his work ethic that he takes from his dad.
“I definitely think determination is a Rushford gene,” Milo says. “That’s something I’ve definitely picked up from watching him—but he’s definitely taught me that.”
The determination goes back to even Milo’s grandfather, who reached the heights of being a first-chair trumpet for the Chicago Symphony.
“He practiced all day everyday and played scales and through the musical drills over and over and over,” Jim said. “I took what he did as a professional musician, and I transferred that to baseball.” Milo was transferred to the ACL Royals prior to the start of this series, but if there’s one thing that the Rushfords do best is they drive to compete and get better each day. If there’s anything Milo can learn from his father, it’s that the journey is far from over today. And for all those who have served as role models to those younger than them. Happy Father’s Day! Hopefully you can enjoy a day with those who look up to you—and maybe we’ll see you soon at Segra Park!
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