May 25, 2022 – Southern League (SL) – Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release
Dann Bilardello thought his baseball career was over. After playing professionally for 17 years and coaching for nearly two more decades, he had to face the music.
With Minor League Baseball preparing to return in 2021 after a cancelled 2020 season, Bilardello was informed by the St. Louis Cardinals that he wouldn’t be returning as a minor league manager for the 2021 season. His 15 years with the Cardinals were over, and he had to figure out what to do next.
“When I was first coaching, we always talked about having a nine to five job in the real world. But you don’t really think about that until it happens to you,” he recalled. “You have to be humble enough to realize what it is and do what you need to make ends meet. That was a real eye opener for me.”
From there, Bilardello thought about what he liked and quickly arrived at golf. He got a job at the PGA Superstore in Naples, Florida, working in their golf technology department and fixing golf clubs.
He wasn’t long for that job, so a connection with an old friend landed him a new gig selling cars at a Kia dealership in North Port, Florida. With a unique business card and with a smile on his face, he made the most out of his new situation.
“I used my baseball card as my business card for people to remember. They enjoyed it and it also sparked up conversation,” he said. “Most people don’t like walking into a dealership and dealing with salespeople. So, I tried to make it enjoyable for people that were coming in to buy cars. I think I was a pretty good salesman because I was nice to people, and I was honest.”
He’d been selling cars for a while when a call came last November from the Los Angeles Angels. Several Angels front office employees were previously also in the Cardinals’ system, and they thought he would be a good fit for an opening in Rocket City. That began a long interview process, and a month later he was hired to be a coach…
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