Out of the Park

Tyler Cobb ’07 grew up in Humboldt, Ill., and had no clue where Central College even was on a map.  But he was recruited by the soccer and tennis teams, and he planned to attend Central for his core classes.  Then he would go on to another school to study architecture. But Cobb was in for a surprise!

“If I didn’t go to Central, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” he says.

Cobb is currently the director of creative services for the single-A ball club Lexington Legends, where he works as a graphic designer for the team. So how did he go from wanting to study architecture to a designer for a baseball team? Cobb knows it all started at Central.

Cobb struggled academically at times, but he admits that Central professors and the programs they provided always helped him to become a better student. One day, he stumbled upon the media and marketing relations office at Central, where he was able to do his work-study. This experience alone may have altered Cobb’s career path. He graduated in 2007 with a major in art and a minor in visual communications.

“I wouldn’t take it back for anything,” he says.

In October 2008, Cobb accepted an internship in marketing relations for a triple-A ball club in Omaha. That led to his current position at Lexington Legends.

As a graphic designer, Cobb puts together publications and programs for every fan. . His first year was a learning phase, but five years later he feels more comfortable than ever.

“A lot goes into my job, and I always have a full plate. I learned to plan ahead of time, or it was tough for me to hit the deadline on everything,” he says.

Cobb was always interested in graphic design and sports, so the Lexington Legends are a perfect fit for him. Cobb produces magnet schedules and posters and is also in charge of the team’s website.

On top of his regular duties as a designer, Cobb is also part of the “Hit the Books” program, where kids turn in bookmarks when they finish reading a book. The school with the most bookmarks gets into the ballpark for free for one game. In addition, the ballpark hosts five to six specials a year, like formal dinners and concerts. Past concerts have included Maroon 5 and Randy Jackson.

The Lexington Legends are a single-A ball club under the Kansas City Royals that play 140 games from April to September. Cobb believes the Legends will be a good team this year, but the roster isn’t set until about a week before the regular season. The players are usually about 19 or 20 years old and in their first or second year. Cobb loves the family atmosphere of the ballpark, the smell of hotdogs in the air, even when he has to work 10-hour days all week when the team is playing at home. He has to be there to help pull the tarp over the field in rain, which keeps him in shape.

During his free time, Cobb hangs out with his long-time girlfriend, Christine Murray, who works for the Legends concessionaire, Aramark. Cobb believes he never would have met her if he didn’t attend Central, because he wouldn’t be working for the Lexington Legends. Cobb also keeps in touch with old friends from Central—all of whom are successful.

Cobb is successful, too, even though he’s not designing buildings, like he once thought he would be. Instead, he’s bringing happiness to thousands of kids and families and knitting together a community through baseball. That’s why he knows it is OK to change your major or come to Central undecided.

“You may not know what you are going to do for a career, but you will find it,” he says.