Our Daily Show! Alton River Dragons Spotlight: Charlie Berry and Diego Johnson
ALTON - The Alton River Dragons are gearing up for the second half of their season, and players Diego Johnson and Charlie Berry couldn’t be more excited to put more wins in the record books.
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Johnson and Berry stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello to chat about the team’s work so far and their goals for the rest of the summer. The two players agreed that playing in the Prospect League has been an exciting opportunity, and they’re thankful for the Alton community’s support as the team drives itself toward more victories.
“The community and the fans are what make the summer for us,” Berry said. “A lot of us play all year in small towns in front of 15 people. And then you come to Alton. It’s a little bit of a culture shock, especially for the younger guys. All of a sudden there’s people there. Depending on the night, there could be thousands of people there. That’s what makes it so cool. For the summer, you get to feel like you’re playing professional baseball. You get to work towards that goal.”
Berry has played summer ball before, including half a season with the River Dragons last year. This is Johnson’s first summer in the Prospect League.
Both players agreed that the season has been exciting so far, though the Dragons were “off to a little bit of a slow start” at first as the team got to know each other. But in the past few weeks, they’ve quickly gelled as a team. Berry and Johnson said they “love all these guys” and will be sad to see the roster change, as it often does in summer ball.
“One of the things that’s so cool about the Prospect League is that the standings actually reset in the second half. That’s just enough time to start to get hot. We’ve had a little bit of a shakeup with the roster recently, which could be a good thing. Obviously, I like all these guys and I want everybody to be here for the summer, but that’s not how summer ball goes,” Berry explained. “I think it’s just enough time to get hot, win a few ballgames, and then start the second half with some confidence.”
Johnson agreed, adding that he hopes the River Dragons can “stack a couple of weeks together” for a triumphant second half of the season.
“Once we’re in the second half, we have a decent enough record where we can make a run for the playoffs. And anything can happen in the playoffs,” he said. “I think, at the end of the day, winning is super important to me. I’m just super excited to get more reps in. You don’t know where it’s going to take you.”
Johnson, a Texas native, has enjoyed his time in Alton, while St. Louis-based Berry is living in the city but spending a lot of time in the Riverbend this summer. Berry compared Alton to the “cool downtown small town” feel of Hannibal, Missouri, while Johnson recently enjoyed a trip to local favorite Duke Bakery.
Both players are eager to get to know the town more in the coming weeks. But more than that, they’re proud to represent the community and the people who support them. They take the River Dragons name seriously, and they are eager to lead the team to more wins in the future.
“This community really cares,” Johnson added. “It’s so important to make sure every day that you’re doing the best to represent the community. Every time you put the River Dragons jersey on, you’re representing Alton. And you’ve got to do that to the best of your ability every time you show up, on and off the field.”
For more information about the Alton River Dragons, including how to purchase tickets, visit their official website or their official Facebook page.
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