By STEVE BRADLEY
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – At 5:55 on Tuesday, 50 minutes before the scheduled first pitch, Chris Wells began making his way through the Plymouth Avenue entrance and into ESL Ballpark like he has done so many times before.
But this was no ordinary evening.
Clad in his trademark Michael Restovich jersey that he received as a Christmas gift in 2003 and joined by his parents, Tony and Betsy, and surrounded by a bevy of local media members, Chris shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with ushers as he attended his 1,000th consecutive Rochester Red Wings game at his home away from home on Morrie Silver Way.
As he has done every time he has entered and exited the stadium since it opened in 1997, Chris stopped briefly on the left field walkway to tap a brick that was a gift from his maternal grandmother Onnie Wells.
Chris, a longtime Perinton resident, then made his way to Pop ‘N Hots for a hamburger, hot dog and souvenir Diet Coke before settling into his family’s season seats in Section 111, Row F.
A few minutes later Chris made his way onto the field with other special guests and was introduced as “Red Wings Super Fan” Chris Wells before throwing out one of the ceremonial first pitches.
After taking a break to eat his traditional pregame ice cream with fellow season ticketholder Bernie Schmerbeck, Chris and his family made their way back out to left field where Perinton Town Supervisor Jenn Townsend presented him with a special proclamation declaring Aug. 11, 2026, Chris Wells Day and media members conducted interviews.
About the streak
Tony Wells grew up in Brighton and began attending Rochester Red Wing games at the old ballpark on Norton Street in 1957.
He and his family moved back to Rochester in 1981 when he was hired as the Sports Information Director at the University of Rochester and purchased season tickets that year when Cal Ripken Jr., who went on to play in 2,632 consecutive games for the Baltimore Orioles to become Major League Baseball’s Iron Man, played 114 games for the Red Wings and was named the International League Rookie of the Year.
They didn’t know it at the time, but Tony and Chris would go on to become Rochester’s Iron Fans.
Chris’ streak began on Aug. 30, 2011, when he attended the final four home games of the season against the Pawtucket Red Sox.
The 2012 season saw Chris and Tony attend 80 games at then Frontier Field as Rochester was playing host to the Empire State Yankees while the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate’s stadium was completely reconstructed and it played the majority of its “home” games in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and Batavia.
One year of perfect attendance turned into two and the streak began to take shape. Chris is now working on his 14th consecutive season without missing a game.
“It has been pretty great,” said Chris, who is 51 and was diagnosed with autism shortly before turning 3. “I enjoy the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the concessions and spending time with my Dad.”
The Wellses have seen rainbows and snowflakes while attending games in eight different months (March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October) while witnessing thrilling comebacks and tough losses like Tuesday night’s 8-6 decision to the Charlotte Knights.
“It’s the father-son connection that is special to me,” Tony said. “Chris really enjoys it and I enjoy spending time with him.”
Tony, Chris and Betsy, who attends between 10-15 games each year, have also made friends with fellow fans and Red Wings’ staff members.
“The nice thing about the ballpark is that it is a friendly place and I consider it safe,” said Tony, who has attended 1,086 consecutive games and 3,190 in his lifetime. “The people in our section know Chris, the ushers and the staff know him and they all look out for him.”
Take Taylor Duhart for example. Chris and Schembreck take turns buying each other an ice cream before each game when it is warm enough. Duhart, who is in her ninth season as a Red Wings’ employee, works at Ice Cream Plus has their order waiting for them each night before they reach the counter.
“It’s kind of nice when I see them coming because I know what they are going to get every time,” Duhart said. “I’ll make sure that I have their stuff ready when they get here.
“It does make my day seeing them. It’s nice knowing that you are going to see the same people every day and do something that makes them happy.”
Plenty to celebrate
The ballpark is not the only place where Chris has put together an impressive streak.
He has worked at the Olive Garden in Victor for 16 years through the Heritage Christian Services Employment Alliance doing prep work for lunch and dinner and has not missed a day of work since 2019.
Representatives of both the Olive Garden and Heritage Christian Services were in attendance at the game on Tuesday and Restovich, who is now an attorney in Rochester, Minn., sent a congratulatory letter to Chris, which read in part:
“I have so many great memories of playing in Rochester for the Red Wings. I had the honor of playing alongside some great players, such as Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, and Joe Mauer. I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working alongside Hall of Famer Cal Ripken at his baseball camp and was generously gifted a pair of bicycles by the front office after hitting for the rare natural cycle.
“As great as those memories are, none of them are as special as coming out of the tunnel before a game and having the pleasure of seeing you in the stands donning my jersey, having the chance to talk Red Wings baseball with you, and seeing you cheer when we finished the game with a victory on the field.”
Restovich closed the letter by calling himself, “Chris Wells’ biggest fan.”
He was not the only one impressed with Chris’ accomplishment.
“1,000 games is a lot of games for a lifetime and he has done 1,000 in a row,” Red Wings manager Dan Mason said. “It’s an incredible accomplishment and he is an amazing fan.”
Schembreck, who has sat one row in front of Chris in Section 111 for about 20 years, agreed.
“It’s amazing,” the Greece resident, who has been a season ticket holder since 1982, said. “First of all, you have to stay healthy enough to do it, then you’ve got to want to do it. Congratulations to Chris on being able to do it.”
As is his custom, Chris sang “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” with several season ticketholders in his section. The group includes his mother and Mary Gross, Diane Noga, Kathy O’Neill, Ann Dokus and Karen Gerrish.
When asked his favorite moment of the evening, Chris didn’t hesitate.
“Throwing out the first pitch,” he said.
Tony, who drives Chris to every game, admits the family has had some good fortune in keeping the streak alive and that they plan to keep going.
“There’s no reason to stop yet.”
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