There is an old adage in real estate that lifestyle events trigger moves. Marriages, new jobs, promotions, and having kids are some of the big ones. Baseball families are no different, but their moves are often predicated on a trade or free agent signing.
Realtor.com® spoke with the wives of three of the top players in Major League Baseball to learn about how frequent moving impacts the feeling of “home.” These ladies have moved a combined 33 times in the last 14 years, and along the way, realized home is much more than beds, baths and amenities.
Julianna Zobrist, whose husband Ben is with the Chicago Cubs, Leslee Holliday, who lives in New York City while her husband Matt plays on the Yankees, and Jennifer Utley, the wife of L.A. Dodger’s superstar Chase, provided us with some insights.
The Zobrist family, Chicago Cubs
The Zobrists are not your average family, as dad plays baseball and mom is a Christian musician. They have moved to 10 different homes in the last 10 years. The first home they purchased was near the famous Wrigley Field when Ben signed a free agent contract with the Cubs in 2015.
“In our family, we cultivate an environment of fun and adventure, and looking at life through a lens of not needing the exact same place every single night to come home to,” said Julianna. “We won’t have that but we will have the same family to come home to and that for us, is the most important.”
Family also played a big role on where they lived.
“We realized that we desired for our kids to be around more children and for us to be closer to the stadium,” Julianna said. “We are close enough to walk to the stadium, which gives the kids such a fun opportunity to visit Ben before or after games.”
Julianna shared that her favorite room in her house is her music room.
“It is where I do my daily studying, writing, and practice,” she said. “It is a Crayola box of color and the focal point is my all-white baby grand piano. It is an exuberant and lively creative space.”
The Holliday family, New York Yankees
While Julianna is all about her music, Leslee Holliday finds her happiness in the kitchen.
“(The) number one thing we look for in a home is the kitchen because I cook a lot and I like to have an open kitchen,” she said. “I like to have nice counter tops and two ovens with a gas-burning stove, and a big refrigerator and big freezer.”
Coping with moving 11 times over the last 14 years is not easy, but Holliday has found many ways to maintain consistency for her husband and teenage boys.
The Utley family, L.A. Dodgers
Jennifer Utley’s family is now in the Los Angeles area, but she is a pro when it comes to moving. Living in 12 homes in 14 years is bound to make an impact.
“Candles make a big difference,” she said. “Our houses smell the same everywhere we go. We’ve had the same candle company, the same candle, the whole time.”
Jennifer clearly has learned that structure does not define home.
“Home, to me, means a place that’s comfortable, a place that’s familiar, a place that’s full of love, and a place that makes your family feel settled and happy to be in that space,” she said.
Video series
These strong women shared more about their homes in a realtor.com® video series, in partnership with Fox Sports, which launched prior to the July 31 baseball trade deadline. The videos feature Julianna, Leslee and Jennifer talking more about what home means to them and how they used realtor.com® to help them find their home run home.