Tomorrow we will be one week away from MLB’s Opening Day, one of my favorite days of the year. There is nothing like Opening Day; The sight of freshly chalked baselines, the scent of hot dogs wafting through the stands, and the crack of the bat echoing across the diamond. It’s a time for nostalgia, as the sport’s rich history is celebrated, and for optimism, as rookies make their debuts and veterans return to dazzle the crowds. All while beginning a 162-game grind over the next six months as every team begins a clean slate and the dream of winning the World Series.
The grind is just as busy for the front office workers as much as the players. The employees at the ballpark play just as important a role as the players do. From the full timers and part timers, the grounds crew, clubhouse attendants, concessions workers, ticket takers, ushers and more. There is lots of wheels rolling at one time and lots of long hours spent at the ballpark.
So have you ever wanted to work for a professional baseball team? Or maybe you want to pick up a second job for the summer and decide to be an usher at your local ballpark. Or maybe you would like to know what it’s like to spend a day in a baseball clubhouse. If so, then you are in luck. I recently read a book by Tom Jones called Working in Baseball: The Lives of Baseball People — from Peanut Vendors and Broadcasters to Players and Managers. The book is an insightful, first-hand account of stories and experiences from people who work in all areas of the ballpark during a professional baseball game.
The book is divided into seven chapters. Each chapter dedicated to different areas of the operations that help run the ballpark and the team that plays there. You will get interviews and firsthand accounts with players, coaches and general managers. But what really makes the book interesting is the chapters dedicated to front office and gameday employees. From what it is like to being the mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers, to being the peanut vendor of the Houston Astros, all of it is featured here. Chapter six was one of my favorite chapters as it features the sports media side of professional baseball. You’ll get interviews with PA announcers, team beat writers, scouts and play by play broadcasters.
As someone who has worked in the front office for two professional baseball teams, I can relate to many of these personal stories. On gamedays I would arrive at the ballpark around 8a.m. and would leave the ballpark sometimes around midnight. Many times, I would have different roles for each game as the first ballpark I worked in had a small staff. Some games I would get the ballpark ready before the game and then jump in and help concessions (flip burgers, serve beer, etc.), and then clean the ballpark after the game. Some games I would jump in a be the bat boy for several games, or I would throw on the mascot suit and make an appearance at a local school. By the end of the year, I was even the clubhouse attendant for a few homestands, where I would wash the players uniforms and drive them to the airport when they would get called up to the Big League. It was a wet, hot, rainy grind full of long hours in the middle of summer. But I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding experiences I ever had in my life. Working at the Ballpark resonated with me and is something I would recommend everybody read who works in the front office of a professional baseball team.
(The two ballpark I worked at. Above: Trustmark Park in Pearl, MS where I worked in 2018 in Stadium Operations. Home of the Mississippi Braves. Below: Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, FL, where I worked in 2019 also in Stadium Operations.)
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