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cover next page > title : author : publisher : isbn10 | asin : print isbn13 : ebook isbn13 : language : subject publication date : lcc : ddc : subject : cover next page > < previous page page_i next page > Page i < previous page page_i next page > < previous page page_iii next page > Page iii In the Ballpark The Working Lives of Baseball People George Gmelch and J. J. Weiner < previous page page_iii next page > < previous page page_iv next page > Page iv Some images in the original version of this book are not available for inclusion in the netLibrary eBook. © 1998 by the Smithsonian Institution All rights reserved Copy Editor: Jenelle Walthour Production Editors: Jack Kirshbaum and Robert A. Poarch Designer: Kathleen Sims Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gmelch, George. In the ballpark : the working lives of baseball people / George Gmelch and J. J. Weiner. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 1-56098-876-2 (alk. paper) 1. BaseballInterviews 2. Baseball fields. 3. Baseball. I. Weiner, J. J. II. Title. GV863.A1G62 1998 796.356'092'273dc21 97-28388 British Cataloguing-in-Publication Data available A paperback reissue (ISBN 1-56098-446-5) of the original cloth edition Manufactured in the United States of America 05 04 03 02 01 00 99 5 4 3 2 1 The Paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials ANSI Z398.48-1984. For permission to reproduce illustrations appearing in this book, please correspond directly with the owners of the works, as listed in the individual captions. (The authors own the rights to the illustrations that do not list a source.) The Smithsonian Institution Press does not retain reproduction rights for these illustrations individually or maintain a file of addresses for photo sources. < previous page page_iv next page > < previous page page_v next page > Page v CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgments xiii The Stands 1 Jerry Collier, 5 Beer Vendor, Oriole Park at Camden Yards Tom Burgoyne, 14 Mascot, Philadelphia Phillies Walter Banks, 20 Usher, Atlanta Braves Hep Cronin, 26 Scout, Atlanta Braves The Field 39 QV Lowe, 41 Manager Jamestown Expos Mark Letendre, 65 Trainer, San Francisco Giants Bernie and Waleska Williams, 78 Center Fielder, New York Yankees, and Ballplayer's Wife Paul Zwaska, 92 Head Groundskeeper Baltimore Orioles Scott Jaster, 104 Ballplayer Birmingham Barons Pat Young, 120 Clubhouse Manager, Hickory Crawdads < previous page page_v next page > < previous page page_vi next page > Page vi Jim Leyland, 126 Manager, Florida Marlins Durwood Merrill, 136 Umpire, American League The Press Box 151 Sherry Davis, 155 Announcer, San Francisco Giants Rob Evans, 165 Broadcaster, Norfolk Tides Sally O'Leary, 177 Assistant Director of Media Relations, Pittsburgh Pirates Jim Riggs, 187 Sportswriter and Scorer, Jamestown Expos The Front Office 195 Denis Bastien, 197 Owner and General Manager, Charleston Wheelers Sam Kennedy, 207 Intern, New York Yankees Jack Boehmer, 211 Director of Stadium Operations, Bowie Baysox Billy Johnson, 217 Assistant General Manager, Kinston Indians Dean Taylor, 224 Assistant General Manager, Atlanta Braves The Nature of Baseball Work 233 Bibliography 249 Index 251 < previous page page_vi next page > < previous page page_vii next page > Page vii PREFACE In the Ballpark: The Working Lives of Baseball People is a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional baseball as seen through the lives of twenty-one individuals who work in the game. The subjects of this book range from owner to beer vendor, and are drawn from every level of the sport, from the major leagues to rookie ball. When baseball fans think and talk about baseball, however, they usually refer to the players, sometimes to a manager who has been hired or fired, and occasionally to an outrageous owner. Little attention is paid to the people backstage, the large supporting cast that is needed to produce the game we see on the field. In this book's narratives, these people describe their work in baseball and the all-encompassing role the game plays in their lives. Baseball organizations today would scarcely be recognizable to the founders of the game. A century ago professional baseball clubs were run by a few dozen full-time employees besides the players and coaches, many of whom were veritable jacks-of-all-trades, with a variety of additional responsibilities. Today major league clubs are complex organizations with a highly specialized division of labor and a distinct corporate culture. The list of the departments found in most clubs says much about the scope of the organizations' work: ticketing, < previous page page_vii next page > < previous page page_viii next page > Page viii travel, clubhouse, public relations, finance, marketing and sales, training, minor leagues, scouting, and stadium operations. In the scouting department alone, each club has at least twenty-five full-time scouts based in North America as well as several international scouts, who work in the Caribbean and travel as far afield as Australia and Asia. Each major league club has its own minor league "farm system" with six ball clubs, ranging from Rookie League through Triple A. Each of these clubs has twenty or more players, a manager, a pitching coach, and a hitting instructor, all of whom are looked after by a trainer, a clubhouse attendant, and others. Though operating on a much smaller scale than its big-league parent, each minor league club also has its own work force that includes sales people, ticket sellers, ushers, vendors, groundskeepers, and scoreboard operators. In the Ballpark is divided into four sectionsStands, Field, Press Box, and Front Officethat reflect the way baseball people think about and categorize the different work environments within the ballpark. Since each setting is distinctive, with its own norms and shared understandings and its own perspective on the business of baseball, each section is introduced by a description of the physical setting, its ambience, and the nature of the work that is performed there. The occupations represented in the book vary widely in the degree to which they involve workers in the business. The seasonal "game day" staffticket takers, ushers, and vendorswho only work the eighty-one home games have a different engagement in baseball from that of the full-time baseball professionalsowners, general managers, coaches, scouts, players, trainers. For them, baseball is more than an occupation: it is a lifestyle. For this reason their interviews are longer, describing how their lives outside the ballpark are shaped by their involvement in the game. The interviews reveal much about the people who work in professional baseball. For example, baseball is dominated by men. In the dozens of ballparks and baseball organizations in which we conducted interviews, we found no women among the general managers, managers, coaches, players, mascots, groundskeepers, clubhouse attendants, trainers, or broadcasters. Although women do work in the front office (usually from one-fourth to one-third of the staff), most are in secretarial or clerical positions. Only in concessions and the kitchenamong game day staffdo women begin to approximate men in number. But even here the bosses or "directors" are men. < previous page page_viii next page > < previous page page_ix next page > Page ix Another characteristic of baseball people revealed by the narratives is that most of them had a serious interest in baseball during childhood. Over half aspired to play professional baseball; others were devoted fans. Most, upon realizing that they did not have the ability to play competitively, looked for alternative careers in baseball. As an eleven-year-old, Rob Evans turned his ambition from playing to broadcasting. Paul Zwaska, after a trip to Wrigley Field where he had admired the setting as much as the game, began to think about becoming a groundskeeper. By his sophomore year in high school, Mark Letendre knew he wanted to become an athletic trainer. Today they are not just employees of baseball organizations but also perpetually loyal fans of the game. Baseball people share a feeling of being part of a select group. This is evident in the tendency of some to refer to themselves as belonging to the "baseball fraternity" or "baseball family." This shared identity is strengthened by the long hours they spend together at the ballpark, often working in close cooperation with each other. Those who travel with the team share meals, recreation, and hotel rooms, which contributes to their identity as "baseball people." Being in a high-profile profession in which many others would like to work adds to their sense of specialness. The owner of a minor league ball club described working in baseball as being part of a closed society: Either you're in it, or you're out of it, and those who aren't part of it won't get much respect from those that are in it . Baseball people are nice to you if you're inside baseball, but they ignore you if you're not. The interviews reveal the considerable sacrifices baseball people must make to stay in the gamelong hours, holidays spent at the ballpark, stunted family life, and, for many, low wages. Yet most baseball people genuinely like their jobs. Some could make more money and work fewer hours outside baseball, but they choose to remain. Some have left baseball jobs only to return a few years later. The interviews say much about what produces this level of job satisfaction. The case for players and managers is easy to understand. For them, quite simply, there is no other type of work that offers the same camaraderie, level of competition, or limelight. Players and managers are known to a wide public and are heroes to some. Also, the pay is not bad. The reasons for satisfaction with baseball are more subtle but no less certain for those who broadcast baseball, write about it, or scout young < previous page page_ix next page > < previous page page_x next page > Page x talent.