A while back I wrote a piece about the Unwritten Rules for visiting a Big League Clubhouse and semi-sorta promised to write about the Unwritten Rules for a Baseball Field Visit and while I don’t keep all my promises (I promised myself to lose 20 pounds before my high school reunion this summer and the way things are going, that’s going to require a chainsaw and a peg leg) I can actually keep
It's great fun to deal with the groundskeeper. As a commercial photographer, I was tasked several times with photographing corporate brass and other local celebrities at Kauffman Stadium. My favorite time was not long after Trevor Vance took over as Senior Director of Groundskeeping from Toma. We came up out of the visitors' dugout and as we stepped out onto the field, Vance told me, "Stay off the grass." That was going to make photographing the stuff-suited poobah on the pitcher's mound pretty tough, so I pleaded my case and Vance told me to make it quick. We did. Vance can put the fear in you. (I had easier conversations with Toma, who, post retirement, used to walk the outer road at the Sports Complex for exercise. I walked there too, but Toma walked counter-clockwise, while I went the other way.)
“… when managers actually watched games and reacted to what they saw happening on the field instead of following the recommendations of an intern in the analytics department.)”
I’d like to see a 7 game series between the two managing philosophies, for want of a better term.
Anyway, more good stuff I wish I’d have the chance to use. Thanks.
It's great fun to deal with the groundskeeper. As a commercial photographer, I was tasked several times with photographing corporate brass and other local celebrities at Kauffman Stadium. My favorite time was not long after Trevor Vance took over as Senior Director of Groundskeeping from Toma. We came up out of the visitors' dugout and as we stepped out onto the field, Vance told me, "Stay off the grass." That was going to make photographing the stuff-suited poobah on the pitcher's mound pretty tough, so I pleaded my case and Vance told me to make it quick. We did. Vance can put the fear in you. (I had easier conversations with Toma, who, post retirement, used to walk the outer road at the Sports Complex for exercise. I walked there too, but Toma walked counter-clockwise, while I went the other way.)
“… when managers actually watched games and reacted to what they saw happening on the field instead of following the recommendations of an intern in the analytics department.)”
I’d like to see a 7 game series between the two managing philosophies, for want of a better term.
Anyway, more good stuff I wish I’d have the chance to use. Thanks.