March 2010
Three, Two, One
“Still the rain kept pourin’, Fallin’ on my ears. And I wonder, Still I wonder, Who’ll stop the rain.” There’s nothing like starting out a blog post with a little bit of CCR. But man oh man, are those lyrics unfortunately true: it’s a rainy day here at FirstEnergy Stadium, and the forecast isn’t exactly giving me much hope for most of this week. With a little over nine days (hard to believe) until the R-Phils kick off their season on April 8th, I’m hoping this weather becomes something like U2 said: a beautiful day.
Weather and song lyrics aside…it’s getting pretty busy around Reading as the season inches closer. Down in Florida, the Double-A squad is sitting on a 6-6 record after dropping a game to the Jays Double-A team on Saturday. By my count, they only have five more spring training games before the rosters for each affiliate are set in stone for opening day. Will R-Phils fans see Domonic Brown, Tyson Gillies, Phillippe Aumont, and other stars? Nobody knows yet. But I’m hoping that the fans that pack FirstEnergy will get to see those guys because the numbers they’re putting up so far are tremendous. Tyson Gillies, who came over with Ramirez and Aumont from Seattle in the Cliff Lee deal, is destroying pitchers, with a blistering .393 average. He’s racked up four extra base hits (three triples) and four RBI. Oh yeah, he’s also swiped three bags. The top Phillies prospect, Dom Brown, continues to shine, and has hit a home run and knocked in three in his time with the Double-A squad (remember, he was tearing it up with the Phillies for a while). Lastly, Aumont’s numbers speak for themselves: 7 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs. Wow.
As the players get their final full week of AB’s in, and rosters begin to form, the action back here at FirstEnergy has been non-stop. This past weekend we had a full run-through of in-game contests, games, and things of that nature. The hundred or so game-day employees were on hand to get a tour of the stadium and prepare for their upcoming duties. To try and paint the most accurate picture I can, there were a few new faces to the press box on Saturday.There was a previous intern who held this position last year that was helping on Click Effects. Also present was Frenchy – the voice of FirstEnergy and the R-Phils. It was a pleasure to meet him, and judging by a few hours of practice, this season is going to be a lot of fun up here with the media.
During this employee orientation and run-through, it was all business. But there was still a good dose of energy and baseball flavor as it all kicked off. The full-time employees and the junior associates and interns were introduced, one by one, running out the dugout…All-Star style. It was pretty funny and great to watch at the same time, and I had the luxury of watching it all while playing a song to match the mood. After things got started, interns and employees would volunteer to practice the in-between inning activities that make coming out to FirstEnergy the best fan experience possible. For example…the mascot introduction. Did we have people dressed as the duck or turtle? Nope, not at all. Did interns pump their fists and come out to the music with pure enthusiasm acting like those mascots? You bet. Matching the exact song to each event was a task in itself and something that I’m quite new to, but feel very comfortable that I’ll be able to get better and better at as the season rolls on.
So, I continue to really get to know the people I work with, and it makes this internship more and more enjoyable. When they say the R-Phils, and minor league baseball in general, are like a family, well, they’re not kidding. It still feels great to come to a stadium every single day to work, and soon enough, I’ll be looking out at nine players and thousands of fans as opposed to empty seats soaked in rain. Now that will be a beautiful day.
FirstEnergy Getting Ready
Right off the bat, I apologize for the blog post this week being delayed by a few days. Throw in a few technical difficulties coupled with a rush to get a number of things done, and well, here you have a post on Wednesday. Starting next week, we’re back to Monday’s! Blog dates aside, I really must start off by tipping my hat to all the R-Phils employees and other workers who have been doing an unbelievable job getting this stadium ready for Opening Day. By the way, it’s only 15 days away.
FirstEnergy Stadium is really something you have to see and experience in person: it’s historic yet brand new, classic yet stylistic, and completely fun and interactive. But as touched on in the last post, there is so much effort in the baseball off-season by everyone involved, and the grounds crew and maintenance crew have been on top of their game. The concession areas are just about ready to open (can you smell the Churgers in the air?), the picnic area on the third base side is looking good, and the seats are ready for thousands of R-Phils fans to pack this place come April 8th. So again, when you come to a baseball game, you may not think about what it takes to get a stadium ready for game time. I’m guilty of not realizing all that hard work…until now. Hats off to the workers here. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.
There are so many different things to see at a minor league game, and one of those is the historic display case near the entrance. Yesterday I was given the task of filling that case with jerseys, hats, posters, banners, pins, and so much more from the 1960s all the way up until last year. I was shown a few pictures of what it looked like last year and how it was designed, but I feel that I certainly put my own touch on it this year. Starting on the far right are the most recent R-Phils jerseys and hats and so forth. There’s Rollins and Howard, Hamels and Burrell, and so many more memories. As you move along to the center part of the case, I went back in the years just a bit. There hangs the 1995 Championship banner, along with some R-Phils Hall of Famers who are forever immortalized. I also placed all the “Kings (and Queen) of Baseballtown” statues along the shelves. On the far left, it get’s a little old school. A newspaper from decades upon decades ago, highlighting the first ever game at the new stadium. There’s the old jersey, the old cap, and so much more. I feel pretty proud of the way it came out, and hopefully you’ll get the chance to take a look sometime this year.
Down in Florida meanwhile, the boys on the Double-A roster have been doing quite well. The new additions, who may or may not start here (Aumont, Gillies, Ramirez), are all improving by the day and opening eyes. There are some familiar faces and there are some surprises as well. Going into today’s game against the Double-A Yankees, the Double-A Phillies squad stands at 4-4. Worley pitched a heck of a game yesterday, tossing four perfect innings en route to a 2-0 win. It’s going to be so exhilarating to actually see these guys in such a short time, take the field I’m looking at right now and play ball. Speaking of which….
I’ve never dealt with a tarp before. Ever. The best memory I have involving a tarp is back a few years ago when the Phillies helped the Colorado Rockies grounds crew hold down the tarp in all that wind. Remember that? Classic. Well, it’s safe to say that I have a second tarp memory after the past few days. That’s right, this intern has the title of PR, but like the family we are here at the Reading Phillies, everyone chips in. It was raining just a bit and our head groundskeeper, Dan “Dirt” Douglas, called everyone out for a little help – just in case it started down pouring later on (which it did). Myself and about fifteen other interns and full-time employees, jumped and stood on top of the tarp. Trust me, this is far more thrilling to do that to read about, but hopefully you’re getting a feeling of what it’s like. We held the railing on the first base side and pushed the tarp back with our legs a few feet. After that it was pushing, pulling, dragging, with dirt and mud all over. But I’ll say this – the field looks great, and Dirt was right.
Some other things I’ve been working on finishing are the program, the bios of the players (with head shots!), and continuously updating the spring training statistics. Today we’ll also go over the game script in a test run here in the press box. That means I’ll be working Click Effects and the group message board and so forth. It’s just practice now, but that becomes reality in just over two weeks.
It’s hard to imagine that this Friday will mark four weeks down here as the R-Phils PR Intern, but time sure does fly. I can easily imagine it being sometime in September, looking back on this blog post, and wondering where all the time went. There is no doubt this season is going to be a blast and I’m going to be learning on the job. But instead of thinking ahead, I think I’ll just focus on the present. That means getting ready, because before you know it, it’s media day and then Opening Day. How about that?
Go R-Phils!
Changing of the Seasons
If April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, what do three straight days of hard rain in March bring? Your guess is as good as mine, but I’d like to think that the downpours around the Reading area are just a final clearing up before baseball. Maybe that’s wishful thinking but the forecast is calling for temperatures above 60 (with sun!) all week long. Now that, is baseball weather.
When I wrote on this blog last week, I reflected on my first week here with the R-Phils: the excitement, the tasks at hand, and so forth. As I enter my third full week with the club, there’s a mixture of both comfortability and anticipation. With each passing day and every passing week there is a sense of belonging up here in the press box at FirstEnergy Stadium. It’s a feeling that this is what I love being around and this is what I want to do. Something about going to work everyday at a historic baseball stadium – not some corporate mess of cubicles – puts my mind at ease and certainly makes work much more fun. When baseball is something that you love, and that’s the case with me, it can’t get much better than this.
However, on the flip side there is also a nagging sense of anticipation for Opening Day. When I arrived here there was about 40 days left until our first game against Portland (tickets available for all games at www.readingphillies.com). In fact, when I originally interviewed there must have been over 80 days or so until the season kicked off. That number is now whittled down to 24. With football in the off-season, the Sixers playing so badly I would rather not talk about it, and March Madness just getting underway, baseball is front and center. The field looks ready, the stadium seems ready, and I’m ready. This is my first position in baseball, and perhaps it’s excitement and nerves, but all I want is 7:05 pm on April 8th. I’ll be right here at FirstEnergy Stadium, in the press box, watching my R-Phils take the field for the first time. There’s nothing quite like that first day of baseball.
In the time leading up to Opening Day however, there is absolutely work to be done. One of the funniest things people ask, and I’ve actually heard this a few times, is something to the tune of, “So during the baseball off-season, is that like a vacation? You don’t do anything right?” At the PBEO Job Fair in Indianapolis I attended this past December, GM’s even joked that they too had been asked this kind of question. I suppose it’s just overlooking the obvious, but to once and for all answer anyone who thinks that employees in the baseball world simply take a big break….uh, no. Not even close. As soon as the off-season starts, hard work begins. Sure, it’s different than what you’re doing during the year with games, but you have to prepare for the next season faster and harder than anyone might think. Reading has proved this point very well.
There is a process to everything that has to happen. Our pocket schedule is in the final stages of being completed right now before it’s distributed to the public. You didn’t think that all of a sudden it just appeared at local restaurants and banks, did you? I’ve seen very hard work go into numerous drafts and attempts at making this schedule. Then there’s tickets, sales, marketing, and so on, and so on. Everyone has a role, and my role right now is centered on learning the trade as best I can and helping out with a number of media related tasks.
For a little while I have been working on getting together the layout for our first homestand’s booklet. That’s compiling head shots, statistics, and other information for the R-Phils and the two other teams we’ll play that homestand. I’ve also been busy finding the right pictures for the All-Decade team, which was announced on www.readingphillies.com. There’s a number of other jobs that I’ve either completed or am in the process of completing that might seem trivial or unimportant right now, but are essential to the 2010 season. You won’t see my work on the playing field, that’s for sure. But everyone, myself included, works behind the scenes to make sure that the product and entertainment value off the field is just as great as the product on the field.
So, what now? Back to work! There’s a program to be made, headshots to be sorted through, and articles to be written. Baseballtown is gearing up for this season and so is our staff. As the players continue their spring training down in Florida right now, we’ll brave the elements and make sure that come April 8th, we’re good to go.
First Week in the Books
What was it that Tim Robbins said in Bull Durham about his first win? “It feels out there. I mean, it’s a major rush. I mean, it feels radical in kind of a tubular sort of way, but most of all, it feels out there.” You know, that’s sort of how I sum up my first full week as an R-Phils intern. Maybe I’d replace a few adjectives here or there in that quote, but on a personal level of enjoyment, just like Robbins’ character, I’m finding this internship to be a major rush.
Last week when I posted, there were 37 days until Opening Day against Portland and I had just gotten my feet wet by writing my first article for the Web site – which you can check out at www.readingphillies.com by the way. Today, the magic number has dwindled to a mere 31 days until the boys are back in town. And today, as I start my second week, I can certainly say that I’m beginning to really find that all important comfort level in my work.
But before I update you on what I’ve been doing, let’s touch on a few things. Number one: Phillies spring training games are underway! After beating up on Florida State and getting the first glance at Aumont (a shaky first Phils appearance, but hey, you’ve got to get the jitters out at some point), the Phillies faced their new nemisis: the New York Yankees. The rematch of last years World Series was a good one, and it ended in the sweetest way possible – a walk-off Phillies win. Watch out New York, we’ll be back this October.
The second thing I want to talk about: Domonic Brown. Let me say that again….Domonic Brown! Is this guy on fire or what? Let me shoot some numbers at you and let me know what you think. In 13 AB’s, Brown has seven hits, which translates to a .538 average. He’s racked up two doubles, four RBI, and a walk. Oh yeah, he’s not doing too bad in the outfield either. The sky is the limit for Domonic, and he’s making everyone up in Reading who had the pleasure of watching him last year very proud.
Alright, alright, I suppose it would only be right if I told you a bit of what I did in my first week here. As noted last week, with my move and everything else going on, Monday was a bit crazy and quite the whirlwind experience. I wrote my first article about individual game tickets going on sale at the box office – they’re selling like hot cakes – and there was snow covering right field here at FirstEnergy Stadium. Well, there’s no more snow and its over 50 degrees outside (finally). Things have definitely calmed down from the hectic pace of last week, in more ways that one. Not only am I settled in, but I’m ready for whatever tasks are set out for me.
Each homestand during the season, an R-Phils program is written, published, and released to the fans. It’s chock full of alumni reports, player profiles, and everything else you would need to know about the teams that are coming to play. This turned out to be my primary order of business starting last Wednesday. After looking at one of last years programs, and then those of a few other teams as well, I opened up the files in InDesign on my computer here in the press box (have I mentioned how great it is to go to work every day in the press box of a baseball stadium?). Hours of work and thought have gone into designing the first program for this year so far and I’m nowhere close to being finished. I’ve moved pictures from place to place, changed the overall look of it, and added new features too. It’s starting to take form, just a little bit, and hopefully on April 8th you’ll be happy with the program that’s given out.
Now, the program is just one job that I’ve been up to so far. You’ll have to trust me when I say there’s many more that I started and others that I’ll start very soon. One of those jobs is getting ‘Click Effects’ ready for the opener. For those who are unaware of this great program (I had only worked with it once or twice before joining the R-Phils), it’s the essential tool to in-game entertainment…other than the scoreboard of course. You know how after a double play is turned and you’re going crazy, you hear “It takes two babyyyyy!” playing over the stadium speakers? Yup, that’s my job this year. Well, that’s part of it. During the game there’s a certain schedule that I’ll have to follow on what to play and when. It has to line up perfectly with what is played on the video board and it’s got to be done quickly and effectively. For instance, if Domonic Brown wants Metallica’s “Fuel” for his at-bat song (maybe he will?), I have to have that ready to play as he walks to the plate. If I hit a Miley Cyrus song by accident, well, it won’t mean I’m fired but I would be more embarrassed than Tommy Lasorda tumbling over in the All-Star game.
I’m also starting to explore Reading a bit more and getting to know the people I work with a lot better. On Saturday afternoon, a few of the other junior associates - you can take a look at their dashing mugs on www.readingphillies.com – came over to the apartment to hang out. A good time was had by all, but the night was not over by any stretch. That night we all went out, and by we I mean most of the team’s front office all the way down to interns, to a little place called ’the Works.’ Think of Dave & Busters but louder. One of our fellow employees is part of a cover band and we watched them play from up in the VIP lounge. Not too shabby, right? It goes without saying that it was an awesome time, and our co-worker was in my mind, the star of the show. All in all, it was a great night with everyone from the team.
Well, for those of you still reading this far down in the post, I thank you for sticking with me and hope you continue to do so as the season rolls on. My first week is in the books and there’s only a month until Opening Day. It goes by quickly, and I’ll try my best to keep you up to speed on everything that’s going on.
Go R-Phils!
Let’s Get Started
The move from just outside Philadelphia to Reading this past week wasn’t very stressful at all, in fact, it was a jolt of excitement I’d been waiting for. But perhaps I should first fill you in on who I am, what I’m doing here, and what you can expect out of this blog.
I graduated from Temple University this past August where I had the best four years of my life. Ever since, it’s been non-stop research for finding the first step in my career in sports. I looked all over the place, with the highlight definitely being the PBEO Job Fair at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis this past December. For just a few days, me and 500 or so of my closest friends were crammed into lecture and interview rooms. Stressful? Sure. Exciting? You bet. Long story short, I came home waiting on call backs but still with one team in the back of my mind: the Reading Phillies.
I had been in contact with Tommy Viola, the Director of PR/Media Relations for the R-Phils, well before the Job Fair about possible internship opportunities. Seeing as how the interest was still very high, we exchanged emails, and again to make a long story short…I landed the PR internship. Jackpot.
So let’s fast forward to this past Friday, aka – moving day. Bed? Check. Desk? Check. Hamels and Utley bobble heads? Check. Internet and TV, well, that’s a different story (please come soon Comcast!). So here I was, just outside of Reading, with a fellow R-Phils intern as my roommate. Friday night and some of Saturday was unpacking, but then it was time to enjoy myself a bit. Saturday, we went out to the IMAX theater and saw “Shutter Island.” I haven’t slept right since, and I highly recommend it. We also ventured out to a local sports restaurant to watch the USA v Canada gold medal game. As if I didn’t have enough dislike built up for Crosby already! Oh well, our boys went further than anyone expected them to. We’ll get ‘em next time.
The show must begin however, and Monday was my first day working for the R-Phils. I came into work, overdressed, excited and prepared. I said hello to the fellow interns and full-time staff members downstairs and made my way up the stairs to the press box. This is where you’ll see me during games (when I’m not running around to finish something else) during the 2010 season. Almost immediately I was put to task writing an article for the site – www.readingphillies.com – and that’s just how I wanted it: work right off the bat. Monday was the first day individual game tickets became available to the general public online and at the box office. The orders began coming pretty rapidly and it was a great start to the day, and a pleasant reminder the season was only 38 days away from beginning.
Here I am, on Tuesday, or day two of the internship, with just 37 days until FirstEnergy Stadium is filled for opening night. Looking out at the field now, with the right half of the infield and some of right field covered in snow, it’s hard to imagine baseball right around the corner. But before you know it, the Reading Phillies will be trotting out onto the diamond to start the 2010 campaign. I’m sitting here with an immense amount of excitement for this internship and for the season as a whole. I’m looking forward to getting to know my co-workers even better (even if one likes the Pirates and one likes the Braves), being at the best possible place to work, and learning as much as I possibly can while having an unbelievable time.
This blog will be me telling you what I go through on a weekly basis, from March until the last game is played. Hopefully you can gain some insight on what it’s like to work from the inside as an intern, and if you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment. With that, it’s back to work, and of course: Go R-Phils!!!
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