Baseball Field Maintenance Job Description
A baseball field maintenance worker is someone who takes care of all aspects of the field. Baseball field maintenance workers rake the infield, water and mow the outfield and make repairs and perform general upkeep on dugouts and clubhouses. They lay down bases, place chalk along the baselines, make sure scoreboards operate properly, and when necessary, place a tarp on the field.
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Basics
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Baseball field maintenance workers perform different functions at different levels of the game. In other words, the responsibilities of someone who performs maintenance for someone at the major league level is likely to differ than someone who works for a parks and recreation department. But the general idea of maintaining the playing field remains the same. Every diamond needs a batter's box, a pitcher's mound, an infield free of rocks and gravel and a freshly cut outfield--and it's up to the maintenance workers to make sure all are accomplished.
Skills
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Baseball field maintenance workers don't need to be passionate about baseball to perform a job. But when it comes to making repairs and maintaining the field, they need to bat 1,000. Baseball field workers need to be good with their hands and understand the tools needed for each job. Some may need to know how to fix leaky sinks in the clubhouse; others may need to be experienced in electrical wiring. All should possess strong communication skills, as just like the managers and players, baseball field maintenance workers often need to work as a team.
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Background
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Requirements to become a baseball field maintenance worker vary by the level of play. Anyone who works in professional baseball (whether it's the major or minor leagues), most likely will need a background in parks maintenance or janitorial or custodial work. Only occasionally is a college degree needed, since formal education for this kind of work is rarely as important as an understanding how to repair and maintain parts of the playing field.
Prospects
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While not specific to baseball fields, jobs for grounds maintenance workers are expected to increase by 18 percent during the 2008-18 decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Baseball field maintenance workers are likely to grow at a similar rate, as leagues and teams involving America's pastime will always be around.
Earnings
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Wages for baseball field maintenance workers fluctuate based on their experience and type of field on which they work. According to PayScale.com, the majority of grounds maintenance workers--whether they are employed by parks or landscaping industries--earned an hourly wage of anywhere from $11 to more than $16 per hour as of March 2010.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit baseball field image by Dave from Fotolia.com
