Pics from my job on the Reds Ground Crew (100+ Photos Added 1/26)

Hello everyone. First, I'd like to apologize if you guys feel that this is posted in the wrong forum. I just wanted to make sure everyone could see it. Anyway, I'm obviously new to Reds Zone, if the post count didn't already give that away, haha. I worked as a member of the Reds Ground Crew for the past three seasons. I must say, it was an awesome experience, especially being that I'm a lifelong Reds fan. I graduated from Miami Univ. of Ohio in 2003. I took the job with the Reds as a method of getting my "foot in the door", in an attempt to work toward a full time career in professional sports. At the end of my first season, I began working for WCPO-tv Channel 9 also...another opportunity to build my resume.

I am now employed by MLB and MLB.com and work with the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's a job payed by MLB directly out of NYC, but with the Pirates. Hopefully that makes sense. So, my resume building continues and I'm extremely anxious for baseball to begin. Unfortunately, I wont be sitting in the dugout for each and every Red's home game, but I'll be working toward that full time career in MLB.

So, that's my introduction. I'll share some of the pictures that I took during my experience with the Reds.


Here is a picture of Griffey heading out to center to play defense. This also gives a perspective of the view from where the grounds crew stands.
http://img8.picsplace.to/img8/16/Gro..._SMALL_000.JPG

Arroyo and Ross during the game.
http://img8.picsplace.to/img8/16/Gro..._SMALL_000.JPG

Hatteberg, Kearns, and LaRue during the game.
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Dunn aka Big Donkey...after either hitting a HR or striking out, haha.
http://img8.picsplace.to/img8/16/Gro..._015_SMALL.JPG

Brandon Phillips. The team calls him "B Real".
http://img8.picsplace.to/img8/16/Gro..._016_SMALL.JPG

Dunn going to play Defense.
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Me and Dunn. That was my first season.
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Me and the Mayor.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_120_full.jpg



I'm gonna upload some more...

Here are some more....

Me and Larkin.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_122_full.jpg

Me and Castro.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_131_full.jpg

Me and Wily Mo.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_132_full.jpg

Another picture taken during the game.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_115_full.jpg

One of my favorites. The bat rack and helmet rack.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_116_full.jpg

The team was on defense.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_117_full.jpg

This is a great picture as well, also one of my favorites. This is where they players leave their hats and gloves when on offense.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_118_full.jpg



Again...more to come...

thanks, welcome, and congrats on the mlb job.

Great shots, good stuff.... what's the mixture they pour on the mound to dry it made of? Who cleans up all those sunflower seed shells and Aurilia's amyl nitrate capsules and how far is the bathroom from the bench?

Great pics. Welcome!:beerme:

Here's more...again...

Remember Corey Lidle? He pitched for us on opening day my first year as a member of the crew. This picture was taken during a rainy night. The mound was wet, so we had to interrupt the game and drop a bag of Turface on the mound to absorb the rain. The picture was in the Enquirer the next day.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_126_full.jpg

This next set is my absolute favorite. They were taken during Larkin's last game as a Red. He was taken out in the 4th inning so that the fan's could applaud him. I took these pictures as Larkin was walking off for the last time in his career. What a great athlete.
http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_127_full.jpg

http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449193_128_full.jpg

http://img6.picsplace.to/img6/25/449...0_full_000.jpg



That's all I have for now. Hope you guys enjoy the pictures and maybe I'll get to know some of you.

That seems like a pretty cool job being around the Cincinnati Reds all day

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Originally Posted by westofyou

Great shots, good stuff.... what's the mixture they pour on the mound to dry it made of? Who cleans up all those sunflower seed shells and Aurilia's amyl nitrate capsules and how far is the bathroom from the bench?

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Haha...so the questions begin. Don't worry, I get lots of questions from my friends and family ALL THE TIME.

The mixture that the infield, mound, and home plate are made of is called Turface. It's a really fine material that feels a lot like kitty litter. It looks GREAT after we water the infield just before the game. I'm sure you've seen that.

As for the sunflower seeds. The stuff in the stands is all cleaned up after every game by a cleaning crew, nothing to do with us. The restroom for the players is directly behind the dugout just down the steps. Any more questions? HAHA.

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Originally Posted by Grounds_Crew

Haha...so the questions begin. Don't worry, I get lots of questions from my friends and family ALL THE TIME.

The mixture that the infield, mound, and home plate are made of is called Turface. It's a really fine material that feels a lot like kitty litter. It looks GREAT after we water the infield just before the game. I'm sure you've seen that.

As for the sunflower seeds. The stuff in the stands is all cleaned up after every game by a cleaning crew, nothing to do with us. The restroom for the players is directly behind the dugout just down the steps. Any more questions? HAHA.

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have you ever seen any of the Reds getting vitamin shots?:laugh:

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Originally Posted by Jpup

have you ever seen any of the Reds getting vitamin shots?:laugh:

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Haha...I knew that was coming. Nope, but I did run into Barry Bonds. That dude didn't even make eye contact and I walked RIGHT past him. :mooner:

Thanks for posting the pictures and good luck in pursuing your dream.

Working grounds crew, are there any jobs or responsibilities that you do that the normal fan would never notice? For instance, would the head coach call for one of you to run into his office to grab a piece of paper or something he forgot so he doesn't have to leave the dugout, or something like that?

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Originally Posted by Red Leader

Thanks for posting the pictures and good luck in pursuing your dream.

Working grounds crew, are there any jobs or responsibilities that you do that the normal fan would never notice? For instance, would the head coach call for one of you to run into his office to grab a piece of paper or something he forgot so he doesn't have to leave the dugout, or something like that?

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No, nothing like that ever happened to me...or was ever asked of me I should say.

We got to do a LOT of really cool stuff. During batting practice, before the stands opened for the fans, we were allowed to go in the outfield and catch the fly balls that the players hit. Too bad most of Griffey's were uncatchable, haha.

I've met a LOT of players too. I even have a picture somewhere of me wearing Albert Pujols Helmet, haha. Shhhh, no one really knows about that though. :thumbup:

Fantastic pictures! We may be looking at a new RedsZone record for average rep points per post with this guy.

Thanks for the pics. It was a interesting viewpoint.

Killer stuff, GroundsCrew.

Welcome to the board, and congratulations on your new gig.

:beerme:

Thanks for all the congrats regarding my new job. The good thing is that the Reds are in the same division as the Pirates, so I'll be able to see them a lot. I can't wait for the season to begin.

Freakin sweet pics, you're a cutie! ;)

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Originally Posted by Grounds_Crew

Haha...I knew that was coming. Nope, but I did run into Barry Bonds. That dude didn't even make eye contact and I walked RIGHT past him. :mooner:

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So whats the food in the clubhouse like?? Buffet I assume?? Plenty of Barley and hops for after the game also??

Great pics. Thanks for sharing and congrats on the new job.

Those pics were a great boost on a cold January day. How many days until pitchers and catchers report?

Great pics. They almost melted the snow outside.

My question is, who cut your hair after Ramon Ortiz left?

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Originally Posted by traderumor

My question is, who cut your hair after Ramon Ortiz left?

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From the looks of things, either Norelco or Braun

Haha...bald guy jokes huh...and I just got here! Haha! :beerme:

Wonderful pictures!

Can't wait for April to roll around!

What was your favorite Reds related experience that you had while you were with the team?

Wily Mo Pena is HUGE! It looks like I could fit my bicep inside his forearm about 3 times.

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Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

What was your favorite Reds related experience that you had while you were with the team?

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Honestly, I don't have a favorite. I have a lot...I mean a LOT of really good memories. Since Griffey is my favorite player, I'll tell you a good story about him. It's actually fun telling stories about my experiences because I really feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of it. I'll start with this story, but I'll keep on telling more if you guys want.

As you all know, we played a series in Detroit last year. I went to two of those Detroit games COURTESY of Junior. I have friends in Detroit so I wanted to make the trip up to the games and figured it would be a great chance to see them too. So, I asked Junior the week before the game if he'd put me on will-call for some free tickets. When he asked how many tickets I needed, I said,

"ummm, 5"....

and he said, "5? Is that it?"

Haha...

So, he ended up hooking me up with 5 tickets for each game RIGHT BEHIND HOME PLATE...

Anyway, you may or may not remember the Saturday game. We were down in the 7th or 8th inning until Junior came up to bad. I had on my Griffey Jersey #30 (his original number before he changed it to #3 because of his kids)....annnyway, these incredibly rude guys behind me were yelling stuff the entire game about how Griffey sucks and how I had on the wrong Jersey, blah blah...they didnt even know that 30 was his old number.

To finish my story....when Griffey came up to bat and hit that grand slam, I stood on my seat and went nuts ... the entire stadium was quiet as you could ever imagine after that. So, I turned around and went off on those guys...haha. They had a really blank look on their faces. THAT..was one of my favorite memories.

Awesome story. Thats why junior is the man. Welcome aboard and I look forward to more stories from you.:thumbup:

Here's some more....


My first year on the grounds crew was the year the Cicadas invaded Cincy. The players were paying each other something like $500 bucks CASH during batting practice to eat those. I remember Adam Dunn eating some and Hume did too. It was really funny to watch. They seem to have so much fun all the time. Haha...nasty though.

That same year, Griffey was making fun of this big black guy that worked with us because he had a huge nappy head of hair. His beard was always a mess and nappy too. So, Junior told him if he came in the next day with everything except his eyebrows shaved, that he would give him $500 in cash. The next day this guy came in completely clean cut. Junior grabbed Dunn and both of them laughed their ass off. Griffey kept his promise. He went to the locker room for a few minutes and then came back with $500 in cash.

Here's another. Since I worked at Channel 9 in the mornings until early afternoon, I would sometimes walk from the TV station to the stadium. One day, Griffey saw me walking about a mile from the stadium and picked me up. He was on his way to the stadium. So, there I was riding in his Mercedes Benz SL500 that he got when he hit his 500th homerun. It has a lot of custom work done to it, an awesome stereo and some sweet 19" black wheels with a polished lip. My point is that he's so real and down to earth man. I wish you guys could meet this dude. If this thread keeps going I'll keep on posting some good stories.
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Very cool story.

I might as well throw out another question. If you were with the team for 3 years, you obviously were around for some of the time that Dan O'Brien was there as well as Wayne Krivsky. Obviously, the departure with Dan was not very amicable. Did you feel that when Wayne came in, it was a positive change? Do you feel like the players are more optimistic now or about the same or do you not really know? What are your thoughts on the direction that the organization is headed in since you were with the team?

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Originally Posted by fearofpopvol1

Very cool story.

I might as well throw out another question. If you were with the team for 3 years, you obviously were around for some of the time that Dan O'Brien was there as well as Wayne Krivsky. Obviously, the departure with Dan was not very amicable. Did you feel that when Wayne came in, it was a positive change? Do you feel like the players are more optimistic now or about the same or do you not really know? What are your thoughts on the direction that the organization is headed in since you were with the team?

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First of all, let me say that although I was often around a lot of different things, I'm sure there was a lot of action that went on "behind the scenes" that I did not hear about. I hope that makes sense. So, with that said, I'll try to explain things the way I saw it. My first season was also the last season for Dave Miley and at that time Dan O'Brien was still the GM. Keep in mind that we also had guys like D'Angelo Jiminez on the team as well. Once Miley was fired and later O'Brien, to me, the attitude seemed to get a face lift. I think the players were glad to see guys like them go. It also seemed like a lot of the players were happy to see Jiminez go. Apparently he was some sort of "cancer" in the locker room. I'm pretty sure that Junior had nothing nice to say about O'Brien. He often mumbled comments about him that I picked up on. Griffey for the most part though, always kept a cool, calm attitude. He's probably one of the most spirited people I've ever met. Quite a funny guy too.

So, I don't really "know" how the players feel, but from a 3rd person perspective, I think that the team made a 180 when enthusiasm is concerned. I mean, if you have a guy in there that's making bad decisions and questionable moves, what do you have to be optimistic about? When Krivsky took over he began to make changes right away, or so it seemed. Even if they didn't pan out, at least their was an attempt being made which showed his concern. So, I really think that I'm basically speaking on how I see things and how I feel about things...but, I also think that the organization began to be just as optimistic.

The new ownership seemed to bring a sigh of relief too. When Lindner was still the majority owner, comments often floated around down there that "our ownership needed to spend money". So, the players weren't always happy about the way he/ownership was spending money. Will the new ownership be more concentrated on spending money to get some quality players in here? I sure hope so, because this team is just a couple players away from a shot at the playoffs.

Yeah, I figured you were probably a bit limited in what you knew, but nice to get your perspective. Thanks for sharing.

Do you hope to eventually end back up with the Reds? What is your dreamjob within MLB??

Dream job? Well, let me explain it like this. I was always good at sports growing up, but never had the opportunity to play on an organized team, whether it was baseball, basketball or even football. So, I really need to make it in sports as a career to fill that void. Missing out on that growing up is probably one of my biggest regrets in life.

So, my dream job? I really want to work in Media Relations (hence the job at WCPO to build my resume) or Community Relations. I'll never be anything like a GM or "head honcho", but that's not my goal. There are a lot of different avenues I can take to get a full time career in MLB. I guess I'll learn more about which direction to go...as I go.

Here's a few more pics...

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...3_123_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...3_125_full.jpg



Another from Larkin's last game.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...3_129_full.jpg

How did I miss this thread?
Great pictures...spectacular pictures, GC. It is great to see the up-close and personal pictures of the players.
And the stories about Griffey are great. Another reason why I love the guy.

You can keep typing stories until your fingers bleed, and then type some more. I'll read every one. :)

GL

What a great thread...thanks for sharing, Grounds Crew!

GC, what happened to the chairs?! We gots to know.

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Originally Posted by Chip R

GC, what happened to the chairs?! We gots to know.

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The chairs?

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Originally Posted by Grounds_Crew

The chairs?

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The recliners that Dunn and Griffey, specifically, had in the clubhouse.

Do you remember that whole ordeal?

Do you have any stories involving those chairs and Dunn and Griffey, or the rest of the teams reaction to what happened?

Apparently management wanted the chairs removed and ended up putting them in the place of worship inside the clubhouse.