The field always looks great, the announcements that rip through the PA system are crisp, and why does the umpire always look toward the press box between innings and start waiving his arms?  They are, for the most part, the people you do not see when you attend a Mahoning Valley Scrappers game.  People notice the scoreboard and look to it when they want the information of the game, yet seldom realize the effort put into the finished product.

There are so many people, many multi-tasking, working behind the scenes at a Scrappers game, so I thought I would write a piece saluting them and telling you about their functions.   What I am about to present is a visual scrapbook I have compiled over the past few weeks.

Dave Smith, the GM, is kind of the ringleader.  He moves throughout the park during a game and usually comes into the press box to brag about the Phillies at some point.  He is a busy man and oversees what goes on at every home game.  You can check out a profile I did for him by clicking here.

Marc Means is the voice you hear on the radio or through the speakers at the game.  He is also on the sales and promotions teams and even helps pull the tarp on and off of the field during inclement weather.  You can read his profile by clicking here.

Everyone knows who Travis Fryman is.  Few people know how accomodating and accessible he has been all season.  After every game, he openly answers any questions the media throws his way.  I respected Fryman as a player.  As a manager, Fryman has been well received by the players who know that he ‘gets’ it.  My respect for Fryman has tripled because of who he really is – a family guy with strong ethics who really wants these players to improve in every way.  You can read Fryman’s profile piece by clicking here.

Meet John Brown.  John is a polite guy with a big voice.  He is the PA announcer at Mahoning Valley Scrapper home games.  Brown has the routine down to a science and does a nice job projecting his voice to get a rise out of the crowd.  John also double checks the roster sheets before every game before they are distributed to media personnel.

Meet Craig Antush.  Craig is an interesting guy because he has a couple of pretty unique tasks he performs at the home games.  His primary assignment is to keep the official book.  Sounds easy, huh?  Every questionable play is run back in his mind before he calls out whether it is scored as an error or a hit.  The media, the scoreboard operator, and the PA box all look toward Craig at the same time for the verdict.  In between every half inning, Craig has to call the Minor League Baseball people and give them the results for every at-bat and report substitutions.  In between innings, the umpires wait for Antush to signal that the information has been sent and that it is okay to start playing again.

Antush also throws batting practice for the Scrappers.  One of the most polite  guys you will ever meet, he also is a YSU Baseball Assistant Coach.  You have to respect a guy who doesn’t get worked up when there is pressure, and Craig is that guy.

Meet Scott Hansen.  Scott is in his 8th year as scoreboard operator for the Scrappers.  He also keeps close tabs on what is going on as he has to post balls and strikes on the scoreboard.  Scott is usually the person in the press box who spots a pitcher warming up in the bullpen through his binoculars.  He tells everyone who is entering the game as a new pitcher before everyone else knows.  He also keeps the media room in check by knocking on the glass that seperates the two rooms to inform them how Craig Antush scores a questionable play.  Hansen is a pretzel afficianado and a guy who you can spend hours talking to about anything.

Meet Dan Stricko.  Dan is the head groundskeeper.  I have been to probably 100 or so Scrapper games since the team started playing in Niles in 1999.  I have never seen the field look as immaculate and manicured as it does this year.  Kudos to Mr. Stricko and his staff for working so hard to keep the Kentucky Bluegrass at Eastwood Field looking fresh every single game.  The grounds crew also scrambles after batting practice to get the batting cage put away, line the field, and hose the infield.

Meet the promotions staff.  These are the people who do something every half inning to keep people entertained.  I get a kick out of all the screaming when soap and pizza boxes go flying everywhere.  The things people wouldn’t do for a free T-shirt shot from an airgun.  In the above right picture, Karen Dobbs of Hubbard, Ohio recently played the  ‘Are You Smarter Than An Umpire’ game in which she was a winner.  Dancing, push-ups, bat races, the tickets or the box, and the dispersion of soap and pizza are a treat for the crowd to enjoy.

Meet the vendors.  These guys and girls have my sympathy.  Carrying a metal crate filled with liquid in 80+ degree weather has got to be brutal.  They do it with a pleasant disposition though, I have yet to see a problem between a vendor and a fan at a game in all of my trips to Eastwood Field.  I also pity the vendor who has to sell foam fingers and mini-bats.  They get less action and usually seem somewhat demoralized by the fourth inning.

So there you have it, a salute to those who work hard so you can enjoy the games!  There are many others who also play roles and I apologize for not including every member of this fine organization for their continuous contributions.  People like the parking lot attendees, the ticket takers, the in-house video team, the sound effects team, the cooks, the merchandise associates, and the ushers. 

Congratulations to everyone for playing a key role in the success of baseball in the Mahoning Valley!