On the Job

Dave mellor
fenway park director of grounds

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Do you have a daily schedule?
Weather dictates everything we do. Whether the team’s in town, if we have a special event, or we’re doing field maintenance—it revolves around weather as well as staffing. The first thing I do in the morning is look at weather, and the last thing I do at the end of the day is look at weather. We also have a weather service that we call during inclement weather and close to events.

How often do you have to mow the grass?
We mow every day when the team is in town, so that the field plays today just like it did yesterday. We mow at an inch and a quarter high, and we recycle our grass clippings back into the field.

Do the different microclimates within the park make it harder to manage—do you treat the different areas of the field differently?
It’s a different challenge. It’s something that we have to be aware of to make sure we don’t get dry spots. We’re careful with how events are run in the heat of the summer next to the Green Monster [the big left field wall that absorbs heat] because of the additional stress that the weather and the event cause.

I noticed that you used to work for the Milkwaukee Brewers: What type of weather/microclimates did you experience in that field?
The stadium had a retractable roof, but it was an outdoor stadium. We didn’t have a big left field wall, but the upper deck in that park was much higher and much bigger, so we got a lot more shade because of it. As a result, we had a microclimate from the shade, which was a challenge in itself to try to get the grass to grow—just like a homeowner who faces a big tree.

There is grass on the field all year long?
Correct, depending on construction. They’re doing a lot of renovation at the park now, so this winter we had a 350-ton crane that was 26 feet wide that was on the warning track. We had to remove some of the grass next to the warning track so the crane could travel and get from point A to point B.

Is it hard for you to see cranes on the field tearing up the grass?
No, that’s just part of business. Fortunately, I have a great staff. I think you’re only as good as the people around you, and I’m very fortunate to have some great subcontractors who have worked with us to help us repair that type of damage. So it’s a team effort.

It seems like research advancements are related to how weather affects the field.
It certainly plays a role, because many diseases that grass gets come from weather. Whether it’s humid, wet, or stressed because of drainage or anything like that, it can certainly add to it.

What would you say is the worst weather or the hardest weather for taking care of the field? Is it snow, rain, frost?
Frost is not that big of a deal. Because the grass is a perennial grass, and frost doesn’t hurt it like an annual plant. We could melt it with irrigation or just wait until the Sun takes care of it. Every phase of weather you can think of affects us. Whether it’s dry, whether it’s hot, how we irrigate, how much water we’ve had from Mother Nature It’s endless. Anything you can think of with weather has a factor in what we do.

Does the weather service provide you with forecasts? 10-day outlooks?
All of the above—I mean, we pick up the phone and call them, and we might call them 10 times in 10 minutes or we might not call them for a couple days. Major League Baseball was involved with a weather service last year and well before the playoffs again, this year, and golf courses use weather services.

In your experience, how does the local weather change the way you treat a field?
I’ve worked in California, I’ve worked in Wisconsin, I’ve worked in Ohio. Every place has its challenges, e.g., the East Breeze at Fenway Park that kicks in at 11 a.m. in the spring and keeps us 10-15 degrees cooler than the suburbs. Milwaukee had similar things with Lake Michigan. I’ve been in Florida; humidity and grass don’t usually get along well. Different places have different challenges, and so it just depends on how Mother Nature decides to treat you.

I read in your biography about you getting hit by a car and not being able to go to the Majors. Did working for a ballpark become a goal of yours after that accident?
I’ve been hit by a car twice. I was first hit by a car when I was 18, a month after I got out of high school. Like a lot of kids growing up, I wanted to be a Major League Baseball player. My grandpa played in 1902 in the Majors, and I thought someday I’m going to try and follow in his footsteps. Looking back now, I realize—seeing the incredible skill that these guys have—that I didn’t have the skill that I thought I did. I could have played in college, but I don’t know that I would have ever made it to this level. When I was hit, there were times I was mad at the world. I thought, “Why me?” My two brothers and my mom told me that adversity makes you stronger and not to dwell on the negative but find a positive in this experience. You can look at it as a detour instead of a roadblock and still reach for your dreams and be in a job that you love to do. Otherwise, it’s work. I thought, I’ve got to find something I love to do, and I loved being outside. I grew up taking care of peoples’ lawns. Science was a subject in school that I enjoyed, and I loved baseball. So I thought, someone’s got to take care of a field. My brother lived in Milwaukee, and he told me that if I could get a job with the Brewers, I could save some money and live with him. And so, after many phone calls and letters, they gave me an opportunity to get my foot in the door. That was 24 years ago, and for me it’s the next best thing to playing.

What type of questions do you handle from the coaches? Do they call to ask how the field is going? What’s your level of interaction?
They’re wonderful with communication. For example, they called to let me know what time they were coming out for batting practice today. That communication is wonderful, both from the coaches and the players. And if anybody has questions, I encourage that they ask, and if I can answer I certainly will. If I can’t, I’ll find a way that we can answer it.

—MEGHAN JOYCE is the associate editor at Weatherwise.

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