Longtime Phillies groundskeeper keeps Citizens Bank Park beautiful

Friday, October 20, 2023
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- "I treat everything like it's my baby," said Jeff Wright. "That infield's my baby."

Wright's job is to keep the infield at Citizens Bank Park in tip-top shape. And though he loved baseball, he never thought he would become a groundskeeper.
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"My brother, who has put in his 50th year as a part-time day-of-game groundskeeper, gave me a call back in 1986 and asked if I wanted a part-time job," he said. "I said, 'Sure, when do I start?' He said, 'Today.'"

Wright is now in his 37th year with the Philadelphia Phillies, including 33 years full-time.

His typical day involves cleaning, nail-dragging, mat-dragging, raking, and blowing away debris on the infield.

"Seeds, gum, grass clippings. I get it off," he said.



Wright calls those items, 'errors,' and considers it his responsibility to level the playing field.
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"We take pride in our work and that's what we're trying to do," he said. "Keep it looking beautiful."

The Phillies will soon return to Citizens Bank Park, whether it is a continuation of the NLCS or for the World Series.

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