Longtime Phillies groundskeeper keeps Citizens Bank Park beautiful
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.
"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.
"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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