Best Jobs at Fenway Park

These days, with the popularity of the Boston Red Sox far dwarfing Fenway Park’s occupancy limits, you’re in luck if you land tickets to a rainy April night game. As the third-smallest ballpark in the major leagues, Fenway’s management must also make some tough hiring decisions. The obvious jobs to apply for would be in concessions, tickets, ushers, or security. Within these hordes of able-bodied Fenway friendlies, few stand out as having ‘dream jobs.’ Ushers can see bits of the game, but they usually have their backs to the action. The dank, sticky pathways that house the food stalls are noisy and claustrophobic-inducing between entrees as ever-rising alcohol levels shake up patrons queuing. The ticket takers seem really bored every time I go through the turnstiles. And finally, safety issues like gun alerts, drunkenness and riots, assaults on Yankees fans, and beach ball bingo in the stands would detract from the enjoyable experience of being in the ballpark.

However, a handful of dreamers looking to find gainful employment at America’s most beloved ballpark can still keep their hopes alive. With a little luck and a lot of experience, take a chance and submit your resume for tour guide, groundskeeper, bat boy/girl, or scoreboard operator. Any one of these glamorous positions is sure to wow your parents and attract a host of new best friends. (Note: announcer and organist are omitted due to the fact that he is not qualified to take these Carl Beane and Josh Kantor jobs, respectively.)

For a die-hard Red Sox fan, becoming a tour guide would be a no-brainer – you really can step foot on the field! Plus, you have access to locker rooms, press boxes, secret entrances, and a host of Red Sox trivia. Okay, even to pass the screening process for the job, you must have a Boston accent (see my article on How to Master a Boston Accent), pass a Red Sox history test, and pass a polygraph that won’t take dirt. . or grass as souvenirs on your first day.

If you’re not exactly a people person, but still want your “office” view to include the Green Monster, apply for a gardener position at Fenway. If your resume includes raking, meticulous mowing, spreading red clay, and laying chalk-based paths, then you may qualify for a lifetime of care from Boston’s Garden of Eden. (Bonus points for anyone with OCD and a brushcutter.)

Some job seekers may be looking for a less labor-intensive shift at Fenway. For you, I suggest inquiring about a position as a dialer operator. Fenway is home to one of the last manually operated scoreboards in Major League Baseball. Since 1934, the historic scoreboard has seated 3 scorers inside the Green Monster during every game. The 16″ X 16″ numbered squares weigh 3 lbs. each, so a light exercise is involved. The only detractor from this highly decorated occupation is that you’re locked in the belly of the monster on a beautiful summer day or night.

When it comes to employment at Fenway, the cream of the crop (or, in Beantown, the cream of the pot) has to go to those lucky few who get to be bat boys and girls. Fortunately, for all of us adults, even a 36-year-old can be a batboy. In no other job at Fenway do you get to interact with players and umpires, manage teams and get a chance to shine in the spotlight in front of 36,000 fans. Whether he’s manning the dugout or the first and third base lines, he’s one step away from becoming a major league hero. He just makes sure to warm up his throwing arm and practice hitting ground balls before he hits the field. He also helps to be fit for this job. Those uniforms aren’t very forgiving!

Well, there you have it: the best jobs at Fenway. For some, Fenway is the course of their dreams, as well as their place of work. Some throw bags of peanuts at you from 30 feet. Far away, others reunite lost children with their parents. For the rest of us, there’s nothing like buying a last-minute ticket outside Cask n’ Flagon to enter a world where work is the last thing on our minds.