Opening Day MVP: Derrik Grubbs (friend of mine)

[Guest A-Men-HouseofPain]

A friend of mine from Harrison. Used to work with him at a golf course. How pathetic is it that they spelled his name wrong?

[url="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/A1/20070328/COV/703280318/-1/openingday"]http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...8/-1/openingday[/url]
[quote]Opening Day MVP: Derik Grubbs
Supervisor of grounds keep the grass green
TABARI MCCOY | CIN WEEKLY

[img]http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4214/grubbspd3.jpg[/img]


The temperature outside on this drizzly March afternoon? 42 degrees. But in conditions where most would be heading for the comfort indoors, Derik Grubbs toils on his hands and knees - both of which are stained by soil. His nose is slowly becoming a Rudolph-like red. But just when you think he's going to complain, Grubbs flashes a smile.

This is exactly where he wants to be.

The first pitch is still hours - days, really - away; Grubbs, however, can't think that way. He, like the rest of the Reds' grounds crew, is responsible for making sure the field at Great American Ball Park - all 90,000 square feet of it - lives up to its name for at least 81 games annually. Needless to say, making that happen equals a lot of work most people never even know about.
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So, what does Grubbs do leading up to Opening Day?

"You're mowing every day, putting chalk on the foul lines, working (the) infield skin, checking the game mounds, checking the bullpens, the plate area, (to make sure) everything's ready to go. (The players will) have a workout usually the day before, so we have to re-prep the field itself (afterwards) and paint logos and things like that MLB wants us to do," Grubbs says. "After the last pitch of last year is over, we pretty much start renovating the field."

This off-season presented a particularly challenging task for the grounds crew, according to Grubbs: They installed a new field. Grubbs, who has a degree in turf management from Ohio State University, says the task required removing the old sod before new sod could be put in its place, covering the area in "grow blankets," applying fertilizer and more.

Fast-forward to a few weeks before Opening Day, and Grubbs is still hard at work, armed with only a power drill and a lot of nails, installing the left-field foul line. These days, he'll spend eight hours a day at the stadium, which is light compared to the 12-13 hours a day he estimates he and the other 20-some grounds crew members will work once the season starts.

But for a guy who grew up on a farm, it's just business as usual.

"I like being outside - I couldn't sit behind a desk all day," Grubbs says. "It's very unique; you're around people that make millions of dollars, obviously, but that doesn't really bother me. They're here, just like I am, to do a job."

It's just a bonus that the job is for America's oldest professional sports franchise.[/quote]