News

How the grounds crew transforms Fenway Park during off season

We all know Fenway Park is a field of dreams transformed for concerts and football and hockey games when the boys of summer aren't playing. But there isn't an off season for the Boston Red Sox Ground Crews.

Trying to preserve the pristine green grass through a harsh New England winter is a fulltime job that takes a lot of planning and hard work.

With the lights on, the heaters ready and lines painted, earlier this fall, the grounds crew at Fenway Park completed a several week transformation from a baseball diamond to a new football field.

"We want the field to play safe and play well and that's our goal we strive for every time," said Dave Mellor, senior director of grounds for the Boston Red Sox.

This year, Fenway Park hosted a full slate of Division I college football games and traditional high school Thanksgiving rivalry games and had to be prepared for any type of weather.

"Certainly weather is always a challenge. Mother Nature in New England changes a lot - you know that better than I," said Mellor.

A blast of cold air moved in just as the first game kicked off and Boston 25 StormTracker Meteorologist Sarah Wroblewski was there as extra field preparations were underway to keep conditions safe.

While players and fans can dress for the cold, keeping the brand-new field safe to play is the real challenge.

"A lot of attention to detail. A lot of science goes into it. And a lot of team work," said Mellor. "We try to go into events healthy, actively healthy growing grass can handle a lot of wear. So, it's a lot of support throughout the club to have the proper tools."

And they were prepared, even for the biggest challenges during the late fall football season.

"Mother Nature... whether it is rain, and it freezes on the tarp. But certainly snow, it's a four letter word, but should it be physically removed, we have plans for that," said Mellor.

Luckily, no snow fell this football season at Fenway, but now we must wait through winter before field preps for baseball can begin.

MORE FROM OUR BOSTON 25 STORMTRACKER WEATHER SPECIAL: