Article: Player's Perspective: Clubhouse Attendant Eric Oliver

[MatBatts]

Mat Batts is a left-handed pitcher with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He will be writing articles periodically at Twins Daily about life in the minor leagues. The left-hander was the Twins 17th round pick a year ago about of UNC-Wilmington. While in college, he spent time as an intern at Baseball America. This is his third Twins Daily article. He has written about the Kernels reading program and about having a big leaguers rehab with the minor league team. Today, he writes about an important part of any team, an unsung member of any team, the clubhouse attendant.

 

Please feel free to comment below.For minor league baseball players every season, the clubhouse serves as your space to live and work and joke and play—your home away from home for the better part of each and every day. Here in Cedar Rapids, we are fortunate enough to enjoy a clubhouse that is well above the average for most A-ball teams around the country. But when the game is over, and out post game meals are finished, we are out the door, headed home for some rest. So whose job is it to make sure everything is ready to go again the next day? Meet Eric Oliver.

 

Oliver, a retired school teacher, is working his first season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and loving every minute of it. “The most fun part of the job is interacting with the ballplayers,” Oliver said. “It’s professional baseball and I have a passion for that.”

 

After spending 34 years as a middle school physical education teacher, Oliver’s hand was forced when he was informed this would be that last year the school district would be offering a substantial health insurance plan for its retirees. After years of trying to find time to work with the Kernels in some capacity, Oliver saw a golden opportunity to both live and work around baseball while also satisfying his need to stay busy during retirement.

 

“I’m a high energy person,” Oliver said, “and I don’t like a lot of down time. The thing I love about this job is you’re busy all day. You don’t have time to sit around and think about what’s wrong with life.”

 

Busy would be an understatement for most of Oliver’s days during a home stand. On a typical game day, Oliver estimates that he arrives to stadium between 6-9 a.m. and leaves between 10 p.m. and midnight. Throughout the course of the day, it’s anyone’s guess as to what his responsibilities will be. From sorting and hanging laundry to stocking snacks and drinks to managing incoming mail and packages, Oliver is constantly on the go and willing to take on any odd job. In our most recent home series, Oliver could be found printing copies of pitching charts for the visiting Peoria pitchers who accidentally ran low.

 

“This is a job you really can’t describe,” he said. “There is no job description. There was no training. Anything that pops up at any moment becomes your responsibly.”

 

But the work doesn’t stop when we are on the road. Oliver generally spends about six hours working during most road trip days, using the absence of players and coaches to designate cleaning days for the floors and bathrooms around the clubhouse.

 

Oliver anticipates that he will continue substitute teaching during the offseason, and will continue his involvement with Perfect Game’s local leagues with the hopes that he can stay active and working for another 15 years. He says that he will take his job with the Kernels one year at a time, making it clear, however, that he relates his time with the team much more closely to fun than to work.

 

“I find myself sometime at 11 o’clock at night when everyone else has gone, and I’m sanitizing the shower, and I’m thinking, I probably have more education than anybody in the room, yet here I am sanitizing the shower. If it were anything else but baseball I wouldn’t want to be involved in some of the duties. But since its professional baseball, it’s special.”

 

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[blairpaul715]

Nice to see the player(s) appreciate the work behind the scenes, nice article Mat.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Mat - thanks for continuing to write for TD. It's really awesome to get a players perspective, and I've never put thought into the non-player/personnel part of the game. I guess it takes a village to build a baseball team.

[Twins Fan From Afar]

This was great. Thank you.

[Thrylos]

Thanks for this Matt!  Was very interesting.  Good luck this season and keep up the good work!

[Steven Buhr]

Great article, Mat. Thanks for writing it. Eric is such a friendly guy who clearly enjoys being a part of the team.

[Seth Stohs]

Eric introduced himself to me when I was down there. We talked a little bit. Very good person. Definitely seems like he really is enjoying doing this. Very helpful. 

[ScottyBroco]

Only in Baseball would you get a quote like this.

"I Probably have more education than anybody in the room, yet here I am sanitizing the shower. If it were anything else but baseball I wouldn’t want to be involved in some of the duties. But since its professional baseball, it’s special.”

Nice peice Matt capturing the passion of a man cleaning the toilet. 

[ScottyBroco]

Also Mat, Do you have a webpage and or Bio?

[JB_Iowa]

Great read.  Thanks for your time and talent.

 

Hope you are having a great experience in CR.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Also Mat, Do you have a webpage and or Bio?

 

That's really a question for Mat, but here is his Adopt-A-Prospect page, if you're interested. 

 

http://twinsdaily.com/topic/17937-mat-batts-2015/

 

[Sam Morley]

6-9 AM, that's when I get to work too!

[MatBatts]

Thanks again for reading, everyone. Eric has really done a great job for us and makes coming the stadium every day a lot easier.

 

Also Mat, Do you have a webpage and or Bio?

I do not currently keep up a website of my own. Seth's bio on here is pretty detailed plus anything the Kernels have on our roster page. I hope this helps!

[diehardtwinsfan]

Hi Mat,

 

Nice article. keep posting. Definitely interested in life in the minors if you ever have a chance to do a piece on it.

[JB_Iowa]

CONGRATULATIONS

 

on your promotion to the Miracles!