Walking into the ballpark, grabbing a hot dog and taking a seat in the stands at Funko Field feels like a seamless experience for most.
But it takes a small army of employees — around 150 people — to turn every Everett AquaSox game day into that seamless experience. Concession workers cook enough food to feed hungry crowds — attendees can eat up to 1,500 hot dogs per game. Groundskeepers keep the field playable, an emcee keeps the energy up and the team’s general manager, Danny Tetzlaff, keeps the whole circus running.
And yes, it is a kind of circus, he said.
“We try to have a circus, and at the same time there’s a baseball game going on,” Tetzlaff said.
Most activities, like baseball trivia or T-shirt tosses, might be expected at an average baseball game. Others, like mascot races — where AquaSox staff run against one another while dressed in costume — are put in place to “keep things zany,” Tetzlaff said.
The costumes can include sharks, walruses, hot dogs and a hapless penguin (who never wins). Tetzlaff himself used to take part, but his racing days are over now, he said.
Keeping the crowd engaged during these events is the job of the team’s emcee, Steve Willits. Calling him an emcee sells him a little short — he’s also the emcee for the Everett Silvertips, hosts a weekly high school sports radio show and substitute teaches in the Edmonds School District.
“I try to stay busy,” Willits said.
Willits first started hosting AquaSox games in 2017. He starts his hosting duties about 20 minutes before the first pitch and spends breaks between innings mingling with fans. He ends his day with a player interview at the end of the game.
For Willits, the energy at a baseball game and the smiles on people’s faces are what makes his job — if you can call it that — worth it.
“I was in corporate sales for a long time where there’s a lot of rejection, a lot of people that are struggling to get through the day. They’re not having a good time,” Willits said. “But people are coming to our games to have fun … I just love everything about it.”
Before anyone takes the field, someone has to keep it in good shape. That’s up to Nick Blakely, the team’s head groundskeeper.
He manages a team of six people who ensure the playing surface — a mix of turf, grass and clay surfaces for the pitching mound and home plate — is safe for players.
Of particular concern is keeping the correct level of moisture on the mound. Too dry, and pitchers could see their cleats slide when throwing a pitch; too wet, and the surface turns to mud.
Water is always on Blakely’s mind, considering the region’s weather. During wet weather, the grounds crew lays out tarps and then monitors the game along with the umpires to make sure the playing surface is safe.
“It’s like a 50% chance of rain every day here,” Blakely said. “Even if it said it’s not going to rain, I still have it in the back of my mind and prepare for it.”
Before the season, management negotiates with hotels and buses to accommodate the team and coordinates fireworks shows to entertain the fans.
Before the games, concession workers meet with vendors to choose which food items to sell. Public announcers prepare their scripts for between-inning events.
At the start of the season, AquaSox staff clean Funko Field from top to bottom. Seats are pressure-washed, water is turned back on, dumpsters are rolled out and bathrooms are returned to working order.
It takes a lot of work to get all of the stadium’s equipment up and running, but the first day back makes everything worth it, Tetzlaff said.
“It’s good to see a lot of faces that I haven’t seen in six months,” he said. “It’s great to welcome them back into the ballpark and get in that routine of seeing them on a regular basis.”
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
IF YOU GO
Funko Field
3900 Broadway, Everett
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