My days in the clubhouse reached a fever pitch
about this time 34 years ago. I picked the right year to become batboy—the year
Seattle hosted its first Major League All-Star Game. As the visiting clubhouse
batboy, that meant that I would perform batboy duties for the National League
All-Stars.
The players started filtering in a couple of days
before the game. Players and their equipment would arrive at all hours of the
day and night. This began a three-day stint of living in the Kingdome for me.
Bags would arrive from a foreign city and team. I would look in awe at the arrival
of these players from the "other" league. 
This was in the days before interleague play. The
American and National Leagues didn't compete against each other during the
season. The only time they would meet would be in the World Series.
It was the
only chance to see the stars from the other league. You would read about a star
from the National League all year. Maybe see him on the Game of the Week on Saturday. But, you would never have the chance
to see this player in person except for the All-Star Game. The awe of the
"other" league is lost now as interleague play allows fans to see
both leagues throughout the year.
Our clubhouse manager, Fred Genzale, played the
role of drill sergeant during the season and he kicked it up a notch with the
arrival of the All-Star game. Every locker was perfect—cleats, uniforms, shower
shoes and stools.
The locker room looked amazing with different
uniforms from all the teams displayed in  |
| Fred Genzale |
This was years before the spectacle that the
All-Star game has turned into—but it was still party city.
Events launched all over Seattle some exclusive to the
ballplayers and … um … the people who knew how to get into them!
The outside distractions still didn't live up to
being in the clubhouse with the All-Stars. Some of my favorites were Steve
Garvey, Joe Morgan, George Foster—even Pete Rose. My most memorable player, one
who took me under his wing as if I was his son, was catcher, Gary Carter of the
Montreal Expos. He turned out to be one of the nicest guys that I would ever meet
in baseball.
The clubhouse was full, the city was buzzing and
we hadn't even stepped onto the field yet!
Jim Devitt is the author of the #1 Kindle Bestselling
Young Adult novel, The Card.
He's also a healthcare consultant specializing in helping healthcare companies
and practices develop a social media marketing platform, and maximize cash
flow. You can find him posting weekly to Indies Unlimited
and occasionally as a contributor on Yahoo!
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