by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Ed Attalla has watched every Jacksonville Suns home game for the last two years, but he rarely sees a pitch, hit or catch.
The swing of the bat may elicit oohs and aahs from fans who fill the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville nightly, but Attalla is more interested in what happens after the ball is hit. As director of field operations, it’s Attalla’s job to keep the field playable. So it’s not grand slams or stolen bases that grab Attalla’s attention, it’s a bad hop or a slipping outfielder that catches his eye.
“I’m here for every game and people tell me, this guy’s pitching a three-hit shutout, but I’d rather see the field play well,” said Attalla.
How the field plays can be subjective measurement. After each game, Attalla polls the dugout on the field conditions. He finds a strong correlation between a player’s performance and their level of satisfaction with the diamond.
“On opening day, we had one guy go oh-for-five and he tells me the batter’s box is no good. The next guy goes three-for-five and he tells me, ‘Leave it like it is, the box is fine,” said Attalla.
His responsibilities go beyond keeping the grass mowed and watered. Like many modern ballparks, the Baseball Grounds features an array of attractions, designed to lure the marginal sports fan. Jungle gyms and putting greens help to bring in fans, but they also add to Attalla’s work list.
“If it’s inside this fence, I take care of it,” said Attalla.
Attalla and his assistants mow the grass every other day to keep it at the desired 9/16 of an inch. That’s an eighth of an inch longer than the Suns parent club, the Los Angeles Dodgers, but well short of the inch-long grass at Boston’s Fenway Park.
During a home stand, Attalla’s days can stretch 17 hours long, starting at 8 a.m. He said a competent crew and an understanding wife are key to any grounds keeping career.
Unfortunately for his long-suffering wife, Attalla said his home lawn bears little resemblance to the perfectly groomed diamond at the ball park. Attalla said he measures his yard’s grass in feet, not inches. At last check, he said the lawn was approaching knee-high.
“I cut my lawn at home with some Round Up and a weed eater,” said Attalla. “People ask me when I’m going to mow it and I tell them, when 10,000 people come out to look at it, then I’ll cut it.”