Full Transcript for Murray Cook: MLB's Global Groundskeeper

little bit and do something at the house, your your grass is still growing. you have things to do on that field to keep it going. So from a from a daily operation, it's it's it's it's not a it it's it's a lot of work, let's put it that way. I mean, it's a the morning start at six, seven o'clock in the morning to get there early, you know, before so you can get things cleaned up and ready to go for the day. typically you may have a couple of guys to help you out. of course major league crews have have have bigger crews. but you know, any more batting practice these days starts, you know, the coaches start showing up at noon for a game at seven o'clock and they got early work at one or they have tours and other things going on to ballpark that that aren't even part of your your responsibility that that you have to also work with. And, you know And a big quantifier in working on the field and understanding how the grass grows and how the clays work and you it's it it's really an art. And there's a science behind obviously growing the grass and building fields, but you know, the managing of the infield clays and understanding how they they react to to weather and moisture and conditions and humidity, it really does keep you on your toes. And you learn that through a course of just working with all the different types of materials. And, you know, I've had a chance to work with quite a few products around the world and and you you look at the some of the ballparks today that are out there, you know, they're just beautiful and and you know, like say, the fans come in, they s they see nine innings. They don't see that the days and weeks and hours and of time, thousands of hours of time that have gone into to making it work for that one nine inning game. So That gives you a little bit of snapshot, I think. speaker-0: It does. I'm curious, are there certain characteristics of people who are drawn to your line of work? You know, people that you interact with on your cruise. like what are the bedrock principles or or traits of a of someone who chooses your line of work and the people that you work with on a ground score? speaker-1: First they gotta be a be a baseball fan. And and they like to be able to work outside. You know, I think that's those are those are two big quantifiers for for wanting to get into this industry. It's it's a it it's interesting to see different folks come up now. I mean, back when I was, you know, in high school and college there there weren't programs you know where you can go to college and get a degree in sports field management. And that came about, you know, in the late eighties, early nineties, when when they started offering some programs in different universities, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, you know, some of the larger schools that started creating, you know, these programs within their own agr agronomic programs within their schools. And you know, can go get a a degree in in golf course management at the time, but you

know, taking care of a golf course versus baseball fields it's not even on the same same plane. They're both grass, but of course one's all grass and one's you're you're done in the afternoon. whereas a baseball game you're playing till till late at night and dealing with a a lot of other other issues w with the clays and morning tracks and materials. So at the the evolution of of of where things have gone from from when I started out, you know, you know, back in the eighties, seventies and eighties, nineties, whatever it they it's it it's it's really gotten extremely better for the groundskeeper, with the tools and equipment 'cause things have just kind of evolved for it to be, you know, easier to take care of fields because they have, you know, companies that are now making products, materials that are specific to the sport of baseball and softball. speaker-0: I saw you had an all female grounds crew recently. Can you talk about that please? speaker-1: Yeah, all female trap crew. First one. Yeah, that was at the Little Lake Classic in Witsport. It was it it just it kinda came to be. We weren't really trying to do something. We just we'd used the baseball team and the girl and the and the athletic director said, Hey, would you mind us using the girls softball team? I said, Sure. you know, we've we've had mixed crews. We've had some girls and some guys. You probably remember in Regensburg we had a we had a mixed crew there of for the WBC qualifier, where we had a mixed crew of girls and guys and and it worked it worked great. And in fact in some cases it works even better because the the girls really, really do a great job of listening and and understand when you say something. You know, my my wife tells me th you know stories, you know, how how some I'm not a good listener. And she she's a very good listener. And And I'm telling you, it was like I was like we had a a a major league grounds crew there, a tarp crew within just a couple of days of of training and they just took off with it and it turned out really well. They they had a blast. speaker-0: That's great. One question I have, is there who gets to ride the mower? Is there a hierarchy to that? What's and what's up with that? speaker-1: the every can drive you know, straight. you know, that's that helps. yeah, it's it's you know, these mowers are I mean there's you know these triplex mowers now they're you know, seventy, eighty, ninety, a hundred grand. They're pretty expensive pieces of equipment. So so and but it it's a bit of an art to to to to mowing it. you're different kind of patterns, people can really get into those things. But we call mow jockeys 'cause that they're really good at mowing and they get out there and they can stripe up a field and and you don't need to use string lines. Some people still use string lines to make sure their their patterns are straight, but people have done a lot really like anything else, once you got you get really good at it and you just that's our

Moe guy. So you know, so you could become a Moe guy too, Shane. No speaker-0: That's like the dream job within the dream job, I think. people want to be the grads co keeper and then they wanna ride the mower. speaker-1: Yeah. That's true. That's true. speaker-0: I this will be a little segue. So I know you've had to work with different materials all over the world and make things work. So first off, just for to share with like you, you know, work on you know the most you know, Yankee Stadium, whatever, all the major league fields. What is the optimal like grass, dirt, clay combo, like material-wise? I think some people don't even realize exactly what goes on the field. And I'm curious, you know, what's optimal? And then Is there something really memorable where you've had to come up with a really creative substitute? I'm guessing that would have to be an international spot. speaker-1: Yeah, we've had some we've had some challenges along the way in internationally. That's for sure. Now it's yeah, the the new turf grasses are are again the just the this evolution of of where turf grasses were for sports and baseball years ago just continue to get better and better and better. So you've got bluegrass type turf grasses in the northeast, you've got Bermuda type turf grasses in the south. So and there's a transition zone where they kinda you can do both. And that's that transition zone's gotten bigger and bigger. So the transition goes goes through the middle of the United States where you could grow either a warm season grass or a cool season grass. And I think optimally, you know, you'd prefer to have an area that just grows one because growing grass in a transition area is a little tricky 'cause you've got grass that's going dormant and you've got to overseed it, then you've got to bring it out early in the spring. So And, as far as the bluegrass is in the transition zone, they they get up to, it it gets pretty hot, nineties, hundred degrees. They're not big fans of of heat. So you're putting a lot a lot more fungicides to reduce, potential disease issues. So it's growing grass in the transition zone of the US is is is is challenging. you know, your question about, you know, some of the things we've had to do to to make things work. I remember a game we opened up it was in two thousand seven in Beijing, China. We were just gotten through building the Olympic baseball venues at Wuxan and Major League Baseball at that time Paul Archie and crew had one they wanted to play an exhibition game in Beijing. Of course had to have to be in March. Well in March the it was a Bermuda grass field. It was gonna have a transition zone, and it was dormant, meaning it was white. So, in order for us to play a game, we had to paint the entire field green multiple times. And people were like, it came out like this looks really good, nice color. I'm like, Yeah, it's 100% paint. We painted the whole thing green, just so we could host host the exhibition game over there with the Dodgers. I think it was Dodgers in the Padres. exhibition game that came over and played there in in Beijing back in that in those days. But yeah, that was a that was a challenge. Jim Small used to be the head guy there with international. He was he he has that picture up on his wall. He says, This one did something for me because it showed me really what you guys have to come up with to figure out how to get some of these fields ready. And then obviously everything There in Beijing, there is, that's not a baseball country. So you're teaching people not only just the game itself, but like, you know, what is a batting cage? What is a L screen? What is, you know, what is a backstop? I mean, you're t you're starting from there to help people understand what the game really is. And in some cases it there wasn't even a word for what that is. So that it was but those are the fun things, the challenges. speaker-0: All right, so where I know we could go forever on where you've built fields and worked on fields like basically every country where they've ever played baseball. But can you recollect like where have you built fields from scratch? Like you know, like London comes to mind, but in in Athens I believe too, but you know, where you've like not just overhauled a field but created a field. Can you talk about some of those? speaker-1: Sure, yeah, there's been a few. as far as from from the beginning, obviously like you say you mentioned London, of course, I mentioned Beijing as well. Athens was was a was a total field bill for the two thousand four Olympics for both baseball and softball fields. They they they had a a training ground near the airport, but it was near the old airport. but it would they didn't have anything of any sort of where they could do a you know a the Olympic competition for sure. So being able to build something in in Europe at that time and this stadium again became you know, we were able to find products and materials locally in some cases, some things we had to bring over from the States. And I think that's where, you know, some of these challenges building some of these fields in other countries we we would have to go in and work with work with the with the governments and communities to be able to bring products in. Havana Cuba working at the Latino Americano Stadium there in in Havana and getting that filled up to up to snuff. Again, not a it was existing ballpark. They had baseball, but it just you know wasn't gonna meet the requirements for us to host an exhibition game or or an Olympic game or a WBC, which, you know, obviously that really has has has really expanded ball field development around the world, in countries I've had a chance to work in. speaker-0: I know that I've been part of numerous projects where you've worked on the field and we'll get, updates leading up to and how's the field coming along? And you'll see a picture and it's like a bunch of tractors and dirt and it's like everyone trusts

Murray's gonna get it done, but it's always a little bit nerve wracking. And and I'm always it makes you wonder do you ever consider bringing in a bright view shaman who's like gonna cause grass to grow or ca Make the rain come or make the rain go away. It's like you almost need to harness some supernatural powers to to to speed up or slow down mother nature sometimes. speaker-1: You do. I mean it was it's an interesting story. Again, in Beijing we were it was the Olympics opening ceremonies and of course we were preparing for the the ballpark for the for the venue and for the for the com upcoming competition. But the the opening ceremonies what's called the nest was this ma massive Coliseum that they they had the event and they had it was calling for thunderstorms and rain and they were able to shoot rockets into the sky outside the city that were had laced with with with a product that would salt the clouds to make it rain somewhere else before it got to the actual venue. And they they they the meteorologist that was in charge of that program, you know, showed me a screen where we're looking at it in this And sure enough, here comes this big wave of thunderstorms coming down and they just fall apart before they got to the to the Olympic Stadium and then they remerged on the other side. They actually controlled the weather. They stopped it from raining at the Olympics. So you say things like that. It's not crazy. It things things do happen in in some of these the events that we've been working on over the years. It's you know, just this past year building the one in Bristol with the speedway. Right. That's there was nothing there but a big infield of of asphalt that we had to build a ballpark in in thirty days. Figuring that out. Figuring that out, you know, it's that was the fun part. speaker-0: the the phrase if you build it they will come or he will come I guess is yeah that comes to mind because I mean it you've done that you've built it and they came all over. speaker-1: Thank you. speaker-0: so what is so what is that process like whether it's the Speedway classic or an old stadium like Rickwood or is or in Cuba or Sydney like MLB says hey we're gonna play in Sydney we're gonna play this Bristol classic we're gonna play A qualifier in Germany. What is your process like in order to go from MLB makes that announcement to we see a beautiful professional level baseball field being played on? speaker-1: Great question, Shane. we we've we've evolved in our development of of these jewel events. you know, I think probably you know Regensburg goes back in twenty ten, the World Cup that we did there, how to create all the things that go around the field, for the locker rooms and the back of house operations and media and all those other things p play into, you know, hosting these these events. And then In twenty fourteen we we took a a stab at playing at the Sydney Cricket Grounds. It's at in s in Australia. And we started looking at that like in twenty twelve. how can we do this? What can we do? It's a it's a big cricket field, we don't we can we can't build anything near the wicket. How's it gonna fit on the on the field and can we do it in, you know, eighteen days? So, these concepts and ideas start started, a couple of years before. And then, Chris Commissioner Manford, you know, he rolls in there after after Bud Sealig leaves there in twenty fifteen and of course he goes to Field of Dreams and sees him wonder if we can do something here it in Iowa. So I mean that evolution started. So when you when you when you go to a site and of course we went and looked at the the Field of Dreams site in I in Daresville. And we we looked at the movie site initially, but if you'd ever been there, the movie site, the field is really small. it's only like, you know, two sixty or two seventy to the outfield and and there's a huge hill in right field and what we have to do to build a a ballpark or a venue around that is is pretty expansive. So it just wasn't gonna fit. So we had to move that potential yeah, that location to build a L B field. about a thousand feet to the west of the movie site. And there again, you're looking at to your point, what are you looking for? Well we're looking for orientation is that first thing we want to make sure of is that you we want to want the sun, not rising in center field, which I've seen in some ballparks unfortunately over years. or setting in center field. so, you know, look for that that dynamic of of of how to lay the field out for the competition, but all you also want to lay it out to where it it tells the story of being able to see, like for example, Field of Dreams, you can see the the movie site over the the right field corner. But again, the the orientation is good. So all these are different ones. London was one, playing in Fort Bragg in twenty sixteen, building up building field there on a on an active military base. Very special event. 12,500 seat stadium at a that we built on top of an abandoned golf course in a in in a several months. So a lot of planning again, a lot happens before that we could even get to that point to to actually have those nine innings played on that field. But you know each one of them are special in in in their own way and just you know blessed to be able to be part of a lot of. speaker-0: Is there one that was the hardest or most rewarding because of how hard it was? speaker-1: you know, the London really pushed us. You know, that one was one we we looked at and and you know, it it's an existing, you know, Queen Elizabeth's Olympic Stadium, you know, they've got the West Ham, you know, soccer team plays there. you know, figuring out how to how to build this inside this venue, first and foremost was we needed to make sure the size was gonna be ample enough for for the field. And because it was a track and field venue that gives you more width than distance because of the track that circles the circles the field. That one, we

pushed the limits on a lot of mock ups to confirm that we could build on top of things that typically you don't build fall ball fields on. I mean we put there's a flooring system, total a complete flooring system that went down on over the existing pitch that we had to confirm that would drain properly and we could get water through and all the things that that we would need in case there was rain. Of course it as probably it rains quite a bit in London. during the nineteen it probably rained. we played built that field in twenty one days. I think it rained the first eighteen days every day. speaker-0: So speaker-1: It was I would say that was the challenging one 'cause then and it was cold. gosh, it was in June. It was it was you know forties and fifties in the morning and sixties in the morning and but we got it done. I had we g I I'm I'm blessed to have a great crew that's been with me for many years and they've really without those guys at my side, I s all the stuff that we do just just wouldn't wouldn't happen. speaker-0: Yeah. You do have a team of superheroes. These guys are all so talented, such hardworking, and just good people. So you've you've assembled a great squad and they work magic all over the world. speaker-1: Yeah. Sure to speaker-0: all right, so you just went through touched on a number of these amazing projects you've worked on. I'm curious there's no way you could have imagined when you're a fourteen year old, obviously getting your first job or becoming a groundskeeper of your local minor league team. I was there ever a point where you realized this could be a springboard to doing something more or bigger? Or how did that progression happen? speaker-1: Yeah, great question. Again, you're good at this, Chief. I thought you've done this before. No, it you know, you're right. There was there was, you know, when I when I when I moved to Florida, I was v I worked to work for the Braves and the expos in West Palm Beach in the late eighties, eighty eight, eighty nine. And I just was working in the Eastern League with Charlie Ashbach and the group there on on on in Harrisburg and taking care of that field and helped them build that one. And the they had this the owners of the of the league, of the Eastern League teams had this idea to go play in the USSR. And they said, Yeah, okay, let's let's we're gonna need a groundskeeper. We want you to be our groundskeeper. We want you to help come with us and figure out how to build ball fields and in in these locations we want to go play. So I said, okay. It was of course then it was still USSR. So so the the Diamond Diplomacy Tour is what they called it. Stomp Merrill was a manager, Dave Tremblee was a manager, different guys, a bunch of people that have come through baseball. They Jeff Kellogg was a was a double A groundskeeper then and now he's he went on to become a double A umpire. He became a you major league umpire and just recently retired, but Going there and building fields in in

Kiev in Ukraine, one in Tonin, Estonia, and back to Moscow, building these temporary fields on these soccer pitches, kinda gave me the edge. I was like, you know, this is kinda cool. Right. I think that's that's the one that kind of started started me thinking about, you know, at that time, you know, as I was at spring training and, you know, and and learning more about fields and s multi multiple operations. You know, that was the first in West Palm Beach. That was the first dual use spring training complex. So the Expos and the Braves both shared the main stadium. And that was a that became as you know now, there's there's there's numerous of those. But that was the first one actually where they truly shared a a major league stadium for spring training. How do you play thirty games on a during spring training on the same field? So All those things get kept turning and I became hick consultant for Major League Baseball in nineteen ninety-one, ninety two or something, and then Jim Small had us go build something there, another field there for an exhibition game in London at the at the Oval cricket ground. And of course then we did some other exhibitions in Frankfurt and whatever, so that's that's how it kicked off. speaker-0: When when I've worked with you, it's mostly been World Baseball Classic, and you seem to be one of the main connectors with the local people. And I think that has to do with your working with the local ground school, you know, w whoever they supply you with, like you're working with them day and night. and you you definitely make an impression. They love you all over the world. We joke how you know, you come in and they the art newspaper, people want to interview you and they're taking selfies. But you really are one of these people who feels the unifying powers of baseball. That's one of the themes of this podcast, is like how baseball brings people together. So can you reflect a little bit on your sense of how you felt around the world or around the US in these different events? how y baseball has brought people together. speaker-1: It's it's it's it's probably the best part about of the job career I've I've been blessed to have is is is all the people that I get to work with and meet, you know, and learn in the different cultures from from around the world and and around the United States, you know. I think those are baseball brings the game brings people together, but but the actual you know it you know, I would always say if I was had, you know somebody gave me a passport, and I and I said to all these places, I would never imagine I'd have been to all the different places that are to building these these venues and being part of it. But part of that is is the desire of of working with the local people. And I've always loved education and and and teaching and being a part of showing people better ways to to to care for for their fields. And I think that's where we've done a lot of clinics and camps over the years in different countries and and that's the relationship. That's where, would you walk out on the baseball field, the the language barrier it becomes a lot easier to work through because we're all on a baseball field. And in some countries that aren't big baseball towns and or s or areas, even showing them how to do and manage baseball fields is exciting because they really want to learn and I think baseball brings people together in that way and that's that's what's that's what's been special for me. I mean I've I've looked back over the whole thing that I've done, it's it's been able to create those relationships and still this day and folks you know like you say they call they call, I get emails and questions about certain things over the from folks I I met, you know, thirty, forty, fifty years ago. And still asking about, well, what if I did this in the field? What do you think about this? Well, it's you know, how do you get those lines that that's the that's the number one I still get down? How do you get those striped lines in the outfield? you know, just like your your mowing question a while ago. Yeah, it's really proud of the relationships and the people I've had a chance to work with. speaker-0: It seems like you definitely applied the the methodology of teaching someone how to fish, versus just, you know, catching the fish for I is that accurate? speaker-1: It is. And and part of it's respecting, you know, their cultures. A huge part of it is respecting the cultures of where you are and knowing what they have and understanding where they are and what they what they've had to work with. I mean I've you know, yeah, working in in in Cuba, you know, where they're where they don't have a lot of specialized equipment. you know, you see a guy out there using a machete to to to edge the field with it. And, you know, and I and I'm watching him do this and it's just, you know, and watching him, you know, use this machete that he and it and it's it's it's perfect. It's a it's a tool and a person and he's got a string and he's just doing the same thing that we would do in, you know, in the US or countries who have the resources that it it would have a mechanical edger to do. So I I I sent you a couple of pictures there of that of of the guy you using the machete edging and then we brought over a a mechanical edger and to show them how that worked and they were just in awe. No different than I was in awe than how they did it with the with the machete. So that's just a respect of of how people take care of their own ballparks and and you want to understand that so you know where can start to from there to get to A to B to C to to get it up to a level. speaker-0: Have you ever seen or utilized the method of pouring gasoline on the field and lighting it lighting it on fire to dry it? Have you ever I've always heard about that. I don't know if I've ever has it actually happened? Is it speaker-1: Yes, it has happened. I I I have I have experienced that back

in the seventies early. So worst thing you can do for a field, by the way. I wouldn't have advise it. 'cause it just it just trashes the the clays. But that was back in the day when, when gas was a nickel or ten cents or a quarter, maybe then it it made sense. But they but yeah, that was that was something that that was pretty common and in or getting a helicopter to come out and Pover over the field to dry it out. we've done that before. So yeah, but the but gasoline thing, that's I'm I'm glad I haven't seen that for a long time. Let's just put it that way. speaker-0: So all right, I wanna you mentioned the pictures, which we're gonna put that picture of from Cuba up during the final production to to so people can see what you're talking about. But I wanna I wanna talk about a couple of the other pictures, which I asked you for some show and tell items. You sent me some really cool photos, which which again we'll display in the final product here. so can you the the couple of them caught my mind. One Is is a construction site with an excavator and a and someone in military fatigues. Where is that one and and what's happening there? speaker-1: it's that was in in Athens. building the the the field on at the site was the old airport that was used back in World War Two. And and they were building a new airport north of city. and what they found when they began removing the old tarmac. where they they had found undetonated ordnance that had not exploded during the war. So every time we were moving these you know large pieces of concrete and and asphalt moving the clay around, we had the military was there with their metal detectors checking all the areas to make sure we weren't and I think they found a few. They found a few undetonated ordinates in around the the the baseball field. area in the softball field area. Because it again it was it was an old it was the airport they used, back in back in the forties during the war. speaker-0: That's right. That's wild. And then there's a picture of you on the podium, triumphantly at the end, I I assume, of the or or at least the end of your speaker-1: Yeah, yeah. That was a that was one of my favorite events that I I I I was able to be a part of because I was able to bring my family. So my my my wife and my boys were were bat boys for the Olympics. My daughter worked in a press box. So it was a it was a summer. I was spending summer of two thousand four in in Athens and and having having the family there with me is But is rare on some of these events and that one worked out really well. So that I I have that picture on my wall in my office and it's something I really enjoyed. they did too. Now they look back on it and remember it. We've been back to visit since, so that's pretty cool. speaker-0: It's really special. speaker-1: that other picture I showed you there, I think, was one of you could see the flags and just beyond it you could see the missile launchers on the hill. behind the right field wall. You remember this was only three years post nine eleven and they had established areas of of protection for you know during the Olympics, you know, for security purposes and just had knowing that it it was a reminder looking out over the right field wall at these missile launchers that we lived in a different time of a difficult time. And just something that that you look here's the flags there, you're at Olympics, but you're still, concerned about safety and and seeing that was I I look at that and rem remember that of as a as a a memory that, you know, th those are troubling times, but you know, everything's the games went off without a hitch and there was no issues, so It Cuba ended up winning the the the gold medal that year. So and and Australia came in second. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah, that was wild. Well, yeah, those are really cool photos. talking about the Olympics, it reminds me I have one more question about so when I was watching ice hockey in these last Olympics, there was a lot of talk about the ice, and there's like this one international ice surface guru who they bring in to be the ice expert everywhere. And I imagine like all these different sports have their Murray cooks. Has there ever been Have you ever met any of these people, or has there ever been a meeting of the minds of the world sports surface gurus? speaker-1: Sure. No, we've w we've there's this there's a the body called the Sports Field Banch Association, it's a national governing body of where all members from all sports, you know, gather each year for a for a a conference and and we meet and d discuss things and and yeah, so we yeah it's so yes football, baseball, soccer, all the different sports, you know, even down to cricket and other other sports. So we get to meet some of guys then. obviously you guys with the NFL, I d I deal with Nick Pappas a bit. He's he's in a similar role that I'm in with the NFL. We currently he's in Australia working on the Melbourne field for the for the Niners game this this Friday. course we exchange information over the years and 'cause he'll go to places, I'll go to places. He needs to find sod or clays and materials. I need to find s clay and whatever so we it's the only way to do it. 'Cause yeah do talk about the ice guy, talk about the I met the the guru of of motocross, who who's in charge of building all the motocross for the for the bikes, for the BMX bikes, which is a which it takes a it's an art in itself of just building these these moguls and ramps and certain degrees on these on on the hills and certain types of soils for those you know. It's a great profession. speaker-0: Yeah, cool. speaker-1: As well. Yeah. speaker-0: I I told you I had a show and tell item. It's I normally bring like a memorabilia or some sort of memento. I was trying to think of what relates to you. And it's a simple one. It's just a WBC rain jacket, which I love this rain jacket because it's just a simple one and the logo's really subtle on the side.

And when when I think of you, I think I picture you in a rain jacket. We are w meaning our anti rain dances did not work and you're like just getting rain is the w for an event like this, rain is the enemy, right? you just like d everyone is just like we plan everything there is and then we just I hope that it doesn't rain because that just throws everything into chaos. And that's when you really show your mettle, because there's a lot of pressure to get these games in wherever you are and I know you put tons of hard work leading into them. And then once it once it's time for the lights to turn on and for action to happen, like there's certain things out of our control. But you always help get us through it. I know I've had to lean on you. Everyone has to lean on you. And we're so grateful for it. And when these jackets come out, that means that Murray's that his his job is is getting intense. speaker-1: True it is. I I will have the utmost res respect for Mother Nature because she is undefeated. at the end of the day, we can plan, plan, plan, plan, but you can't play in the ring. but we plan every every detail out of of the materials you need, the crew, the staff, the training, tarp management, all those things, you know, at the end of the day you th you're you're working towards all you've got all your All your tools in your toolbox ready to go in case there is a rain. You hope you don't need them, but but you have to have ready. So I think that's you know, the raincoat is is is a big one. Yeah. you know, yeah and some of these countries we go into it's we get a lot of rain. And but planning for that, you know, and building the field to sustain rain, getting the right materials, in the field to help support better drainage. All that plays into the whole, you know, growth of of of creating these events in other countries because it's it's an important part, obviously. especially if you're just gonna go over and play one game, two games or whatever, and then that's it. You don't have a lot of wiggle room there if you got a a rain show that's gonna come get you in and get you wet. But again, a lot of new tools, a lot of new things out there that are helping Groundskeepers today, keep field dryer. there in there are entire systems that go under the field now that actually help pull water off the field when it rains. And even the new clays that are out there now are are engineered to where they like water. you could you see rain delays this past summer with some of these major league teams, it's just pouring the rain. They're still out there running on the on the infield clay, which you think it'd be just slop and mud, but the clay is just It's still tight. It's still giving them good footing. it's not turning to to to to a soupy mud because of the way the clays are engineered. So understanding that and and you know, thank goodness there's lot of scientists out there helping us figure figure these things out. that's you know and a good meteorologist, those are always good too. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. Well, may your ring jackets stay in there in your drawer for all upcoming events. Well Murray, thank you so much. This was super enlightening. I'm glad I got to ask you a lot of questions I never was able to ask you before. And I think that our those listening will be really interested to learn about this niche of the game that's so essential that people don't know a whole lot about. And I've I've love being in the line of work I am, which is international baseball travel. I'm I'm grateful for the role you've played, even though it's a little bit behind the scenes in in growing the global game and just letting people know it's more than America's pastime and and yeah, it it's such a cool job and and you're the best at it. So thank you for all your work. speaker-1: Well, thank you for the the kind words, Shane, and and yeah, I always enjoyed working with you in these events too at that 'cause I know that that that that you're looking out for us in the in other areas to to ensure that we get the things we need, you know, as a as a competition coordinator, director, manager that you've been in some of these these events, you know, it it's good to know you've got someone up upstairs there that can that can help you w if you need a little more extra time on the field to get it ready. or or if gonna go talk to the team and say, Hey, we're not gonna hit today because it feels a little too wet. those are those are big parts of of of what you do and what and and helps us all at the end of the day make sure the field's good for the game and you know, understanding that is is important. So thank you. speaker-0: Of course, yeah. If you say we need to cut VP times, trust you and I will be the deliverer of bad news any day because I know that you have done everything humanly possible to avoid that. And yeah, we're happy to be on the same team. but yeah, thank you, Murray. I really appreciate your time and I look forward to seeing you at a ballpark somewhere around the world. Big thanks to Murray Cook for joining us. Murray is one of my favorite people in all of baseball, and I think you could see why in that interview. So next time you are watching a Jewel MLB event, whether that's the field of dreams or a game abroad or world baseball classic, just keep in mind who it was that went behind making that beautiful field happen. it was probably Murray at the home, but really as he said, his his team and the local teams, the groundskeepers like do an amazing job. So just want to shout out all of them once again. thank you for listening. Please, if you enjoyed what you are listening to, subscribe to our podcast on YouTube, on Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and of course, leaving a review is always really helpful. And also, please follow us on social media. We are at Extra Innings Travel on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. And lastly, please check out extrainnings travel.com. And subscribe to our newsletters that you can learn more about our international baseball tours. Thank you again, and I will see you at the ballpark. Mm-hmm.