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Taking you out to the ballgame

• While fans focus on the balls and strikes, not many are aware of what goes on behind the scenes to ensure everyone has a true game-day experience.

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY — Standing on the concourse and staring out into Paul Eames Park, South Georgia Peanuts general manager Keith Michlig displays his typical laid-back demeanor, flashing an almost embarrassed smile when asked about his on-field enthusiasm during games.

“Thank you for noticing,” he said. “It’s always something I’ve loved to do. I’ve gotten good feedback doing it that way.”

For Michlig, a 12-year veteran of the sports industry, he fully understands that while the game of baseball brings the crowds, the game of marketing brings them back.

In Albany, that means watching the mellow Michlig morph into the pounding pulse of the Peanuts at 7 p.m. every game night at Paul Eames. The transformation will happen six times in the next seven days, with the Peanuts kicking off a homestand tonight against Macon.

“He’s like superman,” South Coast League CEO Jamie Toole said while watching him during a game earlier this season.

Michlig leaps from the field to the stands to the top of the dugout seemingly in a single bound, pulling off promotions and bringing the energy needed to keep fans excited even if the game hits one of its inevitable lulls.

Indeed, he represents the face that drives the fan experience at the ballpark. But undeniably, his face is nothing without a body of helpers behind it.

“You’ve got to have some good people to succeed,” he said. Of which Michlig admits the Peanuts have plenty. They all arrive by 9 a.m. and few leave before 11 p.m. on gamedays.

While a trip to the game may seem like a walk in the park, it’s actually an exhausting grind for everyone painting that picture.

There is South Coast League VP of Operations Omar Roque, who moved down from the league office just before the season and tackles every element of gamedays.

You can find him greeting groups at the door or in the back offices plowing through stacks of paperwork.

“It’s hard to even think of what Omar is doing because it just gets done,” Michlig said.

Then there is Floyd Patterson, the operations manager whose grounds looks as good as they have all season since he and his crew edged, trimmed, leveled, raked, cut and fertilized every angle of the plush playing field.

This week they fixed a few busted sprinkler heads, “and let nature do the rest,” he said.

Moving from the field to the concession stands, Chris Bell, better known as “Gumby,” roams the ticket gates, grills and beer lines to make sure fans don’t miss too much of the game.

But to pin him down into his title of Community Relations/Ticketing manager would be wrong. On Wednesday, he was sawing baseboards for the press box and Peanut Gallery bar.

Working right alongside him was corporate sales manager Josh Boutwell, though, there is nothing “corporate” or “sales” about lugging crown molding around. But as anyone on staff quickly discovers, everyone does a little bit of everything around here.

That includes dealing with 15-game homestands like the one approaching later this season.

“I pretty much won’t see my wife and kid for two weeks,” said Boutwell, whose wife Leslie just had their son Landon less than a year ago.

As Boutwell and Bell labor away, so does “The Voice of the Peanuts”  — Matt Pauley. The 4-year-old Kansas State graduate travels with the team broadcasting every game on 1450 The Fan and www.southgeorgiapeanuts.com as well as creating game notes, statistic packets for the coaches and dealing with media requests.

His home broadcasts are aided by intern Emil Williams, Jr., but once again, there is no set job for anyone.

“I’m out there picking up trash almost every day,” Williams said.

And those are just the full-time staff members. Concession workers, security, bat boys, ticket clerks, servers, information, scoreboard, music operators and public address announcers fill this team dedicated to providing a smooth game experience.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget about the players.

But in the grand scheme of South Georgia Peanuts baseball, the players are in the minority.

And as the game winds to a close each night, however, Michlig finally finds time to relax and enjoy the game. But everyone working to create a positive baseball enviornment will attest, it still never ends.

“Once I’m done after the eighth inning, I’ll sit in the stands and enjoy,” Michlig said. “I’ll listen to the fans, see what we can do to be better (the next time).” 

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