Clubbies. Every baseball team has between 5 and 9 men who attend the players and coaches. They work for the clubhouse manager and travel with team to make sure the players have everything they want and are ready to go at game time. While every team is different, here are 13 things that a clubbie usually does.
1. Mud up the baseballs. Brand new baseballs are slick and can be hard for pitchers and fielders to grasp. Dozens and dozens of baseballs are needed for each game and a clubbie can expect to spend up to an hour rubbing dirt on balls.
2. During the game, clubbies make sure these balls are authenticated. Who hit or caught each ball is tracked because baseball memorabilia is a big business. The player who touched the ball can later autograph it, making it valuable. These balls are the property of the home team, and many teams sell these balls to fans with the proceeds going to charity.
3. Clubbies get the lockers ready for each player – especially important on the road. The away locker should be set up and stocked as much like the home locker as possible. (Mirror, hangers, eye black, etc.) The clubbie's role is to make it easier for the player to concentrate on nothing but the upcoming game.
4. Laundry is a huge-ass big deal for clubbies. They make sure each player's locker – home and away – has "loops." Players know to place their jersey and undershirt together in one loop, socks and underwear in another. This way the player can be sure to get his own clothes back, freshly laundered. (Important because players can be superstitious, especially about their socks.) Pants don't have a loop and the player is responsible for writing his name/number on the inside label. While I admit I am having a hard time visualizing all this, the loop system is decades old and works well unless the player messes up.
5. In addition to uniforms, the clubbie is responsible for clean towels. Everywhere! At the lockers, in the shower, in the dugout. Folding towels is boring and time-consuming but it's a big part of the clubbie's day.
6. Clubbies keep the shower and bathroom stocked. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, Q-tips, shave cream and disposable razors are always available. If a player has a preference (example: a certain hair conditioner), the clubbie will make it appear and the player usually tips rather generously.
7. Fruits and veggies, chips and crackers, Gatorade and water are all available to the players before and after the game, and it's up to the clubbie to make sure there's enough for everyone. Again, if a player has a preference ("I've got to have a Coke") the clubbie will make it happen and the player will tip.
8. Pre-game meals are not the responsibility of the clubbie. Each team has a nutritionist who coordinates with the stadium kitchen staff. Dishes like lean chicken, salads and marinated salmon are carefully and professionally prepared, while the bubble gum and sunflower seeds are the province of the clubbie.
9. Clubbies make sure the sunflower seeds, water and Gatorade make it to the dugout, too.
10. There's an IT aspect to being a clubbie that wasn't required in Babe Ruth's day. Hitters like to review their last at bat on iPads in the dugout. Clubbies make sure the tech is running.
11. In the clubhouse, both home and away, the clubbie is in charge of the team Xbox or PS3. (Though a surprising number of players have taken up old school card games with a 52-card deck.)
12. Players often tip clubbies to help them with personal chores – usually washing and filling up their cars – but this is not considered part of the clubbie's 12-hour workday and is arranged between the two men.
13. Players and clubbies are friendly but they do not socialize. Clubbies consider themselves professionals and an important part of their team's success, so they won't jeopardize getting their pre- or post-game work done by partying with the players.
MLB mandates that clubbies have a starting salary of $36,000 for a 163-game season. This means that they need different jobs over the winter. It sounds like a hard life to me, but these jobs are sought after and the men who do it seem to love it.
Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.
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