Longtime Red Sox groundsman Dave Mellor will retire this Sunday after the club’s final game of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park.
Mellor has spent 23 years with the Red Sox and 39 in Major League Baseball. He also worked for the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Francisco Giants and the then-California Angels. He also spent eight years servicing historic Lambeau Field for the Green Bay Packers.
“It is with mixed emotions that I am retiring from my daily responsibilities as senior grounds manager for the Boston Red Sox,” Mellor wrote on social media just before Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. “I hope to contribute to the industry and causes I care about while spending time with my family and puppies. “I feel honored and grateful to have worked 39 years in the MLB.”
Before Sunday’s game, Boston manager Alex Cora talked about the work he’s seen Mellor put in to maintain Fenway’s grass field, especially after special events, such as the concerts that occur at the stadium throughout the year. .
“We work hard, we do,” Cora said. “Nobody works harder than that guy. Think of all the concerts. We go on tour and there are five shows here. That field is ready six days later. It’s incredible.”
