Cleveland Guardians’ Groundskeeper Shares Stories, Surprises and Hard Work That Goes into Gameday

2025’s Snowy Home Opener

As snow fell and the temperature dropped to a bone-chilling 28 degrees, Cleveland Guardians Head Groundskeeper Brandon Koehnke knew he and his 32-person crew had to work fast. The Guardians’ home opener was just eight hours away, and the field looked more like January than April.

“The weather is the biggest challenge we face,” Koehnke says. “If we can get temps above freezing and the weather dries out, we can typically accomplish everything we need to do before Opening Day.”

Snow covered the field and the seats. Temperatures were below freezing, with a forecasted high of only 36 degrees.

Before the first pitch at Progressive Field that day, Koehnke and his crew were victorious over the challenges thrown at them by Mother Nature. As the sun broke through the clouds, a sellout crowd of 34,830 fans roared with excitement.

They could’ve easily been cheering for the grounds crew. The field looked like the lush green grass of June, and the seats were cleared of every snowflake as the Guards defeated the Chicago White Sox by a score of 1-0.

Home Again and Again

In April, the Guardians had 11 consecutive games at home, putting some extra stress on the grounds crew’s operations. Prep started early.

“It was a long one, it was a very long homestand,” Koehnke says. “Pre-homestand preparation is critical. Everything from proper fertilization to clay management is going to ensure success. Days are long, sometimes 15 hours, and it takes two days after a long homestand for your body to recover.”

Things Can Get Squirrelly

It really is a case of “peanuts, get your peanuts!”

“Squirrels are always the biggest concern when it comes to wildlife. There’s a lot of beautiful oak trees around the field and ballpark, so the little critters like to bury the oak nuts and peanuts, creating holes in the outfield,” Koehnke says.

Concerts Ending on a High Note

Going from gameday to a major concert takes a massive transformation of Progressive Field — and, often, Koehnke’s team needs to move quickly.

“The fastest concert turnaround we had was in 2023,” says Koehnke. “We had removed 30,000 square feet of left field sod for a stage to be built. In 29 hours, we had the entire area re-sodded and a game played on it.”

Rakes, Brooms and Water

Baseball fans who appreciate the nuances of the game find it satisfying when the grounds crew perform in sync, like the Cleveland Orchestra, as the crew rakes the clay infield dirt meticulously.

“Raking between innings of the game helps to keep the infield free of cleat divots that occur in the clay, and we use rakes and drag brooms.” Koehnke says, “We only water the infield in pre-game, and we do not water in between innings now, but we do water the infield clay throughout the day to keep it soft and moist.”

Grounds Crew Plays Its Own Game During the Ballgame

Koehnke says keeping a Major League Stadium in tip-top shape can be hard work, but they signed up for it, and they all love it. So, to jazz it up for the crew and to pepper in some fun, they have a tradition twice during the game.

“After the third and sixth inning of dragging the clay infield, we play our own game,” he says. “We all try to throw our hats onto a U-hook that is mounted on the wall outside our shop. It’s extremely difficult, but fun to win!”

Behind-the-Scenes Facts

Koehnke says the grounds crew practices tarp rollouts and rollups for safety and to expedite restarting the game as quickly as possible.

“We have to work fast,” he says. Koehnke adds. “Underground drainage pipes run every 20 feet across the field, and the field is designed to drain 13 inches of water per hour.”

Lake Effect

“April weather is always the worst possible in Cleveland,” Koehnke says. “April weather in Northeast Ohio always changes on a minute-by-minute basis, and we must always prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

Fall ball can be similar. The Cleveland Guardians' grounds crew always brings its A-game.

“Words can’t describe how rewarding it is to have a great grounds crew, beautiful results

on the field, and Cleveland fans who appreciate hard work,” Koehnke says.

And as the Guards push into the postseason Wild Card series, and look toward the season opener on April 3, 2026, against the Chicago Cubs, you can bet Koehnke and his team will be ready.

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