Meet Joey Fitzgerald of Camelback Ranch in West Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Fitzgerald.

Joey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Having grown up in a family with three boys who played baseball from the jump start, the majority of my summer nights were spent at a baseball field. I developed a fondness for that setting.

I went off to college on a baseball scholarship to earn a degree in an area that I didn’t have a passion for. All throughout my life my dad always preached to my brothers and I the importance of finding a job that we enjoyed doing. Because of this, I knew that I needed to find a career path that meant something to me. In college, the baseball players are the groundskeepers of their field. This exposed me the world of baseball field maintenance. Then I found out that a science-based career could be built around the grounds keeping that I enjoyed and took pride in doing. At that time I decided to transfer to a school where I could earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Turf Systems Management. Upon graduation from the University of Minnesota- Crookston, I earned internship opportunities with the Kansas City T-Bones and Boston Red Sox before landing a full-time position on the grounds crew for the Kansas City Royals. During my time with the T-Bones and Royals I got to know Hall of Fame groundskeeper George Toma. He assisted in getting me the Head Groundskeeper position for the AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Chattanooga, Tennessee. From there I was hired in my current position as the Superintendent for the Dodgers fields at Camelback Ranch.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have been incredibly fortunate to have been raised by wonderful parents and have worked for knowledgeable and influential people. Because of these impactful people in my life, I have felt equipped to handle any adversity that has been thrown at me to this point. I have certainly made and continue to make mistakes on the job. As long as these mistakes aren’t made out of neglect or laziness, I will learn from them and hopefully become the better for it.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Camelback Ranch – what should we know?
Camelback Ranch is the spring training home for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. Outside of spring training, both teams use Camelback Ranch as a year round training facility for players at all levels within their respective organizations. The complex also plays host to a number of youth tournaments that pepper the calendar throughout the year.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Having a strong sense of pride in the outcome of what I am tasked with I think has been key to get to this position.

Contact Info:

• Address: 10710 W Camelback Rd
  Phoenix AZ 85037
• Website: www.camelbackranchbaseball.com
• Phone: 623-302-5000
• Twitter: @camelbackranch

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