Roger Baird wakes up at 6:00 AM,
his alarm clock blaring.
He rolls out of bed—
his morning routine commences.
Teeth get brushed,
Newspaper gets read,

Oatmeal gets eaten.

Roger climbs into his pickup truck
and heads to work—Wrigley Field.
He drives into the city,
just before traffic builds up.
He approaches the park and
small talk commences with the very few
Wrigley workers already there.
By 7:30 he’s in his office.
As his crew starts to arrive,
Roger assigns daily duties.

They must rake and water the infield dirt,

chalk the foul lines and batter’s box,

prepare game balls and manicure the mound.

Chores begin as fans file in,
Roger and his crew duck back into
the clubhouse. The game is underway,
and the groundskeepers pass time,

they watch the game,

play spades and hearts,

eat chips, popcorn, and peanuts.

As rain falls, Roger’s crew is called
back into action. Unbeknownst to the fans,
they set a league record for
quickest time rolling out the tarp.
The game is called and the unnoticed crew
stays behind, waiting for the rain
to stop so they can

wrap up the tarp,

drain out the water,

clean the field.
7:00 PM, home in time for dinner.
Just another day for Roger Baird
and his unsung crew, at the office.