An Intern’s Perspective: Top Ten MLB Moments

Today marks the end of my fifth week of work with the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, meaning my internship is now halfway over—Wow! Now that I’ve reached the halfway point, I thought it would be a good time to look back on my experience so far and make a list of my Top Ten MLB Moments since beginning my internship:

1. My first day of work at MLB. I still remember the sense of awe I experienced when I walked into this office for the first time as an employee. Seeing the faces of the interns around me reminded me how lucky we all were to be here, and what an amazing opportunity we had in front of us this summer. From the tour of the MLB office to the orientation reminders, that first day made the experience feel real for the first time.
2. Going to Citi Field for my first Mets game. Though I’ve been to a number of major league games before, I’ll definitely remember this one. The Mets were playing the Oakland A’s, and just before game time, the sky opened up and it started to pour. I was one of few fans who stayed, and ended up witnessing an intense 13-inning game from a seat right behind the visitors’ dugout. The Mets won, on a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the 13^th.
3. Working on Equipment Day tallies. One of my projects this summer is to receive results after each MLB Club hosts an Equipment Day. I record specifics about the items collected in a spreadsheet, which is used to describe how well the Clubs do and how the results compare to past years. This project is a really rewarding one, because it lets me see how a little bit of passion by a player or a fan can have huge results (like 1,000 gloves donated in one night!).  
4. Seeing the gigantic, blown-up image of David Ortiz every time I visit the 30^th floor. The Office of the Commissioner has some pretty neat decorations, but this is definitely one of my favorites. The image portrays Ortiz in a classic pose, pointing towards the sky after crushing a homer. As a Red Sox fan, seeing this photo never fails to brighten my day!
5. Getting to know the other interns. One of the great aspects of being a summer intern here is the fact that I’m not alone: there are over 50 other interns working in the office, and certain events bring us all together. This week, the interns made short presentations about what they’ve been working on all summer. Hearing these presentations gave me a lot of insight into how different MLB departments and their employees work together to help the organization run smoothly.
6. The Red Sox taking back first place from the Yankees just before the All-Star break. No explanation necessary here!
7. Mailing out Equipment Day plaques. Spending hours in the mailroom may seem like a mediocre task, but I tried to make the most of it and it actually ended up being pretty cool. BTF recognizes certain Clubs and partners for their participation in Equipment Day each season with a plaque and letter of appreciation. When I saw that one of the shipments I mailed out was going to Nolan Ryan, I realized it was actually a pretty cool/important job I had.
8. Watching Heath Bell’s slide into the pitcher’s mound at the All-Star game. Ok, this one is actually tied with seeing Brian Wilson’s spandex tuxedo at the ESPY’s. Gotta give credit to the players for knowing how to entertain fans!
9. Becoming a social media expert. Like most college kids, I thought I knew a lot about using Facebook and Twitter before I got here. This summer, though, I learned to use these tools to promote BTF news and events. With its ever-growing reach, using social media in this manner is a skill I’ll likely continue to use throughout my career.
10. Sitting in on the BTF quarterly board meeting and seeing new grant recipients selected. This has to be #1 on my list of highlights. Throughout the summer, I’ve gotten to know a lot about the grant process and everything that goes into it. To see this final step in the process really ties everything together. Just thinking of the sense of excitement and gratitude the newest grant recipients will feel when they learn they will be receiving a BTF grant, makes my work feel worthwhile and special.