Touring the Bases With…Meghan Mahrholz

Meghan Mahrholz is Stadium Operations Coordinator for  the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, California.

SEAMHEADS: What does your job consist of?

MEGHAN MAHRHOLZ:My job consists of many operational tasks. I am responsible for radios, stadium signage, gate setups, First Aid Nurses and offices. Staff and many other responsibilities that make it possible to run an event.

SH:When and how did you get interested in working in baseball?

MM: I started in sports at age fifteen, when I was working at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California in their Athletic Department. I was working in the Audio department. I started by taking microphones onto the field for the National Anthem, and soon fell in love with the atmosphere. I would soon take over the audio console for basketball, and later football. I started working for Stanford Operations Department soon after just to pick up some extra money. I soon fell in love with it! I like working with sound, working with people in a venue is an art.

SH:Tell us some thoughts on your experience in baseball.

MM:The best part about working for a baseball team is working with the fans. I love going to Ice Hockey games, but the atmosphere is so different, very high intensity all the time. One of my favorite things about baseball is that it IS America’s pastime. People come to watch the game but everyday, I see the interactions between fans. Some have had the same seats for years and know their neighbors here like they do at home. Different parts of the stadium have neighborhoods like communities. Everything stops for a minute when the home team player hits the ball goes over the fence: everyone cheers and celebrates. I think it is amazing.

SH:How long have you been with the Athletics?

MM:I have been  with  the Athletics off and on for about six years. I was going between Stanford and Oakland for a few years.  It was difficult for me to settle down. I have worked a lot of venues all over the San Francisco Bay Area.  I always liked being able to roam around . After some time, I realized Oakland is where my heart is, and I’m very happy with where I am now.

SH:Have you worked for any Minor League teams or any teams other than the A’s?

MM:I have never worked for a Minor League team, mainly college sports.  I was also the music  coordinator for the San Jose Cyber Rays before the League folded. That was a great organization to be a part of. I remember when the team was starting to have trouble. Some of the top players volunteered  for pay cuts to help pay the other players. It made me proud to be a woman when I heard that! It was then that I began to realize how much sports, or a team, can be held so close, and be so important to so many. Like I said, I started in this industry due to my love for music and the impact it had on a crowd. I saw how sports could do the same thing.

SH:Did you play any sports in high school or college?

MM:I played one season of Softball when I was twelve. One of my best friends told me  “you have to at LEAST try”! …so I did. I used to be a very shy girl.  Needless to say I did not return for a second season.  But we did finish first in our league.  I  tell myself I had a shining career!

SH:Are you active in any sport now?

MM:I am not currently active in any sports. I love the outdoors so I’m always outdoors. I like hiking, running  around with my dog, that sort of thing. Don’t get me wrong, I am a very social person, but when I get home from the stadium I usually need some alone time, to unwind you know.  I love my job, I love the adrenaline rush of the day, but when I come home my iPod is waiting for me.

SH:What do you do when the A’s go on the road?

MM:People either love working operations, or they hate it. I’m one of the crazy workaholic types I guess.  The thing about operations is there is always work to be done. When the team is away we are getting ready for their return. We share the Coliseum with the Oakland Raiders so it’s  like cleaning up after a house party only to prep for another one for Baseball.  But I have always liked the fact that we share the complex. Working around something like that was always the case at Stanford as well. It keeps you on your toes.

All you have to do is look to ancient history; the Coliseum in Italy to see how long people have been coming together. Luckily we have gone from Lions to linebackers, but the need for the rush of a battle is still the same. I think it’s an amazing thing to see and even more special to be a part of.

SH:What is the most difficult part of your job?

MM:When you work in Operations, it can far too easily seem like there’s always something wrong, or needs to be fixed. Or there’s an unhappy guest.  I guess a lesson that can be learned is you have to look at as many challenges as you can as opportunities to improve; either your surroundings, or yourself.

SH:Who helped or got you interested in baseball?

MM:My dad was always an A’s fan even though we lived in Giants territory. I think he would be tickled pink to know that I work for them now.

SH:Who was your mentor in baseball?

MM:I’ve been blessed to have great bosses in the past. I have learned so much from them.  Kris Becker was my  boss in Ops in the athletic department at Stanford.  She was awesome with nerves of steel. She always kept her cool, and was an operations genius! I worked for Charlie McCoy when I was working for the Audio Department there as well. He taught me so much about sound. He let me run with ideas. He let me make mistakes but he was always there to help me fix them. I worked for Paul LaVeau of  the Oakland A’s for about six years. I think one of the running themes I have noticed when it comes to good bosses is that they are usually the best mentors, and he is one of my best.

SH:Did you attend college?

MM:Unfortunately, I was never in a position to be able to attend college… yet. It’s something I strongly want to do however. I was very lucky to get into this career at a young age, so I’ve been working a long time.

SH:What is your most outstanding memory with the Athletics?

MM:The playoffs! That was an amazing time. There was so much energy in the air. It was a lot of fun, but I’ve never worked so hard! The A’s went to the American League Championship Series in 2006. I will forever have the image of Mark Ellis’s  finger being broken. It was such a heart breaker when we lost. But I am very proud of how far the team got. We played the Minnetoa Twins and Detroit Tigers.

SH:Do you follow any other sports?  Who is your favorite team aside from the A’s?

MM:Even though I didn’t play sports growing up, I watch football. I love the San Jose Sharks (National Hockey League). My favorite team besides the A’s would be the Chicago White Sox.

SH:Do you have a favorite baseball movie?  What is your favorite book?

MM: I hate to be typical, but I grew up with Field of Dreams . I love that movie. There’s lots of good messages in it and it’s a very sweet film. My favorite book is The Outsider by Colin Wilson.  It’s an old sociology book I found in a used bookstore.  I love little hole-in-the-wall types of bookstores; you can find some gems.

SH:Do you have a favorite quote?

MM:“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.  This makes it hard to plan the day”.  ~Elwyn Brooks White

SH:What woman in baseball do you admire the most?

MM:Kathy Wolff  who worked in Baseball at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California for a long time. I didn’t know her well, but she was a very sweet woman. The players loved her; so did their families, their coaches, everyone. She loved baseball and knew the game well. She passed away about two years ago. I would love to see how many people she had touched, and to see what the impact she had. She was and will always be an inspiration to me.

SH:If you could ask her any question, what would it be?

MM:I’d  love to know what some of her favorite memories of Stanford were. I know I have many of my own.

SH:What is the most creative thing about yourself?

MM:I have always loved music. Being given the opportunity to play my favorite songs for thousands was such a gift. You can get creative with it; you can pick up on the crowd’s energy and run with it.

SH:Do you have a favorite band?  What kind of music do you like?

MM:Oh, what a question. This one’s kind of a Pandora’s Box so I will try to keep it short. My favorite band has always been Rage against the Machine. Also Burial, Radiohead, Alice in Chains, the Deftones, Soul Coughing, Bjork, Janis Joplin & the list could go on for miles. I listen to literally everything except country music.  I tried; I just can’t do it.

SH:What is your favorite song?

MM:“Be Quiet and Drive”  by the Deftones.

SH:What is your favorite baseball move?

MM:Rickey Henderson stealing home plate.

SH:If you were not working in baseball, what would you be doing?

MM:I would be working in music

SH:Where do you see yourself five years from now?

MM:Doing what I love. Something I have been so lucky to have been able to do so far.

SH:What advice would you give a young woman considering a career in baseball?

MM:There is NOTHING you can’t do. Always have an open mind, and be open to change. And most importantly, have fun with your work!

#

normcoleman36@hotmail.com www.tycobb367.com

Norm Coleman is an actor, writer and professional photographer living in Half Moon Bay, California.