Indianapolis Indians Head Groundskeeper Joey Stevenson has been voted the International League Sports Turf Manager of the Year. The award is selected by the field managers and pitching coaches from around the League.
“Joey Stevenson has done a tremendous job as the Head Groundskeeper of the Indianapolis Indians for many years,” stated Indians Vice-President and General Manager Cal Burleson. “His dedication to his craft is appreciated by everyone in the Indians organization. Joey, his assistant Nick Averitt, and the entire Indians ground crew, deserve this recognition. Their efforts are one of the reasons that Victory Field is still the best Minor League ball park in America.”
A graduate of Purdue University, Stevenson becomes the second Indians’ groundskeeper to take home the award joining current Philadelphia Phillies groundskeeper Mike Boekholder, who took home the award in four consecutive seasons for the Tribe from 1999 to 2002. “It’s pretty rewarding knowing you earned the respect from the players and coaches and know they enjoyed their time playing here at Victory Field,” says Stevenson. This is truly a group effort and I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished this season.”
For the twentieth consecutive year the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues and Major League Baseball joined forces to recognize a Sports Turf Manager of the Year in each of the minor leagues. The award was established to recognize outstanding effort and excellence in the care and maintenance of a baseball playing surface.
Joey will now be under consideration for the Triple-A classification’s Sports Turf Manager of the Year Award as selected by the Sports Turf Managers Association and presented annually at the Baseball Winter Meetings.