The new Major League Baseball Groundskeeper Hall of Fame announced that the trophy for inductees is being named for Gary Vanden Berg, the longtime Milwaukee Brewers groundskeeper who passed away last October.

Vanden Berg honored by MLB groundskeepers

The new Major League Baseball Groundskeeper Hall of Fame announced that the trophy for inductees is being named for Gary Vanden Berg, the longtime Milwaukee Brewers groundskeeper who passed away last October.


The association of MLB Groundskeepers selected two legends of their profession as the inaugural inductees: Emil Bossard and George Toma. They were inducted Sunday during the 14th annual meeting of MLB Groundskeepers in Anaheim, CA.


The Vanden Berg Trophy honors Bossard and Toma for their “dedication and outstanding contributions to Major League Baseball and the sports turf industry.”


Bossard, who died in 1980 at the age of 88, had a 70-year career in baseball beginning in 1910 as head groundskeeper for the St. Paul Saints. After 25 years with the Saints, he was hired by the Cleveland Indians to manage fields at League Park and Cleveland Municipal Stadium.


Toma learned his craft from Bossard while working in the Indians’ minor-league system. His 60-year career also included stops in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Buffalo, NY, and Charleston, WV. He began his head groundskeeper career in 1957 for the Kansas City Athletics and later worked for the Kansas City Royals as well as the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL.


Vanden Berg worked for the Brewers for more than 30 years, beginning in 1981 as assistant superintendent of grounds. He served for more than 20 years as the club’s director of grounds before losing his battle with cancer.


Upon his death, the MLB Groundskeepers association unanimously voted to name the Hall of Fame trophy in his honor.