BOSTON — When John Nerich found out earlier this summer he’d been given the Monster Service Award by the Boston Red Sox he was caught by surprise.
“I remember asking, ‘who are you pranking here?'” he said. “Who are you kidding?”
The award is given monthly by employees at Fenway Park for the way they go about doing their jobs. In Nerich’s case, his job is security at the venerable ballpark, and he’s been doing that task for 33 years.
Out of that monthly pool of winners, an overall recipient is named to receive the Joseph M. McDermott Award, named after the late Red Sox vice president who set organizational standards for longevity, at one point having been at a Cal Ripken-esque 2,323 consecutive games.
“I was very humbled by receiving the award,” said Nerich, who grew up the oldest of six sons and daughters of John and Joan Nerich.
“The award is for a person who steps above and beyond, and works had to put the club in a positive light. Joe McDermott is the man who hired me, so it was nice to receive this award that’s named for him.”
Working security at Fenway in 2018 is a lot different from what it was back in 1985, when Nerich, who is also a Lynn court officer, began.
He started in an entry-level position, “working the gates, fire escapes, elevators … when I started, it was about 25 people working a game.”
As the years progressed, and the team’s popularity soared, that number increased. These days, the number of workers per game sits at 170. Naturally, said Nerich, things were bumped up first after 9/11 and then again in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing. Now, there are scanners, metal detectors, bag-checkers and more.
“Major League baseball put in a lot of protocols, and the team added some things too.”
But while there are enough things to keep track of now — so much so that the team has periodic refresher meetings to make sure everybody’s up to date — the objective remains pretty simple, Nerich said.
“Your job is to give people a good experience at the ballpark, whatever that means, that’s what you do,” he said.
That could include everything from being a visible entity, to showing fans where their seats are, to recommending places to eat after games.
“We just want to be sure that everyone enjoys their time at the ballpark.”
Nerich, who lives in Peabody, is a St. Mary’s graduate who both played and coached football at the school. His father was district manager for Showcase Cinemas and National Amusements, and, as such, used to travel from one Boston-area location to another for business. That ended up being an education for Nerich, who used to accompany his father and learned many shortcuts in and around Boston. It served him well. There are times when extra-heavy traffic might make him late to the ballpark for his night job. But knowing different routes to take certainly helps, he says.
“Otherwise,” he said, “I just have to call them to tell them that traffic’s bad, and that I’ll be a little late.
“Luckily,” he said, “I’ve always had a place to park.”
The job has some definite perks. He has seen — in person — the Red Sox win four World Series titles, including their most recent one last month.
“Our job if we go on the road is to be there for the families and other members of the organization in whatever capacity we’re needed,” he said. “This last time, there was a large traveling party, with a lot of kids. We’re there to supplement the venue’s own security staff.”
He began working the job while still at college, and “I never thought I’d still be here 33 years later. But it’s been a great experience. You meet a lot of friends along the way, and some of them have turned into good ones.”
“I am lucky and honored to have won this award.”
