BOSTON — When the Boston Red Sox host the Miami Marlins Sunday afternoon, Fenway Park staff members will be honored for their years of dedication. One of them is John Nerich, a Lynn native who has spent 40 seasons working security at the ballpark.
Nerich’s Fenway career began in the mid 1980s, when he joined the security team. Back then, the gameday crew was small with fewer than 30 people handling security for fans, players, and staff.
Over the decades, he’s watched that number grow to more than 150 for major games and events. The changes, he said, reflect not only the evolution of the ballpark, but also the world outside its walls.
“The numbers have increased over the years from wars, terrorism attacks, marathon bombings. The face of security has changed all across Major League Baseball, but obviously, it’s changed for Fenway in the oldest ballpark – a recognizable site,” said Nerich, former Lynn District Court Chief Court Officer and Peabody resident.
One thing that hasn’t changed is Nerich’s appreciation for the organization’s commitment to its staff.
“Since the new ownership came in, they’ve gone in a direction of honoring people that have put in the time and effort,” he said. “In the old days, you’d get a pin for five years, 10 years, 15 years. With the new ownership, they kicked it up a notch. … The organization wanted to recognize the people that put in their years of service. This isn’t just me. It’s countless members of the Red Sox team, from facilities to ground crew, ticket-takers, greeters, ambassadors.”
Over the years, Nerich has been a part of some of Fenway’s biggest moments. He points to the 1999 All-Star Game and 2004 World Series as personal highlights. His role has also given him opportunities to meet players and assist them directly, especially during playoff runs.
“In my role now, I assist in getting some of the retirees who come back for special events,” Nerich said. “From the 2014 team to the 2018 team, I was lucky enough during that time period – whenever we made the playoffs – to be able to travel and assist, helping the players on the buses and their families to the stadiums, making sure they were secure in visiting stadiums and getting them to and from the plane.”
While games and milestones are memorable, Nerich said the relationships he’s built at Fenway have been the most rewarding part of the job.
“It used to be 40 years of seasonal friendships, but now, it’s year-round friendships,” he said. “It’s a whole other family apart from my own.”
That includes his real family. His daughter, Madison, now works alongside him, and his wife, Laurie, and son, Bryan, have shared in the experience for years.
“It’s been tough at times for my family, but they’ve enjoyed it,” Nerich said. “I’ve been lucky they’ve been able to enjoy it just as much as I have. … My son is a big baseball fan, so he’s always enjoyed it. He’ll be 29 at the end of this month and getting married to his fiancée Jaclyn, and this has been his summer vacation sometimes — being able to go to the ballpark and take part in whatever is going on. I’ve been lucky they’ve been able to enjoy it just as much as I have.”
