BlueClaws a Labor of Love for Ackermann

LAKEWOOD, NJ - Frank Ackermann has enjoyed spending his summer nights at FirstEnergy Park since 2001.

For two seasons, the father of three came to 15-20 games as a fan. He never bought a ticket package- always coming on a whim with his youngest daughter, Stacy, when it felt like a perfect summer night for a ballgame.

In 2003 he and Stacy decided that it was time to stop going to BlueClaws games as fans and start working for the team. Stacy, who is now 24-years old, worked for a little more than five seasons in the ClawsCove helping with merchandise and assisting with the store website. However, Frank has worked with the team ever since.

"I just like being here," said the security guard who is in his 10th season being stationed along the third-base gate. "It's a fun atmosphere. It's not brain surgery. We don't have a lot of security problems, so it's great to be someone who has a positive impact on fans' experiences."

Despite having no security experience prior to working for the 'Claws, Ackermann quickly found his niche as a security guard. He doesn't view his job as being a way of holding back fans, but rather as someone who is able to help fans with what they need around the ballpark. His interactions with fans on a nightly basis are what makes his job such a pleasure.

"It's the best to see a little kid and know that by giving him a stray batting practice ball I picked up earlier in the night that I'm going make that fan's night," said Ackermann who has lived in Brick for 22 years after living his entire life in Secaucus prior to that. "Helping out people and getting the reaction is the greatest."

Ackermann, a contractor by trade, renovated the ClawsCove by installing the current trophy cases and wall displays. He also manned the renovations that went into Champions Club last season and the construction on the bars being installed on party decks. Because of Ackermann, not only do hundreds of fans leave FirstEnergy Park every home game with a smile on their face, but FirstEnergy Park functions better for fans because of him as well.

He cannot work security for weekday day games at the park because of his contracting job- he estimates he works a total of 60 of the 70 home games every season- but he makes sure he keeps his schedule relatively clear the last few weeks in March to help prepare the stadium for the upcoming season.

This season will bring the 5-millionth fan to FirstEnergy Park sometime in June, and Ackermann is not the least bit surprised that the BlueClaws will have reached that milestone faster than any other team in South Atlantic League or New Jersey history.

"When they first announced that the team was coming to Lakewood it just made too much sense," he said. "Between tourism, proximity to Philadelphia and proximity to NYC it was an excellent idea from the start. So I guess I'm not really surprised at the success the team has had."

It's a labor of love for Ackermann who claims that when he started working for the team in 2003 he couldn't have predicted whether he would still be working for them nearly a decade later.

"I didn't know what to expect from the job," Ackermann said. "I love baseball- minor league baseball more-so than major league baseball- and I've got nothing better to do so why not stick around and have some fun."

- BlueClaws -