Megan Birchmeier is entering her third season with the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Get to know more about her below!
What is your role with the Woodchucks?
Director of Operations – My main focus is the ballpark so my responsibilities include food and beverage, staffing, retail, outside events, and working with the City to ensure Athletic Park is looking spiffy for each game.
What is a typical day in the office like?
It changes quite a bit throughout the year but with the season quickly approaching, my focus is on our staff. I start my day by contacting intern candidates and new game-day staff to set up interviews, along with corralling our returning staff and getting them prepared for the upcoming season. From there, I usually move to the food and beverage side of my job. This could be our concession menus, food packages for our catered areas, team meals etc. The off-season means a lot of research so building these menus and creating events outside of baseball brings a lot of trolling on minor and major league teams. Also, right now we’re getting a lot of new apparel in, which is always exciting. It’s like getting little presents every day! So that’s always a project getting items sorted and up online and in our new office retail store. One of the best things about working in this industry is the ever-changing tasks. Mark gives us a ton of freedom to dream and create so every morning I love being able to sit down and decide what I would like to do that day.
What is a game day like for you?
Busy. Very, very busy. I start out at the ballpark preparing team meals and prepping for our caterings that evening. Then I move to the office for our staff meeting and other office work such as preparing lists of duties for each intern to tackle that day, getting schedules for game-day staff out for the next day or the next home-stand, ordering food and beverage items we’ll need, etc. After the office work is done, I go to the ballpark for the day. At this point, all of the interns are busy bees setting up each concession stand, catered area, inflatable, yard games, etc. so I’m running around making sure all of their tasks are being completed correctly and in a timely manner. I’m also focusing on getting both teams fed before BP starts and getting those catered areas flipped for that evenings’ caterings. As we approach gate open, I’m checking on game-day staff to ensure they’re ready to go and the ballpark is set for the night. Once the game is off and running, it’s just a balancing act of ensuring fans are making great memories and nothing is blowing up throughout the ballpark.
Most Memorable Woodchucks Game?
This past season, we had a rain delay that lasted until almost 10:00 p.m. For many of us, we had been at the ballpark for 15 hours before the game even started but there was something very serene about watching that game with it still misting under the lights, only the toughest fans still in the stands. It wasn’t about the entertainment at that point, it was just baseball.
Favorite Bobblehead to Date?
Master Woody Woodchuck with his green, bat lightsaber.
If you could create a bobblehead of one person who would it be of?
Mark Macdonald! How this bobble hasn’t happened yet, I just don’t know.
Favorite Concessions Item?
The Mighty Mac Dog. It starts with a classic ballpark frank, piles on the mac & cheese and tops it off with Cherrywood smoked bacon…it’s absolute perfection.
If you could add one menu item at Athletic Park, what would it be?
My go-to each game is a bowl of pulled pork and mac & cheese topped with a dash of BBQ sauce. Everyone in the kitchen looks at me weird while I making it but by the end of season you know what they’re all eating?! Yep, Pulled Pork/Mac & Cheese Bowls! It sounds nasty…I know. But after a long day, it takes the cake every time.
Favorite place to watch a baseball game (other than Athletic Park)?
Comerica Park. I grew up in Michigan so catching Tigers’ games was always a must during the summer.
Favorite part of working for the Woodchucks?
I love that things are constantly changing and evolving around here. One day is never like another. With each season, comes varying responsibilities and focuses. It keeps things fresh and exciting. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of office work or really sitting still so I love having the option to run up to the ballpark throughout the year.
Favorite thing to do in Central WI (Other than attend a Woodchucks game)?
Getting out to explore everything Wisconsin has to offer! The parks and trails are awesome out here so I’m always jumping at the opportunity to find a new hiking trail or get my kayak out on the water.
Favorite baseball memory?
The first time I walked into Comerica after starting with the Woodchucks. The ballpark really came alive and became a whole other experience for me. I’ll never see a stadium the same way again!