Ackerman gets minor league gig
Growing up in small-town Vermont and attending West Rutland High School, Emmitt Ackerman was an avid Red Sox fan, attending approximately 50 games in his 21 years. Little did he know, his first job out of college would be for his biggest rival growing up; the New York Yankees.
Ackerman, who graduated from Castleton University last semester, attended the MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee in December, hoping to find a job.
“I applied for like 20 jobs and got an interview with the Thunder (the New York Yankees AA affiliate in Trenton, New Jersey) right there in Nashville,” said Ackerman. “Two hours after the interview I had a meeting with the GM and got offered the job.”
Ackerman’s official title with the Trenton Thunder is Visiting Clubhouse Manager. He says he handles the visiting team’s operations and organizes their food plans as well as anything else they need.
“A clubhouse manager is basically an equipment manager but in baseball we’re just called clubhouse managers,” Ackerman said.
Working for the Vermont Lake Monsters over the summer to complete an internship requirement, Ackerman got his first taste of the baseball industry. He served as their clubhouse manager and was also brought on trips with the team, which he says “was the best part.”
Marybeth Lennox, the head of the Sports Administration major at Castleton, believes the required 450-hour internship is extremely important to a student’s success down the road.
“The strategy behind requiring an internship is directly related to the competitiveness of the industry as a whole,” Lennox said. “Very rarely are people hired who don’t already know people in the industry. Emmitt got himself connected in Minor League Baseball and I’m sure that’s how he got his connection to the Yankees.”
When asked what her reaction was to the news of Ackerman’s hiring, Lennox let out a giant sigh of relief.
“It’s the best news a professor in any industry can probably hear,” said Lennox about learning of Ackerman’s job. “Even though I am a Red Sox fan, you have to respect the Yankees and Emmitt certainly opened the door for himself.”
Despite being an avid Red Sox fan, Ackerman never played baseball but instead was a successful soccer and basketball player at West Rutland.
“I never thought I would be working in baseball, but I have a decent start in it so hopefully I can work for an MLB club soon.”
When asked how he will adjust to being on “the dark side” that is the New York Yankees, Ackerman had to chuckle.
“Well I have to support the Yankees now because they’re paying my bills,” Ackerman said with a laugh. “But I will always like the Sox no matter who I work for.”