Working for Senate

Working with the Boise Hawks

July 2007

There’s nothing like a midsummer’s evening at a minor league baseball park, where sports and show biz mix to offer families a fun night out. Larry LaRocco experienced many angles of what it takes to run a professional sports organization when he worked for the Boise Hawks, the Northwest League farm team for the Chicago Cubs.

LaRocco started his evening by becoming Humphrey, the Hawks’ mascot. No one had any idea who he was as he greeted fans, wandered the stands, and clowned with the umpires. It was hot work on a day when Boise was baking at about 100°F, but the former college cheerleader relished the chance to help fans get pumped up for the game.

After losing the costume and getting a dry shirt, LaRocco spent two-and-a-half innings selling peanuts in the stands. As the regular concessionaires do, the candidate bought his peanuts for $2.75 and sold them for $3.25, making a 50 cent-per-bag profit.

Next, he joined the Memorial Stadium grounds crew to drag the dirt and smooth the infield before the bottom of the 5th inning. The announcer spotted him doing that and suggested that maybe LaRocco could come up and join him in the booth. So he did, introducing each player as the athletes came up to bat in the 6th inning.

At every Hawks game, fans are invited to guess that night’s attendance. Four employees each hold one large number and shift places as the crowd cheers to indicate its guess. LaRocco got to do that, too.

No, he didn’t sing the Star-Spangled Banner or throw out the first pitch, but LaRocco said he’d go back in a second to enjoy another evening working with Hawks general manager Todd Rahr and the Hawks crew. “This was a fun job,” he added. “I had a great evening. It was a hoot.” Best of all, the Hawks won, beating the Vancouver Canadians 7-4 to go a game over .500.