Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox Intern a Utility Player Off the Field

It was all fun and games out in the field this summer for Maximilian Mandel ‘24, whose internship for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox challenged him to energize thousands of baseball fans as a Game Day Operations intern.

A Sports Communication major, Mandel was all over Cape Cod’s Red Wilson Field in South Yarmouth, where he commuted three days a week for 20 hours to boost the fan experience for the Cape Cod Baseball League — which some consider the premier summer wood-bat league in the country. While thousands of Major League Baseball players have gotten their start playing for the local league, the nonprofit gave Mandel a boost in the competitive field of sports communication and management.

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox invited Mandel into its  “creative think tank,” —composed of the team’s board members, marketing team, and two interns —to add value to their fans’ experience and the club’s revenue.  All spectators get in free, but sales of contests, raffles, merchandise, concessions, and other activities provide vital support to the club’s operation.

Mandel suggested bringing players to the stands before and during the games to interact with fans while selling the 50/50 raffle. If the fan contributes $50 to the 50/50 raffle, they receive an autograph. If they contribute $100 raffle, they get an autograph and a picture with the player. Another of Mandel’s ideas, which they plan on executing next year he says, is to create baseball cards of the players that they could sign in the stands for the 50/50 raffle or sell in the shop.

On game days, Mandel’s job was to make sure guests have a good time, which, as it turned out, required him to be a utility infielder for the team. On his feet all day, Mandel played virtually all the bases—he sold merchandise and concessions, flipped burgers, restocked supplies, and took special care of the sponsors—another vital source of revenue. 

“I … want to learn how to run a team in all aspects, and how to appropriately balance leadership and time management skills while doing it,” he said.

The best part of the job, Mandel said, was interacting with the fans: selling raffle tickets, introducing players, or having friendly conversations—whatever he could to give them a memorable day at the park.

The internship marked the first since for the Newton, Massachusetts native since he started attending Emerson. 

“My long-term goal is to cultivate a network of contacts within the sports industry, starting with the connections that I have made with players, fellow interns, Red Sox contacts within the organization, employees of the Cape Cod League, as well as anyone I meet along the way,” he said.

Advice to Prospective Interns:

“Get out of your comfort zone and be a sponge. Be willing to absorb all of the information you can. Because all the skills they teach you can be used in life and in future work applications.”

Maximilian Mandel ‘24