Chihuahuas groundskeeper named 2015 Pacific Coast League Turf Manager of the Year
El Paso Chihuahuas head groundskeeper Andy Beggs has been named the Pacific Coast League’s 2015 Sports Turf Manager of the Year.
The award was voted on by field managers and on-field officials in the PCL.
It is not just based on the overall quality of the playing surface, but also includes criteria such as pregame setup, field marking, professionalism of the grounds crew, along with grading in over a half-dozen other categories.
Beggs’ recognition also makes him the PCL’s candidate for the Sports Turf Managers Association’s (STMA) Triple-A Sports Turf Manager of the Year, awarded annually at the Baseball Winter Meetings.
The 2015 season marks Beggs’ second as the Chihuahuas’ head groundskeeper, and it is the second-straight year he has finished among the top-three finalists in the league for the award. He earned a Presidential Commendation in 2014 for his work.
Beggs has been a groundskeeper in the PCL since 2012, having worked for the Tucson Padres from 2012-13. The Tucson Padres moved to El Paso and had their first season in the PCL in 2014.
“Playing surfaces across the PCL continue to be among the best in Minor League Baseball,” PCL president Branch Rickey said. “Andy’s work since joining El Paso has stood out, and by the consensus of personnel across the league, now merits his being singled out for this highest honor.”
More On Beggs
The Wichita, Kansas native began his sports turf career while attending the University of Kansas and working on the baseball program’s grounds crew. He continued to learn the craft of groundskeeping as an intern with the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers, before landing a position with the San Diego Padres in 2011. The Royals invited Beggs back to Kansas City last October to assist their grounds crew during the World Series.
