Longtime Veterans Field Groundskeeper Robbie Grenier Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

CHATHAM – Robbie Grenier has a long list of duties he is responsible for as Veterans Field’s groundskeeper. 

 For 30 years, the Chatham native has worked tirelessly to ensure the home of the Chatham Anglers shines brightest among Cape Cod Baseball League diamonds. 

 Grenier is the onsite overseer for all field-related projects, and he works as a liaison and provides assistance to town personnel and private contractors to take care of annual maintenance and equipment installations. 

 During baseball season, Grenier is a constant presence at the field. While his main responsibility is to maintain Veterans Field’s pristine and immaculate playing surface, he is a key figure in the Anglers organization who also serves as a friendly representative and conduit between the team and local community. 

 “We’ve got 30 or so people in our organization that I would call key players,” Chatham Athletic Association President Steve West said. “We can all be replaced except for Robbie. There’s no person in this organization who is more important than he is.”

 The Cape League presented Grenier with its Fred Ebbett Lifetime Achievement Award during the league’s Hall of Fame ceremony Nov. 17 at Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. 

 The honor served as a recognition for the decades of service Grenier has provided Chatham and the league while serving as the caretaker of the field. It also embodied the impact he has made on so many people who have crossed his path. 

 “It was a big shocker when Steve West told me in May,” Grenier said. “It was a big surprise because I didn’t see it coming. It meant a lot.”

 The ceremony was well attended by Grenier’s family members, some of whom traveled from Nashville, Vermont and Plymouth. Many of his friends, including longtime Chatham manager John Schiffner and New York Yankees scout Matt Hyde, were also present. 

 The occasion was so grand that West made a special trip to Chatham from his offseason home in Texas. 

 “I missed my first Texas football game in two years to be there,” West quipped, “so that shows how important I think he is.”

 Grenier’s impact can be felt in nearly every aspect of the Anglers organization. He oversees the field’s equipment and landscaping routine and acts as a reliable problem-solver for West, who describes him as his “righthand man.”

“He’s the one I lean on the most,” West said. “He’s our eyes and ears on the field. He’s there literally almost 24/7 it feels like.”

No two days are the same for Grenier, a 1993 graduate of Cape Cod Tech who got his start after studying horticulture at the school. The most challenging days are when Mother Nature gives Veterans Field a bath, and his best days end with an Anglers victory. 

Grenier’s most tiresome moments? That’s easy: when he has an early wake-up call to be at the field for a 6:30 a.m. food delivery. 

“Sometimes truck drivers don’t text or don’t call,” said Grenier. “They just show up and say, ‘Here you go, here’s your food.’”

Over the years, Grenier has dedicated countless hours to help improve the Anglers organization. He was instrumental in raising funds to help the organization purchase a John Deere Gator as well as convincing the town to undertake a project that allowed the team to upgrade the field’s electrical system to provide electricity to the batting cage and outfield shed. 

He relishes the opportunity to mingle with baseball fans, and he’s grateful for the community members that help him to make sure Veterans Field stands out from the pack.

“I tell people it’s the people in the community that donate money to the team that help us do a lot more on the field compared to bigger teams,” Grenier said. “All of the other teams have to go out and do fundraisers. A lot of teams do a lot of work.”

While Grenier is already looking forward to the 2025 season and Dennis Cook returning as the team’s manager, he never allows his mind to stray too far from the task at hand.

“Right now, it’s doing the annual maintenance to the field,” he said. “After New Year’s, I’ll be completely done on the field unless there’s a problem with the lights, but they are in good shape.”