“I graduated from Dartmouth four years ago and managed an ice rink in Hingham that hosted eighteen youth travel hockey leagues. I also interned with the Providence Bears before that.” Even as I spoke of my credentials, I knew they would raise eyebrows, fuck, they already had with my co-workers.
“None of this experience is in baseball. How did you make the transition?”
A few notable chuckles around the table caught Hawk’s attention, and several co-workers averted their eyes as I turned red.
“Care to fill me in on the joke?” His eyes darted around the room before settling on me.
I cleared my throat. “I think the reaction is because my sister, Kelsey Collette, is engaged to Sam Drummond. I’m not sure what relevance that has to my qualifications.”
“I trust that you weren’t involved in his contract negotiations?” Hawk asked.
“No, I’ve only been with the organization since fall. In the interest of full transparency, Sam and Kelsey had no idea I had applied or was under consideration for the position until after I had accepted it.”
“Is Kelsey the woman who has been working to establish the non-profit,Let Me Take That Off Your Plate?”
I nodded. God, I was so proud of my little sister for her efforts in building that non-profit. She’d taken her experience as a single mother and thrown herself into improving the opportunities available to other moms.
He absorbed my answer and said nothing else on the subject.
“If you could make one change in the organization that directly impacts your field of expertise, what would it be?”
I had two answers; one would be the safe answer, but from Hawk’s reactions throughout the meeting, he didn’t want to be safe. He planned to put his stamp on the organization and make improvements from the ground up. I respected that and immediately wanted to follow his leadership.
“I would like to set policies that improve sports culture. Our contracts include clauses that give us an out if the player embarrasses the organization, but they lack teeth. Would the ownership be willing to throw an important game because a player broke the law? What about a playoff run? Are players allowed to disrespect fans? Women? Where are our lines?”
I took a breath before I continued.
“By the time these men sign with us, they have spent years around coaches who have turned a blind eye to bad behavior. In some cases, we inherit cocky bastards with little to no respect for the people who spend their hard-earned money on tickets, merchandise, and concessions that cover their salaries.”
“What are you asking, Kendra?”
“I think the Minutemen organization should be leaders in sports culture. We talk about mentoring with the front-of-the-house and back-office staff, but our players should be leaders and mentors to Little League, Minor League, and even college teams.”
He nodded. “Work with Legal and put together a plan. Can I have something from you in two weeks?”
“Sure.”
“Good. Look for a calendar invite around the first of the year.”
Great, Kendra. Two weeks would bring us to your first day back from vacation, right after Kelsey’s wedding.Guess vacation turned into work instead of relaxation.
TWO
hawk
After leaving the meeting,I heard comments and complaints about my style, though most focused on the changes to the bonus structure. This unsurprising development, however, promised significant long-term cultural change.
My thoughts kept going back to Kendra Colette. While she had quietly explained her reasons for wanting to improve player culture, something kept telling me there was more to it. These were the stories that I wanted to know; understanding people was the key to improving the culture.
Before I took over for my grandfather two months ago, I might have approached her for more than a business proposal. Those eyes, pale blue, rimmed almost with navy blue, and while they should have been soft, she commanded more strength than expected.
Instead of hiding from the comments and rumors, she faced them head-on, calling attention directly to what other staff were saying about her. It took a lot to do that, I’d know; it was something I still struggled to do even now.
Never date a redhead, my father warned. The man had spent his entire life living like a billionaire but had never done anything to earn his wealth. I disregarded his dating advice as quickly as I ignored his business advice. There were many reasons the ownership duties passed by Jonathan Crosby, Jr., but the biggest one was that Granddad didn’t trust him to do the work.
My grandfather was well known for his one-line insults, and Dad had earned every single one.
Yes, he was as useless as tits on a bull, a wet paper bag, and comparing him to a soup sandwich wasn’t necessarily wrong either. He and Mom were great hosts, though. Each summer, they were responsible for opening the Nantucket house and hosting the best parties. They ran an arm of the Minutemen Charitable Foundation, but their leadership strengths were limited to party planning.
