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Roger Bossard | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1949 (age 75–76) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Education | Purdue University |
| Occupation(s) | Groundskeeper forChicago White Sox and Consultant forMajor League Baseball |
| Parent | Gene Bossard |
Roger Bossard is the headgroundskeeper atRate Field, home of theChicago White Sox.
Bossard joined the White Sox in 1967 working as an assistant to his father, Gene Bossard, and became the official head groundskeeper when his father retired in 1983. He is known amongst the industry as "The Sodfather"[1][2] and is highly influential in the development of new ballparks. He is the longest-tenured groundskeeper in major-league history and has been with the Sox longer than any other employee. His grandfather Emil Bossard and uncle Marshall Bossard worked for years for the Indians and were inducted into the MLB Groundskeepers Hall of Fame. His father, Gene Bossard, was the Sox's head groundskeeper at old Comiskey from 1940 to ’83.[3]
Nineteen of 30 major-league teams use a patented drainage system that Bossard developed for the opening of Rate Field in 1991,[4] includingChase Field in Arizona,Comerica Park in Detroit,Miller Park in Milwaukee,Busch Stadium in St. Louis,T-Mobile Park in Seattle,Nationals Park in Washington, and bothChicago ballparks, includingWrigley Field, as well as spring training complexes for theCincinnati Reds, theMontreal Expos, theNew York Yankees, theSt. Louis Cardinals, theArizona Diamondbacks, theLos Angeles Dodgers, and theChicago White Sox.[4][5]
In 1984–85, Bossard designed and built the first natural turf soccer fields in Saudi Arabia for the royal family.[4][6]
On Sunday, June 12, 2011, the Chicago White Sox gave out Bossard bobblehead dolls to the first 20,000 fans in attendance vs. the Oakland Athletics.[7]