He remains Fenway fixture

At all corners of cold and ancient Fenway Park Friday afternoon, there was a bustling of activity as preparations were being made to stage the World Series.

Electricians were laying down cable.

Carpenters were constructing makeshift wooden walls behind the last row of seats in Sections 18 and 19 to shield international broadcasters from the frosty northeast wind.

Cable-company personnel were hoisting TVs to the rafters at various points of the grandstands.

Caterers were delivering food, driving cars in tight quarters beneath the stands as if they were auditioning for spots on Roger Penske's team.

Vendors were putting their stands in order, checking their supplies, then covering them with tarpaulins.

There were players, of course, not to mention a media force that outnumbered the one that covered World War II. It felt as if there should be a gang to handle the Zamboni, but that's another story for another day.

Organized chaos in some quarters, efficient and workmanlike approaches in others, but amid it all, one Fenway Park legend sat unruffled. Joe Mooney was in his small office -- cramped, but cozy, just like the park -- beneath the third-base grandstands. There was a World Series to be played, but Mooney wasn't being swept up in all the hype.

"We had one in 1975 and in 1986, too," said Mooney. "It's good for the team, good for the town."

It's just that this time around, Mooney gets to observe from more of a distance. He's still employed by the club and has many duties in the park, but four years ago he retired as head groundskeeper. Dave Mellor, 41, took over and Mooney is quick to say that the old ballyard has never looked better.

Not that it ever looked shabby, because from 1971-2000, Mooney was the man behind the aesthetic beauty of the Fenway field. He is one of the legends of the Red Sox, a fixture for more than 30 years, and Mooney points out that his career in baseball has stretched from Schilling to Schilling -- Chuck to Curt.

"I worked for the minor league team in Minneapolis in the late 1950s and used to pitching batting practice to Chuck Schilling and Carl Yastrzemski," said Mooney. "Then they both went on to play for the Red Sox."

Mooney, a native of Dunmore, Pa., went on to work in Washington where he kept up D.C. Stadium (later named RFK Stadium) for professional teams that featured legendary coaches. Ted Williams managed the Washington Senators, Vince Lombardi coached the Washington Redskins.

"Imagine working for those two guys," asked Mooney. "It didn't come any better than that. They were great, great guys."

In fact, Mooney credits Williams for his job with the Red Sox. The Hall of Fame slugger suggested to Tom Yawkey and Dick O'Connell that they hire the groundskeeper who had honed his skills in the nation's capital. Mooney came aboard in 1971 and has been a part of the organization since then. He has counted Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, and Fred Lynn among his favorite Red Sox players and shared the pain of those Game 7 losses in '75 and '86, not to mention the playoff defeat at the hands of the Yankees in 1978.

There is greater technology at Mellor's disposal than Mooney ever dreamed of, which is why the Fenway Park turf is complete with decorative touches like the logo socks that are worked into the infield. Mooney likes that touch and has great respect for the grueling task that is handled by Mellor and his staff, though their duties may be made easier next year because once the World Series is over, the Red Sox will dig up the present turf, put in new drainage and an irrigation system, then install new grass.

"When I came here, we had three drainage pipes, now there'll be 50," said Mooney, shaking his head. Even for groundskeepers "it's a different game than it was in 1971."

That doesn't go for the enthusiasm about the World Series. Mooney has experienced two of them at Fenway Park and he's just as excited about this one.

So, too, are the fans. Mooney most certainly knows that first hand. How? He and his crew went around the ballpark this week and checked out all the seats.

"We looked at all of them," said Mooney. "They were in pretty good shape. Just a few broken ones. Who knew people were going to get that excited?"