Mellor has weathered many storms

Dave Mellor was in his customary role supervising the grounds crew as it prepared the Fenway field for Game 5 last night. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

In his 24 years as a major league groundskeeper, Dave Mellor has developed an immunity from the unusual. Five times when he worked for the Milwaukee Brewers, it snowed on the eve of Opening Day. Once in his tenure with the Red Sox, a quarter-inch of rain canceled the next day's game - on a bright, sunny day.

"I've seen a lot of things," Mellor said. "This was definitely my most challenging year."

Mellor knew when he arrived for work yesterday for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series that Fenway Park's playing field might be used for the final time this season. He patched and mowed and crawled replacing divots for more than six mostly soggy months, keeping the field as safe and playable as he could despite near constant rain.

The sky threatened last night, which was fitting, given Mellor's season. The first thing he does every day is check the weather and call a weather service. He displays the weather pattern on a laptop in the back corner of his office. The television on the front wall is constantly tuned to The Weather Channel.

"Weather dictates everything we're able to do and how we're able to do it," Mellor said.

Which is why this year proved so difficult. Mellor said June was the sixth-wettest month ever, July was third, and the first 15 days of August brought rain.

In previous years, such a torrent would have caused disaster. After 2004, the Red Sox installed a new field with a more modern and efficient drainage system. Mellor estimated the drainage saved 8-12 games from being rained out this season, and in years past it saved as many as 14.

"This was a difficult year to try to make the field safe and playable under the conditions," Mellor said. "The new field certainly can handle the extreme moisture. It certainly paid off numerous times."

Still, the wet weather affected the groundskeeping. Frequent use of the tarp prevents Mellor and his staff from watering the grass and the clay in the infield as much as he wants. He couldn't repair damaged grass, and his mowing patterns were often altered. The damp ground caused more divots from balls, which, if not handled, lead to bad hops or treacherous holes.

The tarp traps moisture underneath, which brings pathogens and enhances the chance the grass will become diseased. When the sun appears shortly after a rainstorm, it can get "superheated," Mellor said.

"Lifting the tarp up when the sun is out is like opening the oven door," he said. "That kind of extreme heat and grass don't get along."

Mellor worried about serious damage in July and August, months of intense heat and rain. The weather prevented large projects.

His primary concern remained keeping the field safe and playable. He stayed in constant communication with players, coaches, and manager Terry Francona.

"I never heard any big concerns," Mellor said. "You never know with footing. A lot depends where the play happens."

Once the season ends, Mellor will have 10 days to prepare the field for the offseason. Like last winter, Fenway Park will turn into a construction zone to refurbish areas. Last winter, a 350-ton, 26-foot-wide crane was driven in to help build the upper decks. A large patch of grass was removed, and Mellor put it back in 8-10 days prior to Opening Day.

The winter will bring new challenges, but Mellor knows they likely won't surpass this season's. Even if they do, he won't mind.

"For me, this is the next best thing to playing," he said.