There’s more than one way to participate in the World Baseball Classic. You can be one of the best players in the world, chosen by hand to represent your country on a global stage. 

Or you can be one of 15 former Spokane Indians selected to play or coach in the games, taking place March 5-17 in Miami, Houston, Tokyo and San Juan.

Or you can be Spokane Indians director of grounds Tony Lee, who was picked among his peers to help prepare the playing surface in Miami which will host this year’s championship games.

“I mean, what an amazing honor to actually get invited to do this,” Lee said last week at Avista Stadium.

Lee got his start in the field – no pun intended – in 1998 when he was hired by Chad Mulholland, then the head groundskeeper at Avista Stadium. Mulholland, who has been manicuring baseball fields for over three decades, has been with the Miami Marlins and LoanDepot Park since 2012. 

“He was my first boss. He kind of taught me everything, and we’ve been friends for 30 years,” Lee said. “So, you know, when he has these special events, sometimes he’s able to invite extra groundskeepers along. And that’s why I was able to do work the (MLB) all-star game in 2017 and now the World Baseball Classic for 2026.”

It’s an awesome responsibility – preparing and caring for the playing surface – with all the talent that’s going to be on the field with the best and most high-profile players representing their countries.

And with all the games on national television.

“It’s kind of a thrill for me,” Lee said. “I mean, we’ve done a really good job here at (Avista) stadium, and I like to think that we are recognized for the things that we do here, and that’s why we get the attention that we do.”

Lee is carrying on a strong tradition of groundskeepers in Spokane, following Mullholland and David Yearout – now with the Philadelphia Phillies. 

“You know, having the best of the best groundskeepers in the country, it’s humbling,” Lee said. “I’m not saying that I’m the best-best, but you know, it’s like some of these guys that I meet during the sports field managers conference. It’s great to get to sit in lectures them, talk with them, and bounce things back and forth. And this is how we learn, just through that networking and now I’ll be getting to work with some of those guys too in this game.”

Lee won’t have a specific assignment in Miami, but referred to it as a “team effort,” and he’ll be ready to jump in wherever he’s needed. 

While LoanDepot Park is much bigger than Avista Stadium, with capacity crowds of over 37,000 expected, between the lines they’re just the same.

“We say it doesn’t matter if it’s 509 or 305 area code, the bases are still 90 feet apart,” Lee said. “You know, we have to keep that dirt as safe and level as possible and playable. Whether it’s a high a prospect, or a big leaguer like Shohei Ohtani, we do our jobs to maximize the professional standards of Major League Baseball.”

Lee oversaw all of the renovations to the playing surface two offseasons ago when Avista Stadium went though it’s MLB-mandated upgrades in order to retain affiliation. They removed a rock-filled base, evened the field, put in new drainage and irrigation, and made what was already a good product even better – and safer.

“You know, when they built (Avista Stadium), it was 1958 and it really had not received any upgrades over the years since then,” Lee said. “What we have is we have a sand-based field. We’ve got great drainage. We got great root depth. … When we had that first rain last year and pulled that tarp, I couldn’t have been more amazed at how fast that water perked through. I mean, no sooner had my crew got the tarp off and got it at pumping the water, all that water had just soaked through within minutes.”

Lee is looking forward to his big league assignment and all that it will offer over the next couple of weeks. 

“I think Miami’s a perfect city for this,” he said. “I mean, they’ve got such a diverse community and then for something internationally like this to be happening. And it’s a good experience for me too, because I get to work with some of my fellow peers. I’m always learning something. Even after 30 years, I’m always learning something.”

He hopes some of that carries over to his crew at Avista Stadium as well. 

“I try to reflect that on my people too, you know, for my grounds crews. Maybe they’re not going to be sitting here doing what I’ve been doing in 30 years. Maybe they get that bank job or a realtor or whatever they’re going to be doing. But, you know, I want them to look back on this moment like ‘That was the best summer job I ever had.’ “