When Sandra Fielder walked into Safeco Field, home of the Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners, she knew where every seat, sign, baseball and glove came from and what it cost. As head of purchasing for the team, she sourced and ordered and checked off everything in sight.
“I had a great life with the Mariners,” she recalls. “It was 15 years of hard work and fun.”
Sandra’s life has been devoted to smart shopping and getting the best deal. “My family has always been good at math,” she says. She is also a dynamo – diminutive in stature and a giant in enthusiasm and energy.
Her career began in the division administration at Amtrak. “We purchased everything for the railroad in the 13 western states.” Then came time at UCLA Irvine before her husband, Fred, was transferred to Seattle. Sandra was hired by the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery where she handled purchasing and supervised their fleet of vehicles. She also passed the rigorous tests to become a Certified Purchasing Manager. That led to a stint with a software company organizing their purchasing department.
Then she got an offer from the Mariners baseball team.
“The new Safeco Field in Seattle was due to open in nine months,” she relates. “They wanted someone to be in charge of FFE – furniture, fixtures and equipment – for the entire facility. That meant sourcing, ordering and installing every single item you needed in a major league baseball park. We spent millions and worked seven days a week until the Field opened in July 1999.”
As well as spending money, Sandra was also charged with saving as much as possible through smart shopping – getting the best products for the best price. “There was a lot of learning on the job and we saved the franchise millions.” Over the nine-month ramp-up Sandra hired two more purchasing agents to help complete the job.
Her original contract called for nine months lead up to the opening, but her boss was so impressed that he offered her a full-time job. “It was incredibly great,” she says with enthusiasm. “Where else could you be that closely involved with a major league sports team? Meet and be friends with many great players? Go to the games for free? Wow! My work took me all over the ballpark.” It even continued during the games. “Someone would hit a home run and break a window. I’d have to email or call my window glass supplier immediately to get them out to fix the window tomorrow.” Sandra would attend most of the 80 home games every year. “I’d often sit behind home plate, but my favorite seat was right behind first base. I could see the players leaving the dugout and clearly see the calls at home plate.”
Louisville Slugger, the bat manufacturer, awarded her a set of special bats embossed with her name in honor of the thousands of bats she ordered for the players. Keeping player uniforms in stock, in all the different sizes and colors, along with maintaining the VIP boxes and even producing little seat-back plaques for the first base stands warning fans to watch for errant foul balls.
There is a network of MLB purchasing people and Sandra was an active participant.
“We’d get together and exchange ideas and suppliers.” She was ‘loaned” to the San Francisco Giants on a couple of occasions to help train and implement procedures for their purchasing department. “They even tried to lure me away from the Mariners, but I wanted to stay in Seattle.”
Sandra’s year would be full speed from January – handling spring training in Phoenix and getting ready for the season – until November. “Then we’d have a six-week breather when we’d catch up on the work and repairs, renovate some areas and have a little fun ourselves.” She credits the franchise management with providing fun days for staff, parties and staff ball games on the Field. “It was a fun place to work.”
But with her husband, Fred, ailing Sandra decided to retire after 15 years to spend more time with him.
“We had been on a cruise and met a couple who talked non-stop about The Villages. Then we met them again on another cruise and heard more about The Villages. So we had to visit. I retired in July 2013 and Fred and I moved here to the Village of Charlotte in August.” Also in July that year their son, Scott, had a stroke that required rehab and care. He moved to The Villages with them.
Fred’s health continued to fail and he passed in May of this year. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of time together after moving here,” she says sadly.
She thanks her friends, neighbors and church with helping her through the difficult time. “We all get together at the pool every week and we visit back and forth all the time.” Now travel will occupy more of her time. “Every month we seem to be getting on a plane and going somewhere.” Her next trip will be to visit her daughter in California.
One of her joys is her Yesteryear golf cart. “I always wanted one and a friend decided to sell his. He offered me a great price.”
Scott, her son, is passionate about building and flying radio-controlled model airplanes. He and Sandra can be found most mornings at the polo field area with The Villages E-Flyers Model Airplane Club. https://sites.google.com/site/villageseflyers/ “Scott is an experienced pilot, even though he only has the use of his left hand to maneuver the two joysticks on the controller. I just passed my flight review to fly solo,” she laughs. “I have a GPS controller on my plane that will automatically bring it back and land it if I have a problem.”
John W Prince is a writer and Villages resident. Learn more at www.GoMyStory.com.
