To most young men in professional baseball, starting your sixth season with the same Class “A” ballclub, might be a sign that a career change may be in your near future. But for 2001 Zillah High Graduate Jeff Griffin, it is just business as usual. Griffin is beginning his sixth season with the Missoula Osprey (Class “A” Arizona Diamondbacks Affiliate), not as a player, but in the front office. What began as a summer internship with the team in 2005, which was a requirement to complete his sports management degree from Washington State University, has become a career for Jeff.

His internship with the Osprey began with him working in marketing and in-game promotions, as he prepared game day scripts, wrote press releases and game stories as well as made community appearances. Immediately following his internship, the Osprey hired him as the Director of Group Sales and Community Relations, which involved the sale of advertisements, packaged tickets and coordinating community events. Through hard work and ethics learned on Zillah Sports teams he was fortunate enough to make his off-season sales goal. “I gained teamwork and basic management skills competing in athletics at Zillah High School. I revert back to it everyday,” Griffin explains.

After the 2006 season Jeff was promoted to Assistant General Manager – Director of Corporate Sales. “This position included supervisory duties of our sales and marketing staff and eventually led to me being promoted to my current General Manager position after the 2008 season – a week after my 26th birthday,” explains Griffin. This past off-season Jeff planted roots in Missoula by purchasing a home, a firm committment for a young man under 30 in a business that could see him advance to another city and bigger challenges. “I guess I just made a five year commitment to the Osprey,” says Jeff,  “it will take that long to get equity in the house.”

A few years back I had the pleasure of visiting Jeff in Missoula when business took me there. I was treated to complimentary tickets to see the Osprey play in their newly completed stadium, Ogren Park Allegiance Field. Jeff didn’t just put me in the cheap seats though, these were box seats behind home plate! We were even able to get together for a late dinner, a very late dinner. On game day Griffin’s day starts at 9:00 am and isn’t completed until the last fan has left the ball park and he has completed his post game duties.

The path to his profession began in his early teens working for the Yakima Bears Professional Baseball Club doing everything from selling programs to being the official game scorer. His interest in baseball led to him umpiring high school, and collegiate games throughout his undergraduate years, while also gaining some radio broadcasting experience in other sports. Jeff and I worked together both in the Yakima Valley and in Eugene, OR broadcasting games.

  “I have my dream job in a dream location. I get to go to the ballpark every day, live in a college town in the beautiful state of Montana and I’m still only less than four hours from Pullman, says Jeff. Griffin is still a die hard Cougs fan and trys to make as many games as he can. But he also gets to travel to see sports on the road as well. This past winter he had a sports weekend in Indianapolis, where he caught a Nets vs. Pacers game, Broncos vs. Colts game and Ohio State vs. Butler game. This was early in the season before the Butler Bulldogs had captured the hearts of America by advancing to the National Championship game. “I’ve become quite a Griz (University of Montana Grizzlies) fan living here in Missoula!” exclaims Jeff. Griffin was also able to get himself courtside seats for the NCAA Tournament games played in Spokane Arena this past March, he has obviously made some pretty good contacts in the sports world.

Griffin has found success in Missoula and has been recognized for it. In 2007, the Osprey were named the top short-season business operation in all of minor league baseball by Baseball America during the Baseball Winter Meetings, and he’s also had the honor to speak at national General Manager Marketing meetings on community involvement and revenue generation. “An integral part of being a successful professional in any industry, let alone baseball is putting in the necessary time both in the classroom and in the field,” says Jeff. “The most challenging part of my job is managing people, I learn something new everyday.”  The 2006 season was a championship season for the Osprey, and in 2009 they fell one game short of earning that title again.

“I preach on a daily basis both in my office and at a national level that one of the most important things to operating my ballclub is taking a genuine interest in improving my community. I or someone on my staff is on nearly every community board in town (and that’s saying a lot because Missoula has more non-profits per capita than any city in the country). Our genuine interest in improving the community comes back tenfold in support of the Osprey.” One of Jeff’s additional duties is running an incentive based reading program for 5,000 area elementary students. “I strive to use the popularity of professional baseball to improve quality of life in Western Montana,” said Jeff. “Having a player development contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, I have little control over of what happens on the field. Whether we lose 8-0 or win 8-0, I want the fans to leave with the same experience and smile on their face. I have to do the things that I can control well….they were greeted when they arrived at the ballpark and directed where to go. Their hot dog was hot, their beer was cold and they won a bunch of free stuff. That is what minor league baseball is all about, bringing communities together for fun, affordable family entertainment.”

One of Jeff’s off-season projects was to produce a series of videos starring Ollie the Osprey the team’s mascot. These are very entertaining videos that are modeled after Seattle Mariners commercials. They were used to promote the Missoula Osprey on YouTube and Facebook.
            

“It’s a picturesque June summer night in Missoula, Montana, and my colleagues and I are hosting a ‘party’ for 3,500 people. After nine months of off-season preparations, the fruits of our labor are being shown as the stands are packed and the ballpark is buzzing with excitement both on and off the field. It is so rewarding to see another full ballpark on opening day, as we bring together the community for a fun, affordable and entertaining event in our efforts to use the popularity of professional baseball to improve the quality of life in Missoula. Moments like these are why I got into this business.”

You can become a fan of the Missoula Osprey on Facebook or visit their team website at missoulaosprey.com