With baseball season approaching, hundreds line up for Fresno Grizzlies job fair

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Grizzlies are gearing up for a new season and hundreds are lining up to take a swing at some job openings.

The turnstiles were already flipping at Chukchansi Park Saturday, two months before the calendar reaches baseball season. But the folks are hoping the Grizzlies have their ticket to a job.

"All part-time, hourly jobs, but they're good jobs," coordinator Paul Braverman said. "They're really great jobs as far as part-time seasonal employment goes."

From working at the Grizzlies Store to the promo crew to food and beverage, the team has 400 jobs to offer. And people of all ages and backgrounds lined up, hoping to hit a home run in their first interview.

"I love working with people. I'm really friendly," job seeker Sabrina Hernandez said. "I think that'll be a great opportunity for a first job for me."

"Actually, I can do any of these things," said Julie Faith, who attended the job fair. "But whatever they want me to do, I'll do it."

Almost everyone we talked to said they're here partly because they love baseball, but it's not a box they have to check off on the application.

"You don't have to be a baseball diehard to work here," Braverman said. "We don't quiz anybody on Derek Jeter's batting average in 1996 or how many home runs Barry Bonds hit."

Jeter hit .314 that year and he hit 762 homers.

"The majority of people who work here, they're sports fans," Braverman said. "But they're really fans of Downtown Fresno, first and foremost."

Some of the team's full-timers are already hard at work at 2017 promos. They'll reveal those right before single-game tickets go on sale on March 1, but here's a tease for you: The Grizzlies will get hats and jerseys and a promotional event with a long-running TV cartoon series.

The regular season starts at home on April 6.