A job in baseball in Florida sounds like a lot of fun. To Natalie Platt, it is a lot of fun, although she takes her duties very seriously.

Platt, 22, is a native of Logansport, Ind., and is a student at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Journalism is her major (with sports marketing and management as her minor). Last year, Platt decided to pursue a baseball internship to combine the things she loves — journalism, the media and sports (especially baseball). Baseball is in her blood. Her grandfather coached Ted Williams and Johnny Pesky (who she got to meet while interning), and her father was a great player at the University of Evansville.

Platt started her quest with the Fort Myers Miracle (part of the Minnesota Twins organization). Her doggedness worked, as she explains, “I literally emailed and called the Miracle until someone got back to me.” Last summer, Platt started as a game day intern. She was involved in the on-field fan interaction events. Platt enjoyed it so much and did so well that she is back, doing a semester internship and staying until the end of the Miracle season.

This season, Platt is “head intern,” with 20 other interns reporting to her. Her duties include typical intern duties but also writing for the Twins’ spring training program and the Miracle in-season programs. Additionally, Platt is in charge of every game promotion. With Mike Veeck (whose motto is “fun is good”) as vice chairman of the Miracle, Platt is sure to get plenty of experience with promotions.

Platt especially loves her writing duties. “I love writing features — there is so much more to an athlete than the team that’s across their chest,” stated Platt. That is a refreshing attitude in the world of sports, and it is proving successful. To further her writing and to chronicle her experience, Platt has started writing a blog. The blog has already garnered a loyal following, which is just another asset Platt brings to the Miracle.

The Miracle management has taken notice of Platt’s efforts. “Natalie has been an extremely important asset to our operations. She is eager to learn and take tasks on without being told what to do. Her instincts and a feel for success set her apart from the majority of interns we hire. We are very lucky to have her as part of the Miracle family,” stated Gary Sharp, media relations director.

After the internship, Platt eventually hopes to be director of media relations for a major league team. With only 30 such possible positions, Platt also has her eyes open for other options, such as working in sports promotion. The Miracle season has begun, and Platt and the promotions staff are busy making sure the fans have even more fun. This might not be Platt’s dream job, but it is a giant step in the right direction!

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist