Educator Enters Extra Innings
by Lisa Brandon, Director of Media Relations
Living three hours northeast of St. Louis, lifelong loyal Cardinals baseball fan Tracy Snyder Martz ’78 missed the excitement of watching home games from the stands at Busch Stadium.
“It’s my ‘happy place’,” explained the former English, reading and language arts teacher, who retired in 2017. “It wasn’t unusual for me
to leave school at the end of the work day for a midweek game in St. Louis and arrive
back at home in the wee hours of the morning, so I wouldn’t miss teaching the next
day.”
As her (now adult) children grew older, it became easier for Tracy to take road trips
to games and to spring training during spring break. Family and friends joked that
the Cardinals should just put her on their payroll. What a perfect postretirement
job, she imagined…
Tracy taught for 39 years in Platte City, Mo., and in Waterloo, Belleville, Columbia
and most recently, Peoria, Ill., where she spent the last 15 years of her career.
She and her husband, the Rev. Ron Martz, ’80, live in Chillicothe, Ill., where Ron is the pastor of First United Methodist Church.
The small town lies along the Illinois River north of Peoria.
In spring 2018, the Cardinals’ Class A team, the Peoria Chiefs, advertised for ticket
sellers and ticket takers. Tracy was offered a position, knowing it would cut down
on her trips to Busch Stadium. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals advertised for
ticket sellers and ushers so, with Ron’s encouragement, she applied. While awaiting
the outcome, the Cardinals re-opened interviews for stadium tour guides.
“The nature of the job as a tour guide was too good to be true for this former educator,”
she said. “I jumped at the chance.”
In April 2018, Tracy joined the St. Louis Cardinals Museum and tour staff at Busch
Stadium. She greets guests, answers their questions, and leads tours that include
the home dugout, radio broadcast booth and other areas normally off-limits to the
public. In the Hall of Fame and Museum, visitors can hold bats used by the great Stan
Musial or catcher Yadier Molina, and try on a diamond and-ruby-studded World Series
ring.
“The museum is an amazing experience for any baseball fan,” said Tracy. “The history
of the Cardinals is a rich and storied one, and we are privileged to share that with
fans of all ages.”
While she doesn’t typically encounter players or coaches on the job, the Cardinals
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in August was a memorable exception.
“My morning responsibilities placed me 25 feet from my all-time favorite player, Willie
McGee, as he signed autographs in the museum,” Tracy said. “Later that day, I greeted
Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Mike Shannon, Bob Gibson, Mike Shildt, Whitey Herzog, Chris
Carpenter and many others. It was an unbelievable experience. I’ve also worked a special
event where I greeted guests inside the Cardinals’ clubhouse, dining room and training
room.”
In the off-season, Tracy applies her teaching skills as a facilitator in the Cardinals
Academic Program, or CAP, for children in grades 3-8. Schoolteachers can choose hands-on
activities that integrate the game of baseball with units of study, aligned with Common
Core standards, in math, science, language arts, social studies, history and the arts.
The Cardinals schedule her to work consecutive days whenever possible to minimize
her 190-mile commute from home. She often stays overnight with longtime friends in
Belleville, Ill., where she grew up and where she and Ron served for 15 years at St.
Matthews UMC.
“While some people desire to travel in their retirement years, I’d just as soon spend
my time at Busch Stadium,” said Tracy. “I can now say, ‘I work for the St. Louis Cardinals!’”
Retired teacher Tracy Snyder Martz ’78 shares her knowledge of St. Louis Cardinals baseball with visitors to Busch Stadium.