DMC Teams Trade Desks for Ballparks This Summer

The World Series is in its final stretch, so it's a good time to look back at how DMC teams spent their summer at ballparks across the country. Chicago, Houston and several other offices stepped away from their desks for an evening or an afternoon, and the outings brought the usual baseball staples: stolen bases, hot dogs, home runs and plenty of team bonding in the stands.

A Late-September Game at Wrigley

The Chicago Cubs have played at Wrigley Field for more than a century, and the ballpark still has the feel of a place built for long summer evenings. In late September, DMC's Chicago team joined the generations of fans who have filled its bleachers. The seats sat beneath Wrigley's hand-turned scoreboard, and the view of the outfield was good. The weather was warm for a September night, which helped.

The Cubs were hosting the Miami Marlins, and the game started slowly before picking up in the later innings. A Marlins home run put Miami ahead, and the Cubs answered by tying the score. That gave the DMC crowd something to cheer about. Miami took the lead back for a 3-2 win, but the narrow margin kept the final innings tense right to the end.

Some of the group also kept one eye on a different game. The White Sox were playing in Kansas City that evening, so a handful of team members checked Wrigley's scoreboard periodically to follow the American League result. Neither Chicago club won its game that night, but both eventually advanced to wild-card slots in the postseason. For a group of people who mostly know each other from work channels, that kind of shared scoreboard-watching is a small but useful bonding exercise.

An August Night at Daikin Park

Houston's team went to Daikin Park in August to watch the Astros take on the Los Angeles Angels. Several members of the Houston office attended, and the evening delivered a lot of material for the drive back.

Ricardo Baquerizo, who works in DMC's Houston office, singled out a few highlights. The Astros hit a home run, and there was a fan interference moment when someone in the stands reached down for a ball that was still in play. Rookie Ethan Pecko made his MLB debut and struck out four Angels. Christian Vázquez hit a solo home run to put Houston ahead. Astros manager Joe Espada was ejected after challenging a hit-by-pitch call. The Astros won 3-2, and the Houston group saw all of it from the stands.

Baquerizo also made a point about why these outings matter beyond the box score. "Being outside of work provides a more relaxing environment where we can connect on a more personal level," he said. He added that because the Activity Fund events are planned by DMC team members, they tend to be things people actually want to attend, which keeps the mood easy and the attendance high.

"Being outside of work provides a more relaxing environment where we can connect on a more personal level. I also think that because Activity Fund events are planned by members of the DMC team, they're activities we really enjoy and want to go to! It just contributes to the fun environment where everyone is having a good time."

– Ricardo Baquerizo

Beyond Baseball

Chicago isn't the only office with a strong sports habit. Across the country, DMC teams have been cheering on their home clubs and spending time together outside the office.

The Detroit office is in Corktown, a short distance from the city's major stadiums. Tigers games have become a dependable reason for the team to meet up, often followed by dinner or drinks on a downtown patio. That pattern is easy to recognise in any distributed company: a ballgame gives people a fixed time and place to gather, and the conversation after the game does much of the relationship-building.

The interest extends well past baseball. Earlier this year, the Seattle team cheered on the Seattle Torrent, the city's professional women's hockey team, and the St. Louis office caught a Blues game. This summer, DMC employees also traveled to see World Cup matches, and some team members went across the country to see a game in person. Whether that's watching together in the office, sitting in the stands, or joining a big game remotely, the common thread is the same: shared experiences that sit outside daily project work.

Who's Still in the Running

Chicago's clubs are out of the hunt for the Commissioner's Trophy, but DMC isn't finished with postseason baseball. The Tampa Bay office will be following the Rays as they face the Milwaukee Brewers in the final stretch of the World Series. Here's the thing: baseball season wraps up, but the sports calendar doesn't stop. The team says more outings are planned for the winter, which gives the offices another chance to get out of the building together.