Colleagues and mentors, a willingness to learn and take on new challenges and capitalize on the organization’s policy to promote from within has fueled St. Peter’s rise to becoming one of only 30 individuals who are presidents of major league baseball teams, but so, too, is an extraordinary work ethic. His enthusiasm to work virtually every day of the year, either at the dome, his home or while traveling is not something he boasts about or even says is unique among people in the baseball workforce. Baseball begins on the field in spring training in February and the season and playoffs last into October. People on the business side of the game often log even longer hours in the off-season when there is even more work to do than during the season.
“If you work in baseball, you better bring work ethic,” St. Peter said. “Because if you don’t, you won’t last long. This (baseball) is a monster. It’s not the country club of the NFL, or even the world of the NBA or the NHL. That’s not to knock those (organizations); it’s just that this is a much bigger commitment time wise. I always tell young people if you are going to get into baseball, you need to make sacrifices, and they kind of look at me funny. And I have to describe to them what it means, but you do have to spend time away from family, friends and things that you want to do. …”
On request he speaks about his career to individuals and to groups every year and has a frustration with the sense of entitlement many young people have, a feeling they are owed a rewarding and enjoyable job. “I don’t know if people are willing to go out and run the Hub Pro Shop to get where they want to be, and that’s what I preach to people,” St. Peter said. “You get to where you want to be (but) you’re not going to come through the front door, or a side door. It’s probably going to be the back door. You’re going to have to keep your head down, keep working hard and have faith in your skills.”