Florida Baseball State Champs Tampa Jesuit Coach Miguel Menendez

• Grew up in Key West.
• First introduction to baseball through his grandfather and father.
• Grandfather coached Little League and had the first batting cage and pitching machine on the island.
• Playing and Coaching Career in Key West
• Played on successful high school teams, winning a state championship in his senior year.
• Attended University of Tampa to play baseball
• Key West to start coaching & teaching, eventually becoming head coach.
• Transition to Tampa Jesuit
• Tampa Jesuit provided a perfect fit for his faith life, family, and baseball aspirations.
• Emphasis on Jesuit's support and facilities.
• Success at Tampa Jesuit
• Played in five state championships in nine years.
• 2020 season impacted by COVID-19, it was their best team.
• Coaching Philosophy and Challenges
• Emphasis on holistic development of player
• focusing on producing good citizens and human beings.
• Open door policy for communication with parent
• Importance of building lifelong relationships with players.
• Faith plays a crucial role in his coaching career and personal life.
• Decision to move to Tampa Jesuit was also to benefit his family.
• Communication with Parents
  • Advocates for over-communication to avoid confusion and build trust.\
  • Understands parents' perspective as a father of 3 children involved in sports.
• Long-term Impact
  • Cherishes ongoing relationships with former players who reach out for guidance.
  • Highlights the importance of lifelong connections beyond high school.
• Player Development and Success
  • Mentions former players succeeding at the collegiate and professional levels.
  • Pride in seeing former players succeed both on and off the field.
• Community and Legacy
  • Reflects on the legacy of Al Lopez and his contributions to baseball and the Hispanic community.
  • Personal connection to the local baseball history and its impact on his coaching career.

· Importance of Jesuit Values

• Emphasis on students at Jesuit developing success in sports and beyond
• Sports as a tool for social interaction and teamwork
• Lifelong lessons from sports
• Back-to-back Tony Saladino tournament championships

· Notable Alumni & Role Models F

• Camden Minacci in the Angels organization
• Progression from freshman team to potential major league pitcher
• Testimony to work ethic and personal growth
• Bennett Lee’s influence and contributions
• Introduction of book club to foster team culture
• Alumni involvement in current team’s development
  Financial Accessibility
• Jesuit’s need-based financial aid and the step-up program
• Value of Jesuit education
• Cutting son from the team
• Difficult decision but ultimately beneficial for his son
• Life lessons learned and application beyond baseball

· Guidance for Players

• Helping players navigate college recruitment & career opportunities
• Importance of character development over just athletic performance
• Jesuit baseball approach in developing well-rounded individuals
• The importance of making difficult decisions for the greater good of the team and individual growth
• Great fellow coaches and friends Tim Knowles, Mike Swenson, Louie Martinez, Ryan Stanley, Daniel Gibson, Terry Rupp

Special Thanks to Williams Ross Chernoff's Nomads for the music Makie Elkino
Notes generated in part by DeScript

Florida Bolts 5 teams give young girls from 8 to 18 the opportunity to play in all girl baseball tournaments. Brooke & Lily Greene share their stories about their team and more possibilities for women in the game like the BFA Nationals.

• Brooke and Lily Greene, who are involved with the Florida Bolts girls' baseball organization, discussing their passion for women and girls' baseball.
• Brooke Greene took over the Florida Bolts organization in January 2022.
• She was introduced to girls' baseball by a friend and was surprised by the number of girls interested in the sport.
• Started with one team and now has five teams,
• Importance of girls playing in both all-girl tournaments & local leagues to raise awareness about girls playing baseball.
• Cost prohibitive nature of travel ball and how the Florida Bolts try to keep costs low through sponsorships and fundraising.
• Lily hopes for the game to grow and be more welcoming to women.
• Brooke's love for baseball stems from her family's involvement

Building Support for Women's Baseball

• Need for more support and visibility for women's baseball, suggesting the creation of a separate women's league.
• Brooke encourages perseverance in the face of challenges, emphasizing the talent and dedication of girls in baseball.

Future Outlook

• Lily aims for a baseball scholarship or a career in sports management.
• Brooke envisions retired MLB players with daughters investing in women's baseball to propel it forward.
• Potential impact of Derek Jeter's involvement in supporting women's baseball, highlighting the need for strong leadership and collaboration to advance the sport.

Challenges in Women's Baseball

• Lack of cohesiveness among girls' baseball organizations, noting the presence of several independent teams without a unified goal.
• Importance of collaboration and a shared vision to establish a women's baseball league

Florida Bolts' Activities

• BFA Nationals in Kentucky, & the DMV series in Maryland.
• Team's efforts to host an all-girls baseball clinic sponsored by the Tampa Bay Rays, aimed at promoting the sport and providing skills training to participants.

Future Outlook Florida Bolts

• Need a Summit akin to MLB's winter meetings to bring together various women's baseball organizations
• Importance of fundraising and sponsorships for the Florida Bolts
• Lily encourages perseverance and dedication, urging listeners to stay true to themselves and keep pushing forward.
• Brooke reiterates the need for continued momentum and collaboration to make women's baseball a reality, emphasizing the impact of community support in achieving this goal.
• Discover more about the Florida Bolts Girls Baseball teams and support them @ www.floridabolts.squarespace.com
  Or reach out to them at Floridaboltsbaseball@yahoo.com

Mark can be found on Twitter @TheBaseballBiz & at
Special Thank you to
William Ross Chernoff's Nomads for the Music
Makie Elkino
Originally broadcast on March 25, 2024 on BaseballBiz On Deck

Author, Rick Vaughn, "100 years of Baseball on St. Petersburg's Waterfront. How the Game Helped Shape a City" discusses Al Lang & the evolution of MLB Spring Training in St. Pete. Rick’s front office career spans the Orioles, Redskins & Vice President of Communications with the Tampa Bay Rays. #RaysUp

• Baltimore, rolling out Camden Yards
• Rick's book of baseball stories - "100 years of Baseball on St. Petersburg's Waterfront. How the Game Helped Shape a City"
• Al moved to St. Petersburg for his health & fell in love with the community
• Brought the best teams to St Petersburg - Boston Braves, New York Yankees, St Louis Cardinals & . . .
• Keeping it fresh - Boston Braves depart St Pete on Tuesday & Al has a new team, the St. Cardinals in place by Saturday
• Babe Ruth's Train
• Tampa paid Cubs to bring their spring training to the city
• Al Lang, philanthropy
• The Depression, Spring Training & the impact on St. Pete
• Babe Ruth & St. Pete, a love affair
• Yankees moved team from New Orleans to turn down the Babe’s night life
• All Children’s hospital recipient of Ruth’s generosity
• Minor League Map of Florida - watching up & coming players
• 1968 - 29 future Hall of Famers in Al Lang Field
• 90 Tampa natives that have played Major League Baseball
• Seaver & Gooden both playing in Tampa high schools simultaneously
• minor league players in Tampa - Justin Crawford with the Threshers
• 1960 the death of Al Lang
• Fighting Segregation in Tampa Bay Baseball - Bill White & Dr. Ralph Wimbish,
• Cardinals brought all players, managers & families under one roof in St. Pete
• Did Florida lose spring training teams to Arizona due to segregation?
• Al Lang & Rick Vaughn strong champions of the game
• prepping for the launch of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
• Buck Showalter or Socha could have possibly been the first Rays GM
• Rays original Owner & GM had not worked in baseball
• What makes a great ballpark experience in an outdoor open ballpark
• Rays future stadium should honor the past & deliver a park with modern day amenities
• Build a Rays stadium in Ybor reflecting the history of Ybor & the cigar factories
• Tampa Bay needs a champion for baseball and the Tampa Bay Rays
• Wade Boggs stories at Al Lopez field & Tino Martinez working in cigar factory
• Tampa baseball with the Cubs & Red Sox
• Augustus Busch Jr, owner of St. Louis Cardinals brought Busch Gardens to Tampa

Rick's book on Amazon @
"100 years of Baseball on St. Petersburg's Waterfront. How the Game Helped Shape a City"
Please like, subscribe and remark. Let us know your thoughts about the show.
Special Thanks to William Ross Chernoff's Nomads for Makie Elkino
Originally broadcast on July 28, 2023 on BaseballBiz On Deck