BaseballBiz On Deck

• USAWNT Baseball Player – Beth Greenwood - Women in Baseball
• Player Development Coach 
• Won the Championship with the Comets at the AmericanGirlsBaseball.org
• Path to the USAWNT Baseball team
• Making the 40 player team with Ila Borders, Meggie Meidlinger, Tamara Holmes
• Competition to make it to the final roster becomes more challenging year after year
• Catchers the Managers of tomorrow
• Al Lopez, historic catcher/manager at Tampa Baseball Museum
• Catchers like Veronica Alvarez who took the tough job when others deferred in youth baseball
• Facing the hard throwing pitchers
• Making adjustments – getting tighter and tighter to the plate 
• Beth working with Player Development in Phillies program / Jersey Shore Blue Claws
• What is Player Development – Helping Players to advance to the big leagues through game planning, nutrition, 
• Excitement for development of a Women’s Professional Baseball League 
• Professional League will give women a full-time job to focus on being an athlete and will increase the level of play 
• Many women who play baseball need an alternate source for income. Some who have become architects, coaches & firefighters like Veronica Alvarez, Tamara Holmes, Valerie Perez
• Womens Professional Baseball League, Kat Williams & Leslie Heaphy 
• Jason Varitek of Boston Red Sox was Beth’s baseball favorite catcher as a youngster
• Later Beth later looked to USAWNT players for favorite players
• Rachel Balkovec – wore a lot of hats to advance in baseball strength coach, batting coach, manager of Tampa Tarpons, now director of Player Development for the Marlins
• While working with the Threshers, a Phillies affiliate Beth met Rachel Balkovec
• Benches emptied between Threshers & Tarpons – a lot of emotion
• Baseball Travel what a calendar year looks like
• Beth is playing at Roy Hobbs tournament this week in Fort Myers Florida
• A fly on the wall in the 40’s & 50’s listen to AAGPBL players
• Maybelle Blair, Shirley Burkovich are some of the AAGPBL legends that Beth has met
• Future of Women’s Professional Baseball League
• Look into the future with Michael Goodmon toward a Women’s League
• Hope that all Women’s baseball groups can come together to make a league happen
• Beth remembers playing in 2011 with Baseball for All girls teams & tournament
• Greenwood’s performance with the Comets at AGB, Durham
• Beth recounts 7th inning of tournament Bases loaded, full count, payoff pitch, foul tip into Beth’s glove 
• Roy Hobbs tournament this weekend in Fort Myers - https://royhobbs.com/world-series/schedules/women-team

References:
Beth catches for the Comets in this championship game - https://www.mlb.com/video/agb-peaches-vs-agb-comets-138730  - check out at 2:23 timestamp for top of 7th.
Third Annual All-American Women’s Baseball Classic Results - https://americangirlsbaseball.org/third-annual-all-american-womens-baseball-classic/ 

Mark is on BlueSky at @baseballbizondeck.bsky.social & and at  http://www.baseballbizondeck.com

Special thank s to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward

• Hurricane Brain in Tampa Bay
• Pinellas County Commission vote to not vote on Rays stadium bond
• Where does the county funds come from to build a new stadium
• Timeline of approval of Rays deal with both the City of St Pete & Pinellas county
• County Bed Tax – can only be used for tourism – cannot be used for renourishing the beaches
• Timelines & Delays are not helped by Stu’s antagonistic communications
• Commissioner Brian Scott – shows disappointment with Stu & Tampa Bay Times’ headlines “End of the stadium deal?
• Reflect Reds Castellini & White Sox Reinsdorf poor communications
• When Billionaires speak people listen
• Need Erik Neander to negotiate
• MLB teams as a tax haven
• Quebec govt putting on a $875 million roof for their stadium
• Other options for Rays – Montreal, Nashville &
• County Commissioners Brian Scott & Kathleen Peters – Rays stadium investment will be a generational & transformative action for the future
• “reeks of corporate selfishness” a commissioner’s remarks of Rays recent media tactic
• Is it Rays strategy to motivate commissioners to vote no & give Stu option to move Rays
• What if MLB Commissioner, Rob Manfred, visited Tampa Bay and brokered a deal with Rays & Yankees at Steinbrenner Field, add 5,000 site
• Pinellas fields not suitable for the Rays to hold their 2025 season
• Blue Jays 2020 @ Sahlen field
• Jose Siri traded to New York Mets, for reliever Eric Orze
• Will Chandler Simpson a roster spot
• Could Dylan Carlson replace Siri
• Willie Adames – ex-Ray – declines Brewers qualifying offer
• Could Willy land with Dodgers or Tigers – what about Javy Baez
• Angels should release Francisco Lindor bring in Adames – Eeyore to Tigger move
• Bret Phillips now a pitcher and a future as a broadcaster
• BallySports - FanDuel – Diamond Team Broadcasting
• Utah Jazz - unique model, broadcasts local games live and is still profitable
• Perth Heat – Australian Baseball League – Tampa Bay Rays
• Eyes on Angel Mateo
• Post-season viewing & reading Beyond baseball:
• Mat:  It’s not all about Batman – The Penguin & the Marvelous Miss Maisel
• Mark: Ila Borders book – Making my Pitch &  watching Saint of Second Chances
• Roki Sasaki in the Rays future?
• What would Rays rotation look like with Sasaki
• How will stadium issues impact Free Agents attraction to the Tampa Bay Rays
• Reflect on Nate Eovaldi & Wilson Ramos signings as players who came to the Rays as they needed to rebuild their value
• Expect the Rays to be aggressive in possibly bringing on Danny Jansen or Kyle Higashioka – revenge on the Yankees
• Rays will show that they are ready to compete in 2025 if they keep Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz, Jeffrey Springs & Pete Fairbanks
• Ken Hagan on WDAE – talks about the City of Tampa’s early offer to keep the Rays

Thanks to Mat Germain for bringing his knowledge, wit and wisdom to the show. You can catch more of Mat on BlueSky @matgermain.bsky.social

Mark can be found on BlueSky at @baseballbizondeck.bsky.social & and at  http://www.baseballbizondeck.com

BaseballBiz is on iheartradio, Stitcher, Apple, and Spotify

Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward

 World Series Game 5 Expectations

•  Dodgers’ unexpected struggle to close out the series, 
• Freddie Freeman's impact: Mat highlights Freeman’s impressive streak with six home runs across six World Series games, 
• Yankees’ Comeback Attempt: Anthony Volpe energized the Yankees, k
• Ohtani's Injury and Resilience with arm  - Mat reflects on Ohtani’s ability to play while injured, likening his resilience to legends like Vlad Guerrero.
• Aaron Judge's Struggles and Adjustments
• Dodgers’ Pressure and Rotation Challenges
•  Future Outlook Yankees' 2025 Roster Outlook & 
  • Payroll
  • Young Talent on the Horizon
• Future of AL East Competition - The Orioles as Potential Favorites
• Tension for the Dodgers in Game 5 
• Dodgers' Pitching Woes and World Series Strategy:
• Pitching Staff Injuries:  Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Clayton Kershaw.
• Three-Pitcher Strategy: 
• Brent Honeywell's Dedication: commitment to helping Mookie Betts out of a slump, highlighting the dedication and team spirit essential in high-stakes playoff moments.
• Mookie Betts Post-Game Focus: he downplays fan drama to focus on the team’s performance.
• Fan Behavior and Stadium Etiquette
• Impact on Future Fans: Both hosts reflect on the importance of modeling good behavior to foster a respectful stadium environment.
• World Series Sweeps: 21 World Series have ended in sweeps, with the Yankees involved in over half of these.
• Fun with Baseball Stats: 
• Pre-Game and Post-Game Performances:
• Ice Cube and Fat Joe Performances: Is it worth the ticket. Does this attract a younger audience?
•  Babyface - National Anthem Performances and Commentary
• Memorable Moments and Player Challenges
•  Shohei Ohtani’s underwhelming playoff performance and Mat’s admiration for Kike Hernández’s underrated postseason consistency. 
• Documentary: See Her, Be Her
• WPBL Women’s Baseball Progress and New Leagues
•  Baseball for All, a women’s baseball organization led by Justine Siegal, and the development of the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) slated for a 2026 launch. Mat and Mark discuss the potential for growth and visibility of women’s sports
• Mat on Funding and Broadcasting Women’s Baseball
• National Exposure and Strategic Marketing of Women in Baseball
• Upcoming Events: Arizona Fall League & Australian Baseball League
• Game 5 starting with Shohei Ohtani’s recent first-pitch pop-out in good spirits.
  
  
• Thanks to Mat Germain for bringing his knowledge, wit and wisdom to the show. You can catch more of Mat on Twitter x.com @Mat_Germain_   
   Mark can be found on Twitter x.com  @TheBaseballBiz & and at  http://www.baseballbizondeck.com
  Subscribe, follow and rate the show. Thank you.
  BaseballBiz is on iheartradio, Stitcher, Apple, and Spotify
  Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward"

Milton debris and cleanup in Tampa Bay continues

#RaysUp - Tampa Bay Rays offering support to local community

Avoid burning debris

What happens to the TB Rays without a roof 

Rays not moving to the big O in Montreal – potential for MLB expansion team

Canadian Baseball History – Montreal Expos most HOF’ers  per season

Evan Longoria & Kevin Kiermaier franchise players

Effective Defense players are not being weighed enough for HOF’ers

Automated Check Swing Challenge begins in Arizona Fall League

Need a new rule - "No Balks", we need to increase the trickery from the mound, give the pitcher a gift after shortening distance between the bases

Ex-Rays in the Weorld Series from the Dodgers include Brent Honeywell, Tyler Glasnow, Kevin Kiermaier, Anthony Banda, Amed Rosario

Brett Phillips signs a minor league contract with the Yankees as a pitcher

Brent Honeywell, Kevin Kiermaier & Anthony Banda were picked up by the Dodgers after many had given up on him

Will Kiermaier pick up a World Series ring after several years in the game

Blue Eyes, A Kevin Kiermaier baseball movie? Who would you pick to play KK, Jake Gyllenhaal?

Yankees, Nestor Cortes would trade his arm for a year for a World Series ring

Which ex-Rays would receive a ring if the Dodgers win World Series, Tyler Glasnow, Anthony Banda, Ryan Yarbrough, Brent Honeywell, JP Feyereisen, Kevin Kiermaier, Amed Rosario

Who receives a World Series rings with the winning team

Chris watching the Mets & Dodgers – are you Mets fans

World Series tickets for Game 3 ranging from  $1,320 to $5093 on Ticketmaster

How much have Dodgers spent from 2021 – 2024 to get back to the World Series

Juan Soto will be a free agent next season, Cortes will be free agent in 2025

What changes will Yankees make for 2025 season, Anthony Rizzo will probably not be back, Cortes likely to return, Trent Grisham, Lou Trevino, Clark Schmidt & others

Who is hungriest to have Juan Soto on their team

All Rise, Here comes the Judge. Soto can never supplant Aaron Judge as the lead for the Yankees

What will Giants, Angels & others be doing to pull Juan Soto to their team.

If Mets surrender Alonso would they use that money to pick up Yankees’ Juan Soto

How would Yankees fans respond if Soto does not sign with them

Ohtani v Judge in postseason stats

The Athletic writers seem split on World Series pick – coin toss

Big Dollars built unique powerful large markets like LA & NY that overrides smaller markets

Shania Twain – You don’t impress me much 

Smaller markets like Milwaukee & Tampa need a chance to compete in MLB

No Cinderella was invited to the MLB World Series, Large markets & Large money reign

Women in Baseball - Jean Fruth documentary See Her, Be Her, #SeeHerBeHer on MLB network between Games 2 & 3 of World Series

#RaysUp what’s up with the Trop where will the team play home games in 2025

Montreal Expos trip to Puerto Rico – would Rays consider playing games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium during rainy season, seats 18,000

Omaha – Charles Schwab field, 24,000 capacity

Orlando, Charlotte, Al Lang – closer to home options

Benefits & exposure to new fans if Rays play home games at other sites

Will the City of St. Pete provide funding to replace the roof for the Rays?

Giant Sun Umbrella for the Trop

Arizona Fall League, Xavier Isaac playing outfield & Tre Morgan both performing well

2 weeks away from player transition bonanza

Australian League to start up in a few weeks, Perth Heat

 You can find Mat on Twitter x.com @Mat_Germain_   

Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forw

Randy Sullivan CEO of Randy Sullivan’s Florida Baseball ARMory (FBA) has made a positive difference in several players’ lives. The FBA provides full individual assessment of all players and tailors a strategy that will increase their personal performance. Randy develops players that can combine Velocity & Command in their pitches.

• Randy began his path in Division 1 Baseball at the Citadel to now being a Pitching Guru. His career moved from Air Force to Nuclear Silos to Physical Therapy in Florida Baseball circuit to FBA.
• He went undercover to discover what Baseball Scouts to find what they were looking for in a pitcher.  Answer: Throw harder.
• As physical therapist and strength coach Randy began looking for a way to break the cycle from Injury to Play to Injury
• Much of FBA’s success can be attributed to Business Partner, Amy Marsh. She made a difference managing & growing the business from the beginning.
• Island of Misfit Pitchers begins to become Hot Bed of Talent at FBA
• “There is not just one solution” unique development for each pitcher – individual analysis of player’s physical hardware
• Randy’s medical background allows him to do a deeper dive on how to develop speed & accuracy with over 29,000 player assessments
• Humble Guy from Winter Park, Logan Gilbert, entered Florida Baseball ARMory to increase his pitching ability. Logan, recent AL East pitcher of the Month has been one of the most consistent hard workers that Randy knows. 
• Traditionally, many coaches and managers had worked on a faulty strategy of minimizing movement to maximize efficiency. This robbed players of their athleticism. 
• Players develop ability to make rapid adjustments much like an Olympic athlete in the Luge
• Which is the best Velocity or Command? Randy says he wants both for his pitchers.
• Randy shares the hierarchy of development for pitchers – Pain, Flame, Aim & Game
• The Flame or Aim  = Fastball or Command – these 2 are conjoined & Randy teaches how to have both in a single pitch
• Randy still catches in pros bullpen to get a better feel for the shape of the player’s pitches
• Florida Baseball ARMory instructors give guided individual plan for each player
• FBA Summer Training Programs, Weekend Camps & Video Access to their work. 
• Access to FBA with satellite training & phone app
• FBA provides Coach Certification with over 500 training videos 
• Creativity – bringing in ideas from different places and develop something new
• Linking “Nerds to Neanderthals”
• Randy educates his players by showing his students the process and strategy while developing trust and a path to building their success.  
• FBA Partner, Amy Marsh runs the business continues to be critical to the growth and success of FBA as they expand into their new facilities. 
• Summer Camps coming up

Players can enroll in Randy Sullivan’s Florida Baseball Armory programs at https://floridabaseballarmory.com/baseball-training-camps/  

BaseballBiz is also on iheartradio, Stitcher, Apple, Spotify & Google podcasts
Mark @TheBaseballBiz  
Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music "Rocking Forward

Canadian Thanksgiving

Thank you to our Canadian friends and those who came from across the U.S. to aid and help from Canada to the Florida area post-Milton

Halifax Explosion

Tropicana Field – shredding of the roof

The rays in the aqua tank survived  and have been moved to the Aquarium

Revisit the Tampa Bay Rays timeline on when & where they could have moved

If the City of St. Pete had not signed with the Rays, It would have given MLB & Rays ownership ability to move the Tampa Bay Rays to another city

What will Rays and Florida do to make the region better and stronger to withstand some of the force from future weather

Tampa General Hospital -  AquaWall

Building new houses & structures with new hurricane building codes

Netherlands model in building dikes as a prevention to hurricanes

Water levels rising will create more difficulties for the future

Climate change choosing to acknowledge

What impact has Milton had on Spring Training, recreation & Little League fields

All-American Women’s Classic in Durham, NC – top female athletes 

Looking forward to seeing more opportunities for women in baseball 

Jean Fruth – capturing moments in the game See Her, Be Her - Documentary to run between Game 2 & Game 3 of World Series

World Series ex-Rays who are in the postseason, Brent Honeywell, Phil Maton, Alex Cobb, etc, etc 

Kevin Kiermaier with the Dodgers, Tommy Pham with the Mets, Kyle Manzardo with the Guardians, Jake Cronenworth with the Padres

Big dollars have built some of the final teams in the postseason

Most fans want to see the Dodgers in the World Series 

Outside of Guardians it looks like big spenders will be the only ones at the World Series table

AAGPBL – used to rebuild teams each season to balance out talent between teams

MLB rule changes have been at the benefit of the larger teams – penalties for overspending has been minimal.

Team ownership of Green Bay Packers & Atlanta Braves allows individuals to buy into the team. Not just one sole ownership of the team

The Public Trust of newspapers historically, and good objective reporting

News is supposed to be based in fact – has news been vetted by enough sources – looking beyond the self-contained glass bubble

Today several “news” operations have been purchased by owners with a political interest and use these as a tool to promote their view of the world. “Experts” are not always experts.

Many sports news outlets do not have someone covering the Rays. 

Sources of information should be thought-provoking. . Reading the paper makes us more educated and involved

Basic Journalism methods – do your homework and have more than one verifiable source for good news reporting.

GroundNews Network App a great source for identifying news sources, political leanings, accuracy 

Arizona Field League (AFL)  which is managed by MLB – 6 teams in the league, each AFL team has a roster from a combined 5 MLB affiliated teams. Rosters are mostly strong prospects 

The AFL team, Mesa Solar Sox, has a roster from 5 teams Chicago Cubs, Oakland A’s, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Rays

2 young players in Rays system in the AFL:
Xavier Isaac easy strength will hit a lot of Home Runsan eye on Tre Morgan 

Australian Baseball League (ABL) not affiliated with MLB  –  Rays sent to the Perth Heat team include: Jhon Diaz, Carlos Colmenarez, Angel Luis Mateo,  Enderson Delgado

 You can find Mat on Twitter x.com @Mat_Germain_   

Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Roc

Get Ready for the Third Annual All-American Women’s Baseball Classic 

Blackout Baseball to watch with MLB.tv & Bally subscriptions
How to not successfully market baseball

Once 35 million viewers for each game of the World Series. Now down to 9 million viewers per game. Why are the fans leaving and where are they going

Diamond Bankruptcy– Bally Sports & Amazon Prime Monday Night Baseball

How many services do you need or can afford to watch baseball or football? Apple, DAZN, ESPN, Peacock, Amazon

Cord-cutters from the days of strikes left the game never to return

MLB.tv package had include Playoff games but now expects fans to pay more after watching for the entire regular season

What if MLB solely managed all broadcasts and could offer fans

“Watching” MLB postseason Wild Card game through play by play on the phone

Brockmeyer universe enters into MLB future?

Savannah Bananas baseball

Baseball is a Romantic sport – Take me out to the ballgame, family event at the ballpark

Need more events like the “Field of Dreams” games that MLB has developed

Fans should consider spending their time with Minor League team games, Little League, Recreation League and American League games

Helene’s impact – on families, homes, rebuilding, insurance – may also change the landscape of teams and their fields.

Mat – prior to Helene, Water levels had gone up 6 inches since 1991 – On top of that storm surges

All-American Women’s Baseball Tournament.
 Olympic level talent playing with 4 teams – it could become a new League of their own Donate or Buy Tickets #ALOTO 
#RockfordPeaches, IWBC, #KenoshaComets, #FortWayneDasies @AAGPBL

Orioles season has come to a close – Gunnar Henderson last strike out of 2024 in 2nd Wild Card game.

O’s traded a lot of top talent this year, but also picked up Zach Eflin &others

Orioles fans expected more. We had high hopes for them a

Miami Marlins clears the decks on all coaches after Schumacher’s departure.

What were Marlins going to do after departures of Derek Jeter & Kim Ng?

Peter Bendix putting his stamp on the the Marlins

Yankee-isms, My Way or the Highway past philosophy?

Reflect on 2018 when Rays Way changed everything and similarities with Marlins

Skip Schumacher should be picked up by Montreal Blue Jays or the Rockies

Mariners – still have never made it to the World Series

Mariner Factors: Injuries, Travel Schedule, Cry Poor, Jerry DiPoto

Mat is ready to bring Ichiro in as a Manager for the Mariners

AL Post Season Series – Yankees & Royals face-off

Pete Rose – Mat got to see him in Montreal at the end of Pete’s career

ROY – 1963, played 16 years with the Reds, MVP & World Series, Amazing BA, Gold Glover, Big Red Machine. He could have retired at 37 years old. Played 24 years in baseball. Finished career with a .303 average

Pete’s Heart & Soul – played over 200 more games than any other player in history

Ongoing media on Pete’s gambling overwhelms what he achieved as a player

Johnny Bench – Pete’s apology

Age 37 to 42 Pete lowered his strike out percentage 

Let’s build a Pete Rose museum across from Cooperstown

Australian Baseball League starting soon

Dodgers/Yankees World Series?

Watching highlights of the postseason games as we cannot afford to buy one more service to watch baseball.

All-American Women's Baseball Classic
Donate at https://bit.ly/3G4lcPY   

Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forw

• Women's Baseball World Cup: 6 elite women's baseball teams (Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, China Taipei, USA) competed at the World Cup in Thunder Bay, Ontario, August 2024.
• USA vs Japan: Japan's 39-game winning streak (since 2012) ended when Team USA defeated them in extra innings, with Meggie Meidlinger pitching the final 2 1/3 innings to seal the victory.
• Meggie's Experience: Meggie shares her pride in representing the USA, how the team of 20 athletes worked together, and her personal experiences in the high-stakes game against Japan.
• Teamwork & Preparation: Meggie emphasizes the intense preparation, roles, and teamwork necessary to face top-tier international teams, describing it as fitting together like a puzzle.
• Pitching as a Closer: The mental intensity of a closer was discussed, with Meggie drawing parallels to the mindset of MLB pitcher Pete Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Tournament Achievements: Team USA brought home silver, moving from a 4th to 2nd world ranking. Meggie also highlights individual accomplishments within the team, including awards for Best RBI and Best Win/Loss Average.
• Future Goals: Now that the World Cup is over, the players are transitioning into the off-season, focusing on personal development and training for the next round of competitions.
• Notable Quotes: Every time I get to represent USA across my chest is an absolute honor." - Meggie Meidlinger
• Personal Projects: Beyond baseball, Meggie continues her work in architecture and missionary work in Uganda through the organization Baseball at Heart, which promotes girls' baseball.
  https://www.instagram.com/baseball_at_heart/
• Baseball in Uganda: Meggie discusses her involvement with Baseball at Heart, a girls' baseball organization in Uganda, and the positive impact they are making. Listeners can support the organization via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/baseball_at_heart/.
• @MLBDevelops Initiatives: Meggie highlights her participation in MLB’s programs like GRIT, EDI, Trailblazer Series, and Breakthrough aimed at identifying and developing young female baseball talent in the U.S.
• Trailblazing Women in Baseball: Making waves including Olivia Pichardo at Brown University and Kelsie Whitmore with the Oakland Ballers.
• Remembering Mamie "Peanut" Johnson: Meggie shares her cherished memories of meeting Mamie Peanut Johnson, one of the first women to play in the Negro Leagues. They discuss her trailblazing legacy and what it meant to be a female pitcher in a male-dominated sport.
• ·The All-American Girls Tournament: Looking ahead to the upcoming  tournament in Durham, NC, Mark and Meggie talk about the growth of the tournament, the talent on display, and their hopes for the future of women's baseball.
• ·Baseball History: The episode also explores legendary players like Jackie Robinson and the overlooked history of women in baseball, including stories like Jackie Mitchell, who famously struck out Babe Ruth.
• Shu Shu Wirth project, a standout player from the Blue Sox, who stole 89 bases in one season and left a lasting mark on the game.
• Giving Back to the Game: with Baseball at Heart 
• Learn more on Facebook about Baseball at Heart

All-American Women’s Baseball Classic being held in Durham, October 11-13

Several of the players will be from the WBSC women baseball champions will be there to play. 
Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward"&l

Mat_Germain_ & Mark at BaseballBiz On Deck take a look at the closing of 2024 season and the future of the Rays.
Tampa Bay facing hurricane Helene strong winds, storm surges – stay safe
2019 Rays won 96 games and spent 60 million
2024 Rays exceed $100 million and they don’t make the playoffs
Rays strategy to spend less and perform better has been proven
Winning streak was needed
Missing LH Bats
Jonathan Aranda, shining star at the end of the season for Rays. His hitting abilities can make a difference for the Rays future

Rays are pleased with Siri defensively & hope for more consistency at bat

Siri is a good value for $1 million – but keep your eyes open on who may be coming up through the Rays Minor League 

Bowling Green Hot Rods won their league championship

Chandler Simpson – 103 Stolen bases with the Montgomery Biscuits

Minor League love to Mike Birling & Durham Bulls organization for hosting the All-American Women’s Baseball Classic October 11 – 14th

WBSC – Women’s Baseball World Cup Championship. Japan won the Gold, The US won the Silver and Canada the Bronze.

Canadian, Sena Catterall won 3 WBSC Individual awards  - Most Stolen Bases (6), Most Runs Scored (9), and Best Defensive Player

MLB Wild Card Standings who has Clinched a spot for the post-season,
National League Division winners include the Brewers & Phillies. Dodgers are leading the West with 94 wins. Top NL Wild Card contenders include: Padres, Mets, Diamondbacks. The Atlanta Braves nipping away with 1 game back behind the D-backs

American League Division winners include the Astros & Guardians with the Yankees as the likely AL East division champs.  The Baltimore Orioles have clenched a playoff spot with the Tigers, Royals and maybe the Twins & Royals as potential playoff teams.
Cinderella Stories?  - The Tigers are looking good and what about those Mets
X-Rays still likely in contention from the Brewers, Matt Arnold, Willie Adames & Jake Bauers, Tobias Meyers, Hobie Milner & Tyler Black
What will 2025 look hold for the Catching position

Logan Driscoll’s potential for the future  - 

A look back at past catchers & injuries with Wilson Ramos, Travis d’Arnaud & Mike Zunino

Kenny Piper has a lot of power and gets a lot of key hits in clutch situations

Dominic Keegan  - could he become an option – maybe starting at AAA for 2025

How will Catcher’s framing skills be impacted by an electronic strike zone

Maybe the catcher will become a 2nd DH position

Pitchcom, collisions at the plate, electronic strike zones may change catching position to a Utility Player

Shohei Ohtani – can a DH Offense only player be a MVP winner. Will the 50 home runs / 50 stolen bases be enough for Ohtani to win the MVP.

Even Babe Ruth could not overcome what Ohtani has been achieving

Who could be other AL MVP considerations – Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson

“The Ohtani” award

Ohtani will want to return to the mound.

Thanks to the Rays Minor Leaguers including the Bowling Green Hot Rods 

Build MLB popularity by putting all team levels under 1 roof 

Australian Baseball League

A gift the Rays with a 6-man rotation

Mat would like to see a real team leader on the team and recommend Pete Alonso. What a difference it would make for the Rays’s franchise.

Arizona Fall League will see Xavier Isaac & Tre Morgan from the Rays

All-American Women’s Baseball Classic being held in Durham, October 11-13

Several of the players will be from the WBSC women baseball champions will be there to play
 You can find Mat on Twitter x.com @Mat_Germain_   

Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward"

• Philip Wrigley, Cubs executive, begins a Women’s Softball League. 
• Wrigley would be 1 of 3 executives, including Branch Rickey, to launch the AAGPBL
• Joe Boland, South Bend Tribune Sports Editor & AAGPBL legendary pitcher Jean Faut
• Arthur Meyerhoff invites Merrie to dig through the basement files & letters in the Wrigley Building for her research.
• Merrie completes AAGPBL thesis after 4 years of research in 1976
• June “Lefty” Peppas – 1st base & pitcher for the Kalamazoo Lassies asks to print & circulate Merrie Fidler’s thesis amongst other AAGPBL players
• Peppas prepares the first national AAGBPL reunion in Chicago, July 1982. Reunions begin to spread across the U.S.
• Petition Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame to have AAGBPL – Fall of 1988 HOF launches AAGBPL
• Documentary of league –  Kelly Candaele & Kim Wilson  “A League of Their Own” PBS documentary 
• Penny Marshall, Yankees fan, directs a “A League Of Their Own” movie – highest grossing baseball movie in history.
• Movie inspires many - Little League allowing young girls to play baseball
• Former AAGPBL Sue Zipay, is starting a new League of Their Own with tournament in Sarasota, Nov. 17th – 19th
• Fall 1942, US War Department notifies major league baseball owners that in 1943 there may not be a baseball season due to man power needed for the war. 
• Wrigley responds to War Dept news & creates the AAGPBL
• League moves to overhand pitching in 1948 
• Tampa Baseball Museum 
• Shu-Shu Wirth – Ybor native makes it to the AAGPBL – South Bend Blue Sox
• Shu-Shu bridged the language gap between Cuban players & AAGBPL Managers
• Players for teams were selected at a league level prior to each season
• Loaning players to other teams
• Dodgers Spring Training in 1947 moves to Havana Cuba as they brought Jackie Robinson onto the team
• Branch Rickey was one of 3 trustees to begin the AAGBPL and set it up as a non-profit league
• Cuban promoter had developed girls teams in Havana
• AAGBPL were drawing 15,000+ crowds for their Havana games
• Shortstop Shu-Shu Wirth spoke Spanish & helped communicate with players & coaches
• Exhibition games a good tool for scouting & recruiting new players on the road. 
• Ruth Davis, bat girl for the Blue Sox, shares impact of AAGPBL on how the women in the league broadened her horizons for careers as she watched players succeed off-field.
• Merrie’s visit to Cooperstown and the AAGPBL Reunion in Syracuse, New York
• Post League many players continued as athletes in other professional sports including tennis,  golf & professional bowling. 
• Jean Faut became a successful professional bowler

Merrie’s book
  “The Origins & History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League”
 
 All-American Women’s Baseball Classic in Sarasota - November 17 – 19, 2023
https://americangirlsbaseball.org/all-american-womans-baseball-classic/ 

Past Tournament Video Highlights
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Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music "Rocking Forward"