The Black Baseball Mixtape

On this special bonus episode of the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast, I caught up with one of my very first guests and one of my favorite people in all of MLB, Tyrone Brooks. Tyrone is MLB's Senior Director, Front Office and Field Staff Diversity Pipeline Program at Major League Baseball. That is a very fancy way of saying that his job is to find and help develop the next minority executives in MLB.

I saw Tyrone in Houston, where he spoke to each HBCU team playing in the Cactus Jack about a possible career path after baseball. The unique part was that he told the current players about former players who were in their seats last year and now work in MLB. The program is working, it just needs people to understand, working in baseball may be the right career for you.

If you like this episode, please like, subscribe, and share.

I'd like to thank Steelo Sports, the Players Alliance, and Herencia 21.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of In the Booth with Flobo Boyce!

On this debut episode, Flobo is joined by die-hard Mets musician Jordan Simpson (@jrsimpsonmusic). They talk all things Mets - both of their favorite teams. You don't want to miss this conversation.

Please rate and review the BBM podcast network. Your 5-star ratings help keep the lights on.

Special S/O to Steelo Media, the Players Alliance, and our friends at Herencia 21.

KSU is the preseason #24 team in the country. On this episode of the BBM Podcast, I am joined by Associate Head Coach Austin Wates. Wates, 35, has been with the KSU program for six years, but this is his first year as Associate Head Coach. During our lengthy conversation, we talk about what it takes to build a program in a Power 5 conference, we talk about the players they need to recruit and develop, we talk about the challenge facing Black players and coaches at the D1 level, and we talk about Coach Wates' unique journey into coaching.

We also have a lot of fun. Coach Wates was a heck of a player. He played college baseball at Virginia Tech and pro baseball with the Astros and Marlins organization.

Our discussion is open and honest. We don't shy away from topics some may not want to discuss, but as always, we talk about difficult topics positively and upliftingly.

Please subscribe to the BBM podcast. Please rate and review the show. If you want to talk about Black baseball daily with a knowledgeable group, please join our FREE discord. To receive the link, you must follow the Black Baseball Mixtape on IG and send me a DM about the group chat.

Shout out to Steelo Media. Shout out to The Players Alliance. And shout out to Herenca 21.

This special edition of the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast is an excerpt from a panel discussion on hip-hop's impact on baseball. It is a video presentation produced by the Players Alliance and directed by Andre LaDon. It features Eric Davis, CC Sabathia, Edwin Jackson, Lawrence Butler, Jason Bourgeois, and Michal Bourn. The panel was hosted by Van Lanthan and co-hosted by Cheats (BBM). You can watch the entire video on the Players Alliance YouTube page.

As always, thanks to our sponsors Steelo Media, Players Alliance, and Herencia 21.

Please subscribe to the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast and follow our Instagram and X accounts. You can also join our group chat on Discord for free.

A.J. Andrews is an absolute star on the field and the mic. The former LSU All-American and current professional Fastpitch pro was the first woman to win the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2016.

Andrews, 30, a Flordia native, is a true advocate for Black women in sports, specifically focusing on supporting and mentoring young Black softball players.

In recent years, she has set her sights on media, hosting a show on the MLB Network, creating content for BET MGM, and serving as an analyst for SEC Network. If that was not enough, A.J. also made a trip to Dubai for Baseball United last year and is an active member of the Players Alliance.

I caught up with A.J. in the Bahamas (December 2023) for the TPA and Don't Blink HR Derby. I like to say this interview is "take two" because I had a great interview with A.J. at the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle, but I could not use the recording. Enjoy this short interview, and please subscribe to the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast.

Special thanks to the Players Alliance, Steelo Media, and our newest sponsor Herencia21.

What's good BBM Family!

This is another quick "red carpet" style interview with one of the more interesting men in baseball, Tommy Pham. Tommy is just coming off playing in a World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The nine-year vet is a professional hitter; the man hits everywhere he plays. He is one of the most authentic players I've ever had the opportunity to be around, and he has a real heart for the mission of the Players Alliance. He has passionate ideas about advancing the game for more Black kids nationwide. It was an honor to ask him a few questions on the carpet. I hope to get Tommy on for a longer podcast during the season.

Please subscribe to the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast everywhere podcasts are available.

Thank you to our sponsors, Steelo Media and the Players Alliance.

There is no way to say this delicately: DEREK JETER IS ON THE BBM PODCAST. That's right; our first guest of 2024 is The Captian - Hall of Famer - #2...#2. It all went down in the Bahamas. I was there for the Players Alliance in support of the Don't Blink Homerun Derby.

This is probably the shortest podcast I've ever done, but do you think I care? Jeter allowed me to ask him a few questions, and I really went for it. I feel it's some of my best work. I ever got our staple question in at the end. I hope you enjoy this interview. I can only hope to visit with Derek again sometime in the future.

Please subscribe to the podcast everywhere podcasts are available. Tell a friend about BBM. We are growing a real community of baseball fans. It's the early days of the NikeTalk message board over here. You can join our group chat on Discord for free. DM me on Instagram for the link.

Thanks to the TPA and Steelo Sports for their support of the podcast and BBM overall.

Will Benson is one of the most exciting players in baseball. He plays for the exhilarating Cincinnati Reds, a team loaded with young talent - gushing with star potential.

In 2023, Benson solidified himself in The Show, playing over 100 games, tallying 287 AB, 11 HRs, and 31 RBIs, with a 275 batting average, 365 on-base, and 498 slugging percentage.

What's even more impressive than his on-field statistics is his heart for giving back to his community and helping others in need. The 25-year-old Georgia native has shown a desire and willingness to lead by example. He has established a nonprofit (future is near) that focuses on empowering youth and mentoring efforts. He leads an annual toy drive and works to fight homelessness.

On this Black Baseball Mixtape podcast episode, you'll hear Will's journey from GA Little League to the MLB. You'll also hear about adjusting to life in the pros, his passion for helping others, and his thoughts on various topics. You don't want to miss the fun episode.

Thanks to Steelo Sports and the Players Alliance for their continued support. Please subscribe to the Black Baseball Mixtape everywhere podcasts are available.

We're Back! That's right, the Black Baseball Mixtape (BBM) is back from break, and, man, do we have a lot of new episodes coming your way? Most will be short "red carpet style" interviews from my time in the Bahamas for the Players Alliance and Don't Blink Home Run Derby.

On this episode, I pulled Will Benson of the Reds and Jazz Chisholm of the Marlins on the carpet. I'm excited for you to hear from Will, as he is one of the most charitable players in the league. We will soon have Will's full story in an upcoming podcast episode. During the gala, Will picked up a Players Alliance award for his dedication to the mission and contributions to the community.

I was also excited to talk to Jazz. The MLB The Show cover boy is truly the prince of the Bahamas. Most players have a hometown; Jazz has a home country. And he represents so well for the future of baseball.

I hope you enjoy this episode. Please rate, review, and share it around. BBM is the fastest-growing baseball podcast, dedicated to Black baseball at every level. Please continue to support the mission.

Thanks to Steelo, the Players Alliance, and everyone supporting the effort.

Kash Shaikh is an award-winning storyteller, marketer, brand builder, and entrepreneur. And he had a crazy dream. A dream so large - so grandiose - so monumental that it was hard for even him to grasp the concept truly. The dream was to bring baseball - America's National Pastime - to the epicenter of cricket: the Middle East and South Asia. It is a land with over 2 billion people (1 billion cricket fans), and he wants to do it in a major way. His idea is now called Baseball United, and it's no longer a dream — it's a reality.

Baseball United has four teams: Mumbai Cobras (GM Barry Larkin & Manager Chris Sabo), Karachi Monarchs (GM Adrian Beltre & Manger Miguel Tejada), Dubai Wolves (GM Felix Hernadez & Manager John McLaren), and the Abu Dhabi Falcons (GM Nick Swisher & Dennis Cook). The league held its first-ever draft last month, featuring prominent former MLB players like Robinson Canó, Bartolo Colon, Pablo Sandoval, Didi Gregorius. and Andrelton Simmons.

On this episode, Cheats is joined by Flobo as they welcome Kash to talk all things Baseball United. This episode is informative and fun. It gives you a glimpse into the daily challenges of building a major (international) baseball league from scratch. You don't want to miss this episode.

As always, please subscribe to the Black Baseball Mixtape. Please rate and review the show.

Thanks to Steelo, the Players Alliance, and everyone who helps make the Mixtape possible.