We are very excited to announce the formation of Good Teammates Inc.!

Why Good Teammates Exists

Every community has talented people.

Every community has smart people.

Every community has successful people.

But the communities that truly thrive have something else: good teammates.

Good teammates are the people who show up. They help without being asked. They encourage others. They take responsibility. They care about the outcome not just for themselves, but for the whole team.

That idea is the foundation of Good Teammates.

We started this organization with a simple belief: if young people learn how to be good teammates in their community, they will carry those habits with them for the rest of their lives. Leadership, service, accountability, and empathy aren’t just things you talk about. They’re things you practice.

And the best place to practice them is in the real world.

Good Teammates is not a classroom program. It’s a hands-on leadership and service initiative where young people participate in projects that make their communities better. Beach cleanups, community partnerships, service projects, and collaborative events are all part of the experience.

But the real goal isn’t just the project.

The goal is helping young people discover the satisfaction that comes from contributing to something bigger than themselves.

Along the way, they learn lessons that last far beyond any single event:

• Confidence

• Responsibility

• Accountability

• Leadership

• Gratitude

• And the joy of helping others

None of this happens alone.

One of the most important parts of Good Teammates is partnership. We believe the strongest communities are built when nonprofits, local organizations, businesses, and volunteers work together.

That’s why partnerships are at the heart of everything we do.

We’re proud to collaborate with organizations that already do incredible work in our community. When we partner with local groups, our participants get to support real initiatives that are already making a difference. It also shows them something powerful: community impact is a team sport.

Local businesses also play a huge role in making this possible.

Through sponsorships, businesses can directly support youth leadership and community service. Those sponsorships help us organize projects, expand opportunities, and bring more young people into the program.

But just as importantly, sponsors become part of the story.

They show young people that the business community believes in service, teamwork, and giving back.

As Good Teammates grows, our goal is simple:

More projects.

More partnerships.

More young people learning what it means to show up for their community.

If we do this well, something amazing happens.

The kids who participate today become the leaders, mentors, and volunteers of tomorrow.

And the cycle continues.

That’s why Good Teammates exists.

Because strong communities aren’t built by individuals acting alone.

They’re built by teams.

And every community deserves more good teammates.

Jeff Perro

Founder and Executive Director

Good Teammates Inc.

JP @goodteammates.org

In April 2018, Scott Spiezio found himself in a hospital bed. He was weak, short of breath, and his skin had turned a deep yellow. The doctors delivered a grim truth: he needed a liver transplant to survive. But there was a catch. To even be considered for the transplant, he had to remain sober for six months.

Timeline of Scott Spiezio’s Career:

• 1993: Drafted in the 6th round by the Oakland A’s

• 1996: Made MLB debut on September 14th

• 2002: Became a World Series hero with the Anaheim Angels

• 2004: Suffered a back injury during spring training with the Seattle Mariners and began drinking

• 2005: Began an affair while married to his high school sweetheart, leading to his first divorce

• 2006: Became a hero in the NLCS for the St. Louis Cardinals, won his second World Series ring, and became addicted to cocaine

• 2007: Entered rehab for the first time and fled police after a drunk driving accident on December 30th

• 2008: Released by the Cardinals after they learned of his DUI; later released by the Atlanta Braves after playing in 5 games in AAA

• 2010: Experienced his second divorce

• 2013: Arrested during a domestic incident and received a second DUI

• 2018: Achieved sobriety and has remained sober since

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Early Career and Rise to Fame

Scott Spiezio began his major league career with the Oakland Athletics in 1997 at the age of 24. He quickly established himself as a reliable switch-hitter. In 2000, he signed with the Anaheim Angels, where his contributions grew significantly.

In 2002, Spiezio had a standout season, hitting .285 with 12 home runs and 82 RBIs. He became a postseason hero, delivering clutch hits throughout the playoffs. His legacy was cemented with a dramatic three-run home run in Game 6 of the World Series, helping the Angels come back from a 5-0 deficit. That victory earned him his first World Series ring and appearances on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Show with David Letterman.

Transition to the Mariners and Struggles

Scott continued his production with the Angels in 2003. However, after that season, the Angels did not renew his contract. He entered free agency and signed a multi-year deal with the Seattle Mariners.

“I really didn’t want to leave Anaheim,” Scott recalls. “I loved it there, the fans, and my teammates. But a new owner changed everything.”

His Mariners career began on a rough note. During spring training in 2004, Scott tripped over the pitcher’s mound while fielding a pop-up, severely injuring his back. “They told me I probably wouldn’t play again,” he explains. “If I tried to play and more fluid came out of my spine, it could paralyze me.”

Despite the grim prognosis, one doctor believed he could play. “It’s crazy to think I even played,” Scott reflects.

The back injury took a toll on Scott, both physically and mentally. “I was just miserable,” he admits. “I was traveling with a new team and didn’t know anyone. In Anaheim and Oakland, I had teammates who held me accountable.”

Before this time, Scott was not a drinker. He could count on one hand the number of times he had been drunk. But during his recovery, he began drinking to fit in. “One turned into four, then eight, then who knows how many,” he says. “It became a habit that took away my anxiety and depression.”

Upon returning to the field in 2004, he struggled, posting a .215 batting average. His off-field issues mirrored his poor performance on it.

“I became a different person when I drank,” Scott explains. “I made stupid decisions, leading to my first divorce. I felt guilt and shame, which made it easier to drink more.”

A New Opportunity with the Cardinals

Scott thought his baseball career was over until he received a call from the St. Louis Cardinals. “I was like, ‘YEAH!’” he recalls. “I got my haircut and dyed my soul patch red. My agent thought I was crazy, but I said, ‘Don’t worry. People are going to love it.’”

Scott’s father, Ed Spiezio, is a former Major League player himself. He spent parts of ten seasons in the league and is remembered for his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was part of two World Series champion teams.

Scott was born just six days before his father played his last professional game.

As a utility player for the 2006 Cardinals, Scott played multiple positions and had a bounce-back season, hitting .272 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs.

“We had a bunch of great guys, and being a big part of it was cool,” Scott remembers. “Seeing St. Louis fans coming to the park wearing stick-on red soul patches was really special.”

His success continued into the postseason, where he delivered key performances during the Cardinals’ championship run. Notably, he hit a pivotal triple in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Mets, helping the Cardinals win the series and ultimately the World Series.

Scott and Ed Spiezio became the first father-son duo to win World Series rings with the same team. “The thing that was missing was my dad and a lot of my family,” Scott shares. “We didn’t talk for a couple of years after my divorce.”

The Dark Side of Success

However, 2006 was also the year Scott became addicted to cocaine. “I had been exposed to it for the first time that season,” he explains. “I was the D.A.R.E. guy, preaching to kids about staying away from drugs. But after a game in Phoenix, I tried it. I hit two home runs the next day, and I thought, ‘I gotta keep doing this.’”

Scott’s addiction spiraled. “I was using cocaine and drinking heavily,” he admits. “I had water bottles filled with vodka on the bench and cocaine on me during games. I was trying to balance everything while not getting much sleep.”

The rift with his family took a toll on Scott, but it began to heal thanks to the Cardinals organization. “They reached out to my dad, and it was a special moment when he presented me with my World Series ring,” Scott remembers. “I just started crying. That was the start of healing.”

The Downward Spiral

On August 7, 2007, Scott fainted in the clubhouse due to a combination of alcohol, cocaine, dehydration, and lack of sleep. When he regained consciousness, he was alone with the team doctor and athletic trainers. He pulled out the IV and ran.

The next day, general manager Walt Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa confronted him. Scott came clean about his substance abuse. They devised a plan to put him on the disabled list under the guise of a finger infection, but in reality, they were sending him to rehab.

Unfortunately, the news leaked, and Scott’s struggles became public. “I didn’t even have a chance to tell my kids or my parents before it was all over the news,” he recalls.

“They sent me to outpatient rehab, but it didn’t work,” he admits. “I went for 28 days, but I was still exposed to drinking and using. 2007 was a rough year for me.”

Scott’s troubles continued after the season. On December 30th, he crashed his BMW into a fence while drunk and assaulted a neighbor. The police issued a warrant for his arrest, and shortly after, the St. Louis Cardinals released him.

The Atlanta Braves offered him another chance, sending him to AAA Richmond. “I was doing well and about to get called up,” Scott remembers. “But I didn’t want to be far from my kids, so I told them I was done.”

Losing Everything

Scott’s second marriage ended shortly after his MLB career. The structure of baseball had vanished, and he found himself isolated. “I started doing adrenaline-filled things,” he explains. “I had sports cars and traveled all over, partying with rock stars. It was one big party for me.”

As the money dwindled, Scott faced financial difficulties. He had two expensive divorces, child support payments, and multiple rehab stints. Eventually, he turned over power of attorney to his father to help manage his finances.

Cocaine’s high cost ultimately played a role in breaking Scott’s addiction. He could still trade autographs for booze, but he was losing control.

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Recovery, in His Own Words

“My liver started deteriorating,” Scott shares. “At one point, I was drinking two handles of vodka a day. I turned yellow and was told my liver was shutting down. I had a 20% chance to live.”

“I prayed, ‘God, if you can get me through this, I’ll be a voice for you and talk to kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.’ From that day on, I never had a craving. That was April 6th, 2018, and I haven’t had a sip of alcohol or a drug since.”

Scott’s health improved, and doctors were amazed. “They told me my liver numbers were normal, and my liver damage had disappeared,” he recalls.

Scott has kept his promise. He speaks to schools, churches, and organizations about his journey. “I went from being ashamed to share my story to doing it regularly,” he says.

“I realized my identity isn’t as a baseball player; it’s as a Christian first. I still love the game, but I’m comfortable in my skin as a father, son, and friend.”

Scott’s children now have a father who has overcome extraordinary challenges. He feels blessed to have a second chance with his kids. “I’ve grown close with my two oldest boys, and I’m working on rebuilding my relationship with my daughter,” he shares.

A New Chapter

For nearly a decade after his baseball career, Scott distanced himself from the game. He attended a few alumni events but was still in the throes of his struggles. However, by 2022, he was living sober and ready to reconnect with his teammates.

“At the Angels’ 20th reunion, my teammates saw a different man,” Scott reflects. “They were happy to see me healthy. It felt great to reconnect.”

In addition to regular appearances at Cardinals’ fantasy camps, Scott shares his story with youth sports teams and faith-based organizations. His message resonates: “It’s never too late to get sober, change your life, or mend broken relationships.”

Scott owns and operates Spiezio Baseball in his hometown of Morris, IL. He teaches students from elementary to college age, providing one-on-one instruction while warning them about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

Scott’s autobiography, ghostwritten by Lesley Butcher, is expected to be completed by early 2026. A documentary titled “Spiezio,” directed by Shelby Kimpel, is also set to be released around the same time. “It’s not a vanity project,” Scott insists. “It’s to help people and give them hope.”

Conclusion, in His Own Words

“Like Ozzie Smith always says, ‘We’re in the business of making moments that will last a lifetime,’” Scott reflects. “The messages I get now are about inspiring sobriety and rebuilding relationships. That’s what excites me the most.”

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Segments of this interview are available on our YouTube channel

If you are interested in having Scott Spiezio speak to your group, he can be contacted at spieziobaseball21@gmail.com

A New Era in Baseball Training

Baseball development in America has never been more competitive—or more fragmented. Travel organizations promise exposure, private instructors chase quick fixes, and parents spend evenings shuttling kids from lesson to lesson in search of something that actually works. In the middle of that whirlwind, one former big leaguer has carved out a different path. In Palmetto, Florida, Kory DeHaan is quietly building something unusual: a training culture rooted not just in reps and metrics, but in mentorship, family values, and real human development. Through HitLab, PitchLab, and the growing Omnia Sports Academy, DeHaan has created a system that challenges the traditional model of youth baseball while giving families a more intentional way to pursue their child’s athletic goals.

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Kory DeHaan: A Journey of Resilience

When Kory DeHaan looks back on his playing career, it’s easy to imagine an alternate version of his story—one where he stays healthy, patrolling a big-league outfield into his thirties and riding off into retirement. But fate had other plans. That detour, built on a freak injury and a series of setbacks, is exactly what pushed him toward his life’s real calling: developing young athletes, shaping better people, and helping families navigate the often chaotic world of player development.

Today, DeHaan is the mind behind HitLab, PitchLab, and Omnia Sports Academy, while also serving as the head baseball coach at Palmetto (FL) High School. His work has turned Manatee County, Florida, into a hub for player development built on intentionality, character, and community. The path that led him here started long before the facilities, long before the programs, and long before he ever imagined building something like this.

DeHaan’s playing career ended far earlier than anyone expected.

In college, a violent outfield collision fractured his orbital bone and left him with lingering double vision that even surgery couldn’t fully fix. He could see clearly straight ahead, but any quick upward glance caused the images to split. “I tried to hide it,” he says. “You don’t want to be the guy who says, ‘Hey, my eyes don’t work like they used to.’ You just grind and hope nobody notices.” He pushed through it, performing well enough to climb the Padres’ system and even reach the major leagues in 2000 through the Rule 5 Draft.

The full video of the in-person interview with Kory DeHaan

But the vision problems never truly went away. In Triple-A a few years later, he misread a routine fly ball because his eyes couldn’t adjust quickly enough. Dropping it was a gut punch, and he knew it wasn’t a fluke. “That was the moment I realized the game was telling me something,” he says. “I could either fight that forever or figure out how to stay in baseball another way.” He bounced between organizations, battled shoulder issues, rehabbed, and fought for roster spots. By his mid-twenties, an age when many players are just breaking through, his playing career was effectively over.

The Transition to Coaching

But baseball wasn’t done with him yet.

Unable to shake his love for the game, DeHaan moved quickly into coaching. He began in independent ball, managed a little, then returned to the Padres’ system as a hitting coach in 2010. In Fort Wayne, he worked with players hungry to climb the ladder, and those years became a launching pad.

He had kept in touch with some friends from his playing time with the Pirates organization. More than one reached out to him prior to 2012. He recalls, “They said, ‘Hey, we’re doing something pretty cool over here. Clint Hurdle’s here setting a new culture, a new tone, some cool things are happening. We’re trying to change the city, we’re trying to change the whole aspect of losing baseball for almost 30 years with the Pirates.’”

“And I took the chance, grabbed my wife and said, ‘Hey, we’re leaving Arizona, we’re going to Florida.” She thankfully was okay with it. The Pirates continued to build and grow behind McCutchen, around Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Josh Bell, and just all these young, good young players.”

Eventually, though, shifts in leadership and changing philosophies shook things up, and DeHaan was among many who moved on after the pandemic. “We were making a difference, things were happening. But, things started going a little sideways and the communication, the clarity of the young players weren’t as good. Our higher ups got let go. I got let go at the end of COVID.”

His next stop was IMG Academy, reconnecting with friends like Dave Turgeon and Dan Simonds. The environment was world-class, filled with elite amateur talent and incredible resources. But even then, DeHaan couldn’t shake the feeling he was meant to build something more personal. “I loved IMG,” he says. “But I kept feeling this pull like I was supposed to create something that didn’t exist yet.”

That spark became HitLab.

The Birth of HitLab

HitLab wasn’t meant to be just another baseball facility. It grew out of conversations with families who were overwhelmed by the travel-ball grind and hungry for real teaching. “Parents were saying, ‘We’re playing 80 games a year, and my kid is not getting any better.’ I heard that over and over,” DeHaan explains. HitLab’s mission was simple: focus on development, not just games. He wanted a place where athletes learned baseball IQ, movement patterns, decision-making, and consistency. A place where reps were intentional and players actually understood what they were working on.

DeHaan wanted to challenge the culture of endless tournaments. “If you want confidence on the field, you need preparation,” he says. “And you don’t get preparation by just playing more games.” HitLab became a haven for clarity and purpose, a place where mechanics were explained instead of glossed over and where athletes learned how to train, not just how to swing.

Expanding Impact: Palmetto High School and Omnia Sports Academy

As HitLab grew, DeHaan stepped into another opportunity: leading the baseball program at Palmetto High School. It expanded his impact and allowed him to extend HitLab principles into a traditional team environment. One of his biggest goals was shifting the mindset of today’s athletes. “Everyone wants to be the star on Instagram,” he says. “But baseball is about being a good teammate. If we can teach that, we win no matter what the scoreboard says.”

The high school setting also shined a light on a challenge: kids were stretched thin. School, practice, homework, lessons, travel ball - it was unsustainable. That’s when the idea for Omnia Sports Academy took shape. Omnia is a homeschool-based academic and training program designed to streamline life for student-athletes. “I kept seeing kids who were exhausted,” DeHaan says. “We wanted to help families be more efficient with their time,” DeHaan explains. “Kids are up at six, home at ten at night. How can we help them train better, go to school better, and still have time for the things that matter, like family dinner or church or a second sport?”

Comprehensive Training at Omnia

The training at Omnia blends everything DeHaan learned across a lifetime in baseball. Strength and conditioning is individualized. Arm-care routines emphasize durability. Hitting and pitching instruction is grounded in clarity and measurable goals. Nutrition, recovery, and mental habits are taught with the same importance as swing mechanics. MLB umpires, scouts, and former pros visit regularly, giving students firsthand insight. “They need to hear from people who’ve lived it,” he says. “Not just me.”

Enrollment is intentionally small. Five students train full-time, with the goal of expanding to ten as the program scales. “Quality over quantity,” DeHaan says. “I don’t want to be the biggest. I want to be the best at developing kids the right way.” A retired teacher manages academics, ensuring students receive a high-quality education, not just a shortcut.

Omnia offers two pathways:

1. Full Academy Enrollment - Academic program + full training schedule + daily development sessions.

2. Training-Only Enrollment - For athletes doing their schooling at home or through Florida Virtual School.

Tuition remains intentionally accessible. “We know parents are spending a lot of money already,” DeHaan says. Omnia accepts state scholarship funds and works with families to ensure finances aren’t the barrier for a motivated athlete.

Balancing HitLab, PitchLab, Omnia, and Palmetto High School is a lot, but DeHaan credits his team. “Good people make everything work,” he says. “Communication, trust, clarity - that’s what keeps us moving forward.” Families invest heavily in their kids’ development, and DeHaan takes that seriously. “Parents are trusting me with their most important thing: their child. I never forget that.”

The Philosophy Behind the Programs

What ties everything together is DeHaan’s belief that baseball is a tool for life, not just a sport. “The game will humble you,” he says. “It’ll teach you how to fail, how to respond, how to show up for others. Those are lessons kids carry forever.” Whether he’s working with high school athletes, aspiring pros, or middle schoolers learning routines, his message stays the same: be accountable, be prepared, and be a great teammate.

“My playing career ended earlier than I wanted,” DeHaan reflects, “but God had a different plan for me. And honestly? This is better. Helping kids grow, on the field and off it, that’s the real reward.”

In a baseball landscape crowded with tournaments, private trainers, and highlight reels, HitLab and Omnia Sports Academy offer something refreshingly grounded: real development, real purpose, and a culture built on doing things the right way. It’s more than a training model. It’s a community, a mission, and a new standard for what youth baseball development can be.

If baseball is a sport built on adjustments, then Kory DeHaan has made the most important one of his life, and generations of players will benefit from it.

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Writer’s note: I want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to Kory DeHaan for his time, generosity, and openness throughout this project. Kory welcomed me into his facilities and traded countless messages with me before and after our interview, ensuring every detail of this story was accurate and meaningful. While this piece focuses on HitLab, Omnia Sports Academy, and the innovative work he’s building, there is an equally compelling story about the man behind it all. I look forward to sitting down with him again soon to share more about Kory DeHaan—the exceptional person.

“I’ve been a state representative for the last four years now,” Scholten said. “And so I’m the only person to ever play professional baseball while also serving in an elected official position.”

That combination of professional athlete and public servant is not a gimmick in Scholten’s story. It is the result of a life built on persistence, adaptability, and a deep connection to Sioux City, Iowa, the place he has always called home.

Sioux City, Always

“You were not born in Sioux City, but you were raised in Sioux City, college baseball in Sioux City, you were representing Sioux City, and you played professional baseball in Sioux City,” interviewer Jeff Perro noted. “That’s your town. That’s your home.”

Scholten didn’t hesitate.

“I love what Sioux City has been able to do for me,” he said. “And just like anything I can do to give back. So both down at the Iowa Capitol and then the last couple years wearing Sioux City across my chest on the baseball field again. It means a lot to me because Sioux City means a lot to me.”

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That loyalty runs through every chapter of his life, from his earliest days on the mound to his improbable final act with the 2025 Sioux City Explorers.

From Morningside to Nebraska

Scholten’s baseball journey began at Morningside University, then called Morningside College (also the alma mater of Kory DeHaan,) where his father was the head coach. “So back then it was called Morningside College. It was a Division II school,” Scholten recalled. “My senior year, that’s when they converted to NAIA.”

He pitched three years there and did enough to attract draft interest, the Angels offered him a thousand bucks, but he chose a different path. “I turned it down. But, I did all I could at that level and that’s when I decided to go to the University of Nebraska.”

Nebraska had just been to the College World Series, and Scholten wanted to test himself. “They made the College World Series the year before I got there,” he said. “And they were going to have a really good team again. So I thought I would go there and try my talents at a Division I school like that.”

“We were a scrappy ball club,” Scholten said. “Guys would tell us later, ‘Man, we hated playing you guys. You just grinded it out and did everything right.’ We put pressure on teams for nine innings, regardless of the score.”

Despite leading Nebraska in ERA, Scholten didn’t hear his name called on draft day. “I was kind of surprised I didn’t get drafted,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of innings down at Nebraska. I led the team in ERA, but didn’t get a lot of opportunities.”

Pro Baseball, The First Time Around

Instead of walking away, he found opportunity wherever it existed.

“I ended up getting to play in the Canadian Baseball League [with the Saskatoon Legends in 2003,]” Scholten said. “They were just starting up and they gave me an opportunity, so I jumped at that.” There, he played for manager Ron LeFlore, a former MLB All-Star, on the same pitching staff as Major League veteran Floyd Youmans.

“Floyd Youmans was 39 years old at the time,” Scholten recalled. “He wasn’t blowing it past guys like he did when he was in his prime, but he just he knew how to pitch and get outs. That rubbed off on me.”

That lesson would echo two decades later.

The Canadian Baseball League folded midway through the season. Scholten was picked up by his hometown Sioux City Explorers of the independent American Association. He’d pitch an unremarkable season and a half with them.

After that stalled period in his career, a random decision changed everything.

“After the ‘04 season, I thought I was done,” he says. “I always knew in my heart there was more, but I didn’t know what. I kind of plateaued out things just things weren’t working. And so I moved up to the Twin Cities. I was working at a bookstore in St. Paul. There was a winter night during a storm, not too many people in the store. I got online and found a website that showed a team in Belgium needed a pitcher.”

He sent an email with no expectations.

“When I woke up the next morning, I had an email back,” Scholten said. “Two weeks later, I was on a flight to Belgium.”

That opportunity restored his confidence. “I pitched really well over [in 2005] there and got my confidence back,” he said. “Sometimes you just need innings underneath you.”

With the added experience, Scholten returned to the mound for his hometown X’s. He pitched well for the team in 2006, but struggled through 2007.

“I don’t know what happened, but hit a brick wall and I couldn’t get outs,” confessed Scholten. “So I thought, ‘You know what, I need to move on with life.’ But then there was a couple other opportunities to go play in Europe. So I took those.”

Over the next few years, Scholten pitched in Belgium, France, and Germany—a bit out of necessity, mostly out of curiosity.

“Then I got an opportunity to move to Seattle, for work. At that time I was working as a paralegal and had a good opportunity there.”

He’d link up with a high-level amateur league in the Pacific Northwest and continue to play competitively through 2013.

Politics Enters the Picture

Scholten’s political journey began far from Iowa.

“I was living in Seattle when the 2016 election happened,” he said. “Being a Democrat, I saw what happened in the nation and what happened in Iowa. I just think our nation works best when we have a healthy two-party system.”

But the real catalyst was personal.

“My grandma is my biggest inspiration,” Scholten said. “She said on her deathbed, ‘You’ve got to move back to Iowa and you need to take care of our farm.’ That really hit home.”

He returned without a clear plan, but eventually decided to run for Congress. “I didn’t necessarily move back to run for office,” he said. “I just wanted to do more. I campaigned for about 16 or 17 months. It was a grind. Baseball taught me how to show up when you don’t have your best stuff.”

Though he lost, he discovered something important. “I found out I was actually decent at it,” he said. “When you love where you’re from, you’re going to fight for the people who make it work.”

He later won a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives.

“I consider myself a blueberry in a bowl of tomato soup,” Scholten said. “I’m the only Democrat in 42 counties in Northwest Iowa. It’s, an uphill battle in Western Iowa to be a Democrat here, but at the end of the day, it’s important to have a strong voice just no matter where you’re at. ”

J.D.’s found this career to be very fulfilling. He says, “I find it pretty meaningful, like stuff that you don’t see. There’s people who reach out to me who just need help getting connected to an agency because a check wasn’t coming or they had an issue with Medicaid. Those are the type of things that are really impactful, just helping out your neighbor. That’s why you want to do this.”

The Seven-Year Itch

“I didn’t touch a baseball for seven years. And then COVID hit,” starts Scholten. “I’m probably having too many whiskeys on a Saturday night and I went down a rabbit hole of pitching mechanics, because that’s kind of the nerd I am. So the next day I buy a couple dozen balls and a net and just start throwing on my own. And you got to remember this was, I was 40 years old at this point. I was also running for U.S. Congress. After I lost that race, the next summer I started playing Town-Team baseball in Minnesota again.”

For those who are not familiar, The Minnesota Baseball Association is another very competitive amateur league, commonly referred to as “Minnesota Town Ball.” J.D. suited up for the Lyons Pub Warriors.

“I wish every state had what Minnesota does when it comes to town team baseball you you have these just beautiful fields They sell beer for a buck. They get a hundred fans. It’s like a pure Americana.”

After two years of playing in Minnesota and throwing really well, Scholten decided to reach out to a few teams.

“My friend who played in the Netherlands, he connected me to a few teams,” Representative Scholten recalls. “I was talking to the Oosterhout Twins, we got really close to coming to an agreement and then it ended up not working out. I went through my first year in the legislative session, get done with that, back playing with the Lions Pub Warriors. And then they [the Oosterhout Twins] gave me a call on my way to a game where was pitching. They said, ‘Hey, we had a couple injuries to pitchers and we have a visa issue, one of our Japanese pitchers has to go back. Would you be interested in coming over and helping us get to the playoffs?’ I went over there and it was a unique experience. I learned a lot about what I needed to work on. I learned a lot about myself pitching wise and it was a great experience for me.”

J.D. Scholten’s 2023 Season with the Oosterhout Twins

The Call That Made History

In 2024, at age 44 and having chosen not to return to Oosterhout, Scholten was again pitching for the Lyon’s Pub Warriors. And he was throwing the best he ever had.

“I was 9-0,” he said. “I felt like I was throwing the best I ever had in my life.”

Then, on July 6, everything changed.

“We have this huge music festival in Sioux City called Saturday in the Park,” Scholten recalled. “It’s in my district. I volunteer there every year. My friend was having a pre-festival party. So, we swung by there. I drank my beer, my girlfriend drank half a beer and I finished it. Then I had to go volunteer. Maybe it was a couple hours in, I just get done delivering some ice and I check my phone just to see what time it is. And, oh crap, I have 10 missed calls. They were from [Explorers’ Manager] Steve ‘Mongo’ Montgomery and [Pitching Coach] Bobby Post.”

“They said, ‘Can you pitch for us today?’”

The Explorers had given up 34 runs over the previous two games and the pitching staff was exhausted. Less than 24 hours removed from heavy training, 30 minutes of sprints, leg day, and a beer or two, Scholten headed to the ballpark.

“My mindset was, I’m not going to impress anybody with velocity,” he said. “I’m going to do it with location and changing speeds.”

He gave up a run in the first on a single, stolen base with throwing error on the catcher, and a sac fly. He said, “Two batters in and I’m down 1-0. I told myself, ‘JD, just get through this. Don’t get hurt,’”

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Then he settled in.

He went six and two-thirds innings, allowed just two runs, and earned a win.

“It went initially from ‘Thank you for showing up for being here and just being a body.’ To, in about the third or fourth inning, it was, ‘What are you doing in five days?”

Watch: Must See Video of J.D. Scholten’s 7/6/2024 Win

With two outs and a runner on first, Mongo made a visit to the mound. Scholten was at an even 100 pitches. Mongo told J.D. that the crowd wanted to give him a standing ovation, obviously. That meant he could either come out of the game now or get out of the inning and pitch to a batter in the 8th. J.D. made what he describes as “the mature decision.”

He went six and two-thirds innings, allowed just two runs, and earned a win. The crowd was on their feet. Shortly after, ink was on a contract.

The J.D. Scholten story was everywhere by the next morning; ESPN, Sports Illustrated, MLB.com, MSNBC, Baseball America, USAToday.....

“The next start, the start in Fargo is less documented, but that was a bigger deal to me. Fargo was one of the top teams in the league. We played a four game series and we lost three games. I’m pitching the getaway day, day game. I ended up going six innings, only gave up one run and their one run was a two out bunt with a guy on third base for a base hit. I pitched better that game than I did my first game.”

A Blueberry in the Clubhouse

“Baseball clubhouses are historically very red places,” Perro noted.

Scholten agreed, but said it was rarely hostile.

“Politics isn’t at the forefront of most guys’ minds,” he said. “Guys would come up to me during batting practice, not in front of everyone, and ask questions. I think we see politicians on social media or on TV, but not too many of these guys had an opportunity to just have a conversation with someone. ‘Why did you get into politics?’ and ‘What’s your reasoning for doing some of this stuff?’ or ‘Why is it this way?” and things like that. I think it allowed a conversation that is more needed in America and in general.”

Knowing When It’s Time

Scholten pitched effectively for the Sioux City Explorers through the rest of the 2024 season. He’d rejoin the team in June 2025 after the legislative session ended. He broke his own record as the oldest pitcher in league history to earn a win. But eventually, reality caught up.

“Mongo came to me at the end of the year, ‘We’re going up to Winnipeg. You’re getting one of those starts.’ It allowed Kyle Marman, who was our number one, to get a rest before going into playoffs. He had a great year. We played four games up there out of the four starts. I think I had the second best, which I’m proud of and got a W. So I broke my own record for oldest guy in league history to get a win. So that was my last start. I had my parents at the game. They drove up to Winnipeg to see it. It just kind of made for, you know, it might be a good opportunity to step away at this point.”

“It’s hard to play professional baseball,” he said. “It’s hard when you’re 45. And it’s really hard when you’re running for U.S. Senate as well.”

After a torn bicep while hitting in a 40-and-over tournament, the decision became clearer. “I have no doubt in my mind I could play one more year,” Scholten said. “But when you’re 45, there’s life.”

J.D. Scholten announced his retirement from professional baseball on December 16, 2025 at the age of 45.

Writer's note: I've been fascinated by the J.D. Scholten story since 7/6/2024, when he made his comeback with the Explorers. I contacted him the day after he announced his retirement and interviewed him 5 days later. Thank you, J.D., it was an absolute privilege.

Dominic Leone grew up in Norwich, Connecticut, a place he jokes about whenever the subject of baseball pedigree comes up. “There’s about ten guys that played baseball in Connecticut,” he says with a laugh. “So being one of ten was pretty good.”

Leone was the top-ranked high school prospect in the state, yet when draft day came and went, his phone stayed silent. Scouts knew him, but they didn’t quite believe in him, not yet. At 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds he wasn’t exactly what teams were hunting for. “I talked to a handful of pro scouts in high school,” Leone says, “but it was never anything serious. I was all of 5’8”, 165 pounds soaking wet, so I was a small kid.”

College, he knew, was the path forward. And when Clemson came calling, it changed everything.

Clemson Put Him on the Map

“Clemson for me was life changing,” Leone says. “Not only socially, I’ve got a group of friends I’m still in touch with 15 years later, but on the baseball side of things, it really catapulted me.”

Suddenly, a pitcher from the Northeast was performing on a national stage. Leone pitched on Sundays as a freshman, started postseason games, and found himself throwing in Omaha at the College World Series.

“It showed that a little tiny, scrawny kid from the Northeast could pitch a little bit,” he says. “And pitch on the biggest stage.”

Opportunity met effort. Leone doesn’t shy away from how hard he worked to stay there. “It was a culmination of a little bit of luck, right place right time,” he says, “and also just me working my ass off.”

After three years at Clemson, the Mariners selected him in the 16th round of the 2012 MLB Draft. It wasn’t glamorous—but it was a foot in the door.

Becoming a Reliever

Leone entered pro ball as a starter. Seattle initially told him he’d ease into short-season ball out of the bullpen, then stretch back out.

“They said, ‘I’d thrown probably 80 plus innings, so the Mariners brought me in and they said, ‘Alright, you’re to go to short-season and just pitch out in the bullpen for now. Just kind of get your feet wet. We don’t want to have you throw too much,’” Leone recalls. “But when you come into spring training next year, be ready to be a starter.”

However, something unexpected happened. Out of the bullpen, Leone’s velocity jumped. He was suddenly sitting 93–95 mph. The numbers were good. The profile shifted.

“I went home and trained all offseason as a starter,” he says. “I show up to spring training and they’re like, ‘Yeah, you’re with the relievers today.’”

Just today?

“It didn’t matter to me,” Leone says. “Would you love to be a starter? Sure. Better paycheck. But at the end of the day, it was like—whatever gets me there.”

That bullpen move became his fastest track to the big leagues.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Leone’s first big-league spring training came as a non-roster invitee, and the anxiety was real.

“I literally hid in my locker,” he says. “I’d fold my chair up and sit in the empty locker next to me. If they can’t find me, I’m still here.”

He made it all the way to the final day of camp before being summoned to the manager’s office. He thought he’d made the team. “Jack Z [Zduriencik, Mariners GM, at the time] looks me straight in the face and says, ‘Hell of a spring. You did everything you could. We’re starting you in Triple-A,’” Leone recalls.

It was a numbers game. Two days into the season, his phone rang again. “I’m in Tacoma at like 7 a.m., and they say, ‘You need to get on a flight. You’re going to Oakland. Game’s at one o’clock,’” he says. “I’m like, ‘Crap. Let’s go.’”

The nerves he expected never really came. “I’d been in spring training with that group for a long time,” he says. “I walked into the clubhouse and everyone knew me. It wasn’t a culture shock. I walked in like, ‘Alright. Hell yeah.’”

Then came the wait of the bullpen phone.

“You’re a little puppy down there,” Leone says. “Biting at any chance to get in the game.”

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The Business Side Hits Hard

After productive seasons in Seattle, Leone experienced one of baseball’s most jarring realities: the trade call.

“I wasn’t pitching well,” he admits. “I honestly thought they were calling to send me down.”

Instead, Jack Zduriencik told him he’d been traded to Arizona. “’Hey, thanks for everything. You’re going to Arizona. You’ve got eight hours to pack your stuff,’” Leone remembers. “They want you there tomorrow.”

The emotions came fast. “At first I was pissed,” he says. “Like, damn. I thought I was going to be a Mariner for life. I was naive.”

Then came the phone call from Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart. “He’s telling me how much they love me and love my stuff,” Leone says. “So you go from angry and sad to pumped.”

That emotional whiplash became familiar. Leone would eventually play for ten different organizations, including two stints with Seattle.

“That trade was definitely foreshadowing of my career,” he says. “That’s how fast the baseball world can flip you on your head.”

The Season That Almost Broke Him

The toughest stretch came in 2018 with St. Louis. Leone pitched heavily early in the year, struggled, then suffered a mysterious arm injury.

“I throw a pitch and it literally felt like my bicep was ripping out of my arm,” he says.

The doctors didn’t know what it was. Leone went home panicked. “My whole arm went numb,” he says. “I couldn’t feel my fingers. I’m like, ‘Do I need to go to the hospital? Am I having a stroke?’”

It was his first real injury. A new city. No family around. Pressure to prove himself.

“That was when the mental side of the game really kicked the door down,” Leone says. “And once it does, it doesn’t go away.”

Being on the injured list felt isolating. “You show up to the yard and it’s empty,” he says. “You’re not really part of the team.”

Adam Wainwright, rehabbing his own injury, became a lifeline. “Thank God Waino was there,” Leone says. “If I didn’t have anybody else, man, it would’ve been really tough.”

They talked about life, faith, family—everything but box scores. “I was trying to pull him out of his funk,” Leone says. “And I didn’t realize the crater he was pulling me out of.”

Knowing When It’s Over

Leone officially retired on October 26, 2024, but the realization came earlier. “I knew I was gutting games out,” he says. “I didn’t feel like I was at my best.”

Then came the moment that ended it.

“We’re at home against the Yankees,” he says. “3-2 pitch. I walk Gleyber [Torres.] I slip on the mound. The ball’s not even close. I slip and I’m on one knee and my arm is just writhing in pain. And like, it’s, it’s almost like a cinematic moment. Like it was in slow mo. I could just feel, I could feel it was over. I just, I remember staring into the dirt on the mound and I’m just like, ‘This is it.’ You know, like, it’s hard to describe and put into words, but you just, you just know.”

Identity Beyond Baseball

Post-retirement, Leone has leaned into interests that always existed beyond the field—fashion, wine, watches, travel.

“Everyone associates me with a uniform,” he says. “Or ten different uniforms.”

His social media presence strips that back.

“I’m saying, ‘Hey, I I love clothes, and food, and wine, and travel’ and I find it amazing that people are shocked by that,” Leone says. “They’re like ‘I thought you only love baseball.’ No! Honestly, if you talked to all 26 guys in the clubhouse, some guys are brainiacs and they’re getting degrees during their playing days and guys are big into fashion and big into golf. We have other things that we love other than baseball. And that’s one of the main reasons I got into social media is bringing a little bit of inside information to the world of like, We love other shit, you know? So if you guys like this, I’m here to talk about it. It’s just creating community”

Leone’s created the social media brand Big League Brands as his outlet to discuss fashion.

The Advice He’d Give Himself

To his 18-year-old self, Leone offers one message. “Ignore the noise,” he says. “Ignore the business. Focus on what you can control between the white lines. I’ll be honest, my Arizona days were brutal. I was on Twitter and I would be getting crushed on Twitter Bad outings, whatever I’d be getting crushed. And I let some of that creep in. ”

And to the version of himself stepping away from baseball? “Pack your patience,” says the father of two boys, ages 3 and almost-5. “You think playing is hard? Try being a full-time dad.” I never really had time to grasp on to being a full-time dad and understanding the [thoughtful pause] insanity that parenting is. So when I got home for literally for my first calendar year that I’ve ever had at home with my family, there were a lot of ups and downs. I was not mentally prepared for that, I wasn’t physically prepared for it. The early morning wakeups and the, you know, all the things. And so I would tell myself now and say, Hey dude, you think this playing thing’s hard? You think this playing thing’s hard? They’re going to love you and you’re going to love them. But but you got to pack your patience and be willing to just learn.”

The Mental Edge

Leone doesn’t credit his longevity to physical tools. What separated him was mindset.

“I’ve seen thousands of guys with way better stuff than me,” he says. “I wasn’t overwhelmingly big, wasn’t intimidating, wasn’t the strongest guy, the fastest guy. It was between the ears, Between the ears I had that mentality that if you got in the box, you were done. It was over.”

His belief is simple.

“I studied the greats,” Leone says. “Brady. Jordan. Tiger. Obsession.”

“I was so obsessed with Brady and his story. How we overcame adversity and how he worked and how he grinded. Tiger Woods, how he was obsessed with golf from from day one. Obsessed, literally like bleeding hands bleeding from hitting balls. Michael Jordan, his killer instinct and determination getting cut in high school. I studied those stories. I followed those idols, those athletes. And I found that the common denominator is just an obsession, a pure sick obsession to to be the best and not just physically.”

That obsession carried a small kid from Connecticut—undrafted, underestimated—through an 11-year major league career.

And now, into whatever comes next.

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Frontline to Field: Jason Stanford’s Mission to Support Veterans and Their Families

“So that was on July 3rd that took place,” speaks Jason Stanford of his big league call up. “I fly up the next day, July 4th. July 6th, I make my debut and sure enough, wouldn’t you know, right? First stop, I go out and I compete. I go five innings. give up two runs. I come out, it’s tied 2-2, and we end up winning that game. But it was just, it was crazy, you know, to face that lineup. And one of the big moments in the game, bases loaded, two outs, we’re losing 2-. It was the fourth inning and I’ve got a 3-2 count and my go-to pitch was my change-up. Like my fastball was good. It wasn’t great, but it was good. And so I go 3-2 change-up bases loaded, rookie debut. Hits it to my shortstop, Ricky Gutierrez, and he throws it over to first base for the out and we were able to get out of it. And it was just, one of those moments, you know. I go back out for the fifth and go one, two, three. Just everything about your debut, like everybody always asks ‘What was it like?’ It was everything that you could ask for and then some.”

He continues, “My mom and dad were both able to make it. I had eight or nine of my closest friends from elementary school all happened to get out there. A couple of my buddies from college were able to make it out there. And it was just an unbelievable moment and experience and just one that I’ll live out forever, of course.”

Jason earned a spot on the Indians’ Opening Day roster in 2004 as the team’s fifth starter. Adversity found him during his second start of the season. “I feel some twinges in my elbow and sure enough, my second start against Minnesota. My elbow is on fire. It happens as I’m warming up for the fifth inning. I feel some twinges in my elbow. I finish the fifth inning, I finish the sixth inning and then the next day can’t even play catch. I’m put on the DL immediately.”

“They shut me down for six to eight weeks of no throw, Stanford states. “So I’m getting there every day, I’m rehabbing, missing out. Jake Westbrook at that point takes my rotation spot and he goes off, he had a great ‘04 season. Later in the season, I start traveling with the team again, getting close to coming back, thinking that I’m healthy. I’m doing long toss, all this stuff, throw bullpens. We go on a road trip to Seattle and Anaheim. After the Anaheim trip, we were gonna reassess and then kind of make a decision at that point. So I throw my bullpen in Seattle. I felt fine. At that point, I’m gonna do a live simulated game in Anaheim. It was at the moment that I do the live simulated game and I tried to ramp up a little bit and I couldn’t. At that point we go sit down with the orthopedic locally and he says, ‘Through the testing, I think that you have a tear or a fray in your ligament.’”

The next step was a trip to Birmingham, Alabama for a visit with the renown Dr. James Andrews. Dr. Andrews confirmed the tear. He performed Stanford’s Tommy John surgery the next day, Thursday July 29, 2004.

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“I start my rehab right away the next morning,” Stanford remembers. “I wake up and feel really groggy, and I start my rehab process right then and there down in Birmingham. It was a long recovery, it was a long road. I would not change it for anything. The reason I say that is, it really defined who I was trying to make a comeback, right? So throughout the whole process of playing professional baseball, it was always a grind. It was always, I had to prove myself. I had to prove myself and you know, at each level I did. This was just another roadblock. For me, it was how to get healthy, but not fast, make sure that I was completely healthy and how to get back to the big leagues and be able to help.”

Jason Stanford made a fifteen appearances across the Indians minor league system in 2005. “Velocity was back to being what it was, 89 to 91, and it was cool. The thing that was lacking though was my breaking ball, wasn’t as sharp as it was before and my changeup was kind of flat, you know, and my changeup was my big pitch. So having that flat, you know, was just something a little bit different that I had to get accustomed to.” He’d finish his comeback season strong, with AAA Buffalo, he made 4 appearances (1 start) and recorded a 1.29 ERA with 7 strikeouts over 7 innings worked.

Stanford began 2007 with the Buffalo Bisons. “I go back down to AAA to start and I put together some really strong numbers early on in 07. At that point we had a young pitcher, Jeremy Sowers. He was the next phenom to come through the system, first round draft pick from Vandy. He goes up and he kind of struggles up in the big leagues. So, midway through the season, I’m pitching extremely well and consistent. We’re in Richmond, Virginia and Scott Radinsky is our pitching coach. And he’s like, ‘Hey, grab a bat, grab some batting gloves. Ewe need to go to the cages and you need to hit a little bit.’ Sure enough, right after the game, Torey Lovullo calls me in the office and Torey tells me I’m going to Miami tomorrow to pinch against the Marlins. I go down, pitch against the Miami Marlins and was able to get my first win coming back from Tommy John.”

“And again, you know, we’ve talked about those first starts, right? At every level. Well, sure enough, that first start, I go into the seventh inning, I give up one run, I even lay down a sacrifice bunt against Dontrelle Willis.”

Jason made one more start. He gave up three runs in the first inning, but was able to pitch through 6.2 innings, allowing 6 earned on the day. The Indians moved him to the bullpen. He had good outings mixed with some bad, but coming out of the ‘pen didn’t fit Stanford. Most successful relievers have dominating velocity or at least a wipeout pitch.

Stanford was granted free agency at the end of the season. The Washington Nationals picked him up prior to 2008. After struggling over eight appearances with the AAA Columbus Clippers, he was released by the Nationals.

His old friends, the Cleveland Indians, called with an offer (with a catch.) The team had a hole at AAA, but that hole would likely be temporary when several pieces of their long-term puzzle were expected to return to the mound. It was the eighth season in which Jason would take the mound for the Buffalo Bisons, but it’d only last a month.

His next stop for 2008 was Potros de Tijuana of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. Translated, that means he was pitching for the Tijuana Colts of the Mexican Baseball League. Stanford loved the experience of playing south of the border, but the Chicago Cubs reached out to his agent. He would finish the 2008 season making 7 starts with the AAA Iowa Cubs.

I get a call from, a Taiwanese team, asking if I could, be of their services and, they send over the contract. I look it over, at that point, my wife at the time was a lawyer.

“I was getting ready to sign to go play in Taiwan and try to regenerate my career overseas. Once we were getting to the finalization of signing the contract, we found out that my family was not going to be able to go over there, being that our daughter was less than six months old.”

Being across the world from his wife and newborn daughter was very unappealing to Jason Stanford. He decided to conclude his career as a professional baseball player.

What was next for Stanford? “I started teaching baseball lessons and then I opened up my own academy [Stanford Baseball Academy.] I wanted to stay in the game professionally. I reached out to the Indians and asked them if they had any opportunities on the coaching side. They didn’t because, at that point, that was January or February, they were set for the year. But Mark Shapiro [then, Indians General Manager] told me to reach out to their TV station and radio station and just to see if there was an opportunity there. And so I did. It was kind of crazy because Brian Anderson, the left-handed pitcher that’s currently the analyst from the Rays was doing color and pre and post for the Indians. And when he got that job with the Rays, it opened up a position in 2009 with the Indians. I reached out and kind of did a mock interview, then did a formal interview, and then got on the air and did a couple shows. They were like, ‘Hey, just be yourself, talk baseball, and have commentary with our host.’ So one thing led to another, got the job that year and did the pre and post.”

“You have to do a lot of homework and studying of the players and whatnot,” explains Stanford. For me it was trying to walk that fine line without being too critical of the players, but also get a point across. You still gotta go in the clubhouse, you still gotta face these guys daily. Yes you’re a player and yes they know who you are but, at the same time, if you start criticizing guys about why they’re not doing this or that, now all of sudden they don’t want to talk to you. So it was, it was a fine line and a lot of it was talking and getting to know the players, even though I already knew them, but kind of explaining my position on how I was going to present things on the air. And they were good with that. I just told, told the story of what guys go through on a daily basis.”

Stanford held this role with the Indians for seven seasons, until SportsTime Ohio was purchased by Fox. Despite his show exceeding every performance metric and ratings goal, Fox brought in their own people. By the time Fox made their decision, it was December. Every other team already had their people in place.

While Jason was doing his work in TV and radio, he was also working with high school players. Now, with a little more time on his hands, he opened his instruction to younger players. His mission was to develop men, not just baseball players. He, himself, learned to be an effective fundraiser, raising money to provide equipment and scholarships to kids that wouldn’t otherwise be able to stay in the game.

Jason Stanford Giving Back to the Game of Baseball

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“I had some really good kids that they were, decent baseball players, but they were great kids,” Stanford acknowledges. “They respected everybody. They showed up on time. They worked hard. They were unbelievable in the classroom. And the families, the parents, allowed myself and my staff to do our job. They just allowed us to do our thing. And the bulk of those kids went on and they played collegiately.”

In 2018, an opportunity presented itself for Jason Stanford to return to the pro ranks as a pitching coach. Neil Huntington, who was the Indians’ Farm Director when Jason began his pro career, was now the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They had an opening for a pitching coach with their short-season West Virginia Black Bears.

“A couple other guys from the Indians were actually over there as well,” says Jason. “Made the transition nice. I will tell you that first year, you think you know so much about baseball. I did not know anything. I knew how to play. I knew how to compete. I did not know the coaching aspect of it and how long staff actually stayed working. And that was I will tell you and anybody listening. That’s an eye opening experience to say the least. I was really fortunate because I was strong playing as an attention to detail player. So that transitioned myself over to the coaching aspect of it. So tons of notes, tons of video, too much information from these guys. You might have all this information that you want to unload on them, they might just need one thing to get them where they need to be.”

The Atlanta Braves caught wind of Stanford’s reputation as a being knowledgeable with strong attention to detail. For 2019, they offered him a full-time job as pitching coach of the Danville Braves, with added responsibilities with their young pitchers. Stanford loved the position and his place within the game that he loved, but the time away from family was depressing.

And then,.....

COVID HIT.

The cancellation of the minor league season meant Jason no longer had a job. Again, he was a free agent. Jason returned to Ohio and his previous role with youth travel teams and the Stanford Baseball Academy. His son was now 9 years old and was beginning to excel on the baseball field. Jason’s travel teams are always set up as nonprofit organization. He’s more interested in helping his community and seeing kids enjoy the sport than he is making a fortune.

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“More so because I was fast and I was athletic and I could play the outfield,” says Jason Stanford. “Then junior year rolls around and I pitch a little bit. Senior year, I get hurt in a car accident, so I play very sparingly. A lot of times, as a a sophomore, I’d come in as a pinch runner and steal second, steal third and then set it up to be able to score runs. So it was cool in that sense. I did get a little bit time during the summertime to get on mound a little bit here and there.”

During his senior year of high school, Jason’s parents asked if he wanted to go on the senior trip to Cancun or if he wanted to do something else. He replied that wanted to play baseball. He had no college offers, being as he’d only pitched a handful of innings. He’d rather use the time to get some innings in front of baseball’s decision makers. He says, “There was a gentleman by the name of Frank Trujillo that put together this all-star traveling team out of Tucson. We go to Hawaii for two weeks and we play against some of the big dogs.”

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Stanford got the start against one of those big dogs, Cherry Creek, Colorado. Among the future Major Leaguers on that 1995 Cherry Creek team were Darnell McDonald and Stanford’s future batterymate, Josh Bard.

“I pitched really well, six innings, gave up a couple runs,” recalls Stanford. “Nothing too crazy, against that lineup. I was a left-hander that threw underneath the hitting speed. I was able to get guys out on weak contact”. That performance impressed Frank Trujillo who asked if Jason had any interest in pitching at the college level. Which, of course, is why he skipped the Cancun trip with his friends. “And the cool thing about it, his college roommate was a junior college coach at Barton County Community College in Kansas.”

“That was my lone chance to go play college baseball,” explains Stanford. “I could have walked on at U of A [Arizona.] I could have walked on at Pima Community College, they actually asked me to redshirt as a freshman. And I was like, I’m not going to redshirt at a junior college, I’ll just go to school at the U of A. If I’m done playing baseball, I’ll just go to school in Tucson and just get my degree and move on.”

“It’s interesting, you know, as I go deep into my playing career, my first start at every level was extremely impressive,” note this foreshadowing stated by Stanford. “Freshman year, first start collegiately, complete game shutout. It’s against Colby Community College up at Colby. The wind’s blowing out. I have a 10 strikeout performance, which for me is a lot. I wasn’t a strikeout pitcher. I was a pitch-to-contact guy just hoping to get outs. Somehow, someway I figured out how to get seven innings worth of outs and not give up a run and have 10 punches.”

Stanford dominated two seasons with Barton County CC, 1996 and ‘97. He credits the development of his change up and really learning his way around the weight room as the keys to his JuCo success.

The guy with one lonely college baseball offer after graduating high school found himself with THIRTY-SEVEN offers after his sophomore year of college. The offers ranged from Division I to NAIA schools. Jason was nearly ready to enroll at McNeese State in Louisiana, but there was a last minute coaching change. His role with the program was suddenly uncertain.

UNC-Charlotte came calling. They had some scholarship funds freed up after the draft and needed an out-getter. He flew over to Charlotte, fell in love with North Carolina, the school, and the baseball program and signed on the dotted line.

Jason Stanford’s career at UNC-Charlotte got off to a slow start. He made a few appearances out of the bullpen mixed with some weekday spot-starts. Then, he was scheduled to start a non-conference game versus the ACC’s Wake Forest.

“I go complete game shutout against Wake Forest,” remember Stanford. “And that was the first time in like 50 years, something like that, that anybody had shut out an ACC opponent non-conference at home. like at their place. I was named National Pitcher of the Week for Collegiate Baseball and USA Baseball. Junior year, I go 10-1 as a starter. My lone loss was in the regional against Texas A&M, If you go back and look at that lineup and just that roster itself, I want to say they had five to seven draft picks in the first five round. You come in you’re 10 and 0, on the season, you’re like, ‘Okay, I got this.’ And then, you face this team and you’re like, ‘Okay, I just got thumped.’ But it was fun, you know, being able to go down there to the regional and go in and compete.”

Jason Stanford Talks About His Junior Season at UNC-Charlotte

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Despite that being named First Team All-Conference, Stanford was not drafted following his junior year. He says “I filled out questionnaires and things like that, but nobody really came out and said ‘Hey, we’re hot on you.’”

Prior to his senior year, Jason Stanford was chosen as a preseason all-conference, all-everything by almost every college baseball publication that existed. This solidified his belief that he was going to be a Major League baseball player. The man who was previously an Academic All-American was so confident, that he just quit going to class.

However, baseball didn’t start well for Jason Stanford in ‘99. “First outing, we’re in UNC-Wilmington facing George Mason and I give up eight runs in the first inning,’ recalls Jason. “Thirty scouts are there. They’re there for me and a bunch of other guys in this tournament and I just completely crapped the bed. Velocity was way down. Like I was an upper-80’s lefty. There, I was like 83 to 85. I was bouncing fastballs. I get off to a slow start, I was 0-3 starting the season. I don’t have good numbers. Basically, the scouts have all written me off. I had a couple Scouts that I was really tight with and they’re like, ‘Jay, like right now, like there’s nothing we can do about it, man.’”

The 2000 MLB Draft happened. The name “Jason Stanford” was, again, not announced.

“I turned my season around, I had better numbers,” says Stanford. “I ended up going eight and six that year. So half of the season, I was able to go eight and three overall. And the sad thing about it was my last loss. I was 8-2 going into my last start and I ended up losing. That was what ended my 18 game win streak in the conference. But for all of that, I still wouldn’t change it for anything. Because it defined me, it changed my own perspective on life of how to grow up and how to basically say, like you are who you are, but make sure that you don’t take anything ever for granted. I think too, by having the adversity on the mound, by having the struggles on my own, not going to class, it allowed me to grow as a young man on my own.”

UNC-Charlotte graduation happened. “Jason Stanford” was not called there, either.

“It was just that it was that last semester,” Stanford asserts. “Junior year was fine. Senior year, first semester, totally fine. But it was that last semester where, yeah, you have 15 hours and that’s all you need to graduate. Fifteen hours. And like I said, ultimately, I threw it in the trash and was banking on being drafted. I put everything as a baseball player, not as a student-athlete. Ultimately I moved back to Kansas. I moved to Lawrence. I get a job teaching baseball lessons at a little indoor place there, then I get hired on at the University of Kansas in the athletic department in the video graphic design department. I was going to go back to school, try to finish my degree in communications, and then ultimately just carry on with my life.”

“Everything happens for a reason,” believes Jason. “And now, you know, as you’re older, you realize that things. You have a couple paths and the path that you choose isn’t always the wrong path. It might just take you a little bit longer to get to the path that you are supposed to be.”

“I’m teaching lessons to a young high school player from Lawrence High, he’s a catcher and I’m throwing a bullpen that day,” recollects Stanford. “You know, just to stay fresh. I’m still athletic enough and I’m still healthy. The Cleveland Indians scout, Steve Abney, shows up to look at at this gentleman. He looks at me and he’s like, ‘I would like you to come back and throw a bullpen in a couple days.’ Sure, not a problem at all. I come back, and this is early October, throw another bullpen. He likes what he sees. So, he invites myself and the girl I was with at the time to dinner. We go to this little Italian place in Lawrence, Kansas, of all things, Italian place in Lawrence, Kansas. We sit down, we’re having dinner and he slides over manila envelope. He says, Hey, Jason, ‘Go ahead and pull the information out of there and take a look at it. Sure enough, it’s a minor league contract for the Cleveland Indians. Signed it right there in front of him. I was ecstatic.”

Jason’s first spring training finally rolls around in February 2000. He checks into his cramped, bug-infested Winter Haven, FL motel and meets his roommate, a 37-year-old veteran attempting to claw his way back to the big leagues. It wouldn’t be long before Stanford was staying in a double room with an empty bed, however, as the roommate was promptly released.

Stanford was abruptly shown the unforgiving truth of professional baseball: it could all end in a heartbeat, without notice or ceremony.

Jason performed well during spring training and was spared. He was told he would be with the short-season Mahoning Valley Scrappers for his first professional assignment. Being assigned to a short-season team first means an assignment to extended spring training until your actual season starts. Extended spring training (referred to simply as “extended”) is a lot like regular minor league spring training; the same motel, drills, practices, lifting, and scrimmages against other teams without spectators or recorded statistics. Baseball Purgatory.

He got a call to the office at 10 am of the first day of extended. Jason Stanford’s residency in Baseball Purgatory would be brief. The summons meant one of two things, up (promoted) or out (released.)

“I go upstairs, I sit down, both Neil [Huntington] and Ross [Atkins, the Indians’ Farm Director and Assistant Farm Director] are there. Neil looks at me and he’s like, hey, ‘You’ve had a really strong spring. We just wanted to inform you to pack your bags. You’re going to Columbus, Georgia.”

Stanford was reassigned to the Columbus RedStixx, the Indians low-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. In a nine month period, The guy went from teaching high school prospects and working in tv production at the U of Kansas, trying to figure out civilian life after baseball, to being named a midseason all-star in the Sally League. Over the next three months, he’d finish his revolution around the sun with a promotion to high-A Kinston, then to AA Akron for the final few days of the season.

“I’m sitting there in Altoona. I get the last start of the season and Wedgie [Akron Aeros’ manager Eric Wedge] comes to me and he says, ‘Hey, Stan, he goes, it’s nice to meet you. I’m not here to put pressure on you, but we need this win tonight.’ Typically like managers don’t come and say that to people or anything like that.’ And sure enough, I go out there, I go five and a third against a high caliber powered offense. I give up one run, I get the win. It puts us in a one game playoff against Reading back at home. We ended up losing that game, the one game playoff, but to be able to give us a chance, I was ecstatic. And so that was my first year of pro ball. To go from short-season A ball to AA in one year, to have great numbers, to just see what pro baseball life was like. I was just ecstatic.”

The success in the high minors continued into 2001 and 2002. Stanford split time between AA Akron and the AAA Buffalo Bisons both seasons. He also spent time with Team USA during the 2001 Baseball World Cup, leading the team to a silver while going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 15 K in 12 innings.

“2003 rolls around,” remembers Stanford. “I get off to an unbelievable start in AAA. I’m pitching in early July we’re facing Ottawa. And I gave up one run in the first. I walked Tim Raines Jr. He steals second, gets over to third, sacrifice fly, scores. It’s the only run that I was giving up that game. I come in from the first, my manager’s Marty Brown. He says ‘Hey, Stanny, you’re done for the day.” I’m like, ‘What?! Wait, what?! I’m done for the day?! No chance.’ I kind of throw a fit. You know, I’m throwing my glove down, pissed! [Pitching coach] Terry Clark, who I had my very first year of pro ball comes to me. He’s my pitching coach now in AAA. He calls me down into the tunnel. He’s like, ‘Hey, he goes, you need to relax, man. You cannot show those type of emotions when you’re facing Torii Hunter, Matt LeCroy and the rest of Minnesota Twins, right?’”

He continues, “I’m like, ‘TC, what are you talking about?’ He goes, ‘You just got called up to the big leagues, man. You are no longer a minor league pitcher, you are a big league pitcher.’ I went to my knees. I buckled. I started crying. Like just everything that you could think of as a young kid, young man, like all the, dreams, right? The grind, it just, it all, you know, come to fruition right then and there. and it was very awesome because everybody else on the team and the roster already knew that I was being called up. It was kind of like a bullpen session for me, throw my one inning, throw 20 pitches, whatever, and then be called done for the day.”

PART TWO WITH JASON STANFORD

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Ryan Kalish was a talented outfielder whose promising baseball career was derailed by injuries. As a standout multi-sport athlete at Red Bank Catholic High School in New Jersey, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He signed for an above-slot bonus, a sign of the team’s high hopes for him. Kalish quickly impressed in the minors, especially during his breakout 2009 season. He hit .329 with 18 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases between Single-A and Double-A, earning Boston’s Minor League Offensive Player of the Year award.

He made his major-league debut for the Red Sox on July 31, 2010, playing in 53 games that season. He batted .252 with four home runs and 24 RBIs, including two grand slams—a team rookie record. Known for his athleticism, speed, and defensive versatility across all three outfield positions, Kalish appeared poised for a long MLB career.

However, in April of 2011, while playing for AAA Pawtucket, he suffered injuries during a collision in the outfield. He would require surgery on his right shoulder, later his neck, and then the right shoulder again. Those injuries and others severely hampered his progress and kept him off the field for long stretches. After his time in Boston, Kalish signed with the Chicago Cubs, playing parts of the 2014 and 2016 seasons.

From 2011 through 2016, Ryan only appeared in 289 games, averaging less than 50 a season. That total includes zero games in 2013 and 2015. He was known for his hard-nosed style of play, and it likely shortened his career.

The Impact of Injuries

“I’ve had 14 orthopedic surgeries,”

“In the end,” says Ryan Kalish, “it was just that the surgery itself really just didn’t do what I needed it to do. It just didn’t work. My right knee was in a lot of pain. I wasn’t enjoying the game anymore because of the pain. I was in Connecticut. It was cold. I was playing independent ball, and I just realized, ‘You know what? I’ve squeezed all the juice out of this iron, and it’s time to move on.’ It was pretty obvious.”

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When his playing career came to an end, Ryan Kalish found himself without a clear direction forward. “I had no idea what I was gonna do,” he said. “I was completely messed up. Life was scary. I was freaking out. If I have to be honest with you, I really was not in a good place. Luckily, I found Pilates to move into because I was starting to really get depressed and even venture into the suicidal thought category.”

Ryan began doing Pilates while rehabbing that 14th surgery. He started with very basic motions but quickly moved into very advanced stuff. Pilates improved his body physically while also bringing his mind out of misery. He took his interest further by becoming an instructor.

“I got a world-renowned degree through this company called BASI Pilates,” he states. “But what drew me to it was it was gentle on the body. It had a real mind-body meditative energy to it. It just helped me to start feeling good and gave me the idea that I could actually do something outside of baseball. That was huge for me because it was not something that my mind thought was possible. I thought that, you know, outside of being a coach, I would be worthless and I wouldn’t be able to do anything, which for many of us is what we feel.”

Building a New Life

Kalish also founded Birdman Bats with a group of friends that includes former teammate Lars Anderson. He’s still involved in that endeavor, but moving halfway around the world has slightly lessened his engagement.

“I haven’t lived in the United States in nearly six years now.”

Ryan Kalish has been living in Thailand for nearly a year after spending four and a half years in Indonesia. Kalish continues, “My wife and I met in Indonesia. We had a baby and a real estate business there. Essentially what happened was, my daughter started coughing due to the high pollution. We needed a place that was pretty close to our business, but we needed to get out of Indonesia. So we went to Thailand. We found this really nice little town where you can essentially walk everywhere you need; gym, beach, groceries, whatnot. We just tried a few places and got a visa here while managing the business from about a three-hour flight away. It’s a really nice setup for us. It’s a quiet life. My daughter loves it. She’s not coughing anymore, which is the most important thing.”

Why would an American professional player of America’s National Pastime decide to leave America?

“I didn’t really feel like I fit into [American] society anymore,” answers Kalish. “I wasn’t working a nine-to-five job. I wanted to be an expat. I wanted to try the world. In America, you need to plan for retirement. I just said no to that and I left. I tried a few things, and ultimately I just met a really nice other expat already running a [real estate] business there. He taught me everything he knew, and that was it. I really liked it because it involved being outside a lot, being on the land, finding land, building, and yeah, just found my way, man. I think a lot of us have a lot of limiting beliefs in life, and I’ve definitely found out that most of what we think we can’t do isn’t true. If you have the willpower and at least enough financial capacity to push through something, we can do a lot more than we think we can.”

A Call to Action

“We show up for one reason, because love calls us to.”

Besides his time in Thailand and Indonesia, Ryan Kalish has explored many other exotic parts of the planet. He’s become a humanitarian activist, visiting several poorer regions of the world and bringing aid to neglected, exploited, and impoverished people.

Ryan explains, “I had a spiritual awakening that kind of linked me to the spirit of Jesus. It’s a very long story, very traumatic, but also very inspiring. But essentially, it kind of showed me the dark night of the soul of man. It put me through a lot of deep and dark moments, which ultimately helped me to... awaken.”

“Jesus was really all about humanitarian activism and someone who was going to get his hands dirty and stick up for the oppressed,” he continues. “I said, ‘You know what, if you feel so connected to him, start living like him.’ And that’s basically what I’ve done. You know, obviously, day and time are very different than 2000 years ago, and I have a wife and a daughter. I can’t necessarily renounce all my possessions and give everything away, but I’m certainly doing a lot of giving away.”

Ryan Kalish has traveled the world this year in service of others—visiting Uganda four times, helping orphans in Jordan, spending time in Tanzania, and assisting Palestinians in Egypt. In the United States, he’s brought his message of hope to communities in Austin, Texas. When back home in Thailand, he devotes his time to distributing food and water to locals in need.

The vast majority of Ryan’s work has been DIY, without the help of any government or non-government organizations. Kalish spends out of pocket for his transportation, the goods he distributes, and all other expenses. He’s started The Hope of Life Fund. The fund is a very simple crowdsourced fundraising account with very low overhead. A very high percentage of the money raised goes from the account to those in need of help. This method provides him complete autonomy. “I simply just take myself, go to these places, and take action,” says Kalish.

He is open to working with a partner; however, the right partnership has yet to come along. He hasn’t found a group he trusts to allocate their funds effectively. He parallels his situation to that of an amateur baseball player. He says, “I just do the work. If somebody sees what I’m doing and says, ‘Wow, that guy does some good stuff. I’d like to hire him or work with him, then cool.”

A Legacy of Change

The world today seems to be slipping into decline, marked by deep moral, social, and environmental erosion. Our children stand to inherit a world far harsher than the one we received. Humanity was once a race of promise but risks becoming a cautionary tale unless we rediscover empathy for the ones who come after us. “I have a kid, and I see the way the world’s divided,” says Ryan Kalish. “I see the worst picking up. All these things are going on, and I feel like this upcoming generation is really going to look at what their parents did and wonder, ‘What did they do?’ I kind of want my daughter to be proud. I also want to make a difference because she’s going to have to grow up in whatever we leave behind. So I think for me, one of the things that I keep saying is, ‘If you believe that you can’t make an impact or change the world, you won’t.’ Even little, little things.”

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Part One with Trayvon Robinson: Baseball to a Better Life

Part Two with Trayvon Robinson: “Everything was Moving Way Too Fast”

By 2019, Trayvon Robinson was seven years removed from his last big league at-bat. Now 31 years old with a worsening personal financial situation, The time had come to try something unconventional. He essentially invited himself to Pittsburgh Pirates’ spring training.

“I just want an opportunity to get to spring training That’s all I want, I didn’t really care. Like, you know, I had nothing to lose. I’m already losing my wife and I’m probably losing the house that I wanted to call home. I lost a lot of stuff from that. I just wanted an opportunity,” said Robinson.

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He got that opportunity, demonstrated his abilities, and earned a spot in AAA on the Indianapolis Indians’ bench. That spot on the bench turned into more frequent at-bats, which turned into a selection to the AAA All-Star Game. “I just took advantage of it and I ran with it. And I ended up becoming an All-Star that year. And that was a funny thing too. Because the thing is I knew the situation I was getting into. I knew that I was going be a guy that was coming off the bench.”

“That was, out of my 19 year career, 2019 was my favorite year because it showed perseverance, determination,” says Robinson.

The Chicago White Sox noticed his performance and signed him to a contract for the 2020 season.

I played against [White Sox’ director of player development] Chris Getz with the Royals. We had a little short conversation. He was like, ‘Man, after seeing you what you did in Indianapolis against us and seeing you how you handle your business, without a doubt you are going to go to Chicago in 2020.”

Then COVID-19 happened.

The minor league season was cancelled, Major League roster management was modified, and Trayvon found himself, again, on the outside. Robinson says, “2020 would have put me back in a position to where I was back on track. I probably, yeah, I would have made it back to the big leagues. But, we’re gonna have to release you because of COVID. And I was like, I get it. I get it. I thank the White Sox for taking the chance on me, a 32 year old dude that,.... I can’t thank them enough.”

Trayvon Robinson returned to the Lancaster Stormers (then the Barnstormers) for the 2021 season. He led the team to the 2022 and 2023 league championship.

“2021, I came back here [Lancaster,] and I was just still just kind of going through some stuff, you know, not having a place to stay, really staying with my friends and stuff like that. I officially got divorced in 2020. I lost, I lost my house. I lost my living situation. You want to be on your own. You’ve been on your own for so long. You know what saying? You want to be in the spot to where you can have peace,” reflects Trayvon.

“2022, I’m like half retired.,” he remembers. ‘I was doing a lot of stuff, like Door Dash and UberEats. But I knew that I was one foot in one foot out of what I wanted to do, the game was really calling me,” says Robinson. One day, he stopped by a local batting cage, just to see what he could do. “I literally picked up a bat, hit a couple rifles, and I was like ‘I’m going back to play baseball.’ So I sat out I sat out for like three months.”

He was named player/coach for the Stormers for the 2024 season. For the 2025 season, the word “player” would be removed from his job title.

“I’m thankful, [very thankful for being able to play 19 years.] Very thankful to people I crossed. Thankful for the people who coached me. Thankful for the people who were my teammates. Very thankful for clubhouse managers, umpires, grounds crew, everybody, man. Everybody who, wherever I shared a office with. You just never know who you’ll meet. Never know who we’ll reconnect. It’s definitely a game I will give my life to. And I thank it. I thank it. I’m thankful for what it has done to me. It made me available, got me out of some shitty situations, gave me peace, gave me some shitty situations [laughs.] Yeah, I can’t say I’m thankful enough. I just ask for forgiveness for everybody that took me the wrong way and misunderstood me. It’s all love. It’s all love.”

That gratitude and thankfulness works both ways. Or perhaps it rolls down hill. I talked to a few members of Trayvon’s Stormers. THEY are appreciative of HIM.

Slater Schield: “Trayvon is awesome. He keeps hitting simple, and that’s what makes him great. No over complication of things. But what really sets him apart is how much he truly cares. He’s willing to pour everything he has into you, and he builds real relationships with you as a person first, not just as a player. He keeps everything fun and competitive. That kind of coaching sticks with you.”

Joseph Carpenter: “Trayvon has been a great mentor of the game for me and brings a plethora of knowledge to the table. His knowledge comes with strategy as he can relate to us hitters. He is always willing to do anything he can so we get our work in pre game. He has been a great mentor to me and my career.”

Daniel Amaral: “A great quote that he said was, ‘As a player, I hated when the hitting coach didn’t love being in the cage with the guys. I will always be in there and if you ever want to take extra swings or need anything I am happy to do it.’ He has kept his word and has the ability to be the same guy everyday.”

In addition to his duties as a professional hitting coach, Trayvon is also a part of the S.M.I.L.E. Zone with former MLB pitcher Jay Jackson.

Part One with Trayvon Robinson: Baseball to a Better Life

Part Two with Trayvon Robinson: “Everything was Moving Way Too Fast”

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Subscribe to Trayvon Robinson and Jay Jackson’s podcast, The Brushback Podcast

Catch Up with JP’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithjp/

“Yeah, I couldn’t even tell you how much I was just crying on the inside. I was stunned.”

After spending parts of seven minor league seasons with the Dodgers, Trayvon Robinson was a very well known commodity with the decision-makers, player development personnel, and the big league staff. However, it became obvious, quickly, to Trayvon that the Mariners just picked him up to have another outfielder on their depth chart.

“I just felt like I was walking on eggshells, man,” says Robinson. “I just had this whole feeling to where I just wasn’t comfortable, If it would have been different with the Dodgers, you know why? They knew me. They knew exactly who I was. They know where I came from. They know everything.”

“I eventually stopped playing up there [the Major League level] at the age of 24, so I wasn’t getting everyday at-bats. I just felt like I became another guy very quickly,” remembers Robinson.

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Trayvon began the 2012 season in AAA Tacoma with the Mariners. “I batted .530 with like 30 at bats or 20-something at bats in spring training. The only thing I got was ‘You need to go play every day.” Really? I’m doing everything and I was in a big trade with you. Like just tell me what I need to work on.’

During that AAA stint, Robinson began to fell his favor with the organization was growing. Despite still not playing everyday. minor tweaks to his swing and approach led to harder contact, a reduced strikeout rate, and an increase in walks.

Even so, Robinson explains, “Bam, I get freaking traded. So they wrote me off at like 24 years old.” The Seattle Mariners traded him to the Baltimore Orioles.

Trayvon Robinson spent the 2013-15 seasons between the Orioles, Dodgers, Tigers, and Diamondbacks organizations. In 2016, he landed in the Atlantic League, where he play until the 2019 when he was picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I ended up flying down there to Bradenton [Pirates’ spring training home]. I walked up to [Rick] Eckstein, Pirates’ hitting coach at the time, and I was like, ‘I want play.’ Then he asked, ‘Where have you been?’”

Robinson explained that he’d been playing in the Atlantic League. He and Eckstein went over Robinson’s stats from the last few seasons. The two would spend sometime in the batting cages together and Robinson would soon be sent an invite to spring training.

“I was expecting to get released. It’s a numbers game dude, I just want an opportunity to get spring training,” said Robinson. “I just wanted an opportunity.”

Trayvon got more than a spring training opportunity, he got sent to AAA Indianapolis. Despite battling through a divorce and losing his house and savings, he was named to the 2019 AAA All-Star Game.

Part One with Trayvon Robinson: Baseball to a Better Life

Part Three with Travon Robinson: Forgiveness and Gratitude

In this conversation, Trayvon Robinson shares his journey from growing up in Compton to making his Major League Baseball debut. He discusses the emotional rollercoaster of being traded, the challenges he faced in the big leagues, and the lessons he learned along the way. Now a hitting coach, Trayvon reflects on the importance of mentorship and the impact of his experiences on his current role in baseball.

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Subscribe to Trayvon Robinson and Jay Jackson‘s podcast, The Brushback Podcast

Catch Up with JP’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithjp/

Trayvon Robinson was never tempted to turn the criminal activity that many of his peers chose. Baseball took him to not-so-distant neighborhoods with luxurious gated communities, well-furnished baseball programs, and rosters full of recruited prospects. He utilized commitment and his baseball talents to build a future where safety, stability, and self-worth were everyday realities.

“It was a lot of chaos going on. was the gang activity. I had friends going in and out of gangs. had some friends getting killed, getting caught up, arrested,” says Trayvon Robinson of growing up in South Central Los Angeles. “It felt like it was the norm there. I was just like, ‘I don’t think this is right.’ When I go play baseball in Orange County, I go play baseball in Palisades area, San Fernando Valley, it was a different life. And people don’t realize that those places are only about 20 miles away.”

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It was a struggle to be seen and respected by scouts and the baseball brass for Trayvon and other prospects in his area. “It’s just that it’s the stigma of like, ‘Oh, he’s not playing against anybody.’ Or ‘He’s not in a good league.’ Don’t get me wrong. It’s probably not a good league. But how would you know if he is a good player or not? And that’s what I had to make sure that I was put in those situations of playing against Mark Trumbo, Trevor Plouffe, Justin Sellers, Danny Espinosa. There’s a lot of guys I played against that went to prestigious high schools, but my boy Jermaine Williams, he went to Los Angeles High School. So it was just me and Jermaine that went to play against all these prestigious high schools and all these big prospects.”

Trayvon was later drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the 2005 MLB Draft out of Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles at the age of 17. “They said top 10 to 15 [rounds of the draft] so for me, I was like, I’m fine with that. I just want to go play baseball. Where I grew up, my house situation wasn’t great. I just wanted to go and just see how far I can go because I know on the other side there’s something better.”

By 2009, Robinson was known sprung up the prospect lists. He earned a spot on the California All-Star Team in 2009, the Southern League All-Star team and in the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars Game in 2010, and the AAA All-Star Game in 2011. Initially Trayvon was more known for his speed, making it remarkable that he was also included in the Home Run Derby of that AAA All-Star Game.

At the July 31st, 2011 trading deadline, Trayvon Robinson was traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Seattle Mariners in the three-team deal that sent Erik Bedard to the Boston Red Sox. The move came as a surprise to Robinson. “I couldn’t even tell you how much I was just crying on the inside. I was stunned.”

Trayvon Robinson made his MLB debut less than a week later with the Seattle Mariners on August 5, 2011.

Part 1 of this interview is below.

Part Two with Trayvon Robinson: “Everything was Moving Way Too Fast”

Part Three with Trayvon Robinson: Forgiveness and Gratitude

In this episode, Trayvon Robinson shares his journey from growing up in South Central LA to becoming a professional baseball player. He discusses the challenges he faced in his youth, the importance of community and mentorship, his experiences during the draft, and the emotional rollercoaster of transitioning to the big leagues. Robinson’s story highlights the impact of personal struggles and the support of mentors in achieving success in sports.

The full interview with Mr. Trayvon Robinson. This man’s life prior to signing his first professional contract was incredible.

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This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.

Subscribe to Trayvon Robinson and Jay Jackson’s podcast, The Brushback Podcast.

Catch Up with JP’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithjp/

A little over a year ago, Jason Stanford established Frontline to Field, a nonprofit dedicated to serving veterans, first responders, their families, and the next generation of youth baseball players.

The launch, he explains, came together during a season of crisis. “It was the middle of October,” Stanford recalls. “We had two major hurricanes hit last year, and then all the flooding in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina.” A donor had stepped forward with a generous contribution, and Stanford and his partner, Vanessa Livi, decided to act.

“We loaded up a minivan and took off,” he says. “That was our first trek down there to give back to the families that needed it. From that point on, we just knew it was the right thing to do.”

That spontaneous trip evolved into something much larger. What began as a grassroots relief effort quickly became a structured organization with a clear mission: to create opportunities for connection, healing, and recreation for those who serve their communities and for the kids who look up to them.

Over the past year, Frontline to Field has grown from that single road trip into a multi-state nonprofit with chapters in Ohio, Arizona, and Colorado and plans to expand even further. The group now runs events ranging from youth baseball clinics and veterans’ fishing retreats to firefighter support programs and fundraising challenges honoring fallen heroes.

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“We’ve really worked hard on community relations, not just where we live but in the surrounding communities,” Stanford says. “We want to make sure people are taken care of.”

That ethos — simple, direct, and heartfelt — has resonated across state lines. “We wanted to make it not only local or regional, but national,” he says. “That’s when we opened up a chapter in Arizona, and another in Colorado. We have directors running events out there, and it’s been incredible to see it take off.”

Despite the rapid expansion, Stanford insists the focus remains on accountability and authenticity. “We make sure that all the proceeds are accounted for and given back,” he emphasizes. “We’ve been able to take care of firefighters and their unions, support police officers, take veterans and their families on fishing trips, and host youth baseball clinics in Ohio, Arizona, Colorado, and soon, Virginia.”

It’s an impressive list for an organization that just celebrated its first anniversary on October 18. “Major League Baseball has gotten behind us,” Stanford says with quiet pride. “For a first-year organization, they told us what we’ve done in one year, they don’t see people doing in five or ten.”

The scale of their progress becomes even more striking when you realize Frontline to Field is powered by just two people, Stanford and Livi, both holding down full-time jobs while running the nonprofit. “I’m not going to say we’re doing this on the side, because it’s not that,” Stanford says with a laugh. “We’re working a lot. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

For Stanford, the motivation is personal. “I wanted to give back. I wanted to use my platform and be able to control how I could do it,” he says. That drive deepened when he met Vanessa at a veterans’ golf outing in Florida. “Her dad and grandfather both served,” he explains. “One of our mutual friends was also heavily involved in supporting veterans. We started talking regularly, and what’s been amazing is our common ground; loving our country, loving our military, loving our first responders, and figuring out how to give back.”

That shared vision has guided Frontline to Field through its whirlwind first year. And there’s no sign of slowing down.

Stanford rattles off a lineup of upcoming events as if reading from a packed baseball schedule. “We’ve got a youth baseball clinic in Alexandria, Virginia, November 8th and 9th,” he says. “Then on Veterans Day, November 11th, we have a veterans retreat at an equine center in Medina, Ohio.”

The organization is also hosting the Johnny Tetrick 22 Tough Tribute Challenge, an event honoring a Cleveland firefighter who lost his life in a hit-and-run accident while on duty. “His youngest daughter reached out to us,” Stanford explains. “We collaborated to create this event in his memory, carrying on his legacy.” The event includes 22 physical exercises performed in tribute. “It’s all about remembrance and unity,” he says.

Beyond those, the calendar is packed with more youth baseball clinics, Cleveland in December, followed by sessions in Colorado and Arizona later that month, as well as a newly added “Paint and Sip” fundraiser in Salem, Ohio. “We’ve got a ton of stuff going on in the coming weeks and months,” Stanford says. “We’re fighting, pushing, heading for the finish line for 2025 and then right into 2026.”

That growth includes expanding beyond events into products that sustain their programs. Later this year, Frontline to Field will launch its own private coffee brand. “We’re starting Frontline to Field Coffee, it’ll come out late November or early December,” Stanford reveals. “We’ll have a dark roast, a blonde morning blend, and a pecan bourbon roast, all available on our website.”

And coffee is just the beginning. “We also have ten different candle scents coming up,” he adds. “Each one is inspired and named by veterans, first responders, or youth athletes, complete with taglines that represent their spirit.”

Every item sold supports the organization’s programs directly. “All the proceeds go right back into our programming,” Stanford says. “We’re really trying to build our brand nationwide so we can keep giving back to the ones who need it.”

That national footprint is already expanding. “We’re actually going to be growing into Florida next,” he says. “That’ll be our next chapter in 2026.”

In the meantime, the team is continuing to build community partnerships and awareness. Their first annual golf outing, held this year, was a major milestone. “It was an unbelievable success,” Stanford says. “We raised a significant amount to start new programs. So now, any first responder or veteran who’s in the Cleveland area can come golf, courtesy of Frontline to Field. We’ve partnered with a local course that’s heavily involved with the PGA, and we’re hoping to keep growing that relationship.”

Stanford’s love of sports remains the thread connecting all these efforts. “It’s about carrying on the mission of why veterans and first responders are so special to all of us,” he says. “Sports, especially baseball, have this incredible power to bring people together. That’s what we want to keep doing.”

One of Frontline to Field’s more unexpected partnerships came from a very different arena, the NASCAR world. “We got involved late this year with a military veteran named Josh White,” Stanford says. “He’s a Marine, part of the NASCAR series. He had been away for about 15 years, dealing with PTSD and anxiety.”

When Stanford and Vanessa learned about White’s comeback story, they wanted to help. “Frontline to Field was fortunate enough to sponsor two of his races,” Stanford says. “It was amazing being down in the pits, seeing how the teams work, just being part of that world.”

White competed in the ARCA Series, a developmental level just below NASCAR’s major leagues. Next year, he’s moving up to the Truck Series, and Stanford hopes to continue supporting him. “Josh is out there working to find sponsors,” he says. “Vanessa and I went down to Bristol and watched the entire Truck Series race. It was such an exciting time.”

The connection between sports and service is at the heart of what makes Frontline to Field unique. For veterans and first responders who often struggle with the transition from high-intensity work to civilian life, the camaraderie and challenge of athletics can be healing. Whether through baseball clinics, golf outings, fishing trips, or racing partnerships, Stanford’s organization offers a way to stay connected — to purpose, to community, and to each other.

As he reflects on the whirlwind first year, Stanford’s tone is a mix of exhaustion and gratitude. “We’ve accomplished so much in such a short time,” he says. “When Major League Baseball tells you that what you’ve done in one year, they don’t see people do in five or ten — that’s humbling.”

For him and Vanessa, the success only reinforces their belief in the mission. “We love our country. We love our military. We love our first responders,” he says. “If we can help them feel appreciated, give them an outlet, give their families a place to connect. That’s what it’s all about.”

Frontline to Field’s story may have begun with a single van full of supplies, but it’s now a movement stretching across states and communities. From disaster relief to youth sports, from the quiet of a fishing trip to the roar of a NASCAR track, Jason Stanford’s journey shows how one act of giving can ripple far beyond the field.

And for those who want to follow along, the organization keeps its supporters updated online. “You can find us at FrontlineToField.org,” Stanford says. “We’ve got blogs, updates, all our social media; Facebook, Instagram — it’s all there. We want people to see what we’re doing, get involved, and help us grow.”

Because for Stanford, the real measure of success isn’t in the number of chapters or events. It’s in the moments that remind him why it all started. Every time they see a veteran smile, or a kid at one of their clinics light up when they hit the ball, or a firefighter’s family feel supported — that’s what makes it worth it. He says, “That’s the field we’re playing on now.”

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On a humid June morning in Morgantown, West Virginia, Jay “Smiley J” Jackson pulled up to a ballpark that felt familiar in its rhythms yet completely new in its meaning. After 17 professional seasons—some triumphant, some heartbreaking, many unbelievable—Jackson was reporting to a baseball field not as a pitcher, but as a coach.

His new title: Pitching Coach, West Virginia Black Bears, MLB Draft League.

“It was technically my first real day,” Jackson said with a laugh. “Yesterday was just guys signing in, handing out gear—nothing crazy. Today, though? Today was the day I finally got to see how they throw, who they are, how they carry themselves. That part was really fun. I liked just watching their energy.”

The roster was incomplete, several arms were still pitching deep into NCAA Super Regionals, but Jackson shrugged off the inconvenience.

“You don’t want to rush those guys,” he said. “They’re pitching in the biggest games of their lives right now. Let them finish. We’ll make do with who we’ve got. That’s coaching.”

This new chapter comes with a revelation Jackson is still processing: he is retired. Officially. After nearly two decades, multiple countries, and more flights than he could ever count, Jay Jackson threw his final pitch.

Yet if you ask whether he’s had time to sit and reflect, he laughs.

“I haven’t had that moment yet,” he said. “One day—I don’t know when—I’ll sit by a fireplace, have a drink, and look up at the sky and say, ‘Damn… I did it.’ But not yet. I’ve been blessed, and I know that. I just haven’t taken that moment.”

Drafted Lower Than Expected, Driven Higher Than Predicted

Jackson’s journey began in 2008, when the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the ninth round out of Furman University. But that ninth-round tag still annoys him a little.

“I went lower than I expected—way lower,” he said. “I was projected anywhere from round two to round four. Ninth round? Nah. Not with the numbers I put up. That humbled me but it also drove me.”

The Cubs, however, wasted no time pushing him. Jackson moved through three levels in 2008, then three more in 2009—a rare, almost meteoric rise.

“Those first two years, I was flying,” he said. “But when I hit Triple-A, it got real. That league will humble you fast. And honestly, after a while, it got a little… dull. Not the baseball, but being stuck. You want that next challenge.”

That next challenge should have been the big leagues. Instead, he waited. And waited.

“You go through that period of thinking, ‘What else do I gotta do?’” he said. “But baseball isn’t just performance. It’s timing, it’s numbers, it’s luck. It’s a numbers game, truly.”

A Strange—but Divine—MLB Debut

When Jackson finally made the major leagues in 2015 with the San Diego Padres, the story was almost comically bizarre.

“The timing was weird,” Jackson said. “Most teams call guys up right after the Triple-A season ends. But they didn’t. A bunch of our guys literally went home—Florida, California, all over. Then the next day they were told, ‘Hey, you gotta fly to Arizona.’”

He shook his head.

“Crazy. Just crazy. I was one of the lucky ones—I stayed in El Paso an extra day. If I had gone home like everyone else, that call-up would’ve been a nightmare for me too.”

And when it finally happened?

“I smiled,” he said. “That’s it. I didn’t scream or cry. Just smiled. It was like, ‘Okay. God works in mysterious ways.’”

The Harsh Math Behind Today’s Baseball Landscape

Jackson has spent nearly two decades inside the baseball machine, and few players speak about its systemic shifts as clearly as he does.

“It’s absolutely true that careers are shorter now,” he said. “Someone showed me the stats—how many guys get to arbitration compared to 20 years ago, how many get five years of service time, eight years, ten years. Every number has dropped.”

Why? Jackson doesn’t dodge the question.

“Baseball is run by businesspeople now, not baseball people,” he said. “And that’s not an insult. It’s just reality. These decision-makers didn’t play the game professionally. They cater more to fans than to the actual fabric of the sport.”

He leaned forward as he said this, his tone sharpening.

“You don’t need to cater to fans by changing everything. If you play the game the right way—fast, aggressive,

smart—fans will come. Fans love baseball. They just want good baseball.”

Finding Stardom—and Stability—Half a World Away

When MLB opportunities dried up, Japan stepped in.

And Japan changed his career.

“I loved Japan. Man, I loved it,” Jackson said, smiling wide. “I had interest from a few teams over there, Hiroshima paid the posting fee, and I went. Best decision. Amazing baseball, amazing people.”

With the Hiroshi­ma Carp, Jackson became a dominant late-inning reliever, winning championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

“It was the time of my life,” he said. “And the fans, my God. Hiroshima fans love their team like it’s part of their soul.”

But coming back to MLB wasn’t simple.

“You’d think after those years I’d have teams lined up,” he said. “Nope. I didn’t sign until three days before spring training in 2019. Three days. I had to fly back, pack, get everything together. It was chaos.”

He shook his head again, then grinned.

“That whole story will be in the memoir,” he promised. “There’s things I’ve never said publicly.”

Toronto and San Francisco: “They treated me like family.”

Of all his MLB stops, two fanbases stand out.

“Toronto and San Francisco—those fans treated me and my family beautifully,” Jackson said. “Especially during things we were going through personally at the time. I still get messages from them. They check on us. That means everything.”

He paused for a moment before speaking again.

“You remember the teams you played for. But you remember the people more.”

Nine Innings to Living Your Best Life — A Book, a Curriculum, a Mission

While playing in Japan, Jackson started writing down thoughts, ideas, and principles that helped him survive the highs and lows of a long career.

Those writings turned into a book: Nine Innings to Living Your Best Life.

“It’s not a baseball book,” he emphasized. “It’s for anybody who wants to understand their own mindset, their own reactions, their own habits. It’s something you can pick up on a bad day or a good one.”

Jackson’s voice brightened as he talked about what comes next.

“We’re turning the book into a curriculum for middle school, high school, college, and adults. I want this in classrooms. Kids today deal with pressures we never dreamed of. If I can help them handle that? That’s bigger than baseball.”

He has children’s books in development too.

“Kids remember pictures and simple messages,” he said. “If I can plant seeds early—confidence, positivity, accountability—that’s powerful.”

The S.M.I.L.E Zone — Teaching Athletes the Mental Game

His newest project, The S.M.I.L.E Zone, is a personalized sports-mindset program designed for athletes of all ages.

And yes, the name is a nod to his nickname—Smiley J.

“We keep it limited to 100 athletes because it’s hands-on,” he said. “Each kid gets a weekly call with a coach. We go through a theme from the book, talk about what they’re struggling with, and build them up.”

Participants also get a signed copy of his book and access to Statellite, a training and tracking app.

“It’s not just mental,” he said. “It’s physical too. We want well-rounded athletes who understand their bodies, their emotions, and their minds.”

He added something quietly but firmly:

“Baseball doesn’t teach that enough. Not even close.”

Teaching the Game—and Life—Through a New Lens

As Jackson begins coaching, it’s clear his philosophy extends beyond mechanics and velocity.

“Everyone thinks coaching is about telling someone to raise their elbow or stride longer,” he said. “That’s part of it. But the bigger part? Teaching kids to be accountable. Teaching them to breathe through chaos. Teaching them to handle failure.”

He paused, thoughtful....

“You can’t play this game if every failure feels like the end of the world. My job now is to show them that failure is part of the process. Not the enemy—part of the path.”

He smiled again.

“If they become big leaguers? Awesome. But if they become great humans? That’s the real win.”

A New Season of Life, with a Familiar Purpose

What does retirement feel like?

“I don’t know yet,” Jackson said. “I’m still figuring that out. Some mornings I wake up thinking I gotta go throw my bullpen. Then I remember—I don’t have to do that anymore.”

Does he see his career as an accomplishment?

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” he said. “But I haven’t done that deep sit-down yet. Not that moment where you breathe and say, ‘Look what I did.’ Other people celebrate it for me. But me? Not yet.”

Why not?

“I think because I’m still moving,” he said. “Still building. I haven’t slowed down long enough to process seventeen years of baseball. Seventeen years, man. That’s a blessing.”

But he isn’t searching for purpose. He already knows what it is.

“Helping people,” he said. “Helping kids, helping athletes, helping anyone who needs a little positivity. That’s my purpose now. That’s the next chapter.”

And despite everything he’s accomplished, everything he’s survived, and everything he’s building, Jackson knows one moment still waits for him.

That quiet evening.

That drink by the fire.

That deep breath where he finally acknowledges the magnitude of his journey.

“I’ll have that moment someday,” he said. “And when I do, I know I’ll be proud. Because I lived it. I really lived it.”

This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.

Catch Up with JP’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithjp/

Jay Jackson’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxland58/

Purchase Jay Jackson’s book Nine Innings to Living Your Best Life here: https://amzn.to/4jLeXBX

The Brushback Podcast, is a project Jay Jackson’s had going since early 2024 with former Seattle Mariners outfielder and current Lancaster Stormers hitting coach Trayvon Robinson. Both were active players when they began the podcast. They’ll likely be expanding their podcasting projects by the end of the year.

Born on March 31, 1932, in North Carolina, Ty Buttrey developed a strong passion for baseball early on. His talent shone during his high school career, culminating in his selection by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft. After joining the Red Sox organization, Buttrey had success, struggles, and more success in the minors.

“I sucked for a good three and half, four years,” says Buttrey. “ I really kind of started getting into training improper ways, lost a ton of mobility, lost a lot of velocity, lost my curve ball, my mechanics started getting out of whack, had a little back injury. I just really started like for about two and a half, three years was stuck at this low period, lost kind of the prospect status, all that stuff. Then wasn’t until I really got moved to the bullpen and started changing on my training program and my mindset, I really started diving into the mental side. Then it just kind of catapulted within like a year and a half ⁓ in AA, AAA and then get traded to the Angels.”

He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for veteran Ian Kinsler at the 2018 trade deadline. This trade opened a new chapter in Buttrey’s career, providing him with opportunities. Ty made his Major League Baseball debut on August 16, 2018, with the Los Angeles Angels. During the 2019 season, Buttrey emerged as a critical component of the Angels’ bullpen, He was a reliable option in high-pressure situations. By the end of 2020, the game had taken a physical, emotional, and mental toll on Ty.

“I had a lot of success, but I wanted so much success and I wanted to keep getting better and better,” explains Buttrey. “And you can kind of lead yourself to a little bit of burnout, fatigue, exhaustion, getting kind of stressed out. And it should be, go out there, lift your leg, do the same thing over, change the ball around, don’t overthink it, get hitters out.”

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The following spring, 2021, Ty called it quits at the age of 28. “There wasn’t this feeling in me that just wanted to keep going and chasing all-stars and chasing World Series and chasing this contract. It’s like in my head, yeah, I accomplished it. And I realized how much stress and anxiety and stuff it put on me and all these things that I’m like, whoa, do I really, really love doing this? And the answer was, I love aspects of it. I love the fans, the experience. It’s fun to compete, but do I really just want to play baseball for my whole life? Do I want that to be my thing?”

Ty attempted a comeback during the 2022 season, but abandoned it at the end of 2024. He was excited to begin the next stage in his life and career.

In this conversation, Ty Buttrey shares his journey from being drafted by the Red Sox to his experiences in the major leagues with the Angels. He discusses the challenges he faced, including burnout and the pressures of maintaining success. Ty reflects on his decision to retire from baseball, explore new passions, and eventually return to the sport, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery and pursuing what truly matters in life. In this conversation, Ty Buttrey shares his journey from professional baseball to navigating life after sports. He discusses the challenges of transitioning careers, the importance of mental health, and the realities of pursuing dreams in a competitive environment. Ty also highlights his wife’s success in the NIL space and their collaborative efforts in building a community around athlete branding and personal growth.

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PART ONE OF THE INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY SCALES

After retiring from professional baseball in 2012, Bobby Scales seamlessly transitioned into roles that leveraged his vast knowledge of the sport. His post-playing career has been defined by his contributions to both player development and broadcasting, proving that his expertise extends far beyond the field.

Scales moved into upper echelon player development roles with the Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates. His understanding of the game and his firsthand experience as a player made him a valuable asset in guiding young athletes. His ability to analyze the sport from multiple perspectives—both as a former player and as an executive—allowed him to make significant contributions in shaping the next generation of athletes.

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Beyond his executive work, Scales has also made a name for himself in sports media. He joined the Detroit Tigers’ radio team in 2023 as a broadcaster, where he provides insightful commentary and analysis during the Tigers’ road trips. His presence in the Tigers’ broadcast booth has added depth to the commentary, offering listeners valuable insights from someone who has experienced professional baseball at multiple levels. His ability to break down plays and explain strategies has made him an engaging and knowledgeable voice for Tigers fans.

Scales’ transition into these roles showcases his adaptability, intelligence, and passion for the sport. While many former players struggle to find their footing after retirement, Scales has thrived by applying his experiences in new ways. His work in player development allows him to continue shaping the future of baseball, while his broadcasting career enables him to educate and entertain fans. Bobby demonstrates that a love for the game does not fade—it simply evolves.

This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.

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In this conversation, Bobby Scales shares his journey from growing up in Michigan to playing in Major League Baseball, including his time with the Chicago Cubs and his current role as a broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers. He discusses the importance of education, the challenges of the draft process, and the significance of mentorship in professional sports. Bobby reflects on his experiences in the minor leagues, the emotional rollercoaster of being called up to the big leagues, and the lessons he learned about leadership and teamwork from veteran players. In this conversation, Bobby Scales shares his journey through professional baseball, detailing his experiences from his early days in the MLB to his time in Japan and his transition into broadcasting. He discusses the cultural differences in baseball between the U.S. and Japan, the challenges of player development, and the importance of having a growth mindset. Bobby also reflects on his roles in the front office and the responsibilities that come with them, as well as his current work as a broadcaster and consultant.

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Bobby Scales had a long career that spanned both Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Scales played college baseball at the University of Michigan after joining the team as a walk-on before being selected by the San Diego Padres in the 14th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. After 6 years in the Padres’ minor league system, he played in the minor leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox organizations before joining the Chicago Cubs in 2008.

In 2009, Scales made headlines when he made MLB debut with the Cubs at the age of 31. His first major league hit came against Tim Lincecum, the 2008 National League Cy Young Award winner. He’d have an impact in the major leagues with the Cubs in 2009 and 2010. Scales moved to Japan to play in NPB. He joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2011 and later played for the Orix Buffaloes in 2012.

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Scales’ career is a testament to his perseverance, resilience, high baseball IQ, and leadership.

PART TWO OF THE INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY SCALES

This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.

In this conversation, Bobby Scales shares his journey from growing up in Michigan to playing in Major League Baseball, including his time with the Chicago Cubs and his current role as a broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers. He discusses the importance of education, the challenges of the draft process, and the significance of mentorship in professional sports. Bobby reflects on his experiences in the minor leagues, the emotional rollercoaster of being called up to the big leagues, and the lessons he learned about leadership and teamwork from veteran players. In this conversation, Bobby Scales shares his journey through professional baseball, detailing his experiences from his early days in the MLB to his time in Japan and his transition into broadcasting. He discusses the cultural differences in baseball between the U.S. and Japan, the challenges of player development, and the importance of having a growth mindset. Bobby also reflects on his roles in the front office and the responsibilities that come with them, as well as his current work as a broadcaster and consultant.

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Al Campanis started his baseball career in 1940 as a shortstop for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Although his playing career was brief, it was his management roles that truly defined his legacy. He became a key player in the Dodgers organization, serving as the director of player development and later as general manager. Al was known for spotting talent, he was integral in the signing and development of Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, and Fernando Valenzuela. However, a controversial statement during a television interview led to backlash and his resignation in 1987.

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Following in his father’s footsteps, Jim Campanis has lived a life baseball. He played professionally for twelve seasons, reaching the Majors in seven, and later became a respected member of the Dodgers’ front office and the Los Angeles baseball community.

Born into baseball, Jim Campanis Jr. stands as the most recent torchbearer of the Campanis legacy in baseball. Drawing on the strong foundation established by his father and grandfather, he forged his own path in the sport. Jim was a star at the University of Southern California. He’s second to Mark McGwire on USC’s single-season home run list and still holds the school record for RBI in a season. Following his junior season in 1988, Jim was selected to represent his country on Team USA, but was also selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round of the MLB draft.

The Mariners talked Jim Jr. out of representing his country at the Olympics in favor of beginning his pro career. He would play five-injury plagued seasons in the Mariners’ minor league system before finishing off his career in 1994 with one season in the Angels’ organization. Jim would later post stories of his childhood emersed in the game of baseball, as well as stories from his own playing days, on his social media accounts. For years, commenters told him he should write a book. In 2016, he would finally publish Born into Baseball.

This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.

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In this engaging conversation, Jim Campanis Jr. shares his unique journey through the world of baseball, growing up in a family deeply rooted in the sport. From his early experiences at his father’s and grandfather’s games to his own professional career, Jim reflects on the challenges and triumphs he faced, including the pressures of rebuilding his family’s legacy. He discusses his time at USC, the struggles of professional baseball, and the importance of mental performance techniques like visualization and managing anxiety.

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Chris Nowak was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 19th round of the 2004 MLB draft. He was named a Baseball America High-A All-Star for the Visalia Oaks in 2006. He’d play his way up the Rays’ chain before going over to the Brewers in 2010. In 2011, he wound up with the York Revolution in the Atlantic League. He broke the team home run record with 25 in 2011 and broke it again with 34 in 2012.

Jeff Perro

You were drafted in the 19th round, isn’t low, isn’t high. You still had to probably compete for, playing time at that round, but you played your way into becoming a prospect. Man, you smoked the California league in 2006, played well up through AA.

Chris Nowak

When you go in, you want to play professional baseball, you kind of have this vision of what it’s like and it’s completely different than what you you kind of anticipate. Just on the kind of like the business side of things. Being a 19th rounder, there wasn’t a ton of money invested in me. So, like you said, I had to earn a spot. I remember going to my first long season in Low-A and I was playing probably every other day or every third day and watching two guys that played my position. I was a corner infielder. But they had a little bit more money invested in them and they wanted to see him play.

One guy was the third baseman Travis Schlichting who actually converted to pitcher and made it to the big leagues. So, he had a really cool story that way. Yeah, real live arm, but the bat obviously kind of didn’t didn’t play. Then we had another kid named Tommy Nichols who was a bigger build first baseman, but just wasn’t putting it together that year. There ended up being an injury that allowed me to start playing every day. And I just took advantage of it. I ended up hitting over .300 for the year and went to high A and did well. And when I got at bats, consistent at bats, I definitely was somebody that you wanted to have.

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Jeff Perro

How did you end up with the Brewers?

Chris Nowak

I was in my final year of my contract with the Rays, so I played that whole contract out, almost. I Don’t know if it was my age or whatever but they just didn’t see fit that I was gonna be a big leaguer for them.

But there’s a lot of coaches that were on my side and one of those guys was the AA hitting coach in Montgomery his name was Ozzie Timmons, who actually has worked his way up to big league hitting coach with the Brewers for you for a few years here as of late, and he just went back to the Rays. He was just great because like he showed me the the from that point forward, like the what it was like to be in connection with people, you know, the the networking part of it. And there’s definitely a big networking part of baseball that you don’t realize.

He talked to Darnell Coles, who was Milwaukee’s minor league hitting coordinator. I was put on what was called a phantom DL with the Rays. And I said I was gonna wait a week and then I was gonna ask for my release. The word got out, Ozzie knew that was happening and gave heads up to a few of the people that should take advantage of giving me another shot. The Brewers were one of them. I went over there and it didn’t do what I wanted to do. The hometown team, I would have loved to step foot in a big league box with the Brewers.

But I struggled a little bit when I went over there with Huntsville. I really got with some great coaches, Darnell and then Al LaBeouf was another hitting coach at the time. I started making some changes because the Rays were always like about like not touching me as far as offensively, because I always kind of figured it out. I was always like a big doubles guy. For my size, I never put together big power numbers with with the home run ball. And they really tapped into like how to use my leverage and really transform me from a doubles hitter.

I got to go to AAA with the Brewers and they said that I was going to get like three to four hundred plate appearances wherever I went. So I made the club the AAA club out of spring training, but it never came to fruition. I think I was two plus months in and I had like 40 some played appearances.

Jeff Perro

That’s not on pace for three or four hundred plate appearances.

Chris Nowak

Yeah! So I went to Don Money who is the manager, and just said, “Hey, you know, this is kind of what Gord Ash told me that we were going to do, that I was going to get this this opportunity to kind of showcase my offensive abilities and get a shot to possibly, you know, move my way up.” And I just wasn’t getting that. He said, ⁓ “I didn’t even know anything about that. Let me call Gord.”

Then he came back to me like five minutes later, he’s like, Gord said, if you want to take your release, you can take it. And then at that time I was like, okay, that means I’m not getting those plate appearances that I was promised. Obviously nothing was written in a contract or anything. That just isn’t the way they do it. So I took the release, went to York. And mashed.

I mean, once I got the string of at bats, it all came together. Still hit for a decent decently high average, I was still putting the ball in play like I normally do, but just was taking advantage and putting some balls over the fence.

Jeff Perro

Was that the only difference?

Chris Nowak

Andy [Etchebarren] was our manager, and also it was the team. I walked in that clubhouse, you know, the guys were just welcoming, like nothing I’ve never experienced. You know, in affiliated ball, because everybody’s kind of out for themselves in a way where this was like about the team and about winning.

And within the first week I started out good. Hit a home run my first at bat, ⁓ and then Andy was just like, “Listen, you’re my guy, you know? You’re my guy and you’re going to play.” And that just gave me like the freedom to be like, there’s nothing to worry about here. And I went off from there.

In that three months there, less than three months, probably the best stretch I ever had. I I hit .330. We ended up winning the championship that year. It was just unbelievable. And then it came back the next year. Didn’t get a chance to get signed by any affiliated teams, but wanted to go back and give it another shot, prove myself again. I came back to York and I really, really just enjoyed my time there.

the people, the fans, everything was about the team and trying to win. that’s what I was all about. As far as you want your career to go somewhere, but I still just loved the game. And that was the biggest part of independent ball, just kind of rekindled my love for the game of baseball instead of like I mentioned before, there’s so much business involved in affiliates.

Jeff Perro

It gives you the freedom to play without the bigwigs breathing down your neck.

Chris Nowak

Yeah. 100%

Jeff Perro

And then 2013, I was looking and I was like, there’s no way dude breaks the team record twice in home runs [25 in 2011 and 34 in 2014 for the York Revolution,] 34 homers in the Atlantic league, which high level competition, and doesn’t get it a job offer the following year. But you didn’t play in 2013.

Chris Nowak

So, I went to the Diamondbacks for the spring in 2013. My wife and I just had our daughter in February. So I went to the Diamondbacks trying to transition to the outfield because I was like, “Listen, I need to I need I need a couple more spots to play if I’m going to crack the big leagues at 30 years old.”

You know, I was I was pretty established as a corner infielder, but was trying to transition to the outfield a little bit. And it just didn’t work out like I thought it would. It was a lot more difficult than I thought, to get to the get in the outfield. And I had a fine spring training. didn’t I didn’t rake. mean, I think I had two homers during spring, but they wanted to take advantage of like some younger, youthful talent, which, you know, I get it. It’s a business.

I’m 30 and I didn’t have any big league time. So there, if I was going to make that club, I was probably going to be in AA again. And I really wanted to be in AAA. So I got my release and then actually the Cardinals came, talked or called me and said they would like to put me in AA. A former manager that was in Mississippi, Philip Wellman. I’m sure you remember that scene with the rosin bag. But he and I always hit it off. That was another one of those kind of like unknown networking things. He wanted me to be on the team. And man, I had to like make a really big hard decision at that time. I didn’t want to go back to AA. You know, I spent so much time in AA, I felt like I had

Jeff Perro

And a 30 year old guy at AA is typically the guy that starts three times a week. ⁓

Chris Nowak

Yeah, exactly. I just I just wanted to say, I was I was a big leaguer that never made it. You know what I mean? Just wasn’t in the right place at the right time. Had great seasons all along the way. I wouldn’t change anything that I did other than one thing. I had one spring training. I think it was in 08 or 09 and a coach came up to me is like, “Would you be ever interested in catching?”

At the time I was like, I’m going to make it as a corner infielder like the ego in me or whatever you want to say. Looking back now, I had Longoria and Carlos Peña in front of me and obviously Longoria when he first came up, was a Silve Slugger, Gold Glover and Carlos Peña was putting up 40 homers and was winning gold gloves too.

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Jeff Perro

So, the family, you got the wife and the kid. How did you feel a week, a month into the season and now you’re not playing anymore, but you’re hanging out with the wife and that sweet little baby on the couch watching baseball?

Chris Nowak

I didn’t watch too much baseball. Especially the first few years I really separated myself. I would maybe go to a game or two in person, but never really sat and watched it on TV like I did when I was playing and as a kid. You just kind of see it differently. You see it as a business. And, you know, I just didn’t want to kind of rekindle either those those emotions. Just feeling like maybe I got, you know, slighted in any sort of way.

And so I spent a lot of time, yeah, with family. Just you got to have a strong support system when you’re playing baseball because if you try to do it on your own, it’s it’s gonna be really really hard. So, Yeah, they were there for me and made the transition pretty pretty seamless You know, do I miss baseball? Absolutely. Like it was my first love and I love coaching my daughter and some of the other local kids around here doing some lessons here and there but, it’s it’s a it’s just something that when it was all said and done, I just kind of closed that chapter, so to speak, and tried to hit the real world, you know what mean?

Jeff Perro

Did you have your degree?

Chris Nowak

I went to University of Phoenix online [after playing] because they had a program that basically you could transfer the credits that you gained versus like if I went to like a local school I would have to take a lot of the prerequisites and I would have been in school for another two or three years so I didn’t want to do that.

Jeff Perro

How long did it take you to get your degree from Phoenix?

Chris Nowak

Yeah, like about a year and a half.

Jeff Perro

When you, when you decided to retire to the spring training, did you have a plan in place where you already like looking at getting, back and getting your degree and how to do that?

Chris Nowak

Yeah, I knew that, you know, the way that I was gonna have to go was online to kind of get done with that done and kind of check that box, so to speak. It actually kind of helped me in the real world, because it was obviously a lot of stuff on the computer, which I had not done then. That’s just kind of the way of the world now. So, yeah, I got to I kind of learned that piece too, just with the whole online portion of everything. It was good to go that route actually, when it was all said and and get my degree and just cut my teeth in sales and been doing sales ever since.

Jeff Perro

What are you doing now?

Chris Nowak

So I just I’m gonna start actually a new job next Monday.

Jeff Perro

Awesome! Congratulations!

Chris Nowak

I’m going to be selling HR solutions, like benefits and things for small to medium sized companies, so they can kind of take some of that off of their plate. They can really focus on retaining great talent and helping their employees so they don’t jump ship, so to speak. You give them a package that with insurance and benefits and everything that they are set to be in it for the long haul. I can admittedly say I was I’ve spent about two years selling insurance, five years selling like copiers, printers, software solutions, and then another four years and like med device sales.

But there really wasn’t that long-term career where this next step is definitely is something that I could take into retirement.

Jeff Perro

Any skills from baseball that you feel have translated well into the sales jobs you’ve done in the past or now?

Chris Nowak

Yeah, no great question. I I think you know just working with just diverse people You know obviously you’re a player and you got people from all over the country all over the world, different nationalities. And also, you can see how sometimes if it’s a bad apple how I can really ruin a team.

if you’re really trying to build a team and where I am, where I was coming from, interacting with various people, you have to see and recognize personalities and how to try to get to their level. I think, you know, that’s the biggest thing with especially teaching because yeah, what works for one guy might, it might be totally different for somebody else.

Writer’s note: I own maybe 300 baseball cards. I hadn’t bought any in decades, but the flea market near me sells grab bags for 50 cents and I’ve bought a few. Mostly stuff from the 80’s and 90’s. Then, last fall, I went to a yard sale near me. They had a stack of 29 autographed cards. I think I paid $25-30 for them. There were cards signed by Pete Inclaviglia, Akinori Iwamura, Javier Vazquez, and more. A few of them were Rays’ affliate minor league cards.

A few minutes after I got of the phone with Chris Nowak, I was sitting on the couch and it hit me. “Chris Nowak!?’ I got up, retrieved the stack of cards out of the top of my closet, and there it was,.....

..... an autographed card of Chris Nowak from the 2008 Montgomery Biscuits.

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Jerome Williams was the 39th pick of the San Francisco Giants of the 1999 MLB Draft. He garnered a lot of praise and attention during his ascent to the big leagues. He was named the Giants’ number 1 prospect prior to the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He was also named to the USA team for the 2001 Futures Game. Jerome made his Major League Debut on April 26 2003 at the young age of 21 years old. On June 27th of his rookie season he became the youngest Giant to throw a shutout since 1975. During those initial years, he showcased promise as a right-handed starter.

2007 begins what Jerome Williams refers to as “The Grind Years.” He usually choses to leave this era out when recalling his career. During this phase of his career, Jerome spent time bouncing between AA, AAA, two different independent leagues and Taiwan. “The Grind Years” ended when he was signed of the Atlantic League by the Los Angeles Angels in June of 2011.

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From 2011 to 2013, Jerome was, again, able to find success and comfort at the big league level. He appeared in 79 games with the Angels, 46 of which were starts. He would finish his Major League career with St. Louis Cardinals in 2016. Williams turned to coaching in 2019. As he reflects on his journey, Williams embodies important lessons about resilience and determination in the face of adversity. He continues to inspire aspiring players, reaffirming that with hard work and perseverance, they can achieve their goals.

This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.

In this conversation, Jerome Williams shares his journey from growing up in Hawaii and being drafted at a young age, to navigating the ups and downs of his professional career. He discusses the challenges he faced, including injuries and the grind of independent leagues, before transitioning into coaching. Jerome reflects on the importance of family, the lessons learned from his mother, and his current role as a pitching coach in the Pioneer League, emphasizing the significance of teaching baseball IQ to young players.

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Alex Liddi’s story transcends personal success; it embodies the cultural significance of representing Italy on the global baseball stage. Born in Sanremo, Italy, Liddi’s passion for baseball sparked in his early years. Growing up in a family that cherished the sport, he caught the attention of scouts with his talent and ambition. By the age of 17, he signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2005.

Liddi impressed the team all the way to the top of the professional ladder. He made his Major League debut on September, 2011, with the Seattle Mariners against the Los Angeles Angels. Although he faced a learning curve during his debut, it was a glimpse into his potential as a player and a representative of Italian baseball. Throughout his professional career, Liddi primarily played as a third baseman. He spent most of his time with the Mariners, where he became known for his robust hitting and sharp defensive skills.

Liddi’s contributions extended beyond MLB. He represented Italy’s national team in international competitions, including the World Baseball Classic. His participation not only elevated Italy’s visibility, it inspired a fresh wave of talent for future competitions. For instance, during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Italy reached the second round for the first time, a feat that undoubtedly energized the baseball community at home.

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After parting ways with the Mariners, he became a fan with various minor league teams and international leagues, including stints in Taiwan, Mexico, and even the United Arab Emirates . His ability to adapt and his relentless desire to hone his skills demonstrated a remarkable resilience.

Throughout his travels, his work ethic remained evident. He frequently spent hours in training and maintained a fierce competitive spirit, often pushing himself to improve. Today, Alex Liddi is celebrated not just for his on-field achievements but also for his cultural influence. As the first Italian-born player in modern MLB history, he has cleared the way for countless young athletes across Europe. Liddi’s story continues to inspire, as he remains a respected figure in the baseball community worldwide.

This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.

In this conversation, Alex Liddi shares his journey from growing up in Sanremo, Italy, to making it to the Major Leagues with the Seattle Mariners. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of his baseball career, including the decline of baseball in Italy, his experiences in the U.S. leagues, and his time playing in Mexico and other international leagues. Liddi reflects on his retirement from professional baseball and his plans for the future, including a focus on community involvement and helping other athletes navigate their post-career lives.

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This video is Alex’s parents at Alex’s game on 9/09/2011. Alex had made his MLB debut two days earlier.

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Shorts taken from this full interview are also available at our YouTube channel and all social media pages.