August 20, 2025 • 48 mins
This week on Parney Time, we’re diving headfirst into the wild, wonderful world of Minor League Baseball with the one and only Ben Hill!
Ben is a MiLB reporter and the man behind Ben’s Biz. From the funniest promotions of all time to the teams that mean everything to their cities, Ben, Parney, Cheats and MP swap stories on the quirks, characters, and heart of MiLB. They cover the best (and strangest) ballpark merchandise Ben’s picked up on the road, the impact of new rule changes, owners who’ve made a lasting difference, celebrity appearances and so much more!
Must-listen for those who love baseball, community, and a good laugh!
Follow Cheats @BBallMixtape on Twitter @blackbaseballmixtape on Instagram and listen to the Black Baseball Mixtape
Follow Michael Phillips @michaelpinRVA
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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(02:32):
Party Time. Season two rolling on in the web universe.
Party Time Podcast, Excited once again to have another conversation
with an old old friend. I'm gonna when we start this,
I can't remember when we met, so to our guests
start thinking about when we met because I've forgotten already,
(02:52):
not because it doesn't mean anything to me, just because we've,
like you have always been in my life. I feel
like Cheats is here with us. Cheats Welcome aboard.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Buddy, Excited man, Party Time Season two.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Let's go You're the Best Black Baseball Mixtape. Chief's been
doing a lot of great things this summer, down with
the All Star Game, Swingman Classic, So just make sure
you follow Black Baseball Mixtape and our Man Sheets. And
then at some point we're gonna be hearing from Michael
Phillips MP on the Mike will be joining us as well.
(03:23):
But our guests today are a very special guest today
is Ben Hill from Ben's Biz Traveling America through Minor
League Baseball, Connecting to America through Minor League Baseball. Ben,
Welcome to Party Tome Buddy.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Great to be here, Parney. It was my life's dream
ever since he announced this podcast.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So well, I'll mark you as one of the many
that has contacted me wanting to be a guest, So
there you go, none better than David Justice. David Justice
actually stalked me until we could have him on the show,
so we're excited to have you. So, Ben, I've been
in baseball thirty six year. I don't remember you not
(04:01):
being around. When did you start? When did you start
doing your thing in minor league baseball?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yeah, not that long. I've been around for about half
of your career in minor league baseball. I started in
two thousand and five, which was just the first year
of MiLB dot Com, then called Minor League Baseball dot Com.
I got a job through a friend of mine write
in game recaps with no real relevant experience. It was
just a part time, night shift, hourly thing, and I
thought I'd do it for a few months till the
(04:27):
season ended. But it was the first year of the site.
No one knew what they were doing. I didn't go
in with some master plan, but one thing led to another,
and I developed this niche, which I came to call,
you know, exploring America through Minor League Baseball, covering the
business and culture of minor league baseball. So obviously the
focus on how the teams operate and what it's like
to be a fan as opposed to you know, the
action on the field. So that just kind of developed
(04:48):
through two thousand and six and two thousand and seven.
I think I met you for the first time party.
I was still part time, but I felt in two
thousand and seven I had to get to an industry
event to finally meet some of the people I was
beginning to write about and talk to. And I wasn't
part time, I wasn't full time, so I crashed with
the coworker. I was doing things pretty uh, you know,
kind of rogue back then, just trying to establish myself.
(05:10):
But two thousand and seven was that in uh, I
was That was one of the many Gaylord opry Land iterations,
I believe, Yeah, Winter meetings two thousand and seven, and
then from there, you know, I think I went to
promo seminar in two thousand and eight and got full
time in two thousand and nine. So there's always the
industry events, and you know, we cross Paths and Richmond
(05:30):
a few times. And as I started covering what I
did or the world that the culture and the business
of Minor League baseball, and you know, contacting teams all
the time about promotions and learning more and more. I'd
look at you as one of the guys. When I
was first starting, it was like, oh, you gotta meet Parney,
or like you got to hear party tell this story.
(05:50):
Uh so I always had a special eye on you know,
whatever teams you were with their promo schedule and your
reputation preceded you. I believe in a lot of in
a lot of cases.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
I don't know if that's good or not. I think
it's good. But that means a lot to me. And
as I've gotten older and now as I'm stepping stepping
back a little bit, slowing down, it's reflection on these
relationships with someone like you, Like, honest to god, I
don't remember you not being around like I'm not being funny,
like I just I feel like Ben Hill to me
is a part of minor league baseball. So with that,
(06:21):
when somebody comes up to you at a cocktail party
and says, well, so what what what is the business
of minor league baseball? How do you respond to that?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah, I'm used to that, Like, this is not a
job where you can quickly just say what you do,
and people get it. It's like I'm a baseball writer,
but not a baseball writer, a minor league baseball writer,
but no, not a minor league baseball writer who covers
the prospects or anything happening on the game. So yeah,
when I talk about the business of minor league baseball,
I'm usually not covering you know, all the real inside
(06:50):
maneuvers and you know, the government, you know, trans new
ballpark funding and all that kind of stuff. It's more
like butts in seats, if you want to put three
words on it. What do the teams do to create
a unique environment that's regional, local to them that it
establishes them as a unique entertainment entity you know anywhere
in America where minor league baseball is played. So, you know,
(07:12):
that's the business I've really been covering. And that's the
culture as well. So I look at if I had
to choose business or culture, I'd say it's more the
culture of minor league baseball. What is this place? What
makes it unique? If each minor league team is a
reflection of its community, then these well, now one hundred
and twenty teams a reflection of America. And so that's
really been what it's about.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
I'm smiling cheats because I feel like Ben, he'll just
explain my entire career, like what he was just saying,
what is Minor league Baseball? Like I just had all
these flashbacks moments of your travel. Is there a specific
like people ask me this all the time, what's your
favorite moment in your career or whatever? It's hard to pinpoint.
(07:56):
But if you are at this cocktail party that we're
imagining right now, and somebody says, tell me about a
special place, what's a special place to you? So many
I don't have to say. You don't have to say
Richmond or Montgomery just because we're on the Party Time podcast.
But if you want to say Richmond Orretgomery, you most
certainly haven.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I think those are both special places. And yeah, I
don't want to be too raw raw all the time,
but I feel like most of the places I visit
our special places. And doing what I do working for MLB,
I'm never dishonest or disingenuous, and obviously some places are
more special than others, but it's always about highlighting the positive,
you know. I'd say Reading is a special place for
(08:35):
me because I grew up a Phillies fan. Didn't really
go to the Redding games too much as a kid,
but just with that local feeling connection, the long running affiliation,
the great mix of history and knowledgeable fans, and all
the extraneous goofiness that they do so well, you know when.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
You just got back from there, didn't you? Were you
just there?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I was there earlier this year. I started this year
with a stop in reading a few months ago, another
special place, also in Pennsylvania. I just got back from Altuna,
and so the story there.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
I used to matriculate their cheats.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Yeah. So in two thousand and seven, I'm still part time.
I'm not getting you know, I don't have the budget
to go anywhere, but I was covering enough of minor
league baseball promotions that I wanted to go and see
a promotion and figure out a way to write about it.
And so of all the promotions, I chose, I think
it speaks to kind of where my sensibilities are and
were the first one I ever went to go cover
(09:29):
live in the ballpark was awful night in two thousand
and seven with the Altuna Curve. Now, Parney, I think
you had moved on at that point, but awful Night
was your life? Oh you were there in two thousand
and seven.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I was still there, Yeah, I was. I was still there.
And let me interrupt you because I knew this was
going to come up because awful Night. So we're trying
to do big things in Altuna. Chuck Greenberg was our owner.
We were sitting in my office after a game, having
a few beers, and Chuck Greenberg goes, man, you just
always trying to be the best. You're always trying to
(10:02):
be the best. We should do at night where we
just f everything up and we're just awful And he
just went and I just told Ben roathrock this down
the hallway a few minutes ago. How many years have
they had Awful Night now Tuna now, like fifteen or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, well they did it all the way up through
twenty ten, twenty eleven, and then they didn't do it
for a while and they brought it back in twenty
twenty one, so now it's an annual thing again. So
having it having been in two thousand and seven and
it being sort of the prototype for what minor league
teams can do that fans wouldn't expect, and I like
absurd premises and kind of more subversive concepts and when
(10:38):
teams can go that direction. So this year, when I
saw it on the promo schedule for the Curve, I thought,
now's the time to go back and see it again.
I never would have thought that attending Awful Night in
two thousand and seven part time figuring things out, that
I'd be eighteen years later going back again amazing, or
that the team would still be doing it. Obviously, you know,
it's a you can't get away with as much now
(10:59):
as I think you probably got away with in those
earlier days. But the fact they're doing it, and you
know they're promo director Mike Kessling kess Is, I think
doing a great job still bringing that kind of spirit
to the Curve, where, in addition to all the things
that fans know and expect there, you look at the
promo schedule and they're just doing those kind of goofy
(11:20):
one offs and so going to Awful Night and you
know a lot of stuff you established, you know, the airs,
the spelling errors on the video boards and betweenenning contests
like what's that smell? Or what's in my pocket? Or
name that tune on a kazoo or whatever it is.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You know the fact that batting batting instead of batting
averages on the scoreboard, we put their fail average.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah see, that's one I don't think you can do anymore.
I don't think you think like I don't know. I
think some of the stuff that they might not let
you do now that they have like a third party concessionaire,
they can't just add willy nilly, like just awful food
specials like you might have. But I will say that
in two thousand and seven when I attended Awful Night,
my favorite or most memorable element of it was the
(12:03):
broadcaster for the Curve at that time was John Laser
l AA S E. R. And the Curve.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
These guys know because he came with me to Richmond.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know John Laser. So among the
Awful Night things advertised was just simply one line a
postgame laser light show. And the postgame laser light show
was John Laser in a green bodysuit with glow sticks
doing like interpretive dancing on the field after the game.
And we had that video years ago, and he's contacted
(12:32):
me through the years, like have you ever found that
everyone wishes it existed? It's maybe someday we'll get that back.
But for me, the postgame laser light show we'll always
live on in my minor league baseball memories and.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
For everybody out there in party time land. I can't
tell you how many angry phone calls I got from
people who bought tickets expecting to see a laser light
show on Awful Night. And another thing about Awful Night,
our manager was Tony Beasley, who's been a pre guests
on this show, and we filmed our players and and bes,
our managers or our coaches just looking into the camera
(13:08):
going oh man, that's awful. If you remember, Ben, we
gave up like a three run bomb in the top
of the ninth to lose a lead, and our and
our person in the production room thought it was inappropriate
time to put our manager, Tony Beasley on the scoreboard going.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Oh man, that's awful. I've up pissed my pants. Man,
it was unbelievable. So yeah, off of night, Off of night.
That's that's so. So what are some of the other
ones that come to come to mind? And I'm really
flattered that that that's the one, that that's the one
that you brought up first.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, I'm not just saying that it but because it's
both the larger spirit that I wanted to see more
of an experience for myself, I kind of laugh at myself,
half celebrate myself and have wonder what I've done with
my life that like that, like that is what what
most appealed you, like of all the promotions, and you
gotta go see one. It's awful night. So I do
(14:04):
like the absurd things like that. One way I've answered
this question. This is not something obviously teams can duplicate it,
but in terms of being at a ballpark for a
memorable moment. In twenty seventeen, when there was the national
eclipse going through the country and a bunch of teams
in the path of totality scheduled their games around when
(14:25):
the total darkness is going to be happening. So I
went to Columbia, South Carolina, home of the Fireflies, you know,
glowing the dark, and seen the appropriate for an eclipse,
and so they started the game at like early afternoon
and it had this built in eclipse delay. I forget
who the manager the Fireflies was, but he was arguing
and was getting kicked out of the game. And everyone
who works with the team is panicking because they're trying
(14:46):
to like shut things down for an eclipse coming while
this umpire, while this on field argument is going on
between the thing.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
That's what we get to see that people don't get
to see that people want to know about, right, And
that's why you're so successful.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Yeah, I mean those little nuggets of like no, no,
get out the field, you're out of the game, just
go it's gonna be we got an eclipse coming through.
This is once in a lifetime. But to be in
a sold out ballpark, you know, that ballpark probably had
about maybe to this day, the largest crowd it's ever had,
except maybe an opening day, but you know, something like
eleven thousand people. To be at a day game that
(15:20):
feels normal and then have that happen and be in
total darkness with a you know, in the community of
a sold out stadium, that is one I will always remember.
And that was a memorable trip because the day before
I was in Charleston and Bill Murray was in town
to see the eclipse in Charleston, and you can't schedule
an interview with Bill Murray, but it just so happened
(15:41):
that guy I knew with the team, knew. Bill Murray's like, hey,
you want to talk to Ben. He's like, oh yeah, sure,
And all of a sudden, my night ends was sitting
at a picnic table watching watching bouncy baseballs get dropped
from a helicopter for some sort of between a postgame contest,
and I'm me and Bill Murray are watching bouncy balls
get dropped from helicopter and I'm interviewing about the eclipse,
(16:02):
and he's talking about the eclips could be the apocalypse,
So you should be kind to people because we might
all die. You know, you just don't know what's gonna go.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
So so you mentioned this earlier. I'm the old I'm
the old goat, the old guard, thirty six years in
the in this business that we all love. You said,
there's some things you can't you can't do anymore. You
can't get away with that anymore for your job in
Ben's biz. Has that made it more difficult or or
(16:32):
are you still finding I mean, obviously I feel pretty strongly,
and I think the pub club would agree with me
that minor league baseball executives are amongst the most creative
in the world. In the sports industry. So I'm sure
you're not short on content, but are some of the
some of the changes that have been made make it
a little more difficult for you.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah, at times, I don't know how much more difficult
it is for me, because it's still minor league Baseball,
and there's still a lot of teams and there's still
a lot to isolate, and if it's in the context
of my road trip, a lot of those are just
simply to report on what that night was, so you
always get something, no matter what the night was. But yeah,
you know, with more focus on you know, no you know,
(17:17):
trademark violations or worries about intellectual property or getting promotions approved.
You know, teams used to be a little bit more
like this crazy thing and pop culture is happening. It
just happened, and it's a Tuesday, and on Friday, we're
going to do this, and so you don't see as
much of that spontaneity do the way it's set up
right now. But there's still obviously so much happening. So
(17:40):
while I sometimes miss not seeing a lot of the
more off the cuff goofy stuff that happened more regularly,
there's still a lot to focus on, and if my
job is to highlight the positive again without ever feeling
dishonest or disingenuous, I can highlight the positive with plenty
of room to spare, you know, today, yesterday, tomorrow. So
(18:03):
it hasn't really affected me that much in that regard,
But as someone whose first ballpark visit ever in a
professional context was awful night, yes, I'm always looking for
the screwy and the weird and sometimes the truly bizarre,
being just like, what is this team doing? And some
of that I don't think is so much how the
industry is set up, but after COVID, just the number
(18:26):
of people in the industry who left and younger people
coming in who don't have necessarily the same sense of
what the industry is. And I or was with that
kind of mentality. That mentality still exists, but I don't
think it's as pervasive that throw everything against the wall
and see what sticks kind of thing. So I think
some of it's generational, and then I hesitate to be
the you know, proverbial old man, being like, oh, it
(18:49):
used to be better in the old days, So I'm
trying to see what works now, and you know, miss
some things but also make sure I'm not missing what
is working now or ideas that weren't being implemented when
I was, you know, at an earlier stage in my career.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
So one of those things that happened on a Tuesday,
and we did it on a Friday here in Richmond.
I'm sitting in Parney's Pub after a game. I have
the TV on, and this this uh Wiener, the political dude, Wiener,
his last name was Wiener, comes up, Anthony Anthony Wiener,
and the next thing, you know, a few days later,
(19:23):
we're having Wiener Night. Uh, and people were buying dollar
hot dogs and taking selfies with their dollar hot dogs
and sending us pictures. Talk about something that wouldn't wouldn't
go over now.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, goes to that saying you're not doing that, not
doing that in the year twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yeah, yeah, But but to your point, there was back
in the day. There was a lot of things that
like pop culture, were things that happened on the news.
And the next thing, you know, a minor league team
across in America. I'm not saying that was a great promotion,
by the way, I'm just saying we did it, uh,
And they were doing it. They were doing it all
across the country, and but I think you still get that.
I think I think when people and pop club get
(20:01):
ready because we're gonna go to one shots and cheats,
you'll be first. When people think about creativity, I do
believe people think about minor league baseball. Like when I
go to the National Sports Forum, people from the NFL, NBA,
Major League Baseball, NASCAR, like they want to talk to
us minor league people about what we're doing. Do you
do you see that in your everyday walk, Ben.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Yeah, I mean absolutely. I still think it's kind of
the benchmark for creativity within sports. I mean, I think
part of it's the number of games and the way
baseball is set up with between inning breaks and the
natural leve and flow of it. You kind of have
a little more leeway to get creative with those sort
of things. And then once an industry establishes a reputation,
it kind of becomes self perpetuating because the people who
want to work in it are attracted to that reputation.
(20:45):
So I still think that applies, Yeah, even if it
is not as totally off the cuff and you know,
crazy as it might have been in different eras. I
still I'm not aware of another sector in sports that
you could work in in a front office capacity and
kind of have the creativity and freedom from a day
to day operational standpoint, even to this day. I could
(21:07):
be wrong. I'm not touring minor league hockeyball or arenas
at the moment or anything like that, but it seems
to me like it's still the benchmark for you know,
creative promotional ideas.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Parties, pop club, one shot cheats. What do you got
for Ben Hill? From Ben's bitz?
Speaker 2 (21:26):
What's good?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Ben?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
When I think of minor league baseball and especially the
things that you cover, I think of two things, just
like outrageous characters and amazing storytellers. So not named party,
you can't name party, but throughout your journey, who would
be like one or two of those guys that you
would say, man, that that guy was the greatest storyteller
that I'd hang around in minor league baseball.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
That's a yeah, that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I guess. Yeah, nothing, but fastball US been kicking your
ass on the questions. It's not close. It's not close
at all.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He hasn't even asked.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Yeah, you know, because so many of those. I'm sure
I'm now like blanking on people who I've talked to
that I'd be like, oh, yeah, that person, absolutely, I guess.
I think I think about people who've just been in
the industry for a long time who can talked back
to like how things were or how things are now,
or just crossing paths with so many people. I mean,
can't say party, but he'd obviously be one of them.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I think, like Scott the Record, everybody in Party time,
he can't say Parny, but he wants to.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
I do know what everybody would say party, I do you.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Know Scott Hunziker and reading I say it would be
one of those.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Was my intern who was my intern in Ready.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Yeah, I'm not surprised. I've heard about this party coaching
tree through the years and people know it's there's a
lot of legacy there. But yeah, he'd be somebody working
for the same team for so long, local routes the
way you just talked to him about any little thing,
and there's like a story behind it. Like I was
there earlier this season and there was a little person
(23:10):
who was just a game day employee but in full
uniform and he was on the field launching sling shots,
and Scott's like, oh yeah, he used to deliver pizza
to me in college and we became friends. So you know,
like that, there's.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
No exactly who you're talking about. I know exactly who.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
You're talking exact I like when I visit places where
it seems so deep rooted like that, where even the
most random seeming things have these years and years of
connection and intersecting relationships and pathways from this to this.
So I feel like you get that in reading quite
a bit, so I would I would say that one
(23:43):
for sure, he's not working for a minor league team now,
but you know, Milo Andy Milovich was another one. I
remember visiting Myrtle Beach and you know, he's in the
groundskeeper shed with a like a blender making margarita's and
the staff's out. It's a beautiful night, and just the
way he could do the same thing, tell stories about
(24:04):
different teams through the years.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
And we called that bar the dead Blade because there
was a mower blade that was hanging above the bar.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Yeah, great name for it too. So those kind of
cultures where it's people who are just been in the
industry for decades who still want to hang out even
after a twelve fourteen hour day and tell and tell stories.
And so I always enjoy that. I always, you know,
have always equated those kind of front office cultures with
you know, the teams that usually are doing the most
(24:33):
creative things, because when people want to still talk and
hang out after the game, I fully understand, these homestands
get pretty rugged in terms of their demands on your time.
So I understand wanting to go home and get in
some sleep. But sometimes after a game, just like if
you're a live performer of any kind, you need to
decompress and go over it. And I always enjoy get
a chance and a little insight into a front office
(24:56):
that way. And yeah, and that's when you hear the
best stories. You know, most of the best stories are
off the record. And me, you know, writing for the
official website and everything, it's pretty understood like yeah, but
it's always like off the record, dude, don't write this,
or you're not recording right, And then you hear something else.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
But are you gonna write this, ship man? If you
want to?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Yeah, exactly, or they or it goes that way, and
I'm like, yeah, I want to but will I know,
I will not.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
That. A couple of names pop into my head too,
Ben uh, Sam Burnaby.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah, yo, he popped in my head. I could have
said him as wife Sam Burnaby.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Guys is Iowa Cubs longtime Iowa Cubs a great friend.
And Donnie Logan from Las Vegas?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Oh yeah yeah?
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Did you ever meet We had? We had Ryan McGee
on party Time earlier in season two and he wrote
his book about the Ashville tourist. Did you ever meet
Ron McKee?
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah? Roy McGee, I met him. He started following me.
Such a great guy, such a nice, genuine, earnest guy.
He started following me on Twitter because he's obviously a
big minor league guy. And when I was in Kannapolis
a number of years ago when the new ballpark opened there,
that was another one of your stops, wasn't it. Like Yeah,
So when they opened the new ballpark in Cannapolis, Roy McGee,
(26:09):
being a Charlotte area Cannapolis area guy. I don't know
where he's specifically, but right around that area, he came
out to the ballpark and just hung out with me
for a few innings, just to say hello. And when
his book came out, Welcome to the Circus of Baseball.
We had him on our podcast, and I should just
check in with him again just to say what's up
and see what his take is.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
The reason I brought him up. Ryan McGhee and Ron
McKee was a GM there and that whole book is
about what you write about, like like like the stuff
that's behind the scenes. So I just why I brought
it up. Mpei, what you got see you?
Speaker 5 (26:47):
I'm sure you've gotten your fair share of merchandise over
the year. So what are the few items you've kept
in display prominently from the giveaway? Yeah, did you see
hang on, did you see Cheat's point at me? That
was a little bit like I mean, as I getting
acknowledged by Babe Ruth there, like I understand, like I'm
I understand, I'm here, but I got the pit.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I got the point really good. Michael Jordan of Questions
just gave you a finger point.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
I will never wash this shirt that's been pointed out
A good one.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
You nailed it.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Yeah, that is a good one. And because this job
evolved over a number of years, it took me a
long time to realize like, oh, this is what I do.
And so people are like, oh, do you collect a
certain thing or this or that, And I never really
had that. Also living in New York City and now
you know, with a wife and a kid, like, there
isn't too much room these days just to keep adding
to the collection. So the stuff I have is, you know,
(27:40):
just the bobbleheads that have really spoken to me. I
buy my son T shirts. I think my favorite bobblehead
through the years, it's actually in my office now, is
the Iowa Cubs did a bobblehead of literally a player
name later. It's just like a pretty pretty, a generic bobblehead,
but just on the on the base where usually the
last name is, it just says later. So they were like,
(28:01):
this is our bibblehead of later. So yeah, I was
talking about the player to be named later. Here it is.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And often I had a player knock on my door.
One time, Ben, a player knocked on my door. I
was a GM and I go, yeah, who are you?
He goes, I'm literally the player to be named later.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Yeah, yea, naturally they exist, They're real people. So I
think that's one of my favorites. I should go through
some of these boxes in my closet. I find stuff
because some of the stuff I keep is just because
it's so random. Like I have a soup ladle autographed
by the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld with with an Orum
owls logo on it, and I'm just like, Okay, I
have an orum owls logo soup ladle signed by a
(28:40):
famous Seinfeld bit character. You know, that's the kind of
stuff you just hold on too, because it tells the
story in and of itself. So when you have those
random things, I find them a lot harder to get
rid of than just a random hat or T shirt
or something like that.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Are there people like the Soup Nazi that you've that
you've met as you try around the country that have
made a mark with you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Everyone? You know, I rarely schedule my trips around a
you know, celebrity appearance. Remember years ago with the West
Virginia Power I was in town with when Mick Foley
was at the ballpark and that made an impression on me.
We were in the same hotel and seeing him in
the lobby and uh, just how hard it was for
him to get around chiefs is lit up right now? Yeah,
(29:24):
And you know I've never I'm not a I like wrestling,
but I'm not a really big guy. I don't really
or big into the into it. I don't follow that much.
But just seeing him how kind he was to the
fans and uh, the way that people responded to him,
just on a personal interaction basis, and seeing him in
the lobby and realizing how hard it was for him,
after what he's done to his body to keep getting
out there and still doing it. And you presume, I
(29:46):
don't know that he doesn't really necessarily need the money
to be at a class A ballpark on some random
summer night, but I think just to be out among
the people, and I gained a respect for that. And
I was in a karaoke contest with him where they
set me up is like the heel, and then he
did some I forget the song, but it was like
some very patriotic like wrestling song. So I was set
(30:08):
up to lose.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
And then after the Russian they made you the Russian
wrestler exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I was totally that. And then afterwards I was like, oh,
you guys got to send me the video and they're like, ah,
something messed up with the video board. We don't have it.
I'm like, what I was in a karaoke battle with
Mick Foley and I don't even have the video evidence.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
But talk about good stories and a cocktail party.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Yeah, so that that was a good one, oh Man.
Across a cross paths with the guy from the office
last year who was Todd Packer and Great Lakes with
the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Michigan. He was an
interesting and funny character for sure, and uh yeah, I
got yeah, I did a video interview with him. I'm
just like, yeah, I'll do both of us the favor
(30:48):
and not use this.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Yeah, we've had some amazing times with those. I just
told the story at the beach over the weekend about
when Dave Kolier was here and we got rained out
and we drank a bottle of moonshine after the rain
out in my office and he did a sixty minute
his whole sixty minute comedy routine, his stand up routine
for our front office staff because he was doing a
(31:11):
show the next night. So anyway, cheats another one shot.
You did so good the first time. I was still
do another one shot? Were for men?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Oh Man, There's I have plenty. But you mentioned reading
in its connection to the town and the Phillies you
mentioned Iowa as well. If there is I'm not saying
your favorite, but if there is a kind of city personality,
club personality mixture that you feel is just like they
(31:41):
nailed it, what would that be like? What city you
think just embodies the minor league town that they play
in to the point where you couldn't imagine them going
anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Yeah, I think writing would be a really good one.
Just again because of that long running affiliation as well.
I don't think he necessar need the major league affiliation
being nearby to still be like a quintessential, very rooted
minor league team. It can help when there's that synergy
between it, you know, I think maybe an obvious example
because it's probably the best best known minor league team
(32:15):
in the world, you know, the Durham Bulls, But like
it's just when you go there, that ballpark and the
culture there around the team and the you know, the
hit bull Win Steak. But in the downtown location and
the Tobacco District setting, you know, with the brick buildings
everywhere and the brick and the architecture of the ballpark itself,
it just feels so rooted and so much history there.
(32:37):
Same with Toledo. That was I think a great example
of like a downtown revitalization that really worked. I mean,
it's not just the ballpark. They call it Hensville, the
area around the ballpark, and they own a lot of
other buildings around the ballpark. So game days it feels
kind of like Major League you know, there's the way
that it's not just getting in a parking lot and
getting in line to just go into the ballpark. It's
(32:59):
just the atmosphere around the whole area. They made it
a a Dora section of the city, like downtown outdoor recreate.
You can drink, like get a but like get a
cup at a bar and walk around the ballpark and
go into another bar with a drink you got from
the other one. So there's just this like and live
music outside. So the way they're an iconic franchise and
(33:22):
so integrated in the cities downtown, that way is one
I would think of for sure.
Speaker 5 (33:29):
So we're getting a new stadium here, which I think,
you know what you've been to so many of the
new stadiums.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Nobody in baseball's talked about them.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
Nobody's been talking about this breaking news for people who
have been going to the Diamond forever are about to
step in one of these new, modern stadiums. What's going
to impress them the most?
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Yeah? Well, for one, I'll say this, I've only been
to the Diamond a handful of times, and I understand
its time is definitely passed in terms of hosting minor
league baseball.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
But that was really diplomatic because you thank you.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yeah, But I love visiting that because it always reminded
to me of the minor league version of like I
grew up going to Phillies games at the VET, and
it just reminded me of the minor league version of
these hulking, concrete, more multipurpose looking ballparks. So I always
felt this kind of nostalgic feeling at the Diamond, even
though I've only been there a few times. So I'll
be sad to see it go, though I understand why.
(34:22):
But yes, the template for that ballpark is very different
than what anyone is going to see from a new ballpark,
to say the least. You know, so much of that
is obviously now minor league baseball, and it's been like
this for a while. Yes, you have your seat most likely,
but It's not about oh, I'm in Section H row
four seat too. It's about being able to move around. Yes,
(34:44):
you have a seat and you want to watch some baseball,
but a three hundred and sixty degree concourse, big expansive
group areas huge video board that's incorporated into, like, into
the entertainment in a way that you know certainly wasn't
the way it was for many decades before that. But
just the ability to move around, a more open feeling,
(35:05):
and the idea that you don't really have to sit
in your seat if you don't want to. You have
access to the entirety or close to the entirety of
the ballpark just by having a ticket to the game.
I think it is the biggest part.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
To the kind of to that point because people are
used to the diamond across the street here at Carmack's Park,
I'm pointing towards it. Ben, It's going to be a
three hundred and sixty degree experience. But that's not my question.
My question is is that's the fan experience. But do
(35:40):
you think that the fan experience has been enhanced by
the rule changes in MLB have put in the minor leagues.
Do you think that those rule changes have been good.
I have a very strong opinion that probably is not
the same opinion of a lot of minor league baseball executives.
But like the pitch clock, how did you feel about
that when it was put in.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I was on board with it personally as much as
I've always been. The traditional romantic baseball do was an
half o'clock. It takes, however long it takes. But I'd
become increasingly aware, as like a lot of people, that
you're having these games that go three and a half
hours just for a kind of unremarkable slog and families,
people with kids who have to work the next day
or leaving before the end of the game, and at
(36:19):
a certain point for the teams, it's probably costs more
just to be operating the ballpark and paying who's there
than it is with like cause you're not really making
much revenue three hours deep into a game, and you know,
getting the front office employees a little bit more time
of their lives back with those games not going as long.
I was on board with that despite the initial reservations.
(36:41):
Is considering myself a baseball purist, and same with the
runner on second, although at the time I was like, yes,
maybe I can see this for the minor leagues, but
they'll never do it in the major leagues. But I
was wrong on that one. And the only thing that
with the pitch clock is that it reduces the time
that for teams to do things between innings, and I
know that sometimes with the between any contests, you can't
(37:04):
especially if it's an on field, you can't roll out
and do things as ambitious as they used to be.
So I, as someone is always going to celebrate the
entertainment aspects of a minor league game, those, you know,
having being more tight for time from an operational standpoint
on that end has been one of the negatives though.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
So I feel like it's made us better. Like I
feel like the promotions have had to be more concise,
and I understand what you're saying, there's some that you
can't do in that in that two minute timeframe, but
I think that's always the goal of our promotions people,
is to entertain the fans as much as they can
in the time. A lot of but when they're when
they're ready to go, you don't want those umpires turn
around claring at you, right, So I think it's made
(37:45):
us a little more spot on as far as that,
as far as that stuff goes, Cheats, You're final. We're
going to start wrapping up here. Your final one shot
of the day.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Oh, I don't know if I had a third one.
Let's see.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yeah, I know we're going deep today. You guys did
such good jobs on your first two questions. I wanted
to go for another one. And Ben wab Cheets is thinking,
well are you are you? What have when you looked
at the car at Carmack's Park and you know us
and you know our ownership group. And I'm not asking
for flowers here, I'm just asking for as a writer,
(38:20):
what do you think of Carmack's Park and the renderings
that you've seen?
Speaker 3 (38:24):
It looks great. I mean, it's been a little while
since i've really because I remember when it first announced
to looking at it, So I'm forgetting some of the specifics,
but I'm really excited to check it out. For one,
and it'll obviously be very different from the Diamond and
just covering the minor leagues for so long, just remembering,
you know, the who was it at the time. The
(38:44):
Connecticut Defenders are moving to Richmond and that deal is
contingent on a new ballpark, you know, like however, fifteen
years ago and covering through the years in various ways.
I used to do a column called batting around That
which more local news about getting ballparks built and all
the fits and starts through the years. And I'm not you,
(39:05):
you guy, especially you Parney. You know it on the
ground and so you can speak to it a lot
more than I can. But I can't remember such a
protracted length of time to build a ballpark. So I
can only imagine that that will make it that much
more exciting and also put even more pressure to have
it done right after this being rumored in some capacity
(39:26):
for so long. There's people, you know, getting ready to
graduate high school now who probably at the same when
they were born it was like, oh, Richmond's getting a
new ballpark, and you know, so to see it finally
happening is amazing.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
The pub Club lives here with me, and I think
they would agree, like we feel like we're living in
historic times. Like you covered it, there was a lot
of pits, a lot of valleys, a lot you know.
There was even close to the end, there were nights
when lou would call me and say I don't know
if we can get this done. And now to see
the still all the steels up and Ben Roath rock
(40:02):
here the CEO of the Squirrels, and Anthony opperam our
GM has just done an amazing job on the day
to day of that. And I'm kind of like the
proud papa sitting off to the side getting to watch
something you know, history happen. So, Jez, did you find
your question?
Speaker 2 (40:16):
I'm ready? I am ready. Then you mentioned awful day
earlier and promotions that you don't think could come back
in the same vein as yesteryear if you will, some
of them you don't want to come back in the
same vein as yesteryear. But if you could choose one,
if you could, if you could bring one promotion that
(40:37):
is not kind of active now to CARMACKX Park next year,
if you what what what promotion in your mind would
you bring to a brand new stadium packed out with
fans for Richmond.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
It's a good question because what I often would I
like the most aren't necessarily the ones that are gonna
delight like a huge crowd. And I think a lot
of them you can still do even if they haven't
been done recently. I'm trying to think of one that
just like operationally, like, no, that's not happening, or it
would wouldn't be the same. Why am I blanking on
(41:12):
a good one? Because I'm always lamenting like some of
the weirder stuff.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Man, I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I'm in my mind.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
I'm thinking party will know this because he heard the story.
I'm thinking of the guy that blows himself up. These
are things that I'm thinking of. It's like, we can
never probably do that right now.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Yeah, we remember when we did the circus for Opening
Night in twenty fourteen. We literally had a motorcycle ride
up to the top of the time and we had NATSI.
Somehow we talked NUTSI into going on the motorcycle. Like
that's the kind of stuff Ben that I don't know
if that would go to the MLB approval process.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
Yeah, And even some of that used to happen at
the minor league level. Growing up as a Phillies fans,
hearing stories about like the tight roper tight rope walker
with the amazing Walendo whatever who literally walked across the
top of the vent on a wy kite, floating in
and doing that so that more stunt based stuff. Yes, absolutely,
you can still see it, like the human canniball still
(42:14):
comes to ballparks and they still pull that off, you know,
a guy getting shot out of a cannon after the game.
And and so he.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Came into my office one day and said, Parnie, it's
been so great getting to know you, the human cannibal.
We have a lot in common. I think you and
I are the same person. I'm like, bro, you shoot
yourself out of a damn cannon for money. We're not
exactly alike at all, there's no way no.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
I mean, so that that old vaudeville spirit, which is
I think just harder to find in America writ large,
let alone at minor league baseball, a lot of it
because those acts aren't a lot of those acts aren't
around so much anymore. Sometimes there's considerations where it seemed
like a good idea, but now it's not appropriate. I mean,
Cowboy monkey rodeo was a big thing for a lot
of years. Those were little like, yeah, a little like
(43:01):
what kind of monkey is like a capuchin monkey?
Speaker 4 (43:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Right, riding the monkey from the hangover kind of yeah.
Speaker 3 (43:08):
And they would ride dogs and herd sheep, so it
would be dog riding, dog riding monkeys herding sheeps on
the on the field, and that was a huge one
for a lot of teams. I remember Wilmington Blue Rocks
where like they'd had them on the schedule like several
times a year, even adopted some of their retired dogs
and they got a lot of attention and mostly positive
(43:30):
for a lot of years. But then you know, Pete
started talking about it, and then the tide turned, where like,
how are these animals treated when they're not doing these
on field routines in terms of just being loaded into
trailers and living in confined spaces.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
And I get that, I'm sorry, but I walked into
the guy's trailer one time and the monkey, one of
the monkeys, was literally sitting there eating a bag of Doritos,
watching television. I was like, is this a human being? Like,
what's what in the world's going on here? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (43:58):
In Altuna, I went back to where the setup was
behind behind the outfield wall, and uh, He's like, oh,
you want to pet the monkey? And I was like, yeah,
I don't get a chance to do that very often.
And the monkey bit me and like I bled a
little on my finger and it didn't really hurt. It
was just like a tiny little nip. But I still
you get bit by a monkey and you're like, should
(44:19):
I go to the doctor?
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Now?
Speaker 1 (44:20):
You know that's a hard one to explain at home too.
It was word today, dear, I got bit by a monkey?
Speaker 3 (44:26):
Yeah, I think it'd be like, yeah, you're you're out
doing your thing again. It's just.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
All right, MP. As we wind down, your foind a
great job as always. Thanks, thanks for what you bring
to the table, MP. What you got for Ben? If
we wind down, another great inning? And by the way, Ben,
you're a Phillies fan. You're following up your inning of
party time last episode. Last inning was Larry Anderson.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
I saw that. I was I was honored.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
And the one before was Dave Raymond, the original Philly fanatic.
Speaker 3 (44:59):
Yeah, other legend of the industry.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
Yeah, no doubt what you got?
Speaker 5 (45:03):
What'd you make of the John Oliver offer and kerfuffle?
Seemed everybody's weighing in on that for a minute.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
The eerie Moon mammoths was definitely one of the biggest
stories of this whole season. I don't want to sound
arrogant here, so I have a slight chip on my shoulder,
which I tried to get John Oliver to acknowledge, but
of course you know, he's big time. But the original this,
you know, eerie moon mammoths an identity that was that
(45:29):
came about from an original John Oliver segment where they
just celebrated all this crazy stuff in minor league baseball.
So they talked Abladder, Yes they yeah, And so I
was really impressed by the segment in terms of how
deep the research is. But so much of it was
drawn on my work where literally no one else was
writing about it. And some of the cases where I
(45:52):
people would know this, but like I made this happen.
I suggested this, or I got this guy hired who
did this. And so seeing so much of my work
you used, they credit themightbe dot com. They didn't do
anything wrong. But out there was this part of me
that's just like, hey, I've got my niche, but like,
can you say my name or can you like reach
out to me? And so putting that aside, it's fine.
(46:14):
The fact that.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Hey, Ben's Benzin's past boys.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're talking about Helen mcguckan Knight. Why
do you think you have Helen mcguckan Knight to quote
because I wrote that story man and that Helen mcguck
and Night is a great promo. But we don't have
to go on tangents. But the fact that there was
such a well researched segment on national TV about minor
league baseball promotions, because usually when something gets the national
(46:39):
treatment like that, they use the same three or four
kind of recycled examples, which might be good examples, but
you can tell people didn't really do the research. So
the fact that they would deep enough to get not
just me, but like real, truly weird promos and highlight
that celebrate it in such a well researched way. Then
have it be an interactive thing where to get a
(47:00):
team to do that on the field, and all the
attendant in attention that came on minor league baseball as
an industry. And then specifically, I love that they picked Erie.
You know, another team in the Eastern League, But I
loved that they picked Erie because that's a scrappy team
in a small town that doesn't have a lot of
name recognition just by virtue of being in Erie, Pennsylvania.
(47:22):
So the fact that Erie is still a part of
minor league baseball and then getting national publicity for something
like that. I thought they did a great job. And
Greg Coleman, you know, the team president, he sent in
a great he shared it with me, but he sent
in a great email to John Oliver's staff that showed
that he knew the show, that he knew the spirit
of the show. It seemed like they were a great
team to pick. But I loved that it wasn't a
(47:43):
team that, with all due respect to Durham Bulls or whoever,
that it was a team that could really use the shine.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
Like that and Greg Coleman and epitomizes one of the
main reasons I love minor league baseball. He's one of
the greatest guys that I've ever known in minor league baseball.
So I was happy for him. But we're going to close
it down here. Ben, I just wanted to say thank you,
not only for being on party time, but as a
lifer in this industry minor league baseball, we watch you.
(48:10):
We're proud of you when you represent us on MLB Network.
We're all sitting in our offices going Ben's Biz Baby,
Ben's Biz Biz Biz, So we appreciate I know that
our staff here because I told him you were going
to be on Party Time and a couple of them,
when's it coming back to Richmond? We wanted to come
to Richmond, so you're very much beloved. You very much beloved.
I wanted to make sure you knew that and the
(48:32):
people like me and others appreciate you very much. So
thanks for having taking the time to be with us
on Party Time Cheats Black Baseball Mixtape. You are the man.
Thank you for again being Party's Pop at MP. Can't
wait to be on your radio show again next week
and make some amazing football picks like I always do.
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(01:25):
in party's pubs celebrating a squirrel's victory, nothing tastes better
than an ice cold Boolight. So go visit your local
convenience or grocery stores. Grab yourself some bush Light. You
won't regret it. Booh, the official beverage of Parney's Throat
and the Party Time Podcast. This ending of the Party
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(02:32):
Party Time. Season two rolling on in the web universe.
Party Time Podcast, Excited once again to have another conversation
with an old old friend. I'm gonna when we start this,
I can't remember when we met, so to our guests
start thinking about when we met because I've forgotten already,
(02:52):
not because it doesn't mean anything to me, just because we've,
like you have always been in my life. I feel
like Cheats is here with us. Cheats Welcome aboard.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Buddy, Excited man, Party Time Season two.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Let's go You're the Best Black Baseball Mixtape. Chief's been
doing a lot of great things this summer, down with
the All Star Game, Swingman Classic, So just make sure
you follow Black Baseball Mixtape and our Man Sheets. And
then at some point we're gonna be hearing from Michael
Phillips MP on the Mike will be joining us as well.
(03:23):
But our guests today are a very special guest today
is Ben Hill from Ben's Biz Traveling America through Minor
League Baseball, Connecting to America through Minor League Baseball. Ben,
Welcome to Party Tome Buddy.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Great to be here, Parney. It was my life's dream
ever since he announced this podcast.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
So well, I'll mark you as one of the many
that has contacted me wanting to be a guest, So
there you go, none better than David Justice. David Justice
actually stalked me until we could have him on the show,
so we're excited to have you. So, Ben, I've been
in baseball thirty six year. I don't remember you not
(04:01):
being around. When did you start? When did you start
doing your thing in minor league baseball?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yeah, not that long. I've been around for about half
of your career in minor league baseball. I started in
two thousand and five, which was just the first year
of MiLB dot Com, then called Minor League Baseball dot Com.
I got a job through a friend of mine write
in game recaps with no real relevant experience. It was
just a part time, night shift, hourly thing, and I
thought I'd do it for a few months till the
(04:27):
season ended. But it was the first year of the site.
No one knew what they were doing. I didn't go
in with some master plan, but one thing led to another,
and I developed this niche, which I came to call,
you know, exploring America through Minor League Baseball, covering the
business and culture of minor league baseball. So obviously the
focus on how the teams operate and what it's like
to be a fan as opposed to you know, the
action on the field. So that just kind of developed
(04:48):
through two thousand and six and two thousand and seven.
I think I met you for the first time party.
I was still part time, but I felt in two
thousand and seven I had to get to an industry
event to finally meet some of the people I was
beginning to write about and talk to. And I wasn't
part time, I wasn't full time, so I crashed with
the coworker. I was doing things pretty uh, you know,
kind of rogue back then, just trying to establish myself.
(05:10):
But two thousand and seven was that in uh, I
was That was one of the many Gaylord opry Land iterations,
I believe, Yeah, Winter meetings two thousand and seven, and
then from there, you know, I think I went to
promo seminar in two thousand and eight and got full
time in two thousand and nine. So there's always the
industry events, and you know, we cross Paths and Richmond
(05:30):
a few times. And as I started covering what I
did or the world that the culture and the business
of Minor League baseball, and you know, contacting teams all
the time about promotions and learning more and more. I'd
look at you as one of the guys. When I
was first starting, it was like, oh, you gotta meet Parney,
or like you got to hear party tell this story.
(05:50):
Uh so I always had a special eye on you know,
whatever teams you were with their promo schedule and your
reputation preceded you. I believe in a lot of in
a lot of cases.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
I don't know if that's good or not. I think
it's good. But that means a lot to me. And
as I've gotten older and now as I'm stepping stepping
back a little bit, slowing down, it's reflection on these
relationships with someone like you, Like, honest to god, I
don't remember you not being around like I'm not being funny,
like I just I feel like Ben Hill to me
is a part of minor league baseball. So with that,
(06:21):
when somebody comes up to you at a cocktail party
and says, well, so what what what is the business
of minor league baseball? How do you respond to that?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah, I'm used to that, Like, this is not a
job where you can quickly just say what you do,
and people get it. It's like I'm a baseball writer,
but not a baseball writer, a minor league baseball writer,
but no, not a minor league baseball writer who covers
the prospects or anything happening on the game. So yeah,
when I talk about the business of minor league baseball,
I'm usually not covering you know, all the real inside
(06:50):
maneuvers and you know, the government, you know, trans new
ballpark funding and all that kind of stuff. It's more
like butts in seats, if you want to put three
words on it. What do the teams do to create
a unique environment that's regional, local to them that it
establishes them as a unique entertainment entity you know anywhere
in America where minor league baseball is played. So, you know,
(07:12):
that's the business I've really been covering. And that's the
culture as well. So I look at if I had
to choose business or culture, I'd say it's more the
culture of minor league baseball. What is this place? What
makes it unique? If each minor league team is a
reflection of its community, then these well, now one hundred
and twenty teams a reflection of America. And so that's
really been what it's about.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
I'm smiling cheats because I feel like Ben, he'll just
explain my entire career, like what he was just saying,
what is Minor league Baseball? Like I just had all
these flashbacks moments of your travel. Is there a specific
like people ask me this all the time, what's your
favorite moment in your career or whatever? It's hard to pinpoint.
(07:56):
But if you are at this cocktail party that we're
imagining right now, and somebody says, tell me about a
special place, what's a special place to you? So many
I don't have to say. You don't have to say
Richmond or Montgomery just because we're on the Party Time podcast.
But if you want to say Richmond Orretgomery, you most
certainly haven.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I think those are both special places. And yeah, I
don't want to be too raw raw all the time,
but I feel like most of the places I visit
our special places. And doing what I do working for MLB,
I'm never dishonest or disingenuous, and obviously some places are
more special than others, but it's always about highlighting the positive,
you know. I'd say Reading is a special place for
(08:35):
me because I grew up a Phillies fan. Didn't really
go to the Redding games too much as a kid,
but just with that local feeling connection, the long running affiliation,
the great mix of history and knowledgeable fans, and all
the extraneous goofiness that they do so well, you know when.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
You just got back from there, didn't you? Were you
just there?
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I was there earlier this year. I started this year
with a stop in reading a few months ago, another
special place, also in Pennsylvania. I just got back from Altuna,
and so the story there.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
I used to matriculate their cheats.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Yeah. So in two thousand and seven, I'm still part time.
I'm not getting you know, I don't have the budget
to go anywhere, but I was covering enough of minor
league baseball promotions that I wanted to go and see
a promotion and figure out a way to write about it.
And so of all the promotions, I chose, I think
it speaks to kind of where my sensibilities are and
were the first one I ever went to go cover
(09:29):
live in the ballpark was awful night in two thousand
and seven with the Altuna Curve. Now, Parney, I think
you had moved on at that point, but awful Night
was your life? Oh you were there in two thousand
and seven.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I was still there, Yeah, I was. I was still there.
And let me interrupt you because I knew this was
going to come up because awful Night. So we're trying
to do big things in Altuna. Chuck Greenberg was our owner.
We were sitting in my office after a game, having
a few beers, and Chuck Greenberg goes, man, you just
always trying to be the best. You're always trying to
(10:02):
be the best. We should do at night where we
just f everything up and we're just awful And he
just went and I just told Ben roathrock this down
the hallway a few minutes ago. How many years have
they had Awful Night now Tuna now, like fifteen or
something like that.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yeah, well they did it all the way up through
twenty ten, twenty eleven, and then they didn't do it
for a while and they brought it back in twenty
twenty one, so now it's an annual thing again. So
having it having been in two thousand and seven and
it being sort of the prototype for what minor league
teams can do that fans wouldn't expect, and I like
absurd premises and kind of more subversive concepts and when
(10:38):
teams can go that direction. So this year, when I
saw it on the promo schedule for the Curve, I thought,
now's the time to go back and see it again.
I never would have thought that attending Awful Night in
two thousand and seven part time figuring things out, that
I'd be eighteen years later going back again amazing, or
that the team would still be doing it. Obviously, you know,
it's a you can't get away with as much now
(10:59):
as I think you probably got away with in those
earlier days. But the fact they're doing it, and you
know they're promo director Mike Kessling kess Is, I think
doing a great job still bringing that kind of spirit
to the Curve, where, in addition to all the things
that fans know and expect there, you look at the
promo schedule and they're just doing those kind of goofy
(11:20):
one offs and so going to Awful Night and you
know a lot of stuff you established, you know, the airs,
the spelling errors on the video boards and betweenenning contests
like what's that smell? Or what's in my pocket? Or
name that tune on a kazoo or whatever it is.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You know the fact that batting batting instead of batting
averages on the scoreboard, we put their fail average.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah see, that's one I don't think you can do anymore.
I don't think you think like I don't know. I
think some of the stuff that they might not let
you do now that they have like a third party concessionaire,
they can't just add willy nilly, like just awful food
specials like you might have. But I will say that
in two thousand and seven when I attended Awful Night,
my favorite or most memorable element of it was the
(12:03):
broadcaster for the Curve at that time was John Laser
l AA S E. R. And the Curve.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
These guys know because he came with me to Richmond.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know John Laser. So among the
Awful Night things advertised was just simply one line a
postgame laser light show. And the postgame laser light show
was John Laser in a green bodysuit with glow sticks
doing like interpretive dancing on the field after the game.
And we had that video years ago, and he's contacted
(12:32):
me through the years, like have you ever found that
everyone wishes it existed? It's maybe someday we'll get that back.
But for me, the postgame laser light show we'll always
live on in my minor league baseball memories and.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
For everybody out there in party time land. I can't
tell you how many angry phone calls I got from
people who bought tickets expecting to see a laser light
show on Awful Night. And another thing about Awful Night,
our manager was Tony Beasley, who's been a pre guests
on this show, and we filmed our players and and bes,
our managers or our coaches just looking into the camera
(13:08):
going oh man, that's awful. If you remember, Ben, we
gave up like a three run bomb in the top
of the ninth to lose a lead, and our and
our person in the production room thought it was inappropriate
time to put our manager, Tony Beasley on the scoreboard going.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Oh man, that's awful. I've up pissed my pants. Man,
it was unbelievable. So yeah, off of night, Off of night.
That's that's so. So what are some of the other
ones that come to come to mind? And I'm really
flattered that that that's the one, that that's the one
that you brought up first.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, I'm not just saying that it but because it's
both the larger spirit that I wanted to see more
of an experience for myself, I kind of laugh at myself,
half celebrate myself and have wonder what I've done with
my life that like that, like that is what what
most appealed you, like of all the promotions, and you
gotta go see one. It's awful night. So I do
(14:04):
like the absurd things like that. One way I've answered
this question. This is not something obviously teams can duplicate it,
but in terms of being at a ballpark for a
memorable moment. In twenty seventeen, when there was the national
eclipse going through the country and a bunch of teams
in the path of totality scheduled their games around when
(14:25):
the total darkness is going to be happening. So I
went to Columbia, South Carolina, home of the Fireflies, you know,
glowing the dark, and seen the appropriate for an eclipse,
and so they started the game at like early afternoon
and it had this built in eclipse delay. I forget
who the manager the Fireflies was, but he was arguing
and was getting kicked out of the game. And everyone
who works with the team is panicking because they're trying
(14:46):
to like shut things down for an eclipse coming while
this umpire, while this on field argument is going on
between the thing.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
That's what we get to see that people don't get
to see that people want to know about, right, And
that's why you're so successful.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Yeah, I mean those little nuggets of like no, no,
get out the field, you're out of the game, just
go it's gonna be we got an eclipse coming through.
This is once in a lifetime. But to be in
a sold out ballpark, you know, that ballpark probably had
about maybe to this day, the largest crowd it's ever had,
except maybe an opening day, but you know, something like
eleven thousand people. To be at a day game that
(15:20):
feels normal and then have that happen and be in
total darkness with a you know, in the community of
a sold out stadium, that is one I will always remember.
And that was a memorable trip because the day before
I was in Charleston and Bill Murray was in town
to see the eclipse in Charleston, and you can't schedule
an interview with Bill Murray, but it just so happened
(15:41):
that guy I knew with the team, knew. Bill Murray's like, hey,
you want to talk to Ben. He's like, oh yeah, sure,
And all of a sudden, my night ends was sitting
at a picnic table watching watching bouncy baseballs get dropped
from a helicopter for some sort of between a postgame contest,
and I'm me and Bill Murray are watching bouncy balls
get dropped from helicopter and I'm interviewing about the eclipse,
(16:02):
and he's talking about the eclips could be the apocalypse,
So you should be kind to people because we might
all die. You know, you just don't know what's gonna go.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
So so you mentioned this earlier. I'm the old I'm
the old goat, the old guard, thirty six years in
the in this business that we all love. You said,
there's some things you can't you can't do anymore. You
can't get away with that anymore for your job in
Ben's biz. Has that made it more difficult or or
(16:32):
are you still finding I mean, obviously I feel pretty strongly,
and I think the pub club would agree with me
that minor league baseball executives are amongst the most creative
in the world. In the sports industry. So I'm sure
you're not short on content, but are some of the
some of the changes that have been made make it
a little more difficult for you.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah, at times, I don't know how much more difficult
it is for me, because it's still minor league Baseball,
and there's still a lot of teams and there's still
a lot to isolate, and if it's in the context
of my road trip, a lot of those are just
simply to report on what that night was, so you
always get something, no matter what the night was. But yeah,
you know, with more focus on you know, no you know,
(17:17):
trademark violations or worries about intellectual property or getting promotions approved.
You know, teams used to be a little bit more
like this crazy thing and pop culture is happening. It
just happened, and it's a Tuesday, and on Friday, we're
going to do this, and so you don't see as
much of that spontaneity do the way it's set up
right now. But there's still obviously so much happening. So
(17:40):
while I sometimes miss not seeing a lot of the
more off the cuff goofy stuff that happened more regularly,
there's still a lot to focus on, and if my
job is to highlight the positive again without ever feeling
dishonest or disingenuous, I can highlight the positive with plenty
of room to spare, you know, today, yesterday, tomorrow. So
(18:03):
it hasn't really affected me that much in that regard,
But as someone whose first ballpark visit ever in a
professional context was awful night, yes, I'm always looking for
the screwy and the weird and sometimes the truly bizarre,
being just like, what is this team doing? And some
of that I don't think is so much how the
industry is set up, but after COVID, just the number
(18:26):
of people in the industry who left and younger people
coming in who don't have necessarily the same sense of
what the industry is. And I or was with that
kind of mentality. That mentality still exists, but I don't
think it's as pervasive that throw everything against the wall
and see what sticks kind of thing. So I think
some of it's generational, and then I hesitate to be
the you know, proverbial old man, being like, oh, it
(18:49):
used to be better in the old days, So I'm
trying to see what works now, and you know, miss
some things but also make sure I'm not missing what
is working now or ideas that weren't being implemented when
I was, you know, at an earlier stage in my career.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
So one of those things that happened on a Tuesday,
and we did it on a Friday here in Richmond.
I'm sitting in Parney's Pub after a game. I have
the TV on, and this this uh Wiener, the political dude, Wiener,
his last name was Wiener, comes up, Anthony Anthony Wiener,
and the next thing, you know, a few days later,
(19:23):
we're having Wiener Night. Uh, and people were buying dollar
hot dogs and taking selfies with their dollar hot dogs
and sending us pictures. Talk about something that wouldn't wouldn't
go over now.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, goes to that saying you're not doing that, not
doing that in the year twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yeah, yeah, But but to your point, there was back
in the day. There was a lot of things that
like pop culture, were things that happened on the news.
And the next thing, you know, a minor league team
across in America. I'm not saying that was a great promotion,
by the way, I'm just saying we did it, uh,
And they were doing it. They were doing it all
across the country, and but I think you still get that.
I think I think when people and pop club get
(20:01):
ready because we're gonna go to one shots and cheats,
you'll be first. When people think about creativity, I do
believe people think about minor league baseball. Like when I
go to the National Sports Forum, people from the NFL, NBA,
Major League Baseball, NASCAR, like they want to talk to
us minor league people about what we're doing. Do you
do you see that in your everyday walk, Ben.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Yeah, I mean absolutely. I still think it's kind of
the benchmark for creativity within sports. I mean, I think
part of it's the number of games and the way
baseball is set up with between inning breaks and the
natural leve and flow of it. You kind of have
a little more leeway to get creative with those sort
of things. And then once an industry establishes a reputation,
it kind of becomes self perpetuating because the people who
want to work in it are attracted to that reputation.
(20:45):
So I still think that applies, Yeah, even if it
is not as totally off the cuff and you know,
crazy as it might have been in different eras. I
still I'm not aware of another sector in sports that
you could work in in a front office capacity and
kind of have the creativity and freedom from a day
to day operational standpoint, even to this day. I could
(21:07):
be wrong. I'm not touring minor league hockeyball or arenas
at the moment or anything like that, but it seems
to me like it's still the benchmark for you know,
creative promotional ideas.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Parties, pop club, one shot cheats. What do you got
for Ben Hill? From Ben's bitz?
Speaker 2 (21:26):
What's good?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Ben?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
When I think of minor league baseball and especially the
things that you cover, I think of two things, just
like outrageous characters and amazing storytellers. So not named party,
you can't name party, but throughout your journey, who would
be like one or two of those guys that you
would say, man, that that guy was the greatest storyteller
that I'd hang around in minor league baseball.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
That's a yeah, that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I guess. Yeah, nothing, but fastball US been kicking your
ass on the questions. It's not close. It's not close
at all.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He hasn't even asked.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
Yeah, you know, because so many of those. I'm sure
I'm now like blanking on people who I've talked to
that I'd be like, oh, yeah, that person, absolutely, I guess.
I think I think about people who've just been in
the industry for a long time who can talked back
to like how things were or how things are now,
or just crossing paths with so many people. I mean,
can't say party, but he'd obviously be one of them.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
I think, like Scott the Record, everybody in Party time,
he can't say Parny, but he wants to.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
I do know what everybody would say party, I do you.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Know Scott Hunziker and reading I say it would be
one of those.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Was my intern who was my intern in Ready.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
Yeah, I'm not surprised. I've heard about this party coaching
tree through the years and people know it's there's a
lot of legacy there. But yeah, he'd be somebody working
for the same team for so long, local routes the
way you just talked to him about any little thing,
and there's like a story behind it. Like I was
there earlier this season and there was a little person
(23:10):
who was just a game day employee but in full
uniform and he was on the field launching sling shots,
and Scott's like, oh yeah, he used to deliver pizza
to me in college and we became friends. So you know,
like that, there's.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
No exactly who you're talking about. I know exactly who.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
You're talking exact I like when I visit places where
it seems so deep rooted like that, where even the
most random seeming things have these years and years of
connection and intersecting relationships and pathways from this to this.
So I feel like you get that in reading quite
a bit, so I would I would say that one
(23:43):
for sure, he's not working for a minor league team now,
but you know, Milo Andy Milovich was another one. I
remember visiting Myrtle Beach and you know, he's in the
groundskeeper shed with a like a blender making margarita's and
the staff's out. It's a beautiful night, and just the
way he could do the same thing, tell stories about
(24:04):
different teams through the years.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
And we called that bar the dead Blade because there
was a mower blade that was hanging above the bar.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Yeah, great name for it too. So those kind of
cultures where it's people who are just been in the
industry for decades who still want to hang out even
after a twelve fourteen hour day and tell and tell stories.
And so I always enjoy that. I always, you know,
have always equated those kind of front office cultures with
you know, the teams that usually are doing the most
(24:33):
creative things, because when people want to still talk and
hang out after the game, I fully understand, these homestands
get pretty rugged in terms of their demands on your time.
So I understand wanting to go home and get in
some sleep. But sometimes after a game, just like if
you're a live performer of any kind, you need to
decompress and go over it. And I always enjoy get
a chance and a little insight into a front office
(24:56):
that way. And yeah, and that's when you hear the
best stories. You know, most of the best stories are
off the record. And me, you know, writing for the
official website and everything, it's pretty understood like yeah, but
it's always like off the record, dude, don't write this,
or you're not recording right, And then you hear something else.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
But are you gonna write this, ship man? If you
want to?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Yeah, exactly, or they or it goes that way, and
I'm like, yeah, I want to but will I know,
I will not.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
That. A couple of names pop into my head too,
Ben uh, Sam Burnaby.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah, yo, he popped in my head. I could have
said him as wife Sam Burnaby.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Guys is Iowa Cubs longtime Iowa Cubs a great friend.
And Donnie Logan from Las Vegas?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Oh yeah yeah?
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Did you ever meet We had? We had Ryan McGee
on party Time earlier in season two and he wrote
his book about the Ashville tourist. Did you ever meet
Ron McKee?
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Yeah? Roy McGee, I met him. He started following me.
Such a great guy, such a nice, genuine, earnest guy.
He started following me on Twitter because he's obviously a
big minor league guy. And when I was in Kannapolis
a number of years ago when the new ballpark opened there,
that was another one of your stops, wasn't it. Like Yeah,
So when they opened the new ballpark in Cannapolis, Roy McGee,
(26:09):
being a Charlotte area Cannapolis area guy. I don't know
where he's specifically, but right around that area, he came
out to the ballpark and just hung out with me
for a few innings, just to say hello. And when
his book came out, Welcome to the Circus of Baseball.
We had him on our podcast, and I should just
check in with him again just to say what's up
and see what his take is.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
The reason I brought him up. Ryan McGhee and Ron
McKee was a GM there and that whole book is
about what you write about, like like like the stuff
that's behind the scenes. So I just why I brought
it up. Mpei, what you got see you?
Speaker 5 (26:47):
I'm sure you've gotten your fair share of merchandise over
the year. So what are the few items you've kept
in display prominently from the giveaway? Yeah, did you see
hang on, did you see Cheat's point at me? That
was a little bit like I mean, as I getting
acknowledged by Babe Ruth there, like I understand, like I'm
I understand, I'm here, but I got the pit.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I got the point really good. Michael Jordan of Questions
just gave you a finger point.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
I will never wash this shirt that's been pointed out
A good one.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
You nailed it.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Yeah, that is a good one. And because this job
evolved over a number of years, it took me a
long time to realize like, oh, this is what I do.
And so people are like, oh, do you collect a
certain thing or this or that, And I never really
had that. Also living in New York City and now
you know, with a wife and a kid, like, there
isn't too much room these days just to keep adding
to the collection. So the stuff I have is, you know,
(27:40):
just the bobbleheads that have really spoken to me. I
buy my son T shirts. I think my favorite bobblehead
through the years, it's actually in my office now, is
the Iowa Cubs did a bobblehead of literally a player
name later. It's just like a pretty pretty, a generic bobblehead,
but just on the on the base where usually the
last name is, it just says later. So they were like,
(28:01):
this is our bibblehead of later. So yeah, I was
talking about the player to be named later. Here it is.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
And often I had a player knock on my door.
One time, Ben, a player knocked on my door. I
was a GM and I go, yeah, who are you?
He goes, I'm literally the player to be named later.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Yeah, yea, naturally they exist, They're real people. So I
think that's one of my favorites. I should go through
some of these boxes in my closet. I find stuff
because some of the stuff I keep is just because
it's so random. Like I have a soup ladle autographed
by the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld with with an Orum
owls logo on it, and I'm just like, Okay, I
have an orum owls logo soup ladle signed by a
(28:40):
famous Seinfeld bit character. You know, that's the kind of
stuff you just hold on too, because it tells the
story in and of itself. So when you have those
random things, I find them a lot harder to get
rid of than just a random hat or T shirt
or something like that.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Are there people like the Soup Nazi that you've that
you've met as you try around the country that have
made a mark with you? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Everyone? You know, I rarely schedule my trips around a
you know, celebrity appearance. Remember years ago with the West
Virginia Power I was in town with when Mick Foley
was at the ballpark and that made an impression on me.
We were in the same hotel and seeing him in
the lobby and uh, just how hard it was for
him to get around chiefs is lit up right now? Yeah,
(29:24):
And you know I've never I'm not a I like wrestling,
but I'm not a really big guy. I don't really
or big into the into it. I don't follow that much.
But just seeing him how kind he was to the
fans and uh, the way that people responded to him,
just on a personal interaction basis, and seeing him in
the lobby and realizing how hard it was for him,
after what he's done to his body to keep getting
out there and still doing it. And you presume, I
(29:46):
don't know that he doesn't really necessarily need the money
to be at a class A ballpark on some random
summer night, but I think just to be out among
the people, and I gained a respect for that. And
I was in a karaoke contest with him where they
set me up is like the heel, and then he
did some I forget the song, but it was like
some very patriotic like wrestling song. So I was set
(30:08):
up to lose.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
And then after the Russian they made you the Russian
wrestler exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I was totally that. And then afterwards I was like, oh,
you guys got to send me the video and they're like, ah,
something messed up with the video board. We don't have it.
I'm like, what I was in a karaoke battle with
Mick Foley and I don't even have the video evidence.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
But talk about good stories and a cocktail party.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Yeah, so that that was a good one, oh Man.
Across a cross paths with the guy from the office
last year who was Todd Packer and Great Lakes with
the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Michigan. He was an
interesting and funny character for sure, and uh yeah, I
got yeah, I did a video interview with him. I'm
just like, yeah, I'll do both of us the favor
(30:48):
and not use this.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Yeah, we've had some amazing times with those. I just
told the story at the beach over the weekend about
when Dave Kolier was here and we got rained out
and we drank a bottle of moonshine after the rain
out in my office and he did a sixty minute
his whole sixty minute comedy routine, his stand up routine
for our front office staff because he was doing a
(31:11):
show the next night. So anyway, cheats another one shot.
You did so good the first time. I was still
do another one shot? Were for men?
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Oh Man, There's I have plenty. But you mentioned reading
in its connection to the town and the Phillies you
mentioned Iowa as well. If there is I'm not saying
your favorite, but if there is a kind of city personality,
club personality mixture that you feel is just like they
(31:41):
nailed it, what would that be like? What city you
think just embodies the minor league town that they play
in to the point where you couldn't imagine them going
anywhere else.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Yeah, I think writing would be a really good one.
Just again because of that long running affiliation as well.
I don't think he necessar need the major league affiliation
being nearby to still be like a quintessential, very rooted
minor league team. It can help when there's that synergy
between it, you know, I think maybe an obvious example
because it's probably the best best known minor league team
(32:15):
in the world, you know, the Durham Bulls, But like
it's just when you go there, that ballpark and the
culture there around the team and the you know, the
hit bull Win Steak. But in the downtown location and
the Tobacco District setting, you know, with the brick buildings
everywhere and the brick and the architecture of the ballpark itself,
it just feels so rooted and so much history there.
(32:37):
Same with Toledo. That was I think a great example
of like a downtown revitalization that really worked. I mean,
it's not just the ballpark. They call it Hensville, the
area around the ballpark, and they own a lot of
other buildings around the ballpark. So game days it feels
kind of like Major League you know, there's the way
that it's not just getting in a parking lot and
getting in line to just go into the ballpark. It's
(32:59):
just the atmosphere around the whole area. They made it
a a Dora section of the city, like downtown outdoor recreate.
You can drink, like get a but like get a
cup at a bar and walk around the ballpark and
go into another bar with a drink you got from
the other one. So there's just this like and live
music outside. So the way they're an iconic franchise and
(33:22):
so integrated in the cities downtown, that way is one
I would think of for sure.
Speaker 5 (33:29):
So we're getting a new stadium here, which I think,
you know what you've been to so many of the
new stadiums.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Nobody in baseball's talked about them.
Speaker 5 (33:37):
Nobody's been talking about this breaking news for people who
have been going to the Diamond forever are about to
step in one of these new, modern stadiums. What's going
to impress them the most?
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Yeah? Well, for one, I'll say this, I've only been
to the Diamond a handful of times, and I understand
its time is definitely passed in terms of hosting minor
league baseball.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
But that was really diplomatic because you thank you.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yeah, But I love visiting that because it always reminded
to me of the minor league version of like I
grew up going to Phillies games at the VET, and
it just reminded me of the minor league version of
these hulking, concrete, more multipurpose looking ballparks. So I always
felt this kind of nostalgic feeling at the Diamond, even
though I've only been there a few times. So I'll
be sad to see it go, though I understand why.
(34:22):
But yes, the template for that ballpark is very different
than what anyone is going to see from a new ballpark,
to say the least. You know, so much of that
is obviously now minor league baseball, and it's been like
this for a while. Yes, you have your seat most likely,
but It's not about oh, I'm in Section H row
four seat too. It's about being able to move around. Yes,
(34:44):
you have a seat and you want to watch some baseball,
but a three hundred and sixty degree concourse, big expansive
group areas huge video board that's incorporated into, like, into
the entertainment in a way that you know certainly wasn't
the way it was for many decades before that. But
just the ability to move around, a more open feeling,
(35:05):
and the idea that you don't really have to sit
in your seat if you don't want to. You have
access to the entirety or close to the entirety of
the ballpark just by having a ticket to the game.
I think it is the biggest part.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
To the kind of to that point because people are
used to the diamond across the street here at Carmack's Park,
I'm pointing towards it. Ben, It's going to be a
three hundred and sixty degree experience. But that's not my question.
My question is is that's the fan experience. But do
(35:40):
you think that the fan experience has been enhanced by
the rule changes in MLB have put in the minor leagues.
Do you think that those rule changes have been good.
I have a very strong opinion that probably is not
the same opinion of a lot of minor league baseball executives.
But like the pitch clock, how did you feel about
that when it was put in.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I was on board with it personally as much as
I've always been. The traditional romantic baseball do was an
half o'clock. It takes, however long it takes. But I'd
become increasingly aware, as like a lot of people, that
you're having these games that go three and a half
hours just for a kind of unremarkable slog and families,
people with kids who have to work the next day
or leaving before the end of the game, and at
(36:19):
a certain point for the teams, it's probably costs more
just to be operating the ballpark and paying who's there
than it is with like cause you're not really making
much revenue three hours deep into a game, and you know,
getting the front office employees a little bit more time
of their lives back with those games not going as long.
I was on board with that despite the initial reservations.
(36:41):
Is considering myself a baseball purist, and same with the
runner on second, although at the time I was like, yes,
maybe I can see this for the minor leagues, but
they'll never do it in the major leagues. But I
was wrong on that one. And the only thing that
with the pitch clock is that it reduces the time
that for teams to do things between innings, and I
know that sometimes with the between any contests, you can't
(37:04):
especially if it's an on field, you can't roll out
and do things as ambitious as they used to be.
So I, as someone is always going to celebrate the
entertainment aspects of a minor league game, those, you know,
having being more tight for time from an operational standpoint
on that end has been one of the negatives though.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
So I feel like it's made us better. Like I
feel like the promotions have had to be more concise,
and I understand what you're saying, there's some that you
can't do in that in that two minute timeframe, but
I think that's always the goal of our promotions people,
is to entertain the fans as much as they can
in the time. A lot of but when they're when
they're ready to go, you don't want those umpires turn
around claring at you, right, So I think it's made
(37:45):
us a little more spot on as far as that,
as far as that stuff goes, Cheats, You're final. We're
going to start wrapping up here. Your final one shot
of the day.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Oh, I don't know if I had a third one.
Let's see.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yeah, I know we're going deep today. You guys did
such good jobs on your first two questions. I wanted
to go for another one. And Ben wab Cheets is thinking,
well are you are you? What have when you looked
at the car at Carmack's Park and you know us
and you know our ownership group. And I'm not asking
for flowers here, I'm just asking for as a writer,
(38:20):
what do you think of Carmack's Park and the renderings
that you've seen?
Speaker 3 (38:24):
It looks great. I mean, it's been a little while
since i've really because I remember when it first announced
to looking at it, So I'm forgetting some of the specifics,
but I'm really excited to check it out. For one,
and it'll obviously be very different from the Diamond and
just covering the minor leagues for so long, just remembering,
you know, the who was it at the time. The
(38:44):
Connecticut Defenders are moving to Richmond and that deal is
contingent on a new ballpark, you know, like however, fifteen
years ago and covering through the years in various ways.
I used to do a column called batting around That
which more local news about getting ballparks built and all
the fits and starts through the years. And I'm not you,
(39:05):
you guy, especially you Parney. You know it on the
ground and so you can speak to it a lot
more than I can. But I can't remember such a
protracted length of time to build a ballpark. So I
can only imagine that that will make it that much
more exciting and also put even more pressure to have
it done right after this being rumored in some capacity
(39:26):
for so long. There's people, you know, getting ready to
graduate high school now who probably at the same when
they were born it was like, oh, Richmond's getting a
new ballpark, and you know, so to see it finally
happening is amazing.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
The pub Club lives here with me, and I think
they would agree, like we feel like we're living in
historic times. Like you covered it, there was a lot
of pits, a lot of valleys, a lot you know.
There was even close to the end, there were nights
when lou would call me and say I don't know
if we can get this done. And now to see
the still all the steels up and Ben Roath rock
(40:02):
here the CEO of the Squirrels, and Anthony opperam our
GM has just done an amazing job on the day
to day of that. And I'm kind of like the
proud papa sitting off to the side getting to watch
something you know, history happen. So, Jez, did you find
your question?
Speaker 2 (40:16):
I'm ready? I am ready. Then you mentioned awful day
earlier and promotions that you don't think could come back
in the same vein as yesteryear if you will, some
of them you don't want to come back in the
same vein as yesteryear. But if you could choose one,
if you could, if you could bring one promotion that
(40:37):
is not kind of active now to CARMACKX Park next year,
if you what what what promotion in your mind would
you bring to a brand new stadium packed out with
fans for Richmond.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
It's a good question because what I often would I
like the most aren't necessarily the ones that are gonna
delight like a huge crowd. And I think a lot
of them you can still do even if they haven't
been done recently. I'm trying to think of one that
just like operationally, like, no, that's not happening, or it
would wouldn't be the same. Why am I blanking on
(41:12):
a good one? Because I'm always lamenting like some of
the weirder stuff.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Man, I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
I'm in my mind.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
I'm thinking party will know this because he heard the story.
I'm thinking of the guy that blows himself up. These
are things that I'm thinking of. It's like, we can
never probably do that right now.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Yeah, we remember when we did the circus for Opening
Night in twenty fourteen. We literally had a motorcycle ride
up to the top of the time and we had NATSI.
Somehow we talked NUTSI into going on the motorcycle. Like
that's the kind of stuff Ben that I don't know
if that would go to the MLB approval process.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
Yeah, And even some of that used to happen at
the minor league level. Growing up as a Phillies fans,
hearing stories about like the tight roper tight rope walker
with the amazing Walendo whatever who literally walked across the
top of the vent on a wy kite, floating in
and doing that so that more stunt based stuff. Yes, absolutely,
you can still see it, like the human canniball still
(42:14):
comes to ballparks and they still pull that off, you know,
a guy getting shot out of a cannon after the game.
And and so he.
Speaker 1 (42:21):
Came into my office one day and said, Parnie, it's
been so great getting to know you, the human cannibal.
We have a lot in common. I think you and
I are the same person. I'm like, bro, you shoot
yourself out of a damn cannon for money. We're not
exactly alike at all, there's no way no.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
I mean, so that that old vaudeville spirit, which is
I think just harder to find in America writ large,
let alone at minor league baseball, a lot of it
because those acts aren't a lot of those acts aren't
around so much anymore. Sometimes there's considerations where it seemed
like a good idea, but now it's not appropriate. I mean,
Cowboy monkey rodeo was a big thing for a lot
of years. Those were little like, yeah, a little like
(43:01):
what kind of monkey is like a capuchin monkey?
Speaker 4 (43:03):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Right, riding the monkey from the hangover kind of yeah.
Speaker 3 (43:08):
And they would ride dogs and herd sheep, so it
would be dog riding, dog riding monkeys herding sheeps on
the on the field, and that was a huge one
for a lot of teams. I remember Wilmington Blue Rocks
where like they'd had them on the schedule like several
times a year, even adopted some of their retired dogs
and they got a lot of attention and mostly positive
(43:30):
for a lot of years. But then you know, Pete
started talking about it, and then the tide turned, where like,
how are these animals treated when they're not doing these
on field routines in terms of just being loaded into
trailers and living in confined spaces.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
And I get that, I'm sorry, but I walked into
the guy's trailer one time and the monkey, one of
the monkeys, was literally sitting there eating a bag of Doritos,
watching television. I was like, is this a human being? Like,
what's what in the world's going on here? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (43:58):
In Altuna, I went back to where the setup was
behind behind the outfield wall, and uh, He's like, oh,
you want to pet the monkey? And I was like, yeah,
I don't get a chance to do that very often.
And the monkey bit me and like I bled a
little on my finger and it didn't really hurt. It
was just like a tiny little nip. But I still
you get bit by a monkey and you're like, should
(44:19):
I go to the doctor?
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Now?
Speaker 1 (44:20):
You know that's a hard one to explain at home too.
It was word today, dear, I got bit by a monkey?
Speaker 3 (44:26):
Yeah, I think it'd be like, yeah, you're you're out
doing your thing again. It's just.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
All right, MP. As we wind down, your foind a
great job as always. Thanks, thanks for what you bring
to the table, MP. What you got for Ben? If
we wind down, another great inning? And by the way, Ben,
you're a Phillies fan. You're following up your inning of
party time last episode. Last inning was Larry Anderson.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
I saw that. I was I was honored.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
And the one before was Dave Raymond, the original Philly fanatic.
Speaker 3 (44:59):
Yeah, other legend of the industry.
Speaker 1 (45:01):
Yeah, no doubt what you got?
Speaker 5 (45:03):
What'd you make of the John Oliver offer and kerfuffle?
Seemed everybody's weighing in on that for a minute.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
The eerie Moon mammoths was definitely one of the biggest
stories of this whole season. I don't want to sound
arrogant here, so I have a slight chip on my shoulder,
which I tried to get John Oliver to acknowledge, but
of course you know, he's big time. But the original this,
you know, eerie moon mammoths an identity that was that
(45:29):
came about from an original John Oliver segment where they
just celebrated all this crazy stuff in minor league baseball.
So they talked Abladder, Yes they yeah, And so I
was really impressed by the segment in terms of how
deep the research is. But so much of it was
drawn on my work where literally no one else was
writing about it. And some of the cases where I
(45:52):
people would know this, but like I made this happen.
I suggested this, or I got this guy hired who
did this. And so seeing so much of my work
you used, they credit themightbe dot com. They didn't do
anything wrong. But out there was this part of me
that's just like, hey, I've got my niche, but like,
can you say my name or can you like reach
out to me? And so putting that aside, it's fine.
(46:14):
The fact that.
Speaker 1 (46:16):
Hey, Ben's Benzin's past boys.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're talking about Helen mcguckan Knight. Why
do you think you have Helen mcguckan Knight to quote
because I wrote that story man and that Helen mcguck
and Night is a great promo. But we don't have
to go on tangents. But the fact that there was
such a well researched segment on national TV about minor
league baseball promotions, because usually when something gets the national
(46:39):
treatment like that, they use the same three or four
kind of recycled examples, which might be good examples, but
you can tell people didn't really do the research. So
the fact that they would deep enough to get not
just me, but like real, truly weird promos and highlight
that celebrate it in such a well researched way. Then
have it be an interactive thing where to get a
(47:00):
team to do that on the field, and all the
attendant in attention that came on minor league baseball as
an industry. And then specifically, I love that they picked Erie.
You know, another team in the Eastern League, But I
loved that they picked Erie because that's a scrappy team
in a small town that doesn't have a lot of
name recognition just by virtue of being in Erie, Pennsylvania.
(47:22):
So the fact that Erie is still a part of
minor league baseball and then getting national publicity for something
like that. I thought they did a great job. And
Greg Coleman, you know, the team president, he sent in
a great he shared it with me, but he sent
in a great email to John Oliver's staff that showed
that he knew the show, that he knew the spirit
of the show. It seemed like they were a great
team to pick. But I loved that it wasn't a
(47:43):
team that, with all due respect to Durham Bulls or whoever,
that it was a team that could really use the shine.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
Like that and Greg Coleman and epitomizes one of the
main reasons I love minor league baseball. He's one of
the greatest guys that I've ever known in minor league baseball.
So I was happy for him. But we're going to close
it down here. Ben, I just wanted to say thank you,
not only for being on party time, but as a
lifer in this industry minor league baseball, we watch you.
(48:10):
We're proud of you when you represent us on MLB Network.
We're all sitting in our offices going Ben's Biz Baby,
Ben's Biz Biz Biz, So we appreciate I know that
our staff here because I told him you were going
to be on Party Time and a couple of them,
when's it coming back to Richmond? We wanted to come
to Richmond, so you're very much beloved. You very much beloved.
I wanted to make sure you knew that and the
(48:32):
people like me and others appreciate you very much. So
thanks for having taking the time to be with us
on Party Time Cheats Black Baseball Mixtape. You are the man.
Thank you for again being Party's Pop at MP. Can't
wait to be on your radio show again next week
and make some amazing football picks like I always do.
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