June 24, 2025 • 32 mins
A 1992 graduate of Rice Memorial High School and 1996 graduate of Keene State College, C.J. was named 2003 New York-Penn League Executive of the Year Award and 2006 recipient of the Robert Julian Community & Baseball Service Award. After leaving Vermont in 2009, C.J. spent 10 years as Senior Vice President of the Connecticut Tigers.
After serving as the Lake Monsters Assistant General Manager 1997-1999 and the team's General Manager 2000-2009, C.J. returned to the team in 2021 as Senior Vice President.Since returning to Vermont with the Lake Monsters move to the Futures League, Knudsen has named FCBL Executive of the Year twice (2021, 2023) and helped lead the Lake Monsters to be named FCBL Organization of the Year three times (2021, 2022, 2024).
Myers Container Service Corp. is the area's most reliable in garbage removal and recycling services. We are a locally owned company with 12 years of industry experience. Every week here on the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast, we highlight local heroes and organizations that are doing great work in our community.
After serving as the Lake Monsters Assistant General Manager 1997-1999 and the team's General Manager 2000-2009, C.J. returned to the team in 2021 as Senior Vice President.Since returning to Vermont with the Lake Monsters move to the Futures League, Knudsen has named FCBL Executive of the Year twice (2021, 2023) and helped lead the Lake Monsters to be named FCBL Organization of the Year three times (2021, 2022, 2024).
Myers Container Service Corp. is the area's most reliable in garbage removal and recycling services. We are a locally owned company with 12 years of industry experience. Every week here on the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast, we highlight local heroes and organizations that are doing great work in our community.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Hey, everybody, it is the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'm Aaron Coolefield Barker. This is Joe Snagra.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
If you're paying really close attention, you got a little
sneak just now, a little sneak peak of who.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Our guest is for today. The hat may have given
it away. It is C. J.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Newtson from the Vermont Lake Monsters. We will start chatting
with him in just a little bit, but first, Joe,
as always, I would love to hear what's been up
in your world now.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Things have been well.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
The one thing, you know, as I always said, I'm
a glass half full guy and a lot of things
bug me in life.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
And I had one of those good ones this week.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
So you know, I'm not the first person to talk
about this, but you know, you go out and you tip.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
And stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
But I had my first experience this week of the
self served tip. So have you been to one of
these where you help yourself? You know, you get your
drink out of the cooler and then you scan it
yourself and then you swipe your.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Car there's no human there.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And I did that and then they asked me to tip,
So like, all right, you tip your waitress.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
You're at Starbucks, the Barisa wants to tip. I get
that to a point. But you know there's not even
a human now and I got a tip.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, we kind of a place.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Was it like do they have the option where you
can be doing it in a fashion where you would
be giving someone a tip or no, only like that's
not even an option anymore.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
That's not an option.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
So a hotel, so you know, you have your front
desk person and then over to you know, I don't know,
thirty yards away that had the little you know area
where you can buy or coats and you know, chips
and stuff like that. And normally at hotel you go
to the front tsk and pay for it. This had
a self served kios so you yeah, scan your scan
(02:06):
your soda or your coffee.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And and then they want to tip.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
And I'm like, no, you know, weird because that's not
like a like you don't go to the gas station
and give a tip when you buy a soda. Like
so it's a weird setup to even because I was
done it right, I'm a big benefit of the doubt person.
So that's why I was like, well, like sometimes I've
been to a place where fine, that's just like how
their point of sale is set up and they can
(02:29):
only have it one way or another.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
But like, yeah, that's weird.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
If it was at like a like a hotel, like
little convenience area basically.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Is what it was, and then they exactly, I'm just
just like, you know, no, I'm not. The old thing
is I have a hard time tipping if you're bringing
you know, if if you're not doing anything, you're just
ringing me up. I have a hard time tipping there.
But I get it if it's a it's a young person,
or if it's a coffee shop, Okay, I get that,
or you know, I my daughter has it not allergy.
(03:00):
So when we ask like oh and they take precautions, okay,
I more than happy tip there. But there's not even
a human I got a tip.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, and then there wasn't even like there was gonna
be someone that was going to clean up your mess
at the end. So they're getting the tip, Like where
is it? Yeah, tip cultures and tip culture is an
interesting one.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I agree that that's yeah, that's hard, But so were
you like was there a person at the front desk
at all.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
There was a person at the front desk.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Did you make like the old man?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Did you make like an old man joke and be like, oh,
I just tipped myself two dollars?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Where do I collect that from?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
No?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
I was just so taken back by the whole experience.
I'm like, you know, it's it's fine, and I'm sure
I could went over the front desk and pay for it,
but I didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
It was just, yeah, who was going to judge you?
Who was going to judge you for not tipping? Like
justice yourself? You're the only one. Did you think like
some alarm, we're going to go off and be like
this guy's cheating. You didn't give us a tip? Like
who's gonna call you on it?
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I don't know, but you know, it's just cut me
very odd this week.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I do agree with you, it's odd.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
But then I had to laugh and I was like, well, wait,
like all it is is just like an internal like
embarrassment because no one was gonna.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Know exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So imagine though, if it would like if there was
like good tipper, bad tipper, like, well.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, I'm waiting for the I'm waiting for the guy
to come out from behind the desk.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I thanks, yo, dirt bag.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Wait, kids aren't gonna eat tonight, because exactly it could happen.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It could happen, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Oh that's funny.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Well, it's like I know when I worked in a
restaurant sometimes it's like to go orders, people would always be.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Like, I'm not giving a tip on that, and like,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Someone had to package it up though, So I'll maybe
sometimes tip like a little, but not like twenty percent.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
That's exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Well, it might be a good question for our our
guests because you know, they have a lot of people
working at the ballpark, so you question, we're.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Gonna You're gonna put them on the spot though, because
what if this is like a subject of contention and
how they tip share over at the ballpark. But we're
gonna find out because you know what too, they've recently
had one of their hot dog nights where it's twenty
five cent hot dogs, and so then if you're getting
a twenty five cent dog, what are you supposed to tip?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Give them a dollar? That's like three hot dogs of
a tip.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Great question.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Look all right, well CJ, let's bring you on in CJ.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Newtson, the senior vice president of the Vermont Lake Monsters.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
CJ.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Everyone in Vermont is incredibly generous, right, so people give
tips at the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I know I've had a.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Beer or two there and definitely have tipped there. But like,
the merch guys aren't getting tips if we buy a shirt,
right or.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Is your pos just one pos everywhere?
Speaker 5 (05:55):
That's a great question, Aaron.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
It's it's kind of it was one pos everywhere, and
then we figured out ways to kind of change it
so that way the merchandise people aren't getting tips. But
you know, the bartenders might be, the concession people might be.
But you know, at the end of the day, you know,
one thing we do have that at Centennial Field, or
I should say now Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field
is wonderful food and we love food and we love beverage.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
You do, all right, So we skipped ahead, but let's
back it up first in I'm not sure if there's
anyone listening. I guess if they're not local, they may
be like the Vermont Lake Monsters, who were they tell
us just about the Vermont Lake Monsters and how things work.
Speaker 6 (06:33):
Yeah, we we're a baseball team. We're collegiate wo in
bat team. We were a former minor league baseball team
founded in nineteen ninety four, so this year actually marks
our thirty first season, if you can believe it. And
we started out as the Vermont Expos. We were the
single a short season from Montreal Expos for years and
years and years, and then became the affiliate for the
Washington Nationals, then Oakland Athletics, and then COVID hit, and
(06:55):
we all know what happens once COVID hit, So Covid
COVID started, and the entire minor league baseball season stopped,
and then we did a relaunch, go ahead job.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
So you know, as Aaron said, we all know the
l like monster. So tell us a little bit more
about this year's team. I know every year usually have
a couple of Vermoners on the team, and I know
you have at least one local player, So tell us
a little bit about where your players are coming from,
specifically if you have any Vermonors.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
So, not knowing what it was going to be like
after being a former minor league baseball team, weren't sure
the response is going to be And since we're a
collegiate with that team, it's been better than ever because
now we have some local guys on our team, guys
from Colchester and Burlington and Salisbury, Vermont and Middlebury and
Mount Mansfield Union High School. So where before when we
(07:49):
were with the A's, there was really no connection at
all to Vermont, and so when we relaunched after COVID
twenty twenty one, it was really embraced by the fans.
That year we won the championship, which is been a
long time since we won the championship. Prior to that
was nineteen ninety six. And on our twenty twenty one team,
we had eleven Vermonters.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
Play for US.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
We had sixty seven different guys play for US, and
we were able to win the championship, and then that
really kind of launched an unbelievably successful franchise. Right now,
we're celebrating our fifth season. Now, if we get some
decent weather this summer, which we're all hoping for decent weather,
there's a chance we'll draw a three millionth fan in
franchise history. So and it gives local Vermont players, you know,
a chance to get scouted by Major League Baseball teams
(08:30):
where before you know that that was very unlikely, but
now it's it's likely that these guys are could get
drafted or sign as a free agent, and baseball and
Vermont's get really good now. So to have some local
guys in the team, you know, like Zach Davis and
Nick Kelly and those guys play for US. Langdon Hazen
out of MMU, he just joined our roster. So having
(08:51):
some local talent like that, it gives these guys a
place to shine.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Well, I'm sure that that kind of right helps helps
the crowd and you guys do a ton of really cool,
fun promotions to bring people in and there's it's not
just a baseball game you're going to.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
It's an experience.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But also you know when people have that added connection
of like whether it's I watched that guy in baseball
or in high school, Like he's from my hometown, you know,
mommy's cousins, boyfriend's girlfriend knows him. So we're gonna go, Like,
have you guys found that that the switch While it's
a different level you know of baseball because it's not
(09:27):
the minor leagues, but like the crowds have have have.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Been showing up.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
Oh, without a doubt, I would say now more than ever,
the crowds are coming to cheer on the guys because
they're coming to see some of their local friends and family.
You know, guys from like Wallingford, Vermont, outside of Rutland.
They're making the drive up here. They're traveling in from
all across the state to see us. And you know,
the kids that are playing Little league baseball, they're coming
literally to every single game with their team, wearing their
(09:51):
little league uniform. You know, five, six, seven, eight years
from now, they could be playing for the from Lake
Monsters and have their own baseball card and signing autographs
and and getting interviewed up by the media. So it's
quite the adventure for the guys from Vermont to play
for the Lake Monsters because they grew up watching the
Lake Monsters and they're very proud when they put on
the hat in the uniform and they have a ton
of fun doing as.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Well game day experience.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
What are some of the things besides the actual baseball
happening on the field that there is to do when
you come out.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
Yeah, I mean, that's really we're trying to accomplish, is
provide great baseball product down the field, which these guys
are the.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Best of the best in the country.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
It's better baseball than when we were Singlish short season
because again they're coming from all over all over the country.
But at the end of the day, it's about bringing
people together, coming together as a community, you know, seeing
your neighbors, talking to your neighbors, talking to your friends
and family members, maybe getting off your cell phone for
a little bit and your computers and coming out to
the ballpark to enjoy a beautiful sunset, beautiful evening in Vermont.
(10:51):
You we're all very fortunate to live in Vermont and
we love the summers. You know, granted they might be
way too short, but you're coming out to the ballpark
for kids eat free on Wednesday night, or drank great
local craft beer that was made literally a mile or
two away from the ballpark to you know, kids run
the bases on Sunday or have a catch on Sunday
where every kid gets a free baseball to play catch
with and take home. You know, we do everything from
(11:12):
a reading program, so the guys around the community all
all the time, and one stat they were really proud
of because there's lots of stats in baseball. When we
relaunched after COVID in goods and services and actually monetary
cash dow nations, we've given back to the state of
Vermont and the organizations over two hundred and seventy thousand
dollars for the local community.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
So we're really proud of that.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
So CJ, you and I are the Tame generation. This
is your reading program is not like the pizza hot
reading club that we had as kids.
Speaker 6 (11:41):
Yeah, we bring the guys out to the libraries across
the state of Vermont. And then actually last year we
did a test reading program, like a pilot program with
the Fletcher Free Library of Burlington where basically, if you
have a library card, you can check out up to
six tickets to a Lake Monster's game free of charge.
And that program was so successful. Now it's in five
or six different libraries across Vermont. It'll definitely it's growing
(12:03):
to it's expanding all the time. And that's something that
we do and we believe as a franchise is we
want everybody to enjoy a baseball game. And if you're
able to, you know, use your library card and you
decide do you want to come on a Wednesday, then
your kids, twelve hundred can beat free, and so we
want to make it very affordable for everyone to come
to the ballpark. It's still six dollars for a kid
to get into the park. There's always something for them
(12:23):
to do. And that's why I think we've been so
successful is really continue to give back to the community.
The Food Bank Fridays is a great thing that we do.
At the talk about tipping, we do a roundup at
the register and all the proceeds go to benefit Food
Bank Fridays to help feed the local from Honors. So
we're involved in lots of different organizations and it's way
more than just baseball, you know, it's about really bringing
(12:44):
community together, training people. We have a lot of our
employees are fourteen fifteen six year old kids. It's their
first job and so they're working on the concession stands
and working on their people's skills and getting trained and
making a lot of friendships and it's just a great,
great time at the ballpark.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Way more than just baseball.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
So you have you know around sorry, you around the country.
These ballparks, you know, they have their sponsorship, but they
had the cool old nickname, you know, they have the
Bank at uh AT in Philadelphia. So, Delta Dental Diamond Park,
have you guys come up with a cool little you know, nickname,
(13:22):
you know, the Delta or something like that yet.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Not yet, Joe. We're willing to take any kind of recommendations.
You might have the.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
DDP Delta Diamond Park, the d DP, Yeah, you know me,
you're down with DDP.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Yeah, I think it's d d D Delta Dental Diamond.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Oh okay, and then well it still works the d
D D Triple D Triple D.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
The speaking of that Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field,
that's a game that was a game changer for a franchise,
up for the community. You know, at the end of
the day, Delta Dental stepped up to the plate unintended
to really make sure that baseball is going to stay
in the Vermont community for many years to come. We
signed a ten year agreement with Delta Dental. They've been
wonderful to work with and at the end of the day,
(14:11):
it allows us to maintain a ballpark that is one
hundred nineteen years old.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Piece.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
Some people say that it's the seventh oldest ballpark in
the world. So I argue that it might be the
oldest in America. It's definitely older than Fenway. You know,
the field of self is the field is built in
nineteen oh six, the grand stands nineteen twenty two. And
having that agreement with Delta Dental, it allows us to
get back to the community, allowed us to that allows
us to maintain an upgrade for fantomenites at the park,
and so you know, they're a great partner. And again
(14:40):
that keeps baseball as security in Vermont and allows us
to continue to do the great program that we do well.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
And how important is that?
Speaker 1 (14:47):
I mean, and I know Myers is a part of it,
and a lot of local companies do, but especially when
the change was made from having whatever support the A's
we're giving when it was a minor league team to
now being on that collegiate level. You know, there's not
always like bookoo money let's call it floating around to
help support these leagues. And so you guys really rely
(15:10):
on the local community to help you be able to
provide the experience that you.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Are providing one hundred and ten percent. I mean, companies
like Myers.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
We've been with Meyers basically since day one, you know,
since nineteen ninety four, and it's them seeing a positive
thing in the community, because not every community has baseball
teams like this or other events or entities that people
can enjoy. And so they come and step and step
up to the plate and help support us. And we've
got great support from our sponsors. We get great support
(15:39):
from our fans. And without the sponsors and fans, we
wouldn't exist. We literally would not, you know, we wouldn't
be able to do the things we would do. Wouldn't
be able to maintain the ballpark. We wouldn't be able
to hire the staff that we have to come up
with cool promotions and fun things to get back to
the community. We wouldn't be able to make donations to
the community. So it goes a long way that everyone's
involved here and you meet personally, you know. I went
(16:01):
to I grew up in Jonesville, Vermont, played for Richmond
Little League, went to a Vermont Reds game back in
the eighties as a Richmond Little leaguer, and so it's
a ton of fun for me to go back and
help maintain and be a steward for Centennial Field. I
had a chance to play two games there when I
was in high school at Rice High School and we
just you know, finished hosting the high school state championships
(16:22):
and that's a big deal for the families traveling from
all over Vermont to have their student athlete play on
that diamond. It's very special. That's something that they remember
for the rest of their lives. And you know, when
we recently hosted the high school state championships, some people
have never been to ballpark and they see it and
we kind of overhear what they're saying, and they're talking
about how this place is so beautiful and it's amazing
(16:44):
and well kept in a special place, and we'd love
to hear that because, as you guys know, in a
seasonal business like ours, the hours are incredibly long and
seven days a week and with your cell phone, your
cell phone never stops ringing. So compliments like that and feedback,
feedback that we get from people really helps push us
through the finish line here.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And absolutely I was able to come out to the
state championship game and it was great to see so
many people having young people having so much fun on
the diamond.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
It was really a nice experience.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
You know, Myers, we're helping one of the giveaways coming
up later this season, and we're doing a baseball cap.
But talk about some of your others. We all Aaron
talked about your hot Dog Night, but went back to
the other cool events and giveaways you have.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
Yeah, we have a ton of stuff on our promotional calendar, Joe.
It's awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
We recently just hosted our first, first of three twenty
five cent hot dog Nights sponsored by McKenzie. It's a
fan favorite. I'd almost call it a cult favorite. Now
we are first one. We sold over ninety five hundred
hot dogs. Nine thousand, five hundred hot dogs. It's quite
the site. Let me come tell you, people are coming
in from all over the state Vermont.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
It's amazing.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
And we'll do three of those, so we'll end up
doing probably a little shy of thirty thousand hot dogs
over those three nights, and then we kick into things like,
you know, Margaritaville Night. We were able to negotiate an
agreement with Margaritaville, used their like their logos and name
and licensing and music, and so we have this. We
have this beautiful almost like sunset jersey of our mascot
(18:20):
Champ hanging on on a hammock with palm trees, so
we're gonna auction those off for charity. We have our
Star Wars Night, which is always a fan favorite, where
we auction those jerseys off to which are those are
fully licensed Lucasfilm jerseys for Star Wars And that's ways
that we can kind of give back to the community.
Summer of Love is another fan favorite where the guys
were Tai Died jerseys and we play sixties music, have
(18:43):
a photo booth in a van there. A couple of
years ago, we launched a new new brand called Vermont
Creamies and kind of how that came about as a
person that used to work here, she was from Florida
and she asked the question of what's a creamy and
we kind of looked at her strangers saying, what do
you mean, what's a creamy? And that kind of spurred
the idea of the Vermont Creamies. And so last year
we played a game as the Vermont Creamies and we
(19:04):
played a team in our league. Their normal name is
Norwich Cnicorns. They decided to change their name to the
New England Lobster Roles. So it was billed as a
food fight and so the creamies took on the lobster
roles and the fans loved it. And then this year
we're playing one game as Vermont creamis at centennial and
we're gonna face the Gibbe's world famous ice cream out
of Worcester. So for the Wister Brave Hearts, they're changing
(19:25):
the name. So we're gonna see who melts under the
pressure on that camp.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
So when the when we come to the ballpark, of
course we see Champ all the time, but how about
a Champ out in the community. I saw him recently
at a Touch of Truck stuff like that, and he
has showing up at other events.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
Right, he is the busiest monster literally on the planet,
and he is out here almost just about every day
of the week. But you know, he's year round, year
round presence, he're guaranteed guaranteed to see him at the
ballpark of for all of our games. But more importantly,
he's out in the community. You know what, He's at parades,
he's a Touch of Trucks, he's at birthday parties, he's
at walks, all sorts of things, because you know, he's
(20:06):
the brand, you know for the from Lake Monsters and
he's a great ambassador. He doesn't speak, but he's he
can say a lot with his with his hands and
his hugs and and he's great. And we love to
have him out in the community year round because you know,
we're in the business community around as well, So we
might be playing thirty five to forty home games, but
we're here living, eating and conducting business here fun.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Oh, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
No, I was going to say, you talk about all
the events. Does he ever make appearances at weddings?
Speaker 5 (20:35):
Ah'm I guarantee he has.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
You know WHATJ, You had a really good answer because
he has. I was just gonna say, I don't know
if CJ knew this or not, but Champ was at
my wedding.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
Wow, I did not know. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
So this was when I was the sports director over
at the TV station. Champ and Rally showed up per
cocktail hour. He hang out and say hi everybody.
Speaker 6 (20:59):
Wow, that is amazing, Aaron, I did not know that
those are Those are great photos, by the way.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yeah, no, it was. It was a ton of fun.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
And now it's really cute because we saw Champ at
a Touch of Truck recently and my son was like,
he wanted to know where Champ was the entire time,
but then when we went to go up to Champ,
he chickened out. But yeah, Champ came to our wedding,
which was like a fun little claim to fame for
my husband and I that Champ and Champ and his
buddy Rally came on by.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
So a two part question then, Aaron one. Everyone seeing
your wedding pictures, everyone's informal attire, but not Champ. So
you allowed him to come even though he's not drafted properly.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I did, I did, I guess because it was just
cocktail hour. I let it. I let it slide that time.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
And your son is so in tune looking for Champ
all the time. Champ with at your wedding. Are we
confident on everything going on here?
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yes, yes it was.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
It took a little while after wedding to have the child.
So thank you, thanks for thanks for the concern. Also,
my son and my daughter looks so much like my
husband there can't ever be a question of it.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
But no, Champ, Champ, I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Champ, just like he's such a little bright light, like
in any event I go to and you see him there,
like people are he's just so lovable. Sometimes you go
to sporting events and it's like like I lived in
New Orleans for a while, and their basketball team during
Marti Gras have this like kincake baby thing and it's
like kind of scary looking and but like Champ, he's
(22:36):
just like approachable and so like cute and nice, and
it's just so fun to see little kids get so
excited to see him.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Yeah, yeah, Champ's amazing. He really is so good.
Speaker 6 (22:45):
He loves to dance on the dugout, he loves to
eat hot dogs, and as you mentioned, Aaron, he's a
very popular man. So he has his own line of merchandise.
He has his own squishy Champ dolls. He has also
has now squish mellows. You know, the Champ squish mellows
is amazing people love and but it's he's obviously one
of the reasons why that you know, people have come
(23:06):
out to the ballpark to get a high five or
hug from Champ. And now some of our fans, since
we've been around for so long, when they are kids,
they're having their now have their own kids and they
bring them to the ballparks and so it's a really
cool site and very nostalgic for them as well.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Something else that's kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
And I don't know if this is league wide or
just something you guys carried over from before the change,
but you guys rely on post families to how some
of the players. So it's not like they're all just
you know, finding housing in a house. But it's something
where families actually offered to have a player living in
their home, which i'd imagine if you have, like a
(23:43):
son who plays baseball, Like, how cool are you to
have Vermont Lake months are living with you during the season.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Yeah, we're so fortunate.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
I mean that program actually has been in existence for
about thirty one years, so almost since the first year
in nineteen ninety four, in one fashion or another. And
that's one of the one of the reasons why we
have the best of the best players on the field
but also off the field, is because we want them
to have a great experience when they're in Vermont. Yes,
we can put them up in hotels or dorm rooms,
but it's not the same. You know, it's not the
(24:11):
same when you know in eighteen nineteen, twenty twenty one
year old college guy can come home to his host
family and have a home cooked meal, maybe relaxed a
little bit, maybe unwined after the game. And in such
a special program. You know, it's been in existence for
so long, and it takes a lot of work. You know,
we have a couple of volunteers free to Tutt is
(24:31):
the one that's been leading the charge for many years
on that program. She's our host family director and coordinator.
It's one hundred percent volunteer.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
She dedicates her her down time, which is not a
lot at all, to help recruit host families and make
sure that the host families having a great experience, the
players having a great experience, and it really is it's
just one an extra special thing that creates us and
sets us apart, I think for other teams, especially in
our league, but all the way across the country, and
(24:58):
the host families maintain that friend with the players, you know,
as they progress, it might be in there as they
progress and become Major League Baseball players, or as they
progress and in other industries and have their own children.
So it's it's just a great, you know, magical moment
for everybody.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Talk to us about as they kind of wrap up,
talk to us about the season.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
So it runs through like early August.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Ideally there's playoffs, but don't wait too long to decide
to head on oct to Centennial because the season will
be over before you know it, which seems wild.
Speaker 6 (25:32):
Yeah, I mean, you blink and the season's over. And
that's one thing that's the kind of the big difference
between New York Pen League, the Single A and Futures League,
which I love this part of the Futures League. We
start our season at the end of May and wrap
up in mid August, where the Penn League would start
in mid June and wrap up in early September. And
those are tough dates, you know, towards the kind of
from mid August to September, people are heading back to
(25:52):
school thinking about fall sports. They're not thinking about baseball
as much anymore. So we have the prime prime season,
you know, we have thirty five home games and wrap
up in mid August. But it goes by so fast.
I mean when you're when you're in it, it's it's exhausting,
but it's a ton of fun as well. And one
thing I love the most about about my role with
the team is, uh, you know, talking to the fans
(26:13):
talking to the fans, talking to the sponsors, seeing them
at the games. Uh, you know, just watching a boy
or girl, you know, smiling when they're getting their face
painted for free or getting a baseball or opograph from
our from our guys, it's just a it's a really
cool thing, and uh, we're just really proud to be
a part of it. And uh, you know, not that
we want to rush this season at all, but uh,
(26:34):
you know, I think this is gonna be a magical season.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
For us, wonderful. But we preciate you joining us a.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
Jay, Thank you guys so much. It's a ton of fun.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
I can't wait to listen and watch and then be
a part of this again, hopefully in the future, without.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
A doubt, we'll see you out of the ballpark.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
You know, I'm due to get the little ones out
there at some point here soon, So maybe i'll drive.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Joe along let me go.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
That'd be great. The podcast from the ball Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I love it. I love it all right, thanks so
much to take the time, DJ go Lake Monsters. He's
fun though. I had so much fun to go to
those games. I know I went last year. It was
a really hot day, but it was like a ton
of fun.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
And it's funny for me because when I covered them
in sports, I'd be out there like so regularly that
now it's fun to go just as a fan and
grab an uncle beer and snacks and everything.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
One of the kids I coached back in Babe Ruth
played on the team, not this year, but the previous
two seasons. So's not to make everything about me, but
I'm the reason why they're doing well.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Well. Yeah, was he a part of that pep talk
you talked about on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
That he was a little bit older?
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Fair? Fair, I hear you've got a little game or something.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
You so a little game. So I'm calling it trashy
or not. So it's two questions I have for you,
and we'll see how well you do, and then maybe
we as we go forward, we can incorporate our guests
in there. So question number one trashy or not? How
much waste does the average Vermonter produce every day?
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Can you give me like a clue, like are we
talking about like pounds? Like how many?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
How many pounds?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Okay of waste is the average Vermonter produced every day?
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Every day? You know?
Speaker 4 (28:24):
So think about all your you know, your food traps
and your you know, coffee cup and you know everything
else that goes you know, when you're you know, cooking
your dinner and throughout the day.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And I'm nervous that I'm going to make a really
like dumb guess here, But let's go with.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Twenty pounds.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Well it's a little high.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Four point five pounds, so a little high, but that's
all right, you know. But I was surprised when I
didn't know what I thought the number would be.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Yeah, I think that was the problem.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
It's like, I don't know, and I was trying to think,
like how often am I throwing things out? How many
Amazon deliveries came on a particular any given day. But
a four point five I guess seems a little bit
more realistic than my guess of twenty.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Well, and the Amazon one could be will be a
question in a future podcast, because I do have a
box question.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
But question two of trashy or not?
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I like, you love sports, so is it trashy to
bring a drink alcoholic drink to the youth sporting event
on a Saturday morning?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Saturday morning? Well, yeah, or just to a youth sporting
event pre a youth sporting event.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
You know, after hours doesn't count. You'll five six pocks.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
The issue then, isn't that it's a youth sporting event,
because it's totally fine if it's in the evening.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Is that for thirteen years so you know they have
bars in Canadian occurrants.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
I mean, I think it all depends, right, It's no
different from how like a bloody Mary is totally appropriate
to drink in the morning.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
But if you wake up and you pour yourself.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
A vodka water in the morning, that's not you know,
that's frown down on you.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Gotta at least put oj in it.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
You're okay with vodka water at the Jack's tea ball
game on a five o'clock on a Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
At five pm on a Tuesday by someone sitting in
the stands.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Sure, I guess I'm okay.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
So not trashy is what we're going with.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Not trashy if it's an evening it's been a long
work day. But also it needs to be like in
like a yetti, Like you can't just be like out
there with your like twisted tea like hey, guys.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Like you mean with your handle and your bottle is frite,
don't ca.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
No, you gotta attempt to cover you gotta attempt to
be a little more coo. For you're also talking to
someone who lived in Louisiana for so long where you
could literally just like walk around everywhere with your drink.
So my like my, my trash bar for that one
is probably lower than other people.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Right, And if we get this segment off the ground,
maybe our producer can come up with a cool graphic
of trashy or not. I have images of old photos
of you and I Aaron, you know, maybe not in
a best of light, you know, so I think we
can have a lot of fun here.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I was picturing your like red can you know, the
little red trash can guy with like thumbs up thumbs down.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I gotta be honest the.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Way the second question was more what I assumed trash
or Not would be. The first question was just like
trash trivia.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
Trash trivia.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
So you know, we gotta we got to ease into this.
You know, it's all it's all work in progress. You know,
they are crack, big time staff we have on the
on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
You know, we we had a chance to really flush
out all the all the stuff I like it though.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
That's how we roll, right, It's authentic. We're real. What
you see and what you hear is what you get.
Nothing embarrasses either of us very much.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
No, No, The big staff is the two people in
my head fighting with each other, and then me say
and give my family.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Is this stupid?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
And then they say yeah, And then you say, oh.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Well, we're gonna do imagine the things that didn't make
the coup for today.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
That's the list I want you to save some time,
and then we can say, all right, eron, here's all
my other ideas of things I wanted to bring up.
What what what would you have thought of these traps?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
You're not? I like it, I love it all right, everybody,
thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Let us know what you think about our new game
in the comments below.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
I promise Joe will read them and alert me of them.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
I'm still getting still getting used to going and checking
out what everybody's got to say to us.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
But we will see you again next week.
Hey, everybody, it is the Trash Talking and Giving Back Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'm Aaron Coolefield Barker. This is Joe Snagra.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
If you're paying really close attention, you got a little
sneak just now, a little sneak peak of who.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Our guest is for today. The hat may have given
it away. It is C. J.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Newtson from the Vermont Lake Monsters. We will start chatting
with him in just a little bit, but first, Joe,
as always, I would love to hear what's been up
in your world now.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Things have been well.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
The one thing, you know, as I always said, I'm
a glass half full guy and a lot of things
bug me in life.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
And I had one of those good ones this week.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
So you know, I'm not the first person to talk
about this, but you know, you go out and you tip.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
And stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
But I had my first experience this week of the
self served tip. So have you been to one of
these where you help yourself? You know, you get your
drink out of the cooler and then you scan it
yourself and then you swipe your.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Car there's no human there.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And I did that and then they asked me to tip,
So like, all right, you tip your waitress.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
You're at Starbucks, the Barisa wants to tip. I get
that to a point. But you know there's not even
a human now and I got a tip.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, we kind of a place.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Was it like do they have the option where you
can be doing it in a fashion where you would
be giving someone a tip or no, only like that's
not even an option anymore.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
That's not an option.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
So a hotel, so you know, you have your front
desk person and then over to you know, I don't know,
thirty yards away that had the little you know area
where you can buy or coats and you know, chips
and stuff like that. And normally at hotel you go
to the front tsk and pay for it. This had
a self served kios so you yeah, scan your scan
(02:06):
your soda or your coffee.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And and then they want to tip.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
And I'm like, no, you know, weird because that's not
like a like you don't go to the gas station
and give a tip when you buy a soda. Like
so it's a weird setup to even because I was
done it right, I'm a big benefit of the doubt person.
So that's why I was like, well, like sometimes I've
been to a place where fine, that's just like how
their point of sale is set up and they can
(02:29):
only have it one way or another.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
But like, yeah, that's weird.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
If it was at like a like a hotel, like
little convenience area basically.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Is what it was, and then they exactly, I'm just
just like, you know, no, I'm not. The old thing
is I have a hard time tipping if you're bringing
you know, if if you're not doing anything, you're just
ringing me up. I have a hard time tipping there.
But I get it if it's a it's a young person,
or if it's a coffee shop, Okay, I get that,
or you know, I my daughter has it not allergy.
(03:00):
So when we ask like oh and they take precautions, okay,
I more than happy tip there. But there's not even
a human I got a tip.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, and then there wasn't even like there was gonna
be someone that was going to clean up your mess
at the end. So they're getting the tip, Like where
is it? Yeah, tip cultures and tip culture is an
interesting one.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I agree that that's yeah, that's hard, But so were
you like was there a person at the front desk
at all.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
There was a person at the front desk.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Did you make like the old man?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Did you make like an old man joke and be like, oh,
I just tipped myself two dollars?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Where do I collect that from?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
No?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
I was just so taken back by the whole experience.
I'm like, you know, it's it's fine, and I'm sure
I could went over the front desk and pay for it,
but I didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
It was just, yeah, who was going to judge you?
Who was going to judge you for not tipping? Like
justice yourself? You're the only one. Did you think like
some alarm, we're going to go off and be like
this guy's cheating. You didn't give us a tip? Like
who's gonna call you on it?
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I don't know, but you know, it's just cut me
very odd this week.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I do agree with you, it's odd.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
But then I had to laugh and I was like, well, wait,
like all it is is just like an internal like
embarrassment because no one was gonna.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Know exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So imagine though, if it would like if there was
like good tipper, bad tipper, like, well.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, I'm waiting for the I'm waiting for the guy
to come out from behind the desk.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I thanks, yo, dirt bag.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Wait, kids aren't gonna eat tonight, because exactly it could happen.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
It could happen, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Oh that's funny.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Well, it's like I know when I worked in a
restaurant sometimes it's like to go orders, people would always be.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Like, I'm not giving a tip on that, and like,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Someone had to package it up though, So I'll maybe
sometimes tip like a little, but not like twenty percent.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
That's exactly exactly.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Well, it might be a good question for our our
guests because you know, they have a lot of people
working at the ballpark, so you question, we're.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Gonna You're gonna put them on the spot though, because
what if this is like a subject of contention and
how they tip share over at the ballpark. But we're
gonna find out because you know what too, they've recently
had one of their hot dog nights where it's twenty
five cent hot dogs, and so then if you're getting
a twenty five cent dog, what are you supposed to tip?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Give them a dollar? That's like three hot dogs of
a tip.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Great question.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Look all right, well CJ, let's bring you on in CJ.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Newtson, the senior vice president of the Vermont Lake Monsters.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
CJ.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Everyone in Vermont is incredibly generous, right, so people give
tips at the ballpark.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I know I've had a.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Beer or two there and definitely have tipped there. But like,
the merch guys aren't getting tips if we buy a shirt,
right or.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Is your pos just one pos everywhere?
Speaker 5 (05:55):
That's a great question, Aaron.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
It's it's kind of it was one pos everywhere, and
then we figured out ways to kind of change it
so that way the merchandise people aren't getting tips. But
you know, the bartenders might be, the concession people might be.
But you know, at the end of the day, you know,
one thing we do have that at Centennial Field, or
I should say now Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field
is wonderful food and we love food and we love beverage.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
You do, all right, So we skipped ahead, but let's
back it up first in I'm not sure if there's
anyone listening. I guess if they're not local, they may
be like the Vermont Lake Monsters, who were they tell
us just about the Vermont Lake Monsters and how things work.
Speaker 6 (06:33):
Yeah, we we're a baseball team. We're collegiate wo in
bat team. We were a former minor league baseball team
founded in nineteen ninety four, so this year actually marks
our thirty first season, if you can believe it. And
we started out as the Vermont Expos. We were the
single a short season from Montreal Expos for years and
years and years, and then became the affiliate for the
Washington Nationals, then Oakland Athletics, and then COVID hit, and
(06:55):
we all know what happens once COVID hit, So Covid
COVID started, and the entire minor league baseball season stopped,
and then we did a relaunch, go ahead job.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
So you know, as Aaron said, we all know the
l like monster. So tell us a little bit more
about this year's team. I know every year usually have
a couple of Vermoners on the team, and I know
you have at least one local player, So tell us
a little bit about where your players are coming from,
specifically if you have any Vermonors.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
So, not knowing what it was going to be like
after being a former minor league baseball team, weren't sure
the response is going to be And since we're a
collegiate with that team, it's been better than ever because
now we have some local guys on our team, guys
from Colchester and Burlington and Salisbury, Vermont and Middlebury and
Mount Mansfield Union High School. So where before when we
(07:49):
were with the A's, there was really no connection at
all to Vermont, and so when we relaunched after COVID
twenty twenty one, it was really embraced by the fans.
That year we won the championship, which is been a
long time since we won the championship. Prior to that
was nineteen ninety six. And on our twenty twenty one team,
we had eleven Vermonters.
Speaker 5 (08:07):
Play for US.
Speaker 6 (08:07):
We had sixty seven different guys play for US, and
we were able to win the championship, and then that
really kind of launched an unbelievably successful franchise. Right now,
we're celebrating our fifth season. Now, if we get some
decent weather this summer, which we're all hoping for decent weather,
there's a chance we'll draw a three millionth fan in
franchise history. So and it gives local Vermont players, you know,
a chance to get scouted by Major League Baseball teams
(08:30):
where before you know that that was very unlikely, but
now it's it's likely that these guys are could get
drafted or sign as a free agent, and baseball and
Vermont's get really good now. So to have some local
guys in the team, you know, like Zach Davis and
Nick Kelly and those guys play for US. Langdon Hazen
out of MMU, he just joined our roster. So having
(08:51):
some local talent like that, it gives these guys a
place to shine.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Well, I'm sure that that kind of right helps helps
the crowd and you guys do a ton of really cool,
fun promotions to bring people in and there's it's not
just a baseball game you're going to.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
It's an experience.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But also you know when people have that added connection
of like whether it's I watched that guy in baseball
or in high school, Like he's from my hometown, you know,
mommy's cousins, boyfriend's girlfriend knows him. So we're gonna go, Like,
have you guys found that that the switch While it's
a different level you know of baseball because it's not
(09:27):
the minor leagues, but like the crowds have have have.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Been showing up.
Speaker 6 (09:31):
Oh, without a doubt, I would say now more than ever,
the crowds are coming to cheer on the guys because
they're coming to see some of their local friends and family.
You know, guys from like Wallingford, Vermont, outside of Rutland.
They're making the drive up here. They're traveling in from
all across the state to see us. And you know,
the kids that are playing Little league baseball, they're coming
literally to every single game with their team, wearing their
(09:51):
little league uniform. You know, five, six, seven, eight years
from now, they could be playing for the from Lake
Monsters and have their own baseball card and signing autographs
and and getting interviewed up by the media. So it's
quite the adventure for the guys from Vermont to play
for the Lake Monsters because they grew up watching the
Lake Monsters and they're very proud when they put on
the hat in the uniform and they have a ton
of fun doing as.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Well game day experience.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
What are some of the things besides the actual baseball
happening on the field that there is to do when
you come out.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
Yeah, I mean, that's really we're trying to accomplish, is
provide great baseball product down the field, which these guys
are the.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Best of the best in the country.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
It's better baseball than when we were Singlish short season
because again they're coming from all over all over the country.
But at the end of the day, it's about bringing
people together, coming together as a community, you know, seeing
your neighbors, talking to your neighbors, talking to your friends
and family members, maybe getting off your cell phone for
a little bit and your computers and coming out to
the ballpark to enjoy a beautiful sunset, beautiful evening in Vermont.
(10:51):
You we're all very fortunate to live in Vermont and
we love the summers. You know, granted they might be
way too short, but you're coming out to the ballpark
for kids eat free on Wednesday night, or drank great
local craft beer that was made literally a mile or
two away from the ballpark to you know, kids run
the bases on Sunday or have a catch on Sunday
where every kid gets a free baseball to play catch
with and take home. You know, we do everything from
(11:12):
a reading program, so the guys around the community all
all the time, and one stat they were really proud
of because there's lots of stats in baseball. When we
relaunched after COVID in goods and services and actually monetary
cash dow nations, we've given back to the state of
Vermont and the organizations over two hundred and seventy thousand
dollars for the local community.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
So we're really proud of that.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
So CJ, you and I are the Tame generation. This
is your reading program is not like the pizza hot
reading club that we had as kids.
Speaker 6 (11:41):
Yeah, we bring the guys out to the libraries across
the state of Vermont. And then actually last year we
did a test reading program, like a pilot program with
the Fletcher Free Library of Burlington where basically, if you
have a library card, you can check out up to
six tickets to a Lake Monster's game free of charge.
And that program was so successful. Now it's in five
or six different libraries across Vermont. It'll definitely it's growing
(12:03):
to it's expanding all the time. And that's something that
we do and we believe as a franchise is we
want everybody to enjoy a baseball game. And if you're
able to, you know, use your library card and you
decide do you want to come on a Wednesday, then
your kids, twelve hundred can beat free, and so we
want to make it very affordable for everyone to come
to the ballpark. It's still six dollars for a kid
to get into the park. There's always something for them
(12:23):
to do. And that's why I think we've been so
successful is really continue to give back to the community.
The Food Bank Fridays is a great thing that we do.
At the talk about tipping, we do a roundup at
the register and all the proceeds go to benefit Food
Bank Fridays to help feed the local from Honors. So
we're involved in lots of different organizations and it's way
more than just baseball, you know, it's about really bringing
(12:44):
community together, training people. We have a lot of our
employees are fourteen fifteen six year old kids. It's their
first job and so they're working on the concession stands
and working on their people's skills and getting trained and
making a lot of friendships and it's just a great,
great time at the ballpark.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Way more than just baseball.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
So you have you know around sorry, you around the country.
These ballparks, you know, they have their sponsorship, but they
had the cool old nickname, you know, they have the
Bank at uh AT in Philadelphia. So, Delta Dental Diamond Park,
have you guys come up with a cool little you know, nickname,
(13:22):
you know, the Delta or something like that yet.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Not yet, Joe. We're willing to take any kind of recommendations.
You might have the.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
DDP Delta Diamond Park, the d DP, Yeah, you know me,
you're down with DDP.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Yeah, I think it's d d D Delta Dental Diamond.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Oh okay, and then well it still works the d
D D Triple D Triple D.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
The speaking of that Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field,
that's a game that was a game changer for a franchise,
up for the community. You know, at the end of
the day, Delta Dental stepped up to the plate unintended
to really make sure that baseball is going to stay
in the Vermont community for many years to come. We
signed a ten year agreement with Delta Dental. They've been
wonderful to work with and at the end of the day,
(14:11):
it allows us to maintain a ballpark that is one
hundred nineteen years old.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Piece.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
Some people say that it's the seventh oldest ballpark in
the world. So I argue that it might be the
oldest in America. It's definitely older than Fenway. You know,
the field of self is the field is built in
nineteen oh six, the grand stands nineteen twenty two. And
having that agreement with Delta Dental, it allows us to
get back to the community, allowed us to that allows
us to maintain an upgrade for fantomenites at the park,
and so you know, they're a great partner. And again
(14:40):
that keeps baseball as security in Vermont and allows us
to continue to do the great program that we do well.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
And how important is that?
Speaker 1 (14:47):
I mean, and I know Myers is a part of it,
and a lot of local companies do, but especially when
the change was made from having whatever support the A's
we're giving when it was a minor league team to
now being on that collegiate level. You know, there's not
always like bookoo money let's call it floating around to
help support these leagues. And so you guys really rely
(15:10):
on the local community to help you be able to
provide the experience that you.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
Are providing one hundred and ten percent. I mean, companies
like Myers.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
We've been with Meyers basically since day one, you know,
since nineteen ninety four, and it's them seeing a positive
thing in the community, because not every community has baseball
teams like this or other events or entities that people
can enjoy. And so they come and step and step
up to the plate and help support us. And we've
got great support from our sponsors. We get great support
(15:39):
from our fans. And without the sponsors and fans, we
wouldn't exist. We literally would not, you know, we wouldn't
be able to do the things we would do. Wouldn't
be able to maintain the ballpark. We wouldn't be able
to hire the staff that we have to come up
with cool promotions and fun things to get back to
the community. We wouldn't be able to make donations to
the community. So it goes a long way that everyone's
involved here and you meet personally, you know. I went
(16:01):
to I grew up in Jonesville, Vermont, played for Richmond
Little League, went to a Vermont Reds game back in
the eighties as a Richmond Little leaguer, and so it's
a ton of fun for me to go back and
help maintain and be a steward for Centennial Field. I
had a chance to play two games there when I
was in high school at Rice High School and we
just you know, finished hosting the high school state championships
(16:22):
and that's a big deal for the families traveling from
all over Vermont to have their student athlete play on
that diamond. It's very special. That's something that they remember
for the rest of their lives. And you know, when
we recently hosted the high school state championships, some people
have never been to ballpark and they see it and
we kind of overhear what they're saying, and they're talking
about how this place is so beautiful and it's amazing
(16:44):
and well kept in a special place, and we'd love
to hear that because, as you guys know, in a
seasonal business like ours, the hours are incredibly long and
seven days a week and with your cell phone, your
cell phone never stops ringing. So compliments like that and feedback,
feedback that we get from people really helps push us
through the finish line here.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And absolutely I was able to come out to the
state championship game and it was great to see so
many people having young people having so much fun on
the diamond.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
It was really a nice experience.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
You know, Myers, we're helping one of the giveaways coming
up later this season, and we're doing a baseball cap.
But talk about some of your others. We all Aaron
talked about your hot Dog Night, but went back to
the other cool events and giveaways you have.
Speaker 6 (17:33):
Yeah, we have a ton of stuff on our promotional calendar, Joe.
It's awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (17:38):
We recently just hosted our first, first of three twenty
five cent hot dog Nights sponsored by McKenzie. It's a
fan favorite. I'd almost call it a cult favorite. Now
we are first one. We sold over ninety five hundred
hot dogs. Nine thousand, five hundred hot dogs. It's quite
the site. Let me come tell you, people are coming
in from all over the state Vermont.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
It's amazing.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
And we'll do three of those, so we'll end up
doing probably a little shy of thirty thousand hot dogs
over those three nights, and then we kick into things like,
you know, Margaritaville Night. We were able to negotiate an
agreement with Margaritaville, used their like their logos and name
and licensing and music, and so we have this. We
have this beautiful almost like sunset jersey of our mascot
(18:20):
Champ hanging on on a hammock with palm trees, so
we're gonna auction those off for charity. We have our
Star Wars Night, which is always a fan favorite, where
we auction those jerseys off to which are those are
fully licensed Lucasfilm jerseys for Star Wars And that's ways
that we can kind of give back to the community.
Summer of Love is another fan favorite where the guys
were Tai Died jerseys and we play sixties music, have
(18:43):
a photo booth in a van there. A couple of
years ago, we launched a new new brand called Vermont
Creamies and kind of how that came about as a
person that used to work here, she was from Florida
and she asked the question of what's a creamy and
we kind of looked at her strangers saying, what do
you mean, what's a creamy? And that kind of spurred
the idea of the Vermont Creamies. And so last year
we played a game as the Vermont Creamies and we
(19:04):
played a team in our league. Their normal name is
Norwich Cnicorns. They decided to change their name to the
New England Lobster Roles. So it was billed as a
food fight and so the creamies took on the lobster
roles and the fans loved it. And then this year
we're playing one game as Vermont creamis at centennial and
we're gonna face the Gibbe's world famous ice cream out
of Worcester. So for the Wister Brave Hearts, they're changing
(19:25):
the name. So we're gonna see who melts under the
pressure on that camp.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
So when the when we come to the ballpark, of
course we see Champ all the time, but how about
a Champ out in the community. I saw him recently
at a Touch of Truck stuff like that, and he
has showing up at other events.
Speaker 6 (19:45):
Right, he is the busiest monster literally on the planet,
and he is out here almost just about every day
of the week. But you know, he's year round, year
round presence, he're guaranteed guaranteed to see him at the
ballpark of for all of our games. But more importantly,
he's out in the community. You know what, He's at parades,
he's a Touch of Trucks, he's at birthday parties, he's
at walks, all sorts of things, because you know, he's
(20:06):
the brand, you know for the from Lake Monsters and
he's a great ambassador. He doesn't speak, but he's he
can say a lot with his with his hands and
his hugs and and he's great. And we love to
have him out in the community year round because you know,
we're in the business community around as well, So we
might be playing thirty five to forty home games, but
we're here living, eating and conducting business here fun.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Oh, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
No, I was going to say, you talk about all
the events. Does he ever make appearances at weddings?
Speaker 5 (20:35):
Ah'm I guarantee he has.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
You know WHATJ, You had a really good answer because
he has. I was just gonna say, I don't know
if CJ knew this or not, but Champ was at
my wedding.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
Wow, I did not know. That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
So this was when I was the sports director over
at the TV station. Champ and Rally showed up per
cocktail hour. He hang out and say hi everybody.
Speaker 6 (20:59):
Wow, that is amazing, Aaron, I did not know that
those are Those are great photos, by the way.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yeah, no, it was. It was a ton of fun.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
And now it's really cute because we saw Champ at
a Touch of Truck recently and my son was like,
he wanted to know where Champ was the entire time,
but then when we went to go up to Champ,
he chickened out. But yeah, Champ came to our wedding,
which was like a fun little claim to fame for
my husband and I that Champ and Champ and his
buddy Rally came on by.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
So a two part question then, Aaron one. Everyone seeing
your wedding pictures, everyone's informal attire, but not Champ. So
you allowed him to come even though he's not drafted properly.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
I did, I did, I guess because it was just
cocktail hour. I let it. I let it slide that time.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
And your son is so in tune looking for Champ
all the time. Champ with at your wedding. Are we
confident on everything going on here?
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yes, yes it was.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
It took a little while after wedding to have the child.
So thank you, thanks for thanks for the concern. Also,
my son and my daughter looks so much like my
husband there can't ever be a question of it.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
But no, Champ, Champ, I mean.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Champ, just like he's such a little bright light, like
in any event I go to and you see him there,
like people are he's just so lovable. Sometimes you go
to sporting events and it's like like I lived in
New Orleans for a while, and their basketball team during
Marti Gras have this like kincake baby thing and it's
like kind of scary looking and but like Champ, he's
(22:36):
just like approachable and so like cute and nice, and
it's just so fun to see little kids get so
excited to see him.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Yeah, yeah, Champ's amazing. He really is so good.
Speaker 6 (22:45):
He loves to dance on the dugout, he loves to
eat hot dogs, and as you mentioned, Aaron, he's a
very popular man. So he has his own line of merchandise.
He has his own squishy Champ dolls. He has also
has now squish mellows. You know, the Champ squish mellows
is amazing people love and but it's he's obviously one
of the reasons why that you know, people have come
(23:06):
out to the ballpark to get a high five or
hug from Champ. And now some of our fans, since
we've been around for so long, when they are kids,
they're having their now have their own kids and they
bring them to the ballparks and so it's a really
cool site and very nostalgic for them as well.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Something else that's kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
And I don't know if this is league wide or
just something you guys carried over from before the change,
but you guys rely on post families to how some
of the players. So it's not like they're all just
you know, finding housing in a house. But it's something
where families actually offered to have a player living in
their home, which i'd imagine if you have, like a
(23:43):
son who plays baseball, Like, how cool are you to
have Vermont Lake months are living with you during the season.
Speaker 5 (23:49):
Yeah, we're so fortunate.
Speaker 6 (23:51):
I mean that program actually has been in existence for
about thirty one years, so almost since the first year
in nineteen ninety four, in one fashion or another. And
that's one of the one of the reasons why we
have the best of the best players on the field
but also off the field, is because we want them
to have a great experience when they're in Vermont. Yes,
we can put them up in hotels or dorm rooms,
but it's not the same. You know, it's not the
(24:11):
same when you know in eighteen nineteen, twenty twenty one
year old college guy can come home to his host
family and have a home cooked meal, maybe relaxed a
little bit, maybe unwined after the game. And in such
a special program. You know, it's been in existence for
so long, and it takes a lot of work. You know,
we have a couple of volunteers free to Tutt is
(24:31):
the one that's been leading the charge for many years
on that program. She's our host family director and coordinator.
It's one hundred percent volunteer.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
You know.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
She dedicates her her down time, which is not a
lot at all, to help recruit host families and make
sure that the host families having a great experience, the
players having a great experience, and it really is it's
just one an extra special thing that creates us and
sets us apart, I think for other teams, especially in
our league, but all the way across the country, and
(24:58):
the host families maintain that friend with the players, you know,
as they progress, it might be in there as they
progress and become Major League Baseball players, or as they
progress and in other industries and have their own children.
So it's it's just a great, you know, magical moment
for everybody.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Talk to us about as they kind of wrap up,
talk to us about the season.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
So it runs through like early August.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Ideally there's playoffs, but don't wait too long to decide
to head on oct to Centennial because the season will
be over before you know it, which seems wild.
Speaker 6 (25:32):
Yeah, I mean, you blink and the season's over. And
that's one thing that's the kind of the big difference
between New York Pen League, the Single A and Futures League,
which I love this part of the Futures League. We
start our season at the end of May and wrap
up in mid August, where the Penn League would start
in mid June and wrap up in early September. And
those are tough dates, you know, towards the kind of
from mid August to September, people are heading back to
(25:52):
school thinking about fall sports. They're not thinking about baseball
as much anymore. So we have the prime prime season,
you know, we have thirty five home games and wrap
up in mid August. But it goes by so fast.
I mean when you're when you're in it, it's it's exhausting,
but it's a ton of fun as well. And one
thing I love the most about about my role with
the team is, uh, you know, talking to the fans
(26:13):
talking to the fans, talking to the sponsors, seeing them
at the games. Uh, you know, just watching a boy
or girl, you know, smiling when they're getting their face
painted for free or getting a baseball or opograph from
our from our guys, it's just a it's a really
cool thing, and uh, we're just really proud to be
a part of it. And uh, you know, not that
we want to rush this season at all, but uh,
(26:34):
you know, I think this is gonna be a magical season.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
For us, wonderful. But we preciate you joining us a.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
Jay, Thank you guys so much. It's a ton of fun.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
I can't wait to listen and watch and then be
a part of this again, hopefully in the future, without.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
A doubt, we'll see you out of the ballpark.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
You know, I'm due to get the little ones out
there at some point here soon, So maybe i'll drive.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Joe along let me go.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
That'd be great. The podcast from the ball Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I love it. I love it all right, thanks so
much to take the time, DJ go Lake Monsters. He's
fun though. I had so much fun to go to
those games. I know I went last year. It was
a really hot day, but it was like a ton
of fun.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
And it's funny for me because when I covered them
in sports, I'd be out there like so regularly that
now it's fun to go just as a fan and
grab an uncle beer and snacks and everything.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
One of the kids I coached back in Babe Ruth
played on the team, not this year, but the previous
two seasons. So's not to make everything about me, but
I'm the reason why they're doing well.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Well. Yeah, was he a part of that pep talk
you talked about on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
That he was a little bit older?
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Fair? Fair, I hear you've got a little game or something.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
You so a little game. So I'm calling it trashy
or not. So it's two questions I have for you,
and we'll see how well you do, and then maybe
we as we go forward, we can incorporate our guests
in there. So question number one trashy or not? How
much waste does the average Vermonter produce every day?
Speaker 2 (28:13):
Can you give me like a clue, like are we
talking about like pounds? Like how many?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
How many pounds?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Okay of waste is the average Vermonter produced every day?
Speaker 3 (28:22):
Every day? You know?
Speaker 4 (28:24):
So think about all your you know, your food traps
and your you know, coffee cup and you know everything
else that goes you know, when you're you know, cooking
your dinner and throughout the day.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And I'm nervous that I'm going to make a really
like dumb guess here, But let's go with.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Twenty pounds.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Well it's a little high.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Four point five pounds, so a little high, but that's
all right, you know. But I was surprised when I
didn't know what I thought the number would be.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Yeah, I think that was the problem.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
It's like, I don't know, and I was trying to think,
like how often am I throwing things out? How many
Amazon deliveries came on a particular any given day. But
a four point five I guess seems a little bit
more realistic than my guess of twenty.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Well, and the Amazon one could be will be a
question in a future podcast, because I do have a
box question.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
But question two of trashy or not?
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I like, you love sports, so is it trashy to
bring a drink alcoholic drink to the youth sporting event
on a Saturday morning?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Saturday morning? Well, yeah, or just to a youth sporting
event pre a youth sporting event.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
You know, after hours doesn't count. You'll five six pocks.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
The issue then, isn't that it's a youth sporting event,
because it's totally fine if it's in the evening.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Is that for thirteen years so you know they have
bars in Canadian occurrants.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
I mean, I think it all depends, right, It's no
different from how like a bloody Mary is totally appropriate
to drink in the morning.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
But if you wake up and you pour yourself.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
A vodka water in the morning, that's not you know,
that's frown down on you.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Gotta at least put oj in it.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
You're okay with vodka water at the Jack's tea ball
game on a five o'clock on a Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
At five pm on a Tuesday by someone sitting in
the stands.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Sure, I guess I'm okay.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
So not trashy is what we're going with.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Not trashy if it's an evening it's been a long
work day. But also it needs to be like in
like a yetti, Like you can't just be like out
there with your like twisted tea like hey, guys.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Like you mean with your handle and your bottle is frite,
don't ca.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
No, you gotta attempt to cover you gotta attempt to
be a little more coo. For you're also talking to
someone who lived in Louisiana for so long where you
could literally just like walk around everywhere with your drink.
So my like my, my trash bar for that one
is probably lower than other people.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
Right, And if we get this segment off the ground,
maybe our producer can come up with a cool graphic
of trashy or not. I have images of old photos
of you and I Aaron, you know, maybe not in
a best of light, you know, so I think we
can have a lot of fun here.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I was picturing your like red can you know, the
little red trash can guy with like thumbs up thumbs down.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I gotta be honest the.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Way the second question was more what I assumed trash
or Not would be. The first question was just like
trash trivia.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
Trash trivia.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
So you know, we gotta we got to ease into this.
You know, it's all it's all work in progress. You know,
they are crack, big time staff we have on the
on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
You know, we we had a chance to really flush
out all the all the stuff I like it though.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
That's how we roll, right, It's authentic. We're real. What
you see and what you hear is what you get.
Nothing embarrasses either of us very much.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
No, No, The big staff is the two people in
my head fighting with each other, and then me say
and give my family.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Is this stupid?
Speaker 2 (32:04):
And then they say yeah, And then you say, oh.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Well, we're gonna do imagine the things that didn't make
the coup for today.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
That's the list I want you to save some time,
and then we can say, all right, eron, here's all
my other ideas of things I wanted to bring up.
What what what would you have thought of these traps?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
You're not? I like it, I love it all right, everybody,
thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Let us know what you think about our new game
in the comments below.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
I promise Joe will read them and alert me of them.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
I'm still getting still getting used to going and checking
out what everybody's got to say to us.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
But we will see you again next week.
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