- Reflection on Tony Saladino – Tampa Baseball icon
- Tampa Bay Rays Youth movement:
- Carson Williams – first MLB home run, strong defensive presence, potential long-term answer at shortstop
- Ian Seymour – lefty starter showing promise
- Everson Pereira – solid defense, working into outfield rotation
- Brian Van Belle – strong Durham performance, early success in MLB debut
- Junior Caminero – chasing 50+ home runs at age 21, comparisons to Evan Longoria’s early career stats
- Chandler Simpson – speed threat, but struggling at the plate
- Yandy Díaz & Brandon Lowe continue to mentor and produce
- Trop update: new roof construction underway
- 2026 - Rays building around Williams, Caminero, Seymour, Simpson, Curet, & others
- Jays' Bo Bichette’s free agency may reshape shortstop market; Rays could leverage Ha-Seong Kim’s contract
- Little League World Series Experience
- Mark’s trip to Williamsport with his brother Chris:
- 4 games in a single day (U.S. and international brackets)
- Emotional highs and lows: kids’ joy in victory, heartbreak in defeat
- Memorable sportsmanship amongst teams
- Chinese Taipei & Korea producing strong talent; ties to Australian Baseball League
- Would the LLWS ever move overseas
- Brooke Mrozek, Team Manager of the Florida Bolts Girls Baseball Team
- All-girls baseball organization serving ages 7–18 across Florida
- Teams compete in national tournaments, including Sparks, Nevada where:
- 12U team won 1st place (minor division)
- 16U team finished 2nd place (minor division)
- Brooke’s daughter served as a coach for the 12U team
- 10 collegiate women’s teams (e.g., Cal Poly)
- Launch of the (WPBL) in 2026
- Bolts Player Development
- Continue with local rec/travel teams and unite for monthly practices
- Practices emphasize both skill-building and fun (e.g., slip-and-slide sliding drills)
- Being a mentor beyond parents—“I believe in you. You belong.”
- Funding Challenges
- Florida Bolts is a nonprofit, relying on donations, fundraisers, & sponsorships
- Past support included the Tampa Bay Rays, funding has decreased in recent years
- Current fundraiser: 50/50 raffle
- Upcoming Opportunity: The Barclay Cup in Australia
- Bolts are the first international team invited to this prestigious tournament happening next month
- Historic opportunity to bridge U.S. and Australian girls’ baseball
- Sponsorships and donations needed to cover travel, lodging, tournament fees, and uniforms
- Support the Florida Bolts
- Facebook & Instagram: Florida Bolts Baseball - https://www.facebook.com/floridabolts/
- Email: FloridaBoltsBaseball@yahoo.com
- Donations/Sponsorships: via Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal (details on Facebook page)
- 50/50 raffle currently active
- Closing Message from Brooke - Goal is to create opportunities and support girls in baseball
- Sponsorships, donations, and even sharing posts online make a difference
- “Baseball isn’t just for boys anymore—girls can do this.”
You can find Mat at @matgermain.bsky.social or reach Mark at baseballbizondeck@gmail.com BaseballBiz on Deck, at iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and at www.baseballbizOnDeck.com
Special Thanks to Scott Holmes for the music Stomps & Claps
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