Coaching Legacy: Miguel Menendez on Family, Baseball, and Life Lessons

Miguel Menendez, head coach of Tampa Jesuit Tigers baseball, shares his journey from Key West to leading one of Florida's premier high school programs. His deep family roots in baseball and coaching philosophy emphasize character development alongside athletic excellence.

• Comes from a legendary Key West baseball family including grandfather "Papa John" Menendez, "the Dean of Kennedy Drive"
• Won state championship as a player at Key West High in 1995 and national championship at University of Tampa
• Has led Tampa Jesuit to three state championships during his 12-year tenure
• Developed numerous MLB players including first-round draft pick Jamie Arnold
• Maintains strong connections to Key West, hosting annual Dexter Butler fundraiser and youth camp
• Teaches sports in U.S. history at Jesuit, connecting with students beyond the baseball field
• Emphasizes that "how you do anything is how you do everything" in developing young men
• Believes in balancing analytics with the human element and gut instinct in coaching
• Looking forward to 2026 season with what could be his most talented team yet
• Credits hours spent in his grandfather's batting cage behind John's Grocery for his development

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
Thanks for tuning in to the Joy of Baseball Podcast.
It's all about baseball, fromthe stand lots to the big
leagues, and everything inbetween.
I'll share my joy for the gamewith you.
And whether you're a fan ofbaseball or good storytelling,
you'll be entertained.
And each episode will bring alittle joy to your day.
Grab me some peanuts and crackerjacks.
Let's talk baseball.

(00:22):
How are we doing, baseball fans?
We got a good one for you today.
We're talking baseball withMiguel Menendez, head coach of
the Tampa Jesuit Tigers, one ofthe premier programs in the
nation.
And by the way, he's got deeproots in baseball here in Key
West.
How are you doing, Coach?
Welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02 (00:40):
I'm doing well, Joy, and thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 (00:42):
Hey, you notice anything?

SPEAKER_02 (00:43):
I I do.
I love I love the hat.
Uh my mother-in-law texted methe other day.
She's like, please act surprisedwhen Joy uh shows you the hat.
I'm like, She already sent me apicture.
It's all right, the cat's out ofthe bag.

SPEAKER_01 (00:54):
I'm terrible with surprise.
If I buy you a gift, I want togive it to you today.
But uh it's funny, funny keywest story.
So, you know, I've been wantingto talk to you for a while, and
I was trying to wait to getcloser to baseball season.
I don't have patience.
So I I I reached out to you andyou said, sure, we could do it
in a couple days.
So listen to this.

(01:15):
I hit Monica Santana, my Kiwisfriend that lives in Tampa.
I'm like, I gotta give me a hat,send me a link.
So she sends me the link, andthen she also says, Oh, by the
way, John's got a lot of merchright there.
So then I hit Miss Caddy up andshe's like, I got you covered.
And the next day I had the hat.

SPEAKER_02 (01:32):
I know John may have more Jesuit stuff than I have.
He may have more Jesuit apparelthan I have.
Uh it's gonna be close for sure.
Um, but no, I'm glad.
Yeah, that's awesome.
Monica obviously is, you know, Igot a chance to coach Robbie
here.
He graduated last year, and uh,you know, her and Bubba Joe have
been big supporters of Miami.
Shoot, Bubba Joe used to comewatch me play when I was at the
University of Tampa, so uh we goway back.
So it's it's it's been fun tohave kind of a little bit of a

(01:54):
key west connection here atJesuit.

SPEAKER_01 (01:56):
Bubba Joe and Monica and some of my my dearest
friends.
I worked with uh Joe at theschool district with your mama
actually for for quite sometime.
And and I was thinking andpreparing for our conversation,
how many hours I spent in yourmom's office talking about you
when you were in college andchecking in to see how you were

(02:17):
doing and everything.
So I've been a fan for a longtime, as are so many people here
in Key West.

SPEAKER_02 (02:23):
Uh well thank you.
I obviously uh you know I feelstill strongly to my roots down
to Key West.
Uh was actually just down theretwo weeks ago for uh, you know,
my Laurie, my wife still worksat the bank for First Aid Bank,
and uh we were down there for athing.
And so, you know, unfortunatelyI think a lot of people I I know
I gotta go to the cemetery nowto visit them, but uh no, we'll
still still get over there anduh, you know, see see as many

(02:44):
people as I can when I'm downthere.

SPEAKER_01 (02:45):
Now I know this community is still still really
important to you.
And not too long ago, you, yourbrother Juanito and Joey Gandalf
uh hosted a Dexter Butlerfundraiser and had a camp for
the kids.
How'd that go?

SPEAKER_02 (03:00):
It went well.
Obviously, Dexter was I I got achance my first year as an
assistant coach at Key West.
Dexter was a freshman, so got tocoach him for all four years and
be involved.
And obviously he played for mygrandfather he was a bat boy for
my grandfather.
Devin played with my brother,and and his older brother Devin
played for my grandfather.
So, you know, I've known thefamily for a long time.
And and Dexter actually, beforehe moved back to Key West, you

(03:20):
know, he coached here at Jesuitwith me.
He helped out.
So um, you know, love him todeath, love Miss Anita to death,
and then obviously, you know,was a you know, Mr.
Bill Butler was my teacher inmiddle school, and we were
colleagues for a little bit atKey West High School.
So, you know, it's strange tokind of say that as he's he's
always gonna be my teacher, butbut yeah, so it's just great.
So that camp went well.
We're actually planning on doingit again in December.

(03:42):
Uh, another one, you know, we'retrying to make this an annual
event, and uh, you know, so justexcited about that.
Obviously, sad set ofcircumstances, but anything we
could do to try to keep his nameand legacy alive, we want to do.

SPEAKER_01 (03:52):
Uh, talking about the QS connection, and you you
mentioned Coach Butler, hisdaddy.
One of the things I was lookingat when I was looking at the
conk records, and someone maycorrect me on this, but I
believe you and Mr.
Butler have this in common thatyou both have a state
championship, coached the statechampionship, and won a national

(04:13):
championship in college.
I feel like that's a connectionthat only you and Bill Butler
have, and that that's that'sspecial right there.

SPEAKER_02 (04:22):
It is special.
I was fortunate to play on somereally good teams, obviously,
and in both high school andcollege, and now fortunate to
coach some really talented youngmen and be here at Jesuit.
But I didn't even think aboutthat, Joy.
That's uh I you know that is apretty even more of a uh
connection that I feel with thefamily now, and uh yeah, that is
that is that is special.

SPEAKER_01 (04:40):
So Judd Wise has been doing a lot of work over
the recent years, along alongwith some others, trying to get
all the records documented andand kept.
And um, when he updates them,he'll send me.
And so I was looking over inthem, and I'm like, that's
that's special right there.

SPEAKER_02 (04:57):
So yeah, Judd, I'm on that email list too.
So Judd always keeps me up todate, so it's awesome, man.
By the way, that was a greatshow with with Judd on when you
had him.
I I I loved every bit of it, anduh, you know, Judd is awesome,
and so it was it was fun to uhwatch that episode for sure.

SPEAKER_01 (05:11):
I'm glad you saw it.
He's a lot of fun.
He's a pro, you know, he's onthe radio, so he knows he hits
his cues like a champion.

SPEAKER_02 (05:18):
Yes, for sure, he does.

SPEAKER_01 (05:20):
He said that was his first time to do a podcast.
I said, Well, I don't think it'sgonna be your last.
You started something now.

SPEAKER_02 (05:26):
I was gonna say, I was surprised that he figured
out what a podcast was,honestly.
But uh, but no, he once I knewonce he got on, he would be
fine.
I knew he was gonna be great,and he was an awesome guest as
usual.
It doesn't that doesn't surpriseme for sure.
And it's just amazing to me thatthat the pride he takes in in
Key West and Key West Athleticsand the history of Key West and
trying to keep keep it alive,and you know, you just you don't
get a lot of that anymorenowadays, and for him to be

(05:49):
willing to take kind of thatrole on, and and obviously Mr.
Archer, you know, did it for solong and now he's kind of taking
it over, and um it's been youknow it it it's great to see.
It's well ne it's w it's needed,and it's you know, and it's it's
great to see somebody willing totake the pride in doing it.

SPEAKER_01 (06:03):
No, for sure.
And I I'm glad you mentioned mMr.
Archer as well.
You know, we we think we'regoing to remember everything.

SPEAKER_02 (06:10):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (06:10):
You know, and little by little you start forgetting
and the stories fade and peoplelose the papers, you know, and
so it's so important for us tobe able to document the history.
And it's part of the reason whyI'm doing this podcast, and you
know, I've been all over theplace with different topics, but
I'm I'm fine-tuning more intobaseball, and the more I talk

(06:31):
about baseball, obviously thekey west connection is strong
right there.
And then and then when once Iget somebody on, then they're
like, oh, we got to tell thisstory and this story.
So this is yet another way todocument that that rich history.

SPEAKER_02 (06:44):
And for sure.
I mean, I'm so glad you're doingwhat you're doing too, because
uh, and like you said, it's it'sfunny, right?
How those those thingsintertwine in the stories, and
you you have a guest on, and allof a sudden it leads you into
another guest, maybe, or intoanother story that you really
want to talk about, and youknow, and it helps preserve what
we know and what we love aboutKey West and the history of,
especially of baseball in KeyWest.

SPEAKER_01 (07:03):
No, absolutely.
And and your your baseball storyis thick.
I mean, that's the that's thebest word I'll I'll come up
with.
You know, I can say quality orrich or something, but but it's
thick.
You know, you grew up here inKey West, born into the Menendez
family that has got talk about ahistory of baseball playing and

(07:24):
and coaching specifically,right?
Your your brother Juito, lovinggreat coach, your uncle George,
your dad, your grandfather.
Um, you go on to play your starplayer, Kennedy Drive, you win a
championship, um, Key West High1995 State Championship.
You go back to Tampa forcollege.
I say go back because youactually born in Tampa.

SPEAKER_02 (07:46):
Uh I know.
You know, I used to keep that asecret when I was living in Key
West, but now it's okay.
I can let the cat out of thebag.

SPEAKER_01 (07:53):
You know, I didn't know that until recently.
Um, seeing some of your otherinterviews where you've done and
reading the articles, you've hadso much success.
And you Google, have you everGoogled yourself?
There's plenty of stuff writtenon you.

SPEAKER_02 (08:04):
Yeah, my daughter, my daughter usually will Google
me and she'll send something andshe'll send it to me.
And so, yeah, but uh, I mean,I'm not gonna lie, I every once
in a while I'll see them like,man, I'm I forget I've done some
of these things.
Honestly, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 (08:15):
Nah, it's really cool.
So, Tampa, they can claim theCuban mix and Miguel Menendez.

SPEAKER_00 (08:20):
Shoot.

SPEAKER_01 (08:21):
But um, so you go to college there in Tampa, your
mama's family was from Tampa, soso you're you've got roots
there.
You go to college, you end uphaving a very successful career
there with the Spartans,University of Tampa, all
conference, MVP, you win, like Isaid, a national title.
Was that in your senior year?

SPEAKER_02 (08:40):
My junior year.

SPEAKER_01 (08:41):
Oh, your junior yeah.
Um, you finish school, you comeback here, you start coaching QS
high school conks.
Um, you got 120 wins under yourbelt.
The tide turns, you end up backin Tampa coaching a historic
program in Tampa Jesuit.
That's that's big right there.
Tell me about the history ofTampa Jesuit Tigers.

SPEAKER_02 (09:04):
You know, it's crazy, Joy.
Like I tell people this all thetime when they ask me, you know,
I feel like I've coached at twoof the most historic programs in
the state of Florida, right?
Obviously, Key West has got themost state titles, or I think
now we're tied with WestminsterChristian.
But Jesuit is right up there inthe history.
You go back to Al Lopez, who wasa Hall of Fame MLB Hall of

(09:24):
Famer, and and great went to Juh Jesuit.
It was Sacred Heart College backthen, but Jesuit High School,
Lou Piniella, Dave Magadan.
I mean, there's just a historyof guys, and they've won, you
know, seven state titles now.
Uh, you know, I've beenfortunate to be a part of three
of them.
Uh, but you know, they'rethey're up there and they're
always, you know, I rememberwhen I was growing up, like, you
know, we used to follow, youknow, we'd follow the when I was

(09:45):
at Key West and we'd follow theum USA Today rankings, and it
felt like it was us, St.
Thomas Aquinas and Jesuit werealways ranked highly, and we
were like, we wanted to be theobviously the highest ranked
team in Florida.
And so we would follow thoseguys.
And when I went to theUniversity of Tampa, I actually
played with with three or fourguys that went to Jesuit that
were part of those really goodteams there.
And um, so you know, it was fun.
Like, and I remember, you know,maybe this outcome wasn't fun,

(10:08):
but I remember going in 1997 tothe regional finals.
Key West played and Juanito wasa a sophomore on that team.
Khalil Green was a senior, andand Devin Butler were seniors,
Michael Balbuena was a senior,and they played at Jesuit in the
in the regional finals here, andand Jesuit won.
But I I just remember spendingthe week talking so much trash
to my teammates.
And so we all kind of came, cameto Jesuit, went to the game, and

(10:29):
and now to see it kind of comefull circle and have a chance to
coach here is has been special.
And it's a great place, it's agreat institution.
It's a it's an unbelievableschool, number one.
And then uh, but you know, thefacility and everything we have
and the players we have, youknow, I've just been blessed.
And you know, I can say thathonestly about my whole baseball
career.
I think I've just been blessedto be, you know, I feel like God
has for whatever reason hasgiven me an opportunity and a

(10:52):
platform to be successful.
And uh it is, you know, I'vefrom the time I started on
Kennedy Drive, I've played on alot of really good teams.
When I got to high school, Iplayed on a lot of really good
teams, got to college, played ona lot of really good teams, and
been fortunate enough to coach alot of really good teams.
Uh it's been it's been anunbelievable ride.
And you know, hopefully I got Idon't plan on it in it anytime
soon, so hopefully we can keepthis thing rolling for a little

(11:12):
while longer.

SPEAKER_01 (11:13):
Yeah, I'm I'm up for it.
I'm up for it.
I I watched several games lastyear because Robbie was playing,
and uh so that that gave me, youknow, another reason to root for
you guys.
And um, you mentioned St.
Thomas, one of the games on yourschedule last year, you play
against St.
Thomas that's coached by anotherKey West great Joey Wardlow,

(11:37):
another state champion.
Do you take the time and are youable to appreciate the relevance
of that history and what you'repart of?

SPEAKER_02 (11:44):
I mean, I try to, and especially like in that
regard, like um, you know, Joeycoached me.
He was my teacher in highschool.
He was an assistant coach hereunder Ralph when I played here
at high school in Key West HighSchool.
And and I just I mean, I justremember listening to stories
about Joey when I was growingup.
So like I always just thoughthighly of him.
I played with his cousin Billyat University of Tampa.
So it was just to have theopportunity to coach against him

(12:05):
and have him come up here andplay us was special for a lot of
reasons.
And you know, I I don't, youknow, I think as I've gotten
older, I try to appreciate thosemoments more because they don't
happen all the time.
But anytime I can, you know,there's a a special connection
with with obviously with us keywest people and key west guys,
and so to have a chance to playand coach against each other was
was a special moment for sure.

SPEAKER_01 (12:24):
I've got a great picture of your dad and his dad
in the bleaches.
I don't know if you saw it.
I think Monica took it.
It's really cool.
I I did I did another episodeback in the spring, and I
referenced that game, and andI've got that picture up on my
website because I just thinkit's really cool that two two
dads, you know, Mr.

(12:46):
Johnny and Mr.
Dennis just sitting there withbig old grins on their faces.
Like it doesn't get any betterthan this.
Oh, exactly.
In the meantime, you and Joeyare going at it, you know, pitch
for pitch.

SPEAKER_02 (12:57):
So it's like it's like you said at that point,
it's bigger than baseball,right?
Like it's obviously we both wantto win, we're competitors, and
and and those kind of things.
And he got the best of us thatday and obviously had a really
good team.
They won a state championship,but you know, it was bigger than
that, it was more than that.
And and I think that's the thingthat that is great.
Like it's not, it's not thislike, man, we got to go out and
and try to win the game at allcosts.

(13:18):
It's like we want to win becausewe you know, we all want to, we,
you know, we're competitors, butat the same time, it's we
appreciate.
I think he appreciated.
I think we I know I appreciatedit.
Just the opportunity to be ableto compete against each other
was a special moment.

SPEAKER_01 (13:29):
You just said something about it's it's it's
bigger than baseball.
You know, I I've been wanting tointerview you for a while, and
but I wanted to wait closer tothe season.
Well, I'm sitting therescrolling through YouTube and it
pops up on my for you page, yourthe convocation that you
delivered to the student body.
Talk to me about that because Ithought it was a really special

(13:50):
speech.
And that when I heard it, I'mlike, I'm not waiting.
I want to talk to him right now.
Talk to me about the importanceand the connection that you
have, not only as a coach, butas a teacher there at that great
institution.
And what was your message to thestudents?

SPEAKER_02 (14:04):
You know, the message was, you know, I try to
take it's one of our quotes, andand actually my JV coach, who's
now unfortunately not my JVcoach anymore because he's the
dean of discipline here, he kindof used it and he's talked about
it a lot, but it's something Ireally enjoyed is you know, how
you do anything is how you doeverything.
And uh for me it was, you know,when I heard him say that, I
knew I wanted to give aconvocation.
I try to give, you know, one inthe one in the fall, one in the

(14:26):
spring, you know, if I couldfind a message that I think hits
close to home with me, that Ithink is important to share with
the student body.
And that one was just, you know,like how we, you know, just kind
of take care of the littlethings, right?
How we do everything in ourlife, you know, making our bed
in the morning, getting up andhaving a purpose and a plan, you
know, cleaning up afterourselves at the lunch table.
Like all those little thingsthat sometimes young, young men

(14:46):
tend to overlook, especiallyhere because we don't have
girls.
So like the the need to be weget a little sloppy at times
with our manners.
Um, but all those things kindof, you know, they they're
important and and they carryover.
And it's not just aboutobviously in our in their
athletic careers, but just inlife in general.
And for me, it's you know, if Ican, you know, I feel like as a
coach, sometimes we have uh aspecial connection with with the

(15:07):
student body, and you know,maybe I don't want to say they
listen to us more than listen toothers, but maybe they will be
more apt to listen to somethingthat we say.
And so when I get a chance tospeak and it's something that I
feel like God's kind of callingme to speak about, and I think
it's important to share, I tryto do that, and and that was
just one of those times.
And I appreciate the kind words.
It was, you know, I've gottenused to speaking in front of the

(15:27):
student body.
It's not always easy, but I Iknow that they're used to it,
they see it.
We get it something we start ourday with every day, and and and
obviously we have different, youknow, faculty members, teachers,
alumni, just people outside comein and speak to the student
body, just a quick five, sixminute message.
And honestly, I I know I get alot of it out of it anyway, all
the time, like just with otherpeople.
So I think anytime I can get achance to share and feel like I

(15:50):
have a message that's worthy ofsharing, I try to do so.

SPEAKER_01 (15:52):
Well, it it it resonated with me also, and I I
wrote down you you challenge thestudents to do two things, and
and I took the challenge.
You said take one thing that youcan improve on, one small habit
that you can improve on.
And uh for me, I said I need tomove more.
And ever since I saw that yourspeech, I've been moving more,

(16:15):
I've been adding steps.
You know, I'm not even gonnagive me an Apple Watch because
I'm blowing the steps up now.

SPEAKER_02 (16:20):
There, there you go.
I love it.
I love it.

SPEAKER_01 (16:22):
Right, and then the other thing that that really
hits with me because I believein this is that one small act of
kindness a day goes a long way,whether it's a smile or a nod,
little things that that helppeople see that you see see
them, uh go goes a long way.

SPEAKER_02 (16:39):
Yeah, no, those are, you know, I think those are
important.
I think this the second one,especially, right?
Like, especially in today's dayand age and mental health and
everything else, like, you know,I think sometimes just just, you
know, and that was my you knowwhy I challenge the student
body, like just noticesomebody's there, say hello, say
hi, smile, whatever.
Just just just small acts of ofkindness go a long way.
And and I think sometimes theydon't realize the impact that

(17:00):
they can have just by doingthose kind of things.
Um, you know, that was mychallenge to them.
It's something I trying to bebetter about myself, right?
Like just do those things.
I think we all get kind ofcaught in the in the mundane of
of what are in our busy lives,but you know, recognizing what's
what's out there and and and outthere besides ourselves.
And I think if we did that as awhole, society as a whole, I

(17:20):
think the world would be a muchbetter place.
And I think you're doing thatwith this podcast.
I I love it.
I love the title.
I think it makes me foul everytime I think about it.

SPEAKER_01 (17:27):
Good stuff.
Well, between me and you we'llmake a difference, right?
And and all those kids.
How many kids go to Jesuit?

SPEAKER_02 (17:34):
We have about uh 775, roughly between 775 and 800
boys, all boys.

SPEAKER_01 (17:42):
And not only do you coach, you you teach also.

SPEAKER_02 (17:45):
Yes, I do teach.
I've taught a lot of differentthings here, mostly in the
history department.
The last couple years, theythey've I've been able to
switch.
I have a couple weight trainingclasses.
Um, but then honestly, the theone I started a new class that
that I'm excited about, andeverybody that knows me knows
I'll be excited about this, butsports in U.S.
history, and uh so we get tokind of talk about sports and
the in in the history of thesports in the United States and

(18:08):
kind of how things happen andshapes.
That's been a fun class for mebecause to me that's not even
work.
Like that, that's easy.
I can talk about that all day.
It's something I really enjoy,so and I'm passionate about.
So uh it's been fun to to kindof share that.
And obviously, in a school withall boys, you know, you get a
lot of boys that love sports.
So those guys that take myclass, they they enjoy it, and
it's been fun, a lot of spiriteddiscussions.

(18:29):
And, you know, I think I'm youknow, they're learning some
things that you know, I thinksometimes I forget how old I
really am, and I assume theyknow some of these things, and
now I'm like, okay, they don'tknow this, but now I get a
chance to kind of talk about it,and I think they see my passion
in that as well.

SPEAKER_01 (18:42):
Yeah, that that's good stuff.
And you've had some um goingback to coaching, you've had
some incredible alumni uh gothrough your program.
You've been there what 11 years,12 years now?

SPEAKER_02 (18:52):
This is year 12 for me this year.

SPEAKER_01 (18:55):
Okay.
And one of uh I got I gotta Igotta go with my my Noel, you
know, I'm a Noel fan.
Jamie Arnold, I'm not gonna putthe hat on, but you know the
K-Time, you coach Jamie Arnold,and what one one of many, he he
happens to be, you know, one ofmy guys.
So when you're coaching a kidlike that, do you see the

(19:16):
potential?
Do you see him as who he becomeswhen he's a freshman coming into
your program?

SPEAKER_02 (19:22):
I mean, we try to see that right in everybody.
I don't know if we would have,you know, as a freshman, I'm not
sure that we would have knownthat it was going to be what it
turned into.
We knew he was really talented,he was super athletic.
I'll be honest with you, he camein as a freshman dealing with a
back injury, so he didn't evenpitch his freshman year here at
Jesuit.
He was more of an outfielder,but like we we tried to get him
on the mound, and you could kindof see it in that summer, it

(19:43):
kind of is when we first kind ofsaw him.
We're like, okay, he's got achance to be pretty good.
But he was like 83, 84, andyou're like, you know, like, you
know, he's got to get stronger,and obviously the VLO is
probably gonna come.
Um, I mean, we, you know, by thetime his senior year came
around, like we knew.
We knew he was a special youngman.
We thought he had a chance toget drafted out of high school.
We figured it probably wasn'tgonna be for enough money, and
he really wanted to go toFlorida State, and obviously

(20:05):
that was the right decision forhim.
And um, you know, you know, wewere this year.
I feel like, you know, everybodymakes my thing.
My wife made fun of me becauseshe'd be like, What are you
doing?
Like, you're not watching Miami.
Why are you watching FloridaState?
I'm like, Well, I got five guysthe whole weekend rotation as
Jesuit guys, and I'm just like,I'm like, I gotta watch my guys
and the knowles, and uh, youknow, I've obviously uh it's
been fun to follow those guysand young men, and we still got

(20:27):
a couple, we still got threeguys there.
We got one committed there toFlorida State.
So, you know, my wife makes fun,you know, like I said, she she's
like, Can you send somebody toFlorida every once in a while?
I think Monica Santana says thesame thing.
I'm like, they go where theywant to go, but no, it's been
fun, and it's been it's it'sit's awesome.
I mean, I'm so happy for him andobviously to be a first-round
pick and and to have the chanceto go, you know.
I think pitching the big leaguesfairly soon here is gonna be

(20:50):
special, and and I'm lookingforward to it.
And you know, I'm in I'm stillclose with the family.
We talk all the time.
You know, I was fortunate enoughto be invited to his draft
party, and which was an awesomeevent, and to see, you know, all
his, you know, not only hisFlorida State teammates, but his
Jesuit teammates there.
And that was a fun time.
And uh, so you know, and now I'myou know, I'm actually looking
forward, you know.
I was probably down on the A'sbeing moved to Las Vegas, but

(21:12):
now I'm like, man, I I guess Icould go, I'm gonna have to
switch my arm to go to Vegas towatch Jamie pitch now.
So I'm looking forward to thatas well.

SPEAKER_01 (21:18):
Yeah, I was I was thinking the same thing.
What a what an interesting timefor him to join that program,
right?
Because they have a richhistory, but what's up in the
air now, right?
Who who are they?
They don't, you're not even Idon't even know what to call
them, right?
I even wrote down A's with aquestion mark, you know.
You had some other big names.
I think you had three Jesuitalumni drafted, major league

(21:40):
draft this year.
Pretty special, right?

SPEAKER_02 (21:43):
It was it was fun, and they all were, you know,
they all were part of two otherthree were graduating in 2021,
Jamie graduated in 2022, butthey were all a part of that
2021 team.
And Joey Vellini, who alsopitched at Florida State this
year, got drafted by the Marlinsin the sixth round, and Nick
Rodriguez, uh uh second basemanat Missouri State, got drafted
in the 10th round.
And and so, like, you know,those guys, uh, it's just it's

(22:05):
fun to follow them.
Like, obviously, I stay incontact with those guys all the
time.
You know, like that to me is,you know, that's who I am as a
coach.
Like, as much as I love to win,it's about relationships and
building relationships withthose guys and the fact that
they, you know, they still comeback here, they work out when
they're in town.
Like, I just saw Joey Vellinilast week, he was here working
out, you know, so they reachout.
I I try to stay in contact withthem.
But it was special to have threeyoung men.

(22:27):
I think that's the most we'vehad in one draft.
So, you know, I think we got achance maybe to break it this
year, but it will, it's beenit's been fun to kind of to kind
of watch and and see.
And I'm I'm rooting for for allthose guys, obviously, to make
it to the big leagues, and and Ican't wait to follow their pro
careers as they're as they'regetting after it.

SPEAKER_01 (22:43):
That's good stuff.
Another testament to the programthere at at Jesuit and and what
you and your coaching staff areare doing to make it happen.
What is your do you have do youhave a lot of assistants on on
your coaching staff?

SPEAKER_02 (22:57):
So I have five varsity assistants that coach
with me.
Four of the five have been withme the whole time.
Three of them actually were herebefore I even got the job, and
we kept them on staff.
And the the the fifth one is mynew pitcher coach.
He started two years ago.
This will be his third year, buthe's an alum of the school as
well.
But it's it's uh Tim Knowles,who is part of that 9017 that
beat Key West that won thenational championship and state

(23:18):
championship for Jesuit.
He he's here on staff.
Uh Mike Swinson, who's been onstaff for a long time, Ryan
Stanley, Daniel Gibson, who'sthe pitcher coach, and then
Louis Martinez, who uh isprobably one of my best friends.
We we came in as freshmen in theUniversity of Tampa together and
we became really tight.
I was in his wedding, he was inmy wedding.
We stayed friendly throughoutthe years, and when I got the
job, uh that was the first callI made to him to be ready to

(23:40):
join the staff.
And he's been with me the wholetime as well.
Uh he came in when I came in.
So those guys have been here.
I think that's part of whatmakes this place special is you
got, you know, three alums thatwere part of that that were
here, and then you know, you gotguys that have been here a long
time, at least, you know, otherthan Daniel Gibson, and he
played here.
They've they've all been here,you know, probably 15, 20 years
or more.
So it's nice when you have thatkind of continuity and it it

(24:02):
definitely helps uh, I thinkmake my job easier.

SPEAKER_01 (24:05):
And uh what's a 2026 season?
I know you're practicingalready.
Any um, you looking good thisyear?

SPEAKER_02 (24:11):
Uh we should be really good.
Um we're gonna have a chance uhif we, you know, we we probably,
you know, we probably I hate tosay that we underachieved last
year because we made it to thestate semifinals, but we
probably lost to a team and inand you know, no disrespect to
Mulberry, but they beat us thatday and they played better than
us and and they deserve to win.
Um, but we felt like we were thebetter team, and and we felt
like you know, we would have hada good chance to win the state

(24:32):
championship against AmericanHeritage, but wasn't meant to
be, but we feel like you know,our top four or five arms all
come back pitching wise, um, andthey're really talented.
Um, we got you know six or sevenof our position players starters
back in from the everydaylineup.
We lose some key guys, but wegot some young guys ready to go.
And so we're excited.
We think we have a chance thatyou know this team, I think, has

(24:55):
got a chance to be, you know,maybe the best team we've ever
had here at Jesuit since I'vebeen here.
Uh the 2020 team was reallytalented, and COVID
unfortunately ended out.
I that I always said that wasgonna probably be the most
talented team I ever coached,but this one is is right up
there with that team and has gota chance to be really special.

SPEAKER_01 (25:10):
2020, you you guys were ranked number one in the
nation.

SPEAKER_02 (25:13):
We were.
We were nine and up.
We had won the statechampionship the year before
with a bunch of juniors andsophomores.
We had everybody back.
I mean, that was that was aspecial group of young men and
uh a special team, and uh Ithink we had a chance to really
run the table that year.
Obviously, it's based onanything that happened in one
game, but uh, we felt reallygood about where we were and and
and and how we were playing, butthings happened for a reason and

(25:34):
God had his plan, and it's okay.
Not the end of the world,obviously.
There was bigger, you know,bigger things were going on
around that time, but uhdefinitely was a disappointment
not to be able to finishcoaching that group.

SPEAKER_01 (25:43):
So I'll be I'll keep a good eye on what's happening
up there uh this year.
It sounds like it's gonna be alot of wins.

SPEAKER_02 (25:50):
I hope.
I hope that's the plan anyway.

SPEAKER_01 (25:52):
Yeah, let's not talk too much.
It's we're superstitious.
We don't have to move on.
Let's talk about something else.
I'll just keep an eye in and earout for you.
Um, do your players know howgood of a player you were?

SPEAKER_02 (26:05):
I don't know.
I don't I don't say a whole lot,I don't speak about it.
I, you know, to me that's that'sin the past.
Like they don't probably care.
I mean, I think they probablyfigure out that I had to be
pretty decent if I'm sittinghere coaching and doing those
kind of things, but you know, Ito me that's not important.
Like I, you know, I I cherish myplaying career, it was awesome,
but uh I don't bore these youngmen with they don't want to hear
about that.

(26:25):
They don't want to hear whathappened yesterday, much less
what happened, you know, 20years ago, 30 years ago,
whatever it is now.
So um, but so but who knows?
They may, they may, they maynot.
I I don't say a whole lot.
If somebody else wants to tellthem stories, that's fine, but I
don't say a whole lot about it.

SPEAKER_01 (26:39):
All right.
Well, I'll tell I'll I'll tellwhoever's out there listening a
little bit.
I'll I'll get some conversationstarted.
So um starting with um um 1995state champion, you're the
catcher.
Tell me, tell me about some ofyour teammates because we just
had the 30th anniversarycelebration.
Obviously, you couldn't be herefor that, right?

(26:59):
But talk about some of yourteammates.

SPEAKER_02 (27:01):
It was such a it's funny because like 95, like I
think if you the guys that wereon the team the previous year
in '94, I most of us would tellyou that we felt like the 94
team was more talented.
But the 95 team, I think theloss of 94 in the state
championship game probablyprobably lit a fire in us that
that made us the team we were in95.

(27:22):
But we had some, I mean, we hadso many really good players.
I mean, obviously, like CraigLares and at first base and
Bobby Lowe and Adrian Murkey andMichael Bob Buena was a
sophomore, and then RandySterling and Paulie Walterson
and Dax Rankin on the mound andJ.R.
Mounts and Ignacio Gonzalez andSteve Lane.
I mean, that's the startinglineup.
But then you had guys on thebench that were really good
players that that that didn'tget a chance to play a ton, but

(27:42):
the next year 96, Steven Sawyer,Michael Olison, like Khalil
Green was a freshman, you know,all those guys got a chance the
next year.
But it was it was just a specialgroup, and and you know, we we
we dealt with some issues earlyand and guys got in trouble, and
we we were like eight and twoafter 10 games.
And I remember the 10th gamespecifically because we go up to
Westminster Christian and we getyou know 10 run ruled, I

(28:05):
believe.
And so we go that made that wasour second loss for 8-2, and we
were just like this this can'thappen again.
And you know, we went 27 in arow after that, don't lose again
and win the state championship.
Uh it was just a special time,you know, and and obviously our
coaching staff, yeah, Ralph andJoey Warlow and Randy Sterling
and Brooks Carey was around andthose guys and Chris Valdez.

(28:26):
So it was just like, you know,those kinds of people, like they
they just helped us reach ourpotential and play as hard as we
could.
And I think it was one of thosethings where we just refused to
lose.
Like, you know, we maybe weweren't quite as talented as we
were in '94.
Obviously, we were still reallygood.
Um, but we graduated some reallygood players in '94, but we we
just, you know, we just keptfinding ways to win.
And, you know, I think it wasone of those things where I

(28:46):
think our as a whole, our teamhated losing more than we even
liked winning.
And so it was just like we weregonna just do whatever it took
to win a game.

SPEAKER_01 (28:52):
Yeah, that that kind of feeling right there, because
you I'm a Yankee fan, and youknow, George Steinbrand, I'll
miss him so much.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because he he I think he saidthat at one point, right?
He hates losing more than dying,you know.
Yes, yes.
It's it's like getting that win,and you need that that eye of

(29:12):
the tiger, that that chip onyour shoulder kind of thing.
I had Tony Acosta on, he was oneof my first interviews I did,
and he talked about what you'retalking about, just that, you
know, from the minute you tookthe field, even taking bat and
practice and you know, fieldingpractice, um, just that that
feeling of wanting to win andand believing it, not just

(29:35):
wanting to win, believing youwere gonna win.
And it was your game to win, youknow, the other two there to
play you.

SPEAKER_02 (29:41):
Exactly.
Like we played with a, you know,for a lack of better terms, the
swagger, right?
That that just like we knew wewere good, we knew we were gonna
win the game, and we just neededto go out there and play our
game.
And and I think we had thatattitude.
And you know how bad thingsstarted from you know, little
league all the way over.
We had some really successfulteams, and and uh, you know, in
the little league and all-star.
And those kind of things at thestate tournaments.

(30:01):
And then, you know, when we gotto the high school, it was the
same thing.
And we, you know, we were usedto success.
We expected success.
And honestly, our coachesdemanded success from us, right?
Like, and I think it took all ofthat kind of coming together and
and you know, it was just aspecial time.
Like that, that era of baseballwas was, and I'm not, you know,
there's obviously been really,really good eras, but from 94 to
98, especially those five years,you know, it was a really

(30:24):
talented group of young men, andthey achieved a lot, and it was
a special era, I think, in KeyWest High School baseball
history for sure.

SPEAKER_01 (30:31):
I would I would agree with that.
We're we're lucky that we get tohave that kind of debate, right?
From the 50s to to now.
And, you know, we we definitelyhear in Key West where we want
that number 12 so bad.
In fact, I don't know if youknow this, but you know, we're
renovating the stadium and umthey just tore down the old

(30:51):
concession stand, the 11th TimeCorn Cafe is is rubbed now.
And I think maybe it's a goodthing, right?
Maybe we needed to go ahead andget rid of the ghost so we can
get the next championship.
And if I'm not mistaken, lastyear we were on the same side of
the bracket there in theplayoffs for a minute that we
could end up seeing each other.

SPEAKER_02 (31:11):
Yep, and it could happen again this year.
We're in the same class, soobviously uh that could happen,
right?
If if we can both get to thefinal four, there's a chance
that that that we could faceeach other, uh, which would not
be ideal for me from thatperspective, but uh you know,
we'll deal with it, we'll gofrom there.
And but no, yes, we are in thesame class right now, so that
is.
I know, you know, I think Ireached out to my brother at one

(31:31):
point when when they playedAmerican Heritage.
I'm like, hey, can you give methe Scouting report?
I need some info, you know,because obviously we we thought
once Heritage VQ that we wouldprobably see them in the state
championship game.
Unfortunately, we lost, but uhyeah, so there's a chance
obviously that that that wecould play each other in in uh
in Fort Myers.

SPEAKER_01 (31:47):
Yeah, you you said American Heritage and I cringe
because that was that was thatwas rough.
That was a tough road trip, andwe want to see him again.
We want to see him again.

SPEAKER_00 (31:57):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
So you said you mentioned Juanito and um I love
him.
You know, we got the whole crew,the K crew, we call ourselves
that sit there right behind homeplate, and when he runs across
the field, the coach first base,we holler at him, coach, coach,
and he won't look at us.
Maybe he's watching this, maybe,maybe he won't.
But um, we're like, coach,coach, coach.

(32:18):
And every now and then, everynow and then he'll throw his
thumb up, you know, maybe giveus a little peace sign, but but
rare, it's rare.
But I know he hears us.

SPEAKER_02 (32:26):
He hears you for sure.
He's just trying to be, youknow, he's trying to, he wants
to make it, he don't want tomake it look like he see if it
was me, I'd be like, yeah, I'dbe all in, whatever.
He's the opposite.
He, you know, he's trying toplay it close to the vest.
He don't want to give anythingaway over there and uh make it
look like he don't want toacknowledge you all the time.
I know that, but I know he hearsyou for sure.

SPEAKER_01 (32:43):
No, I I love it.
You know what?
I don't know if we would knowwhat to do if he did.
Acknowledge us.
We'd be like, what?
Talk about superstition.
Let's not let's not changeanything.
But um, but yeah, he he he'ssomething special too.
I I I love I love um watchinghim coach and seeing him play.
Of course, he he played, you'rea little older than my nephew

(33:04):
Clay, but him and Klay playedduring the same time.
So I watched, I watched himplay, Juanito play a lot of
games.

SPEAKER_02 (33:11):
And I got a chance to coach Clay a little bit in uh
Prep League, Prep League andAll-Stars uh state tournaments.
I would come back in the summerswhen I was in college and and
Juanito was playing, so I wouldgo.
I remember going with Clay.
I think we went to Iowa.
No, it was it, Indiana for atournament, Woodbat tournament.
I'm pretty sure he was on thatteam too.
So I got a chance to coach Claya little bit occasionally during

(33:32):
during those times.
That was it was fun times forsure.
That's what gave me the coachingbug, coaching those guys.

SPEAKER_01 (33:36):
Yeah, that's it.
Well, let's talk about thatbecause we we started talking
about your brother and thecoaching bug.
Let's let's go ahead and talkabout the Menendez legacy,
right?
Your um, I mentioned your unclebecause George was a hell of a
coach too.
I don't know, is he stillcoaching?

SPEAKER_02 (33:52):
He's helping, he's doing some stuff around here up
here in Tampa.
He does some stuff with sometravel teams.
Um he stays involved with someyounger kids.
He he likes, you know, he's likemy grandfather.
He wants to be involved with theyounger age groups and trying to
teach them the game.
So uh he is still coaching alittle bit.
He was he was stopped for alittle bit and now he's back.
I actually just started back upabout uh two months ago.
I got him involved with with agroup over here.

SPEAKER_01 (34:12):
Well, good.
I I hope he'll watch this andI'll tell him hello.
Because in fact, in my opinion,one of Klay's best years was
when George was his coach onCoca-Cola and Ponyfield.
So but um, but yeah, and youmentioned your grandfather.
I was talking to Bubba Joe theother day when he I told him
that you know he heard that Iwas gonna do this interview with
him, and he he's got such a bigheart for your grandfather, took

(34:36):
such good care of him, your dad,your uncle.
He told me, he said, Oh yeah,Papa John.
He said, the dean of PeterDotfield.
Yeah, that that's that's alegacy.
When I think of yourgrandfather, I can see him
sitting on the bucket at the endof the dugout there.
Talk to me about the theMenendez coaching family.

SPEAKER_02 (34:56):
You know, it was it it was special.
I mean, obviously I got a chanceto to play for my grandfather,
you know, but more importantly,like we live right next door to
my grandparents.
And like I tell people this allthe time.
Like, from the time I wasprobably, you know, fifth, sixth
grade to like maybe ninth, ninthgrade, I I probably spend more

(35:16):
nights at my grandparents' housethan I did my own house.
Like I would go, we would comehome out of school, shower, do
my homework, eat dinner,whatever, and then it would be,
you know, getting close tobedtime, and I would just walk,
hop the fence right across.
I think eventually we put a gatein because I would hop, they got
tired of me hopping the fence,but and I would go over there
and I would stay and I would goand it would just be you usually
me and my grandfather and mygrandmother, and and you know, a

(35:38):
lot of times just me and mygrandfather on the couch
watching a baseball game, doingwhatever.
And uh, you know, I just spent aton of time with them and you
know, it was special.
And part of that was I got achance to see for me, like I
think what really impacted mewas seeing, you know, Bubba Joe
and Tony and Angel Bettoncordand and all these guys, Joey
Gandalf and all these guys thatwould come in from out of town.

(35:58):
And Joey obviously lived here,but the guys that played for my
grandfather that would come backout of town and come every time
they come in, they would comevisit him and and just say, you
know, talk about, you know,thank him for everything that he
did and the impact he had onhim.
And you know, I mean, those whenhe coached them, he coached at
Peter Doppfield.
He was 10, 11, and 12 years old.
You you think sometimes likemaybe kids don't have an
appreciation, maybe, or orunderstand the impact that they

(36:20):
had.
And for him, for them to stillremember my grandfather and
appreciate the impact he had onhim, I think really, you know,
uh played a role in me wantingto be a coach, you know, and
then obviously just the amountof time I spent with him in the
store, hitting in the back ofthe store in the batting cage,
and everything that I did, andhe was such a big part of my
life and influence.
And he coached me for so long,and like even when I didn't play

(36:41):
for him at John's hands, like wewere in the machine, you know,
we always would go hit in thecage with him and do things.
I mean, uh, it was just aspecial time, and obviously his
legacy goes back and he startedcoaching, and he coached out
there for a long time.
You know, he started with Ithink Corallo and Georgie, but
he stayed through and all theway through myself and my
brother, and you know, it wasover 30 years out there.
And I fought so hard to get thatbatting cage named after him

(37:02):
because I felt like that was afitting tribute for him because
you know, we had the battingcage in the store.
So it was nice when the the cityand and the little league was
able, Key West Little ConBaseball was able to do that for
us.
And you know, I think it's afitting tribute to him.
And um, when I come down to KeyWest, it's the first stop I make
every time is the cemetery,right?
To see him and my grandmotherand and my uncle Carrado, but to
to see them, and it's uh youknow, it's special.

(37:25):
It's special to me.
I mean, it's why I coach,honestly, is why I got into
coaching.
I always wanted to be, you know,I figured if I wasn't gonna make
it to the big leagues as aplayer, I was gonna find a way
to make it maybe there as acoach.
And God had other plans for me,and that's okay.
But it's to me, I try to try toremember the impact he had on
people and their lives, andthat's what I try to do as a
coach.

SPEAKER_01 (37:41):
Well, you're you're absolutely doing it.
I I get I get emotional hearingyou talk about him with such
love and similar conversationwhen I was talking to Jose the
other day on the phone, youknow, he just couldn't say
enough.
And you talked about thatbatting cage and like the first
pitching machine.
I think maybe even in SouthFlorida, I don't know where he

(38:02):
came up with it, but to go backthere behind John's grocery and
to be in that battle cage.
Because when I was a little kid,we there was a girls' baseball
league and I played, and we gotto go back there one day.
And I hadn't thought about thatuntil recently.
That was like better than goingto Disney World.

SPEAKER_02 (38:20):
Uh I'm with you.
Uh it was awesome.
I mean, it was it was funny, andI would tell people this all day
because I'd be like, you know,he would invite anybody.
You didn't even have to play forhim, and you could go use the
batting cage.
Like, he just loves sharing whathe had, and I know it was the
first battle pitcher machine inKey West, uh, for sure.
And um, I mean, I tell peoplebecause people ask me, man, how
you never get rattled by likepeople yelling.

(38:40):
I'm like, no, because the youknow, I would be hidden in the
back in a pitching machine atthree, four years old, and all
the people back there havingtheir adult beverages after they
got off work would be hecklingus.
So I'm like, I was used to it.
It was nothing new, right?
Like it didn't bother us.
Um, it was just, you know, thatwas just part of it.
It was fun.
But um, no, it was great.
I mean, I remember, you know, Iwould be working, and you know,

(39:01):
inevitably my grandfather wouldcome in with my grandmother and
be like, all right, Rose, yougotta go, you gotta go get to
watch the front register and Meland I are gonna hit.
Like, and I would be like, ah,this is awesome.
I don't even have to workanymore.
But no, it was it was great.
It was fun.
I mean, I listen, I spent, youknow, I spent I I couldn't even
tell you the number of hours Ispent in that batting cage and
in the back of the store just ingeneral, but in the batting cage

(39:22):
for sure, and with himespecially, and uh, you know, I
just you know, I I like to thinkthat's probably why I became the
player I became, or at least thehitter I became, because I mean
that's all I ever did, I think.
And that's all I ever reallywanted to do, honestly.
Like, people ask me all thetime, you know.
I'm sure you you understandthis.
Like, people ask me all the timeup here, oh man, you must have
fished a lot.
You must I'm like, no, I didbaseball.
Like I didn't fish, I didn't doanything, you know.

(39:44):
I mean, as I got older, maybe Idid some or more of those
things, but we were at the fieldor we were in the batting cage.
That's what we did.
I I don't know what to tell you.
Like, our vacations were aroundbaseball, all stars, like it's
just what we did.

SPEAKER_01 (39:56):
Yeah, that yeah, that's exactly right.
It's kind of like being a dogperson or a cat person.
You were a boat person or you'rea ball player, you know.

SPEAKER_02 (40:03):
Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 (40:04):
And it's not no one, it's not better than the other,
but you're either one or theother.

SPEAKER_00 (40:08):
So uh that's good stuff.

SPEAKER_01 (40:11):
And you know, I know that you give him credit a lot
of the credit for you being sosuccessful, as do so many great
players that have gone throughum the the circuit here in Key
West and um bringing up BubbaJoe again.
He reminded me of how manycatchers played for John's ham

(40:31):
that end up playing uh catcherat at the high school level and
some even further.
He started mentioning like BennyAlemon, who was the catcher at
QSI when I was a kid.
Like you you might not have beenborn yet, like 78 seven, 78,
around that time.

SPEAKER_02 (40:47):
I was just born in 77.
But I mean, I know the I knowthe lineage just because we all
take such great pride in it.
And obviously, I take crap pridein it because I help continue
the streak, right?
So, like yeah, so can we namesome of those players?
Some of those catchers, Ibelieve if I got it right, it's
Benny Alemon, Georgie, BubbaJoe, Jimmy Haskins is in there.

(41:09):
Then it gets a little trickierfor Jason Yarbrough was there.
I know I was there, my brotherwas there.
I'm sure I'm missing AlecCollins.
I miss Alec Collins.

SPEAKER_01 (41:16):
Louis Blanco?

SPEAKER_02 (41:17):
Louis Blanco, I miss Golly, how can I miss Louis
Blanco?
Yeah, we better not miss Louie.
Now I'm not gonna get it.
I'm I'm never gonna hear the endof it.
I forgot Louie.
But Louie, Alec Collins, JimmyHaskins, it's it's you know,
myself, my brother.
I don't know if I is thateverybody if I missed something
like that.

SPEAKER_01 (41:31):
Yeah, I think, yeah, I I heard I heard uh John
Sellers, I think um Bubbamentioned him and and Louis
Gonzalez also.
Yeah, so but yeah, whether wegot them all or not, that that's
a long list of successfulcatches that were players under

(41:51):
your grandfather and went on todo big things.
Speaking of catching, you thinkcoach uh catches make the best
coaches?

SPEAKER_02 (42:00):
I do, I'm biased, obviously, but I I do think they
made the best coaches.
I think as a catcher, you know,you have to know everything.
You have to know everybody'sresponsibility.
Like I, you know, it's what Itell our guys you're an
extension of the coaching staff,right?
Every you're the one player thateverybody can see on the field.
The eight other guys all see thecatcher, right?
The out the infielders can't seethe outfielders, the pitcher
can't see the infielders, andoutfielders behind them.

(42:21):
So catcher is the one spot thatyou can see everything, and you
gotta understand everybody'sresponsibility, what they need
to do on the field.
We run everything through ourcatchers as and you know, as far
as like our bunt defenses, ourfirst and third, anything like
that.
So to me, I think it just makessense that those guys would, and
they and they deal with have todeal with pitchers and they see
it from a mechanical standpoint.
So I think they can helppitchers even to to a degree.

(42:44):
So I think catchers make thebest coaches because of that.

SPEAKER_01 (42:46):
And speaking of catchers, how about the season
that Cal Raleigh's having?
There's three, four games leftin the major league season.
I think he hit number sixty lastnight.

SPEAKER_02 (42:56):
Yeah, 59 and 60 last night.
I mean, it's uh it'sunbelievable to have the
offensive season he's havingwhile having to handle the
pitching staff.
They just clinch the division.
I mean, it's I I will say thisas a huge King Griffey Jr.
fan.
That was my guy.
I I'm a little sad that he brokehis uh uh team record for most
home runs in the season, but ifanybody was gonna break it, I'm

(43:18):
glad it was a catcher.
And uh he's been unbelievable.
I mean, I'm uh you know, I'mgonna say this.
I'm not gonna offend you becauseI know you're a Yankee fan.
I still think Aaron Judge is theMVP, but uh I I'm sure Cal
Raleigh's gonna get it.

SPEAKER_01 (43:30):
Yeah, I think people uh I saw this the other day.
People are having judge fatigue,you know.
We we love the winners until wedon't, you know.

SPEAKER_00 (43:38):
Yes.

SPEAKER_01 (43:39):
And I think that the the story starting with the
all-star game, yeah, is likeCal's gonna get it.
I I love the knowledge, so I I'dbe okay.
If anybody beats Judge Al forit, I'm okay with Kyle.
There's some arguments for itfor sure.

SPEAKER_02 (43:56):
But um arguments for it for sure.
And obviously they won division,so I think that helps too.
But uh, and I think you can makethe argument either way, but I'm
with you.
I but I do think a majority ofit is judge fatigue more than
anything.
You know, I think he's you knowhe hit what 50 and 51 last night
or 51 last night, I think, too.

SPEAKER_01 (44:10):
Yeah, 50 and 51, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (44:12):
That's how much times uh if they actually
pitched to him, I mean it'd beamazing how many home runs I
think he would hit.

SPEAKER_01 (44:16):
And that's a good point, right?
Yeah I I don't we that's a wholeother episode we can do, you
know?

SPEAKER_02 (44:22):
We can do a whole podcast just on that.

SPEAKER_01 (44:24):
So that's a whole other good.
Um so I like to wrap the episodeup with a segment that I call
for the cycle.
Okay, and I ask you fourquestions.
And just like hitting for thecycle in baseball, it gets
harder as you go to complete it,all right?
All right, you up for it?
I'm up for it.

(44:44):
All right, let me see.
I gotta find my questions here.
All right, here we go.
This the first one's easy.
Now it's like it's more of asoftball.
If you were a player today, whatwould your walk-up song be?

SPEAKER_02 (44:55):
I thought about this the other day.
I was thinking about this theother day.
I probably would go with I'vegotten into I'm getting older
and I've gotten in the country.
Yacht rock and country.
It's hard to go with yacht rock.
If I was gonna go with a yachtrock song, I'd go baby come back
by player.

SPEAKER_00 (45:08):
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (45:09):
But if I'm gonna go country, I I probably would go
something by Eric Church.
I don't even know what, but uhsomething by Eric Church.
If I really want to get crazy,I'd probably go some 80s
freestyle in there, throw some80s freestyle in there as well.

SPEAKER_01 (45:21):
I was thinking you might say DJ Khaled.
All I do is win, win, win.

SPEAKER_02 (45:25):
That'd be a good one too.
That'd be a good one too.
To me, that's a post-game show,a post-game song, right?
Like that's the one I like toplay post-game.
So I don't want to use it for myWalgo song, but uh that would be
a good one too.

SPEAKER_01 (45:35):
All right, next question.
Should Barry Bonds be in theHall of Fame?

SPEAKER_02 (45:39):
Yes, 100%.

SPEAKER_01 (45:40):
I agree.
I agree.
All right, next up.
Baseball's a game of numbers.
It always has been.
There's nothing like gettingthat paper and seeing the box
scores, right?
Well, now with analytics,there's numbers and statistics
for everything.
Is there too much?

SPEAKER_02 (45:56):
That's a good question.
I think there's, I think yougotta blend the two, right?
Like I'm a guy that I'm stillold school.
I think you gotta go by yourgut, and there's things that
that that work, and andespecially at our level, right?
It's different.
And in the big leagues, I thinksometimes like they take away
these managers' feel for thegame sometimes because
everything is just strictly runby the numbers.
And I think you gotta, you know,you can use the numbers.

(46:18):
I think they're important.
I think they obviously help youmake better decisions.
I mean, I believe in some ofthe, I don't want to say new age
stuff, but some of theseanalytical decisions, like I
understand and I think they makesense to me.
But I do think you gotta havethere, there's a place for both
and there's a balance.
But I do think we've probablygotten a little bit too, you
know, I don't think you couldjust plug this thing in the
computer and have it spit out aformula and think that's gonna

(46:38):
be the most successful way torun things.
I think you gotta have feel forpeople, you gotta have feel for
the situation in the moment.
And I know that you know, allthe the analysts will uh argue
adamantly that there's no suchthing as a clutch player, but I
think there is a clutch gene inthere that that you can't
account for.

SPEAKER_01 (46:53):
Man, I wish you would call Aaron Boone for me.
Tell him everything you justsaid, because sometimes I think
he goes more by the numbers inhis gut.

SPEAKER_02 (47:01):
But I think some of that is, I think that's a
problem.
Like I listen, I obviously theYankees are here, and we got a
good relationship with theYankees uh because they're right
down the street from us, theminor league stuff.
Uh but the Rays have been hereplaying in the in the in the
stadium, and and Kevin Cash issimilar, but I think a lot of
that is I don't think it's themnecessarily.
I I think that's coming fromabove, and they get told what
they need to do and what theycan't do.
And I think they're hamstrung alittle bit sometimes because of

(47:23):
that.
But I'm with you.
I I again I think he, you know,we we we fall in love with.
I think sometimes it's easier todefend when you just go by, oh,
I'm gonna use well this guy hasthis look at the numbers, it
says this is the right place,and we're gonna do it, and it
makes it easier to defend.
But uh, you know, you gotta be,you can't be, you know, you you
want to win, you gotta be boldsometimes, right?
You gotta you can't be scared ofof what the the blowback's gonna

(47:44):
be if it doesn't work.

SPEAKER_01 (47:45):
I love that.
All right, last last question.
What's one life lesson thatbaseball has taught you that you
hope your players see in you?

SPEAKER_02 (47:54):
That I hope that they understand and realize that
that everything that we aredoing on the field and
everything that we are workingfor, and as much as it's about
trying to make them the bestversions of themselves they can
be as a player, that ultimatelyit's really about them being the
best people they can be, thebest father, the best husband,
the best citizen.
Like that's what we want.
Obviously, we want to win andand you know, I'm as competitive

(48:17):
as they come, but at the end ofthe day, like it's about them
being successful, and then that,you know, we're trying to use
the game of baseball to teachthem life lessons and you know
what they do on the field andhow they handle themselves, how
they act, like all those thingsare preparing them for life
after baseball.
Hopefully they understand thatthis game is way more about it,
it's it's much more aboutrelationships than what what is

(48:37):
actually going on on the fieldand the things they're gonna
remember a lot of times don'thave anything to do with wins
and losses, right?
It's the bus rides, it's thisthe moments in the locker room,
it's uh you know, when coachesuh jerk and he's making us run
and do things like how werespond to those kind of
moments, right?
And those are the things thatthey're really gonna remember
and cherish, and and I think itit's gonna help them be the best

(48:58):
version of themselves they canbe.

SPEAKER_01 (49:00):
Very good, coach.
Nicely done.
Coach, I've been a big fan, likeI said earlier.
I've been a big fan since youwere a little kid.
You're a grown man now.
I'm still a big fan.
I'm gonna stay in the fan club.

SPEAKER_02 (49:10):
Well, I I appreciate it, Joy.
That means a lot to me, morethan I could ever express to
you, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01 (49:15):
Please tell Lori that I said hello, your mama and
daddy.
And who knows, maybe this year Imight take a little road trip
now that I got the hat andeverything.

SPEAKER_02 (49:24):
You gotta get up here.
We'll we can we'll we'll carveout a little special section.
You could you could start aK-Time place up here.
We'll we'll get you hooked upwith some gear and everything.

SPEAKER_01 (49:31):
All right, all right.
Remember you said that.
Coach, I really appreciate youbeing with me.
I hope you have a great day.
Thank you so much.
Go, Tigers.

SPEAKER_02 (49:40):
Go, Tigers.
Thank you, Joy.

SPEAKER_01 (49:42):
I'm Joy Newlish, and I appreciate you tuning into my
podcast.
If you enjoyed this episode,drop a review, share, and
subscribe because there's a lotof good stuff on tap.
You can find more joyful contenton YouTube, the socials, or
check my website atjoynoolish.com.
Now go surround yourself withthe things that bring joy to
your world.
Until next time, much love.