• Wild Florida weather playing baseball during Hurricane season.
• Shane McClanahan injury – look back at his original early playoff usage, and comparisons to Mark Prior’s career.
• Pitching depth – AAA arms, Forrest Whitley & Brian Van Belle, as possible support for the Rays’ future.
• Late season debuts can create high-stakes stress for pitchers.
• Little League World Series - Lake Mary, FL’s recent run, and the emotional intensity for young athletes.
• LLWS Youth Baseball - Maria Pepe & standout players like Mo’ne Davis, plus Tampa ties w/MLB alumni such as Gary Sheffield & Kevin Cash
• Idea for an International Little League World Series - a global youth tournament, a precursor to the World Baseball Classic model.
• Infectious energy of youth tournaments – Sportsmanship & positive crowd atmosphere at Little League events.
• Shift in team priorities – Are Rays focusing on draft positioning & long-term planning rather than immediate contention.
• Roster & trade philosophy – recent acquisitions as part of a multi-year plan and the impact of keeping top prospects in AA.
• Challenges of integrating two new catchers midseason & how that affects pitching performance.
• Rays Under 1% chance of winning World Series
• Rays’ current Home and Away stadium situations
• Sacramento (Oakland) A’s & San Francisco Giants stadium arrangements
• Giants benefiting from increased Bay Area market control & high rental fees to A’s
• MLB expansion - Vegas, an underrated but now proven sports market
• NHL success paving the way for baseball in new markets
• Utah seen as a strong future expansion candidate for travel and regional market benefits
• Nashville and Vancouver possible expansion cities
• Rays’ draft and prospect rankings concerns
• Confusion over MLB Pipeline ranking Rays 2nd preseason but 10th after a top-3 draft
• Inconsistent prospect evaluations & bias toward “hot” names
• Promotion of draft picks Brendan Summerhill and Quinn Irons to Charleston
• Angel Mateo promoted to A+ level for playoff run
• All affiliates above .500 but only one likely playoff team
• Overview of minor league playoff structure
• Notable performances: Tre Morgan (Durham), Bob Seymour’s 30th HR in AA
• Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Bradenton Marauders game rained out
• Southpaw mascot birthday
• Value of watching player development at minor league and complex levels
• Challenges in Rays hitter development
• Mat highlights progress of Nathan Flewelling in Charleston
• Concerns that high-end draft picks not performing to potential
• Rays excel in developing Latin American players, often via Winter Leagues
• Call to send drafted players to winter ball or overseas leagues for additional reps
• Experienced college should begin in Double-A (e.g., Summerhill in Low-A)
• Challenging players at higher levels earlier to accelerate development
• Comparison to other MLB clubs (White Sox, Angels, Marlins) as they promote strong prospects quickly through their farm system
• Jen Pawol - makes it to Majors as first woman umpire
• The Wit & Wisdom of the invisible team of umpires
• Economics of umpiring
• NFL football announcement - Taylor Swift, new album
• Rays’ future ownership impact & potential for front office changes with new ownership
• Hopes for more aggressive player development & roster experimentation late in season

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

• Tampa Bay Rays turning on a dime
• Rays now 4.5 spots out of the Wild Card Swapping spots with the Angels
• Shane Baz & Mike Trout face off
• Rays getting momentum – Chris Morel after 6 SO’s hits a Home Run
• Junior Caminero 2 Home Runs
• Griffin Jax bases bases loaded & then strikes out 3
• Will Jax be a future Rays closer
• Shane Baz started strong
• September is a critical month for the Tampa Bay Rays – time to get hot
• Taj Bradley in AAA Twins
• Adrian Houser, initial outing not spectacular
• Rays are beginning to gel with new teammates
• Comparisons with Max Scherzer and Blue Jays starting anew
• Good chemistry - Rays new catcher, Hunter Feduccia & Ryan Pepiot had worked together in LA
• Who will Adrian Houser synch up with the Rays catchers
• Johnny DeLuca had to leave the game after speeding across the bases for a triple
• Cameron Misner may be coming back
• Need to put a Gatorade station at third. Several triples causing hamstring injuries
• Junior Caminero’s bare hand throw from third base to Yandy Diaz
• Fairbanks closed the door
• Respect for Trout & d’Arnaud on the field for the Angels
• Rays off to see Mariners – Ex-Rays, Randy Arozarena & Luke Raley & Miles Mastrobuoni
• Taylor Walls comparison with Carlos Gomez w
• Nick Fortes exciting first home run as a Tampa Bay Ray
• Chandler Simpson – a third pitch to first from the mound, a pickle and a balk get Chandler to second base -
• Christopher Morel’s home run & Junior Caminero’s response
• Rays building camaraderie together on the road
• Roman Anthony extension – 8 years 130 to 230 million with the Red Sox
• Could Rays new owners do the same with Junior Caminero to make him a core piece for the next decade.
• Will Rays be more attractive to Kyle Tucker if a deal with Caminero is in place
• Guardians pitcher, Gavin Williams, 8 & 2/3 inning no hitter - 126 pitches
• Raceway MLB game mirroring Savannah Bananas – why didn’t they have a race on the track during the game
• Savannah Bananas bringing- Val Perez, Kelsie Whitmore & Jocelyn Alo onboard
• Caitlyn Clark model in WNBA – Could Kelsie Whitmore be that person for Women’s Baseball
• Comparisons with Bananas & Indianapolis Clowns bringing Toni Stone onto the team
• Kelsie with the Bananas may normalize the idea of women’s baseball
• World Baseball Classic – add a Women’s Classic to run in tandem
• All American Women's Tournament and four teams, including Tamara Holmes, managing the Peaches, Alex Oglesby managing the Racine Bells plus catcher Beth Greenwood & pitcher Meggie Meidlinger
• Women’s baseball is not currently part of the Olympics
• Veronica Alvarez, USAWNT Women’s Baseball Team Manager, discussion on the Olympics sports (link to show)
• Could Women’s Baseball be part of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane
• Where does the Olympics draw the line of who should be able to participate bringing in professional team or leave it to collegiate / amateur level
• Would WNBA be able to go to the Olympics
• Future Ace Yoniel Curet making AAA debut with the Durham Bulls – check him out on MiLB.tv
• Van Bell outstanding performance – gave up only 1 hit in 6 innings
• Hopeful times with Angels series with some cringe time
• The Road West Coast games = late bedtime starts
• Looking forward to a Tampa Bay Rays winning streak

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

• Griffin Jax comes on Taj Bradley traded
• Twins are Kryptonite to Rays during Trade Deadlines
• Fans should be ecstatic - keeping Brandon Lowe, Pete Fairbanks & Yandy Diaz
• Rays gave up 3 pieces for a catcher
• Expected Tristan Gray was going to be called up
• Dealing Jose Cabaellero to the Yankees not happy to see his speed moving to New York
• Love for the Yankees not magnified
• games with Yankees lost 3 in 4 game series
• 4 players pulled from the game 3 from injuries & one sent to Yankees dugout
• Who's On First - Aranda, Brandon Lowe, Matt Thaiss - what will it look like when Ha-Seong Kim returns
• Does Matt Thaiss stay with the team
• Ben Rortvedt value for trade
• Brent Rucker was given a shot wiith the A's
• No big guns coming up from the minors
• Hunter Feduccia will bring more strength and power to the team
• Kyle Snyder & Chad Mottola
• Duncan David has amped up his velocity and location
• What does the future hold with Adrian Hauser
• Rasmussen & Hauser sub 3.0 ERA could be the post-season game pitchers
• Andrew Kittredge moves
• Carlos Correa - $200 million dollar man returns to Houston Astros
• Jesus Sanchez , another X-Ray moves to Astros
• SerAnthony Dominguez Orioles to Blue Jays
• And you though Danny Jansen felt bad
• Jose Caballero moved mid game to Yankees dugout
• x-Rays - Charlie Morton leaves Orioles for his old Astros coach AJ Hinch. Charlie brings veteran leadership and confidence to the dugout that will instill energy for the team
• What's happening with the Red Sox at the Trade deadline this year
• What will Alex Cora do with the Red Sox
• Blue Jays were a flat performance in trades exception is Domínguez
• SerAnthony Dominguez will strengthen the Red Sox team
• Andrew Kittredge moves from O's to Cubs
• Caballero will improve the Yankees
• Ha-Seong Kim will be returning soon
• Yoniel Curet & Duncan David could be moving up
• Twins are the kryptonite for Rays during trade deadlines
• Jax has the chance to be a closer as an elite pitcher
• Fans should be ecstatic as Rays are keeping Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz & Pete Fairbanks for close to a decade with each player

If you enjoyed this show, go ahead like and subscribe to BaseballBiz On Deck. Also you can find Mat at M-A-T-G-E-R-M-A-I-N dot B Sky social. That's Mat at M-A-T-G-E-R-M-A-I-N dot B, Sky social or Mark at Baseball Biz on Deck dot B Sky Social. You may also find BaseballBiz on Deck, at iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and at www.baseballbizOnDeck.com

• Danny Jansen moves but still sits on the bench for one last game to back up Thaiss
• Imagine marketing promotion if Taylor Walls performed as catcher backup after Jansen’s move
• Will Rays continue to pay Fairbanks $6 million next year if they cannot find a suitable trade?
• Would the Rangers pick up
• Tracking Jhoan Duran
• Johnny DeLuca returns with some outstanding outfield catches
• Outstanding Outfielders across the league include Juan Soto, Aaron Judge & Mookie Betts, Jorge Soler
• Beasts in the Outfield Alex Burleson with the Cardinals & Oneil Cruz impact
• Would Rangers or Dodgers pick up Pete Fairbanks in a trade for some Outfield talent
• The return of Johnny DeLuca
• Xavier Isaac could provide both a strength at bat & outfielder
• Other Rays organization Outfield options – Theo Gillen & Aiden Smith
• Tristan Gray & Tre' Morgan
• Will Rays push all of their chips in this year and keep Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz & Fairbanks
• Are Rays Trade decisions today being impacted in preparation for new owner
• Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp – AAA – Marlins part of new owners
• Zach Littel takes the mound one last time for the Rays before joining the Reds
• MLB Ready from the farm, Dom Keegan, Carson Williams & Tre' Morgan
• Yankees working with a deficit – No Aaron Judge or Gerrit Cole
• What a difference an August 2nd Trade deadline could make
• Boyle shows much pitching promise v Max Fried
• Tampa Bay Rays playing the Old School way
• Who is going to stick around – Chandler Simpson, Junior Caminero & Jonathan Aranda
• Neander’s “children “ include the Cardinals’ Chaim Bloom, Marlins’ Pete Benedix & Astros’ James Glick
• Tyler Walls has shown more versatility & has increased offensively giving him better trade value
• Oneil Cruz – need we say more
• AAGPBL – American Girls Baseball with Sue Zipay
• Baseball for All – Justine Siegal – co-founder of Women’s Pro Baseball League – tryouts at DC in August
• All Women’s Baseball Classic, showcase potential new USAWNT Baseball team
• Why not include Women’s Teams with the World Baseball Conference
• More Access = More Appeal
• Venezuela Little League not allowed to enter U.S. to participate
• ICE approach & question young baseball players at the Harlem Baseball Hitting Academy
• Coach Youman Wilder stands up to ICE agents to protect his players
• Bobby Orr, hockey star turned agent approached players before they were old enough to sign
• Mickey Mantle sought out early, opportunities blocked by school principal
• Terry Francona & projected Reds & Pirates trades
• Jerry Dipoto – what will he do with the Mariners
• Who loves the Yankees

If you enjoyed this show, go ahead like and subscribe to BaseballBiz On Deck. Also you can find Mat at M-A-T-G-E-R-M-A-I-N dot B Sky social. That's Mat at M-A-T-G-E-R-M-A-I-N dot B, Sky social or Mark at Baseball Biz on Deck dot B Sky Social. You may also find BaseballBiz on Deck, at iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and at www.baseballbizOnDeck.com

Special Thanks to Scott Holmes for the music Stomps & Claps

Carson Mead - Hot in AAA lets see what you can do – Future 30/30 guy

Moving Taylor Walls to Shortstop and would be very attractive to other teams

Chandler Simpson, Jake Mangum & Carson Williams speed

“Speed doesn't slump” - John Gibbons

Rays picking taller players – Glasnow, Snell

Taller pitchers “don’t have as much lag between the push and the landing.”

22 picks of 2025 Rays Draft picks, none or under 6’ 2” including a 6’ 5” catcher

Tall catchers with rocket arms can throw from their knees

Alex Faedo is still in rehab

Tampa Bay Rays speedsters – Stolen bases comparisons between Carl Crawford, Caballero & Simpson

Chandler Simpson is changing the way pitchers pitch to the Rays

Simpson gives 100% all of the time

The Rays will continue to look at players who have speed around the bases

Will a faster Tre' Morgan be the future Yandy Diaz?

Will Rays bet on developing their own young players or look outside

Relievers and Closers select your pitcher with the opposing team

Yoniel Curet & Shane McClanahan might join us in September

Bringing on Baker to the Rays, backup options for Fairbanks

Red Sox & Alex Cora’s Ipads checking out the Rays relieving pitchers

Baseball is a game of deception

Rays Starters are burnt out – increased pitch counts & speed trend

Mason Englert & Joe Boyle coming out of the pen

Where is Louis Head?

Rays pitching needs to develop more secondary pitches especially as they age into the game, including Kevin Gausman & Chris Bassit

Glasnow would terrorize batters if he had a larger variety of pitchers

Rich Hill, Bartolo Colón & Charlie Morton are still in the game because they love it. These veterans raise up the young players on the team

Rob Manfred rides Ozzy’s Crazy Train to the White House & now the president wants to be commissioner by renaming Cleveland Guardians

President was unable to purchase Indians years ago & now wants to change the Guardians name back to Indians – Native Americans are clamoring for the change – so says the white house

Withholding federal funds for a stadium from Washington Commanders unless they change their name back to Redskins

Harvard v Columbia

MLB has instructed foreign players to carry their papers with them while traveling with the team

Ozzy Osbourne takes us out to the ball game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TPYI_Y3pWw

Ryan Woodward, founder of Women in Baseball Week & Women’s Baseball Heritage Trail

Increasing awareness of Women’s Baseball

St. Louis Cardinals became the first MLB team to participate publicly in Women in Baseball Week.

Honoring Rockford Peach, Sue Parsons-Zipay of the AAGPBL

Sue continued to promote girls & women in baseball through the American Girls Baseball (AGB) & the All-American Women’s Baseball Classic

Exciting Era for Women’s Baseball

Growth across platforms: Athletes Unlimited Softball,

WPBL - women’s professional baseball league

IWBC exhibit at Rockford Public Library running July–August

“Rockford and Beyond”—ties local history to international developments.

Artifacts from the Colorado Silver Bullets

The 2026 Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage in Rockford

6 national teams will compete; IWBC hopes to also host the 2027 finals

• Women’s Heritage Baseball Trail – WBHT.org
• More events are happening year-round—clinics, plays, community outreach.
• Canada’s growth in girls’ baseball participation praised, including Canadian Girls Baseball and recent Hall of Fame inductions.
• Honoring women in baseball history in their own states (e.g., Kentucky’s Ms. Hutchison)

“See Her, Be Her”, a Jean Fruth documentary, showcasing women in baseball worldwide

• Celebrates players like Kelsie Whitmore & Alex Hugo, global outreach in Uganda, Asia, and North America.
• Film tours U.S. theaters with Q&As to drive grassroots interest.
• You can celebrate Women in Baseball Week by doing something—host a panel, spotlight your local pioneers, or share stories on social media.
• Support the 2026 World Cup Group Stage in Rockford—plan a visit and experience history in motion.
• Advocate for the past, present, and future of women in baseball. The movement needs your voice.
• Jean Fruth’s film See Her, Be Her documentary goes beyond the baseball field to humanize the athletes and expand awareness.
• Ryan speaks to the global depth of the stories, praising Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato for her professional play in Canada, her international impact, and her new advisory role with the WPBL.
• Women in Baseball is growing global momentum—from Japan to Australia, Mexico to Canada
• “flip the culture” around baseball's gender legacy

“We’re not just celebrating the past; we’re making history right now. This is about flipping the culture. Women have always been at the center of baseball—you just have to look for it.” – Ryan Woodward

• “this movement is just getting started.”

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Women in Baseball Week: - https://womeninbaseballweek.org/
• Women’s Baseball Heritage Trail Map: wbht.org
• International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC): iwbc.org
• Rockford Rivets & Byer Stadium Info: rockfordrivets.com
• Film: See Her, Be Her by Jean Fruth – [Available on Amazon Prime Video]

All-American Women’s Baseball Tournament – Durham, NC: https://americangirlsbaseball.org/all-american-womens-baseball-classic/

Just a reminder you can find Mark on Blue Sky at @baseballbizondeck.b sky.social You may also find BaseballBiz On Deck on iheart, apple, spotify, amazon music & at www.baseballbizondeck.com, remember to like & subscribe.

Special Thanks to X-Take-R-U-X for the music Rocking Forward

• All-Star game
• Junior Caminero came in 2nd to Cal Raleigh in Home Run Derby
• 2025 All Star game was entertaining
• Clayton Kershaw mic’ed up on the mound
• Let’s mic up the 3rd & 1st base coaches for every game
• 3 Rays at the game, Drew Rasmussen, Jonathan Aranda & Junior Caminero
• Rasmussen history of 3x arm injuries & he continues to play a great game
• ABS system with Tarik Skubal pitching to Manny Machado
• How will we see ABS being used in the future
• The last taboo & MLB rule crossing may be the ABS, Is this the last major rule change that we can expect?
• Rays new home – Tampa Councilman says Darryl Shaw is open to building in Ybor
• Second hand news – $1.7 billion
• Where do the Yankees land if the Rays take over George Steinbrenner Field
• Rule 52 – Proximity of team locations with Yankees Single A & Tampa Bay Rays
• Tip of the cap to Rays’ Stuart Sternberg on working with the community over the years
• Stu’s a genius at building a front office that others owners have tried to replicate
• Pittsburgh Pirate fans would love to have Stu as their owner
• Stu brought youth into the Rays with Grit & Glow
• The Rays were credited with getting one of the top 3 draft results
• Rays have used a very specific approach to the draft - Start with Heavy hitters at the top and then onto the pitchers
• Expect to see more of the 2021 Rays Draft class begin to emerge in The Show
• Short term extensions on top talent like Drew Rasmussen
• Draft picks have included Taitn Gray & Brendan Summerhill
• It’s a long path in baseball – Josh Lowe’s early struggles but evolved
• Women in Baseball Week & Ryan Woodward upcoming features of Women
• Sue Zipay of the AAGPBL passes away – a true force in woman’s baseball
• Sue continues to be the motivation for so many to grow the game of women in baseball much like the Caballo Blanco story – Ultra runner – “Born to Run” – legacy continues
• Prep for 4 games with Rays & Yankees

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

• Greta Langhenry, President & Co-Founder of Level Ump
• Growth with women in sports
• Loss of Sue Zipay, AAAGPBL, All-Girls Baseball, All Women’s Tournament, Rockford Peach
• Sue also made sure that her tournament had all women officiating the All Women’s Baseball Tournament
• Greta’s love of the game
• Bridging generations of the love of the game with her Dad
• Only girl on the baseball team
• Was told she could no longer play baseball then softball was the only alternative
• Liked softball, but it’s a different game, the rules are different, but fun to watch
• Discovered Jen Pawol, Pam Postema, Emma Charlesworth-Seiler & wanted to be an umpire
• Every umpire has many elements to their uniform including:
• At least one pair of socks, steel toed boots, shin guards, yoga pants, regular pants, cup or pelvic protector, A belt, an undershirt, a chest guard, an over shirt, a hat, the mask. Sometimes they wear the full bucket - not a mask and helmet separate.
• Martha Rigney fashion designer helping Level Ump with uniforms for women
• The cost of equipment & umpire school
• Wendelstedt Umpire School, the Harvard of Umpire Schools
• MLB Umpire School
• 2 umpire schools,
• Jen Pawol & Pam Postema the 2 women
• Level Ump, America its Past Time
• Rickwood Field, 4-man crew of black men, the first time that MLB has done that
• Level Ump is a 501c3 organization funded by donations
• In 2019 Greta was the only woman enrolled in umpire school, Level Ump is creating more opportunities for women to attend schools through scholarships
• Rigorous program at Wendelstedt Umpire School - 5 weeks of School Sun up to Sun down 6 days a week
• Supporting veterans through the Wounded Warrior Umpire Camp in Carlisle, PA – gives wounded warriors and opportunity to participate. The program pays for their travel, equipment, meals and more
• Greta was honored to work with the program and the people in the program & still keeps in contact with several of them
• WWA builds connections with the veterans at the camp
• Greta was the first woman to umpire in the Florida Collegiate Summer League
• Umpiring the Savannah Bananas in the Coastal Plain League
• Banana Ball with Jesse Cole goes out of his way to hire veterans from the Wounded Warrior Umpire program for the Banana’s games on the road
• Savannah Bananas potential positive impact on traditional baseball & increase fandom
• One of the USAWNT woman is now playing with the Firefighters
• Greta’s journey into the world of umpiring and now building a network of support for umpires

Greta@LevelUmp.com website: https://www.levelump.com/

You can reach Mark at baseballbizondeck@gmail.com BaseballBiz on Deck, at iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and at www.baseballbizOnDeck.com