Too many forget that it's a business! Great points Matt!

The year that you were called up to San Diego was tough...a difficult environment. There were several call-ups in late August and September to a team deep in last place. Also, as you said, there was a big difference between the AAA atmosphere and the new Big League environment. There wasn't time to learn and grow, unless you were Chase Headley. But even he was sent down during that year. Dirk Hayhurst described it in "Out of My League". Produce or get out. Some players can handle it but Hayhurst had a tough time with it.

part of Matt's success is his love for the game. always have that love regardless of what level you play at

Great points dude. The videos are priceless. We always wondered these things and its great to get the real story about pro sports.

I was in a position to see a front office business operations side absolutely obsessed with kiosk sales in a packed stadium. Hats & tshirts . They were worried about hats and tshirts NOT the game. The baseball game is the attraction. Extraction of additional dollars from the fan is the what it's about. I remember where I was standing when I realized that (I was 22) and it was like learning about the behind the scenes story of Santa Claus.

I thoroughly enjoy your videos

I've been a baseball fan since my dad took me to see the Mets play in 1965. I played schoolyard baseball, my brothers little league. It was our sport. We took our kids to mlb games when they were little. We would do it on the spur of the moment. But the major league price of admission has become so astronomically expensive, we cant afford to act on the impulsive joy of just going to see a game- let alone sharing that experience with our grandkids. MLB alienated and lost their core fan base when they priced average families out of the ballpark experience. If there is a lockout now after 2 years of pandemic even mlb transitory fans will never return.

Cmon Matt you know you can switch sports like MJ! Catch a few passes from Tom in SF this season. Then Mac in NE after and hold a press conference to announce your return to the Padres. I'm sure the fans will be very excited to have a legend alongside Tatis and Machado! Wait we're not talking about video game Matt? Oh, well.......that couch does look comfortable!

I like this man. Hope he's doing well. Interesting videos.

I wish teams could put a salary cap on how much vendors can charge for a beer. Paying 7 bucks for a beer is ridiculous

Love ya Matt.

When management starts talking costs of wins, like in Moneyball, over making the post season, THAT is when it all come crashing down for me. That is when I realize the bottom line is more important than winning a WS for a teams owner/management.

There never is a good time for a lockout or a strike but this is a terrible time. During this age of Covid-19, everyone is looking for some normalcy. However, I am impressed with the Players Association. They are looking to help the kids in the game. That has to be commended.

Did you ever get recruited by any colleges when you played high school football?

Yea I pitched from little league to highschool and then at the age of 13 I played travel baseball and I played for coaches that played pro or college and so my knowledge is rich. But I remember when I started to play travel baseball it just felt the atmosphere was a little bit different than playing recreational baseball. Because in travel baseball they wasn't messing around either and I know our coaches pushed us because when you play other teams in travel baseball well they are as good as you are. So when I got to highschool again the atmosphere was different because in highschool and even in travel baseball they were typically trying to put the best team on the field to win. So at the end of my junior year in highschool I went to tryouts that MLB was having and I went to it and they told us that if they were interested in you then they would give you a call. So I got the call and the Florida Marlins which now is the Miami Marlins were interested in me. So I think my highschool coach found about it or I told them I can't remember because it's been over 20 years ago but I think my coach was trying to push me and was trying to take it seriously. So in a way highschool develops players as well but there is a business side in highschool as well because when they get to graduating they may have scouts looking at you.

I can’t help but feel that baseball programs such as yours is contributing it to being a business much earlier on in the game. Facilities, training, nutrition, etc all contribute positively to early player development no doubt, but I have to question whether or not it’s really that necessary. I see dumb shit like 7 players on deck trying to time relief pitchers and feel sick. I understand being competition and being dedicated but sometimes it feels too business like, and not America’s pass time. For reference I played high level baseball and hockey and was recruited for both sports by D1 teams and was pushed super hard with workouts and power skating and all this crap that eventually made me resent the games. I quit out of spite because of the amount of pressure my parents put on me, it messed up our relationship for years. We are better now and everything is fine, but at the time I cracked from pressure they put on me and I hated the game and my parents. Long story short - if the kids love the game and want to be all in with it, that’s great there is programs such as yours available. I’d make coaching parents part of the program as well so that they handle high level youth development as well. I’m sure you have a few psycho parents that need to be reeled in.

It's like the Wizard of Oz, once you've seen the man behind the veil you can't believe in the whimsiness anymore

Whether an owner is full owner or part owner in a group, you don't spend that money not to make a profit. It's at least some teams (if not all) wear sponsor logos now. It's so the owners can make more $$$.

The business side of the NFL is no different than the MLB. If anything it’s even worse. The contracts are worse. The damage it does to your body is worse. I still have a favorite MLB team but do tend to follow players more and more and attend more games just to see players regardless of team. No matter the sport, I saw Brady play the Patriots in person this year despite not being a Pats or Bucs fan. I saw Shohei play last season despite not being an Angels fan. I saw the Dodgers play the Padres just to see 2 of the best MLB teams play and watch Tatis Jr in person. As for the NFL? After Kroenke screwed over St. Louis and the NFL allowed him to do it I’ll never root for a team again. The Brady game last season was the only NFL game I’ve gone to since I quit watching and it was only to watch him play against the Patriots and nothing else. The NFL as a business is worse than MLB. And that’s saying something.

Matt, Do you receive anything from MLB like a pension or financial comp?

Belichik is a mike tomlin without Brady.. sorry Matt

I’m just going to watch KBO

You’re not hiding it well. Love you. Please get help.

I was introduced to the business side in 94. This is just as painful.

Strikes and lockouts are really bad for the games long term health. I was a huge fan of mlb and the 1994 strike nearly killed every bit of my desire to watch the game. Before that I'd watch over a hundred games a year. I've watched about 5 games in the last 20 years.

Agreed, MLB isn't a sport, it's sports entertainment.

Is it not a jobs program?

All of sports is a business.

Try the New England Revolution instead

I think if the Red Sox went to 9 World Series in the last 20 years and they had 1 ace lead them to all their victories, you would still be a big Red Sox fan.

I'm English so don't know how ..but I'm getting I went 4 for 4 with 3 ding dongs ..some how some way

“Every level of baseball has become a business.” Absolutely. That’s why interest in it is abysmal.

are minor leaguers in camp already? i saw some of the florida spring training camps have minor leaguers showing up?

It's so sad to hear about your trouble supporting your childhood team :( . But I totally understand how being inside the sausage factory could do that to you.

MLB's always been a business, but the past few years it's gotten way out of hand. What players and owners currently fight over is in fact quite petty in the grand scheme of things. That this business mindset has seeped down to the youth level, where the game is just supposed to be fun, is particularly disturbing. I purposely don't watch the LLWS because of the sadistic amount of pressure put on pre-teens. You know it's true.

Someone once asked me do I think it is fair that professional Athletes get paid more than teachers. I said "When 50,000 people fill a stadium to watch me teach math I will probably make more money.

Anybody who is a competitive person wants to win am I right? Your not an athlete unless your competitive, I mean I am.

Unless your Albert Pujols.

The vein in your neck is sticking out. Get it. Checked out.

HAHAHA. Those "purists" r in every comment section. "I went 4 for 4 with 3 dingdongs and an ice cream" HAHAHA.

I really think MLB is heading toward almost all foreign players w/ just a few American players sprinkled in. When I found out the thousands and thousands of lain players signed and playing in low minor leagues I was surprised to say the least! Low cost, disposable players.. this is going to be the result of these ever escalating CBA contracts.

If you would've made the same commitment you did for baseball. But if you instead would've chosen football. Do you think you would've made it to the NFL?

Matt, you didn't mention the political side of the MLB...team owners with the most money, clout and influence over the league. Or how money and Vegas has is a more intricate part of not just the MLB but all 3 major league sports!

Yes it is part to blame you and all the travel teams. The cost to play is very high and kids don't play to have fun anymore. The little league program is hurting in my town because of this. What happen to just playing the sport. My kids just play baseball for fun and it as taken that away as this year none my my kids are going to play baseball.

Agree with you, BUT MLBOWNERS better straighten up. MLB is shooting itself in the face. I'm starting to not care about baseball now. Season tix holder to Philadelphia for 3/4 seasons. Losing interest

Why don't the players just split from the MLB and start their own league?

That accent was geographically untraceable. :-)

I believe the MLBPA should just accept the current CBA offer from the owners. It does have increases. Most people would be happy to earn hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per year. The minor league & independent leagues will do well this season if the MLB Lockout continues. I will be back as a fan wherever the MLB returns.

It’s all about $$$$$$$$, mlb just don’t care about fans

Just fucking swear already, I know you want to!

If this lockout keeps going and games are cancelled, this is really going to hurt the game. They still have not recovered from the 94/95 strike. Players , IMHO, need to suck it up and realize the MONKEY is on their collective backs.

Here's the deal. Baseball viewership and attendance has been on decline since the last lockout. It doesn't matter how much you say "it's a business" the fact is the average sports fan doesn't care enough to care about billionaires and millionaires arguing over who gets what. Baseball took a huge hit last time. And it won't recover from this one. There's way more important stuff in life to worry about. Heck, there's plenty of other sports to watch. Baseball is a dying game, and the billionaires and millionaires are killing it faster

College baseball is looking good to me at this point, but to be honest I yearn to watch ridiculous talent like Ohtani.