Apter Hours: A Minor League Baseball Podcast
By Brandon Apter
Apter Hours: A Minor League Baseball PodcastFeb 10, 2020
Frederick Keys General Manager - Dave Ziedelis
Brandon is joined by Frederick Keys GM Dave Ziedelis. Dave and Brandon don't hold back in discussing the negotiations between MLB and MiLB that has Frederick on the list of teams that could potentially get eliminated prior to the 2021 season. The Keys have been entrenched in the Frederick community for decades, have been tops in Carolina League in attendance for years and still face an uncertain future. In addition, Dave goes into his transition from working in the big leagues to the minors and what he learned from his first GM experience.
This will be the last Apter Hours episode for a while. Appreciate the support to this point.
Norwich Sea Unicorns GM Dave Schermerhorn
Brandon is joined by the general manager of the Norwich Sea Unicorns (Short Season 'A' Tigers affiliate), Dave Schermerhorn! Dave dives into the process that led to the Connecticut Tigers deciding to rebrand as the Sea Unicorns, how the name and logo tie into the city of Norwich and how the organization is dealing with the potential of being on the chopping block of MLB's proposal that could eliminate 42 minor league teams ahead of the 2021 season.
You can check out the Sea Unicorns at goseaunicorns.com and on Twitter @GoSeaUnicorns.
Donate to support the Altobelli family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-altobelli-family
Tim Murray - Host of The Daily Line, NBC Sports Radio
In the second season premiere of Apter Hours, Brandon is joined by former colleague and current host of The Daily Line on NBC Sports Radio, Tim Murray. Brandon and Tim talk about the importance of preparation for a broadcast, the asinine proposal that would remove 42 teams from the minor league landscape, the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal and Tim's hometown Washington Nationals winning their first championship.
You can follow Tim on Twitter @1TimMurray and find The Daily Line on NBC Sports Radio or the NBC Sports app.
My Minor League Baseball Journey
It's a Throwback Thursday #TBT episode of Apter Hours. We go back to 2017, when Brandon made the decision to take a position out of minor league baseball after nine seasons. The episode details every step of his Minor League Journey, including the very difficult decisions, professional growth, stepping outside your comfort zone and being a part of an industry that is a family.
Rebrand Revisit: Amarillo Sod Poodles
Amarillo Sod Poodles President & General Manager, Tony Ensor, joins the show to discuss Amarillo's successful season on and off the field. The Soddies sold out 23 straight games, tallied 40 total sellouts and also won the Texas League title in their first year of existence. Tony and Brandon also discuss the challenges faced, fans showing up for minor league playoffs and looking ahead to 2020.
Discussing the MLB Proposal Could Eliminate 42 Minor Teams with MiLB's Jeff Lantz
On October 18th, 2019, Baseball America broke a story detailing a proposal from Major League Baseball that could eliminate 42 Minor League Teams ahead of the 2021 season. In this episode, Brandon is joined by Minor League Baseball's Senior Director of Communications, Jeff Lantz. Topics include the advantages & disadvantages for both sides, geographical impact, affiliate and level realignment, the proposed Dream League, MLB draft moving from June to August, the jobs at stake, limiting travel, getting stadiums up to standard and much more. At the end of the episode, Jeff answers questions from Twitter on the matter
If you want more details on the proposal, check out the Baseball America story: http://bit.ly/36UKzkh
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Rebrand Revisit: Rocky Mountain Vibes
Rocky Mountain Vibes President & GM Chris Phillips joins the show to talk about the success of the organization's inaugural season following their name change and level switch from Triple-A to Short Season.
2019 Road Trip Recap with MiLB.com's Ben Hill
MiLB.com's Ben Hill joins this show this week! During his 2019 road trips, Ben visited a number of teams across the country. Brandon and Ben discuss the teams that rebranded and opened new ballparks before looking ahead to some new identities for teams heading into the 2020 season.
Pace of Play, Growing as a Manager & The Grind of Broadcasting with Adam Pohl
Bowie Baysox play-by-play voice Adam Pohl joins the show! Brandon and Adam worked together with the Frederick Keys for three seasons (2011-13). The two touch on a number of topics including pace of play, becoming a good manager and making yourself valuable as a broadcaster.
MiLB to NBA G League: Tim Bawmann Discusses Challenges, Transition
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (NBA G League) President and former MiLB executive Tim Bawmann joins the show! He discusses how he landed his first job in the 1980's, tough market challenges and how to overcome them, the differences & similarities between Minor League Baseball and the G League, the importance of being open to relocation and more!
Behind the Branding with Brandiose's Jason Klein
Each season, a handful of teams change their brand. Whether it is a brand refresh or complete re-brand, Brandiose is usually the company behind it. In this episode, Brandiose partner Jason Klein joins the show to talk about how the company has grown to what it is today, the process behind creating a brand, how important storytelling is to a brand, the steps taken to initiate a branding effort and much more!
Follow Brandiose on Twitter @Brandiose!
MiLB President Pat O'Conner
The Story Behind A Traveling Mascot Circus
Rob Montepare, Founder and Co-Creator of the Fur Circus and Time Out Pros, joins the show! Brandon and Rob discuss some early career mascot stories and the rewarding side of being a mascot. We also learn about how the Fur Circus (a traveling mascot circus) was created and how it has grown into a company that travels to different venues with various entertainment acts to enhance the fan experience at games.
Blue Wahoos President Recalls Career Journey, Talks Growth in Pensacola
Exploring Collegiate Summer League Baseball with Aviators GM Zach Chartrand
Zach Chartrand, general manager of the Lafayette Aviators (Prospect League) joins Brandon Apter for this episode! The two discuss Zach's career path to Lafayette, the similarities & differences between collegiate summer league baseball and the low levels of the minors, playing in a historical ballpark, Lafayette's new ballpark for 2021, operating a team with a very small staff and more!
Follow the Aviators on Twitter @Lafayette_BSB and on Instagram @lafayette_aviators. Find out more information at Lafayettebaseball.com.
Broadcasting in Minor League Baseball with Ironpigs' Mike Ventola
Lehigh Valley Ironpigs Media Relations Manager Mike Ventola joins the show. Brandon and Mike talk about his introduction into broadcasting, which play-by-play voices inspired him early in his career, the preparation that goes into a game for broadcasters, his unique home run call in Reading, transition from full-time broadcasting to a media relations role and getting to call Phillies spring training.
Charleston Riverdogs: Silly String Records, Bill Murray, Unique Religious Demographic
Check out the Riverdogs promotional schedule and more at Riverdogs.com. For more information on the MiLB Innovators Summit, visit milbinnovatorssummit.com.
Woodpecker's Soaring in Inaugural Season
Fayetteville Woodpecker's play-by-play voice Matt Sabados joins the show! Matt and Brandon talk about the naming process behind the Woodpeckers which pays homage to an endangered species, baseball returning to the area for the first time since the early 2000's, fan reception of the new name and ballpark, notable Astros prospect performances and more.
Williamsport Crosscutters: From small town to small town to hosting MLB's Little League Classic
Williamsport Crosscutters Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, Gabe Sinicropi, joins the show! Gabe came and spoke in one of Brandon's Sport Management classes in 2008 and that inspired Brandon to look into working in Minor League Baseball. Over 10 years later, Gabe comes onto Apter Hours to discuss the Williamsport Crosscutters' journey from Geneva, NY, to Central, PA, Major League Baseball's Little League Classic at Williamsport's Historic Bowman Field and the gigantic baseball community that has grown in Williamsport with the Crosscutters and Little League World Series.
PBEO Job Fair, MiLB Events Continue to Provide Opportunities for Aspiring Sports Executives
Brandon is joined by Minor League Baseball's Manager of Special Events and Affiliate Programming, Paige Hegedus, for this episode! Paige oversees a number of MiLB's special events, including the Innovator's Summit, Winter Meetings and PBEO Job Fair. Brandon and Paige talk about the job fair experience, the opportunities it provides for both new and veteran executives, the big/small world of Minor League baseball, doing your research before interviews and much more!
Life in the Florida State League with Marauders GM Craig Warzecha
Bradenton Marauaders general manager Craig Warzecha joins the show! The Marauders, Advanced 'A' affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, play in one of the most challenging leagues to work in for front office executives -- the Florida State League. Craig and Brandon discuss the challenges of working in the FSL from the weather to the older demographic, getting to work big league spring training and more!
The Process and Growth Behind MiLB's Copa de la Diversión
Minor League Baseball's Vice President of Marketing Strategy & Research, Kurt Hunzeker, joins the show to talk about the numerous initiatives going on in MiLB, specifically Copa de la Diversión. Kurt and Brandon discuss how this program came to be, the growth its had from year to year and the logistics of getting 72 teams involved for the 2019 season.
"Copa de la Diversión," or "Fun Cup," is a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with participating teams' local U.S. Hispanic/Latino communities.A Talk with Amy Venuto: Sales Goddess, Team Builder, Customer Service Extraordinaire
Brandon is joined by Minor League Baseball front office veteran, Amy Venuto. Venuto's career in baseball dates back to the 1990's, mostly with Ripken Baseball. Now, she runs her own company, Amy Venuto Team Services, which travels to different organizations and sets up a strong foundation for sales and success. Brandon and Amy also discuss the rise of women in higher-up positions in sports, the importance of networking, interview tips for young professionals, thoughts on some of the rebrandings across the industry and much more!
Yard Goats Building On Success After Interesting Start in Hartford
Hartford Yard Goats General Manager, Mike Abramson, joins Apter Hours in the latest episode. Mike talks about the challenges of dealing with ballpark development issues in Hartford, which led to the Yard Goats having to play all games on the road in 2016. In 2017, Hartford's Dunkin Donuts park finally opened and the Yard Goats have been extremely successful since. Brandon and Mike also discuss about the upcoming season in Hartford and how there's always things to improve on and make the fan experience better in the minor leagues.
Nashville Sounds: Remastered
Brandon is joined by Nashville Sounds Director of Entertainment, Mary Hegley, in the latest Apter Hours. Mary gives an inside look as to why the Sounds decided to change their logo after going through a logo change not to long ago. In addition, Brandon and Mary discuss the buzz around Nashville when the new stadium was built in 2015 and how its grown, the phenomenal, unique ballpark atmosphere at First Tennessee Park heading into its fifth year, some of the promotions upcoming for 2019 and more.
Baseball Returns to Amarillo with the Sod Poodles
The topic of rebranding in Minor League Baseball continues as Amarillo Sod Poodles' President and General Manager, Tony Ensor, joins the show. Brandon and Tony discuss the minor league realignment that put baseball back in Amarillo, the naming process that led to Sod Poodles, baseball returning to Amarillo for the first time since the early 1980s, what fans can expect from the new ballpark and much more! Follow the Sod Poodles on social media @sodpoodles or visit them online at sodpoodles.com.
Gwinnett Stripers: Excitement Builds Behind New Leadership
New Gwinnett Stripers Vice President and General Manager, Adam English, joins the show just a few short months into his position with the Triple-A Braves affiliate. Adam and Brandon discuss the potential and challenges of the Gwinnett market, Adam's journey to Gwinnett, the talented Braves prospects that could be on the roster in 2019 and what fun events are planned for season. Follow the Stripers on Twitter @gostripers and make sure to visit them online at GoStripers.com.
Rocky Mountain Vibes: New Name, New Affiliation, New Level
Rocky Mountain Vibes President & General Manager, Chris Phillips, joins the show to talk about the recent transformation of baseball in Colorado Springs. After 30+ years of being the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox, they are now known as Brewers Rookie League affiliate, the Rocky Mountain Vibes. Now dealing with a new name, affiliate and level, Chris talks about the story of how the Vibes name came to be, the advantages of having less home games and his journey to becoming President & GM of the Vibes.
Make sure to follow the Vibes on Twitter @vibesbaseball and visit them online at vibesbaseball.com.
You can find Apter Hours on Twitter @ApterHoursPod.
Rebranding in Minor League Baseball with MiLB.com's Ben Hill
In the first episode of the Apter Hours Podcast reboot, Brandon is joined by MiLB.com's Ben Hill (@bensbiz) ! Ben has covered the business and culture of Minor League Baseball since 2005, visiting teams all over the country to explore the unique atmospheres of each organization. The episode starts off with Ben's personal journey into MiLB and how his position has developed over the years. Later, Ben and Brandon talk about the topic of rebranding in Minor League Baseball and discuss the teams that changed their look and/or name during the 2018 offseason.