Baseball's Inside Journey #2

The podcast, Baseball's Inside Journey, focuses on youth baseball and aims to help players and parents increase their baseball knowledge. In a recent episode, Coach Drew and Eric Powers discuss their disappointing performance at a tournament in Arizona. They lost four out of five games and struggled with throwing strikes. They discuss the importance of pitch count and innings rules for young pitchers. They also talk about the strategies and conversations that take place on the mound between coaches and pitchers. In the second half of the episode, they introduce their guests from Baseball Beyond Borders, a nonprofit organization that aims to provide equitable access to baseball and softball for underserved communities. They also discuss the partnership with the Seattle Mariners and the upcoming opening of the Mariners Training Centers. Overall, the episode highlights the challenges and opportunities in youth baseball and the efforts to make the sport more accessible to all. Welcome to Baseball's Inside Journey, the podcast that helps players and parents grow their baseball knowledge. This is a show that specializes in youth baseball. And now, here's Coach Drew and Eric Powers. All right, we return to Baseball's Inside Journey. What's up? I'm Eric Powers with Coach Drew. Hey, man. In the building, man. Ready for this. This is going to be fun. This is podcast number two, and we appreciate you guys listening and sharing with your friends and getting the word out. And we actually just returned from Arizona, where it was, I don't know, 70 degrees? Hey, it was a lot better than last year, I'll tell you that. Oh, man. Beautiful weather. I mean, sun, families, great food, jumping in the pool, baseball. Yeah. And I saw it from one vantage point as a parent, and you saw it on the field as the head coach. It was a bittersweet tournament for us because we didn't throw strikes. We beat ourselves. We went, what, we think we played five games? We lost four of them, and three of them, we got mercied. That was pretty embarrassing in a lot of ways. And heartbreaking for us, you know what I mean? Well, yeah, yeah. We've been working our butts off. I mean, the kids have been working their butts off, and us coaches have, too, since the middle of October. And for us to go down there and perform like that was pretty disappointing. But you know, they're 13 years old, so you can grow from this, and hopefully we'll be able to do that. Yeah. If you're not winning, you're learning, right? Yeah, well, that's the idea. Yeah, no doubt. Yeah. Well, speaking of, if you don't mind, I'm going to jump into this. I have a question, and I think some of the parents do, too. And now that we've got you on the hot seat, let's just ask. So you had kind of our premier pitcher, and you had him pitching for five innings. Yep. And then you had another pitcher who pitched for three innings. Okay, sure. Yeah. So I guess I'm just trying to understand why one would go longer and the other one not as long. And how do you analyze and look at that and break that down, because as parents, we don't know. We're confused. Oh, I see. I see what you mean. Well, largely because of more pitch count than innings. I know a lot of these tournaments, and probably, obviously, some of the parents were talking, wondering what the heck's going on, right? Totally. It was more about pitch count. And when they had both similar pitch counts at that point in the games, and I pulled them out, because we're early, we're beginning in the season, right? We're just starting out. These have been pitching, but their arms are not in shape yet. And it would be poor form on my end to extend them longer than they should already go. So 70 pitches was kind of my limit for these guys going down there at any one given start. But in these tournaments, they actually have innings rules. Oh. More than pitch. They don't have pitch count rules. Oh. The Little League has pitch count rules, and I like that. But these tournaments have an innings rule. I did not know that. Yeah. For instance, the one kid you're talking about, our ace pitcher that went five innings, well, he threw roughly 70-ish pitches, right? So the other kid threw about the same amount of pitches in three innings. Wow. Okay. So when you look at it from that standpoint, they're both throwing the same amount of pitches, but I'm telling you what, the kid that threw 70 pitches in three innings is going to be a lot more tired after those three innings than the kid that threw the same amount over five innings, because they're higher leverage innings, higher leverage pitches. This kid's pitching with guys on base. He's getting behind in the count. He's not throwing strike one, strike two. He's getting behind ball one, ball two, and battling back. Every single pitch is a challenge. It's just not clicking. That makes sense. Yeah. So that's why coaches will do that, and again, from my standpoint, it's more about the pitch count and the pitches that they're throwing in those situations, how stressful are those pitches. Yeah. Okay. Another question on this, I'm going to throw at you real quick, is when you and the head coach goes to the mound, and he's having that conversation with the pitcher, us parents are all just sitting there, all eyes, all attention is on you, and we're always wondering what is that conversation on the mound, if you don't mind sharing, I mean, a typical mound conversation. Yeah. A lot of times you go out there, and depending on the kid, you're really trying to calm them down a little bit. Maybe even if it's not their fault, maybe you just go out there and allow them to get a deep breath, and it's like, hey, just wanted to kind of break it up a little bit, and come talk to you, and maybe then we talk strategy, talk strategy with the catcher, hey, this guy's a first pitch fastball hitter, let's start him off with a breaking ball on this one. Hey, we've got a first and third situation, so we're going to run our trick play. Things like that, that we'll do to talk about, to kind of maybe take the pitcher's mind off of it a little bit, but also then kind of refocus him and say, okay, and then like the last thing you tell him, it's like, okay, hey, just do what we've been practicing, get into your legs, just be directional towards your catcher, and get after it, man, you got this. That's awesome. Say something very positive to them, keep them encouraged, and give them, I like to always give, at this age, I like to give them a mental reminder of some of the mechanics that we've been working on, and then I'll leave and make sure they all know what they're doing. It seems, I'm not kidding, more than any other tournament or games I've ever seen, it seemed to work almost every time they would get better right afterwards. You've got to feel pretty good. A lot of times, I didn't know there was so much strategy, I thought it was more of a break on the arm, get them kind of thinking about something else, calm them down, but there's a lot more getting them to think about your strategies. Sure, sure, that's the idea. You really need them, especially at this age, at the 13U level, they're not really thinking as much out there as you would like them to be, they're just throwing the pitch that the catcher throws down for them. Even in our case, I actually call the game, I call the pitches, relay them to the catcher who relays them to the pitcher. That is actually very controversial for some, because they don't like the idea that they're saying that the catcher and the pitcher don't get to work together to figure out how to pitch. But in my case, and I think a lot of people think the way I think, is that we're teaching them how to pitch. That is if you go and tell them why you did it this way, because that's not always what happens. You just do it because you're going to win the game, or because you know better than they do, and that's fine. But I think you're doing them a disservice if you don't then go and tell them, why did we throw this pitch in that situation? Why did we throw a first pitch curveball to the number three hole hitter, right, with bases loaded? I don't want to get behind, right, so I want to throw one right down the can for this guy. Well, guess what? That's what he's looking for. And so you have to know what the hitter's looking for, you have to kind of look for their tendencies, how they swing, and you have to teach those kids what they should be looking for. But at this age, they're still learning, so we call those pitches for them. Makes sense. So coming up next, it kind of all comes together with our two next guests, and it's all about kind of the heart and soul of the show, and it's Baseball Beyond Borders, and it's very near and dear to you. But you've got the guest coming up next, the founder, Buki Gates, he's going to be on the show just in a second. Talk to us about it. Yeah, it's really exciting. I know Joe Townsend's also going to be on with it, and he's a good friend of mine that I've been playing baseball with and against for about the last 20 years. And he's a part of Baseball Beyond Borders, which is a part of the RBI initiative from Major League Baseball, their local affiliate here in the Seattle area. So it's really exciting to have them on, and I think it's going to be a really good show. They're coming up next, right here on Baseball's Inside Journey. I'm Bill Freeburg. My son Dave and I own 1-866-SLAP-JACK. We raise sunken concrete. If you have a settled sidewalk or uneven driveway, don't worry about the high cost of replacement. We can simply raise your concrete back to where it should be, leaving you a clean, level surface. Our process is quick and easy, and a fraction of the cost of replacement. Give us a call. 1-866-SLAP-JACK, SLAP-JACK. Welcome back to Baseball's Inside Journey with Coach Drew and Eric Powers. All right, we return with our special guest for Baseball's Inside Journey podcast. This is number two. I'm Eric Powers. Coach Drew, how you doing, man? I'm doing great. Happy to be here. Man, this podcast, time flies, man. It just goes fast when we're doing stuff together. This is fun. This is cool, man. Baseball is our life. And we've got two incredible guests on the show today to talk about baseball beyond borders. And I don't know if you guys are aware, but Seattle Mariners and EL1, which we work with, they're leading this national youth sports training company, launching new training centers to expand equitable access and participation in youth baseball and softball, and these really cool state-of-the-art facilities. So we're going to learn a ton about this today. And let's start with Buki. So you were actually drafted by the Minnesota Twins, correct? That is correct. Minnesota Twins in 01, and then the Arizona Diamondbacks in 02. And also, Buki, you're a Coug, right? That's right. Go Cougs. Go Cougs is right, man. My wife A.O. Pye, so I'm with you. That's awesome. And then Joe, of course, you and I have been playing baseball together, and I know you played at Long Island University? Correct. That's very cool. And one thing that I know is that Joe is also a Hall of Fame inductee in 2021 to the MSBL Hall of Fame, and that's the Men's Senior Baseball League. That's a national organization, and it's something that I've been playing in for some time. Joe has, and we have World Series and all sorts of different tournaments all over the country. There's, gosh, I don't know how many different MSBL affiliates we have all over the country, but there's thousands and thousands of players and leagues, so it's very cool. What's up, Eric Powers? Coach Drew, we are back for, of course, Baseball's Inside Journey, and we've got a very special guest on who has not only really helped us in the community with baseball, but really made a huge impact on our kids. And we can't say enough great things about the one and only Craig Bishop in the building here, or on the phone, I should say. That's right. Thank you guys for having me. Really excited, man. First, I'm learning so much about you. We are learning so much about you just by seeing kind of your history and what you've done. For 32 years coaching 13 to 18 U Seattle area summer select teams. You coached at the college level, Wenatchee Valley College from 94 to 96. 12 seasons as a head coach at Inglemore High School, 98-2004 and 2018 to 2022, and two times King Cove coach of the year 99 and 2018. Man, I didn't see you put it down here, but Kenmore Cardinals, you created them? I mean, what? Yeah, that's what I understand. Yeah, my wife and I are certainly proud of that. It's something that we started as a local youth, I guess, team that was affiliated with the Little League. My wife was president of North Lake Little League for a few years, and so that was something that we wanted to do. That's the experience for the kids. I'm certainly proud of the Kenmore Cardinals. Absolutely, and I think some people don't know that, and it's just cool to get that out there. So, 2011 to present, general manager of Merchants Baseball Club, currently 13 baseball teams and three softball teams. How do you manage all that quickly? How does just kind of your everyday person make an impact with Baseball Beyond Borders? Good! How do they go website research, and maybe what's a way they can learn and get involved? What you hear us talk about is a passion, and I'm lucky to be able to make my living in this sport, but it does take a lot of management, and I'm lucky to have a lot of great coaches and support people that help me manage it all. And you know what? You've also a handful of players. You've obviously, Coach, have played in the big leagues. Every kid's aspiration and dream when they get to certain levels, and that's got to be just incredible. That's got to be an incredible feeling, but it also seems like when you make an impact on a player at any level, and you see that change and how much it really involves into their life and makes impact, that's got to be important too. Yeah, you know, it's extremely satisfying. I've kind of found, I was fortunate to coach a lot of great players early in my career at college level, and then in a summer select level where many kids went on to play professionally and in major college baseball. The older I get, the more that I'm really enjoying the work that I'm doing with the younger kids and the community work. Well, it sounds like you guys are getting some very good recognition too from MLB, and Yeah, I'm out here. It's incredible. Just looking down this last year, not only a lead instructor for EL1, general manager for EL1 wouldn't have been quite an honor, and it's probably a pretty good time too. You know, Craig, that's something I wanted to ask you about. Obviously, you've been with EL1. You've had your merchants program, and I was very flattered to have you ask me to help start up your 12U program last year. And so, with all that, now I know that you have been promoted to district manager of the Mariners Training Centers. Could you talk a little bit about that relationship with Mariners? Yeah, sure. So, EL1 sports is a nationwide company that's in the youth sports industry. We have football, softball, and baseball. But in the Northwest, we have been very fortunate to partner with the Mariners. And so, now we've opened up the Mariners Training Centers. We've got five facilities up through Alabama, Tacoma, Seattle, Redmond, and Woodville. Another question I have real fast is, you know, you mentioned RBI baseball, which is the MLB's initiative, right, to assist reviving baseball in the inner cities. And that's actually what originally got me very – you know, Eric and I wanted to be able to support some kind of nonprofit that obviously focuses on baseball, because that's where our passion is. And so, I knew about the RBI program, and I actually – that's how I reached out to Joe Townsend about this, is to say, hey, I know you're involved, and can you tell me more about it? And how can we get involved as well? And then, of course, Baseball Beyond Borders came from there. So, can you explain kind of your relationship with the RBI program? Yeah. We work with the Mariners, and therefore, very important to us is that we represent their brand. That's huge, man. So, talk a little bit about – you've got so many things on your plate coming up this season. And you talked a little bit about kind of the merchants – well, EL1, rather, training facility down by T-Mobile Park. Now, is that facility – when is that all going to be live, open, and available? Well, I know that the goal is to have that facility open this summer sometime. The All-Star game is certainly a target, but as we all know, it's a lot of logistics. So, I have a meeting this afternoon with the Mariners to talk more about that in terms of their vision. My belief is the intent is to have a training facility, but also a fan game day experience facility. So, that's exciting for us. This summer is when it's scheduled to open, and then we will help them manage that. But it's another facility in the Northwest where people can come and enjoy baseball and softball and games they love. You know, Craig, one of the things I find really interesting in such a small world in the baseball community is that I noticed that you are partnering also with Baseball Beyond Borders, which actually turns out to be the charity, the baseball nonprofit that we're supporting here with Baseball's Inside Journey. So, a very small world on that. I was hoping maybe you could talk a little bit about what that relationship looks like as well. Yeah, absolutely. So, Buki Gates is the founder of Baseball Beyond Borders. He's a gentleman that I've known for many, many years. In fact, even when he was a player, he was an amazing player and ended up going to Washington State University. And Buki, he's an activist. He's a man whose goal is that equitable opportunities for young men and women to play baseball and softball in perhaps more underserved communities. And so, I'm going to meet with him, and it's wonderful to reconnect with him. You know, Joe, you had actually told me a little bit about that, that the RBI West Regional is coming here to the Seattle area. And that leads me to the question, how did you get involved with Baseball Beyond Borders and or the RBI program? Whew, that story's a long one. I like to say, I didn't get like a fan. It's funny when I have this experience at all times to reward the gentleman that I'm on this podcast with. Buki is just a couple of awesomeness. If I can just say it that way, I'm like a fan when I'm around him. I have VP goals to help out our kids. It gives me goosebumps. Again, Baseball Beyond Borders is, I would think, 23 million of the RBI program through Major League Baseball. Yeah, my understanding is that they are the RBI. So, for me to have the opportunity to tag along and be on your team and help the community around you. Yeah, don't worry. Don't worry about it. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. 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It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. And when would that be, even when you see that? You know, I feel like I might actually have a better deal for it in softball. With two daughters in both that play softball, one turned down a 14-team, it drives me nuts to think that there are kids that you are serving and in other parts of the country that don't have access to it, that would like access to it. And that just can't happen anymore. It really is. Because baseball, you know, anybody that loves the game understands that whether you made it or not professionally, I mean, Joe and I play in this mentally, you know, you play because you love the game. And you love being around the guys and all that stuff. And if you love the game, that's why I keep going out and doing it, because I just love being around it. And it would break my heart to not be able to get out there and play anymore. Yeah, we're looking to play every day, because kids that don't love the game aren't playing anymore. We're all in, man. I mean, I've got to say, we're all in with baseball. We all want to support you guys in any way we can and spread the word and take it from there. And we really appreciate you guys coming on the show. It's been an awesome opportunity. I really do get it through. And frankly, as a parent, it's not very easy either. So how do you manage the baseball talk at your house? I mean, your wife's a coach. You're obviously a lead. Your kids all play baseball. Is there a Bishop turn-off of baseball talk at your house? Gosh, you know what, Eric? There's not. It's our culture. The more we talk about it, the more we reach out. Sooner or later, more people will check in. Sooner or later, there will be a platform that levels the playing ground of everyone. I appreciate y'all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.