Grand Slam In Bradenton, Florida

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I used to think traveling around the country in the middle of the night was always an adventure to make time when I had to get projects done at their destinations.

But when you cover Spring Training, there are always new adventures every time you plan something so you better plan on your feet.

Over the years, I’ve always been able to do that and this spring tested my resolve. Add the World Baseball Classic and it was difficult to always utilize Plan A, so I had to have a Plan B and C.

During the weekend of March 21-22, this proved to be the case.

I was hoping to set-up the Atlanta Braves at the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park aka “Fenway South” but those credentials never came to fruition.

But the word that I’ve used a lot this spring is “Pivoted” and that’s what becomes the case as I applied for the Toronto Blue Jays at the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Fla. I waited all night to see if we were going. I emailed the Pirates and never got an answer. But I never gave up.

In the middle of the night, I called Pirates City and as fate would have it, found a woman in security that knew the right Public Relations person to contact. She tracked his phone number and at 6 AM on Saturday March 21, I reached out to Dan Hart. I texted him and he quickly got back to me and was surprised that I  never got the confirmation email that we were approved. He moved swiftly to get the approval and my photographer and I managed to get to the ballpark by 10 AM. Three hours before game time.

There would be no clubhouse access but I’ve always found a way to work around that situation.

As soon as we got to the Press Box, I ran into Pirates Radio Play By Play Announcer Joe Block. I asked Joe if he would like to be on the “Motor City Mad Mouth” Show and he said yes. Before I  did the interview, Joe told me he was from the Metro Detroit Area and I could see that we were going to have a  blast talking about the Pirates and Detroit Tigers. There is nothing better than a quick strike when you get to the ballpark and 15 minutes later, we accomplished one thing.

After eating a couple of hot dogs at the concession stand, I decided to go to the Toronto Blue Jays and see what I could get. 

I hit the jackpot.

First, I interviewed Toronto Hitting Coach David Popkins and it was great talking to him. I learned a lot about hitting, his relationship with Don Mattingly and he told me after the interview that he had a good time talking to a person that knew a lot about baseball.

Second, Blue Jays Manager John Schneider had his Media Availability and it was great getting a few questions in with the skipper. He’s a super nice guy and is a person that you pull for hoping that he’ll win a World Series. Last year versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Jays came away one out short of accomplishing their goal.

Third, Blue Jays center fielder Myles Straw was great. He’s a Gold Glove winner and is extremely quick on the base paths. He fields his position very well and we also had an excellent conversation.

Before 11:30 AM, I hit the ultimate grand slam by snapping up a broadcaster, coach, manager and a player. I even took a photo with my good friend and Blue Jays Field Reporter Hazel Mae.

All of those videos are inside the story. We hope you enjoy them.

When I started working the game, I did sit next to Dan Hart and he saw where the issues occurred during the Major League Baseball Credentialing system. He apologized for the mixup, but I said no worries and now he’s a great contact for the future. He’s been with the Pirates for over 12 years and said that he was pleased that the security lady at Pirates City got me in touch with him.

I told him in the future, I would need clubhouse and he told me just to mention it in the notes. Hart is a class act and I told him that I would like to go to Pittsburgh and he said no problem.

I’ve actually shared this story on a couple of my podcasts, plus used the other interviews as well for topics. If there was ever a time where we won “Ugly” this was it. But nevertheless, we got the job done and that’s all that mattered.

We attempted to cover games the following day, but a couple of the requests never went through. The World Baseball Classic concluded so there was plenty of media in Florida with the regular players back. 

But overall, I was extremely pleased with what we accomplished in Spring Training and the Only Plan A that came to fruition was a story that I wrote in Atlanta about their new ballpark, “CoolToday Park up I-75 in North Port. Otherwise, from the game selection and the interviews, we did tons of pivoting and that gave me an adrenaline rush.

Indeed, this was quite an adventure.

But that was fun with what we’ve added here at the South Florida Tribune Media Network.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can follow him on X @TribuneSouth. You can see his broadcasts by subscribing to the South Florida Tribune YouTube Channel.

He also wrote a book “Lessons From The Microphone” which you can purchase on Amazon/Kindle and Barnes And Noble. It’s also available in Audio Form.  

Don Mattingly Alive And Well With Philadelphia Phillies

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

The one thing that I truly look forward to every baseball season is catching up with my great friend Don Mattingly. Wherever Don goes, I follow him.

When he left the Miami Marlins, I went up to Toronto, CA., and spent time with him in the Rogers Centre before a game against the Kansas City Royals. We spent some time catching up.

Last season, Don was gracious enough to do a nine minute interview for the “Motor City Mad Mouth Show” before a Miami Marlins game vs the Blue Jays at Loan Depot Park. 

A few months later, Donnie Baseball found himself in the World Series facing the Los Angeles Dodgers, but came up one out short of winning his first Championship Ring.

After the Fall Classic, Mattingly left his position with the Toronto Blue Jays and decided to take some time off pondering his future. Retirement was a possibility so he could spend more time with his grandchildren or would he give it another go with another team.

The Philadelphia Phillies would be an intriguing option because his son Preston is the general manager of the club.

Before Spring Training, Mattingly made the decision to join the Phillies and give it another shot at that elusive World Series title. He would be going to the club that had Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and many others on it. This is an extremely talented team and is considered one of the best franchises in baseball.

Instead of going to Dunedin to see Don with the Blue Jays, I would have to travel to Clearwater and see him with the Phillies.

I applied on March 7, but was initially denied. When the Phillies PR Guy spoke to Don, my good buddy said he would like to talk to me and we did get approved. 

By the time I got this notification, I shifted to the Miami Marlins at Houston Astros in West Palm Beach and we covered that game. 

The PR guy was real nice about this and we would see Don a week later vs the Atlanta Braves instead.

Before the Astros game, I interviewed Astros All-Star hurler Josh Hader and manager Joe Espada.

The game we covered was on Sunday, March 15 vs the Atlanta Braves. 

Don and I took pictures, the we talked about his decision to leave Toronto, the World Series, working with Preston, the Phillies chances to win in 2026, the ABS System and many other baseball topics. 

Once again, it was a great time with two individuals who go back a long time. I told Don that when I write my second book, I’ll have to decide what photo of what jersey I’ll have to use.

In this story, you’re going to see the video of our interview. You’re also going to see another interview with Anthony San Fillippo, a prominent media member in Philadelphia covers the Phillies and the areas other teams. We also talked about him on 108 Stitches, Baseball Talk.

A week later, I covered the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays in Bradenton, FL. Blue Jays Manager John Schneider had a ton of praise for his former bench coach.

There is so much love and respect for Don Mattingly.

Before I spoke to Mattingly, I saw him working by the batting cage, then he worked with the first and second baseman trying to give pointers how to hit and field their positions better.

Don Mattingly is all about coaching and contributing anyway he can. 

Nothing has ever changed for the 64-year old native of Evansville, Indiana that has a lifetime batting average of .307, who’s No.23 is retired by the New York Yankees and is a Monument Park honoree.

The one honor that has eluded him is enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Game, but he downplays that because of injuries. To this day, I’ll keep endorsing him until is lands is spot in baseball immortality! Don Mattingly is a Hall of Fame Person and Baseball Player! Many years ago, I did buy a Hydrostone Statue of Don swinging the bat which is in my studio.

Instead, he takes more pride in Mattingly Charities and we also talked about that during our interview.

As Baseball uncertainty is inevitable after the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026, this was one more opportunity to talk to a Baseball Lifer that is truly one of a kind in my eyes and has a tremendous following worldwide.

It was great seeing him again! I look forward to the next time! Now, it’s obvious that I’ll be pulling for the Phillies to win the World Series for “Donnie Baseball” so he can get a champions exit and retire on top!

The one thing which is constant is that before we start an interview, we always exchange hugs and Don always asked me about my health. 

He’s given me moral support when I started dealing with concussions. Now that I have Alzheimer’s Disease, his concern for me is even deeper! 

He always tells me to hang in there and keep plugging away! I tell him it’s not easy but I’m trying and tell him I love him and he just keeps hugging me as my head drops into his arms! Don Mattingly is the older brother that I never had!

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@Gmail.com. You can follow him on X @TribuneSouth. To see all of his broadcasts, you can subscribe to the South Florida Tribune YouTube Channel.

Scott also wrote a book “Lessons From The Microphone” which can be purchase on Amazon/Kindle and Barnes & Noble. It’s also available in Audio Form.

Scott will be writing his final Spring Story about the Toronto Blue Jays vs the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, FL. Stay tuned.

 

Cool Today Park, Is A Cool Ballpark!

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Over the years, I’ve been to three different Spring Training Venues with the Atlanta Braves.

First, I saw them in West Palm Beach when they played in West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium. This was back in the 1980’s. 

Second, the Braves played in Orlando at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Stadium. They played there from 1997-2019. The ballpark held approximately 7,500 and was located in Kissimmee, FL.It’s called Champion Stadium. The major issues the Braves had was travel as there were very few teams in Central Florida. The most common opponent was the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, FL off of I-4.

The Braves moved into their current Spring Training Park on March 24, 2019 as Atlanta defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2. The Rays train down the road off of I-75 in Port Charlotte. CoolToday Park also serves as the Braves year-round rehabilitation facility.

On Saturday, August 14, I made my first trip to CoolToday Park and the Braves crushed the Boston Red Sox 10-1. The ballpark is located in Sarasota County, has 6,200 fixed seats, and 8,000 total. Left Field is 335 feet, Left-Center 385 feat, Center Field 400 feet, Reight-Center 375 feet and Right Field is 325 feet.

The Press Box is very spacious and is one of the best that I’ve ever been in covering Spring Training through the years.

In this story, I recorded a short video of this Spring Training gem which I encourage everyone to see at least once. I’m looking forward to making return trips here in the future.

Also, My photographer Candy Ebling did a sensational job taking photos as she made her way around this place. 

The Braves $140 Million project was funded by private and public sources. The Braves signed a 30-year lease so they’re not going anywhere for a while.

Sarasota County contributed $21.2 million through hotel and bed dollars. The state of Florida put in $20 Million after showing the Braves arrival would add $1.7 billion economic impact over the 30 year lease.

Mattamy Homes, a private developer donated the land and $4.7 million. The city of North Port contributed $4.7 million and Wellen Park, the planned community within North Port that houses the facility, ran the construction and the development.

The biggest advantage for the Braves is their proximity to teams located off of I-75.

The Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox play in Fort Myers Florida. The Pittsburgh Pirates are located in Bradenton, the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota and the Tampa Bay Rays are in Port Charlotte. There are five teams located within two hours which was a challenge when they were in Disney.

The Braves Public Relations and Comminications staff were great hosts and I look forward to working with them when we make our way to Truist Park in Atlanta.

The Braves Staff were instrumental in helping me land Coach Tony Diaz for the Motor City Mad Mouth Show and had a Media Availability with Manager Walt Weiss. You can also find those videos in this story. I wrote a separate article on Diaz that you might want to check out. I predict that Diaz will manage in the Big Leagues one day.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the short video and the photos. This is definitely a place which is NOT a ONE and DONE! 

It’s a bucket list item for those that want to chase ballparks and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of watching the Boys of Summer during the Spring.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloriudatribune@gmail.com and you can see his broadcasts on the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel. There is no cost to subscribe. Also, Scott wrote a book “Lessons From The Microphone” which can be purchased on Amazon/Kindle and Barnes and Noble. There is also an Audio Book that you can get as well.

My next story of Spring Training, I took a trip to Bradenton, Florida and I’ll go over that experience.

Tony Diaz, Hidden Gem, Atlanta Braves Coach

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I’ve been covering Spring Training for years and the valuable lesson that I’ve learned is you better be able to think on your feet and have a back-up plan if Plan A doesn’t go through.

It’s easier to create a back-up plan than it was years ago because of the mobile phone. If you need to find out information on someone, then google the individual and it’s right at your fingertips.

When I covered the Boston Red Sox game in North Port, Fla at Cool Today Park, my agenda was to write a pair of stories.

One was about the Atlanta Braves latest Spring Training venue, and I’ve seen them play at the old West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium as well as in Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. That story will follow this one.

The other story I wanted to write was on Darnell Coles, who was added to Atlanta’s Coaching staff this season. Coles has been a friend of mine since his days with the Detroit Tigers.

Who would be my Plan B? 

Antonio Tony Diaz happened to be standing next to me in the Braves dugout. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native, was hired by New Manager Walt Weiss to the staff. The 49-year old is the infield coach and started his college baseball career at Gulf Coast College before moving to Florida International University where he played for the FIU Panthers.

According to Coach Danny Price, he was a professional prospect until suffering an arm injury. After his college career, a former teammate recommended him as a baseball coach to the Colorado Rockies, who were specifically looking for bilingual coaches.

He graduated from FIU with a BA Degree in Marketing. He served as manager for the baseball team at G Holmes Braddock High School in Miami Florida. Diaz served as the hitting coach for the Casper Ghosts from 2–1-2006, taking over as their manager in 2007.

Diaz would join the Colorado Rockies in 2017 and stayed in Denver through 2018. His tenure with the Minnesota Twins was from 2019-2024. On April 15, 2025, it was announced that Diaz would be the hitting coach for the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League for their upcoming 2025 season.

He was hired to join Walt Weiss’ staff in 2026.

In the dugout, I asked Diaz if he wanted to come on the Motor City Mad Mouth Show. 

He agreed to come on and the PR Guy asked me about the South Florida Tribune. I clarified that all interviews I do go to the Show and I write stories on the Tribune. He understood what I was doing and was totally fine with everything.

These days, I like the people I interview to go in multiple places to maximize the exposure. They’ve been extremely cooperative up to this point.

During my conversation with the energetic Diaz, we talked about his journey to the Big Leagues, and if he aspires to be a manager down the road. We even talked about former Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Gallaraga, who nearly pitched a perfect game, but a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce, led to MLB eventually adding instant replay.

In this story, you’re going to hear the entire interview and his Manager Walt Weiss raved about having Diaz on his staff. That interview is also included in this article.

Nowadays, MLB teams employ as many as 15-20 coaches to give more attention to the other positions and expedite the development of their players. It’s a far cry from years past when there were approximately eight coaches.

Furthermore, with the increased addition of Latin players, bilingual is a must these days.

This guy is a hidden gem on the Braves staff and you’re going to hear more about him in the future especially since there are more Latin managers being hired.

There is nothing better than a Plan B that turns out well which shows the unpredictability of Spring Training. I really have a blast adapting to these situations.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. You can find him on X @TribuneSouth and see his broadcasts by subscribing at no cost to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

He also wrote a book, “Lessons From The Microphone” which is available on Amazon/Kindle and Barnes and Noble. The audio version is available as well.

Up next, get ready for my story on Cool Today Park.

Astros Josh Hader An Old School Closer

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I have seen some electrifying pitchers over the years that bring unbelievable energy when they step on the hill. 

One of my favorites of all-time was back in 1976 when Mark “The Bird” Fidrych played for the Detroit Tigers.

Before the Houston Astros hosted Miami on March 7 in West Palm Beach, I interviewed Josh Hader, the left-handed hurler as he joined the Motor City Mad Mouth Show.

Josh is an amazing pitcher as well as a person.

This is a guy that could pitch in any era as he’s been known to pitch multiple innings to earn his team a save. I also talked to Astros Manager Joe Espada about his closer. 

Both of the videos are in the story. You can click on them and see them in their entirety.

Hader, 31, a Millersville, Maryland, played for the Milwaukee Brewers (2017-2022), San Diego Padres (2022-2023) and he’s presently with the Astros.

Here are some of  his career highlights:

*He’s a six-time All Star (2018, 2019, 2021-2023 and 2025).

* Hader was selected as All-MLB First team three times (2019, 2021 and 2023).

*He was a three times NL Reliever of the Year (2018, 2019, and 2021).

*Josh was the NL saves leader in 2020 with 13 in 15 chances.

*He’s also pitched a combined no hitter on September 11, 2021.

His MLB statistics through the 2025 season are as follows: he’s 34-31, 2.64 ERA, 829 strikeouts and 227 saves.

He was an intricate part of the Milwaukee Brewers success and now the Houston Astros are counting on him to anchor the back end of their bullpen.

During his appearance on my show, we talked about him pitching multiple innings as well as his stops in MLB.

You won’t find a nicer person than Hader and he’s very well liked in the clubhouse, especially by his manager and the Media raves about him.

I hope you enjoy the interview and I’ll definitely monitoring his performance throughout the 2026 Season and see if he can get the Astros back into the playoffs.

Look for more Spring Training Updates.

Scott Morganroth can  be reached at Southfloridatribune@gmail.com and @TribuneSouth on X.

To see his broadcasts, there is no cost to subscribe to the South Florida Tribune YouTube Channel. Just hit the red subscribe button.

Also, he wrote a book: “Lessons From The Microphone” which can be purchased on Amazon/Kindle, Barnes and Noble and there is an Audio Book as well…

Sports Scene

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

In this column, it’s time to give a few special shout out to some very good people.

We’ll start with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Bruce Arians on priorities for coaches. He said via the NFL Network “I tell my coaches if you miss a Recital, Football Game, Basketball Game, I’ll Fire You.” He won the Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2021. He goes on to say, “I missed a lot of (My Son’s Games). Those years don’t come back. It means more to your children. When I hear about guys sleeping in their office…I wonder what the hell they’re doing there…The work will always be there, the kids won’t.”

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The Minnesota Twins received a tough break this spring. Pablo Lopez, a guy that could pitch in any era because he’s an innings eater, has a “Significant Tearing” in his right UCL and will be lost for the season. He will undergo Tommy John Surgery. Get well soon, Pablo. He’s one of my favorite pitchers in this generation.

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I’ve enjoyed working with Mario Cristobal and I like his most recent quote pertaining to recruiting. “We don’t get into negative recruiting, but people always negative recruit us, and that’s fine. No one should ever take that personally . Just let it play out.” On recruiting The State of Florida.

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I want to wish a Happy 80th Birthday to one of My Best Friends in Sports Media, Bob Ryan. He retired from the Boston Globe. He’s a mentor to me and much more! You won’t meet a classier individual than this! If you don’t know much about him then look him up on Google.

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It’s time to talk about Pro Sports Valuations with the South Florida Franchises. 1. Miami Dolphins $8.25 Billion, Miami Heat $6.03 Billion, 3. Florida Panthers $1.89 Billion, 4. Inter-Miami $1.45 Billion 5. Miami Marlins $1.30 Billion.

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Netflix is pursuing Barry Bonds for its exclusive coverage on Opening Day between the Giants and Yankees, per The Athletic. Netflix is also trying to sign CC Sabathia for the broadcast.

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I look forward to the next Sports Scene as the objective is to come up with a combination of storylines that  will certainly be enlightening and informative.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at Southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can see his broadcasts by Subscribing to the South Florida Tribune YouTube Channel. Also, he wrote a book called “Lessons From The Microphone” which can be purchased on Amazon/Kindle and Barnes And Noble. The audio book is also available.

Miami’s James Brockermeyer Has A Chip On His Shoulder

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When you get snubbed to go to the NFL Scouting Combine, there is a reason to have a chip on your shoulder.

That turned out to be the case for 23-year old James Brockermeyer, a center, who had to protect QB Carson Beck last Fall. Brockermeyer had a fine season with the Hurricanes.

He was First-team All-American in 2025. He was Third-team All ACC in 2025.

The 6-3, 295 pounder, who attended All Saints Episcopal High School in Fort Worth, Texas., will have to show what he can do when the Miami Hurricanes have their Pro-Day in Coral Gables in a few weeks.

Prior to coming to Miami, he played three years at Alabama from 2021 through 2023, by playing in 16 total games, while utilizing a redshirt season. After the conclusion of the 2023 season, Brockermeyer entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

Brockermeyer transferred to play for the TCU Horned Frogs. 

During the 2024 Season, he appeared in and started all 12 games for the Horned Frogs. After the conclusion of the 2024 season, Brockermeyer once again entered his name into to NCAA transfer portal.

That’s when Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes came into the picture and he would enjoy a ride that would lead himself into the National Championship Game. The Miami Hurricanes came up short 27-21 to the Indiana Hoosiers.

I had the opportunity to speak to Brockermeyer on a couple of occasions at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL and this guy is a pleasure to talk to. I was shocked that he wasn’t invited to the Combine but getting to know him as I did, he’s the type of individual that will utilize this as motivation to get to the NFL. 

If you’re looking for a hidden gem, you might have one in Brockermeyer. The object of the game is to protect the QB so keep your eyes on him. Also please check out the videos in the story. I’m sure that you will enjoy them. 

There are a lot of videos from the Senior Bowl and we’d appreciate it if you would please subscribe to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. He also wrote a book “Lessons From The Microphone” which you can purchase on Amazon/Kindle and Barnes And Noble. We also have an audio version as well.