The Black Baseball Mixtape

Cheats HERE! And on this Black Baseball Mixtape podcast episode, I sat down with a true BBM legend: Delino DeShields. DeShields is currently the Skipper of the Harrisburg Senators (AA - Washington Nationals), but we at BBM will always remember DeSheilds as one of the coldest base-stealing icons of the 90s. He ashed the high socks - he had all the swag - and the culture knew it. In our conversation...

Happy Juneteenth BBM Family! We're right in the middle of a fascinating College World Series. Here are a few players to watch: TCU's Tre Richardson & Austin Davis, Tennessee's Christian Scott and Christian Moore, Standford's Drew Bowser and Braden Montgomery, and LSU's Tre Morgan. The games are going on right now in Omaha. Check out these exciting players.

The BBM Group Chat (on Discord) has been on fire, talking about Tim Anderson's podcast episode on The Pivot. Our very own Cheats weighs in with thoughts about Black baseball fans and media.

Brand New on the BBM podcast: Flobo Flow Ep. 1 - Stock Up, Stock Down: Are you buying stock in the 1st place Arizona Diamondbacks?

David James has spent a lifetime encouraging young men and women to "Play Ball." He is the Vice President of Baseball and Softball Development at MLB. He oversees MLB's grassroots efforts, including the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, better known as RBI. On this podcast episode, David and I get into everything. I asked him about the RBI program's evolution and the path to encourage mor...

Should the Yankees do a Nike City Connect Uniform?

Throughout my journey of interviewing Black baseball players, I'm not often able to visit with HBCU graduates in the pro ranks. Carter Williams, 25, outfielder for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, not only plays for my hometown team but is also a graduate of North Carolina Central. On this quick podcast episode, Carter talks about his adjustment to pro baseball, adding meditation to his game (and li...

Shakeia Taylor is an award-winning journalist and editor. She is a Senior Deputy Editor at the Chicago Tribune — an all-around rockstar & "Everyone's Homegirl." And she is our guest on this episode of Mixtape Talk. Shakeia has been on our guest "Dream List" since the inception of BBM. She is a passionate baseball fan and a fantastic sports and culture writer. She hosts the monthly podcast "Bal...

Everyone loves a good list, right? Well, the Black Baseball Mixtape (BBM) is no different. We love to debate a great list. Debate is our thing. This is your window into the Black baseball barbershop conversation. For those who live it: You already know what it is. Who is the greatest MCs of all time: Jay-Z, BIG, Nas, Kendrick, Drake, Black Thought? There are no wrong answers — just be prepared to...

Matt Frazier is an exciting young prospect for the Pittsburg Pirates—the left-handed hitting OF burst on the scene with a breakout season two years ago. He is now the starting centerfielder for the Altoona Curve. Cheats (BBM) sat down with Matt this week in Richmond to introduce him to the BBM community. Matt talked about playing baseball from a very young age (3), having a father who played pro b...

If you want to talk about Oakland baseball, you can’t get any better than Bip Roberts and Dave Stewart. These two Oakland legends were our featured guests on last night’s BBM IG Live. Please check out the conversation and subscribe to the Black Baseball Mixtape Podcast. BBM is the fastest-growing baseball podcast dedicated to highlighting Black culture within the game. #oaklandathletics   #oa...

This episode of the Black Baseball Mixtape is special. For the first time, I (Cheats) did the podcast on location at the Diamond, the home of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, in Richmond, Virginia. Our featured guest is Dylan Smith, right-handed pitcher; Erie Seawolves. Dylan is the #15 prospect in the Tigers organization. He played his college ball in the SEC at the University of Alabama. He was dr...

It's an exciting time for baseball fans. Opening Day rosters are out! With that, we can start to get an estimate as to where Black American players stand in the game. The unofficial count is approximately 43 Black American players on opening day rosters. That is only 3.6%. That number represents a drop. There are slightly more Black players in the NL (24) than AL (19). Most Black positions players...

Steve Friend had a dream of making it to the major leagues. He worked hard through high school, went the JUCO route, landed at a D1 program, and ultimately made it to pro baseball. But all of his hard work and talent did not get him to the major leagues; as a player. Steve made it to MLB as an entrepreneur through his company Steelo. Sports. When a Steelo glove broke into the majors, Steelo became...

Former MLB 3X all-star Curtis Granderson may be the busiest man in baseball. He is the Board Chairman of the Players Alliance, a TBS analyst, a founder of his non-profit (Grand Kids), a business investor, and the list goes on and on. All the while, he has maintained his reputation of being one of baseball's most excellent ambassadors, a reputation built on four Marvin Miller Man of the Year awards...

On this episode of the BBM podcast, Cheats welcomes Bob Kendricks, the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and one of baseball's most excellent ambassadors and storytellers. President Kendrick has led the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to groundbreaking accomplishments since he assumed the role in 2011, including overseeing the centennial celebration of the Negro Leagues, the overdue int...

On this episode of the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast, Cheats and Flobito put a bow on the final episode of New Wave: Baseball's Next Generation with a special guest from the series: Ronnie Burton Jr. Cheats, Flobito, and Ronnie, talk about the two-part docuseries as a whole product. They break down the production of the series and the featured players' emotions. Ronnie is a former MLB executive w...

Tony Reagins is an extraordinary man. He is a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in baseball. He was a Black General Manager, one of only five ever. Mr. Reagins was the fourth Black person to serve as GM when he took over the Angels in 2007. He currently holds two significant roles within MLB: Chief Baseball Development Officer and General Manager of Team USA. Mr. Reagins is a dream convers...

New Wave: Baseball's Next Generation is a two-part docuseries that follows the journey of Termarr Johnson, Jayson Jones, RJ Austin, and Justin Crawford: top Black baseball prospects in the 2022 MLB draft. The BBM recap show is hosted by BBM founder Cheats and Knew Amsterdam Radio's own Flobito. These two baseball & culture heads breakdown episode one from a culture, TV, and baseball perspectiv...

College baseball kicked off this weekend. Here are a few players the Mixtape suggests you check out: TJ McCants, RF, Ole Miss Enrique Bradfield, CF, Vandy Drew Bowser, 2B, Stanford Braden Montgomery, RF, Stanford Christian Little, P, LSU Juaron Watt-Brown, P, Oklahoma State

Let me be clear; Minority Baseball Prospects is changing the landscape for Black baseball. In just a few years, MBP is disrupting the standard, predominantly white ecosystem of youth, travel, and college baseball to bring exposure to some of the best minority players in the country. MBP's mission statement reads as follows: Minority Baseball Prospects' mission is to promote the game of baseba...

I rarely get the opportunity to feature Black professional players from my hometown of Richmond, Virginia, so I could not pass up the extraordinary chance to have Kyle Battle on the Mixtape. Kyle is a prospect in the Yankees organization. He signed with the Yankees in 2021 as an undrafted free agent following a stellar career at Old Dominion University. Last season, Kyle played for the Tampa Tarpo...

Detroit Tigers prospect Justyn-Henry Malloy is the latest fantastic guest on the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast. On this episode, JHen talks about his baseball journey, his amazing support system, navigating the challenge of being an elite Black player at the high school level, transferring schools in college, entering the draft, and much more. Justyn-Henry had an excellent 2022 in the B...

You've heard the expression "wise beyond your years." That is the feeling I got speaking with Orioles fundamentals coach Troy Marrow. Coach Marrow has seen a lot in baseball and is just getting started. Before joining the O's staff, Marrow played his college ball at North Carolina Central University. He did a coaching stint with USA Baseball, George Washington University and ultimately was accepte...

Another 2023 Dream Guest is joining us on the Black Baseball Mixtape. Edwin Jackson could be "the most interesting man in baseball." He is a 20-year pro, MLB All-Star, World Series Champion, and Team USA Silver Medalist. He has thrown a no-hitter. He played for an MLB-leading 14 teams. And, he is a founding Board member of the Players Alliance. On this episode of the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast...