The Black Baseball Mixtape

D'Andre Smith, 21, has dreamed of playing pro ball since he was in middle school. He did the weight training, the skill work, the private workouts; he played high school ball, then travel ball, and flirted with going pro before he committed to USC. Following his sophomore season at USC, it was time to make the move. He entered the 2022 draft and was selected by the Mets in the 5th round. D'Andre i...

Del Matthews is MLB's Vice President of Baseball Development. I know that sounds awesome, but what does that really mean? It means he is one of the few people working at MLB HQ dedicated to ushering in a new generation of Black American players. Through his role at the MLB Development office, he assists programs like the DREAM Series, the Hank Aaron Invitational, and the recently announced Swingma...

On this episode of the Black Baseball Mixtape podcast, Cheats is joined by Dodgers organization outfielder Bubba Alleyne. Bubba was drafted in the 19th round of the 2022 draft after completing a historic career at the University of Maryland. His career highlights include Big Ten Player of the Year, 2022 Golden Spikes Semifinalist, 2022 Collegiate Baseball First Team All-American, 2022 Baseball Ame...

Coach Bianca Smith is our esteemed guest for Mixtape Talk 016. She also happens to be the second person on our 2023 Podcast Dream Guest List to join the Mixtape. Coach Smith made history in 2021 when she was hired as a coach by the Boston Red Sox organization. The hire made her the first Black woman ever to serve as a professional baseball coach. While Coach Smith may have burst on many people's r...

Black Baseball Mixtape Friends, Welcome to 2023! I'm so glad you found us. This year will be filled with dynamic podcast guests and fun Black baseball banter. Last year, I created a Dream List of guests for 2023, and I hope to deliver as many as possible throughout the year. My first guest in 2023 is Bruce Maxwell, starting catcher for the Cañeros de Los Mochis. Bruce is in his 11th season of pro...

Happy Holidays BBM Family! On this episode of Mixtape Talk, Cheats is joined by Tyrone Brooks of the MLB Diversity Pipeline Program. Tyrone's principle job is to help diversify the game at the front office level. Tyrone has amassed a stellar executive career with the Braves, Guardians, and Pirates. In 2016, he was hired in his current role with MLB and, since then, has helped hundreds of women and...

What's up, Family! We have a special episode for you: a first in BBM history. Samad Taylor is the #25 prospect in the Royals system. He was recently named on the Royals' 40-man roster, making him the first-ever MLB player to do a Mixtape Talk. (That's right, we're on the rise). I could not have a better first MLB player than Samad. This man has been through so much, from being drafted at 17 to mat...

On this episode of Mixtape Talk, Cheats is joined by  Mike Sanders  of Roc Nation Sports. Mike is a former University of Miami baller who transitioned to player advocacy and representation after his playing days ended. Mike’s success is rooted in presenting his authentic self in every situation. Being true to who he is has allowed him to connect, understand and mentor young athletes as t...

On this episode of Mixtape Talk, Cheats speaks with Jay Caldwell and Graig Kreindler, the creators of the new book, “Black Baseball in Living Color.” The 250-page book features nearly 240 of Graig’s color portraits he created while working with Jay on a centennial project for the Negro League Baseball Museum. The book explores the players and events that shaped Black baseball from the nineteenth c...

Patrick Ellington has become one of my favorite baseball writers this season. His bylines appeared on MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, SABR, and Baseball America. He also has a fantastic Medium blog that profiles Black baseball players in MLB and MiLB. Patrick and I discuss Dusty Baker's championship, Black prospects, and the current state of Black baseball. Please follow Patrick on Twitter at @Tangi...

On this edition of Mixtape Talk, Cheats visits with three-time Emmy award-winning director  Randy Wilkins . Randy directed the seven-part ESPN miniseries  The Captain , about the life and career of Yankees Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter. Randy is a fascinating person. A former baseball player himself from the Bronx. Had it not been for an injury, he might have been on the field inste...

Coach  Ethan Pollock  is heading into his 19th season at Presbyterian College. He is the longest-tenured Black Head Coach in D1 baseball. On this episode of Mixtape Talk, I chat with Coach Pollock about his unusual journey into coaching. His passion for the game. And, what can be done to increase Black coaches in the college ranks. There are only five Black head coaches in D1 baseball ou...

On this episode of Mixtape Talk, Cheats chats with newly-minted Marist Head Coach Lance Ratchford. Coach Ratchford is returning to Poughkeepsie, NY, to lead a baseball program he once served as an assistant coach from 2016-2018. During that time, he helped guide the Red Foxes to the 2017 MAAC Championship and a trip to the NCAA Regional. Coach Ratchford discusses a wide range of topics, including...

On this special edition of Mixtape Talk, Cheats is joined by award-winning author and journalist Howard Bryant about his latest book,  Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original . The book is fascinating as Howard digs deep into topics like the great migration of Black from the American South to the west coast. He talks about the explosion of money in baseball during the late 70s and...

On this special edition of Mixtape Talk, I speak with Memphis University Head Coach Kerrick Jackson. Coach Jackson is one of the most respected coaches in the fraternity of Black skippers. He has coached at every collegiate level and spent time away from coaching, serving as an MLB scout, baseball agent (with the Boras Corporation), and the President of the MLB Draft League. In 2017, he led Southe...

On this special edition of Mixtape Talk, Cheats goes one-on-one with Head Coach  Blake Beemer  of  Butler University . Coach Beemer is one of the youngest head coaches in all Division I baseball and one of only twelve Black head coaches in DI baseball. In this fantastic conversation, Coach Beemer talks about his journey through the college baseball coaching ranks, his grit and deter...

Regaining Big East Baseball Coach of the Year Edwin Thompson, AKA Coach T, took over the Georgetown baseball team in 2020. He has already led the program to a record number of wins in his second season (32). Coach T is one of the most respected coaches in all of college baseball, and, at an age far too young to be considered a legend (42) – he is, in fact, a legend among the Black coaching ranks....

There is nothing better than talking baseball with two of the most knowledgeable brothers following the game. On this episode of Mixtape Talk, I (Cheats) chopped it up with  Clinton Yates  (ESPN/ANDSCAPE) &  Alex Hyacinthe  (ESPN Daily Podcast). We talked about the positive growth in the game. We discussed  if the Black community needs certified stars to grow the game...

I’m so excited to introduce you to  Caleb Green . Caleb is one of nine members of the 2022 MLB Creator Class. The MLB Creator Class are brand ambassadors charged with creating fantastic content to help grow the game. Learn more about Caleb, the MLB Creative Class, and fun tidbits like who’d he like to pitch to in this BBM exclusive interview. Please follow Caleb at @Chayyy_luppp on IG and Tik...

RECORDED ON APRIL 11, 2022: On this episode, Cheats goes one-on-one with certified Major League Baseball agent  Lonnie Murray . Ms. Murray is not your average baseball agent; she is the first Black woman ever to be certified by the MLBPA. And for many years, Lonnie was the only certified Black woman to serve as an agent in all major league baseball. Lonnie talks about her journey — her triump...

RECORDED ON JANUARY 10, 2022: I have a special guest on today’s episode: Former Professional Baseball Player  Xavier Scruggs . X came across my radar because of his work in baseball media with ESPN and the MLB Network. He hosts an excellent podcast called “The Bigs” on MLB Network and is also very active on social media, posting and vlogging often. In addition to all of that, X is an entrepre...