I started writing about a year ago. My focus was solely on prospects, their performances on the field, and the statistics and underlying statistics they put up. I always felt something was missing. The more opportunities I had to interact with current and former players, the more I started to see more than just the numbers.
I know most of you come to Prospects Live for analysis of baseball's top prospects. To find out who might become the next big major leaguer. I, too, enjoy that part of baseball. Minor league baseball and prospects are part of what makes this game so great. Watching the individuals accomplish what many of us only dream of is beautiful, and having the opportunity to follow their rise to the big leagues is incredible. But even for the best players in the world, their careers end. And for many players in general, their careers end sooner than expected.
Although each player is unique and has their own journey through professional Baseball, a common theme arose when I started writing more human side stories — the sense of lost identity in the sport they play. A lot of this is attributed to being so engulfed in the game that they love, feeling like their performances (good or bad) on the field encompassed who they were, and not knowing what would come after the game was over led to a lot of this.
I wanted to find a way to shed light on the stories that make some of these players incredible human beings. Whether it is things they are doing off the field, the passions they have outside of the game, or the ups and downs they have to go through in the game of baseball. There is so much we, as fans, can relate to. We have all had to go through transitions in life. We have all had to deal with general ups and downs. We can relate to much of what many of these athletes go through. Bringing light to these stories can help us appreciate the people who go out every day to bring us the game that all of us can't get enough of.
That's how Beyond Baseball started. It started with a passion for knowing more about the individuals who make up this great game we all love. It started from a passion for baseball, prospects, and the want to learn more about the uniqueness of individuals. Dr. Caleb Mezzy and I will aim to bring you insights into player's journeys through professional baseball, the various challenges a player faces trying to adjust to life after baseball, the ups and downs they faced in their career, and what makes them humans.
In our first episode with former MLB All-Star and 10-year veteran Tyson Ross, we got to hear how his passion for art and museums helped him separate himself from his performances, how he handled the ups and downs of failure and injuries, his love for building communities, and the great work he is doing with Loyal to my Soil to provide baseball camps for free to youths who might not have the opportunity to experience a camp.
We are excited to bring you more stories like this and build this project out. We are just starting. Our goal will be to improve the podcast with each episode to ensure the content is meaningful to our listeners and that it is something y enjoy. We want you to enjoy this journey as we go Beyond Baseball!
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