Tamara Holmes, Veronica Alvarez, Malaika Underwood & Alex Oglesby, Champions of the USAWNT Women's Baseball team, discuss the increase in bullying & pushing out of young girls in baseball

Talking groups with young players at MLBDevelops Trailblazers uncovered more on how young girls are being pushed off teams & encountering bullying

Climate of bullying is getting worse

Malaika Underwood recounts that when she was a child playing baseball her team did not care if she was a girl or not. Their main concern was if you were a good player. The bullying & rudeness often came from parents

Veronica Alvarez points how some Moms in the baseball space talk down young girls in baseball. They treat them as lesser than boys. Parents have an opportunity to teach good behavior toward girls & women to their children

Social Media praise of a successful player can increase bullying from the jealousy of others

“Why is she playing instead of my Kid” – overheard by young children builds a prejudice against girls in sports

Encourage players to build friendships with others at the baseball camps & stay in touch to support one another

Kelsie Whitmore & Olivia Pichardo discovered that they had to get stronger facing adversity to advance as girls in baseball at college & professional level

Idea of these girls are a threat to boys & men’s career is insane. They have the same dream, they want to play baseball

Girls may start with baseball in Little League but soon receive the message that they need to play softball.

“We have baseball, you have softball, you don’t belong here”

We need to start creating a pipeline for supporting girls who want to play baseball

Girls are not trying to invade boys baseball it’s just that is the only place for them to play

Baseball & Softball can Co-Exist.

Baseball loses girls to softball due to opportunities

The bullying problem of pushing out girls & women exists beyond baseball,

MLB points to the new softball league as the option for women

“They’re just kids being kids” mentality strengthens the bullying

Girls internalizing negative remarks about them on social media

Girls are expected to be perfect on the field

People need to get back to common decency

Matheny Manifesto – written as instructions to parents from a coach

Travel ball expands number of teams & opinionated parents

Good coaches do not tolerate bad behavior from kids or parents

Youth’s sports main focus needs to be development, it makes them better students & learn life lessons

Co-ed baseball an opportunity for young women & men to play baseball in college

Parents need to set the foundation teaching boys to respect the girls & their equality

Making it normal that women & girls are in the game

Veronica notes how the men on her team respect her as a professional

“Boys play baseball?” Sharing stories of their children learning about baseball & softball

Need to stick up for girls in sports & show respect

Thanks to Tamara Holmes, Veronica Alvarez, Alex Oglesby & Malaika Underwood for discussing the increase of bullying girls & young women in sports & the steps parents, coaches & players can take. Discover more at www.stopbullying.gov

Suggested reading:
The Matheny Manifesto: A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life https://bit.ly/3SQWmJC

Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport A Handbook for Policy Makers and Sports Practitioners https://bit.ly/3SSelzi

• Mat’s World Series Dream
• Mark Thanks the USAWNT players who were on the show to discuss bullying young girls in baseball
• Rays lose Marlins series
• Rays feeling like Super Dave on a Roller Coaster
• Marlins, Cal Quantrill pitches the first Immaculate Inning of the year. 9 pitches – 9 strikes
• Pedro Martinez style Immaculate Inning would include 1 Hit By Pitch
• Rays Offense recently has been lacking with some of the younger players
• Veterans Brandon Lowe & Yandy Diaz have put up more offensively
• Taylor Walls and men left on base LOB
• Curtis Mead offense is firing up – broke out of .98 yesterday with 3 AB’s 2 Hits & 1 HR against the Astros
• Rays had 7 of 9 players with hits against the Astros in Wednesday’s game
• Ben Rortvedt – flatline at bat – who could be Rays 2nd catcher
• Kevin Cash is handcuffed with the lineup he has today
• Elements of a great game – 2 Home Runs back to back with Josh Lowe & Brandon Lowe, Manager ejection with Kevin Cash
• Cash’s ejection as he questions Astros & Umpires long it took for Astros to make an appeal
• Do manager ejections motivate the team players
• Taj Bradley had a solid outing & had good communication with the catcher
• Ryan Pepiot is also showing more promise
• Looking forward to Shane McClanahan & Ha-Seong Kim return to the team. Who will be sent down when they return
• Will there be room for Johnny DeLuca to return to Rays
• FCL Rays rehabbing expect a Roster Crunch with the Rays
• Isaac Paredes returns as an Astro to hit Home Runs against the Rays
• Mat breaks down YOY increase in growing attendance – Mets increase of 289,000 more fans. Detroit Tigers, Dodgers and Athletics follow behind the Mets
• Total of 372,000 more fans this year in attendance across MLB
• City Connect – Wallet Connect - A lot of love and sales for the game including merchandise
• Mat recommends Grit & Glow lighting at the new stadium for Rays
• Rivalry weekend numbers
• Juan Soto and the Yankees show their backs to Soto in the outfield
• Subway Series Streaming - registering as the third (May 17th) and fourth (May 16th) most-watched games ever on MLB.TV.
• merchandise sales increased +45% during Rivalry Weekend
• Tampa Bay Rays Hall of Fame – Evan Longoria will be joining Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, Don Zimmer, Dave Wills
• Mark would add Erik Neander & Joe Maddon to the Rays Hall of Fame.
• How fans may see players and coaches who move to another team
• Rays are 3 games out of a Wild Card spot
• How many wins will the addition of Shane McClanahan & Ha-Seong Kim
• Orioles traded away so much talent it has hurt their ability to win
• The value of Brandon Hyde beyond the O’s
• A look back at the Liberatore– Arozarena trade

Just a reminder, if you enjoyed this show, go ahead like and subscribe to BaseballBiz On Deck. Also you can find Mat at M-A-T-G-E-R-M-A-I-N dot B Sky social. That's Mat at M-A-T-G-E-R-M-A-I-N dot B, Sky social or Mark at Baseball Biz on Deck dot B Sky Social. You may also find Baseball Biz on Deck, at iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and at baseball biz on deck dot com

Special Thanks to XTaKe-R-U-X for the music Rocking Forward,

• Reflecting on show with Dodgers Announcer Tim Neverett
• https://bit.ly/3YNsZLJ
• Firings of Pirates, Derek Shelton & Rockies, Bud Black
• Evan Longoria trade away from the Rays left several fans upset, others saw an opportunity for Evan
• Fans had to realize that with the Rays we should not expect anything permanent
• Evan returns with a 1-day contract with the TB Rays and then retires
• Longoria is a selfless player who has no peer and could bring positive energy & leadership to the team
• Rafael Devers controversy on moving him around and poor communication in the Red Sox organization
• Tanner Hauck 40+ pitch inning – now on the IL
• Mat’s assessment of Pitchers in Dodgers
• Rafael Devers was a deal compared with Vladimer Guererro Jr, 314 million to 500 million
• Rob Manfred visits the Oval Office and pardons Pete Rose #14
• Rose could now potentially be on the path to a Hall of Fame plaque
• Cooperstown should consider plaques for achievement. Telling the story of great players personal shortcomings as well as their great achievement
• Shoeless Joe Jackson fantastic player & the journey with the Black Sox
• Pete Rose one of the Top 20 players to ever play in MLB
• Myriad of great players experiences . . . if you don't tell their stories, they're just gonna die and your sport is worse off for it”
• Pete Rose has a better chance of getting into the Hall of Fame than Barry Bonds
• HOF voting needs to be revamped – Mat’s 5 point solution 1
• Rob Manfred made more folks eligible the dead are no longer a threat to the game - https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-ineligibility-status-after-death-decision
• Chandler Simpson – igniting the energy with a passion and performance that galvanized the Rays – shades of Randy Arozarena
• TSN – Turning point is now as Rays are fighting through series
• Shane McClanahan, Josh Lowe, Joe Boyle ,Casron Williams, Tre Morgan, Jake Mangum looks like they will be returning
• Who will stay who will be traded or sent down
• Christopher Morel – what will bring out the best of him – Ranks 8th on barrell percentage.
• Morel is in the top 25 in bat speed. Morel should be a 200 ISO and above easy. He's sitting at 1 41 right now.
• Electrified version of Taylor Walls – more intense and less zen
• Rays players have to fight for their positions everyday with all of the talent in the organization.
• What will happen with the Rays at MLB Trade Deadline
• Pete Fairbanks is having some difficulties
• Return of Shane McClanahan – bring him back slowly with 2 inning stints – reliever?
• Where is the Rays new home, The Trop,
• Orlando Dreamers – Morgan & Morgan
• Hopeful to see a hanging #3 Evan Longoria banner in the outfield when he retires- The Rays will then take ownership of George Steinbrenner Field
• Can the appeal of St. Pete Beach be a new Spring Training home for the Yankees
• Baseball synchronicity May 14 – Pete Rose Day in Cincinnati - #14 Jersey giveaway while playing the team of Shoeless Joe Jackson
• Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati steamboat smoke stacks on field with 14 bats design reflect Pete Rose in the park.

Find Mat @matgermain.bsky.social & Mark @baseballbizondeck.bsky.social. You may also find Baseball Biz on Deck, at iHeart Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and at baseball biz on deck dot com

Special Thanks to XTaKe-R-U-X for the music Rocking Forward,