Blue Wahoos Share Holiday Spirit, Community Impact In December

A classroom door opened at Pensacola’s Montclair Elementary School and joyous screams ensued.

Yes, Kazoo was in the house.

The Blue Wahoos beloved mascot was part of a special Literacy Night program December 15 for young grade school students. Joined by Lauren Scott, the Blue Wahoos community relations and merchandise manager, along with Erik Bremer, the voice of the Blue Wahoos as broadcast director, the group delighted and enlightened children that day with a special appearance before school let out for the holiday break.

“You see that kind of reaction and it’s special,” Scott said. “The kids are screaming ‘Kazoo! Kazoo!’ and they know us through Kazoo, even though many haven’t been to a baseball game yet.

“So it’s neat and we had a lot of fun doing it, reading to the kids and just interacting with them. Erik was getting everyone involved so it was a great time.”

Blue Wahoos beloved mascot Kazoo greets thousands of parade spectators at Pensacola’s annual Christmas parade downtown on December 10.
Dan Venn/Blue Wahoos

The experience that day was part of the Blue Wahoos busy December. A lot has happened this month at a time presumed to be a slow period in the professional baseball world.

In the days leading up to Christmas, the Blue Wahoos staff participated in two Christmas parades, spent one day restoring a baseball field at Pensacola’s Catalonia Square, had team executives attend the Baseball Winter Meetings in San Diego, been host to private parties and events at Blue Wahoos Stadium, plus provided team representation at other community events.

“It has been a whirlwind, but in a great way,” said Steve Brice, who joined the Blue Wahoos in mid-November as the team’s executive vice president and general manager, working in tandem with team president Jonathan Griffith. “I love being busy.”

Members of the Blue Wahoos front office staff joined together on Dec. 15 to help renovate a City of Pensacola youth baseball field as part of an annual project.
Dan Venn/Blue Wahoos

During a time traditionally viewed as the slowest point of an off-season, the Blue Wahoos have kept active within the Pensacola community heading into the Christmas and New Year holiday weekend.

Kazoo and team staff members were part of the Gulf Breeze Christmas Parade on December 3, followed by the Cox Pensacola Christmas Parade on December 10.

Working in two shifts, the group also recently helped restore two baseball fields at Catalonia Square, a City of Pensacola park which is also known for being where Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks began his youth football career. A lot of weed-pulling, debris clearing and removal of glass shards occurred.

“Even though the field might not have looked like it was in too rough of shape from afar, it still took us most of the day to fix it,” Scott said.

The project was part of an annual commitment the Blue Wahoos make in the community in a partnership with Waste Management, a Blue Wahoos corporate partner. Each season since the inaugural 2012 season, the Blue Wahoos staff and groundskeeping crew have taken on a project at one area baseball field to upgrade and restore the conditions.

It’s another way the team meets a mission to improve the quality of life in the Pensacola community.

Participating in the Christmas parades provides opportunity for the Blue Wahoos to reconnect with fans and further awareness.

For Brice, it was his first experience in both the community parades. He was tossing beads, candy and passing out Blue Wahoos hats to throngs of people in the massive downtown Christmas parade.

“I jokingly said to someone, I feel like I’m part of The Beatles right now,” Brice said. “People were yelling, “Go Wahoos!’ and everyone wanted a hat, or one of the cushy baseballs we had. There were so many people that night downtown and to be part of that was really great.”

The biggest challenge? Trying to figure how much candy, beads, hats and other items to participate in two parades.

“Even prepping for it was wild because I had cases of candy here and (co-staff worker) said, ‘Oh that’s not enough. I literally bought Sam’s (Club) out of candy,” said Scott, who joined the Blue Wahoos in March and was promoted to a dual role as merchandise and community relations manager. “That was wild having to go back and almost double everything to have enough.”

“In the baseball season it was so busy and everyone was telling me, ‘oh the offseason that’s the chill time”. And the whole time I have been like, yes there are not games on the field, but I am still really busy and it’s different thing.”

But as Scott pointed out, it’s also been a good thing in ways to stay connected in the Pensacola area and keep the Blue Wahoos awareness with community impact.

Blue Wahoos To Host Two Education Day Games In 2023

For the first time in franchise history, the Blue Wahoos will host a pair of morning Education Day games during the 2023 season, offering an educational day at the ballpark to local students from schools across the Panhandle.

“We’re very excited to pack Blue Wahoos Stadium with local students and provide a fun-filled and educational field trip experience for local schools at the ballpark,” team president Jonathan Griffith said. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life in our community, and creating an enriching and enjoyable learning experience at our games for local students will be a fun new step towards that goal.”

Pensacola’s Education Day games will be held on Wednesday, April 19 against the Birmingham Barons and on Wednesday, May 3 against the Mississippi Braves. Both games will start at 11:00 AM with gates opening one hour prior to first pitch.

Tickets to each game are $16 per student and include the Blue Wahoos game, group seating in the seating bowl, educational activities throughout the event, and a ballpark meal for each attendee. Schools interested in reserving their spot can contact the Blue Wahoos at (850) 934-8444 or by email at [email protected]

Season Ticket Members will have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy both games from the Hancock Whitney Club at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Click here for more information and to fill out the interest form!

Celebrate Halloween At The Ballpark Friday And Saturday!

Blue Wahoos Stadium will host a pair of Halloween events during the upcoming weekend beginning with a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Friday, October 28 followed by the return of the annual Wahooloween celebration at the ballpark on Saturday, October 29.

Guests ages 18+ can experience The Rocky Horror Picture Show on the big screen at Blue Wahoos Stadium this Friday at 8:00 PM. Gates open at 7:00 PM and attendees are encouraged to come in costume prepared to sing and dance along with the cult classic film. Tickets are $20 and include a prop bag (while supplies last) to participate with the film. Guests may sit in the stands at the stadium or bring a blanket to enjoy the film from the field. Click here for tickets

The festivities continue on Saturday at Wahooloween, a family-friendly, all-ages event. Gates open at 5:00 PM and guests can trick-or-treat around the ballpark until 6:00 PM with over 30 vendors handing out candy and treats. At 6:00 PM, guests can settle in for a showing of the Halloween hit Hocus Pocus on the videoboard. Tickets are $7 and include trick-or-treating and the film. During the movie, guests may sit in the stands at the stadium or bring a blanket to watch from the field. Halloween costumes are highly encouraged. Click here for tickets

Outside food and beverage may not be brought into the stadium at either event. Chairs, wagons, strollers, and high heels may not be brought onto the field at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Tickets to both events are available at BlueWahoos.com, by phone at (850) 934-8444, and at the ballpark box office.

Catch The 30th Annual Soul Bowl On Saturday At Blue Wahoos Stadium

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The 30th annual Soul Bowl will be played at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Saturday, October 15 from 9:00 AM until 6:30 PM. The full-day youth football festival pits the crosstown rival SYSA Tigers against the East Pensacola-Magee Field Rattlers in five different age-division games.

The fun-filled day at the ballpark will begin with the kickoff of the first game at 9:00 AM with subsequent games following at 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:00 PM. Age divisions include 6-under, 8-under, 10-under, 12-under, and 14-under.

Gates will open at 8:00 AM. Tickets purchased in advance are $9 and include access to all five games. V.I.P. tickets are available for $50 which include access to the full day of football and an exclusive chef-prepared meal in the Hancock-Whitney Club at the ballpark from 12:00-2:00 PM. General Admission and V.I.P. tickets are available AT THIS LINK.

Outside of the ballpark, a family-fun tailgate experience will be set up, offering a variety of Soul Food, food trucks, and vendors to guests. Stadium concessions will also be open and available inside the stadium. Food and beverage purchased from the event vendors may be brought into the stadium, but other outside food and drink is prohibited.

The 2022 Soul Bowl is made possible through the support of Troy Rafferty and Levin Papantonio Law Firm, Cox Communications, and Florida Blue.

Submissions Wanted: Blue Wahoos & Waste Management Partner To Renovate Local Field

For the eleventh consecutive year, the Blue Wahoos and Waste Management have partnered to renovate an area youth athletic field and are accepting nominations from the community to select the field to be restored.

“We are very excited to continue our partnership with Waste Management and help renovate a local ballfield,” Blue Wahoos community relations manager Lauren Scott said. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life in our community, and helping provide children a great place to play sports locally will benefit families across our community.

The Blue Wahoos will be accepting nominations to choose a field to receive a makeover until September 20th. Any local citizen or organization can submit a field by emailing Scott at [email protected] and including photos or video of the field and a short explanation of why the field should be considered. Fields must be within 40 miles of Blue Wahoos Stadium to be selected.

Blue Wahoos Help Make My Wish Experience Memorable For 10-Year-Old Boy, Ailing Mother 

Victor Victor Mesa, the favorite player for 10-year-old Hudson Furness, joins with his mother, Mandi Furness, during batting practice Wednesday. (Daniel Venn)

When you have been battling an illness so long that hospital visits have been routine since childhood, it becomes a lot simpler to identify the good days when they come.

On a not-too-hot Monday afternoon, 38-year-old mother Amanda “Mandi” Furness had a good day.

She looked on as her 10-year-old son, Hudson, played a game of baseball with his friends on the field of Blue Wahoos stadium as her father, Herb, secured the pitching mound. Her wheelchair was pulled up to the fence in the dugout, her family laughing and cheering beside her. With tears welled underneath her sunglasses, she was acutely aware and grateful for every second.

Furness spent many days and nights in the hospital throughout her childhood, but it wasn’t until 2009 that doctors diagnosed her illness as lupus. She received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2020.

Her mobility is now limited and her vision comes and goes. But she still decks herself out in pink, from her bright, painted toenails up to a chunky, pastel necklace. With each new round of treatment, she has been taken in and cared for by her sister,

Christin Keeney, and her sister’s husband, Thomas, who is more like a brother than a brother-in-law. Her mom and dad have continued to be her support system since she was a little girl. Her mother still only leaves the hospital to shower, a routine dating back to the days before Furness ever received a diagnosis.

“(Dad) is my hero, my mother is my best friend,” she said. “I struck the lottery.”

When she decided she had had enough of hospital admissions two months ago, Furness was told by doctors it was time to prepare to say goodbye to her family.

It was a task she felt prepared for, even writing letters to her son to be delivered at life milestones she may not be around to witness. When Furness was given a wish by the Covenant Care Foundation, she decided to do something not for herself, but for her son, and wished for him and his friends to be able to play baseball at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

For people surprised by her decision to spend the once in a lifetime wish on a child’s baseball game, she simply replied, “That’s just because you’ve never seen my son play baseball.” Aaron West, vice president of the Covenant Care Foundation, said the nonprofit health care organization has granted 2,600 wishes for seriously or terminally ill people like Furness since they launched the My Wish program in 2018.

With the help of community donors and partners, they have helped veterans into planes for their final flight, sent patients out on fishing expeditions and have even organized baptisms and weddings.

“We add life to days when days are limited in life,” West said. With her son Hudson’s help, lately Furness has been feeling a renewed zest for life, even training to walk across the Pensacola Bay Bridge. Though she is not ready yet, each day she gets a little stronger.

With each step she practices at home, Hudson will chime in and say, “That’s one step closer to walking that bridge,” she said.

Despite her looming diagnosis she continues to make progress “The doctors cannot explain it, but I’m getting better,” Furness said. “Science only goes so far. Then comes God.”

She watched with each fielded ball or run that Hudson scored as all his fears disappeared for a moment and he could focus on having fun. “That is a really cool wish for a mama, because she could have wished for just about anything,”

Angela Bottesini, senior director for My Wish said. “She wanted to create an environment as if they were one of the real-deal players.”

Furness’ father, Herb Westphal, thought back on the days when he would watch his daughter play softball in Germany as he coached.

“She was a tough little girl,” he recalled. Now he warms up with his grandson out on the baseball diamond, who has been following in his mother’s footsteps for as long as he can remember. Watching the two worlds collide hit home. “My daughter has been sick for a very long time,” he said. “For some reason, she’s here now. … It means the world.”

West said each wish averages out to have an impact on 13 people when it is granted. Hudson’s baseball team looked on as he was presented with a baseball autographed from every Blue Wahoos player, and every eye turned as the boy folded into his mother, one hand gripping the signed baseball and other looped around his mom’s neck.

“Nothing. You know what’s better than this? Nothing,” he told his mom

Blue Wahoos And Marcus Pointe Baptist To Hold Baptisms And Baseball

The Blue Wahoos and Marcus Pointe Baptist Church have partnered to hold “Baptism And Baseball” on Sunday, July 31 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Following the Blue Wahoos game against the Mississippi Braves that afternoon, any interested fan in attendance will have the opportunity to be baptized by Marcus Point Baptist Church on the field at the stadium following the game.

“We’re excited to partner with Marcus Pointe Baptist to bring this first-of-its-kind event to our ballpark,” team president Jonathan Griffith said. “The idea actually originated with my six-year-old son who came home from church one day and said he wanted to be baptized. I asked where and he said ‘at the ballpark!’ We called Marcus Pointe to see if it would be possible and we’re excited to be able to offer the opportunity to any interested fan.”

The Blue Wahoos game that afternoon will begin at 4:05 PM with the baptism event following the game’s conclusion. The team will also offer postgame kids run the bases and family toss in the outfield thanks to WKRG 5 News.

Tickets to the game can be purchased at BlueWahoos.com. All participants in “Baptisms And Baseball” will receive an exclusive t-shirt from Marcus Pointe Baptist Church and there is no fee to participate in the baptism event.

Blue Wahoos And Cox Honor Legacy Of Chappie James To End Homestand On Juneteenth 

The Blue Wahoos were unable to sweep their week-long series against the Tennessee Smokies.

But they won the day in other ways Sunday, following a 5-1 loss at Blue Wahoos Stadium on an unforgettable Father’s Day at Blue Wahoos presented by Cox Communications that coincided with Juneteenth, National Freedom Day.

In addition to their title sponsorship of the day’s festivities, Cox Communications provided 100 game tickets, hats, and food to children in the community and the opportunity for the kids to take the field with the Blue Wahoos!
Nino Mendez

Their lone loss in this six-game series with the Smokies still kept the Blue Wahoos on verge of clinching the first-half division race in the Southern League South Division. The other three South Division teams, including nearest chaser Biloxi Shuckers, all lost Sunday as well.

While bats were quieted, the Blue Wahoos still stirred crowd attention among the 4,123 who braved the hot afternoon.

For the first time, the Blue Wahoos wore specialty, all-blue jerseys which included four silver stars in honor of the Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., who rose from Pensacola to become in 1975 the first African-American four-star general in United States Armed Forces history.

James’ decorated legacy included tours of combat duty in the Korean War and Vietnam War, earning him rarefied placement in U.S. Air Force history prior to his death 1978.

His granddaughter, Britt James, who was attending her brother’s wedding in Washington state, provided a video tribute and local members of the Chappie James Flight Academy and Chappie James Memorial Bridge Foundation were recognized on the field.

Then moments before the National Anthem was played, an 11-year-old boy tossed a ceremonial first pitch to a man who been in a stepdad role. On the baseball were the words, “Let’s Make This Official.”

The two melted in each other’s arms with tears as paperwork was presented for the adoption to become official.

Happy Father’s Day, indeed.

There were also youth league teams across the field in pregame warmups as part of a sponsorship from Cox Communications, who provided 100 game tickets, hats, and food to children in the community. In what might be a team record, 10 different people threw out a first pitch.

The game itself fell in what seemed a familiar comeback scenario to the Blue Wahoos.

After trailing 4-0, they had the first two batters on base in both the seventh and eighth innings. Unlike previous home game, late-inning comebacks, the Blue Wahoos (33-25) could not follow with a big hit to extend a five-game winning streak.

As it turned out, however, win or lose Sunday, the Blue Wahoos position for a playoff-clincher would not have changed. Playing hours earlier, Biloxi fell 7-6 in 10 innings, on the road against the Chattanooga Lookouts, ending Biloxi’s four-game win streak.

The Blue Wahoos will travel to Biloxi on Tuesday to begin a six-game series with the Shuckers (30-31) that will end the first half schedule. The Blue Wahoos need just one win to wrap up first-place in the first half and gain a playoff spot for mid-September.

Because each team in the South Division has played a different number of games, winning percentage is what determines the first half winner.

Cody Mincey delivered a solid start Sunday for the Blue Wahoos, working six innings, giving up all three of his runs in the second inning, but not walking a batter in his outing. He had tough luck in the second when a potential double-play was botched with a wide throw, leading into Cole Roederer’s two run single.

The Blue Wahoos got their lone run in the seventh on Jan Mercado’s two-out single, but managed only six hits against three Smokies pitchers. Cobie Fletcher-Vance went 2-for-3 as the Blue Wahoos’ lone multiple-hit batter.

WHAT’S NEXT?

WHO: Blue Wahoos vs. Biloxi Shuckers

WHEN: Tuesday (June 21) through June 26.

WHERE: MGM Park, Biloxi, Miss.

GAMETIMES: Start times are 6:35 p.m. for games Tuesday through Saturday, then 5:05 p.m. on Sunday (June 26).

TICKETS: www.biloxishuckers.com/tickets.

RADIO: : ESPN-Pensacola (99.1 FM and 1330 AM and WYCT 98.7 HD4).

TV: YurView (check provider) and MILB.tv (streaming) through www.milb.com/live-stream-games with subscription discount using BLUE WAHOOS.

NEXT HOME SERIES: Begins on June 28 vs. the Montgomery Biscuits.

Blue Wahoos To Host Pitch, Hit and Run Competition On PLAY BALL Weekend

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Blue Wahoos Stadium will host a Pitch, Hit and Run competition on Saturday, June 11 as the Blue Wahoos join Major and Minor League Baseball in celebrating PLAY BALL Weekend. Pensacola’s Pitch, Hit and Run competition will be held from 9:00 AM-12:30 PM and is free to participate in for children ages 14 and under.

Participating youth athletes will have the chance to participate in a 90-foot sprint, a pitching challenge, and a hitting challenge. Both baseball and softball players are eligible to compete. Winning athletes will be declared in both baseball and softball based on age groups (under 7, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14), and top competitors will have the opportunity to compete in a regional Pitch, Hit and Run competition at a later date.

Athletes should bring their glove and bat to the competition. Rubber cleats or tennis shoes are permissible on the field at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The first 200 youth athletes to register will also receive a free bat and ball set courtesy of Franklin. In addition, all registrants will receive a free subscription to MLB.TV and MiLB.TV, allowing them to stream Major and Minor League Baseball games throughout the season.

All athletes must be registered in advance to compete. Registration is free and can be completed through PensacolaBlueWahoos.LeagueApps.com.

PLAY BALL Weekend is a nationwide initiative through Major and Minor League Baseball to engage young fans and share the fun of playing baseball and softball. PLAY BALL events will be held in all 50 states on June 10-12, 2022 including every Major and Minor League market.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Blue Wahoos To Wear Navy Uniforms As Part Of Memorial Day Celebration 

The three Blue Wahoos players stared in silent awe at the dark blue, vintage World War II fighter plane positioned in a center display at the National Naval Aviation Museum.

It was a Vought F4U Corsair, a replica to the one Ted Williams flew nearly 80 years ago in Pensacola, while pausing one of baseball’s greatest careers during World War II to complete training at Naval Air Station-Pensacola and become a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“This is incredible,” said Blue Wahoos infielder Cobie Fletcher-Vance, looking up at the plane while a tour guide explained how Williams took leave of absence from the Boston Red Sox to join the U.S. Navy– one year after his first Triple Crown batting season in Major League Baseball.

In 1941, Williams became the last player in baseball history to bat over .400 and his unmatched career included being a 19-time MLB All-Star, between two military service duties in Pensacola.

He was among more than 500 MLB players and more than 2,000 Minor League Baseball players who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II.

Williams, who later flew combat missions in the Korean War, was part of a sizeable contingent of professional baseball players who came to NAS-Pensacola for training.

“There is so much history here,” said Blue Wahoos relief pitcher Colton Hock, after joining Fletcher-Vance and outfielder Thomas Jones for a trip May 11 to the base. “So cool to see all this.”

Part of that history includes the wartime connection between baseball and NAS-Pensacola that will be celebrated Memorial Day weekend at Blue Wahoos games on Saturday and Sunday.

In both games against the Mississippi Braves, the Blue Wahoos will wear special uniforms, approved by the Navy. Officers from NAS-Pensacola will attend the games.

The three Blue Wahoos players wore the Navy jerseys on their recent visit to the base as a preview.

On Saturday, Capt. Terry Shashaty, Commanding Officer of NAS-Pensacola will throw out a first pitch, along with others before the two games.

The Blue Wahoos will show off their permanent display to Navy baseball in Pensacola, located on the wall above the stairs leading from the main entrance.

“When the players came that day and wore those Navy jerseys, the people who saw them that day just thought that was awesome,” said Jason Bortz, the public affairs officer at NAS-Pensacola.

“And to wear them (Saturday-Sunday) in front of thousands of people for a couple times this season, I think it’s going to be one of the best nights we’ve had for the base had in several years,” he said. “We have been through a lot the last several years.

“This is going to be a great night for Pensacola. We are honored to be a part of this.”

The Navy baseball jerseys will also be worn by the Blue Wahoos on July 2 during Fourth of July weekend at the ballpark.

Following that game, the jerseys will be auctioned to benefit the Navy-Marine Relief Society, a non-profit organization hat provides financial assistance and additional services to members of the Navy and Marine Corps and their families.

Also on Saturday, there will be a book signing from 11 a.m to 12 p.m. at the Bodacious Bookstore and Café on Intendencia Street, featuring Anne Keene, author of “The Cloudbuster Nine” an award-winning book about MLB players training during World War II to become Navy pilots.

Keene, a renown military historian, will be joined by Sharon Hornfisher, wife of late Navy historian Jim Hornfisher, who wrote the book “Who Can Hold The Sea, The U.S. Navy And The Cold War.”

Keene assisted the Blue Wahoos with compiling information, photos and details about the Navy baseball history in Pensacola.

“We say it all the time at the base and we truly mean it… that Pensacola is the best military community in the country,” Bortz said. “By far, it is the most military friendly.

“It is the most supportive of the military and this is a great opportunity for people in the community, whether they are in the military. or were in the military, or just living in the community to come out and see something that shows the relationship with the base, the Navy and the local community.”

Williams led an all-star baseball team, the Bronson Bombers, during his time in Pensacola. Bronson Field was an auxiliary base with baseball fields that is now part of the Blue Angel Recreation Park for military members.

The team had other MLB players training in Pensacola and competed in a championship series against Corpus Christi during 1943.

The U.S. Armed Forces used baseball and other sports as a way to help build morale and friendships while the pro athletes of that era were training.

“I think that speaks to the unselfishness of Ted Williams and that whole generation during World War II,” Bortz said. “He was a professional baseball player in the prime of his career, who didn’t have to serve, or if he did serve, he didn’t necessarily have to be in a combat situation.

“He voluntarily chose that. He wanted to be a pilot. He wanted to go into combat. It was more important to serve his country than his baseball legacy. That speaks highly of him.”

Williams, who died in 2002, played his entire 19-year career with the Boston Red Sox.

Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at [email protected]

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Navy Baseball Celebration

WHEN: Saturday, Sunday and July 2

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

WHO: Events part of Blue Wahoos games this weekend vs. Mississippi Braves and July 2 vs. Montgomery Biscuits. Blue Wahoos will wear specialty designed Navy baseball uniforms on these days.

TICKETS: Limited number of game tickets available for Saturday’s 6:05 p.m. game Tickets available for Sunday (4:05 p.m.) and July 2 games at www.bluewahoos.com/tickets.

BOOK SIGNING: In conjunction with weekend, a book signing Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bodacious Bookstore and Café features award-winning author and Navy baseball historian Anne Kleene, who wrote “Cloudbuster Nine”, along with Sharon Hornfisher, wife of late-author Jim Hornfisher.

Keene assisted Blue Wahoos in compiling photos, information on Navy history. Free admission to bookstore.

Three Of Pensacola's Best Provide Wisdom, Advice On Blue Wahoos' Women In Sports Night 

Blue Wahoos vice president Donna Kirby, far left, moderates seminar with Michelle Snow, left, Melissa Miller-Schubeck and Beth Barr on April 22 during the Blue Wahoos special Women in Sports Night at ballpark. (Nino Mendez)

They grew up in Pensacola and competed in totally different sports, but with similar aspirations during a breakthrough era.

That commonality, along with their unique athletic success gave Michelle Snow, Melissa Miller and Beth Barr a powerful role in blazing a trail for so many other female athletic stars from this community who have followed.

The three were together for the first time last Friday at Blue Wahoos Stadium, participating in a pregame symposium at the Blue Wahoos’ first Women In Sports Night last week at the ballpark.

Snow went from stardom at Pensacola High to playing for Pat Head Summit at Tennessee, then onto the WNBA and international basketball as Pensacola’s greatest female basketball player.

“I believe people have to understand there will be a lot of obstacles in the way and a lot of fears you have to overcome,” said Snow, addressing the young athletes in the audience that day inside the season-ticket holders lounge. “You have to overcome that fear.”

Miller, now Miller-Schubeck, a Tate High grad, won back-to-back SEC All-Around championships in 1988-89 for the Florida Gators and was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame as one of its greatest athletes.

“I think it is important to have goals,” she said. “If you don’t have goals, you are not shooting toward anything.”

Barr, now Barr-Gifford, a Booker T. Washington and University of Texas graduate, was the youngest member at 16-years-old for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Women’s Swim Team. She won a silver medal for the U.S. in the team’s medley relay, and just missed the podium in her two other Olympic events that year.

All three overcome adversity in their development to attain the highest level of success. Here were their thoughts on two powerful topics during the symposium. They were also recognized by throwing out a first pitch that night and on the dugout, following the second inning, as well as in-game interviews on the Blue Wahoos radio broadcast.

Since you all competed, so much has changed in women’s sports. If you mentor young girls or if still involved in some way, how would view the state of your particular sports today?

MICHELLE SNOW

“For me the state of mentoring, the state of basketball in the WNBA, and everything like that, I think it is in a beautiful place. We just had one of the best CBA (collective bargaining agreement with owners and players) deals. ESPN just did another multimillion deal. Nike now owns a 25-percent stake in the WNBA. Things are getting there, the endorsements are there, you don’t have to go overseas now if you don’t want to. These young ladies are making that good, good cash.

And it is a blessing because it is the people who started it, who fought for it, who are still invested in it, that get to see that become a dream and possibility. When I was coming up, there was no WNBA. It didn’t happen until my senior year in high school. With these young ladies, they get to see it from the day they are born all the way the way up, they get to come to games and see their favorite athletes.

I mentor several players. I also do the WNBA podcast. It is a lot of fun seeing where the game is going and the opportunities that are available.

MELISSA MILLER

“The state of gymnastics and where it is at… it doesn’t have much in a professional realm. It is more in the collegiate level. And it has changed so much over the years. And I am so glad that I am not doing gymnastics anymore, because (competitors) are way too good. Where I have seen the biggest change is the growth in the sport. More people are involved into it.

Now, it’s grown with more and more college teams getting gymnastics and top notch gymnastics. If you watched the national championship last week, Auburn was in the final four for the first time ever in gymnastics. It is growing, because there is just more interest in the sport.

It is really neat to see the expansion in the sport in a lot of different areas. The equipment has really changed too. A lot of changed.”

BETH BARR

“Swimming is constantly changing. With equipment and bathing suits and fitness. It is more of a strength sport now. When I was swimming, I was a small swimmer and more of a technician in the water. The girls now are so strong. Swimming now relies more heavily on strength. There is also some professional swimming now which is great to see. It is also great to see swimmers can now expand their careers. The ages are getting older. As far as females they are definitely getting older and able to still compete.”

You all went through adverse situations in your careers on way to achieving so much success. How did each of you handle those tough times?

MELISSA MILLER

“As a young kid, my goal was to make the Olympic team. I was in eighth grade, and I moved away from home went to visit top coaches in the country. I got hurt right before qualifications for the Olympic trials. So my biggest dream was now shattered. I didn’t understand it at the time. When the plans you have don’t work out the way you want them, what do you do? For me, I realized God had a different plan. When I had that loss, I was redirected and I was able to get a scholarship at Florida and because of that, I had a successful career. It really made up for it.

You may have your mind set that you want to do this, this and this… and want to be a D-1 athlete, and it may not plan out. You can get hurt in an instant and your career may be over. You have to realize that and have a backup plan.”

BETH BARR

‘”I would rather face failure any day. Because failure provides an opportunity. You want that. Athletes go through depression. Because, it’s like I don’t know what to do now. You succeeded and now what? Embrace failure. My son just won a state wrestling title in Arizona, but he would call me when he lost a match and I would say, okay, what did you learn from that? What will you do better? When you win, you don’t learn anything… Always look at failure as an opportunity.”

MICHELLE SNOW

“Fear actually motivated me. And it motivated me because I was so afraid of certain things. I remember getting all the way to state final four (at Pensacola High) our freshman year and we lose. Went to the NCAA Final Four twice (with Tennessee) and got blown out in the championship game. That is tough. I get all the way to the pros and get drafted (in WNBA) by a team (Houston Comets) that has never kept a rookie. That is terrifying. You may not ever play and you worked your entire life to get there. I go overseas (first season) and I get fired (cut).

My mother had Lupus growing up. I didn’t know how much time she had. I didn’t know if she would wake up that next morning. It is scary It is a terrifying thing. People thought I wanted to play pro basketball because I wanted the cars, the fame, the money. I wanted to play because I wanted to buy my mother medicine. Her medicine was $500 for one prescription. I wanted to go pro so I could make a difference in her life.”

Ballpark Yoga Returns To Blue Wahoos Stadium This Sunday!

By popular demand, “Seventh Inning Stretch” Ballpark Yoga will return to Blue Wahoos Stadium throughout the summer, with four new dates in May and June announced today by the Blue Wahoos.

“After our first Ballpark Yoga session in April, we heard from so many fans clamoring for more, so we’re very excited to add four new dates this summer,” Blue Wahoos events manager Shannon Reeves said. “We’re very grateful to our friends at Disko Lemonade for leading these sessions and making them fun for all ages and experience levels.”

Ballpark Yoga will be offered in May on Sunday, May 1st and Sunday, May 22nd and in June on Sunday, June 12 and Sunday, June 26. All sessions will begin at 9:00 AM – late enough to allow fans to sleep in but early enough to not miss brunch downtown afterwards – and will be led by expert instructors from Disko Lemonade Yoga Studio.

Tickets to each session are available at BlueWahoos.com for $12. Yoga is held in centerfield at Blue Wahoos Stadium, offering attendees exclusive access to the field at the stadium, and participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat, blanket, or towel to exercise on.

Get Tickets:

Sunday, May 1
Sunday, May 22
Sunday, June 12
Sunday, June 26

Blue Wahoos Welcome Michelle Snow, Beth Barr, and Melissa Miller-Schubeck For Women In Sports Seminar

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos have joined with local athletic legends Michelle Snow, Beth Barr, and Melissa Miller-Schubeck to present Women In Sports Night on Friday, April 22 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Prior to the Blue Wahoos game against the Montgomery Biscuits that evening, Snow, Barr, and Miller-Schubeck will lead a seminar for female high school and college students focused on inspiring young women in our community to pursue opportunities and careers in athletics.

“Today, more than ever before, women are empowered to create their own destiny, make substantive contributions, and leave our mark on the world of sports. And, while we’re making our difference in real-time, we’re also paving the way for women coming up behind us in this industry so what an important role for us to play,” Blue Wahoos Vice President of Fan Experience Donna Kirby, who will host the seminar, said. “Women are strong and powerful – we are creative thinkers and problem-solvers. It’s gratifying to see our talents leveraged so that the impact we are having both now and in the future, will leave lasting and positive impressions on the sports industry as a whole. Women in Sports Night is a great first step for those interested in learning more about where we are, where we’re going, and the role that they can play in helping organizations across all sports, not just baseball, achieve greatness.”

Tickets to Women In Sports Night are available to local female students for $14 at BlueWahoos.com and include the leadership seminar and the Blue Wahoos game that evening. The seminar will begin at 4:30 PM in the Blue Wahoos Stadium Lounge. Gates at the ballpark will open at 5:30 PM for the game with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 PM.

A graduate of Pensacola High School, Snow was named Florida’s “Miss Basketball” in 1998. After starring at the University of Tennessee, where she became the third woman in NCAA college basketball history to dunk during a game, she was a first round selection in 2002 WNBA Draft and went on to a 13-year career in the WNBA, making two All-Star teams. Since, she’s become a nationally-recognized speaker, investor, and business advisor.

As a 16-year-old at Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola, Barr won a silver medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, swimming the backstroke on Team U.S.A.’s women’s 4×100-meter medley relay. She then attended the University of Texas, winning the 1991 National Championship in the 200-meter backstroke and being named All-America four times. After her swimming career she opened Barracuda Swimworks in Pensacola, using her expertise to help teach children in our community to swim.

Tate High graduate Miller-Schubeck starred nationally in gymnastics as a youth before attending the University of Florida. Named to six All-America teams during her collegiate career, Miller-Schubeck won the SEC All-Around championship in back-to-back years in 1988 and 1989 and was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame. Today, she serves as a Youth Services Director at Heritage Baptist Church.

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos begin their 10th season by the Bay on Friday, April 8 as they welcome the Biloxi Shuckers to Blue Wahoos Stadium. Full-season memberships, mini plans, and single game tickets are available at BlueWahoos.com.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Remembering When Blue Wahoos Honored Pensacola Team Breaking Little League Color Barrier 

 

On an August night in 2018, Jerry Cowart had traveled more than 750 miles from West Virginia to Pensacola, so he could reconnect with special history.

He was a pitcher-infielder on the 1955 Orlando Kiwanis, an 11-12-year-old Little League team, which agreed to play the Pensacola Jaycees in a game which shook youth baseball in the southeast.

The Pensacola Jaycees were a team of all Black players. Orlando’s team was all White players. Their Florida Little League state semifinal game on August 10, 1955, at Orlando’s Lake Lorna Doone Park broke the game’s color barrier

That game, that moment, and those players, which spawned the movie “Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story,” were honored August 18, 2018 by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos prior during their game at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

It was something the Blue Wahoos and team owner Quint Studer made happen as a well to honor the moment 63 years earlier, but also remind of its significance.

As Major League Baseball celebrates the final day of Black History Month in February 2022, this story is a fitting way to recognized Pensacola’s history with baseball and great Black players in the community’s history.

“I would have never missed this,” said Cowart, who engaged in embrace with fellow 70-year-old men who played for the Jaycees. “It’s very special. I know back then, we wanted to play that game. We didn’t care. We just wanted to play baseball.

“We didn’t think one bit of the implications,” said Cowart, whose team won the game 5-0 to advance to play Miami for the 1955 state title, which Miami won 1-0. “I know (Jaycees) were scared. And we were uptight too. But it was fun. We had a good time.”

On that night in 2018, PGA Tour star and Pensacola resident Bubba Watson, a co-investor with the Blue Wahoos, returned from his busy schedule to hand out commemorative plaques to all players and show his support.

That was a joyous surprise to the members of both teams and their families. Blue Wahoos players and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players applauded from both dugouts during the ceremony.

The cheers became louder during the second inning when a sellout crowd (5,038) had filled the seats.

“I almost wish I could have been a part of it back in that era,” said former Blue Wahoos manager Jody Davis, who grew up in Gainesville, Georgia, and went on to become a Major League All-Star catcher with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves

“But I wasn’t born until ’56, so it was just a little bit ahead of my time, but this game of baseball has kinda smoothed over a lot of rough times.

“That bunch from Orlando did the right thing, we all know that. It is historic. I was glad to be part of it and see those guys out here. I hope they had a good time.”

The Blue Wahoos wore replica home jerseys of the Pensacola Jaycees.

The players from both the Jaycees and Orlando Kiwanis gathered on the concourse that night, signing autographs, posing with fans for pictures, or just taking in the whole experience.

At one point, Escambia County commissioner Lumon May approached four of the Orlando team members and hugged each one. It was his emotional way of saying “thank you” for what they accomplished.

“It was baseball that brought it all together and baseball is doing it again here (Saturday),” said Ted Haddock, the film’s producer.

The game was eight years after Jackie Robinson, who was born in Cairo, Georgia, made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

“One of our own coaches quit before we played that game, because he didn’t want to go against a black team,” Cowart said.

The Pensacola Jaycees reached the state Little League semifinals, because teams from Fort Walton Beach and Panama City both forfeited playoff games after refusing to play against black players.

“We really didn’t know, because we had baseball fields to play on,” said Willie Robinson, a shortstop on the Jaycees and nephew of former Booker T. Washington principal Sherman Robinson. “There were baseball fields everywhere in Pensacola back then.”

“But people outside of us didn’t know we could play so well. We weren’t the best ballplayers, necessarily, in the south, but other teams didn’t get the same opportunity.”

The team traveled in three cars to get to Orlando. Only one gas station company in Florida — Phillips 66 — permitted African-American travelers to use their restrooms and drink from their water fountains.

“There were some very rough towns back then … racist places,” said Rev. Freddie Augustine, a second baseman on the Pensacola Jaycees. “We couldn’t just stop anywhere.”

But they made it happen. And 63 years later, so did the Blue Wahoos.

Blue Wahoos Stadium provided a fitting venue. It was only blocks away from where the Pensacola Jaycees played at their field that once existed on the corner of Government Street and Intendencia.

“This all goes back to our covenant about bringing the community together,” Studer said that night. “But it is also to let people know we have a ways to go. We’ve always wanted to make this ballpark like a neighborhood.. an integrated neighborhood.”

The players from both teams met for the first time two years ago in Pensacola to film the documentary. It was their first meeting since 1955. It was at a ballpark near A.K. Suter Elementary School — a field that was off-limits to the Jaycees in 1955.

Neighborhood kids saw the film crews and the production. The youth players asked the former players, all now in their 70s, about what was going on.

When they found out, the kids began asking for autographs and bonded with the men in a way that touched their hearts.

“I thank the Lord for what happened,” Robinson said. “My only disappointment is that (the local African-American community) never recognized us back then. That is my disappointment.

“But I am overwhelmed now because they are finally getting to know what we did. It’s just they can’t really feel the full impact.”

Blue Wahoos Receive Sports Tourism Award At Pensacola Sports Awards Banquet 

 

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Blue Wahoos became innovators and award winners.

Those elements were honored Feb. 24 during the annual Pensacola Sports Awards Banquet at the Pensacola Yacht Club, sponsored by Cox Communications.

The Blue Wahoos received the Sports Tourism Award for 2020, after creating the nation’s first Airbnb experience at a ballpark in a year without baseball, along with the other creative ways to bring people to Blue Wahoos Stadium and fulfill the team’s mission to improve the quality of life in the Pensacola community.

Blue Wahoos vice president Alex Sides accepted the award on a special night celebrating the varied success stories with athletes and teams in the Pensacola area. Pensacola Sports was founded in 1955 and is the oldest sports association in Florida.

Pensacola Sports created the Sports Tourism Award several years ago as a way to recognize an organization or group of individuals who make a significant contribution to generating tourism to Pensacola and advancing the community’s awareness.

The Blue Wahoos were able to do that in a number of ways in 2020, after all levels of Minor League Baseball were cancelled prior to the 2020 season due to the first onslaught of COVID-19. The team’s front office staff went to work to transition into an events company and Airbnb experience.

In a time where family entertainment options were greatly limited, the Blue Wahoos staged more than 200 events, along with the 75 nights of Airbnb guests from 30 different states.

It earned the Blue Wahoos the Bob Freitas Award from Baseball America as the Double-A organization of the year. The Blue Wahoos also earned the prestigious Golden Bobblehead Award for best overall promotion during the MILB Innovators Summtt, held virtually in 2020.

At the Feb. 24 Pensacola Sports banquet, event emcee Dan Shugart recognized all of the achievements and provided the gathering with awareness of how the Blue Wahoos survived a year without baseball.

The team also won other awards that year.

Team owners Quint and Rishy Studer decided in April 2020 not to reduce staffing or lay off employees and were able to keep the entire front office staff employed the entire year.

The Blue Wahoos have been able to attract visitors from across the country, either to attend games, or simply visit the stadium during non-event days to browse in the team store or simply walk around and experience the bayfront stadium.

The Blue Wahoos were joined by Five Flags Speedway, winner of the 2021 Sports Tourism Award, in earning recognition for impact in the community.