[Music] [Applause] hello and welcome to another episode of chitchat and this one is probably going to be one of my most favorites we are here with Jim jorski the general manager of the Tortugas and we're here at Jackie Robinson Ballpark and you know as a kid growing up north uh February was always miserable up there you have to shovel the basketball court it was cold and one thing I would always look forward to is early Su dinner at my grandmother's the Italian grandmother grandfather will be laying on the floor watching the Daytona 500 and you knew pitchers and catchers were're going to report right after that there you go baseball's around the corner and here we are Jim so why don't you tell us what we're in store for here in 2024 yeah we've had a ton of great stuff going on here this off season and you know been pretty busy you said it earlier you know there really is no offseason right it's just it's just different and you know there's been some construction projects going on here at the Ballpark we've just installed the brand new LED lighting system um state-of-the-art you know they can dance they can Flash you can you know turn on this one that one the other the biggest thing is that it meets the standards right the lighting standards for Major League Baseball um there's current construction going on behind home PL on the first base side so the whole roof is taken off all the pearlins all the other you know beams and uh lighting the the fans are taken down um they're currently power washing that area they'll be painting it next week putting everything back in place in preparation for opening day on April 9th um bethon cookman starts playing here in about a week um so their season's going to be rocking and rolling they have 30 games that they'll play here at the Ballpark um and so yeah there's been a lot of exciting stuff going on uh of course the city of Daytona Beach recently um approved the $30 million of of renovations to Jackie Robinson ballpark um the first phase is going to be a lot of Player Development facilities right the home Clubhouse visiting Clubhouse batting cages weight rooms training rooms male and female facilities in all those areas um and then the second phase will be more the fan amenities right um additional restrooms additional concessions point of sale um some different experience points and some Hospitality areas um really really exciting things right when you think about the history here at the Ballpark and the last 100 years and then when you think about the renovations and and and all the support from the community all the support from the city of Daytona Beach and then to think about baseball for the next 100 years that's pretty cool yeah it really is you know when you bring up the historical perspective I don't think of a lot of people realize that this has been here since 1914 you know Jackie Robinson obviously played here uh I think it was like St Patrick's Day in 1946 that's right exactly Jacksonville the Land There was a bunch of places that didn't want this it settled in Daytona Beach and you know you gave me a quick tour and the city really has invested a lot of money into make this estate of the arc facility correct it comes down to two things right you know it comes down to partnership and and comes down to community right and and that's exactly what we have here in Daytona Beach and in Bela County um it's a pretty special place you know you and I have have grown up here together yeah I mean I start my 18th year in May you're in your 15th year here and one of the amazing things is and and I say this all the time how embedded in our community you are whether it's fighting breast cancer you know whether you're out there at the at the turkey the basket Brigade to help underprivileged families for Thanksgiving no matter what it is the Tortugas in this organization and you spearhead it are involved in everything we do to make this a better place to live and that's what it's about right that's exactly what it's about and and we're not here without the community support we're not here without you know all the people who have been here before us right and and doing these same things and you know it's our responsibility to keep you know moving those things forward to keep doing those things um CU that's what it's about right at the end of the day and uh you know you you and I have done some pretty cool things throughout the years too together absolutely absolutely and I'm looking forward to continuing that I mean especially you gave me that quick tour with all the renovations that are going on I mean I can't wait be honest with you I would have taken a couple cookman games this year to get ready for April 9 you know our version of spring training right exactly exactly so let's talk baseball I mean what are we looking at this year who's our top prospects I know we had a new manager coming in am I right on that or yeah so he was new with us last year um he actually played with us with Tortugas in in 2015 um really really great guy um you know energetic he he cares about the players he's been there right been there done that he understands what it takes um another one of our coaches Lenny Harris um you know when you look at a guy like Lenny Harris who's alltime pinch hits leader in Major League Baseball a record that especially the way the game has has changed that it's probably never going to be broken so you bring in guys like that to have experience with some of the young prospects with some of the young players um you can't you can't put a price tag on that right um and the way the Reds have been you know they've had a lot of a lot of great young Talent um you know with us you know we had a very young team one of the youngest teams in the League last year but they were still competitive they were still out there to continue to get better continue to prove a point um and we're looking for much of the same this year um those guys like you said earlier the guys are going to report the spring training next week on the major league side and then the next couple weeks is when the minor league guys will come in and and start doing their thing so I'm going to take a quick trip out to Arizona and check in with the guys here in a couple weeks and um yeah see what we have for this year but we're really looking forward to the season um have some really great promotions planned um we really took a a hard look into just what we were doing from a marketing standpoint all the things that we were doing in the community how can we continue to do more how can we continue to have more involvement with the foundation and continue to do uh just more and more in the community um you know it's always important but but now more so than ever for sure so let's talk about our top who should be be watching in 2024 who are our top prospects that'll be here um you know third baseman we had last year cam ker he he was pretty good um he was young um he was he was really young in fact I think what I say is I don't know that he could buy a lottery ticket uh when we started the season last year so he was pretty young um South Stewart another one of those you know third baseman uh you know first baseman kind of guys um we had a really really young crew of of infielders and just solid solid infielders um so it look for much of the same for this year you know it's always interesting in the minor league process right on just where those guys are in their careers but then also who's playing ahead of them right and just what that process looks like with of course the ultimate goal to to make it up to Cincinnati right so um you know it'll be fun to see we'll have another young competitive team and um you know look to have some fun here as well I you know last year you got introduced me to ownership oh my Bobble had and I was so impressed this one our bab head there I was so impressed with their passion uh for the city of Daytona Beach or area and their commitment to to Minor League Baseball I mean they really are and I I don't think a lot of people get to meet them but they they really were kind of uh Cutting Edge in the way they they thought but their passion is what impressed me most yeah it's very important right and very lucky to have those guys um you know here supporting us not only organizationally but as you mentioned from a community standpoint as well um you know they Spearhead a lot of our efforts with the foundation um you know the foundation does two main things right it's sea turtle conservation well because that makes sense right and then it's also uh Youth Sports and education through Youth Sports specifically with baseball so it's working with the city of Daytona Beach and their uh little league program it's working with the vucha county uh the Miracle League of vucha County um and just continuing to to do those things right to provide that additional arm and and those guys are 100% part of that process and a part of that plan so why don't we tell our viewers a little bit about you sure your baseball background and how you made this trip to where you are now sure yeah so I was fortunate enough to to play baseball at the college level um you know I always knew that I wanted to be involved in sports somehow right uh you know growing up you just didn't know what that looked like right all of us wanted to play right and continue to play to swing like a Rusty Gate you know that and and play as long as we could right so I had an opportunity to go play and get an education and um you know after that uh was able to coach for a year right because I figured well you know want to be involved in the game and and how can I continue to do those things um and I had fun I had fun doing it you know staying around the game and decided to see what the business side of baseball had to offer and took an internship with the Lakeland Flying Tigers um you know I was just a an open book right here to learn as much as I possibly can and I'd already graduated I was done with school and so you know for me it was about just getting my foot in the door and a position opened up here fulltime in Daytona Beach been fortunate to have five position positions here with the organization continue to learn continue to grow and um you know the joke that I make is obviously if us sign in the the 20year lease with the two fiveyear extension I said all right I'll put together the next lease and and we'll see what happens from there so uh but extremely fortunate um just all the way around right um and just with all the support and and the opportunities um those have been tremendous um very very fortunate for sure you know just sitting out here and talking to you it's a beautiful day uh you know you're at the Ballpark and you could just feel the excitement in the air that baseball is right around the corner and you know I'm excited I cannot wait to hear the Umpire yell on April 9th play ball there you go that that that that's what I can't wait for so we'll give you the last word is there anything out there you want to tell our folks about what the look forward in 2024 season tickets what do we have what do you all the above right so season tickets on sale individual tickets on sale uh we really took a a deeper look we haven't released our promotional schedule just yet making some final tweaks um but we're really focused on giveaway um we focused on kids specific giveaways um so we'll do a youth replica Jersey we'll do a tin lunchbox U my daughter you know is 3 years old so we're not quite in the squish Malo yet but I he those are pretty popular um so we're going to do one of those with the with the Sheldon giveaway um we have a stadium replica that we'll be doing this year um which is pretty cool right the idea is okay here in 2024 this is what an idea what the ballpark looks like and then we'll continue that story as we continue through the renovations um you know working on some other you know maybe we'll have some other surprises um you know giveaways later on in the year but really looking to have some fun we're going to bring in princesses we're going to bring in just different things than than what we've done in the past some postgame concerts those kinds of things um it's just about having fun right it's about coming out to the ballpark and having a good time and you do and you do I mean you can't beat it you talk about a great family activity in this community and then when you walk along the season ticket holders row there and you get to meet the season ticket holders it's it's a pretty it's a great night every time you come out here it really really is and I and I hope that people realize how blessed we are to have this in our backyard and I would like this to make 2024 an outstanding year especially with all the the changes that are coming about and the way the city's invested in here so I I just can't wait for play ball man well and it certainly goes without saying but thank you and thank you for everything you know that you've done not only for us but you know just this community and and again it's a it's a pretty special place hey like you I'm blessed I I have incredible people that I work with work for and as you know that's what makes the success it's a team effort and and whether you're talking about you know you name it it's a team effort right and and that's pretty important well I hope for you be pitching bat and practice to me again this year because I do need to defend my lost title you know against the hog correct you know those guys kind of cheated a little bit when they were buting and calling those things questionable at best well then again you have to look at the staff over there too they're pretty questionable themselves but I really appreciate your time as we get ready for this baseball season like Jim said don't forget bethon cookman has 30 games here if you can't wait till April 9th you have a high school tournament right it's coming in in March so Jack will be open for business here in another couple weeks and go Tortugas Man play ball 2024's [Music] here so when we finished the interview Jim gave me a quick tour and talked to me about how we can buy season tickets in the different levels and he twisted my arm after all these years and got me to buy season tickets behind home plate so why don't you join me in buying season tickets what a great way and what a great gift you can give to your employees you can give to your family members and again you get to come out to the ballpark and enjoy an incredible atmosphere watching a great team and participating in rebuilding our downtown thanks pal thank you check us in the mail thank [Applause] you