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Florida BaseballBiz

Florida BaseballBiz

Written by: Mark Corbett
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Florida is the incubator for great baseball. Little League players to High School Heroes and some become Major League HOF'ers.
Florida BaseballBiz shares the stories of the leagues, teams, players, coaches and the great people that daily celebrate baseball with a bit of a citrus tang.

© 2026 Florida BaseballBiz Baseball & Softball
Episodes
  • Genelle & Mochine - DeSoto Park & Ybor City Sportswomen & Family

    Genelle & Mochine - DeSoto Park & Ybor City Sportswomen & Family
    Jun 22 2026
    Mark Corbett sits down with Genelle Garverick to explore the rich sports history of Tampa's West Tampa, Ybor City, and DeSoto Park communities, with a special focus on Genelle's legendary mother, Mochine Mercedes Fernandez.Growing Up in Palmetto Beach, DeSoto Park & Ybor CityGenelle attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH), a K-12 Catholic school in Ybor CityBegan playing city/playground sports around age 6OLPH fielded competitive girls' volleyball and basketball teams despite small rosters (10-12 players)Memorable road trip to St. Leo to play on a sloped outdoor cement basketball court; missed shots rolled downhillTampa's City Playground Sports SystemTampa Parks Department ran a highly competitive playground league with citywide championships in softball and basketballKids traveled across the city to compete at other playgroundsSummer championship days featured a wide variety of sports: baseball, softball, marbles, and moreGenelle reflects that this community-centered model was one of the best environments for children's development**Mochine Mercedes Fernandez | A Legendary Sports LeaderServed as Park Director at DeSoto Park for approximately 20 yearsMulti-sport athlete: basketball, volleyball, softball; played into her 40sMochine named Tampa Bay Sportswoman of the Year (1963)Earned all-state honors in basketballPlayed on the Sea Breeze-sponsored softball teamCompeted against retired professional men baseball players at Al Lang Field on SundaysKnown for her tenacity at home plate as a catcher; once tagged out a sliding player and then got a congratulatory hugCompared to legendary catchers-turned-leaders like Al Lopez and Kevin CashThe Trip to Havana, Cuba (~1953)Mochine organized and funded a trip for a girls' softball team to compete in HavanaRaised $1,000 (no small feat in 1953) entirely through community donations; businesses had their names printed on the team's uniformsThe team stayed in private homes in an affluent Havana neighborhood, free of charge while traveling in HavanaDefeated all the Cuban girls' teams, and then beat the boys' teams tooFor most players, it was their first time on a plane and outside of FloridaCommunity Pillars: Spicola Family & Sea Breeze RestaurantThe Spicola family lived across from DeSoto Park; they sponsored a softball team and supported community families in needSea Breeze Restaurant (Licata family) was a beloved neighborhood seafood spot, famous for fresh shrimp and devil crabsGenelle's family had a standing Friday dinner-and-drive-in tradition at Sea BreezeJean Cerra ConnectionJean Cerra (previous podcast guest) and Genelle attended OLPH togetherThey reunited by chance in a Columbia, Missouri grocery store years laterCerra became head of physical education at Stephens College, then the first Associate Women's Athletic Director at the University of MissouriCerra was instrumental in early Title IX organization efforts at the national levelWomen's Sports Then & NowGenelle worked in women's athletics administration at Purdue University post-graduate schoolAttended a pivotal early meeting in Colorado where women's sports leaders debated joining the NCAA; concerns centered on losing autonomyTitle IX marked a turning point, but Genelle believes women's sports still needs greater investment, media coverage, and professional opportunitiesReflects fondly on the Tampa Tribune's extensive coverage of local playground sports, a contrast to today's fragmented media landscapeThe Garverick Family's Athletic LegacyGenelle and her husband Alan have three children: two daughters and a son (Phil)All three became competitive swimmers due to their oldest daughter's asthma treatmentPhil swam on scholarship at University of Missouri and now coaches a swim team in CanadaAllison was accepted at Duke; Stacy swam for Washington University in St. LouisNotable Mentions- Senaida "Shoo Shoo" Worth | Ybor City native who played for South Bend Blue Sox- Margaret Magadan Piniella | Lou Piniella's mother; also appeared frequently in Tampa sports archives- Olympia Diaz | another Tampa-area sports woman who became a park director elsewhere- Al Lopez | Tampa native catcher who managed the White Sox and Cleveland Indians to the World Series- Sue Zipay | organized a women's baseball showcase in Sarasota featuring Olympic-caliber women baseball playersResources mentioned in showArticle about Mochine Fernandez by Janet Ball Watts, published in Cigar City MagazinePrevious episode featuring Jean CerraUSA Women's Baseball Tournament | Rockford, Illinois (home of the Rockford Peaches)Closing Thought Mochine Fernandez exemplified community leadership through sport: feeding families, funding travel, coaching reluctant players out of bed, and opening doors for girls who had never left Florida. Her legacy lives on through the women she inspired, including Jean Cerra's Title IX work and Genelle Garverick's own career in collegiate sports administration.
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    44 mins
  • A Visit with Josh Weaver to The Tampa Baseball Museum

    A Visit with Josh Weaver to The Tampa Baseball Museum
    Apr 8 2026

    Episode: The Tampa Baseball Museum with Josh Weaver

    Hosts: Mark Corbett & Mat Germain
    Guest: Josh Weaver, Curator of the Tampa Baseball Museum

    Episode Overview

    Mark and Mat sit down with returning guest Josh Weaver, curator of the Tampa Baseball Museum, to discuss the museum's history, community outreach, future modernization ideas, and the incredible depth of major league baseball talent that has come out of Hillsborough County, Florida.

    Key Topics Covered

    The Tampa Baseball Museum

    • Located in a historic 1905 casita (home) in Ybor City — the former home of Al Lopez, the first player from Tampa to reach the major leagues
    • One of only four museums in the U.S. housed in a player's actual birthplace or home (alongside the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore, Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum in Greenville, SC, and the Hank Aaron Museum in Mobile, AL)
    • Focuses on Hillsborough County baseball history, not just the city of Tampa
    • Currently features 121 players born or raised in Hillsborough County who made it to the major leagues, with 89 baseballs on the "baseball wall"
    • Four Hall of Famers with Hillsborough County ties: Al Lopez, Wade Boggs, Tony La Russa, and Fred McGriff

    Community Outreach

    • Mobile museum that travels to little league opening/closing day ceremonies and local events
    • Sponsors teams in West Tampa Little League
    • Uses artifacts (like Tino Martinez's 2000 World Series jersey) to spark intergenerational baseball conversations
    • Partners with local mascots (King Ripple, Finley, SouthPaw) for reading events at schools and libraries
    • Hosts intimate "Coach's Corner" events featuring retired players and coaches (e.g., Larry Rothschild, David Magadan, Joe Maddon, Roberto Hernandez)

    The Reading Series

    • Josh has written a children's book on Baltimore's Camden Yards
    • Upcoming releases: children's biographies of local judge and former minor leaguer Robin Fuson, and MLB veteran David Magadan
    • Players have full review and editorial control over their books

    Future Ideas Discussed

    • Virtual reality and holographic technology to modernize the museum experience and attract younger visitors
    • A "sandlot game" concept: retired MLB players vs. current regional coaches, to bridge generations and grow community engagement
    • Preserving memories of the Tropicana Field via 360° VR before the venue changes
    • Collaboration with other small baseball museums (Ty Cobb Museum, Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum) for cross-museum events

    Notable Players & Names Mentioned
    Al Lopez, Wade Boggs, Tino Martinez, Luis Gonzalez, Fred McGriff, Tony La Russa, Lou Piniella, Pete Alonso, Kyle Tucker, Preston Tucker, Kevin Cash, Brett Phillips, Logan Gilbert, Caglianone, David Magadan, Roberto Hernandez, Joe Maddon, Pop Cuesta, Pete Mulry, Nardi Contreras, Chuck Hernandez, Manny Seoane, Robin Fuson, Randy Myers, Clint Hurdle, Arminda Mata (CEO, Ybor Society)

    Resources & Links

    • Tampa Baseball Museum website: Search "Tampa Baseball Museum"
    • Facebook / Instagram: Follow Tampa Baseball Museum for upcoming events and the newsletter
    • Previous episode: Arminda Mata, CEO of the Ybor City Museum Society
    • Previous episode: Robin Fuson (judge/former minor leaguer)
    • Book mention: Baseball and the Law by Lou Schiff (features Robin Fuson and Tony La Russa)

    Florida BaseballBiz is your home for stories, history, and the business of baseball in the Sunshine State.
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    49 mins
  • Ybor City - Baseball Heroes & Legends history with Arminda Mata

    Ybor City - Baseball Heroes & Legends history with Arminda Mata
    Mar 25 2026

    Interview with Arminda Mata, CEO & President, Tampa Baseball Museum / Ybor Museum Society

    Host: Mark Corbett

    Episode Summary Mark sits down with Arminda Mata to explore the deep roots of baseball in Tampa's Ybor City — from the cigar factories of the 1880s to the formation of the first Cigar City League in 1913, and how that history shaped generations of Major League talent.

    Key Topics

    • Buildings Alive Celebration — The 14th annual event showcasing Ybor City's historic buildings and history.
    • Ybor City's Origins — Vicente Martinez Ybor relocated his cigar business from Cuba to Key West and ultimately Tampa in the 1880s, sparking explosive population growth (800 to 15,000 in 15 years).
    • The Mutual Aid Societies — Six immigrant societies (Italian Club, Centro Español, Centro Asturiano, El Circulo Cubano, Sociedad La Unión Martí-Maceo, German American Club) provided banking, insurance, healthcare, social activities, and even cemeteries — from birth to grave.
    • The Cigar Industry Boom — Spanish, Cuban, Sicilian, Jewish, and German immigrants built a massive cigar trade producing over a million cigars per week, with the King of Spain buying exclusively from Cuesta-Rey.
    • Baseball's Beginnings in Tampa — Amateur teams formed around cigar companies and local businesses. On May 30, 1913, the first Cigar City League was formally organized, with Cuesta-Rey winning the inaugural championship.
    • The Inter-Social League (1940s) — Mutual aid societies formed teams that played against each other, bringing diverse communities together through baseball.
    • Tampa's Baseball Legends — Al Lopez (first Tampa-born Hall of Famer), Lou Piniella, Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, Doc Gooden, Gary Sheffield, and the family connections between them.
    • Negro Leagues in Tampa — The first Negro Association in Tampa started May 23, 1885. Billy Reed, coach at Hillsborough High School, played for the Tampa Bay Rockets.
    • Accessibility of Baseball Today — Discussion on the cost of attending games and the value of supporting minor league teams (Tarpons, Flying Tigers, Threshers) and local college/high school ball.
    • The Tampa Baseball Museum's Mission — Mobile museum programs in schools and senior facilities, researching forgotten names and family connections, and preserving Tampa's unique baseball heritage.

    Notable Names Mentioned Al Lopez, Lou Piniella, Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, Doc Gooden, Gary Sheffield, Dave Magadan, Lance McCullers Sr. & Jr., Billy Reed, Senaida Shoo Shoo Wirth, Jane Leavy, Janet Marie Smith, Joe Maddon, Wes Singletary, Junior Caminero, Bobby Cox, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones

    Links & Resources

    • Tampa Baseball Museum: tampabaseballmuseum.org
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    40 mins
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