Meggie Meidlinger & USA Women's Baseball - a team of Champions that work together

• Women's Baseball World Cup: 6 elite women's baseball teams (Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, China Taipei, USA) competed at the World Cup in Thunder Bay, Ontario, August 2024.
• USA vs Japan: Japan's 39-game winning streak (since 2012) ended when Team USA defeated them in extra innings, with Meggie Meidlinger pitching the final 2 1/3 innings to seal the victory.
• Meggie's Experience: Meggie shares her pride in representing the USA, how the team of 20 athletes worked together, and her personal experiences in the high-stakes game against Japan.
• Teamwork & Preparation: Meggie emphasizes the intense preparation, roles, and teamwork necessary to face top-tier international teams, describing it as fitting together like a puzzle.
• Pitching as a Closer: The mental intensity of a closer was discussed, with Meggie drawing parallels to the mindset of MLB pitcher Pete Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Tournament Achievements: Team USA brought home silver, moving from a 4th to 2nd world ranking. Meggie also highlights individual accomplishments within the team, including awards for Best RBI and Best Win/Loss Average.
• Future Goals: Now that the World Cup is over, the players are transitioning into the off-season, focusing on personal development and training for the next round of competitions.
• Notable Quotes: Every time I get to represent USA across my chest is an absolute honor." - Meggie Meidlinger
• Personal Projects: Beyond baseball, Meggie continues her work in architecture and missionary work in Uganda through the organization Baseball at Heart, which promotes girls' baseball.
  https://www.instagram.com/baseball_at_heart/
• Baseball in Uganda: Meggie discusses her involvement with Baseball at Heart, a girls' baseball organization in Uganda, and the positive impact they are making. Listeners can support the organization via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/baseball_at_heart/.
• @MLBDevelops Initiatives: Meggie highlights her participation in MLB’s programs like GRIT, EDI, Trailblazer Series, and Breakthrough aimed at identifying and developing young female baseball talent in the U.S.
• Trailblazing Women in Baseball: Making waves including Olivia Pichardo at Brown University and Kelsie Whitmore with the Oakland Ballers.
• Remembering Mamie "Peanut" Johnson: Meggie shares her cherished memories of meeting Mamie Peanut Johnson, one of the first women to play in the Negro Leagues. They discuss her trailblazing legacy and what it meant to be a female pitcher in a male-dominated sport.
• ·The All-American Girls Tournament: Looking ahead to the upcoming  tournament in Durham, NC, Mark and Meggie talk about the growth of the tournament, the talent on display, and their hopes for the future of women's baseball.
• ·Baseball History: The episode also explores legendary players like Jackie Robinson and the overlooked history of women in baseball, including stories like Jackie Mitchell, who famously struck out Babe Ruth.
• Shu Shu Wirth project, a standout player from the Blue Sox, who stole 89 bases in one season and left a lasting mark on the game.
• Giving Back to the Game: Meggie reflects on the life lessons & friendships baseball has given her, emphasizing the importance of giving back to the sport by helping to develop the next generation of players.

All-American Women’s Baseball Classic being held in Durham, October 11-13

Several of the players will be from the WBSC women baseball champions will be there to play. 
Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward"

Transcript

256 FINAL Meggie Meidlinger BaseballBiz On Deck https://www.baseballbizondeck.com/

[00:00:00] Mark Corbett: There were six elite women's baseball teams from countries across the globe that qualified to participate at the Women's Baseball World Cup held at Thunder Bay, Ontario this August. The teams included Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, Japan, China Tapei, and the USA. Prior to the 2024 World Cup, Japan had not lost a game since 2012 IBAF Women's Baseball World Cup.

[00:00:32] Mark Corbett: At that point in 2012, TM USA defeated Japan by a score of 5 - 2 in a pool play contest. After that loss, Japan would start a 39 game winning streak that would not be broken for 12 years. That would change in Thunder Bay 2024. The USA battled through win after win with the other teams and would face Japan in the last day of the round robin games.

[00:01:03] Mark Corbett: It was during that extra innings game that the USA Women's National Baseball team would put an end to Japan's winning streak. Jamie Baum had started the game for the USA team and then ace reliever Meggie Meinlinger would come in and pitch the final two and one third innings. Meggie's performance in those final moments would win the game as she pitched the final strikeout against Japan.

[00:01:30] Mark Corbett: Today, Meggie will share some of what her and that 20 woman team achieved in Thunder Bay and how they came home with the silver from the World Cup. So let's get started.

[00:01:51] Mark Corbett: Welcome to BaseballBiz On Deck. I am Mark Corbett, your host, and with me today, I have the great honor of having a return guest, a victor, if you will, Ms. Relief Pitcher herself for the USA Women's Baseball Team. None other than Meggie Meidlinger. How are you doing, Meggie? 

[00:02:07] Meggie Meidlinger: I'm doing great. How are you doing, Mark?

[00:02:09] Mark Corbett: Man, it has been fun times. I, I sat in front of that tube about a month ago, just kept watching you guys there in Thunder Bay, looking at the women, the USA's women's baseball team. And all the teams that were there, it was just so exciting to see every one of them, but it was great watching you all. 

[00:02:29] Meggie Meidlinger: Thank you.

[00:02:29] Meggie Meidlinger: We, we had an absolute blast. It was great competition, uh, six top teams, uh, in the world after all the qualifiers we've had the last few years. And, uh, our team of 20 was an excellent team of 20 to be a part of. And, uh, so grateful as always, uh, anytime I get to represent USA across my chest is an absolute honor.

[00:02:48] Mark Corbett: Yeah, I love that. I mean, I saw when some of the different stuff going up on social media and the uniforms going on and the people, of course, just poured across it. Yes, USA right here. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. Oh, my gosh, uh, that had to be exciting moment. But to get there, to get there, there's a lot of great talent.

[00:03:11] Mark Corbett: I keep talking about you, like, uh, um, A flock of eagles or the elite Avengers that are there because you are. I mean, in a sense, so you have to be able to, to, to seal the top talent and the United States and talent that hasn't really been working together all the time as a team. So being able to define that talent and then try to bring that talent into, to work together.

[00:03:35] Mark Corbett: I know that probably had to be a challenge for Veronica plus on the, the players as well. Um, but yeah, But how did that happen? How many players came in to try out 

[00:03:45] Meggie Meidlinger: every year? You have to try out. And for this particular one, it was by invite only in past years. It's Open it up to anybody and everyone, but this one was specific invites only just after everything that we've, we've done for qualifiers the last few years.

[00:04:01] Meggie Meidlinger: And what we always say, it's putting the team together like a puzzle, right? What, what are the best pieces that are going to fit together, work together? Everybody has a role and everybody working on those roles to work together cohesively as one team unit is incredible. And, um, I think especially after the summer, we had last summer qualifiers.

[00:04:19] Meggie Meidlinger: We all kind of took that and we, you know, it, it, it's kind of a hard thing to have to sit and wait for a whole nother year. You finish qualifiers and you have to sit and wait a year before the world cup. And it came quicker than assumed, but I think especially in the past year, a lot of us, you know, that, that core group, you're able to go.

[00:04:38] Meggie Meidlinger: Back and, and work on all those things. You have a, you have an agenda, you have an itinerary, you have a goal list. And, um, we all knew what we had to do and, and everybody went to work. That was a really cool thing about our team is, um, everybody had a very specific role and everybody has been putting in the work to, for us to just set foot with the utmost confidence on the field, play to the level that we all know that we're capable of playing together as a unit.

[00:05:06] Mark Corbett: Well, you definitely showed that on the field and my gosh. The last game of the Round Robin and watching you, I think you were, were you like two and a third innings a pair of the 

[00:05:17] Meggie Meidlinger: I was two and a third innings. Yep. Yeah. 

[00:05:18] Mark Corbett: Wow. So one, one extra inning or as a friend of mine says, overtime, uh, 

Meggie Meidlinger:  extra baseball.

[00:05:26] Mark Corbett: There we go. But my gosh, Meggie, I mean, it was exciting game. It is so close. And. You know, one, anytime a game goes next training, it's exciting to such well built teams. I mean, coming together like that and didn't see you guys take it. And it's like, my gosh, it was just such a wave of excitement. I know I could see that with, with the team, but of course other fans as well.

[00:05:53] Mark Corbett: So 

[00:05:54] Meggie Meidlinger: no, that, that was a, that was a really fun game. You know, those are the moments that you, you train for, you have to visualize constantly for those moments of tie ball game, extra innings, you know, bases loaded, whatever the scenario is, those are the moments that, that you have to visualize and think through and train for.

[00:06:11] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, for me, that, that was, uh, a very sweet and special moment of, we haven't faced Japan since, uh, 2018 was last time we faced them and I know, you know, the stats of they haven't lost since 2012. We beat a 39 game win streak of theirs. Um, and that's how our team plays. I mean, I, I know both teams already committed to the gold medal game, but that that's how our team USA plays is we play every game to our utmost max, knowing our full potential and, um, you know, to have that scenario of tie ball game, extra innings, I give Japan all the respect in the world.

[00:06:45] Meggie Meidlinger: They're a great ball club. Yeah. It's always a lot of fun to face them and to, to get, to come in, in those situations, I mean, you always have to have that mentality as the closer. And, uh, that was, that was a very fun game to, to be a part of. 

[00:06:58] Mark Corbett: Yeah. I always figure a closer, I think I may have said this before.

[00:07:02] Mark Corbett: When I watched the rays, Pete Fairbanks, when he's on, it's like the intensity you can tell in that moment, he is locked right there. There's nothing else going on in the universe. At that moment. There's that ball in his hand and then there's a catcher and that's where that ball has got to get to without anybody else getting in between them.

[00:07:20] Meggie Meidlinger: Absolutely. You have to have that, uh, you know, Cyclops tunnel vision of, uh, all sights and sounds kind of go away. You see the, the catcher, the. The, um, the task before you that you need to achieve. And, um, but that's where all the training and all the preparation kind of comes into play, right? Of training for those moments to knowing exactly what you need to do and what what your role and your job in that situation is.

[00:07:45] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, And also it's trusting your teammates. I mean, man, we, we have a heck of a defense and every single person contributed to that win. I mean, Jill's home run, Hugo, um, and Val made excellent plays in the middle infield. I mean, it was a full group effort, uh, to win, to win that game. 

[00:08:07] Mark Corbett: Well, it is shows, but it's, I always liked the battery.

[00:08:10] Mark Corbett: I always love seeing the pitcher and catcher work. It was a today. It was that he was, 

[00:08:14] Meggie Meidlinger: yeah, 

[00:08:16] Mark Corbett: I love, I remember that one image of the two of you are after the, you know, the game and that's just, anyway, it's part of the excitement, but yeah, you here, I'm going to bring something up for you. And I both to see home, the silver and.

[00:08:30] Mark Corbett: The U. S. 's ranking had been, I think, number four. Now it's, you know, number two. And if Japan's the one who got it, respect. Okay, respect. But my gosh, what you all achieved to get where you were. Let's see. I want to bring, uh, I was looking at the individual awards. We're looking across all the games and you have a great group of people behind you.

[00:08:55] Mark Corbett: I mean, all 20 of them and others of the positions, I think we have nine positions or nine boards here, the U S got four and I love it. They're all individuals. I mean by that, I mean, it's not all four of one person. We've got, you know, a good, strong team every way, whether it be like today, we're talking about with catching, uh, you were speaking of Jill with most runs batted in Kelsey with the best wind loss average.

[00:09:24] Mark Corbett: And then of course, uh, Jamie bomb. So bomb pitched 

[00:09:28] Meggie Meidlinger: incredibly. And then, I mean, even if you go to the all world team, uh, we're team USA is filling a lot of those positions as well, which is just incredible. I mean, I can't speak more highly of, of. My teammates. And again, those 20 that we had out there on the field was just, uh, it was a really fun team to be a part of.

[00:09:48] Meggie Meidlinger: And, um, have, I would put that 20 against, uh, anybody at any time in the world, we have a great team. 

[00:09:56] Mark Corbett: Well, and look, you were talking about as far as the world team. See who, who was there at sea first base, Naomi Ryan, uh, from us. So we got Alex Hugo on second and then DH. You got remember, 

[00:10:11] Meggie Meidlinger: uh, D. H. Yeah, 

[00:10:12] Mark Corbett: it just speaks volumes.

[00:10:15] Mark Corbett: Do have a question of kind of stepping back at the very beginning of the tournament. The USA is up there, they're ready for the 1st game and then they find out Venezuela is not going to be able to arrive on time for the 1st game. And as a player in the past, I know there's a certain anticipation, you know, for a game.

[00:10:36] Mark Corbett: And then when it's kind of pulled out, it's like, oh my gosh, it's, there's an emptiness feeling, at least for me. How did you deal with, with that? 

[00:10:45] Meggie Meidlinger: I mean, I, Mark, I would say a few things. I mean, obviously we were disappointed to not get to play that day. Like I said earlier, the day that we finished qualifiers in Thunder Bay last year, we were ready to keep charging through and go right into the world cup.

[00:10:58] Meggie Meidlinger: And so having already been waiting a year to step back foot out on that field and get going. You know, we were waiting just a year and a day then, right. Yeah. You know, I can't imagine being in Venezuela shoes either and having some of your team there and having a, you know, not have a whole team. You know, I can't imagine the gut wrenching feeling that they had either.

[00:11:18] Meggie Meidlinger: And, but I think that's the thing with the World Cup or any international play is you can't any, you can't let any 1 thing get you down. You know, it's, I think it's. Making sure your mental games on top of it. And so despite having that forfeit or a buy of a day, we all found ways to get our work done in so that we're ready and prep to to go.

[00:11:42] Meggie Meidlinger: The next day. Obviously, you're disappointed to not get to play, but you can't let anything stop you. You can't let anything stop you. Uh, tweak your mental game and, and you just keep moving forward. You can only control what you can control and then there's nothing else to it. So we, we controlled the controllables.

[00:11:59] Meggie Meidlinger: And so that means hitting up the weight room or whatever you needed to get done that day. We did it. So I, I think that's a good mentality that our whole team did had was, uh, you know, we can't control it. We can't control, and you just keep moving forward. 

[00:12:14] Mark Corbett: Well, I couldn't imagine you and Veronica and the rest of 'em.

[00:12:16] Mark Corbett: I, I mean, I know that the fire that's within you all, and I, so I could not imagine actually it's slowing you down any, but I, I was just curious to hear what you had to say on that. Uh, yeah. And so, I mean, that is great that, that, you know, the USA's now moved up from fourth to second, and as we were mentioning earlier, Japan, we love you, but, uh, I'm glad somebody was able to beat you since 2012, a sense of reality for all of us

[00:12:43] Mark Corbett: But, uh, what, what happens now, I mean that the World Cup's been achieved, so what do you and the others do now that. The accolades are still there, maybe still ringing in your ears, but things have kind of settled down too. So what, what are you and some of the other players doing now? 

[00:13:01] Meggie Meidlinger: We talk about this as teammates all the time because it's a little bit of a transition period.

[00:13:06] Meggie Meidlinger: Uh, Olympians have talked about it too, of you're writing this, this high, so long of training and then world cup and getting to play the best in the world. And then all of a sudden the world cup is over. Right. And it's like, And, uh, I think having to give yourself grace a little bit, I think a little downtime is, is great and rest.

[00:13:26] Meggie Meidlinger: Um, but I think for all of us, uh, go getters, what are next goals? I mean, I always say that the off season is a great time to work on things. That's a time that you get to kind of go back and, and tweak things, whether it's in the weight room or for me, it's in the bullpen, I think. Getting a little rest in there too, but to me, the fall and the off season is always fun because that's where you get to to experiment and try new things out.

[00:13:52] Meggie Meidlinger: But, um, you know, Mark, I'll be honest. It's hard for a lot of us going from that utmost high. And now all of a sudden. It's it stops and it's different and so I think for all of us, it's. What are the goals for right now? You know, um, it might just be a new goal for the next few months or new goal training wise or lifting wise, anything like that.

[00:14:15] Meggie Meidlinger: But I think the fact of how highly motivated our group of 20 is, it's just resetting the goals for a little bit. Um, you know, there's lots of other tournaments that we all play in to get that time together and, and set foot on the ball field. I mean, we're not shut down until next summer. There's.

[00:14:33] Meggie Meidlinger: Obviously always work to do and always ways that we want to get better and ways to grow and learn. And so I think it's just using that off season to continue to develop. We, we can all learn something new and we can all grow and get better in different ways. And, um, you know, if the process wasn't fun either, you know, I don't think we'd be doing it either.

[00:14:52] Meggie Meidlinger: So, to me, the process of, you know, the weight, Weightlifting, working out with my trainer, uh, bullpen sessions. The, the whole nine yards is a lot of fun because you have to make sure that part's a lot of fun as well. 

[00:15:06] Mark Corbett: Hey, if it's not, you're not likely to continue with it. So I'm glad you found that. You know, I wonder, cause I knew you you're, uh, we've talked before, Meggie, as far as being an architect and staying busy with that.

[00:15:19] Mark Corbett: But you've also doing missionary work and Uganda. That's it, right? Yeah, you got it. Yeah, the work you're doing in Uganda with and helping folks there, but also working with the game. What's the organization again? 

[00:15:32] Meggie Meidlinger: Baseball at Heart is the girls baseball organization in Uganda. 

[00:15:36] Mark Corbett: And people can help out with that too.

[00:15:38] Mark Corbett: If they go to your website for that. 

[00:15:40] Meggie Meidlinger: Absolutely. Baseball at Heart has a website. Um, you can follow them on Instagram. They have a lot of really cool events going on, uh, especially this fall and then going into the springtime as well. 

[00:15:50] Mark Corbett: Well, that's good to hear. Cause I know you talked before about helping some of the, you know, the youngsters over there with, with the game and that's something you all have done, the champions here of yourself, like the other ones with the USA team who have done a lot with like MLB develops in bringing young women up.

[00:16:08] Mark Corbett: And to me, that is an exciting part to see, too, because it's not just the achievements that you and your four of 20 are doing. It's also making sure that there will be others to replenish that for years to come. And if you have a sense of understanding what that game can be. 

[00:16:25] Meggie Meidlinger: Absolutely. And I think, um, the pipeline is key for not just women's baseball, but women's sports in general.

[00:16:32] Meggie Meidlinger: I mean, I was just in Chicago this past weekend with MLB for. Tour, uh, which is touring around different countries or, uh, or I'm sorry, different states across the country to help identify other young girls who are playing baseball to help direct and funnel them into if they can qualify for the breakthrough or EDI or trailblazer series that, um, MLB develops has, which are incredible events.

[00:16:58] Meggie Meidlinger: We have an event for grit next weekend as well in New York. And so for me, I always love those events, you know, just like I love going to Uganda. I love those events and working with the younger girls. And what I often just have to tell them is those events weren't around when I was a kid. And man, I would have loved to have gotten to play with other girls when I was younger.

[00:17:16] Meggie Meidlinger: I'm so grateful for the guys I grew up playing with, but something to It's really cool to see that you're not alone, that you're not the only girl out on the baseball field, that you can play with other girls. MLB's done a fabulous job putting these events together, and it's been so cool to see that grow and how that's been used to be the pipeline to then funnel into the USA National Team.

[00:17:38] Meggie Meidlinger: Um, has been a really cool thing to get to be a part of, and it's so neat to see more and more girls playing baseball across the country, uh, and just seeing the turnout of all these events. 

[00:17:49] Mark Corbett: Now, is one of yours, one of the players from the USA team with a Division I collegiate team too? 

[00:17:56] Meggie Meidlinger: Yes, Olivia Pichardo plays at Brown University, Division I.

[00:18:00] Mark Corbett: Yep, yep. I mean, that's, those are the sort of things I'm going to keep continuing to see. I mean, seeing Kelsey with what she's doing, she's still with the, the Ballers, I think, in Oakland. And, uh, let's see some of the other ones are, and I know there's other independent leagues that women are playing in.

[00:18:17] Mark Corbett: When I talk to youngsters who come into the museum and we're talking about women in the game. One of the first things I talked to him about, I said, what do you know? There's already been a lady who's a pitcher and who has been in MLB for some years, and her name's Mamie Peanut Johnson, because that, that picture.

[00:18:38] Meggie Meidlinger: No, Mark, I love that you brought, uh, uh, peanut Johnson up. When I was in high school, I had the utmost honor. She and I were both on NBC. We're on a TV interview. And, uh, back when, unfortunately she passed away a few years ago, but she was local to the DC area and I got to meet her when I was in high school.

[00:18:57] Meggie Meidlinger: So she was one of at a time in my life where I did not know that many girls were playing baseball who are my age. I had the honor and the privilege of getting to meet her when I was in high school and Man, if you look at her resume and what she did in the Negro leagues is just absolutely incredible.

[00:19:14] Meggie Meidlinger: And, uh, I'm so honored that I had the chance to get to meet her. 

[00:19:18] Mark Corbett: Oh my gosh. I mean, it's one thing to think about breaking barriers down now, but then the Negro leagues were a little more open, at least as far as sex was concerned, who their gender on who'd be playing the team. And I keep thinking back, I think it was the Indianapolis clowns.

[00:19:38] Mark Corbett: The, and yes, 

[00:19:41] Meggie Meidlinger: she played in the clowns 

[00:19:42] Mark Corbett: and it was my, my understanding, I could be wrong, is that Hank Aaron, once MLB opened the doors. You know, for everybody that he left the clowns that went there and then Tony stone and then made me peanut Johnson came into the clouds. And I thought that must've been really, really exciting.

[00:20:02] Meggie Meidlinger: Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I can't imagine getting to watch them play. Uh, DC did a really cool thing the year that the all star game was in DC. They did a great big mural of a peanut over by Ben's chili bowl in DC. Yep. It's a really cool mural. So I encourage anybody in the DC area to go, go check it out. 

[00:20:22] Mark Corbett: Does she share any nuggets with you?

[00:20:23] Mark Corbett: Is there anything you walked away with that was new to you after meeting her? 

[00:20:28] Meggie Meidlinger: Mark, I wish I remembered more, but for me, it was just cool hearing her story. We were both on the interview panel and to just get to hear her speak about her experience and how fast she threw at the time was incredible. And I think for me, I must've been.

[00:20:44] Meggie Meidlinger: 16 years old. So for me, just to see how much of a trailblazer she was and what she did, it was just very inspirational for me, especially at a young age to just see what she did and have just a female role model who was in the game playing with guys. And did such an incredible job. 

[00:21:02] Mark Corbett: Well, we got to keep sharing those stories, you know, that I don't want everybody to think it's brand spanking new that women just entered the world of baseball.

[00:21:10] Mark Corbett: They've been in it forever. It's just that it's been hidden in some cases. And, and, uh, we even have talked about this for, I've talked about a lot of times, I feel like at a certain age woman says, here's the baseball and a softball, and I'm taking the baseball away. Here's what you can use. But people like yourself and others have found ways, you know, with either school and such that.

[00:21:30] Mark Corbett: That made sense for them to say, you're a player first. Uh, I gotta tell you, Meggie, I'm looking forward to the all America girls coming up here in October. They're going to be doing it this year in Durham, North Carolina. I had the pleasure last year going in and meeting some folks like Tamara as well.

[00:21:50] Mark Corbett: And, uh, I want to see this talent grow. And I thought it'd be so neat if they could take those four teams and really start a league again. 

[00:21:59] Meggie Meidlinger: That would be incredible. I, what this tournament has provided, uh, the last few years has just been, it's such a fun tournament to be a part of and the talent on all four teams.

[00:22:10] Meggie Meidlinger: I mean, I think that's what's fun about it is it's equal across all four teams. So you have these highly competitive, uh, games, close games. And, you know, this year we're in Durham, we're playing at the Durham Bulls facility, which is incredible. The past few years we were in Sarasota. Um, at the Orioles spring training complex.

[00:22:27] Meggie Meidlinger: So just incredible fields. It's just a very well run tournament. Uh, very grateful to be a part of it. And yeah, I encourage anybody in the area to come out and watch. It's it's great women's baseball to come watch in the North Carolina area. 

[00:22:41] Mark Corbett: Looking at this, I'm hoping being in Durham and being at a triple A stadium.

[00:22:45] Mark Corbett: And I think there's some more power behind this. Susan has been trying to carry this on her own shoulders for so long. I'm not saying that there aren't other people involved. There are, but I think she's getting more backing with the people from Durham and that's going to be helpful as well. So we'll see.

[00:23:00] Meggie Meidlinger: Absolutely. 

[00:23:01] Mark Corbett: Well, I've got my plane tickets. I got my hotel. We're going to warm up the microphone, make sure I got everything, get some good stories while we're there. Oh yeah. 

[00:23:09] Meggie Meidlinger: You have a full lineup of incredible stories with the women who will be at that tournament. So, 

[00:23:14] Mark Corbett: uh, 

[00:23:15] Meggie Meidlinger: yeah, get your microphone ready, Mark.

[00:23:17] Mark Corbett: All right. Is there a player that you haven't spoken with? you know, living or dead that she would like to sit down with and pick their brain on. 

[00:23:26] Meggie Meidlinger: Oh man, that's a, that's a great question. I've had the honor to get to talk with a lot of people, which has been such a gift and hear a lot of people's stories.

[00:23:38] Meggie Meidlinger: Um, I think Honestly, us just talking about Maymay Peanut Johnson, I would love to talk to her again. And just now that I'm older and not 16, you know, hearing more of her stories and experiences, especially in the Negro League and a woman who did so well in those leagues. And man, she, she pitched incredibly hard.

[00:23:59] Meggie Meidlinger: Really. I love. Living or dead mark. I love picking pitchers brains no matter who they are. I love talking pitching. I love seeing how they hold certain grips or their mindset or depending on the count or scenario. And there's, there's a lot of people pictures I've had the honor to get to speak with and and pick their brains about.

[00:24:21] Meggie Meidlinger: So, name a picture in any league and we could talk all day. 

[00:24:27] Mark Corbett: Well, that's 

[00:24:27] Meggie Meidlinger: great. I 

[00:24:27] Mark Corbett: mean, you can find some common ground there anyway, but yeah, I would love to be able to speak to with with maybe peanut Johnson. I mean, it does. It's a sad thing. A lot of those stories are disappearing because those wonderful people, you know, they've aged to a point and unfortunately, they're no longer here.

[00:24:48] Mark Corbett: She was something I, I think back to other women, think back to Jackie Mitchell and the story of her, you know, and MLB was not ready. They canceled her contract after she struck out, struck out the babe. Oh yeah. I mean, 

[00:25:04] Meggie Meidlinger: Jackie Robinson would, would be another one, just how he was able to play amidst all the adversity to, uh, I mean, talk about the mental side of baseball.

[00:25:13] Meggie Meidlinger: He's one who, who mastered that and was able to just play his game. So. That that would be a great conversation to have as well. 

[00:25:21] Mark Corbett: Oh, I'm sure a couple other nuggets, just sad things I'll share with you. It's kind of funny to me. Well, not necessarily, but it's doing some research and the Negro leagues. Thank goodness.

[00:25:32] Mark Corbett: They've finally been included in MLB and you can see Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige and some other ones in there, folks who actually had achievement and people who, who knew anything about baseball because of Bob Kendricks and a lot of people with the museum in Kansas city know more about him now than they did before.

[00:25:49] Mark Corbett: Or was that going with us? Oh, did you know the Cardinals years ago? In Florida, they got tired of being being told you can't have so and so out in this hotel with us, you know, I'm sorry, your, your black players have to be somewhere else. They actually bought. A hotel on the beach and so they can have all their families together.

[00:26:12] Mark Corbett: I love it. I love it. No, anyway, but I just, yeah, I'm, I'm getting off the beat here, but I just, uh, just for conversation with you, I'll tell you something, another project I'm working on, burying my head into it. It's a young woman by the name of Shu Shu Worth, and she was a shortstop for the, uh, the blue socks.

[00:26:33] Mark Corbett: It's been blue for six years ago. She's still 89 bases one year. Yeah. 107 games, 89 bases. And she was something, I mean, it was just a little five foot tall killer, you know what I mean? And it seems, uh, she must've been. Fearful was on as a shortstop and 2nd basement too, but there's so many stories out there to be told and I can't wait to hear more of yours and the others to share with folks because I don't want to wait to we find some of these players who are getting older around here.

[00:27:07] Mark Corbett: And then, and the time comes and we say, dang on, I wish we had had the chance, or we'd taken the opportunity to speak with them. So. Thank you for being part of this. And, and hopefully we can have this 30, 50, 60 years from now, somebody can hear something that, that clicks in their head and says, yeah, yeah, well, you know, that makes sense, you know, there's, there's something more that inspires to do more with the game.

[00:27:29] Mark Corbett: So everything that you're doing from the mound to what you're doing with over in Uganda with, uh, players there. and what you're doing with the young ones at trailblazers. Thank you. 

[00:27:41] Meggie Meidlinger: Thank you. Well, thank you, Mark. That, that means a lot. And, uh, this game has given me so much. This game has given me so many opportunities, uh, so many life lessons, so many friends for life.

[00:27:52] Meggie Meidlinger: And so, uh, you can't help, but give back in this sport. This sport is. Bigger than what goes on in between the lines. It's a great sport to be a part of. And, uh, all these things I'm, I'm just so grateful for. So thank you for sharing our stories and, uh, sharing about women's baseball. And, uh, that's been huge just for the growth of our game of the more people can know and what's going on with women's baseball.

[00:28:16] Meggie Meidlinger: We're, we're all better for it. 

[00:28:18] Mark Corbett: Well, thank you, Meggie. We're speaking with Meggie Meidlinger. And if you didn't pay any attention, she's the relief pitcher for the USA women's national team who brought home the silver from Thunder Bay, Ontario, and who after, Oh, what was it? 12 years, took the team down from Japan.

[00:28:36] Mark Corbett: Thank you, Meggie and all the other 19 young ladies on that team. So. Uh, it's always a pleasure speaking with you and I look forward to hopefully doing it again sometime real soon. 

[00:28:45] Meggie Meidlinger: Thank you, Mark. Thank you so much for having me. 

[00:28:49] Mark Corbett: You can always find us here. You can find us on Spotify, iHeartRadio, apple Heck, and of course, I forget to mention www.baseballbizondeck.com

[00:28:59] Mark Corbett: Until next week, thanks again everybody for joining us and we'll talk with you again real soon.

[00:29:07] Mark Corbett: Special thanks to X TaK R U X for their music, Rocking Forward.

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