Episode 215 - The Honorable Beeson

We are joined this week by friend and ballpark traveler Zach Beeson. Zach talks about his love for the Los Angeles Angels and what led him to travel to see as many baseball stadiums as possible. We talk about his Twitter posts that showcase local food and drinks of the team he's watching on TV. He talks about his love for the international game and shares his Proffitt & Loss.

Be sure to follow Zach online.

Zach Beeson -

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/zachbeeson22 (@ZachBeeson22)

Earned Fun Average -
 
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Threads: https://www.threads.com/@earnedfunavg (@EarnedFunAvg)


Curved Brim Media -

Website: https://www.curvedbrimmedia.com/

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Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CurvedBrim/ (@CurvedBrim)

Transcript

0:17

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of the Earned Fund Average podcast. I'm your host Eric Profit, coming to you from Wichita, Kansas, and with me as always, I have Johnny Bold, late Charles Gumbo Gator super fan, coming tonight of course, from the beautiful Bayou Broadcast Center. Johnny, we've, uh, told people for quite a long time that we're pretty average. And so, you know, we have some of our finest military out there, men and women that may listen to this episode. And we actually have one that has joined us. And, you know, we apologize for it taking four years, but we wanted to be somewhat respectable of a podcast before we bring on the finest. But we have the one and only Zach Beason with us today. How's it going, Zach? Doing pretty good. I appreciate you guys having me on. Now you're finally a below average podcast bringing me out here. obviously we've, shared some stories in person, met up a few different times and, uh, who knows? We'll, uh, maybe cross over and talk about a couple of those, uh, meetups that we've had and hopefully some more here in the coming year. Zach, obviously like you are well aware. One of the first things we love doing is talking about a favorite hat and, uh, you came in strong with this one just for our man Johnny over here. So would you mind sharing your hat today? Absolutely. So the hat I'm wearing is the New Orleans Zephyrs. I went to the a game there in 2014. I did it outta respect for the podcast. cause I was trying to decide what hat do I wanna wear? And at first I wanted to go, what's the halfway. Point between the Bayou Broadcast Center in Wichita, and that was Deer, Arkansas. So when I looked at a map, first thing that came to my mind is, where in the hell is Deer, Arkansas? I don't even know where that is. And I've been all over the place. there's no teams out in Deer, Arkansas. no disrespect to them. So I thought I'll go with. Place I've been to before. So the New Orleans Zephyrs, which eventually we know today is the Wichita Wind surge. So then as I'm talking about this hat, my question to you guys, I've been to the New Orleans Zephyrs and I've also been to the Wichita wind surge. Does that mean I've seen the same team twice? Does this go back to our argument at the very beginning of, the podcast days? I will say yes because over the last couple years, as Mr. Profit can affirm, they have sold baby cakes merchandise. So yes, that is the. you know, originated in Denver and went to New Orleans and then now was in Wichita, Kansas. So if they have the rights to the merchandise, I say yes. Well, I told this little a few times before, I never got to see the Zephyrs play, but I did get to see the baby cakes. They were playing the Oklahoma City, Dodgers at the time. Obviously now they're the OKC comets, but the. third to last game ever. It was the last series that the baby cakes were playing would've been in 20, I believe. What'd we say? 2019 was when the last Right. And so they were playing in Oklahoma City, and I knew at that point that they were coming to Wichita. So I was like, let me see these guys. So went down and got to see the Dodgers in the baby kegs play. So I did get to see the baby kegs play once. Didn't get to see them in their zephyr's area, but unfortunately I didn't get to New Orleans to see a game as it was, down in Oklahoma City at, Bricktown Ballpark. but I do have a couple versions of that hat. I have a fitted of that. And then I also have a Velcro of that Zephyr hat. So like Johnny and you guys were talking about the wind surge of, sold those hats. they did it right there at the beginning, year one. They had some leftover that they sold. Now they haven't really brought it back or anything they sold out of their inventory at the time. But yeah, I do have a couple of those hats. So, classic Z on that for Zephyrs or for Zach. but, uh, Mr. Boen, what hat do you have today, Mr. Boen? I'm still, I'm still little emotional from that. Zephyr had I, I'll be honest with you, I get together Johnny. I'm wearing a hat tonight. you know, we're, I think we're all honest, we're we're guilty of impulse, impulse purchases. and so couple weeks ago, uh, we were at the Tupelo Flea market. Reason I say this is a questionable purchase course. Those hats there, whether they're real or not. Now this has a new arrow logo. It has all the markings it, it might be a real minor league hat, or they're just really good of counterfeiting hats. Nice lady sold it to me and it was cheaper than most hats. So the table But I'm wearing a questionable origin or legitimacy. I guess we're now retro a little Tennessee Smokies. Tonight with a Southern, the Southern League logo on the side, adjustable kind of a cream color with maybe they were so cheap because it's not their actual colors. you know, it was a total impulse. oh, there's a minor league hat. Uh, the CEO said, oh, he couldn't help you sell. and since this purchase, it's not been asked, Hey, are you gonna wear that smoky hat? So, you know, that's kind of, what is thought of this hat? I, of course like it. Very much impulse purchase, whether it's real or not, I don't know. Shall we judge? No. Sweet lady told it to me at the Tupelo flea market. Your, uh, story.'cause you were saying you weren't sure if it was real or not. It reminded me of when I was deployed to the Middle East and, uh, one of the expat workers that we had on base, uh, had a red Oakland Athletics hat with the NBA logo stitched into the back of it. So. I understand. I'm not the judge. Look, if I had thought about it a little bit longer, I probably would've set it back down and kept walking. But I was just shocked to see a minor league hat at a flea market. So. Probably printed up in somebody's garage in Tupelo, but that's either here or there next to the fake Nike hats. But you know, questionable hat selection for tonight. I'll talk about a red hat. So I would consider this, I believe we called it the Caputo, however I might call it the be after experience that I had with him at a ballpark with my brother. You jerk? I'm joking. A couple years ago. technically known as the screamer, the Akron rubber Ducks have a, I would assume, I mean, it's been a couple years ago, so I don't know that they really sell much on the merchandise, but I would assume they still probably have the food item still selling at the ballpark. But it's, uh, one of those bigger size, like almost full size, plastic helmet full of, I don't know, 20 some scoops of ice cream. With the layer of brownies at the bottom and then whatever other toppings, bananas and everything else. And, Mr. Beeson attempted to eat the whole thing and did get the screamer when we were in Akron a couple years ago on Profit Palooza 2024. Zach, did you slay the screamer or did it, did it win? How this ended it. I was, I slayed the screamer for the first half, but after halftime it got me. I think part of what had happened is, so before I had the screamer, I had a, it was a chicken teriyaki pineapple bowl, so they served this, uh, chicken teriyaki in a cutup pineapple, which was really good in itself. cause I, I normally don't get dessert at a ballpark, just, I try to be a healthy, good boy, good soldier. but I mean, I try to get the food that the stadium's known for and. Like, oh, the screamer. The screamer. And I remember, Eric's brother, Joe was talking about it and, uh, I remember asking Eric if he was gonna get it, and he is like, no, I'm not doing that. so I was like, well, mama didn't raise a wimp, so I'm gonna do it myself. And so I went and got it. And, did the screamer did not realize that the brownie was actually at the bottom. So I got through a good chunk of the ice cream and I hit the brownie, and that's when, that's when reality set in that I wasn't gonna win that battle and that I was never gonna be on man versus food or anything like that. And I lost that battle. But I did get to keep the helmet though, so I was okay. I'm the same way, especially if it's hot ice cream and heat's not a good. It was early in the season, so it really wasn't that hot out. It was perfect Temperature. Uh, I've told this story before me, A good friend of mine went to Mississippi Braves game in August. And they're giving out free bottles of milk. I know I've told this story and we're both looking at each other like, uh, no thank you. Like 92 or three at game time. And, I love chocolate milk. I love, and it, it looked ice cold, their hand out, Mississippi dairy farmers, night neighbor and have bottles of, plain milk or chocolate milk. Wisely. We both abstain from the ice cold milk. my quote was, I wanna see the second in. Oh, my quote was, I want to be able to make it home without tearing up my britches, because after that game that I went to with Eric, I drove home. It's about a three hour drive from Akron to my home in eastern Indiana. So I wanted to be able to make a home without stopping or soiling myself. Please be a Bucky's nearby. Please be a Bucky. Ain't no out here. So loves is there. Loves nearby. Yeah, so I've gotten the pleasure to meet up with Zach, I think three times now. You came to Wichita to see a win surge game, and then you met up with Joe and I and our friend JJ at the Akron RubberDucks game on our trip in 2024. And then, uh, I believe that same year in May for, Memorial Weekend, we went to the CBM meetup in, in the Carolina, in North Carolina. So, got to meet up with Zach a few different times, but. so it's, uh, well known that you're a Big Angels fan and so far, what, two in one so far to start this season? So two, two, they lost again today. That's right.'cause you guys played, most teams have only played three, but you guys played a full four game Yep. series. And you split with them. So you won the first two and then lost the last two. So just tell us a little bit about that and kind of background as far as kind of becoming an Angels fan. kind of start there and then go into where you've become getting to, you know, go around seeing as many, you know, ballparks and landmarks that you've been able to see. Okay. yes, I am a Los Angeles Angels fan. people like you don't live anywhere near la. How did that happen? So, I was actually born in Orange County, California. my dad was in the military as well. so I've lived all over the country. but when I was, wee little toddler, that was the first game I ever went to, uh, was a, called the California Angels at the time. and so I went and saw the California Angels, and then moving around whatnot. I could have aligned with any team. My formative years, like my teenage years and whatnot, were in, uh, Southeastern Virginia down the road from the Norfolk Tides. And so funny thing about that is, you know, when you're trying to get older and you're declaring your allegiances to whatever team, my mom thought I was gonna become a Nationals fan.'cause when I was in high school, that's when the expos moved to Washington DC and I kind of followed the nationals a little bit. But I was, at that time I was, you know, too cool for school, teenager. I had that California cool attitude. This was at a time when like Reggie Bush, Matt Liner were making all the headlines of, how cool Southern California is. And I was like, I'm gonna keep that. That's my team, you know, orange County, that's where I was born. I'm gonna be an Angels fan. And then, so I've always been an Angels fan. 2002 feels like a distant memory. but I'll take it when the Angels beat the Giants in the World Series. Always been an Angels fan and so it's been a long decade of hopelessness and sadness. Well, I apologize for 2015, I believe probably was the last time you guys made the playoffs when the Royals knocked you off. Yeah. In the, al playoffs. But, I'm afraid to say this'cause I don't want to jinx it, but so far Trout is healthy and he is looked pretty good. Oh my goodness. I know. I loved it. I was, even though it's game one of 162, I thought, oh my gosh, there's the MVP right there. He just took a couple years off for injury to give Aaron Judge a chance. Now he's back and better than ever. Yeah, I'm hopeful he has a strong year.'cause it's always fun getting to watch him. I went and I, kind of told about how the first time that I really got real deep into, you know, watching baseball and traveling to see ballparks and stuff would've been. 2015, my wife and I drove out to LA and while we were out there, she's like, well, I want to go down to San Diego and to the zoo. And I said, okay, if that's the case, then I want to go watch some baseball. So we got to go see the Angels play, and then we saw the Padres and then drove up to c the A's play at O Co. So I did, I have been out to see the ballpark out there in la. And eventually went to last year, the Dodgers and then the Giants as well. So I've seen the California teams now, but I did enjoy the experience when I was at the big A nice. I do too, except for this past time it was, I went in early September. It was the first time my fiance, Sarah, she'd ever been to an Angels game. and the Angels, I don't know, it's weird'cause I could watch any team in the world and just be happy and loving, like I love baseball. But whenever I'm watching The Angels, whether it's at the stadium or on tv, it's words that aren't appropriate for this podcast and a lot of anger and resentment So we went there and it ended up, the angels were getting killed by the Sacramento Las Vegas athletics. and it was a really high score where they got in position players that were pitching and they were just having a home run derby. I think the final score was like 17 to three or something like that. And, uh, people were booing and yelling at the, team owner Artie Moreno. It is just. kind of a miserable night really at the ball ballpark. I'm like, I enjoyed the time and being at the ball game, but like I'm, it's just crazy seeing a frustrated fan base like that. Yeah. And then when my son would've been. Oh, probably five or six, maybe at the time, maybe a little bit older. We took him up to his first games in Kansas City to see the Royals play and they were playing the Angels. So I've gotten to see Trout play a few different times. So yeah, I'm just hopeful that he has a big year.'cause it's always fun when he's healthy and doing the Mike Trout thing that everybody's used to him. Amen. Then let's go into a little bit more. So obviously anytime you get a chance, you go and travel. And so like I said, we've met each other, uh, at a couple of the minor league affiliated stadiums and ballparks. But then also, you know, you got summer, collegiate, anywhere you can go. And so just tell us a little bit about kind of, what's made you grow into your love and just going to see some of these, basically any baseball that you can. Absolutely. so like I've said before, I'm an Angels fan. I'm also, so we all know that, Eric Profit, he's a diehard, loves the Wichita Wind surge season ticket holder, that sort of thing. I'm the same way when it comes to the Norfolk Tides. Like, the Norfolk Tides mean a lot to me. It's like my hometown team, I always get in a bad attitude when they lose as well. And just for the record, the L in Norfolk is silent. so everybody says Norfolk all the time. That's not how you pronounce it. It's Norfolk, uh, without the L. So it's Norfolk Tides. but that is my team. But you're talking about the travel and whatnot. When I really started, like, I wanna go to this stadium, that stadium. So when I moved to Eastern Idaho, I was like, man, I really want to go to a ball game. I don't know what's around. I was there going to college my first two years of college at BYU Idaho, and it was what's around here, and so I looked online. Like, is there any baseball teams anywhere near me?'cause I thought the Salt Lake Bees was the closest thing and lo and behold it was the Idaho Falls chuckers about 20, 30 minutes away from me. I was like, oh, that's cool. What are some of the teams they played? And I knew there was other minor league teams out there.'cause I mean, it's not like the Norfolk tides are playing against themselves. and so I started diving in a little bit deeper. And seeing like, oh, this is the league that the Chuckers playing. I'm like, oh, every single team in Major League baseball has several minor league affiliates and there's like 140 of them all over the country. And I thought, oh my gosh, I want to go see all these teams. I wanna see this team, that team. Like it'd be cool to go here, like we could go to this museum, that national park and go to a ball game there. And then that's how I ended up. Traveling and going to all these baseball stadiums. and you mentioned Summer Collegiate earlier. I didn't start getting into Summer Collegiate League till probably a around the time just before COVID because I didn't really know what Summer Collegiate was. I just thought, NCA baseball, they don't play in the summer. What's summer? Collegiate? They play in the spring. This is stupid. So I didn't really know what it was until that time. Like, oh, even more baseball stadiums go to count me in. Yeah, that's kind of like Johnny, I know you've mentioned that before that summer collegiate wasn't something that was kind of top of mind. And one thing, obviously I know you're a big fan of, and hopefully you'll get a chance to make it here to Wichita, uh, again, to see the National Baseball Congress World Series, so the NBC World Series, you know, I've been going to. I was young, but growing up, going to those games, I didn't realize and or just didn't really understand the concept that those were, summer collegiate teams. And then, so yeah, it's been, even though I've seen them now, Kind of recent, kind of like you say, where I understand more and realize there's so many more, summer collegiate teams leagues out there. And we're not the official summer collegiate podcast, but that's kind of been our big thing here is Johnny and I love talking to those.'cause a lot of those are in smaller communities and just like hearing what it means to each of these communities, you know. Great Bend the Bat Cats, having a, it's about two hours from Wichita and kind of a small community. Just hearing about from them, kind of how that league is and how it is with all the fan support and everything. So kind of the same way where even though I have seen Summer Collegiate kind of before then that's something somewhat recent and I know like Johnny I said as well, that's kind of within the last six, seven years or so where it's really come to the forefront and something that we're starting to enjoy. I wanna start with a couple angels questions here. Uh oh. Question one. Favorite logo all time. Angels for me, that would be the ca California Angels that they wore in the early nineties. That's my old time favorite. I wish they would go back to that and stop referencing any kind of Los Angeles thing and just be California angels. Yeah, that was my next question. Should they drop LA and just be California or Anaheim again? A hundred percent. I, I laugh at that'cause I remember, so that game that I talked about that I went to in September, uh, I remember playing around on, Twitter, and I remember seeing a guy tweeting. He says, here we are, two teams, uh, that have, uh, geographical issues. one team doesn't have a city. The other team calls himself Los Angeles, even though they're 40 miles away from la. And I was like, that is, that is the perfect summation is do you know like do you wanna be Orange County? Do you want to be la Like I understand regional identifiers, that sort of thing. For example, you have the San Francisco 49 ERs that play in Santa Clara. I get stuff like that, but it's like Orange County Anaheim, Disneyland is big enough. Like, and you've had the name California in your name before. There's no need for Los Angeles Angels or Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, whatever the heck that was. Isn't there some, like city council, when there's a bill that's being discussed about forcing the angels to drop la he's gonna hold up funding for renovation. I don't know anything about that that he's wanting to force the team hold withholding public funding unless they drop LA and go back to the Anaheim Angels. I'm all for it. Oh, I, I saw a couple years ago, I think they were playing those HA Dodgers and somebody had a sign that said the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles I thought, okay, okay, see, and well, it's dumb too, because. In the angel's name, it creates a redundancy.'cause Los Angeles is Spanish for the angels. So like if you were to translate it English, it's like the Angel's. Angels. So it's just, it's really dumb. Then I guess I'll shift now, to your travels and minor league baseball. And one thing I've always appreciated with you is you share the pitchers. We, in fact, you, you introduced me to the flying mummies with the hand purchase and of course we were fortunate to have them on the podcast. Is there a place that you haven't been that you really want to go to to see baseball? Oh gosh, we don't have time for that long of a podcast. there's several, I mean, obviously I still want to try and get to like all 30 MLB stadiums, go to all the minor league stadiums and whatnot. Uh, but something I'd really like to do is start seeing, some of these teams outside of North America. Okay, so you think like your Japan, your, teams in Europe, something that a lot of people don't realize. So we just recently had the World Baseball Classic and except for Israel, every team that participated in the World Baseball Classic has their own domestic league. That includes your Brazil, your Italy, your Netherlands, your England. They all have a league there. I'd like to go out and see them sometime. Oh yeah, that, that would be amazing. And let's be honest. The KBO kept us sane during COVID. Oh, amen. and I cannot remember the, there was a guy he pitched for the baby cakes. He pitched for the Marlins and on dream trip of 2018 to Miami, I ran into this guy and he saw my baby cake shirt in the elevator. Like he was staying at the hotel we were at where they had put us at, and he ended up pitching for. Oh, what was that team? It was KBO team. So I would watch him pitch in the KBO. Nice. In 2020. I cannot remember that. I've got a pitcher made with him. It'll hit me about 3:00 AM this morning, you know, morning coming up that guy's name. so when you've actually met a dude on the team that went to the KBO To get to see him on television and, and he had, he was doing well o over there. super nice guy. I don't normally talk to strangers in elevators, but he did. And hey, he said, Hey, I like you shirt. I used to pitch for them and I'm like, when I went to a, uh, I went to a Gwinnett Stripers game in 2021 and I actually met at KBO Scout That. It was his assignment to fly from Seoul, South Korea to Atlanta, Georgia to go to a Gwinnett Stripers game because they go and kind of recruit these guys that are, they know are about to get cut, if you know, like, Hey, don't go to independent ball. Come come to Korea. And so he was out there scouting and looking at different players at the Gwinnett Stripers game. And I took a picture with him. He had like his own like. It wasn't like a press pass, but it was like a scout pass. But it had like a KBO lanyard and he was in the game taking stats and stuff and I was like, that's pretty cool. And he was excited'cause he didn't think anybody in northeast Georgia was gonna know what the KBO was. But Zach Beason, who has no life and knows of all the baseball leagues, went and saw, yeah, hey, KBO. That's pretty cool. And so we were talking a little bit and yeah, I got to meet this scout from the KBO. He was excited. Somebody knew what their league was out there in northeast Georgia and was out there scouting players. Did he ask you, do you know the one named Pat Larson? no, he didn't. We have reports of a man named Pat Larson that has more hats than our entire league as for its players. Uh, maybe he was scouting for Pat Larson to meet Pat Larson at a, at a stripers game. Is there a hat or hats that are kinda like the white whale that you don't have yet, but you would love to get? Could be a team from the past? I kind of find myself in that category. I wish I'd gotten that. Fill in the blank. Is or a current team, any level of baseball that you're like, gosh, I wish I had that team's hat. That's a really good question. I mean, cause for me, I normally don't get. The hat of a team unless I go to their stadium. I really haven't had that issue.'cause like, I don't have, like, for example, I don't have any copa hats. I don't have like, alternate identity hats except for the one that, uh, the mayor got me. Uh, I don't have. All, all I ever get is the, uh, home hat of what the players wear. When I go to a stadium, I don't get anything else. So for me, it hasn't been like hard to find a hat or anything like that. something I do try to do is, uh, hats from the past. Like, whenever I go visit like a baseball site, this team that played before I was born, or probably before my parents were born, I try to go find that hat. So I guess if any hat, uh, one that I would love to get that would be a super white whale would be the, uh, new Bern Bears that played, I think this was like 1930s, 1940s. So be the new Bern Bears in North Carolina. Um, I would love to have that hat and I, good luck finding that anywhere. You know, Zach, we were talking a little bit, and I think you might have been the inspiration for me. So MILB does what's called the Nine initiative, and so I think I might have seen you, you know, I don't know if you have some hats or talked about it, but I have quite a few hats that I've gotten of teams that I haven't seen play. But as far as the nine initiative, I do limit that to teams that I've actually seen. But so anytime I go to. MI OB stadium and if they have, the nine initiative hat, I'll usually try to get that. So I, I have a, I don't know, not that many, 15 to 20 hats if that. But that's kind of one thing I think that I want to, I believe I credit you for kind of getting me, turned on to the nine initiative and getting those hats at the ballpark. Hey, I do what I can to inspire America. But uh, in reality though, I think that's pretty cool. I try to get these, uh, Negro League hats.'cause I mean, there's a history there. There's, you know, we've all heard of the Kansas City Monarchs and the Detroit Stars and the Homestead Grays, but especially all these minor league cities that had eager League baseball were. The history isn't out there as much. And, and so that's part of the reason why I do it, is like kind of keep that history alive. And so these different Negro league, ballpark or where their ballparks once stood, uh, where they played, to be able to like take a picture and say. Either this is what their hat looked like, or this is a minor league recreation to show like, Hey, there was a Negro League team that did play here. And so it's pretty cool. The only time I've ever been mad about that is when I came to Wichita and we went to that wind surge game, because we were on a week long trip or I was with the kids. and I forgot my Wichita Arabian hat at the house. I forgot to pack it, but remembered everything else, even the,'cause it was a camping trip, so I remember the fishing rods. I remembered everything, but I forgot my Wichita Arabian hat and I, so I still need to get back to Wichita. Try that again, for sure. Yep. And then obviously you were talking about, uh, going, you know, overseas and seeing all these other leagues and everything. So my, wife's sister, they, that lives in Hawaii, they're going over, her and her husband are going. Here and in the next couple weeks, pretty soon over to Japan. And they have a plan to see a game. And that's, you know, a lot of people talk about it. Anna's talked about that, and Paul's been over there already. Could, could you imagine that Johnny, that Paul's been to Japan? Oh sir, are you what the running joke is? Oh, imagine that Paul's been in Japan, but yeah, that's for sure. One thing that I want to get over too,'cause they have a lot of helmets and I don't know necessarily that it's, as much as the ice cream is just other foods that they sell on the little helmets. So that's, yeah. One thing that I definitely want to get over too,'cause we actually had, my wife and I had a plan. was I think 2020 when we were gonna go to Japan and Thailand, and then of course, 2020 happened. So didn't get that and haven't got a chance to go over there. But yeah, I would love to see that. But, uh, you know, you're talking about all the leagues and everything. So the KBO, started what, just the other day, about the time, a day or so after the MOB and then did the Japanese league. I started on yesterday. Okay. Uh, the Japanese Japan started this past Friday. I think if I'm not mistaken, that, uh, and we've talked about this name quite a few times. Our guy, Trey Cabbage, I believe was the first one I believe he played for the yummy Uri Giants. He was the first one to hit a home run this season in the Japan League. So that was pretty cool to see. But I wonder what's the over under on how many times we've brought up the name Trey Cabbage on this podcast? Johnny Money He was, uh, fun to watch here. He was with Wichita, uh, the wind surge'cause he was in your guys' the Angels Organization. And, well he was with Wichita, obviously in the twins organization. Then got went over to the, angels organization and played for, when he obviously left Wichita. He was over in Rocket City and played for the trash pandas, then went over to sa uh, salt Lake to play for the bees, and then was up with the angels for a little bit. And then played for the Houston Astros, and we actually got to see him on our trip when we went down to Texas a couple years ago. Got to see him, but then the last, well, I think last year was his first year, and then this year again, he's with the. The Yomiuri Giant. So yeah, that's one place that I definitely want to get over to. But, uh, one thing that you're, pretty well known for is you're, anytime you're watching a game on tv, you like to, come up with whatever team you're watching, kind of a special food or drink item. So would you tell everybody a little bit about that and kind of where that came about? Absolutely. so it first started when, so when ESPN still had their Sunday night broadcast. it kind of started there'cause I was like, man, I've been to all sorts of places. I wanna like eat the food of what they have at that ballpark or just kind of food of the area. and so I started with that just doing like the Sunday night baseball game. And that was on ESPN. unfortunately, ESPN and all these other major networks, they play the same five or six teams. So it started to get a little repetitive. so I was like, man, I want to branch out and try some other things, you know, but like, they don't ever put anybody else on ESPN. Oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? And so I thought. Hello Dous. You watch minor league baseball all the time. you could do that. There's teams all over the place, all these different states.'cause I was like, you know, there's no team in Mississippi or Kansas or Utah. Like, I still want to try and eat food from these states as well. and so I started incorporating different minor league teams. and so whatever minor league team, choose a state, you know, what kind of food, what kind of soft drinks are from that state, what kind of food, um, and so I do my research and so to. Explain it is I make food, and I also order soft drinks, uh, from whatever state, that we're watching a ball game. And so I'll prepare a meal for the family and we'll eat the food of that area, and then we will watch the baseball game as we're doing that. And then it's also expanded into having stuff from other countries as well. So like if the Mexican league's going on, like we'll make tacos or, if I've. Uh, you know, any of these winter leagues in the Caribbean, you know, I'll make food from there, anything overseas and it's, it's really helpful. so about an hour from here, so just north of Cincinnati, there's a store called Jungle Gyms. Uh, shout out to Mike Sellers. He knows what I'm talking about. Um, it's an, it's an international market that's about three or four times the size of a Walmart. Um, and they just got. Stuff from everywhere. So if you guys ever go to a Reds game or flying mummies or anything like that in this area, you need to go there. You'll, you'll spend a lot of time there and a lot of money if you get carried away. So it's really helped to, put a dent in my wallet and also be able to expound on these different foods and stuff and different things I've been able to try. So, like just foods and things I never thought I would ever eat before. So for example, uh, this past December was, uh, baseball United, which is a baseball league in the Middle East. So here I was in my kitchen, making Middle Eastern food, something I'd never done before. And so here I was trying that and trying. middle Eastern food, making it for the family. And so thankful for my kids. Most of them will try, just about anything I make. At least give it a try, give it a bite. so we've just, like I said, I've had food from all over the place. Had some things that were pretty good, some things that were very, very different that I never thought I'd see. for example, Kansas Food, of having chili with, uh, cinnamon rolls. Mm-hmm. Never thought, never even envisioned that being a thing ever until I done my research and found out. Okay. love doing this, love cooking, the food, just trying different things. we have, I've gotten to the point where I kind of let the kids start to choose which state or country they want to do, and so kind of expounds on that. Uh, so for example, this year, one of my daughters, she chose Alaska. And so I was able to find out that, uh. Hot dogs made outta reindeer meat or a thing up there. Hmm. And so we're gonna try that. Or yesterday my son, he chose, uh, Indiana, which is kind of weird'cause it's a state I live in. But I'd never tried, uh, beef Manhattan before. So that was a new dish to me. So it's just, you're expounding your horizons because of baseball. You're trying different foods, different cultures.'cause you know, everybody makes something different. Yeah, I always enjoy whenever you get, look on Twitter or wherever and see that you had posted those different food items or different sodas that you've gotten from those places. So that's always a lot of fun. But, going back one more time to all these other leagues, for those that aren't familiar with these other leagues, where's the best place that you found that you can go on and watch the games or follow teams online so you can kind of follow along with them? YouTube, to be honest, YouTube.'cause a lot of these teams, uh, they put their games on YouTube, especially a lot of the European teams. Uh, so for example, this upcoming Saturday, the, uh, French baseball league will get started and, uh, you can stream their games on YouTube. So anybody that puts their games on YouTube or MLB TV plays a lot of. winter ball. So like they started playing, uh, Mexico and Dominican Republic on the MLB TV app. But like I said, YouTube is like the best place.'cause you got all these small teams that don't have a a TV budget or anything like that and just stream their games live for free on YouTube. I love it. I appreciate you sharing that. Well, Zach, one of the segments we do is the profit and the loss and the profit's. Something you've gained or earn. Obviously you talked quite a bit about all your time getting to travel. opportunities to try new food and drinks, beverages and everything. Any, uh, specific profit or gain you can think of? That's a big long list. I think just with all the experiences that I've had, uh, for example the 2002 World Series, that was a big win. being able to meet people at like the CBM meetups or wherever else and places I've been to, because of baseball.'cause I think to myself, what business would I have in Helena, Montana, or Midland, Texas or any of these other places? Like what am I doing in these places? But it's'cause of baseball, where I get to experience the game. But then. I normally make a trip out of it and be able to, Kind of how Paul Caputo says of, uh, seeing America through the lens of minor league baseball and seeing what these different areas of the world have to offer. So that's been a big profit to me. but I think one of the biggest, actually I'll give you two, two recent profits, if you will. when the Norfolk Tides, when they won the AAA championship a couple years ago, that meant a lot to me. Um, because it's like my hometown team, even though, yes, I'm an Angels fan, but my hometown team won the AAA'cause to be honest. The tides, even though it's developmental in the minor leagues, they trainee for the big leagues. they stunk for pretty much most of my life and barely ever made the playoffs. So to see them win the AAA championship, that meant a whole lot to me. another profit that's even more recent is, uh, while I was deployed, because of the time zones, um, the time difference, uh, the only baseball we got to see in the Middle East was any of the West coast teams in their later innings. Or if it was a day game in the US it was getting real late at night, so we'd only get to see like, inning or two before we go to bed. and so it really allowed me the chance to expand my baseball horizon, see how much of a global sport that baseball is. And so with that, I got to get really into a lot of these European leagues. And also, uh, something that I've talked about before this tournament that I got to watch, South Asia Baseball Cup. And so it was all teams that were in the Middle East. So you had Pakistan, Iran, I think India was there, Palestine, just a bunch of Middle Eastern countries that played in this tournament in Iran. and I had found some bootleg channel. I don't know how I got it that came, it was an Iranian channel that I was able to find online to be able to watch these games. And so here I watched, just this, this great baseball tournament in Iran. watched Palestine win that game over Pakistan.'cause Pakistan is far and away the best team in the Middle East. They've come close to making the World Baseball Classic several times. but Palestine won that. It was like a huge major upset. You think like major college football upset, like UAB beats the tide. That that's the kind of upset that it was. It happened and like the Palestinian people use it as a rallying cry. And it was just great to see like this truly is a global game. Even in the Middle East, they're having a baseball tournament and then Palestine got crowned the champion and then like a week or two later, uh, that's when Iran started shooting missiles over our head. So it was great. I got to see that tournament and then see what their missiles looked like from the sky. Mm. I know nobody else could see it, but both of us. It is funny when you use that analogy of UAB beating Alabama. Johnny was over here celebrating. I, I will say this, and this has been 20 something years ago. The pre Saban tide and a couple of those UAB teams would've been a good game. remember in, in 2000, the underdogs went to Baton Rouge. Beat LSU and Nick Saban in 2000 when they started going to bowl games in the early two thousands and Alabama stunk the Mike Debos, Mike Fran, he, excuse me, did f Mike Shula teams? I think we had some competitive ball games, but of course, Zach, we know they're cowards. Now. I don't want any piece of them now, but Okay. It was funny, it's funny you mentioned that Zach, last night we were watching Alabama and Auburn baseball and of course, you know, CEO, big Alabama fan. I'm green and gold until I'm dead and cold. Okay. And so there was a close play at second, the runner of the batter for Alabama gets up and he's jawing at the second basement. For Auburn and it's, the benches are starting. I thought Uhhuh, I looked at Linda said, tip Alabama, MALDI. And she said, at least we don't stab each other. Our football players don't stab each other at breakfast. Wow. She went there? Yeah. Four off, I mean, off the top throat just, oh, just took me off and then did then silence, and then a few months later, Alabama won. a good night, but, yeah, that typical maldi arrogant think we're better than everybody, so. Yeah. Well, that's kind of the attitude here right now as a current resident of Indiana. They have it in their mind that they run the State of Alabama. Eric heard this story. We had to upgrade our ESPN Disney, Hulu, Because of the Rose Bowl. And so now from about a$20 bill to a 40, now I'm loving the extra program. I'm loving the college baseball. I'm not saying I'm not enjoying it, that originated because those shysters with ESPN put the Rose Bowl on uh, what I did not have available to watch. So I had to upgrade to the maximum best. Package and we literally, it started working when they went out for the handshake. So she got to see that. I'm sitting over there watching that game, like, wow. I call those moments Zach, the Ivan Drago moments, like you're just seeing somebody just get humbled. You're like rocky, you just wanna get that towel thrown in there. But it's too late. It just getting pow, pow in my mind, this should not be happening. This is Indiana. Right. You know, they shouldn't be just beating Alabama into submission doing the Ivan Drago on'em. I mean, but they did full credit where credit is due. I don't think UAB and Alabama, to use your analogy, will ever, ever. We can't even get'em in basketball. We have a one oh record against them in basketball and that was only in the NIT 1993. I was fortunate enough to be at that game and it was intense.'cause there's a lot of dislike between those two dis two schools. You would think there's a lot of ill wheel for decades between the Birmingham campus and the Tuscaloosa campus. I'll never forget after that basketball game, a guy I went to high school with, we were good friends in high school. He was a Bama fanatic in high school. We met up and it was like the scene. Okay, I'm dating myself, Eric, and Zach. You remember the beat it video? Michael Jackson, like the two gangs meet, you know, like we were in the, we were in the foyer of Coleman Coliseum, me and my friends that had driven down there, and him and his buddies, because he's a student, Alabama, I'm UAB, and I turned around to see what was happening inside the arena and look, and I came back to the foyer. Him and his friends were gone. and he wouldn't talk to me for over a year because of that basketball game. What memories. Thank you, Zach, for bringing back 19. I was sleep. I was sleep tonight with a smile on my face in the NIT. So thank you. Thank you, sir, for that gift. Absolutely on the, uh, flip side then of the profit and loss. The loss. You know, obviously the angels haven't really done a whole lot for, uh, 25 years basically at this point, but, uh, doesn't have to necessarily be them. Any specific loss you can think of. Yeah, so I'll address the elephant in the room. just having Shohet and Mike Trout play for the same team and never make it to the playoffs, obviously that one's really hurtful, that they just couldn't put it together. just'cause the Angels for pretty much my whole life, ever since their World Series run hasn't figured out how to develop pitching. Um, and that's been their biggest, setback. But I, I would, I would say that's one of my biggest losses. and I just also, another big loss that I felt, and this is not me trying to sound like a suck up or kiss anybody's tail, really bummed out when we had the CBM meet up in North Carolina and we didn't have Johnny Boland there with the, uh,'cause I did ask, I think I asked Eric and I asked a couple other people like, Hey, is Johnny gonna make it out here with us? You know, I was kind of bummed out. We missed him on the CBM meetup. Of course not, me not being there. Here, here, I'm gonna guess a response who. I don't recall, but over the pa, they played the classic from El de bars. Who's Johnny? She said in her a special way that was playing when we were asking those questions. Once I get all those restraining orders settled in North Carolina, you are probably the only person that mentioned Johnny Bowling with a meetup, so I'm sure Zach, you'll get somewhere around where Johnny's at at some point and we'll get a chance to meet up with him. Absolutely. And I'll give you one last loss. and that's on due to my own ignorance. And so, like I said before, I didn't really know what summer collegiate baseball was, didn't know what it was, didn't pay attention to it. And so I grew up in Southeastern Virginia, not really understanding what the peninsula pilots were. cause growing up when I was in high school and stuff, you turn on the radio and they would have advertisements on the radio and they would, They wouldn't say it directly, but they would pretty much advertise themselves as, Hey, we're a cheaper option, more affordable family fund option compared to the Norfolk Tides. And so I just thought like, what random baseball teams, this is like some type of AAU or whatever. I don't know what this is. And so that's kind of my loss is that even though it's my hometown area, I've never been to a Peninsula Pilots game. And like I said, that's due to my own ignorance and not knowing what summer collegiate baseball is. And so I'd really hope to one day make up for that loss. Get back out there and see where Satchel Paige played his final game in his life. I appreciate you sharing the profit and loss with us. And Zach, it's been an absolute blast having you on. Sorry it took four years, but like I said, we wanna make sure we were established well enough to have the highest of high. You know, the best of the best, Mr. Zach Beon on, so we wanna make sure we weren't just some average podcast that you're like, uh, why am I coming on with these guys? So, if anybody wanted to follow along to see where. Uh, whenever you make, the food of whatever country or state, you know, the games you're watching, where can people follow along with you online? Uh, you can find me on Twitter X or whatever we call it, uh, Zach Beason 22. Um, that's where you'll find me. I love it. Yeah. Make sure you guys go out there, follow Zach, and hopefully now that you're back in the States, we'll get a chance to meet up at a ballpark again this summer. CBM meetup, if it works out, is in Iowa this year, but, uh. and like I said, I've gotten a chance to meet you a few other different places, so hopefully we'll get to run into each other again soon. And maybe you'll take down another screamer while we're at it. But, uh, make sure you guys go out there and follow us, uh, as well. We're earned fun. Average average is a VG. We're on Instagram, Twitter, blue sky and threads and really do appreciate your time. Thank you so much, Zach. Thank you for having me. You know, that would be, really cool. Would that meet up if it's at Field of Dreams. Instead of shoeless Joe coming outta the corns act for you. It's Johnny Bowling. That's I agree. in a, uh, either a baby cakes jersey or a gumbo gator. Is that who I think it is? It'd be amazing Like billowing out of the corn there and, and then the music hits and everybody's there looking and that's not shoeless Joe. That guy. Looks like he's been dead for 70 years. America.