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The grassroots Sandlot baseball movement has exploded across North Carolina, creating a vibrant community with custom jerseys, creative team names, and cross-country connections. Mike from the Carolina Kudzu shares how these adult recreational teams have created authentic baseball experiences complete with DJs spinning records during games, custom ice cream helmets, and even live organ music.

• Carolina now has numerous Sandlot teams in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and beyond
• Team names like Kudzu, Reapers, and Durham Fruits reflect creativity and local culture
• Teams travel across the country to play other Sandlot communities in San Diego, Austin, and more
• The Revival event showcased mascot races, custom merchandise, and family-friendly activities
• Social media has fueled growth by sharing team logos, game highlights, and the welcoming atmosphere
• Teams emphasize inclusivity with players of all skill levels welcome to participate
• Cross-team friendships and community building extend beyond the baseball diamond
• Custom team merchandise, especially hats, have become coveted collectibles

Hit the subscribe button for new episodes of the DadHack Chronicles podcast and Five Questions where I ask fans why they fell in love with baseball.

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Sandlot baseball is experiencing explosive growth across North Carolina with a collective of nine teams creating a welcoming environment for players of all skill levels. Mike Ghilardi, a team captain for the Carolina Kudzu, shares how this accessible, pressure-free approach to baseball focuses on community and joy rather than competition and statistics.

• The Carolina Kudzu formed in 2022 as part of the "Sandlot Revival" event, with their team name referencing the invasive plant species introduced to North America in 1876
• Sandlot baseball welcomes everyone regardless of experience level - teams will loan equipment to newcomers and help teach the game basics
• The movement has roots in Austin, Texas, where they've built dedicated Sandlot fields with bars, live music, and old-timey scoreboards
• The annual Sandlot Revival at the historic Durham Athletic Park (where "Bull Durham" was filmed) has grown from 6 to 13 teams in four years
• Teams keep score during games but don't track records, championships, or statistics - "if you're taking it too seriously, you're missing the point"
• Open pickup games happen most weekends across the Triangle area, with information posted regularly on social media
• The Sandlot collective raises money for local charities including the Long Ball program serving underserved teenage boys and the LGBTQ Center of Durham

Want to experience Sandlot baseball yourself? Follow @carolina_kudzu and other local teams on social media to find information about upcoming open pickup games happening every weekend across the Triangle area.

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Baseball has been a lifelong love for Donnie Wise and shaped how he views the world, from the field to everyday life.

• Started playing baseball at age 5 and it became "the one constant" through childhood, high school, and adulthood
• Baseball teaches valuable life skills like patience, reading people, and strategic thinking
• The sport uniquely allows for socializing and conversation while still following the game
• Memorable experiences include coaching Little League, seeing Chipper Jones' career-delaying injury, and watching Michael Jordan play baseball
• Baseball superstitions and traditions remain important to fans, from hat selection to uniform preferences
• The analytics-heavy approach to modern baseball takes away from the gut feel and strategy that makes the game special
• Despite changes to speed up the game, baseball remains America's pastime - "synonymous with apple pie"

Catch The Dad Hat Chronicles Sports Show every Tuesday and Thursday at 9pm Eastern on YouTube!

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We launch a new series asking baseball fans five questions about their relationship with the game, featuring our first guest Virgil Brooks who shares his unique journey from casual observer to dedicated minor league enthusiast.

• Virgil's love for baseball began with a post-graduation 10-day MLB road trip visiting seven ballparks
• The 2006 Southern League All-Star Game changed his perception of minor league baseball when he saw Joey Votto playing for Chattanooga
• Baseball connected him to a supportive community of like-minded fans, especially through social media
• Memorable experiences include the 2017 solar eclipse game in Bowling Green and the Rocket City Trash Pandas inaugural home opener
• Virgil has kept score at games for 20 years, maintaining records of every player he's seen and tracking who makes it to the majors
• Baseball offers unique local experiences in each city, with minor league parks showcasing regional flavor you can't find in other sports

If you're interested in being interviewed for this series, send a message to Ed (The Dadhead) on social media to schedule your appearance.

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We dive deep into our favorite social media platforms and strategies for creating engaging content around sports and stadium experiences.

• Instagram tops our lists for sharing visual content, with YouTube and Twitter/Meta platforms following close behind
• Managing team bias professionally while creating content at rival team venues
• Overcoming camera nervousness through a "fake it till you make it" approach
• Short-form content (under 3 minutes) typically performs better than longer videos
• Valuable equipment recommendations including the Shure MV7 microphone and smartphone lens attachments
• Using green screen effects to maximize content opportunities
• Editing ruthlessly—cutting unnecessarily long segments dramatically improves engagement
• How some of our most successful videos (1.2+ million views) required minimal planning
• Learning from other content creators can accelerate your growth
• Authentic, imperfect content often outperforms carefully crafted videos

Support the minor leagues! Follow us for upcoming content featuring Sandlot baseball and interviews with social media professionals.

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Ed and Val dive into the essential gear and software that powers their content creation, sharing an unfiltered look at exactly what they use to capture those perfect ballpark moments.

• The "non-negotiable" gear they always bring to stadiums: fully charged phones, backup batteries, lights, and mini mics
• How to sneak equipment into stadiums (Val confesses to hiding tripods in her pants)
• Tips for getting media passes at ballparks to bring in better equipment
• iPhone recording hack: switching to 4K 60fps mode for dramatically improved video quality
• Why CapCut is their editing software of choice and the top features they can't live without
• The value of the Instagram blue checkmark for content creators ($15/month)
• Using overlay techniques to create more dynamic, engaging videos

Come back next week for part two where we'll discuss social media strategies, additional content creation tips, and the do's and don'ts we've learned through experience.

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Benjamin Hill reflects on his unexpected 20-year journey chronicling minor league baseball's unique culture, business, and fan experiences. His career path from temp jobs to becoming baseball's preeminent voice on minor league culture demonstrates the surprising ways passion can turn into profession.

• Started in 2005 through a recommendation from ball hawk Zach Hample, whom he met on Craigslist
• Created his own beat covering "the business and culture of minor league baseball" when no such position existed
• Witnessed the evolution of team names from traditional to outlandish (El Paso Chihuahuas, Hartford Yard Goats, Rocket City Trash Pandas)
• Conducts regular road trips to document minor league ballparks, developing his "designated eater" concept after being diagnosed with celiac disease
• Shares nostalgic memories of defunct teams like the Bakersfield Blaze and Jamestown Jammers
• Uses baseball as a "contextualizer" to explore cities across America that might otherwise be overlooked
• Observed the evolution of ballpark food from basic concessions to creative regional specialties
• Collects minor league t-shirts for his four-year-old son with plans to eventually make them into a quilt

You can find Ben Hill on Twitter/X @Ben's Biz, Instagram @TheBen'sBiz, through his newsletter "The Baseball Traveler," and on the "Before the Show" podcast.

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Sandlot Goods transforms from a small leather goods company to a thriving hat manufacturer after pivoting to make face masks during the pandemic. Thomas McIntyre shares the entrepreneurial journey behind their handcrafted products, including their popular Yard Ball and partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

• Building a brand identity while also functioning as a manufacturer for other brands
• Finding marketing success by showcasing the manufacturing process rather than hiding it
• Approaching collaborations strategically to elevate the Sandlot brand
• Creating the Yard Ball from a ball of blue painter's tape around the office
• Pivoting from face mask production to hat manufacturing during the pandemic
• Partnering with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to preserve baseball history
• Setting ambitious 10-year goals while staying true to handcrafted quality
• Future aspirations to create licensed NFL and MLB hats

Find us on Instagram @SandlotGoods and check out our products at sandlotgoods.com.

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