dib:

Jorge, thanks for making time to talk.  You’ve been a busy man of late, especially with your tournament.  Tell me, what’s going on?

JM:

Every summer for the past five years my company, Verdero, has run a baseball tournament in the Bronx.  This is the first year we have had teams competing from outside the borough. We’re starting to get teams from all over to play in our tournament – teams from New Jersey, Connecticut, and a few teams from upstate New York. Last night, we had a team from New Rochelle, which is right outside of the Bronx, in Westchester County, beat a team from Brooklyn.  It was great!

We’re not only branching out in terms of team participation, but we’re also starting to see real results from our work with the kids.  We’re exposing kids to a level of competition they would never normally face because most can’t afford to travel.  Some baseball tournaments are a thousand dollars per team, plus travel.  Many of the kids in our community really can’t afford to play in tournaments where scouts will see them.  Through our work, we are starting to provide kids with that kind of exposure.  Verdero actually has a team in our Eighteen-and-Under League that is a traveling team.  Most of the kids that play for us are from the Bronx; but we also have kids from all over the Tri-State Area.  Last year, four kids from that team were drafted; and their team won the Eighteen-and-Under tournament.   

Dan, you know I have to have one team with the Verdero name in our tournament!  [Laughs]

dib:

The tournament sounds like fun and a major commitment.

JM:

It is!  With the Verdero team, I have someone who dedicates their entire summer to training the kids and traveling with them.  The kids raise some money to cover expenses, but I take care of their equipment and uniforms.  A lot of teams are not so lucky.

I’ve given the community the opportunity to play on the field at Fordham University; and the chance to play in a tournament that’s run like one of the big tournaments.  We’re very professional in what we do.  The kids get exposed to the way baseball is suppose to be run and I take great pride in that. 

dib:

It sounds as though you have a special relationship with Fordham University.

JM:

I went to Fordham Prep and then Fordham University; and ever since I graduated, they have been very supportive of me.  One day I sat down and talked with the baseball coach and told him what I wanted to do in terms of organizing a tournament.  He and the university liked the idea and ever since Fordham has given us access to their facilities.  It’s been a great partnership and I really appreciate their support. 

dib:

Can any team participate in your tournament?

JM:

Any team that can afford the $350 entry fee.  Anybody who does the tournament scene knows it’s one of the lowest priced tournaments out there.  The kids play in their age groups, and we supply three models of bats to each team. 

We send email blasts out to teams we know and I would say 50 to 60 percent of the teams that participate come from lower income areas.  The balance is made up of teams that have the means to pay for their participation.

So, basically, if it’s a reputable organization – as far as the coaches are concerned – then, they can participate in our tournament.  We also do a background check to make sure the coaches are good guys in terms of how they run their programs.  If we see a kid throwing a helmet or a bat, he's ejected from the game and the tournament.  We run a very strict ship. Since we hold the tournament at Fordham University and Ralndall's Island, we can accommodate all of the teams that want to play.  We haven’t had to turn anyone away.

dib:

I know you are passionate about making a difference in communities like the Bronx, and the tournaments give you access to kids, but is there a strategic component to organizing tournaments?

JM:

Yes!  Our goal is to really dominate the New York / Tri-State metropolitan area and to utilize the tournaments as a way to market our products and at the same time make a difference in communities like the one I grew up in.

The tournaments give us a way to learn about organizations we otherwise wouldn’t know and the organizations, in turn, get the chance to know me and my staff.  My sales director, Duke Covone, and I are very involved with the tournaments.  We show up every day.  I talk with the kids and Duke talks with the coaches.  It’s a great way for us to make personal connections.

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