Mo Vaughn Plans To Show Renewed Love Of Baseball In His New Podcast

Forbes

14 hours ago

Mo Vaughn has started a podcast, and he finds that a little hard to believe on a couple of fronts.
The retired three-time All-Star first baseman and 1995 American League MVP never dreamed he would someday work in the media. Furthermore, Vaughn disconnected from baseball for years after injuries prematurely ended his career in 2003.
Yet the 57-year-old Vaughn is now a podcaster,
MVP: The Mo Vaughn Podcast is a weekly show debuting Aug. 21 in conjunction with Perfect Game, the world's largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service. The first episode will debut at 5 a.m. ET on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and all major podcast platforms, Vaughn's YouTube channel at noon ET, and on PerfectGame.TV and on the PGTV app at 8 p.m. ET
Episodes will be released each Thursday at the same time.
"Baseball has given me so much, and this show is a way to give back," Vaughn said. "Sharing stories, opinions, and insight that fans can't get anywhere else. Whether you love the majors, the minors, or watching kids chase their dreams, there's something here for you."
Mo Vaughn Fell Out Of Love With Baseball
There was a time when Vaughn didn't want to talk about baseball or even watch it. He fell out of love with the game after injuring his knee and ankle, causing him to walk away early in the 2003 season.
Vaughn signed a six-year, $ 80-million free agent contract – then the largest in baseball history - with the Anaheim Angels during the 1998-99 offseason, after spending the first eight seasons of his 12-year career with the Boston Red Sox.
Vaughn was one of the game's premier hitters during his time with the Red Sox. He batted .304/.394/.542 with 230 home runs in 1,046 games and hit at least 35 homers in each of his last four seasons in Boston.
Though he didn't perform to that level, he was productive in his first two seasons with the Angels, hitting .276/.362/.503 with 69 home runs in 300 games. A severe elbow injury caused Vaughn to miss the 2001 season, and he was traded to the New York Mets two days after Christmas.
However, injuries had taken their toll on Vaughn. He showed flashes of his old form, but a knee injury ended his 2003 season after just 27 games, and he never played again.
"I took the path of I want to get as far away from baseball as possible to move on because of my life and my mindset and all those things," Vaughn said. "It's real when you're retiring. There are a lot of big things. There is anxiety. There is depression. There are a whole lot of unknown factors that you just don't know about, and you're trying to clear those hurdles as a player, a man, and it's not easy."
Mo Vaughn's Life Beyond Baseball
Vaughn turned his attention to other interests, opening a trucking business and developing a clothing line for big and tall men. However, his most significant impact came in his community outreach work with OMNI New York, which acquires, builds, and rehabilitates affordable housing in the New York metropolitan area.
Vaughn eventually moved to Boca Raton, Florida, so his daughter, Grace, could pursue a tennis career.
Vaughn's son, Lee, began to show interest in baseball and started playing in a youth league. The elder Vaughn offered to help coach the team, and his passion for baseball quickly reignited.
"I was having fun with the fact of being on the field," Vaughn said. "That was the inflection point for me where I thought I needed to start giving back to the game and start doing some things."
Mo Vaughn Fully Invested In Youth Baseball
That was six years ago. Today, Vaughn is immersed in youth baseball.
He owns the Vaughn Baseball Academy, is an assistant coach at Olympic Heights High School in Boca Raton, and serves as a special assistant for Perfect Game.
The VBA offers instruction from former major-leaguers such as Mike Easler and Omar Moreno, and sponsors nearly 100 youth-league teams that span to New Jersey.
And Vaughn plans to carry his renewed love of baseball to his podcast. Some of his guests will include Hall of Famer David Ortiz, former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, and former All-Stars Rafael Palmeiro and Nomar Garciaparra.
South Florida radio personality Brendan Tobin will co-host the show.
"I always want to be professional in everything I do," Vaughn said. "I never want anything ever to come out backwards. So, it's going to be a really good presentation, a lot of fun, and a lot of good conversations. I think people are going to like it."