Episode 9: Mike Birling, General Manager, Durham Bulls

Front Office Exchange

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Front Office Exchange podcast featuring Mike Birling, General Manager of the Durham Bulls. Everyone knows the Durham Bulls - the Tampa Bay Rays' AAA affiliate in Durham, NC - thanks in large part to the movie "Bull Durham" starring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, but they're also among the - if not the - preeminent minor league baseball teams when you consider their attendance, branding, merchandising, on-field performance, and much more. Leading that charge is Mike, who has been with the Bulls in some capacity since 1998 and GM since 2002. When I worked for USA Baseball our offices were essentially directly beneath third base of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, so I was fortunate to get to know Mike and his family well, and to watch him help grow the Bulls into what they've become today. Mike's passion is unmatched, and he practices what he preaches when he says that you can't get out-worked if you want to succeed in minor league baseball. This work ethic - and he'll tell you that of his staff's as well - was recognized last year, when he was named the International League's Executive of the Year. Big thanks both to Mike and to you for listening. For show notes, past episodes and more, please visit us at www.frontofficeexchange.com, on Facebook at Front Office Exchange and on Twitter at @frontofficeexch. Please also feel free to reach out to me directly at [e-mail] and on Twitter at @jakefehling. This and past episodes of Front Office Exchange are available on iTunes and SoundCloud, among other places, and I encourage you to subscribe, share episodes, rate them, add comments, and suggest ideas for future guests.