MiLB spawns more than future big leaguers

Minor League Baseball graduates more than just athletes.

Since MiLB's Fostering Inclusion Through Education and Leadership Development (FIELD) Program took flight in 2016 to "engage the next generation of diverse leaders in sports business," it's done that and then some -- placing dozens of college students and graduates in positions to further their careers within the baseball landscape.

Mike Johnson and Stefan Anderson are two of many who have used the FIELD Program to their advantage -- a journey that has taken them from Minor League interns to Emmy Award-winning members of MLB Network.

Like prospects reaching the bigs, Mike and Stefan are all grown up.

"[Being involved with MiLB's programs] was one of the most positive and best experiences of my life," Anderson said. "I was approached while in college [Virginia State University] about the opportunity to head down to the Winter Meetings, which was held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center [in Nashville, Tennessee]. Everyone was there. I got the chance to rub elbows with scouts, players and executives. It was unbelievable."

And invitation to the Winter Meetings offers the vast opportunity to meet, mingle and observe how one of baseball's biggest events unfolds. Introductions are made, relationships are formed and possibilities open.

"I took that time to meet with a number of different people and teams, one of which was [Class A Short Season] Hudson Valley," he recalled. "After graduating, I circled back with the club and took an internship that covered two years. My tasks ran the gamut, from writing posts on Twitter and Facebook to providing color commentary during games. It gave me the experience of seeing a Minor League team function from the beginning to end of a season. I loved it."

Like Anderson, Johnson used the FIELD Program as a steppingstone while studying sports management at Hampton University.

"I was part of [the FIELD Program's] inaugural class in 2016," Johnson said. "We traveled around Florida doing different things with the various teams in the [Class A Advanced Florida State League]. It added to a list of other internships I had taken part in, which included time with the [NFL's] New York Giants and [NBA's] Philadelphia 76ers as well as the league office.

"The roads led back to MLB and the MLB Network, where I filled the role of associate producer."

Johnson credits the FIELD Program for paving a path that can often be bumpy for aspiring sports aficionados. Like the players who aim to make their marks as big leaguers, the competition and work is often tough.

"I wouldn't be who I am or where I am without my past or the FIELD Program," he admits. "I live by a credo of 'Never take a loss, take a lesson.' The only way to get better is to learn from the mistakes you'll make, keep working harder, faster and you'll get to where you want to go. That's the way I view things."

That mentality, along with similar drive from Stefan, put a little piece of hardware on both of their mantels. Thanks to their work as associate producers with MLB Network, Johnson and Anderson can add Emmy Award winners to their list of accomplishments. The duo was part of the award-winning crew at "MLB Tonight" that took home the Emmy for "Outstanding Studio Show, Daily."

“When we started the FIELD program, one of the primary goals was to expose college students to the world of professional baseball as a potential career path, whether it be in a Minor League Baseball front office or any role in this great game," Minor League president and CEO Pat O'Conner said. "Michael Johnson and Stefan Anderson took advantage of a terrific opportunity to use their skills and passion with the MLB Network and it gives all of us at Minor League Baseball a tremendous amount of pride to see these two young men accomplishing so much so quickly. We look forward to following their career paths in the years to come and we extend our congratulations to both for receiving a Sports Emmy Award.”

While Johnson recently departed MLB Network for a new role as a digital content editor with the NFL Network, what he accomplished and hopes to do in the future remain unchanged.

"It was a great feeling to learn we had won that Emmy," he said. "It was something that I had on my checklist and I was thrilled to be a part of a team that did it. I've got one and now I want some more. Once you taste that type of success, it makes you hungry."

Anderson remains an associate producer with MLB Network, but his feelings on the achievement don't differ much from Johnson's.

"Earning an Emmy just shows that all the work I've put in to get to where I am has paid off," he noted. "I'm an Emmy Award winner. Not many people achieve an honor like this and I'm extremely proud of it. My family, friends, teachers ... everyone who has supported me played a role in this. It's their success as much as it is mine."