Blue Wahoos, Pensacola Connections Abound In MLB Postseason 

The special legacy Joe Espada and Carlos Mendoz carved 20 years ago as Pensacola Pelicans teammates has reached a new mantle.

They are now part of Major League Baseball history.

Espada, the Houston Astros manager and Mendoza with the New York Mets – once a double-play turning tandem and roommates with the Pelicans -- are joined by Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt in tying the MLB record for most first-year managers in postseason history.

It’s part of Pensacola’s noteworthy connection with the MLB Playoffs. There are 10 former Blue Wahoos players in postseason.

The group is led by Guardians pitcher Ben Lively – a Gulf Breeze High grad and only local player to wear a Blue Wahoos uniform --- plus the San Diego Padres’ rookie Brandon Lockridge, a Pensacola Catholic grad, all on playoff team rosters that were finalized before games Tuesday.

The most astonishing link, of course, is the Espada-Mendoza managerial tie. Both guided teams from rough starts in 2024 to a steady climb in the standings, enabling the two friends to compete in pursuit of World Series berth.

“What a privilege, what an honor… first time doing it and here we are celebrating,” said Mendoza, speaking as his teammates celebrated their playoff-clinching win Monday in Atlanta in a video posted on the New York Mets team site.

The Mets then took Game 1 Tuesday of their best-of-three National League Wild Card Series with a 8-4 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I have good players, I have good coaches, I have great people and that’s what’s all about,” said Mendoza, 44, a Venezuela native, on Monday, after his Mets’ team got a dramatic ninth-inning, go-ahead, two-run homer by star shortstop Francisco Lindor to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-7 in the first game of a doubleheader to decide the final playoff spots..

The Braves won the second game 3-0 Monday to clinch their own playoff spot.

“Our relationships, the way we connected, the way we care about each other… we went out there and did it,” said Mendoza as he was doused with champagne. “It’s not about Carlos Mendoza, this is it (celebration) right there.

“Now we have to embrace it and we’ve just got to continue to believe. Here we are. You have to enjoy it. Believe, because no one thought we would be here and here we are.”

That same approach occurred with and his Astros team. Houston was once 10 games behind first-place leader, Seattle Mariners, after 73 games. The ballclub didn’t reach the .500 mark until near-midpoint of the season.

Espada, 49, a Puerto Rico native, kept an even-keel approach and belief in his team that paid off.

“It’s about messaging, it’s about communicating and trusting that they’re doing the right work,” said Espada, in a recent story written by The Athletic and published in the New York Times.

“There were days where I had conversations with them about ‘Hey, let’s just make sure we are better at doing these things,’ but leadership is about trusting,” Espada said in the story. “When you try to micromanage stuff, things can get sloppy.”

But the Astros surged to success to clinch the American League West Division last week, before dropping Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series 1-0 against the Detroit Tigers.

Both Espada and Mendoza have stayed in touch with Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer, who acquired the Pelicans franchise in 2002, then a considerable amount of money to keep the team playing in various Independent Leagues through 2010.

Studer and his wife, Rishy, got to know both managers when they were in the twilight of their playing careers in Pensacola. AThey have stayed in touch. They enjoyed a special moment in late June when the Astros played in New York against the Mets and the Studers traveled to see them.

While playing for the Pelicans, the Espada-Mendoza tandem became popular with the fans who supported the team at Pelican Park, which is Jim Spooner Field at UWF.

Quint sent both congratulatory messages Monday to both Mendoza and Espada who replied back. When playing for the Pelicans in 2004-05 seasons, the infield duo stayed with Pensacola realtor Wanda Lewis, who has also stayed in touch with both men.

They referred to her back then as their “U.S. mom.”

“It was hard for us,” said Mendoza, speaking in a New York Times story when the two managers faced each other in June in New York. “We were barely making any money.

“It’s basically toward the end of your career, where it’s like, what’s next? For her to be able to take care of us, it was huge. When we needed it the most, she took care of us. Not one dime came out of our pocket.”

One player Blue Wahoos fans well remember watching is San Diego Padres star infielder Luis Arraez, who played for the Blue Wahoos for the two months of the 2019 season as a Minnesota Twins prospect.

Arraez created more glitter with his career when becoming a three-time MLB batting champion with three different teams in three seasons on the Sunday’s final day of the 2024 regular season. Arraez repeated as NL batting champ after doing it with the Miami Marlins last year, following his previous AL batting title in 2022 with the Twins.

This year, Arraez edged out the Los Angeles Dodgers’ legend-in-waiting Shohei Ohtani for the NL batting leader, denying Ohtani from becoming the first NL player in 87 years to claim the Triple Crown as batting champ, home run champ and RBI champ.

The Padres have two other former Blue Wahoos players, pitchers Wandy Peralta and Bryan Hoeing on their roster.

Ben Lively reached his first MLB post-season by helping Cleveland win the AL Central Division crown. Lively enjoyed his best season in the big leagues with a 13-10 record and 3.81 ERA across 151 innings pitched.

BLUE WAHOOS IN MLB PLAYOFFS

Luis Arraez, San Diego Padres (Wahoos 2019)

Bryan Hoeing, Padres (Wahoos 2022)

Wandy Peralta, Padres (Wahoos 2015-16)

Miguel Rojas, LA Dodgers (Wahoos 2012)

Jorge Soler, Braves – (Wahoos injury rehab 2022)

Raisel Iglesias, Braves (Wahoos injury rehab 2016)

Jesse Winker, NY Mets – (Wahoos 2014-15)

Sean Gunther, Detroit Tigers (Wahoos 2021)

Ben Lively, Cleveland Indians (Wahoos 2014)

Michael Lorenzen, Kansas City Royals (Wahoos 2013-14, 2018)

ALSO

Carlos Mendoza, NY Mets manager – Pensacola Pelicans (2004-05)

Joe Espada, Houston Astros manager, Pensacola Pelicans (2004-05)

Brandon Lockridge, San Diego Padres OF (Pensacola Catholic)