About this site
I had a great job.
I was working for an awesome staffing company, working with people I loved, for a boss I respected, and for an owner who had created a fantastic family-driven culture. It was a great job.
And I was miserable.
I wasn't making the difference I really wanted and worst of all I was helping others go for their dream - but not doing the same for myself.
That's what this is. My shot at my dream. I have a lot to learn - especially about technology and things like this. Podcasts? Not a clue. Web editors? Nope. I grew up as a Journalism major at the best J-school in the country (Go U Northwestern!) but it was a whole CENTURY ago, and if you don't think Journalism is different today than it was in 1995, when I graduated, go try to find a newspaper. I'll wait.
Still waiting ...
But I've always loved waiting and always loved baseball and always loved New Jersey college baseball. One of the best states for it in the country. Over 40 programs, each with their own unique story. Some of the best college baseball in America filled with awesome people and coaches and writing about it gets me hyped up.
Writing about baseball was always my love - I mean, if you SAW me play through high school, I sure as heck wasn't getting to the majors THAT way. But there I was covering the Phillies on a daily basis from 2004-2006. And then I left to "grown up." But also because I was scared. Scared of the future of journalism and scared to chase jobs all over the country. I was afraid to live my dream.
But still always loved baseball. That manifested in different ways through the years - putting together great programs at Ewing Babe Ruth, helping players in travel programs with their academic success, building Hopewell Post 339 American Legion into a World Series program in three years. I always enjoyed building things.
That's why I bought into the Trenton Generals of the Atlantic College Baseball League. The Gens were a model ACBL expansion franchise, under legendary figures like Dave Gallagher and Jim Maher, formed in 2012 and a champion by 2014.
But they had fallen into organizational disrepair. Talented but lacking, forfeiting games in 2018 and honestly on the brink of folding.
That's what I bought into in 2019. We grew into the 2nd best team in the league that year under the leadership of Immaculata head coach Kevin Schneider and I was hooked. When leagues cancelled en masse in 2020, we quickly pivoted, formed an amazing Sandlot League, and ran a 5-week pickup schedule with 100 of the best players in the area. Everyone from P5s to NAIA. It was the stuff of legends and a summer I'll never forget. It's led to the idea for bigger plans - which are coming in 2022.
But still, I wanted more. Needed more. And realized it was time to take my shot. To reconnect with my dream of telling stories, run a great baseball organization, and highlight college baseball - for the guys involved currently, and for the NEXT generation - the guys crushing it in high school, ready to make their move into college - to help them get to the right home. FIND THE RIGHT FIT. LIVE YOUR DREAMS. LIVE YOUR PASSION.
That's what we will do here. It won't be perfect. I will screw up. Some of my ideas will be terrible. We'll course correct, find our way, move on, and produce some amazing memories.
I hope you enjoy what you see on our site and more importantly I hope you find value in it. And that it pushes you to be AMAZING.
Together in baseball
Mike Olshin
Generals Baseball LLC
May 31, 2021