Minor League Baseball drops knowledge

 

 

Minor league baseball CEO Pat O'Connor visited FAMU.
Photo credit: milb.com

 

Imagine walking into your class and seeing the CEO of the Minor League Baseball franchise. Ready and nervous at the same time to get your foot in the door, maybe working for the MiLB could possibly be an option. Wednesday at 9:30 in the School of Business and Industry that’s exactly what was offered to Professor Hightower’s class.

It started off with Pat O’Conner, who is the president and CEO of the Minor League Baseball company in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Speaking on how he grew up and why being a hard worker is important when it comes to landing and keeping a job. O’Conner was open and relaxed as he answered and interacted with every student that sat in the classroom.

“If we can smooth the path of landing students internships and jobs I think it will go a long way in helping the students,” said O’Conner.

It was obvious that the Minor League Baseball company is flourishing because when O’Conner first came aboard in 1993 with the company, $265 million was how much the company had. He relayed that in the 2018 year the company should have an estimate of $900 million coming in.

Students from the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication seemed pleased as they were very engaged and assertive when it came down to questions and answers. Also O’Conner brought along senior manager of special events, Mark Labban and special events coordinator, Paige Hegedus, to elaborate on how working inside the MiLB is. They were also interactive when it came to dealing with the students. They took their time and had fun as well as being very informative about how the company handles situations and they work together to create success.

“The professional baseball opportunity program (PBO) was interesting because it allows me to know that I’m actually getting looked at and I hope that other companies use this type of approach when it comes down to hiring,” said Nicholas Thomas, a fourth year political science major.

O’Conner also stated that he loves when it comes down to working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He relayed that we have a lot of pride in what we do and that we have a great sense of culture. He also let it be known that we carry ourselves in a positive way that shows we are ready for a challenge and to prove ourselves just as qualified as any other university.

“I wish I had this opportunity a student to have companies come in and talk one on one with the students to have a better understanding on how and where to go when it comes to job opportunities.,” said Labban.