Part 2 | Erik Neander's Unpaid Internship Story Will Shock You

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil wrap up their conversation with Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander, digging into the unglamorous grind behind his rise. Neander tells the story of his unpaid internship with Baseball Info Solutions, the four months he spent sleeping on a twin bed crammed into a coworker's walk-in closet, and the winter-break scramble to enroll at a random community college just to qualify for the internship stipend. He talks about why he waits as long as possible before evaluating young players, the sacrifice it takes to build a career in pro baseball, and how the Rays stay motivated year after year despite two World Series appearances and zero championships.

Plus, a rapid-fire kitchen sink round covers his first day running errands for the front office, his unused nutrition and exercise degree, his favorite Joe Maddon lesson on risk-taking, and his strong feelings about olives on pizza.

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