Talking Mighty Mussels with John Vittas

[Seth Stohs]

John Vittas has been the play-by-play voice of the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. We caught up with him on Tuesday to discuss his job responsibilities, but also some really young, talented prospects on the Mussels roster.

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

Fort Myers is a destination spot for Minnesota Twins fans in late February and March, as they flee the last rounds of winter weather and watch their favorite Twins players getting ready for the season on green grass. But baseball at the Twins facilities there does not stop. Right now, you can go there and watch an FCL Twins game in the afternoon, and then watch the Mighty Mussels play at night.

Yesterday, we chatted with John Vittas, the Mighty Mussels' play-by-play guy. Can't get down to Fort Myers in-season? Well, this year, the Mussels - with a lot of work by Vittas - can be seen on MiLB.tv. But in this conversation, we spent time talking about some of the minor-league signings that have really contributed for the team, and some of the exciting young prospects on the roster. No update on Walker Jenkins, but you'll certainly want to hear the discussions on the likes of Brandon Winokur, Charlee Soto, Rayne Doncon, and much more. 

Hopefully you will be able to watch the full video, but if not, here is a quick timeline for if you need to come back a few times and watch it in pieces. 

1:00: John Vittas discusses his background, from his time at the University of Maryland, to working at MLB Network, to joining the Charlotte Stone Crabs, to finally joining the Mighty Mussels in 2001. He also does a lot of Florida Gulf Coast University volleyball and basketball games for for ESPN, and more. 
2:30: What is a typical day for him as the play-by-play guy?
4:30: John discussed what needed to be done to get their games on MiLB.tv, and how that's changed how he might call a game.
6:40: What advice would you give to a kid who thinks he or she wants a job in sports, or in sports broadcasting?
10:30: The impact of Payton Eeles in his first week in the organization.
12:05: Maddux Houghton had a huge April and has been one of the team's top performers. He joined the organization before the 2023 season and filled a utility role for the Mussels. This year, he's getting much more playing time.
13:40: The Twins signed Poncho Ruiz right after the draft in 2023. What a story! You'll definitely want to hear that, but now he has been one of the team's best players in May with the bat and behind the plate.
17:00: We learn how to pronounce the name Rayne Doncon, and I marvel at his tools. Vittas confirms that he is a guy that we should be following closely. 
18:52: Minimal update on Walker Jenkins, but we discuss and marvel at the tools and athleticism of Brandon Winokur. He's split time between shortstop, third base, center and right field. Could he stick at shortstop? How quickly has he been able to make some adjustments?
22:00: Transition to pitching, starting with left-hander Cesar Lares who has been really, really good of late. He's got the pitches. He's gaining velocity. But find out which pitch has helped him take his performance to another level. Plus, he's fun to watch! 
25:00: We have to talk about Charlee Soto, right? How has he looked in his first six starts? What is most impressive about him (and it's the same as Winokur and Jenkins)?  He hits 98 and has "electric stuff", but Vittas talks about one of his other pitches that he didn't realize was so good. How are the Twins limiting him to attempt to build him up and keep him healthy and strong? 
28:00: We briefly discuss the college pitchers that were drafted in 2023. Do they compare to the class from 2022? But I had to ask specifically about Ty Langenberg for the fans in Cedar Rapids who are excited to see him come back to Iowa. The Twins drafted him last summer out of the University of Iowa. Could he move up sometime this summer? 
30:15: John volunteers the names of two relievers that he felt needed to be mentioned for how they've started the season. 

The goal is to catch up with John Vittas every two or three weeks to see what's going on with the Mighty Mussels and their prospects. In the weeks in between, we have discussed being able to bring in some of the team's players and/or members of the coaching staff, as well. I'm looking forward to that, but would love your feedback on it.

The intent is for these to be a little shorter than the Twins Spotlight interviews that we do in the offseason. The initial conversation with the play-by-play voices might be 10 minutes longer, because I want them to be able to share their backgrounds, describe their day-to-day responsibilities and potentially give some advice to any kids who might be listening who are considering a career in sports or sports broadcasting. 

Let us know what you think? Which players/coaches would you like us to try to interview, and in general, what are your thoughts. 

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If you are interested, I did another interview, Timber Rattlers Talk with Chris Mehring for Brewer Fanatic. He has been the play-by-play voice of the Brewers affiliate in Appleton/Grand Chute since 2000. Similar concept, but talking about the Brewers High-A prospects (which is a very intriguing group). I have more interviews set up this week and early next week for other play-by-play voices in the minor leagues for the Twins, Brewers and Cubs. 

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[Twinsrtheworst]

Great fun information Seth, thank you.  I am literally packing my home and relocating to Fort Myers for the main reason of being able to watch and support the Mussels and FCL Twins.  Call me crazy but only live once..as far as I know.  I've made many friends through out the organization threw spring training and in season games.  Keep up with the great work Seth.

[Kevin Wiedman]

So what’s up with Jenkins?
Will hebe playing anytime soon?
Thanks