Blue Wahoos To Showcase Special MLB Managers' Journey Of Former Pensacola Pelicans Teammates 

The wonderous path of Joe Espada and Carlos Mendoza into becoming Major League Baseball managers includes Pensacola as a crossroads point.

It might be impossible to believe, if not true.

These two men, who first met as a double play-turning tandem for the Pensacola Pelicans 20 years ago – roommates staying with the same host family in Pensacola -- are now entering their third season as MLB managers in two of the game’s mega-markets.

Mendoza, the quieter of the two, continues handling the pressurized cauldron of being the New York Mets skipper. Espada, the older of the two, seeking to steer the Houston Astros back to a reign of success that included two championships and five World Series appearances in a six-year span just three seasons ago.

All of this is quite a trek from the thick, humid nights playing at Pelican Park, back when it transformed during summers from being the home field for the University of West Florida’s team. Quite a difference. too, from the thousands of miles of bus trips they took with the Pelicans in those years in Pensacola to play Independent League games in El Paso, Texas, Lincoln, Nebraska, and St. Paul, Minnesota.

“I think the odds of having two guys play for an Independent League team and both go on to be Major League managers is just one of those made-for-movie stories,” said Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer, who took over as Pensacola Pelicans owner in 2002 and credits the experience for making affiliated baseball possible in Pensacola.

“It’s incredible to see happen. I have stayed in touch with both of them over the years”

That extended relationship, forged two decades ago, has led to a grand event.

Espada and Mendoza will return to Pensacola on Feb. 6 for a special event “An Evening With Joe and Carlos” from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Brownsville Community Center. It’s open the public, free admission, and occurs just days before the start of their teams’ respective spring training workouts.

The event will be moderated by retired WEAR-TV sports director Dan Shugart, who knew both managers when they were Pelicans players. It will include a question-answer session with the audience, after both managers reflect on their experience in Pensacola.

The event came together when Studer met with Espada and Mendoza in December at the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando. Both managers said the event would fit their schedule before settling into spring training operations.

The Mets have their spring training complex in Port St. Lucie. The Astros are an hour away southward in West Palm Beach.

“It’s very special and gracious of both of them for agreeing to do this,” Studer said. “They have fond memories of being in Pensacola.”

HOW THEY BEGAN

Ironically, the two former Pelicans teammates both began their quest 30 years ago as players entering affiliated baseball in the U.S.

Espada, 50, a Puerto Rico native, was chosen by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 1996 MLB amateur draft. He had finished three seasons at the University of Mobile, where he was a record-setting hitter for the NAIA-member school. He’s now a member of the Mobile Rams athletics hall of fame.

Espada spent 10 years with a variety of stops in the minor leagues. In addition to Pensacola, he played for six different MLB organizations, beginning with the A’s, followed by minor league organizations with the Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays.

He reached the Triple-A level with four different organizations, but didn’t get an MLB debut.

Mendoza, 46, a Venezuela native, also played 10 years in the minor leagues. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants in 1996 as a non-drafted free agent.

He spent six seasons in the Giants organization, reaching Triple-A in 2003. In the final stages of his third season with the Pelicans, he was signed by the New York Yankees organization and played three full seasons in Trenton (NJ), the Yankees Double-A affiliate, before retiring as a player.

PELICANS YEARS

Pensacola native Talmadge Nunnari was the Pelicans’ player-manager in 2004 when he signed Mendoza. The two had been teammates on a Venezuelan Winter League for two seasons.

“He and I go back a long way,” Nunnari said. “We were teammates in Venezuela for two seasons. In 2000, Carlos got rookie of the year honors. We have stayed in touch all these years.”

Espada was signed by Jorge Hernandez, then a Pelicans assistant coach. He had known Espada from his days playing for the Mobile Rams.

“The great thing is, they are still the same guys,” Nunnari said. "When you think about this now, it’s really awesome to unpack it all. But they are the same people, nothing has changed.

“I always felt like Espada – the way he connected with players – would be a natural fit as a manager and it turned out that way. Mendoza was more of a quieter guy.

“But they both had aspirations of coaching and continuing in the game. Both were very professional in the way they conducted themselves on and off the field with the Pelicans. And in Independent ball, that can be very hard to find.”

While playing for the Pelicans, Espada and Mendoza stayed at the home of Pensacola realtor Wanda Lewis. They instantly became part of her family during those summer seasons.

“I am so proud of both of these men," she said. "They worked all their lives to get to where they are today.

“They are both hard working, good guys. Both of them are now married with families. We have always stayed in touch. They are like my sons.

“It is amazing where they are today. When they were here, they were making about ($1,500) a month. I cooked for them and I remember I used to tell Quint that I cooked steaks that night (as pregame meal), so they will have some home runs.”

Lewis provided a family setting that both men cherish to this day.

“It was pretty cool, looking back now. I saw the game in a certain way. He saw the game in a certain way,” said Mendoza, in a story published in the New York Times/The Athletic during the 2024 season. “We would be discussing, eating ice cream, getting fat. But at the same time, the next day, we knew we would be playing in 120 degrees and get on a 20-hour bus ride.”

Espada played a combined 135 games for the Pelicans in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. He batted .336 in 2004 with 91 hits, 47 RBI. In 2005, he hit .333 with 82 hits and 31 RBI.

Mendoza played three seasons from 2004-06. His final year he hit .346. in 68. For both players, living at Lewis’ home, having a family setting, is something they cherish to this day.

“It was hard for us,” said Espada in The Athletic story. “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.”

Their personalities and approach to being with the Pelicans left a lasting impression on Studer, who has maintained a connection with both through the past 20 years.

“Both of ‘em went about their business in such a professional way,” Studer said. “Joe was the manager on the field. Even though the ages (of players) were sort of the same (on team), certain people who have leadership abilities, people gravitate toward. And that was certainly Joe. He was the coach on the field.

“Carlos was just a real nice person, a real professional. Never complained. Both of ‘em went about their business in such a professional way.”

When Mendoza and Espada played for the Pelicans, they met with fans after every game on the field at UWF’s ballpark to sign autographs and exchange greetings.

They were part of special experience at Pelicans games where players and fans got to know each other from nightly interaction after the games. The impact of the Pelicans is what moved Quint and Rishy Studer to upgrade the return of professional baseball in Pensacola to an even higher degree.

“If there wasn’t the Pelicans, there would not have been the Blue Wahoos,” Studer said. “Rishy and I would have never gotten into baseball. We wouldn’t have started out going out buying a team. We didn’t know what we were doing. “

“Rishy made the T-shirts the whole time. That is what attracted me to minor league baseball… that sense of neighborhood, that sense of family. And that’s what we don’t want to lose.”

ROAD TO BECOMING MLB MANAGERS

After their seasons in Pensacola, Mendoza and Espada took different paths.

Mendoza was signed by the New York Yankees and played portions of three seasons (2007-2009) with the Trenton (NJ) Thunder, the Yankees former Double-A affiliate, before embarking on his coaching career.

Espada made the immediate transition when joining the Marlins organization in 2007. But during their time in Pensacola, both expressed a willingness to stay in baseball and move into coaching positions.

“Joe was the manager on the field,” Studer said. “Even though the ages (of players) were sort of the same (on team), certain people who have leadership abilities, people gravitate toward. And that was certainly Joe. He was the coach on the field.

“Carlos was just a real nice person, a real professional. Never complained. Both of ‘em went about their business in such a professional way.”

Mendoza joined the New York Yankees minor league staff in 2009, then was elevated as the Yankees infield coach after the 2017 season, before becoming the Yankees bench coach in an MLB role he’s handled until becoming the Mets manager. He worked under Buck Showalter, former Pensacola resident and Century High graduate, who had familiarity with the Pelicans and got to know Quint Studer.

Espada began his journey with the Marlins, including four seasons as the Marlins bench coach from 2010-13. He then joined the Yankees as third base coach for three years before joining the Astros as infield coach.

The two former Pelicans teammates were also in opposite dugouts when the Yankees and Astros met in the 2019 American League Championship series.

Espada guided Houston to an American League West title in 2024 after the Astros started the season 12-24. The Astros were eliminated in the wild-card round, but Espada finished fourth in AL Manager of the Year voting following the 88-73 campaign.

Mendoza led the Mets to an 89-73 record in his first season as manager in 2024. The Mets won the National League wild card series, then advanced the NLCS after beating Philadelphia in the next round.

Both managers had their teams in contention for playoff spots in 2025, but were unable to make the field. The Marlins stunned the Mets by winning the season-ending series, including the final game of 2025 that officially eliminated the Mets.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: “An Evening With Joe and Carlos.”

WHO: Houston Astros manager Joe Espada, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

WHEN: Feb. 6. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Program begins at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Brownsville Community Center.

ADMISSION: Free. A ticket is required for admission. CLICK HERE to RSVP.

FORMAT: The two managers will share their thoughts of playing for the Pensacola Pelicans and take questions from the audience in a community forum moderated by Dan Shugart.