Hosted by Plate Crate founder, Josh Band, each episode dives into different baseball personalities from all industries. Spotlight highlights some of the most brilliant baseball minds- whether that be elite coaches, social media and content professionals, or wood bat designers- you’ll hear from the best of the best. Listen to how they got started, why they continue to do it, and how baseball has remained a centerpiece in their lives

On this episode of Spotlight, Plate Crate founder Josh Band sits down with Randall Thompson. Randall is the founder and president of Dugout Mugs, a bat mug company that stemmed from a simple idea to a flourishing million dollar company.

Josh kicks off the episode by asking Randall where the idea for Dugout Mugs came from, and his answer was rather simple- he wanted to drink out of some barrels of broken bats that were laying in the Florida Tech dugout. He kept this idea in the back of his head as he graduated, started and ended his career in the Blue Jays organization, and worked in the ad agency space for some time.

Randall then tells of the hard work that went into bringing his dugout idea to life, and how succeeding in this project became his ‘new big leagues.’ He spent hours researching wood handling, how to own and operate an e-commerce business, and reached out to those familiar with the craft. A few years later, Dugout Mugs reached a million dollars in sales, a MLB license, and baseball fanatics worldwide.

Dugout Mugs started from a dugout idea. Founder and President Randall Thompson was sitting in the Florida Tech dugout, and the idea came to him after his coach was breaking bats for hitting drill purposes. The tops of the barrels were just laying around the dugout, and Thompson thought it would be awesome to be able to drink out of one. At that moment, Dugout Mugs was born.

A Dugout Mug is often gifted as a birthday present, Father’s Day, or are purchased as collectibles for avid baseball fans. You can collect your favorite Major League Baseball teams, customize mugs for your loved ones, or even have a picture engraved into a Dugout Mug. Whatever the occasion may be, this one of a kind gift is perfect for your favorite fan.

Want to hear the full episode and learn more? All episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher! Be sure to follow Plate Crate on Facebook and Instagram for new episode releases, and to follow Dugout Mugs on Facebook and Instagram!