It started slowly for the North All-Stars, falling behind by three runs early, but the team of the host St. Paul Saints rallied with runs in five consecutive innings to beat the South All-Stars 7-3 in the American Association All-Star Game at CHS Field Tuesday night.
A crowd of 7,565 saw a contingent of six Saints represented the organization well with Dan Motl, Brady Shoemaker, Jeremy Martinez and Josh Allen combining for four base hits and three runs scored. Pitcher Todd Van Steensel pitched a scoreless sixth innings.
Only Saints pitcher Eddie Medina, who started the game for the North, had a rough night. He gave up a double to Nate Samson of Sioux City to lead off the game and Chase Simpson of Cleburne (Tex.) followed with a home run to right center. Medina struck out the next batter, then was removed by manager George Tsamis.
One of the biggest ovations of the night from the CHS crowd was given to Shoemaker when he came to bat in the bottom of the first inning.
Shoemaker won Monday's Home Run Derby, in when he outlasted Fargo-Moorhead's Leo Pena in an dramatic three-pitch swing off. Shoemaker grounded out in that at-bat but scored the North's first run in the fourth inning after leading off with a double to the center field wall.
Shoemaker, in his third season with the Saints, said that for all the success he had during the All-Star festivities, the best part was being able to share it people close to him.
"It was fun for my family," Shoemaker said. "I've got my boys here, my wife Chelsea, my parents and my sister. That part of it means a lot more than the game today."
Outfielder Collin Willis of the Gary SouthShore Railcats had a double, a single and a run scored and was chosen as the game's MVP. Shortstop Wes Darvill of the Winnipeg Goldeyes had a single, two RBI and a handful of marvelous plays in the field and Chicago Dogs outfielder Victor Roache, who clobbered a home run to left field in the sixth inning, also stood out for the North.
St. Paul 'a blessing'
He may not spend much time reminiscing about his days with the Yankees and the Mets, with whom he won a combined four World Series, but Darryl Strawberry's brief stint with the Saints in 1996 had a lasting impact on him.
Strawberry, Ila Borders -- the first woman to pitch in a men's professional game when she played for the Saints in 1997 — and St. Paul native and former MLB umpire Tim Tschida were guests of the Saints at Tuesday's All-Star Luncheon at Holman Field.
"St. Paul was a blessing to my life," Strawberry said. "I got a chance to come here and see what baseball was really like with people who love and care for people, like Marv [Goldklang] and Mike [Veeck]. I found myself having fun playing baseball again. The people really embrace you here. It's not like that everywhere else in baseball."
Strawberry played just 29 games in a Saints uniform before signing with the Yankees, yet still owns the Saints' single-season record for batting average, .435, along with 18 home runs and 39 RBI.
Not a sideshow
When he was wooing Borders, Veeck made sure to tell her that she was not a sideshow and was genuinely interested in adding her to the roster.
"He said 'We're pretty much already sold out for the season, so I don't need you to sell tickets'," Borders recalled. "You have to prove to [then-manager] Marty Scott that you are one of the top 10 pitchers."
Borders, who is now firefighter/paramedic in Oregon, said she was taken aback by where her support lied.
"You'd think women would have been more supportive, but it was actually the men who supported me and the women did not," she said.
"They were calling me and saying that if I go out there and fail, I'm setting all women back. I found that fascinating."
Big-league friends
Two members of the South All-Stars – Curt Smith and Randolph Oduber of the Lincoln Saltdogs – were teammates of Twins second baseman Jonathan Schoop for the Netherlands in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
