st. paul

I made it to two St. Paul Saints games last week, a sun-fest on Saturday evening and a rainier proposition on Thursday. Both games featured the typical nuttiness: tire races, brain-busters, a huggy Mudonna, Seigo Masabuchi singing a charmingly off-key "I Can See Clearly Now" under gray skies, the St. Paul Sieve, Jared Allen's mullet carried on a broomstick.

But the Thursday game offered something the Saturday game couldn't: an awestruck Fontae Obannon. The 11-year-old wasn't attending the game. He was playing in it.

"I was nervous, but I felt special," said Fontae, whose Midway Rays beat the Midway Bombers 7-4 at St. Paul's Billy Peterson Field when the 4 1/2-inning game was called for time.

The best part, Fontae said, "was walking up to home when they announced our name."

Can you spell s-w-a-g-g-e-r?

Fontae's Rays are among nearly two dozen metro-area ball teams taking part in this summer's Youth Spotlight Games, sponsored by the Saints. The games are scheduled when the Saints are on the road. Their goofy trappings don't travel with them. Instead, the Saints' staff schleps much of it to local fields to give players, ages 7 to 14, their parents and delighted neighbors what Saints General Manager Derek Sharrer calls "the Saints' experience in their own ballparks."

"The vision was fairly simple," Sharrer said. "We want to help get kids excited about playing baseball and keep them playing baseball over the years." The public relations aspect doesn't hurt, either.

Boy, do they offer the right carrot. With organist Andy Crowley pumping up the crowd, announcer Joe Wiener bellowed out the boys' names as parents hooted.

"They love hearing their names announced," said Wiener, who's been with the Saints for eight years. Sometimes, the boys get a bit too distracted by the attention, he added with a laugh. "Jimmy! Jimmy! Head in the game!"

Sharrer agrees that the circus atmosphere can be dizzying. At the top of the hill, where the Walser Automotive Group offered up free hot dogs and drinks in a retrofitted 45-foot RV, Sharrer noticed one of the players chowing down.

"Aren't you supposed to be playing?" Sharrer asked.

"Already batted," the kid told Sharrer.

The Spotlight program began in 2007 and has grown from six games to 10. A few girls play on the teams, Sharrer noted, and a girls' fast-pitch softball game is in the works for July.

The fan base is increasing, too. Theresa Rahn, of St. Paul, was surprised to see the number of spectators seated on the berm and bleachers as she rode up on her bike to watch her 12-year-old son, Jacob, play ball.

"It's bigger than usual," she said. "This is great fun. They're going to want to do this every game."

Fontae's dad, Keven, trying to remain calm as his son came up to bat with two outs and bases loaded, agreed. "This is beautiful. It made the game a lot more fun, like a major-league game."

Fontae walked. "I wish he'd have gotten a base hit, but he made good choices and waited," said Dad, who was taught how to ice skate at this very park by its namesake, St. Paul coaching legend Billy Peterson. Peterson also was enjoying the game, hot dog in hand.

It's this communal aspect that Sharrer enjoys most. "I love these neighborhood parks," Sharrer said. "People come out of their homes. One little girl recently set up a lemonade stand. It was great."

There are at least four more games scheduled, all free. This being Minnesota, bring sunscreen, a blanket and an umbrella.

For the schedule, go to www.saintsbaseball.com/community/youthspotlight.

Gail Rosenblum • 612-673-7350 • gail.rosenblum@startribune.com