For St. Paul Saints, regular-season wins have been fun, but a title is better

The first day of spring training for the upcoming St. Paul Saints season dawned bright blue, a reminder that hope always shines brightest before Opening Day.

That was Saturday, May 6. Less than two weeks later, the Saints are set to begin their 25th season — their third at CHS Field — with a four-game series, beginning Thursday night, against the Gary SouthShore RailCats.

Players already have come and gone since that day, most notably Blaine native Dan Johnson, who signed with Puebla of the Mexican League. Yet the optimism felt on Day 1 remains high.

The Saints are coming off the best two-year stretch in team history. They followed a record-setting 74-26 campaign in 2015 by going 61-39 in 2016, for a tidy .675 winning percentage.

Their remarkable regular-season success, however, hasn't translated to the postseason. The Saints have been eliminated in the first round of the American Association playoffs in each of the past two seasons.

"You never get over it. If you do get over it, maybe you're in the wrong business," longtime manager George Tsamis said. "We want to win a championship. We can do that. Guys want to come here, guys want to play here."

The Saints' past two seasons reflect the duality of their mission. Like most minor league teams, the Saints try to balance winning with helping their players earn the chance to advance their baseball careers.

"Our goal is win a championship and the players' goal is to get signed by a major league club," Tsamis said. "Of course it's tough when we lose those players, especially around the same time in August, but that's why they're playing, to get to the big leagues."

It's not an excuse for a second consecutive early exit from the playoffs, however. Tsamis is the first to admit the ultimate goal is winning.

"There's no excuses,'' he said. "We didn't get it done and lost to good teams in the playoffs. It is a blow, but it's my job to replace them."

That's where the fun lies. Tsamis not only is the manager the field, he's also the team's procurer of talent. He spends as much time scouring the country for available talent as he does managing the team on the field. After a lifetime spent in a uniform and ball cap kicking around diamond dirt, Tsamis has built a considerable pipeline.

"It's all George," said Sean Aronson, the team's vice president and director of media/broadcasting. "He's always on the phone, trying to sign players. And because of his reputation, people call him."

"We have some quality guys back and we have some new quality guys," Tsamis said. "Year to year, though, things are different. You just never know."

One advantage to playing in St. Paul is that players tend to return when playing for a major league organization doesn't work out. Straka and Veglahn, both Minnesota natives, have rejoined the pitching staff. Pitchers Mark Hamburger and Robert Coe are back, Hamburger for his third season, Coe (on the inactive list) for his team-record sixth.