There was 'Association' All-Star Game here when Larsen beat Branca

The fact the St. Paul Saints were hosting the All-Star Game for the American Association of Independent Baseball on Tuesday night caused me to become curious about this:

Did the prior St. Paul Saints during their years in the Triple-A American Association ever host an all-star game for that minor league?

Minneapolis and St. Paul were two of the cities in that American Association when it was formed in 1902. Minneapolis was always the Millers. St. Paul was the Apostles from 1902 to 1914, and then the Saints.

The Millers and the Saints operated through 1960, then were disbanded when the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota to become the Twins in 1961.

There was only one way to answer the question on St. Paul's All-Star Game history: Contact Stew Thornley, the Minnesota baseball (and sports) historian.

The first question to Stew was: Did the American Association have an All-Star Game?

The answer was yes. Stew said the game started in 1934, but there was a gap in the late '40s and early '50s.

According to Thornley's research, the Millers had the best record and hosted five All-Star Games: four at Nicollet Park and in 1959 at Met Stadium.

The Saints did not host an All-Star Game at Lexington Park or the first Midway Stadium. They had the league's powerhouse team in 1949, but there was no All-Star Game played that summer.

Stew even provided information on the five American Association All-Star Games hosted by the Millers.

July 19, 1934: Minneapolis 13, All-Stars 6. WP-Tiny Chaplin. LP-Gene Trow (St. Paul).

July 30, 1935: Minneapolis 4, All-Stars 3. WP-Steve Sundra. LP-Garland Braxton (Milwaukee).

JULY 21, 1955: All-Stars 16, Minneapolis 6. WP-Don Larsen (Denver). LP-Ralph Branca.

JULY 13, 1959: Minneapolis 2, All-Stars 0. WP-Chet Nichols. LP-Ed Donnelly (Denver).

As Thornley pointed out, the pitchers getting decisions in the 1955 game were notable. Larsen pitched a perfect game for the Yankees in the World Series in 1956. And Branca gave up "The Shot Heard 'Round the World'' for the Dodgers to the Giants' Bobby Thomson in the third game of the 1951 National League playoff.

And now you ask why the format was the team with the best midseason record taking on the All-Stars, rather than the team that had won the American Association championship the previous season?

Simple: This was minor league baseball where rosters could change greatly between one year and the next, and last season's pennant winner could be this summer's cellar dweller.