Put Me Out, Coach – The Saint Paul Saints Celebrate Pride Night

There was the night when, making up for Midway Stadium’s lack of Jumbotron, mimes were brought onto the dugout to reenact key plays, an idea that lasted all of one night, washed away in a barrage—nay, a greasy tsunami!–of fan-thrown hot dogs.  Of course, more recently, there was the night at CHS Field when fans, clad in sponsored raincoats, threw mini-donuts, popcorn, and (best of all) mashed potatoes at each other, management’s way of celebrating of the 40th anniversary of Animal House’s release.  There was the unlikely-until-you-thought-about-it mascot, Muddonna, a plush, porcine pet meant to evoke the host city’s original name, Pig’s Eye.  And there were the ushertainers.  Oh, and the nun masseuse, too.  

If you had determined to pick a most offbeat promotional or entertainment stunt perpetrated by the Saint Paul Saints in their previous existence, you’d have plenty of such stunts to choose from.  This version of the Saint Paul Saints began its holy existence in 1993 as a barely-professional baseball team affiliated first with the barely-professional Northern League, eventually switching to the just-slightly-more-professional American Association.

Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins had, of course, set up shop across Big Muddy nearly thirty years earlier.  Having won a World Championship or two, calling the Twins well-established in 1993 would be an understatement.  The Saints—local baseball’s answer to the Island of Misfit Toys–simply couldn’t keep up with their Major League counterparts on the diamond, so they sought to make up the difference via interactive entertainment that would have put the most finely-tuned virtual reality helmet to shame.  

These stunts became the most memorable way to connect the team to the fans.  

In recent years, the Saint Paul Saints have grown up:  they’re now the Triple-A “farm team” of the Minnesota Twins, meaning their level of play is just below that of Major League.  Further, the best of the Saint Paul Saints today will likely play for the Minnesota Twins tomorrow.  Although this means the play on the field has changed—to use that famous, old Ty Cobb phrase, “gotten better”–management still intends to keep the team connected to the fans.

The most of obvious means to this end are promotions, nights dedicated to certain theme to keep the fans on their toes.  While some of this year’s sillier ones evoke the Saint Paul Saints of antiquity—Pickleball Night, Sk8 Paul, Margaritaville–some are meant to enlighten on more serious topics, such as Women in Sports.  Along the lines of the latter, the Saint Paul Saints’ 2023 Pride Night will happen June 8 at 7:07 PM when they take the field against the Iowa Cubs.  Say the Saints on their official website, “The goal is to uplift the voices of the LGBTQ+ community, celebrate the culture, and support their rights.”  Of course, the all-grown-up Saints haven’t forgotten the attribute that brought them to the dAAAnce, as evidenced by their bedrock motto: “Fun is good.  It’s what we do.”  

Pride Night 
Saint Paul Saints vs. the Iowa Cubs
7:07 PM, June 8, 2023
CHS Field
360 Broadway St.
Saint Paul, MN
www.milb.com/st-paul