St. Paul Saints will play an umpireless game

The St. Paul Saints have prided themselves on doing some of the wackiest promotions in the minor leagues. Their next promotion will probably wind up as the longest game played that wasn't an extra inning affair.

The Saints will play an exhibition game against the  Gary SouthShore Railcats. The catch to this game is that it will feature no umpires. That's right, they'll be playing an umpireless game.

The Saints “Umpireless Game” presented by Hamline University will take place on Saturday, May 11 in a game against the Gary SouthShore Railcats.  In this unique twist a judge in a robe will stand behind the pitcher’s mound calling ball and strikes strikes while a jury of both teams “peers” will act as the base umpires.  The Killebrew Box Seats, which are designated seating areas on the first and third base side at field level, will have 12 Little Leaguers in each area deciding if runners are safe or out.  There will be no hung jury, as majority will rule, but any ties will be decided by the judge on the field

 Instead of “Play Ball” hollered by an umpire, the judge will pound a gavel on home plate to signify the beginning of the game.  The players on the field will not be the only ones who will have a judge and jury preside over the proceedings.  Fans will have an opportunity to take their disputes to a “judge” that will be set up on the walkway in the main seating bowl of the stadium.

 While umpires have arbitrated games since 1876 there has never been a game void of umpires.  Networks use technology to define the strike zone and slo-mo instant replay is used to show viewers if runners are safe or out, but ultimately umpires have the final say.  The Saints and Hamline University are using the rules of the courtroom for one day to decide everything on the diamond.

“We respect all baseball umpires and believe this promotion will allow our ‘jurors’ and both teams to realize how important they really are to the game,” said Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Derek Sharrer.  “This is something that has never been attempted before and I think it will make for an interesting and intriguing nine innings of baseball.”

This will be the first game that will not have umpires. If you ask me this game has the potential to turn out to be an adult sandlot game. I know it'll last longer than the norm unless the Saints know something I don't.

St. Paul Saints to have a bounty promotion

Minor league baseball teams are always cooking up some kind of comical gimmick and the St. Paul Saints are no stranger to it.

Their latest brainstorming session has resulted in the Saints coming up with a "bounties for big hits" promotion for their Sept. 1 game against the Wichita Wingnuts. It's clearly a shot at the New Orleans Saints and the "bountygate" scandal, but it's all in the name of charity so I do see some humor in it.


On Saturday, September 1, the one year anniversary of Minnesota’s youth concussion law going into effect, the St. Paul Saints will be gunning for the opposition and plan to PAY a TON of money for a worthy cause. For each bone crunching hit the Saints will collect a bounty and the bigger the hit, the larger the sum: a single is worth $100, a double $200, a triple $300 and a home run is worth $400. For every pitcher the Saints “knock-out” another $50 will be collected. Each time a Saints pitcher “punches out” an opposing hitter, $10 will be donated. At the end of the night all the money collected from the bounty system will be placed in a LOOMIS armored truck and taken to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and donated to their new concussion research program.


The first 1,500 fans entering the game that night will receive a football helmet piggy bank with the Saints logo on one side (the S will be in the shape of a $) and the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota logo on the other. It should be a BREEZE for fans to fill it up with their own bounty and they can take the piggy bank to the Children’s (either the Minneapolis or St. Paul hospital locations) to donate the money to concussion research.


Since this is in the Twin Cities, the locals will have a good time with this one, since it might've been some of the Saints' (New Orleans) dirty play that made Brett Favre a bit gimpy and possibly ruined their shot a t a Super Bowl.