The second time will be a charm for Ripken Stadium, as the Aberdeen IronBirds will host the second annual New York-Penn League All-Star Game on Aug. 16. The game kicked off last year at Keyspan Park, home to the Brooklyn (N.Y.) Cyclones in what league president Ben Hayes said was the first true all-star game for the NYPL.
“We?ve had All-Star games against Triple-A clubs, but we didn?t find any history of New York-Penn League players playing each other,” Hayes said. “The All-Star Game was a fantastic hit last year. It provided something [positive] for the NYPL, since short-season leagues usually don?t have all-star games.”
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“Aberdeen is special,” he added. “It?s a great venue. There were competing proposals submitted to the league?s board of directors, [but] Aberdeen was selected.”
The seven American League affiliates and the seven National League affiliates will form two teams of 28 players.
“We will select the players based off performances up to Aug. 9,” Hayes said.
The manager of the AL and NL affiliates with the best records by the selection date will manage in the game.
“You get to see some of the top draft picks and top performers in their first year of professional baseball,” Hayes said.
IronBirds general manager Aaron Moszer said that the game will be the largest-attended baseball event in Ripken Stadium?s brief history.
“It was first-come, first-serve for all of our season-ticket holders,” he said. “The demand was so high that we sold out this game without releasing one ticket to the public.”
Moszer said that the logistics for the event will be tough to work out.
“There is not much travel time,” Moszer said, regarding getting players and coaches to Aberdeen.
The game also falls in the middle of the Cal Ripken World Series.
“I recommend people come early because parking will be tough,” Moszer added.
ALL-STAR PERFORMERS
» Tuesday before the game, the league will have a dinner for the players and league officials at the ESPN Zone in Baltimore. Festivities for the game will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and gates open at 5.
» Prior to the 7:35 start, the league?s top sluggers will tee off in a home-run derby.
» August is a busy month for the Aberdeen baseball complex, with the Cal Ripken World Series (Aug. 12-20), the NYPL All-Star game and an IronBirds? homestand against the State College Spikes (Aug. 17-19).
