BOXING: Caleb Truax Joins Twins Great Joe Mauer And More For All-Star Monday
Caleb Truax, pictured here, had big league aspirations as a kid. Now he will be swinging for the fences along side Joe Mauer and more.
Former WBA Super Middle Weight World Champion “Golden” Caleb Truax teams up with Minnesota Twins great Joe Mauer, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, Thomas Vanek, Darryl Strawberry, and more in a celebrity softball game tonight at CHS Stadium in Saint Paul, MN. Truax is currently preparing for his title eliminator rematch with Peter Quillin which is set for August 31st at the Armory in Minneapolis.
The St. Paul Saints opened the City of Baseball Museum to celebrate Saint Paul’s rich baseball history and to honor its greatest players. One of those greats is about to take the field at CHS Field, home of the Saints. Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer, will be among an amazing lineup of players and local media taking part in a celebrity softball game benefiting the Thielen Foundation at CHS Field on All-Star Monday.
All-Star Monday takes place on July 22 with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. and the celebrity softball game going from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The 90-minute game will be an all-out battle between NFL players, St. Paul Baseball icons, Twin Cities media personalities, and a few surprise guests. Find out if the burly athletes from the gridiron can slug a ball 400 feet or if the talking heads can get the ball out of the infield. In the end, it’s all for a good cause as the event will benefit the Thielen Foundation. Adam and his wife Caitlin founded this charitable organization with a focus on youth development and aims to create programs that serve, educate and inspire individuals so they’re equipped and empowered to reach their full potential in life. In addition to other fundraising opportunities, the jerseys worn by the two teams during the softball game will be auctioned throughout the game with the proceeds benefiting the Thielen Foundation.
Mauer, who went to Cretin-Derham Hall High and was the first overall pick by the Twins in 2001, went on to an incredible 15-year career with his hometown team. In 2006 he became the first catcher in American League history to lead the American League in batting average, hitting .347. Mauer would go on to two more batting titles, including the highest batting average ever by a catcher at .365 in 2009. He also set the highest single-season record for on base percentage by a catcher that season at .444. Those impressive feats earned him the 2009 American League MVP. He won five Silver Slugger Awards and was named to the All-Star Game six times.
Adam Thielen and his wife, Caitlyin, will also participate. Adam just finished his fifth season with the Vikings and has caught 293 passes for 3,897 yards and 19 touchdowns. He had a career year in 2018 catching 113 passes for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns. He set the NFL record for most consecutive 100-yard games to start a season and tied Calvin Johnson’s mark for most consecutive 100-yard games at any time during the year, with eight. Adam has made the Pro Bowl in the last two seasons and was 2nd Team All-Pro in 2017.
Joining Mauer and the Thielen’s are two former Saints, Darryl Strawberry and Ila Borders. Strawberry played for the Saints in 1996 and still holds the single-season batting average record hitting .435 with 18 homers and 39 RBI in just 29 games. His incredible performance over a month got his contract purchased by the New York Yankees. He would go on to win the World Series that season. Strawberry was an eight-time All-Star and a four-time World Series Champion. He was named the NL Rookie of the Year in 1983 and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Borders became the first female professional baseball player in the Modern Era, signing with the Saints in 1997. She pitched in seven games for the Saints before joining the Duluth-Superior Dukes. She enjoyed a four-year professional career.
Thielen’s teammate tight end Kyle Rudolph will also participate. He has enjoyed a stellar eight-year career with the Minnesota Vikings. The two-time Pro Bowler, who was also the MVP of the 2012 game, has caught 386 passes for nearly 3,800 yards with 41 touchdowns. In 2016, he set the franchise record for receptions by a tight end with 83.
From the ice to the diamond, two hockey players will also take part in the celebrity softball game as left winger Thomas Vanek and goalie Alex Stalock will trade in their skates for cleats. Vanek, who played for the Wild from 2014-16, has enjoyed a solid 14-year professional career that has seen him score 373 goals, record 416 assists, and notch 789 points in more than 1,000 games. He was in the 2006-07 NHL Young Stars Game and was a 2009 NHL All-Star. He helped lead the Minnesota Gophers to a 2003 National Championship where he was selected to the All-Tournament Team. Stalock has played eight seasons in the NHL, the last three with the Wild. In 113 NHL games he is 41-38 with a 2.59 goals against average.
Opposing the athletes will be local media members including a contingent of iHeartMedia members. Scheduled to appear are: McKaila (K102), Dan Common Man Cole (KFAN), Cory Cove (KFAN), Chris Hawkey (KFAN), Zach Dillon (KDWB), Paul Meatsauce Lambert (KFAN), Adam West (K102), Tenna-B (KFAN), Paul Fletcher (Cities 97), and Ben Leber (KFAN).
More participants are scheduled to appear and will be announced throughout the week.
Following the Celebrity Softball Game is the Jack Links Home Run Derby with the top American Association power hitters scheduled to appear as they battle it out for long ball supremacy. That will take place from 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The night will conclude with a country music concert featuring Drake White and The Big Fire. The Chris Hawkey Band will open the show.
Tickets for All-Star Monday are on sale now and begin at $5 for the Treasure Island berm seating, $6 for SPLASH bleacher seats, $14 for outfield reserved, $16 for the drink rail and $18 for infield reserved and home plate reserved. Children under the age of 12 and seniors 65 and older receive $1 off the admission price. Children under 2 that don’t require a seat are free. Tickets can be be purchased at the Saints box office or over the phone at 651-644-6659, Monday-Friday from 9-6 or Saturday 10-2 or anytime at saintsbaseball.com.
The Saints will host the 2019 American Association All-Star Game, presented by CHS, on Tuesday, July 23 at 7:05 p.m.
Tickets for the 2019 American Association All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 23 begin at $5 for berm seating (available only on day of game in person at the box office), $9 for bleacher seats, $15 for the drink rail, $17 for outfield reserved, $20 for infield and home plate reserved.
Saints Box Office hours on non-game days are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. On game days, the Box Office will open at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday and 12:00 p.m. on Sunday and will remain open until 15 minutes following each game. Tickets are always available at saintsbaseball.com.
