There will be very few times I will ever publish an article on this site that does not involve the Minnesota Twins, but I’m making an exception in this case. Of course, you could argue that the Twins will wind up drafting one, or more, of the players that will participate in the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game so maybe I’m not making an exception after all.
Wrigley will be the center of the amateur baseball universe on August 24th. (Photo Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)
Anyway the roster for the 2013 game, which will be played at Wrigley Field on August 24th and aired live on MLB Network (1:30 pm CST), was announced Monday. While I try to watch the games if they are televised, I generally don’t pay much attention to the news surrounding the amateur all-star games (there are only so many hours in the day after all and I have to draw the lines somewhere). That said, I always at least skim the rosters and that practice proved to be very satisfying and rewarding this time around.
6’6″ 240 lb LHP/1B Sam Hentges made the roster.
Why is that significant?
Hentges is from Shoreview, Minnesota and even more relevant to yours truly, will graduate from Mounds View High School in 2014. The same school that my older brother and I called home back in the day.
Also of note since I now live in Kansas City, Missouri is the presence of 6’3″ 200 lb OF Monte Harrison and 6’3″ 210 lb RHP Alex Lange. Both players attend Lee’s Summit West High School in Lee’s Summit, Missouri (a KC suburb).
Hentges, Harrison and Lange give me three additional reasons to watch either live or via the wonders of a DVR.
Note: I prefer the straight forward table with roster that Baseball Factory did but you can read more about the game and some of the players in the piece John Manuel published on Baseball America.