Empire League to host All-Star Weekend; Nashville star and more

By Rich Rosentreter

The Empire League will host its All-Star Weekend on Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17 that includes a home run derby, a game pitting the league’s best players against each other, a comedy show and benefit concerts, one by Nashville recording artist Jamie Lee Thurston. And after the league is done showcasing its best players, the festivities will conclude with a fireworks show.

The special weekend gets under way at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, first with a show by the Completely Stranded Comedy Troupe followed by a concert at 5 p.m. by The Rough Suspects, a “rock, blues and drunken country” group at the bandshell. After the music, the Home Run Derby will take place at 7:05 p.m. at the adjacent Municipal Park.

On Saturday, Jamie Lee Thurston and special guest Tim Brick will perform starting at 3:15 p.m. followed by the All-Star Game at 7:05 p.m. and fireworks after the game.

All proceeds over the weekend will go to regional and local charities, among them, local veterans, North Country Honor Flight, Josh’s House, Veteran’s Place and High Peaks Hospice, according to Eddie Gonzalez, the president and director of the Empire Baseball League.

“That’s what it’s all about, it’s a fundraiser,” he told the Free Press. “Fans should come to join our fundraiser with music in the bandshell and right after the music ends, come on over to the field to see a baseball show.”

Tickets for all events on All-Star weekend are available online at tupperlakeriverpigs.com or at the venue- unless tickets get sold out, in which case tickets will not be available at the gate.

All-stars

Baseball-related festivities during All-Star Weekend will pit the Empire League’s East Division (New Hampshire Wild and Plattsburgh Thunderbirds) against the West Division (Tupper Lake Riverpigs and Saranac Lake Surge) in the main event on Saturday, but before that, sluggers on each squad will vie for the title of Home Run King on Friday in the Home Run Derby.

There were eight players selected for the derby: Edward Salcedo and Drew Thomas of the Riverpigs; Edel Luaces and Brandon Gutzler of the Surge; Malvin Matos and Richard Miller of the Thunderbirds; and Andrew Noviello and John Lantigua of the Wild.

Everybody gets a preliminary qualification round, then there’s a semi-final round, players have to advance, Mr. Gonzalez said, then it gets down to the final two, who will then square off for the championship round. It will not be the same format as the one in Major League Baseball, which uses a time clock.

“This is our own model,” he said. “We’ll have ten outs instead of a time clock limit.”

On Saturday, the Empire League will put its best players on the field in the All-Star matchup - something that is more than a game.

“Even year the Empire League hosts an All-Star game in recognition of the players that have been doing an outstanding job statistically, and they deserve to be selected into this All-Star game. In that game we bring the western and eastern divisions and we have four teams, so the rivals get to play together. It won’t be everybody on the team, just selected guys,” Mr. Gonzalez said, adding that the players on the Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake teams are looking forward to uniting after several competitive battles between each other. “There’s been a couple of heated games actually back and forth, and it’s been definitely showing that they’re rivals. Fans got a chance to watch a lot of heated activity between the two teams, but at the end of the day, we’re all here as a family with the same mission which is to help these young ballplayers get an opportunity to excel and move up in their careers, so they know that we’re all one.”

According to Gonzalez, the players have pride even in a game that doesn’t count in the standings - and the players have an additional reason to perform at their best compete level.

“I’m always very excited because it’s always a high-level game, we’re talking not just all the teams competing, we’re talking the best from each team, so it makes the game an even higher level,” he said. “Everybody wants to win, everybody wants to compete and want to do good because we always have a lot of scouts and a lot of higher-level leagues paying very close attention to everything our guys do, every single game, statistically everything that they do, and in an all-star game, it’s even better for them to show that they’re ready for the next level.”

Concerts

Jamie Lee Thurston is a country music singer who was raised in Vermont and at the age of 15 began performing with his father, and eventually, he moved to Nashville. He released his first CD “I Just Wanna Do My Thing” in 2003, followed by “Where’s an Outlaw When You Need One” in 2010 and “The Stayin’ Kid” in 2012.

Thurston will be joined by special guest Tim Brick, a country music performer who also hails from Vermont and his music has been dubbed “Vermont Country at its Best” by The Champlain Valley Fair and was nominated for the Independent Country Music Association’s Best Country Male Artist in 2013 and 2014. In 2015 he relocated to Austin, Texas and played in clubs throughout the central portion of that state.

More information about The Rough Suspects can be found on the band’s Facebook page, including a video of a recent performance.

Break

Mr. Gonzalez said the All-Star game presents a good break in the season, and another opportunity to cement the Empire League into the community.

“It’s a little more entertainment fun, family friendly to get together for some fun competition,” he said. “Obviously, we’re very focused on these players and all the work they do in the community, but this is above and beyond all of that, this is all about putting the community first. Every time we do an all-star game, we like to do a fundraiser and so this year we’re bringing some good artists to come and perform two straight days before each event.”

The break also represents the traditional halfway point in the season, and so far, it’s been a good one for the Riverpigs, Mr. Gonzalez said.

“I think it’s been the most remarkable year. We’ve sent so many players to the next level, we’ve done so much positive and influential, great things for the community, and we’re just going to continue to keep doing it. It’s just been great,” he said. “We just want fans to come out to Tupper Lake and enjoy a weekend of relaxation and fun. We want fans to know our guys and the work they’ve been doing in the community and on the baseball field - they’re starting to see that these guys are always around and they’re great individuals.”