The St. Paul Saints, a Northern League independent team, plays at Midway Stadium which was built in 1982 and seats 6,069. It is a concrete uncovered stadium owned by the city and also used for high school baseball. It has been all painted over on the outside with colorful baseball scenes. There are flower boxes all around on all horizontal surfaces. All seats are aluminum bleachers, with backs in the main stadium area between the infield and backless bleachers in two sections on the end of each baseline. There are three party areas in left field, one is the Good Ship Pork Chop. The pressbox is behind the seating behind homeplate. Tonight the stadium announcer was announcing from the top of the home (3rd base) dugout. We think this was because Fox Sports was televising the game. Every home game is televised locally. The Saints were playing the Sioux City Explorers and lost horribly 13-2 after winning the previous three games. The box score was Explorers R-13, H-23, E-2 and Saints R-2, H-5, E-2. The field lines are RF & LF-320' and CF-400'. There is a nice electronic scoreboard with easily readable red numbers. It was 1919 night, sponsored by 1919 Root Beer, a locally brewed root beer made by New Ulm Brewery. The Saints were wearing old-style wool uniforms with floppy sleeves patterned from a 1909 Saints picture. Mudonna, a pig, is the mascot. Squeal Diamond is a pig who brings balls to the umpire at each inning break wearing different costumes.. Her handler returns to an area underneath the seating behind homeplate. We saw two fans with small stuffed pigs attached to their hats. Trains go by outside the left field area and the announcer points them out each time and keeps a tally of how many, 11 for the game, and the number from each different train line at the end. One major problem is inadequate restroom facilities for the usual sold-out crowd. Tonight there were 6,440. We were warned in advance that parking was tight in the one parking lot because of serious tailgating before the game. This was true. I think that some did not even go into the game because people were still tailgating at the end, maybe because the score was so lopsided. Early in the game an incident occured that made ESPN's Baseball Tonight Highlights. A Saints' runner was called safe by the first base umpire. This call was changed to out by the home plate umpire after an Explorers' coach complained. So the Saints' manager ranted and raved at two of the umpires until he got tossed, then he really got wound up, throwing his cap down, pulling out his shirt, then taking off his shoes and placing them on first base to show how the runner was safe, and then leaving the field with his shoes still on the base. Then another coach came out and yelled at the umpires until he got tossed. On his way out he threw the bucket of balls on the field, which the ballboys had to pick up. The shoes were removed from 1st base as well. The replay showed that the runner was out, but what was the big deal with changing a judgement call when questioned? The Grand Fan of the Game hangs from a billboard in right field. If he catches a home run ball he receives $10,000 and if he remains for the whole game a special night out and $100. Tonight he only lasted until the 4th inning. In the 5th inning there is the 5th Inning Drag by the grounds crew, note their dress. Note the last paragraph in the rules sign. Snoopy was seen in different areas of St. Paul painted in different ways. Here he is at the stadium playing baseball. One of the between inning activities had a person inside a plastic ball trying to knock over the plastic bottles. She was successful. Sumo wrestling was another of many between inning activities. We would like to thank Dave Wright, Media Relations Director, for the tickets and recognition on the big screen.
Attractions
Historic Fort Snelling - The restored limestone fort was the northern-most military outpost with which the US enforced possession of the old Northwest in the early 19th century. Costumed interpreters demonstrate 1827 fort life. The history center offers exhibits. Excellent exhibits of early frontier army life in the various buildings of the Fort. Fee.

Science Museum of Minnesota offers hands-on exhibits that allow visitors to touch a tornado, walk under a two-story dinosaur or climb aboard a Mississippi River towboat. Fee.