Eric and Justin Stangel are one step from the major leagues.
The St. Paul Saints have announced the one-day signing of the brothers in a move that has stunned, confused and impressed industry insiders. In December the Saints left independent baseball to become the AAA farm team for MLB’s Minnesota Twins.
This is the fourth team the Stangels have signed with, following the Portland Pickles, Cleburne Railroaders and Lake Erie Crushers.
“In our day with the Saints, we’re hoping to bring many championships to St. Paul,” said first baseman Eric Stangel, who plans to get fake baseball cards made up to impress friends.
Said shortstop Justin Stangel, “People think Eric and I are twins. (We’re not.) But now we might play for the Twins. Crazy times.”
The deal was announced on a Zoom call with Sean Aronson, Vice President, Director Media Relations/Broadcasting, which is a lot of titles.
It’s definitely about more than just baseball.
The Saints are closely connected with the St. Paul community, working with the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, “an independent, nonprofit organization that acts as a catalyst for libraries to strengthen and inspire their communities.” As they describe, “Even in a city that loves its libraries, public funding isn’t enough for libraries to provide all the important resources that residents seek. The Library, part of the City of Saint Paul, depends on The Friends to support those resources.”
They also support Read Brave Saint Paul, “a citywide, intergenerational reading program that uses the power of books and stories to engage people in learning about complex issues.”
Eric and Justin are still arguing over who should be nicknamed “The Hammer.”
Justin & Eric… And you. 