North Adams to host NECBL's Midsummer Classic

For the last three years, North Adams SteepleCats owner John DeRosa and General Manager Sean McGrath have tended to their proud organization one fruitful season at a time. Under their leadership, North Adams has become a model NECBL city — competitive on the field with a dedicated fan base off it.

This summer, the rest of the league will finally get a chance to see what all the fuss is about.

The SteepleCats have been selected to host the 2007 NECBL All-Star Game, which will take place on Sunday, July 22, at Joe Wolfe Field. It's the first time North Adams has ever hosted the event and something DeRosa couldn't be more proud of.

"I think it's important that we have the All-Star Game here," he said. "I think we've earned a reputation in the league as a first-class franchise. We have great fan support, and we feel like we put out a great ball team. We just think it's something our fans deserve and will look forward to."

It's something McGrath has looked forward to as well. A former player for the league's Danbury Westerners, McGrath has attended the last three Midsummer Classics since taking over as general manager in the fall of 2003. He feels this year is the perfect time to showcase North Adams as one of the NECBL's premier cities.

"We've talked about it for the last couple of years, but we've been in a situation where we're still getting the organization comfortable with where we're at,"

McGrath said. "Last year, we were definitely at a position where we felt confident in the structure that we had and with the operations and the staff. We made a couple of comments saying maybe next year will be the year.

"Then at the end of the season, I talked to a couple of other teams that looked to us as well. They actually asked me point blank if North Adams would be interested in hosting. I told them it had been discussed, and they said they really felt like this community and this organization could put on a special All-Star weekend."

When McGrath says weekend, he really means it. Typically, past NECBL All-Star Games have been one-day affairs, but the SteepleCats want to buck that trend. DeRosa and McGrath have planned an action-packed couple of days with events geared both to fun-loving children and adults looking for an elegant evening.

The weekend begins on Saturday morning with a golf tournament for the management and ownership of all the teams in the league at the North Adams Country Club. The foursome with the lowest score will win the first annual Commissioner's Cup Golf Trophy. Later in the evening, the SteepleCats and the Pittsfield Dukes will co-host the NECBL All-Star Banquet, honoring Dalton native and former MLB All-Star pitcher Jeff Reardon. The banquet will likely be a black-tie event open to the public.

On Sunday, the public is also invited to a pre-game luncheon for league officials, players and their families on the campus of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, followed by a Veterans Memorial Service that will pay tribute to armed services members and citizens from each of the member team's towns who lost their lives in 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years.

Those events are more for the adults. If kids want to have fun, they should look no further than the "Pirates Bay All-Star Fan Fun Fest," which will take place behind Haskins School. There will be a number of events geared toward young children, including a dunk tank, face painting, high striker, a water slide, pirate ship, bounce house and all the cotton candy and sno-cones a person could want.

"Planning a full weekend has not been done in the past," DeRosa said. "All in all, we think it's going to be a great weekend. We're going to do it in a professional way, similar to how Major League Baseball does its All-Star Game with the local overlay and perspective. (The overall theme) is showcasing great baseball but also showcasing Northern Berkshire and the Berkshires."

The NECBL All-Stars will also play a hand in ensuring a successful weekend in North Adams. Last year, Keene, N.H., hosted the event, and some of the highlights included an appearance by former major-leaguer Tommy John and a home run derby featuring the league's most powerful hitters. The long-ball contest will return this year, but it is just one aspect of the Skills Challenge, which will also display the league's strongest arms and fastest baserunners.

"The home run derby might be great on TV," McGrath said. "It might be great with David Wright and Big Papi, but in the NECBL it hasn't been as attractive as Major League Baseball's home run derby contest. Therefore, for the first time ever we're going to have a skills competition. We're going to have the opportunity to showcase other talents and other players in the NECBL beside the power hitter. It also gives the Major League Baseball scouts, of whom I expect 20 or more to be in attendance, the opportunity to evaluate more than just offensive players trying to hit a ball out of the ballpark."

Other events include a pre-game concert by local band 'Character Nine' and, of course, the All-Star Game itself.

Before the All-Star Game excitement starts to brew, the SteepleCats will have another memorable day a month earlier when Team USA comes to Joe Wolfe Field for an exhibition game. It will be the first time North Adams has hosted the national team since 2003, when current Oakland A's closer Huston Street struck out the side for Team USA in the ninth inning. McGrath said the stands were filled to capacity that day, and he expects a similar turnout in USA's second visit to the Tunnel City.

"From a fan's perspective, these players from Team USA should all be top five-round draft picks next year or in the year after," McGrath said. "They are the cream of the crop. They are carefully recruited, monitored and selected through a committee that only selects the most accomplished players in the country. Our fans will enjoy coming out and watching the best baseball there is at this level."

With two memorable dates mixed in among 42 regular season games, 2007 has the potential to be the most exciting season in SteepleCats history. Although he has been a part of a number of great moments in the franchise's past, McGrath found the possibility hard to deny.

"I agree," he said. "This is going to be an absolutely memorable and special season."