Meet the Triple-A East Midwest Division - St. Paul Saints

April 30, 2021

The 2021 season begins in just five days! This year, the Omaha Storm Chasers are part of a new Triple-A league, Triple-A East. Triple-A East is one of the new leagues in Minor League Baseball formed as a result of the contraction of Minor League Baseball following the renegotiation of

The 2021 season begins in just five days! This year, the Omaha Storm Chasers are part of a new Triple-A league, Triple-A East.

Triple-A East is one of the new leagues in Minor League Baseball formed as a result of the contraction of Minor League Baseball following the renegotiation of the Professional Baseball Agreement after its expiration in September of 2020. Triple-A East includes teams that previously played in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, the Triple-A International League, the Double-A Southern League, and the independent American Association. Triple-A East includes 20 teams and is divided into three divisions: Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast. There will be limited inter-divisional play in 2021 to mitigate travel. The Omaha Storm Chasers will only face teams in the Midwest Division during the 2021 season.

After getting to know the Northeast and Southeast divisions, it's time to learn about the opponents that Omaha will be facing this season, the teams in the Midwest Division. After introducing the Columbus Clippers, Indianapolis Indians, Iowa Cubs, and Louisville Bats, we continue with the St. Paul Saints.

ST. PAUL SAINTS

The St. Paul Saints are the new Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins after playing in the independent American Association since their inception in 1993.

Last season, the Saints played a condensed, 60-game season along with five other teams split between three pod sites. After spending most of the season sharing a home with the Sioux Falls Canaries in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Saints played 21 games at CHS Field. CHS Field was also used as the Minnesota Twins' Alternate Site throughout the 2020 Major League season and was used again as the Twins' alternate site to begin the 2021 Major League season.

The Minnesota Twins, which ended an 18-year relationship with the Rochester Red Wings by establishing a partnership with the St. Paul Saints, now have the closest Triple-A affiliate in all of Major League Baseball. CHS Field, the Saints' home since it opened in 2015, and Target Field are separated by just 10.6 miles. The Saints left the independent American Association to become the Twins' Triple-A affiliate as a result of the reorganization of Minor League Baseball following September of 2020.

The original St. Paul Saints began play in 1884 after new owner Charles Comiskey relocated the team from Sioux City. In 1900, Comiskey moved the franchise to Chicago, where they became the Chicago White Sox. The next iteration of the Saints played in the American Association from 1901-1960 and, after a few decades as an independent team, served as the farm team for Chicago (AL), Brooklyn, and Los Angeles (NL). In 1961, the Washington Senators relocated to Minneapolis, Minn., bringing Major League Baseball to the Twin Cities. As a result, the St. Paul Saints, then the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, moved to Omaha where they became the Omaha Dodgers.

The Omaha Dodgers played at then-Omaha Municipal Stadium (later renamed Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium) in 1961 and 1962, when the American Association disbanded. Omaha was without professional baseball from 1963-1969, when the Omaha Royals played their first season.

The team photo for the 1962 Omaha Dodgers, which played their home games at then-Omaha Municipal Stadium in Omaha, Neb.Courtesy of nebaseballhistory.com

The Chasers play the Saints 30 times this season, including Opening Day on May 4, with 12 games at Werner Park and 18 at CHS Field:

May 4 vs. STP - 6:35 p.m.
May 5 vs. STP - 12:05 p.m.
May 6 vs. STP - 6:35 p.m.
May 7 vs. STP - 7:05 p.m.
May 8 vs. STP - 7:05 p.m.
May 9 vs. STP - 1:05 p.m.
June 8 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
June 9 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
June 10 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
June 11 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
June 12 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
June 13 at STP - 2:05 p.m.
June 29 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
June 30 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
July 1 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
July 2 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
July 3 at STP - 6:05 p.m.
July 4 at STP - 6:05 p.m.
July 20 vs. STP - 11:05 a.m.
July 21 vs. STP - 7:05 p.m.
July 22 vs. STP - 7:05 p.m.
July 23 vs. STP - 7:05 p.m.
July 24 vs. STP - 7:05 p.m.
July 25 vs. STP - 5:05 p.m.
Sept. 7 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 8 at STP - 1:05 p.m.
Sept. 9 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 10 at STP - 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 11 at STP - 6:05 p.m.
Sept. 12 at STP - 2:05 p.m.

The Omaha Storm Chasers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb. The Storm Chasers are scheduled to begin the 2021 season on May 4 against the St. Paul Saints and single-game tickets are on sale now. For more information, please visit omahastormchasers.com, call the Werner Park Ticket Office at (402) 738-5100 and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.