The American Association’s top players competed in the league’s All-Star Game Tuesday at Franklin Field, home of the Milwaukee Milkmen, in front of a sizeable and often boisterous crowd on a picture-perfect night.
The Milkmen, who sport the league’s second-best record and are tops in their division, placed nine players on the East Division All-Star roster. Second baseman Bryan Torres, part of Milwaukee’s All-Star contingent and the league’s leading hitter, earned the game’s Most Valuable Player honor after the East slipped past the West squad 4-2 in a highly entertaining contest.
EAST WIN! 🏆🐮
— Milwaukee Milkmen (@MKEMilkmen) July 19, 2023
Your Milwaukee Milkmen and the East Division take the All-Star game by a score of 4-2 👀
A HUGE congrats to our Bryan Torres for winning this year's All-Star MVP award! Way to go Bryan! 🐮 pic.twitter.com/OTIhEd9gsX
“Bryan’s one of the most skilled hitters I’ve ever been around,” said Milkmen manager Anthony Barone, who managed the East squad. “We’re very lucky to have him here in Milwaukee. He’s an incredible baseball player and he’s done pretty much everything he can at this level. And he’s already tied the Milkmen regular season record with 41 stolen bases and we’re only at the All-Star break. For him to win an MVP here in Milwaukee was fitting.”
Torres, who spent several years in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system after being drafted at age 17, had a clutch RBI single in the eighth inning to give the East a two-run cushion and help seal the victory.
Bryan Torres hits a clutch RBI single, putting East up 4-2 as we head to the 9th inning 🔥 @MKEMilkmen
— American Association (@AA_Baseball) July 19, 2023
📺 #EASTvsWEST on https://t.co/7YlTwkTSyo
📱AAPB app pic.twitter.com/5cKBTjLmtG
Torres got things started with a lead-off hit for the East in the first inning and came around to score the game’s first run. Torres ended up with two of the East squad’s four total hits.
East is on the board first after an RBI groundout from Josh Altman! 🔥
— American Association (@AA_Baseball) July 19, 2023
📺 #EASTvsWEST on https://t.co/7YlTwkUqnW
📱AAPB app pic.twitter.com/xizgvMQcT3
Formed in 2005, the American Association of Professional Baseball features 12 teams split into East and West divisions. The game drew fans from many of the league’s teams. A vocal group of supporters of the Kane County Cougars, who made the trip from suburban Chicago, cheered on the East squad from seats behind the dugout. A group of guys ringing cowbells and sporting jerseys of the Gary SouthShore Railcats, the team from Gary, Indiana, loudly lent their support for their team’s All-Stars.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
The Lake Country Dockhounds, a second-year team based in Oconomowoc that competes in the East Division along with the Milkmen and was the league’s hottest team heading into the All-Star break, had three of its players make the All-Star squad (position players Blake Tiberi and Nick Banks and pitcher Mike Shawaryn). The Dockhounds’ stars drew a group of supporters to Franklin Field, the 4,000-seat ballpark that is part of Ballpark Commons, the brainchild of developer Mike Zimmerman, in southwest suburban Milwaukee. The field opened in June 2019, the year the Milkmen joined the American Association as an expansion franchise. The stadium also serves as the home field for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball program.
Mascots from each of the league’s teams also joined together on the field and interacted with fans in the stands throughout Tuesday night’s game. Bo Vine, Milwaukee’s popular cow-themed mascot, won a controversial between-innings musical chairs competition against his fellow costumed competitors.
In addition to the All-Star Game, the two-day event also featured a Home Run Derby (won by former Milkmen player Zach Nehrir) on Monday, along with a beer festival, golf outing at the Luxe Golf Bays, live music and a variety of activities around Ballpark Commons.
However, the storyline of the mid-season game featuring the league’s elite players belonged in large part to the Milkmen. In addition to serving as host team and placing the most players in the game, Milkmen skipper Anthony Barone served as the East squad’s manager. Milwaukee closer Peyton Gray recorded the final three outs to notch the save, much to the delight of the crowd.
Other Milkmen players on the All-Star squad included catcher Roy Morales (a starter along with Torres), infielder/catcher Cam Balego, infielder Gabriel Cancel and pitchers Frankie Bartow, Gregori Vasquez, Christian Young and Ryan Zimmerman. Young started on the mound for the East and notched the win.
“The event itself was unmatched. It was first class all the way,” Barone said. “We couldn’t have expected a better outcome than what we got. Give credit to (owner) Mike Zimmerman, General Manager Dan Kuenzi and Assistant General Manager Christ Conley for getting everything run as well as we could have expected. We got to showcase what we have here at Franklin Field and Ballpark Commons. It was a great experience.”
After finishing in last place in their division in their inaugural season with a 38-62 record, the Milkmen captured the American Association Championship, known as the Miles Wolff Cup, the following year in a season abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Milkmen made it to the championship series again last season before falling to Fargo-Moorhead.
The Milkmen return to regular-season action on Thursday against the Winnipeg Goldeyes at Franklin Field in the first of a four-game series.
