MAPE takes over CHS Field to celebrate Saints baseball and solidarity
Publish Date
Locals
Nearly 2,000 MAPE members and guests filled CHS Field for solidarity, baseball and fireworks on Aug. 22. The St. Paul Saints may have narrowly lost the game in the ninth inning, but the evening was a win for MAPE members.
“I think it’s a great way of showing we support each other. It shows even when we’re fighting for worker rights and benefits, we can also have fun as a union with family and friends. It was a celebration, and it was a thank you to all of those who fight for state worker rights, and to see state workers highlighted at the game,“ Local 1101’s Rob Hobson said.
MAPE members participated in several Saints’ promotions down on the field including tire rolling and racing, first pitch and, of course, a group sing along of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch.
Hobson brought his 9-year-old son, Robert, to the game and they participated in the sing along. “It was Robert’s first professional game. He brought his mitt hoping to get a ball. He loved going on the field. He thought I was a ‘cool dad’ to get him on the field. One of the best things about singing with other people is I was drowned out,” Hobson joked.
Local 1002’s Vishnu Madhavapedi also brought a baseball mitt along and actually caught a homerun ball. “I caught my first one at my first Saints game. The Texas Rockies Express’ Kyler Fedko crushed it in the sixth inning! Huge thanks to MAPE for making it happen,” he said.
“It was a lot of fun. It was a team building activity so we could meet other people – it’s very important and fun to do. The food was good, and the vibe was good, as were the fireworks,” he added.
Jazlyn Bradley, Local 201, agreed. “I went to the game because I enjoy the camaraderie of my coworkers and baseball as well. It gave me the opportunity to connect with those in my local and with colleagues from previous agencies I worked at,” she said. “I thought the hats and food were super cool. I also thought the way MAPE organized it went very well – they should do this every year!”
Bradley works part-time in the Saints’ marketing promotions department and said that usually she and her colleagues have to find the contestants to participate in the contests and activities on the field. “It made my job easier because MAPE had already asked members if they wanted to participate in the contests. The pre-established contestants made it run more smoothly, and it made it even more exciting.”