Washington Wild Things to host Frontier League All-Star Game with days of festivities
The Frontier League baseball stars will come out to play this month when the Washington Wild Things host the 2022 All-Star Game at Wild Things Park. Leading up to the July 20 game will be several days of events for the whole family, celebrating 20 years of Frontier League baseball for the Washington Wild Things.
The team has been providing a baseball experience that’s fun for everyone since they started playing in 2002. After hosting the Frontier League All-Star Game in 2005 and 2013, the Wild Things are taking the atmosphere up a notch for such a big anniversary.
“We’re making an entire celebration out of the All-Star Game,” said Christine Blaine, vice president of the Washington Wild Things.
Festivities kick off Saturday, July 16, at Wild Things Park. The main event that day is the Three Rivers Celebrity Softball Game, bringing together notable people from the region and beyond. Facing off will be “Team Pittsburgh” and “Team World,” pitting local favorites against a team of sports celebrities from across the country. The “World” team will include recognizable faces like football players, wrestlers and sports media personalities. The first pitch of the game will be thrown at 7:05 p.m. The game is hosted by former Pitt All-American Dorin Dickerson, with proceeds benefiting The Heyward House. All tickets are $10.
The events begin that day at 2 p.m. with Kids Fest. The field will be open for kids’ activities ranging from bounce houses to speed pitch and baseball instruction from former players Mick Fennell and Ryan Cox. Kids Fest admission is included with a ticket to the Celebrity Softball Game.
Also starting at 2 p.m. is the “Terrible Tailgate,” held outside of the stadium, for the whole family. The $20 admission includes food and beverages.
Pro wrestling fans will get their kicks on Sunday, July 17. The IWC (International Wrestling Cartel) will provide an exciting show on the field of Wild Things Park, starting at 1 p.m. All tickets are $25.
Bringing even more variety, the ballpark will host a concert on the night of Tuesday, July 19. The Eli Young Band with Lakeview will perform on the field. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or ahead of time on Eventbrite. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. show.
This is all leading up to the main event, the July 20 All-Star Game, starting at 7:05 p.m. The best Frontier League players from the West and East divisions will battle it out at the ballpark. For the first time, the chosen Wild Things players will represent the West division. This event is also affordable, with lower bowl tickets priced at $10 and higher-up seats priced at $5.
“We are excited to welcome the All-Star Game to Wild Things Park this month,” said Jeff M. Kotula, president of the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency. “Baseball is part of Washington County and what’s better than having the best fans in the league welcome the best players from the league.”
The Washington Wild Things have a long history of entertaining crowds with baseball, but they also have other tricks up their sleeves. “This goes way back to 2002 when we opened this ballpark, and our director of baseball operations was Kent Tekulve,” Blaine said, referring to the former Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher. “He taught me something that sticks with me: we offer three hours of entertainment that’s interrupted by nine innings of baseball.”
The Wild Things offer something to enjoy for everyone in the family, from the baseball itself to delicious concessions to between-innings activities for kids.
The players are the main reason to come out to the ballpark, especially for the All-Star Game. “These are great baseball players. It’s about playing baseball, improving and hopefully getting taken by an affiliate team,” Blaine said.
Along with bringing summer fun to Washington County, the Wild Things, and the Frontier League at large, will be using the All-Star Game to give back to the community. The All-Star Game players will be wearing jerseys that represent Negro League teams from their home regions, and attendees have the opportunity to bid on the jerseys in an auction that benefits the Josh Gibson Foundation. The team will also be partnering with the Food Helpers to have All-Star players pack boxes of food for families in need.
“Our players do things for the community, so for the whole league to do it together, they’re representing all 16 teams,” Blaine said.
To learn more about the many Frontier League All-Star week events, visit washingtonwildthings.com.
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