Home BaseballGateway Grizzlies Santos of the Gateway Grizzlies Steals the Show

Santos of the Gateway Grizzlies Steals the Show

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Photo taken by: Andrew Gegg

O’FALLON, MO – Hundreds of fans began the day lined up outside CarShield Field waiting to get some of their favorite St. Louis Cardinals legends autographs.  By the end of the night, fans lined up along the fence to congratulate former 17th Round selection of the San Diego Padres and current infielder of the Gateway Grizzlies, Trae Santos. There were eight current Frontier League All-Stars verses 4 St. Louis Cardinals legends, each having 90 seconds to hit as many homeruns as possible.  Below are each rounds results

First Round Stats (Bold Moved On)

Travis Harrison (Evansville)
3 HR  16 Swings 19% HR
Jacob Wark (Florence)
4 HR  20 Swings 20% HR
Trae Santos (Gateway)
11 HR  19 Swings 58% HR
Chris Iriart (Normal)
3 HR 18 Swings 17% HR
Chance Shepard (S. Illinois)
5 HR 19 Swings 26% HR
Will Rengor (Traverse City)
1 HR 16 Swings   6% HR
Roman Collins (Washington)
4 HR 17 Swings 24% HR
Paul Kronefeld (River City)
1 HR  22 Swings  5% HR
Mark Whiten (Cardinals)
3 HR 26 Swings  12% HR * Includes Tie Breaker
Ray Lankford (Cardinals)
2 HR 21 Swings 10% HR * Includes Tie Breaker
Kerry Robinson (Cardinals)
6 HR 33 Swings 18% HR * Includes Tie Breaker
Rick Ankiel (Cardinals)
3 HR 17 Swings 14% HR  *
Moved On Before 3 x Tie Breaker

Second Round Stats (Bold Moved On) * Each player got one 20 second timeout 2nd-Final rounds

Wark                       4  HR 23 Swings 17% HR
Collins                    7 HR 19 Swings  37% HR
Shepard                   5  HR 21 Swings  24% HR
Santos                     10 HR  19 Swings 53% HR
Robinson                  0 HR  21 Swings  0% HR
Ankiel                       2  HR  12 Swings  17% HR

Third Round Stats (Bold Moved On)

Collins                       5  HR  17 Swings  29% HR
Santos                      7 HR 10 Swings  70% HR

Finals (Frontier vs. Cardinal)

Ankiel                          3 HR  18 Swings  17% HR
Santos                        4 HR 9 Swings   44% HR

Trae Santos after hitting his final home run in the final was mobbed by his fellow Gateway teammates.  Santos was sending rockets from center field to hitting moon shots over the right field monster.  Santos finished the night with 32 homeruns in just 57 swings, giving him a 56% homerun rate.  Trae was  given his first homerun ball and a special bat from the Frontier League Commissioner after the derby.  Santos said after the game “I just came out here to have fun and had only been in a Home Run Derby one other time and I was really nervous.  I grew up watching these players and to compete against them was a dream”.  Most surprising power came from former Cardinal Kerry Robinson.  Robinson hit only 3 career MLB homeruns but had some pop in his bat, doubling that number with 6 total for the night.

The Frontier League All-Star game is tonight at CarShield Field in O’Fallon, MO at 7pm.  Gates open at 6pm and there will be fun for the whole family with inflatables for the kids, rock walls, and food trucks. Tickets still remain and visit www.rivercityrascals.com or call 636-240-2287.

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