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Regional employees hold golf tournament

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MMI student receives national award

It was this time last year when Toledo&#8217;s Mike Hessman cemented himself as a future International League Hall of Famer by becoming the circuit&#8217;s all-time home run record-holder.The veteran journeyman must love the summer months because now he&#8217;s closing in on the American Minor League home run record.Before the All-Star Break Hessman mashed his 12th home run this season to grow his I.L. record to 284 during his career. It also gave him 429 career longballs in his 19 years of playing professionally to move within four of setting the all-time home run record in the states. Buzz Arlett currently holds the mark of 432 playing mostly in the 1920&#8217;s and 1930&#8217;s.Hessman has a way to go before he can reach the all-time mark that includes the Mexican League. Hector Espino, who spent most of his career playing in the Mexican League clubbed 484 career bombs in a minor league career in the 1960&#8217;s and 1970&#8217;s.Hessman, who was drafted in the 15th round of the 1996 draft by Atlanta, has hit 14 Major League homers in stints with the Braves, Tigers and Mets, while blasting six homers while playing in Japan.If Hessman has a good week, he could make history at PNC Field as Toledo travels to Moosic to face the RailRiders for a three-game series beginning on Friday. When Hessman was nearing the I.L. record last year, the Mud Hens were playing Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Lackawanna County, but the longtime infielder and designated hitter was nursing an injury and did not play.In case you missed itThere may have only been a few games last week for the RailRiders, but Kyle Roller made the most of those games.First, the first baseman/designated hitter was named the International League&#8217;s Top Player in the Triple-A All-Star Game for delivering the go-ahead, two-run single in the top of the ninth inning of the I.L. victory at Omaha&#8217;s Werner Park in Nebraska. In the game, Roller finished with a pair of singles and a walk in three plate appearances while playing in his first all-star game as a professional.In SWB&#8217;s first game back from the break, Roller lifted the team to an extra-inning victory over Louisville with a game-winning home run in the top of the 11th inning.Catcher Austin Romine also participated in the all-star festivities in Omaha and got two plate appearances. Romine went 0 for 1 with a walk.RailRiders rightfielder Aaron Judge took part in the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Cincinnati going 1 for 4 with a single and scoring on Josh Bell&#8217;s fourth-inning homer in the U.S. 10-1 win over the World.Don&#8217;t miss thisGetting a chance to see the most prolific minor league home run hitter of the era in Toledo&#8217;s Mike Hessman should be more than enough to persuade fans to get out to PNC Field on Friday, when the team returns from a two-week period away. But if you need more incentives, the weekend is packed with events.On Friday, come out and celebrate Christmas in July with fireworks after the game. Saturday is military night with the first 2,500 fans entering the stadium receiving a military jersey backpack. There&#8217;s also a giveaway on Sunday with 2,500 fans getting a SWB All-Star poster.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Dave Rosengrantdrosengrant@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Dave Rosengrant at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @tldrosengrant</shirttailMeta></div>

IL notes: Toledo’s Hessman nearing another HR milestone