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Wilkes-Barre church celebrates the spirit of St. Nicholas

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<p>MOOSIC &#8212; Who will be the next Derek Jeter, Jeromy Burnitz or Jason Isringhausen?</p><p>Fans of Northeastern Pennsylvania will get the chance to find out in 2020.</p><p>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders president and general manager Josh Olerud announced the team and PNC Field will host the Triple-A All Star game in 2020 during the club&#8217;s annual holiday party on Thursday night.</p><p>&#8220;We are here tonight because we are the proud host of the premier event of all of minor sports,&#8221; Olerud said during the press conference. &#8220;We will be hosting the 2020 Triple-A All Star Game at PNC Field on July 15.&#8221;</p><p>The last time the Triple-A All-Star game was held in Moosic, the year was 1995 and the best players from the International League and Pacific Coast League played at Lackawanna County Stadium, then home to the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.</p><p>Now the top farm team of the New York Yankees, the RailRiders and their renovated stadium have drawn another major event after hosting the Triple-A National Championship game in 2017.</p><p>But the All-Star Game brings three days worth of events as opposed to a single game, as PNC Filed will also host a celebrity softball game and the Triple-A Home Run Derby.</p><p>&#8220;For the area, this is as big a contribution we can give,&#8221; Olerud said. &#8220;I think we do a pretty good job getting fans through the gates. But to be able to bring three nights of 10,000 people with a lot of them being from out of the area, we can show them what Luzerne and Lackawanna County are all about.&#8221;</p><p>Olerud recalled a conversation he had with International League president Randy Mobley before the 2017 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game at PNC Field.</p><p>&#8220;We got a lot of unbelievable buzz around the country,&#8221; said Olerud, the 2017 International League Executive of the Year winner. &#8220;I had a meeting with Randy Mobley before the championship game in 2017. He flat out asked if we wanted to host another high level event. Without hesitation I said absolutely, what else can we host.&#8221;</p><p>Mobley expressed his high hopes and praise for the 2020 game.</p><p>&#8220;Without exception, during every trip I have made to NEPA since 1995, I have been asked by at least one fan or member of the media: When are we going to host another Triple-A All Star Game?&#8221; Mobley wrote in an email. &#8220;There is now an answer to this question and I&#8217;m thrilled the game and associated events will return in 2020.</p><p>&#8220;With the community support demonstrated when the team hosted the Triple-A National Championship Game in September of 2017, it became evident that we needed to get the All-Star game back to Moosic as soon as possible,&#8221; Mobley added. &#8220;The 29 other Triple-A teams around the country agreed, so here we come!&#8221;</p><p>He continued: &#8220;When the team&#8217;s current ownership took over a few years back it arrived with a plan to &#8216;give the fans more&#8217; and this is yet another example of that commitment being fulfilled.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The front office has been working very hard,&#8221; said Bob Mills, co-owner of the RailRiders. &#8220;When we bought the team five years ago this was one of our goals to bring the All-Star game back. That&#8217;s what the fans want.&#8221;</p><p>What should fans on minor league baseball expect?</p><p>There is going to be a lot of fireworks and fan involvement, according to Olerud.</p><p>&#8220;We want to raise money for some great causes and get our players out into the community,&#8221; he said. We want this to be a star studded and fan-filled event.&#8221;</p><p>The RailRiders will also be open to input from the Yankees in putting on the event.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been good,&#8221; Olerud said. &#8220;As we get into the 2019 season, I think that&#8217;s when we will start collaborating and finding out how New York can be apart of it and listen to their ideas to make the event special.&#8221;</p><p>Roy White, a two-time Yankees World Series champion outfielder represented the parent club at the event.</p><p>&#8220;Unfortunately they didn&#8217;t have a minor league all-star game (when I was playing),&#8221; said White, a former two-time MLB all star. &#8220;As a player selected to play in the game you know you are knocking on the door of playing in the MLB.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s great that the game will be held here,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s been a great marriage between the Yankees and Scranton. It&#8217;s the best move they could&#8217;ve made.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The infield at PNC Field is decked out in lights for the holiday season.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL120718AAA-AllStarGame_4.jpg</photo0><caption0>The infield at PNC Field is decked out in lights for the holiday season.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL120718AAA-AllStarGame_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders President and General Manager Josh Olerud announces that PNC Field in Moosic will host the 2020 Triple-A All-Star game on Thursday night.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL120718AAA-AllStarGame_1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders President and General Manager Josh Olerud announces that PNC Field in Moosic will host the 2020 Triple-A All-Star game on Thursday night.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL120718AAA-AllStarGame_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Former N.Y. Yankees infielder Roy White offers remarks on the announcement that PNC Field will host the 2020 Triple-A All-Star game.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL120718AAA-AllStarGame_3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Former N.Y. Yankees infielder Roy White offers remarks on the announcement that PNC Field will host the 2020 Triple-A All-Star game.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL120718AAA-AllStarGame_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders President and General Manager Josh Olerud, left, watches as team owners unveil the logo for the 2020 Triple-A All-Star Game hosted by PNC Field in Moosic.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_TTL120718AAA-AllStarGame_2.jpg</photo3><caption3>Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders President and General Manager Josh Olerud, left, watches as team owners unveil the logo for the 2020 Triple-A All-Star Game hosted by PNC Field in Moosic.   Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader</caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders will host 2020 Triple-A All-Star Game