WCCO's David McCoy Tries Out With St. Paul Saints

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- As they get ready to open their brand new ballpark in Lowertown later this month, the St. Paul Saints held their annual open tryouts last week.

It's a chance for ball playing hopefuls to reach for the stars and chase their baseball dreams. Or, as David McCoy found out, watch them come crashing back to Earth.

It's fitting if you think about it that at a tryout for a team called the Saints, there would be so much faith out there on the field.

For one day every spring, this truly is a field of dreams. To make the team, you need more than just faith. You need a little talent too.

But you need none of those things to try out.

Under the watchful eye of manager George Tsamis, 60 people showed up to the Saints annual open tryout.

"It's a decent turnout I think" Tsamis said.

And it was probably the last time he'd be using the word decent around me today.

"When is the last time you took a ground ball?" Tsamis said.

"A baseball? Like Little League," McCoy answered.

But the chance to play at the Saints' brand new CHS Field? Impossible not to want to be a part of it.

The Saints have faith in the players too --- that's why they do this: For the chance that somewhere on this diamond, there might be a diamond in the rough.

"You never know what you're going to find. Some guys slip through the cracks," Tsamis said. "Years ago we signed a guy, Charlie Ruud, and he ended up being our all-time winningest pitcher in Saints history. So you never know what's going to happen."

When it came to one prospect, I could have guessed.

But for guys like A.J. Flores, who flew all the way out here from New Jersey to give it a go and promptly crushed a homer in batting practice, the dream is very much a reality. There's good reason to keep the faith.

"And if you're good enough, guys will notice and they'll come find you," Tsamis said.

In so many words, Tsamis told me I would probably not play for the Saints.