From Page B-1

about the impact that COVID had on the CAB Company as well as some general updates about the field.

“I want to say thanks to everyone for coming out here after a two-year hiatus of having the banquet,” Block said. “We’ve got a little lighter crowd today, but we’re going to get it back next year. Thanks to our donors and businesses throughout town, it’s always appreciated.”

Block spoke about updates that have been done to Fire Hall Field, which include reinforced fencing and a new maintenance shed. Upcoming projects include – funding permitting – building a new concession stand and grandstand area.

“Our vision is kind of like the River Falls Fighting Fish, everyone has been out to that field,” Block said. “We really want to make this an awesome viewing experience for the fans is ultimately what we’re looking for.”

Those plans are in development, in large part because of the aforementioned Eggers, who is a member of the Prescott Hall of Fame and has been working with the baseball fields in town for decades. He took to the podium and spoke about how membership has diminished since COVID began.

“What makes CAB work is the people in this room,” Eggers said. “If you can help, we need you. By not having a banquet for two years, we lost approximately 20 members to graduation and people moving out of town. We need to be revitalized and we need your skills, time and talent.”

More information about the CAB company can be found at the end of this story. After Eggers was done speaking, there was a brief break in the action before the guest speaker of the night, Al Newman, took to the stage and captivated the crowd for the better part of an hour. The first aspect he spoke about was the baseball facilities in Prescott.

“I’ve been to Prescott, I coach the 14s, my teams come to Prescott and you guys have a beautiful facility,” Newman said. “It’s comparable to what you would see in double-A or triple-A in the minor leagues. The field is so beautiful.”

Throughout his time on stage, he spoke about some of those memories of being in Prescott and coaching at Fire Hall Field. He spoke about when he was traded to the Twins and how he had to buy a magazine to see who was on the Twins’ roster, and about how those years playing in a Twins uniform unexpectedly became some of the best of his life and that because of it, he now calls the Midwest home.

Newman told jokes and had the crowd absolutely in the palm of his hand with his major league storytelling ability and his self-deprecating sense of humor about being a backup player that only hit one career home run. Despite not being an everyday player, Newman is still one of the most beloved players from the 1987 and 1991 World Series Championship teams.

After sharing several stories from his MLB career Newman ended the night by thanking the crowd and stating that he would like to come back to Prescott in the future. For more information about the CAB Company, email [email protected] or call 651-560-6954 or visit the Facebook page.