By Andrew McClure

When the movie Bull Durham hit theaters in the summer of 1988, the quirks and laid-back atmosphere of minor-league baseball captured the imagination of fans throughout the country.

Taking in a minor-league game allows baseball traditionalists to recapture a small piece of Americana they deeply crave; unique, family fun at a relatively inexpensive price. Additionally, there’s a minor-league park within driving distance of nearly every baseball fan.

The stars were out, recently, as the Eastern League brought its’ 2009 All-Star Game to Waterfront Park in Trenton, home of the Trenton Thunder, Double-A affiliate of its pinstriped parent club, the New York Yankees.

Before the game’s first pitch was thrown, the sellout crowd was treated to a slew of pre-game activities, including a stirring, 21-gun salute carried out by an honor guard from McGuire Air Force Base, and a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner performed by Thunder intern and Temple University student Chelsea Wargo.

While the game and all the events surrounding it went off without a hitch, it wasn’t by accident. Thunder Marketing & All-Star Game Coordinator, Rachel Wolf, had the enormous task of planning all the games’ festivities. The 23-year-old Syracuse University graduate pulled off an all-star performance.

“I think everything went really well,” said Wolf, who found out she’d be carrying out the role of coordinating the game in December. “The last-minute roster changes were a bit of a challenge, but the entire staff helped tremendously to make sure everything was taken care of. So many people were involved in making the game a success.”

Gone are the days when the ballgame is the biggest attraction. Wolf and her staff not only had to find ways to entertain 7,500 fans, but they were also given the tasks of arranging for transportation and hotel accommodations for ballplayers, coaches, and family members. That is no small chore considering star players are often called up to Triple-A, injuries occur, trades are made, and organizations have different priorities. 

Thunder general manager, Will Smith, who joined the club in the fall of 2008 after stints with the New Haven Ravens and the Hagerstown Suns, agreed that Wolf and the rest of the staff did a remarkable job. “When we began putting things in place for the game, we felt it was necessary to put one person in charge of the overall operation. That was Rachel,” Smith said. “She is smart, professional, and she loves this side of the business. She did a great job.”

The day started with both teams taking batting practice, followed by a lengthy autograph session (approximately 3,000 fans showed up four hours before game time for signatures), the home run derby, introduction of dignitaries, coaches and players, and, of course, nine innings of exciting baseball. The home run derby, surprisingly, was won by New Egypt High School star Mike Fassl.

As is the norm at minor-leagues venues, the action never stopped between innings. Crowd-pleasing activities included the dizzy bat race, the ReMax tug of war (featuring Wolf and Thunder intern Jackie Kampf), a young fan racing Thunder mascot, Boomer, and Launch a Ball, where fans purchasing numbered tennis balls try to throw their ball into hula hoops on the field for prizes. A spectacular postgame fireworks show capped off the day.

Wolf, who interned with the Auburn Doubledays and was the coordinator of promotions and ticketing at Villanova University prior to her role with the Thunder, enjoys what she’s doing. “I love the grassroots, community-type promoting and event-planning side of the business,” she said. “Right now, I’m just having a lot of fun.”

Thanks to minor league baseball and folks like Rachel Wolf, so are millions of fans.