Woodbury resident Derek Sharrer has wanted to be the general manager of a baseball team since his early years in college. Sharrer has been with the St. Paul Saints since 2004, but he didn’t start there. He first started working with the Goldklang Group, the owners of the Saints, in 1994, when he worked with the Fort Myers Miracle, then moved to South Carolina and was the general manager of the Charleston RiverDogs from 2001 to 2003. How did a man and his young family in South Carolina end up in Woodbury? In April of 2004, Sharrer snapped up the opportunity to work with the St. Paul Saints. “Part of what made the move so easy was finding Woodbury,” Sharrer says. “What made Woodbury so special is the sense of community. And to have a place to land like Woodbury is amazing.”
The close connection he feels for Woodbury is one of the reasons Sharrer hasn’t explored opportunities working for a major league team. Another is the Saints, and the community that supports them. One of the things Sharrer is most excited about is CHS Field, the new ballpark in downtown St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood. “It’s all about creating a fun environment around a good baseball product,” Sharrer says, and the Saints have always had the product; now, with the new stadium, they can provide the environment. The new stadium exponentially increases the fan experience while maintaining affordability. There are premium options that were never available before, such as a club room, premium seats behind home plate and suites. All of this is now available, while the stadium offers over 7,000 individual seats—bye-bye, bleachers. Play ball!
St. Paul Saints
The Saints’ first 2015 home game at CHS Field is May 21. For schedule and ticket information, go to saintsbaseball.com.
