All-Star appearances by Scherzer, Sale inspire current Loggers

MLB All-Star Game is next week at Target Field

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — The Loggers going through batting practice at the Lumberyard before Monday’s game against Battle Creek had a little extra inspiration: two of their predecessors.

Former Loggers pitcher Max Scherzer will make his second straight MLB All-Star appearance. The Tigers ace, who pitched in La Crosse in 2004, is 10-3 this season with 139 strikeouts.

There could also be a second former Loggers pitcher heading to Minneapolis next week. White Sox ace Chris Sale, who pitched in La Crosse in 2008, is one of five players on the American League final vote.

“It legitimizes everything we’re doing out here,” said Loggers General Manager Chris Goodell. “It’s one thing to sit and talk and say hey, we’re going to produce guys one day that get to the big leagues. It’s another thing to reference our alumni and our history here.

“It does happen. They come right through here and they move on and there’s a lot of guys here that could be in the same boat.”

Who knows? One of those guys could be infielder Jerrod Bravo.

“Just to see them go through this, just to know they’ve been through something like this and that I got the same privilege to do something like that too, it’s awesome,” he said.

“We love to hang our hat on them,” said Goodell. “We should. We’re very proud of them.”