A Chance to See the All-Stars of Tomorrow--Today

   June 8, 2003--This day was just like any other warm, lazy Sunday afternoon.  The sun was shining, and children all over were looking forward to the conclusion of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation.  On this particular Sunday in early June, however, the fans at First Energy Park in Lakewood, New Jersey were treated to a contest that featured two future Major League All-Stars.  The Lakewood Blue Claws hosted the Hagerstown Suns, and the pitching matchup for game 1 of the doubleheader was Cole Hamels verses Matt Cain.  Both pitchers were just young prospects for their respective organizations and most of the fans in attendance probably didn't even realize who they were seeing that afternoon, but hindsight being 20/20 this was and still is a classic matchup between two of the most dominating pitchers in the game today.  Hamels put on a brilliant pitching display that day going 7 innings, and striking out 13 on the way to a 3-0 Blueclaws victory, but Cain was also on his way to becoming a star in the game.
  October 19, 2010--This was Game 3 of the NLCS, and the fans in attendance that afternoon in San Francisco knew exactly who they were seeing.  By then Cole Hamels had a ring and a World Series MVP to his credit, and Matt Cain was an All-Star.  It's strange how baseball sometimes has a way of connecting different moments in time because on that cool October day it was Cain that outshined Hamels by pitching 7 innings and only giving up 2 hits in a 3-0 Giants win.  This gave the Giants a 2 games to 1 lead in the series that they would eventually win, and a couple of weeks later it would be Cain holding the World Series Trophy just like Hamels did two years prior. 
   This season both pitchers are now veterans in their prime and probably don't even remember that afternoon 9 years ago in Lakewood, New Jersey.  Cole Hamels is ranked second in the Major Leagues with 9 wins, and Matt Cain just this week became the first Giant and only the 22nd pitcher in Major League history to toss a perfect game.  It was perfect, and arguably the greatest game ever pitched by anyone in the long, rich history of The National Pastime.  Cain faced 27 batters and struck out 14 in front of 42,298 fans at San Francisco's AT&T Park. 
   From Lakewood, New Jersey to San Jose, California and all places in between, Minor League Baseball games are being played by young ballplayers with dreams of someday playing in a Major League ballpark.  For the price of a ticket being only a fraction of the cost to attend a Major League game, a fan might get the opportunity to see a future All-Star play.  The stadiums are smaller and there rarely is a bad seat to catch a game and see the players up close.  Just like the many people in attendance on that Sunday afternoon in New Jersey, a fan might be treated to a special preview of Major League talent before they reach the big show and will be able to boast for years about the time when they, "saw that guy and knew he was going to be great."