Visitors to the 2002 Midwest League All-Star game may be surprised by the crazy antics of Myron the Noodleman, a popular Lansing Lugnuts act.
Myron and other acts will add some extra fun to the All-Star game, which will be hosted next summer by the Lansing Lugnuts.
Lansing competed with the Kane County Cougars, a suburb of Chicago who hosted the game in 2000.
The Lugnuts last hosted the game in 1999, and before that in 1997.
“We’ve had great success in the past with All-Star games,” Lugnuts Marketing Manager David Proutsaid.
Plans are in the works for attractions to liven up the events and sponsors are soon to be determined.
Midwest League President George Spelius said that from past experience, Lansing was an ideal place for the occasion.
“It was a top notch situation there, they do everything big-league,” he said, referring to the way the Lugnuts run their games.
Fan support makes Lansing an attractive venue for the game, Spelius said. Lansing holds the record for spectators at an All-Star game recording 10,234 people in attendance at Oldsmobile Stadium in 1999.
The Midwest League All-Star game is a competition between the east and west divisions of the region. Teams are composed of the best players from the league - with the stipulation that there must be at least one player from each team.
Spelius said that the game is often exciting because the players are so talented - many of whom will soon move on to the big leagues.
Prout said that there are usually five or six Lugnuts players that qualify for the team.
But baseball is certainly not the only attraction of the All-Star game. The Lugnuts plan to pull out all the stops to entertain participants.
“It’s not only a game, it’s an entire event,” Prout said. “We’re looking to get the famous chicken and Myron the Noodleman.”
Not an ordinary mascot, Myron is a favorite with Lugnuts fans. With his hair slicked back and wearing a tacky tuxedo, he mimicks the opposing teams and occasionally bothers the umpire.
“He’s probably a nerd of the millennium he’s unlike all of the other mascots,” Prout said.
Spelius said that he enjoys coming to Lansing, especially with all the added entertainment.
“By having the All-Star game there, it’s a real treat for me as the president,” he said. Visiting the Nuthouse Sports Grill, 420 E. Michigan Ave., tops his list of attractions.
Businesses such as the Nuthouse also benefit from the excitement.
“There are people coming in from out of town,” Nuthouse managing partner Tom Bramson said. The grill expects increased sales during the event, although it will not necessarily participate in the planned activities.
Baseball fans or not, many Lansing area residents can plan to participate in the family-oriented activities.
“Our focus is that it’s going to be a fun-filled family event,” said Prout.
