The third stop of Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray’s “Extra Innings” brought the brothers to Minnesota to take on the St. Paul Saints. Like Episodes 3 and 4, Episodes 5 and 6 feature another team for which Bill is a part-owner. However, the Saints are an independent baseball team playing in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, unaffiliated with Major League Baseball.

These first two episodes of “Extra Innings” focused on the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, a Future’s League baseball team, and you can read my review here. Episodes 3 and 4 centered around the 2017 Solar Eclipse with Charleston RiverDogs, a single A Yankees affiliate. Read my review here.

Season 1 Episode 5 Review: “This is Livin’: St. Paul Saints, Part 1”

Episode 5 begins with Bill and Brian driving a golf cart to explore CHS Field, the home of the St. Paul Saints. The footage provides a quick but interesting glimpse both inside and outside the workings of a minor league stadium. The brothers seem particularly interested in the kegs and the kitchen, and not so much with their driving ability.

Moving onto the Saints practice, Bill and Brian encounter a freshman orientation group from the University of St. Thomas. Soon they meet a Saints player exercising by running one-legged up the steps of the stadium. Bill offers caution, informing the player that Brian actually slipped on the steps of Wrigley due to spilled beer resulting in a leg injury.

Bill soon begins straining himself by actually stepping up to the plate and taking batting practice himself. Brian and Bill then take scouting notes for the next batter, questioning his baseball skills as well as pronunciation, hair conditioning skills, and “atrocious table manners”. The brothers end the episode by exchanging baseball stories such as getting to see highlights from Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter playoff games.

Season 1 Episode 6 Review: “Yum, Yum, Eat ’Em Up: St. Paul Saints, Part 2”

Brian recounts the very first St. Paul Saints game ever played, which was unfortunately a rain delay. Unlike the crosstown big league Minnesota Twins team, baseball fans of the new independent league team had the unique pleasure of getting to tailgate for the baseball game. The skies eventually cleared, however, paving the way for the franchise’s first game. Bill’s anecdote potentially sheds some light on his Porta Potty obsession from the first two episodes with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. He recounts that there were not enough toilets, forcing him to buy large quantities of incense, almost creating a “hash-house” in his words.

With the scene set, the brothers again take to their golfcart to explore the pregame tailgate. Bill stumbles across a game of cornhole, challenging the owner to a game in exchange for her cigar. They move on from the beanbags and onto the brats, trying out numerous samplings from the finest Minnesota baseball tailgating. With the game almost set to begin, the episode drives into the stadium, although the theme of food is not lost, as we learn that pie is one of the most popular concessions offered.

A Saints staffer tries to rile up the crowd with a “Dance-Cam” before the game begins. We see some fun 7th inning stretch crowd-pleasers such as the running of the “Drag-racers”, go-kart races, eyeball races, a giant live version of spin the bottle, and even a pig feeding. From Ham Solo to Alternative Fats, the numerous porcine mascots for the Saints had some pretty witty nicknames over the years. Finally, the episode ends with footage of the fireworks show, which Bill states that the Saints invest heavily in to make a strong

General Thoughts:

These episodes show off Bill’s passion for the game and its fans. The Saints are another baseball team that Bill has invested in, and Extra Innings helps show how he strives to make baseball an accessible game for all as an owner and promoter. The inter-inning activities reminded me of similar activities at the Sea Dogs’ games, such as races (featuring Maine staples such as Blueberry and Pine Tree), or a life-sized version of Hungry Hungry Hippos in which parents hold their children by the ankles. While the Saints may have tailgating, they do not have a moving lighthouse that will appear to shoot off fireworks, such as at Hadlock stadium.

What I thought could have worked better was seeing the inner workings of the minor league stadium and staff, such as when they were driving through the stadium in Episode 5. Since most baseball fans probably aren’t even aware of all the game-day operations that go into running even an independent league baseball game, I think getting to learn more about different employee jobs and experiences would have been interesting. Finally, I also thought the scene with Bill receiving a massage from a nun, while disguised in a giant Panda head, was pretty strange and weird to watch, especially as he described their “special relationship.”

Watch “Extra Innings” here: https://www.facebook.com/billbrianextrainnings/