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When Bowling Green product Nolan Reimold hit the game-winning double and scored the game-winning run for the Orioles against the Red Sox, it set off a chain lightning of wacky events in baseball. Unfortunately the Orioles aren't going to the postseason, but there remain a small handful of MAC faces on the eight remaining teams.
Please fill in any blanks, as here is everyone I could find:
Detroit Tigers
Pitching coach Jeff Jones (BGSU) — He began the year as the bullpen coach, then was promoted.
General manager Dave Dombrowski (WMU) — Mentioned in the 2011 baseball movie "Moneyball," but not portrayed.
Bullpen catcher Scott Pickens (CMU) — He helps people warm up without the use of flint or tinder. He's a witch.
Third base coach Gene Lamont (NIU) — He also went to Eastern Illinois, and it's probably this half-MAC heritage that causes him to errantly wave people home.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Starting pitcher Josh Collmenter (CMU) — From the tiny town of Homer, Michigan. Throws directly overhead. Kinda weird.
Tampa Bay Rays
Relief pitcher Andy Sonnanstine (Kent State) — Used to be a starter for this team, but is now just one of those long relievers you read about these days.
Coach Stan Boroski (OHIO) — I don't know what he "coaches," per se. It just says "coach." He's a coach. Clear enough?
Phillies/Brewers/Rangers/Yankees/Cardinals
No hustle whatsoever.
Yours truly is a Tigers fan, and of course the one team within the true MAC region is going to have four such players from the area on their staff, be it player or overlord. If you have purely baseball reasons to cheer for other teams, they better be damn valid reasons.