A former Capital player gave up 18 home runs last night — but he was trying to

Jared Sandberg is a former major-league infielder, but he warmed up his pitching arm on Monday in Tacoma.

In his first return to Cheney Stadium in more than two decades, the 39-year-old Olympia native and manager of the Durham Bulls tossed a pair of frames to his former player, Richie Shaffer, at the Triple-A Home Run Derby.

“A couple of my players were joking — there’s no way I’m going to throw him a home run,” Sandberg laughed.

But Shaffer, now an infielder for the Columbus Clippers, hit 18 dingers with Sandberg pitching — nine apiece in the first and second rounds — and barely missed a spot in the finals.

“Richie Shaffer is a guy I’ve thrown to,” Sandberg said. “He’s a former Durham Bull, so it’s a lot of fun out here.”

Sandberg, a Capital High School product, was excited to see the turnout for the first leg of the Triple-A All-Star week.

Tuesday’s media day is open to the public and includes batting practice for both the Pacific Coast League and International League players. Gates open at 2:30 p.m.

Limited tickets are still available for Wednesday’s All-Star game, which begins at 6 p.m. at Cheney.

“It’s incredible,” Sandberg said. “The Pacific Northwest has come out here to support the Triple-A All-Star game.”

Sandberg was drafted by Tampa Bay in 1996 and spent most of his professional playing career with that organization.

He has been rising through the professional coaching ranks since 2007, and runs the Sandberg Baseball Club out of Olympia during the offseason.

And, though this week’s festivities are just north of Thurston County, Sandberg said any time youth baseball players can see professional athletes in an environment like this, it creates positive role models.

“Some of these guys have been in the big leagues,” Sandberg said. “Some of these guys are on their way to the big leagues.

“So you get to see some of these young players and big prospects in baseball.”

Former Yelm pitcher Dakota Hill, an Olympian All-Area selection and the reigning Class 3A South Sound Conference pitcher of the year, was one of the local players in attendance for the first leg Monday.

“It’s not every day that you get to see an All-Star game,” he said.

Hill, who will play for Saint Martin’s University next season, said he thinks the group of local players — like Sandberg — who have gone on to play in college and professionally is encouraging to younger players.

“It definitely sets a ceiling,” Hill said. “It’s always cool to see, ‘He competed, why can’t I?’ It’s a little bit of motivation. I want to get there, too.”

Sandberg has been impressed with the talent the youth programs in the lower South Sound has produced in recent years.

“I think we’ve got some good programs down there,” he said. “Some good high school programs that we can definitely continue to generate some players going on to the next level.”

“It’s gotten more competitive over the years,” Hill said. “The summer ball teams have just kept growing. It’s really awesome to see.”

This story was originally published July 11, 2017 at 5:51 AM with the headline "A former Capital player gave up 18 home runs last night — but he was trying to."