Dosch enjoys hometown All-Star moment

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Norfolk infielder Drew Dosch planned to attend this year's Triple-A All-Star Game the moment he learned it would be play at Huntington Park.
"I've been joking with teammates that I'm going to Columbus whether I was on the team or not," Dosch said.

The reasons were pragmatic for the native of Canal Winchester, Ohio -- a Columbus suburb. He and his wife, Carly, are in the process of buying a home in his hometown.
"It was a matter of signing some papers and making sure the loan work was completed," Dosch said. "Everything is moving forward in the house process, and we're really excited that it should be done in the next month or so."
But the Orioles infield prospect took time away from business on the homefront for Wednesday's contest between the best players in the International League and the Pacific Coast League.
"To play in this game has been a goal," Dosch admitted. "When I found out this past offseason that the game would be played here, I made it one of my goals to be here if I was playing for Norfolk. So it's exciting to represent Norfolk and Baltimore in this game."
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The 26-year-old earned his spot by ranking ninth in the IL with a .293 average. The third baseman leads the Tides with 19 doubles and has five homers and 31 RBIs.
"I made a few changes to my swing path last year, with the idea to get more doubles and drive in more runs," Dosch said. "It was new to me, so this offseason and this season, my goal is to show more consistency with my swing.
"If I could make up the roster for the big league team, I would have been in Baltimore the year I was drafted. But that's not in my control. So I just go out and play hard every night, and I feel confident that if I do that well enough for long enough, my opportunity will come."
Spanning the globe: Dosch is the only "local" in the contest as the rosters for the two teams in this game include players from seven different countries -- including five from the Dominican Republic, two from Mexico and Panama and one from Brazil, Taiwan and Venezuela.
The 43 players from the United States hail from 20 different states. California is the best-represented state with 12 different players, followed by four from Illinois and three from Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas.
On to the next: Four players in the contest also will take part in the All-Star Futures Game in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
Those heading for that game include IL catchers Francisco Mejía (Columbus), the top Indians prospect, who will play on the World team, while Buffalo's Danny Jansen, the sixth-ranked prospect for Toronto, will be behind the plate for Team USA.
Toledo infielder Dawel Lugo, the Tigers' No. 12 prospect, will play for the World Team, and right-hander Dakota Hudson of Memphis, the third-ranked Cardinals prospect, will throw for Team USA.
He's been here before: It wasn't the first time International League manager Chris Tremie has been in charge of a team at the Triple-A All-Star Game, having managed the IL squad to a win at Charlotte in 2016.
Tremie, in his sixth season as Columbus' manager, became the eighth person to manage in more than one Triple-A All-Star Game, joining Marc Bombard, Marty Brown, Tony DeFrancesco, Dave Miley, Charlie Montoyo, Mike Sarbaugh and Rick Sweet.

Sweet and Miley were the only ones to manage three teams in the game. Miley took the reins while with Louisville in 2002 and with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2008 and 2013, while Sweet represented three teams -- Tucson in 1994, Portland in 2003 and Louisville in 2009.
Tremie also coached the IL team in 2014. The only individuals with more All-Star Game coaching experience are Bombard (coach in 1993 and 1995, manager in 2000 and 2003), Miley (coach in 1998, manager in 2002, 2008 and 2013) and Sweet (coach in 2008, manager in 1994, 2003 and 2009).
Pacific Coast League manager Marty Peavy from Iowa was at the helm in the Triple-A All-Star Game for the first time.