Kevin Millar, 45, makes triumphant return to the Saints with a home run

Seven years removed from his last at-bat, Kevin Millar honored the St. Paul Saints’ 25^th anniversary with an unforgettable home run.

When he’s not cracking jokes on MLB Network’s Intentional Talk, Kevin Millar suited up with the St. Paul Saints to celebrate their 25^th anniversary on Saturday, June 24. While his five home runs with the Saints in 1993 is hardly impressive, the 45-year-old’s two-run homer dropped the jaws of awestruck fans at CHS Field.

Following his senior year at Lamar University, Millar tried out for the Saints in 1993 and earned a spot on their inaugural roster. A strong second half, which propelled him to a .260 batting average and 30 RBI, caught the attention of the Florida Marlins, who signed him later that year.

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Millar spent the next five seasons in the minor leagues before beginning his 12-year major league career in 1998. He went on to play for the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and most notably, helped the Boston Red Sox thunder back from a 3-1 deficit to the New York Yankees in the ALCS and eventually helped them win the 2004 World Series.

Although his time in the major leagues came to an end in 2009, Millar last faced live pitching in 2010. After being released by the Chicago Cubs, the closing chapter of Millar’s playing days came with a six-game stint with the Saints.

Fast forward to 2017

Seven years later, the Saints are celebrating 25 years as a team and invited Millar to make a special appearance. Rick Forney, manager of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, agreed to allow Millar one at-bat against his team, but only one.

As it turned out, that’s all he needed.

Batting seventh as the designated hitter for the Saints, Millar stepped into the batter’s box against Winnipeg starter Zack Dodson in the second inning. After looking at a ball inside, Dodson threw a fastball that Millar sent over the left-field wall, driving in the difference-making runs in the Saints’ 8-6 victory over the Goldeyes.

“I don’t know what just happened,” Millar said (per twincities.com). “It must have been the smelling salts!”

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You could say, Millar cowboyed up, a phrase he used to hype up his Red Sox teammates during the greatest comeback in baseball history, and gave the Saints an unforgettable memory.

“That’s why I wanted to come back here in 2010—to let the guys know you have an opportunity in this uniform,” Millar said. “Without the Saints, I would never be a big-leaguer. I was just a regular guy. But if you believe in something, go for it.”