By: Frankie Benvenuti

For the third straight season, the Ottawa Titans will send multiple players to the Frontier League All-Star Game, which will be held in Quebec City on Wednesday night. 

A.J. Wright will get the start at third base, while Grant Larson and Erasmo Pinales will take up pitching roles. For all three of them, it’s a second All-Star appearance, with Wright and Larson having previous opportunities in the Frontier League, and Pinales experiencing the festivities as a Dominican Summer League Mid-Season All-Star in 2014. 

“It’s always good,” Wright said. “This being my third year here, and getting my second All-Star nod is awesome. The fans have been supportive, so it’s nice to be able to go out there and represent Ottawa, and everything this organization stands for.” 

Wright heads into the All-Star break with the sixth-highest OBP in the league, and the seventh-highest slug, while Larson holds an ERA sub-four, and Pinales stands at 1.74. 

“It’s nice to be recognized as a player,” Larson said. “It’s not easy to be an All-Star in this league, there’s a lot of talent here. It’s an honour, for sure.” 

The three have become particularly close throughout the season, as have all of the long-standing members of the club, making their joint All-Star bid all the more special. 

“It’s always fun when you can go with your teammates, it breaks the ice a little bit,” Larson said. “When you don’t know anyone, it’s easier to fall on your teammates.” 

While they do plan on being together over the course of the festivities, one of the most important aspects of any All-Star game is to take advantage of playing with people you don’t often see. 

“You get to meet a lot of new people who you've never been with before,” Pinales said. “I’m trying to meet those people.” 

From the time the Titans’ big names arrive in Quebec City, they’ll be fully immersed in the event, bonding with their temporary teammates, and partaking in all of the events planned by the league. 

“We don’t get much free time,” Larson said. “Everything is options, but there are a lot of tours. We’ve got a bus tour of the city, and there’s a hike, so that looks like fun.” 

When they step on the field, they can expect to see Stade Canac’s 6,000 seats filled as they would any other game, and even though they represent the East Division, they aren’t expecting the die-hard fans of the Quebec Capitales to forget the intense rivalry. 

“It’s probably going to be just as hostile as it is during the regular season,” Wright joked. “Hopefully I can give them something to cheer about so they don’t hate me forever. They have great fans, so it’s always a good experience to get out there.”