Storm Chaser

One woman’s fascination with the raw power of nature

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Home runs and hula hoops reignite CHS Field

Jake Spitzack

Staff Writer

Action has returned to CHS Field, and this year’s St. Paul Saints team boasts another strong roster of players, several of whom are top prospects for the Minnesota Twins in future seasons. Fans will be glad to hear that all home games will feature zany promotions under the team’s new owners.

In late March, after 30 years of ownership, the Goldklang Group sold the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), which owns 16 other minor league teams. Under the new ownership, the team will maintain its character and connection to the community through fan engagement and local partnerships.

Tim Spitzack Editor

When the calendar flips from April to May, Valarie Namen starts to get a bit antsy. It’s not from spring fever. No, it’s quite the opposite. She wants bad weather and is normally planning a trip to find it. For the past 13 years, the retired St. Paul police officer has traveled across the country searching for that ominous natural phenomenon that most people pray they’ll never experience: a tornado.

Namen has seen dozens of tornados in her lifetime and hopes to see many more. She is among the rare breed who are willing to put themselves in harm’s way to achieve a goal. As proof, she is a member of the Zero Meter Club, which is a storm chaser’s way of saying they have been far, far closer to a tornado than one should be.

The reason people chase storms varies. Some do it for scientific investigation. Some to capture media coverage. Some for the adrenaline rush. Others, like Namen, do it to satisfy their deep curiosity of storms and to witness the magnificent power of nature, and to capture those images on film.

Namen’s fascination with storm chasing was piqued by the 1996 blockbuster, “Twister.” She found herself doing more and more research on storm chasers and the powerful effects of tornados and soon discovered there were – and still are – many tour operators that cater to people like her. One day she made the call.

Storm Chaser / Page 2

“The Saints are an iconic franchise, unquestionably one of the jewels of Minor League baseball,” said Peter Freund, CEO of DBH, in a press release. “DBH’s primary objective is to continue building on what my friends and partners of over a decade, Marv, Mike, Bill and Jeff, have already created.”

The Goldklang Group includes Mike Veeck, Bill Murray, Marv Goldklang, Jeff Goldklang, Michael Goldklang and Tom Whaley. Freund met the group in 2012 and today is a co-owner with them for the South Carolina-based Charleston RiverDogs, the class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2021, the Saints became one