Two weeks out from the 2026 American Association All-Star Game, the league has announced the three-member induction class for the American Association Hall of Fame.

Former Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks catcher and current manager Chris Coste, Lincoln Saltdogs founder and owner Jim Abel, and longtime shortstop and former Player of the Year Nate Samson make up the Class of 2026.

The trio will be inducted in the American Association Hall of Fame luncheon on July 14, held in Lincoln as part of the All-Star Game festivities. This year marks the fifth class to be honored by the AA Hall of Fame.

Chris Coste

As the unofficial torch-bearer to the Northern League’s legacy, Coste is another person with heavy ties to the AA’s forerunner to earn induction, as the Fargo native joins his former Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks manager Doug Simunic (Class of 2024), owner N. Bruce Thom (2025), and teammate Jeff Bittiger (2025).

Coste, though, has forged significant ties to the American Association as well, joining his hometown team as hitting coach and bench coach in 2018, then moving into the manager’s chair in 2020 and remaining in that role ever since.

With the RedHawks, he has led them to a 331-268 (.553) mark as of June 29, reaching the playoffs and finishing with a winning record in each of the last five seasons. He has piloted Fargo-Moorhead to the Miles Wolff Cup Finals twice, falling in 2021, but finishing the job by hoisting the Cup in 2022.

As a player, he was a mainstay in the RedHawks’ first four seasons (1996-99), hitting .322 with 44 homers and 221 RBI at catcher, being named a midseason and postseason All-Star in the Northern League three times each.

He went on to reach the Major Leagues, making his MLB debut in 2006 at 33 years old and playing four seasons at the highest level. He served as the backup catcher on the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2008 World Series championship team and hit .272 over 299 career MLB games.

Jim Abel

Fittingly with the All-Star Game in Lincoln, a man who is a critical reason for the Lincoln Saltdogs even existing will be inducted, two years after longtime Saltdogs great Curt Smith was inducted.

Lincoln made a push to be one of the inaugural Northern League cities in 1993, but the failure to acquire funds to bring a local facility up to professional levels torpedoed those efforts.

However, Abel was able to help secure a partnership between the city of Lincoln and the University of Nebraska to build Haymarket Park for the 2001 season, with his family’s construction company NEBCO playing a key role in building the facility.

Under his ownership, the Saltdogs enjoyed immediate financial and on-field success, reaching the Northern League Finals in their inaugural season and regularly ranking among the league’s attendance leaders.

After bringing his franchise over to the American Association to help found the league in 2006, the Saltdogs continued to enjoy tremendous success over the league’s first decade, culminating in the 2009 American Association championship.

Nate Samson

Another man with Lincoln ties earns induction, though it was his stellar career with the Sioux City Explorers that earned Samson his call to the Hall.

After eight years in the Chicago Cubs organization, Samson first came to the American Association in 2013, signing with Winnipeg. After moving on to Sioux City the following season, he was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks midseason and was back in affiliated ball for another season and a half.

Returning to the X’s in 2016, he immediately established himself as a star, slashing .350/.424/.483 with 30 doubles, six homers, 68 RBI, and 31 stolen bases, earning AA Player of the Year honors. He continued to star in 2017-18, hitting well over .300 and earning Postseason All-Star bids in both seasons.

After his 2013 campaign in Winnipeg, Samson spent 2014-19 and 2021-22 with the Explorers, with the 2020 campaign in St. Paul in between while the X’s were on hiatus for the season. He moved on to Lincoln at the tail end of 2022 and played the entire 2023 season for the Saltdogs, the final season in his 18-year career.

In ten years in the American Association, Samson played in 698 games, slashing .299/.351/.399 with 133 doubles, 38 home runs, and 405 RBI, while stealing 125 bases. He is second in AA history with 815 career hits and was a midseason and postseason All-Star three times each.

American Association Hall of Fame Inductees

2022: Miles Wolff (League Executive)

2023: Reggie Abercrombie, Ed Nottle (Manager), Doug Simunic (Manager), Mike Veeck (Team executive)

2024: David Espinosa, Sam Katz (Team Executive), Hal Lanier (Manager), Ben Moore, Curt Smith

2025: Jeff Bittiger (Team Executive), Rick Forney (Manager), Marv Goldklang (Team Executive), Dan Moushon (League Executive), N. Bruce Thom (Team Executive)

2026: Jim Abel (Team Executive), Chris Coste (Manager), Nate Samson

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