Minnesota Twins

I probably enjoyed far too much of baseball’s post-season action over the weekend, but as I reflected on the four major American sports post-seasons, the one that I’ve been able to engage in person the most frequently has been Major League Baseball. So, it’s really not shocking that I found myself hopelessly distracted by the Rays-Guardians’ 15-inning marathon Saturday afternoon or the Mariners’ stunning comeback against he Blue Jays that followed the Cleveland game in short-order.

Nationals Park — **^{Tim, Brett, and I at the Cubs-Nationals’ 2017 NLDS, my most-recent MLB post-season game (Photo by Random Fella)}**

I’ll begrudgingly give MLB credit for the additional Wild Card teams and the decision to make the Wild Card round a best-of-3 at the higher seeded site. That said, I’m mystified why a reseed would not occur following the Wild Card round. Shouldn’t Philadelphia, the final National League qualifier, get the No.1 overall seed Los Angeles Dodgers and all the perils accompanying cross-country travel, extreme changes in climate, etc.? Instead, the Dodgers will see the Padres for the 20th, 21st, and 22nd times this season (at minimum). Los Angeles won the season-series, 14-5, if you’re scoring at home.

Of course, MLB couldn’t get out of its own way with the Divisional Series, granting the ALDS a random day off following Game 1. If there was a desire to keep baseball on the airwaves every day from now until the conclusion of the Divisional Series round, why not start the ALDS on Wednesday rather than Tuesday? Regardless of when it starts, there is going to be one day early in the series where all four games are played on the same day. Rather than cutting the AL teams a break by having an off-day immediately following Game 1 and then another for travel following Game 2 (creating a T-Th-Sa schedule), just have it play Wednesday and Thursday and again on Saturday?

Enough with the ranting, here’s a look back at my in-person experiences with the MLB playoffs. Unsurprisingly, it tracks closely with my hometown Detroit Tigers’ post-season appearances but the most-recent playoff appearance I made was, of all places, Nationals Park in Washington, DC.

2006 Tigers Celebration — ^{Detroit Tigers Joel Zumaya and Brandon Inge celebrate with the fans down the rightfield line following their elimination of the New York Yankees in 2006. Somewhere above Zumaya’s Champagne bottle are my wife and I. (Photo by Getty Images)}

1984 World Series, Games 3 & 4, October 12th & October 13th, Tiger Stadium: In this simpler time, I recall sending away a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope with a check inside for World Series tickets. My envelope apparently got pulled and I was fortunate enough to secure lower deck bleacher seats for both Games 3 and 4 of the Tigers’ first World Series appearance in 16 years. My father deferred the opportunity to attend to his younger brother so my uncle Paul traveled up from Indiana to accompany me to the Friday night and Saturday afternoon Tiger victories. Both games were great, but Game 4 was especially fun as future Hall of Famer Alan Trammell belted a pair of 2-run homers to provide all the offense fellow future Hall of Famer Jack Morris needed in the 4-2 win. I then sat in the comfort of my childhood living room in nearby St. Clair Shores the next night and watched Kirk Gibson‘s monster blast against a stubborn Goose Gossage (seen here) that sealed the World Series Championship over the San Diego Padres.
1987 AL Championship, Game 5, October 12th, Tiger Stadium: The details surrounding this game are a bit fuzzy, but I seem to recall going with a couple of buddies from college and just walking up and buying bleacher tickets at the box office the afternoon of this game, which is the only winner-take-all baseball playoff game I’ve ever attended. It ended with a colossal thud, as trade deadline acquisition Doyle Alexander (who was as responsible as anyone for Detroit even reaching the post-season (9-0 with a 1.53 ERA over 11 starts) couldn’t get out of the second inning and Minnesota’s improbable run to a World Series Championship continued with a 9-5 win. Adding insult to injury, of course, was that the Tigers traded some minor leaguer named John Smoltz to the Atlanta Braves for Alexander. Ouch!
2006 AL Division Series, Game 4, October 7th, Comerica Park: This was during the era our family had a mini-season ticket plan to Tigers’ games. As such, we had access to purchase post-season games for this season that came out of left field for Detroit. My wife, Carol, and I chose this one – a Saturday afternoon game – because a Friday night, 8 p.m. start, would have presented several logistical challenges. Also, fearing the worst (a shellacking at Yankee Stadium in the first two games) we figured Game 4 might not even be played and we’d save a bit of money. Wrong! And boy were glad. Pitcher Jeremy Bonderman was unreal and Magglio Ordonez and Craig Monroe each homered during this 8-3 Tigers’ rout. The biggest highlight of that afternoon, however, came following the game when the lockerroom celebration occurred on the field. The champagne came out and players ran around the field spraying the fans. Truly a magical moment.
2012 World Series, Game 3, October 27th, Comerica Park: The Tigers came into Game 3, down 2-0 having been swept by the Giants in San Francisco. The Giants beat up on Justin Verlander in Game 1 and rode a strong Madison Bumgarner performance to the victory in Game 2. I worked a connection I had with a friend who was a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and had access to World Series tickets to secure the seats in the upper deck behind homeplate for me and my father, Jerry (heard in Episode 2 of our podcast, “Conversations with Sports Fans”). It was my father’s first trip to a World Series Game. That wound up being the overwhelming highlight of the night. It was a raw 47 degrees with a stiff breeze that made it feel much colder. The Tigers’ offense, despite the fact that Frank Robinson presented Miguel Cabrera with a Triple Crown Award prior to the start, remained in hibernation, getting beat 2-0 and running its scoreless streak to 18 innings.
2017 NL Division Series, Game 1, October 6th, Nationals Park: The Chicago Cubs were beginning defense of their 2016 World Championship in our nation’s capital and it so happened I was in town for a NEA Board of Director’s Meeting. My friend Tim Parker (heard in Episode 3 of our podcast) secured Standing Room Only tickets for me, him, and our fellow education leader, Brett Smith. It was a delightful night and we took in the game from as many vantage points as we could access. It turned out to be a pitcher’s duel between the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks and Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg and the Cubbies came out on top, 3-0. Chicago went on to win this NLDS, 3-2.

For most people on a baseball bus trip, a visit to the mall probably wouldn’t be the most dreamed about destination.

But for Gary, who was a part of the Diamond Baseball Tour group, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Gary, who hails from Australia, lost his luggage during a layover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). He made his flight from LA to Denver, where the tour began, but his luggage did not.

A quick stop at a Denver-area Walmart helped gather some necessities for a couple days, before arriving in Minneapolis and the Mall of America, where he was able to gather a few more items.

Now, the Mall of America isn’t just your average mall. In addition to the requisite shopping, there is also an amusement park and aquarium. It is the largest shopping mall in total area and largest in total store vendors, when it opened in 1992. It sees about 42 million visitors annually, eight times the population of Minnesota.

On September 4, 1995, the mall hosted the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro. But that is not the only sports-related notable, especially for baseball fans. The mall was built on the former site of Metropolitan Stadium, former home of both the Minnesota Twins and Vikings.

It takes a little bit of searching, but you can find the exact spot Harmon Killebrew hit a mammoth 520-foot home run, marked by a chair from the stadium on the wall in Nickelodeon Universe. While the chair is somewhat easy to find, it’s a little harder to find is home plate and the 50-yard line, both marked by a plaque on the floor.

While there is a nod of history at the Mall, and even in the new stadium, Target Field is quite full with modern-day amenities.

There are eight party areas, bars, and restaurants where fans can access to watch the game, in addition to the traditional seating areas. The Budweiser Roof Deck features the only open-air bonfire in MLB.

Some of the other restaurants and bars include Hrbek’s, the Twins Pubs, and Town Ball Tavern. Hrbek’s (section 114) is named after former Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek, The Town Ball Tavern is in reference to the popular sport of town ball in the state. Town Ball is similar to baseball, but features amateurs representing different towns and cities.

At Target Field, the Town Ball Tavern (Section 229), also has a bit of history. The hardwood floor is the same hardwood floor that was in the Minneapolis Armory, where the Minneapolis Lakers played before leaving for Los Angeles.

Being a downtown ballpark, there were some constraints to the land, based on what was available, and city streets. It is one of the smallest stadiums, only covering 8.5 acres of prime real estate. That is about the same size as Fenway Park. It may feel like 10.5 acres though, because parts of the stadium cover roadways. The stadium capacity is 38,544, which is also similar to Fenway’s 37,731.

Being in the Great White North, there was concern about building an open-air stadium, but after years of discussion and even more years being inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, they settled on the current design.

The design includes local limestone, prevalent throughout the park. The limestone is sourced near Mankato, MN. It doesn’t have a roof, but it does have heated viewing areas and a heated field. There is also a canopy over the top deck. That canopy is unique to Major League Baseball. Instead of just seeing beams and girders, there is a finished look to it.

In right field, part of the seats overhang the playing field, similar to the upper deck in Tiger Stadium.

Dimension-wise, Target Field is 339 down the left field line and 377 to left-center, 411 to center field left corner and 403 to center field right corner, 367 feet to right-center and 328 to right field.

The admission gates also honor former Twins greats. The left field gate is No. 6, honoring Tony Oliva, who entered the Baseball Hall of Fame last month. Oliva’s statue is nearby. Killebrew is honored in center field with gate no. 3. The Target Plaza gate, in right field, is No. 34 in honor of Kirby Puckett.

Another right field gate is No. 29, honoring Rod Carew. The home plate gate is No. 14, honoring Hrbek, along with his statue.

In addition to the Twins legends another noteworthy icon is represented at Target Field – Charlie Brown. No, he’s not there because he was a hapless also-ran like the Twins were for many years, but rather because Charles Schulz is a Minnesota native. Only one other MLB ballpark is able to display a Peanuts character. Oracle Park in San Francisco is the other because Schulz was a Bay Area resident in his later years.

One of the most prominent features is the huge Twins logo out in center field, of Minnie and Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River. When the Twins first moved to Minnesota, then-owner Calvin Griffith didn’t want to alienate fans from Minneapolis or St. Paul, so he was going to name the new team, the Twin Cities Twins. MLB didn’t like that name, so they became the Minnesota Twins, but Griffith was determined to have the two cities represented.

**^{Twins’ legend Kirby Puckett is well-represented at Target Field. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

The team’s logo shows two men, one in a Minneapolis Millers uniform and one in a St. Paul Saints uniform, shaking hands across the Mississippi River. They are affectionately known as Minnie and Paul.

**^{Minnie and Paul shaking hands. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

During a game, various events will spark the logo board to flash: a run scored, a strikeout, a scoreless inning, and of course, a home run. When the Twins win, the T and S flash on and off, conveying the message “Twins win.”

Next year, the left field scoreboard will become the fourth largest among MLB stadiums, and the fifth to be HDR capable. It will feature more than 10,000 square feet of LED display. Daktronics will install it this offseason.

The Minnesota light rail system has a stop built into the stadium, behind the left field wall. Also, along the Fifth Street side, there are knotholes, which allow fans from outside to catch a glimpse of the game without a ticket.

Just over the right field wall is the Target Center, where the NHL’s Minnesota Wild and NBA’s Timberwolves play. Overlooking the stadium in neon lights is the Target dog, Bullseye. His tail wags in relation to the loudness of the Target Field fans, especially during key moments.

Like most stadiums, they bring parts of the old into the new. Target Field is no different. After Game 3 of the 2009 American League Division Series, they dug up home plate and eventually installed it at Target Field.

Now, this next bit of trivia, may or may not be true: Killebrew died a year after Target Field opened. Rumor has it that a picture of Killebrew was placed under home plate after his death.

During our tour of the park, the tour guide mentioned the story and added that he asked head groundskeeper Larry DiVito if that was true. DiVito just laughed and said there was no truth to it.

True or not, it’s a nice legend to have.

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