The Twins New Era

Location coordinates:
44°58'54"N, 93°16'42"W
Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota  

     Unplanned moments or events typically are the most memorable. One such unexpected occasion occurred this past Friday evening when my wife, daughter and I had the fortunate opportunity to witness the very first (professional) baseball game played at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. The new stadium brings outdoor baseball back after 28 seasons of indoor play at the Metrodome, and anticipation levels have been very high. I had assumed opening game ticket availability would be impossible, which is correct for the official season home opener to be played April 12th against the Boston Red Sox. But a savvy colleague of my wife suggested we try for tickets to an exhibition series against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 2nd and 3rd. We secured tickets for the first game which put us in place to take part in Minnesota Twins history.

     I've not followed Twins baseball in the past (I'm a Red Sox and Cardinals fan), but I was immediately swept up into the excitement all around me as we entered Target Plaza near the gate 34 entrance. A heavy percussion band playing somewhere out of my sightline charged up the atmosphere, and all around me people were posing for pictures, recording their attendance at this historic event. Our first stop was the Majestic Twins Clubhouse Store where we outfitted ourselves with official Twins attire. Then it was off to find our seats, which were perfectly situated behind the Twins dugout.

     Once seated, I surveyed my surroundings. Sleek glass joined sand-colored limestone in graceful curves and futuristic angles and pushed my thoughts toward good times to come. Then I focused on contrasting retro features such as the Celebration Sign (Twins logo with players "Minnie" and "Paul" shaking hands against a Minnesota map backdrop) and the Budweiser logo that gave me the nostalgic feeling of "the good ole' days". The breeze shifted and I caught the pleasing aromas of bratwurst, beer and . . . cheese curds? (Hmmm . . . only in Minnesota.) But what was most notable for me was the crowd. I have never observed a more polite crowd. People waited to get up until inning breaks. No rough language was heard. There was an obvious lack of obnoxious or rude behavior of any kind. If this is Minnesota Nice, I'm all for it. It made me want to be part of this fan base, sharing this new stadium experience with them and my new hometown team.

     I've enjoyed several bonding sporting event moments, and this one will rank among the top. I left the stadium an official Twins fan, which presents certain conflicts with my other favorite teams (how do I handle the home opener against Boston?!). Unfortunately, the Cardinals prevented the Twins from marking a win on the first game at Target Field, but the whole season is ahead and I'm thinking it will be a great one. Go Twins!