Results tagged ‘ Game Review ’
Game Review: Houston 3 @ Chicago (NL) 2
All photos by Randy Stern
The bucket list has been lightened by one item today. This one took ten years to complete.
My first actual trip to Chicago came in February of 2001 as a visitor from Madison, Wisconsin. One of the first things I wanted to see was Wrigley Field. I’ve seen it on television – dating back to the Dodgers’ road broadcasts in the 1970s – and I always wanted to see in person. Luckily, it was right by Boystown – a convenient stop for a wandering gay man wanting the feel of a big city enclave where everything happens all in one space.
Every time I come to Chicago, I would look at Wrigley and say “someday.” U.S. Cellular and United Center were already achieved by 2009…but, not Wrigley.
I had a few mixed messages about Wrigley – some from my fellow MLBloggers. In all, the overarching message is to simply go and experience it. Thanks to my friends who were pretty busy that day – Wrigley was the only thing on my agenda on a wet Sunday.
Obviously, the Cubs have been out of the pennant race for a while – a division dominated by the Milwaukee Brewers. They faced the someday-to-be-former division rival, the Houston Astros – that is if everyone involved in the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations is smart enough to say “no” to the Commissioner’s request to move the ‘Stros to the American League.
The wet morning yielded to a decent start with the tarp coming off for an on-time first pitch. Ryan Dempster was not at his finest. It was the opposite. His first batter, Jason Bourgeois, eventually scored the first run. The Astros took command in the first, 3-0, before Starlin Castro led off the bottom of the first with his own answer to Bourgeois. The sacrifice fly by Bryan LaHair was deep enough for Starlin to trot home. Trot? You’re supposed to run, fool!
The game remained 3-1 in favor of the visitors until the bottom of the eighth. The rain had picked up by this time and the Astros left Brett Myers to his own devices. He simply ran out of gas. Darwin Barney came in for the ninth spot to help himself to get on base – well to third thanks to a fielding error by Brian Bogusevic. That opened the door for Aramis Ramirez. With Barney on third and Starlin on first, Aramis sent a ball far enough for Darwin to score. Now the Cubs are within a run away from tying.
Then, all hell broke loose. Starlin is on first with an out on the board when my old hero Carlos Pena heads to the plate. On the seventh pitch by Myers, Pena smacks one deep. It appeared that the ball hit the top of the basket on one angle, signifying a home run. However, the ground rule states that if the ball hits the basket and falls back into the field of play, it is not a home run. The umpires called it a home run, however Houston disputed the call and the red flag went out on the field…
Oh, wait, wrong sport.
Try this…the umpires exercise the review rule for controversial home runs. Well…after further review, the home run was overturned. Pena was given a double instead of a round-tripper and Starlin was awarded third.
Mike Quade was justifiably upset. Upset enough to head to the showers early.
The rain was simply too much for play to resume after Marlon Byrd’s fly out to end the eighth.
When play resumed, Ramon Ortiz bore down on the Astros. That opened for some glimmer of hope. But, I was for naught. No “W” flag flew at the end of today’s game over Wrigley.
The game and the weather is not the story here. It’s about finally accomplishing the Wrigley experience. Sure, I heard stories of nasty smelling bathrooms, rude fans and the ballpark’s overall condition. I found something completely different – history backed by friendly, helpful staff and legroom that rivals First Class on a mainline air carrier. I sat in the 200s, part of the lower bowl, and found that the steps to be a cit challenging, but was greeted to a comfortable seat for the game.
Of course, no game at Wrigley would be complete without a rousing round of “Take Me Out to The Ballgame.” The tradition Harry Caray left behind continues. This time, it was Pat Hughes and Keith Moreland of the Cubs’ radio broadcasting team that led the singing. I made sure to at least stay through that part of the Wrigley experience.
As soon as I arrived back to the Wood Dale Metra station to collect my vehicle that General Motors lent me for the week (for Victory & Reseda purposes, mind you), I knew that I accomplished something that would elude me for years if I hadn’t done so today. Wrigley had always been part of plan. Now, with a couple of weeks left in the lifespan of this blog, the Friendly Confines is now off the list.
Thank you, Chicago. You finally gave me a reason to justify my love for the game itself.
Game Review: Minnesota 1, Iowa 0
(This space intentionally left blank – due to poor photography via a Blackberry)
Well, I got into a game…albeit a collegiate one – at Target Field.
It began with a Facebook status and a Tweet by the Minnesota Twins inviting anyone who can get to the ballpark at 3:05PM for a Big 10 regular season game between the University of Minnesota and the University of Iowa. The catch is that UofM students can get in free with their student ID. The rest of us will pay $10.00 – cash. That’s right – cash.
For $10.00, you can get into the lower deck between the bases – except for the most expensive seats in the house. Those were reserved for some UofM baseball supporter group with endowments and connections. That’s fine. How often do you pay $10.00 cash for a seat that goes for up to $85.00?
What the 652 of us got was a game that lasted just two minutes shy of two hours. This was a well-paced game that did not feature a lot of offense on the Gophers’ side – though the Hawkeyes did blow several opportunities at bat with 9 runner left on base.
What blew me away wasn’t just the duration of the game. It was a 73-pitch, one-hit complete game by Iowa’s Jarred Hippen. And, he got the loss. Unreal, isn’t it?
The win went to TJ Oakes of the Gophers who threw 117 pitches in seven innings of work. The reason for his win was a sacrifice fly by Justin Gomisky sending home Troy Larson in the bottom of the fourth. Larson’s triple was the only hit Hippen gave up.
I wasn’t disappointed. It was a fun game to watch. It beats covering my eyes at Ben Zobrist’s ownage of Target Field for the past 27 innings. I was glad that I was too late on a ticket grab for yesterday’s day part of the so-called doubleheader between the Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays.
The only disappointment were the photos that came out of my Blackberry. Can you say “horrific pixelization?” This is what happens when one forgets to bring his usual photographic equipment after it went into overtime doing its annual volunteer gig capturing restaurant patrons with their “I Ate” stickers. It was all for a good cause, mind you!
Then again, I got a game in! Go me! I have tickets to another one next month! Wow…I’m on a roll! Ah….BUT, it’s NOT a Twins game! Stay tuned next month…
Game Review: Minnesota 5 vs. Toronto 4
Brian Fuentes pitching to Lyle Overbay Photo by Randy Stern
Alexi Casilla – remember him? He was the one who hit the walk-off base hit that ended Game 163 last year to propel the Minnesota Twins into the Postseason. He did it again – not as a clinching walk-off – but a very a very important one in terms of preparation for this year’s Postseason.
Before I get deeper into this Saturday matinee at Target Field – my fifth and final game of the season for me – I promised a story regarding this.
Originally, I had planned on going to two games this year. As you noticed, it has turned into five. The first unplanned one was courtesy of my former magazine being with my fellow GLBT folks. The second was courtesy of a friend at the University of North Dakota who had to fly out of there instead of coming down for the game. This one – let’s just say it was the oddest way I ever got tickets to any event.
One day, I came home from work and found an envelope with my name on it. I couldn’t make out the writing as to whom it might be and there was no return address. The postmark was local, which was assuring.
Curious, I opened it up. I should’ve known better because it could contain some explosive or anthrax or…wait, that was 2001…moving right along.
The first thing I noticed was a plain white piece of paper folded twice. Inside the paper were two tickets to the game I’m about to talk about shortly. These weren’t just tickets bought from the box office. They were part of some season tickets of a friend of mine. How did I know? His name appeared on it.
So, I e-mailed said friend – left voice mail. I thanked him, but was curious as to why he sent the tickets. I did get a response: They were supposed to be a “anonymous random act of kindness.” I think he didn’t realize he had his name emblazoned on these tickets, but the thought was indeed welcomed.
With the memory of Thursday evening’s debacle still fresh on my mind, I took the tickets and went back to Target Field for one more regular season game.
In hopes of turning around another losing slide midway through the four-game regular season-ending set with the Toronto Blue Jays, it didn’t began well for the home side. Edwin Encarnacion hit his third home run between the two games I attended this weekend – this one scoring another run on top of his jack. I felt somewhat doomed by the middle oif the game.
Then, it turned around. In the bottom of the fifth, Casilla slapped a Shaun Marcum pitch into left field scoring Jason Kubel and Jose Morales. It was at that point when the Twins began to tighten up against the Blue Jays. You can see it in the defense – despite some scary moments along the way. You can see it in the late relief by Brian Fuentes and Matt Capps. This was my first time watching Capps as a Twin – and he’s definitely my homie! Ron Dibble was right all along!
Then, we get to the bottom of the ninth, and I was ready to bolt when it was over. I’m glad I didn’t. Kevin Gregg was supposed to the Jays’ closer – and he blew it. Ben Revere comes in to pinch run for Delmon Young as speed insurance. Young began the inning with a hit that said: “It ain’t over, folks! Stay in the ballpark, please!” Kubel came on due to a walk by Gregg, which Jason Repko took over for base duty. The crowning moment was when Gregg ended up walking Morales.
Then, it was Casilla’s turn. Every time I see Alexi, he always found a way to make me cheer like no one else in the park. OK, I lied – there were others that were crazier than I on this cold afternoon. All Casilla needed to do was to repeat his fifth inning at-bat.
So he did. And, we lived happier ever after.
As I close my live baseball adventures for 2010, I walked away from Target Field with a 4-1 record in its first year of business. My personal Twins’ record against Toronto (with a game inside the Metrodome and another at Rogers Centre) is 2-2.
Lastly, I wanted to thank the season ticket holder who sent his two seats anonymously as a random act of kindness. I won’t name who he is, but thanks to him and your other half for the breath taking seats from the edge of the terrace level above the Metropolitan Club!
The only thing left is the Postseason. And, maybe, a tribute to Bobby Cox.
Game Review: Toronto 13 at Minnesota 2
All Photos by Randy Stern
With the AL Central long been clinched, what can the Twins do in this final home series to build up the team’s readiness for the Postseason?
Going to press, we already know that the Twins will be joined by the Texas Rangers, winners of the AL West, the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays in the Postseason. On the National League side, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds are in with the NL West and Wild Card still to be decided. How the match-ups fare will be determined by the end of the weekend.
One thing is certain: the Twins have a lot at stake this weekend. Home field is certain for the ALDS, but in terms of seeding and who will be their next opponent depends upon the outcome of the AL East race.
A lot of fans will tell you, despite equal fears in facing both the Yankees and the Rays, they rather not face the Yanks.
However, there are other concerns here in Twins Territory. Earlier this week, Ron Gardenhire expressed his frustration with the team’s “lack of focus” since the AL Central clincher. Several examples are cited – such as the ball that ended up smacking Gardy’s ear in Detroit. Mainly, it comes down to bats and fielding not supporting good pitching efforts from Brain Duensing and Scott Baker. If that’s not enough, several Twins’ were in pain – Joe Mauer and Jim Thome amongst the walking wounded. The results aren’t pretty: A sweep by Detroit on the road, then the shocking loss on Monday in Kansas City due to shoddy pitching by Kevin Slowey and Jeff Manship.
If Gardy said “the party’s over,” it is!
Well, I thought it was after the Twins comeback win in Kansas City before arriving home for the final four games of the regular season against Toronto.
As I mentioned last week, this is one of two games I’ll be attending to wrap up the regular season. This one was planned – three seats in the upper deck overlooking the field. I was joined by my close friends Scott and Michael – though we had to come from separate locations as they had other things going on prior to the game. This is also my first test of working mid-week in downtown Minneapolis and going to the game at Target Field.
I’ll say this again: I prefer weekend games.
Regardless, the game was a mess. The Twins were simply slaughtered by the Blue Jays. Edwin Encarnacion slammed two early – including one into that blasted overhang in right field. Then, Jose Bautista slammed two of his own – now at 54 for the season. One went high up in left field.
Were there any highlights on the Twins’ side? There were – but they were overshadowed by the Jays’ domination of Thursday evening.
Scott and Michael had to leave early – due to work and travel schedules on Friday. I ended up leaving early. Not because I had to work the next morning – I was simply sickened of what I saw. On my way out, the usher at the gate I left out of gave a proper excuse after apologizing for the loss on behalf of the Twins’ organization: “We’re on a bit of a vacation.”
I’ll stick with Gardy’s response: “The party’s over!”
Saturday will be my fifth and final home game at Target Field. Let’s hope for a win to make me forget about this loss.
Game Review: Minnesota 4 vs. Seattle 0
All Photos by Randy Stern
I needed some serious cheering up. This ballgame did it for me.
There’s no explanation needed except I had a tough week – despite my posts earlier this week. Today began on a good footing, though, as exhibited by my last post on Matt Capps. It ended with a Minnesota Twins shutout victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Honestly, I didn’t plan on going to this game. However, a friend who attends the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks announced that he had a quandary. Without going into detail, the result was I ended up with his two seats as he had an early flight out of Grand Forks connecting onward to Raleigh-Durham. Then, I had my own quandary – my closest friends, Scott and Michael, just moved back to Minneapolis this month. We originally planned on going later in September, but I figured: Housewarming Gift!
Yet, in the end, Michael decided that Scott and I should go. And we did. So, here we are – an University of Iowa alumnus and a grad student at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota – among what appeared to be a few thousand green-clad University of North Dakota denizens. They were friendly folk, these Fighting Sioux.
There was a game however. Scott and I strolled in to miss the entire first inning – a first for me in eons. We did miss the three-run first by the Twins, but that was OK – this was Scott’s first trip inside Target Field.
I was impressed with Kevin Slowey – pitching eight full innings throwing just over 100 pitches. Delmon Young made some serious contributions in the field and at bat. Joe Mauer’s double down the line in the bottom of the eighth was quite impressive, which enabled him to score the final run of the game.
My only issue was some of the outfield play, thanks to a persistent sun over the third base stands. That created a few miscues by Denard Span in communication on some fly balls. One, as Scott remarked, was the shallowest double we’ve ever seen.
Jose Mijares was not bad as the closer for this evening. Not bad, being a relative term to what I’ve seen from Twins’ relief in my last game I attended a couple weeks back.
Still, the shutout was earned and the Twins go 2-0 on the Mariners for tomorrow’s finale. As for me – I’m 3-0 in the new ballpark!
Game Review: Minnesota 7 vs. Chicago (AL) 4
Photos by Randy Stern
I’ll admit it – I love storylines! This game had them…
First off, the reason for attending this particular Twins-White Sox tilt at Target Field was to be a part of a larger group (approximately 500 people) sponsored by Lavender magazine (and Ameriprise), whom I did some articles for over a year ago. Last year, I went to the same event held by said magazine with a smaller number of folks from the gay community. This time, I bought two seats – the other for a local friend who also loves sports.
Gradually, I began to see other friends from the community as part of this group. We figured it’s the best for us to share our love for the game instead of guessing which games we’ll show up for and how to get seats together. This season had been a challenge to get folks together for Twins games.
On the field, Francisco Liriano started for the home side against Gavin Floyd. Every time the Venezuelan pitched – he would disappoint. Yet, the buzz had been positive this season for a resurrected Liriano. Would this newly confident and winning Liriano show up on this evening? I was not confident that would be the case.
Still, I had to contend with my fellow gay folks in the right field stands. Last year was great since I mainly hung out with my fellow subcultural buds (called “Bears” in case you’re not freaked out by open and frank discussions of GLBT fans on this blog). This year, it was just a few friends – though I did get into some good conversations with others in attendance. The original 400-seat allotment sold out so quickly, Lavender was lucky to get from the Twins an additional 100 more tickets, but these seats were spread out in two different parts of the ballpark.
In the meantime, there was a game to talk about. A Twins win – to begin with. Last night, though, I saw two teams: Both happen to be the Twins. There was the Twins’ squad that was capable of scoring runs in bunches making life hard for opponents. That first squad also included a strong performance by Liriano. He certainly regained my confidence in him again.
Then, there was the other Twins squad. What we witnessed was a team that wastes opportunities by miscues and sloppy fielding. This was also a squad that lets their opponents back into games by inconsistent relief. Funny thing: Everyone was hyped about Jon Rauch being the closer after Joe Nathan was considered out for the season. He looked good at my first Twins’ home game at Target Field. Last night – Rauch was nothing short of horrible. Jesse Crain had to come in and mop up the mess.
A win’s a win. Better still, a win over the White Sox! For a larger victory, the 500 folks that showed up for being “Out in The Stands” this year. To the majority of the remaining 40,000-plus who were in attendance (namely, Twins fans), thank you for not making life hell for us 500!
Game Review: Eau Claire 6 vs. Waterloo 1
All Photos by Randy Stern
So, I was ready to talk about Kirk Gibson’s ascension to the manager position with the Arizona Diamondbacks. I was going to kick the carcass of A.J. Hinch a few times in the process…but, I needed to fill my jones for some live baseball.
Therefore, A.J. and Kirk will have to wait.
Last year, I talked about the Northwoods League, a summer-long short season series featuring collegiate talent to further hone in their baseball basics. In St. Cloud, I saw that there was a true love of the game for their local players, though one would be disappointed in the quality of play overall. The approach to attending a low-level, short-season game is to set aside all Major League pretentiousness and just watch the game for what it is – pure baseball.
On July 4th weekend, I decided that, instead of futzing around on StubHub for Twins-Tampa Bay tickets, I’ll do another baseball road trip. This one will have to be within a couple of hours from home – so no overnight accommodations will be used. It came down to three choices: Rochester (the reigning Northwoods League Champions – an hour-and-a-half drive), Willmar (the newest member of the league – two hours from home) and Eau Claire (the site of this year’s All-Star Game for the league – and another hour-and-a-half drive away).
I arrived at the decision simply: Parking sucks in Rochester at the ballpark (it’s a downtown stadium, so you use nearby ramps…er, garages…for optimal parking – though you can park at the ballpark’s miniscule parking lot) and I couldn’t get anyone on the phone at Willmar regarding tickets. Eau Claire was the choice – thanks to a nice young woman named Emily who got me a good seat for $8.00.
Going into this game, the Express sat pretty on top of the Southern Division, just a half-game off of the Wisconsin Woodchucks, based in Wausau. Two other teams were within proximity of the Express in the division: Green Bay and this evening’s opponent, the Waterloo Bucks. The Bucks were a game-and-a-half off of Eau Claire’s pace in the division.
There is a twist to the Eau Claire story. Fifty-eight years ago, Eau Claire hosted the Class C farm club for the Milwaukee Braves. The Bears had a very special player come through on his way to one of the greatest careers the game has ever witnessed. He was just a kid from Mobile, Alabama who enjoyed his first success in the game he loved. His name was Henry Aaron.
Because of the legacy of The Hammer, there is a dedicated group of baseball fans committed to the preservation of this history surrounding Carson Park. The Eau Claire Baseball Hall of Fame Committee administers the plaza in front of Carson Park dedicated not only to Aaron, but to those who played for Eau Claire’s minor league teams (Aaron, his brother Tommie, Andy Pakfo. etc.), or have grown up in the Chippewa Valley who made an impact on the game of baseball (namely Tom Poquette). During the game, the committee raises funds to maintain the plaza and the Hall of Fame’s activities through a 50/50 raffle. They were nice enough to introduce me to the Express’ owner, Bill Rowlett. Good folks in Eau Claire, indeed!
Saturday night’s game itself was pretty good – perhaps one of the best Northwoods League games I ever seen. There seems to be a poise that the Express had that night. Maybe for the first inning there were flaws, but once everyone settled down, the Express went right to business. I was transfixed on how well the Express played on a level that could be seen in a full-season Single A league. They certainly capitalized on Waterloo’s mistakes.
Another interesting observation I must share after previous discussions about the state of umpiring in the Major Leagues. We often take for granted how this game is officiated. We also forget that umpires have to work their way up to get those few precious spots in the Major Leagues. As the players in the Northwoods League hone in their baseball skills, the umpires are also learning how to do their jobs on this level as well. A few mistakes were allowed, but not on the scale of Joe West’s continued feign ignorance. Then again, with training, these guys could eventually replace West in the Bigs.
Tell that to the man sitting right by the Express’ dugout who had the home plate ump’s number. And, kudos to the home plate umpire for being professional enough to ignore the heckler – even though said patron appeared to be a prominent figure in the Chippewa Valley area.
In the end, the locals won, 6-1. The score was important, but not as important as being in a spot where history and the future converge. Rarely do you get an opportunity to be in such a place. Set aside Fenway and Wrigley for a moment – and consider Carson Park. All it takes a moment in time to bridge 1952 with today’s budding collegiate ballplayers.
Now…Kirk Gibson…the D-Backs lost badly last night, didn’t they?
Game Review: Iowa 3 vs. Albuquerque 2 (14 Innings)
Iowa Cubs’ Manager Ryne Sandberg signing autographs before the game. All photos by Randy Stern
Ryne Sandberg. If there is one name that evokes a fervor amongst Chicago Cubs fans, it would be his.
In his post-playing career, Sandberg has become one of the most successful managers in the minors. The Cubs retained him as a coach, at first. Then, the Cubs gave Sandberg the opportunity to learn managing. Everywhere he managed, Sandberg was able to turn around the clubs he was managing. Through two years in Peoria (A) of the Midwest League and last season in Tennessee (AA) of the Southern League, Sandberg arrived in Des Moines with the promise of building a contender in the tough Pacific Coast League (AAA). There’s excitement in Central Iowa – almost the same as the legacy Sandberg left behind on the North Side of Chicago.
It was recently said that the most successful players make the worst managers. In fact, that was said during a group presentation in my Leadership class at grad school – the context being former Minnesota Twins’ manager Tom Kelly. I offered up Sandberg’s record in the minors so far. Still, the group defended this ideal and dismissed Sandberg as refuting their point.
Coming into tonight’s game with the visiting Albuquerque Isotopes, the I-Cubs are tied for first in the American North division of the PCL. Their I-80 rivals, the Omaha Royals, share the lead as they enjoy a renaissance of their own. However, the division is a tight one already with both the Nashville Sounds and Memphis Redbirds just a half game out of the leaders. Then again, the entire PCL has been flipped on its ear – even the forever-lowly Fresno Grizzlies have a commanding lead on top of the Pacific South division.
Yet, walking into Principal Park, nestled in the south part of downtown Des Moines just steps from the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers, you can sense something special happening to this ballclub. You look no further than in the dugout and number 23 – Ryno has this team and the entire state abuzz.
I had to see for myself what the buzz was all about. I’ve always wanted to go to a game at Principal Park with all of the good things I’ve read and heard about it. What was once Sec Taylor Stadium remains the jewel of Iowa’s baseball heritage. A flood victim itself, it remained resilient to the tides of Iowa’s temperamental rivers through the worst in June of 2008.
Ryno did not disappoint. In fact, he surprised me. There is a pre-game tradition Sandberg began by signing autographs prior to the game. This would last 15-30 minutes depending on what he had on his plate. Fans would lineup every game with memorabilia – old and new – that would wrap around into the center aisle of the stadium. His time this evening was brief due to a late arrival into the dugout. Not his fault – Ryno’s trying to maintain an advantage in a tight race.
The forecast called for isolated thunderstorms. There weren’t any. The heavens decided to hold off any light shows until it was all over – fourteen innings of it! And, I stayed – a lesson learned from sticking to “Game 163″ last year inside the Metrodome. Both the I-Cubs and Isotopes played a strong, defensive game with good pitching and fielding. There were only a few mistakes allowed. Yet, what prevented the game from breaking open was the semi-humid air keeping the ball inside the park. Not to mention the high walls at Principal Field. I’m assuming home runs were already rare at this park.
Speaking of familiar names – Ivan De Jesus, Jr. plays for Albuquerque. Yep, that’s Ivan De Jesus’ son.
In the end, the I-Cubs pulled it off by a score of 3-2, thanks to a pinch-hit RBI by James Adduci bringing home Wellington Castillo. Larger still, seeing a Hall of Famer manage his way into a future Major League slot was well worth this trip down to Des Moines.
Game Review: Minnesota 6 vs. Kansas City 5
All Photos by Randy Stern
Two exhibitions and four games later, I finally joined in the fun. It was indeed worth the wait!
Target Field packed $545 Million of promises of baseball excellence not only in ballpark design and engineering, but also in its primary tenant. On an absolutely beautiful and temperately warm Saturday afternoon, 38,564 came to pack it in – almost a full house!
Originally, I promised to utilize public transport to the game – as I normally have done for the Metrodome. Instead, I had a MotorGeek (my automotive subblog) subject on hand, so I partook in the newest option available by our local transit operator: A Park-N-Ride express bus from the West Metro.
At the Hopkins Crossroad (County Road 73) exit off Interstate 394 in Minnetonka, Metro Transit operated a direct bus that goes to a bus pad underneath one of the ramps (read garage) connected to the ballpark. They had high capacity buses available at a frequent clip to provide this service. For a roundtrip of $4.50 on the weekends, it’s worth it. And, we had packed buses to boot!
Sure, I could’ve easily drove into downtown, parked at one of the city-operated ramps and walked on the Skyway system to the park. The truth is – I saved up to $10.50 and avoided some hassles getting out of the ramp after the game. A good call, indeed!
I arrived early enough to see what improvements the team made to Target Field since the Open House. Plenty, I must add. I loved how people and things flowed more smoothly on the concourses. I also liked the finishing touches to the retired numbers, the right field stands and the video board since then. They even brought the organ from the Metrodome to the new stadium. I was lucky to sit two rows down from the organ’s position. The organist was friendly and accessible – unlike at most ballparks!
Based on my dry run at the Open House, everything about my seat at the ballpark was right! It was wide enough with plenty of legroom. It reminded me of flying the old TWA Ambassador Class – not exactly First Class, but plenty of room nonetheless. The Twins Pub was behind me, which provided a place to eat my lunch of a Kramarczuk bratwurst. BTW, the real Kramarczuk’s is located in the St. Anthony Main area across the river from downtown Minneapolis for authentic Eastern European dishes and sausages.
The game itself had its moments – both up and down. Rick Ankiel certainly helped matters for the visiting Royals. His two homers tested the arm of Nick Blackburn and the patience of the local faithful. Ankiel brought home an additional run, while Scott Podsednik and Willie Bloomquist added their own contributions to the Kansas City side.
However, it would be the Twins that would make everyone’s day. To equalize the game in the bottom of the second inning, Jim Thome bashed one out into the forest beyond center field, bringing in Michael Cuddyer in the process. In the same inning, the Twins took the lead with a sequence of key hits starting with J.J. Hardy’s double and a walk for Brendan Harris. Denard Span followed with a single bringing in Hardy, which gave the initial lead. Yet, the Twins weren’t done. Two at-bats later, Joe Mauer did his magic. His line drive single brought in Harris and Span putting the Royals at a disadvantage.
Once the Royals tied it, there was a feeling that something had to give – and quick. It happened in the bottom of the seventh on the bat of Orlando Hudson. John Parrish was brought in by Trey Hillman to set up a possible victory for Gil Meche. Instead, he served up a one-ball pitch to Hudson that sailed into the left field stands. In nine seasons, he only hit 78 home runs during his tours of duty in Toronto, Arizona and the Los Angeles Dodgers. This one made everyone noticed. Far from a game winner – it gave Twins fans an added hero in a team loaded of them.
Another new hero emerged this afternoon: Jon Rauch. In light of Joe Nathan’s season-ending diagnosis, both Ron Gardenhire and Rick Anderson were looking for a closer with equal, if not more impact than their tried-and-true one. Rauch has the swagger, gumption and attitude to be that guy. As of this moment, he leads all relievers in saves with six – the latest one earned at just before 3:00PM Central time today. Joe Nathan – maybe next year. This year, the message is clear from the North Loop/Warehouse District: Fear the dude with the tattoo on his neck.
Another Twins player I need pump up is Brian Duensing. When I met him at TwinsFest, the talk was he would be the fifth starter if Francisco Liriano had a bad spring. However, Liriano had a good one instead. That sent Duensing to the bullpen. When Blackburn began to falter against the Royals, Gardenhire and Anderson brought the young Duensing in. Not only did he accomplish 15 strikes on a key two-inning, 21-pitch stint, he got his second win of the season by being absolutely on. Hudson’s homer helped matter greatly in Duensing’s favor.
Almost six years ago, just days after I moved to Minnesota and the Twin Cities, I attended my first game at the Metrodome – a loss to the Oakland A’s. In my first game at the new outdoor ballpark, I experienced a win right off the bat. I cannot think of any other way to fulfill a lifelong dream of walking into a brand new ballpark right in my own backyard. I also cannot fathom over the span of 40 years of attending ballgames (with years of gaps in-between – exact years are too many to recount) of an experience that would almost equal the excitement of several first times at various ballparks around the continent – and the emotion of last year’s Game 163.
Target Field – my new home ballpark. I can’t wait for my next home game…
Game Review: Chicago (AL) 4 @ Minnesota 2
That was all Denard Span had to do: Watch Gordon Beckham’s homer fly into the stands. Photo by Randy Stern
Remember I told you that I attended my final Minnesota Twins game inside the Metrodome? I lied.
The AL Central race has turned upside down. Last week, it seemed that the Chicago White Sox was threatening the Detroit Tigers for the division pennant. Not anymore. General Manager Ken Williams sent Jose Conteras and Jim Thome packing through separate trades. The Cuban ace arrived in Denver just fine, while Thome arrived at Chavez Ravine to join another ex-Southsider, Jon Garland.
However, as soon as I thought they were out of the AL Central race, the Minnesota Twins displayed their patented late season comeback. Orlando Cabrera was not just the difference, but as a catalyst for the rest of the team to wake up. Monday saw Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel launching shots against their rivals. Yesterday saw two blasts by Michael Cuddyer with last minute heroics by Jose Morales. Both games drew the Twins closer to the division-leading Tigers.
With three-and-a-half games back, the Twins celebrate their thirteenth game before heading to Target Field next April.
To make matters more interesting, Mark Buehrle was on the mound for the White Sox. A July perfect game means nothing when your team has undergone changes to slowly drop out of the pennant race. If one thinks that perfection can stop the bleeding, the Twins trot out young Brian Duensing to match up with the Southsiders’ ace. His mission is not only beat Buehrle – but to sweep the series and hope the Cleveland Indians can put the brakes on the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Sure, the Minnesota State Fair would be a good alternative than a 12:10PM start with a perfect day outside. I decided to skip that this year. I was also supposed to be in Duluth the coming weekend for friends and frivolity. Nah. I’ll be up there later this month.
Instead, I made my last visit to see baseball in the Metrodome. No groups of rude cliques taking my seat or the pain of wedging into another Upper Deck experience. My final trip would in the better seats on the Lower Deck. No fancy behind home plate position, but a good vantage point nonetheless. It is a reminder that my Vikings tickets are on the same level, but about dead center field (in Twins terms). No more nosebleeds and cramming for me in this building!
It was a quick game – just two-and-a-half hours on a Wednesday afternoon. There were just over 21,000 of us stalwarts looking for a sweep against the White Sox. It looked good through the top of the ninth as the Twins took a 2-0 lead deep into the game. Duensing and Buehrle were pitching compact games for six innings each – both never scratching 90 pitches. Things were indeed looking up as Joe Nathan came in to close the game out at the top of the Ninth inning.
Then, it all fell apart. Nathan had two outs and a 3-2 count on Gordon Beckham before the rookie third baseman sailed one into the Home Run Deck. This was followed by a Paul Konerko shot into the same area. With the game tied at 2 apiece, Matt Guerrier who had to find a way to stop the bleeding replaced Nathan. Nathan already walked two guys when Alexei Ramirez stepped into the box against Guerrier. On one hit, both base runners came in.
What almost was a Twins sweep ended up a White Sox stopgap victory.
This is how my eighteen-game run at the Metrodome ended. I can’t recall how many games I attended at Dodger Stadium (1970-83), McAfee Coliseum (1985-96) or Angels Stadium (1978-91), the three ballparks I know I attended 10 games or more in my lifetime, but my tenure at the Metrodome has to rank just below that of Dodger Stadium.
Next year, there is no telling how many games I will see at Target Field. That will depend on a few personal things, such as my place in this economy and whether this so-called recovery will affect me or not. I know that’s a goal now – to experience a new ballpark in my community.
As for the Metrodome, it’s been real. I know I’ll be back for a Vikings game this season, but baseball inside the dome may not seem as memorable as other experiences in the game. Yet, since moving to the Twin Cities in 2004, even experiencing the Metrodome for the first time on my fifth day after arriving in town, it was my home ballpark.
Randy Stern
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