This was the day Joseph and I were really looking forward to – a Major League Baseball game! Russ offered us his company’s Twins season tickets and Jenni, Padma, Joe and I went to see the Twins battle the Yankees at Target Field.
We were four of 36,000 fans who came out on a perfect Saturday afternoon for a ball game. There were plenty of Yankee fans in the stadium who proudly displayed their loyalty to their heros. But the Twins fans were very eager for a win after what’s been a lackluster season for them.
The Twins now play in the four-year old Target Field, which has been rated as the best baseball stadium experience in North America by ESPN Sports. We agreed!
Americans truly have a gift for making sports entertaining and there was never a dull moment – at least between innings. The game got a bit dull around the 4th and 5th inning but things were never dull on the big screen. On every inning change the fan cams came up and asked fans to do silly things like flex your muscles, show your karate moves, be romantic, or whatever. Everyone watched those much more closely than the game.
I’m not sure what is more important at a ball game – the baseball or the food. One thing is for sure, you won’t leave Target Field hungry. If you don’t want to miss any action and visit the many food stands you just need to sit in your seats and the food will come to you.
When I was a boy growing up in Amery, Wisconsin I was a diehard Twins fan. One summer the local grocery store had a promotion and every week gave away an 8×10 picture of one of the Twins. I couldn’t wait each week for the next picture and my bedroom wall was covered with those pics of my heros – Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Bert Blyleven. But none of those was bigger than homerun slugger and Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew. So when a vendor came past offering ice cold Killebrew root beer I just had to have one and offer a toast to my boyhood hero.
To be honest I only knew of one Minnesota Twins player before the game – Joe Mauer and he was off with injury. But I did know several Yankee players and none were bigger than Derek Jeter. The Yankees captain is on his farewell tour after playing 20 years and is a Hall of Fame shoo-in. The Twins honoured him before the game with a very poignant video tribute including statements by some of the Twins saying how Jeter inspired them. Jeter’s nickname is Captain Clutch and he didn’t disappoint. After going hitless at his first at bats, Jeter stepped up to the plate at the top of the ninth with the score tied at 1-1. With the swing pictured here he singled and then a few pitches later stole second.
Bottom of the 11th, ballgame tied at 1-1 and the Twins were at bat. The Yankees gave slugger Willingham an intentional walk as he hit a homer earlier and they wanted to get in some double play options. Then it went horribly wrong when Arcia was hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded with one out. Trevor Plouffe stepped up to the plate and hits a soft infield hit. Easy force out at home for the Yankees for the second out but then the Yankee catcher tries to make it a double play and makes a wild throw to first base. Willingham keeps running and scores to win the game for the Twins. The home team crowd erupted. Nothing is sweeter in baseball than seeing the New York Yankees beat themselves. Baseball just doesn’t get any better than that!