I Went to 57 Twins Games in 2022. Here's What I Noticed

[Melissa Berman]

In 2022, Twins Pass in hand, for better or worse, I went to 57 Twins games: 56 at Target Field and one at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. At about 3 hours and 3 minutes a pop, the average length of an MLB game in 2022, I spent roughly 174 hours at the ballpark watching Twins games. When I confided in friends how many games I attended, their reactions ranged from amusement to shock. Even though the Twins did not make the playoffs (not that you needed a reminder), I do not regret going to any of them. You know the old saying, "the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time?" Here’s what I noticed from my 57 games in Twins Territory. 

Image courtesy of Melissa Berman

1. Never underestimate the draw of the Brewers series, Blue Jays series, and Prince Night. By the eye test and official numbers, these games drew the largest crowds of the year by far- even more than Opening Day (which was quite chilly this year). It is incredible how well Brewers and Toronto fans travel, which is likely because Target Field is closer for many members of the “Brew Crew” and Toronto fanbases than Miller Park in Milwaukee or Rogers Centre in Toronto.

When I arrived for these games, I was shocked at how difficult it was to find parking, how packed the concourses were, and how much Brewers and Blue Jays Blue filled the seats. Make a mental note to leave lots of extra time if you plan on attending one of these games next season.  

2. But otherwise, attendance was lackluster this year. Even with the Twins battling for the top of the division for much of the season, in 2022, the Twins finished 20th in MLB attendance, averaging 22,514 fans per game. In 2019, the Bomba Squad season, the Twins brought in about 28,000 fans per game. Truthfully, many games felt much emptier than that 22,000 figure, especially weekday games and games in the spring and September. However, entire seating sections were empty on beautiful summer nights, too.

 

We know that team performance impacts attendance, but with the Twins playing competitive baseball the majority of the season, I was often surprised just how empty Target Field felt for many games. There were almost never any security or bathroom lines, and there was always plenty of space in the concourse, so that when games were busy, it was almost jarring.

 

The Twins tried to compensate for the low attendance by running a myriad of bargain ticket deals at various points during the season. These included a limited-time sale in which fans could buy $4 upper level tickets to any weekday game during the season, and expanding college ticket night to every night in September.

3. Fans love post-game concerts, and the Twins should do more in the future. Maybe the most fun idea the Twins had all season was to host a free full-length concert after one of their games. In August, Twins fans who hung around after a Twins- Blue Jays game sang along to a 75-minute show by country music artist Cole Swindell.

Even though I’m not a country music fan, the show quality was excellent, and the reviews from fans were almost universally positive (except from the Twins fans who were annoyed by the sudden influx cowboy hat-clad music fans traipsing up and down the aisles during the game). Because the Twins have not done much to whip up excitement among their fans via trades and the free agent market this offseason, they should consider treating fans to more shows or promotions in the future to get them in the doors.

4. This season had two of the craziest weather games in recent memory. The most memorable game I went to all year was only three innings: the Twins rainout vs. the Houston Astros on Star Wars Night, May 11. I remember evacuating into the lower level concourse and watching the wind blow the rain in sheets with a ferocity I had never before seen.

I jotted down everything I noticed and heard using my cell phone notes app. I sloshed back to my car, arrived at my apartment, and found that the power was out, so I wrote my narrative account of the game’s chaotic events while sitting in the dark. The result was perhaps my favorite piece I wrote this year.

To be fair, I attended the game knowing that some wild weather was going to blow in, and I wanted to see what happened. I was surprised they chose to play the game at all.

After this, I thought I would not see such severe weather at a game for a long time, but similar severe weather blew in on July 12, seemingly out of nowhere and on the first night of the Brewers series. I remember being trapped on the upper-level concourse (people packed into the stairwells, bathrooms, and indoor areas seeking shelter from the wind and blowing rain) while being sprayed with cold rain blown by the high winds.

A major takeaway I had from these rainy games is how unbelievable Target Field's water drainage system is; the Twins were able to resume the game after about an hour delay. No one likes rain delays, but everyone loves Club Rayne. 

Calm after the storm as seen from Target Field during rain delay on July 12

5. Target Field upped the fanfare this season. Late in the 2022 season, Target Field began dimming the lights during Jhoan Duran’s entrance song. To my knowledge, the Twins have never done that for a pitcher, especially one who is not a closer. Jorge Lopez also got the dimmed lights treatment with his horror movie-themed walkout. Walkout songs have always been a bit of a show (remember Fernando Rodney's electric entrance?), but they became their own spectacle this season due in part to the Mets’ Edwin Diaz’s viral walkout song "Narco." Pitcher entrances across the league became their show within the show this season, and the Twins kept pace.  

In addition, 2022 was the first season in which TC Bear drove around the perimeter of the field in an ATV after every win carrying a "Twins Win!" flag. The Twins also premiered a giant t-shirt cannon called the "Mall of America Blaster," which they shot from the same place on the rightfield concourse every game.

6. The “5 Lookalikes” bit was the best new thing at the stadium. Whether it’s Chubbs Peterson from “Happy Gilmore,” Captain Kangaroo (ask your parents), Jay Leno/Paul Allen, or Iceman from Top Gun, it is incredible how Twins staff can spot fans in the crowd and accurately match them up with a celebrity or fictional character that they resemble. Though some comparisons are closer than others, many of the lookalikes were borderline uncanny. Seeing the unsuspecting doppelganger’s reaction to noticing themselves up on the big screen was priceless.

7. Seeing the Twins play at an away ballpark is unbridled joy. Perhaps my favorite experience of this year, baseball or not, was seeing the Twins play the Chicago White Sox on October 3 at Guaranteed Rate Field. I have been to Twins spring training several times, but this was the first time I had seen the Twins play in another city. Being a visiting fan in an opposing ballpark, “enemy territory,” was a unique and exhilarating feeling.

I was proud to wear my Twins jersey and hat even though the Twins were way out of the division race by that point, and it was fun high-fiving other Twins fans I came across in the stadium. I thought Guaranteed Rate Field was beautiful. Before the game, we went and got Chicago-style pizza at a place called Ricobenes near the stadium and tailgated outside the stadium in Lot B.

8. The Twins should consider doing Hall of Fame ceremonies before the game or at least clearly advertise when the game is actually going to start. Look, I get it; the Twins do not want an empty house when Twins greats like Dan Gladden and Ron Gardenhire walk up to take the podium at their Twins Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies. At the same time, it makes for an exceptionally long day for fans, especially those with children, when the game starts an hour after it was advertised.

Watching Dan Gladden’s acceptance speech on a sunny Sunday, Kids Day, at Target Field, I was surrounded by squirming children. Hall of Fame ceremonies are not a regular occurrence for the Twins, but maybe in the future, the Twins should clearly state that the listed start time of the game is actually the start of the ceremony.

9. The Twins have its littlest fans to thank for their packed attendance during day games. If you’re not a fan of little kids, and lots of them, day games during the summer are probably not for you. The entire upper deck at many day games consisted almost solely of kids’ day camps, all wearing their matching camp t-shirts. Their unified “Let’s Go Twins!” chants were adorable and impressive. 

10. Some of the favorite moments I saw at Target Field in 2022: Royce Lewis' first MLB home run- a grand slam- on May 13; Gary Sánchez's grand slam on April 10; the Twins' walkoff win vs the White Sox in the 10th inning on April 24; Max Kepler's grand slam on May 23, which was the 1000th home run hit by a Twins player at Target Field; the Twins hitting back-to-back-to back home runs on June 9; Louie Varland's home debut on September 23.

11. There are some really special people at Target Field. From the more visible figures like Target Field staple Sue Nelson on organ and the local artist Kickliy to those behind the scenes, like Bally Sports audio engineer Chris Tveitbakk, who mixes the sound for every Twins home game broadcast from the Bally truck behind Target Field, we are lucky to have so many unique, interesting, and passionate people working at the ballpark. 

12. No matter how the Twins are playing, there is no better place to be than Target Field on a summer night. You’re reading Twins Daily; it’s evident that you care deeply about the success of the team. I do too. But every season, no matter where the team is in the standings, I stand by the fact that Target Field is the best place to be on a beautiful summer night.

Despite going to 56 games at Target Field, sometimes as many as six in a week, I never got tired of going. I never grew bored of the skyline views, the post-game fireworks, Sue Nelson on the organ, Minnie and Paul shaking hands after a win, or the Dollar Dogs. There is just so much to love about Target Field, and time spent with friends and loved ones at a baseball game is never time wasted. 

Happy 2023! Thank you much for reading my work this year and all your kind and thoughtful comments. Joining Twins Daily had been such a joy. Here's to a year filled with lots of baseball, Twins wins, and for me, maybe 60 in-person games!

 

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[LewFordLives]

I love Target Field, and I enjoy watching Twins baseball, but 3 hours for a run-of-the-mill nine inning game is just too long. If you include the time to drive to the stadium and park, it's easily a 4+ hour commitment. On a weeknight that's too much to ask of even the most hard core fans. Hopefully some of the rule changes will help make the game length shorter and more predictable.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Thank you for a beautiful article.

[tony&rodney]

You are awesome-great post.

[gil4]

You managed to see more Twins games in person in  a year than I have seen in 58 years.  I have only seen about a half-dozen home games (two in the dome, the rest in the old Met) so I'm usually in enemy territory (Fenway and old Yankee stadium when I was younger, three Texas stadiums after that.) 

Twins fans are usually well represented in Arlington, and the Texas fans are usually pretty friendly. 

I need to make it to Target Field. (I also want to hit KC - it's about 8 hours away.} 

[mikelink45]

56 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

I love Target Field, and I enjoy watching Twins baseball, but 3 hours for a run-of-the-mill nine inning game is just too long. If you include the time to drive to the stadium and park, it's easily a 4+ hour commitment. On a weeknight that's too much to ask of even the most hard core fans. Hopefully some of the rule changes will help make the game length shorter and more predictable.

From my home it is 2 hours - put the round trip with one of those non-competitive 3+ hour games and I have devoted a full day and then the concessions are so expensive that I just have to shake my head and wait till I get home.  The fact is that baseball has become so long and boring on most nights that we have to have big electronic entertainment screens, mascot races, shooting T shirts into the crowd and other diversions that would not have fit into the 90 - 120 minute games in the 50s.

[Melissa Berman]

58 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

From my home it is 2 hours - put the round trip with one of those non-competitive 3+ hour games and I have devoted a full day and then the concessions are so expensive that I just have to shake my head and wait till I get home.  The fact is that baseball has become so long and boring on most nights that we have to have big electronic entertainment screens, mascot races, shooting T shirts into the crowd and other diversions that would not have fit into the 90 - 120 minute games in the 50s.

It will be interesting to see how the game flow changes with the pitch clock next year, which will shave anywhere from 20-30 minutes off games!

[mikelink45]

34 minutes ago, Melissa Berman said:

It will be interesting to see how the game flow changes with the pitch clock next year, which will shave anywhere from 20-30 minutes off games!

I am really looking forward to it.  I think it is a great change if enforced - the batter also needs to be monitored.  Reducing RP is also a good start.

[TwinsChupacabra]

It was a fun read.  Thanx.

[DocBauer]

Very entertaining read. And I'm very jealous!

Been a Twins fan for over 50yrs and a rabid one for well over 40yrs. But I've seen, I believe, the Twins play live 7 times in all of those years. The first was a double header against the Tigers in about '70 or '71 in the old Met stadium with my dad, the little league team he helped coach, and the head coach. The next 2 were against the Angels in '84 when my dad, uncle, and I attended the Olympics that year. And I believe I've been to Kaufman in KC 2 or 3 times. (Memories get mixed at times). Despite living in South Dakota and Nebraska my whole life, time, $, and opportunity never really lined to see them at home until recently. Afraid my Twins experience has mostly been on 57.0 out of Yangton, and games on TV during visits to family in SD, until I got the internet package about 10yrs ago. (One of the very best things about the internet)!

I was FINALLY able to catch the Twins against the Rangers in August on a very special trip to the Cities with my father and previously mentioned uncle, who resides there now. A Vikings/Twins 2-for weekend that didn't allow time to catch the Saints, unfortunately. The OF was in shambles, the lineup did nothing, Ryan was great, and Pagan was his normal, explosive self. But it was a FANTASTIC experience nonetheless!

It was actually the Twins HOF ceremony game mentioned. (We hadn't remembered that was the case until we arrived). I appreciate people with busy schedules and impatient children involved in such an affair, but we felt blessed to be there on that day, despite the loss to the Rangers. It was wonderful to see those who were inducted, visited, and hear the speeches. 

I didn't enjoy the cost for concessions, of course, but that was to be expected, lol. BUT, a pair of blue can "Twins Brew" tall boys for $25 was a bit much! (Good beer, but went cheaper after that). 

Seeing, and touring Target Field for the 1st time was amazing. The stadium and field were as gorgeous as I expected and seen on TV and video clips! We left with some sunburn, lol,  a program I have framed in my family room, a pack of 3 commemorative pins, a couple other purchased souvenirs, and a head full of memories that will never leave!

Visiting the Kernals, not that far from Omaha, and a return trip to see both the Saints and Twins on the same visit remain on mine and my father's wish list. Reading this, and being jealous, lol, only makes me want to do these even more.

Go Twins!

[theBOMisthebomb]

Wow, 57 games is impressive. I agree with your list, especially number 11. The best way to spend a night is at Target Field. The complaints about baseball being too boring, the cost, and time spent are tiresome and always somewhat surprising to me for some reason. Anyway, I made it to 22 Twins games in 2022, 19 at Target Field, 2 at Dodger Stadium, and one at Angels Stadium. I also attended non-Twins MLB games at Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. The Twins were 9-13 when I attended. I saw the Kershaw truncated no hitter, walk offs by Buxton, Miranda against the hated Brewers, and so much more. 

The only addition I have to your list was the all you can eat Friday nights were quite fun. I was convinced to go by my buddy and begrudgingly went along. I enjoyed the variety and was able to keep the consumption in check. So, I took my dad a few weeks later and he also enjoyed. I just fasted the day of the all you can eat games so I could enjoy the unlimited ballpark favorites guilt free.  

 

[BuxtonBonanza]

Awesome year long report! I live in California and am hoping to travel to MN to see a home stand this season. Really looking forward to it and this report helps fuel my mania (and the hope for some inexpensive but great seats)! 

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

2 hours ago, Melissa Berman said:

It will be interesting to see how the game flow changes with the pitch clock next year, which will shave anywhere from 20-30 minutes off games!

I hope that's true! Thank you, Melissa, for a very enjoyable article!  I was at the Brewers rain game.  Long night, but got to hang out with some really fun and knowledgeable Twins and Brewers fans while taking cover from the storms.

[ashbury]

57 games? Pffft.  Big deal.  Emilio Pagan all by himself attended 59 games.  (58 of which were losses, going strictly from memory.)

Seriously, kudos on the season summary from up-close.

[DocBauer]

2 hours ago, BuxtonBonanza said:

Awesome year long report! I live in California and am hoping to travel to MN to see a home stand this season. Really looking forward to it and this report helps fuel my mania (and the hope for some inexpensive but great seats)! 

I'm an open, passionate and emotional person.  So I tell you I was actually moved to tears when I watched all the videos of Target Field when it opened in 2010. I was thrilled and moved when I walked up to Target Field for the first time and took it all in with eyes and pictures with my 1st visit in August. My ONLY regret was discovering we had to buy special tickets to go upstairs to watch the game from the Budweiser deck in LF. Sooo wanted to have a beer and watch at least part of the game from up there. Next time! 

Make sure you arrive early enough for a good walk around to take it all in.

[wsnydes]

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

57 games? Pffft.  Big deal.  Emilio Pagan all by himself attended 59 games.  (58 of which were losses, going strictly from memory.)

Seriously, kudos on the season summary from up-close.

That's some commitment.  That level of commitment should require a contract or something!

I hope he got frequent buyer discounts on hot dogs and beers.

[wsnydes]

As someone that used to attend 30 some odd games a season, I can appreciate the level of commitment, time and money associated with attending that many games.  Thanks for the awesome article to close out the year!

[tarheeltwinsfan]

I know and understand why most of you Minnesotans prefer the beauty of your open air ball park.  However, since I live in North Carolina, I appreciated the certainty which the Dome provided those of us who have to travel a great distance to see the Twins play at home. I was able to make plans and reservations and purchase advance tickets to attend the games I wanted to see well in advance, since I was assured that the games would be played in a comfortable, dry, temperature-regulated stadium, I realize the Twins' fans are  mainly from the upper-Midwest,  however I  thoroughly enjoyed my times at the Dome.  And I must say, July in Minnesota was delightful. 

[Vanimal46]

9 hours ago, Melissa Berman said:

I spent roughly 174 hours at the ballpark watching Twins games

 

[Melissa Berman]

48 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

 

Where is my badge of honor?

[theBOMisthebomb]

3 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

I know and understand why most of you Minnesotans prefer the beauty of your open air ball park.  However, since I live in North Carolina, I appreciated the certainty which the Dome provided those of us who have to travel a great distance to see the Twins play at home. I was able to make plans and reservations and purchase advance tickets to attend the games I wanted to see well in advance, since I was assured that the games would be played in a comfortable, dry, temperature-regulated stadium, I realize the Twins' fans are  mainly from the upper-Midwest,  however I  thoroughly enjoyed my times at the Dome.  And I must say, July in Minnesota was delightful. 

I've longed for the Metrodome during many a cold April game at Target Field. 

[The_Phantom]

Part of the issue is this team is just not fun. Youll never see a pitching gem because Rocco has to pull them early. You see a lot of guys striking out a lot and going through the motions but not playing hard nose baseball. Even the bad teams of the late 90s and early 2000s and the bad teams of the 10s at least had some fire once in a while. And why commit to driving to the ballpark Saturday night when Buxton and Correa will just be on unannounced, scheduled days off anyway. They can’t commit to you, so why commit to them. They should always be playing at home even if it means never playing on the road. Sounds like the stadium is doing a lot right for the fans but the team isn’t. 

[Melissa Berman]

14 hours ago, LewFordLives said:

I love Target Field, and I enjoy watching Twins baseball, but 3 hours for a run-of-the-mill nine inning game is just too long. If you include the time to drive to the stadium and park, it's easily a 4+ hour commitment. On a weeknight that's too much to ask of even the most hard core fans. Hopefully some of the rule changes will help make the game length shorter and more predictable.

It'll be interesting with the pitch clock next year shaving off somewhere between 20-30 minutes per game. It will be nice for weeknights and kids for sure! The "runner on second in extras" rule has definitely done a lot to make game length a bit more predictable as well 

[Melissa Berman]

11 hours ago, DocBauer said:

Very entertaining read. And I'm very jealous!

Been a Twins fan for over 50yrs and a rabid one for well over 40yrs. But I've seen, I believe, the Twins play live 7 times in all of those years. The first was a double header against the Tigers in about '70 or '71 in the old Met stadium with my dad, the little league team he helped coach, and the head coach. The next 2 were against the Angels in '84 when my dad, uncle, and I attended the Olympics that year. And I believe I've been to Kaufman in KC 2 or 3 times. (Memories get mixed at times). Despite living in South Dakota and Nebraska my whole life, time, $, and opportunity never really lined to see them at home until recently. Afraid my Twins experience has mostly been on 57.0 out of Yangton, and games on TV during visits to family in SD, until I got the internet package about 10yrs ago. (One of the very best things about the internet)!

I was FINALLY able to catch the Twins against the Rangers in August on a very special trip to the Cities with my father and previously mentioned uncle, who resides there now. A Vikings/Twins 2-for weekend that didn't allow time to catch the Saints, unfortunately. The OF was in shambles, the lineup did nothing, Ryan was great, and Pagan was his normal, explosive self. But it was a FANTASTIC experience nonetheless!

It was actually the Twins HOF ceremony game mentioned. (We hadn't remembered that was the case until we arrived). I appreciate people with busy schedules and impatient children involved in such an affair, but we felt blessed to be there on that day, despite the loss to the Rangers. It was wonderful to see those who were inducted, visited, and hear the speeches. 

I didn't enjoy the cost for concessions, of course, but that was to be expected, lol. BUT, a pair of blue can "Twins Brew" tall boys for $25 was a bit much! (Good beer, but went cheaper after that). 

Seeing, and touring Target Field for the 1st time was amazing. The stadium and field were as gorgeous as I expected and seen on TV and video clips! We left with some sunburn, lol,  a program I have framed in my family room, a pack of 3 commemorative pins, a couple other purchased souvenirs, and a head full of memories that will never leave!

Visiting the Kernals, not that far from Omaha, and a return trip to see both the Saints and Twins on the same visit remain on mine and my father's wish list. Reading this, and being jealous, lol, only makes me want to do these even more.

Go Twins!

Thanks so much for the kind words, the great response, and the happy, lovely story. I'm thrilled that you got to town to see a game! What a beautiful stadium, right? That sounds like such a happy day you had. and lasting memories. So cool you got to see the HOF ceremonies too! The majority of games I went to with my brother, and the others I took good friends. I still need to do the official  Target Field stadium tour- I did the US Bank Stadium tour last winter and it was unbelievably cool and worth it. 

Definitely come back for another Twins game and to see the Saints too- lots of great overlap in the schedules! CHS Field is just beautiful. Even though the Saints are of course AAA, they have maintained much of the fun that was characteristic of the indyball days. I'd love to get to a Kernals game.

Thanks again for reading and the great response. Baseball is such a special, beautiful thing, especially when shared with loved ones.  

[Melissa Berman]

14 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Thank you for a beautiful article.

Thank you so much for the kind words and reading. I appreciate all your insightful comments you left on my articles this year. Happy New Year!

[Melissa Berman]

4 hours ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

I've longed for the Metrodome during many a cold April game at Target Field. 

Better get those handwarmers out- 16 home games next April, the most of any month! ?

[LanceJS]

Great article - I was like you in the early days of the Metrodome with that many games - unfortunately I missed 1987 as I was in the Navy at the time (although my one game that year was great - game 1 of the ALCS).  Moved to upstate NY in 1997 after meeting who is now my wife but since then I have seen the Twins once every time they visit NY, whether Yankee Stadium or Shea/Citi Field, including the 2017 Wild Card game. As you can imagine, much heartbreak there. Finally made it back to Target Field this year for the first time in 9 years for two games vs the Angels and White Sox at the last home stand.  In NYC, I always wear Twins gear and am happy to usually find at least a few other Twins fans in my area of the ballpark. Since I don’t know when my next trip back to MN will be, please keep writing articles like this. I really enjoyed my two games at Target Field this year despite the team’s record at the time. And they won both games, making my all-time Target Field record 5-1 (saw 2 wins in 2012 and a win and loss in 2013).  

[Brazilian Twins Fan]

Great article Melissa. It has been 10 years now following the Twins every game through the internet, living more than 5,500 miles away.

I was able to watch a game in Target Field in 2013 against the CWS on a summer day. It was wonderful and something that sticks to the memory. In 2017 I was also able to watch a game in Yankee Stadium (another great experience). Both times the Twins lost and, although I wasn't treated to good Twins baseball both times, I would be back everyday if I could.

GO TWINS!

[nclahammer]

Great article Melissa, I also roadtripped to Chicago to see the Twins play the Sox last year.  Took the 'L'  downtown for deep dish pizza, and then watched the game a couple of rows from Max Kepler down the RF line.  Some Chicago fans were trying to speak to him in German during the game (seriously.)   The Target Field post game country music concert took us completely by surprise with the number of people who attended.   Yes, I felt like I was back at the county fair in South Dakota with all of the cowboy hats I saw.  Normally on a Thursday night, August, Twins out of the playoff race game, we'd have no problem moving up to better seats (personal upgrades I call them), but not that night.   Packed house for the post game concert, good idea by the Twins, and next time we'll know better if we want to upgrade our seats.  

[Bob Twins Fan Since 61]

Enjoyed reading your article Melissa.  Thanks for writing it.  Happy New Year and go Twins!