Reflecting on the Best and Worst First Half Ever

Lovely!

Being 71 y.o. and a non drinker of adult beverages, I have discovered that I prefer listening to the games on the radio, and watching TV with the sound off, unless Jim Kaat is doing the game. Cory Provis is an exceptional announcer. Danny G is fine too. 

I have also discovered the wonderful announcing team for the dreaded Yankees, John Sterling and Susan Waldman. I am not a Yankee fan, but I greatly enjoy them. 

I have discovered in my old age that Target Field is too noisy, ( due to incessant PA system), the concessions way over priced, and missing the certainty and comfort of a game that A RETRACTABLE ROOF would have given us. Guess I'm just a grumpy old man. In a few weeks I will sample in person the delights of CHS Field. We shall see.

Nicely done.  Even older than Richard, I too love baseball on the radio.  I no longer have a transistor radio  under my pillow and have to turn to streaming because of my travel, but there is no more soothing sound than a good baseball game and competent announcers. 

50 minutes ago, Richard Swerdlick said:

Being 71 y.o. and a non drinker of adult beverages, I have discovered that I prefer listening to the games on the radio, and watching TV with the sound off, unless Jim Kaat is doing the game. Cory Provis is an exceptional announcer. Danny G is fine too. 

I have also discovered the wonderful announcing team for the dreaded Yankees, John Sterling and Susan Waldman. I am not a Yankee fan, but I greatly enjoy them. 

I have discovered in my old age that Target Field is too noisy, ( due to incessant PA system), the concessions way over priced, and missing the certainty and comfort of a game that A RETRACTABLE ROOF would have given us. Guess I'm just a grumpy old man. In a few weeks I will sample in person the delights of CHS Field. We shall see.

Old man yells at cloud! Get those dang kids off my lawn!! 

Anyway, I agree with Nick that this has been an oddly magical first half of the season. It's just been so great to get back into the normal summer routine of a Twins game nearly every day. 

I feel the same way, I've enjoyed more baseball this year than any year before. For me especially, having the Saints as AAA affiliate has made the Twin Cities a really special place to be a baseball fan.

Great group photo!

Is that a JD lookalike in the Grand Drunk Railroad T-shirt? Sure looks like Donaldson.

Jeez, what a season for injuries.  Even the writers are banged up!

I am SO JEALOUS of those who live in the cities to visit Target Field or watch the Saints as they will. (But for a variety of reasons, happy to live in Omaha instead! Lol)

For various reasons, not sure the plan of my dad and I journeying up there for this season is going to happen. But I can live vicariously through you and John and everyone else who had a good time and tipped a few back in the LF bleachers this past weekend. Really hope to join you guys soon for a Meltdown and a game.

But as I've often stated, the world is just better with baseball, I learned the game in car and transistor radios in my youth from my dad and my own learned knowledge from him. I have fought late night static due to west coast games just to hear what the Twins might do. 

This season sucks due to expectation. Period, But even though I can't attend....hopefully the Saints here in Omaha for the second half....its just wonderful to have baseball back with fans and hope and disappointment and fun watching young players and dreaming about tomorrow. And that's the beauty of baseball....there is always tomorrow. 

Good perspective. Yes, 2021 is a super frustrating year, but at least we have baseball!

Last year's abbreviated season, with the cardboard heads and the rule changes, paired with the fact that we were all living through a very weird and unsettling time - that's a true "lost season".

Glad we have baseball, outside, with fans back in the seats. Much more enjoyable to watch....especially when they win. Target Field is indeed a gem - I always found it strange to focus on the food prices: it's a baseball stadium, not a restaurant!

1 hour ago, bighat said:

Good perspective. Yes, 2021 is a super frustrating year, but at least we have baseball!

Last year's abbreviated season, with the cardboard heads and the rule changes, paired with the fact that we were all living through a very weird and unsettling time - that's a true "lost season".

Glad we have baseball, outside, with fans back in the seats. Much more enjoyable to watch....especially when they win. Target Field is indeed a gem - I always found it strange to focus on the food prices: it's a baseball stadium, not a restaurant!

Outside food is once again allowed at Target Field (no sunflower seeds though). You can also bring up to a 32 ounce factory sealed water bottle so you should be able to feed yourself at the stadium for the same cost as at home. 

Interesting article.  First let me say that the radio team of Provis and Gladden is awesome.  They certainly are better than the tv crew.  Although I don't have to hear the tv crew that much because I can't get them on tv.  You had to do a lot of stretching to say it's the best first half ever.  I'd like to but the teams play has been horrendous.  I still follow them daily as I have for nearly 60 years.  But MLB is changing a lot and for me is ruining the game.  If there is a strike/lockout after the CBA expires on December 1st, they have lost me for good!

I also do not care about stats and think in a way it has "ruined" the game.  I liked the days when you would see the same line-up almost every game. Now it is more about righties v lefties and who hit better against who.  

I don't much care for Bremer and get really annoyed when he brings up pitch count every 5 minutes.  It is on the TV, we can see it.  I also hate the new pitch count crap.  Another huge game changer and it does not usually work out for the best.  I would rather have Berrios in the 7/8th inning if he is doing well then all of the sudden bring in someone else who mostly this year lose the game for Berrios.  He is one pitcher that can usually work out of a jam and isn't that one of the fun parts of baseball?

" It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  Who knew that the two cities Charles

Dickens was referring to were Minneapolis and St. Paul? 

21 hours ago, Richard Swerdlick said:

Being 71 y.o. and a non drinker of adult beverages, I have discovered that I prefer listening to the games on the radio, and watching TV with the sound off, unless Jim Kaat is doing the game. Cory Provis is an exceptional announcer. Danny G is fine too. 

I have also discovered the wonderful announcing team for the dreaded Yankees, John Sterling and Susan Waldman. I am not a Yankee fan, but I greatly enjoy them. 

I have discovered in my old age that Target Field is too noisy, ( due to incessant PA system), the concessions way over priced, and missing the certainty and comfort of a game that A RETRACTABLE ROOF would have given us. Guess I'm just a grumpy old man. In a few weeks I will sample in person the delights of CHS Field. We shall see.

Highly recommend left field bleachers 128-129, row 9+ for guaranteed shade and protection from weather. They're inexpensive, decent seats to begin with, plus there are monitors you can look up and see for a closer view of the game. The right seats can make a big difference!

18 hours ago, VivaBomboRivera! said:

Jeez, what a season for injuries.  Even the writers are banged up!

No way, looks EXACTLY like every Twins pitching prospect in the system. Has to be. Look at the sling!

There are advantages to "suck" seasons. While we may not be looking forward to the Twins playoffs this season, we can look forward to opportunities to see big roster shifts and young players getting opportunities. How exciting it is to see a guy come up and get a chance out of the minors and just RAKE or dominate on the mound? It really fuels excitement all the way into the next year.

A lot of our young prospects are already getting vital MLB experience and it could help them avoid a sophomore slump. Plus, cheap tickets, etc.

Wonderful writing, Nick -  thank you! I’ll be 68 years old and miss aspects of the “way things were,” especially having set rosters as mentioned above. But hey, that’s life, things change, even on the eternally beautiful baseball diamond.

My enjoyment is diminished this year by the team’s erratic and often poor play, but having The Game around again is so fine. And watching the new kids is fun!