Sarah

I was watching when he hit the home run in the College World Series and I remember thinking “he’s going to be playing for the Twins.” Hope to see him at Target Field soon!

This reminds me of when I took my young niece to a Twins game. After we met TC she looked concerned and whispered to me, "Aunt Sarah, TC's eyes don't move..."

When did baseball take hold in counties across Minnesota? What ballpark was located near the present day site of Target Field in 1800’s Minneapolis? If you’re a fan of baseball history, the Halsey Hall Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research invites you to join us for the 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium, held this year on Saturday, November 16 from 9 am to 4:30 pm at the Minneapolis Central Library.The symposium, hosted in partnership with Hennepin County Library, will feature numerous experts on Minnesota baseball history and sports architecture. Major League Baseball official historian John Thorn will give the opening address and Minnesota Twins official scorer and award-winning author Stew Thornley will deliver the keynote address. Other featured speakers will include longtime Pioneer Press architecture critic Larry Millett, award-winning baseball authors Dan Levitt and Mike Haupert, Brian Madigan of the Minneapolis Central Library, award-winning art and architecture professor Kristin Anderson, and Frank White, author of “They Played for the Love of the Game: Untold Stories of Black Baseball in Minnesota.” Attendees will also be able to view exhibits on local baseball history and participate in book signings between sessions. A continental breakfast and lunch will be available at the symposium. The registration fee is $40 – for more information and to sign up, please visit: https://sabr.org/lat...inary-symposium Online registration CLOSES Nov. 8, 2019. Click here to view the article

When did baseball take hold in counties across Minnesota? What ballpark was located near the present day site of Target Field in 1800’s Minneapolis? If you’re a fan of baseball history, the Halsey Hall Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research invites you to join us for the 19th Century Baseball Interdisciplinary Symposium, held this year on Saturday, November 16 from 9 am to 4:30 pm at the Minneapolis Central Library. The symposium, hosted in partnership with Hennepin County Library, will feature numerous experts on Minnesota baseball history and sports architecture. Major League Baseball official historian John Thorn will give the opening address and Minnesota Twins official scorer and award-winning author Stew Thornley will deliver the keynote address. Other featured speakers will include longtime Pioneer Press architecture critic Larry Millett, award-winning baseball authors Dan Levitt and Mike Haupert, Brian Madigan of the Minneapolis Central Library, award-winning art and architecture professor Kristin Anderson and Frank White, author of “They Played for the Love of the Game: Untold Stories of Black Baseball in Minnesota.” Attendees will also be able to view exhibits on local baseball history and participate in book signings between sessions. A continental breakfast and lunch will be available at the symposium. The registration fee is $40 – for more information and to sign up, please visit https://sabr.org/latest/save-date-2019-sabr-minneapolis-19th-century-baseball-interdisciplinary-symposium

The state of hockey has met the city of baseball. This spring at CHS Field, home of the St. Paul Saints, heralded the opening of a new museum devoted to the history of the great American game in the capital city. In a 2,000 square foot space tucked down the left field line and free to ticket holders during Saints games, fans can learn about the memorable teams and players on the east side of the Twin Cities stretching back more than a century. The museum uses a variety of artifacts and displays to tell the story of St. Paul’s baseball history, from early contests in the late 1800’s to its crosstown rivalry with the Minneapolis Millers to the “new” Saints franchise that started in 1993. It also includes information on the St. Paul Colored Gophers (an early 1900’s black baseball powerhouse) and Toni Stone, a St. Paul native who became one of the only women to play professionally in the Negro Leagues. In one of the displays titled “Brushes With Greatness,” the museum highlights the famous names that appeared at Lexington Park in the 1920’s. When Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig visited in 1927, the duo “spilled nearly a quart of ink autographing baseballs and scorecards for small boys,” according to the Pioneer Press. On Monday, July 1, the Halsey Hall chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research will be staffing a booth at CHS Field for the 7:05 pm game against the Lincoln Saltdogs. This game will also feature a historical giveaway as the first 2,000 fans will receive a 1937 Saints replica jersey. Attendees will be able to view the local chapter’s banner, “Beyond the Twins: Hall of Famers in Minnesota,” which highlights famous athletes who played in the North Star State prior to 1960 such as former Saint Roy Campanella, the legendary Dodgers catcher who became the first black player in the American Association. Chapter members will also be on hand to discuss other opportunities to get involved in local baseball history. To buy tickets, please visit the Saints website.

That was a fun event, thanks John!

Thanks Seth - that is pretty amazing that he is a Minnesotan and just happened to be there when they became a Twins affiliate. Is he coming to TwinsFest? Sounds like he would be a fun guy to talk to!

Yes but he filled in at center field too when Buxton was injured and he is a good defensive outfielder in general. He has long, athletic strides that would be wasted at first base. Stop the madness! :-)

I also like Kepler, he's a good outfielder. Hitting is not easy, I'd like to see another full season out of him.

I've always liked Trevor May, I was excited to be at his first game back. Hope he takes another step forward back from his injury next year. Tyler Austin strikes out too much but other than that I thought he was decent at the end of the year. With Joe Mauer likely retiring we'll need a first baseman and I don't see a big free agent signing there. He certainly doesn't get cheated when he hits the ball, would be interesting to see what he could do with a full season.

Yeah, the T-Bones are in Kansas City, Kansas which is right across the state line from Kansas City, Missouri. I went when I was there to watch the Royals and Twins - the T-Bones ballpark is very nice and not hard to find, I would recommend it. And for anyone who is an outdoorsy type there is also a HUGE Cabela's right by the ballpark. Rooting for the Saints to celebrate a championship there this weekend!

I have faith Levine can talk them into Javier Baez.

You're welcome - it was fun to watch, beautiful day for baseball and the Saints won!

If anyone is interested and gets KSTC Channel 45 (local station, it's channel 12 for me on Comcast) the Saints game is going to be televised this Sunday at 5 pm.

I was the opposite John - when my sister went to college in San Diego first I went to visit her when she was a freshman and we went to a game at Qualcomm Stadium. They were building Petco Park at the time and she said, "I suppose you'll be back to visit me when the new ballpark opens, huh?" I told her, "You know me so well." And then of course I did so I agree that Petco is a very nice ballpark. Maybe it's because I'm a Minnesotan and I'm just jealous but I guess I discount that ballpark somewhat because the weather is almost always so lovely in San Diego that they could play in a paper box and it wouldn't matter.

Randy Moss hood ornament night was pretty clever too...

Thank you! The game I got the general admission ticket to was for the TCU-Texas A&M game on Tuesday afternoon. I didn't have any trouble getting into that game with a general admission ticket but I know for the Oregon State-LSU game on Monday night (one of the marquee matchup of the series in prime time) the line stretched forever and I'm sure some people didn't get in. They will tell you if you buy a general admission ticket you can use it for another game but that doesn't really do you much good if you are only there for a few days like I was. As I recall general admission tickets were about $15 and reserved tickets were about $40 so I didn't mind paying about $25 to be guaranteed admission since I wanted to make sure I could get in for at least one game. The ushers who are in charge of the general admission line will do their best to tell you if they think you will be getting in or not but of course there are no guarantees with those tickets. Hope this helps, it's a great experience if you get a chance to go!

Will this be the year the Gophers make it to the College World Series? Currently ranked #11 in the country, they will start regionals next week. Last summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Omaha for the first time to attend the College World Series. I know I’m getting close to college baseball’s epicenter when I tune in AM 1620 The Zone and hear the broadcasters talking about how the strike zone is a little tighter during the tournament than it is in the regular season. I am here at the beginning of this nearly two week June event and get to see three games featuring Louisiana State, Florida (the eventual national champion), Texas Christian, Texas A&M, Oregon State and Louisville. There is a 26 page preview section in the Omaha World Herald including a full page advertisement for TCU that declares “Horned Frogs know how to swing for the fences.” (I will learn TCU’s signature move after they score is fans and players alike who raise both hands and cup their fingers into a curved motion, a gesture somewhat similar to the University of Texas’s “Hook ‘Em Horns.” Must be a Texas thing.) The College World Series is currently played at TD Ameritrade Park and, with a capacity of approximately 24,000, it is a sizable stadium located in downtown Omaha across the street from their convention center. The convention center housed a Baseball Hall of Fame traveling exhibit which I didn’t visit because, having been to Cooperstown, I wanted to put a higher priority on watching games. This new ballpark opened in 2011 and I heard from locals who waxed nostalgic about beloved Rosenblatt Stadium as opposed to the new facility’s larger, corporate feel. As it is a very humid summer day in Nebraska, I appreciate that the new ballpark features drink rails, allowing me to eat my turkey burger out of the sun. (Not surprisingly during the afternoon game, the seats in the sun are only sparsely populated but the seats in the shade are nearly full.) After seeing me diligently filling out my scorecard, a man in a LSU t-shirt asks me what team I’m here for. Just a baseball fan from Minnesota enjoying the atmosphere, I answer. “Oh, you’re from Minnesota,” he replies in a lush, southern drawl. “So let me ask you this – whatever happened to Joe Mauer? Seemed like he was on a path to become a Hall of Fame catcher for awhile, right?” Wherever I have traveled to watch baseball, I am always amazed at how easy it is to talk about the game with perfect strangers. You can either pay more and get a reserved seat (which guarantees you admission) or buy a $15 general admission ticket (which can be used for any game but does not guarantee admission). The game I bought a general admission ticket for I didn’t have any trouble getting in but was told that for the more popular games the line stretches down 10th Street and some wait for hours in the hot sun. Fans wander leisurely through the ballpark if their team isn’t playing, which can be a problem for those concentrating on the game. When someone got up as the ball was being put into play I heard a guy behind me grumble, “Well, that was a hell of a play – I could almost see it.” A lot of school spirit resonates through the innings, from chants of “Let’s Go Aggies” to playing the school fight song after each team scores. But mostly it’s just an enjoyable place to be for those who love the game – the crowd groans as a baserunner is thrown out at third after trying to tag up from second on a short fly ball to right field. (I remember that play because the out was recorded 9-6-5. Yes, the runner got such a bad jump that the shortstop had time to cut the ball off and spin and throw to the third baseman to get the runner easily. There was an interesting conversation in the dugout after that miscue.) I stopped at the visitor center by the Old Market and they told me where I could park for free – I had to get there early but that left time for a leisurely stroll along the riverfront. When I’m walking to the ballpark, I see Blue Jays everywhere and have to remind myself that it means Creighton, not Toronto. Boys Town, which is located west of downtown, featured an exhibit on the history of baseball at the orphanage, including visits by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Across the street from TD Ameritrade Park is the Omaha Baseball Village, essentially a large parking lot scattered with big tents for private parties and a plethora of vendors selling more t-shirts than I have ever seen in my life. (Well, there are eight teams, I reasoned…and as teams got eliminated their merchandise was marked down 50%.) I stop to take a picture of the sign with all of the cities listed and their distances from Omaha and am momentarily startled when I turn around to see a giant beaver sticking off the next table. (Clearly an Oregon State supporter.) The banner hanging near the main entrance sports the current tagline of the College World Series (“The greatest show on dirt”) and I remember the one from when I was younger (“Where the stars of tomorrow play today”). The results of the games I attended are lost in my memory but I do remember seeing some top draft picks including Brendan McKay and Dalton Guthrie (son of former Twin Mark Guthrie). To take a break from TD Ameritrade Park, I made the one-hour drive to Lincoln to see a Saltdogs game, although unfortunately they were not playing the St. Paul Saints that night. On my way out of town, I stopped at Hy Vee to get a salad for lunch and noticed a middle aged woman shopping in a LSU cheerleading outfit, complete with LSU hairbows and an LSU ankle bracelet. What a fun atmosphere for baseball.

I was at the game on Tuesday and thought exactly the same thing. I'm really glad that happened (not just because we took the lead, there's that...) because it showed that Buxton doesn't even have to get down a great bunt (although that bunt was good) but he just has to get down a decent bunt and stuff like that is going to happen. I'm shocked that the pitcher committed an error though, aren't they supposed to be the best athlete on the team? My favorite game of the year so far - great pitching performance by Berrios, clutch hitting so he got rewarded with the win AND it was a beautiful night for baseball!

I really wanted to attend this but I was out of town (on vacation so can't complain too much). Thanks for the recap, look forward to reading your coverage of the Saints this season. Can't wait to go to CHS Field again soon!

Thanks for sharing, it was fun to read!

I also noticed the lack of home games on holidays - if they were in town for the Fourth of July I would definitely be going to that game, not that I'm complaining to get the day off but not much else you can do with a Wednesday in the middle of the week. At least they are playing somewhere, I remember in 2000 they were off on Memorial Day. Not on the road, just off. I was outraged...and considering I remember the year it clearly has scarred me for life. :-) Looking forward to watching some Gopher baseball again this season at US Bank Stadium. Definitely eat before you go, I was there for the X Games last summer and the food was even more overpriced than Target Field and not nearly as good.

Thanks Tom - I remember all of these. It is still pretty amazing when I think about how serendipitous the Get to Know 'Em ads were with the team improving. I still have a lot of the magnets and buttons they gave out at the games too. Clearly as we are still talking about them nearly 20 years later they were a special group.

I am a member of the local chapter and we have lots of events throughout the year whatever your interest is. We have a book club where we choose a baseball related book to read and some people come to those events even if they haven't read the book just because they like to talk baseball. :-)