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By now every team has had their first (or second) homestand, so some of the excitement and shine of the start of a new season has started to wear off. Gone are the calendars (mostly, the White Sox are giving one away Wednesday and the Tigers are giving one away Saturday) and the home opener celebrations. There are still some interesting items to be had, however. Locally, the Twins are in Texas through Wednesday and are in Kansas City this weekend, so there are no Twins-related giveaways (although on eBay last Saturday's Fur Bomber Hat is going for $27.94, the magnetic schedule is at $6.98 and the Opening Day long-sleeved hooded tee is going for $15.99 as of this writing... in case you want to buy something you missed). Friday, April 28 (Home Team First) Miami Marlins vs Pittsburgh Pirates - Marlins Fedora Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves - Free-Shirt Friday: Long Sleeve T-Shirt New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles - Yankees Fleece Blanket Night St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds - Bruce Sutter Garden Gnome San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres - Giants Player Scarf Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels - Rally Towel Kind of a light day for items here. I'm tempted to give my "promo of the day" to the Bruce Sutter Garden Gnome, but I'm giving the nod to the Marlins Fedora. Saturday, April 29 Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies - MLB Network Tote Bag Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox - Team Calendar Miami Marlins vs Pittsburgh Pirates - Marlins Tumbler Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics - Alex Bregman Replica White Jersey Kansas City Royals vs Minnesota Twins - Memorable Moments Bobblehead Series: Kelvin Herrera Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies - Corey Seager Bobblehead Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves - Brewers Coupon Book New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles - Yankees Tote Bag Day St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds - Carlos Martinez and Matt Carpenter Double Bobblehead San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres - Two Flaps Down Hat Three bobbleheads on Saturday. I'm going to go with the Carlos Martinez and Matt Carpenter Double Bobblehead as my favorite of the day. Does anyone know what's in a Brewers Coupon Book? Sunday, April 30 Detroit Tigers vs Chicago White Sox - Justin Verlander poster Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics - Green Grocery Tote Los Angeles Dodgers bs Philadelphia Phillies - Kids Batting Helmet Milwaukee Brewers vs Atlanta Braves - Orlando Arcia Player Wristbands New York Yankees vs Baltimore Orioles - Gary Sanchez Bobblehead Day St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds - Carlos Martinez Kids Home White Jersey St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds - Kids Ticket Voucher San Francisco Giants vs San Diego Padres - "Pence on Board" Plush Window Cling Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Angels - Rangers Duffel Bag Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays - Marcus Stroman Blue Replica Jersey Best promo of the day goes to the Giants with the "Pence on Board" Plush Window Cling, if only because it seems like it will give someone nightmares.

So I missed out on getting the Twins Fur Bomber Hat last Saturday. Not that I was coming up specifically for that, but it would have been nice. However, I did get a sunburn and a chance to see a one-hitter instead. I'll take that deal any time. The Twins have two giveaways this week. On Saturday there is a Twins Red Cap to the first 20,000 fans and on Sunday there is a "Twins Customizable Shirt" in Youth M or XL for the first 5000 kids 14 and under. Looks like the shirt will have the basic "Twins" on the front and then the kid can put their own name on the back (unsure about the number). It actually seems like a cool idea. Other Promos for the week: (Home team first) Friday, April 21 Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Indians - MLB Network White Sox Tote Bag Colorado Rockies vs San Francisco Giants - Earth Day T-Shirt Los Angeles Angels vs Toronto Blue Jays - Angels Hero Cape New York Mets vs Washington Nationals - Free Shirt Friday Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners - Pet Calendar Most, if not all ,teams will be giving away a MLB Network tote bag some time this season. I scoffed at the idea at first but then again, I walk around Aldi trying to hold my groceries in my hands. I guess I'm the idiot. Saturday, April 22 Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers -Twins Red Cap Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers - D-Backs Car Sunshade Baltimore Orioles vs Boston Red Sox - Orioles Welcome Mat Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Indians - White Sox Hooded Sweatshirt Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs - Reds Bag Colorado Rockies vs San Francisco Giants - Tote Bag New York Mets vs Washington Nationals - Matt Harvey Garden Gnome Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners - Warriors/A's T-shirt Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees - Free Shirt Saturday San Diego Padres vs Miami Marlins - Padres Hoodie Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros - Chris Archer Starting Lineup Figurine Texas Rangers vs Kansas City Royals - Rangers BBQ Die Cut Spatula This is where geography starts to make a difference. In the colder areas, we see giveaways like the Fur Trapper Hat whereas in warmer climates there are items such as a D-Backs Car Sunshade. Also, I find the idea of a Rangers BBQ Spatula amusing. Sunday, April 23 Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers - Twins Customizable Shirt Arizona Diamondbacks vs Los Angeles Dodgers - Kids Water Bottle Cincinnati Reds vs Chicago Cubs - Kids Joey Votto Fathead® Wall Decal Milwaukee Brewers vs St. Louis Cardinals - Jonathan Villar Bobble New York Mets vs Washington Nationals - Mets Tote Bag Oakland Athletics vs Seattle Mariners - Khris Davis Striped Socks Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves - Phanatic Cap Pittsburgh Pirates vs New York Yankees - Kids Water Bottle San Diego Padres vs Miami Marlins - 2017 Padres & Puppies Calendar Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros - Blade Sunglasses Two different "Pet Calendars" given away this weekend. Who would have thunk it? Comments and questions are welcome, in fact encouraged!

Years ago, at Christmas, I decided to give my family the gift of taking them up to a Twins game. I left picking the date up to my mother who picked a Sunday afternoon game in August. Why that game? Because the giveaway was a Twins backpack or bag or something similar. She didn't pick because of the opponent, she didn't pick because the Twins were facing a great pitcher having a dominant season, she picked because of the giveaway. It was something I never would have thought of. I mean, bobbleheads are nice and all, and I've shown up early to get them, but until that point in my life, I've never picked a game to go to because of the giveaway at the gate. A couple weeks ago, the Twins released their 2017 Promotion and Giveaway schedule. The first thing that struck me is that it seemed to be a little light on items. I don't have numbers for prior years at this point (it's a side project I'm working on), but by my count 31 of the 81 home dates have a free item at the gate. This doesn't include deals like Student Day (which means my college education wasn't for nothing) and Senior Day. There will be more items announced on March 7, but those will be of the "Theme Night" variety, which require a special ticket package. Of the listed giveaways, here are my top 3. 1) Rod Carew Bobblehead (August 18, vs the Diamondbacks) - The first 10,000 fans get a Rod Carew Bobblehead, along with postgame fireworks to the songs of 1977 (which will probably, unfortunately, feature ABBA). 2) Rocket Raccoon Bobblehead (May 6, vs the Red Sox) - The first 10,000 fans get a Twins-branded Rocket Raccoon Bobblehead to promote "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2". There is also a Theme Night as well that night. 3) LED Energy Efficient Light Bulb (June 14, vs the Mariners) Minnesota Twins Long Sleeved Hooded Tee (April 3, vs the Royals) - The first 30,000 fans get an adult M or XL long-sleeved hooded Twins Tee. Not as thick (or as abundant) as the sweatshirts of the last couple Opening Days, this will at least be something to wear while you're showing up early to get your Rocket Raccoon bobblehead.