Scorecard

I would make that title twice as big if I could. (Maybe I can? I don’t really know how this works...) This is the first opening day in two years that we can really celebrate because we can be there. At the game. In person. Because 2020 was 2020. 

Opening Day 2019 was...well honestly, I don’t really remember the details. I have been to almost every opening day since Target Field opened in 2010 (missing only one because of a bestie’s wedding - you’re welcome Lindsey), and many at the Dome before that. 2018 ended unceremoniously, so while I was really excited for 2019 (NELSOOOOOOON CRUUUUUUUUUUZ), my hope was that our games would matter in September. Not the biggest wish to start a season. I know we won, because I have pictures and videos on my phone from that day. I know it wasn’t too cold, because one of those pictures is of a guy eating an ice cream cone unironically. (Yes, there are Twins fans who have eaten ice cream ironically in early season games.) I also know we played the Cleveland baseball team because a picture of the scorecard I have says so. (Picture evidence below.) 

So now we’re here, 2021 and I will likely remember Opening Day this year a bit better. Of course, our HOME opener is next Thursday so that’s the day I plan to remember. 

Today, the Twins started on the road and we lost. AND OH MY GOSH IT HURTS AND WILL WE BE GOOD THIS YEAR MY EXPECTATIONS WERE SO HIGH WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN I DON’T WANT TO BE A WILD CARD TEAM OR WORSE I DON’T WANT TO NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS! And why do I put myself through this every year? I want to care, but can I care just a little less? Yeah, no. The answer is no. I give my whole heart to this team every year. 

So yeah, I tend to overreact and second guess all my life choices when things don’t turn out the first few days of the season. That doesn’t change. The other thing that doesn’t change, I LOVE my Twins. Always have, always will. 

Happy Opening Day to those who celebrate. This is a great day, regardless of how your team did. Baseball is back. We get to be out there with our boys of summer this year. We lived through a year without getting to cheer in person, a year of only 60 games, no All-Star Game, neutral site playoffs and World Series, and we came out the other side. Enjoy all this year has to offer, cheer your hearts out (with masks on), don’t take a second of it for granted. 

(These are mostly reminders to myself, you do what you want.)

Best weather we have seen at Target Field on April 17th. The last two years it was 42 for a high on the 17th. In 2014 my husband and I were at the game on the 15th (the 16th was rained/snowed out), at first pitch the temp was 35 degrees. Last night, it was 74 degrees and it was perfect.

Pelfrey kept it close so we could score some (unconventional) runs against Kluber. I love beating good pitchers, especially when they are on a competitors fantasy baseball team. (Extra sweet because last year he was on the team that was trailing us right up to the end of the season. Oh, we won our fantasy league last year. Still feeling like champs to start this season!)

Mauer was intentionally walked twice - proving yet again that while Twins fans (in general! not all!) greatly under value Joe, our opponents still respect his career .318 batting average. I get stressed when Joe comes up in important situations. Not because I don’t believe he can get a hit, but because if he doesn't it just gives the haters more ammunition against him. He’s worth the money, at least he was and we needed to sign him. It was the right move and I’ll always argue that point.

A few other comments:

1. I feel a little bad, but I love that Kris Bryant went 0-4 with three strikeouts in his debut. I know he’ll be good, at least I believe he won’t be 0 for his career. But the hype was a little much and it’s good that he realizes it won’t be that easy in the majors. 

2. If you want to see a third baseman do his job in an average way, there are 9 fucking clips of Bryant doing just that in the Cubs’ recap videos. SERIOUSLY. NINE. One play is above average but not a web gem. Not even close. There are also 9 clips from before the game talking about the fact that it’s his first MLB game. OMG. Don’t worry fans, there will be more videos of baby Bryant getting his first hit, first home run, first multi hit game, first miracle, first walk, first hit-by-pitch, second miracle, and many more!

3. You can also watch his three strikeouts, that was fun.

4. My husband’s comment on the division today, “Welcome to the AL Samardzija...you white sux a-hole!” (After Cespedes hit his first blast of the year.)

5. I tried to fan veto (not a thing, but maybe it should be!) Boyer coming in. Turns out he did a great job. So maybe I shouldn’t be allowed to veto Molitor.... Conversation with my husband:

Arron: He’s a good pitcher!

Me: He pitched well!

Arron: He’s a GOOD PITCHER.

Me: He’s a pitcher!

6. I know he gave up a home run yesterday, but I love that Tim Stauffer from my favorite baseball book The Last Best League by Jim Collins is on our team now. I hope he has a good year. 

7. Drunk horses in extra innings:

It’s another beautiful day and we have Hughes on the mound! GO TWINS!

WE WON! It was a beautiful, almost HOT, sunny day in April and the Twins won. That’s 3 on the year. The last two years we had to wear hats, gloves, winter coats, blankets, multiple layers, boots and drink so much hot cocoa in April. It’s hard to believe how nice it is this year. 2010 the weather was perfect, and we won the division. Coincidence? Good omen? Maybe and YES.

A few thoughts:

1. Seriously, if you’re playing the Royals don’t hit the ball into the outfield in the air, unless you can hit the seats. Cain will catch ALL THE BASEBALLS. AND he will apparently hit over .400 this year, which sucks because when he gets on base, he will steal ALL THE BASES. OR he’ll just hit home runs. He’s a pain in the ass. Unless you’re a Royals fan, in which case he should be your favorite player. Get your number 6 jersey NOW. 

2. We get lots of Royals fans for most of their games at Target Field, (I mean Target Field is perfect, and it’s an easy drive so you can’t blame them. Plus the Royals seem to play really well in Minneapolis.) I expect that. But there was this one dude yesterday who literally plugged his ears when I was cheering for the Twins. Dude. Don’t be a dumb-ass, it’s annoying and you look stupid when you come to a visitors ballpark and get mad when the hometown fans cheer on the hometown team. That’s a little ridiculous. You’ll enjoy the ballpark experience more if you chill out and don’t expect to win every game. I wanted to get a picture, but I was enjoying the fact that he seemed so pissed about it and didn't want to stop.

3. You should travel to see your team on the road for a few reasons: travel is good, see other ballparks - there are some beauties out there, back your boys always, meet fans from around the league, and learn new traditions (PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA! - thank you Cincinnati!). Pro tip, when your team scores, cheer, make some noise, you can even stand up. But you DO NOT need to stand with your arms raised and turn around and make eye contact with all the home town fans. You just look like a dick. (Ear plugging guy from number 2 is the same guy I’m referring to here.) Especially when your team is fresh off of an AL Pennant and is 7-1 playing a team at their house, who is 2-6. Come on. 

4. Lastly, from the game on Wednesday (when the Twins stopped the Royals perfect season), Moustakas hit a bunt single in the first. Not as bad breaking up a no hitter with a bunt in the 8th, but come one. You haven’t lost a game yet. Give us a chance. 

Today Cleveland comes to town and it’s Cy Young Kluber vs. Mike Pelfrey. I’m choosing to remain hopeful - it’s another beautiful day for baseball. 

Home Opener 2015

I don’t really want to talk about the Twins home opener. But when has that ever stopped me? Before the 8th inning it was actually pretty great: we had a lead for a few minutes, Torii’s ovations (plural) gave me chills, the flyover made me want to chant “USA! USA!” (I mean, you can feel the power of those planes in your core, seriously. ‘MURICA!), and the weather was glorious. Then the 8th inning happened and it fell apart. 1-6 is our record to start the 2015 season. Gross.

I know we’re better than that. I thought Ervin Santana would be great for us…then he didn’t know he was taking something that he wasn’t allowed to take from someone he doesn’t really know in his home country. Whatever. I’m disappointed. Professional baseball players should probably know better. I’ll be excited when he joins the team again, I know I will. But he should have started twice for us already. No doubt he would have had better results than the Nolasco-May combo.

Hopefully by July we will be in it at least enough that it’ll matter how he performs.

Thoughts from around the league

·         I hate the new big screen eye sore at Wrigley. My favorite thing about that hallowed ground was the fact that in every way you were stepping back in time. I don’t want to go back now.

·         How much money are the Cubs losing without bleacher seats?? Not just ticket sales but lost beer sales and bail fees?

·         One more thing about the Cubs, if I was Lester I wouldn’t throw to first ever again.

·         Fucking A-Rod.

·         Don’t hit balls to the outfield if you play Kansas City. They will catch them. All of them.

·         If you plan to score runs off of the Royals, do it before the bullpen comes in. But they aren’t going to lose all year so maybe don’t bother to show up.

·         On the reverse side, you can just wait until the Detroit bullpen comes in and score your runs then. But you might be losing 20-0 at that point so maybe don’t bother to show up.

·         You have 1 out of 5 shot of facing Cy Young Kluber or Bean Pole Sale if you play the Indians or white sox. Try to avoid.

·         Watch out world, the AL Central is here to stay. (Yes, even the Twins.)

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My goal was to go to all 30 Major League ballparks before I turned 30. I’ve been to 21 so far. 63 days ago I turned 30. So, fail. But as many goals change so will this one. I will see the 11 remaining parks before I’m 35. (The math doesn’t work because I’ve seen the Twins play at the Dome and at Target Field, and I went to see the Rockies in Colorado before they built Coors Field, so I have 11 left).

Today I get to see my first game played at Dodger Stadium. I have been there once before. Last fall we took a weekend trip to LA to visit friends and wanted to see the place. The Dodgers had been eliminated from the playoffs just a couple days before and tours weren’t starting up again until the day we were leaving. We parked anyway to check out the team store and the gates to the upper deck were open. Obviously we took that to mean, “Welcome! Come in and look around!” Not ones to be rude, my husband and I graciously accepted the invitation.

The upper deck at Dodger Stadium is very steep and not recommended if you have vertigo, but the view is beautiful. Mountains and rolling hills make this Midwesterner swoon.

Amongst the seats were crumpled up hot dog wrappers and discarded ticket stubs, souvenirs from the last NLCS game at home (which they won) sending the team to St Louis with the fans hoping they could win two on the road. You could still sense the hope and joy in the air slowly being replaced by the sense of mourning that accompanies the end of the season. But there we were on a beautiful, warm, sunny October day with everyone and everything wishing there could have been more baseball.

We wondered around, passing the occasional employee who didn’t seem to mind at all that we were there. We took pictures, soaked up the sun, decided we would never be able to sit in those steep-as-a-mountainside seats, and showed ourselves out.

Today, six months later, is Opening Day in LA and we just so happen to be back for the wedding of the same friends we visited in the fall. I’m excited to see what Dodger Stadium has to offer once full of fans who are full of hope for a season that lasts longer than last year.

It’s not my Opening Day, the Twins open Target Field on Monday while I’ll be at the airport waiting to fly home, but Opening Day is an event, a treat, wherever you get to see it.

So much hope & promise in a blank Scorecard.

Last Sunday’s game was not so fun. When I wrote this on Tuesday I looked at the Scorecard and realized that it was actually a really good game, at the time it just sort of festered along. Maybe I should look back at more old Scorecards from depressing games, and I’ll realize that they weren’t so bad. 

September, fourth place, 20 games out of first place and we had to play the Blue Jays. The last few years that the Blue Jays came to town I think they hit a total of 37,439 home runs that travelled a total of 18,232,793 feet*.  (I’m using my memory on this one, it could be a bit off, in either direction.)  So this year, at least the weather was nice.

Andrew Albers pitched a great game. September, 20 games out of first, it’s time to enjoy the future. Sunday it was our 27 year old Canadian starter. The only guy in Albers’ 7 innings who got to 2nd (the third) reach first on an error.  Then we gave up 2 runs in the 8th thanks our setup guy. (His one job is to get through the 8th inning to get the game to our closer. That’s his job.) We only had two runners in scoring position. Lately we have been terrible with RISP so two or 10 and it might have been the same outcome.

The game was tied until the 8th, if we were in a pennant race it would have been very exciting. Instead, we’re 19 games under .500 with no clutch hitting and being tied feels like being behind right from the start.

It has been a long season.

Game Stats:

Attendance 29,450 (no way that many showed up)

Time of Game 2:31

Temperature at First Pitch 75F

29 Foul Balls in the Stands

2 Runs

12 Hits

12 Ks

2 Walks

5 Catcher Trips to the Mound

11 Left on Base

Albers should have been player of the game, but we didn’t pick since the Twins lost.

Fantasy baseball scores: Arron – 3; Me – 2.5; Dad – 0.

National Anthem – 1:46.3

O Canada – 1:07.1

I hate it when they leave. Justin Morneau is my favorite first baseman, one of my favorite Twins (of all time) and he just got traded to Pittsburgh.

On June 10th, 2003 my dad and I were there when Justin Morneau played his first major league game. He went 2 for 4 that day, in a game when the Twins had 3 hits total. (We lost 5-0.) That day I was excited to see this guy we heard a lot about, but I knew it meant eventually having to say goodbye to Doug Mientkiewicz, my former favorite first baseman. (Which eventually happened the next season.)

Yeah, so it happens. And it sucks.

I can't find the Scorecard from Morneau's first game. I have it (or my dad does) but I just moved so I still have a lot of stuff in boxes. The one above is from early May 2007. He was 1 for 2 with a walk and 1 run scored. Not that notable, but it celebrates his 2006 MVP award (that's more notable). We won that day in May 2007 by 2-1. Johan Santana won, as he did regularly (another Scorecard cover that year celebrated his 2006 Cy Young) before he became a free agent and signed a zillion dollar deal with the Mets. Joe Nathan saved the game, several years before he was a free agent and signed with the Rangers. In fact, no one who played in this game in early May is with the Twins anymore. (Two players, Mauer & Perkins, were on the roster but did not play in this game.)

So, yeah, it happens all the time. And it doesn't always suck (I don't miss Jason Tyner), but a lot of the time it does.

We won our division in 2006, thanks in part to the game from this scorecard above. We won the AL Central that year by one game, so every win, and every run counted.

We also won it in 2003, with our rookie first baseman. We also won in '04, '09 and '10. Thanks to Justin Morneau.