Category: Just because I liked it

Please be careful, stay healthy and help one another

Just a quick note to remind everyone to be careful out there in this difficult time with the COVID-19 virus running amok. Many of us miss baseball but we need to remember that in the end it is just a game and entertainment and there are many more things in life that are more important. Do what you can to stay healthy yourself and help others stay healthy too. Just like a baseball team, each of us is a player and we each have a role to play. Help your friends and family and we will get through this together. Thank you and have a great day!

At least the Twins haven’t used this excuse for not signing FA’s

As part of an article in “The Athletic” on November 22, Ken Rosenthal wrote this:

The Twins, aggressively exploring the market for rotation help, would love to sign a starter along the lines one of Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner or Hyun-Jin Ryu. The high income tax rate in Minnesota, though, could present something of an obstacle.

The 9.85 percent rate in Minnesota is second only to California’s 13.3 percent (New York’s rate is higher than Minnesota’s when combining city and state rates, but most players live outside the city).

State income tax rate usually is not a primary consideration for free agents, but in certain cases the best gross deal might not be the best net deal, complicating the decision.

It made me snicker and wonder how long it will be before the Minnesota Twins start using this as an excuse for not being able to sign the big free agents. Maybe even start lobbying the state legislature to give Minnesota athletes a tax break?

First Football Game at Target Field – Johnnies versus the Tommies

The Twins are on the road playing the Detroit Tigers but that does not mean that Target Field is quietly waiting for the Twins to return. Tomorrow afternoon (September 23) at 1:00 pm the Twins will host a NCAA Division III football game at Target field. 

The NCAA Division III match-up, which will be a St. Thomas home game, will be the first-ever football game played at Target Field. The rivalry between the University of St. Thomas and Saint John’s University football teams dates back to 1901, since then, the schools have met 86 times and continually set NCAA Division III record attendance marks. Six of the top 14 all-time Division III attendance marks have involved the St. Thomas-Saint John’s rivalry. The game tomorrow is expected to draw 35,000-plus.

 

UPDATE:  A crowd of 37,355 showed up to see the first football game at Target Field, more than doubling the NCAA Division III record for largest crowd which was set last season when Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Wisconsin Whitewater had 17,535 in attendance.

Saturday’s crowd size topped attendance at 20 of the 40 bowl games last season. But Bowl officials shouldn’t weep. The Minnesota Twins, who play at Target Field, have had only one bigger crowd this season. The Twins average only 25,364 fans despite current holding a wild-card playoff spot. Who won the game you ask? St. Thomas 20 and St. John 17.