Passing this on from MLB as it has some interesting and fun facts.
Opening Day: When Every Team Is in First Place — Including the Minnesota Twins
There’s nothing quite like Opening Day in Major League Baseball. Before the first pitch is thrown, before the first bullpen meltdown, before the first “why is he bunting” moment… every team is tied for first place. Hope is undefeated, and so are the Minnesota Twins.
For one glorious morning, the standings are perfect. 0–0. Everyone’s equal. Everyone’s alive. Everyone’s dreaming. And for the Twins, that feeling travels with them this year — all the way to Baltimore.
A Fresh Start in Baltimore
The Twins will open their season on the road at Camden Yards, a ballpark that always seems to glow on Opening Day. The Orioles will have their crowd buzzing, the flags will be snapping in the breeze, and the Twins will step onto the field with the same clean slate as everyone else.
There’s something fitting about starting the year away from home. It sharpens the focus. It strips away distractions. It reminds a team that nothing is guaranteed and everything must be earned. And for Minnesota, it’s a chance to make an early statement.
New Faces, New Storylines, Same Beautiful Game
Every season brings a few new names to learn and a few familiar ones to watch closely. Maybe a rookie surprises. Maybe a veteran finds one more gear. Maybe someone becomes the unexpected hero of April. That’s the magic of this sport — you never know who will define the next six months.
For Twins fans, Opening Day is the moment when all the offseason debates fade away. Trades, signings, payroll talk, ownership chatter — none of it matters when the anthem ends and the starter toes the rubber. For a few hours, it’s just baseball again.
The Eternal Promise of 162 Games
Baseball is the only sport that gives you this much runway. 162 games. 162 chances to surprise, frustrate, delight, and occasionally confuse. And the Twins, for all their ups and downs, always find a way to make the journey interesting. Maybe this is the year the rotation clicks. Maybe the lineup stays healthy. Maybe the baseball gods smile on Minnesota for once. On Opening Day, all of that feels possible.
A Day for Joy, Not Judgment
There will be plenty of time for analysis, frustration, and second?guessing. That’s part of the fun, too. But not today.
Today is for:
- Fresh scorecards
- First hot dogs of the season
- Kids skipping school
- Adults pretending they’re not checking the game at work
- The crack of the bat echoing through Camden Yards
- The belief — however cautious — that this could be something special
Opening Day is baseball’s way of saying: “Let’s try this again. You never know what might happen.”
And for the Twins? Why Not Us
Every team starts in first place. Every fanbase starts with hope. Every season starts with a story waiting to be written. So here’s to the Minnesota Twins — undefeated, unburdened, and officially back.
Happy Opening Day. Let’s enjoy the ride.
Bill White, hired 50 years ago by the Yanks, was the first ever Black play-by-player for a pro team
I ran across this article on the Sports Broadcast Journal and thought it was something that needed to be shared. It was written by David J. Halberstam on 07/28/2021 and the title of the article is “Bill White, hired 50 years ago by the Yanks, was the first ever Black play-by-player for a pro team“.
I know this is not about the Minnesota Twins in any way, shape or form but if you or I can learn something about baseball history, that is a good thing.
2026 AL Central Division Prediction
The first three month of 2025 the Detroit Tigers got off to a 53-32 start but then in the back half of the season they played 34-43 baseball. From April 1 through September 27 they were in first place for all but two days, then they lost their final game of the season and finished in second place one game out of first behind the Cleveland Guardians. That isn’t going to happen again and the Tigers are going to be the American Leagues Central Division Champions with 91 wins.
The Kansas City Royals are going to get their starting pitching rolling again in 2026 and will give the Tigers a run for their money but in the end the Tigers with ace pitchers Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez will prevail and the Royals will finish second with a 86-76 record.
Multi Home Run Games by Senator/Twins players
Home runs are always fun to see if your team hits them. How many times have you been to a ballgame where your favorite team has a player that hits two or more home runs in the same game. Not too often I bet. That thought crossed my my mind recently so I decided to look at up and see who the Senators/Twins franchise leaders were in multi (two or more) home run games in a single regular season and a career.
You think you know who it is? Take a guess on who it was and what year it happened before you look it up. From 1901-2025 the franchise leaders in multi home run regular season games in a single season can be found at: https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/F8SHL
Who do you think is the Senators/Twins franchise career leader? That answer should not be that tough. From 1901-2025 the franchise leaders in multi home run regular season games in a franchise career can be found at: https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/3DmpE
How about the all-time leader in MLB history from 1901 through 2025? How about your favorite player? Yes I have that answer for you right here at https://www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tiny/pKS31
The Twins in March of 1963
Today you get to look back to some March of 1963 Sporting News articles by Arno Goethel and Max Nichols. One of the articles is about Hall of Fame outfielder Pedro, or is it Tony Oliva? The other is about Rich Rollins whose first full season in the big leagues was 1962 when he made both American League All-Star teams as a starter and finished eighth in AL MVP voting. Yes, MLB played two All-Star Games per season for four years, from 1959 through 1962. Designed to increase player pension funds, these eight total games were played in different stadiums each year, ending after the 1962 season when owners agreed to a larger share of income from a single game.
Plus I will throw in a Lucky Strike ad for you as a bonus but you need to scroll down from the ad to see the Oliva article.
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Remembering Wayne Granger and His 1972 Season in Minnesota
A Durable Bullpen Workhorse Whose Lone Minnesota Season Still Resonates
Wayne Allan Granger, one of baseball’s earliest true relief specialists and a model of late 1960s durability, passed away on February 25, 2026, at age 81. A veteran of nine big-league seasons and 451 appearances, Granger pitched for seven organizations, but his single season with the Minnesota Twins remains a compelling chapter in both his career and the franchise’s early 1970s story.
Early Life and Rise to the Majors
Born March 15, 1944, in Springfield, Massachusetts, Granger grew up in the small town of Huntington, where he became a multi-sport standout and a dominant high-school pitcher. After attending Springfield College, he signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965 and converted to relief shortly afterward. His low three-quarters delivery and heavy sinker became his signature.
Granger broke into the majors in 1968 with St. Louis and quickly became one of the most heavily used relievers in baseball. His 1969 season with Cincinnati—90 appearances, setting a major-league record—cemented his reputation as a durable, trusted bullpen arm. He followed that with a league leading 35 saves in 1970, earning back-to-back Sporting News NL Fireman of the Year awards.
Minnesota Twins: A Promising Start and a Tumultuous Summer (1972)
The Twins acquired Granger from Cincinnati on December 3, 1971, sending left-hander Tom Hall to the Reds. Minnesota believed it was adding a proven late-inning stabilizer to pair with Dave LaRoche. For the first two months of 1972, Granger looked like the All-Star caliber reliever he had been in Cincinnati. He retired 19 of the first 22 left-handed batters he faced and posted a 0.85 ERA through the end of June, collecting five saves in his first seven appearances. His sinker was crisp, and his command sharp.
MLB Spring Training Sites in 1961
Back in 1960 there were 16 MLB teams split evenly between the American and National League. MLB expansion started in 1961 when the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators came into existence while the previous Washington team left to move to Minnesota and became the Minnesota Twins giving the American League ten teams withe the National league staying at eight. So let’s take a look back at 1961 and see where MLB teams had their Spring Training sites. When this took place 13 of the MLB teams trained in Florida, four of the teams trained in Arizona and the Angels trained in California.
Since 2010, major league teams have been equally divided between Arizona and Florida during spring training, with 15 teams in Florida and 15 teams in Arizona. All but six of the major league teams have gone to spring training in Florida at one time or another (Anaheim Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks).
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Welcome to the Twins’ Ticket Marketplace
Target Field used to be a place where anyone could wander in, grab a seat, and watch a ballgame. But the 2026 Twins have made one thing abundantly clear: the future of this franchise runs through season ticket holders, not the average Joe who shows up a few times a summer.
Everything about the new MyTwins Membership structure — from the credit-based Choice Plans to the traditional Reserved Plans to the carefully gated perks — points in one direction. The Twins want commitment. They want predictability. They want fans who are willing to sign up, log in, and buy in.
Everyone else? They can still come, of course. But they’re no longer the priority.
Choice Plans: Flexibility, With a Price Tag
Choice Plans are the Twins’ attempt to modernize loyalty. You buy a credit balance — $600, $900, $1500, $3000, $4500, or $7500 — and pick your games and seats as the season unfolds.
But here’s the part the marketing glosses over: the lower your credit tier, the fewer seats you’re allowed to choose from.
It’s flexibility, but stratified. The more you spend, the more of Target Field becomes available. The less you spend, the more you’re nudged toward the margins.
What You Get
- Up to 25% off tickets
- 25% off concessions
- No ticket fees
- Seat options tied directly to your tier
- MyTwins Rewards points
It’s a plan built for fans who want freedom — but only after they’ve paid for it.
Reserved Plans: The Inner Circle
Reserved Plans are the old-school anchor: 20-game, half season, or full season packages with the same seats every time. These are the fans the Twins clearly want to cultivate — the ones who commit early, show up often, and keep the revenue stream steady.
What You Get
- Up to 25% off tickets
- 25% off concessions
- Full ticket exchange privileges
- Priority access to postseason seats
- MyTwins Rewards points
If Choice Plans are flexible loyalty, Reserved Plans are the velvet rope.
Twins lose Pablo Lopez for the 2026 season
It was my second trip out to the Lee Health Sports Complex this year on Monday, February 16th and when I arrived I was shocked by the amount of cars in the parking lot, more than I have ever seen out there except for a Twins Spring Training game. At first didn’t realize what was going on until I saw the Bloodmobile and a number of Lee County safety vehicles and realized it was the annual Lee Health Sports Complex hosting the Minnesota Twins Open House and Health Fair.
I had been out to the complex about a week earlier, just before Spring Training opened and their were a number of players around but this day was special, it was the first day of Spring Training for the position players. Once I got through the throng of people the Open House attracted I started taking some pictures of PFP and then headed over to the bullpen down the third base line to see who was throwing a bullpen and was happy to see Pablo Lopez and Cole Sands hard at work. I watched them both throw for awhile and then went over to the backfields to see what was going on there. I left about Noon or so and headed for home.
Later in the day I was surprised to hear that Lopez had been throwing live BP and walked off he mound in the middle of “an inning” with a bit of a sore elbow. The Twins reported it more as a precautionary move but also stated that Lopez would be having an MRI. Once “MRI” was mentioned, I was concerned.
The next day the word was out, Lopez has been diagnosed with a significant tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. He is getting a second opinion but that is just a formality and it looks like Pablo Lopez will not be pitching for the Twins in 2026. This will be his second TJ surgery.
That is such horrific news for the Minnesota Twins to lose their Ace on the first day of Spring Training, particularly coming off the tumultuous past year the team and the fans have encountered. Lopez is the leader of the Twins staff and starting pitching was the teams strength.
Unlike most Twins fans, I do not think this is a bad team. Granted, they are probably not a playoff team but they are not as bad as they played after the trade deadline fire sale decimated the team and the team morale in the second half of 2025. I was thinking of it more as a team that could play .500 ball and be competitive. This injury could not have happened at a more inopportune time.
But, that is baseball and injuries happen, the Twins starting pitching depth will be tested. There is no one there that can replace Pablo Lopez but someone needs to step up and we will have to wait and see who that is and if he can help carry the load and help this team win. It’s at times like this you have to remember that baseball is a team game and the loss of one player doesn’t mean the end of the season before it has even started, it just makes the challenge a bit more difficult. Don’t give up on this team yet.
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