Tag: Target Field

The Twins at the World Series

The franchise has a 3-3 record in World Series history

The start of a new baseball season is always a glorious time. Fans across the country all have high hopes and dreams that they will be celebrating a Fall Classic win later in the year. Obviously, most of those dreams will be dashed over the next few months but, just for a little while, all 30 teams are still in with a chance.

Five clubs have never tasted victory, of course, with the Seattle Mariners never even making it to the World Series. There may be a few Twins fans that can’t remember a victory of our own but we have come out on top on no less than three occasions – with another three agonizing finals defeats in franchise history.

After winning the AL Central last season, there will be some of the best MLB betting sites looking at the Twins as a long shot for a championship this year. But, while we settle into the new campaign, let’s take a look back at all the times the franchise made it to the World Series.

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Twins make-over at Target Field continues

According to a recent Minnesota Twins Press Release the following changes will take place at Target Field not to mention a new and much larger scoreboard that had been announced earlier.

Click on this link to see what it should all look like https://fb.watch/iqCv4uRNfV/

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins, in partnership with Dimensional Innovations, today unveiled designs for the newest, technologically-enhanced additions to the Target Field experience: An updated Minnie & Paul celebration sign with the words “Win! Twins!” rising above the ballpark in centerfield, and the club’s “TC” mark encased in a revolving, illuminated baseball medallion sitting atop the rightfield tower. These two elements, both featuring design and technology elements unique to the Twins and Target Field, will be put into place over the next two months and make their official debut during Minnesota’s 2023 Home Opener on Thursday, April 6.

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Twins Milestone Home Runs from 1961-2021

Over the years the Minnesota Twins have hit 8,591 home runs since they started play in 1961 through the 2021 season. Let’s take a look at some milestone home runs, who hit them and where did they hit them. You might want to take note that the Minnesota Twins won 10 of these 12 games.

#1 was hit by Bob Allison on 4-11-61 at Yankee Stadium off Whitey Ford in a Twins 6-0 win in the first game they ever played.

#100 was hit by Bob Allison on 7-19-61 at Wrigley Field off the Angels Ron Kline in a 6-0 Twins win in game one of a DH.

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How concerned are the Twins about the FSN/Sinclair snafu

With many of the streaming options dropping Fox Sports North of late many Minnesota Twins fans like a number of other MLB fans are left in a lurch for a way to watch their favorite teams play ball in a couple of weeks when the 2021 season opens. I am still connected to my Xfinity cable box but I can certainly sympathize with the fans that have no way to watch Twins baseball.

In a recent Star Tribune article Chip Scoggins wrote that “Multiple people familiar with the situation told me local franchises with FSN ties are looking at viewership losses of between one-quarter and one-third of their audience. That’s big, and sobering.”

In that same article Dave St. Peter said he understands frustration of fans who can’t watch the Twins because they don’t have access to FSN. “People want to be able to watch their teams,” St. Peter said. “I don’t think that is an unrealistic or unfair expectation.”

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Twins to welcome back fans to Target Field in 2021

The last time that Twins fans were able to watch their home-town team play ball in-person at Target Field was back on October 7, 2019. That was the day their beloved Bomba Squad was sent packing from the American League playoffs when they were swept by the New York Yankees three games to zip in the ALDS. Their starting pitcher that day was Jake Odorizzi. Sergio Romo and Trevor May pitched in relief and the only run they scored in the 5-1 loss was a home run hit by right-fielder Eddie Rosario. When Twins fans sadly filed out of Target Field that day little did they know that they would not be able to watch another game in person at Target Field for another 548 days. It will not be until April 8, 2021 when the Twins host the Seattle Mariners in their Home Opener that Twins fans will again be able to cheer on their Twins. All the players named above will be playing for other teams.

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This is what baseball has come down to? Oh My!

Credit to Stew Thornley

This is the Twins shift in the game against the Texas Rangers Joey Gallo yesterday. A catcher (Mitch Garver) and pitcher (Devin Smeltzer) and first baseman (Miguel Sano) in their normal positions but no one else is on the dirt. Five outfielders and yet Gallo hits a double off the right field wall, he also had a bunt single. My friend Wayne Hattaway would tell you “this isn’t real baseball”. Everytime you go to a baseball game you have a chance to see something you have never seen before.

 

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.

 

According to ELIAS – Eddie Rosario

Twins blessed by Rosario

Eddie Rosario

The Twins defeated the Blue Jays 13–7 to salvage a split of a 4-game home series. Eddie Rosario hit two homers, number 25 and 26 of the season. Rosario now has hit 15 home runs in his last 40 games, since August 6. Since they moved to Target Field in 2010, only three other Twins players have hit 15+ homers over 40 games: Trevor Plouffe in 2012, whose best span was 18 homers in 40 games, Josh Willingham in 2012, whose best span was 16 in 40 games, and Brian Dozier last season, whose best span was 22 homers in 40 games. (Dozier also had a span that overlapped the 2016 and 2017 seasons with 15 homers over 40 games.)

According to ELIAS – Twins mash the Padres 16-0

Twins mash Padres

The Twins hit homers in each of the first seven in innings in their 16-0 win over the Padres last night at Target Field. In doing so, they became the first team in major-league history to homer in each of the first seven innings of a game and the second team in MLB history to hit homers in seven consecutive innings in the same game. The Reds hit home runs in innings two through eight at Philadelphia on September 4, 1999.

The Twins beat the Royals, 17-0, on September 2 of this season. Minnesota is the second team in major league history to have two shutout wins by a margin of at least 16 runs twice in one calendar month. The Cardinals had two wins like that in June of 1944: 18-0 at Cincinnati and 16-0 at Pittsburgh.

The Twins’ victory was the 151st by an American League team against a National League team this season, and it clinched the 300-game interleague series for the American League for a 14th consecutive year. With 14 interleague games remaining this season, American League teams own a record of 151 wins and 135 losses, a winning percentage of .528.

Food safety at MLB ballparks

The Minnesota State Fair opened today for its 12 day run and when I think of the fair I think of two things, politicians and food. This morning my alarm went off and what did I hear first? None other than Dave Lee of WCCO radio interviewing Senator Amy Klobuchar.

We don’t go to the state fair every year but when we do go we try to taste some of the new foods that they have available which brings to mind a recent article I ran across that Sports Illustrated did a couple of weeks ago in ranking food safety at MLB ballparks in 2017. Food safety standards are not standard across the board so it is difficult to rate and compare, here is what SI had to say about that.

Are standards the same across the country? It can be difficult to compare ballparks since each city, county and state reports restaurant inspections differently. Nonetheless, all departments follow the food code set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which offers a consistent model. Health department representatives said that inspections are largely standardized. Some violations, though, did mean different things in different municipalities. For example, a walk-in refrigerator that didn’t have a thermometer was a non-critical violation in Anaheim and Oakland, whereas it was critical in Toronto and D.C.

The Seattle Mariners and Safeco Field had the best ranking and the Tampa Bay Rays and Tropicana Field had the lowest ranking. So where do the Minnesota Twins and Target Field rank against other MLB ballparks in 2017 as far as food safety is concerned? Sadly, their food safety ranks in roughly the same category as does their pitching. You can read the SI article here.

2017 MLB Ballpark Food Safety Rankings