Major League Baseball did a great disservice to itself last week when three umpire supervisors were fired. Although they were not given reasons, it is obvious that this was the Commissioner’s response to some poor calls during the 2009 postseason.
One of the calls in question went against our own Joe Mauer. In a playoff game against the Yankees, his “would be” ground-rule double, which was hit down the left field line clearly in fair territory, was called foul. Joe was cool, regrouped, and a few pitches later hit a single. I have asked Joe about this, and he said he wasn’t even sure where the ball landed at the time, and now that he knows, he is definitely not bitter about the incident.
Umpires make thousands of accurate calls during the year, and only a few blunders. Even though the blunders in question came at crucial times, they should not be the reason to terminate three supervisors who have devoted their lives to baseball. The answer might be found in communicating, retraining and counseling the umpires who make such severe mistakes. This is still a traditional game, officiated by human beings - professionals, with an accuracy rate higher than 95%. Some argue for more instant replay. Even though the home run replay has been successful, we don’t want to turn this great game into an electronic video event with delays every few minutes.
But let me get to the heart of this story: How will firing Rich Garcia, Jim McKean, and Marty Springstead improve the game of baseball? Answer: It will not! I have met Rich and Jim, and I don’t know them well, but they have fine reputations throughout baseball. However, I know Marty Springstead like family, and he is an ambassador of the game, a true prince. Having been in baseball for more than 50 years, he is a walking history book. He knew them all! Mantle, Maris, DiMaggio, all of the game’s legends. He can hold court for hours with only kind, heartwarming, and humorous tales about baseball and the men who have played it.
Springstead holds a special spot in his heart for Minnesota. He has often said that Harmon Killebrew is the classiest man that he has ever met, that the Twins are one of the finest clubs in the majors, and that the Twin Cities is his favorite place in the world to visit.
Marty has traveled to all 50 states on behalf of baseball, and to at least a dozen foreign countries. He is a great public speaker, and is loved wherever he goes. I have met people who have actually named their children after him.
And then…after 50 years of service, he received a four-minute call from the Human Resources Department of MLB to tell him he must retire. “I still haven’t received anything in writing!” he told me earlier this week.
Baseball lost an important legacy when they lost Marty. But he’ll survive; living by the words he says often: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
On March 13, Target Field’s first public event will be held. Actually…it will be the second public event on the grounds. The first took place before the stands were built or the turf was laid - when, on an August evening in 2007, a sterling group of baseball people (players, executives, even Commissioner Bud Selig) gathered for the Target Field groundbreaking ceremony. With all of the baseball people assembled on that August evening along with thousands of fans, I think we need to count the groundbreaking ceremony as the first public event. That makes Kent Hrbek the answer to a trivia question. As Hrbek took the stage that night to give a short speech in the abandoned parking lot, he cracked open a beer and said: “Let me be the first person to drink a beer at Target Field.” He then proceeded to drink the first beer, to the applause of fans and players alike.
But on March 13 at 11 a.m., the first public event to be held at the completed Target Field will take place as the Twins and Target throw a party to celebrate the grand opening of Target Plaza. There will be a short program with music, fun, and food. At this event the Twins will unveil the Original Twins Dog that will replace the Dome Dog, since they are no longer playing in a dome.
The Twins have severed ties with Hormel, and have reunited with Schweigert Meats, the Minneapolis company that supplied the dogs for Met Stadium during the Twins’ early years. The Twins will sell four different styles of Schweigert Hot Dogs at Target Field, and will continue having a dollar-dog-night as they did at the Dome. The dollar-dog-night will now be on Mondays (except for the opener), with the first 20,000 Original Twins Dog costing a dollar, and with a limit of two per person.
Some more excitement happening on March 13: It will be the first day that the public can buy single-game tickets at Target Field. Fans will be able to put the new ball park’s ticket kiosks and human ticket sellers to the test.
The Twins will also have a grand opening for their new merchandise store on that day. It will be called the Majestic Twins Clubhouse Store — named after Majestic, the manufacturer of the players’ uniforms. The store actually opened on the 8th, but the official grand opening is the 13th.
When play begins at Target Field, a new tavern will open at the park named simply: 573. The number 573 represents the career home runs of the great Twin Hall-of-Famer Harmon Killebrew, and this restaurant will be dedicated to him. One of the beverages that will be featured at 573 will be Killebrew Root Beer, which was developed by Harmon’s son Kenny, and is brewed by the Cold Spring Brewery in Cold Spring, Minnesota.
South
Down in Fort Myers, the weather has been cool, rainy, and windy. When it rains at training camp, the players still work out; throwing and hitting at the indoor cages. Some may elect to lift weights and do indoor exercises for most of the day. If there is a pause between rain showers, some players take advantage of it and go out to throw long tosses.
Dustin Morse, the Twins’ manager of baseball communications, said Francisco Liriano looks as though he’s in great shape, and appears to be throwing well. And he struck out three batters in two innings the other day.
Justin Morneau is feeling great, and is taking it slow early at training camp. It is usually a long, grueling season for him, and he had a stress fracture in his back last September. He thought that it would be a wise move to start slow, even before the Twins suggested it to him, and then it was reiterated by his pal Joe Mauer.
Only a couple of question marks remain about this 2010 Twins team. The first question is: Who will win the third base assignment? Will it be minor-league prospect Danny Valencia, Brendan Harris, or Nick Punto?
And the second mystery is: Who will be Denard Span’s back up in center. Dustin Morse told me that the Twins are in the process of trying out five different players in center at practice. They are Matt Tolbert, Nick Punto, Michael Cuddyer, Alexi Casilla, and minor-leaguer Ben Revere.
Soon the two mysteries will be answered: the name of a backup center fielder, and the name of a regular third baseman. A third mystery was answered Monday when the Twins announced that the Target Field hot dogs will be Schweigerts; that’s some real need-to-know information for any Twins fan!
It’s been a long Minnesota winter, and a couple of very contagious fevers have recently been infesting local households. They are cabin fever and baseball fever. The latter is even stronger than usual this season, with all of the talk about Target Field’s debut and MVP Joe Mauer’s contract.
One sure cure for both afflictions is a family trip to Twins spring training in Fort Myers. If you are a small family, it might be reasonably affordable for you to fly. If that’s your plan, you should go online and find your best airfares and car rentals. This late in the season, you’ll find your best values through various travel sites in their “fire sale” pages. Remember: you need not fly directly into Fort Myers. Many times, I have saved several hundred dollars by flying to Orlando, where you can always find airfare and car-rental bargains. From Orlando, you have an easy little three-hour road trip on the sunshine-lit Florida freeways. You may also check prices to Tampa, Sarasota, and the least desirable possibility (because of inner-city driving out of the airport), Miami. A short road trip from another airport might save your family $600 to $1000 and give you some quality time together. There are various orange groves, fruit stands, farmers’ markets, and flea markets you can visit along the way. Don’t forget: if you have an early morning return flight, you may have to drive to your departure city the night before you leave, so plan accordingly.
If you have a large family and some extra time, and you aren’t sure such a trip is in the budget, you might want to drive to Florida. No air expenses, no car rental, and you can make it in just two 12-hour days of driving. However, I prefer to break it up into three 8-hour days, an extra hotel expense, but a bit more relaxing. I like to go through Louisville and tour the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. There you can watch them make bats for current players, and see contracts signed by greats from the past such as Babe Ruth, along with other players’ equipment and contracts.
The only advice you need, if you’re driving, is to plan your trip so that you hit Atlanta either on a weekend, or midday during the week, because the Atlanta rush hour is long and horrendous. And in southern Tennessee, you go through some mountains that I advise you to drive in the daylight. They are no big deal, but if you are not used to them, use extra caution.
I would book all hotels, including hotels along your route to Florida in advance. You’ll be surprised how many families you’ll see on the road, and many hotels along the Interstates sell out.
Before you go, you’ll want to decide whether you will stay in the city of Fort Myers near the ballpark, or at Fort Myers Beach. If you are going for baseball, stay near the park, because when you’re coming from the beach, it can take an hour or even longer with the Florida “high season” traffic. It is a little less expensive, too. Maybe stay at the beach for a couple of days when the Twins are on the road. At the beach you can leave your car at the hotel and travel on a free trolley through the congestion to the many restaurants and shops.
When going to Lee County Stadium, it is fun to go early in the morning, when players are arriving. There is less stress in the morning and the players occasionally have time to be cordial with the fans. You can watch them work out for free. You’ll see the Twins’ special spring coaches mentoring them. You might see Paul Molitor, Rod Carew, Terry Steinbach, Tony Oliva, and most years Harmon Killebrew (Harmon recently had surgery) working with both major- and minor-league players.
If you don’t have tickets to the day’s game, you can watch the morning workouts, then stroll across the complex and watch future stars at the minor-league fields for free. It’s there that you’ll see Joe Mauer’s brother, Jake, managing his team the Fort Myers Miracle. Then walk back to major-league camp after the 5th inning, when the gates are generally open, you can enter for free. Also: there are many fans — not hardcore scalpers — who will have extra tickets and sell them around the grounds, so tickets aren’t impossible to find before gametime.
As the players exit, they drive through the lot and sometimes stop to sign autographs. Some veterans are allowed to leave before the game is complete. Be courteous to the players. Do not mob players’ vehicles. Joe Mauer recently told his dad he is frightened he may hit someone the way fans swarm his car.
As you rub some aloe on your slightly burned skin, you might hear someone talk about a State Tournament blizzard due in Minnesota. As you listen, you might decide to go to the orange grove across from the ballpark to sample some free, fresh-picked oranges and juices, and maybe ship a case of oranges home. You can eat them in April as you watch your Twins play at Target Field.
Many Minnesota Twins arrived in Fort Myers raring to go a week before the pitcher’s and catcher’s deadline. The player’s equipment truck left Minneapolis February 12. This year it was accompanied by two other trucks loaded with supplies and furniture that was removed from the Dome, but never found a home at Target Field. I’m sure it will be greatly appreciated by the expanded spring training staff and by the minor league clubs, where extra furniture and supplies are a luxury.
Pat Neshek has been rehabbing in Fort Myers for the last year and, according to his blog, is suddenly very pleased and excited about his progress. He said that until recently, his pitches had been flat, without much movement. He has been throwing hard every other day and resting a day in between. On February 16, he said everything began to click; soreness he had been feeling in his shoulder left, he was getting his fastball up to 90 MPH with some movement, and he was hitting the corners. He said he fooled many batters, too — but they aren’t major league players and should be easy to fool. The real test will come soon. I can’t emphasize enough how a healthy Pat Neshek in middle relief could benefit this Twins team.
Don’t Forget to Write!
Pat Neshek wrote the following about a letter he received, and then he displayed a copy of the letter on his web site:
“Bad Letter of the Month.”
” For some reason I think he’s lying about me being his favorite player.”
” ‘Dear Pat Neshek,’ “
” ‘You’re my favorite player. You’re the best. If you could get me Joe Nathan’s autograph on a card. And Justin Morneau’s autograph. And Joe Mauer’s autograph. And Jim Thome’s autograph. And J.J. Hardy’s autograph. And Jason Kubel’s autograph. I appreciate it if you can. Please write back!’ “
” ‘Sincerely. ‘ “
Name was blacked out, and I corrected the many spelling mistakes.
Good Luck!
Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters has reported that former outfielder Bobby Kielty, who played for the Twins from 1999 to 2002, will try to get back into baseball, this time as a pitcher. Bobby, who has always been quite powerful at the plate, was extremely fit, and had a strong and accurate right arm. But it will be tough to return to the majors at the age of 34, and with only two pitches.
Jake Mauer, manager of the Twins minor-league Fort Myers Miracle, has just returned from Miami where he attended the Super Bowl with his MVP brother Joe. Jake said that they had a great time and great seats — and in the days prior to the game they were whisked around to some high profile parties.
Meantime, their brother Bill enjoyed his first weekend of being in business at his new Mauer Chevrolet in Inver Grove Heights. Bill was also on alert because his wife Stephanie is due with their second child.
Keeping Up With Jacque Jones
The Twins signed Jacque Jones to a minor-league deal this week, once again showing class in how they deal with former personnel. Jacque had a good run with the Twins, playing mostly in right field from 1999 to 2005. In several of those seasons, he was part of an outfield known as the “soul patrol,” which included Torii Hunter in center and Shannon Stewart in left. The Twins made it to postseason play in three of the years Jacque was with the club. Jacque went on to play for the Cubs in 2006 and 2007, but in 2008 he bounced from the Cubs to Detroit to Florida, and last year he never even surfaced in the majors. The Twins don’t have much to lose in showing their loyalty to Jones — and a lot to gain. If Jacque can get back into the groove, he could be a nice backup for our current outfield now that the Mets have claimed Jason Pridie off waivers.
The Kid Can Play
Toby Gardenhire, son of Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, has received an invitation to major-league spring training this year. Toby is a sure-handed utility infielder who has been in the Twins’ farm system since 2005. Toby is no stranger to the big boys; last March he played in a couple of games with the major league squad. I asked Gardy then what it was like to manage his son. This is what he had to say: “Actually, most of the time Toby was around, I was at the other field working with the minor-leaguers. I rely on the reports I get from my staff, just like I would with any of the other players.”
A Really Good Guy!
Ron Gardenhire gives much of his personal life to charities and fundraisers. He often visits hospitals, schools, and will bowl or golf at a player’s request to raise money for a cause. He is also patriotic and supportive of our troops.
Last week Gardy not only drove a snowmobile in a benefit run which was for Ataxia research (that’s the disease which took Twins great Bob Allison), but it has been reported that he kicked in $20,000 of his own money to help find a cure. Besides being generous with his time and money, Ron has become quite polished; he’s entertaining and funny at the many functions he attends. His presence can make an event a huge success.
Thinking Young
Delmon Young has been working out extra-hard this winter, and it’s quite obvious by his appearance — he looks thinner and stronger than he did last year, and he’s raring to go. When I chatted with him at Twins Fest, he joked about the cold Minnesota weather, saying he couldn’t wait to get back home to California. Then as an afterthought, he said he couldn’t wait for spring training in Fort Myers. He shrugged off the notion of losing playing time because of the acquisition of DH Jim Thome. Having Thome in the lineup will bump last year’s DH, Jason Kubel, who happens to be a pretty good left fielder. Delmon said: “I’m not the manager. I’m a left fielder who will play hard whenever the manager has me in the lineup.” He went on to say that he was more concerned about filling the gaps in the infield. But that was before the Twins signed Orlando Hudson to play second base. With our strong outfield, and an infield consisting of Morneau at first, Hudson at second, Hardy at short, and Punto and Harris platooning at third, we should play some pretty solid defense in 2010.
After a successful 2010 Twins Caravan, the entire team (excluding Jose Mijares who was having a visa problem) assembled at the Hilton Minneapolis to honor their own at the Diamond Awards.
Early in the evening, the question that was buzzing through the cocktail crowd was this: Will J.J. Hardy and Jim Thome show up at the dinner to meet their new teammates?The answer was yes! Jim Thome was being whisked through the crowd when he chose to slow down and shake hands with a few of his new fans. J.J. Hardy immediately reconnected with his buddy Joe Mauer, whom he has known since he was 15. Hardy and Mauer were both chosen to play on several national teams together when they were teenagers. In fact, one team already had a catcher and a short stop, so Joe was asked to play first and Hardy right field. I’ll bet that coach looks back and regrets that he moved two of the game’s best at their positions.
Hardy and Thome not only attended the Diamond Awards, but hung around all weekend for Twins Fest and to meet some new fans. They both seemed very sincere as they repeatedly told reporters and fans how happy they are to be on this Twins team. Thome is a gentle giant who has plundered the Twins over the years, hitting 51 home runs against them. He talked about the respect he has for this team, and especially his respect for Joe Mauer.
Meantime, Twins players seemed in awe of their former opponent. Even Gardy said during a radio interview that when he was a third base coach for the Twins, he got to know Thome as he watched him develop into the player that he is today. When an interviewer asked if Thome would ever be used in the field or strictly as a DH, Gardy laughed and said: “I’ll throw him a glove and see if he catches it. That’s the first test.”
Lots of women love baseball players, but J.J. Hardy is what you call a “chick magnet”! The ladies followed him around, and one female fan from Milwaukee said: “We don’t call him J.J. Hardy, we call him J.J. Hottie!”
But seriously, he’s a nice young man; a very polite and respectful guy who will bring a whole lotta D to the left side of the infield. Hopefully he’ll get his swing back after slumping last year and do some damage at the plate, too. Batting coach Joe Vavra has already been viewing last year’s video of Hardy at the plate, and rumor has it that he will offer J.J. a couple of mechanical adjustments.
Fans seemed a bit nostalgic at Twins Fest as they wandered the playing field where two World Championships were won. There were the usual fans who were memorabilia collectors and autograph hounds. There were other fans who were ordering tickets and asking questions about Target Field.Kids were playing wiffleball, and in the background you could hear a few good singers, but mostly off-key crooners, as they auditioned to sing the National Anthem. A couple of the Twins’ greatest fans milling through the crowd were Gordon and Greg Nelson, father and brother of major league umpire Jeff Nelson.
“How’s Jeff?” I asked them. Jeff beat prostate cancer a couple of years ago. “Jeff’s great!” said his dad. “He’s giving an umpire clinic in Florida.”
“Is he really?” asked Jeff’s brother Greg.
“Yes,” Gordon replied. They wandered away as Gordon explained the details.
After Twins Fest, Joe Mauer flew to Southern California to help Sony make a new Playstation game. While Joe was doing business there, his brother Billy was opening his new Mauer Chevrolet in Inver Grove Heights. Billy was a pitcher for the Twins in the minors, and brother Jake (who is a manager for the dealership) is also the manager of the Twin’s AA team, the Fort Myers Miracle. Mauer Chevrolet is a real family business, with Bill’s wife and baby daughter on hand supervising, as well as Mom and Dad, who are serving as honorary consultants.
While the family was selling Chevys on the first day of February, and Joe modeled for Sony in California, Mark Rosen was in Minneapolis prematurely reporting that Joe was about to sign a deal. When I heard the Rosen report, I knew the news wasn’t accurate because surely with this close-knit family, Mom and Dad would have been in the loop. Everyone is speculating what will happen, when outsiders should be backing off and letting things progress naturally. As Joe said: “Things will work themselves out.” I know he wants to be a Twin because of his quote when a writer asked him: “What’s more important, playing at home or winning a championship?” His response was: “Why not both!”
Obviously the Twins wouldn’t want to lose Joe Mauer. Twin’s manager Ron Gardenhire recently said during a radio interview: “I think a contract will come soon. They just have to figure out if they want to give Joe St. Paul or Minneapolis.”
Another funny line was at the Diamond Awards when Twins owner Jim Pohlad announced: “I lost my wallet. If you find it, just give it to Joe Mauer.”
One of the nicest sports forums I have ever attended was the taping of the “Joe Mauer” edition of ESPN’s “Homecoming.” Friends, family members, childhood teammates, and others in Joe’s life shared memories that were usually quite humorous. But the guy who stole the show was Joe’s grandpa, Jake Senior. He had the crowd roaring with laughter. He was all over the place, and had to be told to return to his spot because the camera couldn’t keep up with him. Jake was just plain excited about telling the world what a great guy his grandson is. The moderator, Rick Reilley laughed and said: “If Conan would’ve had you, he’d still be on the air.” But the crack that got the loudest laugh was when Rick tried to talk about Grandpa Jake’s life and said: “You had a great minor league career, but you never made it to the majors.” Jake replied,”It was tougher then, not as many teams. And two other reasons I didn’t make it: Booze and women…I love them both!”
ESPN has done about 20 of these shows, and they usually attract an audience of around 1500. The Joe Mauer edition drew more than 4000 fans and alumni to Cretin-Derham Hall where the show was taped and where Joe starred in football, basketball, and baseball. The audience was instructed to park at the State Fairgrounds and ride one of the 40 buses the network sprang for to the school because the school’s parking lots were too small. The network also paid around $50,000 to have snow removed from the roof so they could plant their satellites and equipment there.
People that Joe does business with, including his agent Ron Shapiro, were flown in to partake in the forum. Jeff Idelson from The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown was there with one of Joe’s record-setting bats. Even his former backup catcher, former Twin Mike Redmond, who recently signed with the Indians, was flown in. Unfortunately, they ran out of time and did not talk to the “Red Dog.”
The only talk of Joe’s contract came when host Rick Reilly asked Joe what’s more important, a championship or playing in your home town. “Why not both!” was Joe’s reply, followed by thunderous applause. He also stated several times that he is only concerned about preparing for 2010 at this time.
“Homecoming” will include some footage that was taped last week, featuring Joe and his dad at their cabin, and also a visit to the house in St. Paul where the Mauer brothers grew up.
While standing behind the family house, Rick Reilly asked the boys if they had ever broken a window while playing backyard ball. Without delay, and in harmony, the three brothers; Jake, Billy, and Joe answered: “Yes!” Reilly points to a neighbor’s window and again they say: “Yes!” Another window was pointed to and once again “Yes!” was their reply. Joe said that they usually used a squishy ball, the type you’d squeeze for stress relief. Then the host asked Joe if he’d like to take a swing at a rubber ball for the show and Joe agreed to. He paused for a second and said:”I hope I don’t break a window.” a window. Then, with a patented smooth, Joe Mauer swing, he smacked the first pitch out of sight. Next the audience heard a crash, as the ball sailed through a neighbor’s window, like when he was a kid. The only difference is this time, ESPN is paying for the window. Money will not be deducted from the boys’ allowance.
“Quick Swing,” is an invention Joe’s father came up with 20 years ago, which allowed the boys to train and hit balls during winter. Since then, the product has been advanced, developed, distributed, and marketed nationally. A “Quick Swing” was brought up onto the stage at Cretin during the show. However, the one on stage was Jake’s original, still in its most infant stage. Reilly asked Joe to take a swing, and hit a whiffle ball towards the audience. His dad laughed and cautioned: “He’s going to hurt somebody; he might hit someone in the face.” But Joe has such control, he waited for the ball to drop, and then with his sweet swing, intentionally hit a soft pop-up to the last row of the audience, as everyone cheered with delight.
It was a long night — nearly three hours — but it went by fast. After the taping, family and close friends enjoyed food and refreshments at Mancini’s Char House, and they listened to more stories from Grandpa Jake.
The show will air sometime in April.
The Mob Goes After Joe Mauer!
“The fans in New York are crazy!” was Joe’s father’s reply when I asked him about the MVP award banquet in New York City last week.
Joe has told me that he likes New York because once he gets away from the autograph seekers around a team hotel, he can blend in. Not when you’re a single, handsome MVP. As the players filed into the ballroom at the New York Hilton, they had to walk about 25 feet through hotel space that was not roped off. It was fine for the other guys; fans cheered them on. But as Joe passed through, he was mobbed. “I was a little worried,” said his dad. “They got closer and closer, and began touching him. We had to walk forward very quickly to get away from them.”
After that, Joe really appreciated his “Homecoming” in St. Paul.
Early at the Alleys
Not all of the events during January’s sports banquet season happen at night. There is one early-morning event that is quite fun and casual, and it features breakfast food rather than the usual beef and chicken. It is WCCO Radio’s morning icon Dave Lee’s Gutter Bowl. This year alone Dave Lee’s brainchild of a drive-time bowling tournament raised more than $75,000 for the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital. And you’d be surprised how many big shooters rise early to attend this event. Last year I saw Paul Molitor and Tubby Smith hanging around. This year Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was bowling along with his wife and daughter. Governor Tim Pawlenty is always on hand, as is Gopher baseball coach John Anderson.
I asked John if he had any hopes of getting a new ball park. “Maybe someday,” he replied. “But for now we are content playing at the Dome. We always know we’ll be able to get the game in — we’re no longer concerned about Minnesota’s weather.”
The Twins have agreed to terms with designated hitter Jim Thome this afternoon, pending a physical. The contract is said to be worth about 1.5 million with an additional $750,000 in incentives.
Thome, 39, batted .249 (90-for-362) with 15 doubles, 23 home runs and 77 rbi in 124 games last year with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He currently has 564 lifetime home runs and 1565 RBI’s.
With the acquisition of Thome, Jason Kubel could see more playing time in the outfield, resting Delmon Young, or filling in for right fielder Michael Cuddyer, who may be resting Justin Morneau at first. We don’t know for sure how healthy Morneau will be returning from a slight fracture in the back area, and Michael certainly has proven that he is beyond capable defensively at first base.
Gardy has often said that he doesn’t worry about an excess of players, injuries and unexpected circumstances have a way of working things out.
Jim Thome’s experience will be a nice addition to the club.
The Twins’ season kicked off in high style Monday at the Prom Ballroom, where about 400 baseball fans gathered to celebrate the 2009 season and welcome the 2010 season at the 70th Annual Old Timers Hot Stove Banquet. All of the usual Minnesota baseball characters assembled, including Twins executives Dave St. Peter, Terry Ryan, Jim Rantz, former Twins manager Tom Kelly, current manager Ron Gardenhire, some current and former players, and the self-proclaimed “old timers” who organize the banquet and help preserve Minnesota’s baseball history.
One member of the Twins’ front office who attended the dinner was Scott O’Connell. When you hear Scott’s deep voice projecting as he greets you, you’ll probably guess that he once worked in radio. Good guess!
Anyone who has ever bought group tickets for a Twins game in the last 25 years has probably worked with him. He was recently promoted to director of suite and premium seat sales and service. Scott is a baseball traditionalist who relates to the common guy. You may have gone to see Scott for group tickets at one time, and then started talking baseball, rock and roll, and current events. A half hour later you may have felt so comfortable with his pleasant dimeanor, you probably reserved several additional game dates with him.
But with the demand of Scott’s current position, and with all of the preparations that come with opening a new ballpark, he has little free time for himself. He could’ve easily been at home resting on the couch on this rare night off. But Scott would never miss this event. He was one of the first to arrive to the Prom Ballroom, laughing and schmoozing with old friends, same as he did 20 years ago. Scott O’Connell loves baseball, and he loves visiting with others that feel the same way.
Scott is the perfect example of the type of person that this dinner attracts — but each is from a different walk of life: players and former players from every level, coaches, accountants, beer distributors, Park and Rec. folks, fans, writers, and many others that have baseball in their hearts; baseball is the common denominator.
One current Twin player who attended was pitcher Pat Neshek - along with his father, Gene. Pat has been out of commission for a couple of years and is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. I asked him how he was feeling and how well he is throwing the ball at this point. “I feel great, but I really don’t know for sure.” He told me. “I think I’m throwing well, but it’s difficult to tell right now because I haven’t been clocked by a radar gun, and of course there is no batter at the plate.” A healthy Pat Neshek could be key element in putting together a fantastic Twin’s bullpen.
Twin’s infielder Matt Tolbert talked about the excitement of playing in the tie-breaking game 163 against Detroit. He talked about the thrill of driving in the winning run: “I was thinking that I had to do something as I approached the plate. I had made a couple of mistakes, and I knew Gardy was hatin’ me with his looks.”
That statement caught Gardy’s attention, and he did a double-take. He began to laugh as he shouted in Matt’s direction: “You know I love you Berty.”
The night was filled with positive energy and laughter. The mood carried over to Wednesday night at Mancini’s, as Concordia held its annual baseball awards banquet. Many of the same characters were on hand, along with some additional baseball people. T.K. and Jake Mauer were among the folks who attended both functions. But many people are loyal to the Mancini’s event and attend that one only. One such person is none other than Twin’s former great, Kent Hrbek — or Kenny, as T.K. calls him. Kent said that the reason he enjoys the Concordia banquet is that his wife Jeannie is always invited to attend and joins him at the head table. Tom Kelly affirmed that statement, and said that is why he always looks forward to this event: he gets to bring his wife — that and the great baseball program Concordia has to offer.
The Twins’ Caravan seems to be rolling along quite well this year, too. So far there have been no bad snowstorms or deep freeze to get in its way. But, of course, with every unexpected hurdle you jump during a caravan comes another terrific story to be told at next year’s Hot Stove dinner.
Happy New Year Kid!
As Joe Mauer was on his way to meet Justin Morneau and some other close friends for a quiet New Year’s Eve celebration, he decided to take his companions to Mancini’s for a quick steak. Owner Pat Mancini told Joe that his table would be ready soon, and if Joe thought he might need a private waiting area, it could be arranged. Joe declined the offer; he said that he was just fine in the regular waiting area. Joe then shared small-talk with other patrons as he and his friends joked and waited for their table. After being seated, Mancini customers respected Joe’s privacy. No one really paid attention to Joe’s group — except for one little boy, who just wanted to observe his hero from a distance. Someone told the little one: “Ask Joe for an autograph. He loves children.”
The boy said: “No! My dad said not to.” Joe heard the child’s response and invited the boy over for a chat and an autograph.
When it was announced that Joe Mauer was the MVP for the American League in 2009, Justin Morneau was speaking from experience when he told his pal that he’ll have a very busy winter trying to keep up with the demands that come with the honor. One of those commitments, and probably the highlight of them all, will be next week in New York City, when Joe and his family attend a special award ceremony hosted by the Baseball Writers Association. It’s there that Joe will be with baseball’s greatest names as he receives his MVP award.
After New York City, Joe will probably head to his home in Florida before coming back to Minnesota for the Diamond Awards and Twins Fest.
While Joe is traveling about, we all hope that his agent, Ron Shapiro, is finalizing a new contract with the Twins for Joe.
Let the 2010 Season Begin
Monday, January 18, the 2010 baseball season begins. Well…maybe not the games, but the Twins caravan and the many Hot Stove dinners that will be held throughout Twins Territory seem to put baseball fever in the air. Twins players and celebrities will attend the events, while everyone talks Twins and Target Field — you know that the season is near!
Monday night is the 70th annual Original Baseball Old Timers Hot Stove Banquet, which will be held at the Prom Ballroom in Oakdale. This is one of the best deals of the banquet tour. For 28 bucks, you get a great steak dinner and get to rub elbows with Minnesota baseball dignitaries and future stars. Pat Neshek, Ron Gardenhire, Tom Kelly, and Dave St. Peter are among those who will be seated at the head table. There is a social hour [batting practice aka happy hour] followed by a structured program hosted by Twins TV announcer Dick Bremer, and a video put together by the Twins. For tickets call Rudy at 651-379-2325.
Jake Mauer Goes Out For Chinese
Twins minor league managerial prodigy Jake Mauer, (who is turning out to be a pretty solid coach, I’ve been told), has just returned from Taiwan where he represented Major League Baseball as he conducted a youth clinic.
Folks around the Twins organization are impressed by Jake (who is Joe’s oldest brother), particularly by his coaching skills and his people skills. To be chosen for this assignment shows that others in MLB are just as impressed.
Food for Thought
The Twin’s front office is busy working on the food experience of Target Field. Twins president Dave St. Peter had this to say: “The variety and quality of the concessions at Target Field will provide our fans with the very best in ballpark dining. The food at Target Field will be a huge part of the outdoor baseball experience by celebrating the region’s culture and baseball heritage, including some favorite Twins players over the years.”
Complete menus are still being finalized, but highlights include:
Mill City Grill - featuring the signature Murray’s Steak Sandwich and walleye fingers.
Hennepin Grille - burgers, hot dogs, fries, chicken tenders.
Frankie V’s Italian - a variety of pizza, calzones, and an Italian chopped salad.
North Shore Creamery - soft-serve sundaes, Twins helmet sundaes.
Halsey’s Sausage Haus - Italian and Polish sausage and jumbo hot dogs.
Señor Smoke’s - from Juan Berenguer’s home country of Panama featuring empanadas and other regional favorites such as nachos, burritos and tacos.
Taste of Twins Territory - beer-steamed brats, jumbo hot dogs and pretzels.
State Fair Classics - walleye-on-a-stick, pork-chop on-a-stick and cheese curds.
Twins Brews - craft and premium selections from Minnesota breweries.
Haiti Earthquake: International Relief
One of the worst earthquakes in more than 200 years hit the island of Haiti on January 12th. Early estimates put the possible death toll in the thousands. Find out how you can help.
Wixon Jewelers
Wixon Jewelers is the largest independent jewelry store in Minnesota. Established in 1988 by Dan Wixon, Wixon Jewelers is a leader in providing high quality jewelry with unparalleled customer service.
