Friday, October 2, 2009

Memorable Moments from the Met

I was 12 years old, walking across the parking lot at Met Stadium with my dad.  This guy comes up and asks my dad if we want tickets for seats right next to the Twin's dugout.  The year, 1969.  The guy turned out to be a Hamm's Beer rep.  I'm sitting there watching Jim Kaat and other Twins warm up right in front of me.  Billy Martin comes over and talks with this guy who gave us tickets, right in front of my eyes.  It was wonderful.

I remember a game when the Twins were down 8-0 to the Brewers, with half the stands filled with Milwaukee fans, and the Twins came back to win.  I remember Al Kaline from Detroit, gunning down a guy at third base after making a catch on the warning track in right field---it was probably the greatest throw I've ever witnessed.  I remember kids out in the left field bleachers whipping Frosty Malt covers at the opposing left fielders during games.  I remember seeing Rod Carew stealing home during the year he broke the record.   I remember going to Knothole games with my little league teammates.  I remember coming within inches of getting a home run ball out in the left field bleachers, but just getting beat out by some other kid.  I remember great tailgate parties, and going in to the game around the 2nd inning, looking at the scoreboard to see the Twins had one hit on the board, and just knowing it was Rod Carew.  I could continue on, but I won't.

Memorable Moments from watching the Twins in the Metrodome:

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  Okay, in June of this year I saw Mauer go 4 for 4.  (granted, I didn't get to see any playoff games in person from either World Series years)

Goodbye Metrodome  (for Twin's games anyway)

2 comments:

  1. Memorable moments at the Metrodome: Hmmm...I saw Eddie Murray and Dave Winfield get their 3,000th hits; I saw Scott Erickson pitch a no-hitter; I saw an All Star game and game 6 of the 87 World Series; I saw Dave Kingman put a foul ball through a hole in the roof. I saw Kent Hrbek in his rookie year go 4-for-4 in a game and a good portion of the crowd behind home plate stood up, turned around to face Calvin's booth, and started waving their checkbooks and wallets.

    I went to one game at the old Met; Twins vs. Yankees. I sat in the stands along the right field line. I could see Reggie Jackson standing in the outfield. What I couldn't see was the top arc of any fly ball to right field because the stands above my head cut off my view.

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  2. Well sure, you worked there. I know there were some grand moments at the dome. Baseball is baseball, regardless of where it's played. I'm sure every other stadium in MLB has it quirks and idiosyncrasies. I never thought there was a difference between players having trouble seeing the ball off the roof versus playing outdoors and losing the ball in the sun during the day, or in the lights at night, or having the wind turn an easy pop-up into a triple.

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