Stop By, Say Hi (Get To Know Us)

[Mike Sixel]

 

I'm 62 years old and recently widowed, which is why I've contributed less in the last six months than before.

I've been a Twins fan since they moved from DC and I've had favorites from every era. My all-time favorite is Michael Cuddyer, probably more for his off-field persona than his good career. The '87 and '91 seasons were special-the crowd waiting for the team after they beat Detroit in '87 has to be the pinnacle, even more than the events on the field.

As I've grown older, my appreciation for the game has increased, as has my respect for the men and women who put organizations together. It's hard to put together a great organization, and even harder to sustain it.

I grew up in the tiny town of Minnesota Lake, went to Southwest State for college and lived in and around Rochester for over 40 years. I used my Psychology degree in working with chemical dependency and adolescents with behavioral problems, but for the last 36 years I've worked with mail-25 years with the Postal Service and 11 years with the Mayo Clinic, where I manage their Mail Center.

Outside of the Twins, I enjoy all sports, but I never consider another team as "we" or "us". I love to play golf and follow politics pretty closely. I have met several contributors to TD , including several mods and have enjoyed their company. I have gone to Spring Training four times and hope to make it again, but probably not in 2017. I would advise a trip to Fort Myers for any Twins fan.

 

Sorry for your loss. Tough.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Um Ya Ya!

 

ahhahahaha, one of the most fierce sports cries out there. My wife went there, say hi to Carolynne for me.

[Mike Sixel]

Where are you from (be as specific as you are comfortable):

Born in Lincoln, NE, Richfield, Bloomington, Eden Prairie (went to HS there when half the people grew up on farms), college in Madison (5 years in each of those last 4 places), lived in St. Louis Park for most of the last 22 years, but moved to Portland Oregon last year. My wife was tired of listening to me whine about winter, and we love to hike in the mountains. If I could make money doing that, I would do that all day.

 

What is your age (or age range, if you prefer): 52

 

How long have you been a Twins fan? As long as I can recall.

 

What have a couple of your best Twins memories been?

I asked Lyman Bostock (on camera day while on the field) if he was going to re-sign in MN. Wish he had....A  baseball game my dad took me to after I got cut from the HS team, where the SP struck out a record number.....the WS games....games with friends on Sunday afternoons in the dome, where we just hung out and talked.

 

Who have some of your favorite players been?

Carew, Puckett, Hunter, Hrbek

 

How long have you been reading Twins Daily (or were you following some writers before Twins Daily)?

I followed Seth here, from his site, probably to his chagrin.

 

What brings you back to Twins Daily? How often do you stop by the site?

I like the Twins, but don't love them like you all do. I come here for the talk and friendship. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too often, clearly.

[Loosey]

 

?......... or in it? Lol. I think the same owner had one in Nicollet. It was great, I love a good scandal!

The owner of the one is Nicollet was my neighbor in my apartment complex when I was going to school in Mankato.  The dude's name was Matt.  He thought he had it made because he opened that place up secretly.  He quit school because he "was getting his education in business by living it".  Him and his roommates had a dishwashing schedule each week, but he didn't want to do dishes because he said soon enough he would be having a mansion and a staff to do them for him.  So he paid me to come across the hall to take 10 minutes to do dishes on his day and paid me $10.  That was enough for me to get to DT Mankato, Drink at $5 cup night and get a cab home.  Good times!

[Platoon]

The owner of the one is Nicollet was my neighbor in my apartment complex when I was going to school in Mankato.  The dude's name was Matt.  He thought he had it made because he opened that place up secretly.  He quit school because he "was getting his education in business by living it".  Him and his roommates had a dishwashing schedule each week, but he didn't want to do dishes because he said soon enough he would be having a mansion and a staff to do them for him.  So he paid me to come across the hall to take 10 minutes to do dishes on his day and paid me $10.  That was enough for me to get to DT Mankato, Drink at $5 cup night and get a cab home.  Good times!

I wonder how big his mansion is. One day, back in the drinking days, I mentioned to a business acquaintance that I thought the old Cat n the Fiddle would make a wonderful, and discreet place of adult entertainment. But that I would never have a public ownership, my mother would have disowned me. He must have agreed with the concept, because two days later he stopped in the office and said he had tried to buy the place. But the price was exorbitant. Sadly some of my best ideas never came to fruition.

[Loosey]

I'm 35, Married and have two young boys. 

 

I'm from Eagan, but have made stops in Mankato and Woodbury before I have ultimately made it back to Eagan.

 

My first Twins memory is when I was 6 years old my dad woke me up to watch the top of the 9th inning of game 7 of the 1987 World Series.  I know I watched other games that series and season, but this was the clearest memory.  He told me the Twins are going to win the World Series and I could get up out of bed to watch.  I remember that and the last out like it was yesterday.

 

My parent's now winter in Naples, FL.  So I get down there annually and make the 20 minute drive to Fort Myers to catch spring training.  Last year we were there a little early, but a lot of guys were there for work outs before reporting.  My oldest son loved it and didn't want to leave.  He even almost took out Joe Benson by running around wildly on that AstroTurf bullpen/mound when the players were switching fields.

 

My favorite Twins players were Kirby Puckett and Greg Gagne growing up.  Since then I really liked Torii Hunter and Johan Santana when I got older, then shifted to Justin Morneau as I met him a few times and thought he was a nice guy.

 

I try to make a few games each year at Target Field, but it gets tough with kids.

 

I hope to be able to meet a few of you at some point.  I know I tried last year in Fort Myers but it didn't work out.

 

Still come to site daily.

[Mike Sixel]

Oh ya, I'm married and have two college age sons, and I work at the largest health insurer in the US, trying to manage a massive transition from old technology to new....

[ashbury]

Every time I see your user name.....I don't see the N for some reason....

Get in line.

[Squirrel]

ahhahahaha, one of the most fierce sports cries out there. My wife went there, say hi to Carolynne for me.

Lol ... it can be pretty intimidating when Viking helmet wearing and Thor hammer carrying groups of people are raising and beating their fists in the air to the phrase ... 'UM YA YA!!!!'

 

Just sayin'

[Mike Frasier Law]

 

ahhahahaha, one of the most fierce sports cries out there. My wife went there, say hi to Carolynne for me.

 

It strikes fear into the hearts of ludefisk everywhere!

[Squirrel]

It strikes fear into the hearts of ludefisk everywhere!

If only that were true ... but the lutefisk is still there, year in, year out. It's probably even the same lutefisk year in, year out.

[Thrylos]

 

ICQ is the record player of instant messaging. 

 

More like the 8-track

[zenser]

What is your age: 36.  Grew up in the Mitchell SD area and currently live in Mitchell where I am a software developer.  Married, with 3 kids.  One 6 and 3 year old twins.

 

How long have you been a Twins fan? As long as I can remember.  I have always been a fan of the game and grew up watching the Twins.

 

What have a couple of your best Twins memories been?  I remember watching both the 87 and 91 series.  Those are great memories to recall.  I fondly remember going to watch games in the Dome with my family. 

 

As I got out of college, some friends and I would drive to KC to watch the Twins.  It was great to watch outdoor baseball.  The Royals were crappy and there were a ton of Twins fans down there.  Good seats were easy to come by.  Numerous times we would sit in the front row behind the Twins dugout.  There was one game when Radke got roughed up early.  The Twins brought in Joe Roa to stop the bleeding.  Roa got roughed up too (like 7 ER in 1 inning).  When Gardy pulled him, we were heckling him pretty hard and we were really giving it to him.  We know he heard us because he was glaring at us all the way into the dugout.

 

When Target field opened, my wife and I were at gate 6 waiting to get in.  Tony Oliva was at the gate for the opening.  They opened the gates a little earlier than they should have.  A member of the Twins staff stopped us and said we could go in any further yet.  So, we got to hang out with Tony for a few minutes.  He was polite to talk to.  At the time, my wife was pregnant.  Being the gentleman I am, I was carrying all of our stuff.  This included a pink handbag.  I was not pleased to be carrying this bag.  She assured me that no one we know would see my with this bag, except, that FSN had cameras and filmed us in talking to Tony Oliva.  My dad was in the hospital at the time and my mom called me and told me I had a lovely pink bag.  

 

Now, my brother and I both buy a small partial share of season tickets and we take our families up to Twins games.

 

Who have some of your favorite players been?

 

Kirby

Hrbek

Morneau

Mauer

Santana

Stewart

Jones

Koskie

Dougie M

Mack

Gagne

Gladden

 

How long have you been reading Twins Daily (or were you following some writers before Twins Daily)?

What brings you back to Twins Daily? How often do you stop by the site?

Seems like I have been coming to this site a long time.  I used to read Gleeman's blogs and then found TD.  I think it was about right when it started.  I stop by a couple times a day during the week. 

 

I like the level of fandom here.  The people here are passionate.  The depth of knowledge here is incredible.

 

[Thrylos]

 

I'm 62 years old and recently widowed, which is why I've contributed less in the last six months than before.

 

Sorry for your loss

[Thrylos]

Where are you from (be as specific as you are comfortable):

 

Which I knew how to answer that  Born on the other side of the pond, I think I counted 23 mailing address before age 30, all over the place.  Last 12 years I have been living in Lehigh Valley, PA, so I guess that is where I am from. 

What is your age (or age range, if you prefer):

 

Turned 51 recently

How long have you been a Twins fan?

 

One of my life stops was at the U of M Med School from 87-92.  Been at the States for College and really got addicted to baseball, but was not a Twins' fan since 87.

What have a couple of your best Twins memories been?

 

The best single Twins memory was in the 2016 post-season after beating Detroit, going to the Dome along with 70,000 fans (Vikings set up) to welcome the team from Detroit.  Largest Twins' crowd ever.  Hair raising.

 

Who have some of your favorite players been?

 

Puckett, Viola, Reardon, Niekro, Harper, Ortiz (0), Todd Walker, Mientkiewicz, J. Santana, Slowey, Gomez, etc

How long have you been reading Twins Daily (or were you following some writers before Twins Daily)?

 

Been following Twins Daily since its start, and its individual writers, plus other Twins' bloggers since the early 00s (or when they started if later.)  Also independently blogging for the Twins for 10 years now (time flies, when you are having fun)

 

What brings you back to Twins Daily? How often do you stop by the site?

 

Pretty much on a Daily basis, isn't that the idea?  

[Loosey]

 

There was one game when Radke got roughed up early.  The Twins brought in Joe Roa to stop the bleeding.  Roa got roughed up too (like 7 ER in 1 inning).  When Gardy pulled him, we were heckling him pretty hard and we were really giving it to him.  We know he heard us because he was glaring at us all the way into the dugout.

 

I wonder if any of the admin's on TD have the ability to see if in the 5 years of this site's existence you are the very first person to mention Joe Roa.  I don't think I have thought/heard of him since he last walked off the field for the Twins.

[ashbury]

I wonder if any of the admin's on TD have the ability to see if in the 5 years of this site's existence you are the very first person to mention Joe Roa.

http://data.whicdn.com/images/193315193/superthumb.jpg

 

Yeah, it's been a long time, turns out. Way back to last month.

 

[ashbury]

Yeah, it's been a long time, turns out. Way back to last month.

Oops, I may have to back down from the challenge after all. It was Zenser both times. Thrylos mentioned just the last name, in the mists of Antiquity (2012): http://twinsdaily.com/topic/254-article-ryan-must-react/?p=1515

[zenser]

 

Oops, I may have to back down from the challenge after all. It was Zenser both times. Thrylos mentioned just the last name, in the mists of Antiquity (2012): http://twinsdaily.com/topic/254-article-ryan-must-react/?p=1515

Yes, he was one of my least favorite Twins.

[Loosey]

 

Oops, I may have to back down from the challenge after all. It was Zenser both times. Thrylos mentioned just the last name, in the mists of Antiquity (2012): http://twinsdaily.com/topic/254-article-ryan-must-react/?p=1515

It was a good run.  February 2012-December 2016 without a mention him, even during a game thread. 

[Dance with Disco Dan]

I am a 48 year old attorney living and working in Dallas since 2000.  I was raised on the East Side of St. Paul until my family moved to Colorado before my junior year of high school.

 

My first memory of the Twins is probably the Calvin Griffith "I Love That Kid" commercials for Butch Wynegar (1976ish?). The team I first remember rooting for had Rod Carew, Larry Hisle, Disco Dan Ford, Lyman Bostock, the immortal Bobby Randall, and Craig Kusick (the only Twin I've ever met in person--he signed photographs at a Cub Scout event!). Despite these luminaries, my favorite player of that era (non-Carew division) was Bombo Rivera. He wasn't particularly good and he did not play full time but that NAME! So cool.

 

Other favorites over the years (non-Puckett, non-Mauer, non-Santana) were Frankie Viola, Torii Hunter, Gary Gaetti, Shane Mack, John Castino, Everyday Eddie Guardado, and Joe Nathan.

 

I've been reading Twins Daily since 2013 and I check-in daily although I don't post very often. 

[Vanimal46]

 

More like the 8-track

I'm sure my future kids will look at me with a puzzled look when I describe AOL Instant Messenger to them... Similar to my look when diehard mentioned ICQ.

Those poor souls will never know how cool it was to write your away message on AIM...

From BaseballBro34: "brb, mom needs the computer." 

[pbrezeasap]

Where are you from (be as specific as you are comfortable):

 

Currently live in Amarillo, TX. Parents are from Perham/Wadena, MN and I spent some time there as a baby, but dad was in Air Force, so have lived in North Dakota, California, New Mexico, Texas, back to New Mexico, back to Texas since.

 

What is your age (or age range, if you prefer):

 

44, married with 5 kids (2 out of house, 1 in college, and 2 in HS)

 

How long have you been a Twins fan?

 

Since I can remember, have vague memories of going to game at Met stadium when I was very young, but started following closely when I first moved to Albuquerque in summer of '86. I didn't know anyone, so I spent most of my time collecting baseball cards and reading the sports page. I had also started routing for the Dodgers when I lived in California, and their AAA team was in Albuquerque at the time, so 3 WS's from teams I liked from '87-'91 really cemented my love of baseball.

 

What have a couple of your best Twins memories been?

 

Having to work during Game 7 of the 91 series and spending most of my time watching the game instead of working. I cleaned cars at a car rental place and brought a little TV I had and plugged it into the island where we had the vacuums and gas pumps. Luckily the managers went home around the time the game started, so I would just do a little work during commercials and between at bats to make it look like I had accomplished something.

 

Torii robbing Barry Bonds in 2002 AS game.

 

Watching AJ's HR against the A's in 2002 ALDS and the rest of that final inning and jumping around cheering by myself at some random sports bar in Knoxville, TN because I was there on work travel.

 

Who have some of your favorite players been?

 

Steve Sax, Gary Gaetti, Mickey Hatcher, Kirby Puckett, Orel Hershiser, Mike Devereaux, Matt Lawton, Brad Radke, Torii Hunter, Doug Mientkiewicz, Eddie Guardado, Joe Nathan

 

How long have you been reading Twins Daily (or were you following some writers before Twins Daily)?

 

Since 2012, I think I followed a link from a story at Star Tribune that one of the writers here had written.

 

What brings you back to Twins Daily? How often do you stop by the site?

 

Daily

[Bob Sacamento]

Alright I'll bite, even though it seems that I'm a complete outlier here.  I'm 34 years old, and I can count on one hand how many times I've been to Minnesota.  The last time was 10 years ago in the Airport in December and that was enough for me.

 

I'm a wanderer by nature, I was born in Mesa, Arizona which happens to be the ST home of the Chicago Cubs. I was raised in Springfield, IL for HS and the University of Illinois for College.  Then packed my bags and moved to Portland, Oregon where I went Chiropractic School and practiced for a year before moving to Colorado Springs where I treated Olympic athletes, UFC fighters, PBR riders, but where I also got my feet wet treating the AAA SkySox staff.  For the last 5 years, I have called Fort Myers, Florida my home with my wife Kelly and 3 Border Collies.  I can be found at my practice in Naples, FL if you are ever down here. 

I'm a Cubs fan, a diehard Cubs fan.  As far as being a Twins fan, I wouldn't go that far but after watching the ST, EXST, FSL, GCL and Instructs since 2012 I've become very acquainted with a few of the players that have progressed thru the system.  So yes, I do root for the individual players more than the team but that has slowly been evolving over the years.

The best Twins memories I have are all minor leagues: I saw Byron Buxton's first professional game it was in the GCL 6/22/2012, he ledoff and played CF.  I've watched Fernando Romero the past two years rehabbing and sitting on the bench with him waiting patiently to get back in the game.  I've watched Park jack up his wrist the first week of ST...

 

 

I've been reading and posting on TwinsDaily since 2013 or so I believe.  It actually started because I was watching GCL and Instructs and was pretty surprised how little to absolutely no coverage there was of it.  So I decided to post up video and pictures that I was already taking of them anyway.  Then I started to add in some ST and EXST.  All videos can be found here.  Most of all the pictures can be found here.  The reason I chose TD was due to the advanced dialogue for the most part and the daily action, plus it probably has the best Twins MiLB news around.

 

Side note, when the hell does my warning point go away??  I still hold firm to my belief that got me the point (ie. it has to do with Doug Mientkiewicz' wife not being nice to kids/fans).

[spinowner]

 

It was a good run.  February 2012-December 2016 without a mention him, even during a game thread. 

He could become the next Mark DeRosa, or Brian Duensing.

[Platoon]

I'm sure my future kids will look at me with a puzzled look when I describe AOL Instant Messenger to them... Similar to my look when diehard mentioned ICQ.

Those poor souls will never know how cool it was to write your away message on AIM...

From BaseballBro34: "brb, mom needs the computer."

 

Trying to wrap my head around the concept of "little Vanimals"? It's going to take more time.......

[Craig Arko]

Trying to wrap my head around the concept of "little Vanimals"? It's going to take more time.......

[snepp]

 

He could become the next Mark DeRosa, or Brian Duensing.

 

Nah, he's not even Jeff Gray level.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

It was a good run. February 2012-December 2016 without a mention him, even during a game thread.

baseball in a game thread?

[BK432]

Man, has this ever been fun to read. Great idea, Seth.

 

I am 37, married and we have a 4 year old boy and we live in Plymouth. Born and raised in the metro. Although my dad was a Brewers fan, he was okay with the Twins and I have been a Twins fans since I wore diapers. I was 8 years old when they won the WS in '87, and I'll never forget the feeling I had as I watched in my basement, that ball sail from Gaetti's hand to Hrbek's glove. I ran up the stairs and hugged my mom, my brothers (my dad worked for the Pioneer Press in those days and was at work). It was a feeling that those under the age of 30 on these boards have probably never felt, and I want us all to feel that again around here!

 

I have two favorite in-person moments related to the Twins. One was game 163 at the Dome, which really needs no further explanation. The other is more personal. I played a TON of baseball growing up and as a little kid I was actually pretty damn good. As other kids got bigger I didn't stand out as much, I found my talents in distance running, and gave up baseball by 9th grade. I probably could have played high school ball, at least JV, but it didn't play out that way. Slow pitch softball after college was okay but it wasn't baseball. So for my 30th birthday, I got a gift from my wife: she and my twin brother's wife purchased 3 hours of time at the Metrodome so we could invite 16 friends and we could play baseball. We met Tony Oliva while there, chatted with him for a few minutes....and then we played. My first time up at the plate, I took a cut and bam! For a second, I swore it was going to sail over the LF wall. Ha! I came up short by a good 75 feet....but it felt so good. It will always be the best gift I ever received.

 

My interest in baseball has actually increased even more over the past 7-8 years or so....ever since reading the infamous "Moneyball". I gobble up everything analytics-related - I enjoy the game more than I ever have, because of the data that is available. I know it's not that way for everyone, but it's like that for me. I spend more time on Fangraphs, Baseball-Reference and Baseball Prospectus than I care to admit. And because of all this I play in two uber-serious roto baseball leagues that are full keeper, salary cap leagues with minor league rosters (let me know if you want on the waitlist to join the league I run!).

 

I came to this site from Twitter...which is where I still do most of my in-game interaction. I'm more a Twitter guy than a TwinsDaily guy in terms of participation, but I visit TD every day. It is always the most intelligent conversation one can find. I truly value what this site has done for local fans.

 

Finally, my favorite Twin will always be Al Newman. For many inexplicable reasons.