Would you take a Saints ticket over a Twins ticket today?

[bighat]

Jose Miranda and Byron Buxton in a cozy stadium vs. Rob Refsnyder and Jake Cave. Who ya got?

Twins made a smart move putting their AAA team in St. Paul. If the MLB team's struggling, they can still generate enthusiasm by proxy by promoting the heck out of the farm system.

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

Twins ticket. Should be less crowded.

[roger]

For me it comes down to lots of factors.  First, it would depend on who was playing, rehabbing, pitching for the Saints.  For example, I watched the Saints game the other night because I wanted to see Buxton and Ryan's first start (I have Hulu, so I can't watch the Twins).  Second, it would depend on whether it was a day or night game as I have no interest in night games that get me home at 10 or 11pm.  I believe the Twins play more day games during the week, which would tilt in their favor.

Finally, I would prefer going to downtown St. Paul over downtown Minneapolis.  Assuming my wife would be with me, that would mean we would have to go to St. Paul as she will not go into downtown or anywhere in Minneapolis, as she is concerned with the safety of walking/driving there.  

[TopGunn#22]

Yes.  The total failure of the FO to put a competitive team on the field for the Twins leaves me no choice.  As I've said, either the Pohlad's put handcuffs on them and prevented them from seriously trying to fortify the team to defend our Division Tiltle against the burgeoning White Sox, OR, they failed in such epic fashion that the Pohlad's should be doing some serious reevaluating.  2022 is make our break for Falvey, Levine and even Rocco.  It's easy to manage when your team is hitting 307 HR's. (and especially when the division was so weak).  That's not really managing.  That's just "lettin' the boys play."  Can Rocco manage?  2019 and a 60 game season in 2020 hasn't convinced me yet.  Give me the S.F. manager, the Mariners manager (no THERE's a guy who's MANAGING.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'd take the Saints ticket, if only for Buxton right here in the today and now.

[Otto von Ballpark]

30 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

Yes.  The total failure of the FO to put a competitive team on the field for the Twins leaves me no choice.

Hey, they put a competitive team on the field in St. Paul, at least.

Actually not sure what the Saints are competing for, though. There are no minor league playoffs this year:

https://ballparkdigest.com/2021/07/14/milb-turns-triple-a-extended-season-to-tourney-kinda/

The Saints are only half a game out of the division lead, but they're apparently 8.5 games behind the "2021 Regular Season Champion" title, with only 24 left to play for that designation.

Then there's 10 extra games, stretching into October, called a "Final Stretch" tournament but without any seeding or advancement.

[Otto von Ballpark]

39 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

and even Rocco.  It's easy to manage when your team is hitting 307 HR's. (and especially when the division was so weak).  That's not really managing.  That's just "lettin' the boys play."  Can Rocco manage?  2019 and a 60 game season in 2020 hasn't convinced me yet.  Give me the S.F. manager, the Mariners manager (no THERE's a guy who's MANAGING.  

Sounds like Souhan's column today:

Are Twins managers at their best when the expectations are low?

[chpettit19]

While Buxton is in St Paul I'd take the Saints ticket. But other than that I'd still take the Twins ticket.

[theBOMisthebomb]

From a pure baseball standpoint, this is a ridiculous question. The Twins every time. Now, factor the intangibles and maybe (maybe) it's the Saints. For example, my wife likes the smaller CHS Field and laid back Saints atmosphere and doesn't care much about quality of play. I liked the previous Saints version unaffiliated from the Twins better. 

[Dodecahedron]

I have wondered for a while if the Twins realize that having the AAA team so close will mean that some people will go to the other game and poach their own profits.  

[Unwinder]

Today (and this year in general) I'll take the Saints. If it was a good Twins season I'd take the Twins, but I'd still probably go to more Saints games than Twins games anyway because I can get very good seats for cheap, they have cheaper concessions and a better beer selection, my family likes it more, and I'd rather find parking in St Paul than Minneapolis.

[Unwinder]

25 minutes ago, Dodecahedron said:

I have wondered for a while if the Twins realize that having the AAA team so close will mean that some people will go to the other game and poach their own profits.  

Anecdotally, my family and I have been to six Saints games this year, and I've been to two Twins games (and have not brought my whole family). If I weren't going to Saints games, I estimate I'd have attended maybe 1-2 more Twins games, and I would've bought the cheapest seats available. If the Saints weren't affiliated, I don't know if I'd have gone to any Saints games at all, but I'd certainly be going to fewer, because I wouldn't be going to see Ober, Miranda, Winder, etc.. Based on this very small, very personal sample size, I'd say the amount of additional baseball that people are seeing makes up for any cannibalism on the Saints' part. CHS field has a pretty limited number of seats anyway, it's not like they can welcome hordes of disappointed Twins fans.

[MABB1959]

Saints over Twins anytime.  It is affordable and really a good time.  Friday nights there are fireworks and just makes for a fun family baseball event.

[MABB1959]

1 hour ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

From a pure baseball standpoint, this is a ridiculous question. The Twins every time. Now, factor the intangibles and maybe (maybe) it's the Saints. For example, my wife likes the smaller CHS Field and laid back Saints atmosphere and doesn't care much about quality of play. I liked the previous Saints version unaffiliated from the Twins better. 

The Saint's don't play pure baseball?  It is a great game to watch.  What do you mean by pure?

[theBOMisthebomb]

37 minutes ago, MABB1959 said:

The Saint's don't play pure baseball?  It is a great game to watch.  What do you mean by pure?

Yes, the Saints play a tainted form of baseball. 

No, just kidding. What I meant was that if you only looked at the baseball part of the equation and not at external factors such as price, stadium, etc. that the question was ridiculous. I don't see the attraction of watching the players that are not talented enough to play on the MLB team over watching the actual MLB team. 

I get the external factors as I mentioned my wife likes CHS better. 

I went to about 10 Saints games per year before 2021. This season, it will be four. I increased my Twins attendance since fewer Saints games attended. I have been a Saints fan since day one and really enjoyed them more when they were unaffiliated. 

[LVTwinsfan]

Glad I have more choices than those two. I’d rather stay home and catch up on Cobra Kai

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, Unwinder said:

and I'd rather find parking in St Paul than Minneapolis.

Wait, what? No way, Ramps B/C* are always available and easy access to TF. Lowertown can be a real nightmare at times.

*Ramp A can be a nightmare and I try to avoid it

[Unwinder]

1 minute ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Wait, what? No way, Ramps B/C* are always available and easy access to TF. Lowertown can be a real nightmare at times.

*Ramp A can be a nightmare and I try to avoid it

I admit, I'm probably just fondly remembering how cheap St. Paul parking was before CHS was back up to full capacity.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Trick question.

Neither is playing today.

 

But tomorrow... Twins, definitely. Definitely Twins.

 

Seeing as i am in the Boston area, and they are hosting the Twins, it would be a rare opportunity to see either team play live.

[Rosterman]

Well, great to watch Saints games on television. Always more expensive to go to a Twins game. And the food is NOT better at the major league level. I don't like going to downtown Minneapolis and parking and walking unless surrounded by a large group of like-0minded folks for the whole journey.

 

Yes, it hurts to watch a losing team (but, hey, the whole central division is playing non-playoff ball except for the White Sox.). The Saints have been a mess of musical players, many of whom are just place-setters.

 

Saints games are truly fun with the between inning antics. The ushertainers are great. Announcing could be a bit more professional, except they don't need to be so because 

 

I like Target Field. I also like true professional major league baseball, where the players are the best on the field from the organization. Everything may be too mechanized, but the majority of the guys would raise havoc on the basepaths if hitting in the minors, or throwing no-hitters if on the mound. The best player in St. Paul today may never play more than a season or two in the majors. Think about that!

 

While the worst player in the majors should be able to get a minor league contract for another season or two or three if they want to go thru the ordeal.

[terrydactyls]

10 minutes ago, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Trick question.

Neither is playing today.

 

But tomorrow... Twins, definitely. Definitely Twins.

 

Seeing as i am in the Boston area, and they are hosting the Twins, it would be a rare opportunity to see either team play live.

The game will be on NESN so I can watch from the comfort of my couch.  And beer is only $7 for a six-pack rather than $10 for 12 ounces.

[Twinfan603]

6 hours ago, roger said:

Finally, I would prefer going to downtown St. Paul over downtown Minneapolis.  Assuming my wife would be with me, that would mean we would have to go to St. Paul as she will not go into downtown or anywhere in Minneapolis, as she is concerned with the safety of walking/driving there.  

Don't you think this is exaggerating a bit? 95% of downtown Minneapolis is completely fine. I was there for a few weeks in July and was out walking a ton at night and didn't see anything out of the usual. It hasn't suddenly turned into South Side Chicago or Baltimore.

[bighat]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Wait, what? No way, Ramps B/C* are always available and easy access to TF. Lowertown can be a real nightmare at times.

*Ramp A can be a nightmare and I try to avoid it

Yeah, I think I parked in a ramp the last time I went to CHS Field - thank goodness we left early, I can't imagine getting out of that thing in one piece at game time.

[roger]

3 hours ago, Twinfan603 said:

Don't you think this is exaggerating a bit? 95% of downtown Minneapolis is completely fine. I was there for a few weeks in July and was out walking a ton at night and didn't see anything out of the usual. It hasn't suddenly turned into South Side Chicago or Baltimore.

No, but this is a personal decision for each of us.  We often go to the Capital Grill on our anniversary.  She made me cancel this summer, June.  

[ashbury]

AAA is hands-down my least favorite level to watch a ball-game at. I generally see a bad level of play when I attend, led by an oversupply of apparently crafty pitchers with 88 MPH heaters who get tattooed. Maybe the Saints will someday prove to be the exception if I'm in town to give them a try.

To make it worse, not one individual in the dugouts or on the playing field believes he belongs there.

[Brock Beauchamp]

8 minutes ago, ashbury said:

To make it worse, not one individual in the dugouts or on the playing field believes he belongs there.

Exactly. Case in ****ing point, this guy. Who does he even think he is, anyway?

[ashbury]

2 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Exactly. Case in ****ing point, this guy. Who does he even think he is, anyway?

This question came up in a general way in another thread. I'd be very curious to get Byron's unfiltered answer to whether he's on a rehab assignment because it's his preference or the team's.

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 minutes ago, ashbury said:

This question came up in a general way in another thread. I'd be very curious to get Byron's unfiltered answer to whether he's on a rehab assignment because it's his preference or the team's.

I've heard a fair amount of murmurs that the team doesn't listen to Buxton much anymore, as he'd try to crawl onto the field with one functioning leg, only to injure himself again.

So I'd wager he was against a rehab stint but hopefully he's also smart enough to realize he's not a great advocate for his own well-being.

[RpR]

Baseball is baseball, I have gone to Rox games up here, even when they stink.

Money is the big factor now.

[ashbury]

1 minute ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I've heard a fair amount of murmurs that the team doesn't listen to Buxton much anymore, as he'd try to crawl onto the field with one functioning leg, only to injure himself again.

So I'd wager he was against a rehab stint but hopefully he's also smart enough to realize he's not a great advocate for his own well-being.

Okay, so I think my overgeneralization doesn't really fall due to this one example.