Do Minnesotans Love the Twins?

A reasonable question that I have several responses to;

1) The boys have grown up. We used to have Boys Day Out a couple times a year where only the guys would go out to the game and eat before or after. Now they're grown with busy lives. We talk about it but it's hard enough to get together just to watch a game on TV, much less go to the stadium.

2) There's a reason why I live on the east side of town. Whenever I'm downtown, or on the west or southsides, the traffic is horrendous. I realize people from cities on the coasts like NYC or LA will laugh at this, but I'm not interested in putting up with it.

3) Crime. The crime since Covid means I'm only interested in going to day games. I heard enough stories from people who were downtown for events in the evening and had bad experiences so I'm not going to night games. That leaves day games. Since the Boys work and my wife's not interested, that means I have to find a buddy to go. And they aren't interested.

4) Noise. It seems that every sporting event I'm at these days has to blast music whenever there's a stoppage in play. It's hard to carry on a conversation, which was one of the joys of going to a ballpark. I have one friend who's willing to go to a bar to watch a game because it's easier to have a conversation in a noisy bar than at Target stadium.

5) Charisma. The 87-92 Twins had high attendance because they were good and because they had Kirby Puckett. It's no insult to the current players to say no one has his level of charisma. Even local guys like Hrbek, Laudner, Perkins, Molitor and Mauer didn't bring the fans in like Kirby did.  It's possible that Lewis could develop into this kind of player. That means he'd have to stay healthy and the Twins would have to market him. And the Twins have done a horrible job marketing their players, as has baseball in general. You get the feeling that baseball doesn't want to market its players because if they became too popular they'd have to pay them more. Look at the contrast with the NFL and NBA.

Enough said.

8 minutes ago, Craig Arko said:

Absolutely agreed about the bloody noise. Nobody needs to be constantly overstimulated. 

Yea I second or third this notion. Who thinks fans enjoy a constant din of senseless noise. 

26 minutes ago, Morland said:

A reasonable question that I have several responses to;

1) The boys have grown up. We used to have Boys Day Out a couple times a year where only the guys would go out to the game and eat before or after. Now they're grown with busy lives. We talk about it but it's hard enough to get together just to watch a game on TV, much less go to the stadium.

2) There's a reason why I live on the east side of town. Whenever I'm downtown, or on the west or southsides, the traffic is horrendous. I realize people from cities on the coasts like NYC or LA will laugh at this, but I'm not interested in putting up with it.

3) Crime. The crime since Covid means I'm only interested in going to day games. I heard enough stories from people who were downtown for events in the evening and had bad experiences so I'm not going to night games. That leaves day games. Since the Boys work and my wife's not interested, that means I have to find a buddy to go. And they aren't interested.

4) Noise. It seems that every sporting event I'm at these days has to blast music whenever there's a stoppage in play. It's hard to carry on a conversation, which was one of the joys of going to a ballpark. I have one friend who's willing to go to a bar to watch a game because it's easier to have a conversation in a noisy bar than at Target stadium.

5) Charisma. The 87-92 Twins had high attendance because they were good and because they had Kirby Puckett. It's no insult to the current players to say no one has his level of charisma. Even local guys like Hrbek, Laudner, Perkins, Molitor and Mauer didn't bring the fans in like Kirby did.  It's possible that Lewis could develop into this kind of player. That means he'd have to stay healthy and the Twins would have to market him. And the Twins have done a horrible job marketing their players, as has baseball in general. You get the feeling that baseball doesn't want to market its players because if they became too popular they'd have to pay them more. Look at the contrast with the NFL and NBA.

Enough said.

 

I believe crime rates have returned to pre riot rates. I also think Minneapolis now has lower than average crime rates than other major cities. The perception remains because people base their opinions on anecdotal stories. I understand that if a person isn’t comfortable it’s certainly justified to not go downtown. 

5 hours ago, Fezig said:

I agree with this statement, although not the part "won't have fun anyway".

It is a nuisance for anyone outside of the metro area.

Dealing with metro traffic is a pain (494 sucks and it's time in their life that no one gets back).

Then finding a parking is generally a pain. The days of the Met were great with one huge parking lot and summer tailgating was a ritual.

When you find parking it's generally an hour or two of middle class wages. After you've given up that time and money you have to go through a labyrinth to get out that takes another 30 minutes of your time.

There are many who run this website who have no idea or understanding of this. There are many, and in my job I talk to a LOT of people, who have sworn off Mpls since the riots. If you don't believe that, trail me for a week on my job and learn something. Just had someone I know return from Montana. They went to a wild west type show and the MC told the crowd that things in Montana were different than they were in Chicago and Minneapolis. Congrats. You're in the same convo as Chicago.

I love a good beer. I will overspend for a really good one. But I don't want to spend close to $20 for one in a plastic glass. The same goes for many food items. 

Lastly, prices. Ticket prices aren't cheap and bringing a family of four can easily cost over $200.

With that said, who wants to spend over $200 for tickets, drive from Frostbite Falls MN, and deal with the above? 

 

I don't think I should respond, I will anyway. It seems being on the side of defending the "city" is a no win position. 

As for traffic, I can't help much. Welcome to reality. "In Google Maps we trust" is one of my favorite sayings. It seems like very basic advice, although my 80 year old dad doesn't believe in listening to Google Maps and we paid dearly in August with an unnecessary one hour delay through Chicago. I was with a coworker once who was from way up north and we were traveling together to a work appointment. We hit a bit of traffic and she lost it with remarks such as how can people live here and this is so terrible, etc. I stayed silent at first and she continued with her insults. I finally told her that the traffic jam she was losing it over was three minutes (as I had been looking at the time closely). She seemed surprised and stopped her rant. By attending a Saturday or Sunday day game, you should most likely avoid any major traffic delays. 

There are parking apps like Spot Hero where you can book your spot ahead of time. $20 at most for Ramps ABC. The 910 LaSalle Ramp is $10. It's located by the Orpheum and two blocks from Ramp A (you can see Ramp A when you exit 910 LaSalle Ramp), so if you don't mind a little walk you can save $10. 

If you are afraid of Minneapolis, then don't go.

The Montana thing is more a negative reflection back on Montana. I believe it's low class to denigrate and insult where other people live to try to brag about where you live to make yourself feel better about your own situation. Go ahead and promote how great your location and how great it is. I don't understand insulting the city and other folks and their way of life. And, it always seems it's the small town/rural side slinging the mud first. 

You can bring your own food into Target Field along with water bottles that you can refill. One life hack I learned a few seasons ago was to bring packet water flavors, they gave always let me bring them into the stadium. Essentially, you can eat the same food for the same cost if you didn't attend the ballpark. If you want ballpark food and alcohol, you may have to pay ballpark prices. Some cost savers at Target Field that you might take advantage of are $1 hot dogs on Tuesdays, the 612 deals on Saturdays, and the value stand concessions for all games by sections 120, 133, and 311 with family friendly prices: 

Hot Dog $3.99

Soft Pretzel $3.99

Popcorn $2.99

Peanuts $2.99

Fountain Soda $1.99

Bud/Bud Light Can $4.99

Bottle Aquafina $3.99

Ice Cream Novelty $3.49

For tickets, the field view seems a nice compromise between affordability and decent viewing. Tickets for today's game in section 305 are $21 each. Purchase at the ticket window when you arrive to avoid the high cost online fees. 

Parking $10

Tickets $84

Food $0

Total $94

If you want a premium seating and eating experience, you will most likely pay premium prices. I believe the options I've listed are reasonable and easy to achieve with some planning and would still prove a quality game day experience. 

6 hours ago, Fezig said:

There are many, and in my job I talk to a LOT of people, who have sworn off Mpls since the riots. If you don't believe that, trail me for a week on my job and learn something. Just had someone I know return from Montana. They went to a wild west type show and the MC told the crowd that things in Montana were different than they were in Chicago and Minneapolis. Congrats. You're in the same convo as Chicago.

While this sentiment is true, for like 30% of the country, it's not because it's warranted. Rather due to evil people lying in order to gain power and/or money.

Ask 70% of the country and fear mongering about Chicago doesn't work as some dog whistle. People love Chicago. I love Chicago! 

And of course Montana is different than Chicago. Nearly 10x more people live in Chicagoland than all of Montana. Neither lifestyle is inherently better, but they're drastically different for obvious reasons. 

1 hour ago, Linus said:

I believe crime rates have returned to pre riot rates. I also think Minneapolis now has lower than average crime rates than other major cities. The perception remains because people base their opinions on anecdotal stories. I understand that if a person isn’t comfortable it’s certainly justified to not go downtown. 

I think robbery is still elevated, but every thing else is pretty back to normal. 

29 minutes ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

I don't think I should respond, I will anyway. It seems being on the side of defending the "city" is a no win position. 

As for traffic, I can't help much. Welcome to reality. "In Google Maps we trust" is one of my favorite sayings. It seems like very basic advice, although my 80 year old dad doesn't believe in listening to Google Maps and we paid dearly in August with an unnecessary one hour delay through Chicago. I was with a coworker once who was from way up north and we were traveling together to a work appointment. We hit a bit of traffic and she lost it with remarks such as how can people live here and this is so terrible, etc. I stayed silent at first and she continued with her insults. I finally told her that the traffic jam she was losing it over was three minutes (as I had been looking at the time closely). She seemed surprised and stopped her rant. By attending a Saturday or Sunday day game, you should most likely avoid any major traffic delays. 

There are parking apps like Spot Hero where you can book your spot ahead of time. $20 at most for Ramps ABC. The 910 LaSalle Ramp is $10. It's located by the Orpheum and two blocks from Ramp A (you can see Ramp A when you exit 910 LaSalle Ramp), so if you don't mind a little walk you can save $10. 

If you are afraid of Minneapolis, then don't go.

The Montana thing is more a negative reflection back on Montana. I believe it's low class to denigrate and insult where other people live to try to brag about where you live to make yourself feel better about your own situation. Go ahead and promote how great your location and how great it is. I don't understand insulting the city and other folks and their way of life. And, it always seems it's the small town/rural side slinging the mud first. 

You can bring your own food into Target Field along with water bottles that you can refill. One life hack I learned a few seasons ago was to bring packet water flavors, they gave always let me bring them into the stadium. Essentially, you can eat the same food for the same cost if you didn't attend the ballpark. If you want ballpark food and alcohol, you may have to pay ballpark prices. Some cost savers at Target Field that you might take advantage of are $1 hot dogs on Tuesdays, the 612 deals on Saturdays, and the value stand concessions for all games by sections 120, 133, and 311 with family friendly prices: 

Hot Dog $3.99

Soft Pretzel $3.99

Popcorn $2.99

Peanuts $2.99

Fountain Soda $1.99

Bud/Bud Light Can $4.99

Bottle Aquafina $3.99

Ice Cream Novelty $3.49

For tickets, the field view seems a nice compromise between affordability and decent viewing. Tickets for today's game in section 305 are $21 each. Purchase at the ticket window when you arrive to avoid the high cost online fees. 

Parking $10

Tickets $84

Food $0

Total $94

If you want a premium seating and eating experience, you will most likely pay premium prices. I believe the options I've listed are reasonable and easy to achieve with some planning and would still prove a quality game day experience. 

I actually didn't know you can bring food in. Is that typical? I've never considered bringing food to the park before. I should look into it! 

Born in '65, moved to the Twin Cities and lived there from '67 to '70.  The family moved away and moved back to Mankato from '75 to '79 and then spent my high school years in North Dakota.  Grew up with the Rod Carew '70s era of the Twins (He was my hero).  I've lived through the disappointment of Calvin G trading away players to stash a buck, the Glory of '87 and '91, the down years that followed in the 90's, The Gardy/Torii/Mauer/Morneau renaissance, the pale darkness of Ryan's later years, and now the analytics-nuts years of Falvine.  That's a lot!  I've been to many games over the years, just one since Covid 2020.  

Two things quickly.  #1, the notion that you can define a fan-base in baseball based on social media postings is absurd.  The people who actually post on social media are the 10% "most crazy about baseball" fans.  Not the casual I'll go to the park when they're winning fans or the casual I'll go to the park for the festivities fans.  Those fans are driven solely by winning, promotion, and popularity.  Those fans are not on social media and drive 90% of ticket sales. The fans on here BOTH Love and Hate the Twins the most.  #2, you really do have to understand that U.S. midwestern culture is quite different from cultures that worship other sports such as soccer or rugby or cricket in other counties.  America came closer to "worshipping" baseball from the 19 teens to the 1950's, not so much now.  #3 because I can't count.  Baseball ownership in the Midwest continually jabs the fans, especially in Iowa where I live.  Here in Iowa, we are blacked out from the Twins, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, AND Royals.  That's insanity!

19 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

I know what that's code for.  You don't have to be stuck in that kind of backwards thinking and it's ok to grow as a person past it.

Since I wasn't speaking in code I guess I'd like to know what that's code for. What is the backwards thinking?

17 hours ago, bean5302 said:

If you're not willing to spend 10 minutes researching it, but you form a really, really strong opinion on the subject...

A family of 4 can go to a game, get a hot dog each, mom and dad can get a drink and the kids can get a soft drink for under $150 altogether. $18 ea for 300 level, $9 for SRO.

Want to go cheaper?
Park on 4th street down by the Salvation Army. $9 and a 10min kid friendly speed walk into the game. Literally two turns where you just follow the crowd anyway. You can carry food and water into Target Field, but the $1 hot dogs days kinda moots that point. Get SRO tickets and stake out a place at Truly On Deck. Get in and out of Target Field with good seats for a family of 4 for under $100 including parking.

Also, don't take this the wrong way... but "Frostbite Falls" was never going to be a significant draw for fans in the seats. The vast majority of seats are filled by people within 30 minutes.

 

Those are legit points. But as you mentioned, most people don't know that. 

15 hours ago, theBOMisthebomb said:

If you are afraid of Minneapolis, then don't go.

The Montana thing is more a negative reflection back on Montana. I believe it's low class to denigrate and insult where other people live to try to brag about where you live to make yourself feel better

I'm not afraid of Mpls. I don't think most of the others I spoken with are either. It's more or less the way everything was handled. Although, there are some that are more worried about theft than they are violence.

In regard to Montana, it's the perception people have of the city. It isn't just Montana guy that has that perception. That's the point. The perception of Mpls has deteriorated. 

Defend your city, I think it's great you do. But that doesn't change how people think of it.

On 9/28/2024 at 11:32 PM, Teflon said:

But awesome for tailgating!

So was the Oakland Coliseum 

Bring back, beer, pop, water, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn malt cup, lemon chill vendors or hawkers Games move so fast now wasting time in a concessions stand causes you miss 2-3 innings of game action. Ordering app is clunky and stadium staff doesn't honor order system of pre-orders.  Stadium vendors are part of being at a baseball game. I know pandemic was part of this and labor shortage. Bring back Hormel hot dogs they are better than Schweigert. Probably could even get a sponsorship again.   Charging the ticket fees when you buy tickets in person or walk up is low rent and cheezy, and unfair. Asking for a tip when you self served your beer is really off putting and rude. Twins ticket prices are top 12 in cost compared to Milwaukee or St Louis, Kansas City. They have vendors in KC and Chicgao. Twins would sell more tickets if prices were reasonable.compared to those city's   City connect uniforms are hideous LA Rams colors,  except the hats, Do those in team colors. Red, white and blue. Bring back Red jerseys and hats.  Truly area is really nice, and has good customer service, Center field and Gray duck areas could be similar at least from service perspective . The stadium is really starting to show it's age, the club seats and seating area are not special, especially when you have ripped seats, dirty floors, and limited bath rooms that are really dirty. The baseball if it is entertaining and scoring runs fans generally enjoy hitting and offense more than a team that only scores 2 to 3 runs a game. Twins offense a lot of home games was really poor and caused fans to leave early. Royals and Cleveland, Detroit take walks,  steal bases and hit and run, they run the bases a lot better than the Twins. Twins hitters strike out and hit into too many double plays. Need to increase runs scored by 1 to 2 runs more a game.  Having less game day Staff may save team money, but makes facility seem less safe and secure for a downtown environment. Downtown Minneapolis is safe, but has a perception of being unsafe due to crime reports and 2020 riots. Need some marketing related to that image. Don't have Joe Pohlad making statements like right sizing  the payroll, just ticks off fans. Twins have work to do in winning back fans, less bragging more fun emphasis. Get rid of Dave St Peter, he and his marketing are as stale as game pretzels, bring in someone that can negotiate a better TV and radio rights deal for Twins. Not being on TV for 40 to 50% of market cost the team ticket sales and angered people. All of that put team in a negative light with fans. Twins fans like the team, you see a lot more fan gear at games than you did in the Metrodome days. End to this season has left fans bitter and thinking owners and management  don't care about quality of baseball being played. 

I've lived in MN all my life, and I'm a pretty big MN sports fan. Like it or not, this is a football town and people mostly care about the vikings. Although the wolves have been just about the most embarrassing and poorly run team in professional sports history, they were an exciting team last year, the NBA is super marketable, and fans quickly jumped on board the last two seasons.

I went to two playoff games last year, saw the Twins break the historic losing streak, and then saw the Twins win a playoff series. I went to 16 regular season games last year. 

This year, I went to one game at Target Field and didn't watch a SINGLE game on TV at my house. I used to watch almost every game when youtube TV carried bally and was affordable. It seems like the Pohlads don't really care if they increase fan excitement or bring in new fans, but just want to make $ and treat the Twins as a business. That's fine, but that doesn't really get me or casual fans excited. The Wolves went over the salary cap threshold to extend Naz Reid, pay Jaden McDaniels, etc.. Marketing of the Twins stinks compared to the wolves and Vikings. Even casual fans are excited about the vikings and wolves right now.

Bottom line: when ownership shows they want to put a winning product on the field and want fans to see it, people will react to that. But until then, people will keep their expectations low in order to not get hurt (MN has the longest championship drought among any US city with four of the major pro sports teams). 

I should be naturally pessimistic about MN sports teams-it's all I've ever known.  My earliest sports memories are Gary Anderson's missed field goal and the gophers run to a final four, which was later revoked by the ncaa. I've only seen the Twins win two playoff series in my entire life, never seen the vikings even make it to the super bowl, never seen the Wolves in an nba championship and never seen the Wild in a stanley Cup. 

I love the Twins and will always follow the team, but that doesn't mean I will always financially invest in the team. If they run it back this offseason with the same team and don't spend more on the on-field product, I'm not going to ST, and I'm not going to more than 1-2 games next year at Target Field.

Twins get the least air time on local news sports.

Twins were not first on  the sports news till there was nothing else to talk about.

No escaping "the Star" (as a logo) apparently.....