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Twins fans experiencing spring fever due to the recent warm temps can start dreaming of sunny spring afternoons and warm summer nights at the ballpark. On Thursday, the Twins announced their promotional schedule and theme nights for the 2024 season. Image courtesy of Melissa Berman From hats to bobbleheads to even a Rubik’s Cube, the Twins are handing out a host of unique collector’s items this year. Also, this season the Twins are hosting their first ever Bark in the Park! Here are some of the best promotions I will be targeting, as well as some of my tips and tricks for getting giveaway items; complete list and pictures of the giveaway items here: Postgame Concert Twins fans, get ready to get "Low" at the first postgame concert of the season. Flo Rida is performing a full-length set on June 14, following a 7:10 matchup vs the Athletics. Twins fans will likely be happy to see that this first concert is finally taking place on a Friday (rather than a Thursday night, as the Twins have scheduled all their postgame concerts in the last two seasons). A ticket to the game will get you access to the concert from your seat for free, but the team is offering a VIP package that gets Flo Rida superfans a ticket to the game plus a chance to stand on the field in front of the stage for the show. I have been deeply impressed with the Twins’ postgame concerts the last couple of years. They are worth attending, even if you aren’t a huge fan of the artists themselves. A chance to see the best baseball players in the world and a full-length show for as little as $23 (the cheapest ticket available on the Twins website right now)? Unbeatable. Tip: if you don’t have game tickets next to your friends, you can move around after the game to stand by them, even into the lower deck; ushers do not check tickets after the game. The last couple of years, the Twins have hosted two postgame concerts--last year, it was fellow Floridian T-Pain and country music artist Carly Pearce--so time will tell if another one is announced for this season. Giveaways Opening Weekend Hat Day: Looking for another piece of Twins gear to keep you warm at all those inevitably cold early-season games? The Twins are handing out warm winter hats to the first 10,000 fans at the Home Opener on April 4 and at the Saturday, April 6 game. This year, the hats are gray with a blue and red pom on top and have the “new” M North Star logo smack dab in the middle (have you started to come around on the “M” yet?). The “Kids Opening Weekend Beanie” giveaway is Sunday, April 7, and the first 5,000 fans 12 and under will receive a cream and navy blue “Twin Cities” hat. Note: in past years, the Twins have handed out 20,000 of the opening weekend giveaway items. They have halved that this year, so pack some hand warmers and get there early if you want to add this hat to your collection. However, you will not have to get there as early as recent years on Opening Day to get the giveaway or even make it in the door on time for first pitch. The new AI scanners the Twins have implemented have all but eliminated lines. Twins fans from galaxies far, far away will want to mark May 24 on their calendars: It’s Star Wars Night! The Twins go all out for this promo every year, complete with turning Twins players into Jedi on the big screen, bringing characters onto the field before the game, and this year, the first 5,000 fans will get a Star Wars reversible bucket hat. Bark at the Park makes its Target Field debut on April 22! Twins fans have long questioned why the Twins do not host a Bark in the Park Day like other major and minor-league clubs (the St. Paul Saints had 3 Dog Days in 2023), but now, finally, the furriest Twins fans can catch a Twins game in person. Not much information is available yet outside of the date, but the Twins have this link to sign up to receive more information on how to take your best friend out to the ballgame. Three bobblehead days: Jhoan Durán on May 25 vs. the Rangers (first 10,000 fans) and Pablo López on July 6 vs. the Astros (first 10,000 fans), and a Los Twins Sugar Skull bobblehead on September 15. It can’t be a coincidence that López bobblehead night is against Houston, after the way he was dealing in Game 2 of the ALDS, right? The bobbleheads always come in an amazingly cool collector box. Tip: if you get to the game and see a particular gate is all out of bobbleheads, do a lap around the outside of the entire stadium and check to see if other gates still have them. Sometimes, certain gates run out of giveaways much faster than the others. Look for stacked-up boxes before you scan your ticket and enter through the gate, because if you get your ticket scanned and then travel to other gates within the stadium seeking the giveaway item, Target Field staff will never give you the item. Baseball card giveaway day is on July 3 (first 20,000 fans) Hit the beach July 4th weekend in style: Twins Beach Towel giveaway day is Friday, July 5 (first 5,000 fans). Bat day is back! And this year, the Twins are handing out double the number they distributed last year. The first 10,000 fans through the gates on July 20 will receive a Royce Lewis replica bat. This bat will be the most coveted giveaway of the year; people go wild for it. [Ed. note: I'm so sorry but this has to be done: They go batty.] Even though the team is handing out 10,000, you will want to get there extra early because, finally, Target Field is hosting a weekend series vs. the Brewers. Year after year, the Border Battle Brewers series is the most packed of the season, so that will make getting there early for this giveaway extra important. No luck in securing a bat? You can try to be one of the first 5,000 Twins fans the very next day, on July 21, to receive a Rubik’s Cube. The Twins are getting in on the pickleball craze that has swept the country with a fervor not seen since Beanie Babies (or perhaps the Tickle Me Elmo): Pickleball Night is August 23. A special ticket package gets the pickleball lover in your life a ticket to the game and a Twins pickleball paddle and cover. More details here. Carlos Correa replica jersey day is August 24 vs. the Cardinals. Even though it’s during the State Fair, I will absolutely try to get my Sweet Martha’s cookie-filled hands on this jersey because, for the first time, the Twins will be handing out the cream and navy blue Twin Cities jersey. These jerseys will likely look like a dress on little kids (even though in past years, the Twins have offered two sizes of giveaway jerseys, a medium and an extra large), so kids have their own jersey giveaway: kids Joe Ryan Jersey day is July 7. Tip: even the littlest Twins fans under 12 will get a kids giveaway item: last season we brought our at-the-time 3-month old niece to a game, and she got a T.C. Bear tank top. The jersey giveaways are my very favorite giveaway the Twins do: they are wonderfully high-quality and have (the past two years) included a stitched (rather than screen-printed) front. The Joe Mauer Hall of Fame Celebration is August 3, and the Twins are celebrating their newest Cooperstown inductee by handing out a Joe Mauer Replica Hall of Fame Plaque to the first 10,000 fans. Well played, Twins. Terry Ryan & Rick Stelmaszek Twins Hall of Fame Pin giveaway is August 10 (first 10,000 fans) Fan appreciation baseball hat giveaway day is on September 27 and 28. What theme nights or giveaways are you most excited about? Let us know in a comment below. View full article
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Twins Announce 2024 Promotional Schedule and Postgame Concert
Melissa Berman posted an article in Twins
From hats to bobbleheads to even a Rubik’s Cube, the Twins are handing out a host of unique collector’s items this year. Also, this season the Twins are hosting their first ever Bark in the Park! Here are some of the best promotions I will be targeting, as well as some of my tips and tricks for getting giveaway items; complete list and pictures of the giveaway items here: Postgame Concert Twins fans, get ready to get "Low" at the first postgame concert of the season. Flo Rida is performing a full-length set on June 14, following a 7:10 matchup vs the Athletics. Twins fans will likely be happy to see that this first concert is finally taking place on a Friday (rather than a Thursday night, as the Twins have scheduled all their postgame concerts in the last two seasons). A ticket to the game will get you access to the concert from your seat for free, but the team is offering a VIP package that gets Flo Rida superfans a ticket to the game plus a chance to stand on the field in front of the stage for the show. I have been deeply impressed with the Twins’ postgame concerts the last couple of years. They are worth attending, even if you aren’t a huge fan of the artists themselves. A chance to see the best baseball players in the world and a full-length show for as little as $23 (the cheapest ticket available on the Twins website right now)? Unbeatable. Tip: if you don’t have game tickets next to your friends, you can move around after the game to stand by them, even into the lower deck; ushers do not check tickets after the game. The last couple of years, the Twins have hosted two postgame concerts--last year, it was fellow Floridian T-Pain and country music artist Carly Pearce--so time will tell if another one is announced for this season. Giveaways Opening Weekend Hat Day: Looking for another piece of Twins gear to keep you warm at all those inevitably cold early-season games? The Twins are handing out warm winter hats to the first 10,000 fans at the Home Opener on April 4 and at the Saturday, April 6 game. This year, the hats are gray with a blue and red pom on top and have the “new” M North Star logo smack dab in the middle (have you started to come around on the “M” yet?). The “Kids Opening Weekend Beanie” giveaway is Sunday, April 7, and the first 5,000 fans 12 and under will receive a cream and navy blue “Twin Cities” hat. Note: in past years, the Twins have handed out 20,000 of the opening weekend giveaway items. They have halved that this year, so pack some hand warmers and get there early if you want to add this hat to your collection. However, you will not have to get there as early as recent years on Opening Day to get the giveaway or even make it in the door on time for first pitch. The new AI scanners the Twins have implemented have all but eliminated lines. Twins fans from galaxies far, far away will want to mark May 24 on their calendars: It’s Star Wars Night! The Twins go all out for this promo every year, complete with turning Twins players into Jedi on the big screen, bringing characters onto the field before the game, and this year, the first 5,000 fans will get a Star Wars reversible bucket hat. Bark at the Park makes its Target Field debut on April 22! Twins fans have long questioned why the Twins do not host a Bark in the Park Day like other major and minor-league clubs (the St. Paul Saints had 3 Dog Days in 2023), but now, finally, the furriest Twins fans can catch a Twins game in person. Not much information is available yet outside of the date, but the Twins have this link to sign up to receive more information on how to take your best friend out to the ballgame. Three bobblehead days: Jhoan Durán on May 25 vs. the Rangers (first 10,000 fans) and Pablo López on July 6 vs. the Astros (first 10,000 fans), and a Los Twins Sugar Skull bobblehead on September 15. It can’t be a coincidence that López bobblehead night is against Houston, after the way he was dealing in Game 2 of the ALDS, right? The bobbleheads always come in an amazingly cool collector box. Tip: if you get to the game and see a particular gate is all out of bobbleheads, do a lap around the outside of the entire stadium and check to see if other gates still have them. Sometimes, certain gates run out of giveaways much faster than the others. Look for stacked-up boxes before you scan your ticket and enter through the gate, because if you get your ticket scanned and then travel to other gates within the stadium seeking the giveaway item, Target Field staff will never give you the item. Baseball card giveaway day is on July 3 (first 20,000 fans) Hit the beach July 4th weekend in style: Twins Beach Towel giveaway day is Friday, July 5 (first 5,000 fans). Bat day is back! And this year, the Twins are handing out double the number they distributed last year. The first 10,000 fans through the gates on July 20 will receive a Royce Lewis replica bat. This bat will be the most coveted giveaway of the year; people go wild for it. [Ed. note: I'm so sorry but this has to be done: They go batty.] Even though the team is handing out 10,000, you will want to get there extra early because, finally, Target Field is hosting a weekend series vs. the Brewers. Year after year, the Border Battle Brewers series is the most packed of the season, so that will make getting there early for this giveaway extra important. No luck in securing a bat? You can try to be one of the first 5,000 Twins fans the very next day, on July 21, to receive a Rubik’s Cube. The Twins are getting in on the pickleball craze that has swept the country with a fervor not seen since Beanie Babies (or perhaps the Tickle Me Elmo): Pickleball Night is August 23. A special ticket package gets the pickleball lover in your life a ticket to the game and a Twins pickleball paddle and cover. More details here. Carlos Correa replica jersey day is August 24 vs. the Cardinals. Even though it’s during the State Fair, I will absolutely try to get my Sweet Martha’s cookie-filled hands on this jersey because, for the first time, the Twins will be handing out the cream and navy blue Twin Cities jersey. These jerseys will likely look like a dress on little kids (even though in past years, the Twins have offered two sizes of giveaway jerseys, a medium and an extra large), so kids have their own jersey giveaway: kids Joe Ryan Jersey day is July 7. Tip: even the littlest Twins fans under 12 will get a kids giveaway item: last season we brought our at-the-time 3-month old niece to a game, and she got a T.C. Bear tank top. The jersey giveaways are my very favorite giveaway the Twins do: they are wonderfully high-quality and have (the past two years) included a stitched (rather than screen-printed) front. The Joe Mauer Hall of Fame Celebration is August 3, and the Twins are celebrating their newest Cooperstown inductee by handing out a Joe Mauer Replica Hall of Fame Plaque to the first 10,000 fans. Well played, Twins. Terry Ryan & Rick Stelmaszek Twins Hall of Fame Pin giveaway is August 10 (first 10,000 fans) Fan appreciation baseball hat giveaway day is on September 27 and 28. What theme nights or giveaways are you most excited about? Let us know in a comment below. -
Twins Sell out ALDS Games 3 and 4
Melissa Berman replied to Melissa Berman's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
The atmosphere was incredible and actively helped the team on Wednesday as seen by the Blue Jays being unable to hear their third base coach. Incredible -
Twins Sell out ALDS Games 3 and 4
Melissa Berman replied to Melissa Berman's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Haha! I will see you there- this game 2 coming up here will really affect how we're feeling at it.. -
With their first playoff series win since 2002 under their belts, excitement about the Twins is sky-high, and Twins fans want to be at Target Field to experience the magic themselves. Image courtesy of Melissa Berman On Saturday, the Twins announced that tickets to Games 3 and 4 at Target Field next week are officially sold out. Games 3 and 4 tickets went on sale at noon on Friday, October 6, and lower-level tickets to Game 3 were gone within minutes. By Saturday, all tickets to both games were gone. It’s a tale of two series: for the Wildcard round last week, tickets to Tuesday, October 3’s game were going for as low as $7 on resale sites. While the team announced that both Wildcard games were sold out, there were still patches of empty seats despite an impressive and raucous crowd. Once the Twins won Game 1 vs. the Blue Jays to break “the streak,” tickets to Wednesday’s game jumped to around $50 for the cheapest ticket. Games 1 and 2’s in-person environment was the loudest and most exciting Twins fans and players can remember. Twins fans were into every pitch. “When I tell you it was electric, it brought that electricity into my body,” Royce Lewis said after Tuesday’s win. Tickets are still available to ALDS Games 3 and 4 on some resale sites. Because Tuesday’s game is a sure thing, those tickets are more expensive than Game 4. For Twins fans wanting to get to Target Field to be among other fans on a budget, the Twins are hosting free watch parties of Game 1 and Game 2 of the ALDS in Houston. On Saturday, the Twins hosted over 10,000 fans for the Game 1 watch party. Fans watched the game on the big screen and could visit concession stands and the team store, which are open for both watch parties _ _ Are you planning on getting to Game 3 or 4? How did you get tickets? Let us know in a COMMENT below. View full article
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On Saturday, the Twins announced that tickets to Games 3 and 4 at Target Field next week are officially sold out. Games 3 and 4 tickets went on sale at noon on Friday, October 6, and lower-level tickets to Game 3 were gone within minutes. By Saturday, all tickets to both games were gone. It’s a tale of two series: for the Wildcard round last week, tickets to Tuesday, October 3’s game were going for as low as $7 on resale sites. While the team announced that both Wildcard games were sold out, there were still patches of empty seats despite an impressive and raucous crowd. Once the Twins won Game 1 vs. the Blue Jays to break “the streak,” tickets to Wednesday’s game jumped to around $50 for the cheapest ticket. Games 1 and 2’s in-person environment was the loudest and most exciting Twins fans and players can remember. Twins fans were into every pitch. “When I tell you it was electric, it brought that electricity into my body,” Royce Lewis said after Tuesday’s win. Tickets are still available to ALDS Games 3 and 4 on some resale sites. Because Tuesday’s game is a sure thing, those tickets are more expensive than Game 4. For Twins fans wanting to get to Target Field to be among other fans on a budget, the Twins are hosting free watch parties of Game 1 and Game 2 of the ALDS in Houston. On Saturday, the Twins hosted over 10,000 fans for the Game 1 watch party. Fans watched the game on the big screen and could visit concession stands and the team store, which are open for both watch parties _ _ Are you planning on getting to Game 3 or 4? How did you get tickets? Let us know in a COMMENT below.
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I feel exactly as you do today- with the dominance of our pitching staff, team leaders like Lewis and Correa performing better than ever, the team health- everything seems to be coming together just in time to make a deep run. It took until September, but here we are. I'm giddy too and think there is no reason why we need to fear the Astros. This psychological boost is going to be felt for years to come in terms of team pride, ticket sales, enthusiasm for the team etc
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Based on the postgame tears, hugs, and the raucous roar of the crowd on Tuesday evening, one might have thought that the Twins had just done more than win one playoff game, the series opener in the Wild Card Round to the Toronto Blue Jays. But this was not just a singular win; it was a watershed moment for the organization and a turning point in fans' hearts. Image courtesy of Melissa Berman Going into Tuesday’s game, there was one thing and only one thing that anyone talked about: the streak. The dreaded streak. You are fully aware that going into Tuesday’s series opener, the Twins carried a 0-18 playoff losing streak. The Twins’ last playoff win was in 2004. I was in 4th grade. This losing streak was so extreme that it reached mathematically impossible heights: 69 billion to 1. We’re all sick of hearing about it by now. Fans lamented on social media about the streak. They wrote articles about why this is finally the roster that could break the curse. A few fans even admitted that, in a small way, they wanted to see the Twins lose a 19th game because it would just be so absurd that we would never again see something like it. The Twins players were fully aware of this losing streak, too, despite very few of them having been a part of those previous losses. “We’re going to get that first win since 2004, I promise you that,” Kyle Farmer assured the crowd in his postgame interview on the big screen after the Twins clinched their playoff berth at home on September 22. Game 1 Twins starting pitcher Pablo López arrived at Target Field wearing a Johan Santana jersey, a nod to the drought (but also López's hero growing up). Santana, a fellow Venezuelan, was the starting pitcher in the Twins' last playoff game win in 2004. On Tuesday, some fans held signs with sentiments like “The Streak Ends Today!” The fans’ desperation and hunger to get that long-desired win shone through constantly during the game. Fans were on their feet for almost every pitch. The stadium echoed with a taunting “Gaus-man! Gaus-man!” whenever the Blue Jays' game one starting pitcher was on the mound. The crowd erupted with the loudest cheering I have ever heard after Royce Lewis’ home runs. It surpassed what one might consider a typical "playoff atmosphere" of noise and emotion. Fans couldn’t be on the field to make the actual plays, but it was evident they were pouring their hearts and souls into helping the players get the job done. They knew this one meant more. For once in a Twins playoff game, everything seemed to go their way: Michael A. Taylor made superman-like, run-saving catches in the outfield. Lewis had his first multi-homerun game of his career. López pitched a dominant, lights-out performance. The Twins have higher aspirations than winning a simple, singular playoff game. But words can’t describe how important it is to finally put this 0-18 narrative to bed and for Twins fans to no longer be teased and harassed with “0-18!” from other fanbases or to have the drought inhibit their own personal hopes for the team. Twins fans can exhale a bit, hold their heads up a little higher now, and aim for greater heights. Indeed, on Tuesday evening, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, one of the country's most prominent MLB writers, proclaimed to SportsCenter's Scott Van Pelt that the "sky is the limit" for the Twins, and that they have the roster needed to make a deep playoff run. There’s the common saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” A journey to a World Series title begins with a single game. It’s true that Tuesday was just one game. But tell that to the fans in Target Field who mobbed each other with hugs in the stands, to the fans who cried and lingered long after the final out to take pictures and hoist drinks at Truly On Deck, or even the guy who (very stupidly) ran onto the field waving a Homer Hanky after the final out before being tackled to the ground by security. This win represented so much more, and you have to start somewhere. Don't let anyone, especially those from other fanbases, diminish your joy. The next step- the Twins getting their first playoff series win since 2002. When deciding how to buy Twins playoff tickets, I got the playoff strip because I rationalized that if the Twins made it to the World Series, tickets would cost thousands of dollars, and there would be no way I could go. Even having to buy single-game tickets to the ALCS would be cost-prohibitive. “I know this is rich of me to say, considering we haven’t won a playoff game in 19 years, but..” I told my friends when explaining my rationale for buying the strip. And now, anything is possible, because finally at long last, the Twins have won a playoff game. They've taken the first step. _ _ How did you react to the drought-busting playoff win? Do you feel like you have higher hopes for the team now? Let us know in a COMMENT below. View full article
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Going into Tuesday’s game, there was one thing and only one thing that anyone talked about: the streak. The dreaded streak. You are fully aware that going into Tuesday’s series opener, the Twins carried a 0-18 playoff losing streak. The Twins’ last playoff win was in 2004. I was in 4th grade. This losing streak was so extreme that it reached mathematically impossible heights: 69 billion to 1. We’re all sick of hearing about it by now. Fans lamented on social media about the streak. They wrote articles about why this is finally the roster that could break the curse. A few fans even admitted that, in a small way, they wanted to see the Twins lose a 19th game because it would just be so absurd that we would never again see something like it. The Twins players were fully aware of this losing streak, too, despite very few of them having been a part of those previous losses. “We’re going to get that first win since 2004, I promise you that,” Kyle Farmer assured the crowd in his postgame interview on the big screen after the Twins clinched their playoff berth at home on September 22. Game 1 Twins starting pitcher Pablo López arrived at Target Field wearing a Johan Santana jersey, a nod to the drought (but also López's hero growing up). Santana, a fellow Venezuelan, was the starting pitcher in the Twins' last playoff game win in 2004. On Tuesday, some fans held signs with sentiments like “The Streak Ends Today!” The fans’ desperation and hunger to get that long-desired win shone through constantly during the game. Fans were on their feet for almost every pitch. The stadium echoed with a taunting “Gaus-man! Gaus-man!” whenever the Blue Jays' game one starting pitcher was on the mound. The crowd erupted with the loudest cheering I have ever heard after Royce Lewis’ home runs. It surpassed what one might consider a typical "playoff atmosphere" of noise and emotion. Fans couldn’t be on the field to make the actual plays, but it was evident they were pouring their hearts and souls into helping the players get the job done. They knew this one meant more. For once in a Twins playoff game, everything seemed to go their way: Michael A. Taylor made superman-like, run-saving catches in the outfield. Lewis had his first multi-homerun game of his career. López pitched a dominant, lights-out performance. The Twins have higher aspirations than winning a simple, singular playoff game. But words can’t describe how important it is to finally put this 0-18 narrative to bed and for Twins fans to no longer be teased and harassed with “0-18!” from other fanbases or to have the drought inhibit their own personal hopes for the team. Twins fans can exhale a bit, hold their heads up a little higher now, and aim for greater heights. Indeed, on Tuesday evening, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, one of the country's most prominent MLB writers, proclaimed to SportsCenter's Scott Van Pelt that the "sky is the limit" for the Twins, and that they have the roster needed to make a deep playoff run. There’s the common saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” A journey to a World Series title begins with a single game. It’s true that Tuesday was just one game. But tell that to the fans in Target Field who mobbed each other with hugs in the stands, to the fans who cried and lingered long after the final out to take pictures and hoist drinks at Truly On Deck, or even the guy who (very stupidly) ran onto the field waving a Homer Hanky after the final out before being tackled to the ground by security. This win represented so much more, and you have to start somewhere. Don't let anyone, especially those from other fanbases, diminish your joy. The next step- the Twins getting their first playoff series win since 2002. When deciding how to buy Twins playoff tickets, I got the playoff strip because I rationalized that if the Twins made it to the World Series, tickets would cost thousands of dollars, and there would be no way I could go. Even having to buy single-game tickets to the ALCS would be cost-prohibitive. “I know this is rich of me to say, considering we haven’t won a playoff game in 19 years, but..” I told my friends when explaining my rationale for buying the strip. And now, anything is possible, because finally at long last, the Twins have won a playoff game. They've taken the first step. _ _ How did you react to the drought-busting playoff win? Do you feel like you have higher hopes for the team now? Let us know in a COMMENT below.
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Thanks so much for reading and your very kind words! Writing about the fan experience side of things is definitely what interests me most- I like writing about baseball and the people who love it 😄 I'm also stocking up. I bought 4 the other day and will get a hanky and all the playoff games I go to, but I'm have had "order requests" from my mom to get some extras for her, the baby niece etc.
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This is such a fun and happy story. I can't believe you caught a foul ball in the '91 series- that's incredible! And amazing that Tapani signed it- bet that ball is in a special place! I've noticed that even when I was a kid, early 2000s, players were a lot more accessible. My parents would take us to all the free autograph signings at the now-defunct Twins pro shops and Cub Foods stores. We got to meet everyone- Johan Santana, Morneau, Mauer, Joe Nathan, Torii Hunter etc. It was a different time

