John Bonnes

Honestly, I just think the glut is reaching the end of the pipeline. The pipeline was just longer than we wanted (and there were several injuries that delayed some of the bigger names). It'll be interesting to see how he handles his first taste of the majors, and what that means for his future. Aaron mentioned in this week's GATG that him returning to starting eventually requires him to be very good, but not so good that they just can't consider not having him in the bullpen. Boy, I sure would love to see him become a dependable setup arm this year. The Twins could really use that. Perkins on top with Boyer/Fien under.....that changes a lot about this bullpen. (Now we just need a southpaw...)

I'm really looking forward to seeing this kid pitch.

The Minnesota Twins have announced that they will recall right-handed reliever Alex Meyer prior to Friday night's game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. Meyer was Twins Daily's #5 Twins prospect before the 2015 season and this will be his first time with the big league club. Meyer was acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals for Denard Span in November of 2012. Armed with a 95+ mph fastball, he was considered a top starting pitching prospect and was moved up to Triple-A Rochester last year where he posted a 3.52 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 130.2 innings.However, his 6' 9" frame has always contributed to control problems and he seemingly took a step backward this year, walking 24 batters in 39.1 innings pitched (along with a 7.09 ERA) as a starting pitcher, before he was moved to the bullpen. That move has seemingly paid off. Since that move, Meyer has posted a 0.53 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. Most tellingly, he has only walked six batters, nearly halving his walk rate as a starter. Meyer's role in the Rochester Red Wing's bullpen was mostly as a long reliever; he pitched more than an inning in most of his appearances, including three appearances that were three innings or longer. His role in the Twins bullpen is less clear. He replaces Michael Tonkin, who served as more of a secondary right-handed setup man. It's possible that Meyer could take that role with the goal of moving towards a higher-leverage setup role in the future. Or he could continue to work long relief. The Twins have not said if they now view his future role as a starter or reliever, and longer appearances would allow allow an easier transition back to a starting role later this year. However, given the Twins continued struggles with consistent success at the back of their bullpen, if Meyer succeeds, he'll likely stay in that role with the Twins for the rest of this year. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John do a special midweek episode to review the seasons of the top Minnesota Twins prospects, whether their status has moved up or down, and how Harry's Razors are like elite prospects. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below.You can play it directly by clicking below: Click here to view the article

I found the story. I had trouble at first, because I apparently wrote it on StarTribune.com. But I made a copy in my original site. Here it is: Sucker Punched A few days ago, I wrote of glory, and the opportunity to show Minnesota sports fans that this low budget team is for real, by beating the best in their stadium in the only games that really count to these two teams. I compared it to the Vikings season of 1998, and mentioned their playoff loss in 1999. Today, those who watched feel a familiar sentiment, equal parts hopelessness and rage, mostly directed at a head coach. I'm betting the head coach feels the same way. Except that in baseball, the leader of the coaching staff isn't a coach. He's a manager. That's something that most of us can relate to, because we work for managers, or are managers. So we understand how important it is that good managers, while they have an area of responsibility, focus on their people, and their strengths and weaknesses. We understand that the best managers are often loyal to a fault, that they protect their employees, and that their dedication is usually rewarded. The key word in that last sentence was "usually". This weekend, I heard Ron Gardenhire get savaged on his radio show by callers. Their primary complaint was that he had prioritized resting his players over beating the Yankees, and thus had lost home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. I suppose some of that sniping came from people with different priorities, but mostly it sounded like it was just habit. It sounded like they had grabbed the most available criticism of the week, lined up their priorities with it, and charged ahead. I honestly felt bad for Gardenhire for having to deal with that. He'll be dealing with a lot more than today. Gardenhire made a number of decisions yesterday. They were mostly consistent with his values of staying loyal to his veterans and protecting his younger players. And without exception, nearly every one blew up in his face. Starting Jason Kubel as designated hitter - This is the one move that runs counter to most of the rest of Gardenhire's moves. Based on Kubel's outing last week versus right-handed Yankees starting pitcher Jon Lieber, Gardenhire substituted the left-handed hitting Kubel for right-handed hitting Lew Ford. Unfortunately, Kubel not only went hitless in six at-bats, he struck out on three terrible pitches in the most critical at-bat for the Twins in the game. Staying with Shannon Stewart in left field - Lew Ford is a better defensive outfielder than Stewart even if both players are healthy, but Stewart isn't healthy. He has a bad hamstring and a bad foot, and yet Ford finds himself batting as the designated hitter most games. He also found himself sitting on the bench in the twelfth inning last night as a drive from Alex Rodriguez landed just beyond Stewart's outstretched glove, and drove in the tying run. This is the second time in two years that the Twins have downgraded themselves defensively in the outfield to make Shannon Stewart feel like he's more than just capable defensively. Last year they moved Jacque Jones, who has far more range than Stewart, to right field from the more spacious left field. One can argue that this doesn't make much of a difference in the overall defensive ability of a team, and if it keeps an important hitter happy and productive, it's worth it. One can also argue that Lew Ford would've made that catch last night and the Twins could have left Yankee stadium up 2-0. Letting Brad Radke start the seventh inning - In the bottom of the sixth, the Twins bullpen phone rang. Brad Radke had contained the Yankees, but had struggled all night, and was clearly tiring as he battled John Olerud with a runner on second and two outs. Radke finally won the battle, keeping the deficit at 4-3, and walked back to the dugout.And in the bottom of the seventh, the same pitcher who looked so gassed a half inning earlier, walked back out of the dugout and to the mound. He would get to start by facing Miguel Cairo at the bottom of the Yankees order. Following Cairo was Derek Jeter, who had homered off of Radke once already. Following Jeter was Alex Rodriguez, who had homered off of Radke once already. And following Rodriguez was Gary Sheffield, who had homered off of Radke once already. So, you can probably guess how that went. The Yankees gained an important insurance run, to make the score 5-3, prior to Grant Balfour replacing Radke as pitcher. The decision to keep Radke in the game was defensible, but that call to the bullpen suggests that Gardenhire knew better. Was he afraid to use a young bullpen in that situation? Did he want to avoid angering Radke (who might need to start his next game on short rest) by taking him out of the game after just six innings? Did he think it important that Radke have a "W" next to his name in the box score? Or has he grown sensitive to the media fracas that results when he removes Radke and a game is lost anyway? Whatever the reason, the move likely cost the Twins another run, and it was a run that would prove costly a half inning later. Letting Joe Nathan pitch in the twelfth inning - And finally we get to the BIG ONE that everyone will be talking about coast to coast. It's almost a carbon copy of the decision Gardenhire made six innings earlier, only with a worse result. Again, the pitcher who had finished the inning before was clearly done. Again, a call had been made to the bullpen to get a different reliever ready. Again, it looks like Gardenhire chose to stick with his veteran rather than submerge a rookie into a tense playoff environment.And again, it proved disastrous. There's consistency in these moves, beyond the tragic result of all of them. They're also consistent with similar moves that Gardenhire has made through the season. And they're consistent with a management philosophy that has allowed this organization to develop a hoard of young talent while simultaneously winning three division titles. That may be of some comfort to Twins fans today, and maybe to a manager that had an especially bad day. It may be, but I doubt it.

I'm scarred by that 12th inning. I should go and find the story I wrote that night. Lord, I was bummed, though at the time, it was easy to think "Hey we're tied 1-1 coming home and have been the better team...."

Aaron and John talk about Byron Buxton putting his Hall of Fame induction on hold, where all the Twins' run scoring went, what happens to the rotation when Ervin Santana returns, releasing Jordan Schafer, Chris Herrmann's job security, first-round pick Tyler Jay signing for $3.9 million, a July 3rd Saints game with Aaron and John and what to do and not to do while on the toilet, and Towns vs. Okafor. Oh, and apparently their is a surprise ending, as the podcast ended 20 minutes earlier than we thought. Oh well. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click the Play button below. Click here to view the article

The Yankees entered the 2002 season in the midst of a dynasty fueled by a record-setting payroll. The Twins entered the 2002 season literally battling for the organization’s life. Contraction had been approved by Major League Baseball's owners and the Twins were one of the two teams reported to be on the chopping block. The Twins also entered the season with a new manager, Ron Gardenhire, replacing Tom Kelly who had retired following the 2001 season. Gardenhire was viewed as a player’s coach, the opposite of the prickly Kelly, and he knew many of the young players from their time in the majors and minors.He succeeded immediately. The underdog Twins not only won 94 games in 2002, they also won the American League Division Series, making it to the AL Championship Series before bowing out to the eventual World Champion Anaheim Angels. There was really only one blemish, barely noted at the time: the Twins had failed to win a single game versus the Yankees. But then that happened again in 2003; the Twins played seven games versus the Yankees in the regular season and lost all seven. And that blemish seemed more important as the Twins prepared to face the Yankees in the ALDS. The team finally beat the Yankees in the first game of that postseason, tallying three runs against Yankees ace Mike Mussina. But that’s as many runs as the Twins would score the rest of the series combined, losing one game in Yankees Stadium and two more at home, ultimately watching the Yankees celebrate on the Metrodome’s turf. Things looked a little brighter in 2004 – the Twins at least won a couple of games versus the Yankees during the regular season – but that led to maybe the most painful of Gardenhire's playoff losses. The Twins beat the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS behind the arm of Johan Santana. And in Game 2, the Twins rallied to tie the Yankees 5-5 in the eighth inning thanks to clutch hits by Justin Morneau and Corey Koskie against none other than Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. To maintain that tie game in extra innings, Gardenhire turned to his own closer, Joe Nathan, in the 10th and 11th innings. That strategy paid off when the Torii Hunter hit a solo home run in the top of the 12th to give the Twins the lead. But Gardenhire stuck with the tiring Nathan in the bottom of the frame. It started well – Nathan struck out John Olerud – but then he walked Miguel Cairo and Derek Jeter before giving up a ground-rule double to Alex Rodriguez, of all people. (Honestly, only the Twins could turn Alex Rodriguez into a hero in New York.) Jeter would score the winning run two batters later, giving the Yankees a 6-5 win. In Game 3, the Yankees beat up Carlos Silva, but the Twins had command of Game 4, leading 5-1 as the game went into the eighth inning. However, the Yankees rallied for four runs in that inning; the biggest hit was a three-run home run by Ruben Sierra against the usually dependable Juan Rincon. Of course, the Twins lost the game in extra innings on a wild pitch and watched the Yankees advance once again. Whatever jinx the Damn Yankees had over Gardenhire’s teams never faltered. Even in the regular season, when the games didn’t mean as much, the Yankees triumphed. Over his managing career, Gardenhire’s Twins teams were only 26-64 against the Yankees. In his thirteen-year career at the helm of the Twins, despite steering teams that won the AL Central division six times, Gardenhire’s Twins teams NEVER had a winning season series record against the Bronx Bombers. And believe it or not, that’s not the worst part. The worst part was that in the six seasons where his team made the postseason, Gardenhire’s Twins faced the Yankees in four of them, lost all four series and won just two of the fourteen games they played. There is a litany of doomed big plays that Twins fans know too well: Nathan’s 12th inning, Sierra’s home run, Cuzzi’s blown call, ARod’s home run. If ever there was a manager who must’ve been tempted to sell his soul to beat the Damn Yankees, it was Ron Gardenhire. Previously: Twins vs Yankees (Part 1): The Rise Of The Damn Yankees Twins vs Yankees (Part 2): How Killebrew Killed The Damn Yankees Twins vs Yankees (Part 3): A Twin Defects To The Damn Yankees Click here to view the article

The craft beer area is better than I've sen at at any MAJOR league park. It's fantastic. A great addition.

Twins Daily had its first ever Date Night on Thursday Night at the Ordway. 30 people enjoyed the event, which included: Gathering Generous samples of four varieties of Summit beer. It was so nice (and so accessible) that we made a critical tactical error. We had reserved a gorgeous room that overlooked the beer tasting with a cash bar – but nobody used it. We kept seeing couples go up there and then see the rest of us at the beer tasting and come and join us. I literally never stepped foot in that room once the event started. The bartender we had there must have been bored stiff.Clyde A really cool walk through of old Washington Senators memorabilia by Clyde Doepner, the Twins archivist. The display included several items from the time that the Damn Yankees was on Broadway (the mid-50s) including several letters from Presidents to Calvin Griffith, since it was tradition that the President threw out the first pitch on Opening Day. But the biggest treasure was Clyde. What a cool, passionate guy. Everything that was in that case was stuff that was saved by him when Calvin Griffith tried to throw out all his Senators stuff when he moved to the more cramped Metrodome. Did you know that the Twins are the only team that has a full-time historical archivist? Goodies Several clever touches, like baseball trivia before the show, a chance to get your selfie on a baseball card, and $2 hot dogs at concessions. The Show Finally, we watched a sold out Damn Yankees musical. I’m sure you can read better reviews than I can give. Me? It's baseball and a musical, so I’m a pretty easy sell. The show's goofy but delightful material was well done with performances ranging from solid to fantastic. The Ordway is clearly excited about this event, partly because I know they have a lot of big baseball fans on staff. That excitement shows through in the production and in all the stuff that surrounds it. Here are a few (pretty poor) pictures I snapped to give you a sense of the event. We’ll need to do something like this again. Here's the lobby overlooking the Summit Beer tasting that we didn't use. Download attachment: Lobby.JPG And here's the Summit Beer Guy.... Download attachment: Summit.JPG ...who we obviously did use. Download attachment: Gathering_900.jpg Click here to view the article

On Friday, June 5th the Saints opened their second home stand at CHS Field. The Sioux Falls Canaries and Joplin Blasters visited St. Paul for three games apiece. Both teams were quickly sent packing by your number one team in the American Association. The Saints continued their amazing start to 2015, winning five of the six games.In the first series the Saints took two of three from the Canaries. They used a great diving catch by right fielder Mike Kvasnicka to end game one. Then a lights out start by Dustin Crenshaw took game two. The second win tied the team’s single season record for longest winning streak at ten. Next up were the Blasters who came to town in second place in the South Division. The Saints offense was clicking on all cylinders as they won two of the games by five runs each. With sweeping the series our boys of summer have now swept four of six series this season. Let that sink in. Four of six series. Wow. My MVP for the home stand is Dustin Crenshaw. Now I know what you’re thinking, how can a pitcher who only started one game get my MVP? Well, let me tell you about Crenshaw's Saturday night. He gave up a single in the first. Then induced a 6-4-3 double play to erase it. He gave up a one-out triple in the second. Then Willie Argo caught a fly ball in left field and gunned down the runner trying to tag from third for a 7-2 double play. After that, Crenshaw shut down the Canaries the rest of the way all by himself, retiring the final 22 batters in a row and leading the Saints to a 2-0 victory in only two hours and two minutes! To show how fast the game was, the average MLB game takes two hours and 54 minutes. Crenshaw's impressive line for the night: 9IP, 2H, 2K, 0BB, 88 pitches. Great game Dustin! No home stand recap would be complete without a little talk about the offensive side of the ball. Ian Gac and Angelo Songco once again led the way for the Saints. Songco smashed two home runs, had eight RBI, and hit .304. Meanwhile, Gac continued his torrid start to the season with five doubles, four RBI, and hitting .347. He also had at least one hit in each game of the series. Highlights from the week's entertainment included Friday night fireworks accompanied by Grateful Dead music. It was a really groovy mix, man. The colors and the music just blended too.... Whoa. Flashback. Sorry about that. During the game the Saints wore special tie-dyed jerseys that fans could bid on in a silent auction. All jerseys were signed by a player or coach after the game Bring-your-dog-to-the-park day was a hit like always. It is so much fun to see so many different breeds of dogs interacting with each other. There was everything from a gigantic Mastiff to a tiny Chihuahua. We decided for this home stand, and for the rest of the year, we were going to pick a new section to sit in for a couple of innings during each series. We figure this is a great way to meet new people and to experience the awesomeness of CHS Field from every angle. This time we got hooked on the third base line and left field. First, we sat in sec. 118 row 1. I must say first row seating at field level is a wonderful thing. You can really see the speed of the game. Next we sat on the drink rail next to the Beer Dabbler with a couple of new friends. This is one of the best views in the ballpark. You have the downtown skyline above the park one way and twenty one different craft beer taps to choose from the other way. Perfect. A new thing we learned about CHS Field is that you are not safe from foul balls just about anywhere in the park. That and I think we had a baseball magnet on our heads for a couple of games. First we had one land literally right between our seats. I protected Steph from it but in the process figured out that a phone is not the same as a glove. It's a long story, best told over a beer sometime. Luckily the phone still works. Kids, this is why you buy a good case. Next we had a couple more land within ten feet of us by the main gate in deep right field. Then we had one land on the roof above us, hit something, and come back down a few seconds later. It landed two seats down from me. I've never been closer than 10-15 rows from a foul ball before at any pro game. That week we had for four in two games. Once again tailgating was a big part of our weekend at the field. We had a great time with our normal crews and were even joined by Seigo Masubuchi and Sister Ros one evening at the Candy Lady's spot. On Saturday night we had the pleasure of chatting with Saints Manager George Tsamis and hitting coach Ole Sheldon at the 10th Inning Stretch. It was great seeing them in the lot again and talking baseball with them and good friends Kevin Luckow and Bill Tyler (10th Inning Stretch tailgating founders). Looking to keep the good vibes going, the team hit the road for seven games in seven days. The first four against the Sioux Falls Canaries and the last three versus the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The Saints proved it doesn't matter what country they’re in, the results are the same. They win. Taking three of four and two of three on this road trip, they have not lost a series all season. A stat worth mentioning from the trip is catcher Vinny DiFazio has an RBI in seven straight games and finished the last two games with four hits in each. At 22-4 I've run out of sports clichés to describe how good the team is playing. So I think I'll go with their playing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Yep, that about sums it up. The hottest team in baseball returns home for six straight starting Friday, June 19th, with the Saints taking on the the top two teams in the Central Division. The Gary Southshore Railcats (2nd) and the Sioux City Explorers (1st) visit CHS Field for what should be a great week of baseball. With rain in the forecast for a couple days this seems like a perfect time to fill you in on one on the best features of the new ballpark. The covered concourse stretching from first base to third base. You can still see the game while not getting wet. I think that takes away the "I'm not going. It's going to rain" excuse. So there you have it. Great baseball, not getting wet if it rains, and fun promotions once again. Click here for tickets, and we'll see you there. Go Saints! Train!!! Rain or shine the fun goes on for the Saints. 'Merica night (Saturday, June 20th), Replica Jersey night where the first 750 kids and 750 adults get the giveaway (Sunday, June 21st), and a visit from John Moe host of Wits for a night of comedy (Wednesday, June 24th) highlight the six day home stand. Get your tickets here! Click here to view the article

Tyler Jay signed with the Minnesota Twins prior to Wednesday's game. At a press conference introducing him to the local media, he talked a lot about how thrilled he was to start his professional career, get throwing again and -- I presume -- be very wealthy, as he signed for close to $4 million.Terry Ryan talked a little about the past process, including how Jay climbed up their draft board and how difficult it was to scout a college reliever since they can pitch in any game the team has. And Jay did a lot of pitching as a reliever, racking up more than 66 innings as he was often deployed as a traditional 'fireman,' used for several innings until he finished out the game. Two big questions surround the pick. The first regards the wisdom of drafting a college reliever with a top ten pick in the hopes of turning him into a starter. Ryan talked about what they liked, referring to the same traits we have heard before: He has good velocity, four good pitches, control and he's left-handed. But Jay gave some hints as to why he remained a reliever as he made his way through his college career. It sounds like it was mostly seniority. "Our Friday guy was a three-year starter," explained Jay. "We had Drasen [Johnson] who was a three-year starter. Then [John] Kravetz, who started all four years and then a midweek guy who ended up being drafted. All four-five of our starters ended up signing to play pro baseball. So you can't complain." That willingness to accept his role for the good of the team is something that Ryan clearly admired. "I think you call that unselfish and teamwork. And that’s one of the reasons -- probably more than just one of the reasons. We talk about makeup all the time. Usually the guys with makeup are the guys that that excel. And he seems to have that as part of his DNA." The second question is what his future role will be. Ryan made it clear that Jay will start the season in High-A and that he'll pitch out of the bullpen, mostly in one-inning stints. But given the chance to limit expectations for Jay helping the Twins later this year, Ryan chose not to. "Every guy that goes out you expect and you give them that little carrot there: 'Why don't you pitch your way out of that affiliate?' " said Ryan. "The next stop would be Chattanooga. But it's up to the player. We can't dictate a guy's progression. Ultimately, you've got to go down and produce and perform. Let's see what he does when he gets down there. But I've talked to him about that: 'If you want to prove that we have you at too low of a level, go out and show us on the mound.' We're not trying to hold people back, here." OK, but with 66 innings already on Jay's arm, how realistic is that? Is there an inning limit in mind? "We don't want to get too carried away with innings," replied Ryan. "I'm not going to give you a number. We're certainly going to monitor it. Because I know that I'm going to hear from you guys if I give you a number and he goes 1/3 over it. I'm going to keep it at that. We'll monitor his innings." Given the shortage of quality left-handed relievers in the upper levels of the Twins organization, so will we, Terry. So will we. Click here to view the article

It is one of the paradoxes of sports media. We think because we have heard of a player it is because the organization has been pushing him to us. The opposite is true. The players with real promise are the most protected, and we are fascinated by them because the access to them is scarce, not because it is freely available. Byron Buxton had his debutante ball yesterday; he was presented to the outside world by the Minnesota Twins. Perhaps, because you have heard of Buxton since he was drafted second overall by the Twins in 2012, you think the Twins have been promoting him. The opposite is true.Buxton has mostly been kept out of the media's way. He was young. He was famous. He represented a tremendous amount of past investment and future hope. Many in the media were meeting him for the first time, at a pivotal moment of his career. And what strikes you at that moment isn't the big stuff - his speed, his potential, his quest for greatness. What strikes you at that moment is the small stuff, as you start to get a glimpse of the person behind the hype. "Shock went through me," said Buxton, talking about the moment he heard the news. It was not a moment he expected. He had been focusing on Double-A Chattanooga's playoff race. Suddenly, he found himself on his way to Texas for his first game, where he was joined by his parents, fiancé and son. That son provides a special incentive. "He don't have a clue what's going on right now," quipped Buxton. "But one day I'll be able to tell him what happened. And I gave him my first hit, so I'll be able to tell him what I did for him then. Hopefully he understands what's going on." You are struck by the people he finds close to him. That starts with family. "My parents just flew in, like, 30 minutes ago," said Buxton. "So they'll be here. My fiancé flew in last night. So they'll be here to my home debut." But you also get a sense of the people he trusts professionally. "[Chattanooga Manager Doug Mientkiewicz] just told me 'Don't change anything. Keep being the person I am. Stay humble. And come out here and play hard every day and give it all.'" You get a sense of someone who, despite all the distractions and excitement, needs to keep his attention focused on competing. Amid the clichés about relaxing and playing his game, Buxton wasn't afraid to talk about the level of pitching he's seen. "Quite a difference, especially off-speed breaking pitches. I'm not used to seeing such short breaking pitches as much as you did in Chattanooga. So I just got to get used to it and adjust to how they pitch me here." And you are struck by the small jolts that are maybe a little more personal. When asked about his jersey #25, Buxton says "Oh, yeah. I'm going to stick with that number. Me and [Twins Public Relations and Media Director] Dustin [Morse] actually picked that out. So I'm going to stick with it as long as I can." But less than five hours before his debut Buxton still hadn't faced his most important decision. "I actually haven't picked a walk up song yet," he admitted sheepishly. "I'm probably going to go around the clubhouse to see what other guys got before I decide to pick what I want." (The announcement came less than an hour later: Flashlight by Parliament, a funky #1 R&B hit from 1978.) In all, Buxton seemed to be the guy we had heard about confidentially - humble, confident, relaxed and focused. And most of all, ready. "I look at this as a start," he says. "I mean, I'm not really trying to come up here to get sent back down. I'm trying to come up here to stay in and try to help us win." Click here to view the article

Update: Sorry, we're sold out! And we tried to get more tickets, but the Saints are sold out too! We'll see those lucky people who got tickets on July 3rd. Here again are the details: Cost was just $20.It includes an outfield reserved ticket and a catered picnic starting at 5:30 inside the new Saints Ballpark before the game.Tickets will be available at Will Call.There will also be door prizes, including two front row tickets to a Twins game for one lucky attendee.We are working on also getting guided tours of the ballpark. Because It's Baseball. And You're An American. If you have been to our Winter Meltdown or to our Touch ‘Em All Pub Crawl, you know how legendary Twins Daily parties can be. This could top them. We’re going to celebrate our country’s birthday with your BFFs: Beer, Food and Fireworks. On Friday, July 3rd, we’ll check out the Saints brand new ballpark with Twins Daily and other MinnCentric writers that includes a Saints game, a pregame picnic and postgame fireworks. The Saints are playing in a brand new ballpark in downtown St. Paul, that you need to see. Tailgating is part of the Saints tradition, but you'll be tailgating IN THE BALLPARK with a catered picnic. There is also a local craft brew stand steps away with something like 20 taps. And the night ends with a fireworks display. The good news is that we’ve swung a deal to get a limited amount of tickets for both the food and the reserved seat for just $25 apiece. The better news is that we have an even more limited batch available for just $20 apiece. The bad news is that stupid word “limited”; you’ll want to act FAST. I can’t imagine we don’t sell out of these. Details: Cost is just $20, but only until our initial batch sells out. Price will go up to $25 next week and even those are limited.It includes an outfield reserved ticket and a catered picnic starting at 5:30 inside the new Saints Ballpark before the game.Tickets will be available at Will Call.There will also be door prizes, including two front row tickets to a Twins game for one lucky attendee.We are working on also getting guided tours of the ballpark.This is going to be a family friendly event, and for those prices, you can bring the kids or neighbors or friends or BFFs. There is no better way to start out the Fourth of July weekend than with baseball – it’s your darn near patriotic duty to attend this. So get your ticket now at this link. Click here to view the article

I'm going to think about this overnight, but my initial reaction to it is this.... - pet is too far. - there are absolutely some people I know that I would be willing to un-know if it meant a championship. - Twins Daily is too much. I'm sure it's not for some of you... - I would not be willing to give up writing. - I would not be willing to give up baseball. - I would not be willing to give up Target Field - but I might for a temporary ban, like five years. - I would sign up for 9 90-loss seasons for one magical one.

What would you give up to win it all? What Faustian deal would you strike? That’s my question for the Twins Daily community today. And I get to play the Devil.By now, you know that in Damn Yankees (which starts tonight at the Ordway), the protagonist offers up his soul to turn into the hero the Senators need to win the pennant. Ultimately, he battles to hang onto both and especially his marriage. That’s all crazy territory, but what if…. We’ll start small, what if you had to give up both Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano? You don’t get to watch their careers for the next decade, but you get a special year this year. Would you give up a decade of playoff appearances with a chance to win the World Series for nine 90-loss seasons but a single year in which it was guaranteed? Would you trade that one magical year, right now, if it meant you would never see another World Series championship? Or a championship for any of your other teams? Those seem pragmatic, so let’s go a little further with baseball. Would you trade a championship for Twins Daily? Would you trade it for no more sports talk radio? Would you trade a World Series if it meant the Twins had to go back to playing in the Metrodome? Never ever attending another game at Target Field? Never being able to watch a Twins game, period? Would you give up your team for that one glorious season? Would you be willing to give up baseball completely? Let’s leave the realm of sports. How much would you pay? (How much have you already paid?) I want a cash figure. Would you give up your car for a year? What other sacrifices would you be willing to make? Would you give up your favorite food? Beer? Let’s get closer to a Faustian contract. Where would you be willing to live for the thrill of a championship? Which of your friends or coworkers would you be willing to never see again (not have them hurt, just not be able to contact)? Would you give up your pet? What do you get in return? Do you get to go to the winning game with your kid? Or listen to it while fishing with your dad? Do you get a night again with your deceased grandma, who listened to games with you as a kid? Is she young again? Are you? Or are you the ballboy or girl, on the field, jumping up and down deliriously? Take your stab below in the comments. The top handful of answers will get a free Twins Daily pint glass from one of the Winter Meltdown events, with me playing the part of the Devil as judge. Let’s see just what you can come up with. Click here to view the article

Today is your last day to buy one of the half dozen or so tickets left for the exclusive Twins Daily Date Night this Thursday July 18th. We’ll watch Damn Yankees at the Ordway, with lots of other goodies. Our schedule:5:30 – Doors Open and Summit Beer Tasting starts on 2nd floor. (Your tickets will be at Will Call.) 6:00 – 7:00 – Meet & greet cocktails at the Securian Sky Lobby with John Bonnes and Parker Hageman. 7:00 – Tour of Twins/Yankees memorabilia with Twins Daily writers 7:30 – Damn Yankees musical begins. Damn Yankees is a musical about a Washington Senators (who eventually became the Twins) fan who sells his soul to the Devil to beat the Yankees. It’s filled with iconic songs like “You Gotta Have Heart” and “Whatever Lola Wants” and we'll be seeing it on Press Night, which means your spouse’s friends will be reading reviews the next day about the performance you have already seen. Tickets are $99 for a pair, which is a special price we have secured due to Twins Daily’s support of this show. It also includes the Summit Beer Tasting and the Securian Sky Lobby reception. Tickets will absolutely be gone by tomorrow, so get your ticket today. It should be a night that you and your date will remember many years from now. Buy your tickets here. Click here to view the article