Almost Perfect...
I didn't get to a Rockies game before leaving Denver over three months ago. I hadn't yet made it to Target Field to watch the Twins underperform in person yet this season... When the chance to get to a game presented itself a month ago, we needed to jump on it. Life has been indescribably hectic this Summer, and it was time for a live baseball break...
My cousin was going to be in town during the week of September 8th, and he wanted to see a Twins game. He'd seen games at the Metrodome years ago, and more recently, Mariners games at Safeco in Seattle, but had yet to see a game at Target Field. Laura and I picked up tickets for us, my cousin and mom to watch the juggernaut Kansas City Royals take on the hapless Twins, at the stadium named after a chain of discount big box stores.
It's a nice enough stadium, especially once you consider the old Metrodome, but nothing about it has really impressed me much...
It has lampposts with banners touting a lame slogan (a major pet peeve of mine is the marketing trend of using nouns as verbs...) and an overrated local star!
There is newest hall of Famer, Jack Morris, taking a break during the pregame show... He is the guy autographing the hat. Not the dumpy cameraman...
We bought the tickets online about a month earlier. Meaning our tickets were printed on Laura's desktop inkjet. Denying us the cool look and feel of a team issued ticket, with possibly cool art to look at... At least we had double confirmation that THIS IS YOUR TICKET!
Looking from center field to left field, where Budweiser paid a ton of money to install this sign on top of a pile of mis-matched glass, steel and concrete.
Before doing anything else, I opted to buy a small bag of mini donuts. I missed out on getting some at the Minnesota State Fair a few weeks ago (story to come), and was craving some hot deep fried sugary dough.
New this year was a display honoring Kirby Puckett's 1991 World Series Game 6 home run. Including the actual Metrodome seat the ball landed upon. If you push any of the four buttons, you can hear audio of the play by play.
Local Twins legend Kent Hrbek has his own bar tucked in behind home plate. Being a Hrbek fan, Laura wanted to check it out.
While we were wasting time in Hrbek's, the game broadcasting on the TV's was going over that night's Royals starting lineup...
(And thank you to Topps for naming a set: "BL" There's a few people reading this who will get that joke... Baaaaaaaauaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....)
Tonight's starting pitcher for Kansas City, Jorge Lopez. A player I admittedly knew very little about....
Years ago, I picked up a Tsuyoshi Nishioka jersey for dirt cheap at that same team store. The Twins were likely embarrassed by his contract and performance and were blowing them out shortly after releasing him. Ever since, when I go to a Twins game, I sport the Nishioka jersey... Everyone wants to wear the jersey of the player that starred for the Twins while at the game...
However, I did drop $40 on this hardcover coffee table book. It's the sequel to The Twins at the Met, which I picked up on the same trip as the Nishioka jersey. It's about 250 pages of photographs and player stories of the Metrodome, just as the first book honored old Metropolitan Stadium.
I also needed an official 2018 Twins Yearbook. Now that I've left Denver, I no longer work for the company that prints these yearbooks every season. So for the first time since 2010, I had to purchase my copy, instead of getting one from the bindery...
Note the cover is trimmed a hair short... I know the guy responsible for making sure that doesn't happen... Guess quality control was on break... Or throwing a chair through a window...
As expensive as these items were, a small redemption comes in the form of the offical team magazine, which is given away free to anyone that wants a copy (or twelve). Tonight's starting pitcher, Jose Berrios, was on the cover...
Though his season wasn't going a strong as it was earlier, Berrios is one of the few bright spots on the 2018 Minnesota Twins.
After all that commerce, Laura and I finally made it up to our seats in the middle of the second inning. My mom and cousin were seated a few sections away from us, and likely made it up first.
A lot of local press speculation has been going around about Joe Mauer's future. As down as I've been on Mauer, Topps usually chooses good pictures of him for his cards. Like here, they perfectly captured to moment where he grounded out weakly to second base!
For unlicensed cards (such as Panini Optic), a catcher provides the best work-around for the hiding team logos issue... If it wasn't for the generic KC listed as his team, you wouldn't even know!
After the inning, Target Field held their version of the mascot race... Minnesota's flavor included a bunch of creepy foam creatures such as a mosquito, a loon and Babe the blue ox of Paul Bunyon lore...
While watching the last three innings from my seat, I noticed the Twins hadn't reached base in any of them. A look at the bullpen scoreboard showed the Royals' Jorge Lopez hadn't given up a hit yet...
I looked through my recent 2018 cards, and couldn't find any of Lopez. So this Mike Moustakas card will have to do... After all, the Royals traded Moose to the Milwaukee Brewers a few months back to acquire Lopez!
Like Lopez, Berrios was mowing Royals down at almost the same clip. I was really enjoying this game.
With a close eye on the out of town scoreboard, as the Rockies game was about to start. They were hosting the second place Dodgers in Denver. The Rockies had recently been on a run that saw them claim first place in the NL West, and put some distance between themselves and the D-Bags, with an important series against the Dodgers underway.
Kyle Freeland was pitching for Colorado, and if I wasn't at this game, I would have been watching that game via phone...
But at this game, Berrios ran into some trouble in the sixth, giving up a run. Putting Lopez in position to continue his path to perfection with a lead...
Berrios gave up a run in the 6th inning, and the impending doom of a Tyler Duffey relief appearance was on the horizon. Just a short bullpen call away...
But it was a beautiful night for baseball... Berrios retired the Royals in the 6th, only giving up the single run. Now it was up to the Twins to either answer in the bottom half, or continue to be dominated...
Just as expected, the Twins didn't reach base in the 6th, and Duffey gave up three in the top of the 7th... Eddie Rosario has been the best hitter this season for Minnesota, but he wasn't able to get a hit off the machine that was Jorge Lopez...
Former Dodger Logan Forsythe was acquired in a July trade deadline deal for Minnesota Fan Favorite, Brian Dozier (who made the yearbook cover). Forsythe has been a better hitter than Dozier, but he couldn't do anything against Lopez to lead off the 8th...
Former Yankees prospect Jake Cave, shortly before making the second out of the 8th inning via strikeout...
With two out in the 8th, Twins catcher Mitch Garver stepped in. Garver has made real strides this year in becoming Minnesota's primary catcher. And his 2018 Stadium Club card is really nice...
During the inning, I was talking to my cousin Wes, who had hiked down from his seats in order to hold Laura's T.C. Bear (which she won from some contest earlier that night).
She also got him a "first game certificate" (that I forgot to give him) to mark the night as his first Twins game Target Field.
Before the 9th inning started, Wes and I were talking about the significance of the game.
In the over 210,000 games played in Major League Baseball history, there have only been 23 perfect games. I was three outs away from witnessing one. I wanted Lopez to get this game so bad, because I want to see history.
There are two distinct historic achievements at a baseball game that I've witnessed in person. I watched the Twins turn a Triple Play during a 2006 game against Seattle, and I watched Barry Bonds hit three home runs against the Rockies. I've never seen a No-Hitter, much less a Perfect Game...
First we had to sit through Addison Reed sitting down the top of Kansas City's order, which he did with no problem.
Lopez started him off with two balls that weren't even close to the strike zone. Nerves were getting to him, I'd hoped he could calm himself down as he threw strike one...
The sound inside Target Field will stick with me... It was a multi-layer groan of excitement and disappointment. Happy for Kepler reaching base, bummed that none of us would see a Perfect Game...
The Twins hopes were up to light hitting third baseman Ehire Adrianza (and one of my favorite 2018 Topps cards).
But the mound conference wasn't over as Royals manager Ned Yost came out and pulled Lopez from the game.
Possibly the last Joe Mauer plate appearance I will see in person ended with a fly ball to left fielder Alex Gorden.
And I enjoyed myself more at this game than any in a long time. While I didn't get to see perfection, the emotional ride through what I did see was exactly what I love about watching baseball...
This was a game between two teams that have no chance at making the playoffs, and are just playing out the season because they have to.
Set amongst a backdrop of expensive, stale popcorn and watered down dirt-tasting soda, steady wind blowing in my face, obnoxious unsupervised children playing in the stairs directly next to my seat...
My cousin was going to be in town during the week of September 8th, and he wanted to see a Twins game. He'd seen games at the Metrodome years ago, and more recently, Mariners games at Safeco in Seattle, but had yet to see a game at Target Field. Laura and I picked up tickets for us, my cousin and mom to watch the juggernaut Kansas City Royals take on the hapless Twins, at the stadium named after a chain of discount big box stores.
It's a nice enough stadium, especially once you consider the old Metrodome, but nothing about it has really impressed me much...
It has lampposts with banners touting a lame slogan (a major pet peeve of mine is the marketing trend of using nouns as verbs...) and an overrated local star!
Oh look! The home of the NBA's Timberwolves has been given a much needed facelift!
So let's enter Gate 34 (in honor of Kirby Puckett), and watch the Twins baseball inside...
Security first! You don't be bringing no nail clippers in here!
And lets pay our respects to the bronze statue of the old guy (and his wife), who less than 20 years ago tried to fold the team...
I really don't like this statue...
Get your (overpriced) Twins gear!
We bought the tickets online about a month earlier. Meaning our tickets were printed on Laura's desktop inkjet. Denying us the cool look and feel of a team issued ticket, with possibly cool art to look at... At least we had double confirmation that THIS IS YOUR TICKET!
Looking from center field to left field, where Budweiser paid a ton of money to install this sign on top of a pile of mis-matched glass, steel and concrete.
Before doing anything else, I opted to buy a small bag of mini donuts. I missed out on getting some at the Minnesota State Fair a few weeks ago (story to come), and was craving some hot deep fried sugary dough.
For $6, they didn't disappoint!
Center field camera doods...
Royals and Twins bullpens...
Gate 3 (named for Harmon Killebrew), located outside the light rail station...
Decent amount of people milling about slowly and aimlessly in the concourse area...
Local Twins legend Kent Hrbek has his own bar tucked in behind home plate. Being a Hrbek fan, Laura wanted to check it out.
A display case had some Hrbek memorabilia, including his 1991 World Series jersey.
I was a bigger fan of the cool ceiling inside Hrbek's bar...
Given where you were, I have to say the prices for Hrbek's food wasn't that bad...
Unless you want a Triple Sausage Bloody Mary for nearly $20...
While we were wasting time in Hrbek's, the game broadcasting on the TV's was going over that night's Royals starting lineup...
Bo knows he's not in the lineup tonight...
(And thank you to Topps for naming a set: "BL" There's a few people reading this who will get that joke... Baaaaaaaauaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....)
Tonight's starting pitcher for Kansas City, Jorge Lopez. A player I admittedly knew very little about....
Target Field, behind home plate.
Topps' New BL (Baaaaaauaaaaaaaa...) made a card to honor the Minnie and Paul sign in center field.
In case you wanted to know...
Thanks New BL...
Baaaaaaaaaauaaaaaaa....
Gas in the car...
Cranes...
Bootlist....
Nevermind...
Here it is as I saw it, as I was walking around the lower deck...
Unfortunately for the Twins, Molitor was only managing, and not batting cleanup tonight...
At another overpriced merch stand, you could buy shamelessly expensive Twins autographs...
$120 for a Kent Hrbek 8 x 10?
How about no?
Speaking of overpriced merchandise, I wanted to take a look at the team store.
Well, I want to honor one of the WORST players to ever put on Twins pinstripes!
They were all sold out of Byung Ho Park jersey's today...
Both are really excellent and noted pieces in my collection.
Note the cover is trimmed a hair short... I know the guy responsible for making sure that doesn't happen... Guess quality control was on break... Or throwing a chair through a window...
As expensive as these items were, a small redemption comes in the form of the offical team magazine, which is given away free to anyone that wants a copy (or twelve). Tonight's starting pitcher, Jose Berrios, was on the cover...
I'll take that!
So I'll use this (whatever parallel it is) 2018 Topps Fire card to highlight him...
As we were sitting down, Jorge Lopez was pitching to Twins catcher Mitch Garver.
Garver did not get a hit...
A lot of local press speculation has been going around about Joe Mauer's future. As down as I've been on Mauer, Topps usually chooses good pictures of him for his cards. Like here, they perfectly captured to moment where he grounded out weakly to second base!
Leading off the 4th inning, would Mauer hit a seven hopper to a Royals infielder?
After all, he lead off the game with a ground out to shortstop!
Nope! Strikeout!
That pitch nearly rolled to the plate Joe...
Doubt it took much effort from this guy to pick it up...
For unlicensed cards (such as Panini Optic), a catcher provides the best work-around for the hiding team logos issue... If it wasn't for the generic KC listed as his team, you wouldn't even know!
After the inning, Target Field held their version of the mascot race... Minnesota's flavor included a bunch of creepy foam creatures such as a mosquito, a loon and Babe the blue ox of Paul Bunyon lore...
But the winner was the official mascot of Target stores, Bullseye the dog...
Yeah, that hardly seems suspicious...
A replay on the scoreboard shows the fifth mascot is a fish with giant red lips and a purple skirt.
A cross-dressing Walleye?
While watching the last three innings from my seat, I noticed the Twins hadn't reached base in any of them. A look at the bullpen scoreboard showed the Royals' Jorge Lopez hadn't given up a hit yet...
Or a baserunner...
At five perfect innings, suddenly this game was taking on a much larger significance...
All this excitement, I need an extravagant meal to help digest what I could possibly be seeing...
How about a wiener?
That and a drink for the low low bargain price of $16!!
Even Jose Berrios had to chuckle at that one...
I don't have a lot of cards of Royals that were playing in tonight's game. Merrifield is one of them....
And that's a great 50th Anniversary patch...
There he is on the scoreboard. Which you will also note that Berrios was pitching almost as good a game as Lopez... The pace of this game was flying along, leading off the sixth inning and the game had only been going for 80 minutes...
Like Lopez, Berrios was mowing Royals down at almost the same clip. I was really enjoying this game.
With a close eye on the out of town scoreboard, as the Rockies game was about to start. They were hosting the second place Dodgers in Denver. The Rockies had recently been on a run that saw them claim first place in the NL West, and put some distance between themselves and the D-Bags, with an important series against the Dodgers underway.
Kyle Freeland was pitching for Colorado, and if I wasn't at this game, I would have been watching that game via phone...
But at this game, Berrios ran into some trouble in the sixth, giving up a run. Putting Lopez in position to continue his path to perfection with a lead...
His single scored the Royals 4th run of the night...
Minnie and Paul looked on cautiously...
Helped by an awesome defensive play by this guy...
Scoreless in the second in Colorado...
Despite Target Field's efforts to pump up the fans...
I was really getting nervous for the outcome of this game...
With two out in the 8th, Twins catcher Mitch Garver stepped in. Garver has made real strides this year in becoming Minnesota's primary catcher. And his 2018 Stadium Club card is really nice...
But to my delight, Garver struck out to end the inning.
She also got him a "first game certificate" (that I forgot to give him) to mark the night as his first Twins game Target Field.
Before the 9th inning started, Wes and I were talking about the significance of the game.
In the over 210,000 games played in Major League Baseball history, there have only been 23 perfect games. I was three outs away from witnessing one. I wanted Lopez to get this game so bad, because I want to see history.
There are two distinct historic achievements at a baseball game that I've witnessed in person. I watched the Twins turn a Triple Play during a 2006 game against Seattle, and I watched Barry Bonds hit three home runs against the Rockies. I've never seen a No-Hitter, much less a Perfect Game...
I really want to see a perfect game...
And it was only three outs away...
I calmed my nerves with some not-terrible popcorn, which was fresh at some point earlier in the week.
The Royals bullpen was quiet, the game was all on Lopez to start the bottom of the 9th...
He looked good warming up. Still popping the mit of Perez audibly...
Leading off the 9th was Twins' German import, Max Kepler...
Then ball three...
Then ball four...
Kepler stood safe at first. The pitches weren't close.
But Lopez still has a No Hitter!
All he had to do was get Grossman to hit into a double play... That's a likely scenario!
The set...
And the pitch...
Line drive to center field... FALLS IN SAFELY in front of Royals center fielder Brian Goodwin...
No doubt about that one. As clean a base hit as you can get.
Kepler takes third on the throw.
Stunned silence with minor cheering during the scoreboard replay.
Even Lopez looked somewhat bemused as Kepler rounded second.
His teammates consoled him on the mound, while the linescore beneath him said it all...
But the mound conference wasn't over as Royals manager Ned Yost came out and pulled Lopez from the game.
Minnesota fans gave Lopez a deserved standing ovation as he left the field.
Adrianza hit a sacrifice fly to score Kepler, making it 4-1 Kansas
Not a weak grounder!
The game ended with shortstop Jorge Polonco lining out to right field.
Minnesota lost the game 4-1. The Twins only got the one hit from Grossman.
Lopez didn't make history, but pitched one hell of a game.
And I enjoyed myself more at this game than any in a long time. While I didn't get to see perfection, the emotional ride through what I did see was exactly what I love about watching baseball...
This was a game between two teams that have no chance at making the playoffs, and are just playing out the season because they have to.
Set amongst a backdrop of expensive, stale popcorn and watered down dirt-tasting soda, steady wind blowing in my face, obnoxious unsupervised children playing in the stairs directly next to my seat...
The Rockies won!
It was almost perfect...
Almost....
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