Sid Hartman’s domain
Rounds 1-15 Results:
- Herb Carneal
- Tom Kelly
- The Metrodome
- Jack Morris
- Win Twins Theme
- Dick Bremer
- Bob Casey
- Target Field
- Metropolitan Stadium
- Judge Harry Crump
- Paul Molitor
- Dan Gladden
- Ron Gardenhire
- John Gordon
- Star Tribune Sports Section
Every childhood summer I’d spend weeks—if not months—at my grandparents’ lake cabin near Aitkin, MN (I’m starting to sound like Dick Bremer). It was a daily occurrence to “go to town” and grab the Star Tribune newspaper. The first section my grandfather would open? Sports, of course—and when it went into the discard pile I’d snatch it up and pore over the late-90s & early-00s box scores. Minnesota has many fine newsprint publications—but none provide sports (especially baseball) coverage like the Star Tribune.
Next: Here comes the Boom(stick)!
Little Big League
- When the Baby Boomers starting getting nostalgic in the 1990s, baseball was on the tip of their cinematic tongues. In 1994, an art-imitating-life story of the woebegone Twins hit theaters. Filmed at the Metrodome and featuring the vocal talents of John Gordon’s “Wally Holland”, Little Big League and its adolescent Billy Heywood gave young Twins fans a dream scenario. Whether teaching us math or exploring baseball’s brand of humor, Little Big League remains an all-time classic in these parts.
TC Bear
- When you attend a baseball game as a child, you aren’t concerned with stats or standings (okay, maybe I was, but I digress). You simply marvel at the grandness—sights, smells, sounds—of it all. It is very possible your first Minnesota Twins memory (even if you have trouble accessing it in grey matter folds) is high-fiving TC Bear in the Dome/Target Field concourse or observing his silly antics on the pregame field or atop the home dugout.
Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/Getty Images
Jim Thome
- For years, Jim Thome tormented the Twins—Rick Reed in particular—as a member of the Cleveland Guardians or Chicago White Sox. In 2010, Big Jim continued his AL Central tour and jumped onboard the Twins for Target Field’s inaugural campaign. Providing power not seen in these parts since Harmon Killebrew was in the batter’s box, Thome gave the new ballpark its first magical moment and starred in a legendary commercial. A year later, he belted home run #600 in MN duds.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images
Batgirl
- By the mid-2000s, the times were a-changin’ in MN baseball journalism. With the rise of high-speed internet, Twins blogs (everybody wave!) began popping up all over the web. In that virtual Wild West, perhaps none were so influential as Batgirl. No, not Barbara Gordon—Anne Ursu of Minneapolis. From 2004-2007 her LEGO re-enactments, Boyfriends schtick, and hilarious snark carved out new ground in Twins coverage. Baseball didn’t have to be all grizzled, cigar-chomping beat reporters. Even without clubhouse access, fan coverage could be just as compelling—and almost certainly more entertaining!
Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
Nelson Cruz
- There was little fanfare when the 2018 offseason netted a 38-year old, DH-only slugger. But Nelson Cruz immediately endeared himself to Twins Territory with a 41 HR, 1.000 OPS 2019 and drove the Bomba Squad to the highest Twins regular season win total (101) since 1965. The Boomstick was equally impactful in the pandemic-shortened 2020 and again in 2021 before being traded (even that produced Joe Ryan!).