We've Got a Brand New Ball Park

I was in dreamland yesterday and I kept fighting back the tears!
by Charlie Leck

Here’s hoping the late song writer, Joe Raposo, and old blue eyes will forgive me, but I was in a lyric and festive mood yesterday after visiting Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins baseball team.

And now there is a ballpark right here
Where the field is warm and green
And the people play their crazy game
With a joy I'd never seen.
And the air is so wonder filled
From the hot dogs and the beer
Yes, there is a new ballpark, right here.

Now the children come to find it
And they can't believe their eyes
`cause the Twins will soon be playin’
Hitting balls into great wide skies
That sparkle just like diamonds
That are ever bright and clear
And the summer must come quickly…
Very, very quickly… this year.

Yes, there is a brand new ballpark, right here.

And I’ll admit there were some tears in my eyes on occasion as I stood and looked down on a sight that might be as American as can be and as beautiful as anything I’ve ever seen – a brand new ball park with emerald green grass under soft blue skies. I thought of my old man a lot and how he would have loved being by my side. I thought, too, of my wife’s dear father, who was so involved in bringing big league baseball to Minnesota, and how thrilled he would have been to look down on that field with me. I could see, in my mind, his sparkling eyes and that smile of a little child that he always seemed to have.

Forgive me for bursting with pride and joy this morning, but I can’t help it. What a wondrous ball park. It left me breathless as it did thousands and thousands of others who got their first look at it yesterday. The reviews last evening and this morning, on every television station and on every blog and newspaper report were all complete raves. Someone did his homework real good. This park was built with both fans and players and the history of baseball in mind. Nothing was missed. This is a ball park that will make the players feel like kids again and the fans will have uproariously good times watching the kids play.

Our baseball sage in this area, Sid Hartman, who has been following minor league and major league baseball for over 60 years, says: “I don’t believe there is a better stadium anywhere.” Well, Sid, when I first read those comments from you a couple of weeks ago, I thought you were just blowing smoke and doing some home-town humping; but, this morning, I think I absolutely agree with you.

Even our most sarcastic and grumbling sports writers and commentators are raving about this new and wonderful spot to watch baseball. Baseball in our town will again become an occasion -- a very special occasion.

My wife and I spent a few hours just slowly walking around the new stadium yesterday, taking in the views of the field from nearly every angle. We examined club rooms and bars and eateries. We had a better than good lunch in the Town Park Tavern (a sort of shrine to Minnesota’s wonderful small town baseball parks). We checked out the rest rooms and the great Budweiser Deck where there was a huge, low, flat fireplace glowing with heat for fans who were chilly. Everywhere we turned there was something new and fun and interesting.

And, I’ll tell you there are some wonderful spots in this stadium to watch a baseball game – more wonderful spots than in any stadium I’ve ever seen.

You know what’s great? We’re going to have rain-outs again in Minnesota! We’re going to have cool breezes at night games in Minnesota again. There will be full moons glowing down on us on some of our evenings. And warm sunshine for day games. This is the way baseball is supposed to be and I just can’t wait.

There were some geniuses as work in the design of this stadium and I tip my hat to them.

Our professional ball club allowed the University of Minnesota baseball team to play the first game ever at Target Field. The players approached the field quite reverently yesterday, not sure they should step on the pristine grass and the perfectly groomed dirt of the diamond.

The Gopher shortstop, A.J. Peterson said “that was about the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” Sports columnist Jim Souhan wonders this morning if the new stadium ought to be considered a “shrine.” Spectators and players seemed that respectful and over-awed yesterday. Strangers were slapping strangers on the back and they were smiling at each other and singing the praises of the ball park.

“Isn’t that about the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.”

Sing it out Frank! Sing it out! We’ve got a ball park right here in our home town and it’s a thing of beauty and wonder. On April 12 the Twins will give the park it’s official grand opening in a game against the Boston Red Sox and every single seat will be occupied by fans who will be cheering on our home town team.

Not only will it be a great stadium in which to watch a game, but some wonderful ball players are going to pour out on that field on that first afternoon – Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Denard Span, Michael Cuddayer, Scottie Baker and Joe. That’s all you need to call our catcher – just Joe. He’s our hometown Joe and we’re in love with him and can’t wait to watch him take up his place behind the plate for the opening pitch at Target Field. Wow! I’ll tell you!

And now there is a ball park right here!
How the children come to find it
And they can’t believe their eyes
Cause we’ve got the grandest ball park
Right here!

Home-Town Kid Makes Good

He makes his community proud that he’s a part of us, but what looms in his future?
by Charlie Leck

In America, almost every little kid’s dream is to make it to the big leagues. I can attest to that. Yup, it’s a part of the American trilogy – “baseball, apple pie and the American flag!” The dream culminates in being named the MVP – the Most Valuable Player!

A hometown kid from our metropolitan community made it! Joe Mauer, of Saint Paul, was yesterday named the American League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2009 season.

Today, the entire state is busting its buttons with pride and happiness. Three cheers for the kid. He deserved it and it would have been “highway robbery” if it hadn’t been given to him. The great fear around here, of course, was that the award would have to go to a Yankee just because of their dominance in the news arena.

But Joe had just too good a season and distanced himself so far out ahead of all the other players in the league that there were just no other options.

So, what happens when a small-town, regular, good guy is announced as the winner of this grand award? On Monday, in Minneapolis, Joe showed up at the ball park to meet the press and hear the official word. Gathered there to greet him was his mom and dad and two full rows of his family, including grandparents, brothers and sisters-in-law and nieces (one of them wearing a blue Joe Mauer (#7) t-shirt. Also present were a number of his team-mates and local friends.

Of the 28 writers with votes, Joe was the top choice on 27 ballots. The one member of the baseball writers association who didn’t vote for Joe must have been out late drinking the night before the vote – and probably with the guy, Miguel Cabrera, for whom he voted. Cabrera had less than stellar public relations success this past season that saw him involved in a drunken spat with his wife and a trip to the county jail. Well, I guess that doesn’t make him a bad ball player, but it puts extra emphasis on the “aw, shucks,” down-home, kid-next-door nature of our entire state’s favorite ball player, Joe Mauer.

What kind of year did Joe Mauer have? Well, it started out disastrously. Joe missed all of spring training and a month at the beginning of the regular season with a serious back or kidney problem. When he returned to the team on May 1st and stepped up to the plate, he knocked one out of the park on his first swing and he was off and running for the rest of the year. He finished with a batting average of 365 (that’s a major league record for a catcher) and it won him his third batting title in his four years of playing. He also led the league in slugging and on-base percentage (28 home runs, 96 runs batted in, and 191 hits). These are unheard of numbers for a catcher and they carve out a place for Joe in the annals of baseball history and propel him ever closer to a guaranteed spot in Cooperstown (the Major League Baseball Hal of Fame). Oh, yes, Joe also won the year's Gold Glove Award as the best defensive catcher in the American League.

In the entire history of baseball, no catcher ever won a league batting title. Now, Joes has done it three times. If you're a baseball fanatic, think of the great catchers in the history of the game with whom Joe Mauer now stands: Yoggi Berra, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Bill Dickey, Thurman Munson, Roy Campanella and Walker Cooper. Oh, my goodness!

Joe is only under contract to the Twins for one more year. He’s due to make 12 million dollars this coming season. (I guess that blurs a little of that “aw-shucks” kind of feeling about him.) In 2011, he’ll be a free agent and it is frightening to think of what that might mean when New York (both teams) and Boston start bidding for his services.

Would Joe really leave his home-town to go to the Big Apple?
“Say it ain’t so, Joe!” Well, we began this blog talking about every little boy’s dream of playing in the big leagues and there is nothing bigger, and no dream sweeter, than pulling on the pin stripes of the Bronx Bombers. However, the New York City mentality doesn’t seem to fit Joe as sweetly as the Yankee uniform might. He’ll need to give the Twins a discount for his services and there aren’t many ball players who would even think about doing that. Joe Mauer just happens to be one of those few. It’s our only hope folks.

It’s going to be a wonderful 2010 season in the Twins new ball park, Target Field. An opportunity to watch Joe Mauer play this little kids' game.

Comments:
Already this morning a reader has sent in a link to Joe Christiansen's commentary in the StarTribune about whether the Twins can figure out how to keep Joe Mauer in one of their uniforms. You can also watch a video there with Joe's comments at the award ceremony.

Another tells me that the Mayor of Saint Paul has declared today (Wed, 25 November) Joe Mauer Day over in that city. Joe will be honored today in a special ceremony and he'll get a key to the city. [See a short story about that in MinnPost]

Still another tells me that only 10 players have won 3 batting titles as Joe has and among those 10 names 3 played for the Minnesota Twins -- Joe, Tony Oliva and Rod Carew. The others are Wade Boggs, George Brett, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Harry Heilman, Nap Lajoie and Ty Cobb. That, of course, is not correct unless he amends it to American League players. Right off the top I see that Stan Musial is not on the list and he won 7 batting titles.