Ortonville used to scrimmage Breckenridge every year, way back when. 95 and 96 was ever so slightly before my time, though.

That guy’s nasty back hair jinxed the Jays that game I’m sure.

but also in no particular order, here’s what comes to mind:

In 1992, my family had partial season tickets in hopes of a repeat of 1991. We sat about 15 rows up from the visitors’ bullpen. One game against the White Sox, Charlie Hough headed out to the bullpen. Before starting his warmups, he spent about 25 minutes teaching me and another high schooler how to throw a knuckleball. Great stuff.

Sometime in the 90’s, Kent Hrbek and Babe Winkelman had a casting contest. Hula hoops were placed near second base, and the two took turns casting. Hrbek cleaned Babe’s clock, I don’t think he missed any.

I can’t remember the specific reason, but I went to a few of the paper airplane tosses. Sitting in the upper deck trying to fly a paper airplane out to shallow center field was a lot of fun.

Non-baseball moment: Timberwolves inaugural season. Packed house against the L.A. Lakers.

Leaving pretty much every game I ever attended, getting blown out the doors.

In 2001, I took my then fiancee to her one and only game in the Dome. After we walked in to the stadium, she looked up and said “This place has a roof? What’s up with that? Isn’t baseball played outdoors?”

The last one pretty much sums up how I feel about the new stadium opening up.

1. Game 6, 1991 WS

2. Two weeks ago, when I sat right behind the screen four rows up and watched the Twins beat the White Sox behind Scott Baker.

3. A game against the Red Sox last year when I had seats four rows up over the Sox dugout and my son and I made fun of Dustin Pedroia (hey little buddy!). Little did we know he would become the MVP of the league

4. A game in the 2002 playoffs against Oakland when I sat by the milk jug and we won.

5. A game down the stretch in ’87, when all my classmates and I sat up in the upper deck in right (back when seats were $3) and watched the Twins beat the Yankees. Little did we know they would eventually win the series that year.

I’m super jealous.

My favorite Dome memory involves a 6 year old me and my grandma. She was the insane Twins fan in the family, and the entire summer that I was 6 (so we’re talking 93 here), we went to a game almost every week. I can’t even tell you much about the games, it was just being able to experience real live baseball in person that was so amazing. She taught me how to keep score the old-fashioned way during that summer, too. :)

I was at the Kubel cycle game this year. Let me tell you: amazing. Really, no words. The Dome was rocking that night.

And I wasn’t actually at this game, but even watching it was something of an experience: the last game of the season in 2006. Seeing the Twins hang out in the dugout waiting with the fans was awesome and solidified the reason that I love this team.

I’m actually going to miss the Twins playing in the Dome, a lot. It’s a HUGE home field advantage, and as crappy as it is, it’s a fun place to watch a game. And oh, the baseball history that’s gone down there.

In June of 1988. I was twelve and it was a seven hour drive to the Twin Cities. I’d probably never seen a building taller than five stories in my life and was just in awe of the size of the dome. The Twins beat the Mariners with Tommy Herr doubling off the Hefty Bag. We were sitting right behind the Twins Bullpen and I remember Juan Berenguer coming out to the bullpen. I yelled his name and he waved at me.

In July 2007 I saw the Angels play. The Twins were down late in the game when they began to rally with Nick Punto hitting a home run to left field. Joe Mauer capped off the rally by hitting an inside the park home run to centerfield to put the Twins ahead for good, the first inside the park homer by a catcher in many years.

Looking forward to getting back north and taking in a game at Target Field! Here’s hoping the Twins christen their new stadium the way the Cardinals did in 2006!

I was just talking about this tonight with my wife. Tomorrow I will say goodbye to the Dome forever, and I have been thinking a lot about what it means to me.
I won’t rank them, but these are my best memories;

In 2002, some friends and I camped out in very frigid weather overnight for tickets to the ALCS against the Angels. We played football, and just had a blast. It was very cold.

Also in 2002-sitting 2 rows from the ROOF of the Dome of that ALCS game against the Angels. Rick Reed pitched for us and gave up an in the park home run that was just miserable to watch. I remember being sick to my stomach the whole game because it was so loud and the pressure built up was just beyond anything I had ever felt. Just..AWESOME.

This year, after siting in section 210 or the HR porch most of my life, was able to attend 2 games in section 125, once in row 13 and once in row 16. Amazing perspective, WAY different than in the outfield.

Justin Morneau’s grand-slam against the Brewers this year was also a huge highlight. I was sitting very close to where it landed and we screamed for a good 5 minutes. Love that guy.

Over the years being able to see Hrbek, Puckett, Radke, Torii, Santana, and Boof. (Haha, just checking to see if you are paying attention..boof…HA!)

Last but certainly not least, are games when I was very young, probably early 90’s, with my Grandpa, who has since gone to that big ballpark in the sky, and my dad. Isn’t that why baseball was created, anyway?

It really is going to be surreal walking out of that place for the last time. As excited as I am for the outdoor experience, I will miss what I have loved at the Dome.

In chronological order:

5) My first Twins game, probably in 1983. It was one of those summer rec outings where a bunch of kids pile onto a school bus with their lunch boxes for the four hour ride to the cities. I was in absolute awe of the size of the Dome. I sat in the upper deck somewhere and the kid sitting next to me had brought super-balls to throw into the outfield. I bought my first Twins cap on that trip. This was the day I became a Twins fan.

4) November 8th 1987 – My high school marching band got to play a halftime show for the Vikings. We arrived really early to practice on the field and when we had a break we ran to the end-zone and pretended to make amazing catches against the fence like Kirby. When the game started the band stood on the sidelines and I got a close up view of Bo Jackson. During the 3rd quarter Tom Kelly walked the sidelines and tipped his hat to the crowd that was giving him a standing ovation. Later the next summer I came back to the dome to see Bo Jackson crush a ball to where the roof meets the seats.

3) Summer 2003 – I took my son to his first Twins game. He was only three months old at the time, but you can’t start being a Twins fan too early.

2) July 6th 2006 – Twins vs. Brewers. My Wife and I sat in the homerun porch for our anniversary. There were a lot of Brewers fans in the seats arround us and it was a “playoff like atmosphere”. The Twins were behind late in the game but were starting to get runners on base. The Brewers fans were yelling to put in Turnbow, and sure enough Turnbow enters the game to thow the heat. Turnbow got rocked, the Twins came back and won the game. It was the most exciting game I had been to. After the game there were a couple of Brewers fans on the street yelling “At least we have Bret Favre!” while holding up a lifesize cardboard cutout of the man.

1) April 1st 2008 – Twins vs. LAA. Once again sitting in the HR porch. Late in the game Juan Rincon enters to hold off the Angels. Someone sitting near me yells to Delmon Young “HEY DELMON, YOU COULD PITCH BETTER THAN RINCON”. Delmon without taking his eye off of home plate smiles and gives a little shrug as if to say " At this point maybe I could".

I have other good memories about trips to the dome, but I really can’t wait to take my son and daughter to a game at Target Field. I’m ready for outside baseball, but 30 years down the road my kids will probably wonder why the Twins play in the rain.

during the summer of 1998. They literally couldn’t give away tickets for Twins games. I, however, grabbed as many as I could as often as I could.

One of those games, against the Orioles, I was able to snag two foul balls—the only foul balls I’ve ever caught. Since there were only a few thousand in the entire stadium, there was no scrum over them. The second one actually just fell on my lap.

I’ll miss the HHH.

No game, but the rafters were full to welcome abck the 1987 Twins.

Jack Morris in 1991.

Proposing to my wife on the scoreboard.

Kirby Puckett.

And, finally, getting on Kiss Cam just this season!

So…I guess I’ll go next.

1988 – My first time in the Dome. I grew up a short walk from Dodger Stadium so I had no idea what indoor baseball would even look like but I remember getting to our seats and thinking this is pretty cool. We sat in the upper deck and the Twins were playing the Yankees and I seem to remember Dave Winfield trying to throw baseballs to kids up there before the game. I can’t remember if that really happened but it’s something I remember. That was also my first time in Minnesota and I feel in love with the place over that week.

1991 – My freshman year at the U. I was living in Middlebrook hall and when the final out was made the entire building just emptied as we all walked to the Dome to celebrate the World Series victory. It was amazing to be there with all these other fans every one of us cheering and waiting for the players to make it out of the Dome.

1994 – Watching Scott Erikson throw his no hitter against the Brewers. I was sitting with a friend who almost mentioned it and jinxed it but the entire row shut him up. Afterwards, there was much celebration downtown and many adult beverages had to toast the accomplishment.

1995 – I worked downtown and would walk pass the Dome every evening on my way home. That season I saw every team who came to play the Twins at least once. It was a cheap way for me to get out of having to cook dinner for myself. The box full of ticket stubs is still a source of pride for me.

2003 – Flying out to MN to see some Twins playoff baseball. We were sitting behind some Yankee fans who were a mixed bag. The girlfriend, was nice and easy on the eyes. Her boyfriend, who kept yelling "bring in the Sandman, game over!" was a total douche bag.

2009 – Flying out last month and watching the Twins get beat bad by the A’s but not really caring because I was back in the Dome, watching the Twins, and for a change being the home team. Our last game we stayed after the game and watched them film the post game show. There was only one door left open to exit the Dome and sadly I did not get one more shove out the door by the Dome wind.

There are a lot of good memories for me of the Dome. I personally never hated it like some people do. I’m sure Target Field will be shiny and new and beautiful to look at but I will miss the Dome. I’m just glad I got to say good bye one last time this year.

5) First time in the dome – Twins-Brewers (I think), 1987. I was seven years old, and my primary memory of the game was Steve Lombardozzi hitting a 2-run in-the-park homer, which appeared at the time as the crowd going crazy while two guys raced really quickly around the bases.

4) Twins-Cubs, 2000. I became a baseball fan watching Cubs games on WGN, and they’ve always been my “other” favorite team (Ryne Sandberg still trumps all Twins as my all-time favorite player). Sammy Sosa and Glenallen Hill hit back-to-back bombs (I specifically remember Sosa’s was 466 feet) and Mark Grace had a double. Honorable mention to the Cards game a week or so later, when I also got to see Shawon Dunston – had I known he was on the Cards, I’d have made a Shawon-O-Meter sign.

3) Twins-Tigers, 2004. Torii ended the game with a walk-off homer, the only one I’ve ever seen in person (although I witnessed a walk-off error once against the Brewers).

2) Back-to-back games against the White Sox in late August of 2006 – the Twins were in the midst of that wondrous run, and I happened to get into town a day early while planning on meeting my brother for a game the next day. I figured I may as well take in an extra game while I was there, so I hit up a scalper and went by myself. The Twins only won one of two, but the Dome was rocking, and it was still a great time.

1) Twins-Yankees, 2000. I was living with my aunt in St. Paul, and we made a spur-of-the-moment Saturday afternoon decision to go see Eric Milton vs. Roger Clemens (as a bonus, it ended up being DQ hat night). Dueling no-hitters for four innings… Yankees scrape across two runs in the fifth or sixth… Clemens leaves after seven scoreless… Twins win it in the eighth, highlighted by a tie-breaking 3-run inside-the-park homer from Chad Moeller – the first homer of his career. I’ve had an irrational fandom for Chad Moeller ever since.

I’ve had many good ones, but since I only have short term memory at the moment, here we go.

In my last Twins game ever at the Metrodome, Delmon Young hit a grand slam. I know this will be hard to prove, but I called it to my wife. I leaned over and said, he is going to hit one like he did in Detroit Wednesday—and at the Dome, it will be a grand slam. Not quite straight away center, but good enough, eh? :)

The other memory, leaving for home with a 10-2 lead. Now, I’m not one to usually leave any sporting event until it is over. However, my wife gets up a 4:30 AM every morning, and I have to leave St. Paul at 5:00 AM Saturday for a day trip to the south. As we’re leaving, I am taking solice in the fact that if the Royals did find a way back in the game [which they kind of did], then that won’t be my last Metrodome memory. I watched the 6th inning on from home. VERY GLAD THE TWINS WON! However, wow, that would have been a little too much heartburn without the benefit of Tums on the coffee table.

I’m looking forward to outside baseball—even in weather such as now. That said, I hope the Dome sees more than 2 Major Leauge Baseball games yet this year. Even if it is just 3.

Go Twins!

Being on TV twice, or so I’m told (sat near 2 girls dressed as TC Cubbies and a group with a “Goodbye Dome Dogs” banner).

Delmon Young’s good enough grand slam

Singing along with TC to Don’t Stop Believing…Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit BOOOOOO! LMAO!
Nathan getting save #46
Some drunk guy running onto the field after the game and being wrestled to the ground by security.
Never having left a game at the Dome early, ever.

And these are only events I attended, not watched on TV. That would be a different list.

1. Twins clinch the division vs. the Royals in ‘87. The SS to Newman to home double play electrified the dome.
2. Dave Kingman’s pop up into the roof that was ruled a ground rule double. Mickey Hatcher’s antics afterwards were priceless.
3. Any and all NCAA basketball tourney games. I am a college hoops junkie.
4. Adrian’s record performance of 296 yards rushing. It was my nephew’s first regular season Vikings game. It was my first live Vikes game in years.
5. The MLB All-Star game. I can’t remember the exact year. Only the decade. The 80’s. What a fun event for such a meaningless game.

But my first game I went to, the Twins were playing the A’s and it was like 4-4 for a really long time. I had to go home, and when I came home they were STILL playing, it was like the 16th or 17th inning. However, the Twins lost.

That was a great memory.

My favorite is when I was 6 or 7. We got there early to see BP and Bo Jackson was in the outfield shagging flies. Everyone was yelling “Bo!” every time he caught a ball and he would never throw a ball to us. I was greating really angry and eventually I just yelled “Boo!” at the top of my lungs, which everyone in the section thought was hilarious. Bo Jackson just turned around and glared at me, then threw the ball back into the infield.