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Good morning everybody! Waking up today, we were greeted with some exciting news: the Twins’ proposal to start the season with 10,000 fans in the stadium at the home opener has been approved by Governor Tim Walz.
It’s certainly been a long year for all of us. COVID-19 has ruled our lives for about a full year now, but the news today signals a return to (somewhat) normality. Vaccines are rolling out, cases are down, and Minnesota’s restrictions are loosening enough to allow for the Twins to host 10,000 fans at their home opener in April.
It's official: Twins are allowed up to 10,000 people at Target Field, starting with the home opener on April 8.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) March 12, 2021
While I’m sure we all have differing opinions on whether this is too early, too late, or just right (here’s your reminder to avoid posting confrontational political statements in the comment section), boy, it is sure going to be nice to take in a ballgame from the bleachers again.
Baseball is not a made-for-television sport. The pace can be slow, the action is limited, and 90% of all commentators are downright irritating. Don’t get me wrong, I still watch because I love the Twins, but the game suffers from TV viewing. On the flip side, there’s no other sport that carries the mystique that baseball does when you’re watching in person. To immerse yourself in the sights, smells, and sounds of the ballpark is simply bliss. The sun shining on a beautiful diamond, the smell of hot dogs and popcorn and sun block, the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd are all things I have sorely missed in the last year, and I would imagine the players have as well.
I would imagine if things keep trending downward, we could see increased capacity by the end of the season. I certainly hope this is the way things go, but 10,000 fans is a great start regardless. Just imagine: in seven months, you, yes you, could be cheering from the stands as the Twins win their first playoff series in a decade and a half. What a thought.
Now I realize I don’t have a typical discussion question for you all today, so I guess we’ll go with this: What do you miss most about seeing a game at the ballpark?