4/14/06 - Twins 5, Yankees 1

The countdown rolls on. 17 days until pitchers and catchers report, 27 until the spring opener.

Since there isn't much new to report on, I'll take a (quick) look back at the first game I attended last season, the April 14 showdown with the Yankees. I sat in the cheap seats ($10, premium game and Pro Shop convenience fee) with Pete, a friend of mine who goes to UW-Madison. Scott Baker took the mound for the Twins, who were facing Mike Mussina. New York entered the game at 5-4, the Twins at 4-5 (coming off a sweep of Oakland).

The boxscore and play-by-play are available here. A recap is available here.

Items of note:

• Juan Castro's batting average of .346 - it was only ten games in, but surprising nonetheless.
• Scott Baker pitched a great game, giving up three hits over seven innings. At this point, it looked like he'd have a great year in the bigs.
• Another note on Baker - some may remember his "wardrobe malfunction" in this game. Up in the cheap seats, I worried he was hurt when he came off the mound. A guy with a radio gave us the news rather quickly - Baker's protective cup fell down his pant leg - and had a few good laughs.
• Lew Ford made an impressive assist from right field. I think we've got a much more reliable guy out there now, though.
• I saw what I believe is the only Tony Batista double I have ever seen in person. It plated Justin Morneau (who went 2-4 to raise his batting average to .237), and finished the scoring for the Twins.
• Mike Mussina lost his third consecutive decision against the Twins, after starting his career 20-3 against them.

The Season That Was

Twins pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers 33 days from now, on February 18. Ten days later, the Twins play their first exhibition game of the spring against Boston. Between now and then, I'll share my thoughts on the season that was - and maybe ease some of my regrets about not blogging last season.

The First Installment: Overview

I attended 16 games at the dome in 2006, the most I've been to in a single season. The first was the April 14 series-opening win over the Yankees, the last was the Game 2 ALDS loss to Oakland. I watched the spring training opener against Boston and season opener against Toronto from my dorm room in Eau Claire, and heard about the season-ending loss to Oakland while visiting a friend at Notre Dame. I'd estimate that I either attended, listened to, or watched at least 140 games this year, and plan on sharing my thoughts on some of the most memorable.