Twinsfest 2014 – Day 1

Twinsfest 2014 was held at Target Field for the first time ever and I went in to the weekend not knowing how it would work out and certainly set low expectations.  I was pleasantly surprised!

I left work Friday afternoon around 2:30 and arrived in the skyway line at 3:00.  I was probably 60th in line.  I waited an hour in the cold but it was not as cold in the skyway leading to the Legends Club entrance.  They opened the doors and there was only one person there to scan tickets.  I was quickly getting frustrated that our line was barely moving but I could see the line at Gate 29 moving so fast people were practically running.  I figured there was no shot for Joe Mauer for me.  The line finally started moving after a second ticket scanner arrived and I went right to the Mauer line.  Luckily for me I was number 248 and fully expected to get through the line.  The people running the Mauer line were awesome getting people through the line.  I was able to get Joe to autograph his 2006 Allen & Ginter card.  I then went from the Suite Level to the Service Level for the next signing station.  There I got Phil Hughes on two Topps Heritage cards for clubnuts (Mark C on SCN).  I then got Brian Duensing to sign his 2014 Topps card.  Next up was Kyle Gibson.  I told him he made his ML debut on my birthday on my birthday and my daughter was at the game with me.  He commented “That was a great day!”.  I asked him to sign my ticket with ML Debut and 1st Win and he did.  Caleb Theilbar was next and signed his debut ticket with ML Debut.  Last was Mike Kvasnicka who started Cami’s Twinsfest baseball by signing on the sweetspot.  I then scurried to the next station and got Ricky Nolasco on a baseball.  Next up was Casey Fien and Kyle Knudson who added their autographs to Cami’s baseball.  Last was Jason Bartlett.  I handed him an eTopps card and a Topps Heritage card (for Mark C) with a picture from the 2008 World Series on it.  He commented “These are a couple cool cards!” and signed them.  Then it was off to the next station.  There I got Josh Willingham on his 2013 Topps “Over the Wall” short print card.  He commented that this card showed his “non-existent vertical” as he was jumping over the wall but could not get to the ball in the picture which went for a home run.  That was pretty funny.  Alex Meyer, Jose Berrios and BJ Hermsen each signed a pair of cards for me and Logan Darnell signed Cami’s ball.  I then walked to the other side of the suite level and got Mike Pelfrey on his 2013 Topps Heritage high numbered card as well as his 2013 Topps update card.  Jared Burton signed his 2013 Topps Heritage card for Mark C as did Chris Parmelee (sporting a cast on his right wrist/hand) and Chris Herrmann.  Joe Vavra signed Cami’s baseball and asked who signed the sweetspot.  I told him it was Mike Kvasnicka and he kinda looked at me with a “who in the hell is Mike Kvasnicka and why is he signing the sweetspot” look.  I shrugged my shoulders, took the baseball and got back in the same line for the next group. We waited for Samuel Deduno to show up.  Everyone was there but Sam and when he showed up about 10 minutes late, everyone clapped.  It was funny.  I got Sam on his 2013 Topps Update card and moved to Glen Perkins.  Glen signed his 2013 Topps update all star card and his 2013 Topps Heritage card for me. Next up was Kurt Suzuki who signed a baseball for me and Chris Colabello who signed his 2013 Topps update card.  Last was Alex Presley who signed a couple Topps Heritage cards.  I headed to the next station I hope to get and they cut off the line with only four people in front of me.  The poor woman who volunteered felt so bad about doing it.  She was genuinely sad.  It was cool though.  Can’t be upset at her for doing her job and doing it without pay!

I headed down to the dealers’ sections and saw my friend Tony Swann.  As I mentioned last year, Tony is trying to get a ticket from every game Carlton Fisk played in.  Tony is awesome.  He knows I collect Kirby Puckett tickets and gave me a ticket from the game he got his 1,000th hit.  Tony is the man!  Thanks Tony!  I then cruised over to my buddy Joel and talked with him for a bit and headed home.

Day 1 turned out to be a great day and I was pumped for Day 2!

Michael Is More Than Just o-Kay!

A couple months ago Cami and I were watching the MLB TV channel where they had the World Series top moments and one of them was in 2001 when Derek Jeter became Mr November.  The regular season was delayed a week or so because of 9/11 so the World Series went into November as a result.  Game 4 started on 10/31/2001 and the game had just continued past midnight into 11/1/2001 when Derek Jeter hit a home run to win the game earning the nickname Mr November.  Michael Kay is a broadcaster for the New York Yankees and called the game.

While watching the highlights on the MLB channel, Cami told me I should send a baseball to the broadcaster and see if he would write his call on it.  I told Cami that there is no way a Yankee broadcaster would take the time to do that and if she wanted me to try, she would have to write the note first.  Within 10 minutes she had a note written to “Mr K” (she knew his name was said as Mr K!) so she called my bluff.  I sent off a package to Michael Kay along with Cami’s note the next day.  Today I received the baseball signed along with his awesome call and he wrote “Cami, it was my pleasure.” on her note.  What an awesome baseball.  I showed it to Cami and she remembered it and everything.  As soon as I showed her the note she wrote she said that was for the Yankees World Series game and smiled from ear to ear.  Thanks Mr Kay for making Cami’s and my day!

Smooooth as Silk

Today I received my Sports Illustrated issue with the 1980 Olympic hockey team celebration on the cover signed by Jim Craig and Dave Silk.  They were signing on the East Coast and Scott Smith (siKing) got it signed for me.  I am now down to just two more hockey players needed on the cover.  There were a couple no shows with Rick Aguilera being the one I wanted most.

Section 120, Row 20, Seats 7 & 8

When I was younger, I had always wanted to be a Twins season ticket holder.  I thought it was a way to show my love for the baseball team I followed and “get closer” to them.  In 2001, I finally became one.  It was a half season package.  The following year, I became a full season ticket holder for two seats.  Section 120, Row 20, Seats 7 & 8.  I shared a lot of great times in those seats with Amy and friends.  Through the first season, Amy and I got to know Heidi & Bob who had the seats next to ours.  Our friendship that started in 2002 is still going strong!  Later on, the kids and I spent a lot of memorable moments in those seats.  It means a lot to me to spend some quality time at a baseball game with the kids.

When the Twins moved to Target Field for the 2010 season, I knew I wanted those two seats when the Metrodome was demolished (Pic 1, Pic 2, Pic 3).  Those seats represented much more to me than a couple ugly seats.  They held all the good times (and a couple tough ones mainly in the post season) I had for a number of years before I moved “next door” sharing a pair of seats with Heidi & Bob.  When I heard the process that was going to happen when the seats were to be sold, I immediately sent in my request for seats 1, 7, 8, and the highest number in the row.  What I wanted to do was to replace the two outside sides of the seats with the aisle marker with the Metrodome logo and the row marker.  I received a call a week after they went on sale that I could get my 7 & 8 seats but 1 was spoken for already.  I did not care.  I was getting 7 & 8 and could get the left and right aisle sides from any row 20.  I was pumped.  I waited for the word to go pick them up.  The word never came.  I spoke with my buddy Joel and he said we should drive down there today because it was the last day to pick up the seats and if I did not get them then, I probably would not get the seats I wanted.  At 9:30 this morning I headed to Minneapolis to meet up with Joel.  I got in the car line and it was not moving.  Luckily Joel brought a dolly and we parked on the street and brought the dolly in.  This was Joel’s second time picking up seat stuff so he knew who to talk to.  We immediately found Tony.  Tony was the foreman of the job I am guessing.  I told him what seats I was after and they had yet to pull any seats from 120.  I was in luck!  Tony immediately drove the cart to that section and pulled those seats for me and had a gentleman walk them over to me… all the way from 120 to where we were standing in left field!  I tipped that person $20 as a token of thanks.  Tony asked about seat 1 and the other aisle seat.  I told him I did not care which section they were from as long as they had a 20 and an M logo on the side.  He found the two seats and brought them to me.  I tipped him too.  When all four seats were there, I told Tony what those meant to me.  He was genuinely happy to help me get what I wanted.  So, Tony, I know you won’t ever see this but THANK YOU!

Not only did Tony hook me up, he also ok’d Joel and I to rummage through the seat backs to pick out the numbers we wanted.  Joel and I spent an hour going through the seat back pile pulling out 4 (Brett Favre & Paul Molitor), 7 (Joe Mauer), 10 (Tom Kelly), 14 (Kent Hrbek), 16 (Frank Viola), 28 (Adrian Peterson & Bert Blyleven), 32 (Dave Winfield), 33 (Eddie Murray) and a few others I cannot remember.  No less than five times did someone walk by and ask if we were ok’d to be there.  We said “Tony said it was ok!” and they walked away.  Again, Tony was the man!  After paying for our goodies, Joel and I headed out to load our vehicles.  It was the last time I would ever be in the Metrodome.  I could not keep the grin off my face.  I got my seats!

I thank Tony and the other gentleman who carried my seats all the way across the Metrodome floor to me.  I especially thank Joel who talked me into meeting him down there.  Without Joel’s gentle nudging, I would have waited and probably missed out.  Thank you Joel.  You are the man too!

Section 120, row 20, seats 7 & 8…  thanks for the memories.  I will always be reminded of all of them when I look at your beautiful blue seats.

I know this is not at all related to my autographing adventures but it was certainly related.  I will be getting a couple seatbacks signed at some point and you will be the first to hear about it on this blog!

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