Thursday, February 03, 2011

A Vision of Spring

Last Sunday was the annual Twins fan day known as Twins Fest. It was originally scheduled at the Metrodome, but the Vikings Season at home was ended as the roof collapsed on them in our December blizzard. So twins fest headed north to Blaine and the National Sports Center.

Fortunately we had a relatively nice weekend and we all got to get that first taste of spring indoors as the Minnesota Boys of Summer, all tanned and ready, showed up to get us psyched. That they did.

Twins Fest 2011


Amid all the booths and vendors seen in that picture, the centerpiece of the three-day event is the players. You pay a fee (usually $15) for the chance to get autographs. The fees go to support the Twins Foundation, their charitable arm. We didn't plan for anything in particular since this was my daughter's and my first Twins Fest. But we did get to see some of the players.

Twins Fest 2011
Michael Cuddyer signing autographs
And got our share of autographs on a baseball.

Twins Fest 2011
Jason Kubel at the autograph table


Twins Fest 2011
Pat Neshek with a big smile


Twins Fest 2011
L-R Jason Kubel, Jason Repko, Jim Hoey, Nick Blackburn




I have to say that this is probably the first time I have ever met professional baseball players. And it is the first time I have met them up close in street clothes. Without the uniforms and ball caps which give them that ageless quality of baseball history I was struck by....

HOW FREAKIN' YOUNG THEY ARE!

In order, the Twins we met in these pictures are:
28: Hoey and Kubel
29: Blackburn
30: Neshek and Repko
31: Cuddyer.(The Old Man of the Group)

And at my age- they look even younger than that!

Remarkable. 

No comments: