Last night, on a whim, I went to my first ever baseball game in the Metrodome. I went in not expecting much - because how much excitement could
really come from a Twins game? - but I came away with a much better appreciation for baseball in the Twin Cities.
The Metrodome is truly a unique experience. If you've never seen a game in a dome before it is definitely something worth experiencing at least once (if not more) in you life. While not an ideal setting for America's pastime, it is certainly an interesting twist to an American classic.
If you've never been to an event in a dome it might catch you a little off-guard: first of all, domes are pressurized so as you enter you get sucked in by the pressure of the air. Secondly, just like the air, the noise is trapped in and bounces all over the place, which can create a deafening sound from an otherwise dull cadence.
I've had the pleasure of watching games in three domes, including the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, the Superdome in New Orleans, and now the Metrodome in Minneapolis. None stick out as being more impressive than the others but they are all equally intriguing and worth the price of admission (although some may contend the only sport worth the price of admission in the Carrier Dome is basketball since the football team... well, when was the last time you heard news about Syracuse football?).
Now to the game. The Twins were finishing up the fourth and final game of a series against their Central Division rival Chicago White Sox. After dropping the first game in the series the Twins rallied for two wins to take a 2-1 series lead. Early on it looked like the Sox were going to even up the series, as a second inning home run by Jim Thome put the Sox ahead 2-0. The Sox added to their lead in the fifth inning by adding two more runs to take a 4-0 lead. The Twins fought back, however, with a 3-run homer by Justin Morneau to cut the lead to 4-3 by the end of the fifth.
Things got interesting in the seventh inning as Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and third base umpire Marty Foster didn't see eye-to-eye on a very controversial call (not that I could tell from my general admission seats 500+ ft away from home plate, but I saw the replay afterwards). Gardenhire wound up getting thrown out and proceeded to kick his hat as he exited the field. Fans decided to show their support of Gardenhire by throwing their hats onto the field. See for yourself in this video we captured.
After the nearly 15 minute delay and a separate, mini-tirade by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen (he was trying to get his payers off of the field but did so by frantically waving his arms) the game resumed with the raucous crowd on its feet filling the dome with incessant booing.
Gardenhire's antics seemed to energize the Twins as a Joe Mauer single scored Denard Span to tie the game at 4-4. Moments later, Jason Kubel hit a 3-run homer to put the Twins up for good. The White Sox came within one run in the top of the eighth, but that is as close as they would get. The Twins scored three more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, resulting in the final score of 10-6.
Overall I will admit that I came away more impressed with Twins baseball than I had anticipated. The atmosphere was energetic and exciting (thanks in part to Gardenhire's ejection, although it was also rockin' after Morneau's homer) and was enough to will the Twins to victory.
Minnesota baseball: not as bad as you might think it is.
