Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Six-run seventh inning leads to Twins' Opening Day win over Kansas City. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 2 Souhan: New catcher Castro can take Twins' win and frame it. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 2 Scoggins: For starters, Santana's competence a good place to start. Star Tribune (Scoggins) p. 4 Twins insider: There's a method to Molitor's lineup. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 5 Longtime Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek honored, upbeat in return to Target Field. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 6 Postgame: Santana gets some advice from Sano, pitches Opening Day win. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 7 For a hint at how the Twins will do, look at this Timberwolves season. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 8 For one day, at least, it felt like 2010 at Target Field. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 9 Happy Opening Day! Molitor's first lineup of 2017 is interesting. Star Tribune (Neal lll) p. 9 Twins' lineup? Really? Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 10 Twins-style optimism: 'It can't get any worse than losing 103 games'. Star Tribune (Gonzalez) p. 11 Tom Powers: Twins finally have an opener to remember. Pioneer Press (Powers) p. 11 For Twins starter Ervin Santana, slider and a little honesty go a long way. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p. 12 Shipley: Twins’ high-wire act will require right moves from Paul Molitor. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 13 New Twins catcher Jason Castro off to good start. Pioneer Press (Graff) p. 14 Paul Molitor drafts a favorite in-law to raise Opening Day flags. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p. 15 Twins ‘lifer’ Rick Stelmaszek glad he said yes to first pitch. Pioneer Press (Shipley) p. 17 Twins’ seventh-inning rally ends 8-game Opening Day skid. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 18 Slick grabs in center help Twins’ Byron Buxton offset rough day at bat. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 19 Big 7th backs Santana as Twins top Royals. MLB (Bollinger & Flanagan) p. 20 Buxton makes MLB's first 5-star catch of '17. MLB (Bollinger) p. 22 Twins take advantage as Royals' 'pen falters. MLB (Flanagan) p. 22 Mauer's 13th Opening Day ties Killebrew. MLB (Bollinger) p. 23 Kennedy, Santiago value No. 2 starter nod. MLB (Flanagan) p. 24 Zulgad: After a rough spring, Sano has a blast in Twins’ opener. ESPN 1500 (Zulgad) p. 24 Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: New-look lineup, ‘Raindrops,’ and scoring runs looks easy. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 26 Santana, Twins begin season with 7-1 win on Opening Day. FOX Sports (Associated Press) p. 28 Twins avoid dubious history, snap eight-game Opening Day losing streak. CBS Sports (Snyder) p. 29 Opening day winners and losers: Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Mariners, more. Yahoo! Sports (Staff) p. 30 The busiest guy you never see: Twins head of PR Dustin Morse. KARE 11 (Schwartz) p. 30 Going to Target Field for opening day? Here are a few travel tips. Star Tribune (Harlow) p. 31 Sue Nelson's cool sports job: Minnesota Twins organist. ESPN W (Williams) p. 32 How the iconic Homer Hanky almost wasn't even a thing. MPR News (Yang) p. 34 Recent Chattanooga Lookouts alums stocking Minnesota lineup. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Paschall) p. 34 Twins put end to string of opening-day defeats. Associated Press (Campbell) p. 35 Twins Reward Loyal Fans With Opening Day Win. CBS Minnesota (Lauritsen) p. 36

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Six-run seventh inning leads to Twins' Opening Day win over Kansas City Phil Miller| Star Tribune | April 4, 2017 Last year is over. We’re better than people think. Ignore all the naysayers who just spread negativity. The Twins exhorted each other, in a players-only pregame meeting Monday, to start 2017 as if 2016 and its 103 losses never existed. No telling if the message sunk in, but the Opening Day results couldn’t have been more different from 2016, or 2015, or the six season openers before that. The Twins got a blast from Miguel Sano, a bunt from Max Kepler and a beauty from Ervin Santana, and broke their eight-year losing streak in season openers with a 7-1 victory over Kansas City at Target Field. “The optimism we have in this room is real,” second baseman Brian Dozier said after the Twins improved to 1-0 on the season for the first time since 2008, when Livan Hernandez beat the Angels 3-2 at the Metrodome. “It’s not, ‘Let’s go see if we’re good.’ We really believe we are.” Give Dozier this, there’s no evidence to the contrary at the moment. The Twins got timely hitting, strong starting pitching and shutdown relieving, not to mention the most passively aggressive inning — three bases-loaded walks — in years. “We’ve been on a mission since spring training to come out and play a little better to start the season,” said manager Paul Molitor, whose two previous seasons in the Twins dugout produced starts of 1-6 and 0-9. “It’s one game, but it couldn’t have been drawn up much better.” Santana gets much of the credit for that. The 34-year-old righthander pitched as if he were waltzing through another Grapefruit League game, limiting Kansas City to only two hits and two walks over seven mostly uneventful innings. One slip-up — a two-seam fastball over the heart of the plate that Mike Moustakas launched into the right-field seats in the fourth inning — cost Santana a run, but it wasn’t until the seventh inning that another Royals player even reached second base. But with the score tied and Lorenzo Cain on base, Santana struck out Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Brandon Moss in order — oddly, his only three strikeouts of the day — in his final inning of work, giving his teammates a chance against a weakened Royals bullpen. “Kind of a momentum-changer,” Molitor said of the critical outs, with the final two strikeouts coming after Cain stole second. “He gets off the field and we get him some runs.” The Twins put together their biggest Opening Day inning since 1999, actually, even though the inning’s biggest hit traveled only about 45 feet, or about 10 percent as far as Miguel Sano’s fourth-inning, first-pitch rocket off Danny Duffy traveled into the second deck in left. After Jorge Polanco led off the seventh with a single off reliever Matt Strahm, Kepler was instructed to bunt, but his first effort rolled foul. Molitor kept the signal on, though. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if [the count] got to 3-1, but I was bunting all the way through until he got it down,” Molitor said. Kepler made an adjustment on the second one. “[Strahm] was throwing me away. [Third baseman] Moustakas was way in, so I was trying to pull it over to the right side,” Kepler said. “I wanted to execute that bunt.” He did, and it was so good, slowly rolling to the right side of the pitcher’s mound, that Kepler was able to beat Strahm’s throw (though it took a replay challenge to establish it). When Eddie Rosario then sacrificed Polanco and Kepler up one base, the Royals relief corps melted down. Dozier was intentionally walked, and Strahm then walked Robbie Grossman on four pitches, forcing in the go-ahead run. Travis Wood later walked Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano, too, adding to the lead, and Jason Castro singled home a pair of runs. Polanco capped the rally with an RBI single, and the Twins’ first victory of 2017 was nearly secure. Just like the Twins players envisioned before the game. Mauer spoke up in the private session, players said, and Dozier did, too. Matt Belisle, who wasn’t even here last season, fired up his teammates with his thoughts, and Chris Gimenez described how the Indians came together last year. “Within this clubhouse, we’ve got a group of guys with the right mentality. We’re all pulling for each other,” Dozier said. “We’re going to avoid the negativity, ignore what you guys write, and show people we’ve got what it takes to win.” So far, so good.

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Souhan: New catcher Castro can take Twins' win and frame it Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | April 4, 2017 The Twins lost 103 games and then signed one everyday player in free agency. No pressure, Jason Castro, but your new franchise would like you to make like some combination of hand sanitizer, flu shot, memory eraser, performance-enhancing vitamin and interior decorator — specifically, framer of pitches. With only 161 games remaining on the schedule, Castro is slightly ahead of the new team massage therapist as the most popular newcomer in the clubhouse. On his first Opening Day at Target Field, Castro collected the Twins’ first hit in the second inning, drew a walk in the fourth and lined a two-run single during a five-run seventh. He also framed Ervin Santana’s pitches satisfactorily enough for the Twins to ease to a 7-1 victory, their first on Opening Day since 2008, while allowing four runs fewer than in their average game in 2016. Castro even helped momentarily justify manager Paul Molitor’s strange lineup, which featured singles-hitting Joe Mauer in the cleanup spot and Castro, who batted .210 last year, in the sixth spot behind slugger Miguel Sano. The Royals had walked four of the five batters preceding Castro in the seventh but didn’t mind pitching to him, and he made them pay for their sound strategy, lining a single over the head of third baseman Mike Moustakas. Castro’s hits were both to the opposite field off lefthanders. Whether this is good news or bad news, he is only 30 RBI behind his total from last year with the Astros. “It was a great start,” he said. “Couldn’t have asked for a better first one. It was a fun game, too.” The Twins’ touting of Castro as a pitch-framer was bound to become the object of satire, but this pitching staff needs all the help it can get, whether that means the benefit of the doubt on a backdoor slider or a handful of diving outfield catches per game. Pitching isn’t a game of inches; it’s a game of umpire perception and precious centimeters around the mythical black of the plate. If you’re new to the concept, framing pitches means the catcher receiving the pitch in a way that gives it the best chance of being called a strike. It’s a sleight of hand that can be undervalued or overstated depending on the catcher. “It’s something that I’ve worked on over the past years a lot, and I think when you’re able to keep strikes strikes and allow pitchers to be aggressive on the corners of the plates, and making sure that I’m giving the umpire the best look on some of those pitches,” Castro said. “When you get a pitch on the edge that goes our way, that just allows the pitcher to work more freely, gives them more options, ways to attack guys. “That’s our goal, ultimately, and we have a staff that when we get ahead and we allow them to work freely, that’s when we’ll be tough.” Castro’s skills behind the plate were a known quantity. His abilities as a hitter are more mysterious. Since 2013 his OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage) has gone from .835 to .651 to .648 to .684. He was an All-Star in 2013. He has not hit better than .222 since. Opening Day performances can prove to be mirages or omens. Castro earned the right to spend at least the next 24 hours believing this one was the latter. “He had a heck of a day,” Molitor said. “We’re kind of watching some of our game-planning on certain hitters and how he was able to help Ervin and then a couple of relievers execute. “It worked out well today. Offensively, to get our first hit, to take it the other way, he was doing some nice things. Couple hits to the opposite field, which was really good to see off lefties.” Or anyone, really, and on any day, really, but Opening Day is a new player’s last chance to make a first impression, and Castro delivered.

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Scoggins: For starters, Santana's competence a good place to start Chip Scoggins | Star Tribune | April 4, 2017 Paul Molitor visited Ervin Santana on the mound with two outs in the seventh inning and his starting pitcher sitting at 83 pitches. The score was tied 1-1. The Kansas City Royals had a runner on second base. Santana had thrown six consecutive balls earlier in the inning. For the first time all game, he found himself in a tense situation. Molitor wanted to look Santana in the eyes, see how he felt. He expected an honest answer as the entire Twins infield gathered around pitcher and manager on the mound. “He doesn’t try to fool you,” Molitor said. “You know where he’s at.” Molitor had lefty reliever Taylor Rogers warmed up in the bullpen with Kansas City lefthanded hitter Brandon Moss coming to the plate. Santana wanted to stay in the game. He told Molitor twice. His answer came without any hesitation. “I’m always honest,” Santana said. “If I don’t feel fine, I will tell him I don’t feel fine.” Santana was more than fine in his first start of the 2017 season. And he rewarded his manager’s faith in the biggest moment of his outing. Santana struck out Moss on an 84-miles-per-hour slider, the third consecutive strikeout that inning for Santana. The Twins responded with six runs in the bottom of the inning to turn a close game into a 7-1 victory Monday on Opening Day at Target Field. Santana allowed only two hits to become the first Twins pitcher to win on Opening Day since Livan Hernandez in 2008. The at-bat by Moss on what proved to be Santana’s final batter was a “momentum changer,” Molitor said. “I looked him in the eye and got a pretty good feel about how he felt about the matchup,” Molitor said. “We went ahead and gave it a shot. Sometimes those things don’t work out.” This is what competent pitching looks like. And what trust in the starting pitcher looks like. Hallelujah. The Twins starting staff hovered between slapstick and disastrous last season. Expectations aren’t much different this season. Except for Santana. He gives the Twins a fighting chance every time he takes the mound. As a group, Twins starters ranked last in major league baseball in earned-run average last season at 5.39. That number would have looked even more frightening if not for Santana’s 3.38 ERA, the second lowest in his 12-year career. Santana’s effectiveness comes from mixing pitches to keep hitters off-balance. “He just knows how to pitch,” Joe Mauer said. “His slider obviously is pretty tough. He was pretty good today with all his pitches.” Santana showed off his entire repertoire. He retired nine batters in a row at one point and made only one costly mistake, which Mike Moustakas pounded for a solo home run in the fourth inning. Other than that, Santana was in total control. “Everything was very good: changeup, slider, two-seam, four-seam,” he said. “I had my mentality of just me and [catcher Jason] Castro, nothing else. Don’t worry about anything else.” Molitor gave the perfect description of Santana’s performance: economical. “That’s what makes him tough is his ability to command all of his different pitches,” Castro said. “He throws his whole mix at you, and he was able to do that today.”

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Now comes the interesting part. The Twins have many questions behind Santana in the rotation. The organization’s inability to develop quality starting pitching doomed previous seasons and necessitated a front office overhaul. Dramatic improvement in one season seems unlikely. Building a legitimate starting staff will require time, creativity and savvy personnel decisions. It was nice to see competent starting pitching on Day 1, though. Not even a whiff of trouble seemed to bother Santana. He looked his manager in the eye and said he wanted to finish the deal. That had to be music to Molitor’s ears. Twins insider: There's a method to Molitor's lineup La Velle E. Neal lll | Star Tribune | April 4, 2017 Paul Molitor the manager anticipated the question like Paul Molitor the player anticipated sliders down and away. He was ready when his pregame presser on Monday began with an inquiry about his attention-grabbing lineup. “How much time do we have?” he responded. One answer came over 2 hours, 47 minutes as the Twins mustered one extra-base hit but toppled the Royals with a six-run seventh inning on their way to a 7-1 victory. Brian Dozier, coming off a 42-homer season, batted leadoff. Byron Buxton batted third for the first time in his career. Joe Mauer, with a .261 batting average and 11 home runs a year ago, batted cleanup for the first time since April 30, 2006. It looks as if Professor Molitor is thumbing his nose at conventional lineup construction. But his method was not that outlandish. The top three Twins last year in on-base-plus-slugging percentage were Robbie Grossman, Mauer, then Dozier. Weighted on-base average — a stat that attempts to measure an offensive player’s overall value — shows Grossman led the team at .370 last season, with Dozier next at .363. Grossman and Mauer were 1-2 in walk percentage. So Molitor looked to group his most productive and best at-bat takers among the top four spots in the order. “I’ve spent some time with our people and a lot of it on my own, just understanding that old school and new school philosophies about positions and lineups have changed,” Molitor said. “I’ve tried to incorporate that in some of the things I’m thinking about.” Batting Dozier leadoff might be an abuse of his power, but Molitor had Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario batting seventh through ninth. If any of those three promising hitters reach base, Dozier has someone to drive in. “It’s not like you bat this type of hitter here and that guy there,” Dozier said. “It’s how each individual is according their own style of game. I think it flowed well, especially against a guy like [Danny] Duffy.” Mollie’s Nine showed its bite during the seventh inning Monday — with solid at-bats. After Dozier was intentionally walked to load the bases, a walk to Grossman drove in the first run of the inning. Buxton struck out but Mauer walked, forcing in a second run. Things fell into place after that, and the Twins pulled away. “Guys that can slow the game down with seeing multiple pitches,” Molitor said of his top grouping. “Those guys have a history of being able to do that. Robbie didn’t put the ball in play in five at-bats today.” But Grossman had two of the Twins’ seven walks. Putting Buxton in the third spot might be a reach Molitor will have to revisit. Buxton was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts Monday. Molitor admitted his use of Buxton in that spot is based more on his feelings about how the outfielder has progressed so far.

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“Me and Mollie talked a lot about it,” Buxton said. “It’s going to take me getting more reps. This day was the first time in my career that I saw no fastballs in an at-bat. I still have a long way to go when it comes to grinding out those at-bats.” Lineups evolve during a season as health, matchups and streakiness send managers back to the drawing board. Molitor will have a totally different lineup on Wednesday against Royals righthander Ian Kennedy. He won’t start four lefthanded hitters against a lefthanded pitcher, as he did against Duffy on Monday. Yes, Mauer will sit against some lefties, and Dozier likely won’t lead off against righties. Then again, the Twins drew seven walks. “It’s not going to be smooth sailing all the time,” Molitor said, “but if you don’t have confidence that they can handle those things, you wouldn’t be putting them in there from the start.” Longtime Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek honored, upbeat in return to Target Field La Velle E. Neal lll | Star Tribune | April 3, 2017 The pressure was on. Rick Stelmaszek knew if he tripped on the way to or from the mound, or butchered his pitch, he would never hear the end of it. “Oh yeah,” Jack Morris said. “We had the odds going.” “I was talking to him as soon as he got here about warming up in the batting cages,” Roy Smalley said. Yes, his critics were there, standing behind him while he was on the mound. A group that included Morris, Smalley, Tom Kelly, Kent Hrbek, Torii Hunter, LaTroy Hawkins, Ron Gardenhire and others. Even A.J. Pierzynski, a last-minute arrival, flew into town. “A late entry here,” said Stelmaszek, who was a Twins coach from 1981 to 2012, a 32-year tenure that is the third-longest in major league history. “A.J. came in and that’s always eventful.” They gathered as the Twins honored Stelmaszek, who is battling pancreatic cancer, with the first pitch on Opening Day. Twins President Dave St. Peter called Stelmaszek with the offer about a month ago, but the longtime bullpen coach was reluctant at first. Stelmaszek was let go after the 2012 season. Many of the players on his watch have left. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine run the baseball department, not Terry Ryan. “I thought this moment, Opening Day, was for the players, the manager, the coaches and the people of Minnesota,” he added. “Dave St. Peter talked differently. He took a different avenue and it took me by surprise.” St. Peter told Stelmaszek how much he meant to the players he coached as they went on to successful careers. “This was an opportunity for some of those guys, as well as the organization, to recognize his contributions to this franchise, which are significant,” St. Peter said. Stelmaszek, 68, continues his battle with cancer, which was diagnosed late last year. The Chicagoan said he recently had the eighth of 19 chemotherapy sessions, which take a lot out of him. But he was upbeat on Monday, to be back at Target Field and back among his baseball family. “It’s a process,” Stelmaszek said. “The medication is doing its work and [the fatigue], that’s the side effect, that’s all. One day at a time.” By the way, Stelmaszek’s throw one-hopped catcher Eddie Guardado. But it was far from a disaster. Go directly to first Brian Dozier carried a bat up to home plate, even though he realized he probably wouldn’t need it. With two runners on and first base open in the seventh inning of a tie game, the Twins second baseman knew what was probably coming. But he was still curious. Major league baseball no longer requires a pitcher to throw four balls to intentionally walk a batter; the team on defense can simply signal their intention. “I wanted to see how everybody reacted to the process,” Dozier said.

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So how does it work? In Dozier’s case, Royals catcher Salvador Perez delivered the news. “Salvy said, ‘Give me your bat,’ ” Dozier explained. “Then he said, ‘Go to first.’ All right, I’ll go. I like that.” The experience had its downside, too, however. “I was disappointed,” Dozier said after the Twins’ 7-1 victory over Kansas City. “I thought I might be a ‘Jeopardy!’ question [as the first player ever to receive a no-pitch walk]. But I heard [the Cardinals’] Yadi [Molina] did it yesterday.” Still contributing Byron Buxton went 0-for-5 in his first game as the No. 3 hitter in the Twins lineup but still had a major effect on the game. The third-year center fielder made a pair of diving catches, one of them after slipping on the outfield grass. “We’ve been working hard on these [outfielders] about taking chances and making plays,” manager Paul Molitor said. “We’ve changed philosophies on trying to shallow them up a little bit to give them a chance to use their skills.” Buxton used them to catch up to a sinking line drive by Alex Gordon in the third inning, leaving his feet to corral it about a foot off the ground. Two innings later, Buxton lunged forward, his feet scooting out from under him, as Paulo Orlando’s line drive was hit, but recovered in time to catch it about 75 feet from the infield. “He got a great jump on the first one,” Molitor said. “The second one, on the wet grass, he slipped a little bit, got fooled by the swing a little bit. But [he] made an outstanding recovery.” Postgame: Santana gets some advice from Sano, pitches Opening Day win Phil Miller| Star Tribune | April 3, 2017 It was a heartening first game for the Twins, who heard all spring about how little hope they have of being interesting after a 103-loss season. Their team meeting before the game was about that very point: Don’t listen to the naysayers, we’re better than they think. We’ll see. But Monday’s game was important, because a loss, some players feared, might trigger a “here we go again” attitude. Here are a couple of extras from only the second true Opening Day ever held at Target Field: XXX Miguel Sano is only 23, and Ervin Santana is a decade older. But Sano wants to be more of a leader of the Twins, and he showed it Monday. When Santana had a momentary lapse in the seventh inning, walking leadoff hitter Lorenzo Cain on four pitches with the score tied 1-1, Sano walked over to the pitcher’s mound for a word with the veteran righthander. “I don’t know what Miggy tells him,” shrugged manager Paul Molitor. Well, basically, it was simple encouragement, Santana said. “He just came over and said, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it. Get a ground ball double play,’” Santana related. Just trying to keep him thinking positive, Sano said. “I said, ‘You’re the man. Let’s finish the game.’ “ XXX Santana gave the sellout crowd of 39,615 a brief moment of panic after he thought he had struck out Brandon Moss to end the seventh inning. Moss checked his swing but went too far on strike two; one pitch later, he did it again, but this time it was called a ball. Santana began to walk off the field, but returned with a pained look on his face. Moss then lined a high fly ball into the right field corner, but it drifted several feet foul. The crowd loudly exhaled at the near-home run.

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But Santana wasn’t nearly as alarmed, he said. In fact, “I didn’t even look at that ball. He was out in front of it. I knew he got it good, but I knew it was going foul.” Given another chance, Santana struck out Moss with the next pitch, his final one of the night. For a hint at how the Twins will do, look at this Timberwolves season Michael Rand | Star Tribune | April 3, 2017 Basketball and baseball are different. (You’re welcome for that clarification. If you had been confused all of these years, trying to bat a ball through a hoop or dunk a four-seamer, consider this your liberation). But although you will find few similarities in the sports themselves, there are some striking similarities between two pro teams that occupy Target Center/Field on the west side of downtown Minneapolis. (There’s Target Center in the background of Brian Peterson’s amazing photo from the 2014 Home Run Derby. And there’s the rainbow even farther out). If you’re looking for some clues on how 2017 might play out for the Twins, you should follow the trail of breadcrumbs left by the 2016-17 Timberwolves. For example: *Both organizations went into their seasons with new personnel bosses in charge. For the Wolves, it was head coach/president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau along with GM Scott Layden. For the Twins, it’s president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine. Both sets of men seem to be taking a slow build approach to their jobs and are using their first seasons to evaluate existing talent rather than blowing up rosters. For the Wolves, that has meant heavy minutes for core youngsters like Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and (before he was injured) Zach LaVine. It meant bringing in a few free agents, but none that rank among the top eight on the team in minutes played this season. It has led the Wolves to rank dead last in the NBA in bench minutes and bench scoring, a factor that can’t be overlooked when judging their season. For the Twins, you could see things playing out similarly: taking their lumps with Miguel Sano at third base and a bunch of young talent in the outfield to get a better sense of both their development and what kind of supplementary players they need around them. There will be extreme highs and extreme lows, but probably modest overall gains. *One could even draw some direct parallels between players on each roster. Towns = Byron Buxton (breathtaking stars in the making with equal desires to be great). Wiggins = Sano (jaw-dropping ability but questions about consistent effort). LaVine = Jorge Polanco (undeniable talent but uncertainty where they fit into the roster). Ricky Rubio = Brian Dozier (young veteran constantly being rumored to be traded). * Both teams still have a glaring need: stopping the other team from scoring. The Wolves showed glimpses of turning a defensive corner right after the All-Star break, but they have fallen back on old habits. The Twins figure to have a few good pitching runs throughout the year, but overall the staff is the most likely thing to hold them back this season. *It’s unfair to say both organizations “punted” on their seasons. A more generous person might say both are judging progress by metrics and methods other than wins and losses. For the Wolves, it has added up to a season that feels like a modest improvement, but still a disappointment. They had a .354 winning percentage two years ago. It will be better this year — probably more like .400 — with a handful more victories. The bigger leap fans hoped for didn’t materialize, which is disappointing. Thibodeau bears some responsibility for that, but the better judge of his methods will come next season and beyond.

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For the Twins, it figures to play out the same. They had a .364 winning percentage last year, when they went just 59-103. If they win 10-15 more games this season, it will be an improvement but not a success. Once Falvey and Levine have had a full season to evaluate the roster, we can better judge their methods in future seasons. If that’s too depressing a thought on Opening Day — that essentially these past six months of watching the Wolves is simply changing sports and venues across the plaza — remember this: the process of improvement, while painful, is also fascinating and sometimes fun. For one day, at least, it felt like 2010 at Target Field Michael Rand |Star Tribune | April 4, 2017 Target Field was packed Monday to the point that fans trying to make their way from section to section between innings often came to a complete stop. It was enough that a friend of mine complained about all the congestion and people. The on-field product was crisp and professional, between the sterling defensive plays by the home team to the well-pitched game by Ervin Santana to the timely hits up and down the lineup in a 7-1 victory over the Royals — the first Opening Day win for the Twins in almost a decade. I remarked to a random fan in the outfield that it felt a little like 2010. “I was just thinking the same thing,” he said. “Only back then, it used to be like this every single game I went to — if I could get a ticket.” I can barely remember 2010 at this point. But I’m trying. I’m squinting at it. Remember when it didn’t feel like a huge surprise when a Twins starting pitcher delivered a standout performance? Minnesota starting pitchers in 2010 registered 86 quality starts and the pitching staff as a whole posted a 3.95 ERA. Last year, the Twins had an MLB-worst 59 quality starts — a number that figured prominently in the other ugly 59 from 2016, the Twins’ victory total. The team ERA? 5.08. Hey, they’re 1 for 1 this year thanks to Santana. In their first eight games at Target Field in 2010, the Twins went 6-2 and scored at least five runs in all but one of those games. In the first home series of 2016, a three-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox, the Twins scored exactly two runs — dropping their overall record to 0-9. It felt like the Twins were trending in that direction Monday until a late outburst resulted in a blowout. Last year’s Twins, by the way, were 14-33 in games decided by five runs or more. On defense, the 2010 Twins made just 78 errors — fifth-fewest in the majors and second-fewest in the American League. By 2016, those fundamentals had eroded to the point that Minnesota made 126 errors — second-most in all of baseball. But on Monday, they were error-free and turned in a few gems — including a pair of diving catches by Byron Buxton in center field. Sorry if we are starved enough for high-quality baseball around here that one game garners this much attention. When play resumes Wednesday, Target Field won’t be nearly as full as it was Monday. And there’s no guarantee the Twins will perform as well as they did Monday. But for one day, at least, it sure felt like the glory year at the beautiful ballpark instead of the harder times that followed. Happy Opening Day! Molitor's first lineup of 2017 is interesting La Velle E. Neal lll | Star Tribune| April 3, 2017 Happy New Year! We have a decent day (could be sunny), an unconventional lineup and two teams at 0-0 as the 2017 season kicks off at Target Field. Regardless of how the Twins are doing, Opening Day is still a special event in these parts. I was on KFAN live from Brothers Bar and Grill, and everyone is just happy that baseball is here. There's a buzz around downtown. Royals fans are being booed. It's a good atmosphere. If there was ever a day for skipping school, Opening Day is it. Some readers have blasted that opinion in the past, but I don't care. I was in high school in 1981 when I was called to the principal's office. My father was there, explaining that there was was a family emergency and I needed

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to come home. We're in the car headed out of the parking lot and I'm asking, "What's wrong? Is Mom O.K.? Is the house on fire?" My father throws two White Sox tickets into my lap and says, "The emergency is that we have to hurry up and get to the ballpark." It was Carlton Fisk's first home game with the White Sox after leaving Boston. Fisk hit a grand slam off of Pete Vukovich. The White Sox won 9-3. Just called up the boxscore from that game, and I realized that it was the first time I saw Paul Molitor play in person. He led off for the Brewers that day, going 2-for-5. It's 26 36 years later, and I'm looking at Molitor's Opening Day lineup against the Royals. Brian Dozier is leading off because he likes to and there's a lefty on the mound. Byron Buxton is batting third. Joe Mauer - Mauer! - is batting cleanup. It's a configuration that will rankle some folks. Mauer is batting cleanup for the first time since April 30, 2006. Jason Castro batting sixth is a surprise. It looks like Molitor has bunched his best production/on base percentage guys at the top of the lineup. With Polanco, Kepler and Rosario, he has three guys who can run as links to Dozier and his power. Also, there are many folks in town for Rick Stelmaszek throwing out the first pitch. Ron Gardenhire, A. J. Pierzynski and Justin Morneau all flew in for the event. Torii Hunter and La Troy Hawkins - hired as special assistants - also are here because of Stelly. That's it for now. Enjoy this special day!!! Twins' lineup? Really? Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | April 3, 2017 The Twins’ Opening Day lineup is bizarre. We’ll be hearing from Paul Molitor soon to hear about the decision-making process, but here’s my first view: Brian Dozier: He may be comfortable as a leadoff hitter but he’s the team’s most accomplished hitter and most experienced quality player. He belongs in the 3 hole. Robbie Grossman: He is one of the Twins’ best at getting on base, so this technically makes some sense, but this decision has some unintended lineup consequences. Byron Buxton: I think he’d be better of batting leadoff with his head and the bases clear. He profiles as a future No. 3 hitter, but this feels like too big a jump for someone who has had one good month in the big leagues. Joe Mauer: He is not a cleanup hitter. Not even close. His on-base percentage makes him a logical No. 2 hitter, or you could hide his lack of power at the bottom of the order. Cleanup? Nonsense. Miguel Sano: Mauer’s lefthanded bat does break up Buxton and Sano, which is logical in and of itself. Sano should be batting cleanup but he didn’t earn it last year. Jason Castro: I’d rather see Max Kepler here, but we’re nitpicking at this point. Jorge Polanco: This is fine. Kepler: Sure. Eddie Rosario: Why not? Mauer in the cleanup spot is the least-logical of these decisions. He hasn’t had a .400-or-better slugging percentage since 2013. He’s not a cleanup hitter, so why pretend he is?

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No live shows at Hell’s Kitchen this week but we’ll post our full lineup at MNSPN.com, including Roy Smalley on the Twins. We’ll resume live shows at Hell’s Kitchen next week once we know the Wild’s playoff schedule. Twins-style optimism: 'It can't get any worse than losing 103 games' Jason Gonzalez | Star Tribune | April 3, 2017 Cars and fans lined up outside of Target Field early Monday morning in anticipation of free bratwursts, peanuts and Opening Day. The Twins' annual Breakfast on the Plaza fed thousands of hungry supporters driving by the stadium or hanging out in Target Plaza from 6 to 9 a.m. The menu featured brats, peanuts, chips, fruit snacks, cookies, coffee and energy drinks to help get the fans ready for baseball season. Many of the Twins supporters that dined outside of the stadium long before the first pitch Monday are optimistic 2017 will at the least be better than last season when the club lost a franchise-record 103 games. Joseph Sneberk arrived at 7:30 a.m. to collect his brat, chips and coffee. He was one of about 100 fans in the line at the early hour and one of the first individuals to plant his folding chair outside of Gate 34 where he would wait until the stadium opened to fans at 1 p.m. “Hopefully they kick it off with a bang. We’ve lost the last eight straight [openers] so let's get a win for the Twins opener today. That’d be awesome,” said Sneberk, a season-ticket holder from Big Lake. “Fresh team. A little bit of new management in there. So we should do great this year, hopefully. I’m hoping we get only like 60 loses this year. We had 103 last year, so anything would be better.” Tammy Litzenberg of Anoka waited nearby in her folding chair sharing some of the same sentiment as Sneberk. She is a bit skeptical about the Twins starting pitching, though. "I think they’ll do a lot better than they did last year,” Litzenberg said. “It will be interesting to see how [Brian] Dozier does after his spectacular year last year. “Pitching [concerns me]. Hopefully they’ve got their A-game, because last year the starters didn’t do well. So hopefully our starters can go a little deeper into the game and we don’t have to rely on the bullpen so much.” Tim Othyrand has no concerns about this year’s Twins squad because last year was so bad. "Honestly, I don’t think it could get any worse than last year,” the Twins fan from Eden Prairie said. "But it's going to be nice to see what [Byron] Buxton can do this summer and [Max] Kepler had a pretty solid season last year. And hopefully we’ll see [Jose] Berrios sometime in the rotation. So there is optimism, but I don’t know how much return there will be for this season. "I’m still hoping Mauer will turn it around and start hitting .300 again. “I don’t think it can get any worse than losing 103 games, so I'm sure there going to take a step forward this year." Fawn Peterson and Katie Stang from St. Cloud are very optimistic about this year’s club and confident they’ll return to the postseason this fall. Beth Walter from Monticello would be happy with a .500 record. Tom Powers: Twins finally have an opener to remember Tom Powers | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 These are the days, the unexpected days, that make the game fun again. These are the days when Twins pitchers pitch and their hitters hit, or at least don’t make outs, and their fielders pick up the baseball cleanly and throw it to the correct base. Everyone runs in the proper direction. And a series of small contributions lead to something much bigger. Twins 7, Royals 1. It was a sweet Opening Day victory at a venue where the bar has been set so low that the fans trip over it while entering the facility. And the prevailing theory is that by mid-summer there won’t be enough cash customers to do much tripping.

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Coming off an historically bad year and a series of miserable starts, the Twins, for one day at least, morphed from 98-pound weaklings to heroes of the beach. They were methodical and efficient in dismantling the more highly regarded Kansas City Royals. Take that! “This is a new year,” Miguel Sano announced afterwards. “This is a new team.” He’s half right, as time definitely has marched onward. However, this team looks suspiciously like the 2016 squad. There is new leadership in the front office, with Derek Falvey, Thad Levine and the Hal 2000 computer they have installed in an unmarked room in the Target Field basement. Or maybe it’s the Brainiac 500. I forget what they call it. In any event, they program it with New Age statistics and it spits out data capable of slaying the fiercest of opponents. This is the age of the Whiz Kids in front offices and the Twins now have their very own baseball programmers. The Twins and the Brainiac 500 are off to a rousing start. “Couldn’t have been drawn up much better,” said Paul Molitor, whose job as manager is about safe as that of a land-mine remover. “It was pretty fun out there,” Joe Mauer said in his All-America sort of way. “Little things win ball games. That’s what we’ve been preaching all spring.” And no one does littler things than the Twins, as they showed last year. In the opener, though, they did a lot of little productive things. Like executing a successful bunt, exercising plate discipline and making all the routine plays. They did some big things, too. Sano homered in the fourth inning, a monster solo shot into the second deck. Byron Buxton made two diving catches in center field. And Ervin Santana mowed ‘em down for seven innings. “I’m excited to win the game,” Sano said. “I don’t care about home runs. The only thing is winning.” The Twins’ big inning, a six-run seventh, was the result of 80 percent patience and 20 percent pluck: a soft single, a bunt single, a sacrifice and a whole bunch of walks. Jason Castro’s two-run single capped the festivities. The Twins, seriously prone to swinging and missing over the past few years, managed to lay off the ball and secure three bases-loaded walks in that inning. Three guys trotted home because batters were smart enough not to flail. This is tangible progress. Or an aberration. We’ll find out as we go along. “That was big for us to take those walks,” Buxton agreed. The Twins will have Tuesday off before resuming their series against Kansas City on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Falvey and Levine probably will change the oil on the Brainiac 500 and have a whole new set of algorithms available for Game 2 of the series. I’ve heard a rumor, which I can’t confirm, that they took a DNA sample from a Royals player’s helmet and are working up a genetic profile designed to give them a distinct advantage on Wednesday. The bottom line is that Monday’s game was a gem. It was good, solid baseball. If certain doom does lurk around the corner, days like this will become even more appreciated moving forward. They are an oasis in a time of drought. They can keep you going. Who knows when another one will come along? Better stay tuned to find out. And if the Twins really are on to better things, defying pretty much everyone’s expectations, then that will be a real treat for their struggling supporters. But let’s not get crazy here. Monday’s game was a dandy for the home team. With luck, there will be at least a few more over the long baseball season. For Twins starter Ervin Santana, slider and a little honesty go a long way Brian Murphy | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 Ervin Santana’s moment of truth arrived in the top of the seventh inning Monday afternoon. Before the Twins erupted for six runs in the bottom half of the inning to turn a tense game into a 7-1 laugher, Minnesota’s ace had to convince his manager he still had the goods to earn an Opening Day victory. There were two outs. The Royals had the go-ahead run in scoring position after Lorenzo Cain led off with a four-pitch walk and stole second.

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Santana had struck out Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez swinging. His pitch count was under 90. Still, manager Paul Molitor had left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers warming in the bullpen for a favorable-odds match-up against Kansas City’s left-handed designated hitter Brandon Moss. He strolled to the mound for a heart-to-heart with Santana. “I feel real confident about his honesty,” Molitor said. “I made him say it twice that he was good because he had that little stretch where he lost command. He had no doubt both in his verbal and non-verbal language that he wanted to stay in there and get that guy.” The right-hander fell behind Moss 2-0 before firing three strikes, getting him to miss badly on a slider in the dirt to position Santana to become the first Twins starter to win on Opening Day since Livan Hernandez in 2008. Moreover, according to ESPN, Santana is the first Twins or Washington Senators starting pitcher to throw seven or more innings while allowing two or fewer hits on Opening Day since Walter Johnson against the New York Yankees — in 1915. He allowed just a solo home run to Mike Moustakas to lead off the fourth and a second-inning single to Perez. Santana offset his two walks with three clutch strikeouts in the seventh. “It’s real nice, especially the way we did everything — hitting, defense,” said Santana. “Everything clicked today so that’s good.” Center fielder Byron Buxton made a pair of dazzling diving catches, and the Twins’ defense turned a pair of ground-ball double plays. Santana improved to 5-3 with a 2.42 earned-run average and 55 strikeouts in his past 10 starts at Target Field. However, seven straight balls to start the seventh inning had Molitor on edge, even after Santana mowed down Hosmer and Perez. How much gas did Santana have left in his first start after an uneven spring training interrupted by a trip to the World Baseball Classic? Did an intentional walk to Moss make sense? What about ceding the mound to Rogers? “I’m always honest,” Santana said. “If I don’t feel fine I would tell him I don’t feel fine. But I (felt) very good.” It was an auspicious debut for Minnesota’s maligned pitching staff, which the front office buffeted with 13 pitchers out of spring training at the roster expense of slugger ByungHo Park. The Royals only had one runner in scoring position the entire game. Righty Matt Belisle retired the Royals in the eighth. Miguel Sano mishandled Alex Gordon’s lead-off chopper to put the lead-off man aboard in the ninth against closer Brandon Kintzler, who got the ball in a non-save situation to get in work in lieu of Tuesday’s off day. But Kintzler shrugged it off. He induced a double-play ball from Moustakas and retired Cain on a ground out. Shipley: Twins’ high-wire act will require right moves from Paul Molitor John Shipley | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 There was much hand-wringing Monday morning when Paul Molitor’s Opening Day lineup was announced via Twitter. Home run leader Brian Dozier was back on top and Joe Mauer, who stopped hitting homers regularly in 2009, was batting cleanup ahead of Miguel Sano, the Official Power Hope of the Minnesota Twins. Further, Robbie Grossman — a fifth outfielder playing the role of designated hitter until Kennys Vargas or ByungHo Park gets it together — was batting second. The consensus was that Molitor had lost his mind before the 2017 season had even started. Now, Molitor is not one to gloat, and even if he were, a 1-0 record would be a bad stage from which to crow. But after a 7-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Target Field, it would have been fun to hear the third-year manager break out a little Captain Quint for the cameras at his postgame scrum. “Don’t ever tell me my business again, Mr. Hooper.”

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In the decisive six-run seventh inning, it was Grossman, Mauer and Sano who led the way — with bases-loaded walks. No one said it was going to be a spectacle. Grossman, Molitor noted, didn’t put the ball in play in five at-bats Monday, but he walked twice, scored a run and drove in the go-ahead run with a seven-pitch walk off left-hander Matt Strahm. Strahm was replaced by lefty Travis Wood, who promptly struck out Buxton. But Mauer, naturally, drew a five-pitch walk for a 3-1 lead, and the rout was on. Sano walked, Jose Castro hit a two-run single and Jorge Polanco singled through a hole at second to score Sano. The rest was a mop-up job. Mauer, 33, hadn’t batted cleanup since the 2013 World Baseball Classic and has averaged 8.2 homers a season since hitting a career-high 28 in the Twins’ final Metrodome season of 2009. Asked what he thought about hitting cleanup, the great orator of the Twins clubhouse said, “Not much. It was good; worked out pretty well.” That’s our Joe! Grossman and Mauer were slotted second and fourth, Molitor said, because he wanted “guys that can slow the game down by seeing multiple pitches. … It’s one of those things. You want guys that can hit, but between pitch count and base-runners, those things are important, too.” Twins seam heads were hoping for more analytics-driven decisions from their team, from the front office and manager, and they appear to be getting it. Molitor, an old-school Hall of Fame player who once characterized Sabremetrics as the pet project of “people who haven’t played as much,” acknowledged pouring over data before crafting Monday’s batting order. “In today’s world, there’s more information that at least contributes to what you would think about,” he said. “It’s changed, and I think intelligently so. … My thoughts on the 4 hole and the 5 hole have evolved over time. You’ve got to have good at-bats in those spots.” Mauer was 0 for 3 but walked, scored and drove in a run. Sano was 2 for 3 with a walk and two RBIs, one of which came on a game-tying home run that reached the second deck in left field more quickly than it took the Millennium Falcon to reach the Alderan System. After a 103-loss season in 2016, it was nice to see Molitor pull some strings and get the right response. It’s not always going to happen, and when it does it will be heavy — and maybe counter intuitive — lifting. He has a young team still learning how to make the routine play consistently and lay off bad pitches. The Twins’ big inning featured three walks, two singles and six RBIs. Even if Sano catches fire and stays healthy, this is likely the template for 2017. It will be a high-wire act, and Molitor will need data to keep the team balanced. Monday was a good start. New Twins catcher Jason Castro off to good start Chad Graff | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 After a fine debut that helped the Twins to an Opening Day victory, 7-1 over the Kansas City Royals, catcher Jason Castro admitted he’s still getting accustomed to his new team. The Twins signed him during the offseason to add experience and anchor a pitching staff that was abysmal a year ago. Save for Robbie Grossman, he doesn’t many of his Twins teammates and he doesn’t know the area at all. But on the first day of a long season, Castro guided Twins pitchers to a fine debut, limiting the 2015 World Series champs to three hits and one run. Hardly known for his bat, Castro added two hits, a walk and drove in two runs. “He had a heck of a day,” manager Paul Molitor said. “We were watching some of our game-planning on certain hitters and how he was able to help Ervin (Santana) and some of our relievers execute. It worked out well today.” A new Twins regime led by chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine made Castro their first real transaction, signing the 29-year-old catcher to a three-year, $24.5 million contract. Even if his offense has been limited in the past, especially against fellow left-handers, they felt the one-time all-star could boost their pitching

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staff. Santana didn’t have his best stuff Monday, but Castro helped the Opening Day starter get through seven innings with only one blemish, Mike Moustakas solo home run in the fourth inning. A game like that, when Santana didn’t record a strikeout until the seventh inning, can help build chemistry between pitcher and new catcher, Castro said. “We’re building that trust and relationship so that when things are tense, that trust is there and you’re not second-guessing,” Castro said. “I think we did a good job with that in the spring, and we’ll continue with that.” Castro played in the 2013 All-Star Game, when he hit .276 with 18 home runs. But he hasn’t eclipsed a .222 batting average since and bottomed out at .210 a year ago to go with 11 home runs. His struggles at the plate were most apparent against southpaws, who held Castro to a .149 batting average. All four of Castro’s at-bats Monday were against lefties, yet he still knocked the Twins’ first hit of the game in the second inning, then followed with a single in the seventh that drove in two runs. The Houston Astros made Castro a first-round draft pick in 2008 and kept him in their organization through last season, when he became an unrestricted free agent. Monday, he admitted it was a bit different preparing for Opening Day with a new team. But a 2-for-3 afternoon at the plate and a fine game behind it helped ease those concerns. “It was different,” Castro said. “I had been in the same organization my entire career so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.” Paul Molitor drafts a favorite in-law to raise Opening Day flags Brian Murphy | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 Henry Langevin’s priest foreshadowed U.S. intervention in World War II in January 1941, so the St. Paul teenager gave himself to the Army without telling his parents and was dispatched from Union Depot to a base in San Francisco. His diploma from Wilson High School arrived in the mail that June. “They weren’t too happy; I was 18 and dumb,” Langevin recalled. It was not the last time he would volunteer for danger during a remarkable military career in which the 94-year-old former paratrooper was at the forefront of the Allies’ long and brutal campaign to liberate Europe, and later Jews the Nazis had interned in concentration camps. Langevin was drafted Monday by Paul Molitor for one more mission on Opening Day — to raise the U.S. and POW/MIA flags at Target Field before Minnesota christened the 2017 baseball season against the Kansas City Royals. He has known the Twins manager since 1968. Molitor was a 12-year-old baseball punk attending St. Luke’s Catholic grade school en route to Cretin High when Langevin’s son, Hal, married the boy’s sister, Mary Alice Molitor. The timing was perfect to honor a man who witnessed the depravity of war while coming of age overseas more than 75 years ago and then settling into a middle-class life that defined post-war America. Langevin returned to Minnesota in October 1945. He married his alma mater’s homecoming queen, Betty. The couple raised two kids in the Roseville house he bought in 1953 with the G.I. Bill, and he retired at age 62 after a 40-year career as a lithographer. Nine grandkids and 19 great-grandchildren later, Langevin is a widower. Betty died in 2001. He still lives in the ranch house on West Ryan Street where he hosted the wedding reception for Hal and Mary Alice. On Monday, Langevin wore the same Eisenhower jacket with the 82nd Airborne patch and sergeant’s stripes with which he jumped into Sicily in 1943 and a permanent grin after receiving a warm ovation from 39,615 Twins fans who welcomed the return of baseball on a raw, overcast afternoon.

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More than 30 relatives surrounded him on the plaza, snapping photos and shedding tears. Molitor, standing along the first-base line, tipped his cap in Langevin’s direction as the in-laws soaked in the moment. “He’s got an incredible, joyous demeanor considering his years and experiences,” Molitor said before the game. “He’s always been that guy, full of life. It’s been great to be part of an inclusive family with him.” Langevin was humbled and overwhelmed by attention he did not seek and for reliving war stories he still cannot fully comprehend. “I don’t mind sharing it now,” he said. “I never talked about it before. Now, all of a sudden, everybody wants to.” After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Langevin volunteered to become a paratrooper and was shipped to Fort Bragg, N.C., where he qualified for the iconic 82nd Airborne Division. “They wanted short guys because we had to jump out the side of the plane,” he said. “I’m 5-6 — if that.” Langevin received orders to train in Casablanca in early 1943, shortly after Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman filmed the cinematic classic about the eclectic Moroccan port. He was one of the first paratroopers to jump at night that April when the 82nd Airborne landed in Sicily. “That was kind of a rough deal,” Langevin recalled. “We jumped at 500 feet instead of 1,000. Sicily wasn’t that bad once we got ourselves established.” He trained in England for the D-Day invasion but pneumonia and pleurisy hospitalized Langevin for a month. He eventually hooked up with an infantry unit and made it into France on foot. In September 1944, the Army recruited paratroopers to fly gliders into German-occupied Holland. Once again Langevin raised his hand. “I don’t know, I just wanted to get into combat,” he explained Monday. Langevin was among 20,000 U.S., British and Polish troops who parachuted or glided into southern Holland during Operation Market Garden, launched to secure a series of Dutch bridges to help Allied tanks cross the Rhine River into Germany. He was a co-pilot during the daring midday raid in which the Allies fended off several Nazi Panzer tank divisions while incurring heavy casualties during weekslong fighting to capture key infrastructure. “That was the worst thing,” Langevin said. “Flying in low and all these Germans are shooting at you. I lost a lot of my buddies.” Three months later, Langevin once again found himself at the tip of the spear in one of the war’s seminal battles. The 82nd Airborne was bivouacked in the Ardennes Forest, vastly outmanned and outgunned against a surprise German counteroffensive in the snow and ice. The Battle of the Bulge raged for two weeks over Christmas and into 1945. The Allies suffered more than 9,000 casualties, including 1,600 killed in action, before reinforcements arrived and momentum slowly turned. “The worst was the Bulge,” Langevin said. “It was so cold. It was bad.” By May 1945, the Allies were surging into Germany. Langevin was on the front lines when soldiers came upon the Neuengamme concentration camp. More than 1,000 Jewish inmates were dead. Thousands more who were suffering from starvation and disease were liberated. “That was terrible,” Langevin said. “I talked to a lot of those people. That was such a dumb thing. Our division captured so many Germans, it was unbelievable how many Germans we captured.”

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U.S. commanders ordered captured Germans and nearby townspeople to bury the dead. “I had taken a lot of Lugers and I was going to bring them home, but the pilot wouldn’t let me take it on the plane,” Langevin said. “He took it all.” Langevin was 23 in the fall of 1945 when he stepped off the train in St. Paul to start the rest of his life. The horrors of war were more difficult to leave behind. Today, Langevin likely would have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Back then, he coped at first with booze and disability benefits before meeting his wife and moving forward. “When I came home I did a lot of time at the bars,” Langevin acknowledged. “When I got married, everything kind of straightened out.” Langevin is a popular source for term papers his neighbors and grandkids write about World War II. Father Time spares no one, not even the “Greatest Generation.” An estimated 400 World War II vets die each day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. In a dozen years, they likely all will be dead. Langevin jokes that he always buys the ripest bananas at the grocery store. He has outlived most of his Army buddies. He does not wear his pride on his sleeve. He doesn’t have to. “That was the one thing about the war — we liberated a lot of people,” he said. “These people were so happy to see you when you came in. Our home base was England. All those women were after you. They wanted to get married. Oh, my, a lot of my buddies got married.” Langevin instead came home and married the St. Paul girl. The rest, as they say, is history. Twins ‘lifer’ Rick Stelmaszek glad he said yes to first pitch John Shipley | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 Chemotherapy has robbed Rick Stelmaszek of his hair, but not his arm. Stelmaszek, the longtime Twins bullpen coach, returned to Target Field for the first time since sweeping coaching changes in 2012 ended a 31-year career with the Twins to throw out the Opening Day first pitch on Monday. Throwing from the mound, “Stelly” was off the mark but had the distance. Beforehand, he explained his goal: “Throw the ball and then walk from the mound to the dugout without falling.” Stelmaszek, 68, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December, was joined on the mound by an all-star lineup of players and coaches with whom he worked in a coaching career that never left the organization, among them Torii Hunter, A.J. Pierzynski, Juan Berenguer, Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire and Kent Hrbek. “I had to be talked into it, to be honest with you,” Stelmaszek said. “I think Opening Day is for players and managers and coaches and the people in Minnesota. Dave St. Peter took a different avenue. It took me by surprise.” St. Peter, the Twins’ president, made the phone call, but he said the skids were greased in February when a car full of former colleagues made the six-hour drive from the Twin Cities to Chicago, where Stelmaszek was born, raised and still lives with his wife, Kathy. For the past few years, Stelmaszek has been having dinner with former Twins Randy Bush and Roy Smith in February “just to catch up on all the B.S. before spring training starts,” he said. This year, they were joined by Kelly, Hrbek, Tim Laudner and Terry Steinbach at a downtown Chicago restaurant — a total surprise to Stelmaszek. “I turn and I see Kent Hrbek, Tom Kelly, Tim Laudner, Terry Steinbach all sitting at the table,” he said. “They jumped in a car and they drove six hours to have dinner. We had dinner, and it was the fastest four hours I’ve ever had in my life. It flew by. We had an enjoyable, nice time.

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“I don’t know how you could put that into words, but it was really, really nice.” Stelmaszek played 60 major league games, and more than 1,000 in the minors, before becoming a Twins coach. Among his duties as bullpen coach for Kelly and Gardenhire was scheduling and running spring training. And although he had to be talked into coming Monday, he was more than glad he came. “Baseball’s my life; I feel I’m a lifer in baseball. That’s all I did,” he said. “I was very fortunate in my career to do something that I like. I didn’t feel like I had a job. It’s something I enjoyed doing, and I had a good life doing it. I made a lot of friends. … I’m looking at it from the perspective of an old goat, and I can say I’m very happy and proud.” Twins’ seventh-inning rally ends 8-game Opening Day skid Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 It had been so long since the Twins won on Opening Day, you’ll have to forgive them for not quite knowing how to act after Monday’s 7-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Heck, they hadn’t held a lead on the first day of the regular season since that 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on March 31, 2008 at the Metrodome — the final stages of the second Bush Administration. “I didn’t know about that,” said third baseman Miguel Sano, who drove in two with a mammoth home run and a bases-loaded walk. “This is a new year. This is a new team. Everybody is positive here and wants to play the game and win every day.” Robbie Grossman’s bases-loaded walk in a six-run seventh finally ended that logic-defying streak after 78 innings, and the floodgates opened from there to push the Twins over .500 for the first time since the end of 2015. Coming off a 103-loss debacle that began with nine straight losses, Monday’s win also marked a successful Twins debut for the new front-office combination of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine. “I didn’t realize the drought had been quite that long,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “We talk about confidence with a young group. It was a nice day as far as that’s concerned.” A pair of well-executed bunts by Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario, followed by an intentional walk to Brian Dozier, set the stage for Grossman. Four straight wayward pitches from lefty Matt Strahm forced in Jorge Polanco with the go-ahead run after he started the inning with a bloop single into short center. Kepler’s hustle on a sacrifice bunt attempt was rewarded with a successful replay challenge after he initially was called out. “I knew I was safe on that one,” Kepler said. “I knew I beat it. I’m going all out.” Having dropped just six successful sacrifice bunts in his first seven professional seasons, Kepler was briefly upset with himself after his first attempt at a bunt hit the plate and spun foul. “I held my breath at first,” he said. “I wanted to execute that bunt. I wanted to move Polanco over. I have speed, so I can bunt. I’m not going to eliminate that from my game.” Bases-loaded walks to Joe Mauer and Sano followed before newcomer Jason Castro slashed a two-run single to left. Polanco, batting for the second time in the inning, added a ground single the other way as a sellout crowd of 39,615 rejoiced. Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (1-0) worked the first seven innings to pick up his first career victory on Opening Day. It took him 22 batters to record his first strikeout, but once he got the hang of it he kept going, fanning the Royals’ 4-5-6 hitters to end his 91-pitch duel with left-hander Danny Duffy (eight strikeouts in six innings). The Twins managed just three hits off Duffy, but one of those was Sano’s 423-foot fourth-inning blast into the second deck. That quickly tied the score after Mike Moustakas took Santana out to right in the top half of the inning. Sano dedicated his home run to late pitchers Yordano Ventura (Royals) and Yorman Landa (Twins), who died in offseason car crashes in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, respectively. The teams wore patches and stood solemnly through a pregame ceremony in their honor.

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“They lost their lives,” Sano said. “It’s tough for us and the Royals.” After the Moustakas homer, Santana settled back into a groove, retiring the next nine before throwing six straight balls in the seventh, including a leadoff walk to Lorenzo Cain. Three straight swinging strikeouts, all on Santana’s vaunted slider, followed to retire Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Brandon Moss. Lefty Taylor Rogers was warming in the bullpen, but Molitor opted to stick with his ace after a brief mound visit. Of Santana’s 10 swing-and-miss strikes, six came in the pivotal seventh. A patient approach helped chase Duffy after 100 pitches as the Twins worked three walks and forced two other three-ball counts. Matt Belisle and Brandon Kintzler got the last six outs to give the Twins a rare win over their division nemesis. Over the past four seasons, the Royals had taken 53 of 76 games between the teams. With that, the Twins finally won on Opening Day, ending one of the foremost statistical oddities in club history. “I don’t want to think about that,” Kepler said. “It’s always good to win that first one.” Slick grabs in center help Twins’ Byron Buxton offset rough day at bat Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | April 3, 2017 Byron Buxton, batting third for the first time in his young career, went 0 for 5 with three strikeouts on Opening Day. The young Twins standout made up for that with a pair of diving catches in short center field, robbing Alex Gordon to end the third inning and stealing a sure hit from Paulo Orlando two innings later. “We try to keep an aggressive mind-set out there and keep going after balls,” Buxton said. While right fielder Max Kepler called the first catch “vintage Buxton,” the second grab required what Buxton called his “make-up speed” to outrun a slip on the slick outfield grass. “That was just a bad jump,” Buxton said. “I thought he hit it better than he did. Caught it off the end, and I broke back first and slipped. Luckily I’m fast.” MAUER BATS FOURTH Even with left-hander Danny Duffy starting for the Royals, Joe Mauer hit cleanup in his club record-tying 13th Opening Day start. It marked just the eighth career start for Mauer, a St. Paul native, in that spot in the batting order and his first opportunity in a regular-season game with the Twins since April 30, 2006 at Detroit. Mauer also noted he hit cleanup for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. “There are a lot of things I like about that,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “Maybe not ideally against lefties, but we’ll see some different lineups against lefties going forward, I can tell you that. Today this is the way it looked best to me.” Molitor hinted in the final days of spring training that his lineup for lefties could drop Mauer a few spots lower, perhaps to seventh. Brian Dozier, despite a 42-homer season in 2016, will remain in the leadoff spot. Switch-hitter Robbie Grossman, who led the Twins in OBP last season, batted second, followed by the power/speed combo of Byron Buxton. “The big thing for me is Dozier really likes that spot,” Molitor said. “I don’t think it’s a thing where I’m worried about wasting 40 homers in a leadoff spot. I think it’s about a guy who can be a catalyst for a team. I talk about the art of scoring runs; he’s done that. Wherever he’s hit, he finds a way to touch home plate.” PAYROLL BREAKDOWN The Twins’ Opening Day payroll has edged up 2.1 percent over last year’s figure, checking in at $107.5 million with the help of three pricey absentees.

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With closer Glen Perkins ($6.5 million) topping the list of four Twins opening the season on the disabled list and South Korean slugger ByungHo Park ($2.75 million) opening at Triple-A Rochester, the Twins have nearly $15 million committed to players who were not active for Monday’s game. Also counted in that is a $4 million obligation to the Los Angeles Angels to defray the cost of their Opening Day starter, Ricky Nolasco, traded away last Aug. 1. According to Forbes magazine, the Twins rank 22nd among the 30 major league clubs in Opening Day payroll, just behind the Philadelphia Phillies and ahead of the American League Central’s Chicago White Sox ($100 million). Among remaining AL Central rivals, the Detroit Tigers ($199.8 million) have the game’s second-highest payroll, while the Royals ($145.9 million) and Cleveland Indians ($125.9 million) rank 14th and 18th, respectively. This marks the third-highest Opening Day payroll for the Twins in the Target Field era, trailing only the $113.2 million they spent in 2011 and the $108.3 million they spent in 2015, their only winning season in the past six. Fourteen Twins will make at least seven figures, led by Mauer at $23 million. Just 13 major leaguers will make more than Mauer, including just four active position players: Miguel Cabrera ($28 million), Jason Heyward ($26 million), Albert Pujols ($26 million) and Robinson Cano ($24 million). The Twins’ starting rotation will pull down a combined $38.1 million, only about $5 million more than the Los Angeles Dodgers are paying ace lefty Clayton Kershaw this year. Opening Day starter Ervin Santana ($13.5 million) leads the pitching staff, followed by right-hander Phil Hughes ($13.2 million), lefty Hector Santiago ($8 million), right-hander Kyle Gibson ($2.9 million) and rookie lefty Adalberto Mejia, who is making the big-league minimum salary of $535,000. The starting outfield of Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario is a bargain at a combined $1.635 million this season. Newcomers include catchers Jason Castro ($8.5 million) and Chris Gimenez ($950,000) as well as veteran relievers Matt Belisle ($2.05 million) and Craig Breslow ($1.25 million). BRIEFLY — In addition to special assistants Torii Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins, recently retired catcher A.J. Pierzynski was on hand for Opening Day along with former Twins Justin Morneau and Corey Koskie and former manager Ron Gardenhire. They came to support longtime Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch. — Rookie lefty Adalberto Mejia worked five innings on Sunday for Triple-A Rochester and gave up one run on four hits and no walks in a 67-pitch outing. Mejia, who struck out five while pitching to veteran catcher Chris Gimenez, is slated to start Saturday at the Chicago White Sox. — Rochester will send right-hander Jose Berrios to the mound on Thursday for its season opener at Syracuse. Following Berrios in the Red Wings rotation will be veteran righty Nick Tepesch, lefty Jason Wheeler, righty Aaron Slegers and lefty David Hurlbut. The average Opening Day age of that group is 25.4. Big 7th backs Santana as Twins top Royals Rhett Bollinger & Jeffery Flanagan | MLB | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Ervin Santana threw seven strong innings, and the Twins were helped by three bases-loaded walks as part of a six-run seventh to snap their eight-year losing streak on Opening Day in a 7-1 win over the Royals on Monday at Target Field. The Twins hadn't won a regular-season opener since 2008, but rallied in the seventh, keyed by an overturned call at first on a bunt attempt from Max Kepler after a leadoff single from Jorge Polanco. It led to the Twins loading the bases with one out, and scoring three runs on walks from Robbie Grossman, Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano. "I didn't realize the drought had been quite that long," said Twins manager Paul Molitor, whose club started 0-9 last year. "Just to get off to a good start is good for our confidence. We've got to extend this for a while, but it was a nice day."

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Catcher Jason Castro, signed to a three-year, $24.5 million in the offseason, provided two insurance runs with a single to left, and finished 2-for-3 with a walk in his Twins debut. Polanco capped the scoring with an RBI single to right. Royals lefty Matt Strahm was charged with four runs, while fellow lefty Travis Wood gave up two. Both recorded just one out. It spoiled a strong outing by Royals lefty Danny Duffy, who threw six innings of one-run ball, scattering three hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in his first Opening Day start. The lone run he allowed came on a solo shot to left from Sano in the fourth. "I thought I threw pretty well, but the three walks … I can't be walking three," Duffy said, "With the stuff I have, I can't be nitpicking. I got to be more aggressive." Duffy was out-pitched by Santana, who allowed one run on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts to become the first Twins pitcher to win on Opening Day since Livan Hernandez in 2008. Santana's only blemish was a solo homer from Mike Moustakas in the fourth. Santana was helped by several impressive defensive plays, especially from center fielder Byron Buxton, who made a pair of diving catches, including one deemed the first five-star catch of the season by Statcast™ in the third. Buxton made a perfect read on a hard-hit liner from Alex Gordon, covering 36 feet in 2.9 seconds for a catch probability of 24 percent. "When you hit the ball to him, you kind of tippy-toe to first base, hoping it might drop," Gordon said, "but knowing it might not. He's really athletic. We'll be seeing those catches for a while." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The four-pitch walk: The Twins' six-run seventh was fueled by some wildness from the Royals' bullpen, starting with Strahm, who walked Grossman on four pitches with the bases loaded and one out. That gave the Twins the lead for good at 2-1. Peter Moylan came and struck out Buxton, his only batter, but Wood entered and walked Mauer and Sano back-to-back with the bases still loaded. The six runs were the most given up by the Royals in one inning in an Opening Day game. "We did have the matchups we liked," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "But command evaded us at that point." Perfect timing: Santana didn't have a strikeout through the first six innings, but he got three straight Royals to strike out when he needed it most in the seventh. Lorenzo Cain walked and stole second to lead off, which led to a mound visit from Molitor. But with a mixture of sliders and changeups, Santana proceeded to strike out Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Brandon Moss to keep the score tied 1-1. "Molitor asked how I felt, and I said I felt fine," Santana said. "I'm always honest. But I felt really good. I was just trying to keep the ball down." QUOTABLE "Us outfielders have this thing where nothing falls but raindrops. We take that to heart and want to be the best outfield out there. We're trying to be aggressive to every line drive and foul ball we can be." -- Buxton, on Minnesota's outfield defense SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Sano's homer in the fourth was the second-hardest in his career by exit velocity, according to Statcast™. The blast into the second deck left the bat at 113.8 mph and traveled a projected 425 feet. His hardest-hit homer came last year at 114.2 mph. Sano has 10 homers of more than 110 mph since 2015, while the rest of the Twins have six combined. REPLAY REVIEW After Polanco singled to open the seventh, Kepler dropped down a sacrifice bunt and was initially ruled out at first. But after a short review, the play was overturned, and Kepler was awarded with a bunt single to put two runners on with nobody out. It turned out to be a crucial overturn: A sacrifice bunt, an intentional walk and a bases-loaded walk to Grossman put the Twins up 2-1. "It was the little things," Molitor said. "Kep got that bunt down in what was one of the biggest plays of the day and got down the line. We showed some patience taking some walks." IN MEMORIAM The Twins provided a pregame video tribute to Twins prospect Yorman Landa and Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura, both of whom died in car accidents during the offseason. Both clubs also wore a patch. "That home run was for Yorman Landa," Sano said of his solo shot in the fourth. "It's tough for us and for the Kansas City Royals. They were both good teammates."

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WHAT'S NEXT Royals: After Tuesday's off-day, right-hander Ian Kennedy, who had a superb spring, takes the mound Wednesday in a 12:10 p.m. CT start. Kennedy didn't allow a run in Spring Training until his final inning on Saturday, when he gave up three to Texas. Twins: Minnesota has an off-day on Tuesday, but left-hander Hector Santiago will start against the Royals on Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. CT. Santiago, acquired from the Angels at last year's non-waiver Trade Deadline, posted a 4.70 ERA last year, but a 5.58 ERA in 11 starts with the Twins. Buxton makes MLB's first 5-star catch of '17 Rhett Bollinger | MLB | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Byron Buxton didn't waste any time showing off his defensive prowess, as the center fielder made the first five-star catch in the Majors this season, robbing the Royals' Alex Gordon with a diving catch in center to end the top of the third inning of the Twins' 7-1 Opening Day win on Monday. Gordon's liner to left off Ervin Santana had an exit velocity of 106 mph and traveled 289 feet, but Buxton made a great read and tracked it down to make a diving snare. It had a catch probability of 24 percent, which rates as a five-star catch, according to Statcast™. Catch probability is on a scale of 0 to 100, and it is essentially based on how far the fielder had to go and how much time he had to get there. Buxton had 2.9 seconds to get to Gordon's liner, which was projected to land 36 feet away from where Buxton was positioned in center. "When you hit the ball to him, you kinda of tippy-toe to first base, hoping it might drop, but knowing it might not," said Gordon, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner. "He's really athletic. We'll be seeing those catches for a while." Buxton had six five-star catches in 2016, converting 24 percent of his five-star chances. The Twins led the Majors with 18 such catches last year. "Us outfielders have this thing where nothing falls but raindrops," Buxton said. "We take that to heart and want to be the best outfield out there. We're trying to be aggressive to every line drive and foul ball we can be. We know we'll have backup, so it allows us to play freely." Buxton made another diving grab in the fifth, but much of the difficulty was his own doing, as he stepped back and slipped before recovering in time to make the play. It's hard to say he robbed Paulo Orlando of a hit, however, as the play had a 98 percent catch probability, but Buxton showed off his ability to recover when he doesn't make a great read. Buxton needed to go 50 feet to reach the ball, but ran 64 feet, meaning he covered 14 extraneous feet because of his misread. "It was just a bad jump," Buxton said. "I thought he hit it better than he did. It went off the end of the bat, but I broke back first. I slipped, but luckily I'm fast, made it up with my speed and made the play." Twins manager Paul Molitor was impressed by both plays, and like Buxton, noted that it's part of an outfield philosophy brought in by new outfield coach Jeff Pickler to play shallower and take risks. "We've been working hard on these guys taking chances to make plays," Molitor said. "We've kind of changed the philosophy to get them shallowed up to utilize their skills. He got a great jump on the first one, but the second one with the wet grass, he slipped a little bit, but made an outstanding recovery." Twins take advantage as Royals' 'pen falters Jeffery Flanagan | MLB | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Royals and manager Ned Yost figured they had the Twins right where they wanted them: A 1-1 game in the late innings, with a bullpen so elite in recent years ready to lock yet another opponent down. And then everything unraveled. After starter Danny Duffy tossed six strong innings of one-run ball, the Royals' bullpen collapsed in the seventh after a broken-bat hit, a misplay on a bunt, a sacrifice bunt and then a whole lot of walks. When the carnage was over, the Twins had a six-run inning, the most allowed by the Royals in a single inning on Opening Day. The Twins also eventually had a 7-1 triumph.

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"We did have the matchups we liked," Yost said. "Command evaded us ... the inning started off really benign." Jorge Polanco got things going with a broken-bat blooper up the middle off left-hander Matt Strahm, the rookie sensation who had a 1.23 ERA last season in 21 games. Max Kepler followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt down the first-base line; Strahm was slow to the ball and a replay challenge confirmed his throw to first to get Kepler was late. "I should have made that play," Strahm said. "I need to make the throw quicker but he beat it." "I wasn't sure what I was going to do if it got to 3-1 [count], but he got it down," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It was the little things. You look through the lineup today and see how they contributed, Kep got that bunt down in what was one of the biggest plays of the day and got down the line." After a sacrifice bunt by Eddie Rosario, Yost chose to walk Brian Dozier. But the decision backfired when Strahm missed on four straight pitches to Robbie Grossman, forcing in a run. None of the pitches were particularly close. "I think he was a little nervous with what was going on," Grossman said. "I'm not too sure." Strahm's explanation: "I was just spinning off it. I wasn't staying on top of the ball. I need to be better." Next, Yost opted for right-hander Peter Moylan for the righty-righty matchup with Byron Buxton, whom Moylan fanned for the second out. That prompted another call to the bullpen for a lefty-lefty matchup with Travis Wood vs. the Twins' Joe Mauer. Wood walked in another run. That brought up Miguel Sano, and yet another bases-loaded walk ensued, the third of the inning. The Royals had only seven bases-loaded walks all last season. "It's baseball," Yost said. "Things like that happen. You don't see it very often, but it does." Forced to practically groove a pitch, Wood then sent a slider over the middle of the plate that Jason Castro sliced into left for a two-run single, giving the Twins a commanding 6-1 lead. "We showed some patience taking some walks," Molitor said. "Castro got the big hit and Polanco followed it up. [Castro] had a heck of a day. He did a nice job delivering a big hit to break it open for us." "It was unacceptable," Wood said of his performance. "That can't happen." Molitor beamed about his team's ability to play small ball late in the game. "We put up a big number late in the game when everything was nip and tuck," Molitor said. "It was nice to get some breathing room." Mauer's 13th Opening Day ties Killebrew Rhett Bollinger | MLB | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer continues to climb the Twins' all-time records lists, and he hit another milestone against the Royals on Monday, as it marked his 13th Opening Day, tying the franchise record set by Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew. Mauer is in his 14th season with the Twins, but missed the opener during his American League Most Valuable Player Award-winning season in 2009 with a back injury. "Any time you're mentioned with Harmon, it's a pretty good thing," Mauer said. "I don't really know what to think about it to be honest. I'm just excited, and it's the same feeling I've had for the other 12 I've been in." One change, however, was Mauer's placement fourth in the batting order against lefty Danny Duffy, his first start at cleanup since April 30, 2006. Twins manager Paul Molitor said he's going to experiment with Mauer's spot in the lineup against lefties after he hit .224/.291/.319 against them in 127 plate appearances last year. Molitor indicated Mauer could even bat further down the lineup against lefties, but he felt the veteran was a good fit in that spot on Opening Day because of his experience.

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"I think getting a good at-bat from that spot is really important," Molitor said. "It also sets up Miguel [Sano] to hit two- or three-run homers. It might not be ideal against lefties, but we'll see different lineups against lefties going forward." Mauer, who turns 34 on April 19, hit .261/.363/.389 with 11 homers and 49 RBIs in 134 games last year, making just 20 starts over the club's last 43 games because of a quad injury. But he's healthy now, and Statcast™ provides some optimism for this year. Of the 146 players eligible for the batting title, Mauer had the fourth-largest difference between his OPS, and Statcast™'s estimated OPS in 2016. Mauer had a .752 OPS, but based on his average launch angle and exit velocity, his estimated OPS was .845. He's also coming off a strong spring that saw him hit .290/.463/.452. But it's telling Mauer had an 87.1-mph average exit velocity against lefties, but averaged 91 mph against righties, according to Statcast™, which is a reason why the club wants to protect him against tough lefties this year. Worth noting • Former Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek, who spent 32 years on Minnesota's coaching staff, threw out the first pitch before Monday's game. • The Twins wore a special Opening Day patch honoring Minor Leaguer Yorman Landa, who died in a car accident in the offseason. The Twins honored both Landa and Kansas City's Yordano Ventura with a moment of silence before the game. • Jorge Polanco became the 11th different shortstop in the last 12 years to start on Opening Day for the Twins. • Left-hander Adalberto Mejia threw five innings against Triple-A Rochester on Sunday before rejoining the Twins on Monday. He's expected to start on Saturday against the White Sox. Kennedy, Santiago value No. 2 starter nod Jeffery Flanagan | MLB | April 3, 2017 Royals manager Ned Yost feels lucky to have two aces on his staff -- Danny Duffy, who started Opening Day on Monday, and right-hander Ian Kennedy, who will start Wednesday vs. Minnesota at Target Field opposite left-hander Hector Santiago. Kennedy will also start the Royals' home opener April 10 against the A's. "When you have two openers like we do this year," Yost said, "you want good pitching to represent you. So, we're fortunate to have a guy like Ian who can be an Opening Day starter. You know what you're going to get." Kennedy said he'll enjoy following Duffy in the rotation here in Minnesota. "It's kind of nice to be able to sit back and watch the opener," Kennedy said. "You get to observe the other team. That always helps." Kennedy dominated the Twins last season, going 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA. Kennedy didn't allow a run in Spring Training until his final outing Saturday, when he gave up three runs against Texas. Santiago, who pitched for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, appreciated being named the Twins' No. 2 starter in his seventh MLB season. "Every year I've had to battle to try and earn a spot, and every year I move up just a little," Santiago said. "I remember fighting for any spot I could get, then fighting for a fifth spot, then the four, the three and now being a No. 2 guy is nice after being one of those guys that got skipped the first time through the rotation in years past." Zulgad: After a rough spring, Sano has a blast in Twins’ opener Judd Zulgad | ESPN 1500 | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS – The Twins were batting in the bottom of the second inning on Monday in their opener at Target Field when Miguel Sano came to the plate for the first time against Kansas City lefty Danny Duffy. Sano worked the count to 3-1 when Duffy came in with a juicy two-seam fastball. Sano, however, was only able to loft a sky-high pop up into

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shallow right field that was caught by second baseman Raul Mondesi. Kansas City held a 1-0 lead on Mike Moustakas’ home run to lead off the fourth, when Sano came to the plate for the second time with one out in the bottom of the inning. Duffy decided to tempt fate again and threw Sano a 90-mile per hour two-seam fastball. This time the Twins’ third baseman did not miss. The ball exited Sano’s bat at 114 miles per hour and landed 423 feet away in the second deck of the left-field seats to give the Twins their first run in what turned into a 7-1 victory over the Royals before an announced crowd of 39,615 on a 50-degree and overcast Minnesota day. “His first at-bat I think he was disappointed,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Sano. “He got a 3-1 fastball that had a lot of the plate. I don’t know if he got beat but he hit it out to right field. First pitch, he was ready the next time and didn’t miss it. It was nice, especially following Moustakas’ home run, to get right back to even.” Sano said he was simply trying “to be aggressive” and “get the first pitch” in his second at-bat. Sano, who finished 1-for-3 on the day, added another RBI in the seventh when he was one of three Twins to walk with the bases loaded in what became a six-run inning. The victory was the Twins’ first on Opening Day since 2008 when they beat the Angels at the Metrodome. It also ended a streak of five consecutive home-opening losses at Target Field, including a 12-3 setback to the Royals in 2015. The blaring music from the Twins clubhouse could be heard in Molitor’s office as he discussed the victory. There was an obvious sense of relief for a team that opened last season with nine consecutive defeats en route to a franchise-worst 103-loss season that cost general manager Terry Ryan his job in July. Even two years ago, the Twins opened by winning only one of their first seven games before rebounding to finish with a respectable 83 wins. Sano came up that season in July and finished with a .269/.385/.530 batting line as well as 18 home runs and 52 RBIs. A third baseman, Sano did much of his damage while serving as the Twins’ designated hitter. The Twins, hoping that Sano wouldn’t put too much weight on his 6-foot-4 frame and wanting to keep Trevor Plouffe at third base, announced that they planned to make Sano a right fielder for the 2016 season. What seemed like a bad idea, turned out to be a terrible one. Sano was heavy when he arrived at spring training and he looked lost in the outfield. He suffered a left hamstring strain while running to first base in Oakland and was placed on the disabled list on June 1. That injury cost him a month. Sano finished the season hitting .236/.319/.462 with 25 home runs and 66 RBIs. He also struck out a franchise-record 178 times in 437 at-bats. That gave him 221 strikeouts through his first 150 big-league games, most ever for that time span. The Twins put Sano back at third base last season after his stint on the DL but he committed 15 errors in 42 games. Sano’s size makes him a prime candidate to be moved to first base, but the Twins did not back off keeping him at third and jettisoned Plouffe this offseason. Sano appeared to reward that faith by getting himself in far better shape this winter. He said at TwinsFest that he weighed around 265 pounds. His weight reportedly had been as high as 278 pounds at the start of spring training in 2016. The lighter Sano looked pretty good in the field on Monday, handling two groundballs and catching two popups (an area in which he struggled last season). Sano did have a misplay in the ninth inning when after shifting toward shortstop he failed to handle Alex Gordon’s grounder. It was called a single for Gordon. The Twins had to be happy with Sano’s start at the plate after he struggled for a large part of spring training. Sano hit only .200 with four home runs, seven RBIs and 22 strikeouts in 50 at-bats in Florida. “He had the kind of spring that you’re watching, looking for him to get going, which he did near the end of camp,” Molitor said. “He had a pretty high strikeout rate, but (we) kept talking to him about it and he said he was feeling good and he was excited about getting the season started. I think the home run and then having the patience to get the bases loaded walk were pretty good signs today.” Asked if he was more pleased with his home run or his defense, Sano said: “I’ve got the mentality to win the game. I don’t care if I hit a homer, play good defense. I only think about winning.”

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Sano is only 23 years old, but it’s clear he’s attempting to take on more of a leadership role. This included making a trip in from third base to offer words of encouragement to starting pitcher Ervin Santana, who gave up only one run and two hits in seven innings Monday. “(That was) communication with Ervin and I tried to give him positive (words) and said, ‘Let’s go, you’re the man over there. Let’s go finish the game and try to make (it) a great job.’” For one day at least, Sano and Santana accomplished that mission. Wetmore’s 5 thoughts: New-look lineup, ‘Raindrops,’ and scoring runs looks easy Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS – Real baseball games are back and Target Field has awoken from its hibernation. The Twins won, 7-1, the first win on opening day for Minnesota since 2008, and all kinds of interesting developments unfolded Monday. At the risk of reading too much into one game out of 162, this column presents 5 thoughts from Monday’s opening day game: 1. The Twins mounted a 6-run rally in the 7th inning to put the Royals to bed. Jason Castro had the 2-RBI single to break the inning open, but at the point the Twins already had scored three runs on bases-loaded walks. Robbie Grossman, Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano all worked a walk with the bases full of teammates, and then Castro and Jorge Polanco delivered base hits to cap the scoring against Kansas City’s bullpen. I think the lineup has a chance to be imposing this year, if a number of guys deliver on their capabilities. I definitely see this offense as being capable of scoring runs in the top half of the league. We’ll get to a thought on lineup construction in a minute, but my general opinion is that it tends to be overrated. The basic idea should just be to load the top of your lineup with good hitters, and I measure good hitters by paying more attention to on-base percentage than slugging percentage, and it appears the Twins are doing that. In short, no matter the order you write them in, putting good hitters to the plate more often than lesser hitters – and in general just having good hitters at each position – is a pretty good formula for scoring a lot of runs. Minnesota proved capable of that Monday, and I don’t think that’s an aberration. 2. Byron Buxton made a couple diving catches Monday, helping Ervin Santana keep Royals batters off the bases. I’m giving him credit for one of them, and pointing out his mistake on another. If you just watch the 2-second video of the catch, you see a diving grab and assume the speed demon put himself in great position. The end result is the same, so I’m not here to overly criticize his play. In the third inning, Buxton snared a line drive off the bat of Alex Gordon that could easily have been a hit. My thought is that if you take away a double, that’s not necessarily going to be noticed as often as if you hit a double, but that defensive value shouldn’t be ignored. On Buxton’s other diving grab, he actually looked to have made a bad read on a pop fly and turned to retreat before realizing he needed to run in toward the infield on the ball hit in the air. He slipped when he tried to change direction, recovered, sprinted in a few steps and made a diving basket catch. Combine his defensive contributions with plenty of upside at the plate, and Buxton is the most pivotal players on the Twins. Here’s my season preview for the young ceterfielder, if you missed it this winter. Max Kepler, as part of a friendly competition, said he’s in competition with Buxton for good grabs this year, and he conceded that Buxton took a 1-0 lead Monday. Apparently, the outfielders have a saying between them that “nothing falls in but raindrops.” That catchphrase might stem from new outfield instructor, Jeff Pickler, Kepler said.

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3. Molitor’s batting lineup caused some to raise an eyebrow Monday, but I think in general it’s built on solid logic. Here’s Molitor’s response when asked to explain his first card of the season: “How much time do we have? There’s a lot that goes into trying to put your lineup together each and every day. And I think in today’s world there’s more information that contributes to things that you at least think about. The numbers don’t talk about make-up, though, and what you kind of feel they’re wired to do. Sometimes the numbers support that, sometimes they don’t,” Molitor said. “I’ve spent some time with our people, and a lot of time on my own, kind of understanding the old-school and new-school positions in the lineup – it’s changed. And I think intelligently so,” he added. “My thoughts on the 4-hole and the 5-hole and the 2-hole and some of these things, it’s just kind of evolved over time in how I see people fitting into those slots. Getting a good at-bat in that spot is very important, as far as guys that you feel comfortable getting you a two-out hit and guys that potentially could lead off some innings. Got a chance to set up Miguel [Sano] for 2- and 3-run homers….” Here’s the lineup he put down on Day 1 against lefthander Danny Duffy: 2B Brian Dozier DH Robbie Grossman CF Byron Buxton 1B Joe Mauer 3B Miguel Sano C Jason Castro SS Jorge Polanco RF Max Kepler LF Eddie Rosario The earlier comments from Molitor were in general terms, but here’s a specific comment about Monday’s order: “Now, today, throwing four lefties out against Duffy [a lefty], it isn’t aesthetically the best thing. But when I look at the options for my bench players – and I thought a little bit about opening day – I wanted to go with my best defense behind Ervin.” That was the primary thing I questioned with Monday’s lineup – not the order of hitters toward the top of the lineup. But with it being Opening Day, I can see why the Twins would want to put together what looks most like an ‘A’ lineup, rather than fiddling around with a platoon-favored lineup that could eventually include Chris Gimenez, a different DH, the first baseman batting lower in the order or any number of other changes. I don’t know what those changes will be, but I expect to see the manager tinkering with his lineups against left-handed pitching this season. We spent 20 minutes Monday talking about the lineup decisions, what they mean going forward, and why using a stat like Weighted On-Base Average makes a lot of sense. And if you’re curious about why Grossman would bat so high in the lineup against a lefty, I wrote about that possibility a month ago during spring training. 4. Ervin Santana was the easy decision to start on opening day, and he was good through 7 innings. The Twins’ de facto ace gave up just two hits, got some help from his defense, and allowed only 1 run on a solo homer to Mike Moustakas in the 4th inning. He got through 6 innings without a strikeout, and then fanned the side after a leadoff walk in the 7th inning to cap his solid day of work. All three of those swinging strikeouts came against Santana’s slider. The starting rotation is the biggest question, and the most sure thing among the bunch got the season started on the right foot. That’s the kind of outing the Twins had to have been hoping for from Santana. I wrote this winter about the possibility of trading a solid veteran like Santana. You can read that column here if you’d like. 5. I feel weird admitting this as a baseball analyst: I don’t really like Opening Day. It’s not that I don’t like that the baseball season is back underway—I really do like that. It’s just that the first day of the year seems to be way more about the fanfare and pomp & circumstance. It’s really the only day of the year on which the actual game takes a backseat.

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Opening Day feels like a ceremony. It’s like the day of high school graduation. Except if you like high school, you didn’t care as much about the graduation ceremony as you did about the days and weeks of going to classes and living the high school life. The metaphor falls apart here, because I wasn’t always the biggest fan of school. But you get the point. If you like baseball, you could do without the massive buildup and hype that preceeds the first game of the year. From my perspective, just give me the games. You can keep the ceremonies. BONUS –Miguel Sano crushed a home run on a first-pitch fastball that found its way to the middle of the plate in the 4th inning. Sano made several plays you’d expect him to make at third base throughout the game, and then he fumbled one in the 9th that was ruled a base hit. It looked like an error to me, but the bottom line is that it was a misplay that came after Sano was shifted to the shortstop’s area. His power is obviously something to track this season, but his defensive capabilities will also be critical. Personally, I think I’m even more interested in tracking that side of Sano’s game this year. –Final note before we get out of here: Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the email newsletter! A subscription this offseason came with a free Twins 2017 season preview e-book. Now that the season is underway, I’ll send newsletters out a couple times per week. It’s a quick and handy way to stay up to date on the Twins, even if you don’t read the columns every day. If you’re looking for how to sign up for that newsletter, you’ve come to the right place. Santana, Twins begin season with 7-1 win on Opening Day Associated Press | FOX Sports | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS — For the Minnesota Twins, the memory of that 0-9 start and 59-103 finish last year was still uncomfortably fresh. They couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the new season than this. Miguel Sano homered and drew the third bases-loaded walk during a dreadful seventh inning for Kansas City’s bullpen, as Ervin Santana and the Twins beat the Royals 7-1 on Monday for their first opening victory in nine years. “We didn’t try to overemphasize anything about today other than the fact that we’ve been on a little bit of a mission in spring training to try to come out and play a little bit better,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Santana (1-0) gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out three over seven innings, aided by two diving catches of sinking line drives by center fielder Byron Buxton that highlighted a stellar afternoon of defense by the Twins. Mike Moustakas homered leading off the fourth for the Royals, but Sano came back in the bottom of the inning with a tying 425-foot drive into the second deck off Danny Duffy. Six straight balls by Santana to start the seventh gave Molitor pause, but he responded to the mound visit with three straight outs to finish the frame. “I try to get him to stay positive,” Sano said. “Let’s go. You’re the man over there.” After signing a $65 million, five-year contract to assume the role as the ace of the rotation, Duffy’s first career opening day start was a dazzler with eight strikeouts over six innings with three hits and three walks. Then manager Ned Yost turned to Matt Strahm (0-1) for the seventh, and the Royals unraveled while the Twins rallied with two bunts and four walks. “Just one bad game. We have 161 left,” Duffy said. “Our bullpen is great, and I have ultimate confidence in them.” The key play was Max Kepler’s hustle to beat out a sacrifice attempt for a single, following a replay reversal of the initial out call. Brian Dozier was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs, and Robbie Grossman, Joe Mauer and Sano all forced in runs with unintentional walks. Jason Castro tacked on a two-run single, and Jorge Polanco followed with an RBI single as Molitor’s new-look, new-age lineup with Buxton batting third and Mauer in the cleanup spot worked well for the first try.

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“Just keep grinding out at-bats,” Mauer said. “That was pretty fun out there.” UNFAMILIAR FALTER After finishing in the top five in the major leagues in relief ERA in each of the last two seasons, using a lights-out bullpen to win the World Series in 2015, Royals relievers had a rather ominous debut. Peter Moylan struck out Buxton with the bases loaded, his only batter, but Strahm and Travis Wood each allowed four runners while retiring only one batter. “That’s not Woody. I didn’t anticipate that. He’s a strike thrower,” Yost said. “He’s a veteran strike thrower. He’s not a guy that gets frazzled.” FOR STARTERS The Twins won their first game of the season for the first time since 2008, delighting a sellout crowd announced at 39,615. This was only the second time in eight years since Target Field opened that the schedule put them in Minnesota to start the season. “There’s just something about opening day,” Molitor said, “that I think kind of tingles everybody’s spine a little bit differently than the rest of the season.” Mauer made his 13th opening day start, tying Harmon Killebrew for the most in Twins history. TRAINER’S ROOM Royals: Paulo Orlando was in RF for Jorge Soler, who began his first season with Kansas City on the 10-day DL with a strained left oblique muscle. Soler, who did some light work in the field before the game, is eligible to return on Sunday. Twins: Santana, who reached 30-plus starts last year for the eighth time in his career, became Minnesota’s second two-time opening day starter of the last 10 seasons. Carl Pavano was the other, in 2011-12. UP NEXT Royals: After the scheduled off day on Tuesday, RHP Ian Kennedy will take the mound for Kansas City in the middle game on Wednesday afternoon, followed by new RHP Jason Hammel in the series finale. Twins: LHP Hector Santiago comes up next in the rotation for Minnesota, with Kyle Gibson on tap for Thursday afternoon. Twins avoid dubious history, snap eight-game Opening Day losing streak Matt Snyder | CBS Sports | April 3, 2017 The Minnesota Twins won a baseball game on Opening Day and are now 1-0. Read that again and let it filter into your psyche, Twins fans, because you haven’t gotten to see similar sentiment in a long time, as you well know. The Twins had previously lost eight straight opening days and were getting close to a historic streak of futility. @JamesSmyth621 The Twins have lost 8 straight Opening Day games. Could be 4th to hit 9. 10 2005-14 Athletics 9 1972-80 Braves 9 1893-1901 Giants It should be noted that those A’s teams were often saddled with facing prime King Felix. So the Twins avoid joining that group with at least nine straight opening day losses. In and of itself, that’s a very good day. The Twins had a great day overall, though. Miguel Sano homered. Newly-acquired catcher Jason Castro collected a pair of hits, including a two-RBI single that pushed the lead up to 6-1. Ervin Santana allowed only one run on two hits in seven innings and then the bullpen threw up a pair of zeroes as they cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Royals.

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It’s only 0.6 percent of the regular season, but the Twins are off to a good start for the first time in almost a decade. That’s worthy of a quick celebration. Opening day winners and losers: Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Mariners, more Staff | Yahoo! Sports | April 4, 2017 The following is an excerpt from the full article: WINNERS: THE MINNESOTA TWINS Minnesota will take the positives where it can this season, so expect Twins fans to be all sorts of excited after defeating the Kansas City Royals 7-1 to earn their first opening day victory since 2008. Ervin Santana dismantled a veteran Royals lineup to the tune of seven innings pitched, two hits, one earned run and three strikeouts on two walks. His only blemish was giving up a Mike Moustakas home run in the fourth inning. (Schuster) The busiest guy you never see: Twins head of PR Dustin Morse Dave Schwartz | KARE 11 | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS, Minn -- It’s 5 a.m. and Twins Director of Communications and Public Relations Dustin Morse is already at work, even though first pitch isn’t for 10 hours. How many things does he have to get done every day? "Hard to put a number on it," he says. "You’ve kind of got your hand into a little bit of everything." He’s quick to point out that he doesn’t work alone, working with a staff of nine others in his department. He tries to make hard work a fun atmosphere. ”It’s no easy journey,” Morse says. “You put in a lot of time and a lot of hours. Try not to complain. We put in a lot of time here, so we try to have a good time.” As the head of PR, Morse lives behind the scenes and must walk a fine line. To represent the players and their interests, but make sure that the Twins brand is as accessible as it can be. And he’s got fans on both sides Still, things pop up. “We got to put out one of those fires,” Morse says. Today, it’s players that are supposed to pass out hats. But now they have a meeting at the same time. “So I either have to adjust the time or beg," Morse says. He cuts a deal with manager Paul Molitor. The job takes a lot of time and patience. Impeccably dressed, Morse constantly faces a barrage of people, media, players, former players and staff — and he does it all with a smile. “It starts with Dave St. Peter,” Morse says. “He’s as accessible as anybody and he kind of sets the bar.” Before the game, Morse rarely stays still. About the only time he sits is during the game. But even that doesn’t last long. It’s a busy life – that isn’t confined to the ball park. He has a wife and two kids and travels a lot. But he takes the job of fatherhood just as seriously as head of PR. “You’re running hard all the time,” Morse says, standing in the dugout. “But being a dad you can’t turn that off. They don’t understand that I got up at 3:30 this morning. They just want see me when I get home. So, you make up for it. I don’t take every road trip.”

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But he does take in every moment. Keeping things smooth, effortlessly. But at a fevered pace — the only way he knows how. Going to Target Field for opening day? Here are a few travel tips Tim Harlow | Star Tribune | April 3, 2017 Baseball is back as the Twins open the 2017 season with game against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field. First pitch is at 3:10 p.m., but you'll want to leave for downtown Minneapolis long before then. Monday is a work day, of course, meaning office workers will have nabbed their usual spots. That means parking will be tighter than on normal game days, especially since a near sell-out crowd is expected. Things could be even worse for fans taking in the Timberwolves game, which starts about the time the Twins game should be letting out. It's a 6 p.m. tip-off so expect a crush of vehicular and pedestrian traffic around the stadium and arena all day. Parking aside, there is lots of construction on roads leading to the sports area, so plan on extra commuting time. With that said, here are some tips that will hopefully make getting to the games a bit less of a hassle. Public Transportation This might be the best way to go as Metro Transit's Green and Blue light-rail lines stop right outside Target Field. Hop on at any of the stations along the line. Or, park over by US Bank Stadium and catch a ride to the ballpark for just 50 cents. The METRO Blue Line Park & Ride facilities at Fort Snelling and 28th Avenue stations have nearly 2,800 free parking spaces meaning you won't have to fight downtown traffic if you ride from there. The METRO Green Line runs from Union Depot in St. Paul, along University Ave, into Minneapolis. Remember no Twins Express (Route 679) for this season. Local bus routes 3, 14 and 94 serve Ramp B/5th Street Transit Center adjacent to Target Field. Many other frequent routes travel along Hennepin and Nicollet avenues just blocks away. Get there before 3 and the fare for local routes is just $1.75. To plan your trip, see metrotransit.org/twins Metro Transit's Northstar commuter train offers direct service to Target Field Station from stations in Big Lake, Elk River, Ramsey, Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley. For added savings, the Northstar Family Pass offers round trip rides for two adults and up to three kids ages 6-17 for $20 or less. Additionally, Northstar Link bus service from St. Cloud and Becker is scheduled to connect with trains at Big Lake. ROAD WORK The Minnesota Department of Transportation shut down two lanes on eastbound (southbound) I-94 between Hwy. 252 and Dowling Avenue. Additional lane closures are in effect from there down to the 7th Street exit in downtown Minneapolis. In short, this will be a big squeeze, so plan on a traffic jam and longer commute times if this is your regular route. Alternatives include taking Hwy. 100 to 394, then in, and if you have two or more folks with you, take advantage of the MnPass lane. Convenient access to parking garages is available off of 394. Other routes include East River Road/Marshall Street to Hennepin Avenue or University Avenue to Hennepin. Using city streets such as Lyndale Avenue to 7th Street could work, too, if you don't mind a few extra traffic lights. Once downtown, be aware of road work affecting city streets, namely Washington Avenue and roads immediately adjacent to Target Center. With 42,000 fans going to the game, that will put extra pressure on 7th Street, so using 3rd Street or 9th Street may be better. PARKING There is parking availability throughout downtown. The closest ramps to Target Field and Target Center are the A,B,C, and Hawthorne ramps off I-394 on the west end of downtown. Again, it will be crowded, so it may be advantageous for your exit plan to park well away from the stadium and walk. Lots of parking is available by US Bank Stadium, and as mentioned before, from there you can hop a light-rail train over to Target Field.

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Street parking is also an option, but be sure to check the signs to know time limits and hours of enforcement for your parking space. Many of the metered on-street parking spaces have event rates and enforced maximum parking times. Again, read the signs and stickers on the pay stations. It is nice enough to bike today. There are hundreds of places to lock up your two-wheeler at the stadium and on blocks nearby, particularly on 9th Street by Ramp A. Getting around Whether on foot, bike or in a car, be alert and follow orders of police and traffic control agents that will be stationed at intersections throughout downtown. Also information about parking and travel will be broadcast on dynamic messaging signs. Sue Nelson's cool sports job: Minnesota Twins organist Sue Nelson as told by Doug Williams | ESPN W | April 3, 2017 Sue Nelson discovered baseball as a little girl in southern Minnesota when she would go to her grandpa and grandma's farm. "They were one of the only ones with a TV," she says. "I would sit and watch baseball in the early days. My parents would say, 'Oh, that's so nice you want to go visit grandpa and grandma,' and I really didn't. I just wanted to go watch baseball." Nelson, 72, laughs as she tells the story, something she does often when discussing her lifetime love of baseball, hockey and music. She knows she's fortunate to have combined those passions for decades. She's been the Minnesota Twins' full-time organist since 1999 (even though she made her MLB debut in 1998, filling in for Ronnie Newman when he had arthritis) and has one of the best seats for every game at Target Field. She also played the organ for the Minnesota North Stars NHL team from 1981 through 1992, the outdoor and indoor versions of the Minnesota Strikers soccer team in the 1980s and at hundreds of high school hockey games in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. She's a fine classical pianist who made her living by performing and teaching, but when it comes to playing the organ for the Twins, she says she's a fan first and a musician second. Her job isn't to show off what she can do, but rather to help create a fun atmosphere and keep fans involved. "What I do is cheerleading," she says. "I'm not that much of a musician. I mean, I can play stuff, but I'm a cheerleader. That's my specialty." Though she doesn't play the organ for the NHL's Minnesota Wild, she works for the franchise in the winter as "the food and drink police," keeping fans' refreshments out of the team's main store. Nelson is a people person first. She leaves her home in Roseville, a Twin Cities suburb where she lives with her softball-playing husband, and arrives at the field about two hours before every game to visit with fans. She loves having fans around her as she plays and getting the chance to talk about the game and the importance of music with them. Nelson shares her thoughts about her career as an organist for the Twins and others: Setting the tone I was a cheerleader for basketball in high school, and I always say that it's up to you to try and get people to put their hands together. As the organist, I'm a cheerleader. I don't always hit the right notes, but it's always the rhythm, the rhythm. The rhythm is always absolute. The opportunity I worked in a music store. I played demo things and I taught music lessons and played piano bar. A guy came in one day in November of 1980, on a day I wasn't there. He said, "I'm having a nervous breakdown and I need somebody to take my job." So that job (with the North Stars) went up for audition. And the guy (at the store) called me and said, "Sue, Sue, there's a really good job for you." So I went and auditioned. There were some fabulous musicians, but of course they weren't looking for a musician, really. They thought they were, and they hired a really good one. But he didn't like hockey and he didn't want to stop his song in the middle, and he didn't want to watch the game. So I got a call the morning of March 18, 1981, and he said, "I know this is short notice, but do you want to play the game tonight?"

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North Stars farewell My last game was in April of 1992. That last season (1992-93, before moving to Dallas) they decided not to have an organist. They had a band that started and stopped during the game. It was the fiasco of the world. It was so stupid. I still stayed with the team and sold merchandise and tickets because I loved the North Stars. Upgrade from indoors At the Metrodome I was in the football press box, in a small room. But the ushers always sent people up and my door was open, and sometimes the room was full. We could get 20 people in there, but it was really stuffed. Target Field is just so much nicer. It's so beautiful. And my place is honestly the best seat in the house. I'm right above home plate on the terrace level, which is the middle level, and I'm in the bar. I look right out the window at the batter. There's a lot of people in there. I mean, it's a bar. I'm in the middle of the bar, and it's so much fun. You stay completely in the game that way. Talkin' baseball My favorite part of the job is just going to baseball games and talking to fans. The people that come, they really care about the team, the players, baseball and Target Field. It's such a joy. At exciting moments, I'm high-fiving all around, and hugs. Duties During the announcement of the rules and the umpires and the other team's lineup before the game, I have about 2 1/2 minutes to play. It's very much in the background. Then in the top of the sixth, I play for about 35 seconds. We have a lot of games with the fans, and if they win I play for them. And I do get to play "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" almost every single game. I play all during the game to get people cheering. No shade for the umps I have a lot of freedom. I can play a lot of songs. I like "Walk of Life," "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Hungry Like the Wolf." The only thing I can't do -- and I wouldn't do -- is "Three Blind Mice." I would not do that. My son is a (hockey) referee. I have a feeling for the umpires and referees. Musical duo Our DJ is arguably the best. He knows all the new music and plays it at just the right times during the game. I'm supposed to be doing all the cheerleading. He plays the walk-up music for the batters. He'll play things when a guy moves up a base, or after a foul ball, things like that. I'm on the headset with him. He says, "I'm going to take the next one" or "I'll take the next foul ball" or something like that. The iron woman I haven't missed many games. In 2002 my daughter got married on a game day, and I said she was not the favorite for a while. In 2011, I think it was, I had my appendix out. I missed a whole week, about five games. When we had the All-Star Game in 2014, I broke my left arm about 2 1/2 weeks before the game. I can play without the left hand, you know. I almost only use my right hand and my foot. I thought I could do it. I remember asking my husband to please come along with me (to the park) to see if I could play "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on the organ. I could. I played "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" for the All-Star Game, which was a huge thrill because they hardly ever say my name, but they did that day. They said, "Join Twins organist Sue Nelson in the singing of baseball's national anthem, 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.' That was exciting." The good guys I've had some favorite players. Torii Hunter was so dear. And LaTroy Hawkins. And oh, Jim Thome is such a nice man. Michael Cuddyer was so friendly and nice. Before the season they had a rally or something and he was there and from then on he introduced me to his wife. And Harmon Killebrew was just a wonderful man. No bobblehead, please! That's mentioned every once in a while and I would just hate that. That would be the worst. I love sitting here and visiting with anybody, but I don't want to be on the screen, and I don't want anything like that.

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Treasured moment It was the final day of the 2006 season at the Metrodome. We were going to the playoffs either as the wild card or the No. 1 in our division. We won and we were watching the game between Kansas City and Detroit. Everybody stayed because that game was going to determine whether we were going to be first place or get the wild card. The game was on the big screen, and I said, "Can I play? Can I cheerlead for Kansas City?" I played the organ, and people cheered with the TV. When the game was over, our guys ran around and high-fived and everything (for clinching the AL Central). It was an unbelievable time. How the iconic Homer Hanky almost wasn't even a thing Nancy Yang | MPR News| April 4, 2017 Thirty years ago this October, the hottest accessory in Minnesota was a white hanky. It was such an impressive item that it propelled the Twins to their first World Series title. OK, that part is an exaggeration, but Homer Hankies played their own role in the Twins finishing on top of the baseball world in 1987. The brainchild of the Star Tribune's Terrie Robbins, the hankies were snatched up by enthusiastic Twins fans and waved frenetically during the playoffs and World Series. Thousands of people lined up outside the newspaper's headquarters to buy them when they went on sale. The hankies themselves weren't grandiose — just an 18-inch square piece of thin cotton printed with the words "Twins 1987 Championship Drive" in red. But when fans waved them en masse during home games, it was quite the sight. But according to former Star Tribune editor Tim McGuire (as relayed to him by Robbins), the Homer Hanky was almost killed before it became a thing. After getting the go-ahead from the Star Tribune, Robbins had also received permission from the Twins. But shortly before the playoffs, she met with the Twins again and "the fellow she had talked to 'got really white,' " McGuire wrote in a post that appeared on MinnPost in 2010. "Twins officials were convinced they were going to be the 'laughing stock of baseball.' They even threatened that the white hankies were going to distract hitters and force the umpires to cancel the games and the playoff series. She says they angrily charged such a cancellation would be Terrie's fault. When Terrie's volunteer army of employees started to hand out the hankies before the first game Twins officials tried to stop her. Terrie credits (Star Tribune publisher Roger) Parkinson with being 'fearless' by ordering her to go ahead. Terrie's crew handed out the 60,000 hankies and that was that — until an early Gary Gaetti home run." That's when they saw a sea of white as fans shook and waved their Homer Hankies proudly. The rest, as they say, is history. After the 1987 World Series, the Star Tribune announced that they had sold or given away 2.3 million Homer Hankies. They have been offered on several other occasions since then, most recently in 2014 during All-Star Week at Target Field. Recent Chattanooga Lookouts alums stocking Minnesota lineup David Paschall | Chattanooga Times Free Press | April 4, 2017 As the Chattanooga Lookouts prepare for today's media festivities at AT&T Field and tonight's exhibition game against Chattanooga State, four recent Lookouts alums were in the starting lineup Monday for the Minnesota Twins. Center fielder Byron Buxton, right fielder Max Kepler, shortstop Jorge Polanco and third baseman Miguel Sano comprised half of the starting position players for Minnesota, which opened with a 7-1 win over visiting Kansas City. Polanco had two hits, while Sano homered.

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Buxton, Kepler, Polanco and Sano were members of the 2015 Lookouts, who wound up winning the Southern League title. "It's been great to see those guys come through Chattanooga to continue their development and eventually get up to the big leagues and start helping us in Minnesota," Twins player development director Brad Steil said. "That's the number one goal of what we do here — trying to produce major league players. Those guys are still young and are still learning in the big leagues. "They went through some growing pains last year, but I expect all those guys to take a step forward this year in Minnesota." Kepler turned 24 in February, with the other three set to turn 24 later this year. All four of those former Lookouts have experienced highs and lows since bidding farewell to AT&T Field. Buxton, who progressed through Minnesota's farm system as the No. 1 organizational prospect, hit .209 in 46 games for the 2015 Twins following his big-league promotion and was hitting .193 last season when he was sent down for a second time in early August. When Buxton was called up again on Sept. 1, he hit .287 with nine home runs in 29 games, shedding the overrated perception. "I read some of the stuff that was written in the national media, and it bothered me," Buxton told reporters in February. "I felt I was still trying to establish myself in the major leagues. Everybody doesn't come to the big leagues and just tears things up. "A lot of guys have had to go back to the minor leagues to make some adjustments. I never gave up on myself." Kepler, the 2015 Southern League MVP, hit .247 with 16 homers from June through August last season, but he tailed off in September and finished with a .235 average in 113 games. Sano hit .236 in 116 games last season after hitting .269 in 80 games two years ago, combining for 43 homers in the process. Polanco fared the best at the plate last year, hitting .282 in 69 games. "You need to afford players a runway to grow and develop," Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey recently told reporters. "We have some young players who I'm confident will be part of our core moving forward, and we want to make sure they're given that opportunity. The reality is we're looking to build this into a long-term, sustainable team." The Twins finished 59-103 last season, setting a Minnesota record for defeats. They went 83-79 in 2015, showing a lot of promise for the years ahead. Whether the Twins resemble the 2015 team or last year's version will be up to third-year manager Paul Molitor and his slew of Lookouts alums, but it will not be up to Steil. His objective will be overseeing a farm system highlighted by a new Lookouts team that could further stock the big-league roster in the not-too-distant future. "We're hoping we can develop this next wave of players in Chattanooga," Steil said, "because I think we have a lot of the same type of guys." Twins put end to string of opening-day defeats Dave Campbell | Associated Press | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS — For the Minnesota Twins, the memory of that 0-9 start and 59-103 finish last year was still uncomfortably fresh. They couldn't have asked for a better way to start the new season than this. Miguel Sano homered and drew the third bases-loaded walk during a dreadful seventh inning for Kansas City's bullpen, as Ervin Santana and the Twins beat the Royals 7-1 on Monday for their first opening victory in nine years. "We didn't try to overemphasize anything about today, other than the fact that we've been on a little bit of a mission in spring training to try to come out and play a little bit better," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. Santana (1-0) gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out three over seven innings, aided by two diving catches of sinking line drives by center fielder Byron Buxton that highlighted a stellar afternoon of defense by the Twins. Mike Moustakas homered leading off the fourth for the Royals, but Sano came back in the bottom of the inning with a tying 425-foot drive into

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the second deck off Danny Duffy. Six straight balls by Santana to start the seventh gave Molitor pause, but he responded to the mound visit with three straight outs to finish the frame. "I try to get him to stay positive," Sano said. "Let's go. You're the man over there." After signing a $65 million, five-year contract to assume the role as the ace of the rotation, Duffy's first career opening day start was a dazzler with eight strikeouts over six innings with three hits and three walks. Then manager Ned Yost turned to Matt Strahm (0-1) for the seventh, and the Royals unraveled while the Twins rallied with two bunts and four walks. "Just one bad game. We have 161 left," Duffy said. "Our bullpen is great, and I have ultimate confidence in them." The key play was Max Kepler's hustle to beat out a sacrifice attempt for a single, following a replay reversal of the initial out call. Brian Dozier was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs, and Robbie Grossman, Joe Mauer and Sano all forced in runs with unintentional walks. Jason Castro tacked on a two-run single, and Jorge Polanco followed with an RBI single as Molitor's new-look, new-age lineup with Buxton batting third and Mauer in the cleanup spot worked well for the first try. "Just keep grinding out at-bats," Mauer said. "That was pretty fun out there." The Twins won their first game of the season for the first time since 2008, delighting a sellout crowd announced at 39,615. This was only the second time in eight years since Target Field opened that the schedule put them in Minnesota to start the season. "There's just something about opening day," Molitor said, "that I think kind of tingles everybody's spine a little bit differently than the rest of the season." Mauer made his 13th opening day start, tying Harmon Killebrew for the most in Twins history. Santana, who reached 30-plus starts last year for the eighth time in his career, became Minnesota's second two-time opening day starter of the last 10 seasons. Carl Pavano was the other, in 2011-12. Hector Santiago comes up next in the rotation for Minnesota on Wednesday, with Kyle Gibson on tap for Thursday afternoon. Twins Reward Loyal Fans With Opening Day Win John Lauritsen | CBS Minnesota | April 3, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — For the first time in nearly a decade, the Minnesota Twins are winners on opening day. They defeated the Kansas City Royals, 7-1 at Target Field. The team announced a sell-out crowd of more than 39,000 fans. And winning will be the key to keep them coming back. Like clockwork, no matter what the Twins did the year before, fans always come back. And opening day means having an open mind on a brand-new season. “Nine and 0, that’d be a pretty good way to start,” said fan Chuck Reller. After dropping their first nine games last season, the Twins are 1-0. Not only were fans treated to a win, the weather was a bit warmer than last year’s opener when it was 42 degrees with a 20 mile an hour wind. “It was freezing. We left half way through the game because it was so cold,” said fan Mindy Anderson. Still, despite 50 degrees and heaters at Target Field, spring baseball means winter attire.

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“Just a sweatshirt and my jersey, scarf, mittens and a hat,” said fan Shana Reller. The weather will warm up and fans are hoping the team gets hot. With 103 losses last year, it was no surprise that season tickets on opening day dropped by about 2,000 from 2016 to 2017. The on-field losses are a reason Mark and Patty Shaw chose not to renew their season tickets, and opted for a flex plan. But if the Twins surprise this year, season tickets could be on deck in the future. “We are hoping at least .500 this year. That would be an improvement,” Mark said. “They are going to be better this year than last year,” said Patty. The Twins are running a bunch of promotables that appeal to fans this year. One new one is the Spring Ballpark pass. For $100 fans can go to every home game in April and May — except for the Home Opener. But they don’t get a seat — it’s like standing room only.