Not surprisingly, tonight the All-Star game festivities began with the
great Home Run Derby hitting contest. A chance for some baseball's best
to show their best at the plate, a friendly game of "anything you can
do, I can do better", if you will. If there was any surprise at all, it
came in the end, when the contest went to our own Minnesota Twin,
Justin Morneau. Unfortunately, you probably wouldn't know it by
turning on Sports Center, reading the Internet sports headlines, or
browsing the paper. Why? Because Josh Hamilton, the Texas Ranger who
decided his All-Star trip to Yankee Stadium would be a great time to
tell his personal story about a battle with drugs, hit a record setting
28 in the first round. Please do not get me wrong, it has become
obvious that the man has had his fair share of difficulties in life,
and although I've never had to rehab from a drug addiction, I certainly
can't imagine it being anything less than next to impossible. I commend
him for his efforts in getting where he is today. And yes, the
record setting 28 home runs in the first round of the derby is amazing,
and of course should be noted. That, however, is where Josh Hamilton's
day at the plate should end, because he did not win the contest,
someone else did. That someone else, as mentioned before, is Justin
Morneau, a slugger from the small market Minnesota Twins. And since no
one else seems to be taking notice of that fact, I'll repeat it again;
the 2008 All-Star Home Run Derby champion is Minnesota Twins first
baseman, former MVP, number 33, Justin Morneau. Alas, he will no
doubt go down in the history books second, quite possibly as nothing
more than a footnote. Morneau will be noted as the winner, but only
after the point has been made that Hamilton set a record of 28 home
runs in one round. So whats the big deal? If Josh Hamilton had
finished second to say, Big Papi, Manny Ramirez, A-Rod, or any of the
other big name players who come from big teams with big money, talk of
his winning would go well into next week, and Hamilton's record setting
number would be the footnote. It is frustrating for Twins' fans to
always have to watch their team, and its players, fall into the
background of second place, even when they win.
Ah, the Minnesota Twins home opener, 2008 at the Metrodome...exciting, fun, full of anticipation, and...snowy? Yes, snowy. If weather in Minnesota could be described in one word, it would definitely be "unpredictable". We have great weather one day and then its snowing like crazy the next. We go days on end in the summertime with humid, uncomfortable temperatures, completely devoid of rain, and then days when it doesn't stop raining. So, lets pretend, just for a minute, that today was opening day 2010. Everyone is excited about starting off the year with all of these new faces in a brand new multi-million dollar stadium, but, low and behold, it snows. Game canceled. All the anticipation for this stadium that wasn't made for the conditions of our state. Or, if you'd rather, imagine a game down the road, later in the summer, and its pouring outside. Now what is more inconvenient to a baseball fan than a rain delay? Or being at the game sitting in the rain? Is it possible that todays opening day blizzard was a sign that this stadium is a potentially bad idea? It is taking so much money and resources and the tax payers' dollar, and for what? Outdoor baseball in a state with weather that is the definition of unpredictable. Please do not get me wrong, I think a better stadium for the boys is a nice idea, but why do it if it's not going to work? We NEED a retractable roof on that thing, or we're really just wasting our money. If we're going to take the time and money to build it, we need to at least build it right. A retractable roof just makes sense, and building a brand new stadium in the state of unpredictability, just doesn't.
