Why I don't leave early...

Some date in 1991: The Twins fell behind early against the Oakland Athletics. My dad, cousin, and I were getting antsy, when my cousin proposed we leave early to stop at one of the Twins memorabilia shops around the Metrodome to pick up some cheaper merchandise. Literally one minute after leaving the Metrodome and walking across the street the fans still inside erupt in cheers. Chili Davis had homered in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Some other game in 2008: My wife received a pair of free third-base line tickets (second row!) to a Twins/Red Sox games. Because she was so cute at the previous season's games (when she was less than one) we brought my daughter with. If she wasn't chewing on a pretzel she was jumping on us, running into the people on either side of us, screaming, or pulling the hair of the people in front of us. When the Twins fell behind in the fifth, we decided to cut our losses. (The tickets were free, so what?) But I told my daughter that if the Twins came back and won in extra-innings, she was grounded from going to a game for the rest of the season. Mike Lamb hit a two-out, two-run bloop single down the left-field line in the tenth, and Aurelia has not been to a game since.

Last night: Twins are down by two. Bottom of the ninth. No one on. Two out. Probably half of the crowd has left at this point; but not me, nor my posse (a friend, sister-in-law, father-in-law.) Carlos Gomez up. Walk. Jason Kubel pinch-hits for Jose Morales. Walk, with Brendan Harris pinch-running for Kubel. Brian Buscher pinch-hits for Nick Punto. Walk. Pitching change. Denard Span hits his second high-bounce infield-single of the game to bring the Twins up by one. Alexia Casilla- in a scene eerily-similar to the best game of 2008- hits a soft single up the middle to score Harris and Buscher for the win.

Today: My throat hurts and I sound like I spent the previous evening drinking over-priced, watered-down beer and screaming. It's because I did.

If you ever go to a Twins' game with me, don't plan on leaving early. It ain't happening.

Wooooooooooooolhouse