Joe Mauer Drives Chevy Vehicles

A day after Twin Cities newspapers announced that Bill Mauer, Joe’s brother, had acquired the site of Southview Chevrolet in Inver Grove Heights, a kindergartener at Twins’ Fest asked Joe Mauer what type of car he likes to drive.  See the video below for the fun exchange between the two.  The All-Star catcher is in salary negotiations with the Minnesota Twins on a long-term contract.

JOE, WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE?

St. Thomas Magazine Excerpt: Legendary Baseball Coach Dennis Denning “A League of His Own”

Editor’s Note: We’re pleased to showcase an award-winning article on Dennis Denning, the University of St. Thomas baseball coach that was written by Gene McGivern, the St. Thomas Sports Information Director, in 2002.  Dennis Denning, a legendary baseball coach in Minnesota for parts of five decades, has announced plans to retire from his head baseball coaching position at the University of St. Thomas, effective Feb. 1, 2010.

His St. Thomas teams won NCAA Division III championships in 2001 and 2009 and claimed national runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2000.

Denning, who recently turned 65, won 80% of his games and recorded 901 victories at St. Thomas (1995-2009) and Cretin-Derham Hall (1978-94). At UST, his 522-157 overall record (.769 win%) was the best mark since 1995 among all NCAA Division III coaches.

In each of the last 14 seasons, the Tommies have won either the regular-season or postseason title in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).

Prior to his Tommie era, he was head coach for 17 seasons at nearby Cretin-Derham Hall High School, where Joe Mauer played his high school baseball.  His Raider teams won six Minnesota state large-class championships, 15 St. Paul City Conference titles, and amassed a 379-76 record (a .833 winning percentage).

“I’ve said it often, but Dennis is the best,” said St. Thomas athletics director Steve Fritz. “We knew we had something special when we hired him, and the results over these last 15 years speak for themselves.”

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UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS MAGAZINE EXCERPT

A League of His Own

Dennis Denning — the “Silver Fox” — and his players put St. Thomas baseball on the map and a 2001 UST team uniform in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame

by Gene McGivern

The nuns who supervised recess at St. Paul’s St. Francis grade school on West Seventh Street were the first to see it, 47 years ago.

When the third-graders stormed the playground for the daily kick ball game, one player stood out as the take-charge kid. There was Dennis Denning, age 9 going on 25, advising his teammates where to go and what to do. Always looking to give his team its best chance to win, he preached nonstop chatter, nonstop hustle and teamwork.

A Minnesota treasure, Denning starts his 25th season as a head baseball coach in 2002. Now in his fifth decade affiliated with baseball, he’s still telling young people where to go and what to do. Still offering tips for success. Still giving his players their best chance to win.

“Dennis is the best there is at any level that I’ve ever seen,’’ said St. Thomas athletic director Steve Fritz, who hired him away from Cretin-Derham Hall’s renowned high school program nearly eight years ago. “He understands his players and understands the game. We knew we were getting someone special when we hired him, but even I didn’t think he could do what he’s done so soon.”

Since Denning traded his white and purple Cretin-Derham Hall cap for the gray and purple cap of St. Thomas in July 1994, the Tommie baseball program has soared to amazing heights. With six consecutive NCAA Division III playoff berths and NCAA runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2000, Denning and his players put St. Thomas baseball on the map. By earning a seventh NCAA playoff berth and winning the national championship last May, Denning put St. Thomas on the marquee:

• The Tommies’ 8-4 victory over Marietta (Ohio) in last May’s NCAA title game let them cap an amazing 10-2 run through the rugged postseason schedule and gain bragging rights over 349 other Division III teams.

• St. Thomas, the lone MIAC team ever to play in the college baseball World Series, also became just the second Minnesota university or college to win a national baseball crown, joining the Minnesota Gophers, who last accomplished the feat in 1965.

• Denning was chosen National Coach of the Year in NCAA Division III.

• A St. Thomas championship banner is hanging in the NCAA’s Hall of Champions in Indianapolis.

Tommies in Cooperstown

There soon will be a Tommie hat, jersey and team photo on display in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to recognize the 2001 championship.

Few upper Midwest teams experience national success in baseball — especially Division III teams with modest facilities and no athletic scholarships. Yet in seven seasons at St. Thomas, Denning’s teams have won 79 percent of their games (85 percent in conference play) — the third-best record in Division III in that span — with MIAC regular-season or postseason championships in each of the last six seasons. They’ve swept 50 MIAC doubleheaders. They’ve posted a New York Yankee-like postseason record of 31-9 since 1998.

The late Mike Augustin, longtime sportswriter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, was among Denning’s many admirers. “Augie” saw enough of Denning’s baseball savvy in 17 seasons at Cretin to make these predictions upon his 1994 hiring at St. Thomas: Denning would have the Tommies in the College World Series within five years, and he would lead St. Thomas to a national championship.

From his perch in heaven, Augie watched Denning’s fifth Tommie team make MIAC history by reaching the College World Series, then last May saw part two of his prophecy come to pass.

How has Denning done it? Colleagues and players credit the coach’s consistent, simple philosophies, uncanny common sense, passion for the game and blue-collar work ethic.

A nickname: the “Silver Fox”

“He’s definitely a competitor. He doesn’t like to lose,” said St. Thomas softball coach John Tschida, one of Denning’s baseball alumni from Cretin who himself coached St. Mary’s University to an NCAA softball championship in 2000. “One of his nicknames is the ‘Silver Fox.’ He plays dumb, but he’s extremely smart. He’s the type of guy who may not know computers, but he has a Ph.D. in common sense. He just has a great grasp on how to handle situations. As a coach he’s able to keep things simple, and that’s the art of a great teacher. It’s not how much you know but how well you’re able to relay that information.”

Ryan Benson, who concluded his St. Thomas career as a member of the Tommies’ 2001 championship team, said Denning is a stickler for details.

“I think of Coach Denning as an old-school coach,” Benson said. “He makes you polish your shoes before games, and we all wear our uniform pants and socks the same way. He asks you to hustle on and off the field, and to run out every ground ball. If you’re slacking off, he sees that. He pays attention to a lot of little things.”

St. Thomas football coach Don Roney, an assistant under Denning from 1994 to 2000, said his colleague has a knack for getting his players to relax and play well in big games.

“He’s extremely competitive in everything he does,” Roney said. “I would never, ever bet against him in a tournament. I think the players gain confidence from his attitude. His players seem like they never play tight.”

People who know baseball say Denning could be working in the major leagues or would be successful as a Division I coach. But Denning seems to be in his element teaching the game in his hometown. For 10 years, he ran summer baseball leagues at Cretin. Since coming to St. Thomas in 1994, he’s continued the summer program for youths and conducted extensive high school clinics. He said it’s another way of giving back to a sport that has been good to him. Kids such as Joe Mauer, the No. 1 player picked in the 2001 amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins, got their first taste for organized baseball in his Cretin summer clinics.

Having a job you really like

Over the years, Denning turned down offers to coach with the Kansas City Royals organization and at college scholarship programs, preferring to stay near his roots, alongside his wife of 32 years, Nancy; grown children Heather, a teacher; Wes, a St. Paul policeman; and Jamie, who works at American Express. A new joy in his life is 2-year-old grandson Logan.

“I like my job,” Denning said. “How many people really have a job they like?” The coach says proudly he’s never missed a day of work to illness in his 30-plus years as a teacher and coach.

Denning recently splurged, trading in his 13-year-old Ford Aerostar for a 7-year-old Dodge Caravan. That speaks volumes about the modest, efficient man, the son of a machinist, who grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood on West Seventh Steet.

“He can do things on a limited budget,” Tschida said. “He’s like a junkyard dog. He hangs on to things and says, ‘We can use that at the field.’ I remember over at Cretin cutting out small sections of turf with a butter knife.”

Denning’s first formal coaching jobs came as a sixth-grader as he directed teams in parks and rec programs. In high school, he worked four nights a week from 6:30 to 11 as a pinsetter at a bowling alley, earning $7 a night. An admitted gym rat, Denning said he wasn’t blessed with exceptional speed and size. Friends say he made up for that with desire and heady play.

“He wasn’t the fastest guy and couldn’t jump the highest,” Tschida said. “He just was a competitor who tried to eliminate mistakes and make good decisions.”

In fact, Denning said he was cut from every sport at Cretin High until his senior year, when he made the varsity baseball team and was the starting second baseman on the 1962 state championship squad.

“I can empathize with the kid who doesn’t get all the honors,” Denning said.

Denning was among seven players on that 1962 Cretin team that went on to play either pro baseball or hockey, joining Jack Dale, Bob and Rick Paradise, and St. Thomas alums Dick Wash-burn, Steve Schmid and Jim McDonald.

Denning came to St. Thomas for college but received just 16 at-bats for the Tommies as a freshman. His hustle and versatility helped him emerge as a college star during the next two seasons. He signed a pro contract with the Baltimore Orioles after his junior year. (His brother Pat also played pro baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.)

“I had my first workout in Aberdeen, and they asked me what position I played,” Denning said. “I was signed as a catcher, but I looked out on the field and saw six guys who were catchers, five shortstops, four second-basemen and one guy at third base. So I told them I was a third- baseman.”

Climbing the Oriole ladder

Denning played three different infield positions as he climbed the Orioles’ ladder. He was slated to play in Class AAA for the Orioles’ Rochester team, but a wrist injury ended his career. He played rookie ball with the Aberdeen Pheasants, played in the Midwest League with the Appleton Foxes, and later played with the Miami Marlins, where legendary pitcher Satchel Paige was his teammate for one game. Among the prominent baseball coaches he learned from were Cal Ripken Sr., Joe Altobelli, George Bamberger, Jim Frey and Billy DeMars.

Denning also played in one of the longest games in pro baseball history — a 29-inning game. His Marlins scored a 4-3 win over the St. Petersburg Cardinals, whose coach was a fellow named Sparky Anderson. Denning played every inning and had 15 at-bats. The game ended at 3 a.m.

Besides all the friendships and great experiences he gained in the Orioles’ organization, Denning points to another benefit of his pro career. His prized cabin near Hudson, Wis., was purchased 35 years ago for a mere $7,500, in large part with his $5,000 pro signing bonus. “I like to tell people the Orioles bought me a cabin as a bonus to get me to sign,” he jokes.

In 17 years at Cretin-Derham Hall, Denning’s Raider teams won six state championships and compiled a 378-76 record. His summer youth VFW teams were just as dominant. More than 30 of his former students and players from his teaching and coaching career have played professionally, including 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, Steve Walsh in the NFL, and baseball legend Paul Molitor.

Tommie grads in baseball

Tommie grads still playing in pro baseball include All-Americans Jake Mauer with the Twins’ organization and Buzz Hannahan in the Phillies’ minor leagues. Jake Mauer received a lot of publicity last summer as “Joe’s brother.” Many were quick to say the Twins drafted Jake as a short-term move to help them sign Joe and to have him look out for their million-dollar investment. After a slow start at the plate last summer with the Twins’ rookie team, Jake raised his profile as he led the Twins’ Instructional League team in hitting this fall.

“The Twins give a written test of fundamentals and game situations, and Jake told me he only missed one answer, and it was because he misunderstood the question,” Denning said. Denning added that the Twins instructor singled out the fundamentally sound Mauer and a former UCLA player, who fared poorly on the test, to make a point. “Just because you played in a big-time scholarship program, doesn’t mean anything at the pro level,” Denning said. “You have to perform. You have to understand the game.”

When Denning meets with recruits, he doesn’t talk about winning championships or how much playing time they’ll get. He talks first about academics and getting a job when they graduate, and later about baseball.

“We look for leaders — guys who are positive and enthusiastic, team players and good listeners,” Denning said. “Those are the same traits you need when you go out and interview for a job. And the most important reason you come to St. Thomas isn’t baseball, but preparing to get a good job when you’re done.”

Carrying themselves well

Baseball is a sport in which even the top pro players make outs in two out of three at-bats. Denning thinks it’s a great laboratory to teach character, teamwork and attitude.

“I’m a baseball guy,” Denning said. “I like all the experiences you get out of the game, good and bad. So much of the time you experience failure. It’s very easy to blame others when you fail. Successful people don’t blame others but instead learn to carry themselves well.”

Baseball is a good sport “to develop listening skills,” according to Denning. “In our society today,” he explains, “people are so impatient and lack concentration skills. Baseball demands patience and staying alert. You might not get a ball hit your way for five innings, then have three balls in a row hit at you. You have to be ready.”

Denning’s Cretin and St. Thomas teams have boasted many talented players and team achievements. Yet ask the coach what accomplishments he’s most proud of and he’ll talk about an endless list of former players who improved, were team players, respected the game, and achieved success in their adult lives.

One such player was Cretin’s Mark Wagner.

“Mark was a right-handed pitcher in eighth grade,” Denning recalls, “but he hurt his shoulder and couldn’t throw and got cut in ninth grade. He went out that winter in his garage and taught himself to throw left-handed. One of Mark’s friends told me about that, and when I heard that, I said, ‘That kid makes the B squad roster.’ He eventually made our varsity and was the starting right-fielder on our state championship team. I told him about a summer job opportunity as an umpire in St. Paul, and he was a natural.”

Wagner stayed with umpiring. “Now he’s one of the best umpires in the major leagues,” Denning says proudly.

Sending guys to the major leagues. Preparing his summer campers for Little League. A focus on academics and careers that’s right out of the Ivy League. You might say Dennis Denning is in a league of his own.

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Excerpted with permission from Gene McGivern.  In addition to his Sports Information Director role with the University of St. Thomas, McGivern has authored two sports books:  Here’s Johnny Orr (former U. of Michigan and Iowa State basketball coach) and Dennis Green:  No Room for Crybabies.  Both are available on Amazon.com.

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Read more about Dennis Denning’s approach to coaching in John Tauer’s article in Psychology Today

The David Whigham Interview: Minor League pitcher continues to pursue dream

For El Paso Diablos pitcher David Whigham things were on the upswing in July.  He had just made the all-star team for the league and was scheduled to head to Australia in October for winter ball.  He was pitching his last game for the Diablos before he was to be sent to a Cincinnati Reds affiliate in Dayton, Ohio.

Then  tragedy struck.  A sharp line drive hit his temple and fractured his skull.  He spent over a week in intensive care and had two surgeries to repair the damage.  For many players, that might have been a career-ending injury.  Not for David.

In this SportsFeelGoodStories.com interview, read about David Whigham’s unyielding spirit and how his dream continues despite a nasty curveball being thrown his way.

SFGS: Where are you from and how did you come about becoming a minor league baseball player?

David Whigham: I am from Ocean City, Maryland. From as far back as I can remember, I have always dreamed big. It has never been in my character to settle and although my road to playing professional baseball has not been easy, I have managed to stay on a postive path. I’ve never the biggest, the strongest, or even the most talented and have always had to make up for it with hard work. It’s no secret to see why scouts haven’t taken advantage of a guy throwing in the high 80s but when they see my character and never-say-die attitude, I hope they understand what kind of guy they have on their hands. This has pushed me to become better everyday.

I did not get any looks from any Division I schools out of high school. I stood just 5′2 and weighed only 105 lbs my freshman year of high school. Everyone made fun of me because I was so little. I had a couple of Division II schools that were interested but when push came to shove they were not looking for a guy like me. I ended up signing with Guilford College, a Division III school in Greensboro, NC. I was a midweek starter my freshman year and was among the conference’s best pitchers by the time I was a junior. I transfered to Virginia Wesleyan College in senior year because of some health issues with my family. VWC was only a couple hours away from home so it was convenient to get back when they were sick. In the middle of my senior year of baseball at VWC, I had three family members pass away (two dying of long-term illnesses in the same night). It’s crazy because I thought at the time that this was the hardest thing I had ever gone through.

I was not drafted following my senior year. Scouts came to watch me play but were much more interested in other guys on the team than me. I then turned to the independent rout and went to three different tryouts and was cut in all three of them. I drove all the way to Detroit, MI from Ocean City (15 hours) to only be cut again. That one hurt really bad and I wanted to give up baseball. My parents supported me and told me I was to good to let it go. I kept pushing and ended up signing with the New York State League a couple weeks later. The league folded after one month and I was left for dead again. I kept pushing and eventually signed with New Haven in the Can-Am league. I had three appearances before I was released with almost a 39 ERA before I was released.  Yes, a 39 ERA! I signed with a sports agent in the off season thinking I could still play. He got me a contract with El Paso and I went into spring training with a lot of confidence.

I had a great spring training on the team and racked up over 100 innings pitched. This year, I worked even harder in the off season and prepared myself to be even better than the year before. I raced out to a 3-0 record to begin the year. My confidence was in full bloom and I finally understood where my talent could take me. I was efficient and working quickly. My ERA (3.8) was best on the team and among the top-10 in the league. I was among the leaders in strikeouts as well and was coming off a complete game shutout of Ft. Worth, who had the best record in all of minor league baseball at the time (27-5). I made the All-Star team and had the Reds coming to sign me on July 5th, but then (I was hit the night of July 2.)

SFGS: Please describe your recovery process?

David Whigham:

I have been recovering just great. It really is a miracle at how I have been able to heal so quickly. My second surgery took place 11 weeks ago and if you saw me now, you probably would have no idea that this ever happened to me. At first, I took it easy and let my body take its course in healing. It was hard to sit around and do nothing, but after awhile, I understood that is what I needed to do to better myself for the future. After about four weeks, I began to start moving around much more. It was around this time that I hiked a mile down a trail on my vacation to the Grand Canyon. That day was big for me because it proved to me that I was capable again of physically exerting myself. Mentally, I am sharper than I have ever been. I feel as if I have been through something that not many people have had to experience. This fuels me everyday to not only be a better baseball player, but a stronger person as well.

SFGS: Are you at 100% now?

David Whigham: I am 100% healing wise. I have no pain on the right side of my head anymore. I lost a bunch of weight this summer and at one point, I actually went all the way down to 166 lbs (I weighed 185 the night I was hit). So, right now I am working out everyday and finishing up my master degree in Post-Secondary University at Salisbury University. I weighed in at 179 lbs. today. My muscle mass has been growing recently thanks to a few wonderful people back home that have allowed me to use their outstanding facilities (Ocean City Health and Raquet Club – Martin Furst, Atlantic Physical Therapy – Bob Hammond). These two have opened their arms to me and given me free memberships to their facilities.

SFGS: How did you change your attitude from that of being a victim to “I’m going to get through this and share with people how I did it?”

David Whigham: There is really no secret to it at all. At first, I really thought I was the victim of an unfortunate tragedy. When I heard that the Cincinnati Reds were coming to sign me before the injury, I remember feeling like my world had been turned upside down. I remember staring at the ceiling from my ICU bed wondering what could have been if been if this didn’t have to happen. There were many times I would find myself on the floor, head buried into my hands and crying my eyes out, asking God why he allowed something like this to happen to me. This lasted for a couple weeks until the hours leading up to my second surgery. You see, when I went into surgery the first time, I had no idea what was happening. The time in between surgeries was almost three weeks, which gave me ample time to realize what was eventually going to happen. I knew that the surgeons were going to open up my skull again and how dangerous a cranioplasty really is. I have had to good fortune of being able to speak with a number of people who have had similar things happen to them. One of which was Willie Blair, a major league pitcher who was struck in the jaw with a line drive by Julio Franco. I look at him as an inspiration.

Then the day of the second surgery came. I remember shaking uncontrollably and being so scared as I thought it could have been my last few hours in this world. In the minutes before my surgery, I put my life in the hands of the Lord and told him I was willing to accept whatever fate he had for me. This event changed me forever. In my last few moments before the anaesthesia put me to sleep, I remember hearing “Emmanuel, Emmanuel” which is a song played often in the Methodist church. When I woke up, I knew I was never a victim because I had blessed by the right hand of the Lord. These thoughts have propelled me to speaking in various church services, reading to illiterate children, and explaining my story to everyone who wants to hear. I feel like everyone can learn from a story like this bethings you want the most are often the most difficult to achieve. I am not giving up and I hope others can use this as inspiration to keep pushing as well.

SFGS: What are your current plans?

David Whigham: I’m in my third semester of graduate school at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md. I’m working two jobs at the time being, one in the sports information office at SU and the other reading to illiterate children through the Barbara Bush Family Literacy Grant. I am taking two classes this semester but am not going to return in the spring. I will graduate with a Masters of Education next winter. My goal is to be in affiliated spring training next spring, so I am working out harder than I ever have. I have been surfing and swimming a bunch as well. If I don’t get an invite to a spring training with an affiliated club, I will be going back to El Paso. I wake up everyday to the same thing:  almost foaming at the mouth because I am so excited to show everyone that even something like this cannot stop me.

SFGS: What are your dreams for the future?

David Whigham: My dreams, although deferred, still have not changed. I want to be a big league pitcher and am going to do everything in my power to allow that to happen. I have never given up on anything and feel confident that if I can get a shot, I can make magic happen. This is my immediate goal.

SFGS: What advice can you give to others who go through difficult times?

David Whigham: The things that you often want the most are often the most difficult to achieve. I love baseball and have had a dream of becoming a big league pitcher my entire life. I am not going this accident detract my thoughts from this childhood dream. It took me a long time to realize that I as not a victim and to this day, I still struggle wondering where I would be if this accident had never happened. I had to realize that looking at the negative of it is not something that is going to benefit me. I try and draw on the positive and use them to fuel me each and everyday. I put myself in the shoes of those around me during my accident and feel the pain that they felt as I laid in that ICU bed. My ability to keep pushing is certainly for me and for all my friends and family but most of all for all those little kids out there who believe they can make it as a big league pitcher. This was my dream as a child and although I had this injury, I feel like I am going to come back as a better pitcher and a better person.

You can achieve whatever your heart longs for. I have never been the biggest, strongest, or most talented but have had the drive to want to achieve big things. I think that whoever can continue pushing at a goal with eventually have something good come out of it. If you love it, you will certainly fight for it.

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Albert Pujols funds annual Coolbaugh Memorial Dinner

A fundraising event has been held in former player and coach Mike Coolbaugh’s honor the past couple of years.  Coolbaugh was struck and killed by a foul ball while coaching first base for the Tulsa Drillers, a double A baseball team, in 2007.  In addition to raising money for Coolbaugh’s family, including a wife and three children, the event’s funds are partially distributed to other children who have lost family members.

Read how Albert Pujols helped rescue the event in Jonathan Mayo’s article in MLB.com:

“At the last minute, a sponsor to pay for the dinner at the event backed out. Enter Pujols to the rescue. When Josh Goldberg, the Director of Public Relations for Pujols’ agency, Beverly Hills Sports Council, approached the All-Star first baseman about the issue, he immediately remembered Coolbaugh — the two played together in St. Louis in 2002 — and donated well above what was needed to cover the cost of the dinner.

“Something from a Roberto Clemente Award winner shouldn’t surprise anyone,” Goldberg said. “But it still somehow does.”

Pujols won the Clemente Award in 2008, honored for the work he’s done with his foundation. Pujols puts on over 30 events a year for kids with Down Syndrome, including a golf tournament that raises over $350,000. He also makes annual trips to the Dominican Republic to help impoverished families and orphans with medical care and supplies.”

An 8-time all-star and multiple winner of the National League MVP award,  Pujols doesn’t just focus on statistics.  As he noted in an interview on MLB.com, “I don’t play for numbers. I play first of all to glorify God and to accomplish in this game what everybody wants to accomplish, which is getting to the World Series and coming up with a win at the end. Those are the things that I really try to focus on and try to make sure that I do every day for the rest of my career.”

What’s particularly impressive about this star slugger is that Pujols seems to find a way to do just as many great things off the field as on it.  And, that’s no small feat!

Read article at StlCardinals.com

Enjoy this ESPN commercial poking fun at Pujols’ machine like ability to deliver on the field:

“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!” (1988 World Series)

First game of the 1988 Worlds Series: A’s lead 4-3, bottom of the ninth, two outs and a runner on base. A’s closer, Dennis Eckersley to face pinch hitter Kirk Gibson. Gibson, who can barely walk due to previous injuries to his legs, looks wobbly coming to the plate. Legendary announcer Vin Scully has the call. A lot of drama packed into one at bat. Baseball at its best!

ENJOY THIS VIDEO

Metrodome Madness as Twins win!

The Twins beat the Tigers in a 6-5 thriller at the Dome last night to win the TieBreaker and capture the AL Central title. After prematurely saying goodbye to their long-time, dome home on Sunday, the Minnesota Twins played their most memorable regular season game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in its 27 year history.  It took 163 games, including the 12 inning game last night, to determine who was the better of the two teams this year.  The Twins won 17 of their last 21 games to capture the title.

In a game that featured key double plays, dramatic home runs, missed opportunities, and 8 Twins pitchers taking the mound; the Twins edged out a game Tigers’ team.  Alexi Casilla’s walk-off single with one out in the 12th enabled Carlos Gomez to score from second after his lead-off single.

A record regular season crowd of 54,088, on its feet much of the game waving their Homer Hankies, roared their approval.  Joe Mauer, led the team in a victory lap as he high-fived fans.  Mauer, whose batting appearances were met by booming “M-V-P” chants by the home crowd, put an exclamation mark on his third American League batting championship by going 2 for 5 with a single and a double.  His season ending .365 batting average is a record for a major league catcher.

The Twins play the Yankees in New York on Wednesday leaving little time to celebrate their thrilling win.  The win last night guaranteed at least one more Twins home game next Sunday.  Twins and their fans will continue their farewell Dome tour hoping that it still has some magical games left in it.

ENJOY THIS VIDEO (not for its game film but for a feel of what it was like to be a Twins’ fan that night)

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