Target to Wrigley

Every spring when the baseball season begins anew there is always that expected excitement and pageantry that comes with Opening Day. It’s that one day out of the year when the past years missed chances, the months of weekly sports instead of daily sports, and that great renewed hope culminates in one glorious day.

But this great day is only shared by half of the league in their home “friendly confines”, for the rest it’s the first leg of sporadic travels over the next several months. These teams however are not without their own celebrations. After those initial road trips have ended every team must return home. Today we celebrate another Opening Day; the homecoming of eight more teams including the Cubs, Twins, Indians, Blue Jays, Mariners, Padres, Cardinals and Phillies.

Today, even more so than Opening Day 2010 a week ago, I am reminded and given the most perfect visual of how the longevity and mass appeal of this sport I love continues on. Two teams represent that sentiment beautifully and they just happen to be one of my favorite teams and the one of the other writers’ favorites; the Cubs and the Twins.

At 3:10pm CST on April 12, 2010 the Minnesota Twins will finally open their newly constructed multimillion dollar outdoor stadium in the heart of downtown. Target Field brings with it the first outdoor game in Minneapolis in over 20 years and the first game in a stadium of their own in over 50. This stadium represents the huge popularity and success of baseball in Minnesota and in baseball across the country. It finally eliminates that vaunted garbage bag wall and the AstroTurf and replaces them with real grass and the thinly padded wall.

In the complete opposite situation, about 7 hours east of Minneapolis another team will be reopening their stadium today at 1:20pm CST for only the 96th time. After making some offseason remodels, which thankfully did not include flag poles for the countless pennants to be won, the Chicago Cubs also make their home debut. Historic Wrigley Field brings with it the ivy wall, the rooftop seating and of course, all those curses that go with it from the Bartman seat to the ejection of a man because his goat smelled foul.

These two stadiums couldn’t be more different in terms of their history but they have that one essential characteristic in common; home to Major League Baseball. Whether they are just opening today for the first time ever or have been around since the beginning of the century, these ballparks, and all baseball stadiums, will be our home for the next 6-7 months no matter the weather.