How glorious the Twin Cities are in early October....

How glorious the Twin Cities are in early October. Some of the leaves have already turned a flaming yellow and red, but people dine outdoors in bright sunshine at midday along Nicollet Mall, as if they were in the French Riviera.

Everything would be lovely for the locals, if only the Twins could do something about the Yankees.

It happened again Thursday on a fine fall evening, with the Twins competitive for a while, but then the anvil fell out of the clear sky and clobbered the home team for the second straight night, this time by a 5-2 score as good old Andy Pettitte outpitched Carl Pavano.

The Twins have opened their handsome new ballpark right downtown — outdoor baseball at last, after the oppressive dome. With its deep green motif, the place has a better feel of unity than the two complicated new palaces in New York.

I love the huge logo of the Twin Cities, represented by the characters Minnie and Paul, shaking hands across the Mississippi, high above the center-field stands, and the way the fans flow from nearby pubs into the park, bringing all the hopes of the Upper Midwest that someday the home team will get it right against the Yankees.

Twins and Their Fans Hold On to Hope - NYTimes.com (via wintwins)

Beautiful article on the Twins, Target Field, and the Twin Cities. Click through and read the whole thing. It’s excellent. (If slightly painful…)

Oh man, that was just you said, beautiful and slightly painful.

(via east-lake)

wintwins