TheBanyanTree: Dome Days

[Margaret R. Kramer]

My grandsons and I went to our last Twins baseball at the Dome this
afternoon.  The Twins played Detroit with a chance to sweep the series, and
only be one game behind for American League Central Division championship,
but it was a boring game with a few moments of excitement, and we decided to
leave in the eighth inning when it was obvious the Twins had no gas left in
the tank and were going to lose.

No loyal fans are we.

My dad, Asher (who was four years old), and I went to my first game in the
Dome in 1982.  It was a novelty.  Indoor baseball?  No rain checks?  No cold
nights?  It was difficult to imagine.

We were awestruck when we walked into the Dome and gazed around.  Back then,
handicapped drivers could park right in front of the Dome for free, and
that’s what my dad did.  He parked the car and then we walked right into the
Dome.

Now I park the car by University and Snelling and we take the bus to the
Dome.  We’ve taken light rail, too.  Ray and I used to take the bus to Mall
of America (that shrine to materialism) and then we’ve taken light rail to
the Dome from there.  I’ve walked to the Dome when I lived on the West Bank
while going to college back in the early 80s.

The Dome roof collapsed twice that I remember.  Once was when heavy snow
piled on it and then roof ripped.  Another time was during a thunderstorm
where the wind blew a hole into the roof.  Scary, but the roof was patched
and re-inflated and the Dome went on providing a venue for football and
concerts as well as baseball, and even the Timberwolves played basketball
there in their first season while the Target Center was being built.

It’s not the prettiest stadium in the world but the Dome has hosted a Super
Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, an All Star Game, as well as many concerts,
including the Rolling Stones, and Monster Trucks.

Our favorite baseball Dome moment was in 2006, when we had to wait in the
Dome for Detroit to lose to I think Kansas City or maybe it was Texas, in
order for the Twins to clinch the championship.  When Detroit’s loss
happened, the Dome erupted in pure joy. 

I wasn’t at the Dome, but the Twins claimed two World Series titles in 1987
and 1991 in the Dome.  The 1991 series and especially the seventh game going
10 innings with Jack Morris pitching every one of them was classic baseball.

We watched Kirby Puckett as a rookie in the Dome and then grow into being a
complete baseball player.

Now we’re watching Joe Mauer do the same.  He’ll probably win his third
batting championship this year.

I enjoyed 10 years of indoor baseball at the Dome with Ray by my side.  He
loved baseball.  We did manage to see an outdoor baseball game together in
Kansas City, so Ray is on my outdoor baseball list, too. 

The Dome era ends during the first weekend of October.  We won’t be there,
we’ll watch on TV, but we’ll remember inside baseball when the temperature
was always 70 degrees.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
margaret.kramer at polarispublications.com
www.polarispublications.com

The night walked down the sky with the moon in her hand.. 
-Frederick L. Knowles