In advance of this weekend’s highly-anticipated, four-game American League Central division showdown against the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field, the Minnesota Twins today announced details for gate giveaways and in-ballpark celebrations throughout the series. Tickets for all four games are available at twins.com/tickets. Limited time NO FEES offer: Fans can purchase tickets with NO additional ticket fees by using the promo code ALShowdown at checkout (offer available through Thursday, August 8 at midnight CT for all 7 games of the August 9-14 homestand vs. Cleveland and Kansas City).
The Twins-Guardians four-game series from August 9-11 is set to feature the following:
• Friday, August 9 includes a Twins kids beanie giveaway (Game 1) and postgame fireworks (Game 2);
• Saturday, August 10 is a 612 Saturday presented by Carbliss with media partner Bally Sports North and the Twins Hall of Fame induction presented by Coordinated Business Systems, featuring Terry Ryan and Rick Stelmaszek;
• Sunday, August 11 includes a Twins City Connect back-to-school backpack giveaway courtesy of Target, is a Kids Day presented by Target and Gillette Children’s, and features pregame festivities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Washington Senators’ 1924 World Series championship – the first in franchise history.
More information on this weekend’s Twins-Guardians series can be found below.
Friday, August 9 – Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians doubleheader Game 1 (1:10 p.m.; gates open at 12:00 p.m.)
• Gate Giveaway – Kids Beanie: The first 5,000 kids ages 12-and-under through the gates will receive a Twins beanie (note: this giveaway was originally slated for the postponed Sunday, April 7 game).
Friday, August 9 – Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians doubleheader Game 2 (7:10 p.m.; gates open at 6:00 p.m.)
• Twins City Connect Friday: The Twins will wear their new Nike City Connect uniforms for the seventh time.
• Postgame Fireworks Show: Fans are invited to stick around following the game for a fireworks show.
Saturday, August 10 – Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians presented by Coordinated Business Systems (6:10 p.m.; gates open at 4:00 p.m.)
• 612 Saturday presented by Carbliss with media partner Bally Sports North: Get to Target Field when gates open for 612 Saturday presented by Carbliss with media partner Bally Sports North! From 4:00 p.m. until first pitch, fans can enjoy $6 drink specials, $1 snacks and $2 food specials.
• Twins Hall of Fame Induction presented by Coordinated Business Systems: Longtime general manager Terry Ryan, the architect of the Twins’ division-winning teams of the 2000s that are widely credited with helping save baseball in Minnesota, and the late Rick Stelmaszek, whose 32 seasons as a Twins coach from 1981-2012 remains the longest in team history and the third-longest tenure with a single club in baseball history, will become the 39th and 40th members of the Twins Hall of Fame during pregame ceremonies.
o Gate Giveaway – Twins Hall of Fame Pin: The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Twins Hall of Fame pin featuring Terry Ryan and Rick Stelmaszek, courtesy of Coordinated Business Systems.
o Plaque Unveiling: Terry Ryan and members of Rick Stelmaszek’s family, including his wife Kathie, will join fans on Target Plaza at 4:15 p.m. as the pair’s Twins Hall of Fame plaques are officially unveiled.
o Induction Ceremony: Terry Ryan and the late Rick Stelmaszek – represented by his wife, Kathie – will be formally inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame during special pregame ceremonies, celebrated on the field by family and friends. More than 20 members of the Twins Hall of Fame are expected to be in attendance, including Rick Aguilera, Jerry Bell, Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, Michael Cuddyer, Gary Gaetti, Greg Gagne, Ron Gardenhire, Dan Gladden, John Gordon, Eddie Guardado, Kent Hrbek, Jim Kaat, Tom Kelly, Andy MacPhail, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, Tony Oliva, Jim Rantz and Johan Santana. The induction ceremonies will be emceed by longtime Twins television voice and current club special assistant Dick Bremer.
Sunday, August 11 – Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians presented by Target (1:10 p.m.; gates open at 11:00 a.m.)
• Gate Giveaway – Twins City Connect Backpack presented by Target: The first 5,000 kids 12-and-under in attendance will receive a backpack styled in the Twins City Connect colors, courtesy of Target.
• Celebrating the Washington Senators: The Twins will honor the legacy of the Washington Senators and celebrate the club’s 1924 World Series championship, the first in franchise history. The 1924 Senators defeated the New York Giants in an epic, seven-game World Series that featured more than a dozen players, managers, executives and umpires who would eventually be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
o Gate Giveaway – Replica Game 7 Tickets: The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative, replica ticket from Game 7 of the 1924 World Series; the replicas were produced by Premier Southern Ticket, the same company that printed the originals 100 years ago under the name Simplex Ticket Company. The replicas all feature Section B, Row 1, Seat 7 – the seat of the ticket kept in the personal scrapbook of Senators Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson and likely was held for Game 7 by his wife, Hazel.
o Walter Johnson Hall of Fame Plaque Photo Opportunity: For the first time since the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum officially opened in 1939, Walter Johnson’s plaque is leaving Cooperstown and will be on display in Truly On Deck from the second through seventh innings; fans have the rare and exclusive opportunity to take a photo with the plaque of the Senators legend.
o Pregame Ceremony: The Twins will honor the Washington Senators and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the franchise’s first World Series title with an on-field ceremony prior to the game. The 1924 World Champion Senators will be represented by Clark Griffith II (grandson of team owner and Hall of Fame executive Clark Griffith), Hank Thomas (grandson of Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson), Allie Utley (curator of the Walter Johnson Collection in his native Humboldt, KS), and Lynn Bluege-Rust and Carol Leber (daughters of infielder, manager and longtime front office executive Ossie Bluege). Additionally, the Twins will welcome the following representatives of the Washington Senators’ legacy as a charter member of the American League: Sherry Ann Robertson Dayton (daughter of former player and longtime farm director Sherry Robertson) and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Kaat, who made his major league debut with the Senators in 1959.
o 100th Anniversary Patch: Twins players and coaches will wear a special sleeve patch with a logo commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1924 World Series champion Washington Senators.
o “Team of Destiny” Book Signings: Beginning at 11:00 a.m. until first pitch (or book supplies last), author Gary Sarnoff will be in Truly On Deck signing his book, “Team of Destiny: Walter Johnson, Clark Griffith, Bucky Harris, and the 1924 Washington Senators.” A limited number of copies will be available for purchase.
o Washington Senators Memorabilia: Displays featuring select Washington Senators memorabilia will be on display outside of Truly On Deck.
• Kids Day presented by Target and Gillette Children’s: Every Sunday home game at Target Field is Kids Day presented by Target and Gillette Children’s!
o Thanks to U.S. Bank, kids’ meals are half price – just $4 – at select concession stands.
o A member of the T.C. Sluggers Kids Club will be the Play Ball kid.
o Families can enjoy all the fun of Bullseye’s Backyard presented by Target, located on the Gate 34 Lawn, featuring interactive activities including Big Catch, Run the Bases and a coloring mural to let kids of all ages leave their mark on Target Field. Kids can print their own baseball cards, win ticket upgrades, get a custom screen-printed bag or bandanna and even the chance to be selected as the Target Ball Kid for a game.
o Postgame, kids can run the bases courtesy of Target and Gillette Children’s.
(info courtesy of Twins)