A couple hours after the Twins' 4-2 win over Seattle on Thursday, we were all reminded what the club was facing over the next few days.
As night time fell over the stadium, Larry DiVito and his groundscrew went out to cover the field -- and not just the infield. The crew went out and covered the entire outfield as well. As of they knew something was going to happen. That certainly would not have occurred if it was 65 degrees outside. But that's what happens when you expect worse weather this weekend.
Fans were surprised when the Twins were adamant about playing yesterday's game. Actually, the fans I spoke with who braved the elements said the weather on Thursday wasn't that bad. Game time temperature was 38 degrees, and some said it was perfectly fine if you sat in the sun. It was also a good time for the Twins to unveil their new bar that replaced the Metropolitan Club, Bat & Barrel. Heard a lot of people just hung out in there during the game.
It also helped that the wind was not much of a factor Thursday. A stiff breeze would have altered a few attitudes.
But let's see what happens Saturday, when it's expected to be sunny but below 30 degrees at gametime, then Sunday, when snow is in the forecast. The Twins like their chances of getting tomorrow's game in. Sunday, however, could be a tester. If they get out of this weekend with just one game postponed, it could be viewed as a victory. Given that this is Seattle's only trip into town this year, they likely will do all they can to play the games,
"As of now, we are a full go for Saturday," Twins President Dave St. Peter said.
After that, who knows? We all know the weather can change on a dime and make forecasters look bad. But Twins manager Paul Molitor was a little foreboding when talking about the weather during his pre-game talk on Thursday.
"It's not overly optimistic about some of the things that might happen the next three four five days," Molitor said. "But don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough concerns. We'll just tackle that when we get there."
By the way, Class AAA Rochester already has postponed its opener tonight because of snow.
One more thing. According to the Twins, the bald eagle that landed on James Paxton yesterday made three successful practice runs earlier on Thursday before his appearance during the national anthem. The only thing they can think of is that Challenger got Paxton mixed up with the handler, saw a glove on his right hand and went for it.
