WOULD BE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE
TARIFFS GO INTO EFFECT.
THEY'RE HOPEFUL CHINA WILL DO
THE RIGHT THING.
TWINS KICK OFF THEIR 58th
YEAR IN MINNESOTA TODAY TAKING
ON THE SEATTLE MARINERS AT
TARGET FIELD.
THEY WILL BE BATTLING THE
ELEMENTS, OF COURSE.
PLAYING IN COLD TEMPERATURES
AND POSSIBLY EVEN A LITTLE BIT
OF SNOW.
MARY McGUIRE JOINS US LIVE WITH
MORE ON HOW THE TEAM IS
PREPARING FOR HOME OPENER.
I LOVE WHAT THE TWINS ARE
TWEETING, MARY.
COLD AIR, DON'T CARE.
Reporter: EXACTLY.
HEY, THEY JUST TURNED THE
LIGHTS BACK ON.
THAT IS MAKING THINGS A LITTLE
BIT WARMER OUT HERE AT TARGET
FIELD.
I'M NOT GOING TO TRY AND SUGAR
COAT IT, IT IS FREEZING OUT
HERE THIS MORNING.
THIS IS MINNESOTA AFTER ALL.
CHECK THIS OUT.
THE TARGET DOG, HE IS STILL
WAGGING HIS TAIL.
THE FIELD LOOKS BEAUTIFUL RIGHT
NOW.
THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY THE
CASE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.
THE CREWS HERE HAD TO DO SOME
SERIOUS CLEANUP BEFORE THE
FIRST PITCH.
THE MINNESOTA TWINS WILL BE
CRACKING THEIR BATS IN JUST A
FEW HOURS.
BUT NOT BEFORE STAFF BROKE OUT
SHOVELS, CLEANING OFF SEATS AND
STAIRS FOR FANS ON WEDNESDAY.
IT'S NOT A REAL GOOD FEELING
COMING INTO OPENING DAY LIKE
THIS.
SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD
TO ENDURE SINCE WE OPENED HERE
IN 2010.
IT'S AN AWESOME CHALLENGE.
Reporter: PREPARING FOR THE
HOME OPENER IS A BIG TASK.
ESPECIALLY WITH AN OUTDOOR
STADIUM IN MINNESOTA WHERE THE
WEATHER IS PREDICTABLY
UNPREDICTABLE.
WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO
WASH DOWN THE STADIUM ANYWAY.
IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE LONGER.
WE'RE USING HOT WATER.
Reporter: THERE'S A HEATING
SYSTEM IN PLACE WHICH MEANS THE
GRASS AND THE INFIELD DIRT
THERE STAY TOASTY.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE FOR THE
WARNING TRACK THOUGH.
TRANSLATING TO NONSTOP SCRAPING
AND SHOVELING FOR THE GROUNDS
CREW AHEAD OF THE GAME.
BASEBALL FANS HERE IN MINNESOTA
WILL NEED TO KEEP THEIR COATS
AND GLOVES HANDY AS THE TEAM
WILL HAVE TO BRAVE THE ELEMENTS
FOR THE FIRST SIX HOME GAMES.
NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
WEATHER IS THE WEATHER.
Reporter: NOW THE TWINS DO
HAVE AN OFF DAY TOMORROW JUST
IN THE EVENT THAT THE HOME
OPENER WOULD HAVE TO BE
CANCELED.
WE DO HAVE THE U.S. MENS GOLD
MEDAL WINNING CURLING TEAM
THROWING OUT THE FIRST PITCH
HERE AND DESSA WILL SING THE
NATIONAL APP THEM.
SHE WAS SICK LAST YEAR SO SHE
HAD TO CANCEL THAT PERFORMANCE.
THE FIRST PITCH IS AT 3:10 THIS
AFTERNOON.
I'M GUESSING SHE WON'T BE
COMPLAINING ABOUT THE COLD
WEATHER LIKE IDINA MENZEL WAS
FOR THE SUPER BOWL WEEK?
RIGHT.
I DON'T THINK SHE'LL BE
COMPLAINING.
SHE LIVES HERE IN MINNESOTA.
BUT I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT
IT THIS MORNING.
IT'S SO FUNNY, IN FEBRUARY WHEN
WE HAVE THE SUPER BOWL HERE
EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE
BOLD NORTH AND HOW GREAT IT WAS
THAT IT WAS COLD AND WE LOVE
THE COLD AND WE EMBRACE IT.
COME APRIL MINNESOTANS ARE
LIKE, NOT SO MUCH.
I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU.
WE DO OUR BEST DURING THE
WINTER BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT.
NOT REALLY VERY GOOD WEATHER
FOR CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
MINNESOTA TWINS, NO DELAYS
IN THE WORKS FOR TODAY'S HOME
OPENER.
THEY'LL BE TAKING THE CHILLY
FIELD TODAY AT TARGET FIELD.
THEY WILL.
GOOD THING THERE IS HEAT IN THE
DUGOUT.
IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE BASEBALL
SEASON OUTSIDE, BUT THAT IS NOT
GOING TO STOP FANS FROM
FLOODING INSIDE THE GATES AT
TARGET FIELD.
MARY McGUIRE IS LIVE THERE THIS
MORNING.
MARY, I LOVE THE HAT.
YOU LOOK GREAT THIS MORNING.
Reporter: WELL IT IS
FREEZING OUTSIDE BUT YOU KNOW
WHAT THE SAYING GOES, THERE'S
NO CRYING IN BASEBALL AND THERE
IS CERTAINLY NO CRYING IN
MINNESOTA ON THE HOME OPENER.
I'M HERE WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
THE MINNESOTA TWINS.
WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
FOR YOU GUYS WHEN IT COMES TO
THE COLD AND THE SNOW?
IS IT FOR THE PLAYERS?
IS IT FOR THE GROUNDS CREW?
IT'S LESS THAN IDEAL FOR THE
PLAYERS, BUT THE PLAYING FIELD
ITSELF IS GOING TO BE IN GREAT
SHAPE.
WE'RE BLESSED TO HAVE A GREAT
GROUNDS KEEPER AND HEATING
SYSTEM.
IT'S MORE ABOUT TRYING TO
DELIVER ON THE OVERALL FAN
EXPERIENCE.
IT'S MORE CHALLENGING WHEN IT'S
CHILLY.
THIS BALLPARK WAS BUILT FOR
DAYS LIKE THIS.
WE HAVE MORE RADIANCE HEAT THAN
ANY BALLPARK IN THE LEAGUE.
WE HAVE MORE INTERIOR SPACES,
MANY OF THEM WITH CONNECTIONS
TO THE GAME.
SO I KNOW WE'LL HAVE A SELLOUT
TODAY AND OUR FANS ARE GOING TO
COME OUT OWN HAVE A GREAT TIME.
THERE'S SOME THICKS IN PLACE
ALREADY TO MAKE SURE THAT
THINGS STAY WARM.
HEATED SEATS IN THE DUGOUT AND
THE FIELD IS HEATED AS WELL.
YEAH.
THOSE HEATING SYSTEMS ARE THERE
OBVIOUSLY WHICH IT'S A LITTLE
DIFFERENT.
BACK IN THE OLD DAYS AT MET
STADIUM, DIDN'T HAVE SOME OF
THOSE COMFORTS.
OUR PLAYERS PLAYED THROUGH SNOW
LAST NIGHT IN PITTSBURGH.
THEY GET IT.
THEY'RE EXCITED TO COME HOME
TODAY.
WE HAVE A GOOD BASEBALL TEAM.
WE'RE EXCITED FOR THE SEASON.
WE'RE TRYING TO REESTABLISH A
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE.
COLD OR NOT IS STARTS HERE
TODAY.
HOW ARE THE BOYS FEELING
COMING OFF OF A POST SEASON RUN
LAST YEAR?
WHAT'S THE MORALE LIKE?
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAD A
POST SEASON RUN.
WE PLAYED ONE GAME.
WE GOT TO THE POST SEASON.
THAT'S WHAT COUNTS.
OUR ORGANIZATION, OUR TEAM
FEELS EXCITED.
WE HAD A REALLY GOOD OFFSEASON.
WE WERE ABLE TO ADD VETERAN
DEPTH WITH PITCHING.
WE THINK WE HAVE A GREAT YOUNG
NUCLEUS OF PLAYERS.
WE COME IN WITH HIGH HOPES AND
WITH A BELIEF WE CAN CONTEND
NOT JUST FOR THE AMERICAN
LEAGUE TITLE BUT HOPEFULLY TO
MAKE A POST SEASON RUN.
WE NEED TO BE BETTER AT HOME.
WE THINK THERE'S A BRIGHT
FUTURE FOR TWINS BASEBALL.
BASEBALL GAMES, SUCH A
NOSTALGIC EXPERIENCE.
I REMEMBER SEEING THE TWINS
PLAY WITH MY GRANDPA AT THE
METRODOME.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE FANS
EXPERIENCE HERE AT TARGET
FIELD?
THE HOME OPENER IS A SPECIAL
DAY.
IN MY MIND IT'S A STATE
HOLIDAY.
THERE'S A LOT OF
MULTIGENERATION GROUPS THAT
COME TO THIS GAME EVERY YEAR.
I HOPE THAT THEY GET BEHIND A
TEAM THAT'S EXCITING.
I HOPE THEY COME OUT AND
CONNECT AS FAMILIES OR FRIENDS.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT BASEBALL IS
ABOUT.
THEY HAVE A WONDERFUL BALLPARK
IN IT TARGET FIELD TO DO SO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
I DO WANT TO SHOW YOU ONE
THING.
THIS IS THE GIFT THAT THEY'RE
GIVING OUT.
THE FREE GIFT THEY'RE GIVING
OUT TO FANS HERE AT THE HOME
OPENER.
IT IS THIS VERY PLUSH
SWEATSHIRT.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE NICE AND
COZY FOR THE FANS HEADING OUT
HERE TO TARGET FIELD.
FIRST PITCH, 3:10.
THERE IT IS.
THE SWEATSHIRT LOOKS GOOD.
IT LOOKS GOOD.
WONDERFUL HOODY.
I NEED ANOTHER LAYER.
30,000, GET HERE EARLY.
GET GATES OPEN AT 1:00.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
PEOPLE WILL BE THERE EARLY.
WE NEED HOT COCOA.
LOOKING GOOD WITH THE
SWEATSHIRT OUT THERE.
THANKS, MARY.
THE HOME OPENER IS SOLD OUT.
MAKES IT THE 161st SELLOUT IN
THE HISTORY OF THE BALLPARK.
THE BREAKFAST ON THE PLAZA
IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
IT GOES UNTIL 9:00 A.M.
FANS CAN DRIVE DOWN 7th STREET,
GRAB SOME FOOD.
OR YOU CAN WALK DOWN.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WILL BE
PERFORMED BY DESSA.
FIRST PITCH WILL BE THROWN OUT
BY SOME GOLD MEDAL WINNING
CHAMPIONS.