Target Field employees welcome Twins fans for home opener, start of baseball season
Hours before the gates opened to fans, before the grills warmed up, before the first beers were poured, Patrick Lair walked into Target Field wearing his light blue usher shirt.
For Lair and the more than 250 guest services staff at Target Field, work starts long before the first pitch.
Lair, who is retired from a career in higher education, said the job is perfect for him for many reasons. This is his sixth year working for the Twins.
“I've always loved baseball. I've always loved the Twins. I had heard it was a great part-time gig for retired people,” he said. “I'm a people person, so I love, love helping people and being of service to people. And if I can combine that love with baseball, I thought it was really good fit.”
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In a hallway underneath the stadium, Lair clocked in at 11:30 a.m. and then walked into a room full of stadium workers. After a winter break, the old friends gathered around tables, shook hands and hugged.
Lair said he is always excited to work opening day.
“I think all of us like opening day because it's special. Baseball's returned. It indicates the sign of spring. The fans are excited. It's usually a big crowd. Depending upon the weather, you know, it's a great deal of fun.”
Outside, fans lined up for a block and a half outside of Gate 34 hours before the game started.
When gates opened, fans flocked in.
“Baseball has played a huge role in my life,” said Leah Kadwell of Shoreview. “As a child going to baseball games, we always made sure we were one of the first at Tiger Stadium when we lived in Detroit. And so now here with such an accessible stadium here in Minnesota, we're here at opening day. It brings back such good memories from childhood.”
Kadwell grew up a Tigers fan but became a Twins fan when they moved to Minnesota seven years ago. She said opening day is all about possibility.
"I think it's the anticipation of a new season with players who are fresh off of spring training, all of the also new players, the rookies that are going to be on the team and looking forward to you know, what, what the team has in store for us, as well as just the excitement that's here in the air,” she said.
Upstairs in the newly named Thrivent Club, the former Delta Club, Lair greeted fans as they came into his section, holding the door for them, helping them find their seats, pointing them to food.
The Twins struggled against the Guardians pitching, striking out 15 times, leaving nine men on base. They lost 4-2. It wasn't exactly the home opener people had dreamed of, but the sun was out, it was relatively warm for an early April game, and the fans seemed happy to just be watching baseball outside again.
As the Twins lined out to end their hopes of a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, Lair held the door as fans headed out and reminded them there's a lot more baseball left.
“Thanks for coming everybody. Thanks for being here for the home opener. 80 more home games left, 80 more home games,” he said.
The Twins host the Guardians again Saturday at 1:10 p.m.