Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Major League Baseball : News
Winter Caravan begins in the cold
Twins' annual tour underway amidst frigid temps
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
DULUTH, Minn. -- When it's January in Minnesota, it must be too cold to be talking baseball, right?
Not for Twins fans. It can never be too cold.
That's a good thing, because the northern leg of the 2005 Dodge Twins Winter Caravan got rolling on what was one of the coldest mornings of the season.
"Too freakin' cold," responded Kevin the bus driver when asked what the temperature was.
Translation: it was 11 below. Cold, but not quite comparable to the near-record low of 54 below registered the same morning up north in Embarrass, Minn.
No worries, though -- the bus is warm and there will be several hot stoves burning bright with baseball talk. It's the 45th year for Twins Caravan, which is one of the most extensive winter tours of its kind in baseball.
On the journey that will weave through several cities and towns are Twins players Lew Ford and Grant Balfour, WCCO radio analyst and former Twins star Dan Gladden and Fox Sports Net North's Clay Matvick. Among the stops in northern Minnesota are Duluth, Grand Rapids, Bemidji and Brainerd.
For Ford, Monday's frigid weather was like a harsh slap on the face. As the trip rolled around the western side of Mille Lacs Lake on the way to Aitkin, Minn., the Texas native marveled at seeing frozen lakes dotted with fishhouses and cars for the first time (from inside the bus).
"I think it's beautiful," the Twins outfielder said. "But you get uncomfortable standing outside after about two or three minutes. I'm just not used to it. I went across from the hotel last night to a restaurant and I felt like I was frozen solid."
Balfour hails from Australia -- where it's currently summer and he left temperatures in the 90-degree range. The right-handed reliever recently took a 28-hour flight from Sydney to New York and then flew to Minneapolis four days ago.
"To see snow -- it doesn't snow in Sydney. This is a novelty," Balfour said. "It's cool seeing the lake frozen. They have ice fishing and roads on the lake. I wouldn't mind going out there and trying it."
Overall, Winter Caravan will last two weeks with five legs covering 58 towns around the Upper Midwest. The tour is the Twins' way of saying thank you to their fans and to get everyone excited for TwinsFest 2005, which is slated for Jan. 28-30. It's also a chance to catch up with area businesses and the radio network affiliates and to market the new team slogan, "This is Twins territory."
"It's a perfect time," Ford said. "Football just ended, unfortunately for the Vikings. It's time to look forward to baseball. It's time to get excited for fans. We're excited already. It's not too early at all."
"As soon as I get to America, I know I'm closer to Spring Training," Balfour said. "I get a lot more excited. I'm looking forward to Spring Training."
Gladden, a star of the 1987 and 1991 World Series champion Twins teams, went on Caravan for the first time in 1988 and has taken several trips over the years.
"We're getting out and visiting fans," Gladden said. "They're the true baseball fans who support the Twins."
First day completed: After the bus departed the Metrodome at dawn, it was a short drive to the first stop in suburban Golden Valley. Home Run Hitters, an indoor batting cage, hosted about 100 kids that were welcomed to take free swings and get autographs from the players.
Ford took some cuts in the cage and clanked one or two balls off the pitching machine. Meanwhile, Twins fan John Froom was waiting to have Ford's No. 20 jersey signed.
"I bought it on eBay and wore to the playoffs games," said Froom, director of the Crystal, Minn., Little League. "When I heard Lew was going to be here, I decided to get it signed for our silent auction. We do a benefit every year. We have pictures of Lew. We'll have a whole Lew Ford package and a Gladden package here."
After Golden Valley, it was off to Aitkin for a visit at KKIN radio and a luncheon at the Forty Club. Then the journey rolled further north to Duluth for a stop at the local Dodge dealership and an autograph session
The evening stop at downtown Duluth's Grandma's Sports Garden brought an expanded program with video presentations, question and answer sessions and raffles for Twins prizes.
Twins general manager Terry Ryan also made a special visit, filling fans in on his plans for 2005 and fielding their questions.
"Duluth is one of our major markets," Ryan told MLB.com. "This is a stop that I've been on for the last six or seven years. You get a pretty good feel for what the general baseball fans are thinking about your club. It's a little bit of a gut check when you get out amongst the people and see what their thoughts are.
"I think Caravan is one of the best things the Twins do. Regardless of our record, we've been out here when we're good, we've been out here when we're horrible. It's something that's been consistent since 1961. It's a good thing for kids. You always remember seeing a Major League player."
Coming Tuesday: Stops in Mountain Iron, Ely and Grand Rapids, Minn.
