The baseball trip is over.  I was able to navigate my way up and down the entire state of California.  5 stadiums and Las Vegas… All in 9 days!  What a whirlwind.  One of the best baseball trips to date.  A few quick notes about the stadiums.

1.  AT&T Park is better in person than on TV.  The view from the right field seats is breathtaking.  Picture this…. McCovey Cove and the Bay Bridge.  The only downside…  Barry didn’t get a hit. 

2.  We have always been complaining about the Metrodome.  Let me tell you all that we have it good here in Minneapolis.  Outside of the fact that McAfee Collusium is open air the place is a certified DUMP.  The only way in (via the B.A.R.T.) was through an elevated caged in (with barbed wire) bridge.  Once inside the stadium it had NO atmosphere.  It’s hard to cheer for a team when no one is sitting within 10 rows of you….(we were sitting lower deck about 20 rows up from the first base baggie).  The metrodome has the plaza, bars, famous daves, etc.  McAfee has NONE of this.  Next to Tropicana Field…this place is the worst in baseball.

3.  Not far above McAfee….Dodger Stadium was a piece of crap.  Yea, it’s in the hills.  Yea, it has “history”.  Yea, I saw Danny Devito at the game.  All those things aside this is also a very old, delapitated dump. 

4.  PetCo Ballpark….  This park ranks #1 in my book.  PNC in Pittsburgh is not far behind but this definitely grabs the #1 spot.  The ammenities, the food/beer selection, the friendly ushers who will let you go right down to the field to take pictures.  All that and it’s on the water in San Diego makes this the best park around.  Let’s hope that we can create the atmosphere with a new Twins Stadium that is here.  Simply Amazing.

5.  Angels Stadium in Anahiem….  Very middle of the pack.  The fans were RABID.  Outside of that it felt very much like it was in Orange County…  People taking their time and not really caring about much of anything.

Now on to some Twins talk….

1.  Closed Circuit to Rondell White…. RETIRE.  You’ve had a great run but we really would have been better off if you would have retired last year.  To say that you’re going to retire after this season is a HUGE slap in the face of the Twins.  We have needed a DH all year and you’ve give us nothing.  We could have used your million in other ways.

2.  Alexi Castilli….  Young and talented.  Not good in the field.  He looks like a shaky Jason Bartlett…..  Scary.  Hopefully by next year he can take strides to becoming the leadoff hitter that we need.  I love the pop in his bat. 

3.  Twins Offense:  Diseased.  Morneau is NOT MVP material.  Hunter is slumping and we have to GET RID OF Jason Tyner.  He’s a great backup outfielder but when a .270 slap hitter is our DH that is a huge problem.

4.  I love that we brought up 3rd baseman Brian Buscher.  He definitely has some pop in his bat.  He makes solid contact but looks uneasy at the plate.  That will come with time.  He was in AA earlier this year so i’m not surprised by this.  Still a HUGE upgrade over Nicky “Nails” Punto. 

I’m out.