Twins - you just lost a loyal fan

I could blame the legislators, or the Hennepin County officials (and I do), for what appears to be a successful drive to have the taxpayers pay for yet another stadium for the Minnesota Twins, but it wouldn't have happened if the Twins hadn't demanded it, implying that the team would otherwise leave, and then spent a lot of money greasing the way to make it happen.

I testified Thursday night, along with many other stadium opponents, to the tax committee of the Minnesota House, who then voted 15-13. I've been an avid baseball fan for 60 years, and a loyal Twins fan for many of those years... even when the Twins were a bunch of low-paid kids who seldom won a game. I love baseball, but this stadium deal-cutting is not about baseball... it's about a greedy businessman who wants to run his business on the backs of taxpayers. It's about thousands of sports nuts who believe we ALL should support THEIR chosen pastime. It's about sportscasters and other media folks who make their livings from professional sports. And... it's about legislators who don't have the least damned idea, or care, what a decent relationship between citizens and government should be.

This battle has been going on for many years, and the tax-paying public has spoken out over, and over, and over, but the big-money thieves have kept coming back, year after year. It appears they have finally won. They did it by just wearing their opponents out... they had the money, and we had to spend our own time and money trying to keep them from taking more of it.

Those pushing for the Hennepin County tax and stadium deal KNEW that if the citizens were ASKED, via referendum, to approve or disapprove, that they would have emphatically replied HELL NO, so the tax committee voted (15-13) to not allow a referendum, despite it being called for by state law.

To all of you folks who believe you have a right to force others to support your chosen form of entertainment, I raise my finger in disgust (you know which one). You can take my money forcibly, but you cannot make me support what you've done, and I will not overlook your theft. You have spoiled a great sport for me. From this day forward, my formerly beloved Twins are no longer a part of my life... not even on television. I'll stash my plethora of Twins memorabilia... the hats, hankies, newspapers, video tapes, my box of Wheaties with the Twins on the cover, and even the tape of the Berenguer Boogie. They will be delegated to that section of my memories I might call... "Great memories of the past that are now gone".

I'm mad. A few greedy people have screwed up a great sport. But... baseball is far bigger than the Twins and major leagues. Believe me, I can enjoy baseball without MLB, and I will. You bet I'll miss watching the Twins... yelling when Juan Castro makes another astounding fielding play, or watching the great batting judgments of young Joe Mauer or Shannon Stewart, or the fielding of Torie Hunter. I'll miss watching every one of them. Those players now get relegated to the same place as Bob Feller, Joe Campanella, Willy Mays, Gil Hodges, Satchel Paige, and a hundred others... to my fond memories of baseball.

That's the past. Sorry it's gone, but baseball lives on. There are two baseball-playing high schools within a bicycle ride of me. It's not MLB-caliber play, but professional-level play is NOT what a love of the game is about. I can support the St. Paul Saints, who DO understand love of baseball, and about having fun at games.

In case I haven't made myself completely clear... try this:
Twins, and MLB, you just put yourselves onto my shit list (the legislature was already there).