Spring is Here!

Happy Easter to all of our family and friends!

I write this blog sitting outside on our patio, enjoying the 75 degree weather. What temp is it in MN???

With our recent trip to Peru we have lots of catching up to do.... but we wanted to go back in time and show some of the pictures from April's cherry blossoms in DC.

On a related note, we returned from our trip last weekend to see this plant on our deck blooming bright pink.

This one was not so fortunate, and did not survive the winter. 

Here are some more pics of our deck.

Happy Easter!

- Laurie

Twins Spring Training...Finally!!

I finally made it to Fort Myers to catch some spring baseball. I have wanted to watch the Twins play in spring training since I was five years old. I probably can't say the same thing for Laurie, but I think she was just as excited to make the trip south. Although, she may have been more excited about the beach. As you can see in the photos below, the weather was outstanding.

Laurie and I flew down to the retirement community of Fort Myers, Florida, which is the spring training home of the Twins. Fittingly, upon arrival we met Laurie's parents, Bonnie and Gene, both of whom are recently retired. Given their recent retirement, I spent the entire the trip trying to convince Bonnie and Gene to buy a place in Fort Myers. This way we would have a place to stay every March. I think Bonnie was convinced... 

 

Well, where do I start. I could probably write for hours (which I might have time to do if the Government shuts down), but I don't want to put some of our blog followers to sleep. Here are some quick tidbits about the Lee Country Sports complex, which has been the spring-training home of the Minnesota Twins since 1990.

• In addition to Hammond Stadium, which serves as the home of the Fort Myers Miracle (the Twins Class A minor league affiliate), there are five full and two half baseball fields, two soccer fields, a softball complex and an eight acre lake for public fishing.

• Hammond Stadium has some very interesting features, including an outside facade that's supposed to invoke the feeling of Churchill Downs and a palm tree lined path that leads to the stadium from the parking lot, ending at a waterfall fountain plaza. Overall, it is a very nice park.

• Hammond Stadium also provides fans with direct access to the batting cages, which are located below the bleaches down the third base line. Needless to stay, it was pretty cool talking to Mauer, Morneau, and the rest of the boys as they were taking live batting practice.

• The seven other fields are also open to fans during spring training. In fact, fans can wander those fields with no restrictions. So naturally, I wondered aimlessly through the different fields and talked to a number of players and coaches. Laurie and I ran into Gardy, Tony Oliva, Paul Molitor, Jake Mauer (Laurie was so excited when she thought she saw Joe), and a number of other players and coaches.

• Hammond Stadium also features a "Party Deck" grill that serves up a number of local favorites. A beer drinker's paradise can be found beneath the grandstand at the end of the concourse on the stadium's third base side, where the Beer Garden is located. Hammond Stadium offers a larger variety of beer on tap than any other ballpark in the Grapefruit League. No wonder why Gardy likes to do his press conferences in the Beer Garden!

While we were there, we watched the Twins pound the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both games ended in pretty exciting fashion, including a walk-off base hit to beat the Pirates. During the games, we watched Delmon, Cuddy, and Thome all launch homers, while paying extra close attention to our new second baseman, Nishioka, make some wonderful plays. Overall, the Twins looked pretty sharp...a stark contrast to how they have started the 2011 season.

Here are some other photos from our trip to Hammond Stadium:



  

Overall, Laurie, Bonnie, Gene, and I had a blast while we were done in paradise. We are still trying to recover from the sun burns, but we all agree that it was well worth it! Hopefully, Laurie and I can make this spring training trip a tradition, which is why it is imperative that Bonnie and Gene buy a place in south Florida soon! 

- Bobby

2011 MLB Preview

Minnesota Twins Preview

The Minnesota Twins have won the Central Division six of the past nine seasons. In today's professional sports, this is surely an accomplishment worth noting. It wasn't long ago that these Twins couldn't make it to 75 wins and were the perennial cellar dwellers of the American League.

While the division titles have been great, the Twins need to make a run deep into the playoffs to be considered one of the truly dominant teams in Major League Baseball. As any good, optimistic MN sports fan would say: "2011 will finally be the year the Twins beat the Yankees and take that next step!" 

However, getting to playoffs could be more of a challenge this year given the upgrades made by the hated Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. The Twins also have some serious questions that need to be answered before any Twins fans start putting deposits down for postseason tickets.

1) Will Justin Morneau return to form? Before going down with a concussion last July, Morneau was one of the front runners for the American League MVP. Missing his bat in October was something the Twins simply couldn't overcome. If the Twins want to win their third consecutive division title and make a deep run in October, they will need their all-star first baseman a full season.

2) Who will be the closer for the Twins in September and October? With Joe Nathan recovering from Tommy John surgery, a big question remains as to how he will last during the season. Fortunately, the Twins also have all-star closer Matt Capps in case Nathan can't shoulder the load.

3) How will Casilla play as an everyday shortstop? This isn't the first time the Twins have asked this question. This is certainly Casilla's last chance as an everyday player, at least with the Minnesota Twins. While Casilla has his fair share of question marks, he is surely an upgrade over Nick Punto.

4) How will Japanese baseball translate into American baseball? Tyoshi Nishioka was an all-star in Japan and many believe he could be the next Ichiro. He plays great defense, is quick, and is an ideal number two batter. He should be fun to watch.  

5) Who will Ron Gardenhire have pitch in the later innings? The Twins lost a number of reliable bullpen arms in the offseason and it may be difficult to recover from those losses. The Twins will surely need Mijares to step up and assume the role of a dominant lefty.

MLB Playoffs

Here are my predicted winners for 2011:

AL East: Boston Red Sox

AL Central: Minnesota Twins

AL West: Texas Rangers

AL Wildcard: Chicago White Sox

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies

NL Central:  Milwaukee Brewers

NL West: Colorado Rockies

NL Wildcard: Atlanta Braves

ALCS: Red Sox vs. Twins

NLCS: Phillies vs. Brewers

World Series: Red Sox over Phillies in seven games

Let me know how you think the 2011 season will play out. Either way you look at it, 2011 looks to be a fun and exciting year of baseball. Who knows, maybe 2011 will be the year Minneapolis hosts a championship parade!

- Bobby

Zach's East Coast Trip

Our nephew Zach came out to visit Laurie and I...and this was Jimmy's expression when Zach walked through the door! As you can see, Jimmy is a not exactly a big fan of Zach!

  

Zach actually made the trip out here all by himself. However, I think someone dyed his hair when he fell asleep on the plane (see photos below for evidence). This was Zach's second time visiting us in DC. He and my Dad made a trip out here last June. Not only did we see a lot in DC while Zach was here, but we also made a trip up to New York City. 

Day One: 

We started the day with a trip to Ford's Theatre. Ford's Theatre is a historic landmark in DC and was used for various stage performances beginning in 1860's. However, and more importantly, it was also the sight of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. The theatre was later used as a warehouse and office building and was renovated and re-opened as a theater during the 1960s. It is now part of the U.S. National Parks system. The booth on the right side of the photo is where President Lincoln was shot.

After Ford's Theatre, we made our way to the U.S. Capitol for a tour. Visiting the Capitol is still one of my favorite things to do in DC. While we were at the Capitol, President Obama was visiting, along with the Prime Minister of Ireland...for St. Patrick's Day. At first glance, I thought maybe the extra security was because of Zach and his pink hair!

Fun Fact: Did you know that the President can only come to Capitol if he/she is invited by Congress or if he/she buys a tour ticket?

Here are some photos of the tour:

After the trip to the Capitol, we made our way to Good Stuff Eatery for the best burgers in DC! After lunch, we made our way to the Library of Congress, down to the National Mall and to Arlington Cemetery.

While at Arlington, Zach and I ran into the Missouri Cheerleaders, who were in town for the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament. Needless to say, Zach is pretty excited for college!

After Arlington, Zach and I made a pit stop at a Buffalo Wild Wings to catch the end of some NCAA tournament games. We finally met up with Laurie and ended the day by hitting some range balls at TopGolf in Virginia. Check out their website ( http://www.topgolf.com/Locations/US/Alexandria/Default.aspx )...it is a pretty unique driving range.

Day Two:

After spending the first day in DC, Zach and I made a trip up to New York City. In the mean time, Laurie was making her way to Barcelona for a Hilton "team building" trip. More on that story later. After being dropped off at Madison Square Garden, we made our way to the World Trade Center site and had some fantastic New York style pizza...

As any good SEC employee would do, our next stop in New York was Wall Street. I was able to arrange a tour of the New York Stock Exchange, which was really fun (especially for the nerd who works at the SEC). Zach and I met a lot of the traders, including some who thought Zach's hair was pretty cool. Only in New York!

 

 

After spending a couple of hours on the Street, we made our way to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty. Battery Park was packed, so we were not able to take a ferry out to the Statue. We had to save something for his next trip!

After spending the first half the day in Lower Manhattan, we made our way up to an Irish sports bar in Midtown, near where our hotel was, for some food and of course, to catch some of the NCAA tournament games. We then made our way to Rockefeller Center and Central Park. At this point, I think both Zach and I were ready to pass out!

But, no rest for the weary. Our next stop: Times Square!

As you can tell from these photos, Zach's mom, Tammy, must be a great dentist. I am sure she had her hands full after this trip. Sugar anyone?

Day Three:

After having a hearty New York breakfast, we started day two with a trip to the Empire State Building. Here are some views:

 

After spending a while checking out the views of New York City from the clouds, we made our way to Chinatown, Little Italy, and eventually the Brooklyn Bridge. We really covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

After the bridge, we made our way back to Madison Square Garden and took the bus back to DC.

Day Four:

Zach's last day was little less eventful, considering how exhausted both Zach and I were, and since his flight left relatively early. But, we had a few Mountain Dews in the morning and were able to make our way to General's Ridge golf course in Manassas, VA. Oh, and for all you Minnesotans, it was actually pretty cold here during Zach's trip...70's for the most of the time!

 

Overall, Zach and I had a great time during his visit. We certainly miss our family and friends, so it was great spending a few days with Zach.

Thanks again for the making trip out here and we can't wait to see again soon! 

- Bobby