Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners on Monday that a “couple” of home games would have been postponed this spring if the team were playing outdoor baseball. “Maybe two or three,” he said.
The Twins open play in their new outdoor ballpark in 2010 and no one wants to see a duplication of an early spring that St. Peter described as “abnormally harsh.” Temperatures in the 30’s and 40’s with snow and rain make this an April to forget, and the elements have created speculation about early season games in the new ballpark instead of the weather-proof Metrodome where the team has played since 1982.
Based on previous analysis, the Twins expect up to five postponed games per season in the new ballpark that will have to be rescheduled. That means playing through some adverse weather but that happens already in cities like Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, all with teams in the same division as the Twins, the American League Central. Modern playing fields are designed to minimize problems caused by rain and cold.
Asked about the Twins play during the first several weeks of the season, St. Peter said he still expects the team to compete for the division championship. The club’s record is 12-14 and the Twins have lost four of their last six games.
The Twins, who won last night at home against Chicago, are 2.5 games behind the division leading White Sox. No team in the division is more than three games behind Chicago. St. Peter described the division race as “incredibly competitive” and said the gap between teams has narrowed from past seasons.
Although he doesn’t like the record, St. Peter said there is still so much more baseball to be played. “No question we expect to contend,” he said. “It’s a long, long, long season. We’re not even at the one-sixth mark yet.”