Twins Fans, Downtown Businesses Rejoice At MLB Lockout's End: 'Just A Lot Of Joy'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Baseball fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The Major League Baseball lockout has ended, and the Minnesota Twins will be back on the field this summer.
First, the team will report to spring training in Florida, about three weeks behind schedule. The MLB season will begin April 7, the same day as the Twins home opener.
America's past time, coupled with pure joy, echoed inside Target Field as more than a dozen high school baseball and softball teams were gifted new equipment. It was thanks to the Twins Community Fund and nonprofit Pitch In for Baseball and Softball. They got top-of-the-line bats, mitts, cleats, and more. They even took a few swings in the batting cage near the visitor's clubhouse.
"For kids that are new and like coming in and don't have anything, it makes them really excited to play because they're like, 'Ooh, new stuff, new gear,' and we get to experience something really new," said Grace Davis-Chaves, a senior at Harding High School.
But the excitement over their favorite sport didn't stop there, as news of the MLB's return broke just as they arrived at the stadium.
"I was a little bit scared I wasn't gonna be able to just go watch [the Twins]. And I can learn a lot just watching them on TV, so I was little bit nervous I was gonna miss that," said Jack Drees, senior at Harding High School.
The nerves were strong as well for Dermot Cowley, owner of O'Donovan's Irish Pub in downtown Minneapolis. He runs one of the many bars and restaurants that weathered the financial pain of no baseball fans in 2020 and a slow start last year.
That's on top of the lack of downtown workers they're used to serving.
"How much more stress can we handle," he wondered over the previous weeks as the lockout negotiations rarely showed progress. "And so today's news is really, really exciting for not only us but every bar and restaurant in this area that rely on baseball and fans coming down to watch the Twins."
A weight lifted off his shoulders, and passion renewed for those playing the sport.
"Joyful, just a lot of joy," said Drees of his exciting afternoon.
The MLB season will be a full 162-game schedule. The games that were cancelled will be made up as double headers or at the end of the season.