Twins announce plans for Opening Day 2019

The Minnesota Twins have announced plans for Opening Day 2019 at Target Field, Presented by Your Local Northland Ford Dealers, which is scheduled for 3:10 pm on Thursday, March 28 against the Cleveland Indians. Limited tickets remain for the earliest season opener (home or road) in Minnesota Twins history and are available using the MLB Ballpark app, at twinsbaseball.com, by calling 612-33 TWINS (612-338-9467) or 800-33-TWINS (800-338-9467), or in-person at the Target Field Box Office.

As the Twins officially open the Rocco Baldelli era, the club’s Opening Day plans feature a variety of honors and festivities. Among the many highlights:

• Ceremonial First Pitch – Before ascending to the FOX Sports North broadcast booth for his first Opening Day assignment as a television analyst, Twins great Justin Morneau will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. The 2006 American League Most Valuable Player, a four-time All-Star and a key leader on three different Twins AL Central Division championship clubs, Morneau hit .278 with 221 home runs and 860 RBI in 1,278 games for Minnesota (2003-13).
• National Anthem – Minneapolis songwriter and performer Sean Tillman (aka Har Mar Superstar) will sing the National Anthem. What started as a one-man show in 1999 has grown into a nationally-renowned, full-band revue featuring R&B, pop and soul music. Often noted as a premier live act who has toured the U.S. and abroad, while also appearing in television, film and commercials, Har Mar Superstar is a staple of the Minneapolis entertainment scene.
• American Flag Raising – World War II veteran and centenarian Lawrence Cline of Alexandria, Minnesota, who celebrated his 100th birthday Sept. 23, 2018, will raise the American flag as part of the Salute to America presented by Thomson Reuters. Cline was drafted into the Army at age 22, served from 1942-45 and spent more than two years overseas, mostly near Australia. Following the war, the Browerville native returned to Minnesota and worked for Northern Pacific Railroad, Western Union, Soo Line Railroad and FMC, among others. Cline has also been a member of the American Legion in Millerville.

The first 30,000 fans in attendance will receive a Twins puffer vest (adult sizes M & XL), presented by Your Local Northland Ford Dealers. Fans are encouraged to arrive early, with Target Field gates opening at 1 p.m. (2 hours before first pitch).

The Twins are celebrating the beginning of the 2019 season with day-long festivities in and around Target Field, beginning at 6 a.m. and running throughout the game. A complete rundown of Opening Day events is detailed below:

Thursday, March 28 – Twins vs. Indians

• 6 to 9 am – Breakfast on the Plaza – Fans are invited to drive, walk or bike down 7th Street (adjacent to the Majestic Twins Clubhouse Store) and grab a free ballpark breakfast. Free food and beverages will be available, courtesy of Twins partners Schweigert™, Sheboygan, Caribou Coffee, Chick-Fil-A, Fisher Nuts, Old Dutch, Mauer Sports Nutrition and Pepsi. Additionally, fans will be able to take photos, enter to win tickets, receive gift cards from Supercuts and hear a live broadcast of the WCCO Morning News with Dave Lee.
• 1:00 pm – Gates open – Twins legends Rod Carew, Tony Oliva and Kent Hrbek will open their namesake ballpark entrances, joining Casey Killebrew (Harmon’s grandson) at Gate #3 and franchise icon Tom Kelly, along with Kirby Puckett, Jr. and Catherine Puckett at Gate 34, to assist in officially opening the Target Field gates and welcoming fans for the 2019 season.
• Local vendors in the food, beverage and retail space, all hailing from throughout Twins Territory, highlight the opening of the new Gate 34 Experience.
• The National Anthem will be Minneapolis songwriter and performer Sean Tillman (aka Har Mar Superstar).
• The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by 2006 American League MVP, four-time All-Star and current FSN analyst Justin Morneau.
• A flyover will feature two F-16s from the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing, based out of Duluth.
• Fireworks will accompany introductions of the 2019 Twins.
• Joining in the Opening Day spirit, a multitude of local buildings will be lit in Twins colors at various points throughout the week of March 25th: the IDS Building, Nicollet Mall, the Lowry Avenue Bridge and the 35W Bridge.

On-field pregame ceremony will include, in this order:

• Both teams will be introduced along the foul lines.
• A giant American flag will be unfurled by Twins Season Ticket Holders.
• World War II veteran and centenarian Lawrence Cline of Alexandria, Minnesota will raise the American flag as part of the Salute to America presented by Thomson Reuters.
• The Twins Territory flag will be raised by John Griffith, a Twins Season Ticket Holder since Target Field’s inaugural 2010 season. John, who was previously with Target, helped design and build Target Plaza, while he was also involved in the lobbying effort to successfully build the ballpark. John is currently the head of real estate for Lifetime Athletic and resides in Maple Grove with his wife and their three children.
• Peter McLaughlin will raise the Hennepin County flag. During his 27 years and seven terms as County 4 Commissioner, McLaughlin was a leading advocate for the construction of Target Field, successfully lobbied for light rail transit funding and the subsequent METRO Blue Line in 2004, and pushed to consolidate the region’s libraries, build Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway bike path and change the name of Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska, among other accomplishments. He also served three terms in the Minnesota Legislature, rising to Assistant House Majority Leader.

In-game elements include:

• “God Bless America” will be performed by SPC Daniel Heck. A native Minnesotan and lifelong Twins fan, Specialist Heck has served in the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division “Red Bull” Band since 2015. He recently returned from Kuwait, where the Red Bull Band performed for deployed troops and partnered to teach and perform at a school. Specialist Heck is currently enrolled at St. Cloud State University, where he majors in Music.

Tickets AvailableSeason, group, Twins Pass and single-game tickets for Opening Day and the 2019 season at Target Field are available via the MLB Ballpark App, at twinsbaseball.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS (612-338-9467) or 800-33-TWINS (800-338-9467), or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office.