It’s good to see the Minnesota Twins playing some decent baseball lately — especially after their horrible start. I’ve always been a baseball fan ever since my grandpa first took me to Metropolitan Stadium and I got to see Harmon Killebrew crack a long home run to win the game. I was hooked.

My brothers and I (and a few friends) would sometimes  trek to Bloomington to try and catch a game on warm, sunny days. We’d always get tickets for the left field bleachers because of the cost, but we’d always wish we could get closer to the players...so we devised a plan.

Between the left field bleachers and the box seats along the third base line, there was an open section between the two areas that was guarded by ticket takers and security. A few times we’d wait for the perfect time — then jump a short fence and waltz right past the guards who were oblivious to our scheme.

Then we’d scramble as far towards home plate as we could to find unoccupied seats as close to the field as we could. There we’d see the likes of Steve Braun at third base, Larry Hisle in left field and Danny Thompson at short. My favorite ball player for the Twins in the mid-70s was Lyman Bostock who “wowed” me with his special talents in the field and at the plate.

I remember specifically getting an autograph from George Mitterwald as well as Rich Reese but I could never coax the big stars to draw towards the stands. I did, however, get the opportunity to get an autograph from Bobby Bonds when he was a Yankee - though I really didn’t care, I wanted a Bostock or Carew or Killebrew autograph.

One of the times we tried to scoot past the guards from left field to third base, my neighbor friend and I got accosted and escorted out of the stadium. So we spent most of the time encircling the stadium looking for ways to dart in while my brothers and their friends watched from their newly-acquired seats,

Years later when I was an adult and finished playing little league and high school baseball, I started playing men’s softball with a close friend of mine from college. One day back in 1985, we decided to skip work at our jobs and attend the Twins Tryout Camp at the Metrodome. We spent the entire day at the stadium (eight hours) but only got to be on the field for about an hour of that time.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade it in for anything. We ran a 40-yard dash and were timed. We fielded about five ground balls (we both were infielders) and took three swings in the batting cage, hoping we’d get called back to the next day for a simulated scrimmage game.

We didn’t. Bummer.

But it was a childhood dream to be able to play (though briefly) on the same field as Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek and Dan Gladden played on. Plus (to my astonishment), we were featured with a five column, full color photo on the front page of the Star and Tribune’s sports section. Needless to say, we became instant celebrities in our softball community.

Baseball will always have a special place in my heart no matter how well (or bad) our hometown team is playing. And to say I was part of 412 “kids” chasing a baseball dream in 1985 — it’s a memory I will always treasure.