HAPPY EASTER TO ALL.

Nothing makes me happier than the Twins kicking the snot out of the White Sox. Their TV announcers are the most obnoxious asses in the business, or at least they're a close second to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner.

The Twins' fast start is great. They'll need to keep hitting at least a few homers, and the bullpen will have to be solid. I'm not sold on LaTroy Hawkins as a closer yet. But the starters look tough and I think the Twins will play solid defense. And maybe (gasp!) some people will actually come to watch them play.

I'LL GIVE YOU $3.00 IF YOU CATCH ME A BALL AT THE NEXT GAME. I WANNA SEE THIS.

Here's a souvenir baseball story for you. Three years ago, we went to a Cardinals-Twins game at the Dome when McGwire was in the middle of breaking the homer record. Well, late in the game, Big Mac finally launched one to left, right over our heads in the bleachers.

The scramble for the ball began immediately. Unfortunately, my son chose that exact moment to return from the concession stand. He walked down the aisle and promply got knocked over and stepped on. Needless to say, he wasn't happy.

Anyway, after all of the scuffling for the ball, it ended up in the lap of a guy all decked out in Cardinal gear who didn't have to move a muscle. So some people ended up taking a picture of thise guy and his new McGwire ball.A consolation souvenir, I guess.

Saturday was a perfect day in TH. My woman and I sat down by Agate Harbor watching the Presque Isle come into port and then proceeded later to take the Lake Walk all the way around to Burlington Bay...thus completing a tour of the two harbors in Two Harbors. Of course though, Sunday afternoon we had snow. What a fu#$ed up weather pattern.

I think former Agate Brian "Scooby" Hedin was the best baseball player of all time.

On a more serious note, any discussion of great hitters must include mentions of Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby and Joe DiMaggio. And of course, there's Rod Carew, the best hiiter I ever saw with my own two eyes.

The best seat and baseball ticket in town is still watching the Gophers at Siebert Field though...

GUESS WHAT, I GET TO START TRAVELING TO TH ONCE A MONTH FOR BUISNESS. LUCKY ME.

I too liked Rod Carew. His ability to get on base was amazing. He found ways to do things that no one had ever thought of.

Myself and my French River visitors go to the Mariners - Rangers tonight in the new last year stadium in Seattle tonight. A-Rod's second night in Seattle since his move to Texas and the big contract. He was booed last night and I am sure will be again tonight. Should be interesting.

Welcome back from the south there Skipper. Hope you and yours had a good vacation. Even Minnesota's weather is nice after getting crispy crittered in Texas huh? I am not a big fan of hot weather either.

DRIFTER YOUR KILLIN ME. AS MUCH AS THE TWINS MAKE THEY SHOULD PAY FOR 100%.

I THINK WORK IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFRENT SUBJECT. NOBODY IS PAYING ANYBODY TO WATCH ME AT WORK.

The new deal offered by the Twins seems to be one of the best around and should be given more consideration then it has been.

Thanks Drifty I hope to.

My $.02 worth on the staduim issue is that the State does have *some* responsibility to fork over money for stadiums. But maybe only 25-50% and certainly not the whole thing.

If I was Emperor of the Universe, the state of Minnesota would be setting aside $30 million a year for new stadium construction. I would have the Vikes and Twins play out their 30-year leases at the Dome, but have the new stadiums ready to go for the following seasons. The state picks up part of the tab, and the NFL/MLB and the teams pick up the rest...

I'm off to Vegas on Friday. Anybody got any bets they want me to place?

With all due respect to people of differant opinions and while I understand the need for the community to have a common rallying point. I also understand that some tax dollars must be spent to allow large projects like stadiums, airports and real-estate developments to go forward, I can see no reason for hard fought tax dollars to be spent on places for sports while our schools are falling down.

Again, I hope the Twins new stadium deal works out and one day I can buy you all a cold one there.

And actually Torggy, without launching into a huge sermon, the nation's infrastructure as a whole pretty much sucks. With roads, bridges, schools, airports and mass transit all in a sorry state of affairs, where do you start???

Hey, Skipper, glad you're home...did you bring back spurs like you promised? (wink, wink)

Kitty, nuts is not doing what you want, so go for it. What is that old song? "I got spurs that jimgle jangle jingle, as I go riding merrily along". Have a good spring break

TORGGY, I WILL TAKE YOU UP ON THE NEW STADIUM DEAL.

KITTY, HAVE A GREAT MONTH OFF. ENJOY AND I'LL DRINK ONE AND THINK OF YOU SIPPIN ON A COLD ONE AS WELL.

AS FAR AS A DULL DAY, I HAD TROUBLE GETTING IN HERE TODAY.

AND YES MY PREDICTION IS THAT THE VIKINGS WILL INDEED WIN THE SUPERBOWL (SOMEDAY) HOPEFULLY JANUARY 2002.

WELCOME BACK SKIP!

Anyway, the Twins' recent stadium plan sounds plausible to me, although I'm not exactly a financial wizard. At this point, being a pragmatist, I'm at the point where I feel there HAS to be a plan that's acceptable. I'm puzzled as to why the latest bill has been tabled, but I'm still convinced it can get done. The City of San Francisco did, and Pac Bell looks great. I would suggest checking out the Web to see the financing.

I heartily agree that schools, roads, bridges can and should take precedence over a stadium. Ask yourself this: Have the Twin Cities/Legislature made any major commitment to the infrastructure in the absence of a stadium bill? I don't think so. Given the reluctance of communities anywhere to spend money on schools, for example, it doesn't automatically follow that funds devoted to a downtown improvement like a stadium take dollars from other projects.

Having said all that, I believe sports fans in Minnesota have every reason to be tired of the ransom game played by pro sports. The Pohlads can do more, financially and otherwise, to see that a new stadium is built. If it means selling the club to someone who is committed to the state and its fans, so be it.

Sorry for taking so much space. I need a beer, Lone Star, Swill or whatever.

I'm a structural engineer. The American Society of Civil Engineers just released a "Report Card on the Nation's Infrastructure." This included, schools, highways, dams, mass transit, airports, navigable waterways, wastewater, solid waste...etc...about 10-12 categories.

The nation got a D+ overall composite grade. We would need to spend $1.5 trillion over the next 5-10 years to meet the infrastructure needs of the nation. But instead, Dubya is giving a huge tax cut to his wealthiest friends and campaign contributors.

I think that pro sports bring money (tax revenue) into the economy overall, so spending money on stadiums would eventually provide money for other civic improvements...not $1.5 trillion, but you get the idea...

I'll get off the soap box now.

Next!

And as for you, Torggy, I'm glad you had a chance to give A-Rod the treatment he so richly (no pun intended) deserves. Did you happen to ask him about my suggestion that he should buy one case of beer per week for every eligble drinker in the country? Or was he too busy ducking Monopoly money?

I also see that Twins fans are buying up left field seats for the first Yankee series in anticpation of heckling Knoblauch. I just hope they don't throw anything at him. After all, Knobby can't defend himself by throwing it back!

How about this one. Is your Dad an Iron Range native who's father's name was Tom? (I hope I remembered that right). Or how about this one. . . . Did you have an aunt that lived in a stucco house next door to "Grandfat"?) Or maybe this one . . . Remember the Kordaire's?

If I am totally off base, sorry. I hope you have great luck in Las Vegas.

Kitty, Enjoy the vacation and keep on doing what you need to do to wind up with a career you actually want. It will be worth it. I went back to college as an adult and I am sure glad I did. Now go ahead, treat yourself to a beverage of your choice and send the bill to Skipper.

Drifter, That sweating like Roger Ebert thing is scaring me.

Skipper, Glad you are back from Texas. I lived their for a couple of years in the early 80's. I really liked it, but looking back, I don't know how I survived the heat. I worked outside year round. 105-115 degrees in the summer and the coldest feeling 10 degrees I have ever felt in the winter. I guess it probably helped that I drank Coors by the gallon.

I guess I'll quit. This is looking like a novel. Later . . .

Drifter-I about spit when I read the sweating like Roger Ebert comment..that was funny!

Stadium Issue-each opinion I read seemed valid, so I guess there isn't one best answer. I think a little cooperation can go a long way.

School Issue-even though most people agree we need a new school, no one wants to pay for it. The people who would be paying the most for it aren't even the voters on the issue. Sometimes you have to love the way our system works.