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2017 Twins Opening Day
The 2017 Opening Day, scheduled for 3:10 pm on Monday, April 3 versus division rival Kansas City Royals at Target Field. Opening Day will be preceded by a day-long celebration of baseball with festivities on Target Plaza and Target Field Station.
The first 30,000 fans in attendance will receive a blue Twins long sleeve hooded tee (size M/XL) presented by your local Northland Ford dealers. Fans are encouraged to arrive early with Target Field gates opening at 1 pm (2 hours before first pitch).
Limited seating remains available for the season opening contest via twinsbaseball.com and the Target Field Box Office
Schedule of Events
- 6 to 9 a.m. - Breakfast on the Plaza - Fans are invited to drive down 7th Street (adjacent to the Twins Majestic Clubhouse Store) and grab a free ballpark breakfast. Free food and beverages will also be available to bikers and pedestrians on the 7th Street side of Target Plaza.
- Noon to 2:15 p.m. - DJ Advance will perform on the balcony overlooking Target Plaza.
- 1:00 p.m. - Gates open - Twins legends and select alumni from the 1987 World Championship team - celebrating the 30th anniversary of the club's first World Series victory - will assist in officially opening the ballpark gates.
- The National Anthem will be performed by Dessa in collaboration with a Brass Quintet from the Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra. The musicians who will be performing the National Anthem are: Manny Laureano, trumpet; Lynn Erickson, trumpet; Michael Gast, horn; Douglas Wright, trombone; and Steve Campbell, tuba.
- The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by longtime Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek.
- A flyover featuring four F-16s from the Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard.
On-field pregame ceremony will include, in this order:
- Both teams will be introduced along the foul lines.
- A giant flag will be unfurled by Twins Season Ticket Holders.
- Raptor Center Eagles Pi and Max will be at home plate.
- Barb Sykora will raise the Hennepin County flag. Sykora served on the Minnesota Ballpark Authority from 2006 through 2016. Sykora also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for many years and played an important leadership role in helping ensure passage of the Twins-Hennepin County ballpark legislation which would ultimately result in the construction and opening of Target Field.
- Henry Langavin will raise the American Flag. Langavin was a paratrooper in WWll at the age of 19, part of the 82nd airborne he jumped in behind enemy lines, one of the first rescuers to arrive at Nazi German prison camp. A couple years ago the Dutch Army commander and government representatives came to Minnesota to honor him for his service. He is now 94, lives independently and spends most of his time volunteering at his church and local nursing homes.
- The late Twins Hall of Famer Tom Mee's four sons, John, Joe, Tim and Tom Jr., will be present with John Mee raising the Twins Territory flag.
In-game elements include:
- "God Bless America" will be performed by SGT Signe Mundfrom.
- The Twins will wear "YL" patches on Opening Day as a tribute to Yorman Landa.