Tomorrow starts the final homestand of the Twins at the Metrodome. 3 more games left selling beer to some of the best fans in baseball.
It is really hard to believe this is it… Seems like just yesterday the countdown was 162… now it is 3.
The Metrodome is hated by many people around baseball. Local media, national media, Mike Ditka, Ozzie Guillen, rookie outfielders… hell, there are many days that I hate the place.
Through all the criticism, the Dome has been my second home for over 20 years. There are many great memories that I have shared. …But left out of all of that are the great friends, players, fans and colleagues that I spent over 1200 games with since 1989.
Where does one begin… where do I finish… who gets left out? Forgive me if I forgot anything. It was 20+ years and I never wrote anything down until 2 months ago. Please tag your own favorite Dome memory.
These are my final Random Memories… It is THE collection of the things I remember most after 20 years. Not so much“thank you’s”, but things that I feel I must mention before it ends. Most of these will mean nothing to everyone reading this. This is my “Closure”.
I will never have another opportunity like the last 20 years… whatever opportunity it was.
Kirby Puckett always looked up and said “Hey Man, how ya doin’”
Rick Aguilara after a “Save Wave” in ’91 or ’92 – “Hey guys, thanks.”
Cal Ripken Jr. signed a baseball for me on the second try.
Dick Bremer bought/took a beer when he and Bert broadcast the game from left field.
Tony Oliva sang Happy Birthday to my Mom in 2008
Jodi Mientkiewic & Dark Star drank Bud Light
Tom and his wife are Nick Punto fans in section 117
Sue will drink whatever light beer I am selling in section 116
Jennifer needs a lemon in section 133
Jeff Lenihan made “don’t settle for that sugary stuff” famous in the press box when I sold Diet Coke
The woman in section 130 always bought a Diet Coke from me in the early ’90’s
3000th hits by Cal Ripken Jr., Dave Winfield, and Eddie Murray… all games I worked.
500th HR’s by Frank Thomas (Sydney was at that game with YMCA too)
Leading the Metrodome for 7th Inning Stretch in 1990.
The Bud group on occasion in section 232
The customer that asked, “How much for the entire case?”… Then he bought it. $138 please.
Section 129, Row 4: 4 Michelob Golden Lights
Susie, Grace, Bobbi, Wilbur, Mike, Jim, Linda, Rod, Steve – my earliest friends at the Dome
Early Coke vendors: Gerald, James, Jack, Dave, Roger, Paul
The other Dan Smith
Hubert’s
Wooden Nickels & Straws
The Bud Fresh Day and the LUCKY draw
Almost getting arrested in section 212 after Game 7 ended.
Dave at the guard desk
The 95-degree game in 2004. Someone forgot to turn on the air.
Andy, Mike, Tony, Tim, TK, Big Ed, Wegs, Z, Tom, Tim, Mike, Scott, Igor, Tom, Jake, Dave, Doug, Papa Chad, Justin, Al, Lyle, Troy, Trixter, Wally, Jerry, Ross, Ron, Craig, Gary, Jon, Dan, Beck, Lisa
Dan Schaal’s stories
Bosses: Jay, Mike, Molly, Mark, Roy, Paul, Ken
Leah born during All Star Break 2005
Big John, Amy
Maxwell’s
Dog Pound
Forklift races
Hegs
“You do the Math!”
1st game after 9/11/01
Dome vendor picnics
Baldwin Parking lot
Brut, by Faberge
The Porch
Gate C picnic area
Vendors that will be missed on Sunday
Tim Wallman, Tom Plantenburg, Ray “Your Vendor”
There are so many stories, and so much more to the list above… If you want to hear the story, buy me a beer at Maxwell’s, and just ask. I will always enjoy sharing Metrodome beer vendor memories.
Hope to see everyone this weekend. If you are going to be “in the building”, let me know. Who knows where I will be working or what I might be selling, but I will try to find everyone I can.
I am anxious to find out who buys my final beer in the Metrodome for Twins games.
LAST CALL for alcohol at the Metrodome.
Damn Scary,your line about "who will buy my last beer at a Twins game" actually chocked me up a little bit. It really is the end of a huge part of our lives. I never, ever thought that when I started working at the Dome when I was a 10th-grader in 1991 that I would be still working there in 2009. I was just telling a "new guy" at the radio station about my vending jobs the other day. Started out as a prep...shoveling ice, filling cups, and putting covers on the tops of paper cups filled with Coke making $5.50 an hour. Didn't ever want to be a vendor because "they get so sweaty and they get mocked by fans". Then I found out I could make more than $5.50/hr on a bad night and changed my mind. I started off on the bottom rung selling soft pretzels, a product that hasn't been sold at the Dome for at least a decade. I'll have to look back at my receipts ( I have every one of them), but if I remember correctly the most I ever made selling pretzels was $32....and I love it. I switched or should I say "upgraded" and started selling Coke/Diet Coke a year or so later.
ReplyDeleteSo many memories as a Coke vendor. Of course there were the trays...95% of which would leak product all over the vendor carrying it as well as the stairs and any fans that got too close. For a few years I even wore some ridiculous weightlifting gloves because the handles on the trays would dig into my hands so badly. Sold a Coke to Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter once at a Twins game when they were $2.75 and he stuck his hand out for his quarter back.
The celebrity sightings during the 91 playoffs were pretty impressive. I saw:
Muhammad Ali, Charlie Sheen, Jane Fonda, Ted Turner, Evander Holyfield...
I saw Chris Farley at the Super Bowl. He was wearing an SNL jacket, open, no shirt underneath, surrounded by beautiful women.
I'll write more when I have the time. Thanks for doing the blog.
Justin Severson