Minnesota Twins Homestand Highlights: June 1-4
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins, who remain on top of the American League Central division and are coming off winning two of three games in Houston against the defending World Series champion Astros, return to Target Field tonight for their fifth homestand of the season, a four-game weekend stay against division rival the Cleveland Guardians. This homestand features a gate giveaway for all four games, the annual Prince Night celebration and the 2023 debut of the club’s summer-long Friday Night Fireworks series presented by Securian Financial, among other fun activations.
TICKETS AVAILABLE
Tickets for all four games of the Twins’ June 1-4 homestand against Cleveland can be purchased online via twins.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS or 1-800-33-TWINS, or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office.
GIVEAWAYS, THEME NIGHTS AND KIDS DAYS
The homestand will feature four gate giveaways (Twins Water Bottle presented by Pentair on Thursday, June 1; Co-branded Prince “Anthology” T-Shirt on Friday, June 2; Joe Ryan Bobblehead presented by Delta Air Lines on Saturday, June 3; and Kids Arm Sleeve on Sunday, June 4), one Theme Night (the Twins’ sixth annual Prince Night on Friday, June 2) and one Kids Day presented by Gillette Children’s and Target (Sunday, June 4).
SPECIAL EVENTS – LOU GEHRIG DAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FIREWORKS
The Twins will join Major League Baseball and the 29 other clubs in recognizing Lou Gehrig Day on Friday, June 2; the day is devoted to raising awareness of and funds for the fight against ALS, as well as celebrating the impact and struggle of individuals and families living with the disease. June 2 will also feature the first installment of the club’s summer-long Friday Night Fireworks presented by Securian Financial; Friday’s display will be set to Prince’s greatest hits, in further honor of Prince Night.
CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCHES
This homestand features several notable ceremonial first pitches: By the Giovanelli family of St. Louis Park, MN, on Friday in celebration of their strength and courage in living with ALS; by Nolan Ryan Nelson in honor of Prince Night on Friday, June 2; by First Officer and Assistant Chief Pilot Tim Bathke of Delta Air Lines on Saturday, June 3; also on Saturday by Owen Van Riper, a 15-year-old Crohn’s disease advocate who was named this year’s Honored Hero for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s annual Take Steps Walk, to be held later this month; and by Jackie Boesl on behalf of the American Heart Association on Sunday, June 4.
NATIONAL TV SPOTLIGHT
Two of this weekend’s four games against Cleveland will be broadcast nationally, with Friday, June 2’s 7:10 p.m. first pitch being carried on Apple TV+ and Saturday, June 3’s 6:15 p.m. game on FOX.
A complete rundown of the Twins’ four-game homestand, including special festivities, ticket deals and gate giveaways, follows:
TWINS VS. CLEVELAND GUARDIANS: TONIGHT (THURSDAY, JUNE 1) – SUNDAY, JUNE 4 (4 GAMES)
Thursday, June 1 vs. Cleveland Guardians presented by Pentair (6:40 p.m.; gates open at 5:30 p.m.)
- Gate Giveaway – Twins Water Bottle presented by Pentair: The first 10,000 fans to enter Target Field tonight will receive a Twins Water Bottle presented by Pentair, who is also sponsoring the game.
- Pregame – April Front Office Employees of the Month: The Twins will recognize the organizatin’s front office April Employees of the Month on the field prior to the start of the game.
Friday, June 2 vs. Cleveland Guardians (7:10 p.m.; gates open at 5:00 p.m.)
Purple Party – Prince Night: Join the Twins on Friday night for the club’s sixth annual Prince Night, a fun-filled celebration of the Purple One as well as recognition of Prince’s philanthropic legacy and ongoing impact in Minnesota and beyond. Activations include:
Gate Giveaway: The first 10,000 fans will receive a Co-branded Prince “Anthology” T-Shirt, featuring the artist’s iconic logo on a deep purple canvas.
Theme Night Package: Fans who purchase a special theme night package receive a ticket to the game as well as an exclusive co-themed Prince/Twins sweatshirt.
Bally Sports North 360 Photo Booth Experience: Show your Purple One pride at Bally Sports North’s 360-degree photo booth experience, which will be decked out for the night. The experience will be located on the main concourse, near section 116.
Ceremonial First Pitch: Five-year-old Nolan Ryan Nelson, the great-great-great grandson of Prince’s father John L. Nelson and named after National Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.
National Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner will be sung by Prince’s niece Breanna Nelson, a singer, songwriter and mezzo soprano in her own right.
Charitable Support: Prince’s siblings Norrine Nelson and Sharon Nelson will accept a donation for the When Doves Cry Foundation. Founded by Norrine, Sharon and John Nelson to carry on the philanthropic legacy of their beloved brother, the When Doves Cry Foundation seeks to assist nonprofit organizations that provide shelter, food and clothing to needy and abused children and adults, while also providing support for music education and Christian education for children.
7th Inning Stretch: “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” will be sung during the 7th inning stretch by employees of Paisley Park, Prince’s home and recording studio that remains a creative sanctuary where the public can experience the rich history and legacy left behind by the Purple One himself.
Lou Gehrig Day: The Twins are proud to join Major League Baseball and the 29 other clubs in recognizing Lou Gehrig Day on June 2, the anniversary of the baseball legend’s passing. The night will feature pregame ceremonies and club social media posts to raise awareness of, and funds for, ALS research and to honor the strength and courage of individuals and families living with the disease. The Twins will also host 300 members of the ALS community for a night at the ballpark and present the ALS Association with a donation check pregame.
The Fight Against ALS: Prior to the game, the Twins will honor Lynn Giovanelli of St. Louis Park, MN, who was diagnosed with ALS in July 2020, and her family on the field prior to the game. Since her diagnosis, Lynn, her husband and her three sons have become fierce ambassadors for the fight to find a cure, while showing everyone what it looks like to say “yes” as often as possible – to travel, to live music, to social gatherings and to not missing their sons’ music and sporting events. The club will also acknowledge two Twins legends who both lost a parent to ALS (Kent Hrbek and Terry Steinbach), encourage participation in local ALS Association fundraising events and celebrate club partner Carrier, who makes a financial donation to the ALS Association through the Strike Out ALS campaign for every strikeout a Twins pitcher records at Target Field. Additionally, the Twins Territory flag will be raised by Kurt Barnick and his family; Kurt, like Giovanelli, is living with ALS.
Friday Night Fireworks presented by Securian Financial: The Twins’ summer-long Friday Night Fireworks presented by Securian Financial returns for its first rendition of 2023, set to Prince’s greatest hits.
Saturday, June 3 vs. Cleveland Guardians presented by Delta Air Lines (6:15 p.m.; gates open at 4:00 p.m.)
Gate Giveaway – Joe Ryan Bobblehead: The first 10,000 fans to arrive at Target Field on Saturday night will receive a Joe Ryan Bobblehead presented by Delta Air Lines. The bobblehead features the right-hander’s signature long locks and facial hair, as well as the Twins’ new home uniform.
Partners in Flight: Longtime Twins partner Delta Air Lines is bringing its wings to Target Field on Saturday night, with a ceremonial first pitch, national anthem and 7th inning stretch.
Ceremonial First Pitch, Pilot-Style: In celebration of Delta’s sponsorship of the game, First Officer and Assistant Chief Pilot Tim Bathke will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.
National Anthem: Delta flight attendant Hannah Blanton will sing the Star-Spangled Banner.
7th Inning Stretch: A group of Delta staffers will lead the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch.
Putting out Fires: Prior to the game, the Twins will recognize Jeff Leuer of the Loretto Fire Department, who was named the 2022 Minnesota Fire Chiefs Association Fire Officer of the Year for population under 10,000. A member of the Loretto Fire Department for 30 years, Jeff recently led the merger of the Hamel and Loretto Fire Departments and, as of July 1, will be the Fire Chief of the new West Suburban Fire District.
Taking Steps for Crohn’s: A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by 15-year-old Owen Van Riper, who has been living with Crohn’s disease since he was five years old. An ardent advocate for raising awareness around Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, Owen was named this year’s Honored Hero for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s annual Take Steps Walk, to be held on June 25 at Viking Lakes.
Sunday, June 4 vs. Cleveland Guardians (1:10 p.m.; gates open at 11:00 a.m.)
Gate Giveaway – Kids Arm Sleeve: The first 5,000 fans 12-and-under will receive a TC-branded Kids Arm Sleeve.
Honoring the Board: The Twins will recognize several members of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund Board of Directors prior to the game, in celebration of their contributions and leadership with the club’s charitable arm.
The Heart of the Matter: A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Jackie Boesl on behalf of the American Heart Association, Jackie has participated in the annual Heart Walk as a captain for the last four years, raising over $15,000 with her team.
Bringing the Backyard back to Baseball: Sunday marks return of Bullseye’s Backyard, part of Target’s Kids Day sponsorship that will be part of Sunday home games throughout the remainder of the 2023 Twins regular season schedule. Set up inside Gate 34, Bullseye’s Backyard contains interactive activities including Big Catch, Run the Bases and a coloring mural to let kids of all ages leave their mark on Target Field. The activation also provides the opportunity for kids to print their own baseball cards, win ticket upgrades, get a custom screen-printed bag or bandanna and even the chance to be selected as the Target Ball Kid for a game.
Kids Day: Among the other special activities for Kids Day presented by Gillette Children’s and Target:
Thanks to Gillette Children’s and Target, kids’ meals are half price – just $4 – at Hennepin Grille (Section 311) and Taste of Twins Territory (Section 124).
A member of the T.C. Sluggers Kids Club will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Nine lucky kids will take the field with the Twins before the top of the first inning as part of the Perkins Kids Starting Lineup.
Postgame, kids can run the bases courtesy of Gillette Children’s and Target.
DAILY TICKET SPECIALS AND IN-BALLPARK ACTIVATIONS
Fans can find their ticket to savings throughout the four-game homestand with these Twins Daily Ticket Specials and Ballpark Activations:
- Meal Deal presented by U.S. Bank (Tonight vs. Cleveland): Get everything you need for a day at the ballpark – hot dog, pop and chips, plus a Home Run Porch View or Field Box ticket.
- Student Discount (Tonight vs. Cleveland): Ballpark Access tickets are just $5 for students. Tickets are available via mobile delivery; plus, students can download a free Metro Transit ride pass.
- Military Discount presented by Evolv Technology and Bally Sports North (Tonight vs. Cleveland): Active military members or veterans with a valid ID, plus up to three guests, receive half-price Diamond Box High or Home Plate View tickets.
- “All You Can Eat” presented by Bally Sports North (Friday, June 2 vs. Cleveland): Enjoy unlimited access to ballpark favorites, courtesy of Bally Sports North, with a designated “All You Can Eat” Grandstand ticket.
- CUB Family Section with media partner Bally Sports North (Every game): Tickets in the alcohol-free family section include a FREE hot dog and Pepsi, courtesy of CUB and media partner Bally Sports North.
- “All-Inclusive” Legends Landing (Every game): Tickets in Sections U and V of Target Field’s second level (adjacent to the franchise’s 10 retired numbers) include limitless ballpark fare, such as hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, popcorn, pop, water, juice and milk.
- Kids Day presented by Gillette Children’s and Target (Sunday, June 4 vs. Cleveland): Kids’ meals are half price – just $4! Postgame, kids are welcome to live out some big-league dreams by running the bases.