Get To Know: Lindsay Guentzel

When I was three, I took a baseball bat to the back of my left ear. Six stitches later, I was hooked.

Okay, so it took a little bit more than a trip to the emergency room for me to realize how much I loved America’s pastime. But it did teach me an important lesson: never run in front of the batter’s box when the pitcher is winding up.

I’m Lindsay Guentzel, one of the lucky starting nine who will be heading to New York City this season to take over the MLB Fan Cave. I’m a freelance sportswriter and on-air host in Minneapolis and while I’ve never lived outside of the great state of Minnesota, I’m beyond excited to pack up my life here and join my new team - Major League Baseball - on Opening Day.

As a Minnesota Twins fan, I’ve experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows and for some crazy reason, I keep coming back April after April. I guess I can thank my dad for that. My childhood was filled with stories of The Killer, watching Kirby circle the bases while waving my Homer Hanky, listening to Herb Carneal during long rides to the cabin, mostly because my dad was – and still is – a huge Minnesota Twins fan.

Growing up in a cul-de-sac in New Prague, Minnesota (pop. around 7,000), our street was always busy with pick-up games, my mom always standing close by with a first-aid kit in hand. My older sisters had played tee-ball & softball and like any good baby of the family, I followed suit with their oversized hand-me-down gloves in tow. And when I wasn’t sliding into first, I was watching The Sandlot, Rookie of the Year and Little Big League on repeat, harboring crushes on Benny ‘The Jet’ & Henry Rowengartner while silently hoping my grandpa would somehow make me the next Billy Heywood.

Sadly, my career on the diamond didn’t pan out. But that didn’t stop me from showing my love for the Hometown Nine while I attended the University of Minnesota (Go Gophers!). Wednesday night at the Dome combined the best of both worlds: $3 tickets for students & Dollar DomeDogs. It was a match made in poor student heaven and when it finally came to time to decide a career path, I let that Teflon bubble lead the way.

As a Twins fan, I hate the Yankees but somehow keep a soft spot for Ozzie Guillen. Cuddy will always be my buddy, Pavano isn’t Pavano without the ‘stache, Joe Mauer’s walk-up song has lost its magic and I’ll miss nothing more this season than yelling during Kubel’s at-bat (yes, I still miss Lew).

I’m so honored to be representing Twins Territory in the MLB Fan Cave and I hope you all follow along as this season gets underway. It’s going to be a crazy ride so I need you all to make me a promise: when it comes time to vote, VOTE a lot so I don’t get cut from the team & when you go to Target Field, eat a Tony O’s Cuban for me. That’s technically two promises, but you get the drift.

Let’s go Twins!

Follow Lindsay on Twitter @LindsayGuentzel.