Twins play ball - Bridge collapses

In a scene out of Hollywood, the Minnesota Twins played ball Wednesday night. Before the game there had been questions on whether or not to cancel the nights game. A cancellation not because of weather, but because of a catastrophe close to the Metrodome.

A bridge collapsed an hour before the scheduled start of the game. A major bridge carrying thousands of Minnesotans daily. A freeway bridge, which had stood for over 40 years in the heart of the Twin Cities, spanning the mighty Mississippi. A bridge that carried thousands of Twins fans to games in the Metrodome. A bridge, which carried many of the Twins players, coaches and office staff to work and back home.

The news reached the Twins office about 6:30. And suddenly, the stunned Twins staff was grappling with a decision on whether to play baseball. On the face of it playing baseball, when just a few blocks away a scene of devastation was unfolding in the heart of the Twins’ own community, made no sense. Calling off the game seemed the way to go. Then the Twins office heard from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The state office asked the Twins to play ball. To play ball, and keep the 25,000 fans who had reached the Metrodome there. To play and help keep the downtown streets and remaining highways clear of these 25,000 exiting people for a few critical hours.

And so the Twins played ball. To the disbelief of people and reporters around the country, the Twins went ahead with their game. They did not know, at first, of the request by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to do just that; to play ball.

The Twins went ahead with their game, with one eye on the news and their hearts with family, friends and the victims of the catastrophe. They observed a moment of silence at the beginning of the game and provided updates throughout the game on traffic conditions and news updates. In between innings Twins players contacted family and friends to check on their safety. And then they went back out there and played ball. By the end of the game (which went into the 10th and ended with a Twins loss) the fans at the Metrodome has information of new routes to get back home safely and without impacting the continuing rescue efforts.