I Apologized To My Daughter For Making Her A Minnesota Sports Fan

The first words out of my mouth last night after the final out ending the Minnesota Twins season was, "I am so sorry." It was to my daughter who is 9-years-old which is roughly the same age I was 30 years ago when the Twins won the World Series. I remember as a young kid, being fascinated with watching the excitement on TV.

I remember where I was, on the living room carpet, watching the TV with wide eyes and hoping someday I could be Chuck Knoblock, Danny Gladden, or my hero, Kirby Puckett. It was really something.

So when my daughter asked if she could stay up late to watch the Twins fight to stay alive in the ALDS series versus the defending Champion Houston Astros, I said sure. Why not? So she'll be a little tired at school tomorrow, but at least she'll get to experience a taste of what I did when I was her age.

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She got to see Royce Lewis hit it out of the park. She saw the Twins advance after the first round for the first time in almost 20 years. There was some real excitement! I thought we had a chance! Even until the final out, I still had hope.

Then Kepler struck out looking. Heartbreak.

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of this team for their season. There was some magic, and seeing Target Field erupt after winning the Wild Card round was very cool. I just wanted them to go all the way. I really was hoping my daughter could experience the magic I did as a kid. Watching the Twins in 1991 motivated me to get outside and play baseball every day in the summer.

We had great movies like The Sandlot, Rookie Of The Year, and Little Big League. Remember that one? It even featured the Minnesota Twins!

I guess it's a good life lesson. How do you handle the losses? That's when it takes character. You learn to bounce back and try again next season. It's something you'll need to learn as part of the heartbreak of being a fan of Minnesota Sports.

Am I going to let my guard down the next time one of my home teams gets into the playoffs? Absolutely.