These were some notes for a radio segment on Monday (Opening Day). I found them intriguing, so here they are for ardent fans of Patrick Plus (yeah, pal, you know who you are):

Famous season openers during the Twins' era of Met Stadium (1961-81):

April 11, 1961—Pete Ramos shuts out Yankees and Whitey Ford in Yankee Stadium, 6-0, in Twins' first-ever game. Game was 0-0 into 7th. Bob Allison led off with HR (obviously, Twins' first-ever), Ramos singled in two runs and then Reno Bertoia hit 2-run home run off Ralph Terry in the 8th. In Ralph Terry's previous appearance, he allowed Bill Mazeroski's home run to end 1960 World Series. The crowd in Yankee Stadium (defending AL champs) was 14,607, with 50 degrees and no precipitation.

Additional note: Attendance standards have changed.

April 12, 1965—Twins beat Yankees (and NY reliever Pete Ramos) 5-4 in 11 innings at Met Stadium. There were recoord floods in the Twin Cities that spring. This was when starting pitcher Jim Kaat and third baseman Rich Rollins were helicoptered in from Burnsville because all the roads were under water. The Twins then postponed the rest of the series with the Yankees because of the floods.

April 12, 1966—Mudcat Grant beat Oakland and Catfish Hunter 2-1. Sandy Valdespino singled home Zoilo Versalles in bottom of 9th. Game time: 1:45.

April 7, 1970—Twins open in Comiskey Park and beat the White Sox 12-0. Brant Alyea, in his first game for Twins as left fielder, drives in seven runs and hits two home runs – the first off Tommy John. He also had two singles to go 4 for 4. Jim Perry pitched a 6-hit shutout.

Additional note: That first home run was off the real Tommy John, not a pitcher having undergone Tommy John elbow surgery.

April 5, 1974—Twins beat K.C. 6-4 in 11 innings in Royals Stadium. This opener is famous for me because it's the first one I covered as the Twins' beat writer. Sergio Ferrer scored the tie-breaking run in top of 11th by scoring from second on a sacrifice fly by Rod Carew to the CF fence. Amos Otis had fallen down on warning track.

Additional notes: The next day the Royals edged the Twins 23-6. The Sunday game was rained out, and the Twins didn't return to K.C. until August. In the first game of that series, the Twins gave up 18 runs. Forty-one runs in 16 half-innings at the plate for George Brett and doubles-hitting compadres. It was like a merry-go-round watching the Royals of that era on that expansive turf.