Cold makes home opener bit odd

There was nothing inherently wrong with the conditions at Target Field as the Twins had their home opener Thursday against Seattle.

All traces of our early-week dumping of snow were eradicated by the Twins' efficient crew. Fans — the vast majority of whom presumably grew up here — knew how to dress for a chilly day. The flyover was on cue. Baseball proceeded pretty much as usual.

And yet with nothing really wrong, it still didn't quite feel right — a reminder that baseball, perhaps more than any other sport, is just as much about a feeling as it is about what happens between the lines.

The return of baseball is supposed to mean we made it through winter and emerged victorious. When winter insists on a long Minnesota goodbye, it's not just a little depressing.

It just seems flat-out strange to be at a ballgame when everyone is bundled up, like someone tampered with our internal clocks.