Fans work for the home team

Not all performers at Target Field games make big bucks. Some of them, in fact, are bringing home $23 million less than Joe Mauer -- that would be zero dollars -- and loving every minute of it.

The flag-raisers, first-pitch hurlers and singers at Twins home games take varying paths to get there, but they are happy to be receiving nothing more than a little camera time and the satisfaction of a job well done.

The national anthem singers, for example, range from professionals (the cast of "Jersey Boys") to local amateurs who make a big impression during open auditions in January at TwinsFest.

Former Twins and other local athletes often throw out one of three "first pitches." (The other two spots go to corporate sponsors and season- or group-ticket buyers.)

The most coveted role might be unique to the Twins: the armed-forces member or veteran who raises the American flag during the national anthem.

"I know of no other teams in baseball doing this," said vice president for marketing Patrick Klinger. "And I could book it for five years out right now."

During the Twins' first homestand, we visited with some contributors before and after their 1.5 or so minutes of fame.

"I've handled much more strenuous situations than this," the former U.S. Marine sergeant said with a smile.

But as the time came to raise the flag, things changed. A TV camera was pointed at her from close range, and a second later a gigantic version of her face appeared on the scoreboard. As the stadium announcer described her military career, which included a stint in Iraq, the crowd gave her an enthusiastic roar of approval. For a second, it appeared as if she might even tear up.

But her military discipline won out. As the national anthem started, she began raising the flag, changing the pace about halfway up the pole when she realized that her timing was not in sync with the music. She ended up nailing it: The flag reached the top of the pole at the instant that the last note of the song reverberated through the ballpark.

"I got a little nervous," she admitted after it was over. As a result of the adrenaline jolt, "I got a little off from the music, but I adjusted."

JEFF STRICKLER

"We were told to look only at the TV camera" that was feeding the picture to the scoreboard, said Holli Marshall, the pack's senior adult leader. "But I had to look up and see what I looked like on the Jumbotron."

And? "You're really huge up there! It took me by surprise."

She wasn't the only grown-up who was pumped up about the kids' role in the flag-raising. Peter Anderson, another adult leader, was so excited about the gig that he dressed up for it: "This is the first time I've put on my uniform in public."

The Scouts were told to be on the plaza by 12:30 p.m. for a Sunday game scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Tardiness was not going to be an issue. Many of the Scouts were on hand by 11 a.m. in order to watch the teams take batting practice.

"It wasn't tough to get them out of bed this morning," Anderson said.

A shining moment They could have turned off the Target Field lights during the seventh-inning stretch last Tuesday. Patrick Wyers' smile would have lit up the entire joint.

On his 10th birthday, Patrick and his siblings -- Nick, 18; Jennifer, 16, and Thomas, 14 -- were plucked from the crowd to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

Patrick's painted sign, reading, "It's my 10th birthday. Go Twins," was the Minnetonka family's ticket to a moment in the spotlight.

When the scheduled singers did not show up, game-presentation intern Hillary Tyler went to the bullpen, aka the adjacent section, where an usher had spotted Patrick's sign. "You learn to work on the fly," Tyler said.

The performance went off without a hitch, even with Jennifer grimacing when TC Bear thrust a microphone in her face. Patrick, meanwhile, didn't miss a beat. Or stop beaming.

Taking the high road Tyler Nicolai's teammates had his back, er, backstop.

Honored before the game with his St. Thomas basketball teammates, who captured the NCAA Division III championship last month, Nicolai was chosen to throw the ceremonial first pitch. The point guard from Hopkins had won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.

He hadn't pitched since middle school but was determined not to fall victim to the prevalent first-pitch problem: bouncing the throw to the plate.

So as his mates and coaches lined up behind "catcher" Matt Capps, Nicolai lofted a rainbow toward the plate.

"I was going high with it," Nicolai said. "I knew if I threw it over [Capps' head], one of the guys would catch it."

Hitting the right note Frank Grecyzna has built a home for Bert Blyleven and sung for the Playgirls on Ice revue at a Las Vegas rink. But he still had some performance anxieties before singing the national anthem at Target Field.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is, after all, not the easiest tune to perform, especially a cappella.

"The hardest part is trying to pick the key where you start," said Grecyzna (pronounced "gret-SEE-nah"). "You've got to start it in the right spot, or you're screwed."

On top of that, he said, "The words don't make any sense in today's vernacular. It's like singing Shakespeare, iambic pentameter or something."

But at least the co-owner of Pineview Builders was accustomed to large venues: He performed at the Flamingo and MGM Grand in Vegas and sang the anthem twice at the Metrodome.

And a mixed review from Grecyzna.

"I was a little rusty," he said immediately afterward. "I think the Dome is a little easier."

BILL WARD

Bill Ward • 612-673-7643; Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392