-Big Announcement (at least for me): ESPN1500 sports/news man John Heidt and I are putting together a band to play at O'Gara's on May 20. We played there last year at Tommy Mischke's CED release party, and had so much fun we're going to do it again.

We're combining our gig with a book signing by Bloomington native and former Sports Illustrated star Steve Rushin, whose new book, The Pint Man, was released recently. Steve will conduct the book signing, we'll play a couple of sets, and we're working on lining up a couple of local celebs to either join the band or hang out with Steve.

We're not going to charge a cover, so drop by and enjoy the evening. (John Heidt, if you haven't heard him, is a wonderful guitarist.)

-So I head from the press box to the rightfield plaza to do Joe Anderson's show on ESPN1500, and for the first time I found myself walking through the concourse before a game.

The concourses are 10 times wider than the Metrodome's, but I swear they're more crowded. Fans love walking in through the rightfield gate, Gate 29, so the first-base concourse is packed.

Not complaining. Just observing. It's actually a great sign for the Twins and downtown Minneapolis. Already people love planning their day around a Twins game, including meals before and after the game at downtown establishments. Thursday, Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson left the ballpark to go have dinner at a local pub, and the crowds at Kieran's have been immense.

-I can't always use my column to promote good works, but here in the blogosphere I've got unlimited space, so today I'd like to introduce you to the 7th Annual Kwik Trip Killebrew Classic. For those of you who haven't met him, Harmon is one of the nicest people in the history of baseball.

The info:

Our guy Harmon Killebrew will host The Classic on May 23 and 24, 2010, to benefit the Twins Community Fund and the Miracle League of Minnesota.

The Classic will feature a dinner and auction at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 23 at Target Field. The dinner is open to the public and tickets are $150 per person or $1,000 for ten. Entertainment will be provided by local musician Brian (G.B.) Leighton. The silent and live auctions will feature a variety of items including baseball memorabilia for collectors and fans of all ages. This event is open to non-event golfers.

A celebrity golf tournament will be held on Monday, May 24 at Mendakota Country Club in Mendota Heights, Minn. Shotgun start is 10 a.m. This event is open to registered golfers only. For information on participating or sponsorships and to see auction lists and images, visit www.harmonkillebrewfoundation.org. -I like basketball more than I like hockey, and yet when the two sports' way-too-long regular seasons end and the playoffs start, I gravitate to hockey. I think that's because upsets are much more likely in hockey, and one dramatic moment can mean more in a hockey series. Also, the NHL regular season is so boring and long that to see hockey players competing with passion and fear is a reminder of how great the sport can be when something is on the line, whether it's an Olympic medal or the Stanley Cup. Also, while I like basketball and marvel at the athletic ability of the players, I can't stand the fact that if a game is close late, there are bound to be 22 timeouts in the last 3 minutes. I can't stand it. Here you have maybe the greatest athletes in the world playing a game that showcases their spectacular abilities, and a lot of games are decided by free throws and marred by timeouts. To me, the sports world would be a lot better if there was no such thing as a field goal or free throw. Or hockey shootout. I think hockey teams should play until someone wins. I liked the idea of a shootout, but now I find them dull. I'm pulling for Alex Ovechkin to win it all this year, because he's a great scorer who hits and never whines when he gets hit. But zero shots in his first game? How is that possible? -We have the Ron Gardenhire Show at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at ESPN1500 (formerly am-1500), followed by Sunday Sports Talk, with Tim Kurkjian, Michael Cuddyer and Tom Linneman helping us analyze the Vikings and the draft. We're trying to line up Vikings draft guru Rick Spielman for a future show. I'll be at Target Field all weekend, writing for the Sunday and Monday papers, then I'll be covering the Vikings' draft next week. -My twitter name is Souhanstrib. -Beautiful night here at the ballpark. I like the place most at dusk, whether at the end of a day game or the beginning of a night game. Nothing better than seeing a sunset at the ballpark.