So the home team is 1-6. That doesn't have to make the home opener anything less than a celebration, of baseball, of the passing of winter, of a popular and still-feels-new stadium in a lively downtown. Add sun and an overstuffed Target Field and for one day it doesn't have to matter that the home team could yet go 1-161. And since that's true, why not celebrate the successes of the past? Minnesotans always embrace one of their own, and the fans did that Monday for Torii Hunter, who did some winning here back in the day.
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April 14, 2015 at 1:19AM
![Vanessa and Bobby Vasquez, newlyweds from El Paso, Texas, take a selfie together before the Twins home opener against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field in Minneapolis on Monday, April 13, 2015. ] LEILA NAVIDI leila.navidi@startribune.com /](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/6T6G4SQL6Y2JWYCQCDB3OZAY4M.jpg?&w=712)
Vanessa and Bobby Vasquez, newlyweds from El Paso, Texas, found a suitable backdrop. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
![Torii Hunter tips his cap before hitting for the first time during the Twins home opener against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field in Minneapolis on Monday, April 13, 2015. ] LEILA NAVIDI leila.navidi@startribune.com /](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/SYR4JDMPZJSFM5G5LMDF3XTRXU.jpg?&w=712)
Torii Hunter, back after a few years away, was the recipient of a significant ovation Monday by fans who appreciate what he did during his first time around as a Twins outfielder. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
![Twins legendary first baseman Kent Hrbek greets the first fan, Justin Kunz of St. Paul, through gate 14 at Target Field. Minnesota Twins Home Opener ] Minneapolis, MN - 4/13/2015](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/7MTOBITPXOM26AGGR3NG7XMGI4.jpg?&w=712)
Twins legend Kent Hrbek greeted the first fan through Gate 14, Justin Kunz of St. Paul. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
![Fans Audrey Heidorn, left, and Michaela Mueller dance during the Twins home opener against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field in Minneapolis on Monday, April 13, 2015. ] LEILA NAVIDI leila.navidi@startribune.com /](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/UAOH76U55JBOKOR4LO4ZXI6AJY.jpg?&w=712)
Audrey Heidorn, left, and Michaela Mueller danced, the game notwithstanding. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
![Fans ask for autographs from Torii Hunter before the Twins home opener against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field in Minneapolis on Monday, April 13, 2015. ] LEILA NAVIDI leila.navidi@startribune.com /](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/J7SB75MAAY5V5MSQFVU3WL2SEQ.jpg?&w=712)
Fans young and old sought Hunter’s attention and his autograph before the game. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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There is another recent local sports team that had surprising success, flamed out early in the playoffs and still has our hearts. Will the 2024 Vikings be as fondly remembered as the 2019 Twins?
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There is another recent local sports team that had surprising success, flamed out early in the playoffs and still has our hearts. Will the 2024 Vikings be as fondly remembered as the 2019 Twins?