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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 9, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS -- Bud Selig may have wanted to eliminate the Twins during the offseason, but he came to the Metrodome on Tuesday and said he couldn't have been happier to be there.
"This is a remarkable club," Selig said. "It had nothing to do with the players as a group or as human beings, and I told some of them that. They've had a great year. (General manager) Terry Ryan has done a remarkable job and this community has a right to be proud."
Selig said he was aware he was the focus of Minnesotans anger and he felt their pain -- "I understand their anger" -- but people should remember he was just doing what the owners wanted.
He joked that his son-in-law came with him to be his bodyguard and that other friends and relatives didn't come for the same reason, but he said the reaction from fans he did see was good. (He planned, however, to watch from Twins owner Carl Pohlad's box rather than the stands.)
Player representative Denny Hocking said he didn't think the players would notice Selig was in attendance. "As far as the fans," he said, "who knows what they're liable to do. I hope nothing idiotic."
Selig pleaded with reporters to stop focusing on contraction.
"While I understand how painful the contraction process was, and I understand it, it's over," he said. "As I said on Aug. 30, when we made our labor deal, the focus should be back on the field."
Twins players have made it something of a rallying cry that the perfect end to their survivalist season would be to receive the World Series trophy from Selig.
Selig said he's game: "If it happens that I present the World Series trophy to the Minnesota Twins, well then if I'm their Knute Rockne, then they owe me something."
Said Hocking: "I don't think the guys in here will vote him a full share."
OUCH: Hocking had his own problems: the frustration of not being able to play in the series because of a finger injury sustained during Sunday's division series celebration.
"I'm looking at the fact that I played a big role in Game 5 to help the team get to this game, not looking at the fact that I'm not able to contribute," Hocking said.
PITCHING IN: Tonight's Game 2 matchup between Anaheim's Ramon Ortiz and Minnesota's Rick Reed is a rematch of a May 24 game. Reed won with a complete game three-hitter.
MISCELLANY: MLB vice president Sandy Alderson said reports of him becoming Red Sox general manager was "the figment of someone's imagination." ... Former Twins greats Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva threw out ceremonial first pitches.