For those of you that have been watching and/or listening to the game, you'll
note the irony: As Selig stepped into the booth, AJ Pierzynski (my personal
favorite, along with Dustan Mohr :)) hit a home run to extend his hitting streak
to 16 games. :)

Additionally, I hope you all have been voting for the boys in the All-Star game.
Just a reminder that we have until the end of the month to secure as many places
as possible for the Twins. As of the last update, Torii Hunter is voted in as an
outfielder for the AL.
Go vote at http://vote.mlb.com/ or through http://www.mntwins.com



Selig Attends First Twins Game
Fri Jun 14, 9:21 PM ET
By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Bud Selig said he wasn't the least bit hesitant to attend the
Minnesota Twins game against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night. It was the
first between the clubs since he tried to eliminate Minnesota from the major
leagues.


"The one thing as the commissioner, you understand you're always the lightning
rod," Selig said. "I remind you again, the vote on contraction has always been
30-0, and the clubs are very strong-willed about it.

"People can direct their energies toward the commissioner. Whether it's right or
wrong is irrelevant. The commissioner has to take the heat."

And he did. Among the thousands of Twins fans who trekked to Milwaukee was John
Kuntz, a retired investor from South St. Paul, Minn., who wore a T-shirt that
said: "Selig isn't my Bud."

"That was a dirty deal," Kuntz said of the unsuccessful effort to eliminate his
beloved team. "We've saved the Twins through 2003, but we want them forever."

Selig spent much of the game in the owner's box with his daughter, Wendy
Selig-Prieb, who took over the Brewers when he became commissioner.

He said baseball fans, particularly those in the Twin Cities, should focus not
on how close the Twins came to extinction but how far the franchise has to go.

"There are lots of hurdles to go yet, so let's concentrate on that," Selig said.
"We have to finish up in Minnesota, we've got referendums to pass, stadium deals
to complete and ownership to find."

Although the Twins won't be on the chopping block next season, Selig repeated
his ominous mantra that contraction is still on the horizon.

"The owners are not going to let that go. They want contraction," Selig said.
"And in fact, most owners today still want four (teams eliminated). It's very
much on the table. We're in the process of a contraction grievance, but it's
very much in our plans, no question."

Twins cleanup hitter Torii Hunter said he couldn't help but notice the irony as
he prepared to play at Miller Park: the Twins are leading the AL Central after
coming so close to extinction and appear to have a bright future. The Brewers,
owned by the Selig family, are the NL's worst team at 22-43 before Friday
night's game and are headed for their 10th straight losing season.

"I'm human. It goes through my head," Hunter said. "But we didn't discuss it
last week or today. We're just trying to stay in first place. And if we can win
the division, that will really goof things up. That would be the proof of all
proof that we belong."

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he didn't think the issue made any difference
in the interleague series and that he never discussed it with his players.

"I don't think that has anything to do with that baseball team on the other
side," Gardenhire said. "Those are political things and business things and
we're just the baseball teams that are going to do battle."

Brewers manager Jerry Royster said the Twins could use the contraction issue as
added motivation.

"But nobody can come in here and win a game against Bud Selig, it doesn't work
like that," Royster said. "He will not be in the lineup."

Twins closer Eddie Guardado agreed.

"First thing that pops into my mind when I come here is to go out and play
baseball, not Bud Selig," Guardado said. "Those off-the-field things are out of
our control."



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