Earlier this month, while at my latest Twins game at Target Field, an usher decided to make a friendly gesture. See, my significant other was attending her first-ever Twins home game, and the usher, as apparently they do in Twins Territory, gave her a First Game Certificate. I thought how I wished I had gotten one during my first Twins home game back in the 1980s; turns out, the usher accidentally grabbed two, so I did end up with one of my own. I can now write “April 22, 1988” on my certificate, though having Metrodome imagery in the background would be more apropos.

With the Midsummer Classic – the MLB All-Star Game – coming to Target Field this month, this got me thinking about the most memorable baseball games seen in-person. I have attended 30 MLB games in 30 years, plus assorted Express and Cavaliers matches at Carson Park, and the occasional oddity like overnight college baseball in Minneapolis. What jumps out from the first three decades of hitting the ballpark? Let’s go chronologically:

September 1984, Blue Jays at Brewers: My first baseball game, Fan Appreciation Day at County Stadium. My father chose wisely in terms of the first sport I should see with my own eyes; baseball is my favorite sport to this day.

May 1986, Twins at Brewers: Sitting in the mezzanine, fending off the offer of another fan to buy my souvenir Brewers helmet as the rain forced an early end to a Brewers win. Or, as my fandom now terms it, a Twins loss.

July 1992, A’s at Twins: Karma bit me hard on this one. In ’85, we were going to go to an A’s-Brewers game, but I was a naughty boy that day, so no trip; I thought I’d make up for it with this one. Well, not only did I miss a “Weird Al” Yankovic concert at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair, but I was witness to a ninth-inning come-from-behind Oakland victory that ultimately killed the Twins’ playoff hopes – for a decade.

June 1998, Cardinals at Twins: Mark McGwire was shooting for the home run record, and I had to see part of the chase. The Twins decided to have a little fun with the effort: From the upper deck, Dad and I watched Bob Tewksbury throw a few soft tosses at McGwire during the at-bat. Alas, no homer.

April 1999, Mets at Cubs: A college choir outing at Wrigley Field, on a beautiful, sunny, 60-some-degree day – while we freeze in the left field upper deck enduring a gale off of Lake Michigan while the bleacher bums tan themselves below. At least we got to watch a steroid-fueled Sammy Sosa home run.

July 1999, Expos at Brewers: Notable for a sad reason: My father and I could see, from our seats down the third base line, the wreckage from the recently-collapsed Miller Park crane.

April 2001: My parents and I are situated by the Twins’ bullpen in the front row, pitcher Joe Mays doing pre-game long toss. One toss was a bit too long: THWACK, as the ball nails my mother and brushes me. A.J. Pierzynski has his glove up to get the ball back, and, stunned as I am, I give it a weak, off-target lefty throw. Well, we did get a fresh ball from the bullpen out of the deal.

July 2001, Padres at Brewers: One of the late Tony Gwynn’s last hits, a double, at my first Miller Park game … a year after seeing a juiced Barry Bonds shot in my last County Stadium visit.

August 2010, Northwoods League Championship: You always hope to be at a championship clincher for your favorite team, and I finally got that chance at Carson Park, seeing the Express go buck-wild on the field by winning the Northwoods League title on a bright Sunday afternoon.

By the time you read this, I’ll have gone to Miller Park for my 31st MLB game, plus I’ve got another lined up this September with the Twins’ Target Field Good Luck Charm: my mother, 3-0 in her games at that place. Go and see some baseball this summer; your appetite for more will be insatiable.