LOVE THAT TEAM

Mavis Torseth may be 87, but she's not too old to be one of the Minnesota Twins' most extreme fans.

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Torseth, who lives in the Lake Country Apartments at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd, was so excited about the Twins beating the Cleveland Indians to win the team's second consecutive division title Tuesday night that she couldn't go to sleep.

"I cried," said Torseth. "I was so happy, I cried. I just love every player, especially Torii Hunter."

Torseth is one of several Twins fans at the assisted living complex. Although they don't watch the game together, they all end up talking about the game the next morning over breakfast or lunch.

Clarence Smith, 83, caught the game Tuesday night, too. He said he's been to many Twins games and once got into trouble because he skipped out on a company dinner party to see the Twins.

"They were hot to win. They didn't give the other one a chance," said Smith of Tuesday's game. "It was exciting."

"It was pretty good until I feel asleep," added Alice Chisholm, 87. Chisholm said she often dozes off during commercials, but when there is action on the screen, she watches and cheers the team on.

Torseth grew up enjoying baseball. Her father, Bob Hewitt, was a pitcher for the Northern League's Fort William baseball team, a community now known as Thunder Bay, Canada. Her father traveled throughout Canada and the northern United States playing baseball when she was a child. She later lived in Minneapolis for 25 years and often would go to see the Twins. She has a 1987 Twins Homer Hanky on display above her television in her apartment.

Torseth said her eyesight isn't that great, but she knows nearly every Twins player on the team by name. She yells and cheers at the television during every game.

"The game was fantastic last night. The fielding was good too," said Torseth. "I watched them pour champagne on poor Hunter. They were trying to interview him and they were just pouring it all over him. It was really something."

Torseth said her family members know never to call her during a game. She said she's confident the Twins will make it to the World Series this year.

"I'm very confident. I'm afraid of the Yankees, but they can beat them," said Torseth. "I wouldn't miss them for anything. They're the only team I watch. I'm hoping they'll win the series, of course. I'm really hoping they do."

Torseth said she gets equally excited about watching the Minnesota Vikings, but concedes she doesn't understand football as well as she does baseball.