Twins’ superfan, Neil Pierce, has shown unwavering loyalty to the Minnesota Twins for over two decades, making the pilgrimage from Minnesota to Fort Myers each spring. For him, the MLB season blooms not just in summer, but with the arrival of spring training, filled with hope, nostalgia, and the thrill of a new sports season.
Over the years, Neil has become a familiar face at Hammond Stadium, where the welcoming ushers greet him like an old friend. “It’s always ‘Good morning, Neil! Well, Hi, Terry or whoever,’” he recalls, a gentle laughter hinting at the camaraderie he has forged there. This is not a mere seasonal visit; it’s a heartfelt tradition, a family reunion of sorts with the sport and community he adores.
Having attended Twins’ Spring Training for 26 years, Neil’s initial one-week venture quickly morphed into an expansive two-month experience. “The first year was a week, second year was two weeks, then it got to be two months,” he reminisces, each visit layered with cherished memories and stories. Living in Alden, Minnesota—roughly 100 miles from Target Field—he finds it challenging to attend most regular season games, yet every spring, he covers the more than 1,000 miles to Lee County without fail.
“I just love the Twins,” Neil asserts, his voice tinged with passion. As a young boy, the thought of attending Twins’ Spring Training sparked a desire that never faded. What began as a youthful daydream evolved into a life-defining pursuit, one that has woven deeply into the fabric of his existence.
This year, Neil, alongside fellow fans from Minnesota, rented a house for two months, creating a home base for their baseball adventures. Autographs and memories are the goals, as he enthusiastically shares, “We just meet some of the players and get a few autographs signed.” Each signed baseball card is a brief moment captured in time, a souvenir of fleeting connections with the athletes who share the diamond with them.
With enthusiasm bubbling over, Neil describes the electric atmosphere of being surrounded by fellow fans and emerging players under the bright Florida sun. “Just the atmosphere of being around fans and players and green grass and a baseball stadium,” he reflects, his thoughts drifting to the past where baseball was his whole world. He played the sport through college, stepped into semi-pro leagues, and dedicated 33 years to coaching high school baseball. To say baseball is Neil’s life is an understatement; it breathes through every fiber of his being.
In the heart of it all, he finds something profoundly fulfilling, a reflection of community, passion, and continuity. Each game, each autograph, each smile exchanged in the stands transforms an ordinary spring into an enchanting season filled with reminders of what it means to love fiercely.
Neil’s story reminds us that life is not merely about the moments we chase, but the connections we forge along the way, often nourished in the most unexpected of places — like a sunlit baseball field in Fort Myers, where dreams and memories intertwine.
