Brandon Williamson expects at least 15% of the population of his hometown to be at the ballpark tonight in Minnesota as the Cincinnati Reds face the Twins.
The low on the weather forecast is 29 degrees tonight, and there are going to be 25 mph winds. But if you’re from Trimont, Minnesota, you can’t miss this start.
Williamson is the first baseball player from his county to pitch in the big leagues, and tonight he’s pitching an MLB game in his home state for the first time.
The population of Trimont is 700 people, and Williamson expects over 100 at the game tonight.
It’s a two-and-a-half hour drive from Trimont to Minneapolis. It’s a drive that a lot of Trimont residents are making right now.
“It’s awesome,” Williamson said. “It’s ‘Bring All of my Close Friends and Family to Work Day.”
Who’s going to be at the game tonight?
“Everybody,” Williamson said. “Everyone knows everyone down there (Trimont is in southern Minnesota). Anyone that’s been around and followed me and shot me a text, they’re pretty excited to come. And I’m excited to see them.”
Since it’s going to be such a cold night and since the rebuilding Twins aren’t drawing big crowds right now, the Brandon Williamson fans might make more noise than the Twins fans at the ballpark tonight.
Williamson said that everyone in Trimont has become Reds’ fans.
“I love it,” Williamson said.
When he was a kid, the fields that Williamson played on during the summer were pretty good. But you don’t get to be outside for a lot of the year when you live in cold weather Minnesota. Growing up, his indoor practice site was the abandoned gym of an abandoned high school.
“You couldn’t go in the classrooms because they had asbestos,” Williamson said.
Three other players from Williamson’s county went on to play college baseball, but he was the best of the bunch and is the lone big leaguer in the group.
What do you do in Trimont?
Williamson recommends Bergen, a local steakhouse.
“It’s in the country,” Williamson said. “There are like three buildings. There’s a butcher shop, a steakhouse and a house. That’s it. It’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s got the best steaks in the state. Give it a Google. Take a look at it.”
In Trimont, there are no stoplights.
“It’s maybe two hours from everything,” Williamson said. “I grew up in the country.”
He had 50 students in his high school class at Martin County West, but his high school included kids from across three different towns in the area.
His family has lived in Trimont for a long time.
Williamson’s grandfather owned a farm in town until he died, which was when Williamson’s dad was 10 years old. “(My dad) couldn’t take it over,” Williamson said. “We sold the farm land. We live on the farm site.”Williamson’s dad works for the county, grading roads and plowing snow. His mom used to cut hair and is now retired.
He’ll be representing his family and his entire hometown on the mound tonight at Target Field.
“Pretty special,” Williamson said.
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