For the first time in 19 years, the Minnesota Twins won a playoff game.
More than that, Tuesday's win over the Toronto Blue Jays also marked the first home playoff victory for the Twins since 2002. Fans waited 7,668 days to witness what happened in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series against the Blue Jays, so it's safe to say the celebration that happened after was recorded has been a very long time coming.
Target Field was electric, despite the fact that some trolls tried to bring fans down by pointing out how it wasn't a sellout crowd. It's not the fault of fans that MLB decided to schedule a playoff game for Tuesday afternoon on the shortest notice possible, yet fans still turned out in droves.
Royce Lewis hit home runs in his first two at-bats, becoming just the third player ever to do that, and shouted out how awesome he thought the crowd was in Game 1. Rocco Baldelli said after the game that the clubhouse was feeding off the energy of fans who rallied behind the team every step of the way on Tuesday.
That euphoric energy was still pulsing through the stadium even after the game was over, something encapsulated by one fan who gave an all-time live TV interview.
Twins fan loses his mind celebrating playoff win on live TV
FOX 9's Jim Rich was outside of Target Field to interview fans leaving the game and get their thoughts on the 18-game playoff losing streak finally snapping. He got more than he bargained for when one fan poured his entire heart and soul into letting everyone know just how much the win meant to Twins Territory.
Whoever this guy is, he's now a legend.
The best fan reaction video I've ever seen in my entire life #WeBelieveinTC #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/R89t0cOCkN
— Lô Storm ⛈️ (@lorileistorm) October 4, 2023
"They won. They won. They freaking won. The curse is over," the fan said in the most genuine celebration possible. "Eighteen years. It's done. They won. We're done. We won. One game. 2004. Oh my God, I don't know what to do. We won. We won! We won!"
Rich's reaction after the guy got lost in his celebratory mood and turned feral is absolutely priceless.
"Well, that abou sums it up," Rich said.
Here's the full segment, in which Jim Rich insists the fan not walk away before he goes on one of the greatest postgame rants ever.
This is all of us. @FOX9 @Fox9Sports #WeBelieveinTC pic.twitter.com/XqTzjMjYPM
— Seth Kaplan 📺 (@Seth_Kaplan) October 4, 2023
The best part about this is how authentic the celebration is, and how much it's appreciated by everyone involved. A few goofballs tried to get off lame jokes on social media about Twins fans celebrating this like the Timberwolves celebrated winning a play-in game, but that's perhaps the corniest possible way to miss the point.
Whoever this guy is, he's channeling the kind of pure joy that makes sports worth watching. That's almost two decades of release flowing out of a fan, and he wasn't the only one feeling that exact way. Rich not making fun of him or talking down to him goes to show just how much this moment meant to everyone and makes it even more special.
Minnesota's job is far from over, whether it's this postseason or the next, but a massive first step was taken on Tuesday and it's impossible not to let the catharsis wash over you.