RSS Twins Team Notes

[Minnesota Twins]

Twin(s) brothers throwback: The Cliburn coaches

A Twin coach in his natural habitat. | Marlin Levison / Star Tribune via Getty Images

Earlier this week, the Twins continued their trend of putting in minimal effort at signing free agents, adding veteran shortstop Orlando Arcia on a minor league deal. That got me thinking about other sets of brothers who have spent time with the Twins, and while many recent fans (including me) still wish Minnesota had signed Tyler Rogers to pair with his brother Taylor, I thought of another set of brothers — fittingly, twins — who have put their mark on the organization.

In 1980, catcher Stan Cliburn debuted with the California Angels; he put up negative WAR in that season, his only year as a big leaguer, across 54 games. Four years later, his brother Stew, a pitcher, also made the majors as an Angel; after a single appearance in 1984, he had his best season in 1985, putting up a 2.09 ERA in 44 relief appearances and finishing fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Stew pitched just one more season (1988, 40 games, 4.07 ERA), again for the Angels.

While neither brother played for the Twins, their presence in Minnesota comes via Connecticut and New York. The Cliburns were hired to coach the New Britain Rock Cats, then Minnesota’s Double-A affiliate, for the 2001 season, with Stan managing and Stew serving as pitching coach. That first season was their most successful together, leading a team that featured Michael Cuddyer (.301, 30 homers) and Dustan Mohr (.336, 24 homers) on offense; Juan Rincón (14-6, 2.88 ERA) and Brad Thomas (10-3, 1.96 ERA) as starters; and Grant Balfour (35 games, 1.08 ERA), Kevin Frederick (44 games, 1.63 ERA), and Saúl Rivera (33 games, 27 saves, 3.16 ERA) out of the bullpen. The ‘01 Cats went 87-55, reaching the Eastern League championship finals and being named co-champions with the Reading Phillies after the series was cancelled due to the September 11 attacks.

The Cliburns coached together for four more seasons in New Britain, during which the team gave out dual-faced bobbleheads featuring the two, and three in Triple-A Rochester. They reached the International League finals in 2006, their first heading the Red Wings, but lost the series 3-2 to the Toledo Mud Hens. For the ‘09 season, the Twins reassigned Stew to New Britain while keeping Stan in Rochester; the franchise chose not to renew Stan’s contract after that year.

Although the Rock Cats and Red Wings only saw the playoffs twice during the Cliburns’ time coaching together, the brothers coached in the minors while some of the best mid-‘00s Twins were making their way up to Minnesota. The greatest of the era, Joe Mauer, reached New Britain in 2003 and batted .341 in 73 games; his alliterative batting mate, Justin Morneau made his New Britain debut in ‘01 and played parts of three seasons there; twelve years later, he returned to the Hardware City for the final series at New Britain Stadium on a Colorado Rockies rehab assignment.

Neither Stan nor Stew remains in the Twins organization, but their coaching shaped some of the best players and teams of the mid- to late-’00s. For that, residual Rock Cats and Red Wings fans still appreciate them.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...is-it-stu-cliburn-coaches-rock-cats-red-wings

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins Arbitration Tracker: Ober, Jeffers, Lewis, Larnach Agree to Terms

Today is the deadline for players and teams to file arbitration salary figures for the 2026 season, meaning players will often come to terms with teams rather than heading to court. However, teams and players can still negotiate right up until the hearing date, typically in mid-February. Once the hearing happens, an independent arbiter will decide between the team’s number and the player’s, so there is no more middle ground. Under POBO Derek Falvey, the Twins historically have preferred to not go to arbitration, so I would expect most of these deals to get done today or in the coming weeks.

According to Darren Wolfson of KSTP and SkorNorth, the Twins have come to agreements with the players below for the 2026 season. I also included their expected 2026 salary from MLBTradeRumors, to see the impact on the payroll as whole.

Agreed to Terms:

• Bailey Ober: $5.2M (projected $4.6M)
• Ryan Jeffers: $6.7M ($6.6M)
• Royce Lewis: $2.85M ($3M)
• Trevor Larnach: $4.475M ($4.7M)
• Justin Topa: $1.5M** ($1.7M)

Net payroll impact: +$125K

** Topa’s contract is technically $1.225M this season with a $225K buyout on a $5M mutual option for 2027. Since mutual options never get exercised, it’s easier to simplify Topa’s deal.

TBD

• Joe Ryan: projected $5.8M
• Alex Jackson: projected $1.8M
• Cole Sands: projected $1.3M
• Kody Clemens (Super Two): projected $1.1M

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ker-ober-jeffers-lewis-larnach-agree-to-terms

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins Flashback: 1976

If you turned the ballgame on TV in 1976 Twins Territory, you’d get the dulcet tones of Joe Boyle & recently-retired Harmon Killebrew. If you flipped on the radio: Herb Carneal—as always—and Frank Quilici at the mics. Though no playoff berth was achieved—and you certainly wouldn’t guess it from the 715,394 home fans (an AL-low 8,832 per game) drawn to the Old Met— 1976 turned out to be the best Twins campaign in a half-decade.

Offense (108 OPS+)​

A prime Rod Carew led MN batsmen in America’s bicentennial: 12 3B, 90 RBI, 49 SB, .331 BA, 148 OPS+. Lyman Bostock—pictured in header—wasn’t far behind: .323 BA, 130 OPS+. Even “Disco” Dan Ford (20 HR, 86 RBI, 17 SB, 125 OPS+) was a force to be reckoned with.

Pitching (97 ERA+)​

The starters of ‘76 were nothing to write home about, what with a good-but-by-no-means great Dave Goltz campaign (14-14, 249.1 IP, 3.36 ERA) qualifying as “staff ace”.

Fortunately, the bullpen picked up a lot of the slack towards respectability. Somehow, Bill Campbell went 17-5 without making a single start (appearing in a league-leading 78 games helped), while Tom Burgmeier (144 ERA+) and Tom Johnson (139+) were true firemen.

Mr. Curveball (Bert Blyleven) was also part of the mix—until traded alongside Danny Thompson to the Texas Rangers for a haul of Bill Singer, Roy Smalley, Mike Cubbage, and Jim Gideon.

What did this all add up to for Gene Mauch’s bunch? An 85-77 record, good for third place in the AL West. Despite being 16.5 GB at the end of August, a furious September surge saw the Twins sweep the crown-grabbing Kansas City Royals to close out the campaign 5 GB.

A few ‘76 highlights…

• Carew & C Butch Wynegar represented the club for the All-Star Game at Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia
• Bostock & Larry Hisle both hit for a cycle
• Steve Luebber came one measly out away from twirling a no hitter on August 7 versus the Rangers. A Joe Mauer Roy Howell single broke up the bid.

Though no great shakes as 162-game seasons go, 1976 was—at very least—a nice break from the thoroughly mediocre (or worse) early-70s brand of Twins baseball.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...oltz-burgmeier-hisle-wynegar-luebber-blyleven

 

[Minnesota Twins]

TwinkieTown Movie Night: Mr. Baseball

Here’s your link for the movie. It’s from a Strange Site, but most internet security experts consider it pretty safe (when it comes to collecting your data, IMDb is worse). It has good image quality and no commercials, so no sync issues! Sync issues are a pain on Movie Nights! (Plus this time I made sure the link included the whole movie… last week, uh, it did not.) Start the show at 7:30!

We had to quick change tonight’s movie because gintzer, who requested Benched, will be in jail for eight counts of securities fraud. Oh, he SAYS he’ll be at a Gophers game, but that’s what they all say. I assume his team of Michael Clayton-style high-priced attorneys will manage to get him out in time to join us for Benched in a few weeks.

Mr. Baseball is directed by Australian filmmaker Fred Schepisi, a personal favorite of mine. He’s had his stumbles — every director does — but The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Roxanne, The Russia House are nothing to sneeze at. Six Degrees of Separation is a movie which really gets to me every time I watch it. Stockard Channing in that one gives a performance like nothing else I’ve ever seen… and Will Smith, in his first film role, is pretty good, too. Some nobodies named Donald Sutherland and Ian McKellen also have parts in that movie, I’ve never heard of them.

Schepisi was actually frustrated a bit by how much Tom Selleck, who had producer control, reshaped the script, here. This sometimes happens. Egos clash in the movie business — I know I’m blowing your mind, but sometimes, it happens!

And, to blow your mind even MORE… egos sometimes clash on sports teams! Crazy, right! But it has occurred! Once every blue moon or so…

Selleck plays a brash American who butts heads with the more team-first, respect-tradition style of Japanese baseball, represented here by the manager, Ken Takakura. If you’ve never seen Takakura in anything, you’re in for a treat. Selleck is no slouch as an actor; I think he was pretty decent whenever he got the opportunity, which was rarely (Magnum, P.I., wasn’t exactly a deep role, and neither are reverse-mortgages commercials). But Takakura is a world-class actor. It’s not criticizing Selleck to say he’s pretty decent, while Takakura is GREAT.

If I remember correctly, there’s a romantic side plot. If I remember correctly, it’s not very convincing. I haven’t seen this in decades!

The depiction of how American players have to adjust to the cultural differences in Japan is considered very accurate; in fact, the movie is still used to give American players an introduction to what some of those differences are. You can read this 2022 article talking to Rex Hudler, Nick Martinez, and Leon Lee, all of whom played in both countries, and Lee was the film’s baseball adviser. (As of 2022 Lee had the third-most hits of any foreign player in NPB history.)

“‘Sure, Japan’s different, but different is not always bad,” Lee said. “If you get anything out of the movie, you see that Jack Elliot makes an adjustment and you realize you, too, can adapt and adjust to a different culture.’”

Better understanding between cultures! We can all root for that, even if the script isn’t perfect, right? Right! Well, not all root for it. But we TwinkieTowners do.

Here’s tonight’s link again! Fire it up at 7:30!

And here’s the upcoming schedule:

January 16: Alibi Ike (1935)

Starring the great Joe E. Brown (Some Like it Hot) as a baseball player who concocts a harebrained excuse for every mistake, hence his nickname. Free on a Strange Site.

January 23: Major League (1989)

I wanted to do this right after A League of Their Own (two titles with the word “league”) but then it disappeared from the mainstream streamers. Well, it is also on the Strange Site.

January 30: Benched (2018)

John C. McGinley and Garret Dillahunt star as two youth baseball coaches with very different approaches to coaching. Free on the Strange Site.

I’ve got some ideas for future ones if we do this more, and all movie suggestions are absolutely welcome & wanted!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/book-club/50684/twinkietown-movie-night-mr-baseball

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rival Roundup, Vol. 77: Sunday Hot Links

See how the sausage is made. (By me, on my laptop.)

• Whether the Cleveland Guardians are actively interested in trading outfielder Steven Kwan has been a major topic of their offseason, given the Guards’ Rays-esque proclivity for trading peak-value players still under team control. This week, Kwan became their last player to agree to terms and avoid arbitration, putting pen to paper on a $7.725MM figure for 2026.
• MLB.com’s Scott Merkin profiled recently-retired White Sox reliever Fraser Ellard, who unexpectedly retired from the game at the age of 28. Amusingly, one of the highlight videos selected for the article is a clip of Ellard striking out Royce Lewis.
• The Sox claimed catcher Drew Romo off waivers from the Mets. They also acquired former top prospect Jarred Kelenic with a non-roster invite to spring training.

Waiver wire ships passing in the night

— James Fegan (@jrfegan.soxmachine.com) 2026-01-08T19:49:52.988Z

• Some BlueSky thoughts, brother:

The Guardians and Mariners will play on Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock on March 29 during their season-opening series in Seattle.Schedule: www.mlb.com/news/mlb-nbc…

— Tim Stebbins (@timstebbins.bsky.social) 2026-01-09T19:14:23.685Z

The Guardians announced they’ve signed Pedro Avila to a Minor League deal with a non-roster invite to Spring Training.The Orioles also claimed Jhonkensy Noel off waivers, reuniting him with Craig Albernaz.

— Tim Stebbins (@timstebbins.bsky.social) 2026-01-05T20:02:13.370Z

• On the broadcasting topic, former White Sox and current Tigers PBP man Jason Benetti is reportedly the top candidate to join NBC’s renewed coverage of Major League Baseball in 2026. Meanwhile, Covering the Corner dives into Cleveland’s broadcast “quarterbacks” and kicks off a quintessentially offseasonal debate.
• Matt Quatraro better start clearing his calendar for 2029, because the Royals extended his contract for another three years. The Kansas City manager has presided over the Royals’ most successful stretch in over 10 years, and is already a top-10 skipper by total wins in the history of the entire franchise. In 2024, they became only the third team to crack the playoffs a year after losing 100+ games.
• Finally, Tarik Skubal’s arbitration saga has set the stage for a record-breaking hearing. Detroit came to terms with all their arb-eligible players minus the reigning Cy Young champ (two years running.) While the Tigers filed at a $19MM figure, Skubal’s camp has filed for $32MM, which would shatter the arbitration record for any pitcher ever (David Price holds the top mark, with $19.75MM on his 2015 arbitration salary, also with the Tigers.) It would also edge out the current overall record, a $31MM agreement belonging to Juan Soto.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/50632/rival-roundup-vol-77-sunday-hot-links

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “TWinter Quiet” Edition

The only major Twins news from this past week was the team agreeing to 2026 arbitration terms for all players except Joe Ryan. Ben Jones has more on what this means for the 2026 payroll along with the outlook for Ryan’s status.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• Zach Koenig wrapped up Round 11 in his list of the greatest Twins moments in history.
• In honor of the Twins signing former player Oswaldo Arcia’s younger brother, Orlando Arcia, Matt Monitto takes us back to when the Twins had another set of brothers who coached in the organization.
• After taking us to 1966, Zach Koenig looks back to 1976 in Twins history.
• James Fillmore switched up TwinkieTown Movie Night and recaps Mr. Baseball! We’ve got Alibi Ike on deck this Friday.
• We’ve got another Rival Roundup from Brandon Brooks, filled with arbitration news.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Betsy Helfand at the Pioneer Press talks with Josh Bell about the decision to come to Minnesota.
• Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune reviews the top-10 prospects in the Twins organization.
• Lou Hennessy at Zone Coverage looks at the available free-agent options to shore up the Twins’ bullpen.
• Byron Buxton has been added to the Team USA roster for the World Baseball Classic.

In the World of Baseball:

• The Detroit Tigers and Tarik Skubal were $13 million apart in their arbitration negotiations. Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic looks at how this case could change the system.
• There were a number of big-name transactions last week:
  • The Marlins traded starting pitcher Edward Cabrera to the Cubs for a prospect haul highlighted by top-100 prospect Owen Caissie.
  • The Cubs then also added another game-changing player to their roster, signing Alex Bregman to a 5-year, $175 million contract.
• Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Cody Bellinger are the biggest free agents still unsigned.
  • Jim Duqette at MLB Network Radio is reporting that Tucker has met with the Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Mets.
  • Buster Olney at ESPN is reporting that the contract negotiations between the Yankees and Bellinger are paused, with the Yankees’ offer at five years at $30 million a year. The 30-year-old outfielder is reportedly looking for a deal with longer term and a higher AAV.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/50746/monday-morning-minnesota-the-twinter-quiet-edition

 

[Zedster]

Busy week of news even if the Twins themselves have been relatively quiet. Good to see most of the arbitration deals wrapped up without drama - that's pretty typical for this front office. The Ober deal coming in a bit above projections is interesting, but he's earned it with how he's pitched the last couple seasons.

The Ryan situation will be the one to watch. Hopefully they can get that sorted before it goes to a hearing. Never fun when those drag out.

That 1976 flashback was a nice read. Rod Carew was just ridiculous - .331 with 49 steals and playing Gold Glove caliber defense. Different era of baseball entirely. And man, trading Blyleven still stings even all these decades later. At least Smalley turned into a solid player for us.

The Skubal arbitration situation in Detroit is wild though. $13 million gap between the two sides? That's going to be a fascinating case to follow. Could really shake things up for how pitchers approach arbitration going forward if his side wins.

Anyone else keeping an eye on the Tucker/Bichette/Bellinger situations? Feels like the market is moving slow this year for the big names. The Cubs grabbing Bregman was a solid move - that division is going to be tough.

Follow-up on the Movie Night stuff - Mr. Baseball is such a fun watch. Takakura really does steal every scene he's in.

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Greatest Twins Moments & Performances: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 12)

Results​

• R1: Jack Morris Game 7 Shutout 1991
• R2: Kirby Puckett Game 6 Dominance 1991
• R3: First World Series championship 1987
• R4: AL Champions Metrodome welcome 1987
• R5: Game 163 wild victory 2009
• R6: Mudcat’s World Series must-win 1965
• R7: Harmon’s 500th homer 1971
• R8: Final day AL Central title 2006
• R9: Kirby Puckett’s Weekend for the Ages 1987
• R10: Breaking the Playoff Curse (TM) 2023
• R11: The Donnie & Hrbie Show 1987

It should probably come as little surprise that when an extremely unlikely big fly from a late-season pickup is followed by the hometown hero homering in a must-win World Series game, that moment immediately grabs the brass ring when entered in this poll series.

That ‘87 team, man. The more I study and ask people about Twins history, the more I realize that while the 1991 Series was technically more thrilling, the ‘87 club still holds the hearts of those who experienced both.

The newbie: A Jacque jolt!

Thome christens Target Field (2010)​

• When Target Field opened to begin the 2010 season, it was clearly a beautiful new ballpark that the hometown nine excelled in. But it was missing one thing: a signature moment. Try as they might, the Twins could not muster a walk-off victory in front of the sold-out crowds for the first four-and-a-half months. But on August 17, The Man With An Ox In The Batter’s Box finally gave Target Field it’s first magical memory.

Santana strikes out 17 (2007)​

• Johan Santana won Cy Young Awards with the Twins in 2004 & 2006. But his single-game zenith came August 19, 2007, when he K’d 17 Texas batsmen over 8 IP of victorious shutout ball. Santana whiffed every Ranger batter at least once, three of them 3x apiece, and put the golden sombrero (4 K) on Michael Young.

Mauer’s final bow (2018)​

• After 15 seasons in a Minnesota Twins—and no other—uniform, Minnesota’s own (St. Paul) Joe Mauer stepped onto the diamond for the final time in 2018’s finale. After what would quickly prove to be a Hall of Fame career, Mauer got to enjoy a special moment in the catcher’s gear where he always felt most at home. Few eyes that beheld his heartfelt goodbye were dry at the end of it.

Dozier caps a comeback (2015)​

• On July 10, 2015, the Twins trailed the Detroit Tigers 6-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. But in a remarkable sequence of events, Brian Dozier found himself at the plate with a chance to be a hero. He didn’t disappoint. In the words of Dick Bremer: “The most electric moment at Target Field in YEARS!”.

Jacque Jones jolts contraction outta here (2002)​

• The 2001 offseason was undoubtedly the worst in Twins franchise history. After MLB Commissioner Bud Selig floated the contraction idea and Twins owner Carl Pohlad was more than willing to take the payout, it took a county judge to restore order. Jacque Jones restored between-the-white-lines order by homering in the first PA of the 2002 season! I wasn’t able to locate the audio, but Dick Bremer’s “And I hope it lands in Milwaukee!” call remains iconic.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...015-mauer-2018-finale-jacque-2002-contraction

 

[Minnesota Twins]

January jersey number update

Puts new meaning to “give me your digits.” | Steven Garcia / Getty Images

Roster construction is far from complete, but the Twins have made several changes to their 40-man roster. They may not be high-prominence changes, but they are changes, and with those changes come new jersey numbers.

Even the numerical assignations are not yet complete: four new members of the 40-man roster (Gabriel Gonzalez, Ryan Kreidler, Hendry Mendez, Connor Prielipp) do not have official numbers, per the team website. But everyone else, whether having changed digits or been assigned fresh ones, has a number.

Here they are:

Kody Clemens: 2
last worn by: Brooks Lee

With Lee’s number change (see below), Clemens reclaims the number he wore for a season and a half as a Phillie, having swapped to #2 there after wearing #23 for his first year there.

Eric Wagaman: 13
last worn by: Ty France

Wagaman wore #34 during his debut with the Angels and #33 last year with the Marlins, so #13 is a new MLB number for him. The latter of his old numbers is available in Minnesota (#34 is retired for Kirby Puckett), so I’m guessing his switch to #13 was a preference.

Alan Roden: 18
last worn by: Kody Clemens

Roden had worn #18 for Toronto before being traded to Minnesota, where he was assigned #19 due to Clemens wearing his old number. But Clemens switching to #2 opened #18 for Roden, and he’s taken it.

Eric Orze: 19
last worn by: Alan Roden

I have no idea what Orze’s number preference is, but it’s a safe prediction he prefers something in the 10-19 range: after debuting wearing #53 for the Mets in 2024, he wore #17 for the Rays last season.

Brooks Lee: 22
last worn by: Griffin Jax

I can’t find the article, but an MLB.com piece from Lee’s rookie year (when he wore #72) said that his preferred number is #22. He switched from #72 to #2 last year as Jax still had #22, but Jax’s trade opened up #22 for Lee, and he has taken it immediately.

Josh Bell: 56
last worn by: Thomas Hatch

Bell has worn a few numbers in his career, but his longest-worn and most-recognizable number is the #55 he wore in Pittsburgh for his first five seasons in the league. That number isn’t available for the Twins (worn by Kody Funderburk), so he’s taken the next one up.

Kendry Rojas: 60
last worn by: Carson McCusker

While #60 is generally considered a pitcher’s number, its most recent and longest-tenured wearers in Minnesota were both outfielders: McCusker held the number last year, and Jake Cave had it for four seasons. Now it goes back to the mound.

Alex Jackson: 64
last worn by: Jose Miranda

Another unusual setup with a position player wearing a number in the 60s. While #64 may similarly be thought of as a back-end reliever’s number, Miranda had the number for the last four seasons, and before that, it belonged to another catcher: Willians Astudillo. (Jackson’s longest-worn number is #12, which has been vacant in Minnesota since the Harrison Bader trade; I don’t know why he isn’t wearing it now.)

John Klein: 71
last worn by: Jovani Morán

Unlike the two previous entries, #71 is thought of as a reliever’s number and stays with a reliever. Only three Twins have worn the number in the regular season: Joe Roa, Sean Poppen, and Morán, who wore it most recently and longest.

Andrew Morris: 78
last worn by: Simeon Woods Richardson

I always liked Woods Richardson wearing #78 because it was unique, so his change to #24 last year irrationally annoyed me. But it gets back in the cycle with Morris, one of six players the Twins added to the 40-man roster to protect from the Rule 5 draft.

That’s it for players, but that’s not all for numbers: the Twins added several new coaches this season, most of which have assigned numbers as well. LaTroy Hawkins (bullpen) and Mark Hallberg (bench) are currently numberless, but here are the rest:

Grady Sizemore (first base): 0

Derek Shelton (manager): 8

Mike Rabelo (assistant bench): 63

Toby Gardenhire (MLB field coordinator): 66

Keith Beauregard (hitting): 84

And now we wait for the rest of them… at least, I wait.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...minnesota-twins-changes-new-digits-brooks-lee

 

[Minnesota Twins]

That’s the way we remained the Pohlad bunch

I never watched the TV series Succession. No matter how many awards it won or memes it inspired, I had no desire to watch a show ostensibly about in-family bickering. Isn’t that what Thanksgiving is for?! Alas, a form of Succession was recently dropped into Twins fans’ laps courtesy of our Pohlad Family overseers.

A different show—dating back to the (late) Summer of ‘69—put a more wholesome spin on family dynamics. So with visions of flying footballs (watch your schnoz!), middle child drama, and a jinxed cousin dancing in our heads, let’s sing along to Sherwood Schwartz & Frank DeVol’s catchy tune to review the latest iteration of Pohlad pablum the Twinkie Town way: utter tomfoolery.

Here’s the story, of a guy named Joey

Who was put in charge of our beloved team

In just three years, he blew it all up

Us fans can only scream

Here’s the story, of a guy named Tommy

Who was put in charge of cleaning up to the mess

He made new friends, who said they would help

To lower all the stress

So on one day when Lil’ Joey met Big Tommy

And they hashed out the whole salary crunch

Going forward, the fam would be restructured

That’s the way we all remained the Pohlad bunch

The Pohlad bunch, the Pohlad bunch

That’s the wayyyyy we remained the Pohlad bunch!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/satire/...pohlad-tom-joe-brady-bunch-theme-1969-tv-show

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins Sign Catcher Victor Caratini

With Christian Vazquez’s contract finally off the books, the Twins have been searching for a new catcher behind starter Ryan Jeffers. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Minnesota got their man in Caratini who agreed to a two year, $14M deal.

Caratini, 32, has spent the past two season with the Astros backing up Yainer Diaz where he managed slightly above-average offensive production, hitting .263/.329/.406 with 20 total home runs, 76 RBI, and a 108 wRC+. He appeared in 114 games for Houston in 2025, though just 49 of those came behind the plate. Injuries to Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes left them in need of coverage at 1B and DH, where Caratini was a mainstay down the stretch as the Astros fought to stay in the playoff race. Caratini actually hasn’t caught more than 55 games since 2022, meaning he should firmly slot in behind Jeffers while providing some coverage for 2027 should they lose their starting backstop in free agency.

With the 40 man roster full, the Twins will need to make a roster move before the signing can be made official. There’s several fringe candidates who could be designated for assignment to make room, but fellow catcher Alex Jackson will likely need to be moved either now or during Spring Training. Jackson is out of minor league options and the Twins are very unlikely to carry three catchers on their active roster with how they like to manage playing time and platoon their lefties.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-news/50815/twins-sign-catcher-victor-caratini

 

[Minnesota Twins]

TwinkieTown Movie Night: Alibi Ike

Here’s your link for the movie. It’s from a Strange Site, but most internet security experts consider it pretty safe (when it comes to collecting your data, IMDb is worse). It has no commercials, so no sync issues! Sync issues are a pain on Movie Nights! (Plus this time I made sure the link included the whole film… two weeks ago, uh, it did not.) Start the show at 7:30!

I wasn’t able to find a ton about the making of this movie; it’s directed by one Ray Enright, who (per Ray Neuhaus at TCM) worked fast and worked cheap. He had made a bunch of movies with Rin Tin Tin, and later made a bunch with Western star Randolph Scott. And he’d worked a lot with Joan Blondell, one of my favorite light-hearted, snappy-talking dames of the Pre-Code era:

Joe E. Brown, tonight’s star, was born in Toledo in 1891 to a loving but terribly poor family; he left home at the age of nine to join the circus. Where he learned to be a proficient acrobat. Later, he would perform in vaudeville theater, sometimes working baseball routines into his comedy act.

Because Brown was a HUGE baseball fan; his son, Joe L., would be the Pirates’ general manager from 1956 to 1976; they won two World Series during that stretch. Joe E. could actually play ball pretty well (and apparently did all his own baseball scenes in this movie). In fact, Joe E. once played for the Saint Paul Saints, albeit briefly; his one season with the team was cut short by injury. (That’s from this enjoyable SABR article by Rob Edelman.)

He’d keep playing with semi-pro teams around Toledo, and in 1911 was offered a contract by the Boston Red Sox! But he knew that he’d be, at best, a replacement-level player (he was an infielder), and by that time (age 19) already had a successful stage career. So Brown figured he had a better chance to earn a consistent living in comedy than in baseball.

In 1928, Brown started appearing in silent films; by 1929, he had a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. By 1931 he was getting “top billing” in his movies; that meant your name was listed on the top of the poster. It meant you were a star. By WWII his star had faded somewhat, yet he never stopped acting in stage roles, and he was one of the only two civilians to receive a Bronze Star for his efforts in entertaining the troops during the war.

And, of course, in 1959 he was in Some Like it Hot.

The story “Alibi Ike” appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1915; it was by Ring Lardner, who would be played by John Sayles in the movie Eight Men Out (they actually look a lot alike). Lardner was a sardonic, satirical writer (I haven’t read him) who was thought of highly by contemporaries like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Woolf. He specialized in columns about sports, marriage, and the theater, per Wiki.

The screenplay’s by one William Wister Haines, who seems to have 14 films to his credit; most appear to be of the action genre. Although there is one curiosity, 1937’s Black Legion, starring Humphrey Bogart as a machinist who gets passed over for promotion by a immigrant from Poland. So he joins a secret society that attacks immigrants, and in photos from the movie they look very KKKish. Now they have different initials.

The romantic interest here is Olivia de Haviland, in her first screen appearance; she had already acted in a filmed version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and also with Joe E. Brown. But this movie came out first. de Haviland would become a huge star in movies she made with Errol Flynn, and they fell very much in love. Yet Flynn had a reputation for being the biggest horndog in Hollywood (which is saying something), and de Haviland knew she couldn’t trust him to be faithful, so she kept it platonic. However, she claimed that when they kissed for a scene in Robin Hood, it definitely stretched Flynn’s tights a little.

Here’s tonight’s link again! Fire it up at 7:30!

Here’s the upcoming schedule:

January 23: Major League (1989)

I wanted to do this right after A League of Their Own (two titles with the word “league”) but then it disappeared from the mainstream streamers. Well, it is also free on the Strange Site.

January 30: Benched (2018)

John C. McGinley and Garret Dillahunt star as two youth baseball coaches with very different approaches to coaching. Free on the Strange Site.

February 6: The Rookie (2002)

Not-yet-weird Dennis Quaid is a small-town schoolteacher who’s always dreamed of playing baseball. Maybe, just maybe, he might have a chance. Free on the Strange Site.

February 13: Back to the Future III (1990)

By request, and because I haven’t seen it since 1990 (when I enjoyed it a lot). Why haven’t I seen it since then? Well, there’s a sad tale… Free on the Strange Site.

I’ve got some ideas for future ones if we do this more, and all movie suggestions are absolutely welcome & wanted!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/book-club/50781/twinkietown-movie-night-alibi-ike

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rival Roundup, Vol. 78: Get Reading, Bubba!

We’re less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting, which means that in about 10 weeks, we’ll have real baseball to cover. Until such time, we’ll be covering something called hypothetical baseball, where the headlines feature player-team combinations that may never come to fruition, proposed storylines that bear absolutely no fruit, and rumors so sensationalized they could have been offered up by a dimly-lit Jonathan Frakes. Aren’t you excited? Then get reading, bubba! (New catchphrase.)

• There haven’t been many strong acquisition-based rumors around the Central this offseason; by and large, transactions have been sudden and low-profile, and the gossip has largely centered on which Central stars might be off their current teams by Opening Day. This weekend, however, Jon Heyman reported that the White Sox are kicking the tires on Michael Conforto, who is coming off a very poor year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but carries with him a track record and some name recognition.
• Remember everything that I was just saying, one bullet point ago? Well, I bring tidings on that front, too. Jon Heyman — no relation — also reported that the New York Yankees have expressed interest in a pair of Chicagoan acquisitions; one is Nico Hoerner, who bears absolutely no relevance to a linkdump about the American League Central. The other is Luis Robert, Jr., who bears grizzly-level relevance.
• The Cleveland Guardians picked up Carter Kieboom on a minor-league deal. The former top prospect will receive a non-roster invite to spring training and could find himself working an infield/depth role for the big-league club.
• Most of our rivals this offseason have been focused on on-field moves. The Kansas City Royals appear to have been focused on field moves. And I don’t mean their proposed migration into a stadium downtown, or elsewhere, either. No, this meandering, poorly-constructed sentence is referring specifically to a change in dimensions at Kauffman Stadium. This week, the Royals announced a plan to bring in most of their outfield by 10 feet, as well as lowering the height of the fences. The size of the outfield has historically made Kauffman a good hitters’ park in general, but has restricted home run totals as a result.
• Royals Review takes us through some updates on Kansas City’s minor league coaching staffs for 2026.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/50819/rival-roundup-vol-78-get-reading-bubba

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Tuesday Morning Minnesota: The “New Twin Alert” Edition

The Twins signed their first multi-year free agent contract since Carlos Correa (yes, it’s been that long) by adding catcher Victor Caratini to their roster. Ben Jones has more on the signing.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• Matt Monitto is keeping track of the new jersey numbers on the Twins roster.
• Zach Koenig has a new theme song for the Twins ownership group.
• James Fillmore reviews last week’s baseball movie night, Alibi Ike. We’ve got Major League coming up this Friday!
• Brandon Brooks has a new Rival Roundup for us all!
• We’re around to Round 13 in Zach Koenig’s list of the definitive moments in Twins history.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Former Twin Ryan Pressly announced his retirement. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Twins have hired Pressly to work with the team. According to Declan Goff of SKOR North, he will work with pitchers in both the majors and minors and will also be with the team during spring training.
• The Twins have claimed former top prospect Vidal Brujan off waivers. Mickey Gasper was DFA’d as the corresponding move.
• The Twins finalized their 2026 international signee class. Jesse Borek at MLB.com has a deeper look at a few of the notable signings.

In the World of Baseball:

• Two major dominos fell in free agency this past week:
  • Kyle Tucker will be signing a four-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sonja Chen at MLB.com has more on the signing.
  • Bo Bichette is signing with the New York Mets for three years and $126 million. Manny Randhawa and Mark Bowman at MLB.com have more details on the move to Queens for the shortstop.
• Hall of Fame voting results will be announced tonight. Brian Murphy at MLB.com looks at the likely candidates to join Jeff Kent in Cooperstown this year.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/50846/tuesday-morning-minnesota-the-new-twin-alert-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Greatest Twins Moments & Performances: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 13)

Results​

• R1: Jack Morris Game 7 Shutout 1991
• R2: Kirby Puckett Game 6 Dominance 1991
• R3: First World Series championship 1987
• R4: AL Champions Metrodome welcome 1987
• R5: Game 163 wild victory 2009
• R6: Mudcat’s World Series must-win 1965
• R7: Harmon’s 500th homer 1971
• R8: Final day AL Central title 2006
• R9: Kirby Puckett’s Weekend for the Ages 1987
• R10: Breaking the Playoff Curse (TM) 2023
• R11: The Donnie & Hrbie Show 1987
• R12: Johan Santana in 17K 2007

A strong case can be made that Johan Santana was the greatest starting pitcher to ever spin it for this franchise. He was perhaps never better than on this day…

In front of 36,353 Dome faithful—including Twinkie Town’s own resident film buff & storyteller extraordinaire—Santana was indeed (in the words of Dick Bremer): “Awesome…absolutely awesome!”

The newbie: A Span-tastic triple!

Thome christens Target Field (2010)​

• When Target Field opened to begin the 2010 season, it was clearly a beautiful new ballpark that the hometown nine excelled in. But it was missing one thing: a signature moment. Try as they might, the Twins could not muster a walk-off victory in front of the sold-out crowds for the first four-and-a-half months. But on August 17, The Man With An Ox In The Batter’s Box finally gave Target Field it’s first magical memory.

Mauer’s final bow (2018)​

• After 15 seasons in a Minnesota Twins—and no other—uniform, Minnesota’s own (St. Paul) Joe Mauer stepped onto the diamond for the final time in 2018’s finale. After what would quickly prove to be a Hall of Fame career, Mauer got to enjoy a special moment in the catcher’s gear where he always felt most at home. Few eyes that beheld his heartfelt goodbye were dry at the end of it.

Dozier caps a comeback (2015)​

• On July 10, 2015, the Twins trailed the Detroit Tigers 6-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. But in a remarkable sequence of events, Brian Dozier found himself at the plate with a chance to be a hero. He didn’t disappoint. In the words of Dick Bremer: “The most electric moment at Target Field in YEARS!”.

Jacque Jones jolts contraction outta here (2002)​

• The 2001 offseason was undoubtedly the worst in Twins franchise history. After MLB Commissioner Bud Selig floated the contraction idea and Twins owner Carl Pohlad was more than willing to take the payout, it took a county judge to restore order. Jacque Jones restored between-the-white-lines order by homering in the first PA of the 2002 season! I wasn’t able to locate the audio, but Dick Bremer’s “And I hope it lands in Milwaukee!” call remains iconic.

Denard Span’s triple takes the top off (2008)​

• In the final week of the 2008 season, the Twins needed to sweep the Chicago White Sox at the Metrodome to even have a fighting chance at the AL Central crown. After taking the first two games, MN fell behind big in the finale—but kept battling back. In the bottom of the 8th, Denard Span bounced a ball down the first base line that scored Carlos Gomez to tie the game and propelled this Twinkie Town writer airborne. Alexi Casilla would later give the Twins the victory, but Span’s big blow was the buoyant moment.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...2002-denard-span-triple-2008-mauer-final-game

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins who went one-and-done on the Hall of Fame ballot

Hopefully not the highest accolade Santana will have received. | Scott A. Schneider / Getty Images

The Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was finalized yesterday with the election(s) of Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones. While so much has been said about the electees, I’m curious about the players who didn’t get in.

Of the 11 first-time nominees who fell off the ballot yesterday, none were Twins; of returning players, Torii Hunter came closest, getting 37 votes (8.4 percent). This sent me on a sojourn of Looking Up Far Too Many Names manually in order to learn about the Twins who only saw one opportunity to get their name checked.

Here are the Twins since the 1979 balloting, when the under-5-percent elimination rule was introduced, to go one-and-done on the Hall of Fame ballot. (Years listed are time in Minnesota, not entire career.)

Ron Perranoski
relief pitcher, 1968-71
1979 ballot: 6 votes (1.4 percent)

After seven seasons with the Dodgers, Perranoski was traded to the Twins before the 1968 campaign, serving as the team’s closer for the 1969 & 1970 AL West-winning seasons. He earned MVP votes both years and finished seventh in Cy Young voting in the latter.

Bernie Allen
second baseman, 1962-66
1979 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

A prototypical light-hitting second baseman, Allen started his career with a third-place Rookie of the Year finish in 1962 (.269/.338/.403 with 12 home runs), but that was his best offensive season.

Rich Reese
first baseman, 1964-72, 73
1979 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

The Twins’ first baseman through their 1960s success, Reese had his best season in 1969, slashing .322/.362/.513 and receiving an MVP vote for the only time in his career.

Andy Kosco
right fielder, 1965-67
1980 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Kosco started his career in Minnesota but was never more than a part-time player for the Twins, putting up minus-0.8 rWAR in 89 games across those three years.

Bob Miller
relief pitcher, 1968-69
1980 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Miller was already an 11-year veteran by the time he joined the Twins (in the same trade that brought Perranoski to Minnesota). Across the following two seasons, he pitched in 93 games with a 2.91 ERA; however, he was traded following the 1969 season, playing five more seasons for seven clubs.

Jim Perry
starting pitcher, 1963-72
1981 ballot: 6 votes (1.5 percent)

The Twins acquired Perry from Cleveland during the 1963 season, and while he was used in a mix of starter and relief roles through 1968, he became a dominant starter in 1969, going 20-6 with a 2.82 ERA, 12 complete games, and 6.3 rWAR, finishing third in Cy Young voting. The next season, he won the award with a 24-12 record, a 3.04 ERA, 13 complete games, and 3.8 rWAR. Perry was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2011.

John Briggs
first baseman & outfielder, 1975
1981 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Bill Hands
relief pitcher, 1973-4
1981 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Briggs and Hands are similar, both veteran players who joined the Twins at or near the end of their careers for unceremonious stints.

César Tovar
everywhere, 1965-72
1982 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

An electric superutility man, Tovar was a mainstay atop the Twins’ lineup for seven seasons, receiving MVP votes each year from 1967 (his highest finish, seventh place) to 1971. In 1970, he led the AL in doubles (36) and triples (13); the following season, he led the AL in hits (204). Tovar was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Twins Hall of Fame in 2022.

Randy Hundley
catcher, 1974
1983 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Known as a Cub (and a member of that team’s Hall of Fame), Hundley spent the 1974 season in Minnesota, playing in 32 games, before ending his career with three part-time seasons in the National League.

Bill Singer
starting pitcher, 1976
1983 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Another late-career Twin, Singer spent four months in Minnesota, putting up a 3.77 ERA in his 26 starts before being selected by the Blue Jays in the 1977 expansion draft (and nearly being traded by them to the Yankees for Ron Guidry… but Peter Bavasi, Blue Jays president, nixed the trade).

Mike Marshall
relief pitcher, 1978-80
1987 ballot: 6 votes (1.5 percent)

The workhorse reliever’s heyday may have been in the early 1970s with the Expos and Dodgers, the latter for whom he won the 1974 Cy Young and set an MLB record with 106 appearances, but Marshall was still a dominant reliever during his first two seasons in Minnesota. In 1978, he appeared in 54 games (saving 21) and putting up a 2.45 ERA (3.0 rWAR); a season later, he pitched in 90 games (saving 32) with a 2.65 ERA (4.4 rWAR).

Larry Hisle
outfielder, 1973-77
1988 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Hisle was a regular in the Twins’ lineup for five seasons, saving his best seasons in Minnesota for his last two, slashing .273/.335/.394 in 1976 (4.3 rWAR) and .302/.369/.533 in 1977 (5.1 rWAR), leading the league with 119 RBIs and finishing 12th in MVP voting. He improved that placement the following season with the Brewers: .290/.374/.533 slash line, 5.3 rWAR, third in MVP voting.

Dave Goltz
starting pitcher, 1972-79
1989 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Goltz went from solid as a starter during his first five seasons to electric over his latter three in Minnesota. Across the 1977-79 campaigns, Goltz put up 16.2 rWAR and a 3.34 ERA, going 49-34 (including an AL-leading 20 wins in ‘78) with 44 complete games.

José Morales
designated hitter, 1978-80
1990 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Morales was never more than a part-time player in MLB but enjoyed his most success (and playing time) in Minnesota, totaling 290 games, 756 plate appearances, and 200 hits across those three seasons. By rWAR, he had his worst (1979, minus-1.0) and best (1980, 1.0) seasons as a Twin.

Jerry Koosman
starting pitcher, 1979-81
1991 ballot: 4 votes (0.9 percent)

While best known for his 12 seasons as a Met, including his closing out the 1969 World Series, Koosman’s best season by rWAR came as a Twin in 1979: 20-13, 3.38 ERA, 7.2 rWAR, sixth-place Cy Young finish. Koosman had previously finished second in NL Cy Young voting in 1976 (21-10, 2.69 ERA, 4.7 rWAR).

Geoff Zahn
starting pitcher: 1977-80
1991 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Zahn’s very good 1978-9 seasons in Minnesota (combined 27-21 record, 3.25 ERA, 16 complete games, 8.2 rWAR) were bookended by mediocre seasons in ‘77 and ‘80 (combined 26-32, 4.53 ERA, 20 complete games, 0.7 rWAR).

Bill Campbell
relief pitcher: 1973-76
1993 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

A very good reliever during his four seasons in Minnesota, Campbell finished seventh in Cy Young voting and eighth in MVP voting in 1976, appearing in 78 games with a 3.01 ERA and 17-5 record (1.9 rWAR). The following season, with the Red Sox, he was even better: 2.96 ERA in 69 appearances with a 13-9 record and 4.7 rWAR, good for fifth in Cy Young voting and 10th in MVP voting.

Joe Niekro
starting pitcher, 1987-88
1994 ballot: 6 votes (1.3 percent)

Chris Speier
shortstop, 1984
1994 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

Speier’s best seasons came during his initial six-plus-year stint with the Giants. Minnesota was his third and final team of the 1984 season; he played in just 12 games as a Twin, collecting seven hits.

Rick Dempsey
catcher, 1969-72
1998 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

Dempsey spent the first four seasons of his career as a reserve for the Twins, playing in just 41 games over that time. It wasn’t until joining the Orioles in 1976 that Dempsey became a starter and Baltimore mainstay, remaining their starting catcher for his entire 10.5-season tenure at Memorial Stadium.

John Candelaria
relief pitcher, 1990
1999 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

The longtime Pirates starter was a reliever by the time he landed in Minnesota, appearing in 34 games for part of the 1990 season while putting up a 7-3 record and 3.39 ERA (1.3 rWAR).

Jeff Reardon
relief pitcher, 1987-89
2000 ballot: 24 votes (4.8 percent)

Reardon joined the Twins coming off consecutive All-Star campaigns in Montreal; while his stats dropped in 1987 (4.48 ERA, 0.7 rWAR), he still finished eighth in Cy Young voting and helped the Twins win the World Series. He returned to form in 1988 (2.47 ERA, 2.5 rWAR, 15th in MVP voting), and he ultimately finished his career with 367 saves against 358 walks allowed.

Kent Hrbek
first baseman, 1981-94
2000 ballot: 5 votes (1.0 percent)

The Twins first baseman (alongside Justin Morneau), Hrbek spent all 14 seasons of his career playing for his hometown team. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1982 (also his sole All-Star selection) and second in MVP voting in 1984, ending his career with 293 home runs and more walks (838) than strikeouts (798). The Twins retired his uniform number 14 in 1995, he was inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, and he was one of the inaugural members of the Twins Hall of Fame in 2000.

Steve Bedrosian
relief pitcher, 1991
2001 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

Bedrosian’s top individual accolade is the 1987 NL Cy Young award, won while a Phillie (2.83 ERA, 40 saves, 2.3 rWAR), but as a Twin, he’s known for the other World Series year: although putting up a subpar individual 1991 season (4.42 ERA, minus-0.1 rWAR) and postseason (three World Series appearances, 5.40 ERA), he earned a ring with Minnesota.

Jim Deshaies
starting pitcher, 1993, ‘94
2001 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

The longtime Astro spent most of 1993 and all of 1994 with the Twins, having a solid former season (11-13, 4.41 ERA, 2.8 rWAR) and a terrible latter one (6-12; 7.39 ERA; minus-1.3 WAR; led MLB with 25 starts, 107 earned runs allowed, and 30 home runs allowed).

Frank Viola
starting pitcher, 1982-89
2002 ballot: 2 votes (0.4 percent)

The ace of the 1987 staff hit his peak just in time to lead the Twins to the World Series championship that year, going 17-10 with a 2.90 ERA and 8.1 rWAR. He won the Cy Young the following year (24-7, 2.64 ERA, 7.7 rWAR) before being traded to the Mets during the ‘89 season, and he remained a strong pitcher through the 1993 season.

Jim Eisenreich
center fielder, 1982-84
2004 ballot: 3 votes (0.6 percent)

Eisenreich was a reserve when he started his career with the Twins, playing in just 48 games over three seasons in Minnesota. He became a regular in 1989 with the Royals and helped the Phillies reach the World Series in 1993.

Bob Tewskbury
starting pitcher, 1997-98
2004 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Tewksbury peaked with his 6.4 rWAR, third-place Cy Young season in 1992, going 16-5 with a 2.16 ERA for the Cardinals. His two seasons in Minnesota were the last of his career, totaling 6.5 rWAR while going 15-26 with a 4.49 ERA.

Chili Davis
designated hitter, 1991-92
2005 ballot: 3 votes (0.5 percent)

Davis served as the Twins’ DH and cleanup hitter during their 1991 pennant run, clubbing 29 home runs during the regular season and two more in the World Series.

Terry Steinbach
catcher, 1997-99
2005 ballot: 1 vote (0.1 percent)

After 11 seasons in Oakland, Steinbach came to his home state of Minnesota for his last three MLB seasons, serving as the Twins’ primary catcher each year. Over those three years, he slashed .256/.321/.399 with 30 home runs and 3.2 rWAR.

Otis Nixon
center fielder, 1998
2005 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Nixon’s last season as a regular came in 1998, his sole year as a Twin, when he put up a .297/.361/.344 slash line (0.2 rWAR) across 500 plate appearances in 110 games.

Gary Gaetti
third baseman, 1981-90
2006 ballot: 4 votes (0.8 percent)

All-Star, World Series champion, Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer (2007), and triple play machine.

Rick Aguilera
relief pitcher, 1989-95, 96-99
2006 ballot: 3 votes (0.6 percent)

Aguilera joined the Twins in the trade that sent Viola to the Mets and became a decade-long closer, reaching three All-Star teams and serving as the closer for the 1991 World Series winners. He was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2008.

Chuck Knoblauch
second baseman, 1991-97
2008 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

The 1991 Rookie of the Year and leadoff hitter for the trophy winners, Knoblauch proved an elite second baseman in Minnesota. Then he went to New York, and he wasn’t, and Minnesotans hated him. Then he was named in the Mitchell Report, and most of baseball hated him. Then he assaulted two spouses, and no one in baseball wants anything to do with him.

Jesse Orosco
relief pitcher, 2003
2009 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

Fifteen years after closing out the Mets’ 1986 World Series win, Orosco joined the Twins for the last month of his age 46 season, the last month of his career. He retired after 24 seasons with the record for games pitched; his mark of 1,252 still stands.

Mike Jackson
relief pitcher, 2002
2010 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

The ‘02 season was Jackson’s penultimate in the league (he did not play in 2003) and his only one in Minnesota; in 58 games, he put up a 3.28 ERA and 1.2 rWAR.

Bret Boone
second baseman, 2005
2011 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

After having broken out as a star for the Mariners a few years prior, Boone lasted less than a month with the ‘05 Twins, slashing .170/.241/.170 (minus-1.1 rWAR) in 14 games, the last of his career.

Brad Radke
starting pitcher, 1995-2006
2012 ballot: 2 votes (0.3 percent)

The ace of the late-’90s/early-‘00s Twins staffs, Radke received almost no national recognition for his ability and reliability, with one All-Star selection (1998), a ninth-place Rookie of the Year finish (1995), a third-place Cy Young finish (1997), and a 25th-place MVP finish (also 1997) his sole award placements. Radke totaled 45.6 rWAR over his career and was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2009.

Terry Mulholland
relief pitcher, 2004-05
2012 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

A regular Twinkie Town meme, Mulholland pitched two of his final three seasons for the Twins, appearing in 78 games to the tune of a 5-11 record, a 4.89 ERA, and 0.9 rWAR. Back in 1986 for the Giants, though, he did this:

Phil Nevin
designated hitter, 2006
2012 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Rubén Sierra
designated hitter, 2006
2012 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Another pair of last-season-of-career Twins. Nevin, the first overall pick in 1992 (a choice that led Hal Newhouser to quit the Astros’ scouting department as he wanted Derek Jeter), joined Minnesota for September 2006 and played in 16 games (plus a single 0-3 playoff showing), slashing .190/.340/.286 and putting up minus-0.1 rWAR. Sierra had spent 14 games in Minnesota earlier in the year, slashing .179/.273/.214 (minus-0.2 rWAR) before being released in July.

Jeff Cirillo
designated hitter, 2007
2013 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Same story, just a year later: Cirillo was a Twin for part of 2007, his final season, and while his stats weren’t terrible (50 games, .261/.327/.386, 0.7 WAR), he didn’t finish the season with the team, being claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks in August.

Todd Walker
second baseman, 1996-2000
2013 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Walker became the Twins’ starting second baseman after Knoblauch’s departure, and while his ‘98 and ‘99 seasons were respectable (combined .297/.357/.435 slash line and 2.2 rWAR), he was traded to the Rockies in 2000 after his hitting began to fall off.

Rondell White
designated hitter, 2006-07
2013 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Yes, those were his last two seasons. Yes, he hit badly (combined: 137 games, minus-1.5 WAR, .226/.266/.354 slash line).

Jacque Jones
left fielder, 1999-2005
2014 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

The leadoff hitter for the early-’00s squads, Jones peaked in 2002 with a 5.5-rWAR season (.300/.341/.511, 27 home runs) before leaving after the ‘05 season for the Cubs.

Kenny Rogers
starting pitcher, 2003
2014 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

Rogers was… fine, I suppose, in 2003 for the Twins, putting up a 4.57 ERA (1.9 rWAR). He proceeded to join the Rangers for two seasons and the Tigers for three, and the first three of those final five seasons resulted in All-Star appearances and Gold Glove awards, plus a fifth-place Cy Young finish in 2006. Of course.

Todd Jones
relief pitcher, 2001
2014 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

The Twins traded for longtime Astros and Tigers closer Jones midway through the 2001 season, and he appeared in 24 games for the team (3.26 ERA, 0.3 rWAR), saving two.

Eddie Guardado
relief pitcher, 1993-2003
2015 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Everyday Eddie began his career as a starter before quickly converting to the bullpen, leading the league with 83 appearances in 1996. It wasn’t until 2002 that he served as the regular closer for a full season, and he earned All-Star nods that year and the next, finishing his Twins tenure with 116 of his 187 career saves.

Luis Castillo
second baseman, 2006-07
2016 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

After a decade with the Marlins, Castillo joined the Twins for the next season and a half, serving as a reliable glove (though with a negative Fielding Runs Above Average) and steady contact bat (.299/.357/.363) at second base.

Casey Blake
third baseman, 2000-01, ‘02
2017 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Blake didn’t become a starter until the 2003 season in Cleveland, having only appeared in 49 games over his first four seasons. Those included 29 games across three different seasons in Minnesota.

Orlando Cabrera
shortstop, 2009
2017 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Cabrera played only the last two months of the 2009 season as a Twin, and while his stat line was average (.289/.313/.430, minus-0.1 rWAR), Twins fans remember him fondly for his go-ahead home run in Game 163.

Johan Santana
starting pitcher, 2000-07
2018 ballot: 10 votes (2.4 percent)

One of the most egregious one-and-dones in balloting history, Santana was arguably the best pitcher in the majors across the 2004-08 seasons. Over that span, he averaged 7.1 rWAR, a 17-8 record, a 2.82 ERA, and 238 strikeouts per season, winning a pair of Cy Youngs. The rise in votes for Félix Hernández this year (from 20.6 percent to 46.1 percent, the largest year-to-year jump since 1967) bodes well for Santana’s chances of being elected by committee: both pitchers had extraordinary several-season peaks but had their careers cut short due to injury.

Liván Hernández
starting pitcher, 2008
2018 ballot: 1 vote (0.2 percent)

Hernández made 23 starts for the ‘08 Twins and was not particularly good, going 10-8 with a 5.48 ERA (minus-0.3 rWAR) before being designated for assignment at the start of August.

Orlando Hudson
second baseman, 2010
2018 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

After Cabrera’s departure following the 2009 season, the Twins brought in Hudson to fill their middle-infield quota of Orlandos. He responded with a 2.9 rWAR season (.268/.338/.372, league-leading 5.31 Range Factor per 9) before leaving for San Diego the following year.

LaTroy Hawkins
pitcher, 1995-2003
2021 ballot: 2 votes (0.5 percent)

Hawkins was a middling starter turned okay closer turned fantastic setup man, spending his first nine seasons with the Twins before playing another 12 years in the majors. After appearing as an occasional TV commentator for the team the last few seasons, he has now joined the club as its bullpen coach.

Michael Cuddyer
right fielder / third baseman, 2001-11
2021 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

While never reaching an elite level of player, Cuddyer was a reliable middle-of-the-0rder bat and fan favorite, first in Minnesota, where he spent his first 11 seasons, then in Colorado and Queens. He earned his first All-Star nod during his final year as a Twin, picking up one more as a Rockie in 2013, the year he won the NL batting title.

Joe Nathan
closer, 2004-11
2022 ballot: 17 votes (4.3 percent)

After coming to Minnesota in the A.J. Pierzynski trade (more on him in a bit), Nathan became one of the best closers of the 2000s, earning four All-Star selections and twice placing in the top five in Cy Young voting during his Twins tenure. He ended his 16-year career with a 2.87 ERA (2.16 in Minnesota) and 377 saves, 10th-most in MLB history, and he was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2019.

Justin Morneau
first baseman, 2003-13
2022 ballot: 5 votes (1.3 percent)

Morneau was my favorite of the mid-to-late ‘00s Twins stars ever since he came up through AA-New Britain, and I believe he could have been on a Hall of Fame track were it not for that fateful 2010 concussion. From 2006 to ‘10, he was a dominant hitter, winning MVP in 2006 and coming in second in 2008, and averaging a .298/.372/.528 slash line (32 homers, 4.6 rWAR) per 162 over that span. He now serves as a frequent color commentator on TV broadcasts for the team, and he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Twins Hall of Fame in 2021.

A.J. Pierzynski
catcher, 1998-2003
2022 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

Before developing his league-wide reputation as an asshole during his time with the White Sox, Pierzynski worked his way into the starting catcher role in 2001, earning an All-Star selection in 2022 and putting up a 4.5 rWAR season (.312/.360/.484) in 2003.

R.A. Dickey
relief pitcher, 2009
2023 ballot: 1 vote (0.3 percent)

Three years before ascending to the top of the National League with his 2012 Cy Young award, Dickey was a journeyman knuckleball reliever for the Twins. He appeared in 35 games for Minnesota in 2009, putting up a 4.62 ERA with 42 strikeouts versus 30 walks (0.6 rWAR).

J.J. Hardy
shortstop, 2010
2023 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

The Twins traded for Hardy before the 2010 season, and he put up a respectable line: .268/.320/.394 and 1.3 rWAR. Then they traded him to Baltimore, where over the next four seasons he put up three straight 20-homer years, three straight Gold Gloves, and four straight 3-plus-rWAR seasons.

Bartolo Colón
starting pitcher, 2017
2024 ballot: 5 votes (1.3 percent)

Well after the legend of Big Sexy took hold of baseball fans’ collective consciousness, Colón became a Twin, joining the team in July 2017 at age 44 and making 15 starts for the club. While his play was far from that at his peak, putting up a 5.18 ERA and 0.3 rWAR, one of his five wins (to go with six losses) came against the Diamondbacks, making him the 18th pitcher in history to earn a win against all 30 teams.

Fernando Rodney
relief pitcher, 2018
2025 ballot: 0 votes (0.0 percent)

The Twins were treated to the Fernando Rodney Experience for the first half of 2018, during which Rodney made 46 appearances (with 25 saves) to the tune of a stressful 3.09 ERA and 0.7 rWAR. That August, the Twins traded him to the A’s, for whom he appeared against Minnesota (at Target Field) on Player’s Weekend. The team handed out player nickname shirseys to fans, and both my dad and I ended up with Uiya Clara. (And in the second game, when Rodney entered in the seventh inning, a fan named Matt in the outfield seats did Rodney’s bow-and-arrow motion, dislodged his contact lenses, and had to leave early.)

That’s all of them, every Twin who went one-and-done since the 1979 five-percent rule. HOF watchers now look ahead to Beltrán and Jones’ July 26 induction before setting their sights on the 2027 ballot, awaiting the news of who might join the voting pool for a shot at election… or a spot among the one-and-dones.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...seball-hall-of-fame-ballot-johan-santana-snub

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Taylor Rogers, Twins Agree to Reunion

Almost exactly four years after trading him to the Padres, the Twins agreed to a one year contract with left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. The pact will pay Rogers $2M in 2026.

Rogers has been bouncing around National League contenders since leaving the Twin Cities. He split 2022 between the Padres and Brewers when he was dealt to Milwaukee as part of the infamous Josh Hader trade. Rogers then signed a three year, $30M deal with the Giants prior to the 2023 season and split the final year of that contract between the Reds and Cubs where he had a 3.38 ERA/4.38 FIP in 50.2 innings. Unfortunately for those teams, after putting up at least 1.5 fWAR every season from 2018-2022 (COVID-shortened 2020 season excluded), Rogers maxed out at 0.3 fWAR in 2023.

It’s fair to question what Rogers can provide at this state of his career, but the same could have been said of the Danny Coulombe signing last year and the Twins were able to squeeze a bit more usefulness out of him in 2025. Rogers’ signature sweeper is still a well above-average pitch and a Griffin Jax-esque approach could benefit him greatly. In 2025, opposing hitters hit .168 with a .337 SLG against his sweeper while his sinker allowed a .326 BA and .537 SLG. As a two pitch pitcher, seems like an obvious solution when one of your pitches turns opposing hitters in to Aaron Judge and the other turns them into James Outman.

At this stage in his career, I would expect Rogers to be deployed as more of a lefty specialist than a true late game option. The Twins could still bring in another closing option like Seranthony Dominguez, but even as it stands he slots in firmly behind Justin Topa, Cole Sands, and Kody Funderburk (who quietly had an excellent second half). And that’s before getting into the Twins’ plethora of SP options, some of which will have to transition to the bullpen due to the sheer depth in the system.

With nearly all of the big relief names off the free agency board, the Twins will likely employ a Rays-style mix and match system at the end of games. Pete Maki’s bullpen wizardry will be put to the test early in 2026.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-news/50882/taylor-rogers-twins-agree-to-reunion

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins Flashback: 1986

After the mostly-promising but late-season collapse of 2022 2024 1984, the Minnesota Twins sagged to 77-85 in 1985. Things got worse in ‘86: 71-91, 6th in the AL West—21 GB the West-winning California Angels. The average draw of 15,000 per Metrodome contest—2nd-worst in AL attendance coffers—presented a lot of bad baseball for Bob Kurtz & Harmon Killebrew (on TV) and Herb Carneal & Joe Angel (on the dial) to cover, but also some signs that pieces were falling into place for a promising future.

Pitching (90 ERA+)​

With the exception of ever-stalwart Bert Blyleven (17-14, 271.2 IP, 107 ERA+)—who even still gave up an MLB-record 50 home runs—and up-and-coming Frank Viola (16-13, 245.2 IP, 95 ERA+), pitching was this club’s Achilles heel.

Mike Smithson, Neal Heaton, & Mark Portugal were far worse than Rik Aalbert & Frankie out of the starting rotation. The pen at least had solid seasons from Keith Atherton (114 ERA+) & Roy Lee Jackson (111 ERA+)—but for some unknown reason still gave Ron Davis 38.2 IP, which of course netted a 47 ERA+. John Butcher (70 IP, 68 ERA+) wasn’t much more effective.

Offense (103 OPS+)​

The quintet of Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, Tom Brunansky, & Roy Smalley all eclipsed 20 dingers, cultivating the Homer Dome reputation.

Especially stand-out were Puck (5.7 WAR, 223 H, 119 R, 37 2B, 31 HR, 96 RBI, 20 SB, .328 BA, 142 OPS+, Gold Glove) & the G-Man (5.8 WAR, 34 2B, 34 HR, 108 RBI, .287 BA, 131 OPS+, Gold Glove).

The most memorable moments from ‘86…

• May 30: Smalley homers from both sides of the plate
• Puck representing MN at the All-Star game in the Astrodome
• August 1: Kirby hits for the cycle AND Blyleven records his 3,000th strikeout!
• October 4: Greg Gagne hits two inside-the-park home runs in the same game.

None of this was good enough to keep the Twins in contention—especially with a dispiriting 11 walk-off losses thrown into the mix. So in compiling a 59-80 record by September 12, manager Ray Miller was relieved of his duties after 1.93 seasons of top-step service. This led to the hiring of 36-year old skipper Tom Kelly—who presided over a 12-11 ‘86 denouement.

Of final note: The ‘86 Twins were horrific on the road—28-53. But at the Metrodome: 43-38.

The franchise was at a fulcrum: while seemingly set up with talent on the field, a new young manager, and an ability to dominate at home, two straight disappointing seasons after the promise of 1984 did not exactly inspire a ton of confidence for what 1987 would bring.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...hrbek-gaetti-brunansky-atherton-butcher-kurtz

 

[Minnesota Twins]

TwinkieTown Movie Night: Major League

Here’s your link for the movie! It’s from a Strange Site, but most internet security experts consider it pretty safe (when it comes to collecting your data, IMDb is worse). It has no commercials, so no sync issues! Sync issues are a pain on Movie Nights! Start the show at 7:30!

David S. Ward, who wrote 1973’s very successful The Sting, said he wanted to make this movie because he’d been a lifelong Cleveland fan, and the team had stunk for years. “They hadn’t finished within 10 games of first place in 20 years or something. So it had to be a comedy and that pretty much dictated the direction. I invented a group of misfit players who found a way to come together and get it done. That felt like the only way it would ever happen. We were a small market team. When we did have good players we would lose them to the New York Yankees of the world who could pay them what we couldn’t. That’s been the story of the Indians over the years.”

Yeah, and a few other teams, too.

I suspect you all know the plot. New owner Joe Pohlad Margaret Whitton wants to move the team to Miami, so she sells off every player who’s worth a bag of balls, in hopes the replacement players will all stink and Clevelanders won’t care if she moves the Browns to Baltimore Indians to Florida.

But this ragtag bunch of misfits might have something to say about the matter…

Written/directed by Ward. Starring Tom Berenger (Platoon), Corbin Bernsen (Psych), James Gammon (Nash Bridges), Rene Russo (Tin Cup), Charlie Sheen (L.A. County Courthouse), Wesley Snipes (White Men Can’t Jump), and Bob Uecker, R.I.P.

Interestingly, there was originally a different ending. In that ending, owner Whitton explains to ruff/gruff manager Gammon that she never intended to move the team to Florida. How it was all a ploy to motivate the players to win! You can see it in this YouTube clip:

Test audiences HATED it though, so a new ending was shot. I’m generally against the idea of random bozos in Los Angeles parking lots given veto power over movies, particularly complicated ones.

(Yes, that’s how studios picked test audiences, at least back then. Some person would approach you in a parking lot, and ask “would you be interested in seeing a free movie about subject X starring actors Y & Z?” If you said yes, you were asked if you worked for the media. I worked for my college newspaper, so I never got to be in a test audience. But I got asked a few times.)

Test audiences shouldn’t judge complex movies. Yet Major League is NOT a complex movie. So, in this caase, the test audiences were right! It’s better to keep the owner a villain! (Probably. I haven’t seen this in a long time.)

Besides, what kind of baseball owners have we seen since 1989? More owners who love the teams and want them to do well? Or more owners who simply want more public money in the form of new stadiums and will do anything to get it? Especially threatening to move? You all know which version is closer to reality.

In 2014, Topps put out a 25th-anniversary Major League card pack:

Oh, and when they shot this, Charlie Sheen was roiding up to improve his fastball in the movie, until he said the drugs caused him to lose his temper. Sure, Charlie. Sure, it was the drugs.

Here’s your link again for the movie! Click your clicks at 7:30!

Here’s the upcoming schedule:

January 30: Benched (2018)

John C. McGinley and Garret Dillahunt star as two youth baseball coaches with very different approaches to coaching. Free on the Strange Site.

February 6: The Rookie (2002)

Not-yet-weird Dennis Quaid is a small-town schoolteacher who’s always dreamed of playing baseball. Maybe, just maybe, he might have a chance. Free on the Strange Site.

February 13: Back to the Future III (1990)

By request, and because I haven’t seen it since 1990 (when I enjoyed it a lot). Why haven’t I seen it since then? Well, there’s an embarrassing tale… Free on the Strange Site.

February 20: Moneyball (2011)

Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, and I’m sure Billy Beane wishes he looked like Brad Pitt. Philip Seymour Hoffman is great as always. The Twins beat the A’s! Free on the Strange Site.

I’ve got some ideas for future ones if we do this more, and all movie suggestions are absolutely welcome & wanted!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/book-club/50863/twinkietown-movie-night

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “New Old Twin Alert” Edition

If I’m being honest, baseball has not been top of mind for most folks in Twins Territory the past few weeks. It was a relatively busy week for the Twins, though, with the Twins Caravan in full swing around the state and surrounding areas, TwinsFest this past weekend, and the reunion with an old friend.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• In light of the recent Hall of Fame vote, Matt Monitto recaps every Twin that has gone one-and-done in their attempt to get to Cooperstown.
• Everyone’s favorite twin Twin, Taylor Rogers, is returning home. Ben Jones has more on the move.
• Zach Koenig takes us back to 1986 in Twins history.
• James Fillmore recaps Major League, the movie for the Twinkie Town Movie Night last week. We’ve got “Benched” coming up this Friday.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Dan Hayes at The Athletic looks at how new Twins executive chair Tom Pohlad is trying to connect with fans after one of the more frustrating seasons in recent memory.
• Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune reports on Pablo Lopez’s thoughts going into the 2026 season.
• Theo Tollefson at Pitcher List provides his list of the top-20 prospects in the Twins organization.
• Matthew Leach at MLB.com checks in on Bailey Ober and his approach in the offseason after a rough 2025 season.

In the World of Baseball:

• Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were added to the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Bradford Doolittle at ESPN has more on the new members in Cooperstown.
• The BBWAA Awards Dinner was this past weekend, and a very important good boy received some hardware. Jeffrey Lutz at MLB.com has more on who went home with the “Most Valuable Dog” award.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/50914/monday-morning-minnesota-the-old-new-twin-alert-edition