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[Minnesota Twins]

TwinkieTown Movie Night: A League of Their Own

From the fine folks at the American Film Institute.

Hey, last week we had Thelma, this week we have Louise? Or is it the other way around? I’m not sure…

But I know this is on Pluto! Here’s the Pluto link.

Based (sort of) on the true story of the Rockford Peaches, part of a women’s league that played during WWII when many of the men were overseas. With Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Jon Lovitz, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Lori Petty, Bill Pullman, and David Strathairn. Written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (Splash); directed by Penny Marshall (Big).

Somehow, I’ve never seen this one, despite how much I like much of the cast — I think I avoided it because Madonna was in it. (For those who don’t remember, Madonna was kinda the Lady Gaga of her day, although much less creative and much more popular.)

We’ve had some writing on women’s softball/baseball on TwinkieTown before, though! This one’s about the 40s/50s league in general. It doesn’t have an author’s name, so it’s probably written by somebody who sued the company for back pay (and won).

And this one’s a favorite of mine, by Colossus of Rhode. It’s specifically about the Minneapolis Millerettes, and Rhode actually got in touch with one of their former players!

Here’s a solid history post by Morgan Leigh Davies at Bustle. And here’s another good one by Christina De Nicola at MLB.com. It details how a short documentary that aired on PBS what was got the filmmakers interested in this story in the first place. The documentary is right here:

Per the AFI site I swiped the top image from, the documentary’s producers worked up a story idea for this movie, and their “mother and aunt were actual players in the league.” Comedy experts Ganz and Mandel wrote the screenplay. Various names attached to the cast included Jim Belushi, Laura Dern, Darryl Hannah, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Brooke Shields and Debra Winger; Winger trained for three months with some of the Chicago Cubs! But she dropped out when Madonna got involved; she hated the idea of it being like “an Elvis film.” (So, she had the same concerns I did!)

Winger got paid anyways, and Davis took over the part. The final cast did some training with an assistant coach at USC. You can read more about the production details on Wiki.

Here’s your link again for tonight, and here’s the upcoming schedule. I had to scratch Major League, for now, because it disappeared from the free streamers; I’m sure it will return.

December 12: Damn Yankees (1955)

A long-suffering Senators fan gets an offer to magically turn into a star player and save the team; but, when you make a bargain with Mr. Applegate, the devil’s in the details. Free on Pluto.

December 19: 12 Angry Men (1957)

It’s on Internet Archive, and baseball plays a part in the plot, or wanting to finish in time for a game does. I mean, justice SHOULD matter more, but priorities are priorities.

December 26: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

I figure, it’s Christmas, so why not a Christmas movie? Specifically, a Christmas movie where people bash zombies with baseball bats! Free on Tubi.

January 5: Eight Men Out (1988)

Yep, they cheated for gambling money, but the way Charles Comiskey treats them, you’ll kinda understand why. Free on Pluto and Tubi.

I’ve got some ideas for future ones if we do this more, and all movie suggestions are absolutely welcome & wanted! (We’ve already got two, and will be getting to those soon!)

But, until then, pop your popcorn, and let’s start the show at 7:30!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/book-club/50242/twinkietown-movie-night-a-league-of-their-own

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Winter Meetings Preview: 3 Things for Twins Fans to Follow

Welcome to Orlando, FL where MLB executives, media, and players alike all gather for the most transaction-filled portion of the offseason. There’s a trio of Twins in the middle of the juiciest offseason trade rumors and they finally have their additional partners approved and POBO Derek Falvey reportedly has some “mild payroll flexibility” to work with, meaning Minnesota will likely find themselves at the center of some transactions this week. Let’s dive in.

What Happens to Buxton, Ryan, and Lopez?​

Byron Buxton is likely the best hitter available on the trade market and nearly every team in baseball wants him. With All-Star level production and health over the last two seasons and the boon of an incredibly team-friendly contract, it’s easy to see why everyone from the Pirates to the Dodgers have reportedly expressed interest.

The same can be said for 2025 All-Star Joe Ryan who still has a strong market despite faltering in the last two months of the season. Ryan is under team control for two more seasons and has been one of the best and most consistent starters in baseball over the past three seasons. Pablo Lopez, meanwhile, will have a more limited market with $43.5M guaranteed over his final two seasons, but that’s still very affordable for a pitcher who is, at worst, a #2 on an elite staff.

Falvey has been praising that trio and saying he hopes to build around them, and with the Twins’ cash flow issues less prevalent than they were even a month ago, he may get his wish. The industry consensus is now that the Twins will likely hold onto all three players (as I believe they should), but teams like the Dodgers and Red Sox have the young players and prospects to force Falvey’s hand and make a deal he can’t refuse.

Personally, I would give this core one last shot. The AL Central is incredibly winnable (especially if the Detroit Tigers trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal) and the trade value of Buxton, Ryan, and Lopez likely remains the same at the trade deadline. Health is the only real risk factor, but that’s sports for you. Run it back, see if players like Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, and their bevy of young pitchers can take a leap, and give yourself a fighting chance in 2026.

MLB Draft Lottery: Will Lady Luck Smile on Minnesota Again?​

The Twins have been the beneficiary of the new MLB Draft Lottery already, jumping several spots 2022 and 2024 to nab future top-20 prospects Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee. This year, the Twins hold the second-best lottery odds thanks to their weak finish to the season and the Rockies and Nationals being ineligible for a top 10 pick. They hold a 22.18% chance at the first pick in the draft and a very likely shot for their pick to land in the top three. Even in a weak draft, a top three pick is almost a guaranteed Top 50 prospect and likely one who can contribute to the Big League roster soon if their recent picks are anything to go by.

Rule 5 Draft: Who Will the Twins Lose and/or Gain?​

The Twins’ roster is in flux and currently has several 40-man roster spots that are easy to free up (see: Ryan Kreidler, Edouard Julien, Ryan Fitzgerald, Carson McCusker, Jhonny Pereda and potential trades for Trevor Larnach/James Outman) which means they are primed to make at least one selection in this year’s Rule 5 Draft. They selected Eiberson Castellano in 2024, but he struggled in Spring Training and was ultimately returned to the Phillies where he struggled through 36 innings while battling injury. As a reminder, any players selected in the Rule 5 Draft must be kept on the active 26-man roster or injured list for the entirety of the season, meaning there’s very few players that hit. Of the 15 players selected last season, only Shane Smith of the White Sox, Liam Hicks of the Marlins, and Angel Bastardo of the Blue Jays remained on their respective teams for the entire season.

With several spots in flux, the easiest place to stash a volatile arm is at the end of the bullpen. The Twins already have players like Pierson Ohl and Travis Adams who showed flashes after moving to relief full time, but building a bullpen is all about taking shots and seeing who hits. The Twins need lefties and Hayden Mullins of the Red Sox fits the bill. He has a lower velocity fastball that misses bats thanks to elite extension and shape, and a slider with a good whiff rate. Mullins has a high walk rate and has never pitched above AA, but that hasn’t deterred Minnesota in the past. Everyone available in the Rule 5 Draft has major flaws, which is why they weren’t protected by their teams in the first place.

Other pitchers to watch include Will Childers (Brewers, 3.48 RA9, 9.6 K/9, 5.4 BB/9), Griff McGarry (Phillies, 4.20 RA9, 13.3 K/9, 5.3 BB/9), and Jose Rodriguez (Dodgers, 5.67 RA9, 14.0 K/9, 5.8 BB/9). It’s harder to stash position players, but the Twins could look for a needed utility man among the crop to replace Willi Castro. Cameron Cauley of the Rangers would be the name to watch there with the ability to play SS, 2B, and CF while stealing bases at a high clip, though he’s never played above AA and managed just a league-average .773 OPS in 2025 while striking out in 25% of his plate appearances. If the Twins look for a backup catcher, Arizona’s Christian Cerda and the A’s Daniel Susac both have some pop and respectable defense behind the dish. If they don’t take a pitcher, Susac, a former first-round pick, might be the best option.

On the Twins’ side, they were able to protect most of their at-risk players, but had to leave a few exposed. Notable players include infielder Tanner Schobel (Twins #12 prospect via FanGraphs), breakout outfielders Kala’i Rosario and Kyler Fedko, RHP CJ Culpepper (#10 prospect), RHP Jose Olivares (#16 prospect), and the injured Matt Canterino who could be a draft-and-IL-stash candidate like Jovani Moran reportedly was last season before being traded to the Red Sox.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ngs-preview-3-things-for-twins-fans-to-follow

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Greatest Twins Moments & Performances: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 7)

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

The last few years, Shohei Ohtani has simultaneously thrilled MLB fans with arm and bat. Well, Jim “Mudcat” Grant was perhaps the O.G. of dual-threat theatrics in the 1965 World Series!

With the Twins needing a victory to stay alive, the Mudcat twirled a 1-run complete game AND homered in the sixth inning to put the outcome on ice. It proved to be the last game the Twins would win in ‘65, but what an effort to force a Game 7!

The newbie: Thome is my homie!

Last Day Division Title (2006)​

• On 8/6/06, the Twins were 10.5 GB the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central top spot. Going into Game 162? Tied with the striped cats. After the Twins polished off the Chicago White Sox on the season’s final day, the entire Metrodome crowd stuck around to watch the Tigers lose to the Kansas City Royals on the Jumbotron scoreboard—triggering a celebration as massive as it was unlikely for the Smell ‘Em & Piranha Crew.

Killer Crushes #500 (1971)​

• On August 10, 1971, Minnesota masher Harmon Killebrew took Mike Cuellar deep in the 1st inning at Metropolitan Stadium. That home run gained Harm admittance into the 500 Home Run Club—only the 10th occupant of that roundtable at the time. The clout cemented The Killer as an all-time slugger.

Kirby Puckett takes Milwaukee (1987)​

• One could argue that Kirby Puckett became a true star on a late-August 1987 weekend in Milwaukee. On Saturday, 8/29, he went 4-5 with 2 HR. The Sunday 8/30 encore: 6-6, 2 2B, & 2 HR. If you are counting along at home, that’s 24 total bases in less than 24 hours! Puck raised his average from .315 to .328 in that short span and his storied career was off to the races.

Breaking the playoff losing streak (2023)​

• Starting in 2004 and continuing through 2022, the Minnesota Twins lost 18 consecutive playoff games—a professional sports (of any kind) record. But in Game 1 of the 2023 AL Wild Card round versus the Toronto Blue Jays, Royce Lewis became The Exorcist and got MN into the October win column when Jhoan Duran polished off the save. The next day, the Twins sent the Blue Birds back over the northern border after Sonny Gray & Carlos Correa collaborated on a clutch pickoff. Meaningful baseball was revitalized in Minnesota!

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.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...tt-milwaukee-2023-playoffs-thome-target-field

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Draft Lottery: Twins to Pick 3rd in 2026 MLB Draft

After blowing up the bullpen and leaning into an all-out tank to end the 2025 season, the Minnesota Twins will select third in the 2026 MLB Draft. The Twins finished with the fourth-worst record in baseball but had the second-best odds of landing the top pick in the draft thanks to the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals being ineligible for a lottery selection.

The Twins made big jumps in the past, but fell a down slot in the first round this season. In a draft year where there’s a clear #1 in UCLA’s Roch Cholowski, Twins fans and executives alike were hoping to jump up to the first pick. However, with a deep crop of college and high school hitters, the Twins will still be able to nab one of the most talented players in the draft. Plus, there’s still a chance Derek Falvey and Co. could try to cut a deal with Cholowski ahead of the draft, but he’s such a talented player that I doubt the White Sox or Rays (selecting first and second, respectively) will allow that to happen.

Assuming Cholowski is taken, the other big name to watch would be Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron. Lebron (not that one) was widely considered the top prospect in this class before Cholowski’s 2025 breakout. Given Falvey’s penchant for college hitters, and shortstops in particular, Lebron (still not that one) would be a safe bet if he’s available at 3. Other college hitters include LSU’s Derek Curiel and Georgia Tech’s Drew Burress.

If they go the high school route, Texas prep SS Grady Emerson could end up being the best prospect in the bunch when all is said and done. It’s also worth mentioning Florida prep SS Jacob Lombard, the younger brother of Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. and the son of George Sr., the Tigers’ bench coach. Teams love those athlete genetics. As things stand now, I would expect one of the top three of Cholowski, Lebron (STILL not that one), or Emerson to be the pick.

There’s obviously a lot that can change between now and the draft, starting with an entire college baseball season. No one saw Paul Skenes being the top pick after the 2023 draft lottery, but he played himself into that spot and now might be the best pitcher in the sport. Regardless of what happens, the Twins find themselves in an enviable spot with a top three pick and a sizable draft pool.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...t-lottery-twins-to-pick-3rd-in-2026-mlb-draft

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins select catcher Daniel Susac in Rule 5 Draft, trade him to Giants

The one and only time you’ll see Susac as the featured image on this site. | Lansing State Journal

For the second consecutive year, the Twins have made a pick in the Rule 5 draft. Like last year’s choice, the player selected will not make Minnesota’s roster.

While the team dipped into the pitching pool last year with reliever Eiberson Castellano, they took a position player this season, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the A’s AAA (Las Vegas) roster, and immediately traded him to the Giants.

Sources: The Twins will trade Rule 5 draft pick Daniel Susac to the Giants.

— Eric Longenhagen (@longenhagen) December 10, 2025

The A’s first-round pick in 2022, Susac has risen quickly up their farm system. At age 24, he spent 2025 in AAA-Las Vegas, slashing .275/.349/.483 with 18 home runs across 97 games. He also threw out 26 percent of base stealers, but made eight errors and allowed six passed balls. But that’s San Francisco’s problem now.

In exchange for Susac, the Twins received 17-year-old catching prospect Miguel Caraballo. In the Dominican Summer League, the switch-hitting Caraballo slashed .264/.432/.442 across 41 games.

No Twins prospects were selected by any other clubs in the Major League portion of the draft. In the minor league (AAA) portion, Minnesota lost relievers Aaron Sozak and John Stankiewicz while adding reliever Sam Ryan and outfielder Garrett Spain.

Ahead of the draft, the Twins released outfielder Carson McCusker to clear a roster spot. That spot belonged to Susac for three minutes and is once again vacant.

The Twins cleared a spot on their 40-man roster and put OF Carson McCusker on unconditional release waivers. McCusker is expected to pursue an opportunity to play in Asia next year.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T16:32:12.080Z

McCusker played in 16 games for Minnesota in 2025. Despite his AAA power numbers (.795 OPS, 22 homers) and 6’8” frame, McCusker never replicated those results for the big club, putting up a .372 OPS (five hits, all singles) and striking out in 16 of his 30 plate appearances.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...atcher-daniel-susac-rule-5-draft-trade-giants

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “Warm Stove” Edition

We are in the middle of Winter Meetings now, with plenty of rumors abounding of potential player movement and free-agent signings. Not much has changed for the Twins in terms of their personnel so far, but we’ll see as the offseason continues if the team will actually do anything to improve their roster in a meaningful way.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• Ben Jones previews the Winter Meetings to see what Twins fans should follow.
• The MLB Draft Lottery was yesterday, and with the Twins having the second-best odds to grab the #1 pick, they unfortunately missed out and ended with the third pick.
• James Fillmore reviews last week’s Twinkie Town Movie night, A League of Their Own. Join us this week for Damn Yankees!
• We’re onto Round 7 of Zach Koenig’s list of the Best Twins moments!
• Zach also takes us through the unofficial start to the 2016 Twins season with the 2015 offseason.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Dan Hayes at The Athletic reports on a shift in the Twins’ approach to the offseason. This is after Ken Rosenthal, at The Athletic, also reported that the Twins do not plan to trade Byron Buxton or Joe Ryan.
• Betsy Helfand at the Pioneer Press checks in on Derek Shelton as he prepares for his first season as the Twins’ manager.
• Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune looks at where Derek Falvey might want to add to the roster.
• Matthew Leach at MLB.com looks at the Twins’ thoughts after getting the #3 pick in the MLB draft.
• Byron Buxton is also expected to be added to the preliminary World Baseball Classic roster for Team USA.
• Perhaps fueling a little fire for the “Buxton to LA” rumors, Rocco Baldelli is joining the Dodgers’ front office.

In the World of Baseball:

• Jeff Kent was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Era Committee. Kent holds the record for most home runs by a second baseman, with 351. Perhaps more notably, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens did not earn enough votes to be eligible for the ballot the next time the Contemporary Era Committee meets to elect players to the Hall of Fame.
• With the MLB Draft Lottery done, Jim Callis at MLB.com has his first mock draft of the season.
• Major signings in the MLB since our last update:
  • Kyle Schwarber re-signs with the Philadelphia Phillies for 5 years, $150 million.
  • Edwin Diaz signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 3 years, $69 million.
  • The Los Angeles Angels and the Baltimore Orioles made a trade, sending Taylor Ward to Baltimore for Grayson Rodriguez.
  • Devin Williams signs with the New York Mets for 3 years, $51 million.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/50347/monday-morning-minnesota-the-warm-stove-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

MLB jumps into the stream(ing) in 2026

For the past couple of seasons, Major League Baseball has dipped its toes into streaming entertainment platforms. Apple TV Friday night games were the most substantial non-traditional TV presence (and will continue), with smatterings of the odd Peacock or Roku games here and there.

In 2026, MLB is going to Greg Louganis into the deep end of all-digital television—kind of—which a series of recent league announcements revealed as part of a new 3-year media deal with various partners:

ESPN takes over MLB.TV​

First and foremost, ESPN is now taking over MLB.TV. While still letting MLB produce the contests and “air” them on the MLB.TV app (at least for 2026—further changes are almost assured for subsequent seasons), the out-of-market package can now be purchased/seen on the ESPN app too. ESPN will also air 30 weeknight primetime games throughout next season.

What does this mean for in-market Twins fans? Well, nothing—again, at least in ‘26. In a very detailed season ticket holder email—and of course Twins brass would never screw up this marketing—I was assured that nothing will change in my ability to purchase the entire in-market Twins package in 2026. The ESPN app will NOT be needed (yet), Twins.TV subscriptions will remain the same (we’ll see on pricing, of course), and the Twins channel will still reside in local cable and satellite provider lineups.

Bottom line: ESPN is partnering with MLB to slow-play an attempt to consolidate all team broadcast rights by 2029. In the early stages (2026), the sports behemoth is keeping things pretty status quo. As such, there should be much less consternation and confusion regarding how to watch your Minnesota Twins in 2026.

I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday Night (Baseball)​

For the first time since the 1990s and its Bob Costas heyday, NBC will have a significant baseball footprint.

Yes, the weird MLB Sunday Leadoff late-morning package will continue—but NBC will also slide into the summer Sunday Night Baseball slot (taking over for the aforementioned ESPN in that role). Presumably, these contests will begin on linear NBC and transition to Peacock when the NFL ramps up. No word on if Carrie Underwood is crafting a baseball theme.

NBC/Peacock will also be the exclusive home of MLB’s playoff Wild Card Round.

Netflix noses in​

Because Netflix is still king of the streaming realm and are currently making a play for the whole dominion, they’ll also share a piece of the baseball pie the next 3 years.

Netflix will be home to the Opening Night primetime game between the San Francisco Giants & New York Yankees. Later in the summer, the ta-dum company will produce and air the MLB Home Run Derby.

Big Red will also air the now-annual Field of Dreams game—in ‘26 featuring the Philadelphia Phillies and your Minnesota Twins on August 3! Hopefully the only ghosts will be in the stalks and not in Netflix’s servers.

On one hand, “streaming fatigue” is very much a thing right now. We’ve slain the cable TV empire, only to have it replaced by a different monster we don’t yet fully understand.

On the other hand, this type of exposure is exactly what Major League Baseball desperately needs. As frustrating as it is to manage/budget multiple subscriptions and their requisite technology, that’s where the eyeballs/money are right now.

With MLB looking to avoid a strike or lockout after 2026, every bit of revenue potential may be helpful in dragging the owners and the Players Union to the bargaining table to avoid a shutdown.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...-nbc-peacock-field-of-dreams-game-hr-derby-tv

 

[Minnesota Twins]

TwinkieTown Movie Night: Damn Yankees

Tonight’s movie is on Pluto! Here’s your link.

A long-suffering Senators fan makes a deal with the devil to help the team… but, as we know, those deals with the devil tend to backfire on ya. (He doesn’t tend to be a scrupulously honest negotiator.)

This musical is drawn from a book, The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, by Douglass Wallop, a D.C. native. Born in 1920, his formative years would have been spent watching the Yankees beat the Senators year after year after year — between 1936 and 1954 (when the book was published), the Yankees appeared in 13 of 19 World Series… and won 12 of them. While the Senators had won a Series in 1924, lost ones in 1925 and 1933, and would never appear in one again. (They were officially named the “Nationals” by this point, but everybody just referred to them by the old name.)

Incidentally, you’re probably familiar with the bigoted comments made by Senators/Twins owner Cal Griffith about 1960s Black baseball fans, suggesting they didn’t like baseball (these comments, made in 1978, were part of why Rod Carew demanded a trade from the Twins).

Well, of course Griffith was wrong… and yet baseball in D.C. DID face a huge challenge, especially as/after the federal government grew massively during WWII. The biggest problem was, most government workers came from other cities! So if they were baseball fans, they stayed loyal to their former teams! It’s less of a problem now, since D.C. has more than just the feds as a main employer. But in 1954, things were looking pretty bleak for Senators fans, and maybe only a bargain with the diabolical could save them?

No such bargain was made… and the Senators left town for Minnesota in 1961. They’d get an expansion team to replace them, but that team wasn’t very good, and it moved to Texas in 1972. (D.C. would get another team in 2005, courtesy of Jeff Loria, which one might say was a definite deal with the devil.)

The book became a Broadway musical in 1955, written by Wallop and George Abbott (who lived to 107!). Songs by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The musical became a movie in 1958, directed by Abbott and Stanley Donen (who I assume worked on the musical numbers; he directed Singing in the Rain). It stars the totally-closeted Tab Hunter, the totally hammy Ray Walston, and the muse to Bob Fosse, dancing legend Gwen Verdon.

And I guess the musical/movie was responsible for bringing us, um, this:

Here’s tonight’s link again. And here’s the upcoming schedule:

December 19: 12 Angry Men (1957)

It’s on Internet Archive, and baseball plays a part in the plot, or wanting to finish in time for a game does. I mean, justice SHOULD matter more, but priorities are priorities.

December 26: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

I figure, it’s Christmas, so why not a Christmas movie? Specifically, a Christmas movie where people bash zombies with baseball bats! Free on Tubi.

January 5: Eight Men Out (1988)

Yep, they cheated for gambling money, but the way Charles Comiskey treats them, you’ll kinda understand why. Free on Pluto and Tubi.

January 12: Benched (2018)

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

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

But, until then, pop your popcorn, and let’s start the show at 7:30!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/book-club/50357/twinkietown-movie-night-damn-yankees

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Rival Roundup, Vol. 74: Tids, Bits, and Tidbits

The Winter Meetings didn’t bring much in the way of American League Central news — at least not much outside of the realm of speculation and fantasy. For fans of branching realities, it was a great week. For fans of canon events, it left a little to be desired. But fret not! Even a slow Meetings is busier than the usual doldrums of the offseason, and we’ve got some certified-organic tidbits for a guy like you.

• The White Sox were the big winners of this year’s Winter Meetings, winning the MLB Draft Lottery and landing the #1 pick in the 2026 Amateur Draft. As it stands today, that pick would likely take the form of UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, a talent who could torment the Twins for years to come. Of course, we were saying similar things about the prospect crop that headlined Chicago’s 2021 division title, and how quickly that era of Sox baseball has been decimated.
• The White Sox have also provided us with an actual major-league signing, acquiring free agent lefty Anthony Kay on a two-year contract after Kay spent a little stint in Japan. He returns to the American League $12 million richer in guaranteed money.
• Keeping busy, the Sox were one of a handful of teams making selections in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft; they picked up righty Jedixson Paez with the second pick.
• The Cleveland Guardians had a decently busy Rule 5 draft, with moves in both the major- and minor-league portions.

The Guardians selected right-hander Peyton Pallette from White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft.24 years old, 2nd round Draft pick in 2022. 4.06 ERA in 52 relief appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025.

— Tim Stebbins (@timstebbins.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T19:14:41.670Z

The Guardians also selected Jack Carey from the Pirates in the Minor League phase of the Rule 5 Draft.26-year-old had a 3.63 ERA in 44 relief appearances between High-A and Double-A in 2025.

— Tim Stebbins (@timstebbins.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T19:33:27.771Z

• They also lost reliever Zak Kent to the St. Louis Cardinals on the waiver wire.
• But they gained some hardware to make up for it!

Congratulations to the 2026 BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner, Paul Hoynes! https://t.co/q62X3aWDh0 pic.twitter.com/foadR6WI4j

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (@baseballhall) December 9, 2025

• The Royals took a leap in the draft lottery, jumping from a projected-13th into the #6 pick. They also grabbed outfielder Lane Thomas on a one-year contract and pushed their 40-man roster to 38 players.
• The Tigers are bringing back Kyle Finnegan.

Tigers, RHP Kyle Finnegan agree to 2-year deal, per multiple reports including @MLBNetwork insider @JonHeyman. pic.twitter.com/NbzolxDskF

— MLB (@MLB) December 10, 2025

• Then, for good measure, they acquired veteran closer Kenley Jansen to bolster AJ Hinch’s flexible relief corps. They also — though they didn’t know it at the time — closed out this week’s Rival Roundup.

Kenley Jansen signs 1-year, $11 million contract with Detroit Tigers as he nears exclusive 500 save club https://t.co/nwJ6E5zKn6

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 13, 2025

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general/50257/rival-roundup-vol-74-tids-bits-and-tidbits

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Monday Morning Minnesota: The “For Whom The Bell Tolls” Edition

Time to get the bell-related puns out of the way, as the Twins made their first major-league move of the offseason by signing Josh Bell. Other than that, the winter meetings went by without too much fanfare, with the Twins making a selection in the Rule 5 draft, only to promptly trade that pick away. With the holiday season approaching, I would not be surprised to hear radio silence from the team until the new year.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• Brandon Brooks takes us around the AL Central in this week’s Rival Roundup.
• James Fillmore reviews last week’s movie night, Damn Yankees. We’ve got 12 Angry Men coming up this week.
• Zach Koenig looks into the streaming situation for the MLB next season.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• Aaron Gleeman and Stephen J. Nesbitt at The Athletic have a deep dive into the Josh Bell signing.
• Betsy Helfand at the Pioneer Press looks at the Twins’ perspective on the Winter Meetings.
• Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune checks in on Royce Lewis’ thoughts on new manager Derek Shelton.
• Theo Tollefson at Zone Coverage tries to find the meaning behind the Twins’ moves during the Rule 5 draft.

In the World of Baseball:

• The winter meetings gave us a few more notable moves through the major leagues:
  • Pete Alonso signs with the Baltimore Orioles for five years, $155 million.
  • Old friend Jorge Polanco will be signing with the New York Mets for two years, $40 million.
  • Merrill Kelly will return to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a two-year, $40 million deal.
  • Michael Soroka, after a breakout season in Washington and Chicago, also goes to Arizona for one year, $7.5 million.
  • Robert Suarez heads to Atlanta for three years, $45 million, albeit as a setup man to closer Raisel Iglesias, who had re-signed earlier in November.
  • Kenley Jansen signs with Detroit for one year.
  • Tyler Rogers will be taking his talents north of the border for a three-year, $37 million contract.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...minnesota-the-for-whom-the-bell-tolls-edition

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Greatest Twins Moments & Performances: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 8)

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

When Harmon Killebrew slammed his 500th home run on August 10, 1971, he became just the tenth member of that ultra-exclusive clubbing cohort. Ultimately reaching 573 career dingers, Killebrew was fifth on the all-time homer list when he put his powerful swing out to pasture in 1975.

The Killer never had a record-setting HR season, but he put up 40+ round-trippers an astonishing eight times—six of those leading the American League.

Harm’s prodigious power was the defining characteristic of Twins Baseball (TM) for the first decade of the franchise’s existence.

The newbie: Santana silences with 17 strikeouts!

Last Day Division Title (2006)​

• On 8/6/06, the Twins were 10.5 GB the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central top spot. Going into Game 162? Tied with the striped cats. After the Twins polished off the Chicago White Sox on the season’s final day, the entire Metrodome crowd stuck around to watch the Tigers lose to the Kansas City Royals on the Jumbotron scoreboard—triggering a celebration as massive as it was unlikely for the Smell ‘Em & Piranha Crew.

Kirby Puckett takes Milwaukee (1987)​

• One could argue that Kirby Puckett became a true star on a late-August 1987 weekend in Milwaukee. On Saturday, 8/29, he went 4-5 with 2 HR. The Sunday 8/30 encore: 6-6, 2 2B, & 2 HR. If you are counting along at home, that’s 24 total bases in less than 24 hours! Puck raised his average from .315 to .328 in that short span and his storied career was off to the races.

Breaking the playoff losing streak (2023)​

• Starting in 2004 and continuing through 2022, the Minnesota Twins lost 18 consecutive playoff games—a professional sports (of any kind) record. But in Game 1 of the 2023 AL Wild Card round versus the Toronto Blue Jays, Royce Lewis became The Exorcist and got MN into the October win column when Jhoan Duran polished off the save. The next day, the Twins sent the Blue Birds back over the northern border after Sonny Gray & Carlos Correa collaborated on a clutch pickoff. Meaningful baseball was revitalized in Minnesota!

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.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...07-jim-thome-2010-walk-off-homer-target-field

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins sign First Baseman Josh Bell to 1 Year Deal

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, The Twins have agreed to a deal with first baseman Josh Bell for one year with a mutual option for 2027. Due to mutual options never getting picked up, it’s a de facto single season contract with a buyout allowing the Twins to spread the money over two seasons. The contract is worth $5.75M this season with a $1.25M buyout on the mutual option, bringing the total guarantees to $7M.

Bell has been an above average hitter in every season of his decade-long career, which will help stabilize a lineup full of young, unproven hitters (Keaschall, Lee, Roden) and streaky ones (Wallner, Jeffers, Lewis). Bell gut .237/.325/.417 in 2025 for a 107 wRC+, which is essentially in line with his career 112 wRC+. A switch hitter, Bell is better facing lefties than righties, putting up a career 116 wRC+ against righties and 104 vs lefties. That split was even more pronounced in 2025 as he managed just a 56 wRC+ against southpaws. Which means, as always, the Twins still need right-handed first base/corner outfield/DH option to pair with Bell, Larnach, and Wallner, among others.

While Bell isn’t the flashiest name on the free agent market, he represents a clear upgrade for a Twins team in need of consistency at the plate. His surface-level numbers aren’t elite, but his xWOBA, xSLG, barrel rate, hard hit rate, strikeout rate, and walk rate are all in the top 25% of MLB hitters, so the Twins are likely hoping for a bit of a bounce back like they saw with Carlos Santana in 2024.

POBO Derek Falvey was reportedly happy to roll into next season with Kody Clemens as the starting first baseman, but Clemens has a very short track record of success and is extremely streaky, as Twins fans witnessed last season. This allows Clemens to slide back into a heavily-used utility role while Bell can be a steadying, if unspectacular, force in the middle of the lineup.

Bell will also be the Twins’ seventh projected starting first baseman in the eight seasons since Joe Mauer retired, joining Ty France, Carlos Santana, Joey Gallo, Jose Miranda, Miguel Sano, and CJ Cron in an increasingly infamous list. That’s before mentioning experiments at first base with Luis Arraez, Alex Kirilloff, and Donovan Solano, among others.

The Twins’ estimated 2026 payroll now sits around $101M depending on contracts with arbitration-eligible players. With the Twins reportedly looking to run a payroll in the $115M-$120M range, they still have plenty of cash available to shore up the bullpen and add another bat. With the Twins’ plethora of starting pitching, the trade market is an untapped resource as well.

Things are just getting started!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...s-sign-first-baseman-josh-bell-to-1-year-deal

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Santa Claus announces limited ownership stake in Minnesota Twins

He dabbled in Los Angeles, but Arte Moreno got stuck with coal. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images

Amidst the news of the Twins’ restructured ownership group, Twinkie Town has confirmed that Santa Claus has been named a limited partner in the team.

“Mr. Claus is a well-known name and has been running his toymaking business for millennia,” new executive chairman Tom Pohlad said. “When we announced stakes were for sale, he reached out to the family. The Pohlad family is excited to welcome him to the business of baseball and looks forward to the relentless spark he adds as we relentlessly seek a championship.”

Claus’ percentage of the team is uncertain, but he has been granted a seat on the executive board. It is unclear as to whether he intends to take that seat himself or appoint a representative from the North Pole.

“The responsibilities of overseeing the workshop year-round may prevent him from assuming full executive function,” Pohlad said. “We are in communication to determine whether he can spare an elf, perhaps a reindeer — they’re only needed one night a year.”

Although business records are confidential, Twinkie Town has learned that the deal includes no provisions regarding the Pohlads’ placement on Claus’ naughty-or-nice list.

“We are an operation of integrity,” a Kringle Enterprises spokeself said. “Mr. Claus would not consider any opportunity if there were any hint of unfairness regarding his delivery of gifts. What would the children of the world think if anyone should buy their way out of a stockingful of coal?”

The spokeself also stated that Twins fans should not fear a relocation as Minnesota is already cold enough.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/satire/...ship-stake-in-minnesota-twins-merry-christmas

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Proof positive of 2016’s objective optimism

A few weeks ago, we examined the high expectations heading into the 2016 Minnesota Twins season. In fact, excitement was at such a premium that a new season ticket holder entered the fold!

For most of my life, I lived a considerable drive—3+ hours—from the Metrodome. As such, my live game attendance was perhaps 5-8 times a year. Even that was goosed by a baseball-loving aunt and other relatives living in the TC metro.

Then in 2010, I moved to the suburban concrete jungle myself—almost synonymous with Target Field’s inaugural. What a boon! At least until I discovered that tickets would be at a premium for The New Place (TM).

So, for the first six years of Target Field baseball, I was a StubHub scrounger—looking for deals whenever I could. While sometimes I’d score sweet “clearly someone needs to unload this ticket” finds (especially in the 2011-2014 doldrums), it was also frustrating to be at the whim of others to attend a baseball game. Plus, there’s my 6’8” frame to consider, making an aisle seat slightly closer to “necessity” than “nice bonus” for me.

But then 2015 happened and my love for live baseball was revitalized. Dozier was depositing dingers, Miguel was mashing moonshots, and the vibes were simply fun again. As is always the slight paradox of supply-and-demand, this also meant less StubHub steals and more ushers clearing out lower sections of matriculating patrons.

Now that I was juuuuuust financially secure enough to afford a multi-hundred dollar bank transaction without breaking out in a rash, it was clear I needed something more stable. So, I headed to 1 Twins Way in the dead of the 2015-2016 winter to put my money where my mouth (or in this case, heart) was. I showed up in-person because I was adamant about putting butt-to-seat before purchasing, just to make sure I wouldn’t be viewing a railing every time I settled in. Ultimately, I found everything to my satisfaction and left the premises the owner of twenty 2016 games in section 319 (upper deck between home plate and 3rd base).

I was so excited I didn’t even screen the terribly dark, poorly framed, slightly out of focus pic snapped by the Twins ticket representative who probably just wanted to get out of the freezing cold…

As we’ll see—and many of you already remember—over the coming months, it’s amazing I lasted more than a solitary season after what happened in ‘16. But I’ve not only continued to re-up each year—I’ve also re-located to section 221. Of course, you’ll hardly even find me there for the amount of times I do a further nominal upgrade into the lower deck (hahaha).

Do you have any interesting stories about being a season ticket holder or just purchasing tix in general? This would be the place to drop them as we slog through a cold December.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ticket-holder-optimism-target-field-metrodome

 

[Minnesota Twins]

TwinkieTown Movie Night: 12 Angry Men

Henry Fonda leads an all-star cast; they’re the jury of a murder trial. Here’s your Internet Archive link! No commercials, and excellent print quality! Click your clicks at 7:30!

This is from a live TV play by Reginald Rose, first broadcast on September 20, 1954, as part of the Studio One anthology series. Live anthology series of this sort were fairly common at the time. They had writers like Rod Serling and Gore Vidal, and future film directors like Franklin J. Shaffner (who directed the TV version of 12 Angry Men) and Sidney Lumet (who directed the movie version). The shows would be broadcast live in the Eastern/Central time zones; Mountain/Pacific viewers would see a fairly low-quality filmed video version.

Henry Fonda saw the TV episode and wanted to make it into a movie; he bought the rights and produced the film himself. Reginald Rose expanded his own original (he’d actually had to trim out some material for the TV version’s 60-minute running time). Fonda hired first-time film director Sidney Lumet, a 32-year-old who’d gotten his start in TV as an assistant director to Yul Brenner. Yep, THAT Yul Brenner! Brenner had been a TV director before he was cast in the stage version of The King and I.

Fonda and Lumet cast mostly little-known New York stage actors in all the supporting roles. Some would go on to be very well-known indeed! Like Jack Klugman, later half of TV’s The Odd Couple, and Jack Warden, here playing a baseball fan who just wants to deliver a verdict FAST; he’s got tickets for the game that evening!

Incidentally, when Paul Douglas, the star of Angels in the Outfield, got too sick to finish his role as a Cranky Manager in a Twilight Zone episode about a robot baseball player, he was replaced by Jack Warden. That episode’s called The Mighty Casey. It’s not… well, it’s not one of the series’ best. But it’s not terrible, either. Archive has a copy you can watch if you like (I can’t embed that one).

Lumet rehearsed this for two weeks, planning out the camera angles during rehearsal with experienced cinematographer Boris Kaufman. They shot it in three weeks. Reviews were ecstatic, although the movie didn’t turn a profit and Fonda never got paid for it (he’d never produce another film).

Some thought it didn’t make money because it was talky and not in color, but I think it was because audiences were morons. Look at the list of big money-makers in 1957. There’s two good movies and a ton of crap. Et Dieu… créa la femme was only a hit because Brigitte Bardot was semi-nude in it.

The excellent cast here also features Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, and E.G. Marshall. John Fiedler would eventually become known to millions of kids as the voice of Disney’s Winnie the Pooh. And yup, the Ed Begley in this one is father of the actor Begley, Jr. The musical score’s by Kenyon Hopkins, who would do The Hustler, too.

Anyhoo, here’s tonight’s link again! Start the show at 7:30!

And here’s the upcoming schedule:

December 26: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

I figure, it’s Christmas, so why not a Christmas movie? Specifically, a Scottish Christmas movie where people bash zombies with baseball bats! Free on a Strange Site.

January 5: Eight Men Out (1988)

Yep, they cheated for gambling money, but the way Charles Comiskey treats them, you’ll kinda understand why. Free on Pluto and Tubi.

January 12: Benched (2018)

Boy, do I know NOTHING about these next two films. But they were requested by Movie Night commenters, so if you want a movie, join in the comments! John C. McGinley and Garret Dillahunt star as two youth baseball coaches with very different approaches to coaching. Free on Tubi.

January 19: 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.

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

But, until then, pop your popcorn, and let’s start the show at 7:30!

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/book-club/50436/twinkietown-movie-night-12-angry-men