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[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

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Greatest Twins Moments & Performances: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 14)

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
• R13: Mauer’s Final Moment 2018

I’ll always remember the events of 2018’s final Minnesota Twins contest—if mainly because I happened to be moving out of an apartment that day and missed it all live. But when my dust had settled and I watched the highlights, I was as moved by what transpired as any other MN sports fan.

You already know the story: after growing up in St. Paul and attending Cretin-Derham Hall High School, Joe Mauer was drafted by the Twins in 2001 and played his entire HOF career (2004-2018) in Twins Territory. Sadly, concussion issues robbed Mauer of his favorite diamond position post-2014, so putting on the mask and gear for one final bow was likely as emotional for Joe as it was to all of us who watched it:

The newbie: Frankie beats the Rocket!

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.

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.

Francisco Liriano out-duels Roger Clemens (2006)​

• Francisco Liriano’s 2006 run was perhaps the greatest pitching stretch in franchise history. His signature moment that season was out-dueling Roger Clemens in Houston on June 22, 2006. With The Rocket (5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) in the midst of his home-state comeback, Liriano (8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) outclassed the veteran in his own back yard. While by no means Frankie’s best single-game performance of ‘06, beating Kody’s Dad put him on the national stage.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minneso...ple-2008-francisco-liriano-roger-clemens-2006

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Tom Pohlad’s nonanswer when asked about ICE’s invasion of Minneapolis

These are the people we stand with. | Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images

For weeks, the city of Minneapolis has been under occupation by the murderers, kidnappers, and rapists going by the moniker ICE. Two protestors, Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, were openly murdered by ICE agents and smeared as aggressors by Donald Trump and his administration.

Unsurprisingly, the billionaire owner of the Twins, when asked to make a statement, took the most cowardly path to a nonanswer when directly asked about the invasion.

Coming into what appears to be a season ticket holder event, Redditor MasonCharPint asked Tom Pohlad what he would to do to help stop the violence coming from ICE. The question and answer are transcribed below:

MasonCharPint: So, someone was murdered on the streets of Minneapolis this morning, and we’re in a room right now with one of the most influential families in Minnesota in the Pohlads, and one of the biggest institutions in Minnesota is the Minnesota Twins, an institution that employs a ton of immigrants. What are you doing personally, Mr. Pohlad, with your family’s ability to ask questions, influence the world around us, to end what’s happening here in the Twin Cities, and Mr. Falvey, what are you doing to protect your players and their families and everyone they hold dear because we can’t keep going on like this?

Tom Pohlad: I mean, you’re right; we can’t keep going on like this. I want to be careful here; I want to, of course, acknowledge the heartbreak that’s going on in this community right now, and, on a personal level, it’s… it’s killing me on a personal level to watch this. I want to be careful to… to not necessarily pick sides, so to speak, but I think what’s important and what strikes me as a problem is that how you go about something is really important, and how things are being gone about in this community right now is… not good, right? And it’s hurting a lot of people, and my heart goes out to this community, like I said. We’re trying to do our part as the Minnesota Twins to bring people together.

Derek Falvey: Yeah, I think I’d echo some of what Tom just said there around the heartbreak and how shaken you are in the moment as you’re navigating through what we’re experiencing in our community, our collective community. We live here, our families are here, and we’re responding to it in real time and monitoring what’s happening and trying to understand more of how we can do… what we can do in this community to help and support. And, as Tom said earlier, today as we woke up and came into the ballpark — I was here early this morning, seeing our players, and then seeing some fans walk through the doors, and seeing the smiles on young kids’ faces when they walked right past one of our players and brought that joy to them around baseball — that was what I hoped today was going to be about, entirely. It was about bringing that to every one of you all, but certainly for some of the younger fans of our team. wanted to bring that. And in true candor right now, I’m shaken a little bit. I’m thinking about how we navigate that, keeping our players safe and our staff and our organization safe, that’s on the forefront of all of our minds every day. But we need to continue to lean into ways to learn how we can do more. And that’s the way I feel right now; I don’t have the perfect words for it right now other than to say I’m hurting, like you are and like so many others are in our community. I hope we can play a role in making it better.

MCP: The president listens to billionaires. Call on him. Tell him to stop this.

Kris Atteberry: The one thing that— I think the dynamic at play, and sadly, as a person who lives in Minneapolis myself, we’ve had to deal with stuff like this unfortunately before. And I think what we learned was: you can make a stand, and in so doing, do the right thing that you believe in, and half of your fanbase will think you’re doing the wrong thing and half the fanbase will think you’re doing the right thing, and what shouldn’t be polarizing is, which is really an odd and unfortunate thing. That makes this tightrope even harder to walk, doesn’t it

TP: Yes, it does. It does make it harder to walk.

Kris and Derek’s answers weren’t particularly helpful, but Tom’s was easily worst of the three. “I want to be careful to not pick sides?” Bollocks. By not picking sides, you are picking a side — a truth reflected everywhere from the catalogue of Rush to the book of Revelation — signifying by your inaction that you have no issues with the federal government’s attack on the people of your city.

If the fanbase weren’t outraged enough at the Pohlads, this ought to push many over the edge. In the comments on Reddit, several fans have promised to boycott the team until the Pohlads sell, and one cannot dispute that this ownership deserves such an action.

Contrary to their ownership, a pair of Twins players, Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson, have posted images on their Instagram stories (I was unable to access them) in support of the protests and their home baseball city. Not all is wretched in the team’s fandom.

Even so, Tom Pohlad’s comments and character continue to be indefensible as the citizens of Minneapolis stand up, risking — and twice now, giving — their lives in support of their neighbors. We may still cheer for the Twins, but we will never, never, cheer for the Pohlads.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/general...apolis-renee-nicole-good-alex-pretti-remember

 

[Minnesota Twins]

Twins Trade Julien, Ohl to Rockies

Once one of the most promising Twins on the roster, Edouard Julien’s time in Minnesota has come to a close. The Twins announced they traded Julien and pitching Pierson Ohl to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Jace Kaminska.

Julien, 26, was instrumental to the Twins’ 2023 playoff run when they finally broke their 20-year postseason losing streak. In 109 games, he hit .263/.381/.459 with 16 home runs, a 134 wRC+, and 2.7 fWAR. Unfortunately, in the two seasons since then, he’s combined to hit .208/.299/.324, 11 homers, a 79 wRC+, and -0.8 fWAR. Never a good defender, his defense went from “poor” to “unplayable” in his final two years in Minnesota.

The fall came hard and fast for a player who always struck out too much and started getting exploited by pitchers who had better scouting reports on him. With Julien out of options, him getting surpassed by Luke Keaschall and Kody Clemens, and his lack of defensive ability, there simply wasn’t a role for him on Minnesota’s roster anymore. Instead, he’ll get a chance to revitalize his career in hitter-friendly Coors Field where his power should play well.

Ohl, meanwhile, just made his Twins debut last season and served as a multi-inning reliever and spot starter when injuries piled up for the pitching staff in the middle of 2025. His surface level 5.10 ERA was ugly, but his 4.20 FIP and 3.99 xFIP combined with solid, if unspectacular, strikeout and walk rates made him look like he could be a decent mid-game reliever. As a pitcher who relies on his changeup as his “out” pitch, there’s a good chance Ohl will be less affected by the elevation in Colorado compared to other pitchers.

Kaminska, 24, was the Rockies’ 10th-round pick in 2023. He missed all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but pitched very well in 2024 in the hitter-friendly California League. Kaminska threw 87.1 innings to the tune of a 2.78 ERA/3.13 FIP while striking out 104 batters and walking just 12. His ERA and FIP were 41% and 35% better than league average, for context. He’ll miss the beginning of the 2026 season due to the elbow surgery, but should make his return in the first half of this year.

Source: https://www.twinkietown.com/minnesota-twins-news/50940/twins-trade-julien-ohl-to-rockies

 

[JJ]

oh man where do i even start with all this twins content

first off MAJOR LEAGUE is an absolute banger of a movie and i dont care what anyone says. wild thing is iconic. the whole premise of an owner trying to tank the team to move it is unfortunately way too realistic these days. and yeah the test audiences were 100% right about keeping the owner as the villain. we dont need some feel-good twist where shes actually a secret genius motivator lol

the julien trade though... that one stings a little. dude was ELECTRIC in 2023 and helped break that playoff curse. but man the fall from grace was brutal. going from a 134 wRC+ to a 79 combined over two years is rough. cant blame the front office for moving on when hes out of options and cant play defense to save his life. coors field might actually be perfect for him to get his swing back. sometimes a change of scenery does wonders

and look i gotta address the elephant in the room - that pohlad nonanswer about whats going on in minneapolis is absolutely gutless. "i dont want to pick sides" is PICKING A SIDE my dude. at least ober and simeon woods richardson had the stones to say something on social media. ownership continues to be an embarrassment while the players show actual backbone

the movie night schedule looks solid though. moneyball is always a good watch even if it makes me irrationally angry that the twins beat them and then lost to the yankees anyway

taylor rogers coming back is nice. always liked that guy