Front Page: Make Every Night "Obscure Twins Jersey" Night

[John Bonnes]

Maybe you got carried away with Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Maybe you (okay, me) were a little too excited about Jeff Cirillo. Maybe you bought a Buddy Boshers jersey in a Rumplemintz-fueled haze. Whatever.

 

It’s time to embrace that crazy. Last night on Twitter an obscure Twins fan (ok, me again) proposed that next year Target Field have an Obscure Jersey Night. Twins fans wear the jerseys they have relegated to the back of their closets, giving those players one last moment in the bright lights of Target Field.

 

The comments are a gold mine. Byung-Ho Park. Kurt Suzuki. Joe Crede. Jose Offerman. Brendan Harris. Clete Thomas. That third baseman who hit .400 for part of a season so Ron Gardenhire wouldn’t sit him. Was that Luke Hughes? Who knows? I’m blocking it out.

 

Rich Becker. Kirby Puckett was bumped out of center field by Rich Becker!?! I don’t even have a problem with that; I just find it amazing we don’t talk more about Rich Becker. Who was replaced by Otis Nixon. Who I vaguely remember losing two fly balls in the Metrodome’s teflon roof in his first home game with the Twins. Yet someone out there has a Nixon Twins jersey. I’m sure of it.

 

Jeff Reboulet. Orlando Hudson. Livan Hernandez. Vance Worley. Ryan Doumit. Bombo Rivera. (Ok,that’s me again. I have a Bombo Rivera jersey. It was custom made. No regerts.) Rondell White. Chris Colabello. Jon Rauch. These are major leaguers who are not going to get a number retired or a Hall of Fame ceremony. Some of them will be lucky if they’re invited back to TwinsFest. They deserve a night like this.

 

So do the people who bought their jerseys. In fact, obscure jerseys don’t just deserve a night; they deserve every night. They deserve a mini-series. If the Twins make this event happen, I vow Twins Daily will do a series about the players about whom we all lost our collective heads.

 

(This site was made for that series. Forget the majors – we could do one on the minors. We could do one on each level of the minors. I mean, I was Ride or Die on Micheal Nakamura in 2002. We could probably do a story just on players with a surname of Mike. Nakamura. Restovich. Lamb. Pelfrey.)

 

So let’s make this happen. The Twins can work on the event for next year, but we have one homestand left. Let’s quit denying our past and acknowledge it. Wear your obscure Twins jerseys to the games this week and declare, loud and proud “It’s OK to love and lose!”

 

(But it’s also OK to love and win, too.)

 

Click here to view the article

[scottz]

This is a great idea that could go MLB-wide. It’s fantastic. I’m only sad that I have no Jersey to participate.

 

Where did you get the custom made Rivera jersey made? Was it on a jersey of the era? I could go for a Willie Norwood jersey.

[twinsfanstreif]

I'm sad that Boof Bonser or Brett Boone weren't mentioned.

[MMMordabito]

I knew there would be at least one reason that I should have bought a named jersey.  Can I draw a picture of a name and pin it to the back of my jersey like that young Vols fan?

 

Hmmm ...  Motter or Heston

[Sam Morley]

 

I knew there would be at least one reason that I should have bought a named jersey.  Can I draw a picture of a name and pin it to the back of my jersey like that young Vols fan?

 

Hmmm ...  Motter or Heston

 

I think you better...

 

"Twins Daily commenter bullied by other Twins Daily commenters for homemade jersey receives season tickets from Twins and authentic autographed Thad Motter jersey."

[Gernzy]

I'd so break out my Delmon Young jersey for that night.

And yes I have a Delmon Young jersey...

[LimestoneBaggy]

This is your annual automated reminder that Drew Butera is still a big leaguer. Time to hit eBay up for a Sweet Drew throwback...

[theBOMisthebomb]

I'm out, I give my old jerseys to charity. Heck, my Mauer jersey is already blessing the less fortunate. Great idea, though.

[Puckett34]

Would absolutely scour Ebay for a Jason Tyner or Caleb Thielbar jersey 

[twinsnorth49]

Hmmm, should I crack out the Sam Deduno jersey for this, or the Scott Diamond?......decisions, decisions. 

[SpicyGarvSauce]

James Baldwin.

Henry Blanco.

[Boots Electric]

Why not do this as a twins daily event or for the pub crawl. 

[Ben B]

I love this idea. I once saw a Bret Boone Twins jersey -- jersey, not a shirsey -- at the Dome. A friend of mine has a Nishioka one he got on clearance somewhere for a couple bucks.

 

Personally, I have Carl Pavano and Bartolo Colon shirseys that I wear regularly, along with my more standard Johan Santana one.

[Monkeypaws]

I took my son to a game back in the day, and the only disappointment of our day was the inability to score a Mike Lamb t-shirt jersey.

[jkcarew]

The way to do this, is to go with the classics...with a twist...

 

4 - not Bob Allison or Paul Molitor...instead: Chip Hale

6 - Vic Wertz (the one who hit the 430-foot out to Willie Mays) - 1963

7 - Jimmie Hall; or two-time world series champion Greg Gagne

14 - Glenn Borgman

28 - Vic Power (62-64)

29 - George Mitterwald (1966)

34 - Jose Morales (late 70's)

 

 

[goulik]

I was at a game recently and saw a Lyman Bostock Jersey. That was a cool one to see. I would love to break out a Gene Larkin Jersey.

Maybe we could have a disgruntled former Twins Jersey night and pull out our David Ortiz, Chuck Knoblauch, etc... Jerseys. That could be fun too...

[IndianaTwin]

Around the year 2000, I was at the Twins Pro Shop, pining over the thought of getting a jersey, but not feeling like I could justify the purchase given that we didn't have gobs of money and had two young kids.

 

I've also always been reluctant to get named stuff, since there's such a good likelihood of guys getting traded. As I flipped through the rack, however, I came across one with my name on it. I'd forgotten that I share a surname with a relatively unknown relief pitcher of the era. I went ahead and bought it, and still have it hanging in my office. People assume I had it custom-made.

[zwiefz]

Wish I had bought that discounted(still like $90) Joe Vavra jersey at the proshop a couple years ago.  Didn't know they made jersey's for the coaches.  

 

Full disclosure, I almost did buy it anyway. My wife and I bought the best dog ever from him just as he got hired by the Twins.  It always seemed like he(the dog) would recognize him every time he popped up on TV.

 

Second random thought...I remember once Jeff Reboulet wearing a shirt in the locker room that said "Forget Mike, I Want to Be Like Puck".  I searched everywhere for that shirt.

[big dog]

Tried to buy an Alexi Casilla shirt for my daughter, who was in middle school and thought he was really cute. The woman at the Target Field counter looked at me like I was crazy.

[Steve Lein]

[Vanimal46]

Would absolutely scour Ebay for a Jason Tyner or Caleb Thielbar jersey

If you come across a Vance "Vanimal" Worley Twins jersey holla at your boy!

[JW24]

Did Jaime Garcia jerseys ever get made? I can't imagine they went through production and were shipped to the team store in time for anyone to buy one while he was still a Twin.

[John Kelsey]

I have Span and Liriano, both are right on the brink of obscurity these days. 

[spanman2]

Rich Becker would be classic...follow that up with some Scott Stahoviak action...Rich Robertson from the pitchers side...because of his son you gotta find a Pat Mahomes jersey right?  So many roads to travel that would be a blast to see!!!

[strumdatjaguar]

When Nishi was signed I bought 5 t-shirts for me and family members.  If the Twins are playing horribly, I will don the shirt when I attend a game, to punish the team for its poor playing.   Haven';t worn the Nishi shirt once during this season. 

[tborg]

 

I took my son to a game back in the day, and the only disappointment of our day was the inability to score a Mike Lamb t-shirt jersey.

I actually have a Mike Lamb shirsey!  The 24 is pretty faded...

[Devereaux]

I saw a Gladden jersey at the park last night which was cool. But I don't think I'd trade it for my Florimon 25 shersey.

[Longdistancetwins]

Fun!  I have to admit that I made my first visit to Target Field last month (yes, I had been to the old Met and the Metrodome).  I saw the Twins win (rare for someone who usually has to see them in Yankee Stadium).  But my host realized that my biggest kick was seeing all the jerseys.  I couldn’t get over it; it was like a fashion show!  Someone wore a 1960s style pinstripe shirt with the number 5, and no name.  I kept wondering, “Was this Michael Cuddyer in a vintage shirt? Or honoring Leo Cardenas and Don Mincher?”

[tborg]

My pride and joy is a #23 Bobby Kielty. 

Do I get less credit because I bought it at Goodwill?

[spanman2]

 

My pride and joy is a #23 Bobby Kielty. 

Do I get less credit because I bought it at Goodwill?

That is exactly the place where you will probably land some of the lost treasures.