A Holiday Gift Guide for the Twins Fan in Your Life

[Nick Nelson]

There's no place like home for the holidays. Home plate, that is. 

If you've got any hardcore Twins fans on your list and are looking for a gift that will delight them this year, we've got some recommendations to help make shopping easier.

From books to clothing to memorabilia, you'll find options below covering the gamut. 

For transparency, none of the authors or companies featured here are sponsors of this guide, nor are they even aware we're putting it together, although many have partnered with Twins Daily in the past. We're recommending them because we like the products, and many of the folks behind them are locals, small business owners. and fellow Twins fans. 

BOOKS

The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the Minnesota Twins by Aaron Gleeman

Aaron is a phenomenal writer, diligent researcher, and lifelong Twins fan, making him the perfect fit to write this expansive journey through the franchise's history. With stat-centric slant, AG counts down the 50 most important players and milestones since the team moved to Minnesota. 

Minnesota Twins: The Complete Illustrated History by Dennis Brackin, Patrick Reusse 

I received this as a gift some years ago and I love it. It's the perfect coffee table book: a big glossy hardcover full of colorful photos and nostalgic memories. If you've read his columns in the past or listened to his recent appearance on Gleeman and the Geek, you know how good a storyteller Reusse is. 

Game Used: My Life in Stitches With the Minnesota Twins by Dick Bremer

With help from co-author Jim Bruton, Bremer shares more than 100 anecdotes drawn from a 30-plus year run as Twins TV play-by-play announcer. Dick spoke a little bit about the book during a "Minnesota Made" interview with David Youngs for Twins Daily earlier this year. 

Minnesota Twins Baseball: Hardball History on the Prairie by Stew Thornley

A must-have for any baseball history buff. Thornley is an official scorekeeper for the Twins and also one of the premier Minnesota sports historians around. If your gift recipient is familiar with much of the mainstream Twins history – Killebrew, Carew, Oliva, et al – but interested in learning about some of the lesser-known wrinkles of the franchise's legacy, this is a great choice.

ATTIRE

Baseball Shirts from Pick & Shovel Wear

A locally-owned company featuring fun, creative designs oriented toward the realm of nerds and diehards. They have a bunch of great nostalgic throwbacks, from the "RBI Baseball" themed World Series moments to the "Walks Will Haunt" Metrodome nod. I personally might recommend the "Sota Pop" shirt.

Baseball Shirts from Sota Stick

Similar to the above, Sota Stick offers a variety of clever designs spanning multiple Minnesota sports, and is run by side-hustling Twins fans. You've likely seen players wearing their shirts (such as "Hip Hip Jorge" and "La Tortuga") during press conferences and warm-ups. I think their Hormel Row of Fame "Weiner Winner" shirt is my personal fave.

One thing I'll emphasize is that the shirts from both Pick & Shovel Wear and Sota Stick are very high-quality: comfortable, well-fitting, durable. I have tees from both companies that are multiple years old and I still wear frequently. 

Twins Official Online Shop

Naturally, you can also hit up the team's official store for licensed gear and replica jerseys. The price points will be higher. 

COLLECTIBLES AND MEMORABILIA

Browse Fan HQ

You'll find a wide variety of autographed items, from baseballs to photos to cards and more, on Fan HQ's website. You can even submit your own item to get it signed directly by someone like Kent Hrbek, Justin Morneau, and newly-minted Hall of Famer Tony Oliva. 

Have any favorites we missed, or under-the-radar gifts that you'd recommend for a Twins fan this holiday season? Share it in the comments! 

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[BobAzar]

Not directly Twins related, but Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski. (from your local independent book seller, of course)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Baseball-100/Joe-Posnanski/9781982180584

[Nick Nelson]

Great rec! Posnanski is one of my all-time favorite baseball writers

[nicholas Anderson]

I would add the Twins Kids Club membership. For $30 dollars you get a box of Twins goodies and two tickets for the kids when they are with a parent. The tickets pay for the box and the goodies are what the kids want.