Is the Twins Clubhouse Special?

[Thiéres Rabelo]

Apparently, the Minnesota Twins clubhouse has a lasting impact on a lot of people. Is there anything special about it?

Image courtesy of Sportsnet (screenshot)

The American League Wild Card series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays was the pinnacle of the Minnesota Twins season and perhaps the happiest moment in Minnesota sports in nearly two decades. The snapping of the losing streak in Game 1 lifted a huge burden off the backs of every Twins fan. The win in Game 2 put us in nirvana and gave us hope we thought impossible. There was nothing that could spoil that. Not even a little bit. Or was there?

Well, kind of.

While the players and all fans at Target Field celebrated the Twins’ first postseason series win since 2002, a heartbreaking image went somewhat viral on Twins Twitter. A screenshot taken of the Sportsnet broadcast showed former Twins starter José Berríos watching from Toronto’s dugout as his old Minnesota teammates celebrated:

After the game, Berríos was interviewed live from the clubhouse. Some said that he seemed to have been crying. That wouldn’t be surprising at all. He was Toronto’s starter for that game, and he was throwing a great game. He took care of the Twins lineup for three innings on only 39 pitches, allowing only one hit, but striking out five. No walks.

But the Blue Jays’ manager, John Schneider, had a plan. When Royce Lewis drew a leadoff walk against Berríos in the fourth, Yusei Kikuchi got the call, and “La Mákina” departed the game at only 47 pitches. The Twins took advantage and managed to score two runs against Kikuchi, which ended up being enough to win the game.

Perhaps that was the main reason Berríos looked devastated in the dugout as the Twins celebrated. Maybe he was just gazing at nothing, not actually paying too much attention to all the smiling,  jumping, and yelling. Unsurprisingly, his early departure from the game was the main topic of the questions asked to Berríos in the clubhouse. But that gaze from the dugout also came up – as great journalism would require.

During the interview, only two questions focused on that last part, but those answers really say something about how Berríos feels about the Twins and Minnesota. He first referenced his old home when he was asked how he felt watching the remainder of the game from the dugout. In listing the reasons why he didn't feel so bad, he mentioned how much he enjoyed being in Minnesota and the atmosphere at Target Field.

Then, after quickly answering another question about why he was removed from the game–"Honestly, I don't know," he said–those two aforementioned questions about his old teammates had him reminiscing.

Why did you stick around to watch the Twins celebrate afterward?
– Because I still have brothers over there. Like I've been saying, besides baseball, I respect people. I take care of people. I've got a few brothers over there. I wanted to say congratulations.

The next question made him smile awkwardly, and you could tell he was caught off guard. He didn't have a remotely prepared answer.

How hard was that moment to watch?
– It was a weird feeling because right now, I'm on this side of the dugout, playing for the Blue Jays. I'm very proud of that, and I give my hundred percent. But at the same time, I used to be in Minnesota. The city watched me grow and reach the big leagues, so it was a weird feeling.

Finally, the last question kind of went the other way in the sense that it mentioned something that happened after the game that could've been perceived as... not very nice. But Berríos still managed to pay compliments to his old brothers.

In talking to a member of the Minnesota Twins, they said they were pretty happy to see you leave the game. How does that make you feel?
– That guy was my first pitching coach in the minor leagues when I signed in 2012, Luis Ramírez. He came to me, said 'congratulations,' and gave me a hug. Then I saw [Jorge] Polanco, one of my teammates from 2012, too. They have good people over there. I have to respect that.

I’m not a beat reporter. I’m not at the clubhouse daily – Alanna Rizzo would probably hate me – but doesn’t it feel like the Twins clubhouse is, indeed, special? It’s a big sports cliché to say something like this, but it really feels like it’s true for the Twins. Of course, we’re not talking about something supernatural. It’s all about the people who are there every day. For God’s sake, even when Josh Donaldson was in Minnesota, this clubhouse didn’t seem to have any evident issues.

Granted, the Twins have been lucky when encountering legit nice guys to bless the clubhouse environment. Eduardo Escobar was perhaps the greatest. Willians Astudillo seemed to be loved by everyone around him. And talk about Brian Dozier, who seemed never to stop smiling. But maybe that’s just a great positive effect you get when you have so many homegrown players in a big league team. It’s very hard not to create a deep bond with people you’ve lived with since your teenage years and into your late twenties or early thirties. Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco shared a wholesome moment last week to prove that:

Luis Arráez is another excellent example. Remember how he used to have inside jokes with Twins beat reporter Dan Hayes? That was so cool. And maybe this is just a personal impression, but didn’t he look a bit gloomy in his first days/weeks with the Marlins? Similar to a kid who’s been forced by their parents to change schools and leave behind his crew? Well, seeing Arráez sad should make every Twins fan sad, too, so thank God he was up and smiling again with his new teammates later in the season.

Speaking of Arráez, team photographer Brace Hemmelgarn blessed us when the Twins visited the Marlins earlier this year by capturing this lovely interaction between Arráez and Byron Buxton. To me, that moment screamed, “I miss being with you guys so much!”

I have no idea if the Twins clubhouse is more special than any other clubhouse. But the fact is that a lot of people seem to feel really happy there. Some fans may dislike certain front office or coaching staff members for baseball reasons, but it seems unfair to dislike them for any other reason. They seem to have built a great clubhouse culture for the Twins.

 

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[alexlegge]

I don't think "special" is necessarily what anyone is aiming for. Sure, that can be nice. But at the end of the day, I think that approximately 40-50% of MLB clubhouses have a healthy culture. It seems like the Twins clubhouses during the Rocco Baldelli era (except for the Donaldson years) have generally fit into that category. It's one of many prerequisites for postseason success. For the Twins, it also helps to have a handful of young guys who grew up alongside each other *and* are mature beyond their years.

Looking at the recent collapses of the Braves and Dodgers - and how their players reacted to the playoff disappointment as it unfolded - illuminated some toxic elements in both of their clubhouses imho. The Twins, in contrast, seemed consistently more grounded, more professional, and more team-oriented. Yet the Twins weren't particularly special in any of those regards; I actually think all four of the remaining clubhouses in the postseason share these signs of basic health.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Yes.  They’ve got a good thing going in that clubhouse and with the organizational culture overall.  Players love playing in the organization, and want to stay, or come back.

However, I do think they need to find a way to play with more of a chip on their shoulder when it comes to October.

[Doctor Wu]

I realize that he wasn't a great fit for this year's team, but I really really miss Astudillo. What a fun player! I have no idea about the vibe or atmosphere in the Twins clubhouse either, but it DID seem like we had a good mix of players this year. 

[old nurse]

Having worked with lots o different teams of people i can offer an observation. There are groups of people that have everyone else’s back, work together, and actually put out the effort to work. There are groups that do not. There is management that are supportive, there are managers that are not.  The first kind of group becomes your brothers and sisters. From my far away view I could guess that the Twins are the former.  

[JD-TWINS]

4 hours ago, AlwaysinModeration said:

Yes.  They’ve got a good thing going in that clubhouse and with the organizational culture overall.  Players love playing in the organization, and want to stay, or come back.

However, I do think they need to find a way to play with more of a chip on their shoulder when it comes to October.

Getting there & losing will create bitterness, a drive to achieve, a chip on their shoulder. Experience will help them overcome!

[USAFChief]

If course it's special. It's Minnesota...all the children are above average.