RandBalls Stu

Image courtesy of Flickr/Jason Taellious I've written at length—and with startling frequency—about the trauma Ron Davis inflicted upon me as a child. It was a rare treat for someone living 90 minutes outside the metro area to see a baseball game, and of the few I managed to see, Ron Davis managed to blow a hell-ton of them. OK, it was only two, but the sample size was, like, four. And the record shows this experience was not limited to me, nor directed at me. He blew 14 saves in 1984! That really happened! It seems made up! That said, I'm not here to relitigate the past, or angrily wish for him to step on a bunch of LEGOs in the dark (again). Instead, I'm here to say: I'm sorry, Ron. I'm sorry. I thought I knew what bullpen incompetence was. I thought I knew what it was like to have certain victory snatched from my greedy, grasping hands by a [redacted] meatball you grooved to Don Mattingly or Harold Baines. I thought I knew what rock bottom was. I was wrong. I was so very wrong. The folly of youth, perhaps caused by raging hormones or shelter from the diamond-sharp cruelties of an indifferent universe, is that, when things go wrong, it's the worst thing to ever happen. Not just to you, but to anyone. I understand there's famine and war, but have you considered that Ron Davis is coming in to pitch the ninth inning for my favorite team again? How can this happen? The last nine months have shown me just how ignorant and incurious about the world I was. The post-2025 trade deadline Twins bullpen is a disaster, wrapped in a travesty, inside an apocalypse. This was noted at the time it happened. It was noted all offseason. It was noted in spring training. It was noted when they surged to an early AL-leading record. And now, with the Twins blowing every game when they're not up by seven runs, it is being noted again. Everyone saw it coming. No one did anything about it. No one is coming to save us. It's over. You might wish for it not to be over, but wish in one hand and [redacted] in the other. See which one fills up first. So, Ron, I once again extend my sincerest apologies. I thought you were the worst. You weren't. You weren't even close. Image license here. View full article

Image courtesy of Flickr/Scott Smith Adam Prokosch didn't see it coming. "The Twins had just knocked [Mets closer] Devin Williams out of the game," said the Maple Plain resident. "The new reliever got an out, and the fans started yelling 'MVP! MVP!' The depths of their misery had sunk them to the point where they were doing loud sarcasm. That's never good. "I remember doing that at a Vikings game when Blair Walsh made an extra point. You're really in a vulnerable place when you're doing that. And that's when it happened: I felt bad for Mets fans." Prokosch remembers the sensation with vivid clarity. "You have the second-highest payroll in baseball, but you're still second banana in your home market. You're on your longest losing streak in 25 years, and you're about to lose to a team that just slashed payroll by $30 million. Your high-priced bullpen is going to lose to a team that forgot to staff one. I imagined how awful that would feel. A gut punch after a kidney punch." The moment passed quickly. "I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again." Despite that assurance, Prokosch's loved ones are worried. "You can't just say you feel bad for Mets fans out loud," said Charlie Johnson, Prokosch's co-worker. "Keep an intrusive thought like that tucked away inside. Other people can hear you. They might spiral, too." "When the Mets won on Wednesday and they reacted like they won the Super Bowl and an Olympic gold medal at the same time, I almost felt bad like Adam did," said Rachel Ryan, Prokosch's girlfriend. "Think of the years of self-loathing that lead you to that exact point. But you have to remember that it's the Mets. It's a Hell of their own making. They've chosen this perverse path of their own free will. Empathy is a wonderful thing, but you can't just parcel it out willy-nilly." For his part, Prokosch said he's learned from the experience and is ready to move on. "They're already nine games out of first and there's still a week left in April," exclaimed Prokosch. "The owner is actually spending money on the team! Meanwhile, the Twins probably have to pay for their own sunflower seeds. I should laugh at the dark humor of it all. Please don't let this moment of weakness define how you think of me. I've learned and I'm growing." Obligingly, the Mets and their fans prevailed over the Twins in a seesaw contest Thursday night, making it easy to resent them all over again. The winning hit was a bases-clearing double by Bo Bichette, who will make more this season than Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, Joe Ryan, Josh Bell and Bailey Ober (the Twins' five highest-paid active players) combined. "[Forget] that guy," Prokosch said. "[Forget] them all." Image license here. View full article

Image courtesy of Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports In 2022, the Minnesota Twins roared to an unexpected 22-16 start. The fans we spoke with at the time were surprisingly fed up with the team. Despite the promising first six weeks of the season, perhaps they sensed the team would collapse down the stretch and finish with a 78-84 mark. Now, with the team surpassing low preseason expectations and off to a genuinely decent start in 2026, we asked these same fans for their reaction to the current stretch of winning baseball amid slashed payroll and front office shuffling. "These dummies don't know they're outmanned and outgunned," said Beck Bradford, 45, who now runs the Elko New Market Co-Ed Seniors Pickleball League. "They're winning games with Bert Kreischer [EDITOR’S NOTE: We think Mr. Bradford meant Ryan Kreidler], which just isn’t sustainable. They should be promoting the kids at Triple A, trading all the bums for prospects, and firing everyone in the front office. "They put Garrett Crochet in a blender on Monday night. I've never been more angry." Tamara Kapsner, now 53, still lives in Robbinsdale and still has her doubts about the Twins. “The starting pitching depth is gone. The bullpen can’t possibly keep getting away with throwing that slop. Royce Lewis is hurt once again. No one can play defense.” When asked if she can set all that aside to simply enjoy a fun week of baseball, Kapsner was nonplussed. “My therapist says I shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” she said. “My therapist has never watched Bailey Ober try to hit 90 on the gun in a game that counts.” Hank Winters, who expressed vigorous disappointment in Byron Buxton’s injury history for our 2022 piece, passed away in 2025 after hearing Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” at the White Bear Lake Sam’s Club. He was 70 years old. His fourth wife and widow, Brenda, had this to say: “Hank would want everyone to know that the Pohlads are cheap, Byron Buxton is soft, Rocco [Baldelli, former Twins manager] should be in Leavenworth, and that he doesn’t regret leaving his entire estate to the freedom-loving patriots of January 6th. I live with my sister’s family now. I hate him.” View full article

Image courtesy of Flickr/Sarah Stierch As the unheralded Eric Orze closed the door on the Detroit Tigers Thursday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins found themselves above .500 for the first time since June of last year. The four-game sweep of their AL Central rivals has the skeptics and haters scrambling for an answer. "Obviously, it's a small sample size, and you'd be foolish to draw any season-long conclusions from four games," said Preston Schreiber, 42, of Prior Lake. "But it's still a sweep over the best team in the division. They beat [Tarik] Skubal and [Framber] Valdez with their inexplicable roster of plodding lefty outfielders. I can only assume that the Tigers have one of those wasting illnesses people got on the high seas in the 1700s, and they're covering it up. I have no other explanation." Minnesota's starting pitching led the charge during the sweep, which isn't surprising from Joe Ryan and the red-hot Taj Bradley, but more baffling for the unproven Mick Abel and the soft-tossing Bailey Ober. "Did Ober throw over 90 mph at all on Wednesday?" asked Kraig Jansson, 51, of Centerville. "I don't think he did? And he had a 6-0 lead to start the 2nd! What is going on? I'm scared, I'll just be honest here. I'm scared and I don't know what to do." At least one fan thinks there's more to the situation than just a run of decent play and a scuffling opponent. "I just got done watching the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament," said Sydney Nathe, 33, of Paynesville. "They were constantly running ads for Impractical Jokers, on TruTV or whatever. I don't know anyone who watches it. I don't think anyone ever has, if we're keeping it real. But from the commercials I saw, this Twins streak seems like the kind of hijinks the Jokers get up to." Twins Daily reached out to TruTV for a response, but we were told only that an all-new season of pranks, laughs, and crack-ups was coming soon to your local cable or satellite provider. "Their website says they've filmed almost 300 episodes," said Nathe. "That can't be right. Why is this happening?" Image license here. View full article

Image courtesy of RandBall's Stu On Tuesday, I was invited to Target Field for a preview of the new food and drink offerings for the upcoming season. As a former industry professional, I focused on the drink side of the menu, but can heartily recommend Red Cow's Double Barrel burger and the Chocolate Fish on a Stick (it's a fish-shaped waffle, not actual fish). I tried every single one of the alcoholic and N/A offerings available. My stomach wasn't what one would call pleased with that decision, but service journalism is a cause greater than one's gut biome. MOCKTAILS There are four craft mocktails available at Hrbek's, Town Ball Tavern, and Truly On Deck. Moon Shot (above right)--Tastes like Capri Sun. Change Up (above left)--Tastes like Sunny D. MVPina Colada (above right)--Tastes like summer. Best presentation of the four. Bullpen Breeze (above left)--Tastes closest to an actual cocktail, might be the presence of ginger beer. Best/least overly sweet of the four. SUMMERTIME SHANDIES A shandy is traditionally half beer, half lemonade. The Target Field offerings hew closer to a Berliner Weisse, which is usually a low-ABV sour beer topped with a splash of flavored syrup. In this case, it's just Bud Light and your choice of five syrup options. They will not let you do all five; I asked. The two best flavors were raspberry (a nice little pucker without much cloying sweetness) and lemon (refreshing, pleasing bitterness). My least favorite was pear, which is a hard flavor to express in beer and was barely there in this iteration. Nouvelle Brewing in Robbinsdale had a fantastic pear sour, but I think it's retired. These are available all over the park. NIKO NIKO BOBA TEAS/DIRTY BOBA SODAS/BOOZY BOBAS Boba teas, for the uninitiated, are drinks with little tapioca "pearls" in them. Niko Niko (section 120) has expanded its offerings with different flavors for both the liquid and the pearls. I had these immediately after the mocktails, which was a mistake. Listen to your mother about too much sugar, kids. Boozy Bobas: I enjoyed the Tequila Sunrise (tequila, mango, lemon, and strawberry pearls). The Peach Palmer (a boozy peach tea Arnie Palmer with mango pearls) and Rum & Jam (boozy Tahitian Treat) were too sweet for me. Dirty Boba Sodas: A boba-fied riff on the preferred drink of the state of Utah, I refuse to offer a review until that one Real Housewife apologizes for pelting her kid with furniture. Flavor offerings: Creamy Pepsi, Peachy Dew, and Pink Cream Soda. Boba: All three get a positive mark! Signature Milk Tea was delicious, Strawberry Lemon Fizz was good and citrusy, and Hawaiian Fruit Tea tasted like vacation. Your kids will love these, and I honestly preferred them to the mocktails. MIX-AND-MATCH CARBLISS COCKTAILS Carbliss takes over the old Grey Duck space in the left field corner and will be offering their low-cal, zero-carb, canned vodka cocktails in these buckets: Those bad boys hold two cans of Carbliss. You can choose two of the same flavor or mix and match like a real mixologist. I preferred the blood orange of the six that were on offer. Yes, I tried all half-dozen flavors in a row. No, I don't recommend doing that, even with something as light and fizzy as Carbliss. My prediction is that this will be extremely popular. $2 BEERS Before the first pitch of every Friday and Saturday game, Twins fans can enjoy $2 12-oz. cans of Budweiser, Bud Light, and Summit Twins Pils. You don't need me to tell you what Bud and Bud Light taste like; Summit Twins Pils is the best beer they make and is a steal (wordplay) at that price point. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS Pryes Brewing is taking over the bar where Sue Nelson plays the organ and multiple Twins Daily writers meet for the best standing-room view of the field. Smart move by them. I've had two Miraculum IPAs in my life. They were fine, but I haven't had enough of their other offerings to give an informed review. Sun Cruiser is getting their own spot by Gate 34 with cornhole and putt-putt. Used to be the Jack Daniels Bar. If you were concerned there weren't going to be enough seltzer/canned cocktail outlets on game day, Surfside also has their own spot down the left-field line, on the club level. OUTSIDE THE STADIUM Best Dive Bar: Cuzzy's Best IPAs: Fulton Best Food/Beer Combo: Bricksworth Best THC Beverages: Modist View full article

Image courtesy of Unsplash/Mick Haupt Beck Bradford loves making outrageous claims in the Hrbek's Heroes group chat. "This is the year that they put a roof on Target Field so they can do monster truck rallies in December" reads one text. "Ron Gardenhire will prove the existence of Godzilla with a shaky cellphone video and an eyewitness account from Nick Punto" reads another. "He keeps the chat from getting bogged down in stats or charged emotions," said Eric Bauer, another group chat participant who grew up in Apple Valley with Bradford. "He keeps it light." But when it came time for their annual Twins prediction thread, what might have seemed like a joke at first now raises the eerie specter of sorcery, even prophecy. "We were all pretty negative, just from the payroll cuts and last year's fire sale," said Andy Schmit, the group chat's founder and fellow Apple Valley native. "Not a ton of optimism. But Beck checked in with one simple message: '0-162.' No follow up joke like usual. In fact, he hasn't said another word to any of us since sending it on Monday night." "I think the rest of us thought, oh yeah, good one Bradford," said Bauer. "Classic overreaction bit. But then..." "Then we all watched the opener on Thursday, and literally everything about it made 0-162 seem reasonable," said Schmit. "Wasted a great start by their best pitcher, couldn't do a damn thing on offense, and the anonymous bullpen faltered. It looked like..." "It looked like 0-162 wasn't a joke, but perhaps something darker," said Jonah Guilford, a professor of parapsychology at St. Olaf and Hrbek's Heroes group chat member since 2021. "I've often wondered if Beck had the gift of the second sight. We'll see how the season plays out. I thought he was doing a bit, but as the game wore on it all seemed so plausible." Bradford, whose had notifications silenced since making the prediction, was unavailable for comment. Sources say he is on spring break with his family but that is unconfirmed as this edition of Twins Daily went to press. "I'll be honest, I'm terrified," said Bauer. "Last month Beck got rid of his gas-guzzling SUV for a Rivian because he didn't think gas prices could possible stay as low as they were. I don't even think he watches the news. He just...knew. "I'm hoarding supplies, I guess is what I'm saying." Image license here. View full article

Image courtesy of LiAnna Davis Team USA, coming off a joyless silver medal finish in the World Baseball Classic where they had no fun of any kind, has some advice for fans on how to best enjoy MLB's Opening Day next week. Twins Daily got a sneak peek: First things first: On the way to the game, get in a fight with your son. Assert dominance. He'll appreciate it later in life. At the ticket gate, thank the ushers for their service. During the National Anthem, scout the crowd for insufficient patriotism. That pregnant woman who's remaining seated? Get in her face. The youths that have their hands clasped instead of one over their hearts? An open-palmed headslap will set them straight. Box the ear. If you notice someone wearing the visiting team's gear, politely but firmly tell them you will fight them right now, in the concourse. Dump a beverage on them to encourage retaliation. You are in the right. They are human garbage. Treat them as such. At the concession stand, make a point to let everyone working and in line behind you know that you don't tip. They'll admire you for your principles. When the grounds crew drags the infield between innings, loudly critique their methods. They appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to be better. This is a tough one. Umpires are technically troops, so you must respect them. However, they also miss a call that goes against your team on occasion. It's important for accountability that, because you respect them, they must fight you right now. Unless they're soft. During the 7th-inning stretch, the stadium often plays God Bless America. If they do, the same National Anthem rules apply. If you see a father and son in line for Dippin' Dots instead of paying their respects, shove the father. His son will respect you and call you dad instead. If the stadium doesn't play God Bless America, find the organist and rain blows upon them unless/until the song is played. If the game ends in victory, make sure that no one congratulates the visiting team or fans on a good game. They must be humiliated. If the game ends in a loss, remove your shirt and just begin whaling on the nearest person. God has abandoned us. Virtue is a myth meant to weaken you. Draw blood. If you paid for your ticket, they technically can't arrest you. Enjoy the 2026 season! But not too much. We will find out. View full article

Image courtesy of Flickr/Minda Haas Kuhlmann With the start of the regular season less than two weeks away, the composition of the Twins roster is still in flux. One thing is for certain, though: they have more than enough bat-first, defense-second, left-handed-hitting outfielders on hand. And one more might be on the way. Multiple media reports indicate the Twins are considering adding another lefty outfielder, preferably "on the slow side" and only playable against righty starters. Spurring this potential roster move? The journalists covering the team. "Pretty much since the last game of 2025, all the reporters and analysts were saying we had too many replacement-level lefty corner outfielders," said a source with knowledge of the front office's thinking. "Then we tendered [Trevor] Larnach and they got even more confused and upset. You have to wonder how they'd react if we brought in another guy. They'd [defecate in] their pants." "We obviously want to make the team competitive and play better baseball," said another team source close to the Pohlad ownership group. "But you can't deny the importance of a good bit." "Those two twerps from The Athletic"—writers Aaron Gleeman and Dan Hayes—"just did another roster projection and spent a good quarter of it talking about the corner outfielders again," said the front office source. "Here's a projection: How about we bring in another 6'3" goon who bats lefty and has to stop and catch his breath running out a grounder? Project that, nerds." The source close to the Pohlads says it's not just Gleeman and Hayes driving the approach. "They're all a little too comfortable getting their jabs in on the outfield situation," said the source. "All the Strib guys, Betsy [Helfand] at the St. Paul paper, [Matthew] Leach at MLB.com, they can't resist pointing it out. Hell, I bet [retired Star Tribune baseball writer] Phil Miller is even saying things." A spokesperson for Miller said he was in his "wonder cave" in rural Washington County with a cooler full of hazy IPAs and enough ayahuasca to see through time, and referred all comments to Miller's third eye. "All are welcome in the wonder cave," said the eye. "Surrender to the inner light; all will be revealed." Image license here. View full article