RandBalls Stu

“This feels like a thing that New York and Boston teams do while the rest of us trade for Sidney Ponson. Something isn’t right.” Minnesota shored up its rotation and battered bullpen in front of the 2022 MLB trade deadline to near-universal acclaim from local and national media. With the team’s obvious needs met at the cost of a handful of good prospects, local fans are left wondering what happened. “That’s not how this works, that’s not how any of this works,” said Bruce Johnstone, a retired teacher from Alexandria. “You need to be like (former Vikings GM) Rick Spielman and draft quarterbacks who can’t throw or just forget to sign offensive linemen. Then you keep the job for 15 years. There are rules.” The Twins acquired frontline starter Tyler Mahle from the Reds, closer Jorge Lopez from the Orioles, and setup man Michael Fulmer from the Tigers. The troubling display of attention to roster shortcomings makes Johnstone wonder when the next shoe will drop. “When you’re the Twins, you sign the deflated shell of Bret Boone or pretend Matt Shoemaker just needs a few adjustments,” said the 66-year-old. “Getting the right people at a manageable cost feels like a thing that the Yankees or Red Sox do while we trade for Sidney Ponson. Something isn’t right. I want some answers.” Brenda Perkins, a diehard Twins and Minnesota Wild fan, agrees. “If you’re a GM, the thing you do is sign veterans to these giant [REDACTED] millstone contracts,” said the 35-year-old Plymouth native. “Put them on the payroll until they’re 58, watch their skills degrade in real-time, and destroy your salary cap for a couple decades. Reasonable moves made to help bolster a pennant run without mortgaging the future? What are we even doing here?” It’s not just fans. Aaron Gleeman, Twins beat writer for The Athletic and celebrity spokesperson for Scribe’s Choice Neck Fan Solutions, LLC, says he is as surprised as anyone. “This is out of the ordinary, to say the least,” said Gleeman. “It’s usually tweaks or sell-offs. I think a lot of us are using code SURPRISE to get 30% off a 1-year subscription to The Athletic. It’s remarkable.” For his part, Johnstone is keeping it all in perspective. “Two of those guys will need Tommy John before Labor Day. A piano will fall on Byron Buxton. Spencer Steer is the next Mike Trout. The alternative is too bizarre to contemplate: a Minnesota team made a series of shrewd acquisitions to improve their playoff chances. Yeah, right.” View full article

I’m writing this on Thursday night and don’t want this to be out of date by the time it posts on Friday morning. Some of the biggest moves in baseball happen while we’re in our nightcaps, sawing logs. Therefore, I’ve had to format this like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Please follow the chain for my reaction to whatever did or did not happen. DID THE TWINS MAKE A MOVE? IF NO: Standing pat gives us every indication that the Twins hope the rotation’s slump ends, Kenta Maeda saves the bullpen, and the offense does the rest. I’m skeptical! THE END IF YES: DID THE TWINS TRADE FOR A STARTING PITCHER IF YES: I’m glad they did something, but I’m sorry to see (prospect name or names) go. THE END IF NO: What about the bullpen? I’m troubled! CONTINUE IF YES: DID THE TWINS TRADE FOR A RELIEVER IF YES: I’m glad they did something, but I’m sorry to see (prospect name or names) go. At least they didn’t trade Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps. I’m still very upset about that and I will die angry about it. I’m angry now! THE END IF NO: What about the rotation? I’m troubled! CONTINUE IF YES: DID THE TWINS TRADE FOR A CATCHER IF YES: I’m glad they added depth to the position with Jeffers’ injury, but I’m sorry to see (prospect name or names) go. And I'm troubled about the pitching! Very troubled! THE END IF NO: I think Drew Butera is a bullpen catcher for the Angels. A reunion has never made more sense. Bring back Sweet Drew! You can probably get him for some coupons. CONTINUE IF YES: DID THEY TRADE CARLOS CORREA DESPITE BEING IN FIRST PLACE AND AN OBVIOUS PLAYOFF TEAM EVEN IF THE PITCHING CONTINUES TO MAKE US ALL SAD IF YES: I hate this so much. You’re in first place, you stupid idiots. You fools. You fools. THE END IF NO: Good. You’re in first place, you stupid idiots. CONTINUE IF YES: DID THEY MOVE THE TEAM’S HOME GAMES TO DICK PUTZ FIELD IN ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA BECAUSE THEY CAN’T AFFORD THE RENT IN THE NORTH LOOP IF YES: I guess I understand? Seems like a pretty long drive for a lot of season ticket holders, and they’ll have to share the field with the St. Cloud Rox, but they have a beer deck along the third base line. The rebuilt Ultimate Sports Bar is just down the way. The White Horse downtown has great food and killer drinks. Enjoy the Granite City! THE END IF NO: Good. That would be a weird thing to do? CONTINUE IF YES: DID THEY TRADE FOR JUAN SOTO OR AARON JUDGE OR SHOHEI OHTANI IF YES: I have died. I will not miss any of the players we traded. THE END IF NO: Glad I’m not dead, I guess. Woulda been cool though. THE END Congratulations! You've reached the end of the story. Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash. View full article

Longtime Twins TV voice stuns family, friends, polite society with replacement-level outfielder body art. Fans tuning in to Bally Sports North for Saturday’s Twins/Tigers tilt might notice a difference. Not on the field, but off. Dick Bremer, the veteran broadcaster who has handled play-by-play duties for the Minnesota Twins since 1983, revealed that he got a full-face tattoo paying tribute to Mickey Hatcher, who played for the Twins from 1981-1986. “He FaceTimed me from the tattoo parlor and said he was pulling the trigger,” said Bally Sports North analyst and local former relief pitcher Glen Perkins. “I just thought he was getting a TC on his bicep or something. He did not. It’s troubling.” The multiphase tattoo features a headshot of Hatcher on his left cheek and Hatcher’s powder blue home jersey on his right. Under his left eye is a script “Mickey” with a matching script “Hatcher” under the right. An all caps “HATCHMAN4LIFE” runs along his jawline. “’Hatchman’ wasn’t even the guy’s nickname,” said Perkins. “I’m going to repeat this: It’s so troubling.” Hatcher is perhaps best known for hurting himself catching a gimmick fly ball dropped from the Metrodome roof the day after Dave Kingman hit one through the Teflon. What drove Bremer to celebrate this minor figure in Twins history? One family member has a theory. “We were just sharing Twins memories in the Bremer group chat on Monday,” said Bremer’s son Erik, himself a play-by-play voice for the minor league Pensacola Blue Wahoos. “And my sister, who never responds to these things, pops in with, ‘Hey, remember when Bert Blyleven (Bremer's longtime broadcast partner) swore a bunch on the air? Cry laugh emoji, cry laugh emoji, poop emoji, cry laugh emoji.’ There was no response. She knew right away what she did.” Sources close to the family and organization say Bremer’s years as Blyleven’s foil left him emotionally spent and spiritually broken, and he’s only recently begun to fix that personal trauma. Would an innocent reminder lead to such an impulsive, permanent action? “Every day it was ‘downward plane’ this, ‘circle me’ that,” said a front office source. “He was also so close to Bert’s fart radius. For decades. A lesser man would’ve cracked years ago. That scar tissue is still tender, as is his heavily tattooed face and chin.” Bremer could not be reached for comment to this story or The Athletic’s report about an alleged Rob Wilfong henna tattoo on his left foot. Image license here. View full article

'Not a lot of managers could pull off what La Russa is doing,' said a Twins coach. 'He’s a legend for a reason.' With obvious needs like bullpen depth and another starting pitcher staring them in the face, sources familiar with the Twins front office say they have a singular focus headed into the All-Star break: The godless Chicago White Sox. In particular, the manager’s job security. Tony La Russa, the 76-year-old DUI enthusiast and leader of the godless Chicago White Sox, has appeared befuddled and bewildered at times. His team, heavily favored to win the AL Central, has struggled mightily all season long and continues to trail the first-place Twins in the standings. Given the talent on White Sox roster, Minnesota is banking on the manager continuing to waste it at every turn. “Obviously, we would love to reinforce the bullpen,” said a front office source. “The thing is, that takes money and prospects. Keeping Tony in charge on the South Side costs us nothing. We'll be putting a lot of encouragement on our social channels and via group chat with White Sox players and staff. Lots of 'Really admire what you're doing' and 'Looks like you're turning things around, we just hope we can get a wild card.' Stuff like that.” Unlike godless Chicago White Sox teams of the past, this roster is loaded with likeable, talented players. Liam Hendriks, Tim Anderson, Dylan Cease, the unbuttoned majesty of Eloy Jimenez. Sources say it’s dumbfounding that they’ve been unable to catch an overperforming, banged-up Twins team with a threadbare bullpen. Minnesota aims to keep it that way. “Another front-line starting pitcher would be terrific, especially if you’re looking towards the playoffs,” said the source. “But you have to get there first. Letting Tony cook is the best way to ensure that.” Observers close to the situation agree. “Not a lot of managers could pull off what La Russa is doing,” said a Twins coach. “He’s a legend for a reason.” “I heard he might start every inning with an intentional walk on Saturday,” said an MLB source. “It’s unorthodox to be sure, but he says that it sets up the double play every time. That’s just facts. He’s a Hall of Famer.” View full article

“The burning,” said a team source. “The burning.” Thursday’s off day provided the Minnesota Twins with some much-needed downtime, including their annual Summer Potluck. But the charcuterie turned to carnage when members of the Twins bullpen botched their dish, injuring dozens in the clubhouse. “We had a real nice spread laid out,” said a team source. “Buffalo chicken dip, sliders, Minnesota sushi, you name it. Then all of a sudden I just hear shouting and screaming and then the burning. The burning.” Sources say the bullpen was assigned chips and ice, but when reliever Emilio Pagan got lost on his way to Kowalski’s and drove to Fort Smith, Arkansas instead, they improvised a pasta salad. That’s when the trouble began. “First of all, they didn’t have any of the ingredients one would need to make a pasta salad,” said a clubhouse source. “They had plenty of enthusiasm, but noodles? No. Veggies? No. Dressing? No. A pot and water? Again, no.” “I can’t stress this enough: the clubhouse doesn’t have a stove,” said former Twin and current Bally Sports North analyst Glen Perkins. “They removed it after they found out (Carl) Pavano was living there for a couple years to in his words ‘let some things sort themselves out.’ You couldn’t even start a fire if you wanted to. And yet.” Multiple cell phone videos appear to show Twins reliever Caleb Thielbar and other unidentified relief pitchers pouring a Ziploc bag labeled “MAKE CAR GO WATER, DON’T DRINK” on a bucket of gum and sunflower seeds, then attempting to light the unconventional salad with a road flare. “If I heard them correctly, they said they were marinating the gum and seeds mixture and hoping to sear it to seal in the juices,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “Right before the flames engulfed us, I heard Thielbar call it a Goodhue County sous vide. I don’t think that’s right.” A team spokesperson said that no decision has been made about rescheduling Friday’s game at Texas. Although the injuries are minor, the spokesperson said the bullpen is entirely healthy and they must consider that before making the final call. View full article

“While it’s admirable that they’re offering encouragement to a division rival, this could impact Minnesota negatively at some point.” In an otherwise positive season for the Minnesota Twins, one troublesome negative stands out: They keep letting the Cleveland Guardians baseball team win games they oughtn’t. Late-game meltdowns by the bullpen in general and Emilio Pagan in specific have flipped the result of five recent Twins/Guardians matchups from likely Ws to definite Ls. Multiple baseball experts have confirmed to Twins Daily that this could eventually be a major problem for the current AL Central leaders. “Are you seriously asking me if losing to a division is rival is bad,” said Phil Miller, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Twins beat writer. “Are you seriously asking me this? What is wrong with you?” “I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s bad,” said legendary sportswriter and MLB TV personality Peter Gammons. “You’ve proven that there is such a thing as a stupid question. My god, man. My god. I’m friends with Pearl Jam, and you trouble me with this abject nonsense.” “[EXPLETIVE] you,” said The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. “[EXPLETIVE] you. Really. I mean that. I will find out where you live.” Indeed, the frankly hurtful responses from these and the other baseball experts who didn’t hang up on us or send poop emojis indicate that the Twins could be in real jeopardy of losing what looks like a very winnable division. Dr. Tanner Rosenblatt, a sports psychologist at the University of Iowa, thinks this may become an impediment to future success. “Sportsmanship, even in the high-stakes realm of professional sports, is so important,” said Dr. Rosenblatt. “Playing fair, helping an injured opponent, exchanging jerseys after a game, things like that. While it’s admirable that (the Twins are) offering encouragement to a division rival by losing so many of these games in quick succession, this could impact Minnesota negatively at some point. “It’s just hard to see how your bullpen eating [EXPLETIVE] night after night after night after night against your closest rival, all while turning the fanbase into cauldrons of defeated sadness, could be considered sustainable.” Experts agree. "When I find out where you live, and I will, when you least expect it, I will be there," said Hayes. "Then ask me if turning a 10-game lead into a 1-game lead in 35 pitches is good. Northern Minnesota has countless acres of remote forest and farmland. No one will find you." View full article

'Oh, this happens all the time for everyone, I bet,' said a team spokesperson. Cleveland’s surprise surge to the top of the AL Central has left both fans and media types grasping for an explanation. A weak division with the projected winner struggling. A farm system that’s been exceptional at identifying and developing talent. MVP work from Jose Ramirez. And finding another remarkable talent in the couch cushions. “Terry (Francona, Cleveland Manager) was looking for the TV remote in the clubhouse couch during Spring Training,” said a team source. “He was rummaging and rummaging and then just like that, here’s (Cleveland closer) Emmanuel Clase. We ran him out there and now he’s helping us steal a game from the Twins.” As competitors like Minnesota have struggled for decades to develop pitchers, Cleveland’s success stands in stark contrast. “We found Zach Plesac wandering around Cedar Point, playing carnival games,” said a team spokesperson. “One of our scouts was reaching in his pocket for his keys and pulled out Shane Bieber. A clubhouse attendant bought a hope chest at an estate sale and Corey Kluber was inside.” When told this string of obscene fortune was beyond comprehension, the spokesperson disagreed. “I think a lot of major league teams have strapping young farmhands stop by the stadium to see if they can help with the harvest, like we did with Jim Thome,” said the spokesperson.” This happens all the time for everyone, I bet.” Sources close to the Minnesota Twins confirmed that this has never happened to the franchise, except for when New Prague hobby farmer Junior Ortiz got lost on his way to Frattalone’s Hardware and played catcher for the 1990 and 1991 Twins. Ortiz won a World Series title before realizing the Metrodome did not have potting soil and Ron Gardenhire was not a lawn gnome. View full article

With fans demanding the prospect’s return to the majors, many wonder what season-ending injury comes next. Royce Lewis showed incredible promise when he finally got the call to join an injury-ravaged Minnesota Twins squad this spring. He played so well there was an almost universal demand to bring him back from Triple-A St. Paul when he got sent down, regardless of what position he would play. The result: the outcry worked, Lewis was recalled, and the shortstop immediately ran into a wall and partially tore his ACL while playing center field. With that in mind, Twins outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff is tearing up Triple-A pitching after a year and change of battling a wrist injury. Supporters are wondering when he’ll return to the bigs and in what manner he’ll smoothly transition to the IL the rest of the season. “I think it’ll be something weird,” said Trev Homan, a season ticket holder from Burnsville. “Remember when Marty Cordova got sunburned in the tanning booth? Something like that. The escalator he’s on stops moving suddenly, he falls and breaks three ribs. He gets scurvy or some disease that only pirates used to get." Others say the wrist will flare up again. “I just assume he’ll step into the box for his first at-bat back with Minnesota and a fastball is gonna run up on him and hit him square in the wrist,” said Dan Hayes, who writes about the Twins and Target Field neighborhood bar culture for The Athletic. “Feels inevitable. That or he slices a tendon on Aaron (Gleeman, fellow Athletic writer)’s neck fan.” Kirilloff’s oncoming setback is also providing valuable teaching moments for local families. “My son Cale came home crying from a playdate yesterday,” said Kristin Prager, a Minneapolis-based accountant and lifelong Minnesotan. “I asked him what was wrong, and he said that an older kid was making fun of him for being excited about Alex Kirilloff coming back. I told Cale that sometimes bullies have a point. Don’t be excited. Let your soul wither and die. Optimism is your enemy. Misery is your birthright as a Minnesotan. Expect nothing and then expect it to get worse. “He’s only 8, but he understood. He put down his Gatorade and asked if he could have some black coffee, no cream, no sugar. I could almost see some bags starting to form beneath his eyes. My little man is growing up.” View full article

An event rare enough to challenge Halley’s Comet or a Superwolf Blood Moon occurred Wednesday evening. The Minnesota Twins beat the brakes off the New York Yankees 8-1, in a game so lopsided that normally superstitious Twins fans were seen smiling as they left the game in the 7th inning to beat traffic out of Ramp B on a weeknight. Twins Daily spoke with local citizens and tastemakers about the experience. Jimmy Trueheart, Young Child with Fear and Distant Wonder in His Eyes: Papa told me that sometimes good things happen to bad people. When we beat the Yankees to death and left them screaming on the side of a gravel road on Wednesday night, I asked Papa, “Are we the bad people now?” Papa said, “No, son. Some folks deserve to scream on the side of a gravel road on a Wednesday night. The sinner reaps that which he sows. A great culling awaits. Mostly for (The Athletic’s Aaron) Gleeman.” I like chocolate. Fred Marsters, Frequent Internet Commenter: Why are people happy? They’ve lost one million games to the Yankees. Enjoying one victory, much less anything ever, betrays an obvious lack of critical thinking or needed context. My wife left me. Collin Roberts, Usher: Watching Yankees fans file out of the stadium, reeking of imported cologne and $14 domestic lagers, has convinced me to return to church this Sunday. Rocco Baldelli, Manager: So everyone talks about the Phish Halloween shows as being for newbies to the whole Phish experience, but I always say the more the merrier. It’s a communal vibe. They’re for everyone. Listen to the 1994 show where they do the White Album. Glen Falls. It’s a whole ‘nother level, brother. ‘Glass Onion’ alone is price of admission stuff. What were we talking about again? Oh, yeah, Yankees. Good win, guys did great. Dana Wessel, FM Radio Personality: Remember when the lawyer in Jurassic Park got ate? My dude was on the toilet! Chompjection, your honor! Terry Nelson, Suburban Hockey Fan from Blaine or Woodbury: I heard thugs check your ID at the Target Field gate to make sure you’re woke enough to attend a game and if they don’t mug you on the spot, they let you in, but still burn your car and make your daughters listen to hip-hop. My penis doesn’t work, and it has never worked. Winston, a Black Lab Dog: My owners were high-fiving the entire night and killed an entire box of wine. I saw a squirrel outside the bay window in the 6th inning who was clearly an immediate threat, and the owners chose to kennel me and continue watching the game. Humans are a mystery to me. Squirrels must die. Glenn Hauer, Longtime Twins Fan: I enjoyed it 100% because if history is any guide, the Yankees will resume crushing our hopes and dreams on Thursday. View full article

‘The jury is still out on this vaccine,' he said, wobbling over the putt on 17. Multiple unvaccinated Twins players must sit out this weekend’s series in Toronto due to Canada’s COVID policies. While the medical community almost universally hails the efficacy of the vaccines, the worst doctor we could find thinks the Twins are getting a raw deal. Dr. Gary Van Lowe, a retired family physician from Chanhassen, says the players (Max Kepler, Caleb Thielbar, Emilio Pagan, and Trevor Megill) are probably in better shape than their vaccinated teammates. “I was doing my own research just this morning,” said Van Lowe, “And realvaccinetruth.biz said the vaccines have little microchips in them that allows the government to turn you into a human microwave. I got right up off the toilet to see if any of that was in the newspaper. Not a word.” The 61-year-old, whose frequent malpractice settlements earned him the nickname “Mal” from Fairview Southdale's attorneys, said the lack of further media coverage points to a larger conspiracy. “I don’t think they’re doing this just to screw over the Twins in a critical road series,” said Van Lowe, nursing his “seventh or eighth” Mich Golden Light on the 17th tee box at Deer Run in Victoria. “Could it be to mess with the Vikings and Wild, too? Good luck finding that out in the Red Star (sic) from Michael Bland (sic).” Van Lowe, who left medicine in 2015 after a series of lurid sexual harassment accusations from fellow doctors, nurses, and the entire front of house staff at the Eden Prairie Buca di Beppo, now runs a medical consultancy firm for insurance companies looking to deny benefits. “The jury is still out on this vaccine,” he said, wobbling over a putt on 17. “All I know is that Betty White was perfectly healthy before she got the jab. Makes you think.” Van Lowe ended the interview in order to ask the beer cart driver if she needed a ride home. View full article

“He should be playing every day, because otherwise he’s hurting the team. But he should be benched, because otherwise he’s hurting the team. I am in a real pickle here.” Unlikable Chaska man Barry Daniel is stumped. It seems like only yesterday that Daniel was irritating his co-workers and a Dunn Bros. barista by loudly proclaiming that Byron Buxton can’t be an MVP, because MVPs play every day. “He came in here, looked at someone reading the sports section, and said ‘Byron Buxton isn’t even the best outfielder on the team, much less baseball, if he isn't in the lineup every day,’” said Alicia Voss, shift supervisor at the Chaska Dunn Bros. outlet. “I don’t even watch sports, and the customer reading the paper had his AirPods in. There was no audience for this. None. "Also, he didn’t tip and made a point of holding up the line to tell me his philosophy about why.” A little more than a week later, Buxton is mired in a 0-for-26 slump and could probably stand a rest day or two to work on whatever’s malfunctioning. There is no such option for Daniel, who hasn’t been invited to the last seven Daniel family Christmases. “What am I supposed to do with this,” pleaded Daniel. “Clearly, he needs to be sent to the minors or benched for Zach Granite, but I just said he needs to be in the lineup every day. I don’t know him personally, but it’s hard not to think he’s doing this to his critics on purpose.” Daniel, who predicted the cryptocurrency crash by accident and is now urging other Star Tribune Facebook commenters to “buy the dip,” despite not knowing what cryptocurrency is or what “buy the dip” means, is left to find his own path out of this dilemma. “He should be playing every day, because otherwise he’s hurting the team. But he should be benched, because otherwise he’s hurting the team. I am in a real pickle here. It shows a lack of professionalism from both Buxton and the Twins.” View full article

'I’ve never been more angry,' said Bradford. With the Minnesota Twins holding a surprisingly sturdy lead in the American League Central, it’s no wonder that the team’s fans have some strong words about their unexpected success. “It is absurd to me that they treat Byron Buxton with kid gloves,” said Hank Winters, 67, a retired bank executive. “Harmon Killebrew played every day and he’s in the Hall of Fame. Buxton may as well just work for the government. Sick of this.” The Twins lead the heavily favored and godless Chicago White Sox by three games after a rocky 4-8 start. They're on pace to win a stunning 94 games. This playoff-worthy effort has given the fanbase plenty to talk about. “Royce Lewis hits the cover off the ball and you send him to Triple-A,” said Beck Bradford, 41, a youth volleyball coordinator from Castle Rock Township. “Miranda can’t hit a bull in the ass with a handful of sand and Correa won’t even be here next year. But the boy geniuses (Twins executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine) looked at the algorithms and said, ‘Nope, Royce, you go over to St. Paul, grab a stool at Alary’s, get comfortable. Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’ “I’ve never been more angry,” added Bradford. Minnesota’s 22-16 record can be chalked up to several factors, perhaps none more important than the bullpen, which has been asked to do a lot with the starters still rounding themselves into shape after the lockout-shortened spring. This has not gone unnoticed. “Chris Paddack is already going under the knife for Tommy John and we have no consistent closer,” said Tamara Kapsner, 49, a car salesperson in Robbinsdale. “Meanwhile, Taylor Rogers is going to the All-Star Game. If I made that kind of deal at my job they wouldn’t have to fire me, I’d just throw my [EXPLETIVE] in a box and go. Great call. Super.” With the team’s schedule remarkably soft over the next couple weeks, the chance for Minnesota to put some space between them and the rest of the Central has people talking. “I never took PTO in 27 years at TCF (Bank),” said Winters. “Because I had a work ethic. Did I miss birthdays and graduations and custody hearings and my third marriage? Yes. All of them. Cry more, Byron.” “Spreadsheet oughta be manager, not Rocco (Baldelli),” said Bradford. “Bleep boop, pivot table, bench Correa, he’s played one game in a row, might hurt himself again.” “May as well just trade (Jhoan) Duran for (retired former Twin) Mike Pelfrey,” said Kapsner. “Disgusting. Pohlads should’ve contracted them when they had the chance.” View full article

Teams hopes to make do with "the big kids" from local schools and playgrounds. Injuries are having a major impact across baseball, as teams scramble to field healthy rosters and make constant transactions with their minor league affiliates. No team has been more affected than the Minnesota Twins, who announced Thursday that they are placing their entire 40-man roster on the 10-day injured list. “We were almost halfway there already,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “And given how banged up our quote-unquote healthy guys are, it felt like the right move.” To take their place, the Twins are relying on a forgotten World War I-era rule that allowed teams to backfill rosters with “strapping farmhands, eccentrics, spinsters, and gifted children from the area as our stout young lads take it to the Kaiser” in an emergency. Sources say Major League Baseball leadership is furious, but their hands are tied. “It was only meant to apply when players got drafted or volunteered for military service,” said a source close to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “We now realize the vague wording gives teams like Minnesota some wiggle room. Unfortunately, the rule is very specific about the only person who can nullify the rule: Woodrow Wilson, who has died.” The Twins are said to be scouting local high schools, rec centers, and playgrounds for “big kids” who could handle the physical rigors of professional baseball and give Minnesota a chance to compete in the wide-open AL Central. “One of our scouts saw a kid named Cotter playing pick-up basketball at a park in northeast Minneapolis,” said Baldelli. “He was a good 4-5 inches taller than all these rickety dad types he was playing against. Just dominating them. Long story short he’s playing first base Friday and Saturday. He has Confirmation at his church on Sunday so we might build in a rest day, we’ll see how things develop.” As for why the team is not using their own minor leaguers, Baldelli was uncharacteristically blunt. “Fuel costs make all these call-ups crazy expensive, and a lot of these kids already have bus passes or a parent with a Honda Odyssey for carpooling. Also, the rest of the month we play Cleveland, Oakland, Kansas City, and Detroit. If we fielded a team of dogs in people clothes, we might go .500.” View full article