RandBalls Stu

Accept this and enjoy the season.The Twins are the New York Yankees. Now, this is a bold statement. And out of context, there are countless reasons to dispute this. To name just one example, the Twins are good and I like them. The Yankees, on the other hand, are monsters and their fans are goblins* and they should level Yankee Stadium and make it into a skate park for the wayward youths. However, both teams share a very particular challenge: the regular season does not matter. For New York, it’s all about expectations. The limitless payroll and franchise reputation mean anything less than a ring is a failure. For Minnesota, it’s about just winning a frigging playoff game. As a fan, you may be aware that the Twins have had no trouble reaching the postseason in the last two decades. What happens when they get there is like a baseball version of NBC’s This Is Us, in which Jess from Gilmore Girls dies in every episode (I haven’t seen the show, but I am told it’s very sad, and I would personally be gutted if Jess, Rory’s only good boyfriend, died all the time). After a long summer of winning baseball and genuine excitement, the playoffs snuff out every trace of joy with a devastating efficiency. The best thing about winter is that it gives us the time necessary to confront this grief, or at least compartmentalize it. With the season upon us, we must reckon as a fanbase with the undeniable truth that nothing good can happen for six months. They can underperform and/or get waylaid by injuries, which would be awful. (Yes, I'm aware of what happened in Game 1. Repeat the phrase "small sample size" to yourself until the trembling subsides.) They can win 103 games, which would be meaningless. All that matters is October. Take some time. Breathe deep. Center yourself like Willie Norwood under a lazy pop fly. There. You’ve made peace with it now. There’s so much to look forward to this year, and you should enjoy every minute of it. Most importantly, you’re going to be able to see them play in person at one of America’s great ballparks (or their minor leaguers in another fantastic venue). The lineup is stacked. Last year’s Cy Young runner-up still might not be the best starting pitcher, which is a frankly astonishing development for a team that has had generational problems building a rotation. The rest of the division is a couple travesties, doing whatever Cleveland is doing, and Chicago. Barring catastrophe or the infinite mysteries of baseball, the Twins are well positioned to hurt us all over again. But it would be cool if they didn’t. *My friend Greg is a Yankees fan but he's alright. I stand by the statement otherwise. Click here to view the article

“Now kids and collectors can share the fun of searching for the unsung employees who snagged that elusive extra year of team control for the hometown nine.”The longtime home of baseball cards is adding a new face to its lineup this year. But the featured players will be wearing half-zip pullovers, and instead wielding a bat, the only thing in these prospects’ hands are crisp spreadsheets and the intangible promise of future financial flexibility. Topps announced on Thursday that their 2021 run of baseball cards will feature the heroes of Service Time, recognizing the MLB front office employees getting the most team control out of the players they’ve drafted. “This move allows us to embrace the new wave of baseball,” said a Topps spokesperson. “Now kids and collectors can share the fun of searching for the unsung employees who snagged that elusive extra year of team control for the hometown nine. “Parents who got the Ken Griffey rookie card can share that same excitement when their children get a fresh Beckett Simonson, who managed to lock down another year from every top Seattle Mariners prospect this year.” Twins Daily asked students from Sweeney Elementary School in Shakopee what they thought about the move. Reaction was mixed. “I hate this,” said Benji Norlem, 9. “It’s dumb,” said Trevor Singh, 8. “My stepdad is an accountant,” said Angela DeSanto, 10. “I don’t want a baseball card with Kevin on it.” “I’m as excited for this as I am for a new Marvel movie or TikTok meme,” said Timothy Scott, who claimed to be a 4th-grader at Sweeney but had noticeable facial hair and vaped throughout the interview. When asked why he was wearing an Office of the Commissioner of Baseball lanyard, he excused himself and drove away in a Honda Odyssey. Card collectors advise that these likely won’t be worth much on the collectibles market, with one saying their future value projects to that of a 2014 Wandy Rodriguez that has been torn in half, eaten by a dog in a thundershirt, and thrown up. Image license here. Click here to view the article

“10,000 people at a game? We wish.”With the announcement that Target Field would be open to fans at reduced capacity to start the 2021 season, the former homes of the Minnesota Twins released a statement to the media regarding this initiative. For 49 years, we provided a home field for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. While we had glorious seasons with playoff runs and nightly sellouts, there were other, less crowded seasons. OK, there were many, many other less crowded seasons. If you feel at all put out by these restrictions, please know that there were years where this was done without public health in mind. Like Mickey Hatcher, it simply just happened. METROPOLITAN STADIUM: Once those legendary teams of the ‘60s and early ‘70s went away, it was a tough sell. If we could have gotten 10,000 fans to watch Willie Norwood butcher a fly ball in Bloomington or thrill to the stocky grandeur of Craig Kusick, we’d have been grateful. As it was, we’d get burnouts who had tickets to Deep Purple at the Met Center accidentally wander into the ballpark. We’d count them towards attendance and give them the boot once they lit their left-handed cigarettes and asked Halsey Hall if he had acid. METRODOME: 10,000 people at a game? We wish. You throw out 1987, 1991, and a few seasons around that, it was basically the players, security, media, and Mike Trombley’s extended family. What was nice is that you could really explore the space of the facility. Stretch out a little bit. Kids could enjoy the wind tunnel effect of the revolving doors over and over and over while the adults went to the Rally Room and got bagged in the comfort of a nondescript bar. Houston Jimenez played so often that the Black Sox were like, “Hey, you got mad at us for throwing games?” We made our own fun at the Metrodome. Now you have iPads and TikTok and craft sausage stands. It’s not the same. It’s not better. As we enjoy our respective retirements as a giant-ass mall and a new football stadium that keeps breaking, we hope you hold our memories close to your heart. Remember, 10,000 fans at a game is just one “we’ve hired an analytics geek from MIT and we’re gutting the team you love to maybe be competitive in 2029 if no one notices our garbage can whacking code” away. Click here to view the article

“The headline possibilities are endless. I need this. We need this.”With the Twins looking to build their Eddie Rosario-less outfield for the 2021 season, many tantalizing names are getting thrown around. Fans are clamoring for prize prospect Alex Kirilloff, while others are intrigued by the power of Brent Rooker. However, one Minnesotan has his eyes on a less-discussed option. “They gotta bring Kyle Garlick up,” said Star Tribune copy editor Kenneth Tuss. “They just gotta.” Tuss, who has worked at the Newspaper of the Twin Cities for over a decade, was quick to note this was not due to any personal relationship with the 29-year-old journeyman outfielder. “If he goes out and hangs a 4-for-5 on the White Sox, the headline is right there: GARLICK MINCES CHICAGO. I can hear the soft chuckles from Bloomington and St. Louis Park already.” Tuss is often tasked with adding headlines to Twins game stories. The job is not always a glamorous one, and any chance to seed some wordplay into the morning paper is welcome. “The headline possibilities are endless,” said the Minneapolis resident. “In a troubled time for print media and newspapers all over, I need this. We need this. Think about it: He sails a relay throw that allows the winning run to score. Now you’ve got yourself a ROASTED: GARLICK ERROR BURNS TWINS.” The veteran journalist admits that he spent the last week running through all the garlic puns he could use instead of maintaining contact with family, friends, and the outside world. “I guess my mom and dad got their vaccines on Monday, which is good for them I suppose,” said Tuss. “But think about the following: Kyle Garlick hits a walk-off home run that lands on the plaza. GARLICK MASHED. Or if he makes a diving catch to bail the team out of a high-leverage situation? TOO MUCH GARLICK SALTS AWAY SERIES SWEEP. That gives you alliteration too. He might be the most important Minnesota Twin of 2021, if not all time.” Tuss says this is the most excited he’s been for a Twins season since 2018, when he heard an unfounded rumor that they might acquire Chicago reliever Aaron Bummer. Click here to view the article

As the Twins dropped their third consecutive game in Grapefruit League action, one fan took the opportunity to get in his panic reps.Anders Goodwin is given to Twins-derived hyperbole. To the Apple Valley native, the Andrelton Simmons signing was “the team’s ticket to the World Series.” The Royce Lewis ACL tear “set the franchise back a decade, minimum.” And with the team losing a third consecutive preseason game on Thursday, he shared a new overreaction on multiple social media channels: “This team has no shot. 59 wins tops, and that’s if things go well for these chumps. Fire everyone, relocate the team to Montreal, seal the border. Sick of it.” When reached for comment, Goodwin initially did not back down. “No pitching. No power. No defense. It’s ridiculous. It’s a travesty. May as well join the [expletive] Peace Corps.” These statements stand in stark contrast to Goodwin’s Facebook post after the Twins got off to a 2-0 start in Florida: “This team is already firing on all cylinders. Go to Vegas, bet on the Twins to win it all, thank me later. Can’t wait for the haters who doubt them to get what’s coming to them. Bandwagon’s full, sorry Charlie. Love this team.” Reminded of this statement, Goodwin put the words in context. “These games may be meaningless to the average observer. Perhaps they are. But they mean everything to me. How am I going to give myself an ulcer when they get swept by a division rival this year? When Berrios throws a 2-hit shutout in a critical August game, will I have the presence of mind to howl shirtless on my front lawn? You have to put in the work. The panicking I do in March pays off down the line. Every post. Every group text. Every muttered obscenity.” Asked for his thoughts on the coming weekend’s action, Goodwin said his expectations were mixed. “I doubt they’ll win another game. Ever. But if they turn it around, I’m prepared to support their inevitable championship run and ruin the life of anyone who doubted it.” Click here to view the article

The Old Ones, praise their name, look to build on some unexpected preseason momentum.Top Minnesota Twins prospect Royce Lewis slipped on some ice when a freak snowstorm hit his home state of Texas. When he got to Spring Training, he was diagnosed with a torn ACL. The Injury Gods took notice. “This took them by surprise too,” said a source close to the Gods, who requested anonymity in order to avoid being catapulted into the Swamp of Dread and Biting Things. “A snowstorm in Houston was not on their radar, and bear in mind they trapped Marty Cordova in a tanning bed because they were bored on a Thursday.” This bonus misfortune is said to be spurring the Injury Gods to inflict even greater anguish on long-suffering Twins fans. “When something like that falls in your lap you can really build an avalanche of pain and perfect grief,” said the source. “If They play this right, the agony promises to be even more exquisite than last year’s playoff exit. “You don’t expect to see Jontu of the Poison Wind smiling. He’s older than time itself. But He’s like a kid out there, just looking at Minnesota’s deep roster of young talent and noting how fragile their tendons and ligaments truly are.” While it’s impossible to know what the Old Ones have planned in specific, a second source tells Twins Daily to expect the unexpected. “Look, it’s not going to be a pulled hamstring running out a grounder,” said the source. “It’s not going to be a pitcher feeling something tighten when he throws a fastball. That is played out. This is Minnesota. They’re going to make it hurt and make it confusing. Why did a Dodge Charger just fall on Alex Kirilloff? He’s standing in the dugout. How’d a car even get in there? Why is the stereo playing ‘Butterfly’ by Crazy Town? You’ll go to your grave never knowing. Alex will retire at 28 to become a gardener and his left elbow will always hurt when it rains.” The source also speculated that They would not limit their attention to the state’s baseball team. “Oh, They’re quite aware of the Minnesota Vikings,” said the source. “Torvald the Bleak calls them His finest work. Who do you think guaranteed all that money to Kirk Cousins?” Click here to view the article

Why Minnesota's brightest prospect likely won’t start the year with the team, explained.Alex Kiriloff is universally acknowledged as a major league-ready, day one starter. Yet he will almost definitely not be with the Twins as the season begins due to service time concerns. While this practical consideration may scan for adults, it might make less sense to the young baseball fan in your life. Twins Daily presents the following strategies for helping your child better understand the issue. The Waiting is one of Tom Petty’s best songs. You’re not against Tom Petty, are you? He died.The saying is “patience is a virtue.” Virtue is good. Ergo, service time is good. If the Twins were to keep Alex Kiriloff on the Opening Day roster, they would be bad. It’s just how logic works.If any other job tells you that you’re perfectly qualified for the position, but you need to spend the next three weeks in Wichita so you can spend another year in Minneapolis somewhere down the line, either turn it down or make sure you get a company car and good dental insurance. But baseball is different, and that's OK. (IF THEY ASK WHY BASEBALL IS DIFFERENT, DISTRACT THEM WITH A NEW VIDEO GAME OR STREAMING SERVICE.)None of us really know what next week is going to look like, much less 2027. However, one thing we can take to the bank is that Alex Kirilloff will be playing baseball in a Twins uniform in 2027. He might be doing it while being surrounded by fearsome Mermen, who invaded Minnesota in 2023 and rule as benevolent god-emperors of the upper Midwest entire. His teammates might have gills. Tridents may replace bats. The game may be played in a lake or bog of some sort. But we know for damn well certain Kirilloff will be a Minnesota Twin. That’s something we can all clap our hands and shake our dorsal fins for.You know how, even though we celebrate Christmas Eve, we don’t open presents until Christmas Day? Just think of it as Christmas Day, but you wait 3-4 weeks of one day. January 18th isn’t that long to wait! Remember the year you didn’t get Christmas presents from Uncle Todd until summer because of the time he set off all those Roman Candles at Buffalo Wild Wings because he was a sovereign citizen? And he had to spend some time learning about making good choices? This is like that, only instead of Uncle Todd giving you a plastic bag full of his weekend aspirin in July, your favorite team is getting a potential All-Star outfielder.Good luck! The children are our future! Click here to view the article

The free-swinging Minnesota Twins catcher shares his advice for dealing with frigid temperatures.Hi! I’m Twins catcher Willians Astudillo. Growing up in Venezuela, I didn’t have to deal with the harsh winter months that Minnesotans do. Still, the time I’ve spent in America has given me ample experience. As this cold snap enters a second week, I’d like to share some of things I’ve discovered that help me handle whatever situations may arise. Hope they help you too! Furnace on the fritz. A homeowner’s worst nightmare: Temps plummet, and instead of warm air pumping into your house, an ungodly noise rises from the basement. Waiting for a repair person can be a headache, and the cost can be prohibitive. My advice? Swing at the first pitch.Icy roads. Treacherous travel conditions are a constant threat for Minnesota drivers. Even a little bit of snow or wind can turn the highways into a hockey rink. Staying home is always the best option, but that’s not always possible. My advice? The pitcher is probably going to try and get ahead in the count and start with a strike. Swing at the first pitch.Exposed skin. When the wind chills get well below zero, any piece of skin you leave uncovered outdoors is in danger of frostbite. If you’ve got to be outside for an extended period of time, you need to take every precaution. My advice? Get on top of that first pitch.Outdoor recreation. Minnesota takes pride in getting out and enjoying the winter weather. Sledding, biking, snowmobiling, skating, skiing, heck, even just building a bonfire in your backyard for some smores and hot cocoa. It you’re not from here, it takes some getting used to, but I’ve found ways to adapt. My advice? Keep the pressure on. Swing at the first pitch.Your pets. Your dog needs to get out and do their business. Your cat is the king of your unheated garage. You need to keep an eye out for their safety. My advice? They might think you’re finally going to take a pitch. Wrong again. Swing at the first pitch.Have a great weekend! Click here to view the article

Minnesota’s recent free agent spending spree presents the team’s fanbase with hope for the 2021 season. For Your Dad, it offers new frontiers in mispronunciation.The addition of Andrelton Simmons, Alex Colomé, and Hansel Robles heightened the 2021 expectations of many Twins fans. Your Dad, who called Brad Radke "Bill Rapke" for the duration of the pitcher's career, is confident as well. "Boy, that Anderson Simmons can really pick it," he said in a recent text. Sources close to Your Family confirmed on Thursday that Your Dad is thrilled with the signings and is nowhere close to getting any of their names right. "He got done watching the 6:00 news, looked at his flip phone, and asked me if Aaron Columbo was going to take Terry Rogers' job," said Your Brother, who is still living at home and attempting to make it as a day trader. "I tried to tell him that my AMC stock is on a rocket to the moon but he just looked at me like I was crazy." Your Brother confirmed that Your Dad got the newly re-signed Nelson Cruz's name dead on, but showed less exactitude elsewhere. "He kept saying how much he was going to miss Stevie," said Your Brother, who goes by the handle ThiccBrokerBoi on Reddit and should probably reduce his screen time. "I told him the Twins didn't have a Stevie last year. Then he started talking about his crazy beard and frisbee slider and I told him he meant Sergio Romo. He just said, ‘Yeah, Stevie! Loved that guy.’" Your Stepmom said Your Dad is primed for Spring Training. "He said he was listening to the Meatman on KFAN and that he was predicting another division title," said Your Stepmom. "He said Gelman and the Gooch thought so too. He's pretty pumped up." In a follow-up text, Your Dad allowed that, while he was upbeat about the acquisitions, he still would like them to add another pitcher. He also asked if you'd heard that the Vikings wanted to trade Kurt Cousins for Jimmy Garofalo. Click here to view the article

Bally won the rights to put its name on the former Fox Sports North channel. Twins Daily gets an exclusive look at the brands that missed the cut.Sinclair Broadcasting, owner of the Fox Sports regional networks, revealed Wednesday that Minnesota Twins games would be carried on Bally Sports North this year. The gaming and casino company will be lending its name to all the former Fox networks. While we still don't know if any of these games will be available to non-cable households, we do have the names of the failed suitors for the sponsorship, plus analysis from a Sinclair executive close to the negotiations. Please credit Twins Daily if you choose to share these: MyPillow Sports North. ("The owner didn't want to actually carry any games, he just wanted to run a livestream of him yelling about Georgia voting machines. Weird dude.")KARE11 Sports in the Backyard. ("They wanted to do all the pre and post-game shows from their backyard weather studio. We would have done that, but they also wanted a half-hour every week where KARE meteorologist Belinda Jensen would fight one of our announcers with her bare hands. We gave it a whirl and it became clear this wasn't a culture fit. The Bally's Corporation would also like to take this time to wish a speedy recovery to Tim Laudner as he recovers from what doctors call a 'classic Western Wisconsin beatdown.'")Joe Mauer's Sports Machine. ("Obviously Joe would have been a great partner for any Minnesota sports network. But when he found out these games would be carried on cable he had to back out. Apparently his mom told him cable TV is where they show boobs, butts, and swears, and he didn't want her to get all sore.")Minnesota Public Television Presents: Sports. ("Public television is not known for live sports coverage, but this seemed like a really intriguing partnership. Unfortunately the BBC just released all seven seasons of The Vicar's Regret, a British drama about 18th century manners and society. Between that and pledge drives we would have been forced to air all our games after Arthur but before Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.")Minnesota Sports With Chip and Joanna Gaines. ("They wanted to plaster Target Field with shiplap and farmhouse sinks. It was a non-starter. And Chip would not shut up.") Click here to view the article

“I’ve spent ten months studying him, learning about him. I know him better than I know myself.”Bill Boxmeyer had a lot of downtime. The 37-year-old White Bear Lake man lives alone and has been working remote for his IT job since March. With not much else to do, Boxmeyer had hours to learn a new skill, read the great works of literature, or leave angry comments on Facebook. He chose a different path. "I figured I'd learn everything there was to know about the pitcher J.A. Happ," said Boxmeyer. "Yes, I know it sounds weird. But now who's laughing?" Happ is reportedly signing a one-year deal with Boxmeyer's favorite team, the Minnesota Twins. "The first thing you need to know is the 'J.A.' stands for 'James Anthony' but everyone calls him 'Jay'," said Boxmeyer. "As far as Happ facts go, that's the bare minimum you have to know or you're just going to embarrass yourself." What drove Boxmeyer to not only focus his pandemic nights and weekends on a baseball player, but also on a seemingly random player like Happ? "Yeah, that's a toughie," admitted Boxmeyer. "I had no interest in learning to bake or sew or anything like that, and I never got into video games. What I do like is someone who really drills down on one subject and is an expert on it, regardless of the relevancy or any overriding benefit to humanity. There's a guy I saw on the HGTV who is an expert on gravel. Who gives a damn about gravel? This guy does! "So I decided I would be the gravel guy, but for J.A. Happ, who married Morgan Cawley in 2014. They have two children." The fact that Happ appears to be on track to start for the Twins in 2021 continues to amaze the UW-Stout alum. "I can't believe my luck, I'm not going to sugarcoat it," said Boxmeyer. "Once things open up a bit, I can go to the pub or even Target Field, and if anyone has any questions about that night's starting pitcher, they are sitting next to the one guy who can tell you anything you want to know about the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up." As for other avenues of intellectual pursuit, Boxmeyer says he does have one regret. "I work for an international pharmaceutical company, and I initially thought it would be good to just thoroughly educate myself on vaccine distribution and supply chains," said Boxmeyer. "I have to say that would have been way more useful. Like, both for myself and humanity. That said, I would not have known that Happ went on the injured list in 2018 with hand, foot, and mouth disease. And now you do, too." Click here to view the article

The team’s quiet off-season may soon become less so, but not before the team’s leadership finishes what it started.With the Chicago White Sox making a big splash this winter, Twins fans are waiting for the defending AL Central champions to make a move. Any move. Minnesota’s President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey has one response for them. “I have two episodes left of The Mandalorian and so does (General Manager Thad) Levine. Once we have those cleared out I expect us to be major players in the free agent market and explore every opportunity to improve our ballclub.” Falvey was asked how they reacted to Chicago’s acquisition of closer Liam Hendriks and starting pitcher Lance Lynn. “(The Mandalorian creator) Jon Favreau has done an impeccable job of building on the existing Star Wars universe while making the show accessible to everyone,” said Falvey. “I mean, a baby Yoda? Come on, that’s just brilliant. Chicago is a great young team that’s only getting better. We have our work cut out for us.” With former AL Central frontrunner Cleveland rebuilding to save money, Falvey addressed the issue that was on everyone’s mind. “Yes, I’m aware the final episode of Season 2 contains a major surprise,” said Falvey. “I’ve managed not to spoil it for myself so far, but I have to be very careful about the media I’m consuming. Cleveland still has enough young talent to be dangerous, don’t overlook them.” On the issue of Nelson Cruz, Falvey was noncommittal. “The only new sequel that was worth a damn was (Rian Johnson’s) The Last Jedi,” said Falvey. “Best Star Wars movie since Empire. The best parts of The Mandalorian can go toe-to-toe with them. Nelson has been everything you can ask for in a player, we’ll see what the future holds.” As for what positions the Twins were looking to address via free agency or trade, Falvey said the team was keeping all options open. “The Rise of Skywalker was full-on trash, just fan service with no emotional stakes,” said Falvey. “Keep (director J.J.) Abrams away from the future projects. Nice lens flares, J.J. Cool, good job. We have a great core here and we hope to add to it without sacrificing the future.” Image license here. Click here to view the article