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'When you yell at us online, this is who you’re yelling at.' Image courtesy of Unsplash/Steve DiMatteo 'When you yell at us online, this is who you’re yelling at.' The Minnesota Twins finally ended their long, long period of offseason inactivity, signing relief pitcher Danny Coulombe and outfielder Harrison Bader on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Although far from marquee acquisitions, they both fill necessary roles, as a lefty bullpen arm and fourth outfielder/Byron Buxton insurance, respectively. While there are rumors of other moves in the offing, the team’s immediate priority is getting apologies from the numerous critics of the organization and its lack of spending. “We’ve been taking a lot of flak from media know-it-alls, online trolls, and—to be honest—most of our friends and immediate family members,” said a front office source. “It’s one thing when [The Athletic’s] Aaron Gleeman says you’re blowing it, but when your 8-year-old daughter asks what it is you do all day, that stings. “Greta will have her screen time privileges restored when she apologizes to the Pohlad family.” A source familiar with the front office’s thinking also says that, in a move echoing the team’s off-season TwinsFest traveling caravan, the team will also be sending Coulombe and Bader to the front doors of the team’s most strident critics across the Upper Midwest. “The goal is to extract a ‘sorry’ from the most negative haters,” said the source. “When you yell at us online, this is who you’re yelling at. They’re millionaire athletes, but if you cut them, do they not bleed?” Despite the potential for a winter storm this weekend, the source says they hope to get both players to Grand Forks, Crookston, and Bemidji in the coming days. “We have names and addresses. We will be stopping by. If you have a Super Bowl party on Sunday, we hope you’ll invite us in for some crudites and buffalo chicken dip. It is the least you can do.” Those who receive visits will also be expected to send a written mea culpa to ownership. “Tyson [Wenner, a Crookston high schooler who called the team ‘bums’ in an Instagram story dated Dec. 3] will have his Twins.com account restored when he apologizes to the Pohlad family,” said the source. Representatives for both players declined to comment on this story. Image license here. View full article

‘We’ll pick up the tab next time.’ Image courtesy of Unsplash/Towfiqu Barbhuiya ‘We’ll pick up the tab next time.’ In what has become an ongoing storyline this offseason, the Minnesota Twins once again forgot their wallet at home after going out with friends, per multiple sources with knowledge of the incidents. Twins Daily has confirmed that this is at least the third time since the end of the 2024 season that the Twins have attended a gathering with other major-league teams and claimed they were unable to pay for their appetizer, dinner, and drinks. “We went out with them over the holidays at one of those high-end steakhouses where everything is dark wood and leather,” said the Cincinnati Reds. “It was us, the Mets, the Orioles, and the Twins. We’re all laughing, talking shop, having a good time, then the check comes. Minnesota starts rummaging around for their wallet and says they must have left it at the hotel. “That kinda thing happens, right? Mets covered it, Twins said they’d get them back down the line. The thing is, the Orioles took us aside afterward and said the same thing happened at the Winter Meetings.” Sources confirmed that the Twins also claimed to forget a method of payment at Green Point Seafood and Oyster Bar in Dallas on the first night of the 2024 Winter Meetings. “They ordered oysters on the half shell and caviar for the table,” said the Los Angeles Angels. “At the end of the night, our server comes around, and they get all frantic about not being able to find their billfold. The Dodgers picked the tab up, and Minnesota said they’d Venmo them as soon as they could get the app to work. “I ran into the Dodgers at the mall last week. They haven’t heard from (the Twins) since.” The most recent incident happened last week, at a happy hour in Fort Myers with the Boston Red Sox, who also hold Spring Training there. “They were sitting at the bar, and it sounded like they were planning some back-fields games,” said Avery Quintero, a bartender at The Boathouse Tiki Bar & Grill. “Our happy hour ends at 6 PM, but the Twins kept ordering rounds of margaritas and grouper bites. They start wrapping up around 7:30, I drop the check off, and their eyes get wide as saucers. They ask me if I’m sure about the total and I confirm that it’s right. They start fumbling around with their hands, look at the Red Sox, and say they’re crazy sorry but they must have left their wallet at home, and ApplePay doesn’t work on their new phone. Boston gives them a look, if you know what I mean, but they picked up the tab anyway. “The funny part is, the Twins got up to use the bathroom before they left, and I could see the wallet in their back pocket. It’s super messed-up.” In a statement released to the media on Thursday, the Twins said they’re “Totally good for it, we just gotta wait for a couple checks to clear.” Image license here. View full article

'A better name might be the Good Enough Canyon? It’s a hole in the ground. Congratulations, you drove the family 11 hours to visit a dry swimming pool.' Image courtesy of Flickr/Jeffrey Hayes 'A better name might be the Good Enough Canyon? It’s a hole in the ground. Congratulations, you drove the family 11 hours to visit a dry swimming pool.' The legendary Ichiro Suzuki was overwhelmingly elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday, nabbing all but one of the 550 votes needed to make it a unanimous decision. The lone holdout, who remains anonymous, didn’t want to discuss their vote, but did respond to Twins Daily’s request for opinions on other universally beloved, respected, and acclaimed people, places, and things. We reprint those answers in full below. A refreshing glass of water. “Hydration was invented by the Stanley Corporation to make you buy those giant tumblers in an assortment of eye-catching hues. Do a modicum of research. Black coffee in styrofoam cup was good enough for your granddad, it's good enough for you.” The Grand Canyon. “A better name might be the Good Enough Canyon? It’s a hole in the ground. Congratulations, you drove the family 11 hours to visit a dry swimming pool.” Tom Hanks. "Hasn’t made anything worth watching since Bosom Buddies. Got the entire series on VHS, prove me wrong." Puppies. "Don’t care for ‘em." Baby kittens. "See above. Just not my jam, man." Pizza. "There are too many toppings nowadays. And at the end of the day, it’s just a big piece of bread with tomato sauce and cheese. It’s a warm lunchable. How's second grade going, slugger?" A full and restful night’s sleep. "While you’re sleeping, I’m creating content and forming some of the worst opinions you’ll ever read in your life. Enjoy naptime, kiddo." Beyonce. "Mostly I just wait for the Kidz Bop kids to improve on her frankly mid body of work. Those tots really brought out the pathos and yearning in Single Ladies." America’s National Parks. "No A/C, no B-Dubs, no way you’re getting me to go there. Get someone else to prevent forest fires, boss. Not my problem." The vastness of the ocean as you stand on the shore, awestruck by the expanse and beauty of the world and your tiny place in it, yet still hopeful that one person can make a difference. “I mean, it’s water. I can get water out of a tap.” Baseball’s Opening Day. “It means another six months ‘til I get to take a vacation. Why would anyone feel good about that? Also it’s usually too cold unless you’re in the Sun Belt, and it’s already too hot there. Need more domes.” Catching a home run ball and giving it to a wide-eyed child, a memory they will have forever. “Another extension of participation trophy culture. No thanks, chief. Maybe they should have positioned themselves to make a play on the ball. Now they’ll probably become a drug fiend.” Image license here. View full article

‘As we bid farewell to the Pohlad era, we hope to celebrate its real heroes.’ Image courtesy of Flickr/John Cotterman ‘As we bid farewell to the Pohlad era, we hope to celebrate its real heroes.’ The annual Twins Fest extravaganza is next weekend at The Fillmore, hard by Target Field in Minneapolis. As is tradition, Saturday is dedicated to the autograph hounds in Twins Territory, with children and their adults hoping to snag a signed baseball or glossy photograph from their favorite player on what the team calls Signature Saturday. This year’s edition will be a little different, though. “The Minnesota Twins are proud to celebrate the real heroes of our franchise, the accountants and consultants who maintain our rigid financial guidelines in the face of unprecedented expenditures by many of our peers,” said the team in a statement released to the media on Thursday. “In the era of free agency and salary caps, players come and go,” the statement continued. “The true backbone of any team are the men and women who steer us to the safe harbor of fiscal responsibility, prudent financial behavior, and headcount reduction.” The statement went on to say that an “All-Star outfield” of personnel would be signing memorabilia on Saturday: Amanda Hitchcock, a consultant who advised the team on road trip cost-cutting measures. “Flights and lodging are super expensive,” said a front office source. “Amanda’s firm helped us reduce our spend by booking hotels that were either recently condemned or the scenes of horrific knife crimes. The silverfish infestations and police tape remind a lot of our players of the minors, and make them grateful to go back to Minnesota, building a foundation for future ‘hometown discounts’ during negotiations. Her billable rate of $78,000 per hour is also below the industry average, making her a true champion.” Theo Andersen, a team accountant who suggested putting the Target Field Family Value concession areas in ever harder-to-reach places. “It’s obvious that you don’t put the discount hot dogs and Budweisers by an entrance or on the main concourse,” said the source. “Where Theo innovated was by making it so arduous and unpleasant to find them that not even the most tightwad dad from Litchfield will bother. Putting the cheap popcorn by a series of fetid outdoor toilets in Ramp A? That’s all Theo.” Byron Myron, who achieved six-figure savings year-over-year by swapping out name-brand sodas and energy drinks in the clubhouse with store-brand equivalents like Dr. Thunder and EnergyAde. “Yes, that’ s his real name,” said the source. “And yes, he looks exactly like you think he looks. This man was born to be in a fluorescent-lit, windowless office, realizing savings and always, always wearing a short-sleeve button-up with a tie that doesn’t quite make it to his bellybutton. Byron Myron is a pasty god." In addition to these and other cost-management specialists, the team will also have kiosks throughout the Fillmore where attendees can thank the Pohlads for their stewardship of the Minnesota Twins with a financial donation. There will be a QR code posted for donors who prefer the option of supporting the GoFundMe created by the family to finance the cleaning and polishing of the gold, silver, bronze, and brass fixtures in the dozens of Pohlad summer homes and winter lodges across the globe. Image license here. View full article

The Woodbury native is believed to be the only person to ever listen to that much Imagine Dragons without harming himself or others. Image courtesy of Go96 (RIP) The Woodbury native is believed to be the only person to ever listen to that much Imagine Dragons without harming himself or others. With the news that the Minnesota Twins may very well have a new owner by Opening Day, speculation has turned toward potential suitors. The Ishbia brothers, owners of the Phoenix Suns, have already confirmed their interest. And now another name has surfaced—one with longtime local ties. Dana Wessel, a Minnesota native and morning radio shock jock at 93X FM, has thrown his hat into the ring to purchase the squad from the Pohlad family, who’ve owned the Twins since 1984. It would be something of a full-circle moment for Wessel, who was employed by the Pohlads at their now-defunct GO96 radio station in the mid-2010s. The Woodbury native was also part of that station’s morning show, and is believed to be the only person to ever listen to that much Imagine Dragons without harming himself or others (other, of course, than by doing that listening itself). Wessel, widely regarded as the only man who can tell the difference between Cowboy Slim’s and Cowboy Jack’s, a chain of bars where men in their mid-20s yell at their girlfriends while buying 17 Coors Lights with their stepdad’s credit card, is said to be “dead serious, bruv” about his intent. “He just, he won’t shut up about it,” said his fiancée Amber, who is also from Minnesota. “When he’s not talking about how handsome and capable Josh Allen is, he says he’s going to buy the Minnesota Twins because ‘it would be such a good bit.’” “It would be such a good bit,” confirmed Wessel in a statement to Twins Daily. While most potential buyers come from the world of high finance and hedge funds, Wessel would be coming from the somewhat less lucrative world of morning radio. The adult Lego enthusiast says he’s not concerned with lining up capital. “I have a real good feeling about the pull-tab box down at the local pub,” said Wessel. “Hit it up this weekend, order some wings, watch some football, pull some winners, boom. Let’s play.” Although this is Wessel’s first attempt at buying a local franchise, he is no stranger to the process. His bid to acquire the Sacramento Kings when he was a sophomore at St. Cloud State University fell through when his Granite City Food & Brewery gift card was deemed insufficient as a down payment. (Wessel was later permanently banned from the Waite Park Granite City location for “horseplay and antics,” but he has strenuously denied any connection between that incident and the rejected Kings offer.) View full article

The team’s inactivity is pushing some local sports journalists to extremes. Image courtesy of Unsplash/Thought Catalog The team’s inactivity is pushing some local sports journalists to extremes. In an offseason wherein trading Jovani Morán counts as major news, covering the Minnesota Twins has never been more difficult for the sportswriters assigned to the squad. Nowhere was this more noticeable than Phil Miller’s most recent offseason notebook column for the Minnesota Star Tribune, which was just a series of doodles and drawings of “old-timey” cowboys. “I call this one ‘Bad Bart,’” said Miller, pointing at a crude sketch of a large man in a ten-gallon hat. “He’s got an itchy trigger finger, that one.” Miller’s fellow scribes sympathize with his plight. “The editor wants content, but the team simply isn’t providing any,” said a beat writer who asked not to be identified. “I do a podcast with (Twins Daily’s John) Bonnes and we did 75 minutes on (Rule 5 draftee) Eiberson Castellano. Nobody wants that. Castellano's family doesn't want that. It gave me a nosebleed that hasn’t stopped since. “I like Chinese food,” he added. “It makes your job incredibly difficult,” said Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press. “At least the teams who are tanking are trading players away. You can cover the transaction and the disgruntled fanbase. “I should also note that Phil is a talented draftsman, and his portrayals of lonesome, grizzled cowboys astride their majestic horses are breathtaking. Some would say haunting.” In a statement, the Star Tribune supported the decision to run the unconventional piece and asked everyone to quit making fun of the donation page. As for Miller, he says he’s looking forward to spring training, which is now just a little over a month away. “This fellow here, he’s ‘Handsome Clyde,’” said Miller of another cowboy he drew. “The thing about Clyde is, he isn’t very handsome at all. But his mean streak? It’s very real.” Image license here. View full article

‘I think we’d know if it started already, there’s, like, emails and stuff.’ Image courtesy of Flickr/Ian D'Andrea ‘I think we’d know if it started already, there’s, like, emails and stuff.’ Prior to the holidays, baseball’s hot stove went into overdrive, with players like Patrick Sandoval, Paul Goldschmidt, Walker Buehler, and Sean Manaea all finding homes. With these and other signings occurring in the wake of Juan Soto’s astonishing deal with the New York Mets, it’s fair to say MLB’s offseason has been an eventful one. Just don’t tell the Minnesota Twins. “The next season is in 2025; ergo, free agency doesn’t start until January 1st,” said a Twins front office decision-maker. “We look forward to getting out there, having discussions, and improving our franchise across the board.” Despite league-wide player movement documented by hundreds of media outlets, the league, agents, and the players themselves, multiple team sources dispute this narrative. “I think we’d know if (free agency) started already,” said a source familiar with the front office’s thinking. “There’s, like, emails and stuff. Granted, we have our Out Of Office notifications set through the new year, but someone usually texts us if something really big happens.” The Twins, operating with a self-imposed salary cap for reasons that only make sense to people who like using words like “headcount,” “touchpoints,” and “stakeholder,” appear to be unaware that some of their own players have signed elsewhere, with longtime Twin Max Kepler being the most notable example. The team disputes this characterization. “Max is from Germany, this is probably just a cultural thing,” said the front office source about Kepler signing with the Phillies. “Philadelphia means ‘good Christmas to you, sir or madam’ in German. He’s just being friendly in his native tongue.” When told that this is not what Philadelphia means, the source pretended not to hear the statement and asked if the reporter had seen Wicked yet. “Ariana Grande is very talented.” As for the team’s plans come January 1st, the source said the team plans to be thoughtful and engaged. “Of course everyone wants to sign the big-name guys,” said the source. “But we thrive on the margins. If you have a lengthy injury history, or are old enough to remember the Carter presidency, I’m not going to lie: We’re ready to pay you the bare minimum. Within reason.” Image license here. View full article

‘It starts off strong, but the ending is really bleak.’ ‘It starts off strong, but the ending is really bleak.’ A Christmas Carol has spent almost two centuries being one of the holiday season’s most durable stories. Countless films, plays, and television shows have adapted the 1843 Charles Dickens novella faithfully, or updated the beloved tale for modern times. Well, not beloved by everyone. For the Pohlad family, owners (for now) of the Minnesota Twins, it’s anything but a Christmas miracle. “I’ll be honest, I just don’t get it,” said one family member. “This guy just gives his money away? Does he not know what money is? What kind of lesson is this teaching young shareholders?” Sources say the family accidentally watched the version starring the late George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy miser visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, as well as the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The servant responsible for turning the television on and off at their weekly Costume Gala has allegedly been sent to a debtor’s prison. “It starts off strong, but the ending is really bleak,” said another Pohlad. “You see Scrooge putting the hours in, grinding away, and then all of a sudden he starts getting soft. Grandpa Carl (Pohlad, who bought the Twins in 1984) worked on holidays all the time. Those family farms weren’t going to foreclose themselves.” One plot point that really upset the viewers was the character of Tiny Tim, the sickly son of Scrooge’s employee, Bob Cratchit, whom Scrooge reluctantly gave PTO for Christmas. “I feel bad for the child, but why is that Scrooge’s problem,” asked a Pohlad cousin. “He already gave his dad the day off with pay, which is frankly very generous. Take Tim to urgent care, get someone to cover your shift, or we’ll have AI do your job. These takers drive me nuts.” “Start a GoFundMe or something,” said another. “I’ve seen a lot of poors have success with that.” This is just the latest holiday film controversy involving the Pohlads, who unsuccessfully sued It’s a Wonderful Life director Frank Capra in 1977 for not letting George Bailey drown. View full article

Team hopes this lets free agents know they’re in the mix with other big spenders. Image courtesy of Unsplash/Giorgio Trovato Team hopes this lets free agents know they’re in the mix with other big spenders. The big headline from the Winter Meetings was the mega-deal Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets. But they’re not the only team willing to spend this offseason. “The Minnesota Twins are pleased to announce that the entire Twins traveling party rented a large, premium sedan at the Dallas airport upon arriving,” said the team in a statement. “There is ample legroom, satellite radio, and a functioning rearview camera.” Team sources indicate that this is a message to players, agents, and the rest of the league that the Twins will be more than bystanders around this year's hot stove, despite a self-imposed budget cut that wrecked their 2024 season and appears set to negatively impact 2025. “Would a team on a tight budget upgrade from a medium sedan,” asked one front office source. “And not just upgrade, but skip the small AND mid-size SUVs and level up to a tricked-out Nissan Altima. The haters are waiters at the table of our success.” Although the team refused to discuss the financials on the record, a quick look at multiple auto rental websites shows that this was an increased expenditure of roughly $125-$150. “We want to compete and win in 2025,” said the statement. “If anyone doubts that, they’re welcome to hop in the backseat of the Altima and enjoy this sweet-ass ride. Then, if the players and agents are willing to lower their contract demands to a more reasonable amount for a team that just made a frankly unprecedented expenditure on their traveling secretary’s wife’s credit card, we expect to be in the mix for a lot of talent.” One front office source noted via text message that the “Pittsburgh Brokebois” (sic) had a Ford Focus with a missing hubcap. “Sad, really.” Team historians note that this kind of outlay for a rental vehicle is a departure from previous offseasons, most notably when Calvin Griffith made George Brophy hitchhike from Moisant Field to his hotel at the 1974 New Orleans Winter Meetings. Image license here. View full article

‘It’s on the appetizer menu, but it eats like a full meal.’ Image courtesy of Unsplash/Jonathan Cosen ‘It’s on the appetizer menu, but it eats like a full meal.’ Baseball’s Winter Meetings convene in Dallas on Monday, but many media members are getting there ahead of time to network, chat up sources, and talk shop with their peers. And in the case of Todd Daniels, it’s time to get some hotel bar nachos. “Obviously, media budgets are tight nowadays, so you kinda have to apply those ‘Moneyball’ principles to your dinner order,” said Daniels, who covers the Guardians for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “And hotel bars have a captive audience, so their prices are already up there. Twenty-six bucks for a smashburger? They just replaced my editor with ChatGPT. Not a chance.” Instead, Daniels recreates a full meal in the aggregate by looking to the appetizer section. “Nachos. Chips, veggies, dairy, protein. A variety of sauces. It’s on the appetizer menu, but it eats like a full meal. It’s practically a buffet line on a plate. Always cheaper than the burger. Always a bigger portion than the chicken sandwich or ‘elevated pub fare,’ whatever that is.” Daniels insists that the quality of the meal is thoroughly adequate. “It’s never going to be great, but it’s never going to be terrible. And there will be leftovers. You bring those back to your room and you have brunch the next day. That’s money you can spend on three, four, five domestic lagers, two IPAs, or a double bourbon rocks with middle-shelf hooch. Middle shelf!” When asked if happy hour specials impacted his decision-making, Daniels scoffed. “You have to remember, happy hours often conflict with our working hours,” said Daniels. “We talk about them like they’re ghosts. Some think they exist, but no one’s ever seen one. If $6 chicken nachos supreme were available between the hours of 2-4pm, I assure you, I would have housed them. “That said, late-night happy hours? That’s when you win on the margins, my friend. 2-for-1 Coors Lights and mini corn dogs can get you through a weekend.” Daniels said that when a retired columnist mentions their expense accounts in the 1970s and 1980s, he has one reaction. “I reconsider every life decision that led me to this job.” View full article

This sale on exclusive items like the Dave St. Peter bobblehead runs through Cyber Monday. Image courtesy of Unsplash/Xiaolong Wong This sale on exclusive items like the Dave St. Peter bobblehead runs through Cyber Monday. If you’re looking for just the right gift for the Twins fan in your life this season, the team’s Black Friday sale helps you do so without busting your budget! Here are just a few items marked down for the savvy shopper: Dave St. Peter Authentic Bobblehead. This commemorative bobblehead celebrates the outgoing Twins President in a classic Twins pullover and khakis. In addition, the purchase entitles you to four credits towards your education at the University of North Dakota. An entire warehouse of Bally Sports North polo shirts. With BSN rebranding to FanDuel Sports Network, these lightweight, moisture-wicking shirts in navy and powder blue are priced to move. Adventurous fans should visit the “Gameworn Laudners” section of the sale. Is that ketchup or blood? What're you, a cop? Anthony DeSclafani. I guess you can just buy him? I don’t think this is legal, but he’s $99.99 before tax and shipping. Definitely a fixer-upper. Best of Gleeman and the Geek Welcomes. The long-running independent Twins podcast shares its first collaboration with the team, a collection of over 300 of John “Twins Geek” Bonnes’s introductory “Aaaaaand welcome”s on CD and cassette. Each CD/cassette comes with a bonus soy sauce packet from co-host Aaron Gleeman’s personal collection of takeout accoutrements. A paper ticket from the September 9, 2024 game versus the Los Angeles Angels. A day that will go down in Target Field lore, not so much for the contest itself (the Angels won 6-2), but for the only instance of someone using a paper ticket instead of their phone to gain entry in 2024. This ticket also includes the Mapquest directions the user printed out to get from Green Isle to Minneapolis, along with a brief oral history from the ushers and fans who witnessed it. Rocco Baldelli Insult Generator. This handheld device delivers over 20 unique insults related to the Twins manager, voiced by Baldelli himself. Just press the red button to hear choice online invective like “Way to go, Rockhead” or “Sucko BalDummy” from the horse’s mouth. Attaches to most Honda Fit keychains. Ron Coomer’s House of Mystery. The former Twins player and broadcaster may have moved on to the Chicago Cubs media beat, but his legacy lives on in this escape room concept, located in a haunted Robbinsdale triplex. Can you and your friends solve all the baseball-themed clues to escape before time runs out? Will you offer cigarettes to Jackpot, the drifter who’s been crashing there since 2015? Is that a raccoon? Image license here. View full article

‘The Rule 5 Draft is fine and all, but there are some real gems in the 6.’ Image courtesy of Public Domain ‘The Rule 5 Draft is fine and all, but there are some real gems in the 6.’ No franchise is more aware of the benefits of the Rule 5 Draft than the Minnesota Twins. Plucking Johan Santana from Houston’s Class A affiliate in 1999 is one of the savviest moves in recent MLB history. This year, though, the Twins are training their focus on the more obscure Rule 6 Draft, where they’ve already acquired a 1988 Toyota Celica. “This thing’s a real beauty,” said a front office source. “Less than 200,000 miles, small crack in the windshield, brakes are a little squeaky, but it’ll get you where you want to go. We love the veteran presence and durability it brings to the organization. “The Rule 5 Draft is fine and all, but there are some absolute gems in the 6.” The Rule 5 Draft allows teams with open 40-man roster spots to select unprotected players from other teams. The much more obscure Rule 6 Draft lets teams acquire anything left in the parking lots of MLB stadiums after the final home game of their season. The Celica was parked in the Coors Field employee lot in Denver. “One of our scouts was there at the trade deadline and was super impressed (by the car),” said the source. “He got the Blue Book out, did some due diligence, and it's been on our radar since.” The source said they’re hoping the Celica can be used to transport players to and from the airport for call-ups, injury recovery, and other essential baseball activities. Other notable Rule 6 acquisitions by the Twins include a severely dented but otherwise operational dorm fridge from Chicago's Wrigley Field media lot in 2017, and New Prague hobby farmer Junior Ortiz in 1990. Ortiz mistook the Metrodome parking lot for a Frattallone’s Ace Hardware and would go on to be the backup catcher on Minnesota's 1991 World Champions. View full article