Seth Stohs

The Twins were competing in 2015. It wasn't about further evaluation of players, it was about getting performance, and Boyer was find in that 6th/7th inning role. Again in 2016, it's not about development, it's about winning and getting to the playoffs. It's OK to have depth and let the best pitchers/players make the team, depending upon the role. Don't get me wrong. I think I, and the Twins, would love for the likes of Rogers, Melotakis, Burdi, Reed, Chargois, Meyer, etc., will take a run with a job at some point, but we shall see.

In mid-December, the Minnesota Twins announced a group of minor league signings and non-roster invitations to spring training. One of those names was relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler. Despite the fact that he has spent parts of the last six season in the big leagues pitching for the Twins Border Battle opponent in Milwaukee, Kintzler is not a household name. In an unusual decision for the Twins with a non-roster invite from another organization, they invited him to participate in Twins Fest. Twins Daily had the opportunity to talk to Kintzler and learn a little more about him.But before that, let’s take a look at some of his numbers. He posted a 6.43 ERA in just seven games before missing the rest of the season due to injury. However, in the two seasons prior to 2015, he was a workhorse in the Brewers bullpen. He pitched in 135 games (135.1 innings) he posted a 2.93 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and walked just 2.1 per nine innings. Of course, the one less encouraging number is the 5.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He is a ground ball machine. For his MLB career, he has averaged about 2.7 groundouts per fly out. He coaxes a ground ball about 58% of the time. He throws a lot of sinking fastballs. He also mixes in a slider with an occasional change up. His path to the big leagues was a bit unusual. The Las Vegas native was the 40th round draft pick of the San Diego Padres in 2004 out of Dixie State College of Utah. He pitched that season and one more in that organization before he was released. He was a starter. “I went to independent ball. I actually played for the St. Paul Saints in ‘09. The Brewers signed me out of there.” After pitching in Winnipeg for the 2007 and 2008 seasons, he made 14 appearances for the Saints in 2009 before the Brewers signed him. They sent him right to AA. In 2010 after pitching to a 0.40 ERA in 20 AA games, he moved up to AAA. He posted a 2.36 ERA in 22 AAA games. In early September, 2010, the then-26-year-old made his major league debut. He was up and down with the Brewers the next two seasons before pitching in 71 games for the big league club in 2013. Kintzler felt great about his usage those years. He said, “The more I’m in there, the better I pitch, the more rhythm I have.” However, toward the end of the 2014 season, Kintzler started to experience some pain in his left knee, his landing knee. “I had knee surgery at the end of 2014. I actually pitched with a torn tendon all of that year. The rehab didn’t go well, so I had to strengthen my leg all last year. I tried to pitch. It just wasn’t happening. That’s probably why my numbers weren’t too good.” Of course, when you’re experience pain in one place on your body, there is a tendency to over-compensate elsewhere. “I’d take a knee over an arm. Problem is that it was affecting my arm. I strained my shoulder at the beginning of ‘14. It was affecting a lot of things. That’s why we basically shut it down for the year, and we took care of it. So now it’s good.” Unfortunately, it took experiencing the shoulder pain to even consider taking a look at his knee. That’s when Brewers doctors found that he had a torn tendon in his knee. That was very frustrating for the right-hander. Following the 2015 season, the Brewers removed Kintzler from their 40-man roster. He had some options, but he chose to sign with the Twins. “There were about five or six options out there. I’ve liked the Twins for awhile. Obviously I was rehabbing all year and they were a team I watched a lot. I felt like, with knowing Eddie Guardado ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to play for him. It seemed like it was a good spot for me to be in.” How did Kintzler know Eddie G? “His agent was my coach when I was a kid, so I just knew him. He always came around and gave advice growing up a little bit. I’ve always heard good things. Now he’s the bullpen coach. I’ve heard a lot of people liked him a lot. I need guys like that, with that kind of attitude. When I was in Milwaukee, I played with Mike Gonzalez. He was kind of like the same attitude, and I had a great year. If I can be around someone like that, it’s good for me.” Twins fans often get frustrated with Terry Ryan for not telling them everything they want to know. However, players (Twins or free agents) appreciate how much of a straight-shooter that Ryan is. That was one of the things that made Kintzler pick the Twins. “I felt like they were going to give me the best chance. I wasn’t looking to be depth anywhere. I felt like I had two good years, in ‘13 and ‘14. Then last year it’s not like I had a bad year, I was just injured. I felt like they were going to give me the best opportunity, the best look in spring training. So, that’s why. They didn’t sign a bunch of guys, which is what I liked. I felt like they weren’t lying to me. It’s the best situation.” Not only was it clear to him that he was wanted when the Twins (and other teams) were courting him, but it has remained the case ever since. “Terry Ryan’s called me. Paul Molitor’s called me. I mean, that goes a long ways with any player. I don’t think the Brewers called me other than when I got released.” Asked what it meant for him to be invited to Twins Fest, again, something that the Twins don’t typically do with non-roster minor league free agents, Kintzler smiled and said it continues to make him feel good about his decision. “The fact that you get invited to this as a non-roster guy is big. I’ve been on the (MLB) roster the last five years, and when you’d see a guy coming in, you think that means a lot. The fact they invited me on the day after they signed me means a lot to me. It just shows that they were serious about the signing. It’s not just we’re going to sign you, and we’re going to lie to you, and you’ll be some depth. They’re really going to give me a chance.They obviously think highly of me if they want the fans to know me and the players to know me. Something I’ve really looked forward to.” Of course, he didn’t really know any of his new teammates having played in the National League, well, except one. “Basically I don’t know anyone, except Mike Strong who we claimed the other day. He’s the only other guy that I know.” Kintzler made it clear that he wasn’t just saying that he is in the best shape of his life, like we often read this time of the year. However, he does feel good for the first time in a couple of years. “I’ve just been trying to stay on the program I learned in my rehab. My legs feel really good. My throwing is great. It’s probably the best I’ve felt in three years. I’m really, really excited about how my body feels. I’ve learned a lot through my training as far as what I need and what I don’t need through the therapist. You learn things as you go. It sucks that I had to miss last year, but if it helps me gain another five or six years, that’s fine with me.” And that’s the right attitude for the 31-year-old to have. He is healthy and optimistic that he can make the team and contribute. “I’ve just been pitching with so many knee injuries, now that I’m finally healthy, I’m really excited for what’s to come. It will be different, but I like the fresh start. I think it was time for me to get a fresh start away from Milwaukee, and obviously they’re doing a fresh start too.” This is the kind of minor league contract that made a world of sense for the Twins. It is a low-risk deal. Though he likely would not be a back-of-the-bullpen option, he could be a guy who throws often and gets a lot of ground balls. He will be given a chance, and if he performs as well as Blaine Boyer did most of 2016, Twins fans should be happy. Click here to view the article

Just guessing, but I just can't see Kepler pitching a lot of innings for the Twins in 2016.

I don't think it's realistic - or probably fair - to expect him to make the Opening Day roster. I would expect him to go to Chattanooga and get some work. However, at that point, once he's comfortable, able to work back-to-back days, stuff like that, it's really just a matter of time. And, there's no real way to know how everything will come together post-TJ Surgery.

I did notice that the majority of the winners of the shaving kits were bald guys and guys with full beards.

For me, it was really fun talking to him because he had such great energy. He was truly excited to be at Twins Fest and hanging out with the other players. At the same time, he is really driven and excited to be back. And, we can't really look too much at his minor league numbers as a starter as any indication of what he can be as a reliever. He has the potential to be terrific.

Bullpen has been the talk in Twins Territory throughout the offseason. It becomes more intensely debated each time a left-handed reliever signs or is traded. Tony Sipp. Antonio Bastardo. Jake McGee. Those are the big names, but one pitcher to watch this spring training is lefty Mason Melotakis.One of the biggest question marks for the Twins this offseason, and throughout Twins Fest weekend, is the bullpen, specifically, left-handed options for the bullpen. Brian Duensing and Neal Cotts are gone. Fernando Abad has a chance to be a quality arm. But two internal options will get an opportunity to make the team as well. Taylor Rogers and Mason Melotakis were added to the Twins 40-man roster in November and each has a chance to be very good. We wrote a lot about Taylor Rogers during the last few seasons since he was the Twins 11th-round pick in 2012 out of the University of Kentucky. He was our choice for Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2013 and has moved up a level each year since, as a starter. However, his numbers against left-handers indicate that he could be very good out of the bullpen. We may know less about Mason Melotakis. So today we’ll get to know a little more about him. He grew up in Grapevine, Texas, where he was a big Texas Rangers fan. “I was always a Rangers fan growing up. Me and my dad used to watch them every night. I’ve bled baseball ever since I can remember. We’ve always been at the field, but the Rangers are who we watched until now.” Now? “Oh, I’m a Twins fan!” He was a good pitcher in high school, but following his graduation he was not drafted. “I was undersized in high school. I was tall, but I didn’t get weight. I didn’t get any of my weight until college. I was under the radar in high school. When I got to college, I got weight, muscle came, velo came. Things started to all come together at that point. That’s when being drafted was a possibility.” He was the Twins 2nd-round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He was a reliever in college, but he was tried as a starter early in his career. He split the 2013 season between the rotation and the bullpen. In 2014, he made two starts before the organization decided to keep him in the bullpen for good. It is a decision that Melotakis fully supports. “I think I’m just going to be a bullpen guy. I enjoy the bullpen. I like that crazy attitude coming in when the game’s on the line and they need you. I like that mentality. I was a closer in college, so having that kind of pressure situation is something I’ve been accustomed to over the years. I enjoy that role.I enjoy relieving, being able to compete every day.” Unfortunately, a month after being moved back to the bullpen, he started to feel some pain. “It was all of a sudden. I had never had arm problems. It felt good that day. I was actually throwing harder, and then one pitch, it just kind of happened. It seems like the horror story for everybody.” He tried for two months to rehab in Ft. Myers, hoping to avoid the dreaded Tommy John surgery. However, on October 14, Melotakis was in New York where Dr. David Altcheck performed the surgery. It meant that he had to miss the entire 2015 season. He was very disappointed, frustrated. “It was a frustrating season especially since I was on that Chattanooga team. It was also a big season for me. I wanted to prove myself and show my worth and compete. Sitting out that season was a little frustrating, but it also let’s you know what you’re working toward and kept me motivated.” Knowing he would need to spend the 2015 season and offseasons in Ft. Myers, Melotakis made a big purchase. “I bought a house (in Ft. Myers) when I found out about surgery, so now I’m going to continue this (workout out there). The guys we have down there, the training staff, the amenities are fantastic.” Melotakis followed the plan throughout his season of rehab. He was at 11 months (following surgery) when the Twins Florida Instructional League began in late September. He didn’t pitch in games, but he was able to participate. “ I was throwing bullpens, but it wasn’t in games. I wasn’t able to throw an inning. But I was able to face some guys in a game-like situation, but it was batting practice. It was nice to face hitters and feel like you’re in a game, but nothing’s better than the real deal.” Reports came out of Ft. Myers that Melotakis was hitting 97 mph again with his fastball. One year after Tommy John surgery, that is quite impressive. More encouraging, he didn’t need to try to come back at that time. He still had the entire offseason to keep working and try to be ready for spring training. Those reports likely made the Twins’ decision of whether to add him to their 40-man roster, but right before Thanksgiving, Melotakis received a call he had been waiting for but wasn’t sure if he would get. “I was actually been working toward this. I was hoping, but I knew, having Tommy John, that it was going to be a tough decision for them. I got a call when I was in Ft. Myers, and I was ecstatic. I was by myself. I had just flown in from Texas for three days, and I got a call there. I was celebrating by myself. So when I got home (to Texas), I was able to see my parents and give them a hug and we were all very happy” It was Rob Antony who called Melotakis. After gathering himself on the phone, Melotakis informed Antony of his plans. “It’s something you work toward all your life. I told him, honestly, I’m honored to be on the 40- and, but I’m excited to be on the 25-man.” Lofty goals, but certainly attainable. The Twins will likely be cautious with Melotakis since he has not pitched in a game situation since August of 2014. That said, when spring training starts in mid-February, he will be at 16 months following his surgery. He will be given a shot to make the Opening Day roster. “I’m going to compete. I plan on competing and getting my name in contention for breaking with the team out of spring training. That’s my goal. It’s been my goal ever since I knew I would be back. I’m looking to compete. I”m hoping to make a name for myself and hopefully earn a spot.” It really isn’t a case of IF Mason Melotakis will pitch for the Twins. The only question really is WHEN. Will it be Opening Day? There is a chance. Will it be in 2016? There is a very good chance. When a left-hander has the ability to throw 97 mph, he will get an opportunity. But having started, he also was able to develop his other pitchers. “I actually worked on my change-up a lot when I was rehabbing, and it was actually a good pitch. I’m going to do a three-pitch mix. It’s a fastball, with a two-seam as well, a slurve, and a change-up.” When this Twins Daily writer was approaching Melotakis in the clubhouse to request an interview, he had to wait a couple of minutes. Torii Hunter was back there, chatting with Melotakis and his parents. Melotakis and his father excitedly got a picture taken with the Twins newest Hall of Famer. What a moment for pitcher and family! This was Melotakis’ first Twins Fest, but it was not his first trip to Minneapolis and to Target Field. After being drafted by the Twins in 2012, he came to town to take a physical and sign with the team. “It was beautiful,” He quickly added, “Not that it’s not beautiful now, but it’s fun to see a different season and seeing snow and seeing how Minnesota would be in your mind. Being here just makes you even more hungry.” Melotakis enjoyed Twins Fest. He knew most of the players, but he was excited to meet the veterans as well and learn from them. He wants to join them at Target Field in the regular season. “I want to be here. That’s the main thing.” It was also important for him to bring his parents to Twins Fest. He knows that when he gets The Call to the big leagues, they will be there. “They’re just ecstatic for me. They've been the best supporters that I could possibly want. I just know that they’ll be there, whatever day it is. I get that call. I know they’ll be right there with me.” Melotakis (pronounced Melo-TACK-is) is a very intriguing player for Twins fans to watch in spring training. If he performs, he could make the Opening Day roster. More likely, he’ll start the season in Chattanooga just to get some innings in. Since he will be 16-17 months post-Tommy John, it really is just a matter of time and confidence. Like all those other big-time relief pitching prospects in the Twins system, Melotakis has a chance to be a real difference maker in the back of the Twins bullpen for years to come. Click here to view the article

Completely agree.

I still think it's silly that Cesar Tovar isn't a Twins Hall of Famer, and Dave Goltz is probably under-appreciated as well.

My assumption is that no teams had a Spanish-speaking interpreter, where that was his sole job. I mean, there are always players that do interpreting (like Colabello), and usually coaches, but I don't think any teams had full-time interpreters.

He and his wife were impressive. It's a good program. Hopefully they can save some lives.

Ha! Maybe we can get Bonnes to post the scavenger hung on here somewhere.

That may or may not be true... but announcing Sano was going to the outfield, at least at the time, we seemed to think that was a ploy to try to improve the trade return for Plouffe. Maybe it wasn't right from the start. No way to really know.

I had no less than three people say that the only disappointing thing was that Parker wasn't there so they could buy you a beer. A couple said they missed the podcast!

The question came up. I didn't include his response in the article, but it certainly fits within his laid back, California mind set. First he was just asked generally about the arbitration process and how much he was involved in it this year. When asked specifically about the idea of a multi-year deal being discussed, he said:

I guessed about that after the Winter Meetings, particularly after seeing that the A's got so little for Brett Lawrie... http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins/how-brett-lawries-trade-altered-my-thinking-r4316 I do believe that, especially after seeing the market for 3B this winter, they let Plouffe know that he was staying.

I thought it was great. It's too bad that illness struck Pavano's family, so he wasn't able to make it, but Pagliarulo was terrific. Laudner was a lot better than I expected. The venue was great. Any feedback from those who were there would be much appreciated! We're love to hear your thoughts.

When the Minnesota Twins 2015 season came to an end after a three-game sweep at the hands of the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals, many fans (here at Twins Daily and all over) immediately started looking to 2016. One common assumption made by most was that Trevor Plouffe would be traded in an attempt to open up third base for Miguel Sano. On Friday night at Twins Fest, Plouffe was still in a Twins uniform. Literally. He was wearing one of the new, red Twins Friday night uniforms just like all of the other Twins players at the event. He walked into an office, ready to be interviewed by a couple of beat writers, a television station and a Twins Daily writer. On the desk in that office was the 2015 Kansas City Royals media guide. Plouffe was the first to see it. He immediately flipped it, over and said “I can’t look at that!”Asked if he had looked back at the Twins 2015 season and was happy with what happened, Plouffe gave it some thought before saying, “I don’t know if ‘happy’ is the right word. We made good strides. I think we’re on the right path.” He continued, “We’re not going to be happy until we reach the postseason. We played better than we have the last four years, but that’s not saying much. We’re not resting on that. We’re not saying we had a good year so let’s take it easy. We tasted it but we want to get to the playoffs. We saw Kansas City win the World Series, and we know we’re just as good a team as they are. That’s what we want to do. The only way we’re going to be happy after the season is winning the final game.” Plouffe, who just last week became the sixth and final Twins arbitration-eligible player to agree to terms, said that he has found his offseason providing him with a lot of happiness. “This offseason has been good. It’s been different having a six-month-old son at home. That’s a big change for me. I have my Dad Strength now!” Trevor Plouffe always enjoys coming to Twins Fest. It’s fun being with teammates and meeting the fans. It also means that spring training is right around the corner. This year’s Twins Fest found Plouffe with a bit of a heavy heart. “I've been gone (from his wife Olivia and son Teddy) for 24 hours now, and I just can’t stand it. There’s just something in my heart that’s missing. It’s really weird and it’s a feeling that I haven’t had before. Everything people tell you about it (becoming a parent) is true. I heard it was the hardest thing and also the most fulfilling thing and it’s true. Some days it’s really hard, but it’s been a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to spring training, bring him to the clubhouse. and doing all that stuff.” The perception of Plouffe has always been that he is California Cool, laid back. Early in his career, some saw that as a negative. When he performs in big situations, his calm can be seen as a positive. This offseason, Plouffe’s calm demeanor likely kept him from worrying about potentially being traded. 2016 will be his 13th season in the Minnesota Twins organization. Rumors were constant early in the offseason, especially after the Twins won the bid for Korean slugger Byung Ho Park. With Park set to be the Twins primary DH and Joe Mauer at first base, third base seemed a logical position for Miguel Sano following his strong rookie showing. Where did that leave Plouffe? Many, this article’s author included, wondered aloud if trading Plouffe made the most sense for the team. We will never know if Twins GM Terry Ryan had any phone calls with other teams regarding the services of Plouffe. We aren’t going to find out what type of package of players he may have been offered in exchange for Plouffe. At Twins Fest, Terry Ryan said that at no point this offseason was Plouffe available to other teams. In fact, he pointed out how important it was to keep Plouffe. He said on numerous occasions that “we only scored 690 runs last year (actually 696). We needed to add bats, not subtract.” That was the message that Plouffe heard all offseason from the Twins GM and from his manager, Paul Molitor. “They were always adamant, and they wanted to let me know that I was going to be here. For me, it was nice to know. Gives you a little stability. Can’t control any of the rumors. He continued, “I just went about my offseason as I always do. From the end of the season on, I was always told I’d be here. Moli was very adamant about that. I never heard anything different.” For what it’s worth, Plouffe believes that Miguel Sano can handle the duties of a right fielder just fine. Plouffe said, “I think he can. I think if he commits to it and really wants to be a good outfielder, I think he can. I know he’s a big guy. Everyone knows he’s a big guy. He walks in the room and you think ‘Dang, that’s a big guy.’ But, he’s athletic and he’s young, and obviously he’s got a great arm. I think he profiles just fine in right.” Former Twins third baseman Corey Koskie was a guest for a segment of a 1500 ESPN radio show on Sunday morning. He was asked how he was able to so greatly improve his defense at third base and how Trevor Plouffe has been able to make the drastic improvements too. Koskie pointed out that the Twins draft character. They draft players that they know will work hard and do what they can to improve and do what they can to help the team. Plouffe certainly fits that mold. The Twins Daily writer in the room asked Plouffe if there was something that he wanted to focus on during his offseason. Plouffe said, “That’s a great question.” The Twins Daily writer pumped his fist and whispered, “Yes!” (No really, he did.) Fortunately for said Twins Daily writer, Plouffe smiled, gave it some thought and said, “I always try to work on my lateral movement. At third base, it’s important for range. It’s something I focused on. We did some different stuff with our workouts this offseason, a lot of movement stuff, so hopefully that translates into increased range.” He also gives a ton of credit to a few people for working with him extensively on his defensive game and his confidence. He specifically gave former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and current manager Paul Molitor credit for continually working with him. He also says that third base coach Gene Glynn has been great for him. “Gene he’s been very good for me. He’s so positive. He tells me stuff like I can win a Gold Glove which I don’t know if I can, but he tells me that. It pumps me up. He’s very optimistic. He’s just helped me so much.” Plouffe is proud of the progress he has made, and more important, continues to make with his glove at the hot corner. “I know I’ve improved, but I think there’s still room for more improvement. I like the fact that I've been able to show people that if you work hard, you can get better even at my age.” The 29-year-old said, “Baseball age, I’m kind of old. Getting old, at least.” “Yeah, getting old all right!” Thought the Twins Daily writer who can’t even remember being 29 anymore. 2016 will be Plouffe’s seventh in the big leagues. He’s had some good success with the organization. He has accumulated 6.4 bWAR over the past two seasons, and 8.2 bWAR over the past three seasons. Can he be a leader on the 2016 team? Is it something that he would want to be for this team after the retirement of Torii Hunter? “I don’t think you just snap your fingers and say, ‘Hey I’m the leader on the team.’ You have to earn that. You have to show up and act like that. I plan on working as hard as I ever have. Hopefully people pick up on that and want to join me.” The best part about Twins Fest is that it is a good reminder that in less than a month, pitchers and catchers will report. A few days later, the Twins will hold their first full workouts. And in one month, the Twins will play their first spring game. Plouffe is excited for the 2016 season and believes that the Twins can have a strong offense. “I think we have a lot of potential to put up some runs. We have a pretty solid lineup throughout. At the bottom of the lineup, we’re going to have Rosario and Escobar and those two swing the bat pretty well. I think staying healthy will be key for us. I think if we can stay healthy, we’re going to put up some runs.” Plouffe played 156 games in 2016, the most of his career by 16 games. If he can stay healthy, he will again be productive in the middle of the Twins lineup. Most important, he’s where he wants to be, and he has a goal of topping the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central and getting the Twins to the playoffs. As the session with the media came to an end, Plouffe grabbed the now-upside-down Royals media guide and said, “We’ve got to get rid of this” as he tossed it in the garbage. Click here to view the article

Jerr, I was sitting with several of the media members, & I was worried that I would be the one that would have his eyes watering. That was a very emotional interview, press conference. There were so many Twins fans there. What was amazing to me was how strong his wife was. It reminded me of Harmon Killebrew swife speaking at his memorial service. Really amazing!

It was Lipitor... and he fully admitted that not taking it was not a smart decision.

Very true. Carew talked about how he was in very good shape and had no warning signs before this happened. It can happen to anyone, any time.

“I lost my life twice that day.” In front of a large crowd of Twins fans, media and friends, Rod Carew sat in front of people and told the story of his life-changing heart attack back in September. He went out to hit some golf balls by himself. He hit the first one, right down the middle, of course. But suddenly he felt a strong burning in his chest. He got in the cart and rushed back to the clubhouse where he laid on the floor and asked someone to call for immediate help. Paramedics twice had to shock him back to life. He said that he either saw his daughter Michelle, who passed away several years ago from leukemia, or another guardian angel because he came back.He said that, along with his wife Rhonda, wanted to keep it quiet for awhile. Then came the Sports Illustrated story. It was an opportunity for Carew to teach, to instruct again. In fact, former big leaguer Clyde Wright talked to Carew recently and told him that after reading Carew’s story, he went and had his heart check. Doctors found 97% blockage and soon after Wright had quadruple bypass surgery. One life saved. This morning at Twins Fest, Carew begged the crowd, “Please. Please! Go get your hearts checked because you never know.” And now Carew and his wife, along with the Minnesota Twins, the Los Angeles Angels, the Baseball Hall of Fame and others are working together to hopefully save more lives. They announced The Heart of 29 campaign. The year-long program is designed to “ to raise funds for the American Heart Association, as well as raise awareness for heart disease and heart failure. The Heart of 29 campaign honors the Carews' wish to assist the American Heart Association following the Baseball Hall of Famer's recent, major heart attack and subsequent surgery.” Carew said the low point was being just like a little baby. Crying. Needing a diaper. Unable to sit up by himself. He lost 30 pounds during the procedures but says that he has now put 27 back in, and he’s back to 187 pounds. He continues to need to carry a couple of batteries connected to his heart as he walks. At night, he is essentially plugged in to a wall. He is now up to two miles a day walking, “at my wife’s insistence.” On May 14th at Target Field, The Twins Cities Heart Walk will take place. It is the largest fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Carew will be on hand, leading the way. (More information to come.) The Twins are debuting their red jerseys this year at Friday home games. On April 13th, the first Friday, the Twins will wear a Heart of 29 patch to honor Carew and the campaign. Also on those Friday nights, fans will be able to purchase lower level Field Box ticket and receive a special Heart of 29 Rod Carew red Twins jersey. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit the American Heart Association. Tickets will be available for purchase through a special online ticket link beginning in late February. Carew said that baseball and the baseball community, especially the Twins organization, have been on his mind throughout his recovery. He’s received many calls from people through all his walks of life. Another goal for Carew was to be in uniform at spring training. He told the crowd when asked, “Oh, I’ll be at spring training!” He is anxious to work with Byron Buxton on bunting and base stealing. Carew wants to teach. He wants to help where he can help. And the Heart of 29 campaign is another way he can help, just like he helped people learn more about leukemia all those years ago. As much as Carew wants to be just a ‘normal’ guy and live a ‘normal’ life, he feels that obligation to help people. It’s quite commendable. It was great to see him at Twins Fest again. It’s great that he’s been able to overcome his heart attack, and he and his wife anxiously await a possible heart transplant. I’d be remiss if I didn’t echo his key point. “Get your heart checked. Please!” For much more information on the Heart of 29 campaign and the American Heart Association, please click here. Click here to view the article