Twinkie Town
An online community of Twins fans mourning the death of Prince Rogers Nelson.
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The Alphaball Twins League: an OOTP 27 tournament
Out of the Park Baseball fans can now dive into the Alphaball Twins League, a 16‑team tournament built from Minnesota Twins (and former Senators) players who share common surnames. Each roster follows a strict 26‑man format (13 pitchers, 13 position players) and showcases a player's best MLB season rather than just his Twin year. Teams are named after global cities and reflect letter groups—e.g., Aachen Aardwolves (A), Aberdeen Absconders (A‑C), Guigang Gaggles (G), and the ultra‑long‑named Llanfair PG Ais (shortest & longest surnames). After a simulated 162‑game season, the league crowns a champion through a 16‑team playoff. The article details roster construction, numbering quirks, and league structure, offering a creative twist for offseason OOTP enthusiasts.
Greatest Washington Senators: A Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 1)
Twinkie Town launches its first round of the "Greatest Washington Senators" definitive list, spotlighting the franchise that became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. The article explains the Senators’ historic link to the Twins and why they deserve recognition separate from the modern Washington Nationals. Round 1 features Hall‑of‑Famers Walter Johnson, Sam Rice, Goose Goslin, Joe Judge and Buddy Myer, each with career stats and memorable moments – from Johnson’s 2.17 ERA and 168.4 bWAR to Goslin’s 1924 World Series heroics and Judge’s record‑setting defense. The piece sets the stage for a fan‑driven poll on the Senators’ all‑time greats.
Monday Morning Minnesota: The “MN Sports Looking Up?” Edition
Monday Morning Minnesota highlights a surprisingly mixed sports week in the state. While the Vikings and Wolves remain undefeated, Gopher football welcomes back Floyd, Gopher men’s hockey sweeps No. 3 Fighting Hawks, Olivia Miles earns All‑WNBA First Team honors, and the Wild lead the Central. The Twins, however, continue to struggle, prompting analysis from Twinkie Town writers on their paradoxical 2026 performance, infield grades, and prospects for 2027. The post also previews World Series Game 3, Roberto Clemente Award winner Francisco Lindor, and key offseason free‑agent rankings.
TwinkieTown Movie Night: Beetlejuice
Tonight’s TwinkieTown Movie Night streams Tim Burton’s cult classic Beetlejuice at 7:30 PM. The blog recaps the film’s quirky plot—dead New England couple (Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin) haunting new owners (Catherine O’Hara) and hiring bio‑exorcist Michael Keaton—while diving into Burton’s behind‑the‑scenes lore: original script by Michael McDowell, early casting ideas (Sammy Davis Jr., Winona Ryder), and Danny Elfman’s iconic score. It also notes the film’s spin‑offs (animated series, games, a 2024 sequel, and a Broadway musical) and trivia about cast members. Readers get a fun mix of movie details and Burton trivia to decide if they’ll tune in.
Can the Twins avoid another late landslide in 2027?
The Twins have a pattern of late‑season collapses that could haunt them again in 2027. After breaking a 0‑18 playoff‑losing streak in 2023, Minnesota fell from a solid August lead in 2022 (54‑48) to an 78‑84 finish, repeated the slide in 2024 with a 9‑18 September run that knocked them out of the wild‑card race, and saw a disastrous 19‑35 August/September in 2025 after trading away bullpen arms. In 2026 they sit .500 (56‑56) but posted a 10‑17 August and 11‑13 September. The article examines how the 2023 front‑office investments—deep starting pitching, a marquee signing, and positional depth—helped avoid collapse, and questions whether Tom Pohlad’s payroll promises can stop the trend next year.
Grading the 2026 Twins: Infielders
Twinkie Town grades the 2026 Minnesota Twins' infield and catchers in part two of its season review. Josh Bell, acquired as a steady veteran, posted a modest .255/.319/.419 line with 21 homers and 96 RBI but saw a career‑low walk rate and defensive struggles, earning a B‑ grade. Young shortstop‑turned‑third‑baseman Brooks Lee posted career highs (.253/.300/.428, 24 HR, 2.8 fWAR) and a Gold Glove nod, earning a B+ for his defensive excellence and solid, if unspectacular, offense. Utility man Kody Clemens led the team with 27 homers, delivering a B+ after a versatile year across first, outfield and second base. Royce Lewis slumped after a brief resurgence, finishing with a .227 line, low wRC+, and a B‑grade, highlighting the need for offensive upgrades. The article details each player's plate appearances, stats, and future outlook.
On the complexities of scheduling
The author reflects on how even simple league scheduling can become a tangled puzzle. While most fans only glance at MLB calendars, the writer explains the challenges of crafting four rotating schedules for a Dice Baseball league on Roll20, ensuring each of the 34 fictional teams appears on every TV‑named channel and, across two schedules, hosts at least one home game on each channel. The painstaking process—tracking channel assignments, resolving conflicts, and duplicating efforts—highlights the complexity behind professional MLB scheduling. Readers get a behind‑the‑scenes look at amateur league logistics and a newfound appreciation for the sport’s official schedulers.
The paradoxical performance of the 2026 Twins offense—and how to build for 2027
Despite finishing eight games behind the AL Central leader and missing the third wild‑card spot, the 2026 Minnesota Twins ranked second in the American League in runs scored—a paradox the author argues won’t hold up in 2027 as league offense improves. The piece outlines offseason priorities: solidifying shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, third base Brooks Lee, left field Emmanuel Rodriguez, and center field Walker Jenkins (or Byron Buxton if healthy); deciding on a catcher via Ryan Jeffers’ qualifying offer; and adding depth at second base, right field, and first base to replace departing Josh Bell and underperforming Royce Lewis. With young talent on board, the Twins must actively upgrade to stay in the AL’s top five next season.
Monday Morning Minnesota: The “It’s World Series Time (Soon)” Edition
The Twins’ offseason buzz is heating up as pitcher Griffin Jax (22) faces a potential Game 7 start for the Guardians, while Minnesota dismisses former pitching coach Pete Maki and hires former Rays Triple‑A pitching coach Brian Reith. Brooks Lee makes the Gold Glove finalist list, and several local writers preview 2027 prospects and predict the starting rotation. Across baseball, the Rays inch toward a World Series berth, the Brewers eye a matchup, and the Dodgers lament a NLCS sweep.
TwinkieTown Movie Night: Bride of Frankenstein
Here’s the link for tonight’s movie. Click your clicks at 7:30! So, imagine you’re Boris Karloff. Working actor at Universal — kind of one of the lesser studios, but a job’s a job. You’re in the cafeteria one day, wearing your nicest suit, and this dapper English gentleman comes over and asks if he can […]
Reckoning with the Savannah Bananas
I was born in 1985. Sociologically-speaking, this means two things: As such, and as an enormous Major League Baseball fan, I don’t know what to make of the Savannah Bananas. In case you are unaware (I certainly was until delving in), the Bananas started in 2016 as a legitimate participant in the collegiate wood bat […]
What Prospects Will Help the Twins in 2027?
With the 2026 season fully behind us, I decided to take a look at all of the top prospects who are likely to contribute to the major league roster next season. From the franchise cornerstones to the middle relievers, these are all of the prospects that I think could provide significant value to the Twins […]
Brian Reith hired as Twins pitching coach
The Twins announced this morning that they named Brian Reith as their next pitching coach, replacing Pete Maki who was let go following the end of the 2026 season. They also promoted Ben Myers to the Big League training staff after spending the past few years with the St. Paul Saints, the Twins Triple-A affiliate. […]
Brooks Lee named Gold Glove finalist
Twins third baseman Brooks Lee was named a finalist for a Gold Glove award at third base. The positional specification is important since Lee opened the season as Minnesota’s starting shortstop. Lee is unlikely to bring the hardware home, as the Red Sox’s Caleb Durbin lapped the field in most defensive metrics at third base, […]
Three (ex-)Twins in search of a trophy
While the Twins tumbled out of playoff contention over the last two months of the season, three of their former players are still in range of a title, a trophy, and a ring. So for fans looking for a team to root for and discouraged by the choice between a heavy spender, a geographical rival, […]
How Will I Know (a Twins year is over)?
Every year that the Minnesota Twins don’t punch a ticket to the October tourney, I like to think back on the moment(s) I knew the season wouldn’t end cradling a Commissioner’s Trophy. This practice began in 2021, when fans knew it wasn’t going to be a championship bunch on the embarrassingly early date of April […]
TwinkieTown Movie Night: Young Frankenstein
Tonight’s movie is at 7:30, here’s the link. It’s a Russian site we’ve watched before, and it’s 100% safe to watch; I wouldn’t try downloading. Young Frankenstein is directed and co-written by Mel Brooks, and man did that guy marry UP. That’s no sin – so did I. But Anne Bancoft wasn’t just a recent […]
Might L-O-N-G spell relief again soon?
We currently reside in a starting pitching era dictated by the “third time through the order penalty”. Basically, the number-crunching has shown that what Tony Oliva always said was actually true (not that we ever doubted Tony O, of course): the more times a batter faces a pitcher, the more the pendulum of success swings […]
Grading the 2026 Twins: Starting Pitchers
It was an up and down 2026 for the Twins and there’s no position group who represents that trajectory than the starting pitchers. From Joe Ryan’s second half fall off, to Bailey Ober’s journey to break 88 MPH with a fastball, to the historically terrible performance from Simeon Woods Richardson, it was quite the journey […]
Twinkie Town writer always shocked to see OOTP players in real life
In reviewing Arizona Fall League rosters for the original draft of this article, Twinkie Town writer Matt Monitto was stunned into silence by what he saw. “I’m scrolling through the rosters on MLB.com, and I come across Frank Mozzicato, Tate Southisene, and I have to sit back,“ Monitto said in an interview with a mirror. […]
A Big Hurt: The 2006 Twins turn back into a pumpkin
The last weekend of the 2006 season was magical for the Minnesota Twins. After chasing the Detroit Tigers all summer, they final caught—and overtook!—the Kitties on the season’s final day. This afforded the 96-66 AL Central champion Twins the opportunity to stay home and welcome in the 93-69 AL West champion Oakland Athletics for the […]
Monday Morning Minnesota: The “Hit The Roof” Edition
We’re already through the Wild Card round and halfway through the Division Series in the playoffs and there are plenty of former Twins making the news in the playoffs. Old friend Ty France almost helped the Padres upset the Brewers in Game 1, but hit a moonshot of another old friend, Trevor Megill, that doinked […]
Who’s up for another round of TwinkieTown Movie Nights?
So, I’m up for doing this again this year… but there’s a problem. The problem is, we did almost all the good Baseball Movies last year. The only famous one we missed was Pride of the Yankees, with Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig. We can do that movie if people want to. (I avoided it […]
How much 2027 baseball are you willing to lose for salary cap/floor progress?
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has a rule: don’t talk about negative subjects or collective bargaining topics (one and the same, really) until after the trophy in his name is hoisted. Sorry Rob, but to paraphrase the Clown Prince of Crime: “the only sensible way to live in this world is without rules—and tonight […]
2026 Twins All-System Team
Last week, I released my 2026 Twins Minor League Awards, so go check that out if you haven’t! This week, I am continuing to recognize the top performers in the Twins organization with an all-system team, building a roster of the top minor league performers in the Twins system this season. In order to qualify […]
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