“We’re gonna win, Twins…we’re gonna score!”
Rounds 1-5 Results:
Never underestimate the power of an earworm jingle. Whether welcoming the new ball club to Minnesota in 1961 or powering them to their first championship in 1987, the Win Twins theme has been ever-present for Minnesota Twins fans.
Next: A booming baritone on the boob tube.
photo by: Juan DeLeon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Paul Molitor
- Despite a long, Hall of Fame career elsewhere, the St. Paul-born, Gopher-playing Molitor didn’t play for his hometown major league squad until 39 years of age (1996-1998). Even then, his .341 BA campaign in ‘96 was remarkable! After assuming various coaching roles in the Twins organization from 2005-2014, Molly assumed the top dugout perch from 2015-2018. Even after being let go, Molitor remained—and remains—active as a roving instructor.
Target Field
- Debuting in 2010, Target Field was—and remains to this day—a gem of a ballpark. Nestled into a Minneapolis plot that no one thought possible to accommodate a baseball yard, it has a uniquely cozy feel. It always resides in the top third of MLB ballpark lists—often in the top five! Maintained impeccably for the past 14 years—some might argue better than the on-field product—Target Field is the mirror image of its Metrodome predecessor: a glorious shrine to Minnesota baseball, only missing a championship trophy in its bowels.
The Star Tribune Sports Section
- Gather ‘round, children, and let me tell you of a time before the internet. In the hardscrabble analog age of human existence, following your local sporting nine was not a moment-by-moment affair. Instead, a rolled-up newsprint assemblage that magically appeared on your doorstep to meet the rising sun was often your best bet for baseball news. No shade to east Twin Cities suburbanites who received the Pioneer Press, but the west-side’s Star Tribune had unassailable sports coverage that provided beat opinions and box scores to pore over for hours.
Dan Gladden
- In five seasons with the Twins, Dan Gladden accumulated 5.8 WAR—not exactly the stuff of legends. Yet, legend he is in these parts. His hustle and speed were key components of two championships and he was clutch in both—a grand slam in ’87 & a 10th inning double in G7 ‘91 that sparked the winning rally. Dazzle’s “colorful” commentary aside John Gordon, Corey Provus and others in the radio booth is unique, to say the least.
Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images
Dick Bremer
- The booming baritone of Mr. Bremer all but predilected a long career in broadcasting. His dulcet tones got fans through the mid-1990s doldrums, ushered in the 2000s rise to prominence, and moved from “the other place” to Target Field’s days in the sun. Perhaps paramount: The Duke was “one of us” in a way no other Twins broadcast conduit could claim. He was raised in Dumont (if you couldn’t find that on a map, he’d definitely help you out), got his diploma in Staples, and cut his journalism teeth in St. Cloud before getting the opportunity for lead play-by-play of his beloved hometown Twins.