This is a multi-part tale about a couple of scrappy middle infielders. We hope you do enjoy it. PART I: On the phone last night with our dad, the conversation turned to baseball. We started talking about the Twins (the game had just started), and for the second time in two months, Dad started singing the praises of Nick Punto. "I like Nick Punto, even at the plate," he said. "He battles. He's a tough out." Now: We're not part of the anti-Punto crowd who thinks LNP can do no right. He has his moments, and when he's doing what he does best -- scrappin' and fieldin' -- he can be a real asset. But we couldn't just let this slide (head-first, no doubt). Kindly pointing to stats like OPS (career for Punto: .644) which were not en vogue when Dad was growing up (an era when many ballplayers looked and hit like Punto), we asserted that while Punto can be a tough out, he is also "an often out."

Our 10-year-old brother, Ben, caught on to the back-and-forth from the background and offered up another testimonial for Punto. "He's a hustler," is what it turns out Ben said. But Dad didn't quite hear him right the first time. "What did you say? He's a Fuffler?" At that point, we just started laughing. As far as we can tell, there is no such thing as the word "Fuffler." But from now on, we will always associate it with Nick Punto. Post Script to Part I: Punto had two hits and two RBI last night, including really the key knock of the game to put the Twins in the lead during their five-run inning. So there's really no chance Dad will stop liking him anytime soon, even at the plate. And hey, why not?

PART II: Believe this if you want. Disregard it if you think we're full of it. But we had a mental image during the early stages of last night's game. The image: Matt Tolbert hitting a home run. It's true! Just jump into our mind and you'll see! It was almost as eerie as the time we were 12 and sick with the flu, and we had a mental image of a Braves batter grounding the next pitch off the third base bag -- which, lo and behold, happened. In our Tolbert vision, the home run was more down the right field line (a la Kubel) than his actual blast. So we're not getting cocky about it or anything.

PART III: Maybe you don't think the Punto story is as funny as we do, but it was good enough for us to re-tell it later to the RandBall Better Half. Those of you who know the RBBH even a little bit know that she has a unique take on sports and that, while she can enjoy a good game, doesn't really follow baseball all that closely. This is relevant because when we started the story, it went thusly. RB: "So I was talking to my dad about Nick Punto, and he said, 'I like Nick Punto, even at the plate." RBBH, thinking that was the punch line: "Was he confused about who that is?" We laughed, but eventually we had to explain that Fuffler was the punch line. That said, it made us realize that if a VERY casual fan has picked up through background chatter the general Twins fan angst as it relates to Punto, then this thing has really gotten out of hand. We will say this once, for the record: As a No. 9 hitter and a guy who plays often but not every day at a variety of infield positions (if necessary), Nick Punto is useful. He's far from ideal, but The Fuffler -- as he will be known in this house from now on -- generally deserves better than what he gets from fans.

Your thoughts on nicknames, psychic sports abilities, switch-hitting infielders who might surprise you with the bat and anything else, really, in the comments.