FORT MYERS, Fla. — Since his retirement in 2000, Rick Aguilera has made it a point to stop by Twins camp every spring, just to say hello on his way to play golf somewhere.
This time, he's staying.
Aguilera's first day as a spring training instructor went well Thursday, he said, though he admits he's still figuring out what his duties are. Manager Paul Molitor has an idea: Share your secrets.
"He's got the résumé to back up knowledge that he might be able to extend to people. He's had experience as a starter and as a closer," Molitor said. "Some of the guys who have been working with [bullpen coach] Eddie [Guardado] on a split-finger pitch maybe can get a different voice from a righthanded guy instead of a lefthanded guy."
Sounds good to "Aggie."
"I'll do whatever they ask me to do," he said. "Talk to pitchers, help them with a split-finger, maybe share some words of wisdom about preparation and your mental approach as a reliever. I'm excited to help."
Players get to meet, greet Sir Elton John
Elton John is a pop superstar with dozens of hits, an Academy Award winner, and a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a knighthood conferred by Queen Elizabeth II.
But a baseball fan? Trevor Plouffe wasn't buying it.