Four-year-old Kirby Byron Hunt (no kidding) from Duncan, Okla., getting an autograph card today in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Twins have found what they hope is an elegant, if temporary, solution to the new policy limiting physical interaction, including autographs, with their fans. The team has printed stacks of “2020 Spring Training” autograph cards, and the players each sign a couple of dozen every morning. Players and staff members then hand them out to kids who are watching their workouts.
Many fans have resorted to asking players for cell-phone selfies as they pass by, and I noticed Royce Lewis, among a couple of others, stop and oblige some of those. Fans seem to understand why the new restrictions are in place, and I didn’t hear much grumbling about it near the practice fields.
The Braves are in Hammond Stadium today, and they brought much of the core of the team that won the NL East last year. Well, except for Josh Donaldson, of course. The new Twins third baseman held an extended press conference for Atlanta reporters, discussing why he chose to sign with Minnesota instead of going back to the Braves.
Jose Berrios is on the mound for the Twins today, which is significant for this reason: If he stays on a regular schedule, it would be his turn to pitch 15 days from now. That’s March 26, which is Opening Day in Oakland. Berrios made no secret last spring of how much he likes being the team’s No. 1 starter.
Here are the lineups for today’s game, which is being broadcast by Fox Sports North:
BRAVES
Acuna CF
Albies 2B
Ozuna LF
Duvall RF
Alonso 1B
O’Brien DH
Kazmar 3B
Langeliers C
Kozma SS
Fried LHP
TWINS
Kepler RF
Donaldson 3B
Cruz DH
Sano 1B
Arraez 2B
Garver C
Adrianza SS
Wade CF
Larnach SS
Berrios RHP, then Duffey, May, Thielbar
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La Velle E. Neal III has covered baseball for the Star Tribune since 1998 (the post-Knoblauch era). Born and raised in Chicago, he grew up following the White Sox and hating the Cubs. He attended both the University of Illinois and Illinois-Chicago and began his baseball writing career at the Kansas City Star. He can be heard occasionally on KFAN radio, lending his great baseball mind to Paul Allen and other hosts.
Phil Miller covered three seasons of Twins baseball, but that was at a different ballpark for a different newspaper. Now Miller returns to the baseball beat after joining the Star Tribune as the Gopher football writer in 2010, and he won't miss the dingy dome for a minute. In addition to the Twins and Gophers, Miller covered the Utah Jazz and the NBA for six years at The Salt Lake Tribune.
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