Free Republic

Torii Hunter is an anti-gay bigot. This is something he has proven with his own words on multiple occasions. Yesterday, at the press conference to announce the one-year, $10.5 million deal he signed to return to the Minnesota Twins, beat writer Mike Berardino of the Saint Paul Pioneer-Press asked him about those beliefs—specifically, in the context of how Hunter thought supporting Arkansas Republican Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson in his recent election had affected his free agency. Torii Hunter Says Homosexuality Is "Not Right" (Then Claims He Was Misquoted) Hunter's response: You got some people who are just messy, you know? So,...

On the field, Sandy Koufax wasn't just any baseball player. Off the field, he wasn't viewed that way either. The Hall of Fame pitcher isn't just remembered by baseball fans as "the man with the golden arm," but is revered by his Jewish admirers as "the left arm of God" for his talent as well as the public observance of his faith, most notably during the 1965 World Series. A legendary left-handed pitcher who spent his entire career with the Dodgers, Koufax dominated batters like few ever have, atop mounds in Brooklyn and Los Angeles -- as well as just...

News reports out of New York and Detroit are saying that former Minnesota Twin outfielder Delmon Young was arrested in a drunken incident early Friday in Manhattan. The Detroit Free Press quoted New York City police detective Joseph Cavitolo as saying "there was an incident at the hotel [and] some anti-Semitic remarks" during a physical clash between Young and a 32-year-old man at about 2:30 a.m

On this, the day of his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, let's take a look at the life of Bert Blyleven. Rik Aalbert Blijleven was born in Zeist, Netherlands on April 6, 1951. His family moved to Canada when he was just two years old, and then to Garden Grove, California when he was five. He was raised in Garden Grove, where he listened to Vin Scully on the Dodgers' radio broadcasts and pitched on a mound that his father had built in the family's backyard.

Harmon Killebrew, the Minnesota Twins slugger known for his tape-measure home runs, has died at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., after battling esophageal cancer. He was 74.

Harmon announced Friday that he no longer plans to fight his esophageal cancer and has settled in for the final days of his life, saddening friends and fans of the 74-year-old Hall of Fame slugger. In a statement released jointly by the Minnesota Twins and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Killebrew said "it is with profound sadness" that he will no longer receive treatment for the "awful disease." He said the cancer has been deemed incurable by his doctors and he will enter hospice care.

CHICAGO (AP) -- Francisco Liriano pitched the major league's first no-hitter of the season, throwing his first career complete game in the Minnesota Twins' 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. Liriano (2-4) walked six and struck out two, throwing 123 pitches in the 95th major league start for the 27-year-old left-hander.

I did some searches on tours, so far Onboardnewyorktours.com looks to be a possible choice with their "See the Best" tour... I like Revolutionary War history and American history in general. (I also like pubs.)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rondell White planned to ship a replica Twins road jersey to his "hero" last Thursday. Instead, the kid-sized jersey, draped in clear plastic, is hanging in the Twins designated hitter's locker stall. It will stay there all season. It is White's way of honoring a courageous boy he met while playing for the Montreal Expos in the 1990s. Antony Carola died Thursday after a decadelong battle with cancer. He was 14. White and his wife, Zana, spent Monday, the Twins' day off, in Montreal attending Carola's viewing. White took a 6:30 a.m. flight from Montreal to...

Two excellent human beings died this week, long before their time. One thing connects Kirby Puckett, baseball player, and Dana Reeve, actress and widow of Christopher Reeve. It is Ernest Hemingway’s immortal definition of heroism, “grace under pressure.” This man and this women were both heros. Kirby Puckett was a Hall of Famer, one of the finest athletes in Minnesota in any sport. As an outfielder and slugger for the Minnesota Twins, he made the impossible seem natural with his skills. There’s an article in the Pioneer Press, “Weren’t the Cheers Only Yesterday?” which captures the magic of his ability....

Righthander Jeff Reardon, who was instrumental in the Minnesosta Twins' 1980 World Series championship and also pitched for the Red Sox from 1990-92, was arrested in Florida yesterday on suspicion of committing armed robbery. According to a release from the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, Reardon, 50, entered a jewelry store in a shopping mall and handed a clerk a note demanding money. The clerk, believing he had a gun, filled a bag with an undisclosed amount of cash. Reardon fled with the cash and was followed by the store manager and arrested outside a restaurant, police said .

The Twins gave out 5,000 G.I. Joe toys the other night, and so far there have been no reported cases of 8-year-olds showing up at any Army recruiting offices. That was one of the concerns among the various activists who opposed the toy giveaway. They thought the G.I. Joe figure was specifically a recruiting device that might inure a child to a life on the battlefield. No, I don't understand either how you make yourself think that — especially when kids make toy guns out of everything, even the chicken fingers in the school lunch room. In any event, the...

Twins' G.I. Joe giveaway criticized Peaceniks rip team's idea to honor military BY ARON KAHN Pioneer Press In another sign that the war in Iraq has permeated virtually all aspects of life in America, your hometown ball club will introduce the major leagues' first patriotic giveaway of this era — a G.I. Joe action figure. The Minnesota Twins will present Duke, "the calm and determined battlefield commander of the G.I. Joe team,'' to the first 5,000 children at Monday night's game against the Kansas City Royals as a way of honoring local military personnel. But while the Twins hand out...

   Twins announce rebirth of Homer Hanky September 5, 2002 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The streaking Oakland Athletics will meet two formidable foes Friday night: the Minnesota Twins and the Homer Hanky. ADVERTISEMENT The A's, on an AL-record 20-game winning streak, begin a road trip at the Metrodome where the Homer Hanky will make its return for the first time in 11 years. The waving towels were a staple during Minnesota's world championship runs in 1987 and 1991. The Twins went 8-0 in World Series games in the deafening dome, beating the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. Minnesota...