Friday, August 01

This edition of the newsletter was written by Twins beat reporter Matthew Leach with contributions from reporter Patrick Donnelly.

You may well think that Danny Coulombe has the best job that anyone could possibly have.

He agrees with you -- but not in the way you may think.

Coulombe, the Twins’ left-handed reliever, loves his role as a big league ballplayer. But there’s one thing he ranks above it.

“The best job in the world,” he said, “is being a dad.”

And when those two jobs overlap? Well that’s just about perfect.

Coulombe’s family -- wife Lauren and sons Theo (6 years old) and Thomas (3 years old) -- is clearly the light of his world. It takes about five minutes seeing him with his boys to understand that. They’ve been a common sight around the clubhouse, dating back to Spring Training and continuing through the season.

“I think as far as the coolest memories I'm making, especially with my kids, it’s getting to bring them in the clubhouse, especially after wins,” Coulombe said. “We started this a few years ago. Every time we won a game, 'OK, come in, get a snack, get a Gatorade, and then head out.'

“It's just a special thing we've been able to do. We've won a lot these last three years. So they've gotten used to it. But it's fun, because they actually are invested in the game now. They don't know the inner workings, but they know who won and lost. Winning, they love it, because they get to come to clubhouse after the game.”

Coulombe and his kids have been fortunate that, as he notes, there’s been a lot of winning. He was on playoff teams in Baltimore in 2023 and '24, and plays on a contender with the Twins in ’25.

He notes, though, that the overlap of parenting and baseball also makes for extra challenges. The time and travel demands of big league life make it tougher to be a dad. He leans on Lauren and their extended family, but even so, it’s tough to balance everything.

“It’s really hard,” Coulombe said. “It's something that's rarely spoken about in the media. But it's really, really hard. For me, my job is first to be a husband and a father to these kids, even more than a baseball player. But it's hard. Being on the road puts a lot of pressure on our wives. This game matters. Winning matters, all that stuff. But ultimately, getting to go home after a game, [and getting] to spend that time with your family is invaluable.”

On top of the routine demands, Theo has autism, and the Coulombes have made it a priority to advocate for autism awareness and acceptance. And so with all that goes on in their lives, the ballpark time becomes extra important. It takes all of it -- personal commitment from both parents, from their families and finding special times wherever they can.

“My wife and I live near my in-laws, and they are just such a blessing in our life, getting to be there and help out so much,” Coulombe said. “But yeah, I want to father my kids, and it just makes it hard a lot of times in this game. But, it's been really fun to get to share this with them. And you know, they love baseball, they love being around the game.”

Manager Rocco Baldelli has used a few position players over the years to mop up on the mound late in decisive defeats. Ehire Adrianza, Willians Astudillo, Nick Gordon, Willi Castro and Matt Wallner are among those who’ve logged time on the hill for the Twins since 2019. This year’s “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” ace could be infielder Jonah Bride, who has pitched five innings over three appearances through June 14.

Many position players dream of getting a chance to relive their glory days as a high school ace or show off the array of funky pitches they throw on the side. But Baldelli doesn’t think he’s doing them a favor by putting them on the mound. In fact, he’s so appreciative of their contributions that he’d like to see them rewarded financially -- by the relievers whose arms they’re saving from further wear and tear.

“I think it's a nice gesture,” said Baldelli, who suggested each reliever chip in $20 to the pot. “I think it’s mainly a bullpen kind of thing. There's eight guys down there. They can pick up a steak dinner. That works.”

However, he cautioned against making the reward too enticing. When the suggestion of $200 was tossed out, Baldelli shook his head and said, “Each? Guys will be begging to pitch!”

“It's weird. My last [longest home run] was off a slider, too. I don't hit fastballs far, but I can hit a slider.” -- Byron Buxton after hitting the longest homer of his career, a 479-foot blast off Texas’ Jack Leiter on June 11

The Twins’ Nelly postgame concert is less than four weeks away. The long-lived hip-hop artist will be playing at Target Field on July 11 following the Friday night game against the Pirates, and tickets are still available. All fans with tickets to the game are permitted to stay for the concert, which starts about 20 minutes after the game ends. Follow this link for more details, including how to buy tickets.

The Twins are in Houston as this email missive goes out, home of one of the richest musical legacies in the country. So here are five favorite tracks from some of the city’s top artists.

Beyoncé, “Crazy In Love”

ZZ Top, “Jesus Just Left Chicago”

Lyle Lovett, “That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)”

UGK, “International Players Anthem”

King’s X, “It’s Love”

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