Tales from the Minnesota Twins Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest Twins Stories Ever Told

by Kent Hrbek, Dennis Brackin (Primary Contributor)

In this newly revised edition, Twins superstar Kent Krbek relives his journey from homegrown dreamer to major league superstar. He recounts all the unforgettable moments from on the field and in the locker room, including stories of Kirby Puckett, Tom Brunansky, Tom Kelly, Harmon Killibrew, and more.

Imagine a story in which a young man grows up so close to a major-league ballpark that he can see the stadium lights from his front yard. He pretends to be the team’s star during neighborhood ball games and fantasizes about one day playing for his hometown team. Stop imagining. Kent Hrbek made those childhood dreams come true.

Hrbek played fourteen seasons for the franchise, helping the club win two World Series titles. His jersey has been retired by the Twins, hanging alongside the likes of Tony Oliva, the hitter he emulated as a child. It is a fairytale story. But it’s only one part of this newly revised edition of Tales From the Minnesota Twins Dugout . Within these pages, readers will find the story of players’ hopes, realities, and unforgettable moments. Enjoy the humorous tales of pranks pulled by Hrbek and his zany teammates, taste the victory as the Twins take home two World Series titles. Savor the story of the hometown hero who remains to this day fiercely loyal to his Twins. A must-have for any Minnesota fan.

Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, Sports Publishing is committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Genres: Baseball, Nonfiction, Sports

192 pages, Hardcover

First published February 21, 2012

Reviews

[Anup Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a nice stroll down memory lane for a baseball fan of the 1980’s and 1990’s. Kent Hrbek was a darn good ball player who played for a couple of world champions and has to know the Twins of the era as well as anybody.

It was nice to get his perspective even if I didn’t always agree. Recommended for any other sentimental fans of the era.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun read for anyone who has been a lifelong Twins fan. Nice to hear stories about names you have once been familiar with. Hrbek is honest and forthright. One of my favorite lines was that Gary Gaetti could grow a beard in about half an hour. I edited the Twins magazine in 1991, when they won their second World Series. I've been a huge fan ever since Reno Bertoia was their third baseman (the year they moved to Minnesota from Washington). I was once in attendance at the Metrodome as a guest of umpire Joe Brinkman, about whom I had written a magazine article. We were sitting with Joe's wife, Karen. A guy down our row was an elementary school teacher. When he found out Karen Brinkman was attending the Twins game against Baltimore, he raced up to the booth and they put it out on the Twins-o-Gram. Umpires don't like to be put in the spotlight like that, and Joe Brinkman was umping at home plate when the Twins-o-Gram flashed up. Eddie Murray, the power hitter on the Orioles, was at bat and had just called time, but Joe was a little distracted, and he called strike three on Murray after he had called time. Murray was furious and wouldn't leave the field. Manager Earl Weaver came running out and stood between Murray and whoever the nearest umpire was so Murray wouldn't get tossed.

Joe Brinkman never knew who had outed him on the Twins-o-Gram, and I always suspected that he thought it was me, because we'd been to their house in Florida. I never talked to him after that, and I always wanted to explain that it wasn't me who had put his name in lights and caused the big hoo-ha on the field. Years later, I ran into his mother at a Twins game and explained it to her. She said he still had the magazine my story on Joe was in. My story was collected in The Sporting News Best Sports Stories of 1983. Joe had told me during the interview that an umpire can never admit when he has blown a call, because forever after he would be criticized by players who thought they should get their call reversed, because he did it that one time for that one guy, and it would have resulted in endless arguments with the umpire saying, "Well, I didn't blow your call. That was 100 percent accurate." But it was a slippery slope, and no one wanted to be the first down it.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. As a baseball fan I liked it. There were a lot of fun stories that were told very well, more than a few laughs. I also remember Kent Hrbek as a ball player and will never forget the 91 World Series or the 87 World Series for that matter... But I will tell you this if you are a fan of the Minnesota Twins you absolutely positively must read this book.

[Jim Dahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

Hrbek has always been one of my favorite Twins. I always thought it would be fun to sit down with Herbie, have few beers & listen to his stories and that's kind of what it feels like while reading this book. Being a lifelong Twins' fan, it was enjoyable to read about the 1987 & 1991 World Series teams and more.

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short listen from Kent Hrbek, former Minnesota Twins star, that is filled with stories from Hrbek’s playing days. The stories loosely began with his first years in the Twin’s minor leagues system through his time in the big leagues. It was a fun quick listen that brings back memories from the Twins, glory days and two world championships

[Ben Vogel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've met Kent Hrbek. Bowled in more than one tournament with him. I can't say that I know him, but I know enough from those experiences and from his public persona to know that this book is really him. Unvarnished, unassuming, and a truly down to earth guy.

If you are a Twins fan from the heyday of the team, this collection of stories is a real treasure. There aren't tons of juicy revelations here, there aren't artful turns of prose, instead it is filled with conversational memories and reminiscences of Kent Hrbek from his life and his career with the Twins. These are a delight to those of us lucky enough to have grown up following the team through the decades leading up to the magic that happened in 1987 and 1991.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun quick read about Kent Hrbek and his career with the Minnesota Twins. Since the Twins were the only club he played for, this is appropriately titled. He doesn't dwell too much on his early childhood, mainly on his days with the Twins and the after baseball life.

Having been a long time Twins fan, it was fun to get a first hand account of what it was like to be on a team that matured together to produce a championship in 1987. Hrbek felt that championship was better than the second one in 1991 (one of many opinions he shares) and I do agree with him as it made for the best reading in this book. This is a must read for every Twins fan.

[Andy Hislop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up during the Twins championship seasons this was a great read. It was enjoyable to hear about my memories from a man who created them, especially with the hometown spin that only someone like Kent Hrbek could give. One of my wishes is that my boys could experience the thrill of "their" team winning it all in their childhood. Perhaps that's on the way with all the good in the farm system now. It was a magic time and fun to revisit with Hrbie!