The verdict is in: The Baseball Project's "Don't Call Them Twinkies" is a hit with the Twins faithful, and rightfully so. For one thing, it's actually a decent song, which you should expect from a band that has Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows), Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate), with special guest Craig Finn (The Hold Steady, Lifter Puller) sitting in on lead vocals.
For another, it arrives in the wake of G.B. Leighton's underwhelming "Twins Territory," which FSN viewers have been subjected to all season long. But DID YOU KNOW: his was actually the best song that FSN had to choose from this spring? In a Twinkie Town exclusive (because I'm making these up), here are the tunes that were rejected in favor of Leighton's anthem:
- "Requiem for Carlos Gomez," the Dillinger Four
- "Steve Howe Eyes," Kim Carnes
- "The Twins Are My Favorite Team (But They Suck and Gardy Should Be Fired)," Fanatic Jack and the Jack-Tones
- "Wilfong Mustache," Atmosphere
- "Touch 'em All (It's the Remix)," John Gordon feat. Pitbull
- "Animals I've Killed and Eaten (Go Twins Go!)," The Kent Hrbek Three
- "You've Gotta Fight for Your Right to Shake Mauer Off," Kevin Slowey
- "Punching Lombardozzi," Gladden and the Mulletmen
- "Butch Wynegar Was a Friend of Mine," the Jayhawks
- "The Ballad of Jeff Reboulet," Solid Gold
- "Way Out in Front (The Change-Up Song)," Jacque Jones
- "Battle Your Tail Off," The Hocking & Tolbert Project