How much did that kid get for Pujols’ ball?

Welcome back to THURSDAY THUNDER DUMP!!!!!!!! The only Twins news link dump too cool for Facebook!

WARNING: For some reason, a lot of the links today have annoying, auto-loading videos. Click “*” links with caution.

How Much was Pujol’s Ball Worth?

So you remember this guy?

The life-long Angels fan and college student who caught Albert Pujols’ 6ooth home run ball? He got interviewed on radio and TV, including FSN with Dick ‘n Bert? That guy?

After he caught the ball, his dad and brother had to pull people off of him, and security had to escort him through the stadium.

Then after all that, he gave the ball back to Pujols... FOR FREE! Well, he did get to present it to him after the game and Pujols thanked him and gave him a hug. Then Pujols kind of brushes past him like, “Okay, thanks kid. Gotta run.” Sort of like the opposite of Joe Mauer’s side burn commercial. Scott comes in the video below about 1:37.

Pretty cool of Scott to do that, but I’m guessing that ball would’ve bought a lot of textbooks.

Speed of Lightning, Roar of Thunder

Local Dog is Hero: Meet Judy, a bomb-sniffing springer spaniel and Iraq veteran that works now at Target Field.

At every home game, Judy and Litman are present from when the gates open until after they close. Before gates open, they are walking outside the stadium while Judy sniffs for trouble — or explosives. After the first pitch, the two enter the stadium and continue to walk around. On average, the two can walk between 3 and 5 miles during each game.

Rod Carew Coming Back to Twin Cities*

Rod is okay to fly again and will be honored at Target Field on July 3rd during a Twins -Angels game for the 40th Anniversary of his MVP season and the 50th of his ROY season.

The first 10,000 fans in attendance will get a poster honoring Carew and his TIME Magazine cover from 1977. Carew will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and the Twins will wear the “Heart of 29” patch for the game.

The Evolution of Duff-Man

Our friends over at Twinkie Town wrote an excellent article on how Tyler Duffey has made some adjustments to his pitching style to adapt to his new role in the Twins bullpen. One of the changes noted was actually a tip given to him by Bert Blyleven, a former Twins pitcher himself back in the Paleolithic Era. Blyleven told Duffey to stand closer to the 3rd base side of the pitching rubber when throwing against righty batters and it’s paying off (this was also noted in Thursday Thunder Dump #42 “The Curse of the Poke Balls).

Another great article there asks the musical question, “Will Dozier hit 30 home runs this year?” The author, “badcoffee” (seriously, that’s what he calls himself) answers with a resounding, “maybe.”

Twinkie Town is a cool site and they’ve sent traffic TTD’s way a number of times, so check ‘em out! Although you might want to get an ad blocker before you do.

The Player Who Almost Mistook a Bird for the Ball

You’ve Been Thunder Dumped! 1/4

Yeah, it’s alright, we’re doing fine!