Monday Morning Minnesota: Rocco’s modern managerial life

• I don’t know who Adam Thielen is, or really how one plays football (horses?) but these Joe Mauer cleats are absolutely radical. You know those one piece jammies for kids (and adults like me that dress like kids) that make you look like a bear or a unicorn or something? I want a Joe Mauer one. Just my face snugly inside a fluffy Joe mouth. Hell, I would wear that out. No one would mess with the girl in the Joe Mauer mascot suit.
• New Twins Man(ager) Rocco Baldelli’s courting process with the Twins involved meeting literally everyone. I also enjoy that he plans to call Paul Molitor, no way that could be awkward.
• Baldelli was hired to be relatable to the youngins, and as Twins Daily points out he should be extra relatable to a really important young outfielder. Here’s hoping!
• Mike Bates for the Hardball Times wrote a great piece on the evolving norms of baseball. Old guys crying about baseball players becoming wimps has been going on since one guy in 1875 sheepishly wore a glove because hard objects flying 90 MPH at you kinda sting when you catch them.
• Tax evasion is basically the rich white guy version of forgetting to scan an item at the Wal-Mart check out, and while not “evasion” per se, the MLB is arguing to pay less taxes because it “isn’t in the business of athletics.” One of the teams is literally called the Athletics, Manfred, sheesh. (The article makes better points than me don’t worry.)
• In case you haven’t seen it yet, Meet our fairy blogmother Myjah and also some other weirdo.

Today’s soundtrack is JRPGs.