The Twins had the most Black players in the American League this year, but Black fans remain a rare sight at Target Field. Sports columnist Charles Hallman asks what it will take to bring them out to the ballpark.
Minnesota Twins
Posted inAnother View
Twins’ Black players reflect on a ‘special’ clubhouse
The Minnesota Twins ended 2026 with a league-high five Black players and a Black coach, a fact the team’s own final game notes skipped. Sports columnist Charles Hallman held exit interviews with all six.
Posted inNews
Dave Winfield reflects on Hall of Fame career, new memoir amid milestone year
Hall of Famer and Rondo native Dave Winfield reflects on his new memoir, “Touching All the Bases,” a statue in his childhood neighborhood, and 50 years of the Winfield Awards. Sports columnist Charles Hallman has the full story.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Culpepper’s early flashes give Twins a look at their future
Rookie shortstop Kaelen Culpepper is already making waves in a Minnesota Twins uniform. Sports Columnist Charles Hallman breaks down Culpepper’s big-league adjustment, praise from veterans, and what his arrival signals for the franchise.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Black players carry the Twins system into the All-Star break
From an injured Futures Game selection to a Twins pitcher’s back-to-back strikeout gems, sports columnist Charles Hallman rounds up four storylines from Black baseball players in and around the Twins organization.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Four to watch
With Simeon Woods Richardson traded to Toronto, the Minnesota Twins now have four Black players on the roster: Josh Bell, Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis and Taj Bradley, all four of whom played in last Sunday’s win over St. Louis.
Posted inAnother View
Royce and Kaelen: Working their way back to the show
Royce Lewis is working to rediscover his game after a demotion to the St. Paul Saints, while top prospect Kaelen Culpepper is making a case for a promotion, and the two Black teammates are leaning on each other along the way.
Posted inTwins/MLB
LaTroy Hawkins: From the Mound to the Dugout
LaTroy Hawkins, now in his first season as the Minnesota Twins’ bullpen coach, is the franchise’s first Black bullpen coach in history and the first Black pitching coach since 2018, bringing a 21-year playing career and a hard-earned college degree to his new role.
Posted inAnother View, Twins/MLB
Two Black aces, one rotation: Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson make history in Minnesota
Twins pitchers Taj Bradley and Simeon Woods Richardson are one of the rarest sights in MLB, two Black starting pitchers on the same team, and both say the bond they have built is making them better.
Posted inTwins/MLB
For Josh Bell, it all started in the backyard
Twins first baseman Josh Bell reflects on baseball, fatherhood and what it means to be part of a Minnesota roster leading the majors in U.S.-born Black players.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Twins’ top prospect Culpepper ready for ‘the big stage’
Kaelen Culpepper, the St. Paul Saints infielder and 2024 first-round Twins draft pick, is ready to make his big league debut and is leading the Saints in hits, runs and total bases early in the 2026 season.
Posted inAnother View
What would Jackie see?
Jackie Robinson Day 2026 raises the question of what Robinson would see in MLB today, as Black players hover around 7 percent of rosters and the Minnesota Twins lead with five Black players on their team.
Posted inAnother View
Gopher hoopsters get new Black coaches
Both U of M basketball teams have coaching additions this season. Corey Green is in his first season as basketball operations director for the women’s basketball team. He formerly spent four seasons at Old Dominion in a similar position, and served on coaching staffs at Memphis (three seasons) and Detroit (two years). He got his […]
Posted inSports
What we lost with the Negro Leagues
MLBbro.com, founded by veteran journalist and NABJ HOF Rob Parker, regularly spotlights Black and brown pro baseball players. The MSR does its best to keep pace with a similar emphasis on U.S.-born Black players at Minnesota Twins home games. The Twins this season had four Black players — position players Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis, […]
Posted inAnother View
In majors, only Twins and Reds have two Black pitchers
With only nine Black MLB pitchers this season (MLBbro.com), the Twins stand out with two: Simeon Woods Richardson and Taj Bradley. SWR struck out 11 Yankees in a 7–0 win; Bradley’s pitch mix shows big-game upside. Both players—and Rocco Baldelli—weigh in on performance, growth, and representation.
Posted inOdds and Ends
From field to booth, Span keeps on learning
Former Twins outfielder Denard Span reflects on his playing career, his role as a broadcast analyst, and his work off the field supporting single mothers through his nonprofit.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Twins’ Lewis takes injury in stride
Royce Lewis is rehabbing with the St. Paul Saints after another hamstring injury. The 24-year-old Twins infielder says he feels good and hopes to return soon.
Posted inSports
It’s back to the Saints for Twins’ only Black pitcher
Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson returns to St. Paul, focusing on improvement, faith, and a new splitter to get back to the majors.
Posted inTwins/MLB
Twins’ Buxton leads by example
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is the second fastest player on the basepaths in Major League Baseball. According to Statcast, Buxton is averaging 30.2 feet per second, his highest speed since 2019.
Posted inOdds and Ends
Twins Black hurlers warm up for the season
Alex Speas and Simeon Woods Richardson, both Black players on the Minnesota Twins, are working to make an impact on the team and to stick in the majors, with Speas aiming to join the “Black Aces” list and Woods Richardson aiming to improve his record.