Minnesota
‘Let’s Go Crazy’: Minnesota Twins Pay Tribute To Prince In Stylish Home Run Celebration
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have a new home run celebration — and players and fans are going crazy over it.
The Twins unveiled a Prince-inspired celebration for the long ball, complete with a purple vest and an inflatable purple guitar to pay tribute to the late Minnesota musician and his song “Lets Go Crazy.”
The idea came from Twins starter Pablo Lopez, who has created a number of different ways to keep the long baseball season fresh. Lopez said this particular celebration has been in the works for a few months.
“The fact he goes out of his way to bring the team together means so much,” said Carlos Correa, who donned the Prince apparel after a home run Thursday. “You need guys that not only pitch well, but also bring the team together. He’s definitely one of those.”
Thursday was also “Prince Night” at Target Field, honoring the late musician who put Minnesota’s music scene on the map.
Lopez said the vest was custom made and added that it took a while to be shipped, but the wait was worth it.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s me, if it’s someone, but I’m all for doing activities for the team,” Lopez said. “I’m all for finding things sometimes not related to baseball that can bring us closer not only as players but also as people, as friends, as brothers.”
Brace Hemmelgarn via Getty Images
On Friday night, it was Max Kepler’s turn to don the vest and break out the guitar after his three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning tied the game at 4. With the homer, Kepler became the all-time home run leader at Target Field with his 81st blast. The echoes of “Let’s Go Crazy” rang through the ballpark after Kepler tied the game.
Kepler added a walk-off single in the 10th inning to give the Twins a 6-5 win over the Oakland Athletics.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
The Portland Trail Blazers picked Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori as their next head coach on Tuesday, after making the playoffs for the first time in five years under the direction of interim coach Tiago Splitter.
Nori, who spent the past five seasons with the Timberwolves, has interviewed for multiple head coach vacancies, including the Chicago Bulls earlier this month, the New York Knicks last year, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024.
Nori, 52, was the lead assistant under Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch while the club made the playoffs each season, won five series, and reached the Western Conference finals in 2023 and 2024. Nori, who began his NBA career in 1998 as a scout with the Toronto Raptors, has also been an assistant for the Raptors, the Sacramento Kings, the Denver Nuggets, and the Detroit Pistons. His son, Dante, is a minor league baseball player in the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
Splitter, who was hired last week as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, was promoted from assistant to interim coach when then-head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in October in a federal takedown of a sprawling gambling operation. Billups has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
The Blazers went 42-40 with a five-game loss to NBA finalist San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs, the first postseason appearance and first time they finished with a winning record in five years.
The news comes a day after the Wolves reportedly traded three-time All-Star Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that sends Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly trading three-time All-Star Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that sends Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls.
Minnesota is sending the 28th pick to the Nets and will be receiving the No. 33 pick that will be made in the second round on Wednesday night, according to a person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not received the required approvals from the league office.
For Minnesota, the trade opens up a slew of financial possibilities. It creates a $33 million trade exception, plus gives the Timberwolves room they can use to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu and target more players in free agency.
Randle, a three-time All-Star, will be moving to his fifth team after stints with New York, the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans and the Timberwolves. He averaged 21.1 points this past season, though shot just 39% from the field and 24% from 3-point range in Minnesota’s 12 playoff contests.
Claxton just finished his seventh NBA season, all with Brooklyn. He averaged 11.7 points this past season.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins Tuesday night.
At Senator Westrom’s St. Paul office, visitors are greeted by the classic Minnesota state flag, which the DFL leaders should not have taken away from Minnesotans.
However, local communities have the authority to keep flying it, like many have done, and Senator Westrom encourages communities interested in keeping it to do so.
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