From stoic to stogie, Joe Mauer is a changed man.
Maybe his 2,000th career hit loosened him up, or perhaps the snow has finally pushed him over the edge.
Whatever it is, the typically low-key, average Joe is flashing some uncharacteristic personality in a team photo that was snapped moments before the Twins boarded a flight to Puerto Rico on Sunday.
Off to Puerto Rico in style! 🇵🇷 #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/1CRbWNjgpQ
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 15, 2018
Who wouldn’t want to party with Mauer after seeing this photo?
- Panama hat. Check.
- Hawaiian shirt. Check.
- Shades. Check.
- Cigar. Check.
Seriously, there’s a really good chance 1-2 more buttons come undone on that Tommy Bahama by the time he gets off the plane in San Juan.
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And don’t say you weren’t warned, because there’s at least an 80 percent chance Mauer comes home looking like Tom Selleck in “Magnum, PI.”
Update
The National Swag Society has issued a chest hair watch for all of Puerto Rico, in effect from 6 a.m. Monday through 6 a.m. Thursday.
Actual baseball stuff that matters
With the weather gods burying Target Field and the rest of the metro area in snow, the Twins haven’t played since Thursday and they won’t take the field again until Tuesday when they open a two-game series against Cleveland in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The unexpected break has allowed manager Paul Molitor to set the starting rotation to his liking, and he’s going with Jake Odorizzi on Tuesday and Jose Berrios on Wednesday.
Berrios, a native of Puerto Rico, will be pitching in front of family and friends.
Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Odorizzi are then scheduled to start during Minnesota’s three-game series in Tampa Bay Friday-Sunday, although the Star Tribune says Phil Hughes could make his 2018 debut on Sunday.
Minnesota has gone with a four-man starting rotation to begin the season.
