Twins, Byron Buxton unveil 'Land of 10,000 Rakes' vest in win over Royals
Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates with Pablo Lopez #49 after hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals on April 30, 2023 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ((Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Sunday to improve to 17-12 on the season, and they now have a new way to celebrate home runs in the dugout.
Perhaps they took a lesson from the Minnesota Vikings, with Kirk Cousins wearing chains after wins during the 2022 season. Byron Buxton smashed a 453-foot, three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning.
When he got to the dugout, his teammates welcomed him with a tan "Land of 10,000 Rakes" fishing vest, and a fishing pole. It’s very Minnesota, with a fishing pole to match. Pablo Lopez bought the outfit, and had the "Land of 10,000 Rakes" printed on the back.
"Didn’t see the fishing pole coming, but when you think about it, 10,000 lakes, you can get a little picture. Just something to bring a little fun to the dugout and it’s something to keep us going," Buxton said. "It's something unique that makes up our team and stands for Minnesota."
It’s an ode to Minnesota, which is known for its thousands of lakes. It’s also a tribute to when a player is hot at the plate, and "raking."
It was Buxton’s seventh home run of the season, tied for the team lead, and he’s now second on the Twins with 17 RBI.
"I like the vest. I think that’s professionally done. It looks sharp and I don’t know, useful. Hopefully we get some good use out of it."
It helps when you’re winning. The Twins lead the American League Central Division by 3.5 games over the Cleveland Guardians, and are the only team in the division with an above .500 record. The Twins have won five of their eight series of the season, earned a split in four games at New York and for the first time since 2001, beat the Yankees in a three-game series at Target Field.
This week presents an opportunity to create some separation in the AL Central, with three games at the 8-21 White Sox starting Tuesday, followed by three at the Cleveland Guardians. The Twins finished the month of April 16-12.