Twins Caravan visits New Ulm

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The Minnesota Twins Winter Caravan received a rousing welcome Thursday at St. Paul's Lutheran School.

Grade school students made large posters welcoming the caravan to New Ulm.

They sang "We're Gonna Win Twins," and "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" with spirit as the traditional "hot stove league" (baseball talk) contingent entered and left the school building.

The entourage included Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski, infielder/outfielder Denny Hocking, Twins broadcaster John Gordon, and mascot T.C.

Hocking, in his 10th year with the Twins, became interested in baseball because his older brother played the game.

"I got tired of sitting at home, watching cartoons so I told my mom to buy me a glove," Hocking said. "It was tough at first. My brother used to throw the ball at me when I wasn't looking."

Pierzynski began playing baseball at age four. He tried basketball but realized he couldn't jump very well.

Hocking became upset last year when Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig cited major league contraction and threatened to get rid of the Twins.

"It just wouldn't be fair or right to get rid of a team with such a rich tradition," Hocking said. "I'd like to thank fans like you for stepping up to the plate and showing your support for us."

Pierzynski was even more upset than Hocking about the possibility of the Twins dissolving.

"Denny kept us calm and focused during a tough time," Pierzynski said. "It looked pretty bleak for a while."

Pierzynski shared his numerous ups and downs before he reached the major leagues. He enjoyed the intensity of working with a pitcher, trying to retire batters, and the challenge of trying outwit a pitcher and get on base.

Getting paid for playing a kid's game was one of the aspects Hocking said he enjoyed about baseball. Joining the Twins Winter Caravan and meeting people at schools, hospitals and nursing homes help make him a better-rounded person, he said.

Patience and being in the right place at the right time were Hocking's keys to getting to the major leagues.

He said people may not realize the demands of a major league baseball player.

"People don't always realize that we get to the park at 7 a.m. and stay there until 11 p.m. or midnight 220 days a year," Hocking said.

St. Paul's eighth-graders Andrew Ring and Nate Scharf took part in jumping rope with the Twins, with and without a blindfold in front of the student body in the gymnasium. Nate's father Richmond, a fifth and sixth-grade teacher also took part.

Gordon said the 42nd annual Twins Winter Caravan is the longest-running such event in major league sports.